Gadfly's Muse

Job 35-37: Denouement? What Does That Mean?

Image: "Splashdown", 2020, Drainage Pond, Across from Severn Inn, Annapolis, Md

Job 35:14  Although you say you do not see Him, Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.

Job 36:7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But they are on the throne with kings, For He has seated them forever, And they are exalted.

Job 36:24–25  “Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung. 25 Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar.

Job 37:14  “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Job 37:23 As for the Almighty, we cannot find Him; He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress.

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I heard of a well-known theologian who characterized Elihu's speeches as a "denouement" to the book of Job.  I generally agree in that the word means "to tie up loose ends."  It is used when an author of an intricate plot, like a Sherlock Holmes story, tells the confused reader what really happened and how it all worked out.  The book of Job is a work, filled with intricate and often subtle argumentation, and the Holy Spirit knew we needed some resolution.  Elihu's speeches give us that.  You might say that the story of Job "splashes down" and comes to rest in Elihu's arguments.

In these final speeches Elihu doesn't add many new insights to what he said before but he does amplify what he had said and adds exhortation to the mix.

In 35:3 Elihu restates his summary of Job's arguments. "Job, you basically ask 'what advantage did you gain from righteousness. What profit came from avoiding sin?' "  This is an accurate summary though Job never stated it so explicitly.  This is the beauty of Elihu's testimonies.

Elihu then proceeds to remind Job that neither our righteousness nor our sin either adds to or detracts from God (35:6)  Rather, in temporal terms at least, our righteousness or sinfulness affects us and those around us (35:8).  Sin, as well as righteousness, is a splash in the pool of human psychology and society.  They splash on us and those near us and then create ripples that affect others, some of whom are at a distance away.  Therefore Elihu calls Job and us to recognize that sin is to be hated for its own sake and righteousness loved similarly, not for some expected temporal result God may bring on us (He may or He may not) but because of their nature.  

Those who love justice and hate evil are to seek peace in "waiting for God." (34:14)  If we love righteousness and hate evil, fallen sinners that we are, how much more does He whose ear is turned to the cries of the oppressed (36:6)?  Rather, Elihu proclaims, "Know this: they will be raised from their oppression will be seated as kings forever."  God will exalt the humble... the abused will be vindicated... and their reward is eternal (36:7)

Elihu then calls Job, and us, to our most significant challenge: (36:24) "Remember to magnify His work..."  Job's righteous response should have been praise rather than complaint.  I have to speak carefully here.  The Psalms (which we will begin soon) are often full of complaints.  Lament is not lacking in the Holy Scriptures.  So, when I say that Elihu was calling Job to praise rather than complaint we must carefully distinguish between crying out, in pain about the pain, from calling God unjust in bringing it on us.

Elihu is saying here that the Creature NEVER has the right to call its Creator to account.  The Creature is called to humble service, displaying a fundamental gratitude for the privilege of that service.  God is worthy to be praised all the time.  Yet, when He calls us to painful service it is right and good to call out to Him and say: "O Lord, this hurts!  Please Lord, if it be thy will, bring relief."  It is not only OK, it is often Holy Spirit inspired, to cry out to God and "complain" about the cross we have been given to bear.  It is never OK, at any time, to even think that what is required of us is unjust on God's part.  

Thus, man's duty, in the face of suffering, is to praise God for being his God... for being the One who sustains him in suffering... and who not only has the power but has the intent to bring good from that suffering... and that, in the great "denouement" of all history, will sit that suffering servant on an eternal throne and make all things clear.

Elihu beautifully summarizes this in 37:1-11 where he reminds Job of all the powerful works of God as displayed in nature.  It is He that causes the wind to blow for comfort or harm... the beasts of the forest to do whatever they do... the rains to be gentle or destructive.  It is He that "seals the hand of every man so that all men may know His work" (37:7).  All the events of history "swirl about, being turned by His guidance,... on the face of the whole earth." (37:12)

"All this is open to your eyes, Job."  Elihu says (37:13).  "He does these things for His own reasons, whether for correction, or for His possessions, or..... His mercy!"  This is the wondrous, praise worthy God we serve and Elihu's summation exhorts Job to "stand still and consider the wondrous works of God." (37:14).  This is our God... and this we must grasp with all our hearts, minds and souls, He is possessed of "golden splendor", "awesome majesty" and is "excellent in power in judgment and abundant justice:  HE DOES NOT OPPRESS!" (37:22-23)

These words essentially negate all of Job's wrong thinking.  God has not oppressed (treated unjustly) Job.  Whatever He has brought about is just and right and eternally good.  It was Job's calling, as it is ours, to wait on our God in hope, trusting in His wisdom, power and justice, to see our Redeemer with our own eyes.  On that day it shall be our duty and privilege, even as it is now, whatever our circumstances, to praise Him for all His wonderful works.

