Month: July 2020

Trading Retirement for a Mission (2 Timothy 4:7)

            There is in the American experience an expectation of “retirement.” That is, part of the American dream is this persistent idea that, after some number of years of working and struggling to make our mark in the world, the time has come to retire and to slow down the pace and to ”enjoy the golden years” hopefully “doing what we have always wanted to do.” Maybe we will get a hobby and spend some time with our grandkids and take it easy. At first glance, this seems like a great idea. And haven’t we earned it? Don’t we deserve to bask in the fruits of our labor? But as the Christian examines this idea against the teaching of Scripture, we may find that completing our mission too early is not a good thing.

KING SOLOMON

            Consider, for example, King Solomon. Solomon was chosen by the LORD Himself to be the one who would build His house in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 28:6, 10). Then King David, Solomon’s father, charged him with the task of building the house of the LORD (1 Chronicles 28:20). Additionally, Solomon himself had decided to build a magnificent royal palace for him and his wives. So, it can correctly be said that what defined King Solomon’s life was the completion of these two great building projects. And what an amazing task to be given and what a remarkable mission to accomplish, to be the one who would be known for all time as the builder of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem! After twenty years of construction, Solomon finished these projects (2 Chronicles 5:1; 6:10; 7:1; 8:1), and thus his life’s accomplishment was completed. He had successfully done what the LORD had called him to do.

            So, if we are armed with our current “bask-in-his-glory” mindset, we would expect to see Solomon reaping the fruits of his vast labors and that the rest of his life would be a glowing success, an example of a life well-spent. That expectation, however, is shattered as we witness this great man’s life slowly unravel in indulgence, opulence, and idolatry, marrying many foreign wives and building altars to pagan gods (1 Kings 11). After the mission of his life is accomplished, Solomon turns his heart away from the LORD and spends the remainder of his days in disastrous pursuits. Toward the end of his life, Solomon pens the book of Ecclesiastes in which, as an uncertain, cynical, pessimistic older man he asks essential questions about the meaning of life and about the purpose of existence. Without oversimplifying things, I think the main problem was that Solomon completed his life’s mission long before his life was done.

            This is the inherent danger of our modern idea of retirement; namely, that we complete our life’s work or accomplish our life’s mission, and then spend the rest of our days in leisure. The danger of retirement is intentionally putting an end to our life’s mission long before our life is over.

            Related to this are two fundamental truths that must be grasped. First, mankind was created by God for mission, and every individual man and woman is most fulfilled and most alive when they are most fully engaged in the mission God the Creator has given them to do. When Solomon was engaged in his building projects, his kingdom flourished, his advice was wise, and his life was fulfilled. But when his mission was over, he drifted downstream and ended up on the rocks. Again, I say, we are made to fulfill out God-given mission until we draw our last breath, not just until we decide to “retire.”

            The second truth that we must grasp is that we are fallen creatures and our entire being has been corrupted by sin. The Fall of man was very effective, and, because of it, all human beings are bent toward sin and are bent toward disobedience. By nature, we love sin and, even when we have been born-again through faith in Jesus Christ and our sins have been forgiven by His blood, we still live with our “flesh,” which tempts us toward indulgence, opulence, and idolatry. Therefore, since we are fallen and still live with our “flesh,” each of us needs a noble, compelling mission that infuses passion into our lives. Without a compelling, God-given mission, we are likely to waste our time and squander our lives in aimless pursuits. Because Solomon was fallen like all men, and because he had finished his life’s mission, he lost his zeal and aimlessly drifted. In the end, his life, which had such spectacular promise, disintegrated into a dubious legacy of disappointment.

A CONTRAST

            While the Bible gives us examples of people who, like Solomon, did not finish well so that we might be warned not to follow their course, the Bible also gives us other examples of people who pursued their mission to the very end and died while still pressing forward. One of those examples is the apostle Paul. For Paul, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil. 1:21).” In this verse, and in many others, Paul makes clear that he had received his mission from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and that he was going to accomplish that mission. In all of Paul’s writing there is no mention of “leisure” or of “retirement.” Instead, we read of fruitful labor, of striving, of pressing toward the goal, of spending and being expended for people’s souls, and of being poured out as a drink offering. Instead of indulging his flesh, Paul buffets his body to make it his slave. Rather than playing it safe, for the sake of the gospel Paul was constantly being exposed to real dangers, like beatings and shipwrecks. There is no record of Paul ever living in a palace or of him musing about the “golden years” of rest that are up ahead, unless you count the times the Apostle talked about heaven and his desire to go there where he would receive his crown (2 Timothy 4:8).

LESSONS ON MISSION

            One of the immense blessings of being a follower of the Lord Jesus is that, with our salvation we have also received a calling, a mission. The entire Christian life is about living on mission, about finding and living out that unique place to which the Lord has called you where you are most satisfied. We have all generally been called to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are all to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19) and are all to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). But I am convinced that we are also all given a unique mission to accomplish that the Lord has entrusted to each one of us.

            Since that is the case, the first thing to do is to seek and find your mission. “How do I know what my mission is?” You will know it when you find it, but you will also know it when you have not found it, because when your life is not running on mission, you will know a level of dissatisfaction. The search for your mission may be a long search, but the treasure of the mission is worth the effort.

