James 1:21-27, How to Listen to a Sermon (3)

We have considered the need to have ready hearts as we approach times of the teaching and preaching of God word.  And we have noted the need to be engaged and to work as the public ministry is being carried out.  Now let us consider …

·        After the ministry of the Word: put into practice.

The blessing of God is on those who hear AND obey His word as seen from the parable of the wise man and foolish man (Lk. 6:46-49), Jesus words about His true family (Lk. 11:20-21) and from Jesus’ response to the woman in Lk. 11:27-28.  Therefore, take heed how you hear (Lk. 8:18) is an appropriate word for us. 

James addressed this matter in Jas. 1:22-25.  The bottom line is be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  Note that: we deceive ourselves if we do not do the word.  And notice also the way it works.  If we hear God’s word preached and taught and the Lord impresses things on our heart as we are listening, the problem comes if we go away from there and fail to follow up on what the Spirit told us.  Again, in an age when careful listening is rarely required of people, it is critical for believers in Christ who want to glorify God with their lives to be doing whatever they must do to remember afterwards what we have heard.  We have to-do lists for all kinds of things in life; we might want to be taking notes for later application as we listen to God’s word taught.

·        Concluding thoughts.

Sometime you might want to reinforce this issue of how to listen by reading Job 28.  In that chapter the prophet of old reflects on where a person is going to find wisdom.  There is a place for hidden treasure and precious stones (28:1-11) but where can wisdom be found (28:12-19).  He says it is hidden from the average person but that those who fear the Lord will find it (28:20-28).  In other words, Job noted that we are willing to work hard in the search for earthly riches.  Are we willing to work hard for the true riches?

This is what our Lord taught.  The difference between true disciples of Christ and those who only claim to follow Him is not in who shows up for the meeting.  They all came, for a while.  But in the end it was those who endured, those who when they heard the hard message of discipleship were still moved to do what Jesus was teaching. 

Is that not what Paul said about the Thessalonian believers?  For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard form us, you welcomed it not at the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe (1 Thess. 2:13).

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 2-3).

Luke 8:9-21, How to Listen to a Sermon (2)

Let us consider our need before, during and after the sermon.

·        Before the ministry of the Word: prepare your heart.

Proverbs advises us to keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life (4:23).  The need for this in hearing from the Lord is clearly seen in the four types of soil in Jesus’ parable (Lk. 8:9-15).  We often pray that those who need to hear the gospel will have an open heart when they hear it.  We need to pray the same for ourselves as the Word of God is opened and presented to us.  God’s word to Ezekiel reminds us that the preacher must preach the Word of God; the preacher is not able to make us listen.  Ezekiel was to say Thus saith the LORD whether the people listened or not (Ezek. 3:10-11).  I believe this matter says a lot about how we spend our Saturday night (do we get good rest before we spend time with our church family and are fed from the Word) as well as what goes on in our homes Sunday morning. 

·        During the ministry of the Word: plan to work.

Peter mentioned the OT prophets and how they were searching for understanding about the things they were hearing from God (1 Pt. 1:10-11).  The Bereans engaged in this searching when they heard the Word preached by Paul and Silas (Ac. 17:11).  Read Prov. 2:1-5 and see how many terms you see that apply to the hard work of hearing from God through others.  The picture is of one searching for silver or hidden treasure.

For many people taking notes is essential.  That may not work for you but what we need to ask is what will help us to stay on track.  These days we have been somewhat dumbed-down so that we can only handle sound bites.  The average attention span is pretty short.  I am bothered by the constant emphasis being placed on the preacher to make it short and simple.  That might be necessary for preaching the gospel to the unsaved but in preaching and teaching to believers the emphasis ought to be on making good use of the time and holding nothing back.  Preaching into the night (Ac. 20:7-12) means those listening must work.  In the West it’s sermonettes for Christianettes but if you go to most other places in the world the believers meet for hours on Sunday mornings.  PLAN TO WORK!

(We will conclude our thoughts on this matter tomorrow.  For now, let us hear and heed.)

1 Cor. 4:1-4; Ezek. 33:30-32, How to Listen to a Sermon (1)

Before we seek to give a Biblical answer to this question let us note some introductory items of relevance.

·        Teaching and preaching are of absolute importance for Christians (1 Cor. 4:1-4).  Scripture is to be at the center of the pulpit ministry the one appointed by God is to be faithful in dispensing God’s truth to God’s people.  John R. W. Stott in The Preacher’s Portrait referred to the idea of stewardship in this quote:

A steward: he is a trustee and dispenser of another person’s goods.  The Christian preacher’s message, therefore, is derived not directly from the mouth of God, as if he were a prophet or apostle, nor from his own mind, like the false prophets, nor undigested from the minds and mouths of other men, like the babbler, but from the once revealed and now recorded Word of God, of which he is a privileged steward.