Nehemiah 11 & 12: Encircled By Gladness

Image: Geometry, 2014, Baltimore Historic Train Station, Baltimore, Md

Nehemiah 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.
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Chapter 11 is mainly concerned with the roster of the people living in Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside.  For us today it is of limited application though it has a good deal of historical interest.  Some tidbits surface.  There evidently wasn't a great deal of enthusiasm among the people for moving into the city.  They had to "cast lots" (e.g. "roll the dice") to choose one out of ten to leave their current residence and come into Jerusalem (11:1).  Those who "willingly offered" to do so (v.2) were greatly appreciated by the others.  We can understand this.  These were real people and they had put down roots in their villages.  Not being a "city guy" myself, by inclination and nature, I would have been glad for someone to go instead of me also.

Another little tidbit is the geographic limits of restored Judah that is mentioned here.  One commentary notes that no artifacts of post-exilic Israel have ever been uncovered outside of the area described here.  That speaks volumes for the accuracy of these verses.

Chapter 12 gives us more to ponder.  The narrative takes on great power if we allow our imagination to picture the events as described here.  Imagine two large contingents of colorfully dressed priests, Levites, dignitaries, singers and common people.  The ascend up a set of stairs to the top of the high wall and then divide and go in opposite directions.  As each continent marches along the path there is music and loud singing.  They marched until they met again at one of the "gates" where they descended into the city and then they went directly to the Temple.  The celebration continued with vehement and ecstatic singing so loud that vs. 43 says the "joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off."  Now THAT's a worship service.

I think it might be fruitful to ask why such gladness abounded.  Of course the sheer immensity of the wall-rebuilding task was well worth celebrating at its completion.  If that was as far as it went then it would be good to party.  But there was a deeper significance I think.

The temple had already been rebuilt.  Now that the wall was in place Jerusalem was, in a sense, reconstituted.  God's city, His Holy Zion on earth again was a visible symbol of His Presence and Power, a witness and a warning to all the surrounding nations.  God's people were physically relatively secure behind the walls and the temple called them to remember where their true security lay.  Now the returning exiles could really feel "at home", their capitol city was rebuilt and they could seek to rebuild their identity as a separate people, a holy nation, a priesthood set apart by God for His special purpose and His special love in the world.

That was cause for rejoicing indeed and, at least at some level, I think it permeated the entire assembly on that glad day in Jerusalem.  We are not told what Psalms the choirs sang as they wended their way around the city on the top of those walls.  It is not too far fetched to think that they included Psalm 91 at some point.  For did not the very walls on which they stepped remind them that "He (God) is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust!" (Psa 91:2)  Certainly this Psalm has burst forth from the lips of God's people both Old Testament and New for centuries and shall continue to do so until we all sing that "New Song" at the Lord's return.

It is a sentiment and truth that we should constantly be refreshing in our minds.  Our God is our "strong city", His Throne room is our Jerusalem.  His power surrounds us as strong walls and we live in His shadow.  "Yea, though we walk through the valley of death, we will fear no evil, for He is with us..." here is our consolation, our hope and the ground of our gladness.  

Today, even as it was on that day in Jerusalem, God's eyes are always on His beloved people.  What He tears down among them He will rebuild and they will not bear shame forever.  We all know what it was like to live in exile, under the shadow of His wrath, but through the Lord Jesus Christ... not some mere Persian autocrat... we have been restored.  All things have been made new and God's earthly Zion, His visible Church, is even now standing before the eyes of the world proclaiming Her eternal message.

We ought to have days of glad thanksgiving on occasion just to celebrate this aspect of our God.  He is worthy to be praised because He has done great things... and He will do even more.

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness every night!" (Psalm 92:1,2)

 

 

 

Nehemiah 7 & 8: The Joy of the Lord IS Your Strength

Image: Joy, Joy, Joy, 2019, Severna Park, Md

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

2 Corinthians 7:11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
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It seems almost a non sequitur!  Ezra and the scribes read the law of God (8:1-8) and they diligently helped the people understand it (9:3) and the people were evidently struck to the heart for they "wept when they heard the words of the Law." (9:9)  But Ezra tells them to stop weeping and party instead!

And, we might think, "but they should weep!"  They had sinned... mightily... egregiously... and consistently over the centuries.  Had there been a generation that did not turn their back on the grace of God?  Had they not sought out the gods of the surrounding nations because they thought that they could get a "better deal?"  Had there been any family or tribe that had consistently sought after righteousness?  No... and on this day when the Law was read powerfully in their hearing and the Levites and others answered their questions and gave them the sense of the teaching... in other words.. preached the received Word to them.. how could they help but be brought to their knees in weeping.

Repentance, rightly understood, is far more than simply saying "I'm sorry!"  Those two words can be very cheap.. they can be spoken under pressure for the purpose of just ending an uncomfortable conversation... they can said with the expectation that the other person will say them also and thus there will be shared guilt.  But this is not repentance.  

