Bless the LORD!

"Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Psalm 103:1

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD, and all who know Him ought to bless Him.  What does this mean, to bless the LORD?  The word "bless" means to kneel, to bless God in adoration, to salute, praise and thank.  The U.S. military has many regulations around saluting and an article reads,  "All military enlisted personnel in uniform are required to salute when they meet and recognize a commissioned or warrant officer."  It is important therefore enlisted personnel in uniform learn and recognise the different ranks and when, how and who to extend a hand salute to show due respect.  Not being a member of the military I am largely ignorant of the traditions and decorum around saluting, but children of God ought not to be ignorant on how to bless the LORD who created, saves and reigns supreme over all.

We bless God by recognising who He is, the living God whom we serve.  Another aspect of blessing God is recalling and saying out loud the wondrous things He has done for others and ourselves.  When a dignitary is introduced in a public assembly, their name, title and accomplishments are rehearsed before all the attendees so they will bestow the honour of listening attentively with respect:  how much more ought we to speak of the goodness and greatness of God in public and private?  The speaker or honoured guest being introduced does not need reminding of their position or accomplishments, but the introduction is necessary because many of the listeners remain in the dark.  We bless the LORD, not to remind God of why He is worthy or to make Him proud (for He is without pride), because it is we who need reminding and the re-alignment of our perspective by faith in who He is, what He has promised and all He has done.

Psalm 103 gives us an example of what blessing the LORD looks like.  David continued in Psalm 103:2-12, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, ⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶ The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."

We are quick to ask God for blessing, whether it be a meal or the works of our hands:  are we quick to bless the LORD?  Reading Nehemiah 9:5-6 this morning prompted me to consider this question myself:  "And the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: "Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! ⁶ You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."  Though God has put us at ease by His grace, love and mercy, let us never neglect His worthiness to be worshiped, praised and blessed.  He has been good to mankind as the Bible testifies, and He has been good to us as well.  Let us bless the LORD so today we will remember His goodness and benefits.

The Spiritual Priority

There are many things parents want for their children because they care about their development and future.  Whilst all people are different and parenting styles are unique, children are raised according to what the parents believe is most important.  For instance, some parents require children to sit at the table during set mealtimes to eat food together.  Parents who are fine to eat dinner separately, with one child on the lounge watching TV and another a device in their bedroom, can be strict about going to bed at a particular hour.  Some parents carefully monitor the diets of their children or their internet browsing, and others make a strong emphasis on education and preparation for life away from the family home.  And in many cases, the cliche rings true that there is more "caught than taught," as kids quickly pick up on structure their parents will adhere to without fail and is not open for debate.

For me growing up, going to school was not optional:  it was something I was required to do and held responsible by my parents to take seriously.  Going to church was also something we did as a family that was non-negotiable, for my parents believed hearing God's word and being in Christian fellowship was as important as eating nutritious food for our growing bodies.  Today I read a passage in the book of Nehemiah that shows the emphasis my parents had on our relationship with God was embraced long before Jesus came to the earth in Nehemiah 8:2-3:  "So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. ³ Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law."  The reading of the Law of Moses was for men, women and "all who could hear with understanding."  This does not mean to hear the Law one needed to be a university student or lawyer, but included children who knew the difference between "Yes" and "No."  Those who returned to Jerusalem after the captivity and rebuilt the wall of the city knew the importance of everyone hearing God's word, for He would hold them all accountable to do it:  according to their level of understanding, God holds man responsible.  Willful ignorance of God's law is no defense, just like ignorance of the law does not make a guilty man innocent.

This is a good example for parents who love the LORD, to lead by example in drawing near to hear the word of God for the purpose of walking in light of it.  Is not godliness profitable in this life and that which is to come for eternity?  If we will emphasise the importance of eating vegetables and avoiding too many sugary treats, if we will make our children go to bed at a set hour, to engage in education, to say "Please and "Thank You," how much more important is the spiritual guidance and wisdom from God who has given us life?  Since we do care about our children, the health of their bodies, the development of their minds and their future, why not model for them lives lived in submission to God?  Every parent has the God-given responsibility to prioritise what is most important, and for those who have tasted and seen that God is good our call is to direct them to hear Him.

Parents play an influential role in a child deciding to follow Jesus into adulthood.  Let us not imagine that without the reading and hearing of scripture Nehemiah 8:6 would have happened by itself without the knowledge of God from His word:  "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."  If our aim is to bless the LORD and have our children do likewise, we ought to do what we can to introduce them to God when they can first understand.  If a child understands how to use an electronic device and be occupied with it, I believe they can be taught to hear and treasure God and His word.  We expect our children to pay attention in class, and they ought to listen to God too.  It is for parents to prioritise the spiritual well-being of their children as well as their physical health and development.  May it be our children will say, "Amen, Amen!" in response to hearing the word of God rather than seeing "Amen" as a rote conclusion to prayer so we can be done waiting and finally eat.

The LORD is God

One aspect of God I love is that nothing is hard for Him.  In fact, He intentionally stacks all the odds against Himself so there is no doubt He is the only One who could be responsible for miraculously doing the impossible.  For instance when it came time for Elijah to offer a sacrifice to God on Mt. Carmel, before he prayed for God to send fire from heaven he commanded the wood and sacrifice be drenched with water and to fill a trench around it.  When the fire of God fell in response to Elijah's prayer, it consumed the offering and even licked up the water that was in the trench.  Everyone who witnessed the event shouted, "The LORD, He is God!" and fell on their faces in worship.  The God who created the natural laws we perceive and understand, and what we know in part helps us define what is truly miraculous.  Hezekiah saw it as a little thing for the shadow of the sundial to go down 10 degrees, so he requested God made the sundial return backward 10 degrees (2 Kings 20:11).  It was nothing for God to heal Hezekiah of a deadly illness or to make the sun and earth obey His command.  God is the LORD of all.

After God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt with mighty plagues and wonders, He caused them to pass through the Red Sea unharmed while the army of Egypt was drowned and overthrown.  When it came time to cross the Jordan into Canaan, it was the season when the river flooded its banks--not a time any sensible person would think of crossing it with their little ones and livestock.  But this is exactly when God led His people into the land, and their safe passage was not only proof of His power and protection but a promise of His future deliverance.  Joshua 3:9-13 says, "So Joshua said to the children of Israel, "Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God." ¹⁰ And Joshua said, "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: ¹¹ behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. ¹³ And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap."  And that is exactly what happened:  the children of Israel passed over on dry ground in the time of harvest, and God did not fail in driving out the enemies of Israel before them.

