John 6:60,66-67: "On hearing it, many of his disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?' . . . . From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (Jesus said) 'You do not want to leave too, do you?'"
More than any other passage in Scripture, this section of John 6 reinforces to me that ministry is not always easy. In fact, ministry can be filled with headache and heartache; for when God's truth of submission is shared to a self-centered world, the hearers will leave in droves.
It has always pained me to hear ministers talk about "success in ministry" based primarily upon attendance in their church buildings. Occasionally when I participate in a regional minister's conference, I will overhear conversations like "So how many are you running now? . . . . Well, we're running (x) in our worship services, so God is blessing." At one particular conference, I had the opportunity of sitting with a pastor of a fairly large congregation. As a number of pastors came to speak with this pastor, invariably two questions surfaced: "How's the construction going?" and "How many are you running now?" Although I know that many of these pastors were well-intentioned in making small talk with their fellow ministerial leader, the redundancy of these same two questions caused me to ponder what we in Christendom are ascribing as successful ministry. If we think that effectiveness is only found in numerical responses, we are not teaching God's Word.
This ideology reminds me of Christ's words about the way to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). He suggested that very few will find the narrow road to salvation. I believe that this is not for the lack of attendees in our church buildings; rather, it is the lack of understanding that salvation necessitates submission to Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9). Many will enter the doors of the church for a variety of needs (e.g. seeking spiritual significance, business contacts, familial expectations, relationships, children's programming, experiential worship, positions of power/influence, et al), but these reasons are not the same as seeking first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). When people use the church to satisfy their own selfish needs, they craft an idol of themselves within the doors of the church and use the church to propagate their pagan worship. This type of idolatry is not unlike what the 70 elders of the house of Israel were doing just before God's declarative judgment upon them (see Ezekiel 8). Whereas they were great at going through the motions of worship at the temple, these elders were worshipping their own idols in secluded places. They had crafted images of crawling things and detestable animals . . . inanimate objects that could not tell them what to do. In effect, these wicked leaders crafted their lifeless idols so that they could speak their own will into the image and say that their god justified their own licentious behavior. God's holiness would not be mocked, however, and He communicated to Ezekiel that He would turn His ear away from the wickedness of the people when calamity would later befall them. God also said that He would remove Himself from the presence of the Temple, thus revealing that God was not going to bless such rebellion against Him. Whereas this religion was very popular at the time, it nonetheless was not equivalent to following the Will of God as communicated through His Word. God would avenge His Holiness through judgment so that the Israelites would know that He alone was the True LORD (Ezekiel 7:4).
If we fast forward nearly 600 years from the time of Ezekiel to Jesus Christ in John 6, we find again the struggle of humanity between its own quest for lordship and the True Lordship of the One True Christ. Jesus had fed the 5000 near the Sea of Galilee and the people followed Him passionately. I can just see the throngs of stomach-filled people crying out with hands lifted, "Go Jesus . . . Go Jesus." Numerically, Jesus was having quite the success in getting people to follow Him, because He was satisfying their fleshly needs. Still, Jesus knew the hearts of many who followed Him. He knew that they wanted Jesus for what they could get from Him; they weren't interested in submitting to Him as their Lord.
Jesus then began to weed out the false disciples when He began to teach the people that He alone was the Bread of Life who had come from heaven to provide eternal nourishment to those who would feast upon Him through faith (John 6:32-40). The Jews who had been following Jesus, now were grumbling about Him, for they knew Jesus to be the son of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth, not the Divine Savior. If Jesus were looking for success in ministry numerically at this point, He would have stopped talking about His Divinity in this way; He would have toned down the teaching so as not to offend all of His supporters. But this is not what happened. Jesus would stir the controversy even more by telling the followers that unless they would feast upon His flesh and drink His blood (i.e. receive His crucifixion and resurrection as the source of God's eternal life through submission to Him as Lord), they would have no life within them.
The people who heard Jesus' words at the synagogue in Capernaum said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" (John 6:60). They refused to trust by faith that Jesus was the Messiah come into the world to provide redemption for man, and their response was demonstrative. Scripture records that many of His disciples turned away and refused to follow Him anymore (6:66). Jesus no longer was satisfying their selfish desires; now, He was calling them to capitulate to His Rightful place as Lord and Savior of their lives.
With the hoards of people walking away from Jesus, He turned toward the twelve disciples and asked them "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Of course, Simon Peter gave an appropriate response, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that YOU (emphatic) are the Holy One of God."
If the city of Capernaum had a local newspaper during those days, I could see them posting the event on the front pages: "Noted Rabbi Loses Most of His Followers . . . Looks Like His Ministry Is Washed Up." Still, this massive response of unbelief did not take Jesus by surprise, for He "had known from the beginning which to them did not believe and who would betray him" (John 6:64).
Christendom needs to understand that the message of the Gospel is offensive and foolishness to those who walk in darkness (I Cor. 1:18). Churches need to love all, but they need to communicate that salvation is not merely associating oneself with a church congregation while continuing to promote oneself above all others, including God Himself. Ministers need to reinforce that the way to adoption by God into the Royal Family of the Lord is to kick oneself off the throne of his life and surrender to God as the Lord. This surrender is counter to what the sinful flesh desires, its sole supremacy. When the Church sifts out those who would use the Church for their own self-aggrandizement, it will find that the cancer of wickedness will be removed and the true body of Christ will flourish in obedience to the Sovereign King of Kings.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Familial Leadership
Genesis 35: "Then God said to Jacob, 'Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God' . . . . So Jacob said to his household 'Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.' So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them . . . . God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob but you will no longer be Jacob; your name will be Israel . . . A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body . . . The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you.'"