·        Stott draws some lessons from this stewardship idea. 

o   The preacher’s incentive comes from this sacred trust.  As with Paul the preacher says “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” and “I am under obligation to preach the gospel.” 

o   The preacher’s content requires he be faithful to deliver the goods.  Every sermon should be, in some sense, an expository sermon.  The preacher is a bridge-builder, seeking to span the gulf between the Word of God and the mind of man.

o   The preacher’s authority is based in the stewardship.  He does not say Thus saith the LORD as the prophets or Verily, verily I say unto you as our Lord said.  Rather his authority is, The Bible says. 

·        In terms of listening to the Word of God that is being preached there are some problems that must be noted and avoided.

o   Matt. 13:14: It is possible to listen without truly hearing.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is necessary to proper listening.

o   Ezek. 33:30-32: There is the problem of what a nice sermon.  Preachers love to hear this; people like to say this.  But it means nothing in terms of truly hearing what God has said in His word.  In fact, as many have pointed out, a nice sermon is quite often not what God wants delivered.  He wants truth and truth always must confront before it builds up.

o   Jer. 13:10-11,17: There is the problem of rebellion, people that refuse to listen to the preaching of the Word.  It may be incited by different reasons but the hard heart shuts out the Word of God.

o   Amos 8:11: There is the problem of the famine of the word of God.  That goes more to the preacher, of course, who might so dress up the sermon so as to obfuscate the Word.  I have seen it happen with too many stories or humor, and with a cursory reading of a Bible passage and then a sermon that seems to have no connection at all with what was read.

o   2 Tim. 4:3-4: Lastly, we will note the problem of selective listening.  People want their ears tickled or their back scratched or whatever.  The result is that they move from their favorite preacher to another favorite and so forth, willing to hear only what they want to hear.

That’s enough to think on today.  Let us first address the problems and repent of our bad attitudes and bad habits.

1 Cor. 2:6-16, Word Pictures of the Bible (3)

3.     The Bible as guidance for life.  Give me understanding and I shall live (119:144).

a.     Legal pictures, Psalm 119:1-6.

                        i.            The Bible as law, 119:1.  Torah speaks of direction or instruction.  It is not used here as of the Law of Moses but of the Law of the LORD.  The Bible reveals God’s law to us.  E.g. Thou shalt love the LORD your God with all your heart … (Deut. 6:5).  For by grace are you saved … (Eph. 2:8-9).

                     ii.            The Bible as testimonies, 119:2.  The root word is witness.  The law of the LORD just principles; it is lifestyle.  The law is to be visible in life, bearing witness to our God.  E.g. Love one another as I have loved you (Jn. 13:34-35).  Forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Eph. 4:32).

                  iii.            The Bible as precepts, 119:4.  The Bible contains mandates for life, rules that are to be followed in specific situations.  E.g. If your enemy is hungry, feed him (Rom. 12:20; Prov. 25:21-22).  Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities (Rom. 13:1).

                   iv.            The Bible as statutes, 119:5.  Statutes are laws decreed by a governing authority and tell us what is our obligation in that situation.  E.g. the regulations for the sacrificial system fit this term (Lev. 6:22).

                      v.            The Bible as commandments, 119:6.  We could say there is the Law of the LORD and there are many commandments. 

It is not critical to make strong distinctions between these terms.  They are often used side-by-side without stating which are testimonies or precepts, etc. (cf. Gen. 26:5).  Rather they show various sides of God’s Word in it’s legal use.  The Bible tells us what the Creator expects of Man and that for which he will be held accountable.

b.     Pathway pictures.

                        i.            The Bible as His ways, 119:3.  This refers to a well-worn pathway.  It can be used of a journey and thus also refers to a manner or custom.

                     ii.            The Bible as Your ways, 119:15.  This is a different term, almost always used figuratively of the way of life and death or of obedience and sin. 

The idea here is that the Bible is like a map.  In Proverbs the simple man doesn’t even bother to bring a map while the wayward man is one who had gone off the map. 

c.     Light pictures (119:105).

                        i.            The Bible as a lamp.  This refers to the lamp or torch which caused things in darkness to glisten and become visible.

                     ii.            The Bible as a light.  This speaks of the essence of what the lamp emits.  God created light before He created the lights.

The wicked are dark in their understanding (Eph. 4:18), their hearts (Rom. 1:21) and their ways (Prov. 4:19).  For the one who fears Him God will turn darkness into light (Ps. 18:28).  He does this by the work of the Holy Spirit who turns on the light, meaning He brings to light the Word of God in the life of the believer (1 Cor. 2:6-16).

