road2answers

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Three Days in the Deep

Read the book of Jonah first.[i]

“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai.” (Jonah 1:1, ESV[ii])

God speaks to His people. We can assume this was not the first time the word of the Lord came to Jonah, and Jonah recognized the word of the Lord.

Jonah was a prophet of the Northern Kingdom. He shows up in 2 Kings 14:25 in the account of Jeroboam II. Jeroboam II was king of the northern kingdom of Israel during the ministries of Isaiah and Hosea. 2 Kings 14:25 says:

Jeroboam II recovered the territories of Israel between Lebo-hamath and the Dead Sea, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised through Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

In this account, we have evidence of some of the ministry of Jonah to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In the book of Jonah, we have a historical narrative that teaches God’s concern for the nations, God’s concern for His messenger and God’s concern for His people.

Going back to verse 1 and 2 of Jonah 1, it says:

¹The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ²“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

Jonah is a Hebrew, a Jew, from Gath-hepher, which is in the same general area as Nazareth. As a Jew in that time, the people of Nineveh would have been Jonah’s enemies.

Here is a little of what we know about Nineveh. Nineveh, (abode of Ninus), was the capital of the ancient kingdom and empire of Assyria. The name appears to be compounded from that of an Assyrian deity "Nin," corresponding, it is conjectured, with the Greek Hercules, and occurring in the names of several Assyrian kings. It is first mentioned in the Old Testament in connection with the primitive dispersement and migrations of the human race. Asshur, or according to the marginal reading, which is generally preferred, Nimrod is there described, (Genesis 10:11) as extending his kingdom from the land of Shinar or Babylonia, in the south, to Assyria in the north and founding four cities, of which the most famous was Nineveh. Hence, Assyria was subsequently known to the Jews as "the land of Nimrod."[iii]

The early history of Assyria is involved in obscurity. We know from the sacred narrative that it was a powerful nation. Israel was subjugated by one of its monarchs in the period of the Judges, and during the reign of the kings the Assyrian power was an object of perpetual dread.

Jesus told us to love our enemies. However, Jonah did not reflect that quality. The violence of the Assyrian people is most likely behind Jonah’s reluctance. In fact, when God decides not to destroy Nineveh, Jonah says:

Jonah wanted Nineveh to be destroyed, and feared that God would be merciful and compassionate, relenting on the promised destruction.

God speaks, and we are about to see God dealing with His messenger, Jonah. God is good, and since He allows suffering, it must be necessary. God needs to perform a surgery in Jonah’s life and it is going to take three days in the deep, in the belly of a fish, to perform that surgery. It is painful but necessary.

Jonah had some sort of rebellion in his heart. Jonah 1:3 says:

³But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.

[iv]

The map shows Tarshish as being 2,500 miles from Joppa, or 3,000 miles from Nineveh. The text tells us that Jonah’s ship met with a violent storm. He was thrown overboard, swallowed by a fish and spit out on land three days later. However, the text does not tell us where the fish spit Jonah out. How far did Jonah have to walk to get to Nineveh?

The first chapter of Jonah says Jonah went to get away from the Lord, and then says he was hoping to escape from the Lord. Both of these phrases interpret for us the same Hebrew phrase that says Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah recognized God is omnipresent. However, this did not stop Him from renouncing His office of prophet, or from leaving his place of duty.

Don’t we all tend to do the same thing when faced with a seriously objectionable assignment? The storm and the fish are not about the punishment of the prophet, but about God’s concern for His messenger and the lengths God will go to accomplish His work in our lives.

After three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed, and his prayer reveals the work God was doing in Jonah’s heart.

Jonah 2:2 says, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble.” Jonah describes his situation as being one of great trouble. He talks about being in the land of the dead, his life slipping away and being imprisoned in the earth. In verse 4 he says, “‘O LORD, you have driven me from your presence.” In chapter 1, he was trying to flee from the presence of the Lord. However, when he got what he wanted, he was not happy. His rebellion and hard heart toward his enemies took him to a place of suffering. However, the suffering brought about repentance, and Jonah says, “I will look once more toward your holy Temple.” (Jonah 2:4)

His statement in Jonah 2:8-9 is revealing. He says:

Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.

