"And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. And it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin."
Time was of the essence. Someone had to act! If no one intervened, the Lord Jesus' body would be flung onto the garbage heap in the valley of Hinnom. Such a thought was simply too much for Joseph of Arimathea.
Described as a "good and righteous man...waiting for the kingdom of God," Joseph had the boldness to oppose the plan and action of the Sanhedrin, which carried the risk of disgrace and even death. And he was willing to be identified with the "cursed" One who had changed his life.
He had come to faith we know not when. As one of the religious leaders, surely he had been present when conversations with Jesus took place. He watched and listened, observing the uniqueness of the young Rabbi from Nazareth. Maybe he came to embrace Him as he sensed the authentic purity of His person, reflected in His powerful words and deeds. Perhaps it was the way He died that sealed it. Whatever the means, he was granted saving grace and faith by the Father.
In the urgency of his spontaneous boldness, Joseph defiled himself (as far as the other leaders were concerned) in approaching Pilate to ask for the Savior's body. The intensity of his love ignored such superstition, in order to care for his Lord. He also risked arrest by identifying with the followers of Christ, but "perfect love casts out fear," and he pressed on.
In his compassionate generosity of offering the use of his family vault, Joseph actually fulfilled biblical prophecy (Isaiah 53:9). Even the Lord Jesus' burial was sovereignly supervised by the living God to validate His Son as Messiah.
There is much encouragement in the bold initiative of Joseph's actions. A thousand rationalizations could have kept him from openly identifying with the crucified Teacher, yet he swept them all aside and provided the venue for his Lord's resurrection. May we be equally usable, and used by our risen Lord.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
Acts 13:42-49
"And as Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God," (vs. 42, 43).
This is the Word desired. Following a sermon by Paul in which he rehearsed an abbreviated history of God's dealings with Israel, the people wanted to hear more. We're not given their motive for this desire; no doubt some were curious without thought of commitment, while others were genuinely impacted by the truth. For the opposing Jews, the seven intervening days would be time to rouse those willing to attack both the messengers and the message.
"And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God," (v. 44). The Word draws. Reminiscent of the Lord Jesus' ministry, when the common people heard Him gladly, the purity and authority of God's truth was winsome, drawing multitudes to hear it proclaimed.
Our Lord's parable of the soils (Luke 8) reminds us of the difference there can be between initial response and authentic results. The Lord Himself knew better than to trust men, for He knew what was in their hearts (John 2:24, 25). Hence, the presence of large crowds must be seen in perspective: many are called, few chosen.
"But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming," (v. 45). The Word divides. The gospel truth, spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit, always confronts and forces a decision: either rejection or acceptance. The Lord Jesus declared, "he who is not with Me is against Me..." (Matthew 12:30a).
These Jews decided to reject Messiah, His message, and His messengers. Incensed by the popular reception from the Gentiles (whom they considered to be dogs), as well as the proselytes (Gentiles who converted to Judaism), these legalistic religionists actually spoke evil of the very God they claimed to adore in the course of their vehement objections to Paul's preaching.
"And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, THAT YOU SHOULD BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.' " (vs. 46, 47).
This is the Word determined. Rather than being thwarted by the frantic efforts of the unbelieving Jews to discredit their message of truth, Paul and Barnabas became all the more determined and bold in their delivery. As Proverbs 28:1 states, "...the righteous are bold as a lion." Such a stance in the face of fierce opposition speaks strongly to the Holy Spirit's anointing that was upon the two men.
Note: see the human responsibility aspect of salvation here. In repudiating the word of God spoken by these servants of the living God, the Jews judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. Their damnation was deserved in the light of such privileged exposure to God's truth, their unbelief the root of their judgment.
By quoting Isaiah 49:6, Paul was employing a messianic passage that describes the heart of God's commitment to non-Jews. Although the Jews considered salvation for the Gentiles unthinkable, God was revealing His determined will through Paul's declarations.
"And when the Gentiles heard this, the began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed," (v. 48). This is the Word pre-determined. Luke would have us understand that salvation is a sovereignly-initiated work of grace which the living God orchestrated before the foundation of the world. Paul speaks of our salvation as being "according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity," (II Timothy 1:9). Paul tells the Ephesian believers that God the Father "chose us in Him (the Lord Jesus) before the foundation of the world..." (Eph. 1:4). Thus, the "had been appointed" (or ordained) speaks of eternity past as its origin.