Jacob presents for us in this passage the model of obedient, spiritual leadership in the home. Certainly, God had prepared Jacob for this calling of spiritual leader through several, previous supernatural encounters with him. The first episode occurred on the way to Haran at a place called Bethel. At Bethel (meaning "House of God"), Jacob had a dream of a stairway leading to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. God assured Jacob in the dream that He would be with Jacob, bringing blessing and protection to his family. Surely, Jacob was impressed with the power and the majesty that God presented; the awesome sight of heavenly hosts ascending and descending from the presence of God affirmed to Jacob that the Lord was Sovereign and that His will would be accomplished. Jacob never had to worry if what God said would come to pass; all that the patriarch needed to do was be obedient to God's commands. God in His majestic glory would fulfill His promises.
The second episode occurred at Peniel (meaning "face of God"). At this place, God chose to show part of His glory to Jacob. Not only did Jacob receive a further blessing from the Lord there, but he was strengthened in that he was permitted to see the face of God. It is important to note that Jacob received a blessing there because he had his face turned toward the Lord; he easily could have missed the blessing of this Divine encounter had he not been earnestly seeking the Lord. It is important for us as leaders to remember that we must have our faces turned toward God in faith and obedience if we expect to receive direction and blessing. God does not reward half-hearted allegiance to Him.
Now in the Genesis 35 passage cited above, God instructs Jacob to return to Bethel to settle there with his family (again, this is the place where God previously confirmed to Jacob the blessing of the Promised Land) . The first instruction to Jacob when he arrived was to build an altar to the Lord. Altars were used to pay homage to a deity; thus, God was instructing the patriarch to worship the Lord exclusively. There was to be no duplicity in his allegiance to the One True God.
However, before Jacob would be permitted to build an altar to the Lord, God told Jacob that he was to rid his household of any pagan idols. Jacob's wife, Rachel, had kept the idols of her father, Laban, when she and Jacob left Laban's home in Haran to return to the land promised to Abraham. God would not commune with Jacob and his family if they maintained other objects of worship; God's holiness demanded total, unadulterated allegiance. As a result of God's command, Jacob instructed his family to purify themselves in preparation of the dwelling place God had instructed for them to live. This purification involved his family's repenting of their sin, ridding themselves of their idols, and submitting completely to the Lord. Jacob was able to encourage his family by retelling the stories of God's unfailing commitment to him personally. . . answering and accompanying him in all situations that he faced.
The household of Jacob was obedient to his leadership. They gave to him all of their items of pagan worship, which Jacob in turn buried under an oak at Shechem. Immediately following their obedience, God empowered Jacob's household by stirring up terror in the hearts of the townships around the patriarch's family so that no one dared attempt to attack them. Thus, Jacob's household was able to experience prosperity without the fear of enemy invasion.
After Jacob built the altar to the Lord at Bethel and worshipped Him, God appeared to Jacob again to bless him. God reiterated to Jacob that he would have numerous descendants, that kings would come from him, and that the promised land would be given to him as well. All of these blessings were predicated upon Jacob's previous responses of obedience to the Lord's commands. Jacob knew his role as spiritual leader of his household; he gave specific instructions to his family to submit solely to the Lord and remove the obstacles that would hinder their obedience to God. He was able to encourage his family by recounting his past experiences with God, and he led them to fulfill God's command that they worship Him at the newly created altar in Bethel.
This message is a good word to those who are the familial leaders in their homes. We are called to be leaders that are driven by complete allegiance to the Lord. We must model for our families the importance of being solely committed to the Lord, and we must remove from our families anything that may compete with our loyalty to God first in our lives. We too must encourage our families by sharing with them how God has been impacting our lives because of our personal commitment to Him. Of course, this evidence will only be available if we ourselves have surrendered our lives to Him and are seeking him personally above all other persons and things.
Being a Godly spiritual leader in the home is not easy. It involves focused direction toward God in an environment that would attempt to sway us off course from God's intended path. Still, we must press on, in order that our families might see the hand of blessing from our Lord. Truly, God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6); this necessitates familial leaders leading their families towards the paths of righteousness.
Jacob presents for us in this passage the model of obedient, spiritual leadership in the home. Certainly, God had prepared Jacob for this calling of spiritual leader through several, previous supernatural encounters with him. The first episode occurred on the way to Haran at a place called Bethel. At Bethel (meaning "House of God"), Jacob had a dream of a stairway leading to heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. God assured Jacob in the dream that He would be with Jacob, bringing blessing and protection to his family. Surely, Jacob was impressed with the power and the majesty that God presented; the awesome sight of heavenly hosts ascending and descending from the presence of God affirmed to Jacob that the Lord was Sovereign and that His will would be accomplished. Jacob never had to worry if what God said would come to pass; all that the patriarch needed to do was be obedient to God's commands. God in His majestic glory would fulfill His promises.
The second episode occurred at Peniel (meaning "face of God"). At this place, God chose to show part of His glory to Jacob. Not only did Jacob receive a further blessing from the Lord there, but he was strengthened in that he was permitted to see the face of God. It is important to note that Jacob received a blessing there because he had his face turned toward the Lord; he easily could have missed the blessing of this Divine encounter had he not been earnestly seeking the Lord. It is important for us as leaders to remember that we must have our faces turned toward God in faith and obedience if we expect to receive direction and blessing. God does not reward half-hearted allegiance to Him.
