All posts by Keith Plant

Bible Blessings: Romans 16:25-27.

Scriptural Thought for the Month

‘Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory for evermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.’  (Romans 16:25-27).

When it comes to the book of Romans I’ve never taken the plunge and preached right through it.  Let’s face it Paul’s ‘magnum opus’ is quite a challenge, as it’s a supreme theological argument inspired by the Holy Spirit and set out with flawless logic.  The letter’s argument reminds me of a lecturer who has anticipated every possible point he could be heckled and has preempted each one!  Paul highlights the plight of sinful man, and yet, the transcendent power and sovereignty of God’s solution to mankind’s fallen state.  It is, as Stuart Olyott entitled his commentary, ‘The Gospel as is it really is.’  Even if the last chapters deal with pastoral issues to do with behaviour and the local Church rather than hardcore theology, it’s still a roller-coaster ride which is not for the theologically faint hearted!

Paul has argued that only by God’s action can man’s fallen nature be redeemed!  So here we have a blessing in reverse as it were.  Paul encourages the recipients of the letter to join with him in praising God, who has provided salvation through Jesus’ death, so that sin might be forgiven and people can be reconciled to him.  Stuart Olyott writes that these verses: ‘underline various truths and, like the close of a great symphony, leave a majestic chord sounding in the ears.’[1]

Paul starts by illustrating that God is the Christian’s spiritual strength and source of that strength is the Gospel that Paul has preached (v25).  The phrase: ‘my Gospel’ is not a big headed claim that Paul has some unique take on the message of Christ.  Indeed, as the verse makes clear: ‘the preaching of Jesus Christ’ is the very essence of the Gospel.  Rather it is that it is his personal property that God has entrusted him with.  All indications are that Paul had received his teaching about the Gospel from others in the same way as any believer.  So this refers to his unique calling by the Lord and mission he had given him.  As Tom Holland points out: ‘he echoes his calling to apply the good news to the Gentiles.’[2]

The word: ‘mystery’ is not use in the sense we use it today, rather it: ‘refers to something that has been hidden but has now been made known.’[3]  Indeed the second part of verse 25 and verse 26 refers to the Gospel being something firstly only in the mind of God, in that it: ‘was kept secret for long ages’ (v25).  But then being slowly revealed through the prophets until it is fully realised in the life and work of Jesus Christ.  One theme that is apparent in the letter is that the Gospel is for all nations, a theme that had been slowly emerging through the Old Testament.  This was commanded by God and had been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!  By his work and only by his work could people be brought to ‘the obedience of faith’ (v26).

The last verse of the letter (v27) calls for God to be glorified by his people.  The title: ‘the only wise God’ refers to a major theme in the letter as it testifies that God has shown his wisdom by the justification of his people (chapters 1-4), in the sanctification of his people (chapters 5-8), and even in human history (chapters 9-11).  The doxology ends with an: ‘Amen’ as every genuine Christian should be able to agree with and give praise to God for the glorious message contained in this letter!

[1] Stuart Olyott, The Gospel as it Really is, Paul’s Epistle to the Romans Simply Explained (Welwyn, Evangelical Press, 1979) 163.

[2] Tom Holland, Hope for the Nations, Paul’s letter to the the Romans.  A Corporate Theological Reading (London, Apiary Publishing Ltd) 374.

[3] James Montgomery Boice, Romans, Volume 4, The New Humanity, Romans 12 -16 (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2001) 1962.

Why all Lives Matter to God!

Reflection.

‘The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble’             (Psalm 9:9).

The death of George Floyd is a tragedy!  For him to die at the hands of those who are supposed to ‘protect and serve’ is tragic, not just for his family but for society as a whole!  Not surprisingly there have been protests and calls for justice as this is hardly a one-off incident but one in a series of black men and those of different races dying at the hands of the Police in America.

As the responses have been many and varied, the issue of social justice, in cases of inconsistent treatment due to the colour of one’s skin, has got me thinking, not just about what the Bible teaches about race, but especially about  the rights of all people!

Firstly, men and women are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  This gives people immense dignity.  Secondly, the Apostle Paul, when he preaching to the philosophically minded Athenians, highlights the implications:

And He (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place’  (Acts 17:26).

So not only are we created in God’s image, but we are all of common descent.  This means an equality which does not allow for any form of racism.  The Jewish mindset was to see themselves as God’s chosen people.  Yet the Apostle Peter realized, because of a vision from God, that all are equal as: “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15).

The Early Church had to fulfil Jesus’ command to take the Gospel: “and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and the  Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:1–6, and many other passages, that the fulfilment of the Lord’s plan for the nations is that there are no racial, social or spiritual distinctions in the Church:

‘When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.  This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel’ (Ephesians. 3:4–6).

Paul puts the final nail in the coffin of Jewish religious elitism by arguing for an unheard-of equality to be followed by the Church:

‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).