Someone has wisely warned that we are not to invert the order of the verse: as many as believed, were appointed to eternal life. No, God does not see who will be saved and then decide they are elect. Such a view is counter to Scriptures quoted here, as well as the biblical picture of man's complete and total spiritual helplessness. Were it not for God's gracious initiative in predestinating the elect from eternity past, no one would be saved at all (Romans 3:10-12).
"And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region," (v. 49). This is the Word disseminated. With the salvation of great numbers of Gentiles, testimonies as to the change the Lord Jesus makes in one's life spread rapidly and widely. That aspect of Christ's great commission "even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8) was being carried out through the apostles' obedience.
An important concluding thought: from beginning to end of this episode of evangelism in the early church, the central focus is the word of God. Paul and Barnabas did not lecture on the psychological basis of conversion, or societal ills, or the politically adverse landscape related to Roman oppression.
Rather, the tremendous life-changing impact altering the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people stemmed from the word of God anointed by the Spirit of God according to the gracious will of the living God.
This is the Word desired. Following a sermon by Paul in which he rehearsed an abbreviated history of God's dealings with Israel, the people wanted to hear more. We're not given their motive for this desire; no doubt some were curious without thought of commitment, while others were genuinely impacted by the truth. For the opposing Jews, the seven intervening days would be time to rouse those willing to attack both the messengers and the message.
"And the next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of God," (v. 44). The Word draws. Reminiscent of the Lord Jesus' ministry, when the common people heard Him gladly, the purity and authority of God's truth was winsome, drawing multitudes to hear it proclaimed.
Our Lord's parable of the soils (Luke 8) reminds us of the difference there can be between initial response and authentic results. The Lord Himself knew better than to trust men, for He knew what was in their hearts (John 2:24, 25). Hence, the presence of large crowds must be seen in perspective: many are called, few chosen.
"But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming," (v. 45). The Word divides. The gospel truth, spoken in the power of the Holy Spirit, always confronts and forces a decision: either rejection or acceptance. The Lord Jesus declared, "he who is not with Me is against Me..." (Matthew 12:30a).
These Jews decided to reject Messiah, His message, and His messengers. Incensed by the popular reception from the Gentiles (whom they considered to be dogs), as well as the proselytes (Gentiles who converted to Judaism), these legalistic religionists actually spoke evil of the very God they claimed to adore in the course of their vehement objections to Paul's preaching.
"And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, 'It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For thus the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, THAT YOU SHOULD BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.' " (vs. 46, 47).
This is the Word determined. Rather than being thwarted by the frantic efforts of the unbelieving Jews to discredit their message of truth, Paul and Barnabas became all the more determined and bold in their delivery. As Proverbs 28:1 states, "...the righteous are bold as a lion." Such a stance in the face of fierce opposition speaks strongly to the Holy Spirit's anointing that was upon the two men.
Note: see the human responsibility aspect of salvation here. In repudiating the word of God spoken by these servants of the living God, the Jews judged themselves unworthy of eternal life. Their damnation was deserved in the light of such privileged exposure to God's truth, their unbelief the root of their judgment.
By quoting Isaiah 49:6, Paul was employing a messianic passage that describes the heart of God's commitment to non-Jews. Although the Jews considered salvation for the Gentiles unthinkable, God was revealing His determined will through Paul's declarations.
"And when the Gentiles heard this, the began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed," (v. 48). This is the Word pre-determined. Luke would have us understand that salvation is a sovereignly-initiated work of grace which the living God orchestrated before the foundation of the world. Paul speaks of our salvation as being "according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity," (II Timothy 1:9). Paul tells the Ephesian believers that God the Father "chose us in Him (the Lord Jesus) before the foundation of the world..." (Eph. 1:4). Thus, the "had been appointed" (or ordained) speaks of eternity past as its origin.
Someone has wisely warned that we are not to invert the order of the verse: as many as believed, were appointed to eternal life. No, God does not see who will be saved and then decide they are elect. Such a view is counter to Scriptures quoted here, as well as the biblical picture of man's complete and total spiritual helplessness. Were it not for God's gracious initiative in predestinating the elect from eternity past, no one would be saved at all (Romans 3:10-12).