Now in the Genesis 35 passage cited above, God instructs Jacob to return to Bethel to settle there with his family (again, this is the place where God previously confirmed to Jacob the blessing of the Promised Land) . The first instruction to Jacob when he arrived was to build an altar to the Lord. Altars were used to pay homage to a deity; thus, God was instructing the patriarch to worship the Lord exclusively. There was to be no duplicity in his allegiance to the One True God.
However, before Jacob would be permitted to build an altar to the Lord, God told Jacob that he was to rid his household of any pagan idols. Jacob's wife, Rachel, had kept the idols of her father, Laban, when she and Jacob left Laban's home in Haran to return to the land promised to Abraham. God would not commune with Jacob and his family if they maintained other objects of worship; God's holiness demanded total, unadulterated allegiance. As a result of God's command, Jacob instructed his family to purify themselves in preparation of the dwelling place God had instructed for them to live. This purification involved his family's repenting of their sin, ridding themselves of their idols, and submitting completely to the Lord. Jacob was able to encourage his family by retelling the stories of God's unfailing commitment to him personally. . . answering and accompanying him in all situations that he faced.
The household of Jacob was obedient to his leadership. They gave to him all of their items of pagan worship, which Jacob in turn buried under an oak at Shechem. Immediately following their obedience, God empowered Jacob's household by stirring up terror in the hearts of the townships around the patriarch's family so that no one dared attempt to attack them. Thus, Jacob's household was able to experience prosperity without the fear of enemy invasion.
After Jacob built the altar to the Lord at Bethel and worshipped Him, God appeared to Jacob again to bless him. God reiterated to Jacob that he would have numerous descendants, that kings would come from him, and that the promised land would be given to him as well. All of these blessings were predicated upon Jacob's previous responses of obedience to the Lord's commands. Jacob knew his role as spiritual leader of his household; he gave specific instructions to his family to submit solely to the Lord and remove the obstacles that would hinder their obedience to God. He was able to encourage his family by recounting his past experiences with God, and he led them to fulfill God's command that they worship Him at the newly created altar in Bethel.
This message is a good word to those who are the familial leaders in their homes. We are called to be leaders that are driven by complete allegiance to the Lord. We must model for our families the importance of being solely committed to the Lord, and we must remove from our families anything that may compete with our loyalty to God first in our lives. We too must encourage our families by sharing with them how God has been impacting our lives because of our personal commitment to Him. Of course, this evidence will only be available if we ourselves have surrendered our lives to Him and are seeking him personally above all other persons and things.
Being a Godly spiritual leader in the home is not easy. It involves focused direction toward God in an environment that would attempt to sway us off course from God's intended path. Still, we must press on, in order that our families might see the hand of blessing from our Lord. Truly, God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6); this necessitates familial leaders leading their families towards the paths of righteousness.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
God's Word Does Not Fail
2 Kings 10:10: "(Jehu said) 'Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.' So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor."
This story of the utter destruction of the family of Ahab takes us back years before to the time of God's pronounced judgment against the king (Ahab) and his wife, Jezebel, for their detestable wickedness against the LORD. When God sent his messenger, Elijah, to tell Ahab of the coming judgment, He told his prophet to tell the king that he had, "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD" (1 Kings 21:20). Ahab had first married a pagan wife from the land of Phoenicia, and she brought into the land of Israel her worship of the pagan god, Baal. She was instrumental in having the prophets of the LORD killed, and she placed her own prophets of Baal in positions of prominence within the kingdom.
The event that occurred in I Kings 21 was the decisive act that moved God to send Elijah to declare divine retribution for the evil ways of the royal family. To be sure, King Ahab was not a true leader. He had all of the choicest land and produce that he could ever want; still, he coveted one of his subject's (Naboth's) vineyards. The king petitioned Naboth to acquire the vineyard; however, Naboth could not release this precious land that had been given to his family by the LORD. The childish Ahab returned to his palace, sulking; he lay on his bed and refused to eat because he did not get his way. This immature response of the king led to his co-dependent wife, Jezebel, orchestrating a plan to have Naboth executed for treason and blasphemy. Once Naboth was murdered for false charges, the queen was able to secure the land for her weak-willed husband. In response, the LORD was quick in sending Elijah to Ahab to pronounce judgment upon the king. The LORD said that He would bring disaster upon the royal family in years to come, even avenging the shed blood of Naboth by bringing the same fate to the king's descendants on the very land where Naboth met his demise.
When we fast forward several years to Ahab's son, Joram, we find that God is ready to enact his judgment for Ahab and Jezebel's wickedness. Ahab had already met his fate at the Battle of Ramoth Gilead, when he was pierced by a random arrow shot into the air by the Arameans. As the chariot was washed of the king's blood in Samaria, the dogs came and licked up the blood, thus confirming the prophecy of the LORD in 1 Kings 21:19.
Now, King Joram, the wicked son of Ahab would see a similar fate as his father, for the LORD raised up a new king, Jehu (an officer of the army), to destroy the entire house of Ahab. After Elisha anointed Jehu at Ramoth Gilead, the new king was sent by the LORD to kill King Joram, his family, and his associates. Jehu would not delay this commandment of the LORD; he quickly found Joram, ironically at the field of Naboth, and shot the king with an arrow. As the king slumped over in his chariot from the mortal wound through the heart, Jehu ordered that the body be thrown into the field of Naboth thus communicating that the LORD was avenged for the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel against Naboth. Jehu would go on to have Queen Jezebel, 70 princes, and a number of royal supporters executed to fulfill completely the Word of the Lord.
