Appointment to Wrath

A myth Christians do well to dispel is that God's people will never experience the wrath of God.  While it is true Christians will not experience the wrath of God for eternity, the Bible is filled with instances of God's wrath coming upon His own people to correct, refine and draw them to Himself.  We see this in God's dealings with Judah under the rule of wicked King Ahaz in 2 Chronicles 28, and God nor His ways have changed.  As Psalm 7:11 says, "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day."  God's judgment and wrath is not devoid of love, grace and mercy, for He suffers long and is kind; God warns and shows restraint in His administration of justice as when a father disciplines his beloved child for good.

People might wonder, "But I thought the Bible says Christians are not appointed to wrath."  That is true, but Paul wrote that in the context of eternal salvation in contrast to everlasting damnation.  Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11:  "Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."  It is a comfort to know God's chastening of us and correction for our sin is not for our destruction but for edification, purification and sanctification.  This passage does not teach we can do no wrong as God's children when we sin.  A loving parent can be moved to anger by foolish and sinful choices of a rebellious son, and because God loves us He will take appropriate action to warn, teach and judge us righteously.

A passage in the Old Testament illustrates both God's wrath against sin in His people as well as our need to do as Jesus taught--to judge ourselves lest we be judged.  Ahaz reigned in Judah and his wicked, idolatrous ways were likened to the kings of Israel.  Due to the sins of Ahaz and his people, God delivered Judah in to the hands of the Syrians and the northern kingdom of Israel who slaughtered valiant men of Judah and Benjamin.  Great spoil and captives of Judah were taken to Samaria with the aim to enslave them.  2 Chronicles 28:9-11 reads, "But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven. ¹⁰ And now you propose to force the children of Judah and Jerusalem to be your male and female slaves; but are you not also guilty before the LORD your God? ¹¹ Now hear me, therefore, and return the captives, whom you have taken captive from your brethren, for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you."

Because of the sins of Judah God delivered them into the hands of Israel, and in executing God's judgment the malice and rage of the Israelites reached up to heaven.  The prophet Oded confronted Israel for their own faults, for they were not innocent themselves.  God's fierce wrath was upon them for adding to their sin God had punished Judah for!  By God's grace there were wise men among them who agreed with the word of the LORD through the prophet and responded in 2 Chronicles 28:13:  "...You shall not bring the captives here, for we already have offended the LORD. You intend to add to our sins and to our guilt; for our guilt is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."  In humbling themselves before God in repentance, the great wrath of God was turned away for a season.  They judged God to be righteous and themselves to be guilty of great sin, and the people responded by obedience to God and showed kindness to their brethren by providing for their needs and sending them home.

Paul wrote to believers in Ephesians 5:5-7:  "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them."  Knowing Jesus died to cleanse us from sin and reconcile us to God, Christians ought not to be partakers of sin like the people of Judah and Israel were.  The end result of God's wrath is different for the believer and unbeliever, for one is refined as precious gold while the other is consumed as chaff.  Christians are not permanently appointed to wrath as those who rebel against God, yet should we rebel against God a brief appointment with God's wrath can be booked in because He loves us and desires to further sanctify us according to His wisdom.

Verses like Romans 5:9 ought to be balanced and put in perspective by others like Romans 1:18.  Romans 5:9 says concerning born-again Christians, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."  Romans 1:18 also says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness..."  God has revealed Himself to us, the almighty God whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are higher than our ways.  We cannot fathom all God does, plans and accomplishes through the administration of His righteous wrath and judgments, but we can know God and His ways are good.  What we can do by God's grace is to respond in humility to His correction, confess our sin and repent, and praise God we are not appointed to wrath forever.  Even should His wrath burn against us for a season, it will never be malicious or murderous.  Rather than only being content to escape God's wrath forever, shouldn't we live in a godly way in which He is well-pleased today?

Pillar or Pendulum?

King Uzziah, the father of Jotham, transgressed by burning incense to God in the temple at Jerusalem--something only sanctified priests were permitted to do by the Law of Moses.  Lifted up with pride, Jotham went beyond his station as king and brought judgment upon himself from God who struck him with leprosy.  His condition prevented him from continuing to rule as he did previously, and being a leper became more a defining feature of his reign than his feats of engineering, warfare and husbandry.  He did what was right in the eyes of God generally speaking, but his sin led to a great fall.  Jotham noticed this and took note.

2 Chronicles 27:2 provides an interesting detail concerning the reign of Jotham:  "And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah had done (although he did not enter the temple of the LORD). But still the people acted corruptly."  Jotham prepared his heart to walk in God's ways and took care to avoid the sin committed by his father who went into the holy place and burned incense on the altar.  Some people have blamed God for judgments He has administered or troubles He allowed, but Jotham did not do so.  The people continued to live corruptly, but he was not swayed by them either.  He did not walk in the sins of his father or the people, and it is most commendable how Jotham remained faithful to God.

If you ever observed a pendulum swinging in a clock or the Foucault Pendulum at the Griffith Observatory, the pendulum goes from one side to the other.  The place it pauses, ever so slightly, is at the most extreme range of its movement.  I have observed this movement to align with typical responses in people, to swing to the opposite extreme than to remain in a central and stable position.  Some who are raised by overbearing parents can rebel against them, and others who had few boundaries are pleased to enforce many.  I imagine there are people, who if their father had been stricken by leprosy from God, would have bailed on God entirely as if God was to blame.  Maybe they would have stayed as far away from the temple precinct, worried they too might be struck with leprosy if they sinned in some obscure manner.  As the passage is rendered in the NKJV, it seems Jotham still worshipped God publicly in the temple courts but did not enter the holy place in the temple as his father did.

2 Chronicles 27:6 says, "So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God."  We do well to follow Jotham's example of faith and obedience to God, who prepared his heart and ways before the LORD his God.  He was not influenced to do evil by his father's proud example, nor did he reject God in anger as a untrustworthy tyrant for putting his father in his place.  Jotham was also not swayed by numbers of corrupt people and remained steadfast in faith.  How many people, I wonder, would have been like a pendulum in Jotham's situation rather than an immoveable pillar given the sinful, swirling influences all around.  In an effort to oppose or push back on what is wrong we can go too far, swinging like a pendulum away from balance in the middle by faith in Christ where righteousness, truth, grace, love and mercy meet.

Good that Never Ends

While driving yesterday, I read a sign that faced a busy intersection that announced the sale of property was almost over.  It read, "All good things must come to an end."  That was not the first time I heard that quote, and it dawned on me from a worldly perspective it was true.  One could debate if that particular sale of property was a good thing, but the world and all the things in it and of it are passing away.  Where the statement falls down completely is in relation to God and what is of God, for He is good without beginning or end.  Jesus identified Himself as the first and the last, the beginning and the end--not to suggest He has an end, for no timeline can contain or restrict His eternal, immortal attributes.