"And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region," (v. 49). This is the Word disseminated. With the salvation of great numbers of Gentiles, testimonies as to the change the Lord Jesus makes in one's life spread rapidly and widely. That aspect of Christ's great commission "even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:8) was being carried out through the apostles' obedience.
An important concluding thought: from beginning to end of this episode of evangelism in the early church, the central focus is the word of God. Paul and Barnabas did not lecture on the psychological basis of conversion, or societal ills, or the politically adverse landscape related to Roman oppression.
Rather, the tremendous life-changing impact altering the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people stemmed from the word of God anointed by the Spirit of God according to the gracious will of the living God.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Hebrews 4:12
"For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
As is His Word, so is He. God's Word is living because He lives. Just as surely as we know, love, and serve the living God, so we are assured that His Word lives, as well.
Consistent with continual activity by the one true God, so His Word is likewise active. Though sin in its many manifestations dulls our senses to discern His movements, nonetheless He is ever active in His sovereign interactions with His creation.
There is nothing He does not see (Hebrews 4:13), nothing which would surprise Him, nothing which could "catch Him off guard," since He sees the end from the beginning with absolute awareness, (Jeremiah 23:23, 24). Morever, the living God "sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart," (I Samuel 16:7).
It is this spiritual scrutiny, this revealing of our heart, that confirms the uniqueness of the Word of God. Because the heart is more deceitful than all else (Jeremiah 17:9), no one truly knows his own heart. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer to continually reveal his heart to him, primarily through the tool of His blessed book.
As we present our heart to the Holy Spirit, exposing it to the standards, admonitions, examples, exhortations, and purities of His truth, our very thoughts and intentions undergo spiritual surgery. His scalpel of Scripture cuts deeply into the diseases of sin and self, and lays open the illnesses which need removal by confession, repentance, and forsaking. The more thorough our yearning for His knife, the greater the healing, restoration, joy, and usability.
As is His Word, so is He. God's Word is living because He lives. Just as surely as we know, love, and serve the living God, so we are assured that His Word lives, as well.
Consistent with continual activity by the one true God, so His Word is likewise active. Though sin in its many manifestations dulls our senses to discern His movements, nonetheless He is ever active in His sovereign interactions with His creation.
There is nothing He does not see (Hebrews 4:13), nothing which would surprise Him, nothing which could "catch Him off guard," since He sees the end from the beginning with absolute awareness, (Jeremiah 23:23, 24). Morever, the living God "sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart," (I Samuel 16:7).
It is this spiritual scrutiny, this revealing of our heart, that confirms the uniqueness of the Word of God. Because the heart is more deceitful than all else (Jeremiah 17:9), no one truly knows his own heart. It is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer to continually reveal his heart to him, primarily through the tool of His blessed book.
As we present our heart to the Holy Spirit, exposing it to the standards, admonitions, examples, exhortations, and purities of His truth, our very thoughts and intentions undergo spiritual surgery. His scalpel of Scripture cuts deeply into the diseases of sin and self, and lays open the illnesses which need removal by confession, repentance, and forsaking. The more thorough our yearning for His knife, the greater the healing, restoration, joy, and usability.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Hell
The elect only are the ones who accept what the Bible says about it, who catch a glimpse of its horrific reality, feel the force of its implications, and rejoice in relief that it's not their destination.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Underestimating God's Holiness
"But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God," (II Samuel 6:6,7).
What seems on the surface to be a capricious outburst of unjust anger on God's part is actually justified wrath in the face of disobedience to His plainly-stated requirements for acceptable worship.
* The Requirements.
In Numbers 3:30, 31; 4:15; and 7:9, the Old Testament law specified that the ark of God was to be carried by the sons of Kohath. Additionally, Exodus 25:12-15 clearly recorded the LORD's instructions through Moses for the means of transporting the sacred ark: "You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it."
Thus are given the living God's specific and crystal clear commands concerning moving the ark which represented His ineffable Name.
* The Requirements Unknown.
Having captured the ark of God, the Philistines decided after seven months (I Samuel 6:1) that they had had enough. Throughout the land mice had brought plague, and tumors had broken out on the entire populace, producing an outcry for relief. Their pagan priests and diviners advised returning the ark with a guilt offering of their own concoction (6:5). Moreover, the means they counseled for its transportation was a new cart (vv. 7,8), hitched to two milch cows on which there had never been a yoke. The people heeded this advice (vv. 10, 11), and the ark was led back to Beth-shemesh, where the people there rejoiced at the sight of its return.
