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JESUS CHRIST: EVERYTHING YOU NEED

Published September 27, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: eternal priesthood, Hebrews, High Priest, jewish faith, Judaism, Melchizedek

Hebrews 4:14—16; 5:1—10; 7:1—8:6

The high priest was of singular importance in Jewish worship. Since Christians do not have an equivalent office, it is difficult to grasp the power of the comparison of Christ to the Jewish high priest. In a nutshell, the primary duty of the high priest was to represent the people before God and to represent God before the people. His was a position of mediator; teaching the people God’s Law and seeking God’s will for the people. Without a high priest, there could be no temple worship.

In Hebrews, we learn that Jesus Christ fulfilled the high priest’s duties flawlessly; so perfect and effective was His work that Jesus far surpassed any earthly high priest. The high priest of the Jewish faith wasn’t perfect; his work was not perfect. Jesus, though, is different. David Wilkerson captured this when he wrote:

Jesus is capable of bringing all the needs, pain, cries, and prayers of His people before the Father—at one time, at any time—and making intercession simultaneously for all of them. You Advocate knows your address. He has counted ever hair on your head. He knows your every thought, feels your every pain, hears your every cry.

1. Christ’s Eternal Priesthood, Hebrews 5:1—10

An understanding high priest, verses 1—3

Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

A major purpose of this letter to the Hebrews was to show how superior Jesus Christ was to certain “heroes” of the Jewish faith. He was a Redeemer, Ruler, and Revealer of God far superior than was Moses. Jesus is also a high priest far superior to another Jewish hero, Aaron.

To establish Jesus’ qualifications to serve as a high priest, the writer of this letter stresses three well-known prerequisites for earthly high priests that Jesus, in fact, fulfilled:

He was selected from men. Why is this so important as it relates to Jesus? It’s because only a man is able to completely empathize with another man. For example, a man cannot know what a dog is thinking and a dog cannot know what a man is thinking. Jesus isn’t so far above man that He is so far removed from us that He cannot relate to us! It’s clear that the Son of God was also the Son of Man; He can completely identify with the people He is interceding for.
He represent men before God. Jesus, as One perfect man is able to represent all men before God.
He offers gifts and sacrifices to atone for sins just as the earthly high priest did. The first term, “gifts,” refers to all offerings of the Jewish faith, bloodless or bloody. The second term, “sacrifices,” has a reference to the shed blood of the particular offering. How do these two things relate to Jesus? In theology, Jesus is said to have practiced both “active” and “passive” obedience. In His life, Christ obeyed His Father perfectly and never stepped outside of His will. This was Christ’s “active obedience.” But when Christ submitted to the bloody death on the Cross for the sins of all men, He demonstrated “passive obedience.”

But the high priest’s work also involved compassion; he had to be able to totally identify with the needs of the people. He didn’t side with the sinner against God, but he did have an understanding of human weakness and frailty. He was able to be like this because, as was stated previously, he came from the ranks of sinners, even though He Himself never sinned. How perfectly does Jesus meet this requirement? Our Lord knows that we are not perfect; He understands the weaknesses of human nature and He is able to, while not excusing our failings, at least represent them accurately before God in a reasonable way. Compassion does not equal tolerance, however. It simply guarantees that our sins will be dealt with with complete understanding, never in an over-the-top, heavy-handed manner, nor will they ignored. Thanks to Jesus’ perfect intercession on our behalf, God knows our hearts absolutely perfectly.

b. An ordained, suffering, perfected high priest, verses 4—10

No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

A high priest, according to the Jewish faith, had to be called of God. For just anybody to do the work of a high priest was a terrible and punishable offense, as King Saul found out the hard way. Personal choice didn’t figure into becoming a high priest; it all rested on a divine call.

Jesus, even though He was not of Aaron’s family line, as all high priests were to be, was nonetheless called and ordained of God, as noted by God Himself in Psalm 110:4. This would have been a very powerful argument in support of Jesus’ high priestly qualification. It was a big deal to the Jews, and it should be for us as well. God is totally sovereign and called and appointed His perfect Son to be our intercessor.

