The Dividing, Uniting Sword

God endowed King Solomon with wisdom like no other king before or after him.  His wisdom was demonstrated with an incident which involved two harlots who came before him for judgment over a baby.  They lived in the same house together, and their case was a sad one.  They both gave birth to sons, and one of the infants was tragically smothered during the night.  One woman accused the other of switching the dead baby with her living one, and the other denied it.  In those days there was no DNA testing, and being only three days old perhaps the babies were quite similar in appearance and behaviour.  Who was the real mother of the boy both claimed as their own?

1 Kings 3:24-28 reads, "Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. ²⁵ And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." ²⁶ Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!" But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him." ²⁷ So the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother." ²⁸ And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice."  In his wisdom, King Solomon used the threat of a sword dividing a living child in two to unite a child with his rightful mother.  The genuine mother had compassion for her son - willing to give him up forever to spare his life - whilst the baby-swapping culprit was exposed by her coldness.  The sword which divides can also be used to unite.

Solomon is known for his great wisdom, and Jesus has become wisdom for all who believe (1 Cor. 1:30-31).  Jesus is the one of whom John the Baptist said baptises with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Matthew 3:11-12 says, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."  John contrasted the living water of the Holy Spirit with eternal fires of judgment.  The example of the harvest is a picture of salvation and damnation:  the farmer brings the good grain into the storehouse, but the worthless chaff is thrown into the fire.  Jesus is a righteous Judge, and uses His Word like a sword to divide believers from the unbelievers.  His Word is like a fire that separates the dross from precious metal, like a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces.

To take the illustration of the sword further, consider the impact of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:34-38:  "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; ³⁶ and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' ³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. ³⁸ And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."  The word of God is called the sword of the Spirit (Eph, 6:17) which is able to divide bone from marrow and judges the intent of the heart (Heb. 4:12).  The sword Jesus brings has the capacity to divide men from their family, but is able to unite a man with his Father in heaven.  The scriptures divide people concerning their hearts and belief, but a man whose heart has been pierced by the Word, repents, and believes is adopted into the family of God.

God is brilliant, isn't He?  Only He can use a sword to divide and unite at the same time!  The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  The Bible is a two-edged sword which brings life to those who believe and condemns all who refuse to trust or heed it.

Rejoice in the LORD Always

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

Philippians 4:4

How good it is for us to thank and praise God!  Paul exhorted believers to rejoice in the LORD always, and he wrote this whilst incarcerated.  The Christian life is one of faith, not feelings.  I imagine Paul did not always feel like rejoicing in the LORD because of his circumstances, but he urged all to rejoice in the LORD always.  No matter what season of life or the struggles we face, God remains good and praiseworthy.  Jesus gives fullness of joy to all who trust in Him.  Walking in the joy of the LORD is done by faith regardless of how we feel.

We can be so fixed on learning more about God or desirous to receive something from Him we can forget to simply rejoice in Him.  It is easy in this weak frame to forget of God's wondrous works and promises.  Yet how our souls soar when we praise God for being God!  When David's felt there was but a step between him and death, praising God gave his heart wings.  So great was his joy he wrote in Psalm 34:1-4, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. ² My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. ³ Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. ⁴ I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."  We can rejoice in David's deliverance by God, knowing He remains a Deliverer for all who trust Him today.

Rejoice in the LORD always!  Thank Him and praise Him!  All who have encountered the presence of God respond with praise.  This morning I read Luke 1 and was blessed by how Zacharias, Elizabeth, and Mary all praised God and rejoiced in His goodness.  We can rejoice in God's goodness to them and can also rejoice that God's grace and goodness is extended to us as well.  Those who were barren God caused to give birth, and He would was dead God has raised in everlasting glory.  Hear the words of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1-2:  "And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. ² "No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God."  Let us rejoice in the LORD together!

Big Government and Jesus

It is a pattern which extends through all history:  government and leaders once celebrated by the people becomes increasingly corrupt.  The overthrow of a government does not always usher in the peace and prosperity the people desire.  When the Jews demanded Samuel give them a king and monarchy rather than a theocracy, the decision cost them dearly when Saul took their children, forced them to fight his battles, and oppressed the innocent.  Ask the people of Cambodia who celebrated the end of a civil war when the victorious Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh clothed in black wielding machine guns.  What seemed a day of hope ended up ushering in the darkest season in the nation's history.  The evil which seemed to have been stamped out rose from the ashes with greater force and brutality.

This tendency towards oppression and corruption by leaders was evident to King Solomon thousands of years ago.  He wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:8:   "If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them."  Scandals, perversion of justice, and shades of oppression are evident all over the world today.  Leaders of totalitarian regimes are exposed for their opulent lifestyles at the expense of impoverished citizens. Shady back room deals and the sway of lobbyist groups in democratic nations are often reported publicly, and it is safe to assume more goes on than the public knows.  This should be no surprise in any form of government overseen by men.  When officials are tasked to report to higher officials and God is not the one to whom the top men and women look, there will always be a disconnect from love, justice, judgment, and equity.