John 6:60-71, Word Pictures of the Bible (2)

2.     The Bible as an Encouragement to growth.

a.     The Bible is a seed, 1 Pt. 1:23.  Nothing can grow unless is has life.  The Bible imparts life to the believer.  It is an incorruptible seed; it imparts eternal life.

b.     The Bible is snow, rain, Isa. 55:10-11.  The water from heaven is indispensable for growth.  Any gardener knows that rain is far better for plants than the water from the hose.  Farmers love to have a layer of snow covering the wheat that has been planted before winter.  The Bible is moisture rich with nutrients for those who want to grow spiritually.

c.     The Bible is bread and milk, Matt. 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2.  These two items represent the foundational aspects of food.  It is what we must always have to grow and to be healthy.  We can also say …

d.     The Bible is solid food, Heb. 5:12-14.  I believe in the context of Hebrews the author is speaking of the new covenant.  There is a definite fullness for those who live after the cross of Christ.  We are no longer thinking figuratively and hoping for what it to come; in Christ we see the reality and experience the blessings we have in Him (Eph. 1:3 and many other passages).

e.     The Bible is water, Eph. 5:26.  As snow and rain we have water for growth.  In this passage the water is for purifying and the Bible does this.  As we are purified from the clutter of a sinful or useless life so that we are exercised for godliness.

f.      The Bible is spirit and life, John 6:63.  Jesus was saying that His words bring true life.  Those who abide in Christ are not simply alive physically; they are alive spiritually and that is a life that never ends.  As Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life (v68). 

In life growth is the norm.  Someone who remains as an infant is clearly in serious trouble physically.  The same is true spiritually.  It we remain in an infantile state we must say that something is terrible wrong.  This was what alarmed the writer to Hebrews as we noted above.  Other books have been given for our information; the Bible was given for our transformation: that you may grow thereby (1 Pt. 2:2).

The British evangelist Gipsy Smith (1860-1947) used to say: “What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”  Let us desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

2 Cor. 10:1-5, Word Pictures of the Bible (1)

Over the next three days we want to let the Bible speak for itself using “word pictures” that the Bible uses of itself.  These will be in three general categories: the Bible as a weapon, an instrument for spiritual growth, and a guide for life.

1.     The Bible as a weapon of warfare.

a.     The Bible as a fire, Jer. 23:29 (5:14; 20:9).

b.     The Bible as a hammer (Jer. 23:29).

These are together so we can see their common context.  In the context God is addressing lying prophets (23:23-32).  These were speaking a comfortable message, that God would be with Israel and would spare them the judgment Jeremiah was declaring.  They claimed to have had dreams.  But God was against them and was saying His word would be to the lying word of the prophets as a fire and hammer. 

As a fire the word of God judges men (1 Cor. 3:12-13).  It burns away the lies in which they trust.  As a hammer the word of God destroys the deceitful framework the lying prophet creates.  It is the house built on the sand, if you will, and in this case the hammer of God’s word tears apart such a useless trust.  It should be obvious that this fire and hammer is essential in training up our children and in counseling where people must see the foolishness of what they think and do before they can turn to the way of the Lord.

c.     The Bible as a sword, Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17.  In Hebrews the Bible is the two-edged sword, the same that comes from the mouth of Christ in Rev. 1:16.  It seems to refer to the way the Bible cuts into every issue across the breadth of human experience as well into the depth of human intents and purposes (even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit as 4:12 says).  In Ephesians the sword is the small dagger-like weapon that can be moved quickly to handle the onslaught of Satan’s fiery darts.  Jesus’ use of the Word of God in the temptations of Matt. 4:1-11 illustrate this.

d.     The Bible as a goad, Eccl. 12:11.  The Preacher says the words of the wise are like goads.  I have known cowboys over the years that had different approaches to telling a cow what to do.  Some yelled, or waved their hats, or gave them the raspberry (the funny sound you make when you stick your tongue between your lips and blow).  But then when all that failed, they would grab a sharp stick or, perish the thought, the electric cattle prod.  Then they responded.  The Bible does this for us.  It has a way of bringing about a deep and life-changing response to God.  It happened on the day of Pentecost (Ac. 2:47) when the preaching of Peter brought the people to cry out what shall we do.  There is no better way to train the conscience to prod us properly than by the Word of God.

Psalm 92

What tremendous joy we had this morning to find ourselves being led in worship by this Psalm.  We have just gone through a stretch and trial in which we wondered why God was not answering our prayers.  All we knew was that He was our God, and that if we were to know the answer it would come later.

We were more than ready to declare His lovingkindness in the morning, and will not wait until evening to declare His faithfulness.  How great are His works.  He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him!  We have come to a point (not the end but at a most critical moment) when we realized that five of the hardest days of our lives were being overseen by His Sovereign hand, that He was strengthening us all along the way, and was protecting from a potentially hopeless situation.

So it is very personal.  It is also called “A Song for the Sabbath Day.”  The day of rest is always meant to find us engages in the work of praise, as Spurgeon said (Treasury of David).  This would be excellent for that day.

·        92:1-4: as noted, it calls us to the most basic element of the universe: it all exists for His praise.  But the praise whould become easier when we meditate on His checed, grace for the day; and His emeth, His every word being fulfilled during the day.  In other words this also teaches us the importance of praise throughout the week, that we might enjoy the Sabbath-rest of faith in all of life.

·        92:5-7: It is a sad reality that the wicked will never know this.  It is their choice, but still sad given the reality of God’s love for the world.  They will be destroyed forever, forever separated from this Sabbath God.