Jesus did many things which showed God indeed was among men as Nicodemus the Pharisee said, "No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with Him" (John 3:2).  It is true God was with Jesus, yet it would be much more accurate to say based on all evidence provided and the testimony of God's word that Jesus is God.  Many times during His time on earth Jesus claimed to be equal to God the Father, drawing the ire of the Jewish religious leaders.  When they asked Jesus for a sign after He just healed a man with a withered hand and delivered a man from a demon who rendered him blind and dumb, Matthew 12:39-40, "But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."  Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead, buried and decomposing before raising him to life, and after being crucified Jesus rose from the dead three days later.  His resurrection, in addition to proving His identity and power, reveals He is able to forgive sins and grant eternal life to all who trust in Him.  Admiring Jesus in worship--who does what only God can do--may we declare, "The LORD, He is God!"

The Earnest Servant

I'm always drawn to Nehemiah's description of Baruch when the walls and gates of Jerusalem were being repaired in the KJV rendering of Nehemiah 3:20:  "After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest."  The NKJV uses "carefully" instead of "earnestly," and "earnestly" seems to better convey the zeal Baruch demonstrated in his efforts.  Of all the workers, Baruch is the only one where an adverb was used to describe how he worked and thus clearly stood out.  The Hebrew word "hara" is only translated "earnestly" on this one occasion, and the Strong's Concordance noted other uses in English as, "kindled (44 times), wroth (13), hot (10), angry (9), displease (4), fret (4), incensed (2) and burn (1).  Baruch was a man on fire, one who attacked the task with fervency and unrivaled earnestness.

Since "earnestly" is not a word spoken often, I also looked up the definition in the 1828 Webster's Dictionary:

EARNESTLY, adverb ern'estly. Warmly; zealously; importunately; eagerly; with real desire.

"Being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly." Luke 22:44.

"That ye should earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints." Jude 1:3.

2. With fixed attention; with eagerness.

"A certain maid looked earnestly upon him." Luke 22:44.

The examples used by Webster from scripture are Jesus agonising earnestly in prayer, how believers are to contend for the faith and the thoughtful, intense stare of a maid at Peter because she recognised him.  Baruch took to the task of repairing a portion of the wall earnestly, though he worked alone.  Many workers are mentioned who teamed up together, and even sons and daughters pitched in as one to make progress.  Whilst it is possible and probable Baruch had many helpers, his earnestness in working was fit to be distinguished as distinct and recorded.  The nobles of the Tekoa did not put their necks to the work of the LORD (Neh. 3:5), but Baruch maintained singular focus to do this work with great effort.  While people day-dreamed about how good it would be to have their portion of the wall built so they could be done and relax, Baruch's earnest labour suggests he would be one who, after finishing his bit, would volunteer to assist others until the whole job was done.

If there was a man besides Christ who laboured for the LORD earnestly in the New Testament, my pick would be Paul.  Like Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give His life for mankind, Paul worked with his own hands to provide for himself and others so no one could say he was greedy for financial gain or shared the Gospel for profit.  By day he worked sewing tents and all other hours were consumed in labouring in the word and teaching.  As a servant of God he gave an exhortation he followed himself in Colossians 3:22-24:  "Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."  Servants of the LORD were not just to work, but work heartily--exceedingly, abundantly even vehemently--as unto the LORD.  Their "secular" job was to be sanctified with the holy aim of serving God himself in their earnest efforts.

Are you a Baruch, believer?  Are you like Paul who obeyed his master according to the flesh in sincerity of heart, fearing God, working heartily as to the LORD on and off the clock?  Paul received wages but he did not set his heart or hopes on them:  he looked to the reward of the inheritance he would receive as a servant of Jesus Christ.  Baruch repaired earnestly, not to impress the high priest or Nehemiah who watched him, but did the work of the LORD as if the success of the whole project depended upon him.  It was God's work He would see done with the help of many willing servants from various backgrounds and skill levels.  Among many men and women Baruch stood out who earnestly repaired, and thus the way he worked made a difference God saw fit to note for our benefit.  Let us be this sort of servant, brothers and sisters, who serve the LORD earnestly knowing He has promised us eternal rewards by His grace.

God's Will Done

In a world full of people that change over time, God remains the same.  It is profoundly comforting to consider the righteous, merciful and gracious character of God who has spoken forth His word that contains promises He will be faithful to bring to fruition.  The God who has made Himself known to Israel and all the world also has revealed His will that remains constant.

One thing we must keep in mind is from man's vantage point God's will is not always done.  2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  God is absolutely righteous and holy, and death entered into the world by Adam's sinful choice to rebel against Him.  Man doing his own will led to destruction that was never God's will.  Though God is not willing any should perish, mankind was cursed by sin which is evidenced by sickness, pain, suffering, the death of the body and the eternal destruction of the soul.  Because we know it is not God's will any should perish and Jesus was sent to seek and save the lost, those souls who trust in Jesus are assured of eternal salvation--according to God's will.

Another consistent aspect of God's will in scripture is to heal as seen by those who came to Jesus who were diseased, bind, lame and demon possessed.  Luke 5:12-13 says, "And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." ¹³ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him."  Jesus healed all those who came to Him, even from incurable illnesses like this man full of leprosy.  By doing so He showed His power over all illnesses and the source of it (sin), for He proved His power to forgive sins by restoring a paralysed man in an instant.  Though God has the power to heal over all sickness, even as He has provided atonement for all sin, the reality is people still become sick and die.  The first part of 2 Kings 13:14 illustrates this well:  "Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die."  Paul, who delivered the woman from the unclean spirit was himself buffeted by a messenger of Satan.  God, in His wisdom and strength, is able to redeem suffering for good.