Our great High Priest “learned obedience” and was “made perfect.” What does that mean? Was Jesus lacking something? Not at all. While He was suffering on the Cross, our Lord could have called 10,000 angels to save Him. He had all the power of heaven available to Him, but Jesus exercised perfect discipline and submitted to His Father’s will. Discipline is a mark of sonship. Jesus executed His assigned duties and completed His mission perfectly, without error. That’s the sense of the use of the word “perfected,” that is, there was nothing left for Jesus to do.

2. Melchizedek, a type (example) of Christ, Hebrews 7:1—17)

This is a fascinating chapter and the character of Melchizedek has fascinated people for centuries. Who was this man, where did he come from, and why is Jesus like Him?

The only time Melchizedek is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 14, where he is referred to as the ruler of Salem, a city which would later become Jerusalem. In the ancient near east, cities were often ruled by men who were called “kings.” In the Jewish faith, which didn’t exist in Genesis 14, kings could not be priests, but Melchizedek is also referred to as a “priest.” So we see in this one man, Melchizedek, two offices or two duties: king and priest.

Melchizedek is also said to have been a priest of El Elyon, or “the most high God,” one of God’s names in the Old Testament. The really interesting thing about this is that we learn there were other people besides Abraham who knew of and worshipped the one true God! We aren’t told how these isolated people found God. Did He reveal Himself to the people of Salem? The Bible is silent about this, but there is no doubt that Melchizedek was a true believer.

The name, Melchizedek, is given as a reason why he is a type or example of Christ. “Melchizedek” is, in fact, a compound name. “Melech” means “king” and “zedek” means “righteousness.” So, “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness.”

But he was also the “melech” or king of Salem. “Salem” is a word related to the Hebrew “shalom” (or “salam” in the Arabic, a language not dissimilar to Hebrew) meaning “peace.” So the man who blessed Abraham was both a king of righteousness and a king of peace! This brings Psalm 85:10 to mind:

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

This is an ideal combination, and it is found in Christ. “Righteousness” is an attribute of God that means He is absolutely right in all His judgments, thoughts, opinions, and so on. It means that He treats human beings correctly. And “peace” is one of the names of the promised Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). No wonder the author of Hebrews sees parallels between Jesus and Melchizedek! But the similarities don’t end with their names or titles.

Genesis is a book full of genealogies; they are all over the place. Melchizedek, though, has no genealogy. All this means is that for some reason Moses, author of Genesis, was unable to trace Melchizedek’s family line. We shouldn’t read any more into it than that. But the writer to the Hebrews notes that that didn’t stop Melchizedek from becoming a priest! His priesthood was not inherited from his father or grandfather. What was true of Melchizedek symbolically—he is without beginning of days or end of life—is true of Jesus in the literal sense! In other words, Jesus’ priestly office had nothing to do with His family or lack of family. He was a priest independent of anything but the call of God.

Consider how powerful this group of verses would have been to these first century Hebrew Christians:

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priest. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (verses 14—17)

Jesus could trace His earthly ancestry through the tribe of Judah; therefore in the strictest sense He could not have been a priest for priests had to come from the tribe of Levi. Here’s the powerful part: although priests did not descend from Levi, kings did! So Jesus Christ came to Israel, called and ordained of God as a priest, yet born of the tribe kings came from. Jesus, then, like Melchizedek before Him, was a priest because God called Him to be not because of a law. Furthermore, also like Melchizedek, Jesus was a king, or more accurately, He will be THE King of Kings.

What does this tell us? It teaches in no uncertain terms that the priesthood of Christ was not the result of man’s ideas or traditions but a result of God’s calling in eternity past. This makes Christ’s priesthood as endless as eternity itself. Christ’s priesthood and His work on behalf of sinners, then, operates way, way beyond the Law.