What Jesus said in Luke 21:33 is repeated several times in the Gospels:  "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  The word of God is timeless, good and will never come to an end.  God's word, even when fulfilled, remains a relevant, true and powerful declaration of God who is, was and will ever be.  Those who trust in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life will never die, even when their earthly bodies breathe their last (John 11:25).  It is written in 1 John 2:17, "And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."  The good and abundant life Jesus gives us will never come to an end.

One thing I love about God's word is it is not a relic, fading words hidden away in dusty tomes.  Everything God said and says is in full force and powerful to instruct, convict, encourage and save.  Recently in Australia there was discussion around a possible "disinformation" or "misinformation" bill, that a government agency would be employed to determine what is true and false and to hold people accountable for intentionally misleading others.  Fraught with grave danger of overreach with opponents warning of potential Orwellian impacts and highly unpopular, the bill was scrapped.  But this desire to "control the narrative" extends beyond the government.  We who believe the word of God is true are on guard against theological heresies as well as humanistic distortions of the Gospel that fundamentally change it to no longer be the Gospel.

In Jeremiah 23, God spoke of dreamers and prophets who did not speak for Him but from their own hearts.  They passed off their own ideas as divinely inspired, yet God was not at all threatened by their folly.  God said in Jeremiah 23:28-29:  "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  Though they grow together, the stalk of wheat is nothing like the grain that contains nutrition and potential for life.  Plant chaff or straw and it will not grow; plant grain and it will produce life.  God compared His word to fire that immediately consumes chaff, like a hammer that fulfills its designed purpose to break rocks in pieces.  God's word will always accomplish His will in giving it (Isaiah 55:11).  It will always, eternally accomplish what God pleases and will prosper for His purposes.

In this world all good things do come to an end, but we can know God, His word and His good purposes will endure forever without fail.  People come and go, they say this and that.  The best among men are only here for a short season, and the good they do will be forgotten, unappreciated or undone.  But God's word will by no means pass away, and he who does the will of God abides forever.  God is eternal, and His word is living and powerful to continue doing His work and perfect will.  Praise God He is good and will never come to an end!

Giving More Grace

God has given every human being a unique personality and perspective.  Because patience is a fruit of the Spirit of God, it follows not one of us is naturally patient like God is.  There are likely many things that cause us to quickly run out of patience, grow frustrated, or we refuse to tolerate.  A person can be very patient towards a stray dog that lashes out when being fed but will not extend grace to their own spouse or child because they should know better.  We can be more gracious to unbelievers in rebellion against God than a sinning brother or sister in Christ because we expect them to do better.  Whether we are quick to run out of patience or are able to endure for a long season, our patience has an end.

We are blessed God is good and gracious, that He is always longsuffering and kind.  He is not at all like us, full of limitations, and our kindness is more of an exception rather than an unalterable rule.  James wrote of God's grace to believers in in James 4:4-6:  "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? ⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  Married couples who desire a monogamous relationship are not pleased or tolerant with their spouse committing adultery.  To willingly enter into the covenant of marriage and then seek other lovers would rightly be seen as unacceptable.  In a very direct way, James rebuked believers for their quarrels, lusts and love of the world that brought conflict in their relationships with one another and also provoked God to jealousy for their misguided affections and desires.

Jesus taught adultery is a matter of the heart the Law of Moses could not fully address.  It must have shocked Jewish hearers of Jesus who were versed in the Law when He said even looking at a woman with lust was as sinful as sleeping with her!  In God's eyes, adultery with the woman had already been committed because of the wayward heart.  If we were to apply this principle with friendship of the world--the love of money, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life--it is apparent we have been guilty of spiritual adultery because we have not always valued or loved God as much as what we can see, obtain and experience.  Yet what was God's response all those times?  "But He gives more grace."  Though God is righteous and jealous for our love, trust and obedience, even after knowing this we have not always responded by faithfulness to Him.  We have put our trust in ourselves, in others and looked for hope in things other than God--even as an unfaithful spouse casts a wistful glance or seeks attention from others they find attractive.

God gives more grace, and He continues to be gracious despite our proclivity to unfaithfulness.  Like a good shepherd cares for the sheep of his flock, God convicts of us sin, pursues us, speaks gently to us and accepts us despite our foolishness.  It is important we realise grace is undeserved favour from God the humble are enabled by God to receive.  God resists the proud, and this resistance is also a revelation of God's grace.  God could destroy the proud without remedy in a moment, but He resists them so they might see their need for Him.  He gives grace to the humble--not because they are worthy or have earned the right to such grace--but out of His goodness and kindness demonstrated to all people.  Rather than being those who withhold grace from others until they show themselves worthy, let us be as God who gives more grace.  And when we have given grace, let us give more grace we humbly receive by faith from the inexhaustible stores of our Father in heaven.

Be At Peace

The Bible is filled with life situations that provide encouraging illustrations for God's people who trust in Him.  In this way God's word is living and powerful to provide guidance that shifts our focus from troubles to the LORD, from what is unknown to God who knows us, and from what is totally out of our control to submit to the sovereign God who does everything.  During our lives we regularly arrive at the crossroads of needing to choose if we will lean on our own understanding or rely upon the LORD for all things.

I was recently struck by an important decision of King Jehoshaphat after he became king.  Prior to him, his fathers made building cities and fortifying them a high priority.  Rehoboam, Abijah, and Asa were involved in extensive efforts to capture cities and they constructed walls, towers and secure gates.  These building projects were wise and circumspect, good stewardship of resources to provide security for the people.  Jehoshaphat did not neglect the security of the land, for he added garrisons of armed soldiers in all the cities.  Yet Jehoshaphat took steps to address the spiritual insecurity and waywardness of the people--something walls, towers, gates and armed soldiers could not address.

In the third year of Jehoshaphat's reign, he sent leaders and priests throughout the region to teach his subjects the Law of God.  2 Chronicles 17:9-11 says, "So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people."  See what happened after the people were taught of their God in 2 Chronicles 17:10-11:  "And the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats."  When Jehoshaphat made teaching of God's word a priority with an aim to obey it, God was an infinitely greater defence and refuge for His people than walls and gates.  The fear of God on neighbouring countries was so great they did not dare attack, and some even brought gifts!  Walls, gates and armies did not deter or prevent attacks like God did.

God's people are wise to look to Him rather than relying on themselves or resources for strength and security.  We must decide if we are going to invest our efforts in fortifying earthly security that can be bypassed, ignored or prove inadequate or if we will build our lives on the rock-solid foundation of Jesus Christ and His word.  The words of Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6 are timeless truth for all God's people to heed:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  When we are walking in step with God like Jehoshaphat, we will see the principle held forth in Proverbs 16:7 fulfilled:  "When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."  Even when troubles arise, we need not be troubled because our God is with us--the Prince of Peace.