            What are the characteristics of an ideal “mission?” Your mission will probably not be a narrowly defined, specific task or endeavor. Rather, it will be somewhat broad. (Examples: “A ministry of prayer in which I lift up immediate needs of my church and also pray for our supported missionaries.” “Writing articles and blogs on Bible passages to increase the love of the Word among God’s people.”) Your mission should be context independent. That is, it can be done in any country, in any season; it can be done whether you are rich or poor, at any age of your life. The mission should be something that can be done until the day you die, whenever that is. The mission should allow you to still bear fruit in old age (Psalm 92:14). Your mission should be something about which you are passionate. Finally, your mission is something that you know that you will never complete. If you have a mission of praying for your church’s needs, you know that you will never finish praying, for there are always more needs. If your mission is writing articles, blogs, and books about the Bible, you know that you will never finish your mission, because there will always be articles to write and people to encourage. And this is a good thing, because it ensures that you will always have “missionary” work to do, and so your passion will ever flow hot.

            Finally, consider these two statements about mission:

“I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course (mission); I have kept the faith.” – (2 Timothy 4:7) written by the apostle Paul as he was awaiting his execution in a prison in Rome.

“I glorified You (God the Father) on earth, having accomplished the work (mission) that You gave Me to do.” – (John 17:4) spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ on the night of His betrayal.

            So, rather than thinking about retirement and how we can enjoy the leisure of your “golden years,” let’s think about laboring in a compelling mission from which we will never retire and which will allow us to hit the finish line at full speed.

SDG                 rmb                 7/29/2020

Walking a Darker Path (Mark 10:32-33)

My walk with Christ easily lends itself to the analogy of a path. That path began in late 1990 when I came to Christ from a very non-Christian worldview and found myself suddenly following Christ.

Much of my walk with the Lord has been pleasant and many days have been spent strolling through meadows or climbing through forest glades on well-marked, smooth paths. As the Lord effortlessly strides ahead, I struggle to keep up, occasionally stumbling over a rock or a root. When I lag too far behind, He stops and looks back waiting for me, always smiling, always patient, always encouraging. Thus He and I have spent many idyllic days in sweet fellowship, and thus over time He has taught me about His ways and has taught me how to walk, and thus I have gradually gotten stronger and better able to follow Him. I have seen His power and His faithfulness, and my trust in Him has become more sure.

This trust and increased strength are important, because the Lord knows, and I know, that my path will not always meander through pleasant meadows. There have been times in the past, and there will be times in the future, when the character of the path changes. There are times when, for His perfect purposes and for my deeper discipleship, the Lord needs to lead me into a darker, dangerous place.

I sense that I am now entering such a time and following Him toward such a place, and I feel that there are many others in this decaying world who are feeling the same thing. For the past two or three years or so, the Lord has led me past alpine lakes and through hardwood and hemlock forests, but now, as I peer up ahead, the landscape seems much more barren. Towering thunderhead clouds loom, billowing up to obscure the sun and rumbling their foreboding tune. The path is beginning to drop steeply and to narrow, becoming harder to follow. Rocks, prominent and jagged, threaten the sides of the trail. A gloomy dusk has cloaked the scene, making it harder to see where to walk. There in front of me is the Lord, still leading, still smiling and still patient, but His looks back to me are now more frequent, wanting to make sure that I am staying close. Does He sense my reluctance to follow Him into the darkness? Does He know my fear? And now it has become clear that the Lord is, in fact, leading me into a season of a darker path as He beckons me down into the foggy chasm.

What, then, is the believer to do when the path becomes treacherous and when the Lord leads us toward the edge of a murky chasm? As I walk with the Lord, there are some basic things to do to make sure I stay on the path.

  • Consider Jesus’ example of fearless obedience to His Father’s plan. Jesus’ entire life was one of suffering. He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3).” He knew what it was to walk a dark path. In Mark 10:32-33, the Bible says:
    • And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise.”

When I consider that I am going to walk a dark and difficult path, I need to remember and keep my eyes on the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). In Mark 10, as they go up to Jerusalem, He is the only one who knows EXACTLY what awaits Him there. The Lord is beginning the walk to the cross. He knows with certainty that mocking and scourging and crucifixion await Him and yet He is walking ahead of the crowd. Since my Lord accepted this darkest of all possible paths and persevered, so I need to accept whatever path the Lord leads me down and persevere to the end.

  • As Jesus trusted and obeyed His heavenly Father and accomplished His work (John 17:4), so I need to trust and obey the Lord and accomplish the work He has given me to do (Ephesians 2:10).
  • Regardless of the darkness of the path, the Lord is with me. He has sworn that He will never leave me of forsake me (Hebrews 13:5; Joshua 1:5).
  • Regardless of the darkness of the path, the Lord is the one leading me. The path on which I am traveling may seem dark and difficult, and I may not know the short-term destination, but I know and trust the One leading me. The Lord is trustworthy, and He has sovereignly chosen this path for me, and He is leading me along it. Regardless of the nature of the path, because of the One who has chosen this path for me, I can trust that this is the perfect path.

SDG                 rmb                 7/24/2020

To Bow Down or Not to Bow Down in Babylon

We live in a world that is desperately short of heroes, and what we need today are heroes. We need those people who have noble convictions which they will never compromise regardless of the cost. Oh, where are those like the hero in Psalm 15: “He swears to his own hurt, and he does not change.”

One of the best places to find heroes is in the pages of the Bible where people like you and me display extraordinary courage and valor as they trust the Lord and are obedient to Him. Lately I have been spending time in the book of “Daniel,” and here I have found men who are willing to obey the LORD even in the face of dreadful consequences. Yes, here in “Daniel” I have found heroes.