Historically slavery has affected all races.  The Bible contains many references to slavery – which was a common practice in antiquity. It is important to be aware that slavery in Old Testament times differed vastly from that of the African Slave trade.  Despite some arguing that the Bible does not condemn slavery, we see in Deuteronomy Chapter 15, ethical guidelines for the care and treatment of slaves and for their emancipation after seven years – with generous provision for their new life.  The practice of kidnapping or ‘man stealing’ was forbidden by scripture (Deuteronomy 24:7) and serves as a damning indictment of the horrendous cruelty of the African Slave Trade!

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul is often singled out for his acceptance of slavery.  Yet in the Roman world slavery was vastly different.  Slaves had much more freedom and even certain rights.  Paul’s instruction to those who owned slaves goes further as he urges them to treat their slaves well (Ephesians 6:9).  In Paul’s wonderful letter to Philemon he urges him to treat Onesimus, a slave who had done Philemon considerable wrong, but had now been converted: ‘no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother – especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord’ (Philemon v 16).

The Bible’s teaching was regulating imperfect situations by setting forth a nobility and dignity for all people unheard of in the ‘Ancient Near East’ and it was the Bible’s teaching in this area that inspired Christians like William Wilberforce and others to campaign against and eventually achieve the abolition of slavery.

This nobility and dignity are wonderfully expressed in Psalm 8 where David is overwhelmed by the place God has given man in the world!

‘When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet’ (Psalm 8:3-5).

Since people represent the pinnacle of God’s creation and have been given a unique position in its government and care we are told to: ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Genesis 1:28).

This brings us to an issue that is often overlooked – the rights of the unborn.  Men and women are called to  create, and it is notable that we only see creative acts in the Bible text before the fall of man.  God creates and then assigns Adam to care for His creation with Eve as his helper (Genesis 2:2:15-24).  It is only after sin has entered the world that we start to see destructive acts which start with Cain murdering Abel (Genesis 4:8) and increase with alarming regularity from that point on.  The point is ‘life’ typifies God’s ideal, whereas ‘death’ typifies the world after the fall of man! Therefore, all life is precious to God from conception through to old age.  Nowhere is this more clearly expressed than in Psalm 139 where David writes:

‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for, when as yet there was none of them’ (Psalm 139:13-16).

God cares about human life from its conception in the womb till the day of death.  He cares about the victimised and He cares because, ultimately, it is He who gives life.  Our bodies do not ultimately belong to us but to God whether we acknowledge Him or not.  Therefore, as Christians, we are called to care for all.

Slavery may not be an issue for us in this day and age, but we are not to demean or belittle others in any way.  Whether we realise it or not we are all accountable, from the police officer who abuses his position to those who pay no heed to the rights of the unborn, to the God who will judge all things justly (Psalm 9:7-8)!

 

 

 

Bible Blessings: Numbers 6:24-26

Scriptural Thought for the Month

‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’    (Numbers 6:24-26).

My earliest memory of the above verses is the use of them at the end of School Assemblies.  Two things struck me about them.  The first was what a beautiful picture they create of God.  The second was they were by far the most coherent words uttered during the Assembly.  The Church of England School which I attended was rather liberal in its theology; hence anything that was said, other than scripture, during the assembly was generally unhelpful!

But what is it about these verses that bring people comfort in difficult times as they did for my mother when she was suffering from mental illness?

The blessing comes after the description of the Nazirite Vow (Numbers 6:1-21).  At first it might seem that the vow and this blessing have little in common.  But Gordon Keddie suggests that the placing of them together here is no accident.  In his words: ‘Holiness and blessing are inseparable.  Indeed the blessing of God precedes our desire to do his will, undergirds our present obedience and reinforces us for future discipleship.’[1]  The verses preceding the actual blessing show the Lord instructs Moses that the blessing is to be given by: ‘Aaron and his sons’ (v22-23).  Hence, in later times, the blessing was given by priests who were descended from Aaron.  Some have even surmised that it is possible that this is the blessing that Jesus gave his disciples before his ascension (Luke 24: 50-51).

The blessing itself is a three line poem.  It’s possible that with the deduction of the three occurrences of the word: ‘LORD’, the 12 words that are left represent the 12 tribes of Israel.[2]  There are basically three blessings that are bestowed upon the people.  The first blessing is that the Lord would keep his people under his protection.  The second with its phrase: ‘make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you’ indicates the Lord’s benevolence towards his people.  The last shows that he is attentive to their needs and offers them his peace.  The threefold nature of the blessing is not incidental as three’s in Jewish thinking spoke of the fullness and completeness, illustrating that the only genuine blessing comes from the Lord.

There’s something else that can also be denoted from the threefold nature of this blessing.  But as those saints of yesteryear Henry and Scott point out, what was a mystery to the Jews, the New Testament has explained.  We are to: expect ‘blessing from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost.’[3]

The phrase: ‘So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them’ in verse 27 indicates the Lord’s ownership of his people, or as we would say in this day and age ‘Christians’.  As Gordon Keddie puts it: ‘How shall we wear his name upon our daily lives?  We have turned full circle: from consecration to blessing, to consecration again, we are called to walk with our Lord, in dependence upon his grace.’[4]   These verses, with their description of God’s character and his intentions towards his people, act as a major encouragement to live lives that reflect this!

[1]Gordon J. Keddie, According to Promise, The Message of the Book of Numbers (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 1992) 48.
[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Leicester Inter Varsity Press, 1981) 90.
[3] Henry and Scott, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy (London, The Religious Tract Society 1833) 275.
[4] Keddie, Numbers, 49.

If God is so Good, Why does he Allow Suffering?

Reflection.

One question that’s being asked at moment is: ‘if God is good and loving as the Bible teaches, why has he allowed the Coronavirus epidemic to happen?’  Sometimes this question is just a red herring, but sometimes it’s shows genuine concern by people who like the idea of a benevolent divine being.  At times like these they look at the world and see very little, in their eyes, to suggest that God is concerned.

Many years ago an article in the Times newspaper asked the question ‘what’s wrong with the world?’  In the correspondence that followed it was the shortest reply that stood out: ‘I am.  Yours faithfully, GK Chesterton.’   So, before we launch an attack on God’s character, we, like the noted author, must acknowledge this.  Suffering can be caused by human error.  For example, when the Titanic sank the loss of life was due almost entirely to the lack of lifeboats.  Secondly, unsavoury human characteristics like greed, ambition and hate lead to wars, massacres, ethnic cleansing and terrorism!  Lastly, suffering can sometimes be self inflicted when warnings concerning things like excessive smoking, drinking and promiscuous sexual behaviour are ignored.  God did not create us to be robots, but rather to be individuals with the ability to make choices.  But our choices can be bad.  Hence, a great deal of suffering is man-made!

But what about natural disasters and disease?  If these things exist, what does that tell us about God and his intentions towards us?

The trouble is we fail to fully understand sin’s serious nature.  Sin is the cause of all suffering, both man-made and natural!  When Adam sinned the nature of the natural world changed!  Adam was to rule God’s creation with Eve his wife but disobeyed him despite his warning.  So there were consequences which are highlighted in the following passage.  “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it’, cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).  Whereas Adam’s work had been a joy, now, due to his disobedience, it was now going to be hard and painful as creation has also been: ‘cursed’ due to his sin.  Death entered the world through sin, hence we grow old and die and are subject to living in a damaged world!  Our sinful nature and its consequences are our choice.  Rather than live under God’s benevolent rule we want our freedom and to use it however we wish!

If that is the case, logically it shows we don’t want a God who intervenes!   But does this mean that we’ve made our bed now we’ve got to lie in it.  The answer is no!  God’s setting things right and he’s started the process with Jesus coming living, dying and being raised from the dead so that we might be forgiven!

In Jesus we see someone who suffers the worst that the world can throw at him, rejection, hardship and then a terribly painful death.  The writer of the book of Hebrews notes: ‘Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered’ (Hebrews 5:8).  Soon after the events of the 11th September 2001 John Blanchard was asked the question where was God when that act of terrorism killed 2800 people?  His reply was: ‘exactly where he was when religious fanatics killed his son, Jesus Christ – in complete control of everything that happened.’[1]  So there are two things to take comfort from.  Firstly, the Bible never sugar coats the painful realities of existence and Jesus is proof of that.  Secondly, and more importantly, this is only the first part of God’s intervention!  The Bible ends with the promise of a perfect new creation.  There God: ‘will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4).

But is there any purpose to the sufferings of the present time?  In the following passage Jesus’ teaches there is. ‘There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5).

The context of these verses is an atrocity carried out by the Roman governor Pilate. But Jesus detects a hidden agenda in the question.  Those who approached Jesus saw these Galileans as ‘sinners’.  So Jesus points out that this didn’t happen to them because they were worse than anyone else, what those asking the question should be thinking about is their standing before God!  He then brings the subject uncomfortably close to home by referring to a building accident which had killed some of the ‘good’ people of Jerusalem!  Were these people worse than anyone else?  The answer is no!  But once again Jesus urges those asking the question to consider where they stand in relation to God!

 Jesus is not praying on human misery and suffering to make some twisted theological point.  The Gospels shows him to be the most loving and compassionate man that ever lived.  Rather he says this because they and we really need to hear it!  The Bible tells us:  ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23).   Yet that passage goes on to assure us  that forgiveness for our  wrongdoings can be found  in the  death of Jesus Christ  (Romans 3:24) In that way, and only in that way, we can have a future in God’s wonderful perfect new creation .

In his book ‘The problem of Pain’ C.S Lewis wrote: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’[2]  In the end suffering is the result of a sin damaged world and should be seen as a wakeup call to make us consider where we stand before God!

This subject is covered in much greater detail in the booklet ‘Where is God when Things go Wrong’ by John Blanchard which we are offering free.  So feel free to contact me by telephone 01908 990306 or email  pastor@efcss.org.uk

[1] John Blanchard, Where is God when things go Wrong (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2005) 36.
[2] C.S Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 1996) 91.

The subject is also touch on in the sermon Did Someone just say “Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild”?

Bible Blessings: Hebrews 13:20-21

Scriptural Thought for the Month

This month we’re starting a new series on blessings in the Bible.

‘Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant,  equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen’ (Hebrews 13:20-21).

At first sight these verses appeared to be the kind of blessing that’s familiar if we’ve read the various letters to the churches.  But these blessings are not just a nice way to end a letter; they often illustrate things that have been raised in the letter.  So this doesn’t just give us an upbeat ending but it continues to teach and illustrate themes that are important in the letter!

The phrase: ‘the God of peace’ (v20) illustrates not just the nature of God, but shows that those who serve him can also experience peace, even in times of persecution and difficulty, something the recipients of the letter were facing.  Their salvation isn’t only in the future; it’s also in the present as verse 21 makes clear that God will equip them at this time for their service for him.

However in verse 20 the writer continues by illustrating an action of God, and also a title that would have meant a great deal to these Jewish Christians.  Firstly, God had: ‘brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus’.   It was by Christ’s death that the ‘New Covenant’ has been brought into effect.  Here the author uses the word: ‘eternal’ to distinguish this from all the covenants before it, because this one that lasts and therefore guarantees the believer complete security!  The letter has emphasised Christ’s sacrifice and priesthood as that’s an important concept to help those hearing and reading it to understand his work.

Now the resurrection is mentioned for the first time in the letter!  It hasn’t been the writer’s intention to ignore it; rather he’s been focusing on how Christ has attained his priesthood and how he now acts as an intercessor for his people.  Garth Lee Cockrell has an interesting take on this: ‘This final description of God as the God “who brought up” Jesus “from the dead” substantiates the fact that this emphasis on the exaltation was not meant to exclude but rather to include the resurrection of Christ.’[1]  The writer has emphasised in 2:14-15 that Christ has defeated the devil, and therefore the power of death, and so has consequently delivered his people.  They now live in the light of this, which the writer sums up by their pilgrimage to the eternal city (11:10 and 16).  In the end the resurrection has been implied (11:19, 35 and verse 14 in this chapter) but now the writer emphasises where the hope for this is found!

The resurrection is undoubtedly central to Christianity.  But rather interestingly, it’s the title of the raised Lord Jesus as: ‘the great shepherd of the sheep’ would have been rich in scriptural imagery for these Jewish Christians.  In John 10:1-16 Jesus uses it as a description of himself and his work, and perhaps the hearers and readers of this letter were aware of this due to the oral tradition among the Jews of the time.  But they certainly would have thought of Psalm 23 where the Lord is referred to as a shepherd.  Similar imagery is used in Isaiah 40:11 in that: ‘He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young.’  This pictures the Lord providing peace during a time of turmoil (which the nation of Israel was undergoing at this time).  Rather interestingly in Ezekiel 34:23 after contrasting the appalling care of Israel’s leaders with the Lord’s gracious and caring shepherd we read that the Lord will: ‘set up over them one shepherd, my servant David and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.’  Later in 37:24 the idea of David being a shepherd to the Lord’s people is repeated.  In John 10: 11 it’s David’s greater son who says: ‘I am the good Shepherd.  The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’  Later in verses 17-18 Jesus claims the authority to take up his life again as: ‘This charge I have received from my Father’ (v18).  The imagery is rich here, peace can only be found in Christ’s death and resurrection.  He is the ‘Good Shepherd’ who cares so deeply for his flock and shows it by the blood of his sacrifice which introduces the ‘New Covenant’ and a new age where no further sacrifices are needed!

Although Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection are proof of a ‘New Covenant’, the emphasis at this point, is more on how it enables Christians to live for Christ.  What these verses make clear is that it’s the blood of the ‘New Covenant’ that equips us for this.  If we are living in a way that pleases God by doing his will, then it is only by his work!  Paul, when writing to the Ephesian church reminds them: ‘by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Even the faith to believe has been given to us, by a generous and loving God!  So it is only by the ‘New Covenant’, brought about by Christ’s work, that we can live lives which are pleasing in the Lord’s sight!  This is emphasised even more in the Greek as the word for: ‘equip’ (katartisai): ‘literally means “put in the proper condition” or “make complete.”’  It: ‘can also mean “restore”, “repair”, or “mend”.[2]  The point is when we seek forgiveness God takes sin damage people and repairs their damage lives, he fixes it so we can then be equipped.  This is immense encouragement.  It’s possible the writer, realises some he’s writing to may be wondering how they could have ever considered returning to their former religion (the reason the letter was probably written in the first place).  Maybe they were thinking: “this has damaged my witness, how can I ever hold my head up again as a Christian and witness for Christ?”  But the writer only has good news as he’s saying: “but you can because the Lord is a spiritual physician who will repair your damaged spiritual state!”  Very often the sins that haunt us are the times when we’ve failed by backsliding or failing in our witness.  Obviously this is not a small thing as they damage our relationship with Christ!  But the wonderful thing is even this damage can be repaired and healed by the physician of our souls!

There’s some debate as whether the last part of the verse is referring to: ‘the God of peace’ or to: ‘Jesus Christ’.  Some argue that the mention of Jesus at this point in the passage is only in relation to him being the one mediates the ‘New Covenant’.  However, a straight reading of the passage seems to suggest because of this work God has glorified Christ and shares his glory (see Philippians 2:9-11).  I think this is the most likely explanation.  It certainly fits with the pattern of the book which starts with the writer stating that God had revealed himself through the work of Christ as his final word (1:1-4).  Hence, with this blessing the letter is brought to a climax and fitting conclusion!

[1]Garth Lee Cockerill, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Michigan, Eerdmans publishing company, 2012) 715.
[2] Raymond Brown, The Message of Hebrews, Christ Above All, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1982) 268-9.

What’s the Real Issue with Hell? Part 3: Why would a Loving God Condemn Anyone to Hell?

Reflections on Scripture.

As we we come to the belated end of this series of three posts  on the subject of Hell (see What’s the Real Issue with Hell? Part 1. and What’s the Real Issue with Hell? Part 2: How are we to Understand Jesus’ Teaching on Hell?) it would be good to recap.   Firstly, we’ve learnt from various parts of scripture that God is giving time for people to repent as he would rather they repent than punish them.  Jesus teaches about Hell more than he teaches about heaven.  He mentions Hell twelve times in the Gospel’s and numerous other times when he refers to fire, darkness and eternal suffering!  He also uses descriptive and distributing metaphors to warn people, leading us to conclude that in reality Hell must be infinitely worse!

But, that leaves us with the question why would a loving God  condemn anyone to eternal torment as described in the parable ‘The Rich Man and Lazarus’?  In that parable we get these disturbing words:   ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame’ (Luke 16:24)!God maybe a God of love, but that doesn’t mean he loves everything.  This is illustrated very clearly in Psalm 5:4-5: ‘For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.  You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.’  The phrase: ‘evil may not dwell with you’ tells us that God is holy and this is proved in his hatred of sin.  What we have here is a fully rounded picture of God.  His character is consistent as his hatred of evil makes no compromises.  His anger against sin is right and proper.  Jonathan Edwards in his sermon ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ illustrates this well. ‘They (sinners) deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God’s using his power at any moment to destroy them.  Yea, on the contrary, justice cries aloud for the infinite punishment of their sins.  Divine justice says of the tree that brings for such Grapes of Sodom, “Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?” Luke XIII 7.  The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and it is nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God’s mere will, that holds it back.’[1]

If we have a problem with Hell it says more about our attitude to sin than about God!  To quote one of the most well-known verses in the Bible:  ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him’ (John 3:16-17).  This is a wonderful illustration of God’s love, but the sad thing is we can be guilty of ignoring the next verse.  ‘Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God’ (John 3:18).  And that’s a tragedy because this verse illustrates our desperate need and God’s love in sending Jesus!

In the end if we insist on rejecting Jesus’ offer of forgiveness we will find ourselves deficient.  We fail to live up to God’s prefect standards!  So it’s right and proper to accept the gracious offer of a loving God who is only doing what we should long for, judging evil in a right and just manner!

Many years ago I was on a walking holiday with some friends in the Lake District . On the second day I slipped and fell about 40 feet and rolled another 150 feet down a slope. One of my friends walked considerable distance to get the mountain rescue and eventually I was taken to hospital by helicopter.  So I’ve always been grateful to my friend Colin.  But suppose I never mentioned him in relation to that event or spoke about him in disparaging terms? You’d think I was a cold hearted and a contemptible human being and you’d be right!

How much more is that the case if we ignore Jesus’ offer of forgiveness.  God must punish our sin or else he fails to be just and right as:  ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’  But the next verse tells us the good news that we can be:  ‘justified   by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 3:2324).  So let’s see sin as God sees it and marvel in his great love in sending Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour!

[1] Jonathan Edwards, Basic Writings, (New York, Signet Classics, 1966) 152.

The parable of the ‘Rich man and Lazarus’ is covered in the sermon Why the Miraculous can’t Cut it when it comes to Conversion!  Feel free to take a listen.

