My Times are in Your Hand (Psalm 31:15)

 My Times are in Your Hand (Psalm 31:15)

Our times are assigned to us. We don’t pick them. We certainly have little to say about when and where we were born. We understand that life is a gift from God. Even those who don’t believe in God must believe that it is some kind of “happy accident,” and thus we cannot take credit for it ourselves. But for believers, since we believe life is a fleeting gift from God, we also don’t know how long this earthly life will last.

Therefore, “my times” are not really mine. They are lent to me, to be given back when I die. “My times” are really God’s times, or the times that God has assigned to me. And therefore, “my times” are not in my hand, though we make many decisions about how “our” life will be lived. Nonetheless, my times are in God’s hand.

The verse goes on to request, then, that God would “deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.” There is something about this life of ours, as managed by us, that leaves us with scant resources to fight dangerous enemies, whether physical or spiritual. And it is the spiritual enemies that are the most cunning. We ask God for help against this vast array of enemies because we cannot handle the job ourselves. But also, we ask, because since “our times” are actually God’s times, He has a deep interest in our success against these enemies, and for our living with His ownership in mind.

Psalm 1:3 says that the one who separates himself from sinners so that he might be devoted to God and His Word “will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither;  And in whatever he does, he prospers.” That is, he is seeking God’s help in charting a course for living apart from enemies and persecutors, and in return, God brings “success” or “prospering” into his life. Certainly, this success must be defined Biblically. God’s prospering can include things like health and wealth, but it more importantly includes fellowship with God and usefulness in His service. It includes things like peace and joy and love that flow out of us from within.

These things happen, according to Psalm 1, “in its time.” That is, in God’s timing that He has ordained for us. Some of these things may happen in our youth or they may happen in old age. Some pick up the lessons quickly. For others, it comes through a variety of struggles and defeats, until we submit to God’s will and way - when we finally realize that what we have regarded as “my times,” my life, my goals, my values and agenda and passion, my, my, my - when we finally realize that all these things actually begin, not with “my” or “me,” but with what is rightfully God’s, for His glory.

 The Color of Christmas

I’ve been thinking this week about C.S. Lewis’ rather negative view of our Christmas craziness. He was writing this back in the 1950’s or so. I assume that the craziness has only grown crazier.

He says that there seem to be two holidays. One is called Xmas, and involves a great deal of partying and gift-giving. It is practiced by the religious and irreligious, as though religion is not essential to it. And he personally preferred to have little to do with it.

The other holiday he called “The Feast of the Nativity.” This is the solemn yet joyful observance of the Incarnation, God taking on human form in the Person of the Son. It is the celebration and consideration of a mysterious, divine act, whereby the infinite Son of God submits to the finiteness of human form. 

My thought on this was that those who espouse the Big Bang theory of origins claim that there must have been some nugget or particle that was so dense, when it exploded, it expanded into our present universe. I find more interesting the density that must have existed in the human person Jesus who at the same time was eternal Son of God. And, He indeed has universal significance. 

But back to C.S. Lewis. He says that just because these two holidays happen to occur on the same day of the year doesn’t mean that they have anything to do with one another.

I’ve read that the brain has never seen color. It has never smelled a rose. It has never heard a symphony. The only stimuli are electrical/chemical signals which the brain then interprets, so that you can make sense of red, fragrance, and harmony. 

You don’t know something is red until your brain tells you, the brain that has never seen red. I would like to apply this to Lewis’ two holidays. 

Many, many people celebrating Christmas this year don’t know the true color of Christmas, which is Christ. It is a reality about which their brains have not yet been triggered. The Gospel stimuli has not  reached them. And so these many, many people know a great deal about the merchandising of Christmas. But they don’t know the true color of Christmas. It’s as though they can’t see red.

Can you? It’s not an ability-thing. It’s not a “try-harder” thing. You can only appreciate the sensations that your brain interprets for you. Yet there is something mysterious, something spiritual about this, whereby you come to know, to see, a color that you have never seen before. And once you see Christ, the color of Christmas, you can never un-see Him.

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? (Matthew 2:2)

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? (Matthew 2:2)

You know the story of the wise men who came from the East seeking Jesus. They followed a star. They were probably astrologers who followed pagan notions. But somehow, God got their attention and set them on the right path. And so they brought gifts to baby Jesus, and we expect that we will see them in heaven. Who knew that among those who first worshipped Jesus, there would be some from Iran?

But that’s not the whole story, because on the way to see Jesus, they first had to see Herod, or, as he liked to be called, “Herod the Great.” Herod was a master politician who had positioned himself to gain the favor of the Roman emperors, and had finagled his way to a position in Israel called, of all things, “king of the Jews.”

One would suppose that to be “king of the Jews,” one should probably actually be a Jew. But that was not the case. In the language of the time, or at least how it’s translated now, Herod was an Idumaean. That word was an update of an older word used often in the Old Testament. Herod was as Edomite.

Edomites were the descendants of Esau. Esau was the grandson of Abraham, and the firstborn of Isaac. He was born a twin, and his younger brother, Jacob, got the upper hand: the birthright; the blessing; and father of the people of Israel. Esau was set aside. 

Jacob had twelve sons, roughly the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob’s 4th son, Judah, would be the tribe from which most kings of Israel would come, and certainly the line of David. These would be the true kings of the Jews.

So Herod, from Esau, was a fake. He was a powerful fake, and a ruthless face. But he was also an insecure fake, because he knew that he wasn’t the true “king of the Jews.” And so one day, when strangers from out of town came seeking the one born “King of the Jews,” he suspected that what he always feared was about to take place. Esau was about to be set aside once again, in the person of Herod.

