Yesterday we all celebrated Palm Sunday, a day of triumph, a day of celebrating Jesus, “the author and of finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). But all is not as it seems. Jesus knew exactly what was happening. He is in complete control! He came for a purpose and that purpose would be fulfilled at the end of week. On Monday Jesus walked into the temple with one thing on His mind—to cleanse it and consecrate it unto God once again.
This solitary act got the week started off in great fashion—certainly in a way that no one would forget, especially His enemies. For them it was more fuel for the fire. For Jesus it was a symbol of what He would accomplish in all who would believe on Him. His death and resurrection would mean everything. We experience three things through faith—to be cleansed, changed, consecrated.
“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you have made it a “den of thieves”’” (Matt. 21:12-13).
It was a scandal of epic proportions! This Jesus who had the whole city in a huge uproar with His arrival, now stormed into the temple and created chaos. I can almost see it! Doves flapping their wings as they fly out of the courtyard, men shouting, women beside themselves, and children scrambling after the rolling coins. This fellow from Galilee was once again stirring up trouble!
But stirring things up is always what Jesus does when He enters the scene. The cleansing of the temple has its parallel in our lives. When Jesus comes, priorities are overturned, old sins are swept aside. The first thing He did when He entered Jerusalem is the first thing He does when He enters a life—He goes straight to the temple, to the place where we worship, and cleans out whatever is not part of God’s design.
Your body is a holy temple. “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19). Ephesians 2:21 speaks of our life as a building that “grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” When you trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you and your body is now “a holy temple.” And Jesus comes to stir things up—to cleanse that temple. He casts out anything that does not honor God.
“Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them” (Matt. 21:14). In an instant these people’s lives had changed. All of a sudden they could see or they could walk. They had been made whole. And that is what Jesus does for us when we receive Him. He cleanses us from all sin and He changes us. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
There are two actions here—the cleansing of the temple and healing miracles. Together they declare what Jesus was all about. He came to save sinners. He came to cleanse us from our sin and to change us and make us holy. We were designed to be holy. His work on the cross, along with His resurrection, makes us holy.
“But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ they were indignant and said to Him, ‘Do You hear what these are saying?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise”?’” (Matt. 21:15-16)
“The chief priests and scribes…were indignant” (v. 15) because they simply did not like Jesus. But everyone else was simply surprised. Jesus knew what stood between the people in those days and God. “Astonished” is how Mark describes the people’s reaction to that original cleansing (Mark 11:18), and astonished is how we feel when God cleanses us. It is an amazing experience.
Prejudice, old hurts, all our sins, whatever is blocking our relationship with Him must go! God is at work making us holy, making us like Jesus. By faith we are cleansed; by faith we are changed; by faith we are consecrated. To be consecrated is to be declared holy or to be set apart as sacred. That is what Jesus did for the temple in Jerusalem, and that is what He is doing in us.
“Out of the mouths of babes” praise is “perfected” (Matt. 21:16). Like the children, we should respond with praise to what Jesus did for us. As Hebrews 12:1-2a says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Amen.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Sunday, March 29, 2015
This Is Jesus
The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian times. The Romans rewarded champions of the games and celebrated military successes with palm branches. The Jews followed a similar tradition of carrying palm branches during festive times. Early on in the history of the Christian church Palm Sunday celebrations have involved the waving of palm branches.
Matthew 21:8-9 says that as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, “a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Hosanna in the highest!’”
Matthew 21:8-9 says that as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, “a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Hosanna in the highest!’”
Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory of the faithful over enemies of the soul. In Christian art, martyrs were usually shown holding a palm branch, representing the victory of spirit over flesh. It was widely believed that a picture of a palm on a tomb meant that a martyr was buried there.
With this in mind note Revelation 7:9-10. “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” The palm branch being held by the Christians in heaven is the sign of spiritual victory in the presence of Christ.
As the people covered the road before Jesus with palm branches in Matthew 21:8-9, note the direction this celebration turns in verses 10-11: “And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ So the multitudes said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.’” Notice the question: “Who is this?” And the answer: “This is Jesus.”
This is precisely the question Jesus proposed to His disciples in Matthew 16:13-16. “Who do men say that…I am?” (v. 13). The answers are varied and interesting: “John the Baptist…Elijah…Jeremiah…one of the prophets” (v. 14). Then He asked again, “But who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). And Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16).
Following the transfiguration, Luke tells us, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). From this time on Jesus headed straight for Jerusalem to fulfill His mission. He headed straight toward calvary to die for our sin and rise again. As He did so, the people began to wonder if perhaps now was the time He would set Himself up as King? So the people were excited as He came again to Jerusalem.
In Matthew 21, as He approached the city He sent a couple of His disciples ahead to secure a colt for Him to ride, along with a donkey (vs. 1-3). The two disciples did as Jesus requested (v. 6) and the owners of the donkey and colt did just as Jesus said they would (v. 3). It seems that people were ready and willing to help. Then Jesus road the colt into Jerusalem, weeping as He saw the city: “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).