Because we live in bodies of flesh, we can make the healing of our temporary bodies a priority whilst neglecting the condition of the inner man.  Based upon the promises of God and His revealed will, we can know God is not willing any should perish and His will is always to forgive, heal, redeem souls and give eternal life by faith in Jesus.  John 11:25-26 says, "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"  Lazarus died from an illness, Jesus raised him from the dead and ultimately the body of Lazarus died.  But Jesus revealed the one who believes in Him "though he may die, he shall live."  Whether our bodies live or die we ought to keep trusting Jesus who is the resurrection and the life, and even when we are sick or suffer from a physical malady we can know our sins are forgiven and our souls are redeemed.  While sickness can be a direct result of a particular sin (1 Corinthians 11:30), in Job's case sickness was allowed by God for the opposite reason because he was above all others a righteous man who trusted God.  Jesus explained a man born blind from birth was not due to sin but so "the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:3)

Though God's will is clearly revealed to us, in our fallen world God allows much to occur that is not His will.  Because His thoughts and ways are above ours, we cannot often understand His reasons or purposes.  Being sovereign and in command over all, God is able to redeem and leverage even the schemes of Satan to further His kingdom, strengthen His people and amazingly accomplish His will.  The most tragic injustice of all time--the condemnation and murder of the Son of God Jesus Christ--has been redeemed by God to bring salvation, healing, forgiveness and eternal life for all who trust in Him.  Ultimately God's will was done and is being done when we trust Jesus.  When a child of God is sick, should there be miraculous healing or it turns out to be an illness that leads to physical death, we can rest in our God whose will was done because the born-again soul lives in the presence of God forever.  Death was never God's will, but even in death God is victorious over it.  One day God is going to kill death with death (Revelation 20:14), and the empty tomb proves God is able.

Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died because He loved him, and love suffers long.  Since the fall of mankind God has patiently suffered sinners who have hated, disobeyed and rebelled against Him and opposed His will.  God has remained the same:  He is the resurrection and the life, He is not willing any should perish but all should come to repentance.  God is willing to forgive sins, to redeem souls and heal bodies.  His grace is even extended to those who reject Him, for He patiently waits for sinners to come to Him in faith.  Even when God's will is disregarded and seems undermined He is able to bring His will to fruition, for the believer who dies due to an illness is raised eternally healed, whole and glorified.  Man's will leads to sorrow, pain and destruction without hope, and God's will is to provide all a living hope through Jesus for all.  Whether our bodies live or die, we have a sure hope in God who gives eternal life.  Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  God's will is done in heaven, and by His grace it is also done on earth.

Doing What God Says

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."

Deuteronomy 29:29

Regardless how much a person might know, there is abundantly more that they do not know.  When it comes to the secret things of God, there is much we cannot know or understand.  The complexity of life and glory of God revealed in nature and His word are merely the edges of His ways.  The more we learn of God and the things He has made, we realise there is much more we have yet to understand.

Moses wrote of secret things that belong to the LORD our God:  some mysteries He chooses to reveal in His time, and other things He chooses to keep secret.  The thrust of the passage, however, is not to focus on what God knows that we cannot know.  The truth is God has revealed Himself and His wisdom to us and has given us things to take to heart and put into practice.  The book of Deuteronomy contains many warnings to God's people of the danger of departing from faith and obedience to Him:  plagues, sickness, fires and deadness would pollute the land, even as sin had corrupted the people.

When people saw the desolation of the land, they would wonder what was the cause.  The answer was given in Deuteronomy 29:25-27:  "Then people would say: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; ²⁶ for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. ²⁷ Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book."  God revealed beforehand what would happen should His people depart from Him, and thus they were to order their lives according to the knowledge of His law.

The timeless principle held forth by Moses is applicable to the new covenant established by Jesus Christ.  There remains much we do not know, but the things God has revealed are gifts for us to the end we would put them into practice.  We should heed the exhortations, warnings, directives and promises God has provided that we ought to own and share with our children forever.  See how the wisdom of God is eternal, that those who fear, trust and obey the LORD will live beyond our short years on this planet, for God is the God of the living.  How blessed and privileged are those to whom God has revealed Himself, and blessed is the man who does what God says.

Identify Jesus as LORD

 After Jesus spoke the parable of a sower, He explained how blessed His disciples were to have such revelation from the living God while the unbelieving remained ignorant in Matthew 13:16-17: "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  Those who believed Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God could listen to and understand Him, but those who did not believe He was God made flesh remained in darkness.  Jesus again and again repeated His claims of being one with God, that He was equal with God and told Thomas, "He that has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  The scribes and rulers who did not believe He was the Christ narrowed their eyes and repeatedly asked in their interactions with Jesus, "Now who do you make yourself to be?"  Those who would not believe could not receive His words.

In contrast, how bright is the Light of the World Jesus Christ who illuminates the meaning of God's word in the Old and New Testament!  The Old Testament hinted and alluded to the coming of the Christ, the Gospel and the eternal kingdom of God opened to Jew and Gentile by faith in Jesus, and it was Jesus who fulfilled many prophesies in Himself.  Micah 4:1-7 is a good example of how knowing Jesus as LORD opens our understanding to the things God will surely bring to pass when Jesus establishes His kingdom in Jerusalem during the Millennial reign upon Christ's return:

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. ² Many nations shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ³ He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. ⁴ But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken. ⁵ For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. ⁶ "In that day," says the LORD, "I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast and those whom I have afflicted; ⁷ I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcast a strong nation; so the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever."

We can know we are not in this season of rest from war because of the conflicts that currently embroil the world.  The temple mount is not currently "exalted above the hills" and with COVID restrictions people are not flowing into it, neither are the lame being assembled or the outcasts gathered.  There is no one speaking forth the word of the LORD from Jerusalem the entire world currently hears and responds to.  To people who looked forward to sitting under their own vine and fig tree without fear in peace Jesus came and proclaimed His identity as the LORD God who teaches us His ways so we can walk in His paths.  He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  The Torah provided no assurance of eternal life, but twice in this passage we see allusions to the kingdom of God enduring "forever and ever."  A pious, Jewish rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked what thing he needed to do to secure eternal life--because he had done all from his youth and remained in doubt if he had done enough.  The scribes searched the scriptures, thinking in them they had eternal life, but they testified of Jesus who gives eternal life.

