Plumb Line Needed!

A majority of our back yard is supported by a short retaining wall, and my project of late was to repair a portion of it that had been damaged by large trees.  Based upon the location of the wall in relation to the driveway, it seems the lower courses of the wall were set before soil and sand was brought in to ramp up to the garage.  Rather than digging way down to reset the first course--and risk undermining the driveway--I removed enough dirt to grind the lower blocks level.  As a result of allowing the first course to remain, rebuilding the wall required small modifications and adjustments.  The results are not perfect, but it is in far better condition now that it is plumb.

The repair of the retaining wall has been a great illustration of the necessity for a solid, level foundation for our lives.  Because it was only a short section of wall and I lacked necessary stakes for a line, I made the decision to level one block according to the adjacent block, filling in from the exposed corner to the buried side.  What happened was similar to when we played "telephone" as kids, a group activity when one person whispers a phrase or sentence in the ear of the person next to them and the message is repeated down the line.  The best part of the game is when the phrase derails and becomes hilarious with nonsense that is nothing like the original sentence.  While this is a fun party game when the phrase is way off, it is not good when building a wall.  Since the first course was not fully removed, every block needed adjusting.

Looking at the wall from the broad side, it looks quite even and level.  But looking down the wall lengthwise, all the irregularities and imperfections are exposed.  My best efforts on the wall using what I had on hand is an example that without the plumb line of God's word and wisdom, spiritually speaking we all fall woefully short of God's perfection.  God used a plumb line as an illustration in Amos 7:7-9:  "Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. ⁸ And the LORD said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said: "Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. ⁹ The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam."   A plumb line takes guesswork out of the equation, and it is only a matter of time before a wall out of plumb will fail.  God had given the plumb line of His word and established Israel in righteousness, but judgment was coming because of how crooked God's people had become.

Notice that the LORD stood on a wall made with a plumb line, and because it was built correctly it remained strong, straight and upright.  It could support weight properly and perform the function it was designed to do.  The children of Israel were given the Law of God, yet they were not able to keep it.  God's law is like a perfect straight edge that reveals how crooked we are, and the only way to be made right with God is through repentance for our sin and placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  It does us no good to justify our errors because we were simply following the example of others or the finished results don't matter because of all the effort we put in:  plumb is plumb.  None of us started plumb, and we can't straighten ourselves out no matter how hard we try.  Praise God He is able to save us, to make us new creations built on a level, solid foundation by faith in Jesus through the Gospel.  Those who hear the words of Jesus and heed them He likens to a man who builds his house on a rock that will stand and endure every storm.

Should our lives veer off course, rather than comparing ourselves to one another we do well to look to Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone.  The LORD speaks with absolute authority as one who holds the plumb line in his hand and sees clearly, and by the power of the Holy Spirit He guides us into all truth.  When we resort to copying others or doing what is right in our own eyes, we cannot straighten up.  We can can have confidence we will not be led astray or go crooked when we seek the LORD, humble ourselves before Jesus and obey Him.

Built On Christ

I was inspired to tackle some yardwork when I read Proverbs 24:27 that says, "Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."  While the situation for me is different than the agrarian society that was predominant in Israel in ancient times, God's word still guides us into truth and blesses those who take steps of obedience by faith in God.

If I could put the sentiment of this verse in my own words, the principle held forth here is:  "First things first."  People who had land set aside for farming needed to make preparing the field their priority, for wheat and barley was not going to plant itself.  Making the field fit for planting supplied necessary food for people, seed for sowing and fodder for working animals.  For those who are not farmers or live in a community where a sufficient amount of food is grown for their survival, many people today work for money they exchange for food and daily necessities.  The principle of this proverb is to prioritise work that helps provide for your needs for survival, and having done this you can concern yourself with renovating the house.  It would be better to have any honest job than to remain unemployed because it is not your ideal career or aligns with your interests.  Paul affirmed the responsibility of people to contribute by working in 2 Thessalonians 3:10:  "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this:  if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat."

It occurred to me as I was stacking besser blocks the spiritual implications of the proverb must be addressed in the opposite order:  the rebellious inner man must be addressed before outer behaviour.  Our human inclination is to prioritise appearing to "clean up our act" by focusing on outward works rather than dealing with our inner man.  Because Jesus knows the hearts of mankind, He saw past the clean exterior of the Pharisees and perceived they were spiritually dead in sins on the inside.  Their primary need was to be born again by faith in Jesus, to be made new creations by the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit who indwells Christians.  Ephesians 2:8-9 shows we cannot earn good standing and righteousness by efforts of our flesh:  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast."  No amount of good works can open the gates of God's kingdom to us, for we must first confess our sin and enter in through the Door (who is Jesus Christ) by faith in Him.

Having been born again by faith, then we are to seek to live in the manner that is pleasing to God:  loving and forgiving one another, being a servant of all according to Christ's example, trusting and obeying God and His word.  Without Jesus we can do nothing, and through faith in Christ we can do all things because He gives us strength.  Having been born again, Paul compared believers to being God's field and His building.  He wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."  First things first:  the foundation must be laid before the house can be built, and we must be born again before we build properly on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  Reversing the order means we are building a life without a foundation in Christ, and the eventual fall and destruction of those who build foolishly are assured.