Scheming, lying, and threatening had always worked for Herod. But it didn’t work now. The wise men were led by a star, and Herod wasn’t it.

Jesus’ path was strange as well. He avoided the throne and embraced the cross. But even in His death, there was a sign above his head that spoke the truth: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

You Fill Up My Senses (Psalm 94:9; 139:7)

 You Fill Up My Senses (Psalm 94:9; 139:7)

John Denver used to sing a song, “You Fill Up My Senses.” Given his vocal qualities, we used to substitute the word “sinuses.” But, speaking of our senses, they are amazing. Our ears hear and distinguish hundreds of sounds. A child can pick up his mother’s voice out of a thousand. And our eyes, seeing objects both near and far, with color. Sadly, we don’t fully appreciate these senses until we lose them. 

But we must remember: God made us this way. He made us with ears and eyes, to hear and to see. Why? Partly because He Himself is a hearing and seeing God. And that’s what this week’s critical question(s) remind us:  Psa. 94:9 “He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?” And we find this ability of God to hear and to see both comforting and intimidating, because He doesn’t miss a beat.

But let’s go further: Psa. 139:7 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” Here we find that this God who created us to live in the confines of space and time is not confined to space and time. The previous verse spoke of communicable attributes, that is, characteristics that God shares with His creatures. But here, in Psa. 139, we have an incommunicable attribute, that is, a characteristic of God that is not shared with His creatures. We are always somewhere, in one place. God is everywhere at once. He is omnipresent. Again, this is a comforting though, since we are never removed from Him. And it can be intimidating, because we never can hide from Him.

For the godly person, that is, a person who is oriented toward God in such a way that He is ever-present (or, at least, never-far) from our thoughts, the responses to these verses are obvious. God hears. We talk to Him. God sees. We live and behave and do as those who are living for His pleasing, knowing that God is always looking over our shoulder. We bask in His ever-present presence, because He is never far away. Though transcendent above even the remote stars in the most remote galaxy, He is yet present with a person such as yourself.

For the ungodly person, that is, a person who is oriented toward self and world affairs in such a way that it seems that God either doesn’t exist, or, at least, matter - for that person, there is no prayer except in a crisis. Things are done for one’s own pleasure or the praise of those you want to notice. No one is looking over your shoulder, or if they are, you resent them. And, you find yourself quite alone in the cosmos.

What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? (Psalm 116:12 ESV)

 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? (Psalm 116:12 ESV)

Would you agree with me that this is a critical question? If God has indeed blessed our lives, what should be our response to Him? Is it acceptable that we, being enriched by Him in so many ways, just accept it and take it for granted and go on as though God did not exist? “What shall I render?” An important question indeed!

We are not just to make up our own ideas or rules about how we should respond to our gracious God. This psalm gives an answer in the following verses: “Lift up the cup of salvation.” “Call on the name of the Lord.” “Pay your vows to the Lord.”

Let’s take these in order. What does it mean to lift up the cup of salvation? Well, first we realize that unless God had filled our cup, it would be empty. We cannot save ourselves. But also, we are amazed and such grace that has saved us in such a terrible and wonderful way: God sacrificing His Son that through His death we might have life. It is both amazing and humbling, caught in Newton’s words, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.”

So in the morning we lift up this cup of salvation, and in the evening. We remember and recall that, apart from Him we are lost, now and forever. But with Him and what He has given, we are found, now and forever. We take the time to clear our minds and we give thanks to Him for His indescribable gift.

Secondly, we respond to God as though He exists. We call on the name of the Lord. Let’s be honest: those who do not talk to God treat God as though He does not exist. But He does, because if He did not, neither would you. And we do live, by His goodness and grace. And this grace has brought with it the privilege and responsibility to talk with Him, to call upon Him, including to praise and to pour out our hearts. If we are not doing this, then we have failed to properly consider and answer the critical question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?”

The text says, “pay your vows.” Remember that our relationship with God is covenantal. God graciously enters into covenant with us, but He also places demands upon us. These demands are not the foundation of the relationship. That’s the atonement. No, the demands are that we live as the Father’s children, walking with Jesus, keeping in step with the Spirit. Simply put, we obey. We study to know what to do, and then we do it, with dispatch; with thoroughness; and with thanksgiving.

Anyone Here Interested in a Good Life? (Psalm 34:12)

“What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?” (Psalm 34:12 ESV)

Some critical questions are ignored, to one’s peril. Others are asked by everyone, everywhere. This is one of the latter. How might I live a good life?

It is interesting that God has expressly placed this question in the Bible for us, that we might consider it, and consider it from His point of view. He gives a “big picture answer; and He gives a more detailed answer.

The “big picture” answer is found in the previous verse: “Come, O children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11 ESV). Everyone fears something, and most of us fear many things. But to fear the Lord is to recognize that He alone is God, sovereign and holy, and that we are accountable to Him. This is similar to the idea that everyone worships something, whether God, or something else. And I am finding that “fear” and “worship” are not all that far apart. 

So a big piece of “the good life,” according to the Bible, is to have a right view of God, which gives us a proper view of our place before Him, and a respect for His design and purpose in His creation and in His creatures, including our own selves.

