2 Chronicles 25:2: "He (King Amaziah of Judah) did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly."
King Amaziah began his reign over the nation of Judah at the age of 25, and he ruled over the people for 29 years. The Scripture records that the king was the kind of person that wanted to straddle the fence of obedience to the LORD. He had one foot on the side of loyalty to God and one foot on the side of his own selfish desires. Of course we know that one is not able to dwell successfully on both sides of the "fence." Ultimately, this duplicity will bring God's judgment.
One of the first things that the king failed to do was remove the high places of worship that had been constructed years before for the purpose of worshipping pagan idols. Because these pagan places were not removed, the people were lured into worshipping gods other than the One True Lord of Hosts. They continued to burn incense there, which was a ceremonious act of submission to those false gods.
God did give temporary victory to King Amaziah over the Edomites, with the hope that Amaziah would recognize the Lord's greatness and would serve Him wholly and exclusively; however, the king did exactly the opposite. After the victory in battle, King Amaziah brought back the gods of the defeated Edomites and set them up as his own gods, "bowing down to them and burning sacrifice to them" (2 Chronicles 25:14). The king had allowed the victory to become a stumbling block in that his pride swelled up within him. Amaziah came to believe that he was invincible and thus could do anything that his heart desired.
God in turn sent a prophet to condemn the king's behavior of rebellion against the Lord; of course, the king wanted to hear none of it. He warned the prophet that if he did not shut his mouth, he would be struck down. The prophet stopped, but not before one final word to the king: "God has determined to destroy you" (2 Chronicles 25:16).
Later in his continued boastful spirit, King Amaziah challenged King Jehoash of Israel to war. Jehoash sent communication to Amaziah to keep his army at home and not pick a fight against the northern tribes of Israel. Jehoash knew that Amaziah was too proud, and he warned the King of Judah that his pride would lead to his downfall if he continued this path of antagonism.
Of course, the brazenly proud Amaziah would not listen; he believed himself invincible against any other nation. The two armies met at a battlefield about 20 miles west of Jerusalem and Amaziah's warriors were defeated. As the army of Judah was scattering in defeat, King Amaziah was captured. Jehoash paraded the defeated king back to Jerusalem, where he forced him to watch the destruction of the wall of Jerusalem and the taking of the precious temple treasures of Judah by the victorious northern tribes of Israel.
King Amaziah had now lost all credibility with his own people. They conspired to murder the king, so he fled westward toward the Philistine territories in order to avoid capture. Amaziah made it as far as Lachish, about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem, but the pursuers captured him there and executed him.
Proverbs 16:18 tells us that "pride goes before destruction, (and) a haughty spirit before a fall." King Amaziah had so much potential for the Lord, but his self-adulation brought about his belief that he was the center of the universe. Life existed for his own self-fulfillment, not for the purpose of glorifying the Lord through obedience.
We would do well to learn from the fateful end of King Amaziah, namely that when we attempt to exalt ourselves over everyone else (including God), we should not expect that God will provide blessing and protection. As the prophet told Amaziah, God will seek to humble us, if we think too highly of ourselves.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Are You Standing For the Lord?
Ezekiel 22:30: "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
This Word of the Lord came to the prophet Ezekiel around 590 B.C., about seven years after Ezekiel had been sent with a second wave of exiles hundreds of miles away from Judea to the region of Babylon. The Babylonians had begun a campaign of invasions of the Promised Land as part of God's Divine judgment against the wickedness of the Judeans. In previous decades, God had sent a number of prophets to preach repentance to His people, but the Judeans would have none of it. They were so engrossed in their sin and were enjoying it, that they turned a deaf ear to the words of rebuke spoken by the prophets.