In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar decides to build a giant golden idol in Babylon and to command all his officials from all over his realm to bow down to his golden image. As a motivator for their obedience, the king promises that anyone who does not bow down to his image will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. So, as expected, when the signal is given, everyone obediently bows down to the golden image – everyone, that is, except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In a field full of prostrated people, these three Hebrew men remain conspicuously standing. Apparently defying the king’s command and despising the flames of the king’s fiery furnace, our heroes stand firm. They REFUSE TO BOW DOWN to a false god and idol WHEN THEY ARE COMMANDED TO BOW DOWN, even though their disobedience comes with a death threat. Unless God intervenes, these men will surely die. But God “sent His angel and delivered His servants (Daniel 3:28)” so that our heroes are vindicated.

In Daniel chapter 6, King Darius is tricked into establishing an injunction in Babylon that says “that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions (Daniel 6:7).” It is obvious that this ridiculous injunction was conceived to trap Daniel, since it was well known that he prayed to his God three times a day, every day. The conspirators’ plan was that the injunction would either result in Daniel’s ceasing to pray or it would result in his death in the lion’s den. What does Daniel do? Apparently defying the king’s injunction and despising the teeth of the lion’s den, our hero continues to bow down. Daniel REFUSES TO NOT BOW DOWN because of a man’s injunction WHEN HE IS COMMANDED TO NOT BOW DOWN, even though his disobedience comes with a death threat. Unless God intervenes, Daniel will surely die. But God “sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths (Daniel 6:22)” so that our hero is vindicated.

APPLICATION

In both these cases, our heroes are commanded to obey a man’s command that is contrary to God’s commands. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s idol, because to worship the idol would be to disobey the LORD. And so, they refused to bow down, even though a fiery furnace awaited. Daniel refused to stop bowing down to worship his God, because to stop worship would be to disobey the LORD. And so, he continued to bow down, even though a den of lions awaited.

Also, their decision to obey God rather than man (Acts 4:19; 5:29) was both automatic and absolute. Automatic in that the decision was made without deliberation. The decision had been made long ago and this event was merely an occasion to put the resolution into effect. Absolute, in that it was unconditional and was not subject to change. No threat or coercion could sway the decision.

How does this apply to us? As our gospel message and mission continue to become more and more hostile to our culture, we will experience opportunities to compromise to the commands and demands of our society. Therefore, the disciple of Jesus needs to decide NOW to obey the Lord and to do what the Lord commands automatically and absolutely. Our enemy is a crafty and deceitful liar (John 8:44) and he will provide temptations to compromise suddenly and without warning. We must have our lines already drawn in the sand and we must already be prepared to stand firm (Ephesians 6:11ff). We must have already decided what it looks like to not bow down to what the world worships and never stop bowing down in our worship to the Lord.

SDG                 rmb                 7/20/2020

Judgment and Grace in Babylon

The book of “Daniel” in the Bible divides neatly into two parts. The first six chapters give us narrative accounts of the adventures of Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as they interact with the kings in Babylon. Then the last six chapters give us prophetic visions of the future, a future that covers the time of Daniel till the end of time. In the narrative section, two of the kings we encounter are King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar. It is these two kings that I want to consider, particularly exploring their relationship with the Most High God of the Hebrews (whom we know elsewhere as Yahweh, the LORD).

BACKGROUND

The best way, of course, to gain a grasp of the background of these two men and to understand the context of their stories in the Bible is to read the accounts of their lives in the respective sections of Scripture. So then, be sure that you have read “Daniel” chapters 1-4 about Nebuchadnezzar and “Daniel” chapter 5 about Belshazzar in preparation for this article.

Several things are obvious from the pages of Scripture. The most significant feature of both these men is that they are pagans. The word is not to be understood as judgmental, but as factual, because the word “pagan” just means “a worshiper of any god or gods other than the God of the Bible.” These men lived far away from Israel and Jerusalem and were completely ignorant of the God of the Hebrews. So, they did not know or acknowledge “the Most High God” or “the God of heaven.” This ignorance of the LORD and of His Law means that the Babylonian culture had no moral standards, and so Babylon was marked by the immorality and the idolatry that inevitably follow such a worldview.

Since this article is exploring their individual relationships with the Most High God, it is necessary to describe how the Most High God, the LORD, viewed these pagan kings. As is true for all those who violate His holy Law and who live immoral and defiant lives, so it was true for Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, that their transgressions and their sins brought them under the judgment and wrath of God (Romans 1:18). As we have already mentioned, when they are first introduced to us in the book of “Daniel,” it is obvious that they both kings know nothing about this “Most High God.” Nevertheless, from the LORD’s perspective, they have each violated His holiness and broken His holy laws and are thus both subject to His wrath and judgment. This means that, according to the clear teaching of the Bible, unless something changes in their lives, both these men deserve eternal punishment and will spend eternity in what the Bible calls “hell.”

JUDGMENT FOR BELSHAZZAR

We will first look at King Belshazzar. It becomes clear from Daniel 5 that Belshazzar is not only completely ignorant of the God of the Hebrews, the Most High God, but he is also defiant in his attitude toward this God, in essence treating Him as just another petty pagan deity of a defeated people. In the midst of his drunken party (Daniel 5:1-4), he calls for the vessels from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, to be brought out so that he and all his pagan partiers may drink wine from them and use those vessels to praise the pagan gods of Babylon, “but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored (5:23).” This is clearly dangerous business, and, in the end, this final act of rebellion seals the doom of Belshazzar and his Chaldean kingdom, as the LORD brings judgment. Thus, Belshazzar dies and perishes (5:30).