·        92:8-9:  The Lord will be proven right, forever.  He will endure while His enemies will perish and the leaders in sin (workers of iniquity) are scattered.

·        92:10-11:  The Saints should rejoice in God’s great works as experienced in their lives.  Remember that God exalts the humble because it glorifies Him.  He is strong in our weaknesses, His grace sufficient for these earthen vessels in which we live, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not us (2 Cor. 4:7).

·        92:12-15: All of this reflection gives us hope at the end of the Sabbath as we look to what is ahead.  It doesn’t say it will be easy.  It says the righteous will flourish and grow like the stately trees that only are more majestic in the strong winds that will blow.  Even in old age the righteous will bear fruit.

Do you not find these thoughts, and the many more the Spirit has impressed on your heart, to be rich fodder for your “morning and evening” each day as well as for your day of rest?  It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praised to Your name, O Most High!

Isaiah 59, Oh, What a Redeemer!

An outline of Isaiah 59 is in terms of how sinful men can have a right relationship with God: sin (v1-8), confession (v9-15a) and redemption (v15b-21).  This pattern was true for Israel and is true today.  Thus it is very much worth our consideration.

·        59:1-8: Sin

Israel, God’s chosen people, were not experiencing God’s blessing and they were blaming God.  How typical of men.  How gracious of God that He sent His prophet to tell the truth.  The problem is not with God; it is not that He is incapable.  The problem is your sin.  It has separated you from God.  This it truth, pure and simple.

The description of sin is powerful.  The Lord uses two spider illustrations.  Israel was trusting lies and thus were holding themselves up as with a spider’s web.  Israel was confident the lives they were living were productive, but actually they were laying spider’s eggs that were producing deadly spiders.  That is the nature of humanity all the time.  We hold to a philosophy that makes us feel good but which will not give us a covering for sin when we stand before our Creator.  We take pride in our accomplishments but in fact we are giving birth to more and more that separates us from God because it is filled with self.

·        59:9-15a: Confession

We call this a confession but not because the confessor ever says I’m sorry.  Confession is not apologizing; it is agreeing, agreeing with God that what He says is sin in my life is, in fact, sin!  Do your own comparison of what God called sin in 59:3-7 and what Isaiah agrees is sin in 59:9-13.  He says we look for light but grope in the darkness; thus he recognizes the spider’s web lies God mentioned.  We make choices day by day that drive us further away from God.  These are the spider eggs we are hatching.  This is the place we must come to in our thinking, where we no longer blame God for our issues but readily confess our sin.

·        59:15b-21: Redemption

What is God’s response when He sees our sin?  First, He is displeased that there is so much sin.  Second, He wonders that there is no one who is qualified or willing to stand between Him and the sinners to provide a basis for saving the lost souls.  This is truly a hopeless matter: sinful men standing before a holy God have no standing.  They are condemned and worthy of the worst punishment for such arrogance.

Then we ask, “What does God do about this hopeless situation?”  What He does is He bares His arm and takes the place of the intercessor Himself.  HE BECOMES MAN, living a holy and righteous life so that He qualifies to stand for mankind to provide salvation.  His own arm brought salvation for Him and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.  The Redeemer that comes out of Zion is none other than the LORD Himself. 

The idea of redeemer in the Old Testament is of the kinsman who is willing to buy the property and possessions of the deceased kin (cf. the book of Ruth).  That is what God did in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.  He became our Kinsman Redeemer.  By His perfect intercession He established a New Covenant in which the sinner would have standing before God.  Through faith in Christ we enter this covenant, taking on the righteousness of Christ.  The holy God is satisfied that a perfect Lamb has paid the price of redemption; the sinful man has the hope of eternal life.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed … even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe … being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus … (Rom. 3:21-26).

Isaiah 32, The Destructive Danger of Complacency

One of my favorite Old Testament verses in Isa. 32:17: The work of righteousness will be peace.  And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.  The power of this passage is increased when you pay attention to the context (as always).

Satan is the master of counterfeits.  When we say master we mean he has a lot of them.  He is not the master in that he is able to provide alternate sources of soul-satisfying goods.  He is good at providing alternatives that look in some way like a soul-satisfying good, but an alternative that in fact works against satisfaction of the soul.  He provides hedon (pleasure) instead of joy.  He provides lust and fondness in place of love.  In today’s passage we see he provides complacency instead of peace.

Jesus the Messiah, King in Jerusalem (King of Peace) is the ultimate King of Righteousness (Melchizedek, Heb. 7:1-3).  That is what Isa. 32:1-4 tells us.  He brings peace because He reigns in righteousness.  A key issue of righteousness is generosity, which is at the center of Isa. 32:5-8.  It is critical here for a simple reason: Isaiah is prophesying hard times to come upon Israel, and it is the generous man who will stand during those hard times.