Jonah refers to those who turn their backs on all God’s mercies. This is what he had done by fleeing from the presence of the Lord. Therefore, because he also mentions worshiping false gods, I assume that he had worshiped false gods, not idols made of stone, but idols of the heart.

What is rebellion in our hearts toward God? 1 Samuel 15:23 tells us, “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.”

When Jonah rebelled, God could have sent someone else. He could have fired the rebellious prophet, chosen someone else and moved on. However, He did not. He worked with Jonah. God’s messenger needed to grow, learn and change. God used Nineveh to change His messenger.

God shows the same kind of grace toward all of us. God does not have to work with any of us. He chooses to work with us, to change us, to grow us and to confront the idols in our hearts.

Being convinced and spit out on dry land, Jonah finds himself on the way to Nineveh. He delivers God’s message of coming judgment, and then sits outside the city to watch the judgment happen.

However, Nineveh repents. Therefore, God does not carry out the destruction He had threatened, and Jonah is very angry. He says to God:

“Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:2-3)

The sun is terribly hot. So, God causes a plant to grow and shade Jonah. Jonah is very grateful for the plant. However, God also arranged for a worm. The worm ate through the stem of the plant and the plant died. Jonah got so hot and uncomfortable that he wanted to die. Then God says, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” (Jonah 4:9)

Jonah replies, “Yes, even angry enough to die!” (Jonah 4:9)

God points out that there are 120,000 people living in Nineveh who do not know their right hand from their left. Jonah had compassion for the plant but not for the people of Nineveh.

This, of course, teaches us of God’s concern for the nations. Israel was concerned with Israel and did not share God’s compassion for the rest of humanity. However, there is a lesson for the prophet and for each individual believer in this account.

What does Jesus mean when He says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves?

Jonah was concerned about how things affected Jonah. He fled from his assignment, because he knew God would forgive Jonah’s enemy if they repented. He wanted to die when this forgiveness became a reality. He wanted to die when his shade plant died. Everything for Jonah was about Jonah.

God did not tell Jonah to sit and watch to see the destruction of Nineveh. Jonah had no business sitting and waiting. If God was giving him a vacation, why did he not take the time to refresh himself and bask in the glory of some magnificent part of God’s creation? Instead, he sat in one place growing angrier and angrier.

Twice God asks the question, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

James 1:20 says, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

What is our anger usually about? Is it not centered on how things, circumstances and such, affect us? This is why James 1:19-21 says:

¹⁹Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. ²¹So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

God speaks. However, we do not always like what He has to say, nor what He wants to do. Sometimes it takes three days in the deep to change our minds, and sometimes it takes the hot sun and considerable discomfort for us to see ourselves.

Rather than fighting God, as Jonah did, let’s resolve to humbly accept the word God has planted on our hearts, like James tells us.

[i] Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[iii] http://biblehub.com/topical/n/nineveh.htm

[iv] http://doctrine.org/jonah-the-angry-prophet/jonahrunswithdistances1/

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

All Nations

We, as a Church, exist to make disciples.

We have a commission from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

After He was raised from the dead, He met with His eleven disciples on a mountain. At that meeting, He said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Then He said, “Therefore.” “Therefore” based on His authority, based on His position, Jesus gives a command. He assigns His followers a mission. He says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

The command here is to make disciples. This is why we say we exist to make disciples. Jesus commands us to make disciples.

This is not as mysterious as it sounds. Jesus gives us an outline of the process. He says, “. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” (Matthew 28:19)

Baptizing them assumes conversion. This is the preaching of the good news. In Mark 16:15 Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” This is the first step in the disciple making process.

A disciple now is the same as a disciple was in Jesus’s day. A disciple is a follower of Jesus. A disciple is a learner, a student of a particular teacher. In Luke 6:40 Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (ESV) The point of discipleship is to become like the teacher, to receive training from the teacher and to become fully trained.

This is the second part of the outline that Jesus gives when He says, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”

This teaching takes many forms. It takes place in Sunday School, and in Worship. It takes place in books and articles. However, none of this is enough. A disciple must be a follower of the Master. In order to do this, each person must learn to follow the Master for his or her self. Jesus challenged anyone who would follow Him with these words:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)

The Apostle Paul told his young disciple, Timothy:

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Both Jesus and Paul are pointing to the need to follow Jesus daily. This starts with making time to be with Him daily. Make time to read the Bible every day. It does not have to be huge chunks; even a little bit will help. This will lead to correctly explaining the word of truth, and if we are listening to the word of truth, we will know what cross we are to take up.