The Wise and Foolish Exam

"Better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will be admonished no more."

Ecclesiastes 4:13

It is said that with age comes wisdom, and this certainly can be true.  It is also true that a good and wise king can make foolish decisions and be unwilling to be instructed or corrected.  A king is in a position of great power and influence, yet life experience and political savvy is no substitute for wisdom that only comes from God.  Only those who maintain a humble posture in faith before the LORD will be divinely enabled to walk in wisdom.

A wise youth and a foolish king both at times need to be admonished, for there is no man who does not sin.  It is not primarily the absence of sin that marks the wise or foolish person but their response to instruction and correction reveals their hearts truly.  Proverbs 1:7 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."  Fools are revealed in their disdain to be instructed or corrected, for it is an affront to their pride and conceit.  As Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise."  Unlike a fool, the wise will receive rebuke and repent of sin as it is written in Proverbs 17:10:  "Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool."  When disciplinary action is ineffective to address behaviour, it is not the discipline that is the problem but the person who stubbornly refuses to amend their ways.

Consider the difference between the ways scoffers (who fall into the foolish category) and the wise and how they respond to correction, rebuke and instruction in Proverbs 9:7-9 says, "He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, and he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. ⁸ Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning."  It is good for us to ask ourselves:  when admonished or rebuked, does our love for that person increase or do we hate them?  Our hatred is exposed when we realise hatred means to love less, to be more apt to avoid and ignore a person rather than include them and have an inclination toward helping them.

Solomon's proverb suggests there was a time when a king would accept correction and be admonished, but a day came when he became lifted up with pride, was full of himself and indignation:  he was king!  How dare anyone speak to him in this manner?  Was he so inept and foolish he needed instruction?  If his thoughts were along these lines, a wise man would experience conviction of the Holy Spirit and identify the foolish plague of pride in his own heart that must be confessed and repented of as sin.  God can use a foolish youth to rebuke and correct a wise old king.  Let us not miss the message God speaks to us because of the brashness or folly of His messenger.  Believers, as we grow older may we remain as that poor and wise youth, for God promises the poor in spirit the kingdom of God.

Distinguishing God's Service

Many Christians who have come to faith in God through Jesus look at the Law of Moses as ridiculously complex and burdensome--even unnecessary due to the Gospel.  It would be unwise to hold to this view, especially since the lawgiver Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Since God does not change, this was true for the Jews who kept the Law of Moses by comparison to all other masters to whom they bound themselves.  As keeping God's commandments was His will for His people, He was always faithful to help them walk in His ways.  No man ever kept the Law perfectly because no man (except Christ) is perfect.

The children of Israel toiled under cruel taskmasters in Egypt and they groaned to God in bondage.  They were forced to bake bricks and build cities while Pharaoh decided to slaughter their male children in the river because they had grown strong.  God delivered His people from their crushing burdens and gave them His Laws.  He was the generous provider of all they sacrificed and offered to the LORD, and He made a covenant with them to bless them.  God gave them freedom in His service and did not force them to do anything, and He was gracious to warn them of consequences should they rebel and sin.  Sin was a more brutal dictator than the Egyptians ever were, for the soul that sins will surely die.  There is no escape possible from the sinful plagues of the heart that bind a man body, mind and soul except through the atonement God provided graciously in His covenant.

After the Hebrews were established in the land of promise, they asked Samuel to anoint a king over them who would go before them and fight their battles like all the other nations, God directed Samuel to warn the people what they were asking for.  The king who would rule over them would not rule them gently as God did.  Saul would tax them heavily, take their daughters to be his bakers and their sons to fight in his wars.  In asking for a human king they were requesting someone they would need to support and would be dependant upon their provision.  This was not the case with God as King, for He is not dependant on anyone; He is a provider, protector and fights His people's battles without needing weapons or an army.  Unlike human kings, God is not self-serving, proud, unjust or oppressive.  Serving the LORD according to His Law was a lighter load than what Saul would require of them.

Another example of how serving God is different than serving idols, men or ourselves is seen during the reign of Rehoboam in Jerusalem.  Having been established in his kingdom, Rehoboam forsook the Law of the LORD and God allowed Shishak of Egypt to plunder him.  God sent a prophet to instruct Rehoboam that his rebellion against God was the cause of his defeat, and he and his people humbled themselves before God.  2 Chronicles 12:7-8 says, "Now when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. ⁸ Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations."  God allowed the people of Judah to serve Shishak to learn to distinguish his service from the service of other kingdoms.  For three years they served the LORD with gladness, and when they rebelled from God the heavy yoke of Shishak was placed on them--a much heavier yoke that left them weak, plundered, facing threats of retribution, fears and worries. 

If we feel serving God is a heavy burden and difficult chore, remember the other yokes that dragged us down over the years and rendered us helpless and hopeless to deliver ourselves--sins, addictions, pride, people-pleasing and selfishness.  It is true what Jesus says, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  In His service we discover peace in Him and rest for our souls.  There is joy and gladness in knowing God is with us, helps us, and loves us with an everlasting love.  The apostle writes of the new covenant in 1 John 5:3:  "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."  Those who love Jesus will keep His commandments, to love the LORD and one another as Jesus loves us.  Christ's yoke is easy and His burden is light because He lifts us up and fills us with the Holy Spirit.  He provides divine resources of wisdom, strength and understanding to do God's will, and He is faithful.  God's desire is we would learn to depend upon Him entirely, distinguish His service from all others, and delight to serve Him with gladness.

God's Completed Wrath

I was encouraged while reading Revelation 15 when John observed seven angels parading plagues out of the temple of God in heaven.  Each of them was given a bowl that was filled with the wrath of God that would be a manifest judgment of God through the plague poured out.  It struck me how these plagues came from God and were intended to accomplish His perfect will at the right time.  Though we cannot see a plague as a good thing in itself, knowing God is wise, sovereign and good moves us to worship God when He administers judgment and wrath.

It occurred to me I have often expressed gratitude and praise to God that He is just, but I have neglected to worship God for His wrath He has revealed and will one day pour out bowl after bowl.  Because God is good and righteous, every judgment He makes and action He takes is upright and good.  His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and thus it is faith in God that enables us to thank and praise God like the martyrs, psalmists and children of God for His righteous judgments.  When a judge on earth pronounces a judgment and sentence, we have opinions whether "justice" was served or not.  But we must realise God is not at all like a judge under law and guided by precedent:  He is the lawgiver and the law is beneath Him.  He is not beholden to any law like a human judge, for He is also KING OF KINGS.

