The Heart of the Matter

It is good to realise no matter how much we know (or think we know!), God always has much more to reveal of Himself and our need for Him through His word.  A verse read hundreds of times and even memorised remains full of truth yet to be understood and applied by those who trust in God.  A passage that grabbed my attention today is from the words of Agur in the KJV of Proverbs 30:7-9:  "Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: ⁸ remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: ⁹ lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."

Whilst the final words of verse 9 are in italics (meaning they are not in the original text but added by the translators to improve the English rendering), it caused me to consider how stealing can be connected with taking the name of the LORD in vain.  The description most commonly heard concerning taking the name of the LORD in vain forbidden in the 3rd Commandment, if not the only one, is the use of God's name as an expletive or an expression of surprise.  Scripture bears out that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, and thus the taking the name of the LORD in vain is more a heart problem than one of undisciplined speech.  "Vain" can be described as worthless, empty, futile and inconsequential.  When the preacher said "All is vanity!" he was saying everything was worthless and pointless, grasping for the wind.

Taking the name of the LORD in vain suggests a person has heard of the LORD God, but does not really believe or obey Him.  Instead of seeking the LORD who rules over all, rather than trusting God to bless the works of his hands, a person takes the name of God in vain by theft.  Sin can be put into the categories of sin of commission and omission:  by something a person does that is sin or to sin by not doing something.  We can take the name of the LORD in vain by speaking His name to express disgust or surprise, and we can take the name of the LORD in vain by living like He is worthless, His promises are empty, His power is futile and without consequence.  The opposite of taking the name of the LORD in vain is the fear of God, choosing to walk in His wisdom in faith and obedience.  It isn't so much about what we say but the attitude of our hearts.

Agur prayed to be removed from vanity and lies, that he would not deny the LORD's existence, presence and power to provide for all his needs.  Taking the name of the LORD in vain is a result of self-confidence and self-reliance, the proud posture of a man who denies God's role in creating and sustaining our lives.  The rich and poor can take the name of God in vain by actions that deny Him and His sovereign rule, not just by saying "God" or "Jesus" in an empty fashion.  Defining "taking the name of the LORD in vain" narrowly as only what we say does not touch the heart of matter:  our need to repent and trust the LORD God as LORD of all and our God.

Born Again to Be

The viewer's introduction to Aragon in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is in the shadows of the Prancing Pony tavern, his face and piercing eyes illuminated by the glowing embers of a pipe.  The travelling hobbits asked the bartender and host of the establishment about the menacing man who sat alone, and they were told he was a Ranger of the North named "Strider."  Little did they know this man would be their faithful guide, fierce protector and more still: he would be revealed to be the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, one able to wield Anduril, the sword forged from the shards of Narsil.

It is clear in the films Aragon carried shame of his forbear's unwillingness to destroy Sauron's ring of power when he had the chance.  Instead of ridding the world of that great evil, he carried it close to his heart.  Aragon knew the same weakness found in kings and all men also marked him, and so he kept his true identity secret.  He fought for the side of good, yet for decades he shied away from the burden of rule because of his sense of unworthiness.  When the hope of men was almost lost, Elrond king of the Elves forged the sword Anduril.  Knowing the fate of Middle Earth and the life of his daughter Arwen was at stake, Elrond forcefully said: "Put aside the ranger. Become who you were born to be.”  In picking up the sword Aragon needed to put aside the ranger.  Desperate times moved a man to embrace his purpose.

Now the Lord of the Rings trilogy does not acknowledge or  speak of God, but there are clear parallels between Aragon and followers of Jesus.  We must lose our lives for Christ's sake in order to find them; we must decide to put away the ambitions of our flesh and be born again by faith in Jesus to submit to the plans and purposes God has in creating and redeeming us.  While we are sanctified, set apart by God for God when we are justified, we are also being sanctified.  There is a positional aspect of sanctification as well as a progressive one.  As we are convicted of sin we never noticed before we are to confess and repent, choosing instead to do the things that please God.  We are called to take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and learn to rightly divide it.  God holds us responsible and accountable to be who we were born again to be.

The church of God is the body of Christ comprised of many members, and it cannot be more healthy, well or fit than each individual person.  To lament the ills of society without realising you are part of society is foolish as grieving over the problems "in the church" without realising it is the body of Jesus Christ (and also our own body!) we criticise.  The call of Christ is an individual call, for each servant of the LORD Jesus to obey, honour and glorify Him.  It is for each Christian to cast aside every weight and the sin that easily weighs us down and to run with endurance the race set before us as we look to Jesus together.  There is a corporate aspect of this, but the corporate will not happen unless we do this ourselves first.  It is our reasonable service to present ourselves as living sacrifices acceptable to Christ, not being conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds to the end we may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

Where the analogy breaks down is no man can become who he is born to be by courage, willpower or strength.  It is God who knits people together in the wombs of their mother and has plans and purposes He intends we fulfill by His grace.  It is God who brings us together as part of a local fellowship of believers who serve the LORD and one another in the ministry of His word.  Every child of God is called to take up the sword of the Spirit and to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might in the service of our King Jesus.  It is God who makes us fruitful in His service.  It is not by our might, nor by our power we will prevail but by His Spirit as we surrender in obedience to Him.  By faith in Jesus Christ marked by obedience to Him we are becoming who we were born again to be.