Repentance is standing before God first and those we wronged second, and confessing our guilt and the sincerity of our remorse.  It does not seek to share blame because it is based on the prior conviction, as with David, that "against you and you only have I sinned!"  It offers no excuse because it recognizes there is none.  It does not bring up "mitigating" factors with the implied idea that "if you know what I was going through you would have done it also" because no situation requires that we sin... there is always a way not to do it.

Repentance starts here, with what Paul calls "godly sorrow" (2 Cor. 7:10), the sorrow that "leads to salvation and is not to be regretted."  But repentance does not "live" in such sorrow... far from it.  Rather "godly sorrow" is directed toward a far higher plane of life.  It produces "clearing" of ourselves, "indignation" at the sin itself, "fear" of the Holiness of God, "vehement desire" for righteousness, "zeal" in pursuing the Kingdom of God and, amazingly, "Joy" in our "vindication." (cf. 2 Cor. 7:11)

Ezra understood this. That is why he (or perhaps Nehemiah, the text is ambiguous) said "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."  What Ezra (for certain) understood was that the Law of God contained far more than just the flaming arrows of condemnation, of accusation, of conviction of sin.  No, the Law also proclaimed that through repentance and faith there is forgiveness for sin.  God is the God of Mercy who shows grace to sinners.  It is the discovery of this grace as it comes to us in repentance that proves our "vindication" which is another way of understanding our "justification."  God's Holy Spirit opens to our hearts and minds that we stand, positionally, as objects of grace, to whom and through whom, God will be glorified for His mercy.

Can there be anything more uplifting and joyful than that?  Can there be any condemnation of us when God has nailed our sins to the cross of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God, and we know that we bear them no more?  We are forgiven!  

We will never know the power of those words until we have experienced repentance.  But, for those who truly repent of their sins, in the fullest sense of those words, that knowledge will shine through.  The clouds will part, the sun will shine, the flowers will bloom and we will know that God is in His Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ is with us and all that is beautiful is ours to inherit.

This knowledge and its corresponding existential transformation in us is called the "joy of the Lord" and it is precisely our strength.  It produces in us the awakened reality that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.  

It appears paradoxical that true knowledge of our sin leads to joy but that is exactly the case.  That is the amazing wisdom of God and in it, He is indeed worthy to be praised.  The Israelites partied at the Feast of Booths for seven days... It might be a good time for us to party also for the same reasons as did they.

 

 

2 Chronicles 29 & 30: This Is Something Really Good!

Image: "Morning Glow", 2008, Severn Run E. P. Church, Millersville, Md

2 Chronicles 29:35–36 Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36 Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.

2 Chronicles 30:10 So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them.

2 Chronicles 30:18–20 For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good LORD provide atonement for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” 20 And the LORD listened to Hezekiah and healed the people.

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There are times in our lives when we know... we just know... that things are "right."  Perhaps it is when we step out on a great adventure, like marriage, or an exciting vocation, or a new endeavor of some sort, that as we pass from the toil of preparation, the anxious anticipation and the worry of "what might happen", we suddenly have that sense, deep in our soul, that "this is good" and we know that it was all worth it.

The apostle John knew of this joy and he wrote (1 John 3:21–22) "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."

There are those times when we simply "have confidence toward God!"  We know, as John tells us, that "whatever we ask we receive from Him..."  Oh how free we feel in such moments.  We know we cannot fail... we know that God has delighted to bring us to this point... we know that though trials may be in our future yet the confidence that has been given us in this instant will always be remembered... and hearkened to again... and that it will serve to refresh us like a cool dip in a waterfall pool.

Such occasions are the birthright of every born-again Christian.   They are inherent in His blessing and provision for us.  I do not know of any person, obviously possessed of the Holy Spirit, who cannot attest to this gift.  It can certainly be recognized in these chapters about Hezekiah's revival.

As we saw in the previous chapters Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had been a rotter indeed.  He was so given over to depravity that he had looted the temple of its treasures, closed and bolted its doors and shut down the worship of the true God in Jerusalem.  I do not know how Hezekiah escaped his father's influence but we see from the very first of his reign that his purpose was to do "what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done."  Accordingly he essentially rebuilt temple worship in the city.

The priests and Levites had devolved into a demoralized rabble.  Hezekiah had trouble finding priests who were "clean" and thus able to minister before the Lord, so he substituted Levites who evidently had paid attention to such things to help.  He repaired the temple... the priests and Levites searched out the necessary utensils and treasures and brought them back (29:19) and in an amazingly short period of time the Temple was at least minimally ready for worship to resume. (29:17)

Hezekiah bounds out of bed early and brought the rulers of the city and the people together and threw themselves into the worship activities.  We read a good bit of detail about this first service in the restored temple but it resonates most clearly in 29:30 where Hezekiah commands the Levites to sing and "with gladness ... they bowed their heads and worshiped."

It was just so right!  

Even as I read these verses and the reinstitution of the Passover in the next chapter I get a bit of a thrill myself though separated from the event by thousands of years.  What a blessing!  What a "joy divine!"  To know, to just know, that God was all set to answer prayers and pour out His blessings.  Hezekiah and the people knew this.  We see it explicitly stated in verse 36 where Hezekiah and the people rejoiced because they knew it was God that "had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly."

