"Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?
who is like thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
~ Exodus 15:11
And if we really grasped even part of this we would be like Job who said:
“I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?
I put my hand over my mouth.
I spoke once, but I have no answer—
twice, but I will say no more.” (Job 40:4 - 5)Or like Isaiah who cried out, "Woe is me! I have seen the Lord and King!" (Isa. 6:5) Or
like John who was the Beloved disciple reclining against our Lord, yet
when he saw the Risen and Glorious Lord, he fell at the Lord's feet as
dead! (Rev. 1:17)
O Lord, grant us sight that we may see you better. Our frail and earthly eyes are clouded by things around us—things that do not last, that do not satisfy. Our hearts need you else restless we will ever be. Let us see that you are ever with us. Let us desire with increasing singularity nothing besides You. For our heart and flesh will fail, but You, O God, are our strength and our portion forever. Amen.
Exodus 15:11 sung in Russian, a cappella. A small sense of the grandeur of God!
(English Subtitles Provided)
The Russian words of Exodus 15:11, translated literally.
Кто, как Ты, Господи, между богами? Kto, kak Ty, Gospodi, mezhdu bogami? Who, like You, O Lord, among gods? Кто, как Ты, величествен святостью, Kto, kak Ty, velichestven svyatost'yu, Who, like You, [with] august/sublime holiness, досточтим хвалами, Творец чудес? dostochtim khvalmi, Tvorets chudes? honored [with] praises, Creator [of] wonders?
Oh, that we would take the Scriptures and read it, for it is
Scripture alone that is balm for soothing our soul and salve to give
sight to our blinded eyes and food for our famished spirits. As death
approaches it will not be stocks and bonds nor investments that gives
succor; comfort will not come from amassed possessions and lands; repose
will not be found in progeny nor accolades and awards. No, your only
comfort will be that you are found in Christ and this assurance is only
made known in the Bible. Therefore we must take and read! Herein is our only comfort and assurance in this life. Christ our sufficiency, our goal, our life! But to find Him we must take and read!
The Mountain —
I recently saw an image similar to the above picture of Mount Adams and it got me to thinking. Beyond just being breath-takingly lovely, there is something awesome and frightful about this. That is because this is an actual volcano. True, it has not erupted in more than a thousand years, but it is not extinct. And just about 34 miles to its west, Mount St. Helens erupted violently in 1980.
The Danger —
Mount Pinatubo erupting, 1991
Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in June of 1991. Even though there were growing signs of unrest along with more minor eruptions, the timing of the eruption as well as the magnitude of how it blew were completely unknowable. In May of 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted after growing signs of unrest and ground shaking. The government had set up exclusion zones to keep people away from the mountain and the "best-guess" prediction of the blast area. An old-timer named Harry Truman who lived near Spirit Lake to the north of the mountain refused to leave saying that he and the mountain got along just fine. The blast that came on Sunday morning, May 18, 1980 left everybody surprised by the size and devastation of the eruption. More than a cubic kilometer of rock turned to fine volcanic ash, burying much nearby and traveling far across the state even to other states. Several died—some even though they were theoretically not in the dangerous zones.
Mount Pinatubo
The Watchfulness —
Thus anyone who lives near an active or even a dormant volcano should be
aware and live with an eye toward the mountain. And there would be an
increased watchfulness if the mountain (and surrounding land) exhibited
signs of activity. Not to be watchful is to invite disaster and death. Likewise, to underestimate the severity of the threat could lead to fatal results. Harry Truman trusted his connection with the mountain and nature. It was a trust built on a feeble and hollow self-deception built up over many years. Many considered Harry Truman as a fiery folk hero—a determined resister to the evacuation efforts.
Fathom that: People admired a man who did everything possible to avoid being helped, who did everything possible to discredit the work of scientists and emergency workers.
Yet those that headed the warnings fared far better.
The Connection —
Consider the Children of Israel as they moved about in the desert after leaving Egypt. In their midst was a box. Not just any old box, but the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant, representing God in their midst! Consider that God is far, far more powerful than a volcano. Consider also that God is a Person and is capable of Knowing—unlike any volcano. The smart thing to do would be to live carefully with an eye toward the Tabernacle and the Ark. This Ark already killed two of Aaron's sons. Later this Ark would kill Uzzah! This was not a tame box!
Consider how, during King David's time, the Ark spent time in the house of Obed-Edom. Think how carefully they must have been to live correctly, each day waking up and seeing the Ark there in front of them, knowing that to do things incorrectly could invite death. Oh, but also consider how this family was blessed—because they were watchful and feared the Lord properly.
The Warning —
However, there is the danger of growing familiar. Those who grow up near a volcano could easily become jaded and loose the sense of watchfulness. "Oh, the mountain hasn't erupted in a long time," they might think. "I don't think it'll blow."
The same thing happened over time with the Children of Israel. They lost sight of God as represented by the Pillar of Fire and the Ark of the Covenant. They complained, murmured, sinned—yet all the while God was there in their midst. And He would break out against them, reminding them of His presence and His holiness.
