God Does as He Pleases

There is no comparison between the living God of Israel and all other images, objects or people worshipped as God.  In contrast to idols designed, crafted and venerated by men, Psalm 115:3-8 says of the God who spoke all that is into existence:  "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
⁴  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. ⁵ They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; ⁶ they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; ⁷ they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk; nor do they mutter through their throat. ⁸ Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them."

People mocked the Jews because their God was not presented in the form of an image--something He plainly forbade them in the Law of Moses which were written upon tablets of stone by the finger of God.  Unlike idols that were molded or carved by the hands of man, God was able to do everything by Himself by the power of His word alone.  Images resembled human beings in that they shared features of anatomy, but the men created in the image of God had more ability than the useless objects they sanded and covered with precious metals.  They had eyes that could not see, ears that could not hear, noses that could not smell, hands that could not handle, feet that could not walk, and mouths that could not speak.  The Psalmist spoke the truth concerning all who trusted in idols:  those who craft or worship idols are like those images, powerless to know or do anything.

God commanded His people in Deuteronomy 7:25-26 what to do when they encountered idols of the people they defeated in battle:  "You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the LORD your God. ²⁶ Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing."  The Hebrews were to destroy any idols they found and to completely destroy them--without melting down the precious metals or salvaging anything of value.  Those heathen gods were accursed things that were to be utterly hated and detested as abominations to the LORD.  God warned those who brought idols into their homes would be doomed to destruction like those powerless idols before a holy, righteous God.

It is interesting that when God appeared on Mount Sinai, He did so shrouded in fire, smoke and lightning as the earth quaked under Him.  Fire was His garment and He was not consumed, for He is a consuming fire Himself.  God's word has made it clear those who make or worship idols are like them and are also accursed and doomed to destruction by the living God.  It is the fear of God that purifies us from the love of silver, gold and gain.  When God appeared on the mount in fire and the people were terrified, Exodus 20:20 says:  "And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin."  The fear of God was a deterrent to idolatry, greed and covetousness for the children of Israel, and the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom for us today.  Knowing God has redeemed us sinners who were doomed to destruction by His love for us compels us to demonstrate our love for Him by keeping Christ's commands.

What good does it do to cling to an image of silver and gold that is accursed and doomed to destruction?  May God's people heed the exhortation of Psalm 34:9:  "Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him."  Praise the LORD He is faithful to supply all our needs in this life and also provides the true riches that will endure forever in His presence.  Psalm 31:22-24 also says, "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person."  The fear and love of the LORD beautifully harmonise in the lives of God's people who trust and obey Him, and He will be faithful to preserve us by His grace.  It pleased God to redeem lost sinners by grace through faith in Jesus, and may all Christ's redeemed live worthy of the Gospel.

Brought Out to Bring Us In

This morning I read Deuteronomy 6:20-23:  "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?' ²¹ then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; ²² and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. ²³ Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers."  God gave the children of Israel the responsibility to teach their children of the living God who chose them as His people out of all the nations of the earth.  The living God revealed Himself to them, gave them His laws and guided them to walk righteously.  As they recalled their miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt in the past, they were to be loyal to God moving forward.

Verse 23 reveals God did not bring the children of Israel out from the iron furnace of Egypt so they could go their own way with the purpose to bring them into the land He promised to give them.  Whilst the Hebrews suffered in bondage, they cried out to the LORD for deliverance.  They knew it was terrible to be oppressed and afflicted; they understood the horror when Pharaoh commanded their male infants be thrown in the Nile.  They rejoiced to be delivered from what they knew to be evil, yet they did not believe God to enter the promised land God gave them!  God's judgment against the Hebrews was the generation 20 years old and above would perish over the course of 40 years in the wilderness, and then the following generation would be brought into Canaan.

The Hebrews knew slavery was awful, but what they did not comprehend was God intended to bring them out from bondage to idolatry they believed was good.  Over the course of hundreds of years of bondage in Egypt, the children of Israel began to worship images they believed benefitted them.  God desired to bring them out of spiritual idolatry and into the worship of the one true God, the LORD who proved His supremacy over all the idols of Egypt as it says in Numbers 33:4:  "For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments."  It proved easier to deliver the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt (though they did at times long to return) than free them from idolatry, for even after they took possession of the land Joshua rebuked them for continuing to carry the idols of their fathers in Joshua 24.

This principle of bringing people out from slavery to bring them in rings true concerning the Gospel.  Many of us were well-aware of the evils of sin that held us bound, and we are glad to be free of wickedness that was our ruin:  yet there are also things we can believe benefit us that God also wants to deliver us from.  God's desire is to free us of bondage to sin and self so we can enter into the abundant life Jesus promises us by His grace.  It is good for us to consider what God delivered us from and the new way of living and thinking He commands us to embrace in obedience to Jesus.  There are things that are not bad in themselves that do not edify us, and it is good for us to be increasingly reliant and dependant on the LORD to supply our needs as He guides us by faith.