Walking the Walk (in love)

I have been reading a biography of Oswald Chambers and I am impressed by the impact of a person who loves and lives for Jesus can have on others.  It is evident God uses people to spurn others on to greater works for Christ and faith in Him--for generations to come.  Throughout scripture, the annals of history and in our personal experiences we have encountered people with whom we connect because in Christ we share in common regenerated hearts, eyes once blind that now see and renewed minds by God's revelation.  I appreciated this paragraph from Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God:

"With all his emphasis on truth, Oswald was never content to affect the mind alone.  His goal was to stir the will to act on sound principles of Scripture, so that people might demonstrate the love of Christ.  He looked intently at his eager, earnest students, ready to go out and battle for the truth, then read from Dr. Alexander Whyte's exposition of Job:  "Oh, the unmitigated curse of controversy!  Oh the detestable passions that corrections and contradictions kindle up to fury in the proud heart of man!  Eschew controversy, my brethren, as you would eschew the entrance to hell itself!  Let them have it their own way.  Let them talk, let them write, let them correct you, let them traduce you.  Let them judge and condemn you, let them slay you.  Rather let the truth of God itself suffer than that love suffer.  You have not enough of the Divine nature in you to be a controversialist."  (McCasland, David. Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God ; the Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest. Discovery House Pub., 1993. page 107)

What a great example this is!  Dr. Alexander Whyte wrote an exposition on Job and held forth observations applied practically to life by the divine truth revealed in holy writ.  Oswald Chambers read words that resonated with the truth he knew, and he passed on the wisdom to his impressionable students who would benefit from restraint concerning wading into controversies.  David McCasland chose to include this paragraph in the autobiography he wrote that I am reading, and now I have shared it with whoever reads this post.  Many have talked a good game, but how good and profitable it is to consider and take to heart the wisdom of those who "walk the walk" with Christ in love.

Those who hold to the truth can doubtless fall into the trap of believing it is more important to correct others who err than to prioritise walking in God's wisdom and truth ourselves.  The Pharisees embraced this role with relish, all the while condemned by Jesus for hypocrisy.  They were quick to criticise those who ignored their traditions of men they taught as commands of God:  they wiped the outside of the cup while the inside was filled with filth and uncleanness.  I love what Jesus said when He was told the Pharisees were offended by His remarks in Matthew 15:14:  "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  It is not that Jesus did not care about the religious rulers, for the Good Shepherd is pleased to pull wandering sheep from a ditch; He is able to open the eyes of those born blind--and He does when such cry out to Him in faith.

Laying the Groundwork

"Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."

Proverbs 24:27

The book of Proverbs has great stores of wisdom to live skillfully in this life and beyond, and this verse emphasises our need for priorities which have a long view in mind.  A man receiving an inheritance of land would be remiss to focus his efforts on building the house of his dreams when his field was neglected and wall was broken down.  A fit field was the means of providing an income and trade.  It takes much work to prepare a field for ploughing, sowing and harvesting, yet then the land will also work for you.  Laying the groundwork is not as impressive as an edifice of stone and cedar but is critical to the long-term success of the project.

I imagine an ambitious young man who received land would want very much to prove his mettle and skill in building an impressive house for himself and household.  Such a man is interested in spacious rooms and comfortable, practical living spaces--not digging wells, grading, efficient drainage, clearing stones and laying foundations.  Being guided by our current interests can sabotage our long-term plans when we do the equivalent of putting the cart before the horse or the horse on the rider.  It is fine and good to own property, but unless the property  in a city is connected to a water supply, sewerage or electricity a house erected will ultimately become an uninhabitable ruin.  To pour money into electronics and a home automation system without first submitting plans to the council for approval or leveling the land to build a foundation would be a gross waste.

While we do not live in an agricultural society in Sydney, the principle applies to our lives today.  Better to apply to jobs that have openings that will enable you to feed yourself and your future family than to chase a dream which may never be reality.  Secure a job or career and then pursue your goals at the same time, for growing in character and maturity while learning valuable skills will help direct your efforts to maximise their impact.  Do you aspire to being married someday?  Lay down the groundwork by being a man or woman of godly character.  Instead of being frustrated no one fits your preconceived ideas of your ideal spouse today, learn seek the LORD and trust He will supply your needs.  Secure a job and learn skills that will contribute to a healthy household by cooking, cleaning and maintaining a house inside and out before you own one.  Having money to buy a house is not as important as learning to keep a house well.

What is true and verified in the physical world also has a spiritual application.  It would be silly to focus on earthly wealth and prosperity without any thought of the eternal state.  Today is the day to lay groundwork by trusting God, reading and heeding His word and using the gifts and talents He has given us for His glory.  This earth and all that is in it will someday pass away; mansions worth millions and valuable business connections will be swallowed up and lost for eternity.  To put our focus on building ourselves an empire on earth without consideration of God and His glorious kingdom is a great waste that leads to destruction.  Each one of us is building a house (our lives), and it is important we build with materials that will endure.  Knowing there will someday be a reckoning before our Maker, we labour to prepare ourselves today by sanctifying ourselves and being fit for Him.