 

The Songs of Ascents Psalm 134

Scriptural Thought for the Month
Bless the Lord

If, as has been surmised, the ‘Songs of Ascents’ were a collection of psalms that were edited together to give us a sense of pilgrimage, and if they were sung on the way up to Jerusalem, then this psalm has a logical place as the pinnacle of the pilgrim’s experience.  The psalms themselves have taken us through a whole range of emotions.  Early on there were psalms about being isolated from God’s people, the journey itself and then the arrival at the tabernacle in Jerusalem.  The psalms highlighted the highs and lows of a believer’s life.  But as we come to the end of these 15 psalms the focus is on fellowship.  So what we have here is probably a psalm that was sung at the end of the festival after the blessing of the High Priest and the people prepared to go home.

Some years ago I went on walking holiday near Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands.  I hadn’t been walking for some years and my body had changed so much that I was badly dehydrated for most of the holiday.  That, coupled with thick snow, on some of the ridges made it a very tiring holiday.  But each time I hauled myself up another mountain the view at the top made it worthwhile!  And that, I believe is the point of this psalm.  The journey up to Jerusalem could have been very difficult and tiring, not a relaxing proposition.  But once the pilgrims got to Jerusalem and worshipped they could look back and say it was all worthwhile!

The first thing we notice in verse 1 is everyone is called on to worship: ‘Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!’  Its not just the pilgrims, but the priests and others serving in the temple.  The other thing to note is this was happening all the time!  1 Chronicles chapter 9 lists those who served in the temple and it’s clear the worship went on 24/7!  This makes sense as in Psalm 121:4 we read: ‘Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’  So there’s a simple truth to be derived, our worship is to be 24/7!  So we’re not more of a Christian when we’re in church than on Monday when we’re at work, our whole life is worship!

The phrase: ‘Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!’ (v2) obviously applies to the priests.  In the former area I worked there was a minister who when approached on street would often say: “I’m not working at the moment.”  That raised the eyebrows of those of us who consider our calling a vocation, but it also illustrates how easy it is for to become jaded and lack the dedication to worship.  There’s an interesting New Testament illustration of this when Paul writes to Timothy. ‘I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling’ (1 Timothy 2:8).  It’s clear that Paul shares the sentiments of this particular psalm!

Lastly, this was a chance to receive blessing.  ‘May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth!’ (v3).  We forget; the Lord wants to bless his people!  But this also reminds us of the kind a God we worship as he is sovereign over everything in this world and universe!  So, as the High Priest gave the final blessing, it would have reinstated in the minds of the people as the reason for their pilgrimage.  They worshipped the great God: ‘who made heaven and earth!’ and yet had time for his people and wanted to bless them!

The pilgrimages’ to the various festivals showed love and obedience towards God, but the ultimate example of love is found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus which is the ultimate source of blessing.  Paul draws our attention to Christ’s obedience in his letter to the church at Philippi.  ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.’ (Philippians 2:5-8).  Christ’s obedience brings us blessing indeed!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on the passage? Bless the Lord!

 

 

 

Is Coronavirus Divine Judgment?

Reflection.

Just recently I was conversing with a Facebook friend when the subject of the Coronavirus  epidemic and divine judgment came up.  He noted that some people were saying it was God’s judgement and, being an earnest seeker after truth, he was questioning it.  I’d actually been thinking of writing something along these lines so his comments spurred me to action.

How do we understand God’s judgement?

The Bible does talk about God’s judgement being tangible and active.  ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth’ (Romans 1:18). This shows that God’s wrath is being revealed now, as it is in the present tense.  But the question we have to ask is how does it manifest itself?  The following verses give us the context.  We see that God has done plenty to make himself known through his creation.  But mankind, in its lack of wisdom, has rejected him and have sought to worship the created rather than the creator (Romans 1:19-23).

Paul, then writes something that we might find surprising: ‘Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.’ (Romans 1:24-25).  Whereas we make the assumption that increasing sin leads to judgement, Paul paints a picture of God’s judgement being manifested in increased depravity!  This may be an uncomfortable for some, particularly those who comment: “God made like this” when confronted with certain sins.  But essentially that attitude is a product of God’s active and tangible judgement!  The verses that follow explain this:  ‘For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error’ (Romans 1:26-27).   So yes, God’s judgement is active in the present time, it’s just not always in ways we might expect!

  What about all that freaky stuff we read about in the book of Revelation?

A casual look at on Facebook quickly establishes that various Christian’s are associating the Coronavirus epidemic with various parts of the book of Revelation.  However, that assumes the book is linear in its narrative.  I think there’s a very good argument for that not being the case for the following reasons.

The first is that if we take that view, then an awful lot of the book wouldn’t have had any meaning to the people who first received it.  That seems extremely unlikely given that the book uses imagery and an emphasis on certain numbers which would have been extremely relevant and understandable to those people.  Prophecy can have a second layer, for example many Old Testament prophecies, although relevant to people of their time, also point to Christ.  So the main purpose of the central section of the book, where the seven seals are opened followed by the seven trumpets, is most likely to be an overview of world history.  It draws the reader’s attention to situations which were relevant to the first century Church, yet continue to resonate with God’s people in each generation!

The danger with a ‘Historicist’ interpretation of the book is that there is a tendency to try and fit historical events to certain seals or trumpets.  An interesting observation is made in Richards Bewes’ book ‘The Lamb Wins’.  He mentions a friend  who was reading through Revelation without the aid of any commentaries.  His friend noted: ‘This doesn’t read like a continuous sequence.  The writer keeps going back on his tracks.  He seems to stop, and then begin to cover virtually the same ground all over again.  And yet…  Each time he resumes, it’s almost as though he sees the same familiar picture through different coloured spectacles’.[1]  This is what is called a ‘Resumptive’ interpretation of the book.  We see many of the same events from different angles as it were.  This is probably the best way to understand Revelation as it draws our attention to the fact this is a ‘fractured’ world’.  There are wars, ecological breakdown disease and persecution of the Lord’s people.  But this is  not uncommon to people and Christians in any day and age.  So no, I don’t believe the Coronavirus epidemic is specifically prophesied in Revelation.

So does God judge at all in this day and age?

We have already noted from Romans 1:18-32 that he does.  Indeed, certain sins can lead to personal consequences.  But before we start seeing such events like 9/11, the 2004 tsunami and Coronavirus as God’s wrath and judgement on the sins of those who lost their lives, let’s see what Jesus said about these kind of events.    When questioned about an atrocity that the Roman governor Pilate had carried out, Jesus referred to a local building accident that claimed the lives 18 residents of Jerusalem.  His answer was that neither of these events was direct judgement, but rather a wakeup call for people to consider their spiritual state before God (Luke 13:1-5)!

We live in a fractured and damaged world which is damaged by the curse of mankind’s sin (Genesis 3:16-19).  Jesus said  that: ‘There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven’ (Luke 21:11).  And Christians are just as likely to be caught in the crossfire of suffering as anyone else!  In the book of Job, when God withdraws his protection and Job suffers, his friends think it’s because of some terrible sin.  But we see behind the scenes and know that there’s a purpose to this.  In the end Job acknowledges God’s justice and sovereignty.  There may often be purposes behind suffering that we, like Job, will never fully understand.

In his book ‘The Problem of Pain’ CS Lewis wrote: ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures,  speaks in our conscience, but shouts in  our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’[2]   One day Jesus will come again to judge the world.  So rather than seeing the Coronavirus epidemic as being the direct judgement of God, lets see it as a major spiritual wake up call!

 If you are interested we can send you a free booklet called ‘Where is God when Things go Wrong’ (See our Any Questions? page).  There is also a series on the Book of Job called  ‘The Storm Breaks’ that can be accessed on the Sermons section.

[1] Richard Bewes, The Lamb Wins!  A Guided Tour through the Book of Revelation (Fearn, Christian Focus Publications, 2000) 17.

[2] C.S Lewis, The Problem of Pain (HarperCollins, 1996) 91.

 

 

The Songs of Ascents: Psalm 133

Scriptural Thought for the Month
When Brothers Dwell in Unity

When I worked in a music shop one of my jobs was to make sure all the guitars were in tune.  I did this by tuning each one to a well tuned piano.  However, there’s another way I could have done it and that would have been to tune one guitar to the piano and then to tune each guitar to the guitar I had just tuned.  But the problem would have been the last guitar tuned would be in tune with itself, but not necessary with the first guitar that was tuned!  Unity requires consistency.  If the songs of ascents represent the various aspects of the pilgrimage up to Jerusalem, this one represents the necessary of unity!  The pilgrimages would have been made up of extended families as in Luke’s Gospel where Joseph and Mary take Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover and are unaware that he’s stayed behind, thinking that he was among their friends and relatives (Luke 2:41-52).  So the stress levels could have been quite high!  But it’s necessary to arrive for worship in the right frame of mind!

The first thing to note is unity is a good thing.  Now we might think that’s obvious, but Cain fell out with Abel over worship (Genesis 4:1-16) and Abraham and Lot separated due to disagreements between their herdsmen (Genesis 13:2-13).  The point is unity doesn’t come naturally and the first verse of the psalm emphasises this.  ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!’  The use of the word: ‘Behold’ emphasises that unity is an unusual thing!

David, the writer, now wants to illustrate the nature of this unity.  In Exodus 29:7 and 30:22-33 we are given an account of the ordination of Aaron as high priest.  Oil was poured on his forehead, but the psalm makes it clear he was drenched in stuff.  In other words the blessings and benefits that unity brings spreads among the Lord’s people as they are not limited.  Our worship is not limited to a Sunday!  The Sunday service is worship, but so is the ‘Church Members Meeting’.  Yet people often treat them as two totally different things in the way they conduct themselves.  I have a feeling church meetings would be very different if we regarded them as worship!  David then gives another example of the way this blessing of unity is not limited with the example of Mount Hermon.  Hermon was a large mountain whereas, the mountains surrounding Jerusalem were not.  Yet David uses the picture of the dew falling on them both and not being limited to one or the other.  There is something very refreshing about dew soaked mornings and  David is conveying unity among God’s people is refreshing.

