Exodus 40:26: Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him.
I can imagine the priest walking into the tabernacle and seeing the visible reminders of the way of atonement for himself and his people. As he walked into the most holy place, he would look to the right and see the table of bread prepared and to the left the lampstand with golden almond buds. He would then approach the golden altar of incense to present an offering of incense to the LORD. All of this would occur before he could go through the curtain into the Holy of Holies.
In reflecting upon Christ, we can see ourselves walking through the tabernacle in the OT. As we look toward the right, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the bread of life . . . the offering that is the sacrifice for the sins of the world. As Jesus Himself so aptly said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty . . . . And I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:33-40).
As we look to the left, we see the golden lampstand with seven lamps in the shape of almond blossoms. We remember that Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. In John 8:12, Our Savior said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
As we walk forward in the Most Holy Place, we are then separated from the curtain leading into the presence of the LORD by the altar of incense. Incense was offered to deities to acknowledge their deity and to demonstrate submission to their lordship over one's life. Before we can enter into the presence of the LORD, we must first come to a point in which we submit to the LORDship of Jesus Christ. We capitulate our wills and our lives to the one who is Sovereign, and who has initiated our reconciliation with Him through His sacrifice on the cross and His triumph in His resurrection.
Once we offer the sacrifice of submission to the LORD (Romans 10:9-10), we are then able to enter the Holy of Holies. Again, this admittance is offered through Jesus Christ and our submissive response to Him. We then walk into the presence of the Lord, where the atonement altar is located. Here we find three objects at the altar . . . The ten commandments (representing God's law that tells us that we have sinned (Romans 3:20), Aaron's rod that budded (the instrument that was used to affirm that he was the one who would be the intermediary between God and man, and manna (divine bread that brought physical life to a people wandering in the wilderness of sin). Blood of a perfect sacrifice was offered upon the atonement altar, for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). And as the blood was poured out on the altar, the shadows of crimson would befall the standard of law, the intermediary, and the deliverance . . . all presenting testimony of the coming Messiah who would take away the sins of the penitent.
With the death of Christ, the curtain has been torn at the entrance into the Holy of Holies. So we all have opportunity to approach the presence of the LORD and receive forgiveness of sins. But we still find blocking our way the Altar of Incense. To our left and our right are the evidences that Christ is our bread of eternal life that provides us the light of truth for salvation. Will we respond at the altar of incense? Will we submit to His Lordship? Then let us boldly approach the throne of God and celebrate the sacrifice of blood for our salvation and the immeasurable blessings afforded to us as sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Complete Annilhation of the Amalekites?
Deuteronomy 25:17-19: "Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!"
In this passage of Deuteronomy, God seems very emphatic that He desires the complete destruction of the Amalekites, and this command is reiterated to King Saul 500 years later in 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." When Saul refused to destroy neither the choicest of livestock nor the king, God decreed that Saul was now the enemy of the Lord and would die for his failure to carry out "God's fierce wrath against the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 28:18). So the question arises, "Why such vehement wrath upon one people?"
To find the answer, one must travel back to the accounts of the wandering Israelites in the first few books of the Old Testament. The Amalekites represented the group of people who attempted to thwart the entrance of God's chosen people from entering the Promised Land. First, one finds the Amalekites waging war against the Israelites at Rephidim in Exodus 17. Again in Numbers 14:45, the Amalekites were the ones who drove the Israelites away from the entrance into the Promised Land back into the desert at Hormah. The Amalekites were the pagans who desired to thwart any attempt by God's chosen people from reaching the intended destination from the LORD. God desired for His people to experience the blessing of His abundant provision, and the Amalekites wanted to prevent this from happening.
If we see the Promised Land in the Old Testament as a prefigurement of heaven, our eternal "Promised Land," then in a sense, the Amalekites represent everything that is anti-Christ. They embody the forces of evil that would desire to prevent God from redeeming his bride into His glorious presence. The Amalekites are not unlike Satan himself, who wants nothing less than to see all of humanity fall short of salvation. So it seems as if God's fierce wrath that brings utter destruction to the Amalekites (see David's account in I Samuel 28) is a symbolic parallel to the utter destruction that He will bring upon all the forces of evil that would attempt to keep His redeemed from heaven. Revelation 20 speaks of the eternal judgment upon Satan and his followers of evil. They will meet God's Divine wrath in the lake of fire, where they will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
So, God's fierce wrath against this one nation had to do with their desire to challenge God's will for his chosen people. As God utterly destroyed this people from the face of the earth, so He will judge all evil in the last days. God will not be challenged. As the Almighty, Sovereign One, the Lord will prevail.