The lesson for us is to live not as though there is a volcano in the backyard, but as though God is there with us. Coram Deo! Before God's Face. And all that we do really is before His face whether we believe it or not. Whether we underestimate the sternness and severity of His wrath or whether we make Him out to be just a "nice God of Love" who would never really punish you.
Harry Truman underestimated the dangers of the Mountain and ignored the warnings of those who understood far more than he did. History is littered with the carnage of those who underestimate God's Threats and with those who ignore the warning in the Bible—warnings which God Himself has sent.
Our God is a consuming fire! But there is great joy that He is also a Refuge to all who trust in Him. Never lose sight of Him
In January of 2019, West Virginia University hired Neal Brown as their new football coach. In June of 2019, he released a tweet acknowledging there is a rebuilding process that is underway and that it will take time. He summed it up in a catchy phrase: Trust The Climb. This phrase has gained momentum and usage throughout the WVU nation. Even though (as of 23-Oct-2019), WVU is 3 - 4 on the season, fans across the country are reminding themselves that they can "Trust the Climb."
Connection —
I'm not that much of a football fan. I'll pay attention a little, here and there. But as I kept reading and hearing this phrase, "Trust the Climb" I started thinking about Hannah Hurnard's book Hinds' Feet on High Places. Immediately I was reminded that the character Much Afraid had to trust the Shepherd to bring her up to the heights. And the path chosen for her was not the easy one, nor was it the route that went the straightest. In fact it went to and through places that Much Afraid did not want at all. Yet she had to trust her Shepherd to make the climb.
The Take Home—
Isn't this, though, exactly what we're supposed to do in our spiritual journey, climbing up to Emmanuel's Land? We've never been there before; we don't know the way; there are many obstacles to overcome. Surely if we chose the route ourselves, we would end up in a world of hurt, trouble and misfortune—to say the least. But we have a Great Shepherd who has our eternal good in mind. We may trust the climb because He is the One leading and guiding us—and, in fact, has promised never to leave us nor forsake us! If Mountaineer Fans can trust a coach, how much more can we, as God's chosen people, trust our Heavenly Father and our Older Brother, Christ Jesus, as we climb home!
An Update and further Reflection—
Neil Brown was fired after six season with WVU on Dec. 1, 2024. Many trusted the climb, but there was a limit to their trust. And with good reason. Neil is only human and can only do so much. He has limited resources and limited abilities.
That is not the case with trusting our might Lord. He is completely able. He is all powerful and all knowing. He has unlimited resources and is working all things out with infinite wisdom for His glory and for the good of those He loves. We may trust the climb as we wend our way upward toward home and eternity with Him. He is Sovereign and Good. There is no firing Him: There is no one higher, and there is no ultimate reason either for ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called by Him:
"No power can break that blessed unity which is conjoin'd betwixt my Lord and me. I'm fix'd in Him; my standing sure is made, and none can invade my eternal crown." Benjamin Keach
This question is often asked by new generations as they are asked to sing and use the old songs from a by-gone era.
Rephrasing it, it is asking, "Is there anything important in singing these old hymns?"
Or even perhaps, "It's not straight from the Bible so what does it matter?"
However, even though singing hymns as we find in traditional hymnbooks is not found in the Bible, per se, I would argue that there is something very important in using them in the course of a local church's worship service. I would like to give a few important reasons why singing hymns is an important part of a Christian church's worship service.
First of all, Paul commands the Ephesians to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" (Eph 5:19). Thus there is warrant for hymns. In fact, the gospels say that after the Last Supper, they sang a hymn and left (Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26). In the latter case, it is very likely that Jesus and His disciples sang one or more of the Psalms.
I know this is far more modern, yet it retains some of the ancient mid Eastern sound and intensity that Jesus and his disciples might have brought to the table as they sang.
I am not going to say that I understand completely what "hymn" means
to the ancient first century Christian, but I can say that it was a
literature genre and art form that was meant to convey Biblical truths
to be sung in worship—both corporately and privately. In fact, some say
that 1 Timothy 3:16 is one of the earliest recorded Christian hymns:
He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
Thus the first point is that the tradition to sing hymns is ancient and commanded by Scripture.
But, some would ask, couldn't we just have our own new, modern hymns?
Sure. Psalm 96:1 says that we are to sing unto the Lord a new song.
Yet it does not prohibit the singing of that which is old.
Thus I
would argue that there is room in the Lord's church for all varieties
of songs. However, as Paul says, everything must be done decently and
in order (1 Cor. 14:40).
A few simple tests help weed out songs which do not edify:
* It is Scripturally correct?
* Does it point to God? or is it focusing on self?
* Does it magnify the Lord? or stay rooted in this world?
These
simple tests can (and should) be applied to modern songs, favorite
choruses, hymns and even old fashioned hymns. If it doesn't lead to
Jesus, why are we wasting time with it?
