God Prepares People

As long as we live on this planet we can have legitimate concerns and criticisms, but it is important followers of Jesus Christ are not distracted from God and His goodness.  Too much focus on what is wrong with the world or our lives can rob us of fellowship with God and drain us of praise and thanksgiving God is worthy to receive in every season of life.

When Hezekiah ascended to the throne in Jerusalem, he faced many great challenges.  The nation was spiritually in a dreadful state, having been ruined by their departure from the LORD in the pursuit of idols.  The people were defeated in battles, suffered enormous casualties and the temple, king's house and princes were plundered by enemies.  The priests and Levites had neglected their duties:  the temple doors were shut, the lamps unlit, the altar without fire and the temple was reduced to being basically a rubbish tip.  In spite of all that seemed against him, Hezekiah brought the priests and Levites together and urged them to sanctify themselves, cleanse the temple and serve the Most High once again.

After they sanctified themselves to serve, the priests and Levites went into the temple and spent eight days carrying out rubbish and disposing of it.  They cleansed the house of the LORD, the altar, the table of showbread and all the vessels.  All had been prepared for offering sacrifices unto the LORD and to make atonement for all the sins of the people. The trumpets sounded, the congregation worshiped, and the singers sang praises to the LORD.  However when it came time to offer sacrifices, freewill and burnt offerings 2 Chronicles 29:34-36 says:  "But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests. ³⁵ Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. ³⁶ Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly."

If I had been Hezekiah, it occurred to me that the great day of rejoicing and praising of God could have been marred in my eyes by the lack of preparation of the priests.  Notice that even though the priests were too few, God had prepared diligent Levites to sanctify themselves to serve in the place of negligent priests.  The hiccup of unprepared priests had been already met by the almighty God who prepared people  in advance to serve, and the king and people all rejoiced in what God had done.  In a short time the shroud of darkness was replaced with the burning lamps, the cold altar burned hot with sacrifices, the temple mount was filled with worshipers, servants and the air filled with praise unto God.  Negligent priests or their lack of preparation did not take the shine off God that day, and He remains glorious and good now and forever.

Our lives will provide the answer to this question:  will we worship and praise God for His grace and goodness, or will our joy and gratitude be soured by the faults or negligence of others?  Praise the LORD He prepares and sanctifies sinners to serve Him suddenly as needs arise, and atonement has been provided for our souls by His grace.  In Him we ought to rejoice always.

Running to Finish

Lately I've been watching the Olympic coverage on television, and there are always memorable moments of the ecstasy of victory and the bitterness of defeat.  It is remarkable to consider the dedication, drive and ability to compete at a high level and to execute disciplines when the pressure is on.  I imagine athletes on a global stage face incredible pressure from themselves, the watching eyes and the expectations placed upon them to perform.

A difficult thing to witness is when officials deem a runner in a track event to be guilty of a false start.  Runners are usually aware they are the culprit during a nervous wait while officials convene to confirm the fault, and then one official walks in front of the runner's lane and holds up a card that disqualifies them from further competition in that event at the Olympic games.  Think of it!  A lifetime of training and hard work by a person gifted with athleticism beyond their fellow countrymen can be snuffed out in a moment by eagerness to start well.  For those who false start at the Olympic games, it is another four long years to wait for an opportunity to qualify to represent a nation in an event at the Olympics.

In a race where all competitors are deemed to have had a fair start, there can be only one winner.  To be an Olympian and to even make the final race are enormous accomplishments of themselves worthy of recognition.  But to make it to the Olympics and be disqualified before a race begins and thus be denied a chance to compete is tragic indeed.  A world-class runner is recognised by fair play according to the rules of the games, and Paul sought to avoid disqualification in his spiritual race according to the Gospel of grace in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:  "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵ And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶ Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Olympians compete for medals of gold, silver and bronze for successfully completing the race, and Paul looked for an enduring prize of infinite value that could not be stolen, lost or sold on eBay:  an imperishable crown received from Jesus.  The issue was not of a false start but the risk of veering from the course or not finishing at all.  If people are willing to subject their bodies to strict diet, training and competition with the chance to medal in the Olympics, believers should we disciplined in our eating, drinking, speaking and liberties with the aim of subjecting ourselves to the example of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit because God has qualified us for eternal glory.  Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:5, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Olympians must be subject to the international rules of their sport and the Olympic officials to qualify for a final or win a medal, and all believers are called to be subject to our Saviour Jesus Christ and one another in love and humility.  Our steps are not governed by lines drawn around a track but faith in God led by the Holy Spirit according to the God's word.  By God's grace believers can one day say with Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."  Runners who stumbled and fell on the track during a race have sprung to their feet and continued on to victory, and may we show the heart and resilience to follow Jesus in like manner.