Afterwards, Hezekiah has another flash of brilliance (ch. 30).  God is ready to bless His people... let's gather all of His tribes, at least those that still remain outside of Judah, to Jerusalem to observe the Passover.  The Northern Tribes by this point were a mere shadow of their former self, yet they remained by heritage, a part of God's Covenant people.  It was again something that just felt "so right."

Hezekiah sent runners throughout the Northern Kingdom inviting the people to come.  As they did with Jesus on a later occasion of the Passover Season, most of the Northern people "laughed at them and mocked them."  But not all!  God still had His remnant there and these folks "humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem." (30:11)  The Power of God was still at work (vs. 12) giving Judah singleness of heart to obey.  And thus we read of "great joy in Jerusalem.... "  There was healing and rejoicing and feasting and, at its core, the strongest sense that this was something "really good".... something "really special."

We modern Christians ought to take this to heart.  God wants us to be revitalized in our Christian walks in the same way as was Judah in theirs.  He wants us to pay attention to the "Temple of God" in our own souls and see whether or not we need to restore its vital worship.  Perhaps, as we approach our own Passover Season, we ought to plan for rejoicing and let the glad anticipation work its wonders in us.

It is the right and privilege of every Christian to rejoice before the Lord.  It is His delight to meet us in such rejoicing and it will always rebound to our benefit.  It is something "really good" to do.

2 Chronicles 3-5: Festooned and Fitted For Glory

Image: Decorations, 2019, Severna Park, Md

2 Chronicles 5:13–14  indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying:  “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

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Anyone who has ever survived an initial church building construction program knows the Dickens's description of "it being the best of times and the worst of times" is pretty apt.  If, as it was in my experience, it is a relatively small congregation to begin with then it truly becomes an "all hands" project.  The "best of times" description applies to the unity and excitement that can take root and permeate the entire endeavor.  The "worst of times" description applies when the inevitable challenges and "hiccups" arise; when tensions, especially among the leaders, can seep over into personal conflicts and when, as it stretches out how totally weary people become.  

All of those challenges and delights have to be present though for the sense of accomplishment to rise to full measure.  There comes that glorious day when the "first worship service in the new church" takes place and the people rejoice and love each other and give thanks to God with a sincerity that strikes deep into the soul and is never forgotten.  That worship service is transformed by the sense that "it was all worth it."

So it must have been with Solomon only more so.  Who ever first wrote the words that are recorded in these chapters there can be no doubt that the glory of that completed project made everything worth it.

Note the details of decoration and design that are passed down to us.  Notice the beautiful dimensions... the incredible size of the altar (fully as wide and deep as the portico of the building itself)... the glorious cherubim placed over the mercy seat... the fabulous riches of gold and fine stones.... the delicate artwork that adorned the walls and the pillars... the immensity of the "sea" and its exact placement.  These details tell us that this building made a deep impression on the people and especially the one who first wrote them down.

(As an aside, note in ch 5 vs 9 that the "poles of the ark" could be seen from the front of the inner sanctuary and "they are there to this day."  This is most likely part of the original document that the compiler of the Chronicles as we have them used.  If, as is obvious, that these books were written after the return from exile then the Ark and its poles as well as the temple itself had long been lost.  This does not change anything as far as the accuracy and reliability of these books is concerned.  Knowing that we are reading "original sources" adds great confidence to the descriptions we are given.)

Continuing with the main point though, we can see how it all came together at the end.  There was that glorious "first worship service in the new building."  And it must have been glorious indeed.  Notice the unity of heart that filled the "trumpeters and singers" such that there was "one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD..."  Now that is worship... no disparate sounds... the voices and instruments melding into a single voice of praise.  The LORD was indeed present.  His glory so filled the temple that the priests could not longer continue their duties.  The "glory of the LORD filled the house of God."  What a sublime experience that must have been and what a exciting thing to seek for ourselves.

Every worship service should be a reenactment of that "first service" at least as far as unity of heart and joy among the congregation goes.  Every worship service should be filled with glad enthusiasm expressed in sincere praise from the heart from all who are gathered there.  There should be a real consciousness of particular blessing that motivates each person:  what great things God has done for us.... what great things God has done through us...every congregation at every worship service should strive for that simplicity of joy and fellowship.

Who can doubt that the LORD would inhabit the praise of His people in such a worship?  Who can doubt that the "filling of the Spirit" of which Paul spoke would take over and work the miracle of healing, comfort, encouragement and joy in every breast?  We should not content ourselves with paltry and somewhat token celebrations.  God is to be praised... mightily and with gusto... for "He is good, for His mercy endures forever" (5:13).

There will come a day when the entire assembly of the elect will be overwhelmed with this worship.  There will come a day when those dressed in the white robes of Christ's righteousness will sing a new song and there will be no holding back.  What a joyous day that will be and we must remember, we can get a down payment on it in this life.  Let us sing and be glad... for our God reigns.