Before we move on to an examination of Nebuchadnezzar, it would be good to digest what happened to Belshazzar. Tragically, he perished; that is, he remained under the judgment of God until the day of his death, and therefore, he will be punished forever in what the Bible calls “hell.” I mentioned above that something needed to change in Belshazzar’s life, or he would be judged and condemned. Well, nothing changed. Belshazzar continued in his rebellion against the Most High God and did not repent or worship the God of heaven. He, therefore, received his deserved judgment.

GRACE FOR NEBUCHADNEZZAR

There is a grand mystery in how the Lord, the Most High God, deals with the children of Adam. The Bible makes clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” The Bible also makes clear that “the wages of sin is (eternal) death (Romans 6:23),” thus making plain that every single one of us deserves God’s terrifying judgment. But the Bible also makes plain that not all receive God’s judgment. God will certainly punish all sin, but not all people will be punished: this is the mystery. Indeed, Job asks the question, “But how can a man be in the right before God? (Job 9:2)” In Job’s way of thinking, if a person sinned, there must be punishment. Sin meant a person was no longer “in the right before God.” So, how could they be reconciled? This is the mystery.

The solution to this mystery has now been revealed in the Scripture, and it is summed up in one word: grace. Grace has been described as God’s “unmerited favor,” favor that He freely chooses to bestow on certain undeserving sinners, with the result that those so chosen are delivered from His wrath and judgment and are instead forgiven of their sins and are adopted by God as His very own children and are guaranteed an eternity in heaven with Him. God’s grace and mercy and love were supremely demonstrated in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cruel cross.

I bring up the subject of grace now because here in Daniel chapters 1-4 we see a demonstration of God’s grace through the spiritual journey of King Nebuchadnezzar. We have already seen how Belshazzar received his deserved judgment. But by contrast, as we read of King Nebuchadnezzar, we see that he receives amazing patience and grace from the God of heaven. Make no mistake about it: Nebuchadnezzar starts out fully as ignorant of the Most High God as any other Chaldean would be. The king has serious anger issues, demonstrated in his flying into a tirade because his magicians cannot tell him his dream (Ch. 2) and then in getting furious when the Hebrew men will not bow down to his golden image (Ch. 3). Finally, in chapter 4 we see Nebuchadnezzar’s immense pride as he congratulates himself for all that he has accomplished in Babylon. Ignorance and malevolence and arrogance make a pretty nasty brew, but such is the Chaldean king.

But in the midst of all these theatrics, we must not miss what God is doing by His providence. Instead of bringing judgment upon Nebuchadnezzar for his many and great sins, He graciously uses a series of providences to draw the king to Himself, so that, in the end, he not only knows about the LORD, but he also praises Him as his God. Notice the progression:

  • In Chapter 1, since Nebuchadnezzar is so far from Jerusalem and is so distant from the knowledge of the LORD and of His Word, the LORD providentially arranges to have four “ambassadors” (Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael) sent from Jerusalem to Babylon to begin to live in the very court of the king himself. Now, through the means of a conquest and an exile, there are four messengers of the LORD in close proximity to the pagan king.
  • In Chapter 2, the LORD gives Nebuchadnezzar a dream about a multi-metallic statue. The dream cannot be told by the Chaldean magicians and so, providentially, Daniel comes into the presence of the king to tell the dream and its interpretation. In the course of telling the dream, Daniel introduces Nebuchadnezzar to the “God of heaven.” In Daniel 2:46-47, Nebuchadnezzar declares to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries.” At this point, then, Nebuchadnezzar knows about the “God of heaven” and is impressed with His power, although certainly the king is not a worshiper yet.
  • Chapter 3 is the well-known story of the deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace. When confronted with certain death as the price of their obedience, the Hebrew men politely defy the king and tell him that their God can deliver them from his furnace. Nebuchadnezzar is astounded by what the “God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” does in “sending His angel and delivering His servants who trusted in Him (Daniel 3:28).” Now Nebuchadnezzar not only knows about the existence of the Most High God, the God of the Hebrews, but he also knows that this God is able to save from the fire. This God is more powerful than a blazing fiery furnace and this God will act to deliver His servants from the flames. This God is a saving God. Do you see how the LORD is slowly, graciously drawing Nebuchadnezzar to Himself?
  • Chapter 4 is the culmination of the grace of the LORD toward Nebuchadnezzar, as we see him both at the beginning of the chapter and at the end giving praise to the Most High God, the King of heaven (4:2, 34, 37, etc.). In fact, Chapter 4 could well be considered Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony, for in this chapter the king talks about “the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me (4:2).” He describes how, through the means of another dream interpreted by Daniel, he went from being  a proud king to a man humbled to the level of a beast, to then being restored to his kingdom, but with a new perspective on the King of heaven, whom he praises, extols, and honors. Through God’s providence and grace, the Most High God has become HIS GOD.

As the Bible so often does, here in Daniel chapters 1-5 the Scripture illustrates for us theological principles through these narrative stories. Here we see the grace of God that patiently leads King Nebuchadnezzar to become a worshiper of the Most High God. And we also see the justice of God demonstrated in King Belshazzar that subjects to judgment those who do not repent and who do not bow the knee to worship the LORD.

REFLECTIONS

The story of the justice of God and the grace of God continues to this day and will continue until the Lord Jesus returns. This is a story that touches every single human being, for it should be clear that, as both these kings deserved God’s judgment because of their sin, so every one of us deserves God’s judgment because of our sin. But the grace of God has provided a substitute for those chosen by God who will take our punishment in our place. Jesus Christ is our substitute and the greatest picture of God’s grace.