God is the ruler over all, and even oppressive regimes are allowed by God for His purposes.  Sometimes big government is a consequence of sin as it is written in Proverbs 28:2:  "Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes; but by a man of understanding and knowledge right will be prolonged."  The more a land is corrupted by sin, the more people rise up to govern.  People are understandably leery of monarchies because in a sense all trust and hope is placed in a single person and his progeny to do what is right.  I believe the world is looking for that one person who has the answers, can unite people peacefully, protect innocent people, and provide freedom so all can thrive.  A day will come when people will be so fed up with the corruption in the political systems and place their hopes on one man to unite and save the world.  The Bible speaks of this person as the Beast, or the anti-christ.  He will be the wrong choice, for he is not the man of understanding and knowledge Proverbs 28:2 speaks of.  It speaks of none other than Jesus Christ, the KING OF KINGS and LORD over all, the Prince of Peace who has an everlasting kingdom.

Our eyes are designed for seeing and our ears for hearing.  This seems obvious to me.  It occurred to me the other day though our knees are useful for bending our legs, there is one thing they are designed to enable all men to do:  to bow.  All men must bow before something.  We bow the knee to philosophy, a worldview, to science, our beliefs concerning morality, and God.  Those people waving banners and going door to door to canvass for their preferred candidates or party have bowed the knee to the one they desire to rule.  Some refuse to bow to others and will only bow to themselves.  Human beings were created to bow.  There is something in us which longs to worship.  We see an amazing performance and we bow and wave arms in praise declaring, "We're not worthy!"  We Christians are called to choose to bow our knees to no one but Jesus Christ.  Philippians 2:9-11 says, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  Jesus was a King when He came to earth as a servant of all, and He was willing to give His life on the cross so all who follow Him can know God, be forgiven, and live forever.

Before whom or what do you bow?  It doesn't matter if you are a communist, socialist, monarchist, democratic, utopian, or anarchist:  you bow before something because you must.  Man cannot be greater than his ideals.  The only man who transcended humanity, vain philosophy, and hypocritical morality is Jesus Christ because as God He is the One before whom all ought to and ultimately will bow.  He submitted to His Father and heaven, and all who love the Father before Christ must bow (John 14:7).  Every ruler of this world must bow to someone, for not even high officials are exempt.  As the day of celebrating Christ's resurrection draws near, let us bow before Him in worship and praise.

Turning To God

From my limited perspective in Australia, it seems the entire world stares horrified at the presidential race in the United States.  It is a nation which appears more fractured and divided than ever, and it is clear that no person - no matter how savvy or capable - will be able to bind or heal these wounds.  If I was tasked to describe each of the leading candidates with one word, positive possibilities do not immediately spring to mind.  These candidates should not be blamed for polarising America, for this race has only brought the septic boil which had already been festering to the surface.  Believing a person, political party, or even "the people" have the capacity to create positive change by effort alone without the aid of God is like a man thinking he is able to stop an earthquake with his hands.  The word "futile" comes to mind.

Should Christians vote as led by the Spirit?  Absolutely.  But we are to engage in political process recognising our hope is in God alone, not in government, politicians, or a majority vote.  Unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain who build it (Ps. 127:1).  In Genesis 11 when all people banded together to build a tower to make a name for themselves in disobedience to God, He confounded their languages and immediately scattered them.  What God told the nation Israel in Jeremiah 18:6-10 is relevant for all nations for all time:  "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the LORD. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! ⁷ The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, ⁸ if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. ⁹ And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it."  Nebuchadnezzar was a mighty king of a world empire, but it was nothing for God to raise him up or cast him down (Daniel 2:20-22).  One would hope "a nation under God" would lay this to heart.

So what should be our response to the antics of politicians and their rabid supporters?  One temptation is to retreat from the fray and with grim faces stockpile food, supplies, and ammunition for the apocalypse.  Any such retreat would be a silly, shortsighted gesture.  When God spoke of the Day of the LORD, a day of severe future judgment, He gave His people commands we would do well to consider.  Joel 2:11-13 reads, "The LORD gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; who can endure it? ¹² "Now, therefore," says the LORD, "turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." ¹³ So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm."  Turning away from politics is of little consequence if we do not turn to the LORD!  It was foolish for people to think they could prevent or escape the judgment of God, and refusal to vote will not prevent a candidate you do not support from being voted into office.  One person alone has no control over the future.  But every man with a contrite, humble heart has an audience before the living God.  God's people are called to turn to Him first themselves.  Don't bother bringing a nation before God until you are first willing to humble yourself before Him for your own sin.  He invites all to return to Him with broken hearts over the condition of this fractured world and divided nations.  Are they not all as soft clay in His hand?  If we harden our hearts and put our confidence in men, we are truly without hope.

Our God is a great God, the One we should trust and seek in times of peace or conflict, in seasons of abundance or lack.  He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.  His mercies are new every morning for great is His faithfulness.  God chooses to use everyday people to accomplish His will, not just paid professionals and politicians.  The focus of the media and people seems to be fixed upon a few politicians, but God is looking somewhere else entirely in the second part of Isaiah 66:2:  "But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."  The world holds its breath to see who will be the next President of the United States, but believers can breathe easy though our hearts break over the sick condition of a nation who looks to a man or woman rather than God for hope and help.  We do not need to fear regardless who is elected to office, what laws are passed, or if current freedoms are outlawed by a totalitarian regime.  Let us turn to God with all our hearts, fear Him, and look to Him for our bright future.  He's the only One who can save us.