In the seven plagues carried by the angels, God's wrath was complete.  It is awesome God's love, grace and mercy have no bounds, and this is revealed by His choice to restrain and limit His wrath.  In light of God's wrath martyrs for the sake of Christ in the Great Tribulation will sing:  "...Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! ⁴ Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." (Rev. 15:3-4)  Those people who refuse to draw near to God at the revelation of divine love through Jesus Christ on Calvary may indeed be moved by the manifestation of His judgments in wrath.  The glorified believers do no wring their hands at the prospect of the devastation and destruction that will result, but worship the LORD God Almighty for His great and marvelous works and His ways that are just and true.  Nations will come and worship God because He is in Himself glorious and worthy, able to do what we cannot.

The song of Moses ends in Deuteronomy 32:43:  "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."  The wise who fear God are called to worship and rejoice in God who will avenge the blood of His servants, render vengeance upon His enemies, and provide atonement for the land and His people.  If we will praise God He is just, that He is loving and merciful, we also can praise Him for the righteous administration of His wrath in judgment.  The trusting soul delights to do this, for God does all things perfectly in righteousness.  Praise the LORD for His wrath, and that one day it will be completely finished.

Building Our Lives Right

Yesterday during a Bible study at church, our group briefly discussed 1 Corinthians 3:11-13:  "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is."  More important than a structure itself is that it is built securely upon a foundation.  Our Bible study leader showed how Jesus took aim at hypocrites who focused on appearances and what could be seen by men whilst they neglected to put the teachings of the LORD Jesus into practice.  God looks at the heart--what is under the surface--and repenting of our hypocrisy, hearing and doing what Jesus says is the way to build our lives on a solid foundation.

A point that was made concerning the various building materials Paul mentioned was gold, silver, and precious stones are concealed underground and must be sought by mining while wood, hay and straw are found on the surface.  In the context of Paul's words, the issue at hand is the second group of three materials are all flammable, whilst gold, silver and precious stones can endure the fire.  Interestingly gold and silver can be purified by fire, and it is fire that will "test each one's work, of what sort it is."  Another contrast between the two groups of building materials is the second group is comprised of living things that are now dead and dried out.  Hebrews 9:14 suggests our need to have a conscience cleansed from "dead works to serve the living God" by the blood of Jesus, and good works are not able to pardon from sin or save a soul.  The first grouping is comprised of basic elements (some precious stones) that remain unchanged while the second group slowly will break down and decay into dust.

Paul explained how believers can choose the good foundation of Jesus Christ by the Gospel but build our lives poorly because our thoughts and ways are not His.  We do well to begin a relationship with God by faith in Jesus, but we can ignore or depart from His wisdom.  Christians are all given the choice and opportunity to use the precious materials supplied by God's grace to build a life that will endure by faith in God and His promises, repent of sin, to seek to cultivate godly character and motives to glorify our LORD, to embrace sound doctrine, and obedience to Jesus in the fear of God.  Since believers are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, He spiritually regenerates us to be fruitful, guides us into all truth, and helps us follow God's will and plans for our lives.  It is our responsibility to submit to His leading, believe God's word and receive encouragement.  God puts our lives to the test long before the final judgment as by fire, for God employs trials, conflicts and relationships to reveal our quality of character--whether it is like Christ or according to the ways of this world.

The only solid and enduring foundation for our lives is Jesus Christ who laid down His life for us, and the way we think, speak and live matters.  Let us be as wise master builders who choose to use quality materials to structure our lives--faith, hope and love--that will endure forever.  We also ought to consider what we adorn our lives with and what storage vessels are allowed to remain.  Paul explained in a great house there were vessels of gold and silver as well as wood and earth, vessels of honour and dishonour.  We are to purge our lives of error and godless chatter as 2 Timothy 2:21-23 affirms:  "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²² Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."  Holding fast to Jesus, fleeing from sin and pursuing what is good with fellow Christians is the way to build our lives and please God.

God Heeds Our Voice

Though God has all power, wisdom and majesty, He does not crush or trample the will of His subjects.  He does not resemble the cruel dictators who slaughter their own people as well as adversaries, whose closest advisors are only a small step from death due to their leader's suspicions they are as power-hungry as he is.  The history of Israel clearly reveals God was a King who listened to His people, and He allowed them to have their own way.  There would be consequences for forsaking Him and choosing to have a man rule over them as king, but God would not force anyone to submit to Him.  For men "might makes right," yet God is always right and mighty in His restraint and patience.

There came a day when the people of Israel approached Samuel and told him three things:  that he was old, his sons were not devout like him, and they wanted a king to rule over them like all the other nations.  It was at the third point Samuel bristled with indignation, and he brought his concerns to the LORD God in prayer.  1 Samuel 8:7-9 reads, "And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. ⁸ According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also. ⁹ Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them."

God's tone with Samuel and His people was not one of a self-serving tyrant but a kind and loving Father who desired the best for His children.  God told Samuel to heed the voice of the people in all they said, for God knew already the desire of their hearts before they mustered up the courage to say anything.  God said it was He who had been rejected, for the people had forsaken Him and served other gods.  Samuel was to heed their words but also warn them concerning the certain consequences of their decision.  God did not threaten them with what He would do, nor did He manipulate or bribe them by trying to win them to His side.  What more could God do when He already delivered them from slavery, defeated their enemies, provided for all their needs, gave them every blessing they enjoyed, protected them day and night, and made them fruitful in the land He gave them?  If they would not have God who is best and greatest, Samuel assured them they were in for a rude awakening.

When the people were unmoved by Samuel's warning of the great cost that would come with a king they currently enjoyed freely under God's rule by His grace, Samuel rehearsed the words of the people before the LORD.  1 Samuel 8:22 tells us, "So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."  The almighty God and KING heeded the voice of His people, and He does so for all people today.  Jesus Christ is the KING OF KINGS, and He invites all people to come to Him for salvation, eternal life and to find rest for our souls.  He will not force anyone to come to Him or receive Him by faith, and He has also clearly presented the consequences for rejecting Him:  departure into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his demons.  In this sense God does not send anyone to hell, for it is the sure destination for all sinners, as the souls who sin will surely die.  All who arrive in eternal torment do so because they have intentionally decided to ignore the warnings of Jesus, God's word and His people and go their own way and do their own thing.

It pains our loving God greatly, having shed His own blood to redeem and reconcile lost sinners to Himself, but He will heed each person's voice--and allow them reject Him.  People may refuse to  listen or respond in faith to the voice of the only Saviour Jesus, but God will heed their voice and allow the grave consequences of unbelief to bring death.  We are blessed God hears us and cares about what we think and feel.  All our concerns, worries and anxieties evaporate in His glorious love, mercy, power and sovereignty by faith in Him.  By faith in Jesus Christ the wise choose to heed Him, and that is the place of everlasting comfort, peace, joy and life.