In Ezekiel 22, God identified the reasons why He was bringing judgment upon His people. The reasons are as follows:
1. The people worshipped false idols over the One True God
2. They were guilty of murdering innocent people
3. They treated their parents with contempt
4. They mistreated the disadvantaged (e.g. widows, orphans, aliens, etc.)
5. They despised the articles of worship set aside at the Temple to honor the Lord
6. They failed to set aside time to stop from their busyness and praise the Lord
7. They slandered others with false allegations
8. They practiced lewd acts on mountain tops in outright defiance to the Lord
9. They committed all kinds of sexual immorality (adultery, incest, fornication)
10. They accepted bribes
11. They charged exorbitant rates of interest to take advantage of the disadvantaged
12. They practiced extortion against their neighbors.
13. They profaned the law of the Lord
In response, God declared that He would pour out His wrath upon the people of Judea. God compared these wicked people to the dross left over after silver had been refined by fire, and He said that He would take these "impurities" and melt them within the city walls of Jerusalem. True to His Word, God sent the Babylonians who would siege the city of Jerusalem for 18 months, cutting off the food supplies to the people shut within the walls. The people would become so desperate for food that parents began cooking their children for their own nourishment (see Lamentations 4:10). Certainly, it was a most terrible time for the people of Judea.
Still, the greatest tragedy was the universal cosmic treason of the Judeans against the Lord, evidenced in the Biblical passage quoted above. Before satisfying His wrath for the wickedness of the Judeans, God looked for a man in the land who would stand in righteousness for Him, but He found no one. Everyone was devoid of submission to the Lord. Each man followed his own wanton lusts and desired His own Lordship over the Lord Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts). In response, God would destroy these rebellious people, thus proving that He is the One Holy God.
We have often heard the old adage, "Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it." We today would do well to hear the Word of the Lord, namely, that God even now is looking for men and women who are standing for Him through submission and obedience. If you yield to Him as your Lord, you will not later regret it. God will bless your faithfulness to Him. Still, if you seek your own sinful appetites (and hence your own quest for lordship) then be warned . . . God will bring your wickedness to account. You will not be able to escape His righteous wrath. Therefore, make this very day the day of your salvation by surrendering yourself to the Lord, repenting of your sins, and receiving His precious gift of grace, provided to you through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Then you will be found by Him to be one who is standing for His Glory!
This Word of the Lord came to the prophet Ezekiel around 590 B.C., about seven years after Ezekiel had been sent with a second wave of exiles hundreds of miles away from Judea to the region of Babylon. The Babylonians had begun a campaign of invasions of the Promised Land as part of God's Divine judgment against the wickedness of the Judeans. In previous decades, God had sent a number of prophets to preach repentance to His people, but the Judeans would have none of it. They were so engrossed in their sin and were enjoying it, that they turned a deaf ear to the words of rebuke spoken by the prophets.
In Ezekiel 22, God identified the reasons why He was bringing judgment upon His people. The reasons are as follows:
1. The people worshipped false idols over the One True God
2. They were guilty of murdering innocent people
3. They treated their parents with contempt
4. They mistreated the disadvantaged (e.g. widows, orphans, aliens, etc.)
5. They despised the articles of worship set aside at the Temple to honor the Lord
6. They failed to set aside time to stop from their busyness and praise the Lord
7. They slandered others with false allegations
8. They practiced lewd acts on mountain tops in outright defiance to the Lord
9. They committed all kinds of sexual immorality (adultery, incest, fornication)
10. They accepted bribes
11. They charged exorbitant rates of interest to take advantage of the disadvantaged
12. They practiced extortion against their neighbors.
13. They profaned the law of the Lord
In response, God declared that He would pour out His wrath upon the people of Judea. God compared these wicked people to the dross left over after silver had been refined by fire, and He said that He would take these "impurities" and melt them within the city walls of Jerusalem. True to His Word, God sent the Babylonians who would siege the city of Jerusalem for 18 months, cutting off the food supplies to the people shut within the walls. The people would become so desperate for food that parents began cooking their children for their own nourishment (see Lamentations 4:10). Certainly, it was a most terrible time for the people of Judea.
Still, the greatest tragedy was the universal cosmic treason of the Judeans against the Lord, evidenced in the Biblical passage quoted above. Before satisfying His wrath for the wickedness of the Judeans, God looked for a man in the land who would stand in righteousness for Him, but He found no one. Everyone was devoid of submission to the Lord. Each man followed his own wanton lusts and desired His own Lordship over the Lord Sabaoth (Lord of Hosts). In response, God would destroy these rebellious people, thus proving that He is the One Holy God.