The Unwritten Sin

Noting the context of scripture passages is most helpful in interpreting and applying the word of God personally.  Verses that have been commonly repeated and hackneyed can have fresh meaning infused into them by simple observation.  The truth doesn't change, but taking time to consider and meditate on God's word begins to change us.

The second part of Numbers 32:23 has become a stand-alone maxim spoken by Moses:  "Be sure your sin will find you out."  This is true, for no sin remains hidden before the holy Judge of all the earth before all will someday stand.  The entire verse shows this statement was prompted by a preceding conversation.  The entire verse reads, "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out."  The context shows Moses addressed the men of Reuben and Gad who requested their inheritance be given to them on the east side of the Jordan.

Initially Moses rebuked the men as sinners who discouraged others because he thought they were not going to cross the Jordan at all!  The men of Reuben and Gad assured Moses they would cross over the Jordan with the rest of the congregation to fight so all Israel could enter into the inheritance promised them by the LORD.  Only after their brethren had driven out the inhabitants of the land would they return to their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.  Numbers 32:20-23 reads, "Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, ²¹ and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²² and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. ²³ But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out."

It is insightful the sin referred to in context was not a sin written in the Law of Moses, but was a sin of omission--the sin of not doing what they promised to do.  While we are rightly concerned to avoid doing what God calls sin and choosing to walk uprightly in obedience to Christ, this warning of Moses speaks to words we have spoken and promises we have made that we have neglected to fulfill.  The words of the children of Reuben and Gad spoken before men were also uttered before God, and He would see them follow through.  Reading these words impacted me deeply and moved me to consider my ways.  This passage shows me one need not make a vow to have words that are binding before God, and we can be sure our sin will find us out.

Declaring War

Renters in Australia can be subject to quarterly inspections by the realtor that manages the property.  This was a useful prompting for our household to engage in deeper regular cleaning than we might be inclined.  We made it our aim to begin preparing for an inspection days beforehand to ensure everything went smoothly.  I remember another renting family complain of the strictness of their inspector who even reached up under the range hood over the stove and complained it was slightly sticky.  "Who even does that?" said the incredulous renter.  While I felt sympathetic towards our fellow renter, it also reminded me how God does a much more thorough spiritual inspection of our hearts.  His eyes not only observe our words and deeds on the outside, but He is intimately acquainted with our thoughts, motives and hearts.

This week at Calvary Chapel Sydney we considered the statement from James 4:6:  "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  This word "resist" means to put in battle array against, for pride is truly a declaration of war upon God He rallies to oppose.  Let us never imagine our God who is patient, compassionate and merciful will allow His beloved children to be lifted up with pride without negative consequences, for the soul that does so works toward their own ruin.  The word of God and conviction of the Holy Spirit is like a lily-white glove swept over a heart that exposes the filth of pride we cannot see ourselves and reveals our need to repent.  God sent an unclean spirit to chastened king Saul for his pride, struck king Uzziah with leprosy for presumptuously offering incense in the temple (who became angry when confronted by courageous priests for his transgression), and He also struck king Nebuchadnezzar with madness for 7 years.

God could have wiped Nebuchadnezzar off the earth for his transgression of pride, yet he restored his kingdom, reason and glory to him.  After being humbled by God, the king of Babylon concluded in Daniel 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down."  Those who humble themselves in the sight of the LORD, confessing their pride when it is exposed, mourn their sin and repent, by God's grace He will lift them up.  Those who continue to be lifted up in pride without repentance can expect in due time to be cast down--even people with genuine faith in God.  The scripture provides ample evidence of this fact, and I also know this by personal experience.  Pride is a root cause of almost every work of the flesh, and the wise are not exempt from this malady.  God's wisdom is displayed by humbling ourselves when we are made aware of pride by confessing and mourning it in repentance.  Proverbs 11:2 says, "When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom."

Solomon exposed pride as the major cause of all contention in Proverbs 13:10:  "By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom."  To justify pride is to double-down against God and always creates conflict, drama and fights.  The proud are self-assured, justify themselves and their angry reactions like Uzziah, but the wise learn what Nebuchadnezzar did:  when we humble ourselves in the sight of the LORD, He will lift us up.  Pride comes before a fall and leads to strife that can be avoided by the one who walks in the meekness of wisdom.  We do not humble ourselves hoping to be exalted, but because God is exalted and worthy of all honour and praise.  Declaring war on our pride keeps us from declaring war on God by being lifted up by it.