Showing posts with label prophets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prophets. Show all posts
Friday, February 04, 2011
Sermon Audio: 1 Kings 18: 17-40
Last Sunday evening I was preaching on the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, trying to find The God Who Answers. Here's how it sounded.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sermon: 1 Kings 18: 17-40 The God Who Answers
The challenge is set. On one side, Richard Dawkins and the other new Athiests stand, desperately seeking to disprove God’s existence. On the other, you have one Christian leader. Except this time it’s not a public debate, rather, it’s a showdown. After months and years of the new atheists seeming to triumph, they’ve been brought to this public showdown, where God will fully and finally demonstrate that he exists. Supernatural fire from heaven. Dawkins is convinced.
It’s what you’ve been dreaming about for ages. You wonder why God doesn’t do a big public display to silence his critics once and for all.This would be a great opportunity - just as he did with Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
Or maybe your dreams aren’t so grand. Perhaps they’re no less fervent, but closer to home. You have someone in your workplace who is a different religion. They like to hammer your faith, mocking Christ, and leading others to come along to their religious gatherings. You would love to challenge them in this way - some indisputable proof that God exists and that Jesus is the only way to God - some miraculous sign. Why doesn’t God answer in this particular way when you ask him to?
Perhaps it’s even closer to home. You come to church, but a family member is sceptical. Despite you trying to witness at home, through how you live and what you say, they still refuse to believe. Just one sign, one spectacular moment, it’s all you’re asking. No fiery bulls, just something that would bring them to finally say ‘The Lord, he is God.’
Why is God so slow to do it for you? Has God stopped answering? These might be the questions you are dealing with as we come to our passage this evening. There’s a fair chance that most of us already know the story, so if possible, let’s try to come to it fresh, to see what it teaches us about God, and how God displays his power and glory.
Our route through the passage will be our theme sentence: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. This choice is required of God’s people in every generation - perhaps as the Anglican Primates conclude their meeting in Dublin today, that idol is the prevailing liberal culture, to which the holiness of God’s people is being sacrificed. For the people in 1 Kings 18, the choice is made very clear by the prophet Elijah in verse 21. ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’
This confrontation has been brewing for some time, you’ll remember, if you’ve been with us over these last few weeks. We’re in the northern kingdom of Israel, where King Ahab has been bringing trouble (v18) by abandoning the Lord to serve Baal, the foreign false idol god. Elijah, sent by God, announced there would be no more rain until he said so - something that Ahab believed Baal was responsible for. It seems that the ordinary Israelites were caught in the middle - one day they were for Baal, the next for the Lord (Yahweh). It’s make your mind up time. Ahab has summoned the people to Mount Carmel, where Elijah lays down the challenge to the prophets of Baal.
Two bulls, two sacrifices - ‘And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.’ (24) While the people didn’t answer earlier, they now think this is a great idea - you can imagine the TV news cameras jockeying for the best positions, the best angle on the proceedings; it’s on all the channels; everyone watching along to see who will win in this version of ‘God Gladiators’.
From verse 25 we see Elijah letting the prophets of Baal go first. There are 450 of them, compared to just Elijah. They’re crowding around their altar and their bull, some of them probably can’t even get very close, there’s so many of them. The bull is prepared, laid on the altar, and the ritual begins. Look at the middle of verse 26: they ‘called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying “O Baal, answer us!”’ They’ve been going for at least three hours, shouting themselves hoarse, ‘But there was no voice, and no one answered.’
Elijah chimes in with some classic sarcasm, as he urges them to keep going: ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ There are plenty of reasons why Baal might be busy at the moment - perhaps he’s on the toilet; or he’s far away, or he’s sleeping. Shout louder! It gets worse in the afternoon - maybe if Baal won’t respond to our words, he’ll respond to our blood, and so they cut themselves, becoming as bloody as the bull, yet with the same end result, even as they raved on: ‘there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.’
A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. The 450 prophets of Baal slump to the ground, exhausted, hoarse, weak and bleeding, a graphic exhibition of how voiceless and powerless idols really are. The danger for us, though, is that we read this and think, well, of course Baal couldn’t answer. Silly people, thinking he would. Yet at the same time we continue to limp towards our own idols - not of wood or stone, but of money, fame, family, relationships, work, leisure, car, or whatever.
Modern idols are just as powerless to answer or help as old Baal was in Elijah’s day. But we could easily miss that Elijah is addressing the nation as the people of God - they were together embracing idolatry - are there idols we’re chasing as a congregation? It could be that we’re known for being a congregation with (hopefully) good Bible teaching - does that become an idol if we worship the Bible teaching and not do what God says in the Bible? Do we chase after success in terms of numbers - bums on seats, rather than growth in godliness?
Like the people of Israel, we’re being called to repent and return to the Lord, forsaking our idols. In order to remind Israel (and us), that the LORD is God, Elijah turns to his own sacrifice. He rebuilds an altar of the LORD that had been thrown down (at Jezebel’s command) - do you see the shock in verse 31. (Could it be like a northern unionist speaking of the thirty-two counties being united?) Twelve stones, one for each of the twelve sons of Jacob. Remember, he’s in the divided kingdom of Israel, the ten-tribe Israel (separate from the two tribe Judah kingdom).
As he does that, Elijah is reminding the people of their roots - the God who spoke to Jacob, calling him Israel. God, the speaking God. Then watch as the bull is cut up, the pieces laid on the altar, and a great trench dug. Isn’t it incredible what he does next? The sacrifice is soaked, not once, not twice, but three times. At least 15 litres of water poured over it, the trench is full - in the middle of a drought! Talk about lengthening your odds...
Let’s look closely at the prayer Elijah prays as he makes the sacrifice at the time of the offering of the oblation - the very time the evening sacrifice was being offered in Jerusalem. Look at verse 36. Right in the middle there’s the plea for God to ‘answer me, O LORD, answer me.’ Around it, we’re told why Elijah wants God to answer: ‘let is be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word... that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’
As God answers his prayer, and sends fire from heaven, there is a purpose - that they may know. Know that this is all happening according to your word; that I’m serving you, but in particular, they may know that you are God, but it’s the last bit that is the most remarkable. That you have turned their hearts back. This sacrifice, in some way, removes their guilt of spiritual adultery, and is a sign of God’s grace - amazing grace, to bring them back to him. If anything, the people deserve the same fate as the prophets of Baal - instant death; yet God preserves them, consuming the sacrifice, and turning the Israelites back to himself.
And we cry, yes, Lord - but why won’t you do it in our day? We have waverers, idolaters, people in downright rebellion. Why don’t you send fire from heaven to bring them into the fold? Even just one big sign - it could appear on YouTube and 24 hour news channels. It would silence the critics and help them decide, after all: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves.
The thing is, though, that God has already done a far greater miracle than the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. It was on another mountain, when again, one man was up against a great crowd of opponents. One man who claimed to speak for God, while all around were content to pursue their idols of power, comfort, security. One man, who, as he cried out, the people thought he was calling for Elijah. It looked as if his cry wasn’t heard. It looked as if he was defeated forever. his enemies celebrated his downfall.
But God gave the resounding answer on that first Easter Sunday morning, raising him from death, sealing his life with God’s approval, and demonstrating for all time God’s word and power. Ever since then, we can’t look for new signs, new wonders, but rather we bear witness to that great miracle, pointing to it, telling others about the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and the wonderful triumph of God in Jesus’ resurrection, so that those who respond in faith are ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God’ (1 Thes 1:9). A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. Who will you serve?
This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 30th January 2011.
It’s what you’ve been dreaming about for ages. You wonder why God doesn’t do a big public display to silence his critics once and for all.This would be a great opportunity - just as he did with Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
Or maybe your dreams aren’t so grand. Perhaps they’re no less fervent, but closer to home. You have someone in your workplace who is a different religion. They like to hammer your faith, mocking Christ, and leading others to come along to their religious gatherings. You would love to challenge them in this way - some indisputable proof that God exists and that Jesus is the only way to God - some miraculous sign. Why doesn’t God answer in this particular way when you ask him to?
Perhaps it’s even closer to home. You come to church, but a family member is sceptical. Despite you trying to witness at home, through how you live and what you say, they still refuse to believe. Just one sign, one spectacular moment, it’s all you’re asking. No fiery bulls, just something that would bring them to finally say ‘The Lord, he is God.’
Why is God so slow to do it for you? Has God stopped answering? These might be the questions you are dealing with as we come to our passage this evening. There’s a fair chance that most of us already know the story, so if possible, let’s try to come to it fresh, to see what it teaches us about God, and how God displays his power and glory.
Our route through the passage will be our theme sentence: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. This choice is required of God’s people in every generation - perhaps as the Anglican Primates conclude their meeting in Dublin today, that idol is the prevailing liberal culture, to which the holiness of God’s people is being sacrificed. For the people in 1 Kings 18, the choice is made very clear by the prophet Elijah in verse 21. ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’
This confrontation has been brewing for some time, you’ll remember, if you’ve been with us over these last few weeks. We’re in the northern kingdom of Israel, where King Ahab has been bringing trouble (v18) by abandoning the Lord to serve Baal, the foreign false idol god. Elijah, sent by God, announced there would be no more rain until he said so - something that Ahab believed Baal was responsible for. It seems that the ordinary Israelites were caught in the middle - one day they were for Baal, the next for the Lord (Yahweh). It’s make your mind up time. Ahab has summoned the people to Mount Carmel, where Elijah lays down the challenge to the prophets of Baal.
Two bulls, two sacrifices - ‘And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.’ (24) While the people didn’t answer earlier, they now think this is a great idea - you can imagine the TV news cameras jockeying for the best positions, the best angle on the proceedings; it’s on all the channels; everyone watching along to see who will win in this version of ‘God Gladiators’.
From verse 25 we see Elijah letting the prophets of Baal go first. There are 450 of them, compared to just Elijah. They’re crowding around their altar and their bull, some of them probably can’t even get very close, there’s so many of them. The bull is prepared, laid on the altar, and the ritual begins. Look at the middle of verse 26: they ‘called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying “O Baal, answer us!”’ They’ve been going for at least three hours, shouting themselves hoarse, ‘But there was no voice, and no one answered.’
Elijah chimes in with some classic sarcasm, as he urges them to keep going: ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.’ There are plenty of reasons why Baal might be busy at the moment - perhaps he’s on the toilet; or he’s far away, or he’s sleeping. Shout louder! It gets worse in the afternoon - maybe if Baal won’t respond to our words, he’ll respond to our blood, and so they cut themselves, becoming as bloody as the bull, yet with the same end result, even as they raved on: ‘there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.’