For those who are already followers of Jesus, another point of reflection is to try to grasp the grace of God that has been given to you, for it is crystal clear that your salvation was entirely undeserved. The only thing that we are able to merit is condemnation and judgment. Yet God, for reasons known only to Him, has decided to lavish His grace on you and to reckon you as righteous because of the work of Christ. He would have remained perfectly righteous and just to have cast you headlong into an eternal hell, but He chose instead to give you His grace, His unmerited favor. His grace included His patience and His providence as He carefully crafted the steps of your journey to faith in Him. Like His grace toward Nebuchadnezzar, He guided you every step of the way so that you would arrive at repentance and faith and would become His adopted child.

SDG                 rmb                 7/17/2020

The Pot and the Potter (Isaiah 45:9)

            The picture in the Scripture is intentionally a little bit absurd, that is, the picture of a clay pot arguing with the potter who created the pot. Yes, the picture is intentionally absurd because no pot would ever argue with the potter who made it. The pot is the created and the potter is the creator, and it is absurd to think that such a pot, which was brought into existence from a formless lump by the predetermined plan of the potter, would argue with the one who conceived of the pot and then fashioned the pot into something useful. This picture is presented in the Bible to show the absurdity of people rebelling against and disobeying the Lord, their Creator.

            In Isaiah 45:6, the prophet tells us ab out just such an argument:

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker – An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’ Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?”

            In addition to the futility of this argument, there will also be woe (calamity, disaster) to the one who quarrels with his Maker. How absurd it is then – a clay pot saying to the potter, “What are you doing?” and bringing upon itself unnecessary woe and disaster!

            But as absurd as it is for a clay pot to make demands upon and to defy the potter, it is much more outrageous for man the creature to disobey and despise the Lord, his Creator, and bring upon himself woe and disaster! Yet this is what is done by many people in our world as they willfully and intentionally satisfy the desires of their own flesh and do what their conscience tells them they should not do (Romans 2:14-16).

There are many examples of ways that we rebel against the Lord, somehow believing that we have the right to rant against and to defy our gracious God and that He will bear with our rebellion forever without consequence.

            But this is not the case. The Bible is clear from Genesis to Revelation that there is coming a day of judgment “when God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus (Romans 2:16).” Yes, the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness (Psalm 103:8). Yes, the Lord desires for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy2:4). Yes, the LORD takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32), but the Lord also declares that the only way for you to escape the terrifying day of judgment is to repent of your sins and to place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, I will judge you, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your transgressions. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed! Why will you die? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the LORD. “Therefore, repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:30-32)”

            The living God sees all our rebellion, and the consequences for created clay pots who persist in rebelling against the Potter will be disastrous, indeed. My advice is for you to bow the knee to Jesus today, and enjoy the blessings of the Lord, your Creator.

SDG                 rmb                 7/15/2020

Giant Enemies or Giant Grapes? (Number 13-14)

            Our world today is a place that bombards us with reasons to fear. I do not think there are many who would dispute that statement. Our own country, which used to be fairly insulated from the general worldwide chaos and disintegration, is no longer a safe haven, and we who have spent many years enjoying America’s restful bubble are now adjusting to a country where most of what we have always held dear is being discarded or demolished. Stability and security are fading memories and the future is anything but bright. As a result, the fuel for fear is bearing down upon us and we fight for joy.

            Despite this situation, for followers of Jesus, the mission has not changed. We are still charged to “Fear not” (Isaiah 41:10; 43:1; etc.) and to “Rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16; Phil. 4:4) and to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Since that is the case, the question becomes, “How do I do that?” How do we continue to see the world through the eyes of faith and not succumb to the pressures of fear?

            This study will look at the narrative from Numbers 13-14 to draw out answers to these questions. In this story, the children of Israel have made their exodus from Egypt, have crossed the Red Sea, and have traveled to Kadesh Barnea at the southern end of the land of Canaan. From there, Moses sends twelve spies into the land of Canaan to give him a report of the nature of the land. When the spies come back, there is a sharp disagreement about the nature of the land. Some of the spies have faith and some do not and that makes all the difference in how they respond to the call to invade the land. This, then, is a study in contrasts. It is a study of FEAR and of FAITH. At the conclusion, we will try to learn some lessons from their challenges that we can apply to our own increasingly shaky environment.

SETTING THE STAGE

            Before we begin to look at the spies, it is important to notice that the LORD had decided to give the children of Israel the land before the spies went in. In Numbers 13:2, the LORD commands that the men be sent to spy out Canaan, “which I am giving to the sons of Israel.” Since the LORD has given the land already, the only correct response was to go in, for victory was assured. To add to this case, when Moses sent the twelve spies into the land, he did not ask them to decide whether the rest of the people should go in. He gave them ZERO executive authority. Moses wanted a report and some fruit (13:17-20). That was the extent of their assignment. So, again, they had no authority to persuade the rest to refuse to go in and to decide to head back to Egypt.

            When the spies go into the land of Canaan, they go up and down the whole length of the land from north to south. They also see the people of the land and the fruit of the land. Two verses are key, 13:22 and 13:23. In Numbers 13:22, the Bible tells us that “the spies came to Hebron, where the descendants of Anak were.” The Anakim were giants, men of great height and strength. (It is likely that Goliath (1 Samuel 17) was a descendant of Anak.) Even from spying distance, it was obvious to all twelve spies that these giant men would make scary enemies. Numbers 13:22 is all about fear. Then in Number 13:23, we read about the fruit of the land of Canaan. There in the valley of Eshcol, the spies find a single cluster of grapes that is so large that it must be carried on a pole between two of the men. This giant cluster of grapes is a testimony to the goodness and provision of the LORD, that He is giving them a very fruitful land. Numbers 13:23 is all about faith. Thus, the twelve spies return to the camp of Israel in Kadesh.