* The Requirements Ignored.
Having become established as king over Israel (II Samuel 5:12), David determined that it was time for the ark of God to be returned to Jerusalem, the City of David. He gathered thirty thousand of Israel's chosen men together, to transport the sacred ark. "They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark," (6:3,4).
Did King David not know the passages in Numbers and Exodus related to moving the ark? Of all things, he is adopting the same mode as the enemies of the Lord: a new cart(!) Where is the spiritual leadership from the "man after God's own heart"?
* Consequences of Man-Made Worship
In this situation, David's failure to conscientiously follow God's worship mandate cost a man his life. David's anger (6:8) was likely directed at himself for carelessly underestimating the holiness of the living God. In his zeal to get the ark back in its proper location, he failed to take into account the supreme holiness of God's Name.
This account is a needed reminder and warning for our man-centered society and lackadaisical churches. Any attempts to worship the sovereign God of heaven and earth apart from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ are rejected. God must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24), acceptable only through access granted by the Lord Jesus (John 14:6). Any and all attempts to approach Him by humanly-devised methods and means are idolatry, and an abomination.
May He grant grace for the acceptance of this truth.
What seems on the surface to be a capricious outburst of unjust anger on God's part is actually justified wrath in the face of disobedience to His plainly-stated requirements for acceptable worship.
* The Requirements.
In Numbers 3:30, 31; 4:15; and 7:9, the Old Testament law specified that the ark of God was to be carried by the sons of Kohath. Additionally, Exodus 25:12-15 clearly recorded the LORD's instructions through Moses for the means of transporting the sacred ark: "You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it."
Thus are given the living God's specific and crystal clear commands concerning moving the ark which represented His ineffable Name.
* The Requirements Unknown.
Having captured the ark of God, the Philistines decided after seven months (I Samuel 6:1) that they had had enough. Throughout the land mice had brought plague, and tumors had broken out on the entire populace, producing an outcry for relief. Their pagan priests and diviners advised returning the ark with a guilt offering of their own concoction (6:5). Moreover, the means they counseled for its transportation was a new cart (vv. 7,8), hitched to two milch cows on which there had never been a yoke. The people heeded this advice (vv. 10, 11), and the ark was led back to Beth-shemesh, where the people there rejoiced at the sight of its return.
* The Requirements Ignored.
Having become established as king over Israel (II Samuel 5:12), David determined that it was time for the ark of God to be returned to Jerusalem, the City of David. He gathered thirty thousand of Israel's chosen men together, to transport the sacred ark. "They placed the ark of God on a new cart that they might bring it from the house of Abinadab which was on the hill; and Ahio was walking ahead of the ark," (6:3,4).
Did King David not know the passages in Numbers and Exodus related to moving the ark? Of all things, he is adopting the same mode as the enemies of the Lord: a new cart(!) Where is the spiritual leadership from the "man after God's own heart"?
* Consequences of Man-Made Worship
In this situation, David's failure to conscientiously follow God's worship mandate cost a man his life. David's anger (6:8) was likely directed at himself for carelessly underestimating the holiness of the living God. In his zeal to get the ark back in its proper location, he failed to take into account the supreme holiness of God's Name.
This account is a needed reminder and warning for our man-centered society and lackadaisical churches. Any attempts to worship the sovereign God of heaven and earth apart from the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ are rejected. God must be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24), acceptable only through access granted by the Lord Jesus (John 14:6). Any and all attempts to approach Him by humanly-devised methods and means are idolatry, and an abomination.
May He grant grace for the acceptance of this truth.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Who Has Our Trust?
"Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?" (Isaiah 2:22)
In context, Isaiah is picturing and prophesying richly-deserved judgment upon Judah. A number of elements in the second chapter fitly describe what was experienced during the Babylonian captivity, but the overall intensity better portrays the future tribulation known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24; Revelation 6--19).
"In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty," (vv. 20, 21; cf. Rev. 6:12, 15, 16).
In such a time of unprecedented trauma, chaos, and terror, peace will be promised by the Antichrist, and his confident assurances will lead many to place faith in him. Verse 22 is Isaiah's admonition to stop depending on people, however trustworthy and capable they may seem, and trust only in the living God.