That is contrary to the way people generally think.  The assumption is that if hard times are coming then what we need to do now is to stockpile for the future.  That is what some were counting on as Isaiah preached (32:9-15).  Isaiah is basically speaking to the rich, and especially those who became rich by ignoring the needs of the poor.  They were completely oblivious to Isaiah’s message because they were secure in the status of their bank accounts, their pantries and root cellars.  They were at peace but it was a counterfeit peace.  Isaiah uses two words to describe their condition.

·        At ease (v9,11).  It means to be quiet, secure but with the unintended result that one becomes careless or wanton.  It is used of laziness (Job 12:5), becoming scornful (Psalm 123:4), having an attitude that everything is alright when it is not alright (Zech.1:15).

·        Complacency (v9,10,11).  This refers to trust or confidence, but also is used in the negative where someone becomes careless.  The first use of this word in Deut. 28:52 was what was happening in Isaiah’s day: the high walls in which they trusted were about to come down. 

Isaiah addresses the women particularly because their lives were very careless because they had such trust in the money their husbands were making.  Remember that Isaiah ministered in the reigns of Uzziah to Hezekiah (Isa. 1:1); these were very good times economically.  But, as is typical, the good economy led to a lousy relationship with God.  Isaiah announces that the times of complacency will end in great mourning that will last until the outpouring of the Spirit, the time of the New Covenant (v15).

The time of the outpouring is the time when the King of Righteousness reigns.  It is the time when righteousness and justice characterize the citizenry of Israel (note: both of these terms are used in 32:1 and 16).  And those righteous people will live in true security and peace.  So Isaiah concludes in v20 with the promise of blessing on those who are truly generous.

We believe this chapter has much to say to us today, in a time when many place their confidence in their material possessions.  The result is that they become complacent, but also they become miserly.  This is a dangerous situation and believers in Christ particularly must avoid this course of life.  It is the lukewarm spirituality Jesus admonished us about in Rev. 3:14-22.  Let us take heed!

Isaiah 14:12-21, Seeds of Satan’s Destruction

This passage contains the ultimate illustration of the principle that states that the seeds of destruction are contained in the founding principles of an organization, nation or even a personal philosophy.  In this case it has to do with Satan.  First let us note that the context indicates that Lucifer is, in fact, a reference to Satan. 

·        The preceding verses speak of the fall of the king of Babylon (v3-11).  But his fall lands him in hell (v9-11) along with all the other heads-of-neighboring-nations that afflicted God’s people (cf. Ezek. 32:17-32).  Hell is the place created for Satan and his angels (Mt. 25:41).

·        Lucifer is said to be fallen from heaven, a scenario connected with the Devil (Lk. 10:18; Rev. 12:7-9).

·        The name Lucifer, meaning Day Star, associates this being with the Messiah who is the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2).  Lucifer is the rival of the Messiah, the antichrist.  Satan is the god of this age who currently rules the nations and offered to give them to the Messiah (Mt. 4:8-9).

What is of interest today, concerning Lucifer, is that he is described as the one who weakened the nations (v12).  How can this be?  The nations are the ones Satan uses in his attempt to derail God’s plan of salvation.  The nations that surrounded Israel were under Satan’s control when they harassed and attempted to keep them from entering the land.  He used them to try to eliminate Israel as a nation, an attempt that appears to be ongoing to this day.  It was the great national empires that have ruled over Israel during this extended times of the nations: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome.  It was the rulers of this age that crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8).  Why would Satan weaken those who were his principle tool against God?

The answer to that question is found in answering this question: “How did Satan enlist the help of the nations to begin with?”  He enlisted their help using the three temptations he used in the Garden of Eden: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16).  Satan has, and continues to gather the support of his citizens, through the powerful draw of materialism (you can be happy with more stuff), hedonism (always do what feels good) and egotism (do what makes you first and greater than those around you).  He has always drawn men to himself in this way.

But therein, amazingly, is the way he has weakened the nations.  These philosophies do not, in fact, reward men as they are advertised.  Stuff will never satisfy the longing of the soul.  Licentiousness (the Epicurean pursuit of happiness through fun and games) will never produce full joy.  Being first is a never-ending pursuit that wears us down.  So Satan’s minions are fully engaged in life-long pursuits that turn them away from the Creator but which will never end.  The seeds of the weakening of the nations are present in the very reason they have sold their souls to the Devil.

Praise God the gospel is being preached to the nations and some are turning to Christ, following Him in a life of faith, hope and love!

Psalm 119:121-128; Lk. 11:33-36, Good Eye, Bad Eye

The Hebrew letter ‘ayin’ is the 16^th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (or alehbeth).  As with all Hebrew letters it has a root meaning.  The root meaning of ayin is ‘eye’.  Thus it is used in words that have to do with what is seen.  And with the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119, the verses in this stanza begin with the letter ‘ayin.’

If you know the root meaning it is interesting to note its use at the start of each stanza.  For example;

·        In v121 it is an obedience term (I have done justice).  Obedience is when the status of the heart is seen in the life.

·        In v122 it is the surety, the evidence or roof that God makes on behalf of His servants or obedient ones (literally).

·        In v123 eyes is simply the word ayin.