A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. The 450 prophets of Baal slump to the ground, exhausted, hoarse, weak and bleeding, a graphic exhibition of how voiceless and powerless idols really are. The danger for us, though, is that we read this and think, well, of course Baal couldn’t answer. Silly people, thinking he would. Yet at the same time we continue to limp towards our own idols - not of wood or stone, but of money, fame, family, relationships, work, leisure, car, or whatever.
Modern idols are just as powerless to answer or help as old Baal was in Elijah’s day. But we could easily miss that Elijah is addressing the nation as the people of God - they were together embracing idolatry - are there idols we’re chasing as a congregation? It could be that we’re known for being a congregation with (hopefully) good Bible teaching - does that become an idol if we worship the Bible teaching and not do what God says in the Bible? Do we chase after success in terms of numbers - bums on seats, rather than growth in godliness?
Like the people of Israel, we’re being called to repent and return to the Lord, forsaking our idols. In order to remind Israel (and us), that the LORD is God, Elijah turns to his own sacrifice. He rebuilds an altar of the LORD that had been thrown down (at Jezebel’s command) - do you see the shock in verse 31. (Could it be like a northern unionist speaking of the thirty-two counties being united?) Twelve stones, one for each of the twelve sons of Jacob. Remember, he’s in the divided kingdom of Israel, the ten-tribe Israel (separate from the two tribe Judah kingdom).
As he does that, Elijah is reminding the people of their roots - the God who spoke to Jacob, calling him Israel. God, the speaking God. Then watch as the bull is cut up, the pieces laid on the altar, and a great trench dug. Isn’t it incredible what he does next? The sacrifice is soaked, not once, not twice, but three times. At least 15 litres of water poured over it, the trench is full - in the middle of a drought! Talk about lengthening your odds...
Let’s look closely at the prayer Elijah prays as he makes the sacrifice at the time of the offering of the oblation - the very time the evening sacrifice was being offered in Jerusalem. Look at verse 36. Right in the middle there’s the plea for God to ‘answer me, O LORD, answer me.’ Around it, we’re told why Elijah wants God to answer: ‘let is be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word... that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.’
As God answers his prayer, and sends fire from heaven, there is a purpose - that they may know. Know that this is all happening according to your word; that I’m serving you, but in particular, they may know that you are God, but it’s the last bit that is the most remarkable. That you have turned their hearts back. This sacrifice, in some way, removes their guilt of spiritual adultery, and is a sign of God’s grace - amazing grace, to bring them back to him. If anything, the people deserve the same fate as the prophets of Baal - instant death; yet God preserves them, consuming the sacrifice, and turning the Israelites back to himself.
And we cry, yes, Lord - but why won’t you do it in our day? We have waverers, idolaters, people in downright rebellion. Why don’t you send fire from heaven to bring them into the fold? Even just one big sign - it could appear on YouTube and 24 hour news channels. It would silence the critics and help them decide, after all: A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves.
The thing is, though, that God has already done a far greater miracle than the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. It was on another mountain, when again, one man was up against a great crowd of opponents. One man who claimed to speak for God, while all around were content to pursue their idols of power, comfort, security. One man, who, as he cried out, the people thought he was calling for Elijah. It looked as if his cry wasn’t heard. It looked as if he was defeated forever. his enemies celebrated his downfall.
But God gave the resounding answer on that first Easter Sunday morning, raising him from death, sealing his life with God’s approval, and demonstrating for all time God’s word and power. Ever since then, we can’t look for new signs, new wonders, but rather we bear witness to that great miracle, pointing to it, telling others about the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and the wonderful triumph of God in Jesus’ resurrection, so that those who respond in faith are ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God’ (1 Thes 1:9). A choice is required, between idols who cannot answer and the living God who speaks and saves. Who will you serve?
This sermon was preached in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Sunday 30th January 2011.
Friday, December 17, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (17)
The prophet Ezekiel continues to proclaim the promises of the Lord's coming, and today's focuses on the unity of God's people through their coming king.
Anyone with even a casual acquaintance with the Old Testament will realise that the people of God were divided and separated shortly after the monarchy had been established. Following Saul's death, the house of Judah crowned David as their king, while the house of Israel (at least for a short period) had Ish-bosheth. David eventually was crowned king of all Israel, but due to the folly of Rehoboam, Solomon's son, the two parts of the people were permanently separated. Judah's kings continued to be the sons of David, while Israel had a mishmash of dynasties, with more coups than a dairy farm. (Sorry...)
Both Israel and Judah have been in exile, but now Ezekiel declares that a new day is coming, and in his prophetic action, a new unity is being promised:
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him'. And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand." (Ezekiel 37:15-17)
Two sticks become one stick, as the scattered people are brought together. The stick is a bit like a staff, the equipment of a shepherd, the symbol of a ruler, and so again we find that bound up with this unity comes the one prince, the one king over God's people:
My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Ezekiel 37:24-27)
Again, there's this promise of David - not actual David, but the son of David, great David's greater son, who will reign over his united people - so that God dwells in their midst. As John would say (in the Message translation): 'The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.' What was true of when Jesus walked among us is even more so when Jesus will return, and heaven comes to earth forever. Come, O uniting shepherd king.
Anyone with even a casual acquaintance with the Old Testament will realise that the people of God were divided and separated shortly after the monarchy had been established. Following Saul's death, the house of Judah crowned David as their king, while the house of Israel (at least for a short period) had Ish-bosheth. David eventually was crowned king of all Israel, but due to the folly of Rehoboam, Solomon's son, the two parts of the people were permanently separated. Judah's kings continued to be the sons of David, while Israel had a mishmash of dynasties, with more coups than a dairy farm. (Sorry...)
Both Israel and Judah have been in exile, but now Ezekiel declares that a new day is coming, and in his prophetic action, a new unity is being promised:
The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah and the people of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him'. And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand." (Ezekiel 37:15-17)
Two sticks become one stick, as the scattered people are brought together. The stick is a bit like a staff, the equipment of a shepherd, the symbol of a ruler, and so again we find that bound up with this unity comes the one prince, the one king over God's people:
My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Ezekiel 37:24-27)
Again, there's this promise of David - not actual David, but the son of David, great David's greater son, who will reign over his united people - so that God dwells in their midst. As John would say (in the Message translation): 'The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.' What was true of when Jesus walked among us is even more so when Jesus will return, and heaven comes to earth forever. Come, O uniting shepherd king.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (16)
Do you remember the parable Jesus tells about the lost sheep, and the searching shepherd? You might hear that and think that it's a nice wee story - but actually, it appears that Jesus' parable is one way of describing what Jesus was doing when he came into the world. In fact, you can go further, and discover that it's one of the promises made by God in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before Jesus comes, pointing forward to this good shepherd who is coming into the world:
For thus says the LORD God: 'Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out... I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the LORD GOD... And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (Ezekiel 33:11, 15, 23-24)
The chapter begins with the judgment and condemnation of the false shepherds of Israel - the rulers of the people, the teachers, the elders, who should have been leading the flock, but were instead lining their own pockets and feasting on the lambs. The false shepherds will be punished, and then God gives this promise of himself coming to shepherd his people, to seek out the lost, to bring them to the pasture of Israel from the nations.
The good shepherd will give his life for his sheep, and save them by his blood, so that we can be white as wool. Come, good shepherd.
For thus says the LORD God: 'Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out... I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the LORD GOD... And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (Ezekiel 33:11, 15, 23-24)
The chapter begins with the judgment and condemnation of the false shepherds of Israel - the rulers of the people, the teachers, the elders, who should have been leading the flock, but were instead lining their own pockets and feasting on the lambs. The false shepherds will be punished, and then God gives this promise of himself coming to shepherd his people, to seek out the lost, to bring them to the pasture of Israel from the nations.
The good shepherd will give his life for his sheep, and save them by his blood, so that we can be white as wool. Come, good shepherd.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (14)
Isaiah continues to deliver the promise of the coming of the Lord Jesus, with today's promise one that Jesus quotes and applies to himself at the start of his ministry.
The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The LORD has anointed me - it's the anointing (of prophet, priest and king) which gives us the title for the hope of Israel, the Messiah, the Christ. God has set apart his servant, sealed him with his Holy Spirit, given him a particular task - the proclaiming of good news.
Good news of freedom, liberation, comfort, joy - and all bound up with the anointed himself. And yet there is bad news mixed in with the good - it's the year of the Lord's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God. I think it was this that John the Baptist, languishing in prison, found so hard to comprehend - that Jesus was proclaiming the good news but the judgement John had prepared the people for had not yet come.
From our perspective, we see that the offer is still being made, the Lord's favour (or grace) is still being offered. But there will come a day when God will have vengeance on his enemies, when the anointed Christ king will reign and defeat his enemies. For now, accept the grace that is offered, and don't take it for granted - as Paul says, 'Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.' (2 Cor 6:2)
The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:1-2)
The LORD has anointed me - it's the anointing (of prophet, priest and king) which gives us the title for the hope of Israel, the Messiah, the Christ. God has set apart his servant, sealed him with his Holy Spirit, given him a particular task - the proclaiming of good news.
Good news of freedom, liberation, comfort, joy - and all bound up with the anointed himself. And yet there is bad news mixed in with the good - it's the year of the Lord's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God. I think it was this that John the Baptist, languishing in prison, found so hard to comprehend - that Jesus was proclaiming the good news but the judgement John had prepared the people for had not yet come.
From our perspective, we see that the offer is still being made, the Lord's favour (or grace) is still being offered. But there will come a day when God will have vengeance on his enemies, when the anointed Christ king will reign and defeat his enemies. For now, accept the grace that is offered, and don't take it for granted - as Paul says, 'Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.' (2 Cor 6:2)
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (13)
The theme of darkness and light is one that runs throughout the Bible, and especially in relation to the promises of the Lord Jesus' birth and coming. So we find in Isaiah 60, the same theme again, this time with its global significance shining out clearly.
As the world lies in darkness, Isaiah prophecies that the glory of the LORD will rise and shine upon Israel, the shining light in the dark world. The light will attract all sorts of people:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
It may be these verses that lead some to portray the magi / wise men who came to see Jesus as 'we three kings of Orient are' - especially when verse 6 goes on to say 'A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.'
Even if the magi were not kings, there's no doubt that many kings (and queens) have been drawn to the light of Jesus over the years. Queen Victoria hoped that the Lord Jesus would return in her lifetime so that she could lay down the crown of her empire at Jesus' feet. O glory of the Lord, come.
As the world lies in darkness, Isaiah prophecies that the glory of the LORD will rise and shine upon Israel, the shining light in the dark world. The light will attract all sorts of people:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
It may be these verses that lead some to portray the magi / wise men who came to see Jesus as 'we three kings of Orient are' - especially when verse 6 goes on to say 'A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.'