Being a disciple is not a hobby, a career or an interest. It is a decision and a commitment. It is who we are when we accept Christ. All Christians are disciples. When a person accepts Jesus as Savior, he or she becomes His disciple. Some are poor learners and there are plenty of wayward disciples. No matter where you are on the journey, if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are His disciple.

The command or commission we have from Jesus is to make disciples of all nations.

What does He mean by all nations?

The word translated “nations” here is the Greek word “ethnos.” It is from this word that we get our word, ethnic. It means forming a culture and refers to people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture. The Jews of Jesus’s day used it to refer to unbelieving Gentiles (non-Jews).[i]

In Revelation 5:9, the angels and elders sing a song to Jesus saying, “Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

This has been God’s plan all along. Even as early as Abraham, God was already saying, “All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

The early church immediately set out to obey this mandate from Jesus Christ. Thus, we have in Acts 13:1-3 the beginning of the first missionary endeavor. Jesus had sent His disciples out in pairs to preach, and by this means had taught them how to do missionary outreach. Then in Acts 13 we have this account:

¹Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. ²One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” ³So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

Although the history is long and complicated, our missionary movement started on that day. Jesus told His disciples:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV)

It is our privilege to see in our day the gospel reaching to the ends of the earth. However, the task is not finished. Of the 16,300 ethnic groups in the world, 6,550 are considered unreached, and of those, some 3,000 are unengaged. Unreached means less than 2% Christian, and no indigenous community of Christians able to evangelize the rest of their people group. Unengaged means there are definitely no missionaries, in all likelihood no outreach, no church or fellowship of believers, no Christian materials, and few if any Bibles in these people groups.[ii]

Lest we think these are small insignificant people groups, the unreached people groups account for around 40% of the world’s population.

We, as a church, stay connected with missionaries because it is part of who we are. We are concerned that our neighbors hear the gospel whether they are near or far.

[i] http://biblehub.com/greek/1484.htm

[ii] https://joshuaproject.net/resources/articles/has_everyone_heard

Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Steam, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12[i]

When God speaks, we expect deep and powerful thoughts, piercing to even the dividing of joints and marrow or soul and spirit. (Hebrews 4:12)

When God speaks, we expect truth.

We have this with the Bible. It is obvious that it is no ordinary book.

Written by about 40 different authors over a span of 1,600 years, no book is even a close second for unity, depth of content and historical accuracy.

Some things contained in the Bible are so remarkable that those who oppose the Bible invent stories to explain them away. For example, Daniel accurately predicts the history of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman empires. Daniel was writing history before it happened. This is impossible. No man can foresee or foretell the future. However, Daniel did it accurately. Therefore, some people say that Daniel’s account was written after the events. They do this by rewriting history and contradicting historical evidence. The book of Daniel is not the only book of the Bible that contains such remarkable things. The Bible is full of remarkable things.

Is this not what we should expect when God speaks?

Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:12 is one of the most remarkable passages in the Bible. It is a portrait of Jesus. It is a brief description of His life, His purpose and His accomplishments. It is the most accurate and concise description of these things that we have, and it was written 700 years before Jesus was born.

In the Gospel Project curriculum, Adam Dooley likens Isaiah 53 to the Mt. Everest of the Bible.[ii] It is a majestic high point, perhaps the highest.

Isaiah reveals much about our Savior. He ministered in Judah during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. These four kings reigned over the kingdom of Judah. Jewish tradition holds that Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, executed Isaiah a few years after Manasseh ascended the throne. (Jewish tradition holds that Manasseh had Isaiah sawn in two, which would mean Hebrews 11:37 is referring to Isaiah.) This means Isaiah ministered over a period of approximately 50 years. Isaiah ministered during a time of political turmoil with Assyria becoming an ever-greater threat to his nation. His message was a call to trust in the Holy One of Israel. A large part of this call to trust was the promise of the Messiah. Because of this, some of our clearest and dearest prophesies concerning Jesus are found in Isaiah. For example, Isaiah 7:14 foretells the virgin birth of Jesus when it says: “The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 9:1-7 is magnificent prophecy of the coming kingdom and contains the famous verse 6, which says:

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah also contains four “Servant Songs.” These are songs or poems written about the Lord’s Servant. The Lord’s Servant in this case refers to the coming Messiah. These servant songs are found in Isaiah 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9 and finally Isaiah 52:13 through 53. These songs describe Jesus and His ministry. They are as follows:

Chosen Servant, Isaiah 42:1-4

Commissioned Servant, Isaiah 49:1-6

Obedient Servant, Isaiah 50:4-9

Suffering Servant, Isaiah 52:13-53:12

These songs rise up to ever-increasing heights as they describe the ministry and life of the Lord Jesus. The song of the Suffering Servant is the pinnacle. It is the “Everest” of the prophesies concerning our Lord Jesus.

The Song of the Suffering Servant is divided into five sections. They are as follows:

1. My Servant shall be high and lifted up, exalted. 52:13-15

This section describes the high, exalted position of Jesus earned by making himself a voluntary sacrifice for sins.

2. He was despised and rejected by men. vs 2-3

This section describes the plain, humble beginning, life and place the Lord of Glory occupied when He lived among us.

3. The Lord laid on Him the iniquities of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6

This section describes how Jesus paid for our sins, and suffered in our place.

4. Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter. Isaiah 53:7-9

This section provides a picture of Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God, and shows the horrible injustice He suffered.

5. The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. Isaiah 53:10-12

This section provides the conclusion. It tells of the success of Jesus’ ministry, His victory and His satisfaction.

He was despised and rejected.

It was our weaknesses he carried.

It was our sorrows that weighed him down.

He was pierced for our rebellion.

He was crushed for our sins.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.

He had done no wrong.

He had never deceived anyone.

It was the Lord’s good plan to crush him.

I have friends who minister to Jewish people. God’s plans still include the Jewish people. The Church has not replaced the Jewish nation in God’s plans. The Apostle Paul explains this in Romans 11. As God’s chosen people, the Jewish people have as part of their heritage the Old Testament Scriptures. They were entrusted with the Law and the Prophets. Isaiah wrote and ministered to the Jewish people as a Jewish prophet to a Jewish nation. However, the friends I mentioned tell me of occasions where they read Isaiah 53 with a Jewish person. When asked who this passage is talking about the person will often recognize that it is talking about Jesus. Occasionally, the person does not recognize that the passage is from the Hebrew Scriptures, and is surprised to find that it is. Of course, religious Jews and scholars know this passage and have gone to some lengths to explain how this passage is not about Jesus. The point is the passage plainly talks about Jesus and clearly teaches His substitutionary atonement.

As part of this song, Isaiah 53:1 asks a two-part question. It says, “Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?”

Let’s try to answer the first part of the question.

In Isaiah’s day, some believed and some did not. He ministered for over 50 years and yet the nation did not turn, and it was not saved. In fact, Isaiah’s life ended when he was executed for his preaching. Obviously, not everyone believed.

In our day, it is much the same. In over 50 percent of the world, it is not safe or legal to preach Jesus Christ the way Isaiah 53 does. In 2010, 32 percent of the world called themselves Christian. This would mean that two thirds of the world does not accept the Christian worldview, the Bible as the Word of God and the fact that God has spoken. Even among Christians, many do not believe the Bible is the Word of God. It is possible to be Christian in name only. The doctrines that I teach are “evangelical.” This represents the beliefs of 13 percent of the world’s population.[iii] Therefore, let’s draw the line of those who have believed “our message” at somewhere between 10 and 30 percent. I do not believe that everyone who calls himself or herself “evangelical” believes, and I believe that many who do not call themselves “evangelical” are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

The answer to “Who has believed our message?” is, “Not many.”

Next, let’s consider the second part of Isaiah’s question.

“To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?”

This is an interesting question. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” Therefore, since all humanity sees the skies, we can say in answer to this first question, “to everyone.” This is consistent with Romans 1 that tells us:

¹⁸But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:18-20)

The truth about God is obvious. However, there is another point in Isaiah’s question. Let me repeat what he says, “To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?” The arm is a reference to strength. Psalm 19 in referring to the skies, the stars and all of creation says that these things display God’s craftsmanship. The Hebrew language in which David wrote the Psalm says, “the works of His hand.” This is why some translations say, “handiwork.” This is a reference to God’s skill and craftsmanship, not a display of His mighty power. Of course, the mighty expanse of space and the awesome power displayed in nature speak of power beyond our comprehension, but these awesome aspects of nature speak more of God’s skill. It is in relation to Jesus that God says He bares His arm and displays His power. This makes me think of Hebrews 2:3. It asks the question:

So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?