Holy and Happy Day

When people gathered for the annual feasts in Jerusalem, it was a time of rejoicing and celebration.  In the days of Nehemiah after the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, the people gathered together in the street before the Water Gate where Ezra the scribe read the book of the Law.  Everyone who had understanding was attentive to hear the Law and responded with contrition, and they mourned with weeping over their sins.  Ezra exhorted the people to dry their tears for it was a holy day unto the LORD.  Nehemiah 8:10-12 says, "Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ¹¹ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them."  A holy day unto the LORD was meant to be observed with enjoying good food, giving to those in need and rejoicing together.  These people rejoiced because they understood God's word that was declared to them.

In response to God's word, shortly thereafter the children of Israel gathered branches of many kinds--including palm branches--to make booths to dwell in to observe the Feast of Tabernacles.  Their gathering of palm branches reminded me of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem before the Feast of Unleavened Bread in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9:  "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey."  Even before Jesus made the descent from Mount Olives toward the city, people placed their clothing and palm branches on the ground before Him.  Matthew 21:9 says, "Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"  Jesus was revealed as King and Messiah, the Son of David in whom is salvation.  When the Pharisees urged Jesus to rebuke His disciples, He said if they were silent even the stones would cry out.  God had ordained that day to be one marked with rejoicing and worship of the holy God.  Ironically, when Jesus drew near to the city He was not gleeful or exuberant by the praise of the people but wept over Jerusalem because they did not realise the day of their visitation and judgment was coming (Luke 19:41-44).

Consider the triumphal entry of Jesus in light of the richness of Psalm 118:19-29 that points to Jesus our Righteousness, Rock and LORD who died, rose from the dead and lives:  "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the LORD. ²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD, through which the righteous shall enter. ²¹ I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. ²² The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. ²³ This was the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. ²⁴ This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ²⁵ Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. ²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. ²⁷ God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. ²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. ²⁹ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

Isn't God awesome and worthy of all praise?  May His grace, goodness and salvation be marvellous in our eyes, and let us rejoice and be glad in Him.  In light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the joy of the LORD is our strength.  Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

God the Healer

"Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand."

Deuteronomy 32:39

Unlike a doctor who uses medicine and other means to harness the natural healing processes of the body, God IS the healer.  He designed all the systems that protect, identify and eliminate harmful infections, and promote the health of the body.   I have found my typical response when I am not feeling my best is to downplay my symptoms.  I must be undeniably sick to admit I am sick, and I assume the healing process should act more quickly than it does.  After a couple of weeks of a cold or cough it feels like restoration to full health drags on forever!  Being ignorant of the extent or severity of my illness, I assume healing should occur quickly and easily.  As oncologists go to great lengths to destroy all cancer cells, so God is willing to take great pains to restore sinning souls to Himself.

The prophet Isaiah was chosen and sent by God to bring a message in Isaiah 6:9-10:  "And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' ¹⁰ "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."  This passage always confused me because it seemed contradictory God spoke yet did not want them to hear.  It seemed God worked to undermine the whole purpose for sending Isaiah at all!  The reality was quite different, for God's people had departed from Him, were entrenched in idolatry, loved the lies of false prophets and oppressed one another.  Like I tend to downplay my own illness, we can downplay the severity of the sin of others and ourselves.  When we are sick we take a tablet, but the children of Israel needed spiritual revival, a new heart and new mind obtained only by faith in God, repentance for sin and humble obedience.  They were unwilling to take their medicine.

Modern surgery likely would seem very extreme to people who relied upon poultices and bloodletting which could never clear clogged arteries or put cancer in remission.  Having a better understanding of the complex processes of the human body with scans and testing allows medical professionals to better diagnose and treat illnesses.  God's diagnosis for the children of Israel in Isaiah's day was grim, for they refused to listen to Him.  They were heading to destruction due to their sin, and God would surely judge them for their sins with the aim to ultimately restore them to Himself.  Half-doses would not be adequate for their healing.  God's prescription was for Israel to be cut down like a tree with a stump left in the ground by their enemies, be carried away captive, and after 70 years for a remnant return to Him.  In His wisdom God determined their spiritual blindness would lead to sight, their deafness result in hearing His voice, and being taken from their land lead to them choosing to return to Him.  This may seem counterintuitive, but this was the means God would employ to sanctify and heal His people.

The teaching of Jesus in parables also fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, and Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 13:13-15.  At the same time, those who exercised faith in Christ were blessed with understanding as Jesus said in Matthew 13:16-17:  "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  Jesus came as the Light of the World and did not keep anyone in the dark, but those who loved darkness and refused to come into the Light would remain blind.  Amazingly, in part the blindness of the Jews served another divine purpose:  the unbelief of the Jews graciously opened a door to the Gentiles into the kingdom of God by faith in Jesus.  The refusal of the Jews to hear Jesus led Him to be proclaimed and heard by Jews and Gentiles to this day.  Paul wrote in Romans 11:30-32, "For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. ³² For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all."

See the wisdom, grace and goodness of God upon all!  Through God's sovereign designs there is hope, healing and restoration for all people by faith in Jesus Christ.  Our own deafness, blindness and hardness of heart can be used by God to make us hearers and doers of His word, to bless us with spiritual insight, and to have our hearts of stone replaced with soft and responsive hearts.  As we may seek medical care only to alleviate our symptoms (as long as it is convenient and not too costly!), we can be content with minor reforms or partial healing God spoke of in Jeremiah 6:14:  "They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace."  Slight healing that enables us to stay as we are falls far short of God's intent to heal, revive and restore us to Himself which requires a more involved process of repentance, faith in God, submission and obedience to Him.  Because God loves us, He is willing to oversee and orchestrate events in our lives and nations so His will for healing and salvation will be fully accomplished for us and for generations to come.