Even if the magi were not kings, there's no doubt that many kings (and queens) have been drawn to the light of Jesus over the years. Queen Victoria hoped that the Lord Jesus would return in her lifetime so that she could lay down the crown of her empire at Jesus' feet. O glory of the Lord, come.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (12)
Have you ever looked closely at your job description? There's probably a list of required jobs and tasks you have to achieve in your work, maybe some targets, as well as whatever is needed for the good of the business. In previous jobs, I always found that that final clause could be interpreted in all sorts of ways, leading you to do all sorts of wee jobs you would never have imagined.
In ministry as well, you find yourself doing things you never imagined. Over this past year, I've been a car park attendant, a competitive chef, a waiter, chair stacker, paper folder, photocopier, and many other things as well. Extra ways of serving, and all for the work of the kingdom.
In Isaiah 49, the LORD is addressing his servant, as his job description is being expanded:
And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him - for I am honoured in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength - (Isaiah 49:5)
The Messiah, the servant of the Lord was commissioned to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 15:24), but that isn't enough now - his horizon is expanded to stretch around the globe:
he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)
Jesus is a light for the nations, the light of the world, so that his salvation reaches to the ends of the earth, so that whoever wherever and whenever anyone calls on the name of the Lord, they will be saved. O light for the nations, come.
In ministry as well, you find yourself doing things you never imagined. Over this past year, I've been a car park attendant, a competitive chef, a waiter, chair stacker, paper folder, photocopier, and many other things as well. Extra ways of serving, and all for the work of the kingdom.
In Isaiah 49, the LORD is addressing his servant, as his job description is being expanded:
And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him - for I am honoured in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength - (Isaiah 49:5)
The Messiah, the servant of the Lord was commissioned to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 15:24), but that isn't enough now - his horizon is expanded to stretch around the globe:
he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6)
Jesus is a light for the nations, the light of the world, so that his salvation reaches to the ends of the earth, so that whoever wherever and whenever anyone calls on the name of the Lord, they will be saved. O light for the nations, come.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (8)
I'm not a great gardener, and yet I've observed some things from our inherited back garden. It seems there used to be a number of evergreen bushes along the side wall, but some of these were cut down before we came. Just the stump remains, and yet there's still life in the old bush yet. While the main stump is as it was when it was cut, there are smaller mini bushes growing up around it now, bearing fruit from those same roots.
The prophet Isaiah looks forward and sees a similar thing happening to Israel. Jesse, the father of David, represents his royal line, and yet in Isaiah 11, his line has become a stump. Cut off in its prime - when the royal line of David ceased to be kings at the exile. Away in the future, though, a new king of David's line will rise:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
This new king, however, will be new and different compared to the old kings of Jesse's tree:
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2-3)
The Spirit-saturated king will judge justly and kill the wicked, to usher in a time of peace, so that wolves and lambs will live together, leopards and goats lie down together, and calves and lions sharing a space.
Once again, Isaiah's prophecy looks forward to this great king, the descendant of Jesse and son of David, and even now, our hearts yearn for this promised peace under the reign of the true king. Come, o branch of Jesse!
The prophet Isaiah looks forward and sees a similar thing happening to Israel. Jesse, the father of David, represents his royal line, and yet in Isaiah 11, his line has become a stump. Cut off in its prime - when the royal line of David ceased to be kings at the exile. Away in the future, though, a new king of David's line will rise:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)
This new king, however, will be new and different compared to the old kings of Jesse's tree:
And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2-3)
The Spirit-saturated king will judge justly and kill the wicked, to usher in a time of peace, so that wolves and lambs will live together, leopards and goats lie down together, and calves and lions sharing a space.
Once again, Isaiah's prophecy looks forward to this great king, the descendant of Jesse and son of David, and even now, our hearts yearn for this promised peace under the reign of the true king. Come, o branch of Jesse!
Monday, December 06, 2010
The Promise of His Coming (6)
It's a time of national terror. The political hotbed of the near east is astir, and the residents of the promised land are frightened as their enemies gather to confront them. It sounds very modern, and yet it's actually the state of affairs in Isaiah's time.
By now, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have separated, and David's descendant, Ahaz is on the throne in Judah. On the horizon, storm clouds are gather, as Israel and Syria prepare for war. Ahaz and all the people have shaking hearts in fear of what is to come.
The LORD sends Isaiah to declare that they have nothing to fear, because both nations will be destroyed in the not too distant future - Israel and Syria will be consumed by the Assyrian threat, and lowly Judah will remain in the face of that threat too.
As if this great promise isn't enough, though, the LORD asks Ahaz to ask him for a sign to show that it will happen. Ahaz tries to come across as too righteous to do such a thing, so the LORD gives him a sign anyway.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Once again, we're on the two horizons of prophecy - there probably was a child born to a young woman and named Immanuel during the reign of Ahaz, and the lands of Syria and Israel would be deserted by the time he was grown up.
But on the longer timescale, Ahaz receives this prophecy of another young woman - a virgin - who would conceive and bear a son. He can truly be called Immanuel - God with us - not just as a sign to the people that God was not forgetting them in the midst of those political threats; but as a living, walking, talking, breathing sign - God is with us in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Alanis Morisette once sang 'What if God were one of us?' When we look at Jesus, we see the answer. Immanuel, God is with us.
By now, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah have separated, and David's descendant, Ahaz is on the throne in Judah. On the horizon, storm clouds are gather, as Israel and Syria prepare for war. Ahaz and all the people have shaking hearts in fear of what is to come.
The LORD sends Isaiah to declare that they have nothing to fear, because both nations will be destroyed in the not too distant future - Israel and Syria will be consumed by the Assyrian threat, and lowly Judah will remain in the face of that threat too.
As if this great promise isn't enough, though, the LORD asks Ahaz to ask him for a sign to show that it will happen. Ahaz tries to come across as too righteous to do such a thing, so the LORD gives him a sign anyway.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
Once again, we're on the two horizons of prophecy - there probably was a child born to a young woman and named Immanuel during the reign of Ahaz, and the lands of Syria and Israel would be deserted by the time he was grown up.
But on the longer timescale, Ahaz receives this prophecy of another young woman - a virgin - who would conceive and bear a son. He can truly be called Immanuel - God with us - not just as a sign to the people that God was not forgetting them in the midst of those political threats; but as a living, walking, talking, breathing sign - God is with us in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Alanis Morisette once sang 'What if God were one of us?' When we look at Jesus, we see the answer. Immanuel, God is with us.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sermon: Genesis 3: 15 The Serpent Crusher
Mindset 14/09/2010
Christ in all the Scriptures: Genesis 3:15
The New Testament tells us all about Jesus, so why do we need to bother with the Old Testament? We’re New Testament Christians, after the cross, so why would we need to read the Old Testament, or look at what it says? After all, it’s old, and young people and youth leaders like new things, fresh things, not ancient things.
Perhaps as you’ve been thinking about your programme for the year, or talking to your young people, this might be the kind of thing you hear. It can seem harder for us to understand, because it’s further back in time, and yet it’s worth it when we grasp the Old Testament. You see, it’s more than just Sunday School stories like Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lions’ den. The Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus, just like John the Baptist does.
Just think for a moment about God’s plan of salvation. When did God the Father and the Lord Jesus decide that the cross was necessary? Was it just before the angel Gabriel was sent to see Mary? Was it perhaps a bit earlier, when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah failed? Maybe when the people were breaking the covenant that Moses had been given at Sinai? Or was it even in our reading tonight, when Adam and Eve messed everything up, and the Father turned to the Son and said - we’re going to have to do something about this. Was the coming of the Lord Jesus and the cross just Plan B?
We’ll come back to Genesis in a moment, but if you have a Bible, look over to 1 Peter 1:18-21. (Read) Peter says that Christ was ‘foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times.’ Even before God created all that exists, in eternity past, the Son of God was planning to come to redeem us, the lamb who was slain. So God wasn’t flummoxed when Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation; God wasn’t surprised when they turned away.
It’s helpful to remember that whenever we now turn to Genesis 3. Rather than just an ancient story, this is what Luther described as the protoevangelium - the first gospel. Here in Genesis, we find the first hint, the first pointer, the first sign of the rescue that Jesus will accomplish so many thousand years later. But what is it all about? As with any verse of Scripture (particularly when we’re dealing with one verse!), we need to get some context. We’ll use three quick points to unpack the verse in its context: 1. Paradise lost. 2. God’s Judgement. 3. God’s Grace.
I hope I’m not insulting you by spending some time laying the foundations, but it’s not bad thing to be reminded of these things - particularly where they can seem so familiar that we think we have it all sussed. In Genesis 1, we see God completing the work of creation, and Genesis 2 gives us some more details about the humans God created as the pinnacle of creation. Remember God’s verdict on the whole thing? ‘God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.’ (Gen 1:31).
Yet as we come into chapter three, God’s good creation is being unravelled. Things are being turned upside down. The humans, Adam and Eve are made in the image of God, given dominion to rule over the rest of creation, with Adam being given the lead role. But what do we find in Genesis 3? The serpent, a created being tells Eve what to do, and she tells Adam what to do. No reference to God; ignoring God’s good command - indeed, God’s only command. Aflame with desire, for the food, for the wisdom, for the chance to be like God, they turn their back on God.
Suddenly, everything has changed. It’s as if shame has been switched on for the first time - verse 7 says their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. Have you ever experienced that sense of shame when you’re found out? I remember years ago being in Newcastle, in the amusements. I might have been about 8, and having a go on the tupenny sliders; timing the moment to put your coin in, expecting to get a fortune of coins dropping out the bottom (which was probably about 20p!). The coins were perched on the edge; they should have fallen; perhaps they just needed some encouragement.
I banged on the glass; tried to shuffle the coins over the edge - and at once the alarm went off; a light flashed on top; and, you’ve guessed it; the wee man came over to tell me off. I had been caught doing something wrong. Worse, it was in public. I knew shame.
This is Adam and Eve’s first time of knowing shame. Remember, they were living in paradise; sinless perfection; walking with God in the garden. And it all comes crashing down round them. They know the Lord will be coming walking, so what do they do? They hide from God! (Incidentally, we’ve been doing that ever since; turning away from God, hiding from him. It’s why we rejoice that God comes looking for us; God comes calling for us, rather than waiting for us to go looking for him...)
So that’s our first point, the background - Paradise Lost. Our second point is that of God’s judgement. As sin enters the world for the first time, God judges. Yet even as God judges, we see the effects of sin continuing, spreading, making things worse. God asks Adam what has happened, and suddenly everyone is out for themselves. Adam almost tries to make out that it’s God’s fault: ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she...’ Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent, and the serpent doesn’t have a leg to stand on. (Groan!)