Hymns and Psalms and Spiritual Songs should draw us closer to our Lord—
J. C Ryle wrote in his
book Holiness that "it is better to be acquainted with Christ
Himself.... He that would be conformed to Christ's image, and become a
Christ-like man, must be constantly studying Christ Himself." (J. C.
Ryle, "Holiness" Chapter XII)
Additionally, Ryle wrote that we should "labor to be familiar with every line that is written about Jesus."
Of
course, this first and foremost means that we must delve into the
Scriptures to see Jesus. Our Lord Himself proved this to the disciples
walking along the road to Emmaus as He explained all that Scriptures is about Himself (Luke 24:27).
But can we not also
reap the blessing of other writers who have dived deeply into the
Scriptures and wrestled long with passages and then written their
learned understanding? Yes, that is why we look to old writers such as
Augustine and Luther and Calvin as well as the many Confessions of Faith
and Catechisms. Likewise there is a wealth of learning and teaching
and instruction embodied in the hymns from of old too. Saints from other times wrote out of sorrow, or in joy, or in hope—that is, in like circumstances as we face.
Do not cast it aside and then try to re-invent the wheel anew.
Worship is more than just us!—
Many
learned man of old has pointed out that (paraphrasing here) "if we are
able to see into the distance, it is because we stand on the shoulders
of giants." We should not forget the saints who have gone before us and
have left a record of their understandings both in literature and in
song.
Hebrew 12:22 - 23 gives some additional understanding for how we worship:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and
to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God,
the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect and
to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood
that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Do you see that
we are not just a simple collection of a couple dozen people or even
several hundred who are meeting together on a Sunday morning?
Christian, consider this and be filled with awe! We are meeting with
Jesus! Jesus Himself comes, humbles Himself, bends down, draws near to
our worship and thus sanctifies it. His presence makes it hallowed.
His company makes our meeting sweet. His residence and inhabiting in
our praise makes the very effort that we have made to be the most
sublime of all earthly endeavors.
That alone should give our hearts cause for endless joy!
But
the writer to Hebrews tells us that there is more!
We are gathered
together with the holy angels who long to look into such things (1
Peter 1:12).
Additionally, we are somehow connected and drawn
together with the saints who have gone on ahead of us: "The spirits of
the righteous made perfect." Think about that. I barely can comprehend
what that means, but somehow, I imagine that there are all these saints
who have lived before us, now in heaven, and God allows them to bend near
to hear and partake of our seemingly plain and simple earthly worship.
Yet, it is not plain and simple, for God Himself draws close, causes His
holy angels to bend near to watch, then invites the triumphant saints
to sit nearby in exultation as His church militant gathers in meager
numbers but in triumphant song, singing the hymns that saints of old
once heralded.
Consider that, O Christian. Somehow next to
you—in hidden array—a saint of old draws near and sings along with what
you are singing. Our hymnbooks contain songs from the 12th Century: "Of
the Father's Love Begotten." From 1215: "All Creatures of Our God and
King." From 12th and 13th Century: "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," and even
from the 5th Century: "Let Al Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."
That
is an awesome legacy! We are singing the songs that saints have sung
before. It is really no small matter that we are singing the same songs
that Martin Luther composed, sang, and directed his congregation to
sing. And what of the hundreds of songs that Fanny Crosby that are in a
variety of hymnals? This saint of the nineteenth century who was
physically blind, but saw with a greater clarity than most of us? This
dear sister who was happy that she could not see because her first sight
would be the Savior's face? Surely that must draw our hearts to wonder
what excited her and motivated her songs.
I would also point out
that there is a broad spectrum of nationalities that are represented in
hymns—far more than just the narrow slice represented in the current slice of popular songs.
Somehow, God, in His infinite wisdom, divided the nations by language.
No one language perfectly describes what another language tries to
tell. Thus, somehow, God is telling us that we cannot in our our
limited understanding grasp the length and height and breadth of all
that God is. It takes a wide variety of languages and tongues and
cultures to even to begin to scratch the surface of the mysteries of who
God is.
Yet, He has allowed us to interact with other cultures
and languages and so begin to see another side of His many faceted-being
that is inexhaustible and limitless and without boundaries!
Hymns
allow us to see a slightly different viewpoint on the immensity of God
and His utterly incomprehensible infinitude! Consider our hymnbooks
have hymns from Ireland ("We Lift Up as Our Shield God's Name" "Be Thou
My Vision"), Wales ("O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus!"), Germany ("A
Mighty Fortress Is Our God," and "Silent Night"), America ("Amazing
Grace"), Latin (Of the Father's Love Begotten").
Consider the content—
Do the songs that you sing send you back to the Scriptures to understand the deeper references? Consider these old hymns:
* Hark the Harold Angels Sing
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface, Stamp Thine image in its place: Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in Thy love.
This should point you back to 1 Corinthians 15:45-48 where Paul calls Jesus both the last Adam and the second man from heaven.
* How Firm a Foundation
When through the deep waters I call you to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for I will be with you, your troubles to bless, and sanctify to you your deepest distress.