3. Christ’s priestly ministry, Hebrews 4:14—16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The emphasis on this paragraph is that Christians have a High Priest just as the Hebrews did. It may have been that some of the readers of this letter missed the ministry of their high priest, believing that ministry to have been unique to Judaism. Not so, wrote the writer of this letter. In fact, Christ is the High Priest of all Christians! We all need an intercessor; we all need help. This was something Job understood well:

If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both… Job 9:33)

We have, in Christ, what Job longed for but didn’t have! That is, somebody to come and bring two sides together in peace. Christ is that mediator; He is the One through Whom every single believer has personal access to God.

Jesus was not a High Priest, or any other kind of priest, while He was here on Earth. He assumed His High Priestly duties when He went “through the heavens,” or when He ascended to Heaven.

In fact, the amazing thing about Jesus Christ is that He actually occupies a three-fold office:

He was a prophet, when He came to us two thousand years ago. This was in the past, obviously.
He is a priest in Heaven, at the Father’s right hand. This is in the present.
He will be the King of Kings. This will be in the future.

The writer uses an interesting phrase: let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. This does not refer to our salvation, but rather “the faith we profess,” or our testimony, our witness to the world. Christ died on Earth to save us and He lives in Heaven to keep us saved enabling us to have a positive witness. In truth, we are unable to live the kind of life that pleases God, but we are empowered and enabled to do so through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; Christ’s presence in us.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Thanks to the fact that we have an Advocate in Heaven; One who is able to take us by the hand and introduce us to God the Father, we are able to come before God, not in fear and trepidation, but with confidence, not in our selves, but in Christ, our Advocate. Jesus Christ is the One who has everything we need to have fellowship with the Father.

A SURVEY OF LUKE’S GOSPEL, PART 1

Published September 26, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: John the Baptist, Luke

The Call of John

Luke 3:1 – 6

Can you imagine somebody living a whole life and not being missed when they died? Jimmy Stewart’s classic movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life” demonstrates, Hollywood-style, that every life counts, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Even lowly, humble George Bailey, who thought so little of himself that he was willing to jump off a bridge, was given a glimpse of what Beford Falls would have been like had he never been born. George Bailey learned that every life makes a difference to somebody.

In the Bible, it’s hard to think of a more humble man than John the Baptist. Here was a workman-like prophet, who lived by himself out on the fringes of town. But God used his voice like a trumpet, filling him with His Spirit, making John the Baptist the last, most powerful voice of God in the Old Testament era. Yes, even though we read about him the New Testament, he was really the last Old Testament prophet.

Luke, Paul’s good friend and loyal physician, was also a historian and he gives us some fascinating glimpses into the life of John the Baptist.

1. Historical setting, verse 1

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene…

Luke was a historian and like all historians he paid attention to details, names, and places. Here in verse 1, we are give six characters that tell us precisely when the forthcoming events took place. Caesar Augustus was emperor when our Lord was born, but here we are told that John the Baptist began his ministry when Tiberius Caesar was on the throne. Actually, Tiberius reigned for a time with Augustus, as a sort of joint ruler of the Empire. We can turn to secular history that gives us some details: Tiberius Caesar was a brilliant but violent ruler. He had grandiose visions of a world dictatorship and nobody could stand in his way.

For the first time, we are introduced to a man named Pontius Pilate. He was a Roman Procurator, and held this position from 26 – 36. He won’t be mentioned again until the trial of Jesus.

Philip was the best of the Herod family. His rule extended from 4 BC – 34 AD.

The Herod mentioned in this verse Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great and brother of Archelaus. He ruled over Galilee and Perea from 4 BC – 39 AD. Why is all this important? It’s because we are dealing with a real person, not a mythic character made up in somebody’s fertile imagination. With pinpoint accuracy, Luke tells us exactly when a man named John the Baptist was doing his work.

2. When his call came, verse 2

…during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

In truth, there was really only one high priest at a time. So why are two men listed here? Annas was the legitimate high priest. He was kicked out of office some 15 years earlier by Pontius Pilat’s predecessor, Valarius Gratus. However, Annas was regarded by most Jews at the true high priest. During this period of time, no less than four other men held this office, including Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas.