In this passage of Deuteronomy, God seems very emphatic that He desires the complete destruction of the Amalekites, and this command is reiterated to King Saul 500 years later in 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." When Saul refused to destroy neither the choicest of livestock nor the king, God decreed that Saul was now the enemy of the Lord and would die for his failure to carry out "God's fierce wrath against the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 28:18). So the question arises, "Why such vehement wrath upon one people?"
To find the answer, one must travel back to the accounts of the wandering Israelites in the first few books of the Old Testament. The Amalekites represented the group of people who attempted to thwart the entrance of God's chosen people from entering the Promised Land. First, one finds the Amalekites waging war against the Israelites at Rephidim in Exodus 17. Again in Numbers 14:45, the Amalekites were the ones who drove the Israelites away from the entrance into the Promised Land back into the desert at Hormah. The Amalekites were the pagans who desired to thwart any attempt by God's chosen people from reaching the intended destination from the LORD. God desired for His people to experience the blessing of His abundant provision, and the Amalekites wanted to prevent this from happening.
If we see the Promised Land in the Old Testament as a prefigurement of heaven, our eternal "Promised Land," then in a sense, the Amalekites represent everything that is anti-Christ. They embody the forces of evil that would desire to prevent God from redeeming his bride into His glorious presence. The Amalekites are not unlike Satan himself, who wants nothing less than to see all of humanity fall short of salvation. So it seems as if God's fierce wrath that brings utter destruction to the Amalekites (see David's account in I Samuel 28) is a symbolic parallel to the utter destruction that He will bring upon all the forces of evil that would attempt to keep His redeemed from heaven. Revelation 20 speaks of the eternal judgment upon Satan and his followers of evil. They will meet God's Divine wrath in the lake of fire, where they will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
So, God's fierce wrath against this one nation had to do with their desire to challenge God's will for his chosen people. As God utterly destroyed this people from the face of the earth, so He will judge all evil in the last days. God will not be challenged. As the Almighty, Sovereign One, the Lord will prevail.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Timing Is Everything
Numbers 13:2ff "(The Lord said to the Israelites) 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites' . . . . But the men who had gone up with him (Caleb)said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' And so they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored . . . All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, 'If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?' . . . . And the whole assembly talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb (for their word of admonishment to be obedient to God) . . . . The Lord said to Moses, 'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them . . . . Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times - not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers . . . . In this desert your bodies will fall . . . . Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home . . . . You will suffer for your sins, and know what it is like to have me against you.'"
This story is a tragic account of a people who were given the opportunity of dwelling in the blessedness of God's Chosen Land that He had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before (see Genesis 15) through a covenant agreement. This land was a bountiful harvest of livestock and vegetation (milk and honey) just waiting to be received by these descendants of Abraham; still, the Israelites had to take the step of faith of entering into the land itself. Moses had sent out 12 spies to survey the land and report back to him what they had found. After 40 days, ten of the spies returned to confirm the richness of the land in providing choice food for the people; however, they also reported that the land was inhabited by huge and powerful pagans who would likely destroy them. Only the remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, advised Moses that the Israelites SHOULD take the land, for these two knew that the LORD would be with them.
Once the ten spies were able to convince the people that it was not a good idea to enter God's Promised Land, the people's fears overtook their faith in the Lord. They began to grumble against the leaders, Moses and Aaron, and they decided that it would be better to appoint a new leader who would take them back to bondage in Egypt. These Israelites in effect called God a liar by saying that He would not give them what He had promised, but was "bringing them into the land only to fall by the sword" (14:3). They would rather have the pain of enslavement to a hostile people over God's chosen best for them. These Israelites put their faith in what they physically observed; they were not willing to trust God through the apparent obstacles.