Upheld From Birth

As we go through life, it is natural for us to become burdened by all manner of things because our understanding is finite, our strength is limited, we soon grow weary and can feel overwhelmed.  Even the most mighty workmen among us need a break in the heat and to sleep, and the cumulative effect of our exertions over time begin to weigh heavily upon us.  Because we are strong and able to do things, we tend to take more upon ourselves than we can carry easily and wear ourselves out.  Even Moses had to learn this lesson by experience.  Seeing the responses from people in the U.S. concerning the recent election, it appears people from all walks of life continue to feel the weight of the world rests upon their shoulders regardless of who is in office.  History has revealed having a majority in government does not ensure those in your own party will be willing work together (much less the opposition!), and this knowledge does nothing to lighten a taxing mental load.

In a world filled with worries, anxieties and cares, God causes His light to shine and unmasks idols that can be the cause of the burdens we carry.  For the children of Israel, this was literally the case.  God spoke through the prophet in Isaiah 46:1-2:  "Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a burden to the weary beast. ² They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity."  Bel and Nebo were idols that were more than dead weight:  they were false hope that only burdened man and beast.  Desperate people hoped in vain for help from these gilded objects that could not see, speak, hear, walk or do anything.  People fleeing from their homes to save their lives loaded the bulky idols onto carts that only wearied and slowed down their oxen.  These idols proved only to be a hindrance, and their misguided affections of God's people were exposed by treasuring images that could not save rather than trusting the God of Israel alone.

See God's gracious and encouraging response to weary souls in Isaiah 46:3-4:  "Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld by Me from birth, who have been carried from the womb: ⁴ even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."  Regardless if God's people had been taken captive to Babylon or were the poor who remained in Israel, God told all the remnant of Israel to listen to Him.  While they toiled to secure their idols in a vertical position on their carts, God was faithful to uphold His people from their birth as a nation.  Each one of them had been personally knit together and carried by God from their mother's womb.   As sure as they had been born, God would faithfully carry them in their old age.  God preserved them during their most vulnerable and weak moments, and God could be trusted to carry them into the future.  God promised to steady and support them even when a day came when they could not stand or walk unaided.  God was never burdened, weary or tired of carrying His people:  it was they who grew weary of Him.  They were the ones guilty of burdening themselves body and mind when His yoke is easy and His burden light.

When you feel anxious and the weight of the world upon your shoulders, that it falls to you to support and carry others, know it is God who carries you.  Jesus taught that "sufficient for the day is its own trouble," and this reminds me of our physical limitations coupled with the tendency to take on extra burdens God has not called us to carry.  We are not called to right all the wrongs in a nation, change the hearts of men, and fight those who oppose our views or convictions:  we are called to trust God and rely upon Him.  Christians ought to be numbered among the most joyful, carefree people because we continue to respond obediently to the call of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-29:  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."  Rest is impossible when we are collapsing under the weight of our burdens and anxieties, by the pressure heaped upon our souls by idolatry.  Knowing we are born again by faith in Jesus who will also carry and deliver us, we experience peace that passes understanding come what may.

Weary of God?

God looks for people who love, desire and seek Him willingly.  In the book of Isaiah, God pointed out the irony wild animals like owls and jackals (considered unclean under the Law of Moses) honoured Him for water He provided them to drink, but He received less honour from His people whom He redeemed and created to worship Him in spirit and truth.

The LORD, the holy Redeemer of Israel said in Isaiah 43:22-24:  "But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; and you have been weary of Me, O Israel. ²³ You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings, nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings, nor wearied you with incense. ²⁴ You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities."  God observed people of Israel who had not wearied themselves for the sake of God.  People often embrace weariness to work and obtain their desire, like working long hours to gain wealth or physically exercising to exhaustion to improve health.  For them, the God of their fathers was more traditional than personal and relational.  Rather than wearying themselves in God's service joyfully, they were weary of God.  Obedience to the Law was empty and meaningless without love for Him.  He had not wearied them with demands that were greater than ones freely met for their own ends, and their response was to weary God with their sins and trespasses.

Our government is pleased to receive fees and taxes regardless of our attitudes, yet God looks upon the condition of the heart that gives.  God loves a cheerful giver, and He does not regard the selfish soul that begrudges giving to God who freely gives all things for us to enjoy.  It was ironic God's name would be magnified and great among the heathen and His own people held contempt for Him.  Malachi 1:12-13 says, "But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the LORD is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.' ¹³ You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!' and you sneer at it," says the LORD of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" says the LORD."  This observation could be made concerning the church:  people are willing to go great distances for Christian fellowship when they are first born again, yet people raised in the church forgo worship at church because it is boring, tiresome or unnecessary.  We offer God scraps rather than our best.

It is a good thing to ask ourselves:  are we willing to weary ourselves for God's sake?  Could it be we are weary of God because our desires are elsewhere?  Galatians 6:9 exhorts us, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  Our weariness of body and mind can grow from a lack of dependance and reliance upon God for strength, when we take on labours God has not called us to.  Admitting our weariness--even of God and what we know is right to do--is an important step in repenting and turning to God in faith for restoration.  The wisest believer can stumble in sin; the most faithful Christian can grow weary in doing good even though God daily supplies strength.  Our limitations and folly prompt us to turn to God like never before, trusting in His word and wisdom to guide us always.  God always has encouragement for those who know, hear and believe Him.

To all who are weary, there is encouragement and rest in our great God as it is written in Isaiah 40:28-31:  "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. ³⁰  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, ³¹ but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

According to the Spirit

Jesus has done a marvellous thing by the power of the Gospel for all sinners who repent and trust in Him.  As a man raised under Judaism and the Law of Moses, he realised the Law could not save him but only condemn.  It was extremely effective to reveal to self-righteous sinners their sin, yet it gave no reprieve, mercy or hope for the guilty before God or man.

After coming to faith in Jesus Christ, Paul wrote in Romans 8:1-2, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."  In the previous chapter Paul provided an example of a woman who was bound by the law to her husband, but if her husband died she was free of that law.  It was considered adultery under the Law of Moses to marry another man while married.  A widow under Law, however, was not be deemed an adulteress to remarry after the passing of her husband because the Law no longer applied to her situation.  Paul began chapter 8 with "therefore" because Christians have been made dead to the Law of Moses by the life of Christ.