This tragic story reinforces God's declaration in Galatians 6:7-8: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction." King Ahab would commit treason against the Sovereign Lord through his utter wickedness against the Will of God. God would not be mocked; thus, He would seek His vengeance at the proper time (Romans 12:19). And God's Word was fulfilled through King Jehu, bringing the utter destruction of Ahab and his entire family.
Often, it is said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. In reality, the only certainty is the Word of God. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can rest in the assurance that God is true to His Word, and if we are obedient to His Will through obedience, we can expect to receive His Divine blessing. Let us press on to be all we can be for His Kingdom through submission to Our Sovereign King!
This story of the utter destruction of the family of Ahab takes us back years before to the time of God's pronounced judgment against the king (Ahab) and his wife, Jezebel, for their detestable wickedness against the LORD. When God sent his messenger, Elijah, to tell Ahab of the coming judgment, He told his prophet to tell the king that he had, "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD" (1 Kings 21:20). Ahab had first married a pagan wife from the land of Phoenicia, and she brought into the land of Israel her worship of the pagan god, Baal. She was instrumental in having the prophets of the LORD killed, and she placed her own prophets of Baal in positions of prominence within the kingdom.
The event that occurred in I Kings 21 was the decisive act that moved God to send Elijah to declare divine retribution for the evil ways of the royal family. To be sure, King Ahab was not a true leader. He had all of the choicest land and produce that he could ever want; still, he coveted one of his subject's (Naboth's) vineyards. The king petitioned Naboth to acquire the vineyard; however, Naboth could not release this precious land that had been given to his family by the LORD. The childish Ahab returned to his palace, sulking; he lay on his bed and refused to eat because he did not get his way. This immature response of the king led to his co-dependent wife, Jezebel, orchestrating a plan to have Naboth executed for treason and blasphemy. Once Naboth was murdered for false charges, the queen was able to secure the land for her weak-willed husband. In response, the LORD was quick in sending Elijah to Ahab to pronounce judgment upon the king. The LORD said that He would bring disaster upon the royal family in years to come, even avenging the shed blood of Naboth by bringing the same fate to the king's descendants on the very land where Naboth met his demise.
When we fast forward several years to Ahab's son, Joram, we find that God is ready to enact his judgment for Ahab and Jezebel's wickedness. Ahab had already met his fate at the Battle of Ramoth Gilead, when he was pierced by a random arrow shot into the air by the Arameans. As the chariot was washed of the king's blood in Samaria, the dogs came and licked up the blood, thus confirming the prophecy of the LORD in 1 Kings 21:19.
Now, King Joram, the wicked son of Ahab would see a similar fate as his father, for the LORD raised up a new king, Jehu (an officer of the army), to destroy the entire house of Ahab. After Elisha anointed Jehu at Ramoth Gilead, the new king was sent by the LORD to kill King Joram, his family, and his associates. Jehu would not delay this commandment of the LORD; he quickly found Joram, ironically at the field of Naboth, and shot the king with an arrow. As the king slumped over in his chariot from the mortal wound through the heart, Jehu ordered that the body be thrown into the field of Naboth thus communicating that the LORD was avenged for the wickedness of Ahab and Jezebel against Naboth. Jehu would go on to have Queen Jezebel, 70 princes, and a number of royal supporters executed to fulfill completely the Word of the Lord.
This tragic story reinforces God's declaration in Galatians 6:7-8: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction." King Ahab would commit treason against the Sovereign Lord through his utter wickedness against the Will of God. God would not be mocked; thus, He would seek His vengeance at the proper time (Romans 12:19). And God's Word was fulfilled through King Jehu, bringing the utter destruction of Ahab and his entire family.
Often, it is said that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. In reality, the only certainty is the Word of God. As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can rest in the assurance that God is true to His Word, and if we are obedient to His Will through obedience, we can expect to receive His Divine blessing. Let us press on to be all we can be for His Kingdom through submission to Our Sovereign King!
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Mark of the Beast
Revelation 13:11f: "Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon . . . . And he performed great and miraculous signs . . . in the full view of men. Because of the signs . . . he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived . . . . He also forced everyone . . . to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666."
In John's apocalyptic book, we find the account of the beast coming forth and performing miraculous signs that impressed the inhabitants of the earth. Although the beast desired to present himself like the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, in reality, the speech of the beast condemned him as a dragon of evil. Despite his wickedness, the beast was able still to deceive humanity into worshipping him over the true LORD, due to his demonstrative power. He also mandated that everyone must receive his mark of distinction, the infamous mark of the beast, 666.
Whereas this story is not the easiest to conceptualize, it nonetheless has relevance for us today. The distinguishing characteristic of the beast is his quest to usurp power and authority from the LORD for his own self-adulation. He performs mighty acts to convince people to worship the image he has crafted, and he dictates that everyone must have his mark. This mark of the beast is in outright rebellion to the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Lamb, that had been inscribed on the foreheads of the elect. Thus, the beast is not unlike the wicked man of Job 15:25-26 that "shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield."