We continually struggle with faith in the seen versus faith in the unseen. Our senses constantly scream that what we can see, hear, taste, touch and smell are reality, and the unseen realm of spirituality is (a) non-existent, (b) unscientific, (c) undependable at best, (d) an indication of insanity at worst. The world system assures us that man is the measure by which the universe should be perceived, and what we do not understand shouldn't concern.
Yet in times of difficulty, loss, death, despair, fear and heartbreak, times when we're overwhelmed by life's enigmas, faith in man won't do. Even faith in faith will disappoint, for faith is only as valid as the object in which it is placed. Thus, only faith in the living triune God of the Scriptures, the sovereign King of the universe, will sustain us through tribulation.
The Father assures His own, "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand," (Isaiah 41:10). The Son, the Lord Jesus Christ invites, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS," (Matthew 11:28, 29).
The third Person of the Trinity, the blessed Holy Spirit, provides unspeakable comfort for all who belong to the Lord Jesus, even as the Savior promised, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you," (John 14:16, 17).
Father,
Grant grace that we who have been changed by the Lord Jesus would lean less and less on man and be deepened in our dependence upon You.
In the Lord Jesus' Name,
Amen.
In context, Isaiah is picturing and prophesying richly-deserved judgment upon Judah. A number of elements in the second chapter fitly describe what was experienced during the Babylonian captivity, but the overall intensity better portrays the future tribulation known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24; Revelation 6--19).
"In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs Before the terror of the LORD and the splendor of His majesty," (vv. 20, 21; cf. Rev. 6:12, 15, 16).
In such a time of unprecedented trauma, chaos, and terror, peace will be promised by the Antichrist, and his confident assurances will lead many to place faith in him. Verse 22 is Isaiah's admonition to stop depending on people, however trustworthy and capable they may seem, and trust only in the living God.
We continually struggle with faith in the seen versus faith in the unseen. Our senses constantly scream that what we can see, hear, taste, touch and smell are reality, and the unseen realm of spirituality is (a) non-existent, (b) unscientific, (c) undependable at best, (d) an indication of insanity at worst. The world system assures us that man is the measure by which the universe should be perceived, and what we do not understand shouldn't concern.
Yet in times of difficulty, loss, death, despair, fear and heartbreak, times when we're overwhelmed by life's enigmas, faith in man won't do. Even faith in faith will disappoint, for faith is only as valid as the object in which it is placed. Thus, only faith in the living triune God of the Scriptures, the sovereign King of the universe, will sustain us through tribulation.
The Father assures His own, "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand," (Isaiah 41:10). The Son, the Lord Jesus Christ invites, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS," (Matthew 11:28, 29).
The third Person of the Trinity, the blessed Holy Spirit, provides unspeakable comfort for all who belong to the Lord Jesus, even as the Savior promised, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you," (John 14:16, 17).
Father,
Grant grace that we who have been changed by the Lord Jesus would lean less and less on man and be deepened in our dependence upon You.
In the Lord Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
The Word of the living GOD
"Is not My word like a fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?" Jeremiah 23:29
In stark contrast to the dreams of false prophets, devised out of deceitful hearts, for the purpose of making God's people forget His name, the living God Himself likens His truth to (a) fire and to (b) a hammer.
(a) Fire consumes.
In I Kings 18, the authenticity of Elijah's commission as a prophet and the veracity of his message from God were on the line. The prophets of Baal outnumbered him 450 to 1, and the hearts of the undiscerning people had been swayed to spiritual adultery. Elijah proposed settling the issue by a contest: "Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox, and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God," (vv. 23, 24).
All morning, through the noon hour, even to the time of the evening sacrifice, the false prophets leaped about the altar, cut themselves with swords and lances until covered with blood, all the while yelling for their god to answer by fire. The Bible says, "but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention," (v. 29).
Elijah then models obedience to the living God's worship requirements by erecting the altar in His Name (v. 32), at the proper time (the evening sacrifice)(v. 36), and with prayer that glorified Him as God: "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again," (vv. 36, 37).
At the command of the LORD, "the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (v. 38)
What the physical fire did in this narrative, the word of the living God does, spiritually, where it is proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit. Speculations are destroyed, lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God, consumed by His invincible word which accomplishes what He desires, succeeding in the matter for which He sends it.
At the judgment seat of Christ, consuming fire will be used in the determining of rewards: "Each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire," (I Corinthians 3:13-15).