 

1 Chronicles 16 &17: Above All Gods

Image:  Our Rock, 2016, View from Loch Lomond, Scotland, UK

1 Chronicles 16:26–27 (NKJV) 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 27 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.

1 Chronicles 17:22 (NKJV) 22 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, LORD, have become their God.

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There are moments in life, often fleeting, when the heart just soars in happiness and joy.  It is, in my observation, universally or nearly universally followed by thanksgiving.  The birth of a child... the moment she (or he) says "I will marry you"... a son or daughter attaining some significant achievement... the clouds opening up at just the right moment to crown a mountain top in glory... a starry night on the ocean, leaning against the mast as your sailboat carves its way forward in the warm breeze, the hull singing in delight... These things are only a few of the things that can bring up something deep inside of us.  The response is instantaneous... we cannot be, at that moment... anything but happy... and it almost always issues forth in "Thank You Jesus."

Isn't it interesting that we humans are built that way?  I know that other animals appear to have fun on occasion.  I have seen the delight a dog displays when her long absent master/mistress returns.  Joy is not solely a human attribute but there is an aspect of joy that is uniquely human.  Animal joy is a physical thing.  Human joy always has a spiritual side.  

I think even atheists sense the contradiction here.  I've heard professed atheists, gripped by joy, say things like "I am so glad I was able to see this... or be here... or some such."  OK... they are expressing a sense of gratitude... of thanksgiving... but to whom?  It doesn't suffice.  Such gratitude lacks closure.  The heart cries out for something more... Some One to thank for the privilege of joy.  

These two chapters in 1 Chronicles have joy as their subject and thanksgiving, properly registered and expressed, as their object.  David, on the occasion of the ark being established in the Tabernacle, cannot help himself.  He breaks forth in thanksgiving singing a beautiful Psalm .  Notice how specific he is.  He rejoices in the wonder of God's Person, His "wondrous works" (16:9), His all encompassing wisdom and power, the sheer wonder that He has made a covenant with Israel (vs. 14-19).  As David surveys the history of his people the one thing that stands out, the "mountain top" that dominates the scene, is the LORD who made the heavens (vs.26) and his natural response is to "declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all the peoples."  "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  His Mercy endures forever." (vs. 34) This is the expression of true delight and it is the essence of devotion.

Our God is a God in Whom we are to delight.  That is why He has called us to Himself.  That's why He has done great things for us!  It is not enough to get our facts right... our theology all lined up... even our daily walk to be obedient.  These things are necessary but they must also register in joy... delight... that leads to thanksgiving.

Chapter 17 continues the theme.  Here we have the retelling of God making a covenant with David.  God reviews His past history and His plans.  He tells David that it will not be his job to build a temple for God in Israel... that a son will do that.  But what God does promise is that God will establish David's throne in a son / Son who will follow him.  And this son / Son will be greater than David can imagine and in this final Son, David's throne will be established forever (17:14).

David is overwhelmed with joy.  He cannot speak at first.  He knows that he has to be alone with God and so he goes to the tabernacle and pours out his heart.  He knows that he doesn't deserve what he has been promised, but that is the whole point.  That is the impetus to true thanksgiving... to know that this delight present in our soul is a gift of God.  David bubbles forth in praise, recounting the great honor that has been extended to him.  He sums it up in a beautiful appreciation for God's covenant:  "For you have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, LORD, have become their God."

Here is a "mountain top" experience.  Here is David, standing on a high ledge, surveying the entire valley before his eyes and knowing deep in his heart, that God has brought him here for this very purpose.  Israel, the valley before him, prospers in lush blessings because they are God's "very own people"... He is "their God."

I will further extend what I said before about the essential quality of human joy to this:  It is always there as an outworking of God's Covenant-making Character and the fullness of delight, possible to any person, is found when that covenant relation is consciously present.  Our joy is complete when we express it this way:  "Thank you Jesus for being MY God!"  

This is the Summum Bonum, the "highest good", of human existence.

 

1 Kings 8: Joyful and Glad of Heart....

Image: "A Glorious Structure", 2018, War Memorial Building, Baltimore, Md

1 Kings 8:66 (NKJV) 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.
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The War Memorial Building in downtown Baltimore has many external architectural elements that approximate Solomon's temple.  It would pale in comparison to it in the glory that the temple would have manifested on that special day it was dedicated, but it possibly could help us imagine the sight those Israelites beheld.

When the priests had deposited the ark in its holy resting place and stepped outside, vs. 10 tells us that "the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering... for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."  It must have been a great day.

Solomon, to the extent any fallen human being could be so, was up to the occasion.  He first proclaimed the meaning of the event: "The Lord said He would dwell in a dark cloud... "  This was confirmation of the Lord's acceptance of the "exalted house" he had built and he expressed his hope that it was "a place for You to dwell in forever."