Joshua and Caleb knew that the people were rebelling against the Lord, so they tore their clothes as a demonstrative act of mourning for the sacrilege of the people. So depraved had the thinking of the people become that they sought ways to stone Joshua and Caleb for calling their sin of rebellion to account. They wanted to silence the two who were identifying their behavior as rebellious against the Lord. God quickly responded with His own words of reprimand. He told Moses that the people were treating His Holiness with contempt for not trusting in His Word. In the end, God judged these recalcitrant Israelites by barring any entrance for the adults to enter His Promised Land. These faithless Israelites would have to wander in the barren wilderness for 40 years until each of them died, never having tasted the blessing of God's promised, abundant provision. For these people who were so worried about the giants warring against them, God now wanted them to know what it was like to have the Sovereign Almighty Lord as their enemy(14:34).
The people mourned for not having trusted in the Lord. After God's declaration of judgment that they would never enter the land, they decided that now they wanted to proceed ahead. They now wanted to take what God had once promised them, but it was now too late. Their late timing in response to God's provision would prove to be their utter downfall.
Moses warned the people that this act of entering the land was an act of further disobedience against the Lord and would result in their utter defeat. Still, the people decided to move forward and were defeated soundly by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who sent the Israelites running back into the desert.
As promised by the Lord, they would wander for 40 years (a year for each day that the scouts were surveying the land) until everyone over the age of 20 who had grumbled against the Lord had died.
There is great imagery for each of us as we contemplate the parallel for our lives. To each of us, God has afforded the opportunity of dwelling in His eternal Promised Land, heaven; however, to step onto its hallowed ground, we must all come to a point that we understand that God is providing this grace to us . . . it is not attainable by our own efforts. In fact, if we were to look at the requirements of entrance (i.e. complete holiness) we would turn away in utter defeat. This is why the timing of this opportunity is so important. Today is the day of our choosing; today is the day of our salvation. Today is the opportunity for each of us to enter into salvation SOLELY through the power of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His death and resurrection that will defeat the "giant sins" that stand in the way of His Divine blessedness for us.
For some, the time of opportunity to respond to God's provision of grace will pass. With their physical deaths, these people will be declined entrance into heaven, and will experience eternal spiritual death in the barrenness of God's judgment in hell.
We must all take time to reflect upon this story as a word of direction and conviction. Do we have faith in God? Do we desire His eternal provision of blessing in heaven? Are we willing to step forward, knowing that it is He alone who provides deliverance? We must decide now, for tomorrow may be too late. Remember, timing is everything.
This story is a tragic account of a people who were given the opportunity of dwelling in the blessedness of God's Chosen Land that He had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before (see Genesis 15) through a covenant agreement. This land was a bountiful harvest of livestock and vegetation (milk and honey) just waiting to be received by these descendants of Abraham; still, the Israelites had to take the step of faith of entering into the land itself. Moses had sent out 12 spies to survey the land and report back to him what they had found. After 40 days, ten of the spies returned to confirm the richness of the land in providing choice food for the people; however, they also reported that the land was inhabited by huge and powerful pagans who would likely destroy them. Only the remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, advised Moses that the Israelites SHOULD take the land, for these two knew that the LORD would be with them.
Once the ten spies were able to convince the people that it was not a good idea to enter God's Promised Land, the people's fears overtook their faith in the Lord. They began to grumble against the leaders, Moses and Aaron, and they decided that it would be better to appoint a new leader who would take them back to bondage in Egypt. These Israelites in effect called God a liar by saying that He would not give them what He had promised, but was "bringing them into the land only to fall by the sword" (14:3). They would rather have the pain of enslavement to a hostile people over God's chosen best for them. These Israelites put their faith in what they physically observed; they were not willing to trust God through the apparent obstacles.
Joshua and Caleb knew that the people were rebelling against the Lord, so they tore their clothes as a demonstrative act of mourning for the sacrilege of the people. So depraved had the thinking of the people become that they sought ways to stone Joshua and Caleb for calling their sin of rebellion to account. They wanted to silence the two who were identifying their behavior as rebellious against the Lord. God quickly responded with His own words of reprimand. He told Moses that the people were treating His Holiness with contempt for not trusting in His Word. In the end, God judged these recalcitrant Israelites by barring any entrance for the adults to enter His Promised Land. These faithless Israelites would have to wander in the barren wilderness for 40 years until each of them died, never having tasted the blessing of God's promised, abundant provision. For these people who were so worried about the giants warring against them, God now wanted them to know what it was like to have the Sovereign Almighty Lord as their enemy(14:34).