·        In v124 the Psalmist asks God to deal mercifully with His servant.  He desires that God’s merciful heart be shown in His dealings.

·        In v125 it’s the word servant.  A servant is one whose eye is on his master so that he might obey.

·        In v126 the time to act is the time when God’s purposes become real or visible.

·        In v127 and v128 it is the word therefore, which is a form of speech we use when we state a conclusion or result.  The Psalmist’s love for God’s commandments is the visible result of their value; in other words, his response has become visible.

So to see is to understand and obey.  It is related to light and thus speaks of the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit.  There was a rabbinic tradition that said we have two eyes that lead to the brain: one good eye and one evil eye. 

Is it possible that Jesus was referring to this tradition when He issued His warning in Luke 11?  He did not, of course, affirm the tradition exactly.  But He did acknowledge the potential of the eyes giving access to the soul for both good and evil.  This is such an important admonition as the senses, and particularly the eyes, are such a powerful avenue to the mind and heart. 

What we learn from these thoughts on the eye is important for us all.  Obedience requires that we see before we walk.  God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, will enable us to see clearly.  But we must guard our eyes.  As Job put it, we need to make a covenant with our eyes not to look at that which leads to temptation (Job 31:1).  As we used to sing as children, O be careful little eyes what you see!

Jeremiah 10:1-16, Evolutionary Creationism

I lean towards a ‘young earth’ view of creation.  That probably has come out in some of my posts.  If you disagree please read on.  I want to lay aside the issue of the age of earth and just go to the idea of evolution vs. creation.  You may hold a view, like many Christians today, which seeks to acknowledge what they believe science proves.  Many believe that science makes evolution in some sense undeniable.  As Christians they know they must give true homage to God the Creator.  So the result is there are a variety of views that we might call evolutionary creationism.  Our purpose today is to give you opportunity to examine the depth of our worship of the Creator.

Jeremiah, in the most basic way, presents the issue for us.  He describes a Biblical view of God.  There is only one God.  There is none like Him. Especially Jeremiah points out that the gods of wood and stone are not like the God of the Bible.  They have created nothing; He has created everything.  Jeremiah thinks, apparently, that the identification of who is and who is not God is bound up in who made the heavens and earth.  The One who made it all is truly God, and the God of the Bible claims through His prophets to be that One.  And note that the God of the Bible is said to be the Portion of Jacob.  His dealings with Israel differentiate Him from what others called ‘god’ such as the people around Israel.  In other words the God of the Bible is Creator and He is involved in that Creation in certain ways.

With this simple background let us ask some questions of ourselves, questions that are good for anyone to consider (including me with my view of creation) but also for you, if you hold to an evolutionary creationism.

·        In my view of God, how is He involved in the world today?  Many consider evolution to be the driving force of life.  So if you hold to any form of creationism (i.e. that there is/was a Creator, even if He set things in motion shortly before a big bang and then went on vacation) our view needs to address the issue of where we can see God at work in the heavens and earth today.

·        Do I treat evolution as if evolution itself is god?  How did we get from one cell to the human body and soul and mind?  What was driving the decisions that had to be made along the way?  Like the preacher in Ecclesiastes (9:11) you might want to say it was time and chance, which if you remove the personal and powerful God of Creation the Bible presents, that is what you are left with.  Or you might call the driving force survival of the fittest or some other principle.  The question we need to think about, for me personally, today, is “Who is my God?”  Who is driving me?  And as we consider this question, we want to further ask, “Am I worshiping evolution?”  If I am then it is no different that worshiping the gods of wood and stone.  And they have created nothing.

·        Am I trying to be at peace with science or with scientists?  It is one thing to accept evolution because I think it fits good science.  But it is another thing if I am trying to maintain some respectability with scientists?  I ask this question because I hear a lot in the writings of evolutionary creationists that they are concerned that if we hold a creationist view we will offend scientists.  For example, read Hugh Ross’s material and you will see this a lot.  In the end we can say that our view of creation is not as important as our view of the gospel.  So if I am concerned about not offending scientists will I ever take a stand for the gospel of Christ?  The gospel is ALWAYS offensive.  Am I going to want to alter the gospel so as to accommodate the scientist?

Whatever your view of creation I hope that as one who confesses Christ as Lord you will consider these questions with some seriousness and depth.

Jeremiah 3:6-13; 7:8-11, Casual Harlotry

Twice, in the same day recently, I heard people say, ‘I’ve always been a Christian.”  That is a statement that always concerns me.  The one person was a young boy who was from a Christian home and was saying he always believed that Jesus died for his sin and was raised from the dead.  The second was an adult woman who always “believed in God,” had been taken to the Catholic church by her mother, and could answer in the affirmative that she believed the truth of the gospel. 

Now I am not interested in explaining the validity or lack of validity of the born again status of either of these individuals.  Believe it or not, I do not know their hearts.  In the case of the woman there was more to her testimony that suggested to me that she had an experience like the people at Cornelius’ house who came to faith as they were listening to Peter’s sermon (Ac. 10:44). 