Solomon then turned to bless the Lord and His people in a magnificent prayer that was grounded in reality and hope.  Like Moses' address to the people prior to their entering the promised land he spoke of God's providential faithfulness in sustaining and empowering them to make this day possible.  He prays to God as the faithful God who has kept His promises and "fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day." (vs. 25)  He prays for the people's future and begs the Lord to keep His watchful eye over them.  He very realistically projects into their future, confident that the weakness and unfaithfulness that they had displayed in the past will continue to a greater or lesser extent.  He prays for them when they sin and need judgment (vs. 32).  He prays for them when they face defeat at the hands of their enemies "because the sinned against You, and when they turn back to You.." (vs. 33).  He prays for them when there is drought and famine and pestilence.  His continued supplication is that God will continue to restore His people to their right mind and bring them back to their senses.

Solomon even prays for the foreigners who are drawn to Israel because of the great God they serve and asks for God to hear their prayer.  The evangelistic mission of Israel would be fulfilled when God responds to the foreigners' prayers so that "all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel" (vs. 43).  It has always been God's intent since Adam's fall that the people of God so live and prosper under God's covenant love that the world will desire to know the reason for the hope that so furnishes their lives.

Solomon, somewhat inconsistently, prophetically sees that the people will one day be delivered to the enemy and taken captive.  Again, he calls on his Holy God to restore them when "they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent..." (vs. 47).  He calls upon God to "listen to them whenever they call to You." (vs. 52).  What a powerful faith this is... faith in the unbreakable covenant bond that binds God to His people such that they have hope even in the midst of the most heart-breaking of times.

After his beautiful prayer Solomon charged the people to remember their God and "keep His commandments..." (vs. 58) again with the evangelistic intent that (vs. 60) "all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other."

After this Solomon turned toward feasting and rejoicing before the Lord and the people "went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people." (vs. 66)

There is so much here to encourage and strengthen us.  Here we see encapsulated before us the whole historical project of God to build a people to Himself in the midst of a world given over to sin who will show forth, in His providential care for them, that He alone is God and that all the people's of the earth should turn to Him and be saved even as His Covenant People have been saved.

We see the glad and fruitful lives that God intends for His people to exhibit.  That same glad and fruitful life that our Lord, Whom Solomon typified, called for His Church to exhibit.  We are to go forth with singing His praises, to diligently pattern our lives according our Lord's holy righteousness and we are to bear much fruit.  It will be this entire "other-worldly" preoccupation which will become our hallmark and which will recommend us to the world's attention as being a "holy nation", a "nation of priests", whose community and influence shall only grow until the day when God again returns to His "Holy Temple", the Temple which He has told us is His Church and He will again physically reside with us in the fullness of life.

It was a glorious day... a day to look back upon with some longing... but its most significant purpose was to cause us to look at our own day and the Day that is coming, so as to be reinvigorated and committed to fulfilling our mission.  Let us rejoice and be glad of heart... like those Israelites... for all the promise of God are "yea and amen" in Jesus Christ and those promises are ours to inherit.

Maranatha Lord Jesus, come quickly.

2 Samuel 5 & 6: A God Worthy To Be Exalted

Image: Glory, 2013, Gunpowder Falls State Park, Md

2 Samuel 5:11–12 (NKJV) 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. 12 So David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted His kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

2 Samuel 6:6–7 (NKJV) 6 And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. 

2 Samuel 6:21 (NKJV) 21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the LORD.

David is established as God's King over all Israel (5:1-3)  Everyone appeared to know it without a shadow of a doubt.  He has a nice long reign (33 years) and just as it was the Lord's work to sit him on that throne it will be Lord's hand that keeps him there.  David, for all his faults and mistakes, knew this and especially in these chapters at the beginning of his rule over the unified state of Israel.

Sometimes God just "blows us away" with His awesomeness. 

David makes short work of conquering his capitol city of Jerusalem.  The sheer brevity of the account proves it is the Lord's work when we remember that the tribe of Judah never took the city during the period of the judges.  What a triumph that was.  Imagine how David must have felt when he entered those gates and knew that from henceforth Zion would be the City of our God!

Hiram of Tyre was quick to ingratiate himself to this new and surging monarch.  He sends cedar trees and carpenters and masons to build David a house.  David saw this also as further proof (5:12) of God's hand exalting His own kingdom and also saw that it was not just his, David's, person for whom God did this but "for the sake of His people Israel."  David rejoiced in God's covenant faithfulness to himself and God's people.  That's something to sing about.

The Philistines sought to diminish the glory of what was happening by invading the land again, twice.  They were probably pretty confident having only recently defeated Saul's army decisively, but now they are brought up short in no uncertain terms.  David inquires of the LORD and God tells him "Go get 'em" and he does. The Philistines are run out of town with more than just bloody noses.  David in his stronghold, with a battle hardened army, knows that he will now go from glory to glory as the Lord continues to sustain and empower him in his rule.  That's something to sing about also.