The people mourned for not having trusted in the Lord. After God's declaration of judgment that they would never enter the land, they decided that now they wanted to proceed ahead. They now wanted to take what God had once promised them, but it was now too late. Their late timing in response to God's provision would prove to be their utter downfall.
Moses warned the people that this act of entering the land was an act of further disobedience against the Lord and would result in their utter defeat. Still, the people decided to move forward and were defeated soundly by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who sent the Israelites running back into the desert.
As promised by the Lord, they would wander for 40 years (a year for each day that the scouts were surveying the land) until everyone over the age of 20 who had grumbled against the Lord had died.
There is great imagery for each of us as we contemplate the parallel for our lives. To each of us, God has afforded the opportunity of dwelling in His eternal Promised Land, heaven; however, to step onto its hallowed ground, we must all come to a point that we understand that God is providing this grace to us . . . it is not attainable by our own efforts. In fact, if we were to look at the requirements of entrance (i.e. complete holiness) we would turn away in utter defeat. This is why the timing of this opportunity is so important. Today is the day of our choosing; today is the day of our salvation. Today is the opportunity for each of us to enter into salvation SOLELY through the power of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His death and resurrection that will defeat the "giant sins" that stand in the way of His Divine blessedness for us.
For some, the time of opportunity to respond to God's provision of grace will pass. With their physical deaths, these people will be declined entrance into heaven, and will experience eternal spiritual death in the barrenness of God's judgment in hell.
We must all take time to reflect upon this story as a word of direction and conviction. Do we have faith in God? Do we desire His eternal provision of blessing in heaven? Are we willing to step forward, knowing that it is He alone who provides deliverance? We must decide now, for tomorrow may be too late. Remember, timing is everything.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
When Limitations are Glorifying
John 9:1: "As he (Jesus) went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"
The prevailing understanding of illness in antiquity was that it was the result of sin in the life of either the person suffering the affliction or some close companion with whom the person associated. In this story, the disciples prematurely had concluded that the blindness of the man was necessarily the result of his own sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus countered this false assumption with the bold declaration that the man's blindness was serving the purpose of displaying the work of God. Specifically, Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the sins of the world. While on this trek, He desired to demonstrate that it was He who would bring sight to the spiritually blind. For the people of Israel, there was an understanding that only God (the Messiah) could provide physical and spiritual sight for blindness (Exodus 4:11; Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:5); thus, Jesus was asserting that He (God) was the appropriate, perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus, in being the sinless Divine One, could only provide the sufficient payment for the transgressions of a fallen humanity.
Therefore, the blind man, who had endured blindness for many years through his childhood and adulthood was serving the purpose of bringing glory to God through God's demonstrative act of power, bringing deliverance. The result was not only physical healing of sight for the man but spiritual healing through the man's yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (John 9:38).
A similar story of tragedy turned to triumph for the Lord occurred in the life of John Milton. The 17th-century English writer was noted for his profound writing and oratory skills. Early in life, Milton was quite accomplished in the classical languages and earned two degrees from Cambridge University. At the age of 40 he was invited by Oliver Cromwell to serve in the government. This aspiring young man was passionate for learning, and he found himself quickly gaining notoriety in England. Yet within three years, Milton found himself completely blind. What is noteworthy is not so much Milton's accomplishments prior to his physical handicap, but his attainments thereafter; for Milton's works, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained were penned during this later era of his life. What I have found so inspirational is the poem that he penned near the age of 80:
On His Blindness
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied,"
I fondly ask; But patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best, his state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
In this poem, Milton proclaims that his physical handicap served to incline his soul to serve his Maker all the more. He came to appreciate that God was (and forever is) not in need of man's gifts or work; what God desires is for man to submit to the yoke of His Lordship in his life. Glory to God is not necessarily found in a man's accomplishments, but in His willingness to surrender to the King of kings and permit Him to work out His purposes through the life he has . . . no matter what limitations are present.