Nobody could say that Roman history as it relates to the Jews makes any sense! And it was into this dysfunctional world that John the Baptist, and later Jesus, was born.

God’s call came to John the Baptist while he was in the wilderness. Really, he was living out in the Palestinian desert, all by himself. We wonder why he was there. Was he some kind of social misfit? John’s father himself was a priest and his mother was a devoted servant of God. It’s not unlikely that John was out in the desert seeking God’s will for himself. Normally, as the son of a priest, John would have followed in his father’s footsteps. But instead, he basically renounced the priesthood and went out by himself to discover what God had for him to do.

Sometimes, in order to hear God’s voice, we have to get away from the busyness of life. God, the most powerful voice in the universe, can be easily drowned out by other voices in our minds.

There is an old hymn by Longstaff that gives us an idea what it takes to hear from God:

Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.

By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

Do you want to hear from God? Show Him you’re serious by getting away from all the distractions of your life.

As to how the call came, almost nothing is said. All our precise historian said was, “the word of God came to John.” We’re not told how the Word came, only that it did. What we know is that John was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, so that probably made his heart ready to hear what God was saying to him. The Holy Spirit is good at making the mind of God known to those whom He indwells! But, again, John had to get by himself to hear that quiet Voice speaking.

3. The effect the call had, verse 3

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Clearly, John the Baptist was not disobedient to God’s Word! It propelled him to “get to work!” When God’s Word burns in your heart, you will find a way to fulfill God’s will for you!

John, we are told, preached “the baptism of repentance.” He was the last Old Testament prophet, and his message an old one: repent! Or, as we might say today, “Get right with God!”

John’s mission was not to save, but to get the people to see their need of salvation. He was, in fact, preparing the way for the One who would save to come. Our mission isn’t too far removed from John’s. Our job is to preach repentance; to point the sinner to Christ as the only One who can forgive sins and set a life right.

4. The nature of his message

As John preached, several things happened.

a. He fulfilled prophecy, verse 4a.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet…

It is clear that John the Baptist recognized, believed, and confessed that this Scripture (Isaiah 40:3 – 6) was being fulfilled right before everybody’s eyes.

It’s an interesting and curious fact that Isaiah 40:3 was a favorite verse of the Qumran community. Most Christians are familiar with this group due to their association with the famous Dead Sea scrolls. They used the Isaiah passage to justify their separated lifestyle in the desert, like John the Baptist’s. These people believed, also like John, that they were preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah, except in their case, it was by their complete devotion to reading and studying the Law.

John the Baptist, though, was able to put two-and-two together to realize that he was living in an extraordinary time and that he was, in some way, a part of something much, much bigger than he. Only a person who is reading and studying the Word will know where they fit into God’s great plan. But John the Baptist was not some extraordinary fellow. He was a devoted, consecrated believer, and every devoted, consecrated believer plays a part in the will of God for this world.

b. He abandoned self, verse 4b.

A voice of one calling in the wilderness…

Here is the beginning of the Isaiah quote. Note what John said: he was the one in the wilderness calling out. As far as was possible, John was the Word’s voice for a time. But the really interesting thing is that John the Baptist was God’s voice IN THE WILDERNESS, not in a comfortable television studio or mega church or some other posh surrounding. John was given the extreme privilege of speaking for God, but his life stayed the same. The message that came through the prophet Isaiah over 700 years earlier was now made alive in John by the power of of the Holy Spirit.

John was the Word made voice, Jesus was the Word made flesh, yet both men paid the price for their obedience to the call of God. The one who would live for and speak for God must realize that he, the messenger is nothing; the Word is everything.

Something else that is very telling is the statement about John’s voice: he was the one “crying in the wilderness.” John did not sing; he cried. John the Baptist cried like one in pain as he preached God’s Word of repentance. God’s Word has that effect sometimes. It’s true that sometimes the Word brings peace or joy or gladness; other times it brings agony. We think of Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” who was called that because for four decades he preached a message that brought him, not his people, to tears.

c. He glorified Christ, verse 4c.

Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

John was not concerned about his way, but intensely concerned with Christ’s way! In all his preaching, John the Baptist would honor Christ, as the pre-eminent Messiah. It is the Lord’s way. These are His paths. It all belongs to Christ. John’s work was merely preparatory. It would fade away when the Lord would come just like the morning mists dissipate when the sun rises. Jesus was always on John’s horizon.

Jesus was the only One who would fill. Note the words of verse 5: “Every valley shall be filled…” John the Baptist knew that when the Lord would come, His presence would fill even the valleys. How? It is in the valleys that the hungry are fed and the depressed and discouraged lifted up. No matter how deep and wide the chasm our need may be, only Jesus is able to reach down and lift up.

Jesus would be the One who would humble. Once again, the words of verse 5: “…every mountain and hill made low.” God has a way of humbling a man! We think about how He humbled Saul on the road to Damascus. God brings down so that He might raise up.

Jesus is the One who makes things right: “The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.” We love this aspect of Jesus’ work. Only Jesus is able to take a messed up life and straighten it out. Only Jesus can take your mistakes and make them right. Only Jesus can bring justice out injustice.

John the Baptist was not really all that unique. In fact, the separated life he lived and the testimony he gave should serve as an example for Christians to follow.

JEREMIAH, PART 7

Published September 25, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: false prophets, hypocrisy, Jeremiah

Plastic flowers, like hypocritical Christians, look genuine but they aren’t.

Jeremiah 14:17—2

Chapter 14 is largely autobiographical, as is chapter 15, because in these two chapters we see God’s man living among the people he loved; the people who were playing fast and loose with God. What is Jeremiah’s first thought? When faced with cold hearts and false prophets, the man of God’s first inclination is to pray for his people. God’s answer to Jeremiah’s prayer is surprising:

Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.” (Jeremiah 14:11, 12)

In other words, friend Jeremiah, don’t waste your time praying for your friends. God’s mind was made up and their destiny decided. This is a hard place for a soft heart to be in! The people were far from the Lord, yet they prayed to Him. Instead of listening to the Word of the Lord from prophets like Jeremiah, they were listening to false prophets, preferring to hear what they had to say to what God had to say. God heard Jeremiah’s prayer of intercession but made it clear to him that the people he was praying for were individually responsible for their backslidden condition. Wallowing in sin while fasting and praying is a waste of time; it’s a mockery of the kind of relationship God desires from His people, and this is exactly the game the people were playing.

Why were the people so blind? Why did they believe the feel-good messages of the false prophets? In spite of the famine, the nation wasn’t hurting enough. The people were still living as though the “good times” would continue.

1. A dire need, verses 17—19

Still, Jeremiah could not stop praying for his people. God’s answer didn’t sit well with the prophet. Rather than accept the Lord’s response to his prayer, Jeremiah chose to bemoan the state of his life.

Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? (verse 19)

God’s people are not immune to negative emotions. Jeremiah was totally invested in God’s mercy, but now it appeared as though there was no mercy left. We can only imagine how Jeremiah’s heart ached for his people. His accusation of God was unfounded and untrue. But the prophet was overcome with grief and was tired. He tried to help his people, but they would have nothing to do with him. Worse still, Jeremiah confused how he was feeling about his people with what he once knew about his God.

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? (15:18)

Jeremiah was not made of stone! Maybe we can cut him some slack as he blamed God for his pain. But in fact, it wasn’t God who was causing his pain, it was his people. Jeremiah’s big mistake was one that many ministers make: he was so close to the people he ministered to that be became too much like them.

The need of the people was going to be dire:

If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not. (verse 18)

Life in Judah was about to change forever! What Jeremiah is writing about here is not the present condition, but what it will be like once the Babylonians begin their assault.

We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. (verse 19b)

God gave His man a glimpse into the future, and that caused Jeremiah to make his stunning confession.

2. The confession, verse 20

O Lord, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you.