Lastly, David points out the way true unity is found.  The examples throughout the psalm speak of unity as coming from above and when we come to the second part of verse 3 we see that real unity comes from the Lord.  The Hebrew word for the Lord here is ‘Yahweh’ illustrating unity is found in God’s covenant nature, in other words within his Law.  Tracy and I have a friend who’s been very involved in the General Synod of the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Council.  But a while ago she resigned.  The reason for this, as far as we can make out, is that whenever a subject was being discussed and she wanted to apply scripture, people were saying something like: “that’s all very well, but we want to listen to people’s experience”.  Getting back to my guitar illustration, the leadership of the Church of England seem more concerned about being in tune with a particular group of people, rather than scripture!  But real unity can only be found in God’s Word!  But what is rather interesting is that the Lord has: ‘commanded the blessing, life for evermore’ (v3).  It’s not just the Lord gives it; he commands unity and the blessing that goes with it from and for his people.

In the end real unity is found in God’s Word.  The churches in Galatia had embraced Jewish teaching and probably had a superiority complex because of that.  But the Apostle Paul pulls the rug from under them.  ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise’ (Galatians 3:28-29).   Unity and reconciliation are only found in the ‘Word’ and that’s the Lord Jesus Christ who is the centre of all Scripture!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on the passage? When Brothers Dwell in Unity.

The Songs of Ascents: Psalm 132

Scriptural Thought for the Month
The Lord has chosen Zion

The background to this psalm may have been when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  As David is the subject it’s possible it was written in Solomon’s time, possibly when he dedicated the temple.

This is a psalm that looks back to the past, comments on the present and then looks to the future, all with the aim of glorifying God.  So the psalm starts by looking back at David’s life and: ‘all the hardships he had endured’ (v1).  David was very zealous in wanting to build the temple (vs1-5).  But in the end he was told, by the Prophet Nathan, that his son Solomon would be the one to build it.  However David, rather than seeing this as a knock back, prays an incredible prayer of gratitude (2 Samuel 7:18-29).  However, David did much of the preparation for building the temple so Solomon would be able to complete the task.  So, metaphorically speaking, he did not sleep or rest until he had made: ‘a dwelling place for the Mighty one of Jacob.’ (v5).  David played a part, but the Lord’s timing is always what matters and it was Solomon who completed the task!

The next section of the psalm starts to look at the present.  Admittedly it starts by looking back at the discovery of the Ark at Ephrathah and its transportation to Jerusalem, which was not without difficulty (vs6-7 and 2 Samuel 6).  But this reminds us that David had done all that was required of him.  Through David the last of the Lord’s promises in the Covenant concerning the land had been fulfilled.  So the picture here is of God working on behalf of his people.  Some commentators note that verse 8 echo’s Numbers 10:35-36 in the way the verse starts and finishes.  Yet there’s a difference as rather than this being about God’s enemies being scattered, the second part of the verse has the phrase: ‘and go to your resting place’ illustrating that the Temple is finished.

But now the temple is built and the people can enjoy the benefits of worshiping there.  So there’s a concern to get the worship right which is illustrated in verses 9-10.  The picture of priest being clothed: ‘with righteousness’ and saints shouting for joy is used to illustrate that this is pure worship that benefits the believers as they come together and enjoy fellowship with each other and fellowship with God.  In fact this would be the Old Testament equivalent of Jesus’ comment to the Samaritan woman that true worshippers: “worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23).

But now the emphasis of the psalm changes as it looks to the future and God’s promise to David (2 Samuel 7:16).  ‘Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me.  Your throne shall be established for ever.’  We can’t be sure what David understood by this, but it would have been a great reassurance to him as he could have been thinking: ‘Solomon’s too young, how can I know he’ll manage this kind of project?’  We have the advantage of understanding this also applies to Jesus, David’s greater son.  But what David did know was he had a part in God’s plan!

The last part of the psalm (vs13-18) focuses on the Lord’s promise.  ‘For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place’ (v13).  Now the Lord starts to speak in the first person (v14).  He has a concern for a closer relationship with his people, one that is based on his grace and mercy.  God is proactive, he will satisfy the poor and blesses Zion.  It’s he who clothes the priests with salvation and will fulfil his promises to David (v17)!  The horn was a symbol of strength, but the phrase: ‘lamp’ is interesting as it’s used in 2 Samuel 21:17 when David was effectively retired from leading the army with the phrase: “You shall no longer go out with a us to battle, least you quench the lamp of Israel.” Here it shows the Lord’s zeal to fulfil all his promise to David and the people.

In the end the promises we see at the end of this psalm are also fulfilled in Jesus.  Just as David was a lamp to Israel, in Jesus we encounter the light of the world which is typified in his wonderful promise: “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  And that’s a promise and comfort to God’s people, in any day and age!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on this Psalm?  The Lord has chosen Zion.