The prevailing understanding of illness in antiquity was that it was the result of sin in the life of either the person suffering the affliction or some close companion with whom the person associated. In this story, the disciples prematurely had concluded that the blindness of the man was necessarily the result of his own sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus countered this false assumption with the bold declaration that the man's blindness was serving the purpose of displaying the work of God. Specifically, Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified for the sins of the world. While on this trek, He desired to demonstrate that it was He who would bring sight to the spiritually blind. For the people of Israel, there was an understanding that only God (the Messiah) could provide physical and spiritual sight for blindness (Exodus 4:11; Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:5); thus, Jesus was asserting that He (God) was the appropriate, perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus, in being the sinless Divine One, could only provide the sufficient payment for the transgressions of a fallen humanity.
Therefore, the blind man, who had endured blindness for many years through his childhood and adulthood was serving the purpose of bringing glory to God through God's demonstrative act of power, bringing deliverance. The result was not only physical healing of sight for the man but spiritual healing through the man's yielding to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (John 9:38).
A similar story of tragedy turned to triumph for the Lord occurred in the life of John Milton. The 17th-century English writer was noted for his profound writing and oratory skills. Early in life, Milton was quite accomplished in the classical languages and earned two degrees from Cambridge University. At the age of 40 he was invited by Oliver Cromwell to serve in the government. This aspiring young man was passionate for learning, and he found himself quickly gaining notoriety in England. Yet within three years, Milton found himself completely blind. What is noteworthy is not so much Milton's accomplishments prior to his physical handicap, but his attainments thereafter; for Milton's works, Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained were penned during this later era of his life. What I have found so inspirational is the poem that he penned near the age of 80:
On His Blindness
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one talent which is death to hide,
Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent
To serve therewith my maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
"Doth God exact day-labor, light denied,"
I fondly ask; But patience to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, "God doth not need
Either man's work or his own gifts, who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best, his state
Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed
And post o'er land and ocean without rest:
They also serve who only stand and wait."
In this poem, Milton proclaims that his physical handicap served to incline his soul to serve his Maker all the more. He came to appreciate that God was (and forever is) not in need of man's gifts or work; what God desires is for man to submit to the yoke of His Lordship in his life. Glory to God is not necessarily found in a man's accomplishments, but in His willingness to surrender to the King of kings and permit Him to work out His purposes through the life he has . . . no matter what limitations are present.
Friday, December 28, 2007
God Works Even In Apparent Hopelessness
Acts 27:23: "Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul . . . God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.'"
There were 276 people on board the Alexandrian ship that sailed from Crete for Italy. The apostle Paul was on board the ship as a prisoner being sent to Caesar in Rome. Previously he had been charged by the Jewish religious leadership in Judea as being a "troublemaker and rioter . . . who desired to desecrate the temple" (Acts 24:20). Having been taken to Caesarea to stand trial before the Roman Procurators, Felix and later Festus, Paul discredited all the charges made against him except one. Paul admitted that he "worshipped the God of (the Jewish) fathers as a follower of the Way . . . having the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked" (Acts 24:14-15).
From Fair Havens, they set out for Phoenix on the northwest side of Crete, but a nor'easter caught them and carried them westward 14 days until the ship reached the shores of Malta, hundreds of miles away from their intended destination. The people on board had given up hope of being saved (Acts 27:20); however, God triumphed over the storm because He had a purpose for Paul: to stand before Caesar and present His precious gospel (27:24).
As a gift to Paul, God determined that He would spare the lives of everyone on board . . . God worked the miraculous in an otherwise hopeless predicament, so that His Divine purposes would be accomplished.
As Psalm 24:1 aptly states, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." God is in complete control of every situation that we may encounter, and He works all things in accordance to His will, to the praise of His glorious grace. When we begin to fathom God at this level of majestic Holiness, we will find ourselves responding not unlike the prophet, Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 1:28b: "When I saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD, I fell face down." Our consequent response to God's glory should be awe and obedience. Paul understood this quite well, for in the Acts passage cited above, he boldly proclaimed that he was the LORD's possession and therefore he served His LORD faithfully.
There were 276 people on board the Alexandrian ship that sailed from Crete for Italy. The apostle Paul was on board the ship as a prisoner being sent to Caesar in Rome. Previously he had been charged by the Jewish religious leadership in Judea as being a "troublemaker and rioter . . . who desired to desecrate the temple" (Acts 24:20). Having been taken to Caesarea to stand trial before the Roman Procurators, Felix and later Festus, Paul discredited all the charges made against him except one. Paul admitted that he "worshipped the God of (the Jewish) fathers as a follower of the Way . . . having the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked" (Acts 24:14-15).