God did not consider Jeremiah’s prayer on behalf of his people proper and valid, so God told Jeremiah he must repent. There is no other way to deal with sin honestly. As God loves a cheerful giver, so He desires an honest confessor!

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)

Jeremiah had to separate himself from the self-serving, worthless attitudes of his people and be the man God needed him to be. If Jeremiah was to be God’s man, he had to choose God’s calling, not his lost people.

3. The plea, verse 21

For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.

Here the nation, through Jeremiah, pleads its case to God. Notice, though, their pleas are based, not on their “relationship” with God, but on His honor. They sounded genuine. Of course, we know time would show they were not. But at the time, their words were good. The people, through Jeremiah, acknowledged the sin of their ancestors, and proceeded to give three reasons why the Lord should help them in spite of their sins:

His reputation;
His throne (or His temple);
His covenant.

So what was wrong these words? Nothing at all! The problem is, they were just words. Anybody can say anything to God. These were right words spoken in a wrong spirit. The people sounded like they had God’s best interests at heart, but really what they wanted was His help, not a relationship with Him. Insincere repentance is the bane of the church’s existence. We saw it in Pharaoh, in Balaam, in the life of Israel from beginning to end, and we see it in the lives of Christians every day. We are very quick to repent of a sin…when we get caught! But would we repent of it so casually if we knew our sinful act simply broke God’s heart?

Insincere repentance can sometimes lead to short-term changes in life for the better. But eventually insincerity will lead a person back to their old way of doing things. Why? Because the danger has passed. Because we feel safe. It is, in reality, an abominable wickedness to play this game with God.

4. The resolve, verse 22

Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

Still haunted by the devastating drought, they proclaim a measure of faith in God’s ability to heal their land in verse 22. The same God that had answered Elijah by both fire and rain, is still in the business of meeting needs! Once again, we read a stunning confession of spiritual resolve. These words are supremely powerful in their implication: God is ultimately in control of even the weather. God alone was able to end their drought; God alone was their help. In the Talmud, we read this:

Three keys have not been entrusted to man but are kept in God’s hand—the keys of birth, rain, and resurrection.

Is it possible to know all the right things and to say all the right things but still be far from God? Absolutely! Chapter 14 is proof of this. The people of Judah, through Jeremiah, said all the right things but in the wrong way. They were completely insincere.

Why is insincerity such a grievous sin before God? It’s because insincerity leads to a false obedience and this is not a simple sin but a complex and devious act against the very nature and person of God. Here, during Jeremiah’s day, the Jews were manifoldly sinful in three things:

Their breach of faith with God and their fellow Jews. The people sinned against God in their disobedience to His will and they treated each other unjustly.
They dishonored the Lord by trampling all over His grace and mercy. Instead of serving Him in reverential fear, they took advantage of lovingkindness.
They lived in the height of hypocrisy. They spoke out of both sides of their mouths. On the one hand, they seemed to trust God; to have a relationship with Him. But on the other hand, their actions betrayed the true state of their hearts. That’s hypocrisy: to claim on thing but act on another.

This kind of sin is not condoned by God or tolerated by Him for very long. The penalty for their sin was the destruction of what the Jews held most dear: their land. The Babylonians were on their way even while the Jews thought they were safe. God had no intention of stopping Nebuchadnezzar even while His people thought He would.

It is not our words or our intentions that determine our fate. It is our conduct. The awful fate that was Judah’s was not an accident. It was not an unfortunate twist of fate. It was not a whimsical act of a cruel despotic God. Judah’s fate was determined by its behavior. As it was with them, so it is with man today. Our fate depends on our behavior. Man can only be tormented by Satan when they are turned over to him.

…hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:5)

PSALMS, PART 6

Published September 19, 2012 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: beloved hymns, Messianic Psalm, Psalm 40, Psalms, song of lament, worship

PSALM 40

The Nature of Worship

Psalm 40 is not without some controversy. Some critics see this one psalm as a combination of shorter songs. The first part of Psalm 40 is a song of praise, and it is connected to the second song, which is a song of lament, with verse 12 serving as a transitional verse. This may or may not be true, but there is a definite, natural division of Psalm 40. Another interesting fact about this psalm is that the second half of it appears later on as Psalm 70! Both psalms are credited to David and dedicated to the Chief Musician.