The teaching of Jesus reveals we cannot do anything to earn eternal life but it must be received as a gift of God by faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus said in John 3:14-16, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The prayer of Jesus affirmed this again in John 17:1-3:  "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."  Believing Jesus is the Christ and eternal life is entered into by faith in Him alone opens our understanding to His teaching and illuminates the scripture to know God.

Learning Shown by Doing

Teaching the Bible is different than teaching other subjects because the aim is different.  God's will is not merely to educate or improve mankind but to transform hearers into the people He created and designed us to be.  Knowledge alone is incapable of doing what only God can do in a heart that believes and trusts Him.  It is possible, as Paul said, to be "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7).  In the Bible Knowledge Commentary Adam Clarke is credited with this quote, "There are many professors of Christianity still who answer the above description. They hear, repeatedly hear, it may be, good sermons; but, as they seldom meditate on what they hear, they derive little profit from the ordinances of God. They have no more grace now than they had several years ago, though hearing all the while, and perhaps not wickedly departing from the Lord. They do not meditate, they do not think, they do not reduce what they hear to practice; therefore, even under the preaching of an apostle, they could not become wise to salvation."

In Christianity, knowing is primarily shown by doing.  Having a grasp of sound doctrine is indispensable, but better to practice the little you know to be true in obedience to scripture than to know all mysteries of the kingdom of God and be denied access to it.  Preaching at its best is good teaching, and if it pleases God to gift people to teach it follows we all have a need to learn, grow and change.  Over time a small child grows into a man or woman, and many changes occur inside and out during that process.  An adult still has as much to learn as a little one when it comes to knowing God, for His ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours.  Even our Saviour Jesus Christ as a human being needed to learn, for it is written in Hebrews 5:7-8 of Jesus "who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered."  Being God Jesus could have explained what obedience is, and until He was manifested in human form it could not be said it was possible for God to learn anything.  Even God learned by doing.

Even as Jesus Christ subjected Himself to Joseph and Mary, we ought to subject ourselves to walk in obedience to God's will as Paul urged in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7:  "Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; ² for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. ³ For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour, ⁵ not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; ⁶ that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. ⁷ For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."  It is one thing to know the commands given by Jesus, and it is God's will this should lead to knowing how to keep our bodies in sanctification, honour and holiness.  Knowing without doing leads to the snare of pride and arrogance, and thus Christians who are well-versed can stumble into the error of Satan and the Pharisees.  It is not that knowledge creates pride but having knowledge can invigorate and expose its existence already within us.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3:  "Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. ² And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³ But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him."  The one who takes pride in their great knowledge actually reveals their ignorance, for God's will is for us to do justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with God.  The greater our knowledge of God the more meek and humble we will be before God whom we fear and love.  The greater our knowledge of God's word the more obvious and detestable we will recognise our sin; a greater knowledge of God's will exposes our failure to walk in it and our desperate need for grace.  I love verse 3, don't you?  All we know pales in comparison to the God who knows us, for He knows anyone who loves Him.  We are nobodies God delights to call His own having loved Him because He first loved us.  Knowledge of the God who is love is a greater treasure than we can fully appreciate, and God willing we will learn to.

God Loves You Better

When the Chargers went to the Super Bowl in 1994, I was very excited to watch my team on the biggest stage the NFL could offer.  What began as a dream come true ended up the things of nightmares when the team folded like a beach towel and the poor start made catching up impossible.  I remember being so disheartened by the halftime score I decided it would be more fun to play football with friends in the yard rather than subject myself to additional disappointment of watching the beat-down continue.   Being a die-hard Charger fan (and thus a glutton for punishment) I watched the whole thing.  Though I have had access to the game and highlights, re-watching that game does not interest me.  Had the Chargers come out on top, however, it would be a different story.

During a gridiron season, "watching tape" is a huge part of scheming for future opponents and personal improvement by learning from your own mistakes to avoid repeating them.  The camera does not lie:  it will show a dropped pass, a muffed punt, a missed tackle and a blown assignment.  The footage reveals when a quarterback overthrew a wide open receiver and how a kicker pushed a potentially game-winning kick wide right.  I imagine some games make for difficult viewing for players who know well their errors and mistakes directly contributed to a painful loss for their whole team.  It wouldn't surprise me if players were reluctant to watch a recording of what they felt was their worst game ever, wanting to forget all memory of it and move on as if it never happened and could never happen again.

Now we'd like to do that with our sin as well, but God loves us better than that.  Like a father disciplines and corrects the son he loves, God deals with us when we choose sin that will, if left unchecked, cuts believers off from fellowship with Him.  The most humble, meek ones among us can kick against the goads wielded gently by the Holy Spirit.  Moses said to God in Numbers 11:14-15:  "I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now--if I have found favor in Your sight--and do not let me see my wretchedness!"  When the taxing situation of leading God's people in the wilderness overwhelmed Moses, he wished to die rather than be confronted with his own wretchedness.  This word is translated most often in the KJV of the Bible as evil (442 times), wickedness (59 times) and wicked (25 times).  The stress of dealing with the children of Israel exposed wickedness in Moses his flesh would rather die than see and address.  And that's exactly what sin does:  it was working to destroy and ruin Moses as it does all men.

In His wisdom God exposes our sins so we might confess them, repent and forsake them, choosing to walk in obedience to God instead.  The Law of Moses required the sacrifice of an acceptable animal whose blood was shed to atone for sin.  Jesus was sent as the Lamb of God without blemish who offered up His life as a substitute for sinners, paying the price we owed by the grace of God.  By God's divine power all our sins have been washed away and we have been forgiven of every trespass.  When we do sin (and there is no man alive who does not) God promises if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9-10).  Having forgiven us He does not make us watch again and again old tapes of our failures to condemn us:  there are many more sinful habits, thoughts and words He will address we never realised we were guilty of, and He reveals them to us because He loves us.  Perhaps you would rather die than deal with your sin, but God knows and loves you better than that.

God's Joyous Purpose

There are many verses often quoted from scripture, and the lesser known verses around them can add much to our understanding.  What a profitable practice it is to open your Bible, turn to a quotation from the scripture and read the verses before and after it.  Take Isaiah 55:9-11 as an example:  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  God through the prophet used falling rain and snow as an illustration:  as rain falling from heaven causes plants to grow and be fruitful, God's word will accomplish what God pleases and will prosper for in God's purposes for sending it.