THE TWO REPORTS

(For simplicity, I am going to refer to the ten unfaithful spies as either TEN or as FEAR. I will refer to the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb, as TWO or as FAITH.)

            The TEN spies give their report first. After a brief mention of the land and its fruit (13:27), they go on to say, “Nevertheless (which is a word that effectively negates what was said before), the people who live in the land are strong (13:28).” Their report quickly descends into a terrified account of people who are all enormous and of cities that are large and fortified and of a land that “devours its inhabitants.” Basically, they describe a death trap and imply that all the people are doomed.

            Caleb interrupts the TEN with his own account of their reconnaissance of the land, saying, “Let us go up at once and occupy the land, for we will surely overcome it (13:30).” How can two reports be so vastly far apart?

            Despite Caleb’s FAITH, the TEN hold sway and succeed in striking FEAR into the heart of the entire congregation. The people lament their leadership, they blame the LORD for their imagined desperate situation, and they want to find a new leader to take them back to Egypt (14:1-4). This is all specific rebellion and wicked disobedience.

            The TWO once again gain the floor and try to speak sense and FAITH into the people. The land is “an exceedingly good land (14:7; contrary to the brief mention of 13:27).” The LORD will bring us into this land that “flows with milk and honey.” “Do not rebel against the LORD and do not FEAR the people of the land. The LORD is with us, so do not FEAR them (14:9).”

            Finally, the LORD Himself brings down the verdict. “How long will this people despise Me and how long will they not believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have done among them (14:11)?”

OBSERVATIONS OF FEAR AND FAITH

  • The LORD was giving the land to the sons of Israel (13:2). FAITH accepts the LORD’s gift and prepares to go into the land. FEAR is all doubt and uncertainty and keeps retreat as the preferred option.
  • FEAR fixes our gaze upon the threat (13:22) or the enemy and dreads the coming disaster, but FAITH fixes our gaze upon the LORD (14:9) and anticipates His power being displayed. (Hebrews 12:2)
  • FEAR magnifies and multiplies the adversaries (13:28-29, 31-33), but FAITH trusts the LORD to vanquish my adversaries (14:9).
  • A spark of FEAR can quickly grow into an inferno (13:31-33), so snuff it out quickly.
  • FEAR causes a person to project evil upon the LORD (14:3), a grievous sin, when the LORD is always and only good.
  • To act out of FEAR is “to rebel against the LORD (14:9).” This is no minor offense but is calling into question the very trustworthiness of the LORD. The LORD has declared and demonstrated that He is trustworthy. Therefore, we must not FEAR.
  • FAITH exhorts people with the words, “do not FEAR (14:9).” FEAR discourages the people to have no FAITH (14:1-4).
  • FEAR is a word of the devil and of the world and of the once-born. FAITH is word of the LORD and of the fellowship of believers and of the born-again.
  • To not trust the LORD is to “despise” the LORD (14:11). Again, we may imagine that not trusting the LORD is just a small chink in my discipleship armor, but the LORD views this lack of trust as “despising” Him.
  • To not trust the LORD is the same thing as not believing in the LORD (14:11). This is sobering, indeed, for if we do not believe in the LORD by the LORD’s own assessment, are we not ‘unbelievers?’ To not trust the LORD is a serious thing.
  • FAITH commits to the course and, thus, eliminates options of retreat.
  • When Joshua and Caleb went to spy out the land, they were inspecting their new home. By contrast, the TEN were visiting a strange land to see if it was safe.
  • Joshua and Caleb spied out the land as conquerors. On the other hand, the TEN spies went in as tourists.
  • Joshua and Caleb spied out the land with the LORD at their side (14:9). The TEN went into the land under their own strength (13:31-33).

APPLICATIONS AND LESSONS

            Going through this list of observations about faith and fear (above) can be instructional as we evaluate our own attitudes toward threats. It is certain that our natural response to threats and instability is fear. This is a result of the sin of Adam in the Garden and the Fall that followed. Therefore, the natural man always responds to threats with fear. But it is also true that the “old man” and the “flesh” within the follower of Jesus still draws us toward fear. Because that is the case, the disciple of Jesus must intentionally learn to resist and to reject fear and instead to respond to threats with faith, regardless of the nature of the threat.  In this light, I have several thoughts about ways we can move away from fear and move toward faith.

  • Always consciously CHOOSE to trust the LORD. This is the habit that Caleb had developed. He certainly saw the same Anakim (giants) that the other spies saw, but he CHOSE to let his thoughts dwell on the LORD and His power. Just so, when we are confronted with something that threatens us (job loss, COVID-19, widespread violence and anarchy, serious illness, relationship turmoil, persecution, personal loss, etc.), our first act must be to CHOOSE to turn to the Lord and trust the Lord and seek the Lord.
  • Ask the question, “What would be the OBEDIENT thing to do?” In the face of threat, the person of faith strives to continue to obey the Lord. Ideally, all actions are obedient actions.
  • Ask the question, “How would the Lord want me to act in this situation?” Consider examples of heroes from Scripture. How would they respond? Or what would be a response that would be pleasing to the Lord? Go, and do likewise.
  • Develop strong habits of prayer, especially during seasons of relative calm, so that the weapon of prayer will be available when the battle is joined. Therefore, pray:
    • To remind myself of the Lord’s faithfulness in the past. (Psalm 42:4, 6 “remember”)
    • So that I remember His love for me and His delight in me (Psalm 147:9-10; 149:4; Romans 8:31)
    • That the Lord would clarify the task in front of me so that I know the right path (Psalm 119:105)
    • That the Lord would give me the resolve to take action, when He has made known to me the path
    • To request the Lord’s help and to ask for His power
  • Be aware of my thinking and recognize when I am allowing my mind to dwell on fear or to drift into areas of spiritual unpreparedness.
  • When fear begins to well up, arrest those thoughts and turn my mind to obedient thoughts, like 1 Thess. 5:16-18; Psalm 131; 46; 56:3; 27:14; 34:4-6
  • Maintain the attitude of a soldier and be on the alert and be battle-ready (2 Timothy 2:3-4; Nehemiah 4:17; Ephesians 6:10ff; 1 Peter 5:8)