When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie, my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply; the flame shall not hurt you; I only design your dross to consume and your gold to refine.
This should point you to Isa. 42:10 where God promises that whether through waters or through fire He would be with you to help and protect you.
These are but two small examples of the Scriptural allusions that lie within most hymns of old. Make sure that all the songs that you sing point back to Scriptures in a similar fashion.
Above all, we have Christ who changeth not!—
In addition to
all that, we have the sure immutability of Christ Himself. The writer
to the Hebrews stated in bold certainty that "Jesus is the same
yesterday, today and forever." He never changes! Consider that. J. C.
Ryle wrote:
"The Savior, in whom you trust, is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. He knows no variability, no shadow of
turning. Though high in heaven at God's right hand, He is just the same
in heart as that He was [2000] years ago. Remember that and you will
do well."
Think of that, Christian: This Christ is the same as
He was 2000 years ago. That means that He was the same as Augustine perceived Him, and the same as Martin Luther encountered Him, and the
same as the Divines in Westminster detailed Him. Can we not learn from
these saints who have experienced Him in times past and written about
Him in eloquent ways? Likewise, can we not benefit from words in songs that saints of old sang?
In summary—
This is not a paper trying to
dissuade modern hymns and songs. Instead, this is an argument not to
neglect the old while we try to include the new. God has given a
multitude of gifts to His church throughout the ages. We would be very
proud and arrogant if we think that we could do away with those who came
before us.
If God is infinite and is most perfect and most wise, how then could any creature ever hope to have a thought that is good that He hadn't thought of already? It would be pride that thinks it could. Ultimately then, the best we can do it to think God's thoughts after Him. God's thought, first and foremost found in Scriptures, but also as found in writings of saints who have lived before us and thought God's thoughts. And the purpose of this essay is to encourage us to look to old hymns too. Hymns that were written by saints who were contemplating God and God's thoughts and thus were overwhelmed with who God is! All must be governed and in conformity to the Bible, Sola Scriptura. However, we should sure that we do not
forget those who have anchored their words, doctrine and lyrics in
Scriptura. Our worship will be far richer by their inclusion.
I want to consider three verses that usually are not read together at Easter. But hopefully, you will eventually see why I chose these.
"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:7
"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Phil 2:8
"And Joseph bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre." Mark 15:46
These three verses are the three pivotal points in Christianity. Christ came; Christ died; and Christ was buried. —That's not the end of the story—more in a moment. But consider these three events. Christ did not choose the most glamorous or the most popular or the most expensive items to mark the stations of His life. He started His earthly life in a feeding trough. He ended His life on the most despised and loathsome symbols of execution. His body rested in a hole in a rock.
Yet, God chooses things that are not important in the world's eyes. He uses weak and frail things to accomplish His mighty purposes.
I said that those three points were not the end of the story. There is Easter. After the Cross, there is Resurrection. After the suffering, there is triumph. Paul writes that Christ, "having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Col. 2:15).
Now the days of humility are gone. Instead, Christ is glorified: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9 - 11)
And for those who trust in Him, believing in all that He did for us, there is victory too. For us, death, while still unknown and perhaps foreboding, no longer holds the sting and the dread of eternal punishment.
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:54 - 57
(NIV) O God, do not remain silent; do not turn a deaf ear, do not stand aloof, O God.
(KJV) Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.
(Rus) Боже! Не премолчи, не безмолвствуй и не оставайся в покое, Боже. O God! Do not refrain from disclosing, Do not be silent, and do not remain/linger in rest
One can immediately get the sense of how desperate the psalmist felt as he penned this prayer, pouring his petitions out to his God. The imagery of verse one, regardless of which translation, shows that the psalmist feels that God is not watching, is not caring, is not acting. I found the Russian ("...and do not linger in rest") especially powerful.
But Psalm 83 is purposely place right after Psalm 82 for a very important reason. Psalm 82 announces triumphantly that God reigns, He stands, He presides in the great assembly. That is, Psalm 82 is to set the stage of our understanding so that when times of distress come upon us and our physical eyes and our natural understanding see not God, we will instead remember that God reigns: He presides, He stands, He acts, and He renders judgment!
We must remind ourselves that God does not linger in rest—indeed He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. His eye is ever upon us His children. He is ever ready to hear us. Go then to His throne of grace to receive grace and mercy for your time of need!
Psalm 82
(NIV) God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods”—
(KJV) God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
(Rus) Бог стал в сонме богов; среди богов произнес суд. God stood in the crowd of gods; among the gods [He] delivered/uttered judgment.
In Rev 4:2, 3, John noted that the throne was in the center of heaven and all of heaven was focused on Him who was seated there. Now John speaks of the One at the center of the throne is the Lamb. But this should be no surprise:
All of creation points to Christ: Ps. 19:1 - 2.
All of Scripture points to Him: Lk. 24:27.
And the Church is to point to Him: Eph. 3:21.