It was only natural then that the LORD's ark be brought to Jerusalem so that His Presence would be there with David and he could worship and seek counsel even more closely.  The story of the ark's movement from Baale Judah (6:1,2) shows that David intended to make this a national celebration.  He took 30,000 "choice men" with him to bring the ark.  There was to be no repeat of the ark being captured this time. 

Along the way the tragic story of Uzzah's transgression in touching the ark reminded David that God was not someone to be taken lightly.  He did not need human help to "steady" His mercy seat.  David was duly frightened and disappointed.  Uzzah's death put a damper on his parade.  He was not sure what God was telling him so he stops short of Jerusalem and leaves the scary ark at the house of Obed-Edom, a Gittite.  David wanted to see what would happen.  He wasn't taking any chances on taking God's will for granted.  When the house of Obed-Edom was blessed because of the ark, David saw that God was not angry at him so he gathered his courage and brought the ark into Jerusalem.

But now, with his assurance restored, David gave himself over to ecstasy.  This was a great day.  God's Presence was coming to his city... the city of David... the holy city of God.  He celebrated along the entire length of the progression, offering sacrifices, playing music, singing and dancing.  This was a joyous celebration of the goodness of God and the glory that He had bestowed on His people, on David and on Himself.

We must not see this procession as a worship service.  David and the people of God were celebrating a national holiday.  Dancing was OK.  Rejoicing was in order.  And complete immersion in the joy of the occasion is entirely consistent with David's emotional character and the expression of thanksgiving.  How many of the Psalms reflect this same heart-felt emotional release?  This was not the time for solemn, "frozen chosen" reserve.  It was time for a party and David partied.

David's wife Michal proves to be a bit too snobbish for her own good.  She reproves David for his ecstatic conduct and David takes the opportunity to remind her of what was happening.  "It was before the LORD, who chose me... to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel.  Therefore I WILL play music before the LORD."  Michal pays for her hypocrisy and is relegated to insignificance in David's house for her action.  She never had children "to the day of her death." (6:23)

What should we glean from this?

I think that this episode should remind us that our God is worthy of whole scale delight.  God has designed us human beings to rejoice in His goodness, in all aspects of our lives.  There is a place for singing joyously.   There is a place for dancing with glee (Eccl. 3:4).  We ought to be so caught up in His great blessings on us that, when appropriate, we give ourselves completely to expressing our wonder, delight and thankfulness for being the objects of His blessing.

Away with false sophistication and reserve!  He is our God and like David we must say "I WILL play before Him."  Worship services are constrained in how we may do this.  They are to be orderly and not chaotic.  Dancing is not appropriate there.  But the same sense of total release into His glory should be there also.  And outside the worship service... let the party begin.

 

 

Exodus 28 & 29: Ordination - For Glory and For Beauty

Image:  Seminary Graduation, 2016, Greenville Theological Seminary

Exodus 28:12 (NKJV) ¹² And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.

After they had finished making all of the garments and assembled all of the priestly tools, that first ordination of Aaron and his sons into the Mosaic priesthood must have been a terribly impressive affair.

First of all, when you go through and pay attention to the sheer number of sacrifices that had to be accomplished we see that this was a hard day's work for Moses.  He had to deal with all those animals, dispose of their flesh "just so", sprinkle their blood as instructed and prepare for Aaron's consecration.

And then there was Aaron himself.  Decked out in gloriously intricate hand crafted garments with precious stones sitting on his shoulders and pressed against his chest, he must have been pretty intimidated.  This was serious business and, once it was accomplished, the more serious business would commence.  He would have to make good on the symbolism that went into his garments.

He had to bear Israel on his shoulders.  He was the prototype of "sin-bearer."  He was to stand before Almighty God and represent Israel to Him... to intercede for them... to hear God's will for them.  He was to be Israel to God.  Oh, my.

Then, Israel was plastered to his chest.  His beating heart was to always beat for Israel.  They were to be his chest.. his worry... his concern.  Always he had to wear the "breastplate of judgment" knowing that Israel was sinful... they were sinners from birth and the only thing they did really well was sin more.  But they were beloved of God and therefore they were to be beloved of God's priest.  This was Aaron's calling.  Oh, my.

However there was other aspects of his ministry.  In 28:2 and other verses, we read that Aaron's holy garments were "for glory and for beauty."  Aaron's mediatorial role of representing Israel before God was complemented by his role as God's priest.  He was to shine before the eyes of Israel.  He was to present a picture of holiness and purity. On his head he wore a turban with an engraved plate saying "Holiness to the Lord."  For God is Holy... and all who approach Him in service at His altar are to be holy. (29:37)  As Aaron represented Israel to God so he also represented God to Israel.  What a solemn... holy... scary .... thing to do.  Oh, my.