If we stopped here, we might left wondering what exactly God has in mind.  In many places in the Bible God reveals what pleases Him and what prosperity looks like from a godly perspective.  We could start finishing God's points for Him, inserting what we think is most important as His purpose for sending His word.  But the one who continues reading the chapter to the end will have some of God's purposes revealed plainly in Isaiah 55:12-13:  "For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. ¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

The paragraph that began with an exhortation to seek the LORD while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near in repentance for mercy and pardon could be assured of God's affirming answer.  God's forgiving, restoring response to a lowly sinner according to God's word should result in joy and being led out with peace.  All nature rejoices over the greatness of God and His abundant provision of forgiveness for sinners and rain that causes trees to flourish.  Notice the transformation from thorns to cypress trees and how briers gave way to myrtle trees to the LORD for a name, "for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."  The word that gave life-giving rain to cypress and myrtle trees provides spiritual life by the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells those who trust in Jesus Christ, and by grace we are called by His name.

Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 15:7-11:  "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. ⁹ "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."  As those flourishing trees were a sign, so the spiritual fruitfulness of believers provides evidence the power of God abides in those who abide in His love.  Joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, is experienced in fullness according to God's promise and grace in Christ's disciples.  The connection between the words of God and His purpose and pleasure to provide joy and peace to believers is plain when we press on and read beyond what is commonly quoted.

From Weeping To Rejoicing

"Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!"

Jeremiah 9:1

Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet" because he spoke the true words of God and people did not heed or take them to heart.  He warned self-righteous people entrenched in idolatry of the sure judgment that was on the horizon, yet they did not listen.  They would not weep for themselves, so Jeremiah wept for them.  How great was his longing for people to receive the word of the LORD and return to God so He might be glorified and their judgment turned aside.  They had the truth and would not receive it, and thus they remained in their sin and would face God's judgment.  God is so good and glorious, and the thought anyone would give up on Him or be resigned to a hopeless existence is among life's great tragedies.

When Jesus was being led to be crucified, He was met by a group of women Jesus addressed despite His pains.  Luke 23:27-31 reads, "And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸ But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' ³⁰ Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!" ' ³¹ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"  Having rejected Jesus when He was present, the Jewish nation would reject His message of salvation which would result in greater destruction.  Jesus was going to the grave and would rise after three days, but those who refused the Gospel were heading to eternal ruin.

How appropriate is Psalm 126:5-6 in the context of these passages:  "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. ⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."  The people who heard Jeremiah and Jesus in person may not have listened to them, and it may be the words of preachers or caring Christians are heeded today.  But there is a promise that when good seed is sown in tears, the one who sowed it shall doubtless come again with rejoicing with a harvest.  The women wept over what God intended for their salvation, and if their tears were merely out of pity for Christ's pains they missed the point.  In the Parable of the Sower the seed was sown on all kinds of ground, even on a hardened footpath where seed could not grow.  God who created seeds and speaks forth His word causes it to be fruitful in due time, and in Him I rejoice now and forever.

Free by Faith

I read a quote attributed to Howard Hendricks today: “You are free to make choices. You are not free to escape the consequences.”  Having been born and raised in the United States, the "land of the free and home of the brave," I enjoyed the benefits of many freedoms afforded by God's grace.  The Bill of Rights is a document which outlines the freedoms and rights of Americans, and it is interesting how these words can be interchanged.  The existence of the Bill of Rights suggests the freedoms of Americans are upheld by their submission to the Constitution and governance of the land under God.  Remove God from the equation and all provisions and rights can be easily corrupted and destructive to self and others.

In Webster's 1828 Dictionary, the author defines "freedom" as:  "a state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement."  Webster goes into far greater detail with the word liberty which he breaks down into various sections, and the definition of civil liberty was interesting in the view of the need for restraint:  "Civil liberty is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation. A restraint of natural liberty not necessary or expedient for the public, is tyranny or oppression. civil liberty is an exemption from the arbitrary will of others, which exemption is secured by established laws, which restrain every man from injuring or controlling another. Hence the restraints of law are essential to civil liberty.  The liberty of one depends not so much on the removal of all restraint from him, as on the due restraint upon the liberty of others."

There is no one so free as the one who recognises God's authority and willingly submits to Him in faith and obedience.  The person who says what they want without restraint and justifies their words because they have "freedom of speech" can be bound by bitterness, resentment and pride.  The self-confident man who is free to do as he pleases without faith in Christ remains in spiritual bondage.  Jesus shocked His hearers when He spoke of freedom in John 8:31-36:  "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ³³ They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" ³⁴ Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Under Roman rule, there was a division between slave and free.  The Jews to whom Jesus spoke were free men and did not identify as slaves or being in bondage to anyone.  Jesus, who knows the hearts and minds of men, perceived the sins which enslaved each one.  In coming to earth and revealing Himself to be the Son of God and the Truth, Jesus gives those who believe in Him the confidence of being free from bondage to sin.  A slave under the Law of Moses served in bondage for a set season, and after serving their term it was possible they might accrue debts and be enslaved again.  Jesus provided atonement for sins once and for all on Calvary, and those made free by the Son would be free indeed.  The freedom from sin promised by God can be joyfully experienced even by prisoners with irons on their wrists and their feet in the stocks.

The one made free by faith in Jesus is forever free having submitted self to His rule as KING and High Priest.  Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."  All men are born in bondage to sin and are heading for eternal death, and Jesus is the One who can set us free and provide the abundant life marked by freedom found in surrender to God.  It is in choosing to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ  believers are granted freedom to enter the kingdom of God and serve Him.  Faith in Christ means freedom from fear, worry and youthful lusts; it is freedom to know and do what pleases God.  By grace we are given the right to be children of God, a privilege we cannot deserve or earn.  Let us rejoice in our Saviour and the freedom to experience the abundant and eternal life He provides free from sin.

Redemption Draws Near

It is ironic the scribes and Pharisees who were educated and knowledgeable concerning the scriptures, having their eyes opened to the wonder of God in His word, were blinded with unbelief concerning Jesus the Son of God.  When wise men came to Jerusalem from the east at the appearance of the star of the King of the Jews, Herod called the chief priests and demanded where the Christ should be born.  They correctly answered He would be born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, yet did not care to accompany the Gentile wise men to worship the babe who turned out to be Jesus Christ our LORD.  The wise men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy while the Herod, the chief priests and all Jerusalem were troubled.