From Fair Havens, they set out for Phoenix on the northwest side of Crete, but a nor'easter caught them and carried them westward 14 days until the ship reached the shores of Malta, hundreds of miles away from their intended destination. The people on board had given up hope of being saved (Acts 27:20); however, God triumphed over the storm because He had a purpose for Paul: to stand before Caesar and present His precious gospel (27:24).
As a gift to Paul, God determined that He would spare the lives of everyone on board . . . God worked the miraculous in an otherwise hopeless predicament, so that His Divine purposes would be accomplished.
As Psalm 24:1 aptly states, "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." God is in complete control of every situation that we may encounter, and He works all things in accordance to His will, to the praise of His glorious grace. When we begin to fathom God at this level of majestic Holiness, we will find ourselves responding not unlike the prophet, Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 1:28b: "When I saw the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD, I fell face down." Our consequent response to God's glory should be awe and obedience. Paul understood this quite well, for in the Acts passage cited above, he boldly proclaimed that he was the LORD's possession and therefore he served His LORD faithfully.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Life Doesn't Always Make Sense
I Samuel 20:1,3b: "Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, 'What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to take my life? . . . . As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.'"
Life doesn't always make sense. Certainly for David, the loyal subject of King Saul, the fact that the king would desire to take David's life made no sense. David had just brought victory to the Israelites through his defeat of the Philistine, Goliath. I Samuel 18:5 tells us that in everything that Saul sent David to do, David was very successful. Because the hand of the Lord was upon David, he was more successful than all of the other officers of the King, and David became a highly recognized figure in Palestine.
King Saul noticed that David was extremely successful in all he did for the king; Saul became jealous that the praise of his subjects was being diverted from him, and he was fearful that David's success might result in the king's overthrow. From that time forward, Saul sought ways to take the life of David in order that he could thwart any future attempt upon his throne. Saul's jealousy was unwarranted, for David was completely loyal to his king; there should have been no question in the king's mind that his subject was committed to him.
Despite his faithfulness to the king, David was dumbfounded that the king would attempt to take his servant's life. I'm sure that David had many restless nights wondering what he had done to deserve such a response from Saul.
Sometimes life presents us with questions that are not answered easily. At times, we may find ourselves questioning why we are traversing such a painful path, when it seems that we've been faithful. Although David did not have all the answers, he still committed himself to the Lord. David did not waiver in his obedience to God despite the perplexity of his circumstances. In the end, God worked all things in accordance with His will . . . to bring judgment upon Saul and to establish David's throne for eternity (2 Samuel 7:16).
Years later when David was the king, God communicated to David that He had never left David during those perilous times (2 Samuel 7:9). Despite the pain and uncertainty of that time when David was fleeing for his life, God used that time to teach David the need to depend completely upon the Lord. David seems to have learned an invaluable lesson through this ordeal, for later he would pen the words of Psalm 40 that seem to reflect his increasing faith in the Lord: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:1-3).
May we have the same resolve to put our complete trust in the LORD when life's experiences make no sense to us.
Life doesn't always make sense. Certainly for David, the loyal subject of King Saul, the fact that the king would desire to take David's life made no sense. David had just brought victory to the Israelites through his defeat of the Philistine, Goliath. I Samuel 18:5 tells us that in everything that Saul sent David to do, David was very successful. Because the hand of the Lord was upon David, he was more successful than all of the other officers of the King, and David became a highly recognized figure in Palestine.
King Saul noticed that David was extremely successful in all he did for the king; Saul became jealous that the praise of his subjects was being diverted from him, and he was fearful that David's success might result in the king's overthrow. From that time forward, Saul sought ways to take the life of David in order that he could thwart any future attempt upon his throne. Saul's jealousy was unwarranted, for David was completely loyal to his king; there should have been no question in the king's mind that his subject was committed to him.
Despite his faithfulness to the king, David was dumbfounded that the king would attempt to take his servant's life. I'm sure that David had many restless nights wondering what he had done to deserve such a response from Saul.