We can see why 666 would be the chosen number of rebellion. Since the number 6 has been a number historically assigned to man, its trifold repetition could be seen as man's attempt at rebellion against the triune God (i.e. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). If 7 is seen as the number of perfection or completion, then one could see the possibility that 777 may be the number that God would define as His own. 666 is the number that the purveyors of evil would use to stand in rebellion to the Lord Almighty. The number displaces the name of God with mankind's attempt to assert his own divinity.
When we think of what the number 666 represents (i.e. quest for self-lordship over the Triune Lord), it is not surprising that many already have the mark inscribed on their foreheads. True, this number is not visibly evident to the physical eye; nevertheless, the number is there, for it is the testament to the rebellious heart that is within man's soul. Many people today have the distinguishing mark that would identify them as modern-day antichrists (those who refuse to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ).
The book of I John tells us that antichrists are present today on the earth propagating the lie of self-aggrandizement: "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist-he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
It's All In Whom You Ask
2 Kings 1:2; 16b-17: "Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, 'Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.' . . . . (Elijah said to Ahaziah) 'Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!' So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken."
Two years into his reign, Ahaziah, the wicked son of King Ahab, had a tragic accident that would lead to his death. The death was not instant, but the injuries would prove to be fatal. The king, in keeping with the ways of his wicked father, did not consult the LORD; rather, he sought out Baal-Zebub, the "lord of the flies" who was the god honored by the pagan Philistines.
What is implied within the text is that the king may have experienced deliverance had he sought the LORD instead of the false god. Elijah was summoned by the LORD to intercept the messengers sent by the king to consult with Baal-Zebub in Ekron. God told Elijah to inform the messengers that the king would not leave his bed . . . he would most certainly die for his lack of seeking the LORD during his time of utmost need.
When the messengers returned with Elijah's edict from God, the king was furious. He summoned a captain with 50 men to capture the prophet; however, when they approached Elijah to overtake him, God reigned down fire from heaven and consumed all of the men. When the king heard of the demise of his men, he sent another 50 men; like the first group, so too did these next 50 meet their death by divine fire from heaven. Still not satisfied, the king sent a third captain with 50 men to capture the prophet. This captain, however, was wise enough to plead with Elijah for his life and the life of his men. God granted mercy to the troops by sparing their lives, and He encouraged Elijah to go with the men in order that the prophet could pronounce the LORD's judgment directly to the king. And soon thereafter, the king met his demise.
What I am reminded from this story is that our true character is revealed in times of tribulation. When King Ahaziah faced his own mortality, he did not seek the LORD; rather, he sought the gods that he had worshipped throughout his wicked reign. Even when Elijah had pronounced the divine judgment of death upon the king, Ahaziah did not repent of his ways. Instead, he sought to capture the prophet presumably to execute him.
In contrast, the third captain and his army faced a similar fate of death at the hands of the LORD; however, he was smart enough to know that if he approached the prophet in a spirit of humility and petition, the LORD may be gracious and withhold his wrath. The LORD honored the captain's request for mercy and spared his life.
As Galatians 6:7-8 exclaims, "God will not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature . . . will reap destruction." The evil king Ahaziah proved his wickedness in his time of tragedy, and God would not permit his recalcitrance to go unpunished. In the end, the king met his physical (and spiritual) fate.
Two years into his reign, Ahaziah, the wicked son of King Ahab, had a tragic accident that would lead to his death. The death was not instant, but the injuries would prove to be fatal. The king, in keeping with the ways of his wicked father, did not consult the LORD; rather, he sought out Baal-Zebub, the "lord of the flies" who was the god honored by the pagan Philistines.
What is implied within the text is that the king may have experienced deliverance had he sought the LORD instead of the false god. Elijah was summoned by the LORD to intercept the messengers sent by the king to consult with Baal-Zebub in Ekron. God told Elijah to inform the messengers that the king would not leave his bed . . . he would most certainly die for his lack of seeking the LORD during his time of utmost need.
When the messengers returned with Elijah's edict from God, the king was furious. He summoned a captain with 50 men to capture the prophet; however, when they approached Elijah to overtake him, God reigned down fire from heaven and consumed all of the men. When the king heard of the demise of his men, he sent another 50 men; like the first group, so too did these next 50 meet their death by divine fire from heaven. Still not satisfied, the king sent a third captain with 50 men to capture the prophet. This captain, however, was wise enough to plead with Elijah for his life and the life of his men. God granted mercy to the troops by sparing their lives, and He encouraged Elijah to go with the men in order that the prophet could pronounce the LORD's judgment directly to the king. And soon thereafter, the king met his demise.
What I am reminded from this story is that our true character is revealed in times of tribulation. When King Ahaziah faced his own mortality, he did not seek the LORD; rather, he sought the gods that he had worshipped throughout his wicked reign. Even when Elijah had pronounced the divine judgment of death upon the king, Ahaziah did not repent of his ways. Instead, he sought to capture the prophet presumably to execute him.
In contrast, the third captain and his army faced a similar fate of death at the hands of the LORD; however, he was smart enough to know that if he approached the prophet in a spirit of humility and petition, the LORD may be gracious and withhold his wrath. The LORD honored the captain's request for mercy and spared his life.
As Galatians 6:7-8 exclaims, "God will not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature . . . will reap destruction." The evil king Ahaziah proved his wickedness in his time of tragedy, and God would not permit his recalcitrance to go unpunished. In the end, the king met his physical (and spiritual) fate.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sharing of Godly Truth is Not Popular
I Kings 22:5-8: "But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, 'First seek the counsel of the LORD.' So the king of Israel brought together the prophets-about four hundred men-and asked them, 'Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?' 'Go,' they answered, 'for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.' But Jehoshaphat asked, 'Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?' The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, 'There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.'"