Ironic responses are not limited to the Jewish rulers of ancient times, of course.  I have seen this play out in my own life and in the lives of other believers.  Having gained knowledge of God, His will and future events outlined in scripture, the most discerning believers can lose sight of our Saviour who redeems us, provides perfect peace and rest for our souls.  I don't know if it was the era, my church in particular or the teaching I was exposed to as a youth or just me, but for an extended season I was quite preoccupied with end-times events:  the rapture, the rise of the anti-christ, the mark of the beast, the advance of a one-world government and global currency.  It seemed if there was any news regarding world leaders gathering together at conferences it confirmed we were truly in the last days.  When earthquakes, wars and rumours of wars began to swirl, it again fed into a paranoia that led Christians to speculate about prophetic passages and worry about what was next as we hunkered down defensively.  Knowledge of prophesy grew to be an unhealthy obsession as, from a biblical perspective, the attention of many was turned from Jesus who we follow and instead focused on the wind and waves.  "As bad as things are, it's going to get worse," we would assure one another--as if knowing this made things better.

In response to questions from His disciples, Jesus spoke of future events yet to come.  Jesus warned them about falling prey to false messiahs who would claim the time of the end was near when it was not.  Nations would rise against nation and there would be famine, earthquakes and pestilence.  Believers would be persecuted, killed and brought before rulers and would be given opportunity to testify of Christ.  Jesus continued in Luke 21:25-28:  "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."  Wise is the one who discerns the signs of the times, but we can be foolish to have hearts that fail us when we ought to look up and lift up our heads because our redemption draws nigh.  Ironic, isn't it, that the redeemed of the LORD can faint when we know our Redeemer lives and we will one day see Him in glory?  We are not to fear the shaking of the earth and the powers of heaven when our eyes are on the Son of Man Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour who will redeem us.

When faced with the departure of Jesus before His crucifixion the disciples were sorrowful, and Jesus assured them in John 16:22, "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you."  Jesus followed up in John 16:32-33:  "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  In a world full of conflict that longs for peace, Jesus provides peace even in tribulation.  He would be soon abandoned by frightened disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, yet He was not alone because God the Father was with Him.  Jesus told of future conflicts, separation and tribulation not so they would steel their minds and bodies to fight against it, but to be joyful because He has overcome the world.  The powerful forces of spiritual wickedness and humanity were not neutralised but already conquered by His glorious power and strength.

Instead of worrying how our little world or the whole world is spinning out of control, we are to lift our eyes and heads because we know our redemption draws near.  We have been given joy by faith in Jesus nothing can rob from us because our Saviour Jesus has overcome.  God forbid we should rejoice in the news of devastating wars, earthquakes, pestilence or persecution of believers, yet these are not harbingers of doom to be dreaded:  they are signs and reminders our redemption draws closer with every passing day.  Lift up your head, believer, and turn your eyes to Jesus with joy today, our Redeemer who has purchased us as His own with His own blood on Calvary.  The Man of sorrows who suffered for us has spoken to us and provided peace and joy in the knowledge of Him we can rest in today and always.

God's Wondrous Blessings

Today I went to the nearby drive-in testing centre because my place of work is more than 5km from my home, and this has become routine of late.  ABC radio teased an upcoming program that encouraged people to "get back to nature" and experience the "spiritual" benefits of connecting with the land.  There is much the secular calls spiritual I have no desire to connect with, but if what is meant is the appreciation and awe of God for His awesome creation, I agree.  The glory of God is seen in the heavens and on the earth, and knowing what we see and experience is a revelation of His creative genius fills us with adoration for the greatness of our God whose ways are past finding out.

As I sat in my car with the window open, waiting for my turn to be swabbed, a leaf from a gumtree dropped inside the cabin.  I picked up the slender leaf of a deep purple colour with a light green vein that ran down the centre.  The leaf was cool, dry and flexible as I twisted it gently in my hands.  To think this leaf was not only beautiful but functional to help a tree utilise the light of the sun for the process of photosynthesis is remarkable.  For some reason this leaf fluttered down from a towering height into my car and I held a little bit of nature in my hands as I stared and wondered over the amazing and awesome Creator who devised such living things.

When I was a kid I would souvenir leaves, cover them with a piece of white paper, and gently run a pencil over the entire surface of the leaf to make a copy.  I could not draw a leaf on my own, much less conceive to design a living, functional leaf or tree!  This is what God does, and much more besides.  He says of people created in the image of God who fear Him and meditate in His law day and night in Psalm 1:3:  "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."  Evergreen trees naturally shed their leaves, yet the believer in God has the promise of fruitfulness and prosperity in doing what God created us to do:  to know, trust and grow in His grace and bring Him glory.

Getting back to nature may have great benefits, but nothing compares with turning our hearts to the LORD in worship and thanksgiving.  The heavens declare the glory of God, and a small leaf was a reminder to prompt me to worship God and share His goodness with you.  Isn't our God marvelous who does all things well, the Almighty who causes blessings to drop down upon us by His grace?

Anger and Me

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

Hebrews 4:14-15

Every person alive knows what it feels like to be angry.  Frustration at failure, feeling picked on or making mistakes can result in a white-hot rage that makes the blood boil.  Releasing this anger through words or throwing things does nothing to calm us within and leads to more regrettable behaviour than our excuse for it.  We would like to claim all our anger is a result of justifiable righteous indignation, yet no one but God can rightly make this claim.  It is not a sin to be angry, yet when we justify remaining angry it always results in sin.

Ephesians 4:26-27 says, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil."  When we justify sinful anger we open ourselves up to follow in the proud footsteps of Satan rather than our great High Priest Jesus Christ who sympathises with our weaknesses, was in all points tempted, and He remained without sin.  In the moment of anger we imagine no one could possibly feel as angry as we do and thus justify us taking action accordingly.  The writer of Hebrews said we ought to hold fast our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, having put off the corrupt ways of living and thinking which mark the unregenerate and then, as Ephesians 4:23-24 says, "...be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Walking in holiness is not living with a serene smile plastered on your face without experiencing feelings like anger or grief.  To the contrary:  before we were born again we were without feeling--without godly conviction of sinful boasting, anger, greediness and uncleanness.  After being born again by faith in Jesus we now have a heart of flesh that enables us to learn to feel, think and order our lives after true righteousness and holiness, not self-confidence and pride.  People who once were marked with the character trait of being easily angered can by God's grace and wisdom be slow to anger and be longsuffering by personal transformation through the Gospel.  No self-help book or seminar can change you from what you are.  It is by acknowledging our sin in light of God's righteousness and repentance God changes us and gives us wisdom not to give place to the devil through anger.