The God who displayed His handiwork by making Mt. Everest displays His power by telling us about Jesus 700 years before Jesus was even born. What is more, this is just one of many such displays of power. No plan of God’s can be thwarted. No purpose of His can be stopped. We should expect amazing things when God speaks, and this is exactly what we have.

If you and I have even a shadow of unbelief in our hearts, the words of Isaiah 53:1 should haunt us until we get right with God.

Who has believed our message?

To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?

[iii] http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The Year Uzziah Died

Isaiah 6[i]

Uzziah died in approximately 742 B.C.

Uzziah was king in Jerusalem, ruling over the country of Judah. He was a descendant of David. However, in case one should think this made him perfect, he was also the great, great, great grandson of none other than Jezebel. But, that is a different story for a different time. Uzziah was the 10^th king of Judah after the nation of Israel divided.

Uzziah became king at the age of 16, and he reigned 52 years. The Bible says he did right in the eyes of the Lord, except he did not remove the high places and altars where people made sacrifices.

The Law of Moses was clear that there was to be one central place of worship for the whole nation. (Deuteronomy 12) This is one law that Uzziah did not adhere to nor did he enforce it as the ruler of his people.

The story of his reign is an amazing success story. He conquered the enemies surrounding his nation. He expanded the nation’s territory, and elevated the country to a position or regional power. When the Assyrians invaded the region, they conquered every nation in their path. However, Uzziah led a coalition of the surrounding nations and stopped the advance of the Assyrians. This historical campaign was one of the last things he did. He died before the Assyrians could retaliate.[ii]

There is a blot on his record. Uzziah was rich, powerful and successful, and the Scriptures tell us that he became proud. In his pride, he entered into the temple to burn incense, which was something that only the priests were to do. The high priest and 80 accompanying priests tried to stop the king, but he became furious with them. God intervened and leprosy instantly appeared on the forehead of Uzziah. Uzziah died a leper in isolation. In his last years, his son, Jotham, took charge of the palace and government, sharing the throne with his father.

Isaiah 6 records one of the great visions of the Bible. Isaiah 6:1 says, “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.”

Isaiah dates this from the year King Uzziah died. Therefore, we know some of what was going on in Judah at that time. We know that the nation was prosperous. We know that they had a strong military. However, they were facing a dangerous enemy. Assyria was conquering the surrounding nations, and laying the foundations for what would become the Babylonian Empire and then later the Persian Empire. The Assyrians were a concern for everyone, even Egypt.

The Lord chose this time to show Himself to Isaiah.

The People of Judah were religious. They had the Temple of God and continued to offer daily sacrifices. However, God was not impressed with their sacrifices. In Isaiah 1 God gave this message concerning the people of Judah:

²Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me. ³Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care—but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.” ⁴Oh, what a sinful nation they are—loaded down with a burden of guilt. They are evil people, corrupt children who have rejected the LORD. They have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. (Isaiah 1:2-4)

God was not happy with them, and yet they continued to be prosperous and successful. Because of their success, they thought everything was okay, including their relationship with God.

In Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord.” He saw a sight that was so magnificent that his first response was, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.” (Isaiah 6:5) When Moses saw the glory of God, his face shown for years afterward. For Isaiah, the sight was so glorious that even the angels present were covering their faces. Very few men in history have seen such a vision of God’s glory. In Moses’s case, it strengthened him and sustained him through many years of leading the people of Israel through the wilderness. In Isaiah’s case, it was to strengthen and sustain him through many years of preaching to a stubborn, obstinate people.

God told Isaiah to deliver this message to the people of Judah. He said:

“Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ ¹⁰Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)

In John 12, Jesus quotes this text to explain the unbelief of the Jews. Even though they saw many miraculous signs, the Jews would not believe in Jesus.