We have often heard the old adage, "Those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it." We today would do well to hear the Word of the Lord, namely, that God even now is looking for men and women who are standing for Him through submission and obedience. If you yield to Him as your Lord, you will not later regret it. God will bless your faithfulness to Him. Still, if you seek your own sinful appetites (and hence your own quest for lordship) then be warned . . . God will bring your wickedness to account. You will not be able to escape His righteous wrath. Therefore, make this very day the day of your salvation by surrendering yourself to the Lord, repenting of your sins, and receiving His precious gift of grace, provided to you through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Then you will be found by Him to be one who is standing for His Glory!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
That's Gratitude For You
2 Chronicles 24:22: "King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, 'May the LORD see this and call you to account.'"
As one reads through the 40-year reign of King Joash, one at first is encouraged that a righteous king finally would lead the people of Judah in obedience to God. The sad reality however is that the king's allegiance to the LORD fizzled out in the latter years of his reign. Still more grievous is the way in which he treated the family of the Godly priest, Jehoiada, who had protected him during the king's early years.
Joash was born in an era of instability within the royal family. When his father, King Ahaziah of Judah, was killed by Jehu (commander of the army), Joash's grandmother, Athaliah, attempted to kill the entire royal family so that she could assume control of the throne. Fortunately, a half-sister of King Ahaziah by the name of Jehosheba, rescued Joash and took him secretly to the temple to be protected by the priest, Jehoiada. The righteous Jehoiada was committed to the young prince, rearing him in the ways of the LORD and preparing him for the throne. After seven years of providing protection to Prince Joash, Jehoiada the priest was able to assert Joash as the rightful king of the people of Judah. Queen Athaliah was removed from her throne and executed.
Joash showed himself to be a young man who had learned from his mentor the importance of following the LORD obediently. He ruled with a righteous hand and "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him" (2 Kings 12:2). The king was instrumental in getting a campaign started to restore the LORD's temple . . . a structure that was showing the wear and tear of over 100 years of existence. Joash knew the importance of keeping the House of the LORD in excellent condition so that the prescribed place of worship of the One True God would be respected.
Yet, after Jehoiada died at the age of 130, the officials of Judah were able to sway the king to abandon exclusive worship of the Lord. The temple, which had once been the grand place of worship of God, was abandoned in favor of pagan shrines and altars. God, in response, sent prophets to declare that the king was perpetrating rebellion against the Lord and that this behavior needed to stop.
Not only did Joash not listen to the prophets, but he began a campaign to execute the prophets, in order that he might silence the critics of his wickedness. When the Lord sent Zechariah, the very son of Jehoiada, to pronounce divine judgment upon the king, Joash ordered that Zechariah be stoned for such "insolence." As Zechariah lay dying, he cried out to the LORD that He see this evil act and call the king to account.
God would see this despicable act and would enact judgment upon the king for his wickedness; within the year, the Lord would send the army of Aram against Joash and the Judeans and defeat them. As the Arameans invaded Jerusalem, they killed the leaders who had convinced the king to turn away from worshipping the LORD; and they plundered the riches of the city, leaving Jerusalem in ruins. As a very demonstrative final act of superiority over the Judeans, the Arameans severely wounded King Joash, and then left him to rule in his weakened condition.
By now the king had lost all credibility. His wickedness had brought his kingdom to ruin; he had lost many of his leaders and certainly had lost the material richness that had been accumulated for so many years. The remaining officials developed a disdain for the king, and they conspired to assassinate him. As Joash lay in his bed recovering from his wounds, the officials entered the royal chamber and murdered the king; they then dishonored him by not burying the king with the other royal monarchs who had ruled before him.
Truly, this is a tragic story. Here is a king, who as a young prince was rescued and protected by the priest, Jehoiada. Yet, when Joash was given the opportunity to rule the people, he treated with contempt the previous acts of kindness of Jehoiada by turning away from the Lord and killing the son of the priest. That's gratitude for you.
God however would not be mocked; He ultimately enacted His Divine judgment against the king. And this judgment would result in the loss of the king's riches, his subjects, and his very life. In the end, he was dishonored and would be seen throughout history as a king that fell short of the mark of righteousness.
As one reads through the 40-year reign of King Joash, one at first is encouraged that a righteous king finally would lead the people of Judah in obedience to God. The sad reality however is that the king's allegiance to the LORD fizzled out in the latter years of his reign. Still more grievous is the way in which he treated the family of the Godly priest, Jehoiada, who had protected him during the king's early years.
Joash was born in an era of instability within the royal family. When his father, King Ahaziah of Judah, was killed by Jehu (commander of the army), Joash's grandmother, Athaliah, attempted to kill the entire royal family so that she could assume control of the throne. Fortunately, a half-sister of King Ahaziah by the name of Jehosheba, rescued Joash and took him secretly to the temple to be protected by the priest, Jehoiada. The righteous Jehoiada was committed to the young prince, rearing him in the ways of the LORD and preparing him for the throne. After seven years of providing protection to Prince Joash, Jehoiada the priest was able to assert Joash as the rightful king of the people of Judah. Queen Athaliah was removed from her throne and executed.
Joash showed himself to be a young man who had learned from his mentor the importance of following the LORD obediently. He ruled with a righteous hand and "did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him" (2 Kings 12:2). The king was instrumental in getting a campaign started to restore the LORD's temple . . . a structure that was showing the wear and tear of over 100 years of existence. Joash knew the importance of keeping the House of the LORD in excellent condition so that the prescribed place of worship of the One True God would be respected.
Yet, after Jehoiada died at the age of 130, the officials of Judah were able to sway the king to abandon exclusive worship of the Lord. The temple, which had once been the grand place of worship of God, was abandoned in favor of pagan shrines and altars. God, in response, sent prophets to declare that the king was perpetrating rebellion against the Lord and that this behavior needed to stop.
Not only did Joash not listen to the prophets, but he began a campaign to execute the prophets, in order that he might silence the critics of his wickedness. When the Lord sent Zechariah, the very son of Jehoiada, to pronounce divine judgment upon the king, Joash ordered that Zechariah be stoned for such "insolence." As Zechariah lay dying, he cried out to the LORD that He see this evil act and call the king to account.
God would see this despicable act and would enact judgment upon the king for his wickedness; within the year, the Lord would send the army of Aram against Joash and the Judeans and defeat them. As the Arameans invaded Jerusalem, they killed the leaders who had convinced the king to turn away from worshipping the LORD; and they plundered the riches of the city, leaving Jerusalem in ruins. As a very demonstrative final act of superiority over the Judeans, the Arameans severely wounded King Joash, and then left him to rule in his weakened condition.
By now the king had lost all credibility. His wickedness had brought his kingdom to ruin; he had lost many of his leaders and certainly had lost the material richness that had been accumulated for so many years. The remaining officials developed a disdain for the king, and they conspired to assassinate him. As Joash lay in his bed recovering from his wounds, the officials entered the royal chamber and murdered the king; they then dishonored him by not burying the king with the other royal monarchs who had ruled before him.
Truly, this is a tragic story. Here is a king, who as a young prince was rescued and protected by the priest, Jehoiada. Yet, when Joash was given the opportunity to rule the people, he treated with contempt the previous acts of kindness of Jehoiada by turning away from the Lord and killing the son of the priest. That's gratitude for you.
God however would not be mocked; He ultimately enacted His Divine judgment against the king. And this judgment would result in the loss of the king's riches, his subjects, and his very life. In the end, he was dishonored and would be seen throughout history as a king that fell short of the mark of righteousness.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Not Living Up To One's Name
2 Kings 11:1,3b: "When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family . . . (and she) ruled the land."
Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab, presents to us a life that does not live up to the meaning of her name, for the name, "Athaliah" means "the Lord is exalted." Her life of wickedness in no way honored the Lord; rather, she treated with contempt the holiness of God by her defiance to His will.
When her son, King Ahaziah of Judah, was killed by Jehu (commander of the army of Israel), Athaliah responded in a most debased way. Instead of honoring the memory of her dead royal son, she sought opportunity to rule herself. Specifically, Athaliah enacted a massive campaign to destroy the entire royal family so that no other person could assume the throne but herself.