As we compare our world today with the history of the Israelites in the book of I Kings, we see similarites, namely, that the sharing of Godly truth is not very popular. In the era of King Ahab of Israel, being a Godly prophet who shared the truth of God resulted in alienation and persecution. King Ahab ruled Israel for 22 years and he "did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him" (I Kings 16:30). The king started his wayward path by marrying the pagan Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre/Sidon. Jezebel, named after a pagan god of fertility was ruthless in her attacks against the prophets of the Lord, killing off every prophet that was obedient to the One True God (18:4). To replace these fallen prophets, the king and queen put their own pagan prophets in places of prominence within the kingdom. These prophets were loyal to the regents first; they were never known to discredit the wishes of the royal family. Their support of Ahab was not only the popular thing to do; it was the profitable thing to do.
Only a few men stood up for the truth of the Lord instead of caving to the political correctness of that day. One of these men was Micaiah. When Ahab was consulting with King Jehoshaphat of Judah about attacking the Arameans to reclaim lost territories in Ramoth Gilead, Jehoshaphat suggested that they seek the counsel of the LORD. Ahab was not interested at all in God's will in the matter, he wanted to hear someone support his own personal appetites. He summoned his 400 prophets, and as expected they all supported the king's desire to wage war against Aram. They exclaimed that the king would be victorious over his enemy. One prophet in particular by the name of Zedekiah made a rather demonstrative proclamation of the king's pending victory by presenting iron horns that he had made and said, "With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed" (2 Chronicles 18:10). Of course, these "prophets" would only share positive news to the king; to announce anything else was to risk the threat of the king's anger toward them directly. Being supportive of the king was important for these prophets' own personal well being. They were looking out for themselves, even if that meant selling out the truth for a lie.
Still, Jehoshaphat was able to see that the king only had a bunch of "yes men" around him. The King of Judah was not satisfied with the answers that were given and again asked if a true man of the LORD was available to present God's opinion about the war to come. One can just imagine the sullen face of Ahab at this remark. The last thing that he wanted was to consult a true prophet of God; Ahab had not had much success with the Lord's messengers. They had been known as men who brought messages of judgment to the king for his wickedness (e.g. Elijah). Nevertheless, Ahab told Jehoshaphat that there was a prophet who could inquire of the Lord, but Ahab was quick to mention that he hated the man because he never shared anything good. Micaiah was not the type of prophet that would share only what the king's itching ears wanted to hear (see 2 Timothy 4:3); rather, he was bold in sharing the truth no matter what personal consequences may befall him.
True to form, when Ahab summoned Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord told the king that disaster would occur, with the Israelites losing the battle and the king losing his life. Before Micaiah was presented to the king of Israel, he had been encouraged by a messenger that all of the other prophets were speaking victory for the king and he should follow suit. Still, Micaiah could speak nothing other but the truth. He told the messenger, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him (the king) only what my God says." This proclamation of truth by Micaiah is noteworthy, for with it came a lot of personal consequence. At once the prophet Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face for such a statement of defiance to the king and denigration to the other prophets. Enraged at this very unpopular response, the king had the prophet imprisoned and insisted that Micaiah only receive bread and water until the king returned from battle victorious, to prove the prophet was wrong.
The king went ahead with his plan to invade, but the battle was disasterous. The people of Israel were scattered and Ahab was killed by a wayward arrow shot into the air. Truth prevailed as the Word of God was accomplished; still, with the continuance of the evil reign's of Ahab's sons, Ahaziah and Joram, as well as with the continued influence of Jezebel for at least 14 more years, it is quite possible that Micaiah remained in prison.
We must remember that telling the truth of God as revealed in His Word is not very popular today; nonetheless, we are called to obedience to the Lord by faithfully proclaiming His truths. We may find that we suffer personally for taking a stand for the truth of God, but we press on knowing that the Lord is still on the throne and is still in control.
As we compare our world today with the history of the Israelites in the book of I Kings, we see similarites, namely, that the sharing of Godly truth is not very popular. In the era of King Ahab of Israel, being a Godly prophet who shared the truth of God resulted in alienation and persecution. King Ahab ruled Israel for 22 years and he "did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him" (I Kings 16:30). The king started his wayward path by marrying the pagan Jezebel, daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre/Sidon. Jezebel, named after a pagan god of fertility was ruthless in her attacks against the prophets of the Lord, killing off every prophet that was obedient to the One True God (18:4). To replace these fallen prophets, the king and queen put their own pagan prophets in places of prominence within the kingdom. These prophets were loyal to the regents first; they were never known to discredit the wishes of the royal family. Their support of Ahab was not only the popular thing to do; it was the profitable thing to do.
Only a few men stood up for the truth of the Lord instead of caving to the political correctness of that day. One of these men was Micaiah. When Ahab was consulting with King Jehoshaphat of Judah about attacking the Arameans to reclaim lost territories in Ramoth Gilead, Jehoshaphat suggested that they seek the counsel of the LORD. Ahab was not interested at all in God's will in the matter, he wanted to hear someone support his own personal appetites. He summoned his 400 prophets, and as expected they all supported the king's desire to wage war against Aram. They exclaimed that the king would be victorious over his enemy. One prophet in particular by the name of Zedekiah made a rather demonstrative proclamation of the king's pending victory by presenting iron horns that he had made and said, "With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed" (2 Chronicles 18:10). Of course, these "prophets" would only share positive news to the king; to announce anything else was to risk the threat of the king's anger toward them directly. Being supportive of the king was important for these prophets' own personal well being. They were looking out for themselves, even if that meant selling out the truth for a lie.