Thus we must ask, "Is our focus on the Throne of God and upon the Lamb?" We know that it is a Throne of Judgment (Rev. 20:11 - 12), but for us it has become a Throne of Grace (Heb 4:16).
This time of year we must never lose sight of the throne even though it is hidden by a manger.
Christ the giver; Christ the gift. Christ the victim; Christ the
priest. Christ the Blessed; Christ the Blesser and the Blessing. Christ
the Alpha and the Omega. Christ the Fountain and the Flow. Christ the
Way and Christ our Goal. Truly from Him and through Him and to Him are
all things. And at Christmas we contemplate Him who had no beginning
suddenly became: Eternity compressed within the span of man.
When
I was quite young, I enjoyed going through one particular drawer in my
dad's desk. There were things in there that captured my attention and
imagination. I held them and tried to come up with fantastic uses for
things that my parents (I'm sure) thought were quite mundane.
Truth
be told, they were all quite mundane: An old typewrite eraser, a colored straight
edge, a neon orange French curve and a brass contraption to hold a roll
of stamps.
Perhaps part of the secret of staying young is
remembering to see the fantastic in the common, the "wow" in the
mundane, and the glory within the plain. I think that our adult hearts become jaded and so used to the things around us that we become hardened to the wonder of the reality that God blesses us with. We need to look and appreciate that beauty in the color; we need to savor the texture of a cloth; we need to smile and thank God for the people that He placed us with.
Ultimately it's that. It's the people and the relations. Especially the relation with God. Once we have that—once we understand deeply, that He is both the Giver and the the Gift—once that permeates our heart, percolates through our mind, and exudes from our every action, we will be thankful people, grateful people, humbly appreciative people. We will see that indeed, every good and perfect gift falls down from heaven above from the Father of Light in whom there is no shadow of turning. We will then be able to rejoice in the smallest of things because we know that we have the best possible: we have God who said: "I will be your God and you will be My people."
--------------- A Related Quote ---------------
"Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, 'Do it again'; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, 'Do it again' to the sun; and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."
— G.K. Chesterton
Take the above Chesterton quote with a grain of salt, but there is something to it for we are told that He never changes and that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, forever!
Sometimes reading a passage from the Bible can seem familiar or even mundane. Other times we can blip right over it and miss the deep levels of meaning within the simple lines. Such was the case the other morning when I read 1 Timothy 3:16:
God was manifested in the flesh, Justified by the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
This is in verse form so it must have been an early Creed or Hymn. Think of that for a moment. You are participating in an ancient song that has been passed down for two millennia!
But let's unpack the meaning of this hymn then marvel at the great mystery of godliness.
"God was manifested in the flesh" — First, this strikes against any Gnostic who would say that matter is evil and thus God could not have *Really* come in a human body. It also strikes against the modern liberal who says that Jesus was a nice man, a good man, but God is something that you make up in your own mind subjectively. Now think about this a while longer; let the full importance of these brief words amaze your heart and mind. The first 18 verses of John 1 should jump to mind: "He dwelt among us!" Another translation says, "He tabernacled [pitched a tent] among us!" God with us! Emmanuel! It also points to Matthew 1 as well as Luke 2. Jesus Christ, Son of God, became Son of Man. He who had always existed suddenly became! Think also about such humiliation: The Infinite God condensed and confined within a span of 33 years and the measure of a mortal body. For us and for our salvation!
"Justified by the Spirit" — Justified could be translated "Vindicated." Jesus began His life on earth by the direct action of the Spirit overshadowing Mary. He started His earthly ministry with the Spirit descending upon Him at baptism in the form of a dove. At the end of His ministry Jesus was accused and condemned as a sinner but the Spirit of God vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead.
"Seen by angels" — Consider Him who dwelt in Heaven on whose face the angel dare not gaze. Now a little lower than the angels. Angels which sang at creation (Job 38:7) and will shout and sing at the end of this age (Rev 5: 8 - 11), oversaw and directly interacted with earth at His birth, during His temptation, in the midst of His agony in the Garden, at His resurrection and then at His ascension into Heaven. And even now, we are told that God is showing off His spectacular creation, the Church, to celestial beings. Eph 3:10.
"Preached among the Gentiles" — Consider how this is the direct fulfillment of Gen 12:2 - 3, "...all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Consider how it is a blessing that you who were once far off are now brought into His Kingdom and accepted in the Beloved!
"Believed on in the world" — His kingdom is advancing! Satan and the host of darkness team up and work the world up into a lather to oppose the spread of the gospel, but God's Word goes forth and here and there folks believe. This should encourage us to speak, for how can they believe unless someone speaks!
"Received up in glory" — This happened in front of His disciples eyes (Acts 1:9). And now this Jesus is in Heaven with the glory that He had before the incarnation and now crown with extra honor for completing the Father's task (Phil 2:9 - 11).
The events of the last few days capped off an insane news cycle so as to leave the mind wondering which end might be up. There is no sense to the travesty of justice and the carnage of innocent lives. I can't begin to explain it on a normal, 2D sort of level. So I won't even try.