The Law of Moses cannot condemn those who have died to it, and that handwriting of ordinances has also been taken out of the way--nailed to the cross and crucified with Christ--never to rise again as the way Christians are to relate to God.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, we are spiritually regenerated by the Holy Spirit and have a relationship with the living God guided by His love.  Our death to the Law of Moses does not make us lawless, for we are called to be governed by the Gospel to walk in step with Jesus whose words trump the letter of the Law of Moses.  Notice how Paul explains this change concerning who and what we are to submit our lives to in the fear of God:  no longer walking according to our flesh, but according to the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament has many exhortations to "walk worthy" of our calling as children of God, having been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus.  Rather than working to uphold the letter of the Law of Moses, we are to obey the call and leading of our LORD Jesus as it is written in Ephesians 4:1-3:  "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, ² with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, ³ endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  In God's view, how we walk is as critical as what we think, say and do because He looks upon the condition of our hearts.  We are called to judge ourselves and receive correction from the LORD that we should not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:32).  Condemnation means to judge, and it also means to pass sentence.  There are actions that can be condemned and rightly judged as sinful, but we ought not to pass sentence on other Christians as if we are God and know perfectly the hearts of men based on what we can observe.

Since there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, let us choose not to condemn others Jesus Christ died to save.  Who are we to judge another man's servant?  To condemn others is to condemn ourselves!  It is before God people will stand or fall.  Rather than condemning sinners, we ought to make our focus to walk worthy of the calling with which were were called by Jesus with all lowliness, gentleness, longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  This is an accurate snapshot of what walking according to the Holy Spirit looks like, a way of living made possible by the Gospel of Jesus.

Exception or Rule of Life?

"O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water."

Psalm 63:1

David made it a daily practice to seek the LORD early and often.  He had the perspective that seeking and  communing with God was necessary for his life, even as those who exert themselves need to drink more water to stay hydrated.  In a dry and thirsty land where there was no water, God proved Himself able and powerful to reveal Himself to David--the God who gives living water for our souls.

It is important to realise seeking God for David was his rule of life and not just an exception in dire times of need.  We do well to examine ourselves and see what our established rules of life are, especially concerning seeking the LORD.  Considering this in light of diet and exercise is a good illustration to see why we can languish physically and apply it to our spiritual walk with Jesus as Christians.  I have discovered when I am disciplined to exercise daily as a rule, my physical health improves more than when exercise is an exception to my typical daily routine of being sedentary.  If I am watching my portions and being intentional to eat healthier foods as a rule, I can make an exception for occasional sweet treats without ill effect.  But if my rule of life slides into eating more than I need to and having dessert after every meal, I will not see any physical benefit from denying myself one dessert.

The spiritual impact of seeking God as an exception rather than our rule of life is seen in king Saul.  Saul was the sort of fellow who sought the LORD when he faced calamitous trouble but not something he cared to do every day.  Early in his reign when Philistines mustered to attack, he offered a sacrifice to God out of the fear of man.  We do not read of Saul building an altar to God like Abraham or offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving like Solomon of his free will at any time.  Because seeking God was not his rule of life, when he tried to seek God he found it impossible--like people whose rule of life is binge eating junk food who hope skipping a meal will help them drop 20 kilos.  Towards the end of Saul's reign 1 Samuel 28:5-6 says, "When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. ⁶ And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets."  Saul's pride and self-confident rule of life exposed his poverty of heart before God, and when God did not answer when Saul hoped, he sought a medium in violation of God's word.  Doing his own thing and going his own way was Saul's rule of life, and thus his attempts to seek God were in vain.

David made seeking God his daily and continual practice, even as Daniel knelt three times a day and prayed facing Jerusalem.  When the command from Darius was signed into law that he alone could be the one to whom prayers were directed for a month, Daniel did not make an exception to his rule of life governed by God:  he turned towards Jerusalem with open windows and prayed to the God of Israel.  Now there is a man who obtained favour from God!  When he prayed for the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, God answered with a vision in the night.  After being thrown into a den of hungry lions, God sent His angel to shut the lion's mouth all night and Daniel was unharmed.  God was with Daniel and gave him wisdom beyond his peers because he made seeking and praying to God his rule of life without exception.  It would have been easy for Daniel to become slack with devotion, reading God's word and worship of God when there was no temple, synagogue or priests in Babylon.  He sought the LORD as a man greatly loved of God, and he was told this personally by an angelic messenger because seeking God was Daniel's rule of life.

How about you?  Is seeking God early and meditating on Him night and day your rule of life or is it more of an exception to your normal routine?  Do not be surprised when you do not grow much spiritually or benefit much from times in prayer and Bible reading when you have reserved these activities only for trying times.  Reading the Bible for a few minutes will not offset all the nonsense we can meditate on as a rule throughout the day.  Worship God and make seeking the LORD your rule of life, and you will find yourself satisfied in Him regardless of your circumstances.  If you go to church, pray or wait on the LORD as an exception to your practice and rule of life governed by faith in God, don't be surprised when nothing seems to make a difference for you practically and spiritually.

Sizing Up the Temple

In the book of Revelation, chapter 11 begins with John being given a reed and told to measure the temple, the altar and those who worship there.  This prompted me to look at other times in the Bible where God's house was measured, notably in Ezekiel 40-43.  In the 25th year of Israel's captivity, Ezekiel saw a vision of the new temple that would be constructed in Jerusalem.  This would have been a thrilling revelation to Ezekiel and God's devout people who knew the temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.  Ezekiel saw a man with a line of flax and a reed who carefully measured the temple and rooms in great detail.  Because this temple far exceeds the size and scope of the second temple--including the extensive renovations later done by Herod--many see this as the pattern of the Millennial temple which has yet to be built.

Ezekiel 40:4 says,  “And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see."  This is a good exhortation for all God's people to take to heart and practice, and it is really the purpose behind posting to this blog.  As the LORD opens our eyes to see and consider what we observe in the world and His word, we ought to value the wisdom of God above gold.  God revealed much to Ezekiel, not merely for his own training or edification, but to the end he would declare to the house of Israel everything he saw.  The point was hardly for people to look on Ezekiel as knowledgeable or clever, but that they would hear the word of the LORD and grow in the knowledge of God, His goodness and understand His plans for them.  God will be faithful to guide us into truth and will surely fulfill His promises.

After a length measuring session, Ezekiel 43:10-12 reveals one purpose of God sizing up this new temple in detail:  "Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. ¹¹ And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them. ¹² This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple."  At one stage the children of Israel had a temple that stood in Jerusalem, and the fact it had been destroyed was a source of great grief and sadness.  God had given His people instruction and warnings in the Law of Moses they did not heed, and He sent many prophets to expose their sin and need for repentance.  Those people who felt ashamed for their sin that led to their exile, the overthrow of Israel and destruction of the temple were to be given more details concerning new designs for the temple.  People who lamented their sin and felt strongly the loss of the temple would rejoice in the hope of a new temple where holiness is the law.