Sometimes life presents us with questions that are not answered easily. At times, we may find ourselves questioning why we are traversing such a painful path, when it seems that we've been faithful. Although David did not have all the answers, he still committed himself to the Lord. David did not waiver in his obedience to God despite the perplexity of his circumstances. In the end, God worked all things in accordance with His will . . . to bring judgment upon Saul and to establish David's throne for eternity (2 Samuel 7:16).
Years later when David was the king, God communicated to David that He had never left David during those perilous times (2 Samuel 7:9). Despite the pain and uncertainty of that time when David was fleeing for his life, God used that time to teach David the need to depend completely upon the Lord. David seems to have learned an invaluable lesson through this ordeal, for later he would pen the words of Psalm 40 that seem to reflect his increasing faith in the Lord: "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:1-3).
May we have the same resolve to put our complete trust in the LORD when life's experiences make no sense to us.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Respect Everyone
Matthew 18:10: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."
Just prior to this statement, Jesus had experienced the Transfiguration in which He appeared in glorious splendor before his disciples, Peter, James, and John. Yet even with this magnificent display of God's greatness, the disciples were not overly impressed; for, following this majestic presentation of God, the disciples argued among themselves as to who was the greatest. Jesus previously had given the disciples the power to cure diseases, to cast out demons, and to preach the gospel. With their ministry "successes," the disciples developed the "I'm the greatest!" syndrome and took their eyes off of worshipping the true Lord. Instantly, their Divinely-provided power was gone, and they were unable to achieve anything that they previously accomplished. Still, this loss of Divine power did not seem deter their consumption with personal greatness.
Knowing the disciples' thoughts, Jesus responded by calling a small child into their presence. This child would have had little respect among his people due to his lack of years, experience, and contribution to society; yet, this child would have been humble and responsive enough to be obedient to the proper authority figures in his life. Jesus used this illustration to teach the disciples that they needed to have this same level of humility and pliable spirit in their adulthood if they wanted to be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. God had no use for haughtiness and self-centeredness; He desired His people to be submissive to His Sovereign Right as Lord.
Arrogance had (and has) no place in God's plans and purposes. When we begin to think too highly of ourselves to the detriment of others, not only do we lose our effectiveness for the kingdom, but we have to deal with God's response to such a prideful spirit. Most sobering is the passage mentioned above, namely that the angels proclaim before God's throne when one of His humble servants are denigrated by the arrogant and the self-centered. God is not willing to be mocked (Galatians 6:7); nor will He tolerate the contempt of His loyal subjects who one day will be the greatest in His eternal kingdom.
Just prior to this statement, Jesus had experienced the Transfiguration in which He appeared in glorious splendor before his disciples, Peter, James, and John. Yet even with this magnificent display of God's greatness, the disciples were not overly impressed; for, following this majestic presentation of God, the disciples argued among themselves as to who was the greatest. Jesus previously had given the disciples the power to cure diseases, to cast out demons, and to preach the gospel. With their ministry "successes," the disciples developed the "I'm the greatest!" syndrome and took their eyes off of worshipping the true Lord. Instantly, their Divinely-provided power was gone, and they were unable to achieve anything that they previously accomplished. Still, this loss of Divine power did not seem deter their consumption with personal greatness.
Knowing the disciples' thoughts, Jesus responded by calling a small child into their presence. This child would have had little respect among his people due to his lack of years, experience, and contribution to society; yet, this child would have been humble and responsive enough to be obedient to the proper authority figures in his life. Jesus used this illustration to teach the disciples that they needed to have this same level of humility and pliable spirit in their adulthood if they wanted to be considered great in the kingdom of heaven. God had no use for haughtiness and self-centeredness; He desired His people to be submissive to His Sovereign Right as Lord.
Arrogance had (and has) no place in God's plans and purposes. When we begin to think too highly of ourselves to the detriment of others, not only do we lose our effectiveness for the kingdom, but we have to deal with God's response to such a prideful spirit. Most sobering is the passage mentioned above, namely that the angels proclaim before God's throne when one of His humble servants are denigrated by the arrogant and the self-centered. God is not willing to be mocked (Galatians 6:7); nor will He tolerate the contempt of His loyal subjects who one day will be the greatest in His eternal kingdom.
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