From verse 14 onwards, we see that there are consequences for the serpent, for Eve, and for Adam. Nothing will be the same again. God maintains his character and judges sin. He cannot do otherwise. Suddenly, thistles and thorns will grow, making labour difficult; pain and struggle will be the normal state of affairs in the fallen world. And finally, there is separation; as Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden, removed from God’s presence.
Are you ever asked why things are the way they are? Why there’s death, disease, famine, and all the rest of the problems we face? Here in Genesis 3, we see that the world, the whole of creation is under this curse of God, and all because of sin, our sin in our first parents. Our world is under judgement.
It would be enough to make you despair. We had it all, nearness to God, a perfect world, perfect relationships, and all was destroyed. A moment ago I said that God was acting according to his character in judging; but thankfully Genesis 3 isn’t the end of the story. It would be a short Bible and a short history of the world if God had wiped out Adam and Eve that very evening. But he didn’t; he was also true to himself and his grace, which brings us to our third point: God’s grace.
Amidst the darkness of the scene, there is this pinprick of light; this first dawning of the glorious gospel; the first hint of rescue. Let’s look at verse 15. God is speaking to the serpent: ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’
This is part of the judgement of the serpent, and yet it displays the grace of our God, in telling of the future final fate of the serpent, our enemy, Satan. As Calvin remarks, ‘observe that the Lord spoke not for the sake of the serpent, but for the sake of the man.’ God’s judgement gives hope to Adam, and to all of us.
God promises a serpentcrusher will come, the offspring of the woman, who will be injured, but will bruise the serpent’s head. That’s all we’re told in the text, and yet what a hope!
We see the enmity between the serpent and Eve’s children throughout the history of the Old Testament. Just think of the destruction of the male infants in Egypt - trying to destroy the offspring of Eve (the children of Israel, the chosen nation); or later in Esther’s time, the planned destruction of the Jews by Haman. Time and again, God delivers his people, allowing the scene to be set, the people prepared for the serpent crusher. At the right time, the offspring of the woman sets foot on earth, born of woman, ready for the decisive battle.
We see the enmity continuing when Herod unleashes his plot to murder the baby boys of Bethlehem; when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness; when Peter tries to talk Jesus out of the way of the cross (Mark 8). But nothing will deter Jesus from going to the cross; and as he dies, having been rejected by the chief priests and scribes; mocked by the crowds; condemned by the nations; abandoned by his friends; he dies alone. It looks like a terrible, unfortunate defeat.
That was Friday, but fast forward to Sunday morning, and the cross, the worst the world could throw at Jesus turns out to just be a bruise on the heel; Jesus is raised to life by the Father through the power of the Spirit; at that very moment, he bruises the serpent’s head. A crushing blow; defeating sin and death. What seems to be Jesus’ defeat turns out to be his great victory.
The Scriptures point to Jesus, his cross work, his death and resurrection. The Old Testament gives us the promises of God, and the New Testament shows us how Jesus fulfils them. God is faithful to his promises, and as we study the Old Testament, we see the work of Christ in fuller detail, and that leads us to rejoice. Our enemy, our accuser has been dealt a fatal blow; his days are numbered. Just as Adam and Eve put their trust in this serpent crusher, so we, who can see exactly how God fulfilled the promise, we can also trust the serpent crusher. Jesus overturns the curse that lies upon us and upon the world; and reverses the effects of the curse, so that we can look forward to the new heavens and the new earth:
Saviour of Calvary,
Costliest victory,
Darkness defeated
And Eden restored;
As another hymn puts it:
For Judah’s Lion bursts His chains,
Crushing the serpent’s head;
And cries aloud through death’s domains
To wake the imprisoned dead.
Let’s rejoice that Jesus is the serpent crusher. Our enemy is defeated; and God graciously gives us to share in the victory. As Paul writes to the church in Rome: ‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.’ (Rom 16:20). Amen, and amen.
This sermon was preached at Mindset and the Midweek Holy Communion in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th September 2010.
Christ in all the Scriptures: Genesis 3:15
The New Testament tells us all about Jesus, so why do we need to bother with the Old Testament? We’re New Testament Christians, after the cross, so why would we need to read the Old Testament, or look at what it says? After all, it’s old, and young people and youth leaders like new things, fresh things, not ancient things.
Perhaps as you’ve been thinking about your programme for the year, or talking to your young people, this might be the kind of thing you hear. It can seem harder for us to understand, because it’s further back in time, and yet it’s worth it when we grasp the Old Testament. You see, it’s more than just Sunday School stories like Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lions’ den. The Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus, just like John the Baptist does.
Just think for a moment about God’s plan of salvation. When did God the Father and the Lord Jesus decide that the cross was necessary? Was it just before the angel Gabriel was sent to see Mary? Was it perhaps a bit earlier, when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah failed? Maybe when the people were breaking the covenant that Moses had been given at Sinai? Or was it even in our reading tonight, when Adam and Eve messed everything up, and the Father turned to the Son and said - we’re going to have to do something about this. Was the coming of the Lord Jesus and the cross just Plan B?
We’ll come back to Genesis in a moment, but if you have a Bible, look over to 1 Peter 1:18-21. (Read) Peter says that Christ was ‘foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times.’ Even before God created all that exists, in eternity past, the Son of God was planning to come to redeem us, the lamb who was slain. So God wasn’t flummoxed when Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation; God wasn’t surprised when they turned away.
It’s helpful to remember that whenever we now turn to Genesis 3. Rather than just an ancient story, this is what Luther described as the protoevangelium - the first gospel. Here in Genesis, we find the first hint, the first pointer, the first sign of the rescue that Jesus will accomplish so many thousand years later. But what is it all about? As with any verse of Scripture (particularly when we’re dealing with one verse!), we need to get some context. We’ll use three quick points to unpack the verse in its context: 1. Paradise lost. 2. God’s Judgement. 3. God’s Grace.
I hope I’m not insulting you by spending some time laying the foundations, but it’s not bad thing to be reminded of these things - particularly where they can seem so familiar that we think we have it all sussed. In Genesis 1, we see God completing the work of creation, and Genesis 2 gives us some more details about the humans God created as the pinnacle of creation. Remember God’s verdict on the whole thing? ‘God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.’ (Gen 1:31).
Yet as we come into chapter three, God’s good creation is being unravelled. Things are being turned upside down. The humans, Adam and Eve are made in the image of God, given dominion to rule over the rest of creation, with Adam being given the lead role. But what do we find in Genesis 3? The serpent, a created being tells Eve what to do, and she tells Adam what to do. No reference to God; ignoring God’s good command - indeed, God’s only command. Aflame with desire, for the food, for the wisdom, for the chance to be like God, they turn their back on God.
Suddenly, everything has changed. It’s as if shame has been switched on for the first time - verse 7 says their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. Have you ever experienced that sense of shame when you’re found out? I remember years ago being in Newcastle, in the amusements. I might have been about 8, and having a go on the tupenny sliders; timing the moment to put your coin in, expecting to get a fortune of coins dropping out the bottom (which was probably about 20p!). The coins were perched on the edge; they should have fallen; perhaps they just needed some encouragement.
I banged on the glass; tried to shuffle the coins over the edge - and at once the alarm went off; a light flashed on top; and, you’ve guessed it; the wee man came over to tell me off. I had been caught doing something wrong. Worse, it was in public. I knew shame.
This is Adam and Eve’s first time of knowing shame. Remember, they were living in paradise; sinless perfection; walking with God in the garden. And it all comes crashing down round them. They know the Lord will be coming walking, so what do they do? They hide from God! (Incidentally, we’ve been doing that ever since; turning away from God, hiding from him. It’s why we rejoice that God comes looking for us; God comes calling for us, rather than waiting for us to go looking for him...)
So that’s our first point, the background - Paradise Lost. Our second point is that of God’s judgement. As sin enters the world for the first time, God judges. Yet even as God judges, we see the effects of sin continuing, spreading, making things worse. God asks Adam what has happened, and suddenly everyone is out for themselves. Adam almost tries to make out that it’s God’s fault: ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she...’ Adam blames Eve, Eve blames the serpent, and the serpent doesn’t have a leg to stand on. (Groan!)
From verse 14 onwards, we see that there are consequences for the serpent, for Eve, and for Adam. Nothing will be the same again. God maintains his character and judges sin. He cannot do otherwise. Suddenly, thistles and thorns will grow, making labour difficult; pain and struggle will be the normal state of affairs in the fallen world. And finally, there is separation; as Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden, removed from God’s presence.
Are you ever asked why things are the way they are? Why there’s death, disease, famine, and all the rest of the problems we face? Here in Genesis 3, we see that the world, the whole of creation is under this curse of God, and all because of sin, our sin in our first parents. Our world is under judgement.
It would be enough to make you despair. We had it all, nearness to God, a perfect world, perfect relationships, and all was destroyed. A moment ago I said that God was acting according to his character in judging; but thankfully Genesis 3 isn’t the end of the story. It would be a short Bible and a short history of the world if God had wiped out Adam and Eve that very evening. But he didn’t; he was also true to himself and his grace, which brings us to our third point: God’s grace.
Amidst the darkness of the scene, there is this pinprick of light; this first dawning of the glorious gospel; the first hint of rescue. Let’s look at verse 15. God is speaking to the serpent: ‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’
This is part of the judgement of the serpent, and yet it displays the grace of our God, in telling of the future final fate of the serpent, our enemy, Satan. As Calvin remarks, ‘observe that the Lord spoke not for the sake of the serpent, but for the sake of the man.’ God’s judgement gives hope to Adam, and to all of us.
God promises a serpentcrusher will come, the offspring of the woman, who will be injured, but will bruise the serpent’s head. That’s all we’re told in the text, and yet what a hope!
We see the enmity between the serpent and Eve’s children throughout the history of the Old Testament. Just think of the destruction of the male infants in Egypt - trying to destroy the offspring of Eve (the children of Israel, the chosen nation); or later in Esther’s time, the planned destruction of the Jews by Haman. Time and again, God delivers his people, allowing the scene to be set, the people prepared for the serpent crusher. At the right time, the offspring of the woman sets foot on earth, born of woman, ready for the decisive battle.
We see the enmity continuing when Herod unleashes his plot to murder the baby boys of Bethlehem; when Jesus is tempted in the wilderness; when Peter tries to talk Jesus out of the way of the cross (Mark 8). But nothing will deter Jesus from going to the cross; and as he dies, having been rejected by the chief priests and scribes; mocked by the crowds; condemned by the nations; abandoned by his friends; he dies alone. It looks like a terrible, unfortunate defeat.