(b) Fire also purifies. As it is that our hearts are "more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9), we are in continual need of the Word's purifying work on our hearts. John Rippon's familiar hymn, "How Firm a Foundation" applies:
As a hammer, the Lord's Word shatters. Why?
It is His Word. The Word of the living God is all-powerful because He is omnipotent. As Jeremiah records God's question, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" The prophet humbly affirmed, "Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You!" (Jer. 32:27, 17)
Isaiah also quotes the living God as He asserts, "My word which goes forth from My mouth shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it," (Isaiah 55:11).
As someone has well said, hard words produce soft hearts. Conversely, soft words produce hard hearts. Meaning? The undiluted Word, the unvarnished truth, proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, confronts the heart, pierces the soul (Hebrews 4:12), and makes one willing in the day of His power. As Paul commanded his protege' Timothy, "Preach the word... reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction," (II Timothy 4:2). Sound doctrine, strongly delivered, makes for softened hearts.
However, the deceitful heart is hardened when the truth is compromised, when pleasing to the tickled ears of the hearers, who will then eschew the truth and turn to myths (vv. 3,4).
In these days where false prophets abound, where the church has become worldly and the world has become so churchy that there's little difference between the two, and when a God-sent spiritual awakening is our only hope, pray the Lord of the harvest to raise up godly, Spirit-unctioned preachers who preach the shattering Word in its purity and power!
In stark contrast to the dreams of false prophets, devised out of deceitful hearts, for the purpose of making God's people forget His name, the living God Himself likens His truth to (a) fire and to (b) a hammer.
(a) Fire consumes.
In I Kings 18, the authenticity of Elijah's commission as a prophet and the veracity of his message from God were on the line. The prophets of Baal outnumbered him 450 to 1, and the hearts of the undiscerning people had been swayed to spiritual adultery. Elijah proposed settling the issue by a contest: "Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox, and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God," (vv. 23, 24).
All morning, through the noon hour, even to the time of the evening sacrifice, the false prophets leaped about the altar, cut themselves with swords and lances until covered with blood, all the while yelling for their god to answer by fire. The Bible says, "but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention," (v. 29).
Elijah then models obedience to the living God's worship requirements by erecting the altar in His Name (v. 32), at the proper time (the evening sacrifice)(v. 36), and with prayer that glorified Him as God: "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again," (vv. 36, 37).
At the command of the LORD, "the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench." (v. 38)
What the physical fire did in this narrative, the word of the living God does, spiritually, where it is proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit. Speculations are destroyed, lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God, consumed by His invincible word which accomplishes what He desires, succeeding in the matter for which He sends it.
At the judgment seat of Christ, consuming fire will be used in the determining of rewards: "Each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire," (I Corinthians 3:13-15).
(b) Fire also purifies. As it is that our hearts are "more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9), we are in continual need of the Word's purifying work on our hearts. John Rippon's familiar hymn, "How Firm a Foundation" applies:
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
The Word is the tool of His grace by which His purifying work is accomplished. Through hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, meditating upon, and obeying the Word, our impure motives are revealed, our secret sins surface for confession, hypocrisy unheeded is no longer ignored, the grieving and quenching of the Holy Spirit is taken seriously, and the desire to please our Lord becomes preeminent.As a hammer, the Lord's Word shatters. Why?
It is His Word. The Word of the living God is all-powerful because He is omnipotent. As Jeremiah records God's question, "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" The prophet humbly affirmed, "Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You!" (Jer. 32:27, 17)
Isaiah also quotes the living God as He asserts, "My word which goes forth from My mouth shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it," (Isaiah 55:11).
As someone has well said, hard words produce soft hearts. Conversely, soft words produce hard hearts. Meaning? The undiluted Word, the unvarnished truth, proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, confronts the heart, pierces the soul (Hebrews 4:12), and makes one willing in the day of His power. As Paul commanded his protege' Timothy, "Preach the word... reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction," (II Timothy 4:2). Sound doctrine, strongly delivered, makes for softened hearts.
However, the deceitful heart is hardened when the truth is compromised, when pleasing to the tickled ears of the hearers, who will then eschew the truth and turn to myths (vv. 3,4).
In these days where false prophets abound, where the church has become worldly and the world has become so churchy that there's little difference between the two, and when a God-sent spiritual awakening is our only hope, pray the Lord of the harvest to raise up godly, Spirit-unctioned preachers who preach the shattering Word in its purity and power!
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