Like greed, anger cannot be satisfied.  All the rage man unleashes upon others and himself will provide rest for his troubled soul nor free him of bondage to pride and folly.  Praise the LORD Jesus understands how we feel even when we are at our angriest, and He remains without sin.  This proves He is able to help us walk wisely and uprightly, to experience feelings of anger without sin because He has provided atonement for us.  God asked Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry?"  May our hearts be humbled at this question and repent because most times the honest answer is, "No.  I'm angry because I am all about me."

God Writes on Hearts

Last night some people from Calvary Chapel Sydney and myself enjoyed a Bible study of the passage in John 8 when a woman was brought to Jesus as He was teaching in the temple.  The woman, caught in the act of adultery, was hauled before Jesus and those He taught by the scribes and Pharisees in an attempt to undermine His popularity and expose Him as the fraud they believed Him to be.  Ignoring the protocols and due process of the Law of Moses, they demanded Jesus weigh in:  "Moses said she ought to be stoned:  what do you say?"  Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground as if He did not hear them.

Jesus remained calm and poised despite their hypocritical demands.  John 8:7-9 reads, "So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." ⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst."  The Law already condemned adultery as sin so Jesus did not need to make a judgment in the matter.  He turned the tables on the accusers of the woman because their sins were as great as hers and they added to their hypocrisy in their unjust treatment of her.  One by one the accusers, having heard the words of Jesus and being convicted by their conscience, went out from the assembly.

As we discussed last night, there has been much speculation about what Jesus wrote.  If it had been critical to our understanding of the passage, I believe it would have been included for us.  What came to mind is the God who wrote with His finger on tablets of stone stooped before them and wrote in the dust, and in doing so alluded to His divinity.  Man was created by God from the dust of the ground and breathed into Him a living soul, and this same God has given each person a conscience.  He is the One who writes His laws on our hearts and brings about conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment by the Holy Spirit.  Each man was convicted by his own conscience, and by walking away acknowledged their own sin before God.

God had already written what was sinful according to the Law and the woman and her accusers walked contrary to it:  was it necessary for Him to write again what He had already written twice?  After Moses received the 10 Commandments on tablets of stone he threw them down because the people immediately broke them, and he later ascended the mount to receive new ones written by the finger of God.  Jesus came to fulfill the Law and went beyond it, revealing sin the letter of the Law could not address within the hearts and minds of people:  the Law dealt with behaviour and God looks at the heart.  Jesus promised to give the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to those who believe on Him as God made flesh, and Hebrews 10:15-17 reveals, "But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ¹⁶ "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," ¹⁷ then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Praise God for His mercy and grace towards us, who has given us a conscience that helps us to acknowledge our sin so we can be delivered from the accusations of the devil and the condemnation of Law.  Those who are born again by faith in Jesus Christ have a sure foundation for our feet and are guided to walk in truth and righteousness.  All glory to God who gives us new hearts!

God Prepares People

As long as we live on this planet we can have legitimate concerns and criticisms, but it is important followers of Jesus Christ are not distracted from God and His goodness.  Too much focus on what is wrong with the world or our lives can rob us of fellowship with God and drain us of praise and thanksgiving God is worthy to receive in every season of life.

When Hezekiah ascended to the throne in Jerusalem, he faced many great challenges.  The nation was spiritually in a dreadful state, having been ruined by their departure from the LORD in the pursuit of idols.  The people were defeated in battles, suffered enormous casualties and the temple, king's house and princes were plundered by enemies.  The priests and Levites had neglected their duties:  the temple doors were shut, the lamps unlit, the altar without fire and the temple was reduced to being basically a rubbish tip.  In spite of all that seemed against him, Hezekiah brought the priests and Levites together and urged them to sanctify themselves, cleanse the temple and serve the Most High once again.

After they sanctified themselves to serve, the priests and Levites went into the temple and spent eight days carrying out rubbish and disposing of it.  They cleansed the house of the LORD, the altar, the table of showbread and all the vessels.  All had been prepared for offering sacrifices unto the LORD and to make atonement for all the sins of the people. The trumpets sounded, the congregation worshiped, and the singers sang praises to the LORD.  However when it came time to offer sacrifices, freewill and burnt offerings 2 Chronicles 29:34-36 says:  "But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests. ³⁵ Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. ³⁶ Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly."

If I had been Hezekiah, it occurred to me that the great day of rejoicing and praising of God could have been marred in my eyes by the lack of preparation of the priests.  Notice that even though the priests were too few, God had prepared diligent Levites to sanctify themselves to serve in the place of negligent priests.  The hiccup of unprepared priests had been already met by the almighty God who prepared people  in advance to serve, and the king and people all rejoiced in what God had done.  In a short time the shroud of darkness was replaced with the burning lamps, the cold altar burned hot with sacrifices, the temple mount was filled with worshipers, servants and the air filled with praise unto God.  Negligent priests or their lack of preparation did not take the shine off God that day, and He remains glorious and good now and forever.

Our lives will provide the answer to this question:  will we worship and praise God for His grace and goodness, or will our joy and gratitude be soured by the faults or negligence of others?  Praise the LORD He prepares and sanctifies sinners to serve Him suddenly as needs arise, and atonement has been provided for our souls by His grace.  In Him we ought to rejoice always.

Running to Finish

Lately I've been watching the Olympic coverage on television, and there are always memorable moments of the ecstasy of victory and the bitterness of defeat.  It is remarkable to consider the dedication, drive and ability to compete at a high level and to execute disciplines when the pressure is on.  I imagine athletes on a global stage face incredible pressure from themselves, the watching eyes and the expectations placed upon them to perform.