Still, Jehoshaphat was able to see that the king only had a bunch of "yes men" around him. The King of Judah was not satisfied with the answers that were given and again asked if a true man of the LORD was available to present God's opinion about the war to come. One can just imagine the sullen face of Ahab at this remark. The last thing that he wanted was to consult a true prophet of God; Ahab had not had much success with the Lord's messengers. They had been known as men who brought messages of judgment to the king for his wickedness (e.g. Elijah). Nevertheless, Ahab told Jehoshaphat that there was a prophet who could inquire of the Lord, but Ahab was quick to mention that he hated the man because he never shared anything good. Micaiah was not the type of prophet that would share only what the king's itching ears wanted to hear (see 2 Timothy 4:3); rather, he was bold in sharing the truth no matter what personal consequences may befall him.
True to form, when Ahab summoned Micaiah, the prophet of the Lord told the king that disaster would occur, with the Israelites losing the battle and the king losing his life. Before Micaiah was presented to the king of Israel, he had been encouraged by a messenger that all of the other prophets were speaking victory for the king and he should follow suit. Still, Micaiah could speak nothing other but the truth. He told the messenger, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him (the king) only what my God says." This proclamation of truth by Micaiah is noteworthy, for with it came a lot of personal consequence. At once the prophet Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face for such a statement of defiance to the king and denigration to the other prophets. Enraged at this very unpopular response, the king had the prophet imprisoned and insisted that Micaiah only receive bread and water until the king returned from battle victorious, to prove the prophet was wrong.
The king went ahead with his plan to invade, but the battle was disasterous. The people of Israel were scattered and Ahab was killed by a wayward arrow shot into the air. Truth prevailed as the Word of God was accomplished; still, with the continuance of the evil reign's of Ahab's sons, Ahaziah and Joram, as well as with the continued influence of Jezebel for at least 14 more years, it is quite possible that Micaiah remained in prison.
We must remember that telling the truth of God as revealed in His Word is not very popular today; nonetheless, we are called to obedience to the Lord by faithfully proclaiming His truths. We may find that we suffer personally for taking a stand for the truth of God, but we press on knowing that the Lord is still on the throne and is still in control.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Another Look at Sex and Circumcision
Genesis 17:8-14: "'The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.' Then God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner . . . . My covenant of flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people, he has broken my covenant.'"
The topics of sex and circumcision are not ones proclaimed regularly from the pulpits in Christendom. It seems that the Church is either uncomfortable and/or confused as to its significance and purpose for the covenant community. This should never be, for God discusses both in His Word. Thus, we should take the time to reflect upon their significance in our lives.
In order that we can best understand the significance of circumcision, we first must look at the topic of sexuality to see its divinely created purpose. Whereas we know that the act of sex was established for the procreation of Godly generations that would give praise to the Lord (Psalm 145:4-7. Malachi 2:15), still there is another foundational purpose for sex. Specifically, we can see in the act of sex between a husband and wife in marital covenant the beautiful imagery of God with His covenant bride (the Church). When God penetrates the heart of the newly redeemed, He infuses life into the one who otherwise is barren (i.e. spiritually dead [see Ephesians 2:1ff]), and as a result of that spiritual union, there is joy on the part of both God (the husband) as well as the Church (the bride).
We must re-emphasize that this spiritual union is relegated specifically to the marital covenant between God and His bride. God does not join with those outside the covenant (i.e. unbelievers) and infuse spiritual life into them. They forever will remain barren, and subject to God's eternal wrath. This is why God sees with disdain any human sexual behavior that occurs outside the marriage covenant. Since the Lord has created sexuality for the primordial purpose of helping us better appreciate the divine union of God and His bride, any aberrant sexual behavior (be it fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc.) is seen as contemptible to His Sovereign Will and His Holiness. God is mocked when humanity treats with sacrilege the institution that was created to help us reflect upon God and His salvation for the redeemed through Jesus Christ.
Now, there have been times when I have wondered, "Why is the sign of the covenant the act of circumcision? Why could it not be the cutting of the arm, a big toe, or something less intrusive?" I wonder what the 99-year-old Abraham was thinking when God came to him and proclaimed that circumcision would be the sign of the everlasting covenant between the Lord and Abraham's descendants? I'm sure that when the men lined up to participate in the ceremonious act, there were mixed feelings about what was about to happen; nonetheless, we know that Abraham "believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). Abraham had the faith and insight to know that God was offering a tremendous gift of His eternal mercy to those who otherwise were without hope; to participate in the act of circumcision was a small price to pay given the overwhelming gift that God was offering. [We must note here that the act of circumcision did not merit salvation for Abraham and his "children"; rather, it was faith in the promise of redemption by God that was credited for Abraham's righteousness (see Romans 4:9-10)].
If we can see Abraham (and all men) figuratively as the LORD and Sarah (all women) as the covenant community (i.e. the Church), we can see why circumcision was the determined sign of the covenant. Whereas, the act of circumcision involves a sacrifice of pain and the shedding of blood before the infusion of life into the bride, so too we see that the Messiah was to endure the pain of the cross before there was an infusion of life into the Church. Thus, we can see in circumcision a symbolic portrayal of the sacrifice of Christ.