Cleansed by Grace

Under the Law of Moses, any who were defiled or unclean were commanded to wash in water.  Before people went to approach the presence of God to offer sacrifices at the temple were directed to wash in a mikveh.  After a woman's "customary impurity" was complete or the "seed of copulation" went forth from a man, each were required to wash in water.  This washing was more than taking a bath or a shower for hygenic reasons, but it was for ceremonial cleansing in obedience to the Law.

Ceremonial washing in a laver was important for the priests as they discharged their duties in service to the LORD as it is written in Exodus 30:20:  "When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die."  The need to be washed and purified before approaching God was entrenched in the Jewish Law, and thus the groundwork for John the Baptist was laid long before his arrival to preach repentance of sin and to prepare the way for the LORD Jesus Christ.  Jewish people flocked to the wilderness to be baptised in the Jordan by John and his disciples, and the people were expectant for a Saviour.  The Jewish rulers sent people to inquire of John why he was baptising people if he was not Christ, and he explained it was to make the Messiah manifest to Israel (John 1:19-34).

The commands of the Law of Moses to be ceremonially cleansed were a shadow of what Jesus is the substance, for according to His word sinners can be born again and filled with the living water of the Holy Spirit.  Through the power of the Gospel, Jesus provides spiritual cleansing, righteousness and salvation by faith in Him.  John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  The Law made no provision for eternal life through washing in water, and being baptised does nothing to save a soul under the new covenant either.  Forgiveness and eternal life is offered as a free gift by grace through faith in Jesus, and all who repent and trust in Jesus have assurance of eternal life--like the robber on the cross who believed in Jesus as LORD.

One thing we do see in the New Testament is people were baptised in water after being born again by faith in Jesus, and this signified being cleansed from sin and raised from death to new life, obedience and identification with Jesus.  The Ethiopian eunuch, the Philippian jailer, the apostle Paul and many others were baptised in water after trusting in Jesus Christ as LORD.  Their forgiveness and salvation came by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit well before they were wet; they were already spiritually cleansed before they came out of the water.  Jesus commanded and ordained all His disciples to go and make disciples of Jesus of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).

The Jews under Law who washed in water to be ceremonially cleansed, they are a shadow that points to the Saviour Jesus who spiritually cleanses us from within by faith in Him as it says in Titus 3:3-7:  "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Able to Admonish

"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."

Romans 15:14

Paul was confident fellow believers in Christ had godly character and lives filled with goodness and knowledge by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  God who causes light to shine in darkness and raises dead souls to new life by faith in Jesus Christ, He alone is able to bring this wonderful transformation to the hearts and minds of sinners.  Though we are guilty of sin, we rightly identify as saints saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  It is not that we are good or worthy in ourselves, but having been redeemed by Jesus who alone is good we have peace with God and unity with other Christians.

The apostle Paul had confidence in born again Christian believers they themselves may not have possessed:  the ability to admonish one another.  The realisation of our own failures and sins can prompt us to shrink from our necessary duty at times to gently instruct, warn or correct others.  Colossians 3:16 says to all believers, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  A common complaint of Christians is hypocrisy, and while this accusation can be unfounded we make great effort for this to always be the case concerning us and hypocrisy.  Correcting others is not a claim of being perfect, and all God's children are to remain humble and meek regardless of our role in the body of Christ.

While all Christians are called to walk in obedience to Christ and admonish others at times, this responsibility is doubly given to those in church leadership.  1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 says, "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ Now we exhort you, brethren, warn [same word translated "admonish" in verse 12] those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." (emphasis mine)  Both pastors and parishioners are urged and exhorted to admonish one another to the end people would be at peace, comforted and upheld with patience.  Isn't this how we observe Jesus to be with His disciples and is with us as well?  Jesus is over us all as our Good Shepherd, and thus we are to heed His gracious and gentle example as He guided the sheep of His pasture.

While there is no consensus among experts what percentage of our interpersonal communication is conveyed through words, tone of voice, nonverbal cues or body language, it is without controversy words are only one part of the complex way humans communicate.  When we are prompted by God's word or our conscience to admonish others, it is important for us to examine our own attitudes and ensure we are already heeding advice we will be giving.  A believer ought to have peace himself in Christ as he aims to be at peace among other believers.  In esteeming God and others as more important than ourselves, humility governs us to walk in love towards all.  The picture of the ones in whom the word of God dwells richly, singing with grace in their hearts to the LORD, these are the ones who add the sweetness of God's grace to being admonished--which in itself can be a bitter pill to swallow.