Isaiah saw the glory of God, while a nation remained blind to that same glory. A mere handful out of thousands were able to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ when he walked this earth. John 1:10 says of Him, “He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.” In much the same way, although there were many prophets in Judah, Isaiah was the only one who saw this glorious vision of God.

Isaiah describes what he saw. He says, “He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.” The English Standard Version translates this “high and lifted up.” Isaiah does not describe God, but rather His throne. This is significant because God told Moses, “But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live." (Exodus 33:20) Isaiah was impressed with the lofty, majestic power of God. The first thing he describes is the exalted position of God.

In Isaiah 1, God had accused Judah of despising the Holy One of Israel. They had too low a view of God. Isaiah saw a lofty, exalted throne with God seated on it. The biggest mistake humanity makes is despising God. We tend to think too little of Him and too much of ourselves. It is crucial for us as individuals and as nations to remember who God is. In Deuteronomy 8, God warned Israel:

¹¹“But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. ¹²For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, ¹³and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! ¹⁴Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.

¹⁸Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful. (Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 18)

Uzziah demonstrated what pride does. He grew proud because of his success and then tried to enter into God’s presence on his terms rather than on God’s terms. He never entered the temple again, and died a leper.

We can know God, but the first and greatest hindrance to our entering into the knowledge of God is pride. How can we hold onto our pride when we see God on a lofty throne, high and lifted up?

Along with the throne, Isaiah saw mighty seraphim attending God. Each had six wings. With two wings, they covered their feet, with two, they covered their faces and with two, they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:2-3)

The angels covering their faces is an indication of God’s glory, and covering their feet is an indication of God’s holiness. These mighty, heavenly beings continually proclaim God’s holiness. Throughout Scripture, we confront the holiness of God. God is holy beyond our ability to comprehend.

The dictionary definition of “Holy” according to Google is “dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.” In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated holy means “set apart” or “separate.” In the New Testament, the Greek word translated holy means “set apart.” These meanings are consistent with the idea of dedication. However, when applied to God, dedication does not capture the meaning of “holy.” When we say God is holy, we mean that he is separate from His creation. He is entirely “other” than His creation. While God has created all things and sustains all things, He is not “all things.” He is separate, “other.” Another idea is captured in this separateness. His “separateness” also extends to His absolute purity. The Bible says, “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” (1 John 1:5) Light is another expression of God’s purity, His holiness. The brilliance of God’s holiness is why faces are always covered in His presence. Even the eyes of angels cannot bear to look upon the brilliant radiance of His glory, His holiness.

Overwhelmed by what he saw, Isaiah said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” (Isaiah 6:5) Upon seeing God, Isaiah was painfully aware of his sinfulness. This is the effect of confronting God’s perfect holiness. The burning coal taken from the altar and touched to Isaiah’s lips burnt away the impurities. Without the intervention of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice to pay the price for our sins and purify us, we would all be consumed by the presence of God’s holiness just as fire consumes a moth.

However, pride keeps us from acknowledging sin. Isaiah was called to confront this problem in Judah. They did not acknowledge that they were sinful. Jesus confronted this problem on the streets of Jerusalem. They did not acknowledge they were sinful. We confront this problem in our own lives.

Even Christians, who are saved by faith and cleansed of their sins by the blood of Christ, often will not admit their sins. 1 John 1:8 warns us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”

God showed Isaiah a vison of His own majesty and holiness in order to make Isaiah aware of his people’s sin of pride.

Through Isaiah’s record, God confronts our pride. God still speaks. Isaiah’s vision still lives. How do we respond? Do we, like Isaiah, say, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.” Or, do we, like Judah, harden our hearts?

Why not be reconciled to God today?

Why not call on His name and receive His cleansing?

1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

[ii] Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, 1966.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Our Expectations

2 Kings 5[i]

Leprosy terrorized humanity for millennia. Before the age of antibiotics, leprosy was untreatable, incurable and terminal. The disease started with skin lesions and insensitivity of the body’s extremities (fingers, toes and such), and progressed to disfigurement and death.

Today, leprosy is considered curable and although approximately 180,000 cases exist in the world, it is considered rare. In 2015, 63 cases of leprosy were diagnosed in the United States.[ii]

In 1873, a doctor, named G. H. Armauer Hansen, discovered the bacterium that is the cause of leprosy. As a result, the disease is now also known as “Hansen’s Disease.”[iii]

The bacterium that causes leprosy can live in a person’s body for many years without causing any symptoms. Therefore, leprosy has a long or unpredictable incubation period. A person exposed to the disease may never develop symptoms or may develop symptoms 6 months, a year or 20 years after exposure.