Though God's people had been unfaithful to Him, He remembered them and would restore His people to their land.  A new temple would be built, and the sanctified descendants of the priests would again offer sacrifices to the God of Israel according to the Law.  People who would remain in captivity for decades would be brought out in due time as the LORD promised in Ezekiel 43:27:  “When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,' says the Lord GOD."  The long season of captivity would end with acceptance by God when atonement was provided for sins.  By faith in Jesus Christ who shed His blood for sinners, Christians enjoy acceptance by God and are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  By the Gospel we are "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" apart from the Law as Romans 10:4 affirms:  "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

Having been declared righteous by faith in Jesus our Saviour, we ought to embrace individually the law of the temple in Zion:  "Be holy, for I am holy."  The mountaintop was holy because God was there, and we ought to live holy lives sanctified by God's wisdom and word through the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.  We have been freed from the guilt and shame of sin, yet sin's shamefulness ought to remind us to heed the words of Christ and to obey Him, loving one another as He loves us.  Jesus would have us try on holiness for size, for we are thus clothed as God's people by spiritual regeneration and acceptance into God's family.  Our inspiration of obedience is the goodness of our God and the love He has poured out on us, and may we follow His example of holiness and wisdom always.

Poured Out to the LORD

A passage in scripture mentioned last night during Bible study was in my morning Bible reading today, the time when David's mighty men brought him water from the well in Bethlehem.  It seems they overheard David's longing for a drink of water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem and three of his mighty men decided to take action.  1 Chronicles 11:18-19 says, "So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. ¹⁹ And he said, "Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men."

After "breaking through" the camp of the Philistines, it is highly unlikely these men were unscathed.  When they returned from their dangerous journey, I imagine David looked at them all bloodied and battered and wondered what had happened.  When they produced water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, David was appalled they risked their lives and shed their blood for his sake.  He looked at their bruises, lacerations and blood and felt unworthy to drink of the water that came at such a high price.  The risk involved with going to Bethlehem was likely a reason why David had not gone to Bethlehem himself, and why David had not led his men to the well by the gate to quench his craving.

David would not treat their blood like water or a common thing, so he treated the water they brought him from Bethlehem as their precious blood.  Though they urged him, David would not drink it.  He poured out all the water from the well of Bethlehem as an offering before the LORD, elevating their service, love and sacrifice as a most worthy and honourable gesture, and David gave to God the honour the LORD is worthy of by giving him his best and what he desired and prized greatly.  The thing David longed for he denied himself from drinking so God would be praised and glorified.  God is worthy of such self denial, and David's act teaches us the very thing we long for that we could have--or even hold in our hands--is worth giving to God to honour and recognise His greatness and our allegiance to Him.

In response to what David's men did out of love and loyalty for their future king, David used the water to express his love for God.  He denied meeting his physical needs and personal preferences to honour and praise the LORD in sincere worship.  The humility of David shines in this passage, for he demonstrated his unworthiness to receive of such great personal sacrifice only God is worthy of.  I do not believe it was a sin to drink the water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, but David refused to do it because he loved God and others more than himself.  Solomon mused in Proverbs 5:16 on the subject of sexual thirst:  "Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets?"  The answer of course is no:  we ought to reserve the quenching of such thirst with our spouse alone.  God is worthy of abstinence, chastity, and monogamy in marriage.  Knowing Jesus has shed His blood to forgive us of all sin and filled us with the Holy Spirit, we are to keep our temple pure from fornication, pouring ourselves out as drink offerings unto our King Jesus.

The LORD with Us

One of the great compliments seen in scripture is all by God's grace given to people loyal and zealous for His sake:  that God was with a person.  Sometimes I have been riding along with a friend who is driving and takes a call on speakerphone.  As a courtesy so the caller knows the conversation is not private, typically my friend will say something like, "Ben's with me in the car."  If the person knows me we may even greet one another, and the phone conversation will continue.  Wouldn't it be amazing to call someone and hear them say, "By the way, God's with me."  For the believer in Jesus Christ, this can actually always be the case because our Saviour will never leave or forsake us.

In my morning reading, I came across a reminder of this in 1 Chronicles 9:20:  "And Phinehas the son of Eleazar had been the officer over them in time past; the LORD was with him."  What we see throughout Scripture is God draws near to those who draw near to Him, and He is with those who cling to Him in faith.  Phinehas was priest who was zealous for the LORD and God offered him a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood after he took a strong stand for God according to the LORD's command against idolators during the scandal of Baal-peor in Numbers 25.  Phineas was a man who feared God and was courageous to uphold God's word, and he was exactly the sort of person God wanted in His presence and service always.

There are many other people in the Bible who are identified as those whom God was with, and though God could not be seen with naked eye (being a Spirit), the evidence was undeniable and acknowledged by those who observed them.  1 Samuel 3:19 tells us of Samuel as a child:  "So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground."  We read of Joseph whilst incarcerated in Egypt in Genesis 39:23:  "The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper."  1 Chronicles 11:9 says of king David, "Then David went on and became great, and the LORD of hosts was with him."  God's presence was also plain in the life of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 1:1:  "Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly."  We can observe God's presence with people truly makes a man, as God causes words spoken to have impact, decisions to be wise and prosperous, to rightly wield authority and lead successfully.

As God was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah and an innumerable multitude of people we respect for their faith and obedience to God, so our LORD and Saviour has promised to be with us.  Jesus addressed His disciples with all authority given to Him in heaven and on earth in Matthew 28:19-20:  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."  Did you notice Matthew's "Amen" after the words of Jesus?  He agreed with the words of Jesus both in truth and personal experience.  Though Jesus ascended to the Father, the Spirit of Christ remained with the disciples of Jesus and all who abide in Him according to His covenant and promise.  Jesus fulfilled the sign spoken of in Isaiah 7:14, that a virgin would conceive and bear a son and call His name Emmanuel--God with us.  Knowing God is with us is an awesome reality for Christians today because He is our life and makes us men and women of God.  Amen!

Looking to the LORD

The children of Israel reveal how natural it is to go from looking to God in faith to what He has given us, to look to ourselves, resources and our God-given abilities rather than seeking and relying upon Him.  This is evident in the prophet of God's rebuke of Israel in Isaiah 22:8-11:  "He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; ⁹ you also saw the damage to the city of David, that it was great; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. ¹⁰ You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses you broke down to fortify the wall. ¹¹ You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago."  When Jerusalem was damaged by enemies, they took it upon themselves to assess and repair the broken wall.  Afraid or unable to leave the confines of the city due to a siege, they broke apart houses to repair the wall when it was God who removed their protection.  Such efforts were futile when they were at war with God.

There is nothing wrong with engineers and builders repairing breaches in a wall to protect their city, houses and families.  The problem lie in that God's people had ceased communication with Him; they would not listen to His prophets and warnings of coming destruction.  The people imagined they were entitled to God's favour when He was longsuffering, merciful and gracious despite their rebellious ways.  They looked to the House of the Forest where their shields and weapons were stored, for they imagined it was up to them to defend themselves.  They aimed to shore up battered walls and defences when it was God who had protected them continually from before Israel was a nation.  The people gathered water to quench their thirst, preserve their lives and prevent the enemy from tapping into it when God had supplied water for their fathers from the rock when they dwelt in the wilderness.  Water was stored in a reservoir for the old pool, yet they did not look to the almighty God who is of old, from everlasting.

I like the rendering of verse 11 in the NIV:  "You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago."  This verse presents the picture of men being quite impressed with their planning and accomplishment to build a reservoir, and they did not have respect or regard for God who planned it long ago.  It is true God is our Maker, and as Maker it implies He had a plan in all He has fashioned.  God planned to make Jerusalem the place where He put His name and provided the blueprints for the temple king Solomon would build there.  God provided all the materials and skillful workers to build a great house, to access the Gihon spring (that flows to this day), to build gates, walls and houses.  God who planned the construction of Jerusalem also planned for the destruction of the city, the correction of His people, and withdrew protection so His servant Nebuchadnezzar would accomplish God's will.  He also planned to restore His people to their land and to worship of His holy name in a rebuilt temple in due time.

God's good purposes and plans have continued to this day, for He has provided passages of scripture in the Old and New Testament to instruct and guide Christians who are new creations by the power of the Gospel.  Whatsoever things are written in the Bible are for our learning, and we ought to be numbered among those who absorb this simple truth:  our tendency is to look to stuff and our own abilities rather than God our Maker.  We can be proud of our achievements or accomplishments when our plans are completed instead of humbling ourselves before the LORD, looking to Him and regarding His plans as paramount.  How good is the exhortation of Proverbs 3:5-6 for us today in light of these things:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  The words of our LORD Jesus echo from the Old Testament in Isaiah 45:22:  "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other."

Let us hear the voice of our Saviour and look to Him today and regard God who plans to seek and save the lost who trust in Him.  He is our refuge and provides the Living Water of the Holy Spirit, and in Him we find rest for our souls who faithfully directs our paths.

Your Fear and Dread

Regardless how many times we have read the Bible or done in-depth study of it, one can never predict what God will say to us through His word.  Yesterday I received instruction concerning a defining factor in relation to conspiracies or conspiracy theories.  I differentiate the two by the first being one as a matter of fact (like when Absalom declared himself king over Israel whilst king David reigned) and the other as a fanciful, far-fetched report gained second-hand through individuals who claim to have inside information (with regular updates!), have an online presence and often are selling something.

Last night I read Isaiah 8:11-13 (NIV) that says:  "The LORD spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ¹² "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. ¹³ The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread."  Coupled with conspiracy--whether real or imagined--are feelings of fear and dread.  When David heard his son declared himself king, there was an opportunity to justify fear of the future or what action he was to take.  Rather than being afraid of what was out of his control, David was to fear and dread the LORD Almighty whose perfect love casts out all fear.  Knowing God is sovereign and mighty over all, our Good Shepherd, provider and deliverer, we do not need to fear what man or armies can do to us.

One of the common threads in what I would call conspiracy theories is the leveraging of our own fears to spread a message, take action, doubting anything considered established or "mainstream," and to have loyalty and allegiance to those who drip feed incredible claims.  I have observed fear and dread take hold in the church and cause divisions when Y2K was a thing.  Some of those who peddled hysterical claims online or in books that were ultimately proved false (because they did not take place) have continued to profit off sowing doubt and fear in the minds of impressionable people.  The subject matter changes, but the fearmongering continues like a pyramid scheme built of fear and dread.  Dear Christian, let us be discerning about our motives in seeking out and spreading messages that are designed to put people in fear.  It is possible to foolishly wield scriptures to put people in fear of the government, possible loss of freedoms or future suffering when our aim ought to point to the holy God, the one we are to fear and dread.

The Hebrew words translated fear and dread are basically the same, and this is an example of parallelism frequently employed in Hebrew poetry.  It means "fear, terror, awe."  God is worthy to be our central focus and awesome in our eyes, able to do everything without fail.  Those who trust in God knowing He is for us have a sure refuge in time of trouble, the promise of provision and protection, and eternal and abundant life by His grace.  Due to trust in Jesus conspiracies, whether real or imagined, ought not to trouble us at all because Jesus has overcome the world, provided perfect peace and gives us all that pertains to life and godliness.  Your fear and dread is a hallowed space that only the LORD Almighty is worthy of.  When tempted to fear what man can do, praise the LORD for what He has done and has promised to do.

LORD of Hosts With Us

"The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. ⁷ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah"

Psalm 46:6-7

The contrast presented here between the kingdoms of the earth and the power of God is striking.  While the nations rage like the sea, troubled and powerful, the LORD rules on high over all.  Kingdoms and nations are agitated in rage; people are moved even as the earth rotates around the sun.  Yet God does not need to move to utter His voice and melt the earth in majesty.  People react in response to what they see or feel, but God acts to further His divine plans and purposes.  He is always ahead of the most perceptive person or spirit, for the intent of hearts are laid bare before Him.

The sons of Korah acknowledged "The LORD of hosts is with us," and this remains true when nations rage.  When the rhetoric starts flying, the sabres are rattling or missiles are firing, the LORD of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Knowing what God has already said and promised in His word is a firm foundation for our feet in all seasons of life.  The LORD of hosts remains in command of every spirit and world power, and the nations are a drop in the bucket compared to Him.  At His word kings are raised up and deposed, and we can rest assured of His mercy even in judgment.

The "God of Jacob is our refuge," sang the psalmists, and a glance at the life of Jacob reveals a man whose wits and physical strength were no match for his many enemies that were of his own household.  His brother Esau who at one stage plotted to kill him was a mighty hunter when Jacob was a man of the tents.  Jacob's father-in-law Laban exceeded him with his conniving ways, tricking him into years of labour and changing his wages.  Unreasonable expectations were placed upon Jacob to protect the flock, yet God was his refuge.  In the midst of family drama, scandals in the community or famine in the land, God protected Jacob all His days and caused him to prevail and grow in faith.

Have you grown to appreciate who God is for you, that He is with you and a refuge?  The LORD is not like a bomb shelter or tower that is far away or difficult to access, for God is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus.  He is acutely aware of our needs even before we ask Him for help,  Sometimes we resemble those troubled and raging nations when faith in Christ provides sure rest and refuge in our LORD.  Our refuge has come to us in the person of Jesus, and He will never leave or forsake us.  May we learn as Ruth to come to trust in the shelter of His wings, knowing He is with us wherever we go.  The God of nations is a shelter for the one who is humble before Him.