Caleb and Joshua saw all the same obstacles and threats in the land of Canaan that the other ten spies saw, but because they were men of faith, they chose to fix their eyes on the Lord and to act in faithful obedience to the Lord. Like these two heroes, we, too, see that same obstacles and threats that the rest of our world sees. Yes, there is no argument that the sources of potential fear and discouragement are many, but because we are people of faith, we can choose to trust our great God and we can continue to joyfully live out the mission that our risen King has given us. SDG                 rmb                 7/9/2020

You Knew My Path (Psalm 142:3)

            There is a scene from the original “Star Wars” movie (1977) that sticks in my mind. All the living heroes of the movie (Luke, Leah, Han Solo, and Chewbacca) have temporarily escaped from the battle with the storm troopers by ducking into a convenient trash bin. Their relief from escaping the battle is short-lived, however, because the trash bin becomes a trash compactor and threatens to doom them to a nasty death by crushing.

            While this may not be a perfect analogy, there are times in life when we all feel like we are in this situation. Part of the human experience is the feeling that we are small and weak and that the threats against us are big and gnarly. We have exhausted all our cleverness in escaping our adversaries, only to end up in a sloppy, scummy trash bin just as the maintenance crew decides to activate the compactor. In that moment we realize that we have been outmatched by the challenges that life has presented to us. And the question is, “What do you do then?” To whom do you cry out when life has overwhelmed you and your carefully laid plans have collapsed, when your friends have failed you, and there seems to be no escape for you? Where can you find hope and confidence? In Psalm 142, David is in that place, and we will find, in this psalm, patterns and strategies for how to respond from the midst of the intergalactic trash compactor.

            This study of Psalm 142 will focus only on the first half of verse 3:

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path.” (NAS Bible)

            Since we have dropped into the middle of the psalm, it would be good to get a little context. Although the nature of David’s trouble is not clear, it is obvious that the shepherd-king is in distress and may have been in distress for a while. Here in Psalm 142:3, David says that “his spirit is overwhelmed within him.” I read this as meaning both his soul and his body are exhausted. He has tried to maintain his courage, but the setbacks keep on coming. Like a surfer caught in the midst of a series of big waves, he is losing the fight to catch his breath. As soon as he fights his way to the surface, another wave of water crashes down. Fear and fatigue are towering over him, and he is overpowered. He is outmatched. “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me . . .” What is David’s source of hope?

            The last four words of Psalm 142:3a are “You knew my path.” These four words are critically important to the child of God who is feeling overwhelmed by the incessant challenges of life.

“You, O LORD, knew my path.”

            David expresses the confidence that every believer can have, that the LORD is personally aware of and concerned with our every trial and overwhelming circumstance. The LORD knows my path, and He knows your path. The NAS Bible renders the Hebrew verb in the past tense, “knew.” In this case, the past tense is much stronger than the present tense. The LORD KNEW my path in eternity past, before the creation of the world, and then He brought my “path” into existence according to His perfect plan. He personally ordained it to be. “You knew my path” means that the LORD has led me into this situation, the LORD is personally with me in the midst of it, and the LORD already knows every detail of the outcome. “You knew my path” means that the LORD has His personal fingerprints on every detail of every circumstance of my life, making sure that exactly this circumstance unfolds exactly this way so that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) and so that I am conformed more into the image of Christ (8:29).

REFLECTION

            In the book of “Job,” we read that “man is born for trouble as the sparks fly upward (5:7).” Our Lord Jesus Himself said that “each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt. 6:34)” and “in this world you will have tribulation (John 16:33).” The Bible speaks truth about life on earth after sin enters the world, and it is a life of effort and setback and difficulty. Of course, it is not ALL trial and difficulty, but we must have a sober expectation that overwhelming times will come so that we are not defeated when we meet the first opposing waves.

            In light, then, of the inevitability of trials, what can we, as followers of Jesus, do that will make a difference in our lives? First, when we are feeling overwhelmed by the trials of life, we can have confidence that the Lord who guided us into the trial is with us in the storm and will guide us out to our safe haven (Psalm 107:30). Remember, “the LORD knew my path.” Each trial thus becomes an opportunity to increase our trust in the Lord and to anticipate His faithfulness.

            Second, it is in trials that the Lord proves His power to deliver us. God has already accomplished the most powerful act of deliverance imaginable when He delivered us from our sin and condemnation and raised us up in salvation through our faith in the Lord Jesus and His completed work on the cross. Having already demonstrated His power in giving us eternal deliverance, He is more than able to come to our help for temporal deliverance. What I mean is this: The Lord will deliver those who cry out to Him. Nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:17). Your trial may be overwhelming to you, but to the One who called the universe into existence ex nihilo and who raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20), the trial is completely under His feet. In fact, if my thinking is correct on this, the Lord brings trials into our lives SO THAT He can rescue us when we cry to Him. “The LORD knew my path,” so He knew how He was going to deliver me.