That was Friday, but fast forward to Sunday morning, and the cross, the worst the world could throw at Jesus turns out to just be a bruise on the heel; Jesus is raised to life by the Father through the power of the Spirit; at that very moment, he bruises the serpent’s head. A crushing blow; defeating sin and death. What seems to be Jesus’ defeat turns out to be his great victory.
The Scriptures point to Jesus, his cross work, his death and resurrection. The Old Testament gives us the promises of God, and the New Testament shows us how Jesus fulfils them. God is faithful to his promises, and as we study the Old Testament, we see the work of Christ in fuller detail, and that leads us to rejoice. Our enemy, our accuser has been dealt a fatal blow; his days are numbered. Just as Adam and Eve put their trust in this serpent crusher, so we, who can see exactly how God fulfilled the promise, we can also trust the serpent crusher. Jesus overturns the curse that lies upon us and upon the world; and reverses the effects of the curse, so that we can look forward to the new heavens and the new earth:
Saviour of Calvary,
Costliest victory,
Darkness defeated
And Eden restored;
As another hymn puts it:
For Judah’s Lion bursts His chains,
Crushing the serpent’s head;
And cries aloud through death’s domains
To wake the imprisoned dead.
Let’s rejoice that Jesus is the serpent crusher. Our enemy is defeated; and God graciously gives us to share in the victory. As Paul writes to the church in Rome: ‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.’ (Rom 16:20). Amen, and amen.
This sermon was preached at Mindset and the Midweek Holy Communion in St Elizabeth's Church, Dundonald on Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th September 2010.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The Day of Distress
We're continuing our series in Zephaniah, and again, the prophet is promising darkness on the great and terrible day of the Lord. As we begin to look at Zephaniah 1:14-18, let's remember that the prophet is telescoping - there are two horizons in focus at the same time - the impending destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of Babylon, and the last day of the world, the Day of the Lord when time shall cease and Jesus will judge the world.
Verse 15 describes in vivid detail what the day will be like:
15 A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
Wrath, distress, anguish, ruin, devastation, darkness, gloom, clouds, thick darkness, trumpet blast and battle cry. In the terrible sights and sounds of the battlefield, Zephaniah communicates what the day of judgement will be like. You see, most people have a hazy sense of (unfounded) hope that when you die, you automatically are welcomed into heaven, no matter how much of a scoundrel you were.
Yet Zephaniah doesn't allow for much of that false hope here. The warning is absolutely clear - darkness and ruin. Orange said that 'the future's bright, the future's Orange' - but Zephaniah's future is bleak.
Why is the future so bleak? Was Zephaniah just having a bad day and taking it out on everyone else? Surely God isn't like this? We have the fuzzy cuddly picture of God who is only ever and only always love, but Zephaniah is crystal clear in his vision of God - the holy God, the God who cannot abide sin - our sin.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
The reason for this terrible day of the Lord, the outpouring of his wrath is because of our sin. God is perfectly justified in reacting this way, in acting in judgement, because of our rebellion and sin. Indeed, God's anger is his natural response to sin. Distress is coming to mankind. Our situation is serious.
Yet for many in the UK, and in the prosperous West, we think that we don't need to worry about anything - nothing can harm us, because of our wealth. That money is the cure to all our problems, the way to protect and secure us. Just look at the 'credit crunch' though - our money was no cure then - rather it was the very root of the problem, as many loved money and sought to make as much as possible, under volatile circumstances.
Zephaniah is under no illusions, though. Money will not be a help on that day:
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the day of the wrath of the LORD.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Neither silver nor gold will be much use to save and deliver when Jesus unleashes his wrath against sin. The one thing that many in our nations trust in, and it will be useless on that day. What a wake-up call, not just to the nations, but also to Christians - our money will not save us!
Can we not be awakened to see that money is a good servant but a poor master? That we can and should by all means use money to further the work of the gospel, but that it will never save us, nor anyone else.
As chapter 1 of Zephaniah ends, God promises to make a full end of all the inhabitants of the earth. The danger signs abound. The wrath of God is being revealed against all sin and sinfulness. Money will not save us. Later Zephaniah will speak further of how to be saved, how to escape the wrath, but for now, the mention of silver and gold not saving us brings to mind how Peter describes our salvation, our way of escaping the day of distress and destruction:
'Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.' (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Verse 15 describes in vivid detail what the day will be like:
15 A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
Wrath, distress, anguish, ruin, devastation, darkness, gloom, clouds, thick darkness, trumpet blast and battle cry. In the terrible sights and sounds of the battlefield, Zephaniah communicates what the day of judgement will be like. You see, most people have a hazy sense of (unfounded) hope that when you die, you automatically are welcomed into heaven, no matter how much of a scoundrel you were.
Yet Zephaniah doesn't allow for much of that false hope here. The warning is absolutely clear - darkness and ruin. Orange said that 'the future's bright, the future's Orange' - but Zephaniah's future is bleak.
Why is the future so bleak? Was Zephaniah just having a bad day and taking it out on everyone else? Surely God isn't like this? We have the fuzzy cuddly picture of God who is only ever and only always love, but Zephaniah is crystal clear in his vision of God - the holy God, the God who cannot abide sin - our sin.
17 I will bring distress on mankind,
so that they shall walk like the blind,
because they have sinned against the LORD;
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
The reason for this terrible day of the Lord, the outpouring of his wrath is because of our sin. God is perfectly justified in reacting this way, in acting in judgement, because of our rebellion and sin. Indeed, God's anger is his natural response to sin. Distress is coming to mankind. Our situation is serious.
Yet for many in the UK, and in the prosperous West, we think that we don't need to worry about anything - nothing can harm us, because of our wealth. That money is the cure to all our problems, the way to protect and secure us. Just look at the 'credit crunch' though - our money was no cure then - rather it was the very root of the problem, as many loved money and sought to make as much as possible, under volatile circumstances.
Zephaniah is under no illusions, though. Money will not be a help on that day:
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
shall be able to deliver them
on the day of the wrath of the LORD.
In the fire of his jealousy,
all the earth shall be consumed;
for a full and sudden end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Neither silver nor gold will be much use to save and deliver when Jesus unleashes his wrath against sin. The one thing that many in our nations trust in, and it will be useless on that day. What a wake-up call, not just to the nations, but also to Christians - our money will not save us!
Can we not be awakened to see that money is a good servant but a poor master? That we can and should by all means use money to further the work of the gospel, but that it will never save us, nor anyone else.
As chapter 1 of Zephaniah ends, God promises to make a full end of all the inhabitants of the earth. The danger signs abound. The wrath of God is being revealed against all sin and sinfulness. Money will not save us. Later Zephaniah will speak further of how to be saved, how to escape the wrath, but for now, the mention of silver and gold not saving us brings to mind how Peter describes our salvation, our way of escaping the day of distress and destruction:
'Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.' (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Complacency
Yesterday, we began an overview study of the book of the prophet Zephaniah. He foretold that God was going to engage in some 'spring cleaning', sweeping both the rebellious city of Jerusalem and the rebellious world clean. The rest of chapter 1 continues to unfold what the Day of the Lord will be like:
7 Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is near;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice— "I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.
10"On that day," declares the LORD,
"a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
'The LORD will not do good,
nor will he do ill.'
13Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them."
Three times in these verses, the message of the Lord is that he will punish the wicked - those who array themselves in foreign attire (which isn't a prohibition on Italian designerwear, but rather on siding with the rebellious, courting the surrounding nations and being like them, rather than being God's holy, distinct people), who fill the Lord's house with violence and fraud, and the complacent.
Let's think about these complacent for a moment or two. 'those who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.'' These inhabitants of Jerusalem, these covenant people are complacent because they think that God is himself complacent. They have forgotten what their God is like - the majestic, powerful, speaking, sovereign, saving Lord. They instead think that God will neither do good or ill, he just doesn't care and won't act one way or the other.
What a shock, then, when they are addressed by the speaking, saving LORD's prophet, who declares that the LORD will not only act, but will judge and punish their complacency. There will be no hiding place - the image of the Lord searching the city with lamps - no hidden corner or dark place escapes his reach and sight.
The complacent ones will suffer ruin and futility - they have gone to all that work of building houses, planting vineyards, and storing up goods - but they will never enjoy them.
But hang on - these very things that Zephaniah proclaims were promised centuries before. Indeed, as Zephaniah declares these things in Jerusalem, the people should have been paying attention, remembering the Law, and realising that these were the promised curses which accompanied the disobedience of God's rule:
'You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit.' (Deuteronomy 28:30)
Yet even this condemnation from God's word is not enough to stir them up to repentance. Rather, their complacency continues, and their punishment is certain. Is there a possibility that we too could be complacent? Could we also have lost our awareness of who God is and what he will do (and has done)?
We're complacent when we think that God doesn't care about our sin, or that God won't punish rebellion - so we don't worry about our ongoing sanctification. We're complacent when we think that God won't cast sinners into hell - and so we don't engage in evangelism. We're complacent when we think that God is not active in his world today - so we sit back with our ticket to heaven without getting stuck in to his work today. We're complacent when we think that God will not do good - so we don't expect him to answer our prayers, so we don't pray.
God, our majestic, powerful, speaking, sovereign, saving, judging Lord does not want us to be complacent. Will you step up for God and cooperate in his mission today?
7 Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is near;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8And on the day of the LORD’s sacrifice— "I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.
10"On that day," declares the LORD,
"a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11 Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
'The LORD will not do good,
nor will he do ill.'
13Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them."
Three times in these verses, the message of the Lord is that he will punish the wicked - those who array themselves in foreign attire (which isn't a prohibition on Italian designerwear, but rather on siding with the rebellious, courting the surrounding nations and being like them, rather than being God's holy, distinct people), who fill the Lord's house with violence and fraud, and the complacent.
Let's think about these complacent for a moment or two. 'those who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.'' These inhabitants of Jerusalem, these covenant people are complacent because they think that God is himself complacent. They have forgotten what their God is like - the majestic, powerful, speaking, sovereign, saving Lord. They instead think that God will neither do good or ill, he just doesn't care and won't act one way or the other.
What a shock, then, when they are addressed by the speaking, saving LORD's prophet, who declares that the LORD will not only act, but will judge and punish their complacency. There will be no hiding place - the image of the Lord searching the city with lamps - no hidden corner or dark place escapes his reach and sight.
The complacent ones will suffer ruin and futility - they have gone to all that work of building houses, planting vineyards, and storing up goods - but they will never enjoy them.
But hang on - these very things that Zephaniah proclaims were promised centuries before. Indeed, as Zephaniah declares these things in Jerusalem, the people should have been paying attention, remembering the Law, and realising that these were the promised curses which accompanied the disobedience of God's rule:
'You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit.' (Deuteronomy 28:30)
Yet even this condemnation from God's word is not enough to stir them up to repentance. Rather, their complacency continues, and their punishment is certain. Is there a possibility that we too could be complacent? Could we also have lost our awareness of who God is and what he will do (and has done)?