Having said that I still want to tell you what concerns me.  When I hear the testimony of people that does not include some recognition of their struggle with sin I am concerned.  Again, I am not the judge; I do not know anyone’s heart.  Because I have experienced it myself and heard many other’s testify to it, I suspect the young boy at some time later in life, perhaps when he leaves home, will have a mighty struggle with the depths of sin.  I would never tell him he is not a believer; that is not my place and is way above my pay grade, so to speak.  But I would tell him, and anyone, make sure!  (2 Cor. 13:5)

Did you see this in the passages from Jeremiah?  He speaks of treacherous Judah and backsliding Israel.  What a powerful charge is laid against Judah.  They are engaging in casual harlotry.  The harlotry is, of course, spiritual harlotry, idolatry.  But it is casual.  Judah is living the Baalite life while still calling on Yahweh.  Jeremiah describes it in chapter 7: walking after other gods and then standing before Yahweh in His house. 

In what may be surprising to some, and yet makes perfect sense, the out-and-out sinful backsliding Israel is more righteous than treacherous Judah.  Israel, who has already been dispersed by the Assyrians, is called by God to only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God.  Recognize your sin!  Judah’s situation is treacherous because she is engaged in a massive cover-up.  The prophets are telling lies, that because of His covenant God will not remove them from the land and will not allow His temple to be destroyed.  And the people are believing it because that’s what they want to hear.  It allows them to live loose lives while still going through the motions of public worship.

Do you understand why this concerns me today, in the USA?  And I don’t think this is anything new; there have always been these kinds of situations.  Many can say I have always been a Christian, people who have been involved in church attendance or who hold what they perceive to be Christian political views or who equate citizenship in the US as making them a Christian just like citizenship in Iran makes one a Muslim. 

None of that is true.  What is true is that the good news is set against the bad news.  The publican went away justified; the Pharisee was not.  And the difference was: one acknowledged his sin, the other did not.  If I say “I have always been a Christian” it sounds like I am not recognizing that I entered this world as a lost person.  Whether it is dramatic like Paul’s (Ac. 9) or smooth as the Ethiopian’s (Ac. 8) I must be born again.  At some point in my life I must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and become a new creation!

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Cor. 13:5).

Psalm 91

This anonymous Psalm, ascribed by some to Moses who wrote the previous Hymn, has attracted a great following.  It promises protection and deliverance to those who walk deeply with God.  But it does not give the saint a free pass with respect to the difficulties of life.  It promises deliverance (v3), including from Satan, the fowler who seeks to ensnare.  It promises God’s truth to be a covering (v4).  He will not need to be afraid (v5-6).  He will not experience the evil that comes upon the wicked (v7-8).  He will be protected and encouraged in the face of life’s difficulties (v10-13).  And God will be with him in trouble (v15). 

Jesus gave the sense and application of this Psalm when Satan himself quoted 91:11-12 in one of the temptations (Matt. 4:5-7).  He refused to test God by requiring God, so to speak, to deliver Him from falling.  In another passage Jesus noted those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matt. 10:28).  Every saint in Scripture faced tribulation, beginning with our Lord and each of His Apostles.  This Psalm does not indicate we will have no trouble; it promises rather perfect protection for the soul regardless of the trouble.

To put ourselves intentionally in danger would actually deny the very condition for this Psalm that is seen at the start (91:1-2) and again in the middle (91:9).  That is where we need to spend time in meditation.  God, by His truth, will be the refuge for the one who dwells in the secret place of the most High.

·        To dwell is to sit down, to remain, or to stay somewhere.  It does not speak of a short visit or merely passing by.  We take the name of the place where we dwell.  Those who dwell in Israel are Israelites.  Those who dwell in God’s holy habitation are holy ones or saints (Deut. 26:15).  Under the New Covenant it is to abide in Christ (John 15).  And yet at the same time it is for Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17).  It is to answer the knock on the hearts door and to welcome the Savior for deep fellowship (Rev. 3:20).

·        The secret place is the place where nothing Satanic or evil or destructive to the soul can ever enter.  It is God’s tabernacle (Psalm 27:5).  Christ was in that place in Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal.  He bids us enter into the same place to find help (Heb. 4:16).   How can this be when we are on this earth, so far from our eternal home?  It is because …

·        Our dwelling place is God Himself (91:9; 90:1).  As 91:2 says: I will say of the Lord … my refuge and my fortress!  This is not magical nor mystical.  It is frequent and deep fellowship with God through prayer and His word.  To pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) is to be at home in the secret place.  It is nothing between my soul and the Savior; the ongoing experience of His forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9).  It is the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifices, our only reasonable worship (Rom. 12:1).

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Prov. 16:10-12; Psa. 51:13-18, David vs. Jesus

We don’t normally think in terms of “David vs. Jesus.”  Rather we think of Jesus as the Son of David and emphasize the ways they are alike.  But when you come to 2 Sam. 11 and David’s sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite (if you are not familiar with the story you might want to read it now) then it’s a case of how Jesus is so much better than David.