Verses 6-8 appear in the New Testament as part of the letter to the Hebrews (10:5-9) as referring to Christ, which makes Psalm 40 a Messianic Psalm. This doesn’t mean that the whole psalm refers to Christ, although some scholars see it that way.

But perhaps Psalm 40’s greatest claim to fame is that it is the basis of one of the most beloved hymns of the church: “He Brought Me Out.”

1. Salvation, verses 1-3

The story of salvation is the story of what God has done. And what has He done for the psalmist?

He turned;
He heard;
He lifted;
He set.

The experience of the psalmist is the experience of all who have experienced God’s gift of salvation.

It begins with the psalmist “waiting patiently for the Lord.” We should not picture him sitting around, pining away for God to appear or feeling defeated and resigned to being alone for so long. In fact, the opening words of Psalm 40 are made up of a highly intensive expression which, in the Hebrew, reads: “Expecting, I expected.” So the psalmist is waiting in eager expectation for God to appear and do something great on his behalf. It’s really a statement of faith.

Answer to prayer doesn’t always come immediately. We surely wish it did! But it almost always doesn’t, so believers, like the psalmist, should persevere in their faith; they shouldn’t give up and assume God has left them just because an answer to prayer is apparently long in coming. In truth, perseverance in prayer, that is, continuing to pray when it seems those prayers go unanswered, is a way to express your submission to God’s sovereignty.

In the case of the psalmist, he was praying to be delivered out of a deep, slimy pit. Most scholars believe David wrote this psalm when he was physically sick, maybe so sick he was on the verge of death! So the slimy pit is symbolic of death; David’s salvation is healing. Now, Jeremiah, interestingly enough, was one of God’s servants who was delivered out of a literal put, Jeremiah 38.

Some scholars see this entire psalm as referring to Christ, not just the few verses cited in Hebrews. If this is the case, then these opening verses refer not only to David’s experience, but Christ’s also. They see these verses as referring to Christ praying for His resurrection.

David was eventually saved, and his deliverance resulted in two things:

God gave him a “new song.” This new song does not necessarily refer to the inspiration of a new psalm, but rather a new reason to praise the Lord.
God gave him a powerful testimony. David saw in his deliverance a chance to glorify God, pointing others to Him and giving them a reason to believe and trust.

On the last point, we see a powerful illustration of the benefits of sickness. As noted by a number of commentators, sometimes God makes His children look up to Him by putting them flat on their backs. This is a good observation because human nature is such that when things are going well, most of us tend to forget God; we get lazy in our faith. David saw God’s love and compassion and His power only after he was forced to trust in God. When we are sick in bed, if we have the right attitude, we have the opportunity to pause and realize how weak we are and how strong God is and we are able to see how many are God’s wonderful works toward those who love Him.

2. Blessings, verses 4, 5

The man who trusts God is happy. The psalmist is blessed – happy – because he is trusting in God and not in man. Verse 4 must be read clearly to get the sense of what the psalmist is trying to say. He is happy, not necessarily because God saved his life but because he trusted God. But he goes on to testify to the goodness of God. God has done so many good things they can’t be counted. As we read these verses, we think of that old gospel song: “Count Your Blessings.”

…name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

3. Commitment, verses 6-8

In its Old Testament context, this group of verses is a strong statement that God is far more concerned with obedience and submission to His will than He was with the sacrifices and offerings prescribed in the Law. It’s not that God didn’t want His people to continue their ritual worship, but He objected to empty, hollow sacrifice; a lack of devotion and sincerity on the part of His people.

However, for Christians, these verses have a strong Messianic meaning. As applied to Christ, we see how committed the Son was to the Father’s plan. The “open ears” suggests that one is ready to hear what God is saying. The psalmist has heard the Law of God and is ready to fulfill it. David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, fulfilled the Law perfectly and lived out God’s will to the letter.