A difficult thing to witness is when officials deem a runner in a track event to be guilty of a false start.  Runners are usually aware they are the culprit during a nervous wait while officials convene to confirm the fault, and then one official walks in front of the runner's lane and holds up a card that disqualifies them from further competition in that event at the Olympic games.  Think of it!  A lifetime of training and hard work by a person gifted with athleticism beyond their fellow countrymen can be snuffed out in a moment by eagerness to start well.  For those who false start at the Olympic games, it is another four long years to wait for an opportunity to qualify to represent a nation in an event at the Olympics.

In a race where all competitors are deemed to have had a fair start, there can be only one winner.  To be an Olympian and to even make the final race are enormous accomplishments of themselves worthy of recognition.  But to make it to the Olympics and be disqualified before a race begins and thus be denied a chance to compete is tragic indeed.  A world-class runner is recognised by fair play according to the rules of the games, and Paul sought to avoid disqualification in his spiritual race according to the Gospel of grace in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:  "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Olympians compete for medals of gold, silver and bronze for successfully completing the race, and Paul looked for an enduring prize of infinite value that could not be stolen, lost or sold on eBay:  an imperishable crown received from Jesus.  The issue was not of a false start but the risk of veering from the course or not finishing at all.  If people are willing to subject their bodies to strict diet, training and competition with the chance to medal in the Olympics, believers should we disciplined in our eating, drinking, speaking and liberties with the aim of subjecting ourselves to the example of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit because God has qualified us for eternal glory.  Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:5, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Olympians must be subject to the international rules of their sport and the Olympic officials to qualify for a final or win a medal, and all believers are called to be subject to our Saviour Jesus Christ and one another in love and humility.  Our steps are not governed by lines drawn around a track but faith in God led by the Holy Spirit according to the God's word.  By God's grace believers can one day say with Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."  Runners who stumbled and fell on the track during a race have sprung to their feet and continued on to victory, and may we show the heart and resilience to follow Jesus in like manner.

The Unwritten Sin

Noting the context of scripture passages is most helpful in interpreting and applying the word of God personally.  Verses that have been commonly repeated and hackneyed can have fresh meaning infused into them by simple observation.  The truth doesn't change, but taking time to consider and meditate on God's word begins to change us.

The second part of Numbers 32:23 has become a stand-alone maxim spoken by Moses:  "Be sure your sin will find you out."  This is true, for no sin remains hidden before the holy Judge of all the earth before all will someday stand.  The entire verse shows this statement was prompted by a preceding conversation.  The entire verse reads, "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out."  The context shows Moses addressed the men of Reuben and Gad who requested their inheritance be given to them on the east side of the Jordan.

Initially Moses rebuked the men as sinners who discouraged others because he thought they were not going to cross the Jordan at all!  The men of Reuben and Gad assured Moses they would cross over the Jordan with the rest of the congregation to fight so all Israel could enter into the inheritance promised them by the LORD.  Only after their brethren had driven out the inhabitants of the land would they return to their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.  Numbers 32:20-23 reads, "Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, ²¹ and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²² and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. ²³ But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out."

It is insightful the sin referred to in context was not a sin written in the Law of Moses, but was a sin of omission--the sin of not doing what they promised to do.  While we are rightly concerned to avoid doing what God calls sin and choosing to walk uprightly in obedience to Christ, this warning of Moses speaks to words we have spoken and promises we have made that we have neglected to fulfill.  The words of the children of Reuben and Gad spoken before men were also uttered before God, and He would see them follow through.  Reading these words impacted me deeply and moved me to consider my ways.  This passage shows me one need not make a vow to have words that are binding before God, and we can be sure our sin will find us out.

Declaring War

Renters in Australia can be subject to quarterly inspections by the realtor that manages the property.  This was a useful prompting for our household to engage in deeper regular cleaning than we might be inclined.  We made it our aim to begin preparing for an inspection days beforehand to ensure everything went smoothly.  I remember another renting family complain of the strictness of their inspector who even reached up under the range hood over the stove and complained it was slightly sticky.  "Who even does that?" said the incredulous renter.  While I felt sympathetic towards our fellow renter, it also reminded me how God does a much more thorough spiritual inspection of our hearts.  His eyes not only observe our words and deeds on the outside, but He is intimately acquainted with our thoughts, motives and hearts.

This week at Calvary Chapel Sydney we considered the statement from James 4:6:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This word "resist" means to put in battle array against, for pride is truly a declaration of war upon God He rallies to oppose.  Let us never imagine our God who is patient, compassionate and merciful will allow His beloved children to be lifted up with pride without negative consequences, for the soul that does so works toward their own ruin.  The word of God and conviction of the Holy Spirit is like a lily-white glove swept over a heart that exposes the filth of pride we cannot see ourselves and reveals our need to repent.  God sent an unclean spirit to chastened king Saul for his pride, struck king Uzziah with leprosy for presumptuously offering incense in the temple (who became angry when confronted by courageous priests for his transgression), and He also struck king Nebuchadnezzar with madness for 7 years.

God could have wiped Nebuchadnezzar off the earth for his transgression of pride, yet he restored his kingdom, reason and glory to him.  After being humbled by God, the king of Babylon concluded in Daniel 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."  Those who humble themselves in the sight of the LORD, confessing their pride when it is exposed, mourn their sin and repent, by God's grace He will lift them up.  Those who continue to be lifted up in pride without repentance can expect in due time to be cast down--even people with genuine faith in God.  The scripture provides ample evidence of this fact, and I also know this by personal experience.  Pride is a root cause of almost every work of the flesh, and the wise are not exempt from this malady.  God's wisdom is displayed by humbling ourselves when we are made aware of pride by confessing and mourning it in repentance.  Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Solomon exposed pride as the major cause of all contention in Proverbs 13:10:  "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom."  To justify pride is to double-down against God and always creates conflict, drama and fights.  The proud are self-assured, justify themselves and their angry reactions like Uzziah, but the wise learn what Nebuchadnezzar did:  when we humble ourselves in the sight of the LORD, He will lift us up.  Pride comes before a fall and leads to strife that can be avoided by the one who walks in the meekness of wisdom.  We do not humble ourselves hoping to be exalted, but because God is exalted and worthy of all honour and praise.  Declaring war on our pride keeps us from declaring war on God by being lifted up by it.