Because of these characteristics of the disease, its unpredictable incubation and incurable nature, it is used typologically to represent sin and impurity in the Bible. God does not fear, hate or misuse the victims of leprosy. However, humanity has done so in the past. As long as it was considered incurable and was not understood, leprosy was greatly feared, and to be diagnosed with leprosy was to be instantly made an outcast. The only way to control the spread of the disease was to isolate those infected, separating them from the general population. The similarity with sin breaks down at this point, because humanity is all infected with sin without a single exception.

In 2 Kings 5, we meet Naaman. Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram, a mighty warrior and a leper.

In his day, this was a certain death sentence. There was no cure. However, Naaman was valuable to the king of Aram. Naaman led his troops to great victories. Therefore, the king was willing to commit the resources of the nation to curing Naaman.

For a disease or condition without a cure, no amount of resources, money or effort can help. Sin is like this. No amount of resources, training, effort or money can alter the natural course of sin in a person’s life.

Our world screams, “Where is God in all of this?” “God is silent.” “He does not speak.” However, humanity refuses to acknowledge we have a problem. We refuse to acknowledge that we are sick, disfigured and infected with a terminal illness.

Naaman was not in denial. The Scripture does not tell us Naaman tried to hide or deny his disease. However, it does tell us that a young servant girl told Naaman’s wife, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3)

The first step in finding healing, help or a cure is to acknowledge the problem.

Whether the problem is physical or spiritual, this acknowledgement must be honest. It will not do to treat leprosy as if it is a simple wart or acne. It will not do to treat cancer as if it is a simple cold. It will not do to treat alcoholism as if it is a simple desire for alcohol. It will not do to treat sex outside of marriage as if it is a simple desire for pleasure or happiness. At what point are we willing to acknowledge we have a problem?

Naaman was on the right track. He knew he had a problem.

God provided an answer.

He always does. In the case of Naaman, it was through a servant girl. Of course, Naaman would not have listened to the servant girl. However, he did listen to his wife. We do not always listen, but occasionally God gets through to us.

Naaman listened and told the king there was hope in Samaria. Therefore, the king sent money and a letter to the king of Israel, who lived in Samaria, saying, “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:6)

The king of Aram and Naaman made the mistake we all tend to make. They looked to other people for the answer. Other people are not the answer. Other people help us in so far as they bring us to the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)

The king of Israel responded by tearing his clothes and saying, “He is trying to pick a fight with me.” There was no way that he could cure Naaman’s leprosy. However, Elijah heard of the king’s dilemma and sent the king a message saying:

Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel. (2 Kings 5:8)

At this point, Naaman is being directed to the only One who can help.

Naaman went to Elisha’s house. He went with horses and chariots, because he was an important man. He represented a nation and came with a letter of introduction from his king.

This is human. We like to be important.

Elisha is unimpressed. He does not bother to come out of the house. He sends a messenger out to tell Naaman:

Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy. (2 Kings 5:10)

Naaman is outraged. He said:

“I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” (2 Kings 5:11-12)

However, Naaman’s officers reasoned with him and said:

“Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” (2 Kings 5:13)

As a result, Naaman went and washed himself in the Jordan River and he was healed of his leprosy.

Our expectations keep us from the healing God has for us.

We want to be treated as important, but we must humble ourselves and acknowledge our leprosy (read sin). We want to pay for a cure or earn a cure, but no price can pay for what we need. We want to do some great deed in order to merit being cured. However, God has provided only one Way.

Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Our expectation is that we should be able to find our own way to God, but He says there is only one Way.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Our expectation is that nothing is free. We have to work for it. However, God takes away our right to boast. We cannot earn it. If Naaman had done some great deed to take healing for himself, he could have boasted, but God did not give him that option. Neither does God give any of us that option.

Our world may scream, “Where is God in all of this?” However, as long as we refuse to acknowledge we have a problem and as long as we refuse to accept His solution, God’s voice falls on deaf ears.

God gave His Son to save us from our sins, what more do we expect?

[ii] https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=leprosy

[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy