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.

Overcoming Evil with Good

In 1 Chronicles 7, there is an obscure account of the tragic deaths of the sons of Ephraim, Ezer and Elead, at the hands of the men of Gath over the theft of cattle.  It is unclear whether the sons of Ephraim or the men of Gath were the aggressors.  It seems most likely men from Gath came to steal cattle from the sons of Ephraim during their sojourn in Egypt.  It is also possible the sons of Ephraim, during a trip to Gath before the enslavement of the Hebrews, attempted to take cattle from Philistines and it resulted in their death.  Ephraim was rightly devastated by the death of his sons, and his grief and sorrow continued for some time.  His mourning for the evil which had befallen his house continued to the birth of his next son as 1 Chronicles 7:23 tells us:  "And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because tragedy had come upon his house."  Beriah means, "in evil."  It seems evil had overtaken Ephraim and his house, and he was profoundly affected by his great loss.

The life of Ephraim shows us how we can be more negatively impacted by grief and feelings of loss than being encouraged by all God has given us.  It is no sin to love others and to care deeply about them, to be overwhelmed by emotions and feelings God has provided us by His grace.  But it is sinful to remain hopeless and despair when God remains good.  Though we live in a world filled with evil (and we are all contributors to the downward spiral in our natural state), we can be glad it need not overcome us.  The Son of God Jesus Christ came into this world and experienced the wickedness of this fallen world in full, for He was betrayed, mocked, condemned and murdered though He was righteous and without sin.  In embracing the human experience He embraced every sinner by His sacrifice, not just to empathise with us but to provide redemption, reconciliation, restoration, atonement, healing and eternal life.  Words fail to describe in full the awesome works God has done through the Gospel for all who trust in Christ, and He has brought enduring hope to lost, hurting, dying sinners.

Paul wrote to Christian believers in Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  Israel described his days on earth as "few and evil" compared to his fathers, and evil which flourished in Ephraim's day has continued until now.  Though we live in evil days, through faith in Jesus Christ evil can still be overcome by good--as sure as sinners can be made saints by the Gospel.  Jesus said to His disciples, "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world," and He demonstrated all power to overcome death (the consequences of sin) by rising from the dead and remains victorious in eternal glory.  To "overcome" means to conquer or prevail.  Christ makes us overcomers when we are born again by faith in Jesus and then willingly submit to Him, presenting ourselves to Him as living sacrifices.  Rather than being conformed to the world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, approving of God's will and practicing it (Romans 12:1-2).

Since we are called to overcome evil with good, we must learn to discern between God's ways and the wisdom of this world.  Romans 12:9 says, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."  We can be easily overtaken and overcome by evil when we have embraced hypocrisy in our hearts, loving what is evil and being unfaithful to do and think on what is good.  Our love of God prompts us to be faithful to Him in practice:  wouldn't it be a shame for acts of devotion and obedience to God to resemble a "fling" because we remain married and cling to evil?   God's word is able to pierce our hearts and stir our conscience, revealing wickedness in us to repent of and guiding us to do what is good as Psalm 119:104-105 says:  "Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  Praise the LORD we are not at the mercy of evil, for the mercies of our good God are great.  Knowing death has been conquered by Christ, by His strength and wisdom we can choose to hate evil and do what is good every day--even to rejoice in a sorrowful season.

Giving Jesus a Try

When buying clothes at the shops, often there are changing rooms where clothes can be tried on in privacy to determine how well they fit.  It makes perfect sense to try before buying something, like when free samples of food are being offered at Costco.  If a shopper is curious to see what food tastes like, trying it themselves helps them make an educated decision.  It is common these days with the amount of online shopping available to have a period of time where free returns are possible if something does not fit, match the description or a buyer is dissatisfied with the product.  There are even a host of influencers who "try before you buy" and provide feedback for prospective buyers based on their experiences.  The whole point of trying before buying is to see if a product fits your needs and meets your expectations.

Because these are the common implications of trying things for ourselves, I am not a fan of encouraging others to "give Jesus a try," almost reducing Him to a bite of food to see if we enjoy it or not.  The amazing things about receiving Jesus by faith as the Son of God and Messiah is that He transforms us from within.  If we approach Jesus as something we can take or leave depending on if our expectations are met or our personal benefit is obtained, we are not coming to Him as sinners desperate for salvation or forgiveness.  Many people who came to faith in Christ, based on what we observe in the New Testament, experienced an uptick in conflict, persecution and trials for their faith.  Faithful Christians did not come to Jesus because He "worked" for them, but because they realised they needed Him for salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.  Those who try Jesus like a shopper choosing clothes may just put Him in the charity bin when their lives begin chafing from unmet expectations, and they will be put off ever trying Him again.