In every way we can see that God never intended for all of this to be the final word about how He was to be worshiped nor how He was to be served through the priesthood.  We know through the inerrant and infallible teachings of Scripture that all that went on with Aaron, indeed with the entire temple system, was a teaching tool.  It was to serve to point people's eyes forward to that more perfect tabernacle yet to come and the most blessed High Priest who would minister in it.  We know that... but we also can recognize and should recognize just how impressive this whole set of events really were.

You see, we sinners are far too often like the Missouri mule.  God has to get our attention before we listen, believe and obey.  When it comes to ordination for example.  When God's church raises up men to become elders (and to some extent, deacons also) we need to remember that this is a solemn and holy calling.  Yes, we have our High Priest in heaven but our earthly calling as elders is to function as a "holy priesthood" under Him.  We too are to be consecrated to this task and we need to have the spiritual anointing of the blood of our Perfect Sacrifice very clearly applied to our person.  We need to be conscious that we are called to bear our congregations on our shoulders and each and every one of them should be close to our heart. 

This is how our Lord ministers to our people and this is how we, in His name is to minister on His behalf.  And not only that but we need to remember our high calling to holiness.  What the lay person is exhorted to do as he or she grows in sanctification, the elder is called to exhibit as elements of his vocation.  We elders are privileged to serve but we are also held to a high standard in our service.  We shall give an account to God for every person He has given under our care (Heb. 13:17, cf. 13:7).  Our ministry is as glorious as Aaron's though our distinction is not in the manner of our earthly priestly garments but in the manner of our solemn embrace of our roles.

Today's church needs godly men who are solemnly inducted and vested with authority.  They must be chosen from among those who see this calling as precious.  It is not something to which all are called.  It is not a reward for giving special donations or even just because of some special skill.  The calling of an elder is a calling of a heart given over to God and hungering for His righteousness.

Aaron's ordination reflected that high calling.  It was a glorious and beautiful thing.  God help us to make our ordination services as impressive as was his.

Let's Go For A Walk In The Garden....

[Image: Peace, 2013, JA Van Devender]

Location: Bar Harbor, ME

Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV)

⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

Although not as expensive as other cities and ports, yet Bar Harbor is not lacking homes that only the very well-to-do can afford.  Many have been converted to Bed & Breakfast use or completely transformed into quaint and inviting hostels.  All retain that charm and inviting atmosphere that was the goal for home design in 19th century architecture.  The Victorian era, with all its faults, may have been the most civilized era in human history, if one restricts the observation to the commended lifestyle and aspirations of individual men and women.  Perhaps nothing so embodies those sentiments as the garden.

A house without a garden simply was not complete and, metaphorically, implied a shortened and deficient lifestyle.  Lacking a garden the home was just a place for sleeping, eating and hiding from the pressures of the world.  No matter how expansive, the building would sooner or later stifle man's yearnings and hinder his breath.   But, having a garden to walk in, a  place to stretch and breathe deeply of the frangrant flowers and salty breezes whispering in the pines, one felt complete.  One felt..... civilized.... again.

The garden was not a refuge from the problems of the world, it was a solution for them.  When anxiety, pressures, worries, threatened to overwhelm the senses and incite a man to panic, the garden was his solution.  There he could settle his soul and understand his world better and regain a due perspective on things.  Its healing ambience swept away the "tyranny of the urgent" and enabled him to recharge his spent batteries.  That is why the 'garden' was associated with pleasing melodies, Classical or Baroque chamber music, and not raucous Jazz.  Symmetry and order, splashes of color, space to walk... were understood as essential.

Thus a garden represented "peace" and by implication, "rest".  It is the physical metaphor for the Sabbath which, in and of itself, is a metaphor for God Himself.  Yes, I know that this is an idealized portrayal which in any given instance was probably never fully realized.  But, as I said, it was the aspiration of the culture not, necessarily, its attainment.

As Paul so beautifully captures it, the "peace of God... surpasses all understanding."  It directly answers the pressures which cares and anxieties of this world pour out on our souls.  When our core being is threatened with withering, when our essential humanity is at risk, when we are on the verge of sheer animal reactions, when hope is nearly extinguished and the possibility of a "flourishing" life is nearly drowned in cynicism, we need to walk in the garden.  We need to flee to the sanctuary God provides and rest in His Presence.  The refreshing Breeze is His Spirit, the Beautiful Order is His Logos, the Peace which descends on us is God Himself.  

We can flee to our garden while sitting at our desks.  We can pull off the highway and stop our cars on an off-ramp or the shoulder.  We can shut out the world of worry and pressure that screams for our attention and we can be quiet and know that He is God.  In that calming moment we can cast our cares on Him and make our requests known.  Not in panic... not as a last resort when all else has failed... but as an act of hope... as an act of faith... believing that He who cares for the bird in the air and the flower of the field will certainly hear us and, in hearing, speed an answer on its way.  Beauty is there to be appreciated and praised.  Peace is there to nurture our souls.   We can walk in our garden for as long as it takes to settle our soul.

That garden is always an intrinsic part of the house of faith.... and therefore peace which transcends all rational explanation but is experientially known, is ours to embrace.

 

 

 

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