We in the Church are not unlike Abraham's wife, Sarah. She was unable to produce a child through herself, and due to her age (she was 90-ish) it looked as if she would never produce a child. God proclaimed to Abraham that when all seemed hopeless, He would demonstrate His power by transforming Sarah's barrenness into fertility. Praise be to God that He takes us who are beyond all hope and infuses life into us, making us righteous before His eyes. This is the re-birth of God's love and mercy that is lavished upon the redeemed (Ephesians 1:8). Maybe this is why the act of circumcision was observed on the eighth day. Whereas the first creative process occurred over seven days (six days of creation and one day of rest), God's re-creative process through His sacrifice on the cross bringing re-birth, symbolically occurred on the following (eighth) day.
The Apostle Paul also saw a figurative significance to circumcision, in that it is the circumcision of the heart that is of importance, not merely the external act per se. No man or woman will be transformed by the power of Christ by merely going through the motions of religion. A cutting of the heart through repentance and confession is necessary, for only the penitent heart will be redeemed. The Scriptures proclaim that "neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation" (Galatians 6:15). As mentioned before, we can see beautiful imagery in the act, but we should never relegate the practice (or any ceremonious act) as the medium that bestows grace. Only God bestows grace to the heart that by faith submits to His Lordship.
The topics of sex and circumcision are not ones proclaimed regularly from the pulpits in Christendom. It seems that the Church is either uncomfortable and/or confused as to its significance and purpose for the covenant community. This should never be, for God discusses both in His Word. Thus, we should take the time to reflect upon their significance in our lives.
In order that we can best understand the significance of circumcision, we first must look at the topic of sexuality to see its divinely created purpose. Whereas we know that the act of sex was established for the procreation of Godly generations that would give praise to the Lord (Psalm 145:4-7. Malachi 2:15), still there is another foundational purpose for sex. Specifically, we can see in the act of sex between a husband and wife in marital covenant the beautiful imagery of God with His covenant bride (the Church). When God penetrates the heart of the newly redeemed, He infuses life into the one who otherwise is barren (i.e. spiritually dead [see Ephesians 2:1ff]), and as a result of that spiritual union, there is joy on the part of both God (the husband) as well as the Church (the bride).
We must re-emphasize that this spiritual union is relegated specifically to the marital covenant between God and His bride. God does not join with those outside the covenant (i.e. unbelievers) and infuse spiritual life into them. They forever will remain barren, and subject to God's eternal wrath. This is why God sees with disdain any human sexual behavior that occurs outside the marriage covenant. Since the Lord has created sexuality for the primordial purpose of helping us better appreciate the divine union of God and His bride, any aberrant sexual behavior (be it fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc.) is seen as contemptible to His Sovereign Will and His Holiness. God is mocked when humanity treats with sacrilege the institution that was created to help us reflect upon God and His salvation for the redeemed through Jesus Christ.
Now, there have been times when I have wondered, "Why is the sign of the covenant the act of circumcision? Why could it not be the cutting of the arm, a big toe, or something less intrusive?" I wonder what the 99-year-old Abraham was thinking when God came to him and proclaimed that circumcision would be the sign of the everlasting covenant between the Lord and Abraham's descendants? I'm sure that when the men lined up to participate in the ceremonious act, there were mixed feelings about what was about to happen; nonetheless, we know that Abraham "believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). Abraham had the faith and insight to know that God was offering a tremendous gift of His eternal mercy to those who otherwise were without hope; to participate in the act of circumcision was a small price to pay given the overwhelming gift that God was offering. [We must note here that the act of circumcision did not merit salvation for Abraham and his "children"; rather, it was faith in the promise of redemption by God that was credited for Abraham's righteousness (see Romans 4:9-10)].
If we can see Abraham (and all men) figuratively as the LORD and Sarah (all women) as the covenant community (i.e. the Church), we can see why circumcision was the determined sign of the covenant. Whereas, the act of circumcision involves a sacrifice of pain and the shedding of blood before the infusion of life into the bride, so too we see that the Messiah was to endure the pain of the cross before there was an infusion of life into the Church. Thus, we can see in circumcision a symbolic portrayal of the sacrifice of Christ.
We in the Church are not unlike Abraham's wife, Sarah. She was unable to produce a child through herself, and due to her age (she was 90-ish) it looked as if she would never produce a child. God proclaimed to Abraham that when all seemed hopeless, He would demonstrate His power by transforming Sarah's barrenness into fertility. Praise be to God that He takes us who are beyond all hope and infuses life into us, making us righteous before His eyes. This is the re-birth of God's love and mercy that is lavished upon the redeemed (Ephesians 1:8). Maybe this is why the act of circumcision was observed on the eighth day. Whereas the first creative process occurred over seven days (six days of creation and one day of rest), God's re-creative process through His sacrifice on the cross bringing re-birth, symbolically occurred on the following (eighth) day.
The Apostle Paul also saw a figurative significance to circumcision, in that it is the circumcision of the heart that is of importance, not merely the external act per se. No man or woman will be transformed by the power of Christ by merely going through the motions of religion. A cutting of the heart through repentance and confession is necessary, for only the penitent heart will be redeemed. The Scriptures proclaim that "neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation" (Galatians 6:15). As mentioned before, we can see beautiful imagery in the act, but we should never relegate the practice (or any ceremonious act) as the medium that bestows grace. Only God bestows grace to the heart that by faith submits to His Lordship.
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