I thought about the joy of seeing flower bloom and rivers flow down their mountain channels to where they widen out into a broad confluence of many waters. I smiled remembering a gorgeous sunrise over the hills with mist rising up in splendor at the first kiss of the sun's touch. I also recalled with joy as I first held our children minutes after their arrival in this world—so fragile, so helpless, so full of potential.
I almost introverted and went full "Ecclesiastes," saying that it's all meaningless and a huge vanity—what's the point of it all since evil is advancing!?
However there are some other things that I keep coming back to. God is still God. He has not abdicated nor given up. He is not pacing back and forth in heaven worried over this latest development. No, He who called the stars forth by name is still calling all the shots in this grand game of life. Evil may think that it holds an advantage and seemingly has the upper hand, but our God is still Sovereign and in control.
(No, God does not sanction evil nor condone bad things to happen. Yet because He has given His creatures choice and free-will, all that they do is their own choice and out of their own desires. He permits and human kind commits. Yet God limits and mutes the full force of evil's intent.)
So I can rest in the security of a Sovereign God who is completely in control and completely good and totally loving. I can trust His promises that He will do all to make me conform to the image of His Son and thus make me ready and fit to dwell with Him forever.
This world is not my home; I'm just passing through. All the things of this earth are growing strangely dim as I view them through Heaven's lens.
That is not to say that I have given up on this world—if fact, quite the opposite.
It is because I see Heaven and God's kingdom that I also see the one solution that is necessary for this poor, dispairing and wretched world. The solution is Jesus Christ. We all need to submit to Him and repent of our sinful, selfish ways. Our society has become more and more out of wack by throwing God out of the equation.
Some would say, "Oh, there' always been murder and hate around."
Yeah. But at this level of craziness? When in the history of the USA have there been multiple instances of people targeting police throughout the country in the same week? What about the other sorts of violent crimes that seem to rise up in the news feed?
No, things are out of wack because we are not right with God. Our society has not based its rubric on God's standard. In fact, God's standard is pretty much thrown out and despised.
So I will say it again. The only solution to our national problem is to repent, confess our sins and then forsake all of our sins. This means reading the Bible to see what God says are sins. It also means giving up selfish definitions of autonomy and personal control.
God commands it. Repent.
The consequences are becoming more and more dire if you do not.
Remove the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; remove the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.
Prov. 25:4 - 5
Removing dross is equated with removing wickedness and as one produces material that is worthy of making something honorable, so removing wickedness makes the kingdom that much more honorable. Thus God, the Great King, is removing evil from us. We see Him removing evil from every corner of His kingdom too!
As deputies in God's kingdom we are to participate in this clean up. We participate primarily by subduing the sin and fleshly desires within our own hearts and then by exerting influence on our spheres of influence around us. We see this is done in this chapter by:
vv. 6 - 7 — Not being proud; not exalting self. Selfishness is the largest source of dross.
vv. 11 - 12 — Having apt and fitting words.
Col. 4:6 tells us to make sure that our words are filled with grace and seasoned with salt. Salt is something that adds good flavor to a bland taste or even helps cover the bitter taste. Salt also stops or slows the rot and helps preserve the food. In the same way our speech should give a pleasant flavor to the conversation and stop or slow down the evil, moral rot of society.
Whatever is of good report and is noble we are to think on—and out of our thinking our words are to flow. This helps extend God's kingdom and removes the dross from society.
v. 13 — Be trustworthy.
v. 21 - 22 — Aid those all around us. Be friendly; don't be stingy.
v. 23 — KJV: "The north wind brings forth rain; and a backbiting tongue, angry looks."
The north wind drives away rain. Therefore you do your part to drive away and check evil speech. Do not be part of it and do what you can to stop it and let it be known that you will not countenance such evil manners. It may only take a sharp look or a frown to remind a friend that their tongue has veered off into sin. But you much be ready to back up that disapproving look with sharp words if necessary.
v. 28. Finally, it does little good to drive evil out if your own walls are broken down. Therefore, be self-controlled and guard your heart well, for it is the well-spring of life. Self-control is listed in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22 - 23) so it is no stretch to say that being self-controlled is really being Spirit-controlled. The surest way to guard your heart and to ensure that your walls are well fortified is to make sure that you are filled with the Spirit and are listening to what He tells you.
Do this and you will be a faithful deputy in God's kingdom, ruling in your small arena and purging evil from your sphere. Especially from within your heart.
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. (NIV, 1984) Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. (KJV)
Prov. 13:10
Note the contrast between pride and taking advice—between arrogance and wisdom. You cannot become wise if you are proud. The proud person refuses to admit they need anything more and thus rejects any advice (to their shame and to their harm).
How then can we become wise?
It is important then to be humble in order to become wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The "fear of the Lord" is another way of saying that you are not proud. If you see God, you cannot remain arrogant.
Pr. 13:20 says that the person who walks with the wise shall be wise. Who you hang out with really matters. Fellowship often with those who are godly and adopt their godly mannerisms and habits.