Soli Deo gloria                 rmb                  7/3/2020

Will you surrender, or not? (Jeremiah 38)

            There comes a time when surrender is the only wise choice. If all your resources are exhausted and you have no effective plan for escape, and the enemy is just outside the gate awaiting your starvation or your destruction, and that same enemy suddenly offers the option of unconditional surrender to avoid certain disaster, I would suggest that the wise choice is to unconditionally surrender.

            In Jeremiah 38, we encounter just such a scenario. The time is around 589 BC and the geography is the land of Israel. The army of the Chaldeans under King Nebuchadnezzar has again come from Babylon to Jerusalem to besiege the city, and the nation of Judah with their puppet king Zedekiah is beginning to collapse under the strain of the siege. It is apparent that Zedekiah is king of a city doomed to destruction, and Jeremiah the prophet has already told the king this on several occasions. The Chaldeans are visible just beyond the gates of the city and there is the threat of a clear and present danger.

THE PROPHET OFFERS THE KING DELIVERANCE

            We will pick up the story in Jeremiah 38, verse 14. King Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah the prophet and asks him a question about the future of the city. Jeremiah, who has just been rescued from the bottom of a cistern, is understandably cautious to talk to Zedekiah or to trust him and replies with his own question. “If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel you will not listen to me (Jeremiah 38:15).”

            Listen carefully to the king’s reply: “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life (38:16).” Notice that Zedekiah promises to protect Jeremiah from his enemies (for what that is worth), but he makes no promise at all about listening to the prophet’s instructions or advice. How can you help someone who refuses to listen to words of rescue?

            Jeremiah speaks to Zedekiah in the name of “the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life will be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live (38:17). But if you will NOT surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand (38:18).”

            When Zedekiah responds to Jeremiah’s offer of salvation with a silly excuse, the prophet graciously repeats his instructions: “Obey now the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it will be well with you, and your life will be spared (38:20). But if you refuse to surrender (38:21), all your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire (38:23).”

            Here, Zedekiah had heard a clear message of rescue from Jeremiah that he understood completely. There was nothing that Jeremiah told him that was vague or mysterious or difficult, and it was entirely within the king’s ability to do what was required for his life to be spared. Jeremiah twice presented the king with a simple choice between peace and disaster, between life and death. The only way for Zedekiah to be spared was for him to unconditionally surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, the conquering king. If he surrendered, he would be spared, and if he did not, he would suffer judgment and destruction. What will the king do? What would you do?

            In 38:19, we read that Zedekiah is more concerned about a few Judean deserters than he is about the entire Chaldean army. In the end, he refuses Jeremiah’s urgent plea to surrender. Thus, we read in the next chapter, in 39:6-10, of the disaster that comes upon Zedekiah and Jerusalem at the hands of the Chaldeans.

APPLICATION OF THE LESSON

            This story is a fascinating study in human behavior, but there is much more going on in this interchange between Jeremiah and Zedekiah than a dialog about Chaldeans. This passage is a clear portrayal of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the names changed and the circumstances slightly altered. It is not an exact portrayal, but it is a clear portrayal, nonetheless.

            What do I mean by that? Let me try to explain. In the story that we just studied Zedekiah is facing certain doom. Nebuchadnezzar has come to Jerusalem to be an instrument of God’s judgment on the king and on the city, and there is no avenue of escape. Then, just when things are looking blackest, the LORD’s prophet, Jeremiah, tells Zedekiah of a way of escape, of a way of salvation that is available to him, if he will only take it. If Zedekiah will SURRENDER TO THE CONQUERING KING, then he will be spared from the coming destruction.

            What does the gospel say, and why has God made the gospel available to us? “The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16),” but what does it declare to us? In the gospel, we discover that all people are sinners and are under the judgment of God for their sin. All people are, therefore, facing eternal condemnation. In a very real sense, we are all facing certain doom. We are all like Zedekiah, in that we are facing God’s judgment and there appears to be no avenue of escape. By ourselves, there is nothing that we can do to remove the guilt of our sins, and so we justly DESERVE GOD’S JUDGMENT. We have all sinned, and the Bible declares that “the soul who sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20),” and “The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).” Things appear hopeless.

            But just when things are looking blackest, the LORD Himself provides a way of salvation, for the gospel declares that, if ANY SINNER WILL REPENT OF THEIR SINS and TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR, they will be saved. As Jeremiah came to doomed Zedekiah and explained to him that the only way of salvation was to SURRENDER TO THE CONQUERING KING, so a Christian witness brings good news to doomed sinners and tells them that God’s ONLY WAY OF SALVATION IS TO SURRENDER TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. If Zedekiah had listened to Jeremiah and just obeyed what the prophet told him to do, he would have been spared, but if he refused to listen and to obey, he would surely be destroyed. In the same way, if ANY SINNER will listen to the good news of the gospel and will SURRENDER TO JESUS, they will certainly be saved from God’s judgment; but if they refuse to obey and if they reject the only way of salvation and forgiveness, they will certainly perish in the Judgment.

            When Jeremiah told him about the simple way of escape, Zedekiah hesitated and made excuses and ignored the pleas of the prophet. As a result, he met with disaster and his city was burned with fire. You have heard the good news about God’s only appointed means of salvation – surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ. What will you do?

SDG                 rmb                 7/2/2020