Prov. 16:10 and 12 speak of what kings are supposed to be like and shed some light on the story.  First, David transgressed with his mouth (Pr. 16:10).  As the one with whom God made the covenant the Davidic kings were “mediators” for God, standing between God the true King of Israel and the people.  He was supposed to speak for God.  But when David lied to cover up the sin and when he told Joab to do in order to get rid of Uriah David clearly transgressed.  How could David ever again be trusted by the people to speak the word of God. 

Thus, in his prayer of confession (Ps. 51), David addresses this.  He longs for God to purify his heart so that he might again be able to teach transgressors Your ways.  It is not an issue of repairing David’s reputation; he is still the King and must still speak God’s word to the people whether they respect him or not (and by the way, as you read on in 2 Samuel, there were those who no longer respected David; e.g. Ahithophel, Shimei).  But it is David’s own heart.  Does he even trust himself to speak truth for God?  He prays that he might be delivered from guilt; the sense of shame would keep him from speak confidently for God.  In the end David is not simply concerned with his own forgiveness; he is concerned with God blessing the nation (v18).

Second (cf. Pr. 16:12), what David did was an abomination and would weaken his throne.  Again, if you read on in 2 Samuel, this happened.  You see in David a king who has a hard time making decisions and acting (e.g. in bringing back Absalom and in his inability to then deal with Absalom).  His reign became much weaker.

It is interesting that what we are reflecting on are Proverbs of Solomon who is the son of David and Bathsheba and who had his own struggles with sin and a weakened throne (that’s 1 Kings 11 if you want to read about it).  There are always two possibilities: we either learn from the sins of the fathers and repent or we ignore or gloss over their sins and repeat them. 

Ah, this is the glory of the Son of David.  He had no sin of His own.  He was the qualified, unblemished, Lamb of God who could and did take away the sin of the world.  He died for David’s sin.  Thus He, David’s Son, was David’s Lord!

Rev. 5, The Storm & the Light (4)

(See the first post for information about these thoughts from D. A. Carson.)

·        The scroll (v1).  It was made of papyrus, in many sheets sewn together.  Usually it was only written on one side but might be on both sides if you wanted what you were writing to be in one place/book.  Such was the case here in a scroll that reveals God’s fundamental purposes.  It was sealed with seven seals, showing the importance of what it contained.  The question that is asked, who will split the seals, is important because opening the seals is the means by which what is written therein can be brought to pass.

·        The challenge (v2) is issued to all of creation.  Who is worthy?  Not just anyone can do this.

·        The silence (v3) indicates that NO ONE could open or look inside.  Not the elders, the living creatures, the angels, no humans.  It would seem that God’s purposed won’t come to pass.

·        Therefore, the weeping (v4) of John.  He knows the depth of the issue, the wrongs that won’t be righted, the lack of forgiveness.  Even godless men have noted the hopeless of the situation when God’s purposes cannot be fulfilled.  The atheist, Bertrand Russell, nearing the end of his life, was asked what he had to hang on as he faced this crucial time of life.  He answered, “I have nothing to hang on to but grim, unyielding despair.”  But then John is told to quit weeping.  Why?

·        The Lion (v5) has prevailed.  This is a strong word, this prevailing.  The Lion (royalty) of the tribe of Judah (of David).  As revealed in the genealogy of Matt. 1 which contain the three groups of fourteen names, fourteen to match the numerical value of the name “David” (DVD) in Hebrew.  The emphasis is on David.  The Christ is the root (as well as the chute) of David!  He precedes David and comes after David.

·        Then the Lamb (v5).  Remember that apocalyptic literature mixes metaphors.  Jesus is not half Lion and half Lamb as depicted in many classic paintings.  He is all Lion and all Lamb.  As Lamb He has seven horns speaking of royal perfection.  He also has seven eyes, the seven Spirits of God, tying Him to God (cf. Rev. 4:5).  Messiah is God!  And He takes the scroll (v7).

·        The praise of heaven (v8-14).  The living creatures and elders sing a new song.  They sing with harps.  Something should be said about this to dispel the idea that all of eternity for the saints involves playing harps while sitting on a cloud.  Harps are an instrument of rejoicing.  You see this in Psalm 137 when God’s people in Babylon hung their harps on a tree; they could not sing the songs of joy in Babylon.  The harps appear now because they realize God’s purposes will be brought to pass.  (Note: in heaven we will rejoice, work and learn … only God is omniscient … and all will be done in the presence of God.)

The song emphasizes the atonement, describing the atonement as bloody (by your blood), broad (every tribe, tongue, people, nation), directed (to our God) and triumphant (we shall reign on the earth).  In light of this the creatures and elders are then joined by many angels (v11) and then the entirety of creation (v13).  The living creatures announce the final “Amen!”

What we see here if what we call, “the naturalness of grateful praise.”  It is unnatural not to praise God at the unfolding of His purposes, a truth that has immense value to our lives today.