Pr. 13:1 says a wise son heeds (hears and does) his father's instruction. Therefore listen to what your father says and instructs. By extension, "father" stands for all proper authorities over us. Listen to what they say, command, suggest, etc. This includes your pastor, elders, parents, boss, teachers, government officials, etc. Hear and do. Don't "hear and argue or chafe or complain."
James 1:5 says that if you lack wisdom, ask of God; he will give it to you. Ultimately, none of us are all that wise. Some of us have more nature, innate foolishness within than any sort of good wisdom and common sense. Humble yourself and ask God for help. Ask Him for wisdom about the things that you know that you need wisdom for—but there are probably a dozen other things that you don't even see yet that you need help in. Why? Because you don't even have the wisdom necessary to see that there's a problem coming.
Do not be wise in your own eyes (Pr. 3:7). That is using the wrong weight to measure yourself. God finds false weights and incorrect measures to be an abomination (Pr. 11:1). Pride is the worst form of incorrect measuring in God's eyes.
What is the result of gaining wisdom?
Proverbs 16:21 says
(NIV) "The wise in heart are discerning...."
Discerning == "showing insight & judgment; being perceptive."
(KJV) "The wise in heart shall be called prudent...."
Prudent == "wise in handling practical matters"
These are necessary qualities to be a leader. You may not be called upon to be a pastor or a president of a corporation, but you will have leadership roles thrust upon you. It is part of maturing. Don't think that you can duck that by saying "Oh, I'm just going to be a housewife." No, you will have children and you will have to lead them (under your husband, yes, just as he is under the authority of the church).
A leader needs to be perceptive and have insight. A leader will know where that road leads without having to take it the whole way. A leader anticipates outcomes and problems and heads off disaster before it arrives. A leader reads the signs ("Bridge out") and quickly makes a decision for a new plan of moving forward. He doesn't have to go down that road to discover what "Bridge out" really means
Some call it the "Sheepdog" mentality. The sheep are busy grazing: "Oooh, look! Grass! Ooooh! and another clump over here! Yummy!" But the Sheepdog is watching, moves a wandering sheep back into the flock, watching the whole scene and chases down a wolf before most of the flock even noticed there was a problem.
In Genesis 16:13, after Hagar was found by the Angel and given water, she called God "The Lord who sees." That is a Leader. This "seeing" is not a passive watching like someone watching a good show on TV. No it is seeing the need, anticipating the problem and providing a solution—sometimes even before we know we were in trouble. We are called to be leaders like that. See the need from afar and provide direction, solution, or whatever is best at exactly the right time.
Eph 5:25 tells us that husbands are to love their wives exactly as Christ loves the church. Christ saw our need long before we did and then He provided everything for us His bride. We are to do that in our rolls of leadership for those under us.
It tells us who we are to be, to become and what sort of spouse we are to look for. It is a high calling, one that requires a great deal of wisdom. But Christ is our Wisdom. We must humble ourselves daily (and even more often) to ask for this wisdom that we will do that next good and right thing which is pleasing in His eyes. The best leaders are those that follow their authorities the closest.
And Moses gave an inheritance to the tribe of the people of Reuben according to their clans.....Beth-jeshimoth, that is, all the cities of the tableland, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses defeated with the leaders of Midian, Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land. Balaam also, the son of Beor, the one who practiced divination, was killed with the sword by the people of Israel among the rest of their slain. Josh 13:15 - 22
Why did Joshua make sure to list off the names of the bad kings along with Balaam when giving a description of the tribal inheritance of Reuban? To the modern ear it makes more sense to list the places analytically: Jordan river, to the Dead Sea turn east at Mount Pisgah, etc.
But there is an important reason for inclusion of the names of these wicked people:
O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord Micah 6:5
The people were to remember and the know what the Lord had done. Those boundaries were to be lines of demarcation as well as spiritual memory aids. Every time they reviewed where they lived, they would recall those wicked men and then remember how the Lord had done marvelous things on their behalf!
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalm 16:5 - 6
Do we consider our boundary lines and do we consider all that the Lord has done for us? Or is there whining and restlessness, wanting something that the Lord had not given us. Consider these Reubanites. A little while later, Deborah sings the song of triumph but includes a rebuke of that tribe:
Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Why did you sit still among the sheepfolds, to hear the whistling for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart. Judges 5:15b - 16
Reuben (as well as Gad and Manasseh) put their personal interests ahead of the public good. They chose for themselves instead of letting the Lord choose their portion. They could not say that the boundary line fell in pleasant places for they grasped their own destiny.
In a very real way, everyone who has left the Christian faith and broken covenant with God and with one another has done so by putting their own private interests ahead of the good of the Kingdom of God and the kingdom as expressed in a local church. The same fate still awaits such today.
This initial settling of the tribes based upon personal interest over public good is echoed in Deborah's song a hundred years or so later. And it was the reason why these tribes were the first to feel the effects of God's displeasure in having foreign kings molest them. They were the first of the tribes to go into captivity. (See 1 Chr 5:25 - 26.)