The more detailed answer follows our critical question. It is divided into three parts. The first part says, “Watch your mouth.” Do not be malicious, and do not be a liar. It is a statement of restraint. If you want to live a good life, you will have to learn how to practice restraint. The second part says, Take charge of your doings. “Turn away from evil, and do good.” We are responsible for what we do, and at the final judgment, we will not be able to blame anyone else for our bad behaviors. Notice also that it doesn’t say, “do something neutral.” It says, “do good.” You will have to let God help you determine what that “good” is. He is willing to help, and He already has given quite a bit of instruction. Thirdly, “seek peace and pursue it.” Practically and personally, don’t go around generating conflict. But also, in keeping with the Gospel, direct people to the only peace that lasts, peace with God through faith in Christ, who has reconciled us in such as way that we who were enemies can now be, in fact, members of the family of God. 

The text goes on to say that God is watching, and God is listening. He is hoping you find the good life, and that you live it.

Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1 NAS95)

 The Character of the Father Duplicated in His Children

“O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1 NAS95)

This question may be akin to the one we know from the Gospels,  voiced by the “rich, young ruler” who approached Jesus: “A ruler questioned Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” Luke 18:18  The strange part of this question is the connection between “do” and “inherit.” We don’t inherit anything based on what we “do."

And so the question from Psalm 15, “who may abide in Your tent?” becomes rather simple. Only those who are part of the Lord’s family are welcome in His tent. You live there because you belong there, and you belong there if you are one of the Father’s children. Likewise, “who may dwell on Your holy hill?” is answered by understanding that the children of the Father live by the Father’s rules. Keeping the rules doesn’t make them the Father’s children. They keep the family rules because they are the Father’s children.

The psalm goes on to enumerate the “doings” of the Father’s children. It involves their walking (their conduct) and their hearts. The subject of their mouths their motives is addressed. How they treat neighbor and friend is mentioned. They don’t take advantage of others. They have little patience for those who embrace worthless practices, and they honor those who fear the Lord. Do they do this perfectly? No. No one does. But they pursue this course because they love the Father and seek to honor the Father and desire to uphold the family name. 

The critical question, then, is not the misunderstanding of the rich ruler who thinks he can “buy” or “behave” his way into heaven. It can’t be done. The critical question of Psalm 15 is a request for a rehearsal of the qualities of the Father’s character which finds itself reproduced in His children. It’s a great summary.

And so the passage reinforces something that we used to know but perhaps have forgotten: that faith is accompanied by following; that beliefs have a place, but so also does our behavior; relationship based on grace, but also the responsibility to obey. We love the Father, and so desire to please Him, but we also fear the Father (due to His majesty and perfections), and thus we dare not take for granted this wondrous grace that brought us into family relationship, but we invest it, we cultivate it, we practice and practice and practice it.

Are the Foundations Destroyed? (Psalm 11:3)

 Are the Foundations Destroyed?

“if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3 ESV)

Let me give you a little context for this critical question. The psalmist begins with the strong words: “In the Lord I take refuge.” It’s the statement of a person who fears the Lord, and therefore is not afraid of a great many other things. Immediately following this assertion of faith, he answers those who have been giving him advice. The advice is “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.” They are saying, “David, you are in great danger, and you need to take adequate safety measures.” “Flee to the mountains.”

According to the translation in our text, the critical question, “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” - is a question posed by doubters; by safety seekers. It is as if they are saying, “we are outnumbered, and therefore we are in trouble. The foundations are destroyed, and all is lost.” We must be quick to notice that this attitude stands in stark contrast to David’s opening statement of faith: “In the Lord I take refuge.”

Perhaps you remember the story in the Book of Acts later in Paul’s ministry when he purposed to return from Asia to Jerusalem. He stops at the house of Philip in Caesarea, and Agabus (there’s a name for your next baby boy) graphically prophecies that, if he goes, he will suffer danger and persecution, and there is no indication that this is a false prophecy! Here is Paul’s reply: Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!” Paul might have, like David in Psalm 11, begun his statement like this: “In the Lord I take refuge.” 

Has the true church in our time (all those that believe the Gospel) “fled to the mountains?” Have we substituted prudence for faith and faithfulness? Have we adopted a safe approach, purposing to offend no one with the truth, forgoing mission in order to live out our faith privately? Have we come to accept that “the foundations are destroyed?” We must remember what Scripture teaches us. Our foundation is God and the Gospel. Jesus is the cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” Therefore, like David and Paul, let’s not flee, but follow our God faithfully, wherever He leads.

Is God in Hiding? (Psalm 10:1)

 Is God in Hiding?

“Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 ESV)

Psalm 10 begins with this troubling question: “Where is God when we need Him most?” The description of the problem is given through verse 9 - “the wicked.” And then in 10 and 11, we have a restatement of the troubled heart of the psalmist:

¹⁰ The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might.

¹¹ He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Has God indeed hidden His face? Is He unaware of our troubles? If our answer is “yes” to these questions, then our faith must cease; our praise be silenced; our worship be extinguished. Thankfully, in this psalm, throughout Scripture, and in life, the answer is “No.” No, God has not hidden His face; God does indeed know your troubles.

It is a mystery to us why God allows what He does. He allows a lot. He even seems to use what we would regard as “evil” things to produce good ends. Even our own sins, as we battle them, confess them, crucify them - even this battle He uses for our strengthening and seasoning. He leads us through many wars of attrition to love Him more than anything else. God is not hiding; He is working. God is not unaware; He is carefully, lovingly executing His plan for His child and His church.

It seems, then, that when God wants to improve His children and His church, then there must be trouble. It must be this way. No, we don’t go looking for trouble. But when it comes, we must accept it, even embrace it, and purpose not to waste it. That is, let God work it out in our lives and in our assemblies.

Perhaps we could pray a prayer that ascended from Richard of Chichester (1197-1253). He was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, but rejected by King Henry III. He therefore ministered without financial support, but persisted anyway. Here is his prayer:

Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which thou hast given me,
for all the pains and insults which thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may I know thee more clearly, love thee more dearly,
and follow thee more nearly. 

Notice that his attention is directed at Jesus’ “pains and insults” rather than his own. And notice that we may know clearly, love dearly, and follow nearly, because God is already doing this for us.

Removing God’s Armor (Job 40:2)

Removing God’s Armor

“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” (Job 40:2 ESV)

We are familiar with atheists who preach against the idea of God. But it is not atheists most in view in this verse. Those in view are those who have some acquaintance of God, who know who He is and of what He is capable - and they resent it. They would be people who would begin to deconstruct God so as to remake Him according to a more comfortable model.

But what we know is that God is not comfortable for us. The finite is not comfortable with the infinite. The one who measures a lifetime as up to about 100 years is not comfortable with the eternal God. We who are keen to exercise our wills are not very open to the idea that the script has been known long before we were born. Once we really begin to think about the One, True, Living God, we become uncomfortable.

Sometimes, we begin our deconstruction unknowingly. We are quite sure that God fully appreciates our democratic principles, even though we know full well that there will be no “election day” in heaven. We expect that God will respect our carefully laid plans, only to find that the train tracks have been twisted to uselessness even before they are laid out. We study and we discuss and come up with theories and systems of theology, only to find that God does not read the same books that we do. 

And so we, like Job, are brought up short. We have to stop making declarations about the Almighty, and just pause - be quiet - wonder - and be lost in wonder - at this God who is greater than we imagined.

Now this talk about God being uncomfortable does not mean that God is not able to comfort. Quite the opposite. Because He is sovereign, and eternal, and all-knowing - because of these things He is able to comfort us. He can tell us for sure that He’s got it handled; that our enemies are not so great as we imagined (bigger than us, for sure, but not near so big as God). He can point to life beyond pain and sanctification without a shred of sin. A lesser being could not offer such great comfort, since He would be in lesser control.

In Job 40, God goes on to speak of Behemoth and Leviathan, great creatures of land and sea who are armored so as to make them invincible. God challenges to have our best go at deconstructing this armor. But to break down the armor of God, the solidity and immensity of His being, that’s way beyond us.

What’s the Use? (Job 21:15)

What’s the Use?

“What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’ (Job 21:15 ESV)

This verse falls into a category that I mark in my Bible under “things sinners say.” The Bible, a holy and true book, records many of the lies that sinners tell others and themselves about what they think about themselves, and about God. In this case, they are, in essence, asking the question, “what in it for me?” It is a question that could be asked by sinners who are unsaved, but also sinners who have been saved by grace.

I do some painting on the side at times. Why? Well, the extra income helps. But I tell people that it’s good for a pastor to be able to do something where he can see progress. Progress and change can be difficult to detect at times in pastoral ministry (or parental ministry, or any ministry, for that matter). 

We should pray for progress and change as the Gospel grows in people’s lives. But this question, “What the use?”, can have more sinister tones. Sometimes we ask this question because we are not appreciated in the way that we expect for our efforts by the people we are serving. What’s the use of taking the time, expending the effort? Of course, the answer is not difficult. We serve for the pleasure of God. Except when we don’t Sometimes we fall to the low level of serving for the pleasure of me. And that prompts the sinner’s question, “What’s in it for me?”

Paul never interpreted opposition or persecution to be a signal that he should stop his efforts. In America, we have become so “kind” and “sensitive” that we dare not mention Christ if we think someone might be a bit offended. Paul was right and we are wrong in this. Related to the paragraph above, this is a case of caring more what people think than what God thinks. God has made clear the priority of sharing this Gospel that we have graciously received. What’s the use? Because in the face of persecution, the Gospel shines even brighter.

And finally, what’s in it for us? It’s the joy that comes from serving. It’s the meaning associated with doing something that will have eternal benefits (unlike painting). It’s the one thing that truly helps people at the deepest level. We can help people with physical therapy or diet advice, but serving and sharing Christ is of a whole different level of value and privilege. Let’s not stumble by saying the things sinners say, and asking “what the use?”. 

If a Man Dies, Shall He Live Again? (Job 14:14 ESV)

“If a Man Dies, Shall He Live Again?” (Job 14:14 ESV)

Certainly we understand the decline of individuals as they age. We also are sadly familiar with those whose decline comes early due to disease or disability. Job is experiencing this, and he wonders: is there anything that can reverse this decline? “If a man dies, can he live again?” I would like to apply it more broadly.

For the person who is beset by gloom and despondency, will the light ever shine through again? For the one who has made a mess of his life and experienced all manner of humiliation, is restoration actually possible? These powerful forces that drag us down as beaten prisoners - what power is there that can bring light and life, peace and joy? Or is this just the way it is going to be?

You’ve seen many people with the look on their faces, drawn and sad, that indicates they have no hope for a reversal in a better direction. It’s not everyone, and in certain communities that have many helps and success stories, they may be in the minority. But there are other places where the defeated demeanor is almost the rule, and a smiling face is the exception.

If you are one who struggles in a bright, shiny community, then you know how to put on a happy face. You keep the darkness to yourself, and you learn how to converse in ways that express hope and expectancy. But for you, the hope and expectancy do not rule when you are alone with yourself. Doubt and depression are your lonely companions.

I suspect happy people don’t get Job. But what those who understand him must also understand is this: God has plans for Job, and it is not continual defeat. God has a future for Job, and it is not ruled by his present experience. God’s grace, that powerful force that can reverse depression and doubt and even death is at work in the present, and will bring us to glory, perhaps slowly, in His time.

We can’t see plants grow. But we can see that they have grown. And we can’t see how God is working in our lives. But one day, we will see that He has worked, graciously. And the little plant that seemed destined for death will, at some point, flower. And because of God and His grace, that flower will be beautiful. Its fragrance will be sweet. “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. All trials will seem so small, when we see Christ. One look at His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So, bravely run the race, ’til we see Christ.”

Can you find out the deep things of God? (Job 11:7 ESV)

 “Can you find out the deep things of God?” (Job 11:7 ESV)

Zophar is the name of one of Job’s friends who comes to comfort him, or correct him, or disprove him - whatever it was that these three were trying to do. I’m not sure they know.

But’s that the point of this text. Who knows? Who really understands? Who gets to explain God? Who gets to speak for Him?

Zophar assumes that he is able, as we ourselves tend to do. We assume that we are in a position to critique the positions of others, to point out their errors, and to set them straight. Zophar is not worse than us. He is just like us.

We have lived out lives listening to space explorers tell us their findings. Telescopes improve, and we see farther, hoping to understand just a little bit more. Hypotheses are altered due to incoming information. We are not right about everything; what we think we know has to be corrected. All of this is true of physical matter in space and time. How much more things related to God, who is not just beyond our gaze, but outside and above the created order.

Consider our brains; our minds. They are created by God. He made us, including all our parts. And He is responsible for every one of us, however billion of us there now are. He knows our thoughts, every one of them, in every one of us. Billions of thoughts every moment made possible because He made us. He holds all these in His hand, as in a cup. They are small to Him. But His thoughts to us, so far above and beyond. “Can you find out the deep things of God?” No. Our brains are not big enough; our minds too small and simple.

We should be careful, then, what claims we make about God. At best, we can say confidently only what He has told us, and even then, these various things must be held together, not separately. He has said, “I am God, and there is no other.”He has said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He has said, “Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever.” Yes, He has told us some things about Himself, a great many things. We can confidently say these things, at the right time, in the right context.

Now if we could just figure out the right time, the right way, the right tone to say these things. And to do so, we need Jesus’ help, and we need the Holy Spirit’s help. Because God is not defined by our words, but rather by His.

Shall we Receive Good from God, and Shall we not Receive Evil? (Job 2:10 ESV)

 “Shall we Receive Good from God, and Shall we not Receive Evil?” (Job 2:10 ESV)

You might remember that the introduction to the Book of Job involves two meetings between God and Satan. That’s troubling. Twice, God holds forth Job as an example of righteousness, and twice Satan says it is only because of God’s favor. So God says, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” And then the second time: “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” Poor Job. No one wants to be designated as humanity’s study in devil-wrought suffering.

It’s too much, and Job’s wife kindly says, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?”, as though it were doing him any good. “Curse God and die,” she lovingly advises. And perhaps it is meant as a mercy. But then Job replies to her: “You speak as one of the foolish women w0uld speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?

Finally, we read an evaluation of Job at this early stage: “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” We were wondering about that “foolish” reference above, but Scripture doesn’t hold it against him. At the same time, he gives us one of the Critical Questions of the Bible.

Notice that Job does not attribute his suffering to Satan, but to God. He may not have been privy to the heavenly conversation. Or, his theology is solid, and he knows that God is the sovereign One, not the devil. He knows that his life is lived in God’s hand, not in Satan’s. He knows that nothing can happen to him except as God allows. He knows that he can trust God, even if it hurts. He knows that he will continue to worship God, even if he does not understand. This should all be true of us as well.

Notice also that his view of God does not change whether he experiences good or evil; good times or bad. “Evil” in Hebrew is a broad word that can certainly mean “evil” as in “d-evil.” It can also mean “trouble.” God allows trouble. He confronts with calamity. He brings us to the end of ourselves. But He does not tempt or test us with evil (cf. James 1:13). 

If we love and worship God only when He sends good our way, then we are not worshipping Him as God, but rather as a kind of genie who exists to give us our wishes. If we reject God when life turns sour, then it shows that our hearts were sour to start with. You see, when an evil wind blows, it doesn’t reveal so much about God, as about you.

I’m So Proud of My Humility (2 Samuel 7:18)

 I’m So Proud of My Humility

Humility is a strange thing. Just about the time you mention it, it disappears. Just about the time you notice it, it hides. Just about the moment you take pride in it, well, it no longer exists.

David the King of Israel, at the end of his life, after all His accomplishments, still operated from a root of humility. And I think that is the difference: the root. If you are proud in your root, you can pretend to be humble, but really, you’re not. And those who are discerning will know it before you do.

David wants to do one more big, noble thing in his life. He wants to build a temple for the Lord. He already has defeated his enemies. He has secured the kingdom. But the worship of God still takes place in a makeshift dwelling. David says, “I’ll build a temple.” But God said, “no.” In place of permission, God makes a promise, called the Davidic Covenant, in which God promises that David’s throne will endure. A root of pride would have said, perhaps secretly, “I deserve it.” But here is what David said:

“Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:18 ESV)

Are we more surprised when God sends favor into our lives, or affliction? The humble person would be more surprised at the favor. Are you more surprised when God expands your borders, or increases your income? Or when He shrinks your holdings and allows you to experience a pay cut? The humble person would be more surprised at the former; not the latter. 

The humble person has a God-sized appreciation of grace. And the humble person realizes that he/she stands in need of that grace on a daily basis. The proud person proudly stands on their own two feet, and says, “Look what I have done?” For the proud, it’s a meritocracy, and those who don’t have what they have clearly don’t deserve it.

The humble person knows what he deserves. He is more aware of his sins than he is aware of his neighbor’s sin, or the sins of his in-laws, or the sins of the president. He knows the strength of his weakness, and the weakness of his strength. He knows the limits of his faithfulness, and how often his good intentions die on the vine. He knows what he deserves, and he is eternally thankful that God does not give him what he deserves. Instead, God gave Jesus.

Where do you get this root of humility? It’s comes through conversion, by regeneration. That is, it comes as God works in your life, and convinces you that your world really revolves around Him.

Who Can Kill the King, and Get Away with it? (1 Sam 26:9)

 Who Can Kill the King, and Get Away with it? (1 Sam 26:9)

This is my paraphrase of David’s question: "who can put out his hand against the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?” He had the opportunity. He was the righteous one, and the king was evil. He himself had also been anointed for the throne. But he stops himself twice (1 Samuel 24,26), and refuses to put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed.

The answer seems obvious to the question,Who can kill the king, and get away with it? The answer seems to be, should be, “No one.” 

But the Bible is a surprising Book, and so I have to wonder, is there any escape from the guilt attached to killing the king? 

In the broader, Biblical context, Jesus is the King before whom all must bow. To reject this King is to be alienated from the Kingdom. To ignore this King is to be rejected by God - “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” To raise your hand against this King - what then? Certain death?

Judas handed Jesus over. He was in the grip of the devil. Jesus said it would have been better if he had never been born. But what if, .. what if instead of taking his own life, Judas had repented? Would he have found forgiveness? Could Jesus blood, shed on the cross, cover this sin?

And what about Pilate, who proclaimed Jesus’ guiltlessness, and yet handed Him over to be crucified? What if, in retrospect, Pilate repented and sought God’s mercy through faith in this very same Jesus? Could even his sin find atonement?

And what of the chief priest, who shouted out “Crucify him; Crucify him”? Could he have come to a humbling change of heart? Could even he be redeemed? 

There is some language in the Bible about “the unforgivable sin.” Interpretations abound, but it seems to me that the one unforgivable sin is failing to believe in Jesus. It involves refusing the urging of the Spirit of God to turn and bow before Jesus. And so, if anyone, whether it be Judas or Pilate or an evil chief priest, if anyone repents and believes, they can be saved. So it seems that yes, you can kill the king and get away with it, because King Jesus died to make atonement for sinners like that, and sinners like me, and such an atonement offers forgiveness for even the most heinous of sins. 

And this, then, goes to prove, once again, that anyone can be saved from their sins, if they would but come to Jesus.

If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him? (1 Sam 2:25).

 If Someone Sins against the Lord, Who Can Intercede for Him?

A father talks to his son(s) about spiritual things. The reality and presence of God weighs heavily on the father. No so much on the sons. Their world is big in their eyes, and God is small. God seems far off, even irrelevant. Oh, they don’t deny God. They may go through some of the practices of faith. But it’s different for them than for Dad. His faith is central to his life. He is old-fashioned.

The setting described above could be found throughout the world and generations. But it is found in the Bible. Eli was talking to his sons. He was, in fact, the priest at Shiloh. His sons were heirs to that responsibility. But whereas, for Eli, his service had been a exercise of faith and devotion, his sons’ “service” was that of taking advantage, avarice, and immorality. Scripture says, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt” (1 Sam 2:17).

How do we reason with those who do not share our view of God? I’m not sure that Eli’s conversation with his sons is given as a template. It was unsuccessful. They continued in their sinfulness and ended up paying a heavy price; an eternal price, I fear. But Eli makes a statement that I’ve included in my list of Critical Questions in the Bible. It’s one that we should all consider, though it seems that many won’t. Will you?

Eli says, “If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” (1 Sam 2:25). I must confess that I’m not sure how to distinguish between sinning against man and sinning against God. David sinned against Uriah in the matter of Bathsheba, and still said to the Lord, ^“Against you (God), you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). It seems that all our sins are ultimately against the Lord. 

But nonetheless, Eli warns his sons of the harsh reality of sinning against God. And who could possibly be the mediator in such a case? Certainly no mere man can stand between an offending human and God as mediator, since even the best of men is an offending human and thus disqualified from mediating. 

But God Himself has stepped into that gap for us through the Person of His Son, Jesus. Jesus is the Mediator and the atoning sacrifice. As the hymn says, “He, to save my soul from danger, Interposed His precious blood.”

Why Did You Bring Trouble on us? (Joshua 7:25)

 Why Did You Bring Trouble on us? (Joshua 7:25)

How many times, in churches and families and other organizations, has this question been pertinent: “Why Did You Bring this Trouble on us?” Someone lost sight of the big picture. Someone thought only of him/her self. Someone succumbed to temptation. Someone thought that the rules did not apply in their own case.

The question is found in the Bible, in the Book of Joshua, just after the defeat of Jericho. God’s instructions had been clear: “raze the city and all the plunder was to be given to God.” In other words, don’t take anything for yourselves. There would be plenty of time and opportunity for that later.

The victory over Jericho was so easy that they thought the next town would be easier. “Let’s just send a portion of the fighting force against Ai.” And down they went, to defeat. How could this happen? How could God’s blessing, apparent at one moment, be gone the next? The answer was quite simple. There was sin in the camp. There was a troubler in Israel.

And so God directed how the guilty party was to be found. Achan was spotlighted, and he confessed. “I saw and I took,” that old pattern that still holds today. They found the loot under the floor of his tent, and then Achan and his family were buried under a pile of rocks. They called the place “Achor,” which is the Hebrew word for “trouble.” “Why did you bring this trouble on us?”

We’ve all seen it happen enough times that we must have talked to ourselves about it many times over: “Lord, don’t allow me to be the one to bring trouble to this place.” It’s not the most elevated of thoughts. It’s not aspirational. It is not the recipe for leading to greatness.

But since we are all sinners, we know that we each have the seeds in us for any number of sins. Many of those sins could be of a nature to ruin the trust that must exist for families to operate; or to ruin the public testimony of a local church; or, most importantly, to bring shame to the testimony of Christ (“look how those Christians say one thing and do another. They are no different than anyone else”).

So yes, there must be steps of faith that lead us forward, directed by God’s Spirit. And yet there are many warnings, “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” And for all the mighty endeavors in the world that begin with fanfare and faith, it only takes one Achan, one trouble, to bring it all crashing down.

 A Kidney and a Pancreas walked into a Church

As you can tell, this is not a post in the “Critical Questions of the Bible” series. We’ll get back to that. But I was thinking …

We are learning a lot about parts of the body that we didn’t even want to know about. Namely, the kidney(s) and pancreas. 

Kidneys have many functions, and they are essential. If they don’t function, then you are going to have problems, big problems. The trouble is, poor kidney function is not readily apparent in a direct way. A person usually does not say, “Oh, my kidneys are out of sorts.” Rather, you might retain fluid and your blood pressure might go up. Filtering will decrease, and you will fill up with toxins.

So what happens when a kidney walks into a church? Well, a lot of good things happen. That person (part of the Body) will contribute in a whole lot of ways, but largely anonymously. We tend to take these people for granted, but we could not be a healthy church without them. We might notice them most when they become ill or are absent. Sometimes that’s a little too late. Let’s thank the Lord for kidneys among us.

When a pancreas walks into a church, it’s a slightly different story. We have been told that the pancreas is the most fragile organ. I thought, “Oh, so handle with care!” But then another medical person called it an “angry” organ. It doesn’t like to be handled. Then I thought, “Oh, let’s keep our distance.” When the pancreas gets “angry” because it has been handled, as happens in a transplant, it shows its displeasure sometimes by secreting digestive enzymes. Those are great in the digestive system, but not outside of it.  There are people who walk into a church fragile and angry, who when handled in a way they do not like, give off destructive enzymes. You’ve met people like that.

And so I had to think, am I more like a kidney or a pancreas? Now maybe you would say that you are neither. You probably think you are the brains of the operation. Well, good for you, but we know that Christ is the Head, so, actually, you are in a lower position. But evaluating myself, I have found that I’ve become more sensitive; more prone to react to criticism; less tolerant. These past couple of years have been very difficult for many people in several ways. Perhaps you can see some changes in yourself as well. And we need to move back to where we once were. We need to “guard our hearts.” We need to be humbled. We need to remember that we are not lords, but servants.

Two other points: one is that the church is a body of believers. The true church as a whole is the Body of Christ, and Christ has only one Body. But it seems that each local church is a local manifestation of that cross-generational and cross-cultural Body. Thus, even in the local church, we have many members who function in different ways. We therefore need one another. Kidneys, feet, eyes - they are all needed. And even an occasional pancreas. We need each other and we need to appreciate each other.

The other point is that we all, those saved by grace, are still sinners, and that we are in a process of becoming more like Jesus. We are not yet what we one day will be. And so we confess and receive forgiveness; and, as God is patient with us, we are patient with one another.

I was talking with a friend whose wife was seriously ill with a very sick liver. She needed a transplant, though doctors doubted that she would live until the transplant date. Then, her liver began to be renewed on its own. On its own? I don’t think so. I’m sure God was doing the renewing. And may we all, whatever parts we may be, experience that kind of renewal.

Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? (Exodus 15:11 NAS95)

“Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11 NAS95)

There are notable songs in Scripture: Deborah’s song at the defeat of Siserah (Judges 5); Hannah’s song at the birth of Samuel (1 Sam 2); certainly the heavenly songs around the throne as the final defeat of the devil approaches and culminates (Revelation 4,5,15. But one of the greatest songs belongs to Moses after the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea (the story is in Exodus 14; the song in Exodus 15). And in this song, he asks a critical question: “Who is like You among the gods, O LORD?"

Our brains seem to depend on comparisons in order to understand something or to attach appropriate value. So when we come to phrase like “one of a kind,” the first thing we tend to do is compare it with something else. But that’s a bit of a contradiction, because if it is truly “one of a kind,” then it is beyond comparison. It reminds me of when people say, “it’s kind of unique.” No, it’s either unique or it’s not. It’s either “one of a kind,” or it is not.

And so what Moses is saying when he sings this song and asks this question is that our God, the LORD, is one of a kind. He is unique. He is beyond comparison. He is not, then, bigger than …; or stronger than …; or wiser than …  No, His magnitude and strength and wisdom are of a whole different order, so much so that they cannot be compared to mere created monsters or men, galaxies or geniuses. In the Creator department, there is only God. In the created/creature department is all the rest, not to be compared with the Creator.

A person can sing a sweet song to a loved one who is more special in his heart than any other girl. That’s fine, and there are plenty of love songs. But they don’t match this hymn of praise, which includes words like “majestic” and “awesome” and “wonders.” These are the things that truly take our breath away; things that inspire a godly fear; things that truly get our attention and stick with us.

And these truths have practical application. Note this verse: Psa. 35:10 All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?” When we are up against those who, by comparison, out-match us, we look to our God who is out-match-able. And it makes a difference, deep down in our bones. A proper fear  and love of this God will drive out fear of earthly despots, whether they operate on the world stage or whether they live next door. This is the God who never disappoints, because He never suffers in comparison to anyone or anything that is better. He is worthy of our worship, and worthy of our songs.

Perhaps a closing verse will help sum up: Psa. 86:10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Note regarding the picture at the top of page 1: In bicycle racing, the French use a term called “hors catégorie” which designates a mountain route as “beyond classification.” Perhaps we could think of God as “hors catégorie”

 

How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? (Exodus 10:3)

 “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” (Exodus 10:3)

In the latter stages of the plagues on Egypt, Moses asks the question, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” I believe that it is one of the critical questions of the Bible, and it is a question that was not only posed toward Pharaoh, but also must be asked of each one of us. We all have a tendency toward hardness of heart and toward stubbornness. 

But wait! Hadn’t Pharaoh already humbled his heart? In the previous plague, when hail had devastated the crops and servants and cattle who had been foolishly left in in the field were destroyed as well, hadn’t Pharaoh responded like this: “I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones” (9:27). The words were right. But, when it comes to humbling ourselves before God, it is more than just a matter of right words. It is a matter of the heart - heart humility. And Pharaoh’s soon-after conduct revealed that, though his words were good, his heart hadn’t changed: “But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants” (9:34). 

So humility before the Lord can prove to be a difficult thing, and it has proven to be a rare thing. There is noise about it. There is discussion about it. But there is relatively little of the actual doing of it - to be brought low before the Lord, and to realize deep down in our hearts that we cannot fool God; that there is an insurmountable distance between our lousy lowliness and His holy highness. And the question is, when has heart-humbling last happened to me, and when will it happen again, this humbling before the Lord. How long? When exactly?

In the midst of the locust devastation that follows Moses’ question, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?”, Pharaoh seemingly repents again: “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you” (10:16). Or does he? How many times does he repeat this act, without his heart being changed? And how many times have we done the very same thing, only to return to the same old pattern of living in which self is honored above the Lord? No, he hasn’t really repented. Once again, it is just words. And once again, we also have made the same kinds of promises. “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?”

For Pharaoh, the string runs out. After the locusts, there is darkness. After the darkness, there is death, the death of the firstborn. That’s the end. But it’s not. Pharaoh does indeed release the Israelite slaves, to go worship in the wilderness. But then he changes his mind, because his heart was never changed, and he chases after them. The people of Israel miraculously escape through the parted waters of the Red Sea, but God brings the waters back over the heads of Pharaoh and his army. What was that question? “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” The answer is, for Pharaoh, “Forever.” He will refuse God forever and ever, confirmed by His death and continuing throughout eternity. And I don’t want that to be you, and I don’t want it to be me.

The problem of a hard heart vs. a humble heart is a tough one, in that our hearts are the source of our wills, not the objects. We do not fully have our hearts in hand, to change them as we see fit. Our hearts are “the real you,” and re-creating your identity is more than just re-branding. It requires real humbling and real repentance. But that is only preparatory for the real work of the Spirit of God to re-shape our hearts according to God’s will and ways. It’s the deep work of God in our lives that Pharaoh desperately did not want to happen, and that we continue to resist so much of the time.  

Stubbornness must give way to surrender; 

    Independence abandoned for submission; 

        Mighty pride melted by the weakness of humility. 

May the Spirit of God accomplish this in us today.

Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? (Exodus 4:11)

Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Moses could be argued the first and greatest leader of Israel. He faced down Pharaoh. He led amid great opposition. He was the vehicle for many, many miracles. He was faithful to his charge.

But boy did he try and avoid the assignment at the beginning. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh” (3:9); “what shall I say to them?” (3:13); “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice,” (4:1); “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent,” (4:10); “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” (4:13).

It was in the midst of this exchange that God asserted Himself right into the middle of the abilities and disabilities of mankind: “Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (4:11). What a wonderful, terrible description of the power and sovereignty of God. He is indeed the God to be feared.

As the psalmist says, “My times are in Your hand” (Psa 31:15). He has our lives and our health, our deaths and our diseases, in His hand. He does not work evil, but He can lay you low in a moment. He does it for purposes that He alone knows, to accomplish things that He alone understands. And, when we live our lives with this God (and, we all do, whether we admit it or not), we find ourselves to be helplessly over-matched.

This series of posts that has been going on for some time I call “Critical Questions in the Bible.” I’ve gone through my Bible and marked all the questions, and then have paged back through and written down a long list, subjectively, to be the questions especially worth pondering. There is no doubt that this question was chosen at least in part due to our family’s life-situation. It is distressing, and yet, it teaches me truths that I don’t think I wanted to know, but need to know.

Here are some applications: 1. Every ability that we have that brings usefulness or pleasure is a gift from God. Don’t take it for granted. 2. Every ability that we have that brings usefulness or pleasure is lent to us from God, and can be withdrawn at any time. Don’t worship it. 3. Every dis-ability teaches us to lean on God all the more, which we should have been doing in any case. 4. God shows special mercies to those who are marked by such dis-abilities. So should we. 5. We will find that loss in one area produces blessings in another, if we don’t grow bitter. Don’t grow bitter. 6. These disabilities - for those who are in Christ Jesus, they’re temporary. No such things are found in heaven.