It is a strange approach to try Jesus to see how He works for us when we have been created and exist to serve and glorify Him.  Because this view of a relationship with Jesus Christ is upside down, it is no surprise when Jesus does not work out due to lack of faith in Him.  The one who tries food knows what tastes and textures they prefer; the ones trying on clothes knows their size and styles they find attractive.  Jesus is God made flesh and thus is nothing like anyone we have ever seen or known.  He cannot fit us because we are naturally unfit for Him.  Yet after we sinners are born again through the power of the Gospel, we are made new creations and the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.  God puts within us a capacity to think, do, say and desire what never entered into our minds before by His presence.

It may be people have legitimately come to faith in Jesus because they "gave Him a try," for God is able to reveal Himself to lost sinners by innumerable ways.  Many people have been saved by God's grace even when we came to Him for largely selfish reasons.  But let us not ignore the implications of urging people to give Jesus a try, for then we put them in the judgment seat only Jesus Christ is worthy of sitting in.  Better to show people their sinfulness and need for a Saviour than to suggest Jesus will bow to their expectations of Him--for it is we who are called to bow before Jesus as sovereign LORD and King.  Those who lose their lives for Christ's sake will find eternal life, and wrath abides on those who remain on the throne of their lives who view Jesus as an accessory that suits them as they are (Matthew 16:25; John 3:36).

Having come to the almighty God in faith, David encouraged God's people to pursue a relationship with the LORD in practical experience in Psalm 34:8:  "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"  Children of God can have complete confidence in the goodness of God and the blessings He provides for all who trust in Him.  Having tasted of God's grace, we are urged by Peter to lay aside all sin and desire the sincere milk of the word like newborn babes (1 Peter 2:1-2).  Knowing Jesus first loved us, our call is to love Him and exercise ourselves to godliness, living out Gospel truth by obedience to Him.  Rather than chasing the spiritual experiences or giftings of fellow Christians, we are called to pursue Christ and grow in grace.  We are called to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, our lives surrendered to Christ as LORD for His glory (Phil. 2:10-12).  God desires our faith and obedience to Him would grow, and God who has set us apart for Himself sanctifies us as we labour for His sake.  This isn't something we are called to try:  it is who Jesus has created us to be.

The Right Cheek

During a Bible study last night we discussed how the words of Jesus are commonly rendered, "Turn the other cheek."  It is significant, however, that Jesus specifically mentioned the right cheek in Matthew 5:38-40:  "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also."  Our study leader has an Assyrian background, and he explained that to hit someone on the right cheek meant a backhand slap as the left hand was reserved for unclean tasks.  In the Middle East to slap someone with the back of the hand is a personal insult and was intended to shame and demean rather than wound.  If someone slapped your right cheek with their left hand, that may have been even more insulting than a backhand!  This insight helps us to make sense of what Jesus meant, that Christians are not to retaliate when we are slighted or insulted, when we are treated as an unclean thing.  There is nothing wrong with fleeing or defending ourselves, our family and nation when attacked, as this is consistent throughout the scriptures when God's people were beset by enemies.

The following verse doubles-down on this theme.  If someone was sued for their tunic that covered their skin (which for us would be an undergarment), they were to part as easily with their cloak which was their outer and more expensive covering.  Under the Law of Moses, a garment received as a pledge was required to be returned before nightfall so the person could be warm and sleep.  In 1 Chronicles 19 when David sent messengers to Hanun king of Ammon to comfort him after his father's death, he was fooled to believe David's ambassadors were spies so he cut off their beards and cut their garments in the middle to expose their buttocks to shame them.  Jesus taught His disciples to endure shame and humiliation without seeking to avenge ourselves even when their treatment was unjust and unkind.  Spurgeon said on the subject, "Yet even in a country where justice can be had, we are not to resort to law for every personal wrong."  Knowing we are protected and provided for by God, perfect peace from Jesus is ours and in Him we find rest for our souls.

Jesus bore the ultimate humiliation when He was wrongfully accused, arrested and crucified.  The pictorial renderings of Christ's crucifixion typically include a covering for His private areas, but from a biblical and historical perspective we can know He was stripped nude, beaten and flogged without mercy.  John 19:2-3 tells us how the Romans mocked Christ:  "And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. ³ Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands."  When they arrived at the site of the crucifixion, the scripture tell us they took both his outer and inner covering, splitting the linen among themselves and cast lots for His coat.  The Jewish scribes and Pharisees taunted Jesus as He hung on the cross, mocking Him as He suffered.  Crucifixion was excruciatingly painful and it was also shameful.  Yet Jesus endured all this affliction without threatening concerning future judgment and was silent like a lamb before its shearers.  His prayer was, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Having been born again by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit we can keep Christ perpetually in view when we suffer shame for Christ's sake as is written in Hebrews 12:1-3:  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  Jesus gave shame the back of His hand, so to speak, for He treated shame as nothing for the joy that was set before Him to redeem lost sinners.  By considering Christ and the hostility He endured, we receive strength and encouragement in our LORD to continue following Him when we face persecution and shame for His name.  Since our Saviour suffered for our sakes, we are divinely enabled to take up our cross gladly and suffer shame for Him.