In a negative sort of way, the tribe of Reuben proved the truth of Proverbs 3:5 - 6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Prov. 3:5 - 6
We should then make sure to review our boundary lines with joy and great thanksgiving. We must see how pleasantly God has ordain our lot. We must understand the truth of what Spurgeon wrote:
Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, "Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows." Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.
We who were afar are now brought near. Closer we cannot be: He in us and we in Him!
We are near in relationship. He is our Kinsman Redeemer. He took our nature so that we might be made like Him.
We are near to Him in thought and affection. We are His segulah, His treasured possession. The apple of His eye!
We are near to Him in attention. He doesn't just consider us from a distance like someone glancing out a window at pedestrians on the street below. No, He considers us so as to direct all our ways. He orders time and space, history and all physical laws to His glory and to the good of His children.
No wonder the Psalmist says we should Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
For if ye believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words?
John 5:46 - 47
Consider this: Jesus said that we must believe Moses' words (ie, the Law or the Old Testament) and if we believe not Moses' words, we cannot believe Christ's words. To understand and know and believe Christ fully is to understand and know and believe the words written down in the Old Testament. This should not surprise us for Christ Himself spoke to the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and "interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself, beginning from Moses and from all the prophets" (Luke 24:27).
Putting it another way, your theology will be weak and anemic at best if it neglects Scripture in the Old Testament. But more seriously, your theology may miss the mark entirely if you do not believe the writings of Moses and the prophets—for "how shall you believe [Christ's] words?"
Josh. 1:8 "...do not let this Book depart from your mouth..."
Ps. 141:3 "...set a guard over my mouth..."
And what is the agency of this guard but God and His Word?
By ourselves, we cannot control our mouths: Jms. 3: 5-6, 8; Mt. 12:34.
What we put into our hearts will come out of our lips. (Lk. 6:45)
That is why we are to let Christ's Word dwell in us richly! Not just a little, but the whole. In other words, do not let the Book depart from you..... neither from your heart nor from your mouth!
A sobering thought. Do I treasure God's thoughts? Do I consider what He thinks and says as my highest delight? Paul might have had this verse in mind when he began his doxology of Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
On one hand how can any mortal begin to understand God's thoughts. They are higher then the heavens and unsearchable. His "foolishness" is far wiser than our best and most lofty effort.
Yet God reveals some of His thoughts to us. They are in this Book called the Bible. Do I hold this in high regard? Do I make it my treasure and the source of my inspiration? And Paul writes that we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). That is amazing. And we have the Spirit who indwells us.
This should affect us throughout the day. This should motivate us. Our goal should be to think God's thoughts after Him. Why? If God is most pure and perfect and good, then His thoughts will be so also. And since He has made known to us some of these thoughts, the most pure and perfect and good thoughts that I could possibly think would be to think upon what God has already thought.
It is the height of arrogance and overweening pride to think that on my own I could come up with a thought that is better than God's. He's infinite! He's already thought it!
This should also drive us to greater humility as well as greater thanksgiving since the content of His thoughts toward us are love and mercy.
I just read an op/ed piece by a native West Virginian. (Click here if you'd like to read it too.) I began to feel a little bit of nostalgia and pull of the old homestead as I read. I recalled wandering over the hills and wading through creeks, digging up rocks and making "forts" from sticks and honeysuckle vines. I remembered also the beauty of the woods as the rain had just stopped, the last drippings from the leaves were still heard occasionally and the mist began to rise as the sun came out and began evaporating the moisture.
I read all that and then wondered.
What about Heaven? Yes, it's a handy segue that West Virginia's unofficial motto is "Almost Heaven, West Virginia!" (Thank you, John Denver!) But if West Virginia is almost as in not quite the real thing and I am feeling a little bit of wanting to experience it again, how much more would and should the REAL Heaven bend my soul and my affections to want to come home.
How did I get a bit attached to West Virginia? I lived there. I experienced it. I was in its hills and breathed the crisp air of its Autumn. Each morning I woke up in it left a mark on me and upon my mind. Each night I went to sleep there helped seal its hold on my memories.
In the same way I become attached to Heaven. Of course, I don't live in Heaven. Not yet, at least. But to the extent that I "live" in the Bible and "live" in God's presence, I will be experiencing more and more of Heaven which will be my home some glad day. I should wake up in the presence of Heaven by reading God's Word—which is His love letter to me, describing Himself and His Heaven where I'll live. I should go to sleep each night, bathing my soul in the beauty of His holiness and His presence so that it will cement Heaven's transcendent realities indelibly upon my soul.
Truly, all my memories should gather around Heaven. I should hear Heaven's voice in the morning as she calls me to partake of that Heavenly Bread called the Word of God. I should have that feeling that anticipates that great day when my faith becomes sight, then on that day, my vision clear, I will pass from here to life. I realize all this and recognize that I am so far from that reality. Yet, by God's grace, there is the call and the pull of my Heavenly Home within my heart.