These three verses speak powerfully of the extent of Christ’s obedience and of David’s commitment to God. But it also shows Christians the kind of commitment God expects. As David was obedient, so should we be. As Christ lived perfectly in God’s will, so we should strive to be Christlike.

Christlikeness looks like this:

“Open ears.” We should be listening for God to speak to us. We should expect Him to do so. Hearing from God should be the norm, not the exception. God speaks to us through His Word, through other believers, and even providentially through circumstances and the world around us.
“Here I am, I have come.” We should be personally prepared to do the will of God any time, at all times. This is the essence of what submission is all about. At a moment’s notice, God’s servant should be ready to “go.”
“I desire to do your will…” Finally, followers of Christ should be wholeheartedly committed to fulfilling God’s will as revealed in His Word (“the scroll”). Naturally, this presupposes you actually KNOW what’s written in it!

4. Submission, verses 9-11

In this group of verses, the writer delights in the will of God. In response to his great deliverance, David shouts the awesome news of God’s many perfections. Nothing will stop him for declaring the good news of God to the people.

In a clever writing style, we read about what David did not do versus what he did do. These are some powerful statements which modern believers would do well to take note of. To not give the Lord the praise and adulation He deserves is a sin. We don’t often think of that, but it’s the implicit teaching of this paragraph. We should never be afraid to give God glory. We should be always careful to not be unthankful. Worship isn’t just something we do in church that ends Sunday afternoon. It should be a way of life! We should not only appreciate what God has done for us, we need to talk about it!

5. Protection, versus 13-17

Verse 12 is seen as a transitional verse, joining two songs together. The king, in spite of his high estimation of God, is aware of his own dire circumstances. He may have been “jumping and leaping and praising God,” but he was definitely grounded in reality! He was in trouble and he needed help. NOW! Thus begins his prayer for help.

As David prays for God to come to his aid, he wants God to come quickly, without any hesitation, because he believes that it is God’s will to do just that, This is implied by the phrase, “Be pleased.” The king just knew that God would come and help if He was asked.

Linked to this prayer for help is a prayer for vindication, which is also a major theme in many Old Testament prayers. The psalmist wants not only to be saved from his enemies, but he wants his enemies to fall and to end up ashamed and in disarray because of their unfaithfulness to God and because of the way they treated him. Just who these particular enemies are is unknown to us. Sometimes we know who they are, but most of the time, in most psalms, the enemies go unnamed. That’s because most of the time, it’s not personal with David; he is praying against Israel’s enemies, who were really his enemies but were ultimately enemies of the Kingdom of God. Part of praying for the coming of the God’s kingdom to earth is for the subjugation of all His enemies.

When the Lord moves and does great things, God’s people rejoice. When God acts, it results in salvation. The beautiful thing about verse 16 is that here we see the love of the king for his people. David was more than a king; he was the people’s shepherd-king and he was as concerned with their welfare as he was with his own. Notice his prayer for his people; he wants them to seek the Lord and rejoice as they seek Him.

Finally, we read verse 17 and we almost do a double-take! Was he talking about himself? Probably what David is doing here is identifying himself with his people. He may not have been personally poor, but many of his people were. Perhaps he has in mind a kind of spiritual poverty, in which case he is speaking honestly of himself and his people. Regardless of exactly what the psalmist had in his mind, his meaning is clear. In humility, we must acknowledge we are not where we should be in our relationship with God. No matter how well we think we “have it all together,” we must get to the point David got to: total dependence on God. Here was David, the greatest king of his time, with wealth unparalleled, humbly trusting in God. He does not assume that God will do anything for him because of who he is, but rather David wants God to “think of him.” In other words, regardless of who he is or what he has, David wants God to see what he needs and to supply those needs.

This is a beautiful psalm, regardless of how much of it applies of Christ. We should seek to emulate the psalmist’s attitude as he prayed. Maybe if we did that, we would notice God moving more in our lives and in the lives of people we know.

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