We're complacent when we think that God doesn't care about our sin, or that God won't punish rebellion - so we don't worry about our ongoing sanctification. We're complacent when we think that God won't cast sinners into hell - and so we don't engage in evangelism. We're complacent when we think that God is not active in his world today - so we sit back with our ticket to heaven without getting stuck in to his work today. We're complacent when we think that God will not do good - so we don't expect him to answer our prayers, so we don't pray.
God, our majestic, powerful, speaking, sovereign, saving, judging Lord does not want us to be complacent. Will you step up for God and cooperate in his mission today?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Clean Sweep
It's the time of the year for spring cleaning. The windows can be opened to let the spring sunshine in and some fresh air through the house. The house can be tidied and cleaned from top to bottom. A fresh start for the spring and summer.
As we begin to look at the book of the prophet Zephaniah, we find that God has promised a spring clean as well. Zephaniah is a prophet in Jerusalem, during the days of Josiah (1:1), but the clean sweep isn't far away:
"I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the Lord. "I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth," declares the Lord. "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him." Zeph (1:2-6)
Jerusalem was dirty, not with dust or grime, but through the sins of the people. Jerusalem was a mess. The people who were God's people had turned away, following other gods, led astray by the false priests, the idolatrous priests. They had 'turned back from following the Lord' and weren't seeking him any more. Instead, they were running after false gods and idols, Baal and Milcom.
Jerusalem would be swept clean. The judgement was sure and would be carried out.
Looking back from our position in history, we can see how this was accomplished. Jerusalem fell to the army of Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar. The temple and city were left in ruins, a clean sweep, as it were.
Yet it appears as if the prophet's warning wasn't fully accomplished. After all, while Jerusalem was swept clean, the whole earth hasn't been swept clean. The beginning of those words of warning declares that God will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth. That hasn't happened yet. Nor has mankind been swept away from the face of the earth. That hasn't happened yet.
No, but just as the sweeping clean of Jerusalem happened, so one day the sweeping clean of the whole earth will also happen. Just as those who sinned in Jerusalem were punished, so also will all who sin on the whole earth be punished. Zephaniah (in the next verse 1:6) describes the time of the (coming) fall of Jerusalem as the day of the Lord. From our perspective in history, we also wait for the day of the Lord, when the risen, reigning Lord Jesus will return as King and Judge, and the earth will be judged and cleansed, before new heavens and new earth are formed, where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3: 13).
The clean sweep of the sinful will shortly begin. Will you stand firm or be swept away?
As we begin to look at the book of the prophet Zephaniah, we find that God has promised a spring clean as well. Zephaniah is a prophet in Jerusalem, during the days of Josiah (1:1), but the clean sweep isn't far away:
"I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the Lord. "I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth," declares the Lord. "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom, those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him." Zeph (1:2-6)
Jerusalem was dirty, not with dust or grime, but through the sins of the people. Jerusalem was a mess. The people who were God's people had turned away, following other gods, led astray by the false priests, the idolatrous priests. They had 'turned back from following the Lord' and weren't seeking him any more. Instead, they were running after false gods and idols, Baal and Milcom.
Jerusalem would be swept clean. The judgement was sure and would be carried out.
Looking back from our position in history, we can see how this was accomplished. Jerusalem fell to the army of Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar. The temple and city were left in ruins, a clean sweep, as it were.
Yet it appears as if the prophet's warning wasn't fully accomplished. After all, while Jerusalem was swept clean, the whole earth hasn't been swept clean. The beginning of those words of warning declares that God will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth. That hasn't happened yet. Nor has mankind been swept away from the face of the earth. That hasn't happened yet.
No, but just as the sweeping clean of Jerusalem happened, so one day the sweeping clean of the whole earth will also happen. Just as those who sinned in Jerusalem were punished, so also will all who sin on the whole earth be punished. Zephaniah (in the next verse 1:6) describes the time of the (coming) fall of Jerusalem as the day of the Lord. From our perspective in history, we also wait for the day of the Lord, when the risen, reigning Lord Jesus will return as King and Judge, and the earth will be judged and cleansed, before new heavens and new earth are formed, where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3: 13).
The clean sweep of the sinful will shortly begin. Will you stand firm or be swept away?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Jonah And The Worm
When we left Jonah on Thursday, he had God's question ringing in his ears: 'Do you do well to be angry?' Friday turned out to be busier than anticipated, with two sermons being written (see previous posts), so it's now time to finish our study of Jonah as we watch God teach him a lesson.
Jonah, you remember, was angry because God had forgiven the people of Nineveh, after their wholesale repentance at the preaching of Jonah. He doesn't seem glad that people have been saved from wrath, given a second chance, allowed a new start, and given life instead of judgement. Is Jonah right to feel this way?
God has challenged him, and continues to challenge him as the rest of the book unfolds. Jonah heads out to become an Eastender - he sits to the east of the city, in a grandstand seat, a front row view of what will happen. Even at this point, it seems that he's making himself comfortable for the thunderbolt and firestrike to come with the wrath of the Almighty. He wants to see what would become of the city. I fear it wasn't in a good way!
As he sits, the LORD is gracious towards him, and appoints a plant to grow up and be a shade for him in the hot sun. Once again, the LORD makes appointments, and his creatures fulfill his will (earlier, it was the great fish, later it will be the worm and the wind). Jonah is, as you would imagine, 'exceedingly glad because of the plant.' (4:6).
However, his gladness is turned to anger when God's next two appointments are fulfilled: A worm attacks the plant so it withers, and a scorching east wind from the desert, combined with the sun makes the conditions hard to bear for Jonah. Probably facing sunstroke, he is faint, and asks God that he might die. Better to die than live in this, he imagines. His anger is up again, and the whole world seems against him.
Once again, God's question comes to him: 'Do you do well to be angry for the plant?' Jonah says that he is very angry, angry enough to die, because what was benefiting him has been taken away. The LORD responds, with the final word of the book, but a final word that remains unanswered, reserving for God the right to do as he wills, to have compassion on whom he will have compassion:
Your priorities are all wrong, Jonah. You care about the tiny, insignificant things, while 120,000 speed along on the road to hell. You care about these small things that you didn't even have anything to do; things that were signs of God's grace to you, yet you don't care about so many people and cattle who don't know your God as you do (or should). You may not have compassion, Jonah, but I do - God, our God, cares about the foreigners, the outsiders, the inbetweeners, the misfits, the immigrants.
Have we got the same priorities of care and compassion for the lost? Or are we concerned with our own petty projects and wishing sudden destruction on them and theirs?
Do you do well to not care?
Jonah, you remember, was angry because God had forgiven the people of Nineveh, after their wholesale repentance at the preaching of Jonah. He doesn't seem glad that people have been saved from wrath, given a second chance, allowed a new start, and given life instead of judgement. Is Jonah right to feel this way?
God has challenged him, and continues to challenge him as the rest of the book unfolds. Jonah heads out to become an Eastender - he sits to the east of the city, in a grandstand seat, a front row view of what will happen. Even at this point, it seems that he's making himself comfortable for the thunderbolt and firestrike to come with the wrath of the Almighty. He wants to see what would become of the city. I fear it wasn't in a good way!
As he sits, the LORD is gracious towards him, and appoints a plant to grow up and be a shade for him in the hot sun. Once again, the LORD makes appointments, and his creatures fulfill his will (earlier, it was the great fish, later it will be the worm and the wind). Jonah is, as you would imagine, 'exceedingly glad because of the plant.' (4:6).
However, his gladness is turned to anger when God's next two appointments are fulfilled: A worm attacks the plant so it withers, and a scorching east wind from the desert, combined with the sun makes the conditions hard to bear for Jonah. Probably facing sunstroke, he is faint, and asks God that he might die. Better to die than live in this, he imagines. His anger is up again, and the whole world seems against him.
Once again, God's question comes to him: 'Do you do well to be angry for the plant?' Jonah says that he is very angry, angry enough to die, because what was benefiting him has been taken away. The LORD responds, with the final word of the book, but a final word that remains unanswered, reserving for God the right to do as he wills, to have compassion on whom he will have compassion:
You pity the plant, for which you did not labour, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?
Your priorities are all wrong, Jonah. You care about the tiny, insignificant things, while 120,000 speed along on the road to hell. You care about these small things that you didn't even have anything to do; things that were signs of God's grace to you, yet you don't care about so many people and cattle who don't know your God as you do (or should). You may not have compassion, Jonah, but I do - God, our God, cares about the foreigners, the outsiders, the inbetweeners, the misfits, the immigrants.
Have we got the same priorities of care and compassion for the lost? Or are we concerned with our own petty projects and wishing sudden destruction on them and theirs?
Do you do well to not care?
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Exceedingly Angry
How do you feel when someone comes to faith? What do you do when someone becomes a believer and joins the church? It's almost a silly question, isn't it? Of course we would be celebrating that someone has been saved and added to the kingdom. Of course we should echo the party in heaven and the joy among the angels when the lost sheep is found.
Yet, it doesn't always happen. Think of the Pharisees in the Gospels. The tax collectors and 'sinners' are flocking round Jesus, and they don't like it. They have 'older brother' syndrome - when the Prodigal returns, they protest and refuse to welcome him. Is that how we feel too? You know, we've been going to this church for fifty years, our parents and grandparents before us for ever and ever, Amen. We don't want to see new people joining, who are maybe different to us - they'll bring the tone down, or they'll not understand our traditions, or they'll want to change.
They could be from the wrong part of town, the wrong social class, the wrong jobs (if they have jobs at all), the wrong age (too young or too old). Or horror of horrors, they could be... foreigners - immigrants!
Jonah, after the most successful prophetic ministry in the whole Bible, displays this same older brother mentality, which, as we'll see, was there from the start. Jonah has proclaimed doom, the Ninevite people have repented, and God has relented. A cause for celebration? A festal thanksgiving of praise to God for his rich and abundant mercy?
Well, not quite. Jonah has a face like thunder, and if looks could kill, there would be no saved Ninevites left standing. Despite what has happened - and that all very good - 'it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.' The people of Nineveh rejoice, and Jonah scowls. He wishes he hadn't come at all. He doesn't want to be around for the party, he wants to see the doom coming.
So Jonah prays. Not in the way you would expect. Here's what he says:
He knew the character and name of God - gracious, merciful, loving - and this was the reason why he tried to flee in the opposite direction! He knew that when God proclaimed doom the people would respond, repent and be saved. And he doesn't like it!
Can you imagine that a prophet of the LORD doesn't want to see people being saved? How much must he hate them to not want to tell them of God's grace, and then when compelled to proclaim it, is angry that they find joy and deliverance? And that to the extent that he would rather die than see them happy?
What a challenge to all of us, but particularly to gospel workers - do we long to really see people saved, even people who don't match up to our standards or culture? Do we love our gracious God, and the people we're sent to? Do we rejoice or mourn when people are saved? Hard questions to consider, yet urgent, pressing ones as we consider our motivations and our sinful prejudices towards other people groups.
Jonah is angry, and God asks the question: 'Do you do well to be angry?' Is it right to be angry when people are being saved? Jonah, plumb the depths of your heart and see if you are sinning or righteous in your anger. The question will be asked again, but we'll come to that tomorrow.
Do we rejoice in the character of God, and in salvation for the ends of the earth? Or are we narrow, racist, sectarian, seeking salvation only for people like us - as if God is limited to the people of Ulster, or those of the prosperous west, or men, or older people.
'You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.' All praise to you, Lord God!
Yet, it doesn't always happen. Think of the Pharisees in the Gospels. The tax collectors and 'sinners' are flocking round Jesus, and they don't like it. They have 'older brother' syndrome - when the Prodigal returns, they protest and refuse to welcome him. Is that how we feel too? You know, we've been going to this church for fifty years, our parents and grandparents before us for ever and ever, Amen. We don't want to see new people joining, who are maybe different to us - they'll bring the tone down, or they'll not understand our traditions, or they'll want to change.
They could be from the wrong part of town, the wrong social class, the wrong jobs (if they have jobs at all), the wrong age (too young or too old). Or horror of horrors, they could be... foreigners - immigrants!
Jonah, after the most successful prophetic ministry in the whole Bible, displays this same older brother mentality, which, as we'll see, was there from the start. Jonah has proclaimed doom, the Ninevite people have repented, and God has relented. A cause for celebration? A festal thanksgiving of praise to God for his rich and abundant mercy?
Well, not quite. Jonah has a face like thunder, and if looks could kill, there would be no saved Ninevites left standing. Despite what has happened - and that all very good - 'it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.' The people of Nineveh rejoice, and Jonah scowls. He wishes he hadn't come at all. He doesn't want to be around for the party, he wants to see the doom coming.
So Jonah prays. Not in the way you would expect. Here's what he says:
O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live. (4:2-3)
He knew the character and name of God - gracious, merciful, loving - and this was the reason why he tried to flee in the opposite direction! He knew that when God proclaimed doom the people would respond, repent and be saved. And he doesn't like it!
Can you imagine that a prophet of the LORD doesn't want to see people being saved? How much must he hate them to not want to tell them of God's grace, and then when compelled to proclaim it, is angry that they find joy and deliverance? And that to the extent that he would rather die than see them happy?
What a challenge to all of us, but particularly to gospel workers - do we long to really see people saved, even people who don't match up to our standards or culture? Do we love our gracious God, and the people we're sent to? Do we rejoice or mourn when people are saved? Hard questions to consider, yet urgent, pressing ones as we consider our motivations and our sinful prejudices towards other people groups.
Jonah is angry, and God asks the question: 'Do you do well to be angry?' Is it right to be angry when people are being saved? Jonah, plumb the depths of your heart and see if you are sinning or righteous in your anger. The question will be asked again, but we'll come to that tomorrow.
Do we rejoice in the character of God, and in salvation for the ends of the earth? Or are we narrow, racist, sectarian, seeking salvation only for people like us - as if God is limited to the people of Ulster, or those of the prosperous west, or men, or older people.
'You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.' All praise to you, Lord God!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Radical Repentance
Who was the most successful prophet in the Old Testament? Which one saw the greatest turning back to the Lord through their ministry? Surprisingly, the answer is the most reluctant prophet, Jonah.
We left Jonah yesterday as he landed on the beach, wiping fish guts off himself, rejoicing in God's rescue operation which far exceeded the RNLI's work. Right then, the word of the Lord comes to him again to rise and go to Nineveh. He still has a message to proclaim there.
This time, he goes in the right direction, and arrives in the 'exceedingly' great city of Nineveh. Remember, this was the capital of the enemy, city of the Assyrians, a foreign place. Once inside the city a third of the way, Jonah cries out the eight worded message that God has given him:
In Northern Ireland we're very used to street preachers calling for repentance. Lisburn, Banbridge, Belfast, Ballymena, Portadown, I've seen them with their megaphone or loudspeaker system connected to the car battery preaching against sin and demanding repentance from all who hear. It seems that most people in Northern Ireland have developed a deaf ear syndrome - let the street preacher rant, they won't be listening. They might politely take a tract from some of the associates of the preacher, but you'll probably find them littering the ground about a hundred yards further up the street. Is street preaching effective in modern Belfast?
In Nineveh, though, it was a different story. As soon as Jonah had proclaimed his message: 'And the people of Nineveh believed God.' (3:5) The word of doom is preached, and they immediately begin a city-wide fast, with the fashion being for sackcloth to show their horror and repentance. The word of God is proclaimed, and the people believe it and instantly respond.
Already the people of Nineveh are more noble than the people of Israel, who never wholeheartedly and unanimously responded to the preaching of Isaiah, Jeremiah or the other prophets.
Even the king of Nineveh (who isn't named) comes down off his throne, exchanging his royal robes for the sackcloth, and sits in ashes. He publishes orders for the whole city - man and beast - to fast (both food and water), be dressed in sackcloth, and call out mightily to God.
Here the people of Nineveh are again more noble than the people of Israel and Judah, with a genuine fast of repentance, not an outward show of religion while inwardly plotting evil (see Isaiah 1:10-17). How do we know it was genuine here in Nineveh? The king's command continues to 'Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.' (3:8)
Do you see the almost comedic element here - where both the humans and the animals are all decked in sackcloth. Even the livestock are repenting, such is the wholehearted repentance at work in Nineveh.
The king ends his proclamation with a question: 'Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.' (3:9)
His words are as true and sweet today as they were when first uttered. Remember the character and deeds of our God - who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, to quote the old Absolution in the Book of Common Prayer order of Morning Prayer. As the Ninevites respond in obedience and repentance to God's word, their acceptance and absolution is guaranteed:
Jonah's preaching was a warning shot, effective to bring the people (and animals) of Nineveh to repent. God's glory is seen in his welcome for repentant sinners, and there must have been some party in heaven the day that all of Nineveh came home.
We left Jonah yesterday as he landed on the beach, wiping fish guts off himself, rejoicing in God's rescue operation which far exceeded the RNLI's work. Right then, the word of the Lord comes to him again to rise and go to Nineveh. He still has a message to proclaim there.
This time, he goes in the right direction, and arrives in the 'exceedingly' great city of Nineveh. Remember, this was the capital of the enemy, city of the Assyrians, a foreign place. Once inside the city a third of the way, Jonah cries out the eight worded message that God has given him:
Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! (3:4)
In Northern Ireland we're very used to street preachers calling for repentance. Lisburn, Banbridge, Belfast, Ballymena, Portadown, I've seen them with their megaphone or loudspeaker system connected to the car battery preaching against sin and demanding repentance from all who hear. It seems that most people in Northern Ireland have developed a deaf ear syndrome - let the street preacher rant, they won't be listening. They might politely take a tract from some of the associates of the preacher, but you'll probably find them littering the ground about a hundred yards further up the street. Is street preaching effective in modern Belfast?
In Nineveh, though, it was a different story. As soon as Jonah had proclaimed his message: 'And the people of Nineveh believed God.' (3:5) The word of doom is preached, and they immediately begin a city-wide fast, with the fashion being for sackcloth to show their horror and repentance. The word of God is proclaimed, and the people believe it and instantly respond.
Already the people of Nineveh are more noble than the people of Israel, who never wholeheartedly and unanimously responded to the preaching of Isaiah, Jeremiah or the other prophets.
Even the king of Nineveh (who isn't named) comes down off his throne, exchanging his royal robes for the sackcloth, and sits in ashes. He publishes orders for the whole city - man and beast - to fast (both food and water), be dressed in sackcloth, and call out mightily to God.
Here the people of Nineveh are again more noble than the people of Israel and Judah, with a genuine fast of repentance, not an outward show of religion while inwardly plotting evil (see Isaiah 1:10-17). How do we know it was genuine here in Nineveh? The king's command continues to 'Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.' (3:8)
Do you see the almost comedic element here - where both the humans and the animals are all decked in sackcloth. Even the livestock are repenting, such is the wholehearted repentance at work in Nineveh.
The king ends his proclamation with a question: 'Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.' (3:9)
His words are as true and sweet today as they were when first uttered. Remember the character and deeds of our God - who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, to quote the old Absolution in the Book of Common Prayer order of Morning Prayer. As the Ninevites respond in obedience and repentance to God's word, their acceptance and absolution is guaranteed:
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (3:10)
Jonah's preaching was a warning shot, effective to bring the people (and animals) of Nineveh to repent. God's glory is seen in his welcome for repentant sinners, and there must have been some party in heaven the day that all of Nineveh came home.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Fleeing From God
For many people, the only thing they know about Jonah is his association with the whale (or great fish, as the book of Jonah actually says). But there's more to Jonah than him becoming the first person to ride in a submarine, as we'll hopefully discover in the days to come. Before we get to the great fish, let's meet the man himself.
Jonah, the son of Amittai receives the word of God which calls him to go to Nineveh, the city in Assyria. Jonah is an Israelite, one of the people of God, and yet he is called to go to the enemies of God's people. The message he is given doesn't sound too promising: 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.' (1:2)
Jonah is called to be a prophet of doom, calling out against the city of Nineveh as Jeremiah would later be called to do against Jerusalem. God calls him to go east, and Jonah does an aboutface and instead chooses to 'Go West'. Was it that he didn't like his assignment? Announcing judgement in a foreign city might be a risky endeavour. Much better to flee somewhere safe and comfortable.
Yet it appears that Jonah actually doesn't like the assignment because he reckons they will repent and God will forgive them anyway (see 4:2-3). Either way, Jonah sets off in the opposite direction and makes for a boat at Joppa to take him to Tarshish. Twice in verse three we're told what Jonah is trying to do:
But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.(Jonah 1:3)
Tarshish represented a land far faraway, far enough away to be out of the presence of the LORD. Yet as Jonah learns through his futile attempt at fleeing, God is not restricted to the Temple of Jerusalem, or the shrine at Samaria. He is 'the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land' (1:9) who fills his creation so that there is nowhere where God is not.
Jonah discovers what the Psalmist says: 'Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? ... if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.' (Psalm 139:7, 9-10). Our God is a great big God, and he holds us in his hand.
Are there times when we also try to flee from God? We know what he requires of us, but we don't want to do it (or stop doing it). We think that God doesn't notice when we're in that place, or with those people, like a child who puts her hands over her eyes and then thinks that we can't see her!
We are always in the presence of the Lord, so let's seek to please him in all that we do, not just on Sundays or when in church. Jonah reminds us of the futility of fleeing. Will you stop running?
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
How Long, O Lord?
The cry of a hurting heart. The desperate call of a suffering soul. A question often asked: O LORD, how long? Why do you not respond to our prayers and not answer our cries?
Yet Habakkuk's prayer (1:1-5) does not arise from terrible personal suffering. He hasn't been struck with swine flu (well, of course not, he's a Jew!) or any other illness. So why does Habakkuk pray so fervently? Why does he earnestly cry out for God to act?
Habakkuk is sick of sin. As he looks around at his nation, and sees his city, he sees the spectacular sinfulness of his society. The wicked are wild and the evil are everywhere. Justice has been forgotten about in Jerusalem, and Habakkuk's righteous soul is troubled.
So if Habakkuk's righteous soul is troubled ('Why do you make me see iniquity'), then surely God must be even more troubled. Therefore God should answer the prayer even more speedily. After all, the destruction of evil and the restoration of righteousness is God's business.
In a forthcoming blog we'll look at God's answer, but for tonight, are we as troubled about our society's sin as Habakkuk was? Do we grieve when God's name is taken for vain regularly, or when television programmes celebrate what is vulgar and evil? Do we cry out for God to act in righteousness and justice, or do we sit back?
Worse, perhaps, does the Church imitate the world around and look no different? Do we listen to the values and views of the world and liberal society rather than to the word of the Lord?
O Lord, give us a passion for your glory and holiness, and make us quick to pray for our towns, and to call for repentance.
Yet Habakkuk's prayer (1:1-5) does not arise from terrible personal suffering. He hasn't been struck with swine flu (well, of course not, he's a Jew!) or any other illness. So why does Habakkuk pray so fervently? Why does he earnestly cry out for God to act?
Habakkuk is sick of sin. As he looks around at his nation, and sees his city, he sees the spectacular sinfulness of his society. The wicked are wild and the evil are everywhere. Justice has been forgotten about in Jerusalem, and Habakkuk's righteous soul is troubled.
So if Habakkuk's righteous soul is troubled ('Why do you make me see iniquity'), then surely God must be even more troubled. Therefore God should answer the prayer even more speedily. After all, the destruction of evil and the restoration of righteousness is God's business.
In a forthcoming blog we'll look at God's answer, but for tonight, are we as troubled about our society's sin as Habakkuk was? Do we grieve when God's name is taken for vain regularly, or when television programmes celebrate what is vulgar and evil? Do we cry out for God to act in righteousness and justice, or do we sit back?
Worse, perhaps, does the Church imitate the world around and look no different? Do we listen to the values and views of the world and liberal society rather than to the word of the Lord?
O Lord, give us a passion for your glory and holiness, and make us quick to pray for our towns, and to call for repentance.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Habakkuk's Howlings
Besides being one for a Bible Spelling Bee (how many b's and k's?), Habakkuk's short book is one with such a vital message for those who cry out for justice and are tormented by the sight of the wicked prospering.
The book is the record of Habakkuk's prayers, and God's answers, before Habakkuk's final response. The scene is Jerusalem, and Habakkuk is dismayed at the prosperity of the wicked in the land. Habakkuk cries out to God in prayer, many times, and it appears as if the LORD doesn't want to hear or answer. Does God not care that justice is perverted and the wicked are winning?
God responds by revealing his plan to bring the Chaldeans (that is, the Babylonians) upon the nation to punish the people of God. The Chaldeans are the new superpower on the world stage, having defeated the Assyrians, and their own might is their god - they idolise their strength. Because of their strength and power, the smaller nations are easy pickings and prey. And worst of all, God is permitting them to do it.
Habakkuk's second complaint is perhaps justified, or at least permissible. Why is God allowing the foreign wicked to prosper against the local wicked? I mean, yes, okay, our people are bad, but have you seen the Chaldeans? Appealing to God's holiness, Habakkuk says that God cannot look at wrong, and yet God is going to allow a scenario where 'the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?' God, what are you playing at? I know we're bad, but we're not that bad.
The LORD responds by telling Habakkuk to write down the vision, the communicate the message that while his doings sometimes seem mysterious, and even baffle the righteous, that God is in control, and that while the Chaldeans prosper for a while, those who have been defeated by them will eventually taunt them with a multitude of woes - they will not ultimately prosper, and God is in control.
Chapter Three then contains Habakkuk's final response, his final prayer, which looks to God's saving acts in the past, and trusts for the same in the future - 'in wrath remember mercy.' As the Chaldeans attack, Habakkuk's trust is placed in God as he waits for the day of trouble to come upon the invaders, when they are turned back and defeated themselves.
The final verses are a great declaration of faith in God, no matter how bad the circumstances come - 'yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.' There are quite a few verses I want to come back to and blog about, but this posting gives us the big picture of what's happening in Habakkuk.
Wickedness in Jersualem &rarr Habakkuk's cry &rarr God's response of sending Chaldeans &rarr Habakkuk's complaint about greater wickedness &rarr God calls for faith and promises ultimate victory &rarr Habakkuk expresses his trust.
The book is the record of Habakkuk's prayers, and God's answers, before Habakkuk's final response. The scene is Jerusalem, and Habakkuk is dismayed at the prosperity of the wicked in the land. Habakkuk cries out to God in prayer, many times, and it appears as if the LORD doesn't want to hear or answer. Does God not care that justice is perverted and the wicked are winning?
God responds by revealing his plan to bring the Chaldeans (that is, the Babylonians) upon the nation to punish the people of God. The Chaldeans are the new superpower on the world stage, having defeated the Assyrians, and their own might is their god - they idolise their strength. Because of their strength and power, the smaller nations are easy pickings and prey. And worst of all, God is permitting them to do it.
Habakkuk's second complaint is perhaps justified, or at least permissible. Why is God allowing the foreign wicked to prosper against the local wicked? I mean, yes, okay, our people are bad, but have you seen the Chaldeans? Appealing to God's holiness, Habakkuk says that God cannot look at wrong, and yet God is going to allow a scenario where 'the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?' God, what are you playing at? I know we're bad, but we're not that bad.
The LORD responds by telling Habakkuk to write down the vision, the communicate the message that while his doings sometimes seem mysterious, and even baffle the righteous, that God is in control, and that while the Chaldeans prosper for a while, those who have been defeated by them will eventually taunt them with a multitude of woes - they will not ultimately prosper, and God is in control.
Chapter Three then contains Habakkuk's final response, his final prayer, which looks to God's saving acts in the past, and trusts for the same in the future - 'in wrath remember mercy.' As the Chaldeans attack, Habakkuk's trust is placed in God as he waits for the day of trouble to come upon the invaders, when they are turned back and defeated themselves.
The final verses are a great declaration of faith in God, no matter how bad the circumstances come - 'yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.' There are quite a few verses I want to come back to and blog about, but this posting gives us the big picture of what's happening in Habakkuk.
Wickedness in Jersualem &rarr Habakkuk's cry &rarr God's response of sending Chaldeans &rarr Habakkuk's complaint about greater wickedness &rarr God calls for faith and promises ultimate victory &rarr Habakkuk expresses his trust.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Eat, Drink And Be Merry
At Inform on Tuesday night, we did a Bible study on 1 Corinthians 15. There we saw the importance of the resurrection in the Christian faith. Some in Corinth appear to have been saying that there was no resurrection. Paul therefore spells out what this would mean for Christ (he would still be dead), for the believer (we would still be dead in our sins, and our faith would be futile), and for Paul (he was calling God a liar and misrepresenting God).
As Paul continues, he warns the Corinthian Christians to be careful who they associate with. There's a danger in them hanging out with those who deny the resurrection, as they will be led astray. They'll end up believing the spirit of the world, the zeitgeist, and think that this world is all there is. If that's the case, then:
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:32)
Basically, if this world is all there is, and there is no resurrection, no heaven to look forward to, then we might as well party now and make the most of what time we have left.
An example of this can be found in Tonight We Fly by The Divine Comedy. An ironic statement by their frontman, Neil Hannon, son of the former Bishop of Clogher, Brian Hannon. In the song, Hannon sings: 'And when we die, Oh, will we be that disappointed or sad if heaven doesn't exist. What will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.'
It's a fatalistic, depressive worldview with no hope, only a quiet desperation.
What I didn't realise the other night, though, was that Paul is actually quoting Scripture as he wrote to the Corinthians. I came across the reference when reading Isaiah. While the situation is different, the prevailing attitude is still one of enjoy what you have while you can.
Jerusalem had been under siege, with enemy forces camping around the city. So what do you do in that situation? Prepare to fight? Surrender? Pray? Turn to the Lord in repentance? The inhabitants of Jerusalem hadn't done any of these things. Rather, they turned to pleasure and enjoying the brief time they had left:
In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (Isaiah 22:12-13)
They turned to fatalism, not faith; to pleasure, not repentance; to gluttony, not God. How do we demonstrate our faith in the God who raises us from the dead and guarantees eternal life through the victory of Jesus Christ? This world is not all there is - we look to our heavenly home.
As Paul continues, he warns the Corinthian Christians to be careful who they associate with. There's a danger in them hanging out with those who deny the resurrection, as they will be led astray. They'll end up believing the spirit of the world, the zeitgeist, and think that this world is all there is. If that's the case, then:
Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (1 Corinthians 15:32)
Basically, if this world is all there is, and there is no resurrection, no heaven to look forward to, then we might as well party now and make the most of what time we have left.
An example of this can be found in Tonight We Fly by The Divine Comedy. An ironic statement by their frontman, Neil Hannon, son of the former Bishop of Clogher, Brian Hannon. In the song, Hannon sings: 'And when we die, Oh, will we be that disappointed or sad if heaven doesn't exist. What will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.'
It's a fatalistic, depressive worldview with no hope, only a quiet desperation.
What I didn't realise the other night, though, was that Paul is actually quoting Scripture as he wrote to the Corinthians. I came across the reference when reading Isaiah. While the situation is different, the prevailing attitude is still one of enjoy what you have while you can.
Jerusalem had been under siege, with enemy forces camping around the city. So what do you do in that situation? Prepare to fight? Surrender? Pray? Turn to the Lord in repentance? The inhabitants of Jerusalem hadn't done any of these things. Rather, they turned to pleasure and enjoying the brief time they had left:
In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (Isaiah 22:12-13)
They turned to fatalism, not faith; to pleasure, not repentance; to gluttony, not God. How do we demonstrate our faith in the God who raises us from the dead and guarantees eternal life through the victory of Jesus Christ? This world is not all there is - we look to our heavenly home.
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