Only one child was saved from the mass murdering of the royal family of Jehoram. Fortunately, Joash, the young son of Ahaziah, was taken by Jehosheba (daughter of King Jehoram) and placed in hiding at the temple for six years. During this time, Athaliah asserted herself as the ruler of Judah.
During the six years of hiding, the young prince was placed under the protection of the priest, Jehoiada. In the seventh year, the priest was able to gain the support of the commanders of the army to serve as the royal bodyguard for Joash; and now with the support of the military leadership, the priest was able to move forward with the coronation of Joash as the rightful king.
At just the right time, Jehoiada placed a crown on Joash, gave him a copy of the covenant/law of God, and declared him king. The people who were in attendance clapped their hands and shouted their allegiance to Joash. The noise of praise for the new king was so great, that Athaliah went to the Temple to see why there was such a commotion; when she saw that the people were rejoicing that a new king had been crowned, she cried out "treason!" and tore her robes in disgust. Isn't it amazing that a person who herself would commit acts of treason against her own royal family in order to promote her own position of power would now point out treason in others. People who perpetrate evil will hide in darkness so that their evil deeds will not be exposed (John 3:20); yet, they will be quick to point out others who violate their so-called "rights."
The queen attempted to rush back to the protection of her palace, but the commanders of the army captured her on the outskirts of the palace grounds; there they executed her, per the instructions of the priest, for her rebellion against the Lord.
Jehoiada the priest then initiated a covenant observance for the king and people before the Lord that they would submit to God. To demonstrate their allegiance to the Lord, they smashed the idols and altars to the pagan gods that were housed in the temple.
In the end, the city was at peace. The people rejoiced that their evil ruler had been deposed and God's anointed had been placed upon the throne of Judah.
Athaliah, the daughter of King Ahab, presents to us a life that does not live up to the meaning of her name, for the name, "Athaliah" means "the Lord is exalted." Her life of wickedness in no way honored the Lord; rather, she treated with contempt the holiness of God by her defiance to His will.
When her son, King Ahaziah of Judah, was killed by Jehu (commander of the army of Israel), Athaliah responded in a most debased way. Instead of honoring the memory of her dead royal son, she sought opportunity to rule herself. Specifically, Athaliah enacted a massive campaign to destroy the entire royal family so that no other person could assume the throne but herself.
Only one child was saved from the mass murdering of the royal family of Jehoram. Fortunately, Joash, the young son of Ahaziah, was taken by Jehosheba (daughter of King Jehoram) and placed in hiding at the temple for six years. During this time, Athaliah asserted herself as the ruler of Judah.
During the six years of hiding, the young prince was placed under the protection of the priest, Jehoiada. In the seventh year, the priest was able to gain the support of the commanders of the army to serve as the royal bodyguard for Joash; and now with the support of the military leadership, the priest was able to move forward with the coronation of Joash as the rightful king.
At just the right time, Jehoiada placed a crown on Joash, gave him a copy of the covenant/law of God, and declared him king. The people who were in attendance clapped their hands and shouted their allegiance to Joash. The noise of praise for the new king was so great, that Athaliah went to the Temple to see why there was such a commotion; when she saw that the people were rejoicing that a new king had been crowned, she cried out "treason!" and tore her robes in disgust. Isn't it amazing that a person who herself would commit acts of treason against her own royal family in order to promote her own position of power would now point out treason in others. People who perpetrate evil will hide in darkness so that their evil deeds will not be exposed (John 3:20); yet, they will be quick to point out others who violate their so-called "rights."
The queen attempted to rush back to the protection of her palace, but the commanders of the army captured her on the outskirts of the palace grounds; there they executed her, per the instructions of the priest, for her rebellion against the Lord.
Jehoiada the priest then initiated a covenant observance for the king and people before the Lord that they would submit to God. To demonstrate their allegiance to the Lord, they smashed the idols and altars to the pagan gods that were housed in the temple.
In the end, the city was at peace. The people rejoiced that their evil ruler had been deposed and God's anointed had been placed upon the throne of Judah.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Success In Ministry
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.
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.
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!
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