The multitude cried and sang, “Hosanna!” (Matt. 21:9), which means “save now!” They spread their garments on the road before Him (v. 8a), as if receiving a king home. They used palm branches as well (v. 8b). It is a picture of a conquering king returning home in victory. And this is how we are introduced to Jesus. "This is Jesus." He is our king and our Lord. He is our conquering Savior. He came for this purpose. He came to die on the cross and to rise again. He came to be our Savior. Amen.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Sinner in the Hands of the Living God
It has been awhile since my last post. Sorry for the delay. I have been busy fillling pulpits and sending out resumes. I have been in communication with two churches in particular concerning their pastoral opening. One nearby in Oklahoma; the other far away in northwestern South Dakota. It is an exciting time as we wait on God to find the church He has for me to serve.
Picking up where we left off in the life and times of Elijah, prophet of fire, we find that there are times when God gives us what we think we want, especially when it is not His will, but only our will in defiance of Him. It is His way of disciplining us in order to get our attention and call us back to Himself.
God judges those who rebel against Him and persist in defying Him. Ahaziah (Ahab’s son) had a brief rule (1 Kings 22:51-53) and his death (2 Kings 1:17) illustrates this principle. He died as a part of the prophesied destruction and death of all of Ahab’s household (1 Kings 21:17-29).
Ahab repented (1 Kings 21:27), but it was only a partial repentance. It was only on the outside, yet God delayed His judgment, though He did not eliminate it. The message for us is that God judges all who persist in defying Him, and while partial repentance for the wrong reasons may delay God’s judgment, it does not totally vindicate God’s wrath. True repentance, on the other hand, will result in salvation.
The Bible says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). And that is exactly what happens here in 2 Kings 1:1-18. Sinners who ultimately refuse God, who refuse to trust in Jesus the Messiah, are judged by fire—ultimately the judgment of eternal hell-fire.
The Lord is in charge. When He is not allowed to rule in our lives, He overrules. The sins of idolatry, pride, and disobedience caused God to take action against the unrepentant sinners in our text. After much longsuffering, the Lord brings judgment. But God’s people, those who walk with the Lord Jesus, experience things the unrepentant sinner never knows and never sees.
First of all, God directs the paths of His people, those who love Him. Unbelievers, on the other hand, do not experience this godly guidance because they do not love God and they do not follow Him or seek His face. They do not turn to God.
Note Ahaziah's character: “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.” (1 Kings 22:52-53)
He was an evil man—an evil king. Moab rebelled and Ahaziah could not care less! His attitude was to let Moab rebel. It mattered not to him! The text simply says, “Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab,” (2 Kings 1:1). It makes no mention of any reaction from the king. He concerns himself only with himself: “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury’” (v. 2).
Ahaziah worshiped Baal, and that fed his bent toward all things evil. He persisted in rebelling against God. Meanwhile Moab took advantage of this week, self-centered king and broke the bonds that had chained them to Israel since David first conquered them (2 Sam. 8:2). Under Ahaziah the tribute went away.
About ten years or so before Ahaziah “fell through the lattice” (v. 2a) and injured himself, Elijah had won a great victory. He defeated Baal on Mount Carmel when he called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18). Neither Ahab nor Jezebel were convinced or converted. So Ahaziah, in following suit, turned not to the Lord God of Israel, but to the false god Baal for guidance concerning his injury.
“Baal” means “lord” (small “l”) and “Baal-Zebul” means “Baal is prince.” But the devout remnant in Israel, who worshiped the true God, changed the name and ridiculed the false god of their neighbors. “Baal-Zebel” (one such name) means “lord of the dung,” and “Baal-Zebub” (the name used here) means “lord of the flies.” It was one of the names Jesus’ enemies used to insult Him. (Matt. 10:25).
Leave God out and He overrules in your life. Ahaziah was persistent in rebelling against the Lord by ignoring the God of Israel, so the Lord overruled in his life. He intervened by sending His servant Elijah. “But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD: “You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”’ So Elijah departed.” (vs. 3-4) and did as instructed.
When you ignore God and leave Him out of your life, He will overrule at some point and you may not like what happens. When you persist in rebelling against God and refusing to believe on the Lord Jesus for your salvation, eventually judgment will fall, as it did with Ahaziah. He persisted in rebelling against Christ. He refused to believe. Only judgment remained. God overruled in his life.
Follow God and He will direct your path. The Lord wants to direct your path much like he did Elijah’s. Look at how He directs Elijah in this passage: “the angel of the LORD said to Elijah” (v. 3a). He spoke to his heart and brought the king’s name to his mind. The Lord even laid on his heart the words to speak. Elijah followed God and He directed Elijah’s path.
When God lays someone on your heart, He likely wants you to pray for them and talk with them about Jesus. That is how God led Elijah, and He does the same with us. And what did Elijah do? “So Elijah departed” (v. 4b). He went and spoke with Ahaziah. We are quick to talk with people about all sorts of things that are dear to us, but what about Jesus? God wants us to tell others what Jesus means to us. When He leads, He will direct you and give you the words to speak.
Second, God protects His people. King Ahaziah tries to arrest Elijah and have him killed. But God protects him from such evil. Elijah gave God’s message to the king’s messengers and they relayed it to Ahaziah: “And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, ‘Why have you come back?’ So they said to him, ‘A man came up to meet us, and said to us, “Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”’”’ Then he said to them, ‘What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?’ So they answered him, ‘A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’” (vs. 5-8)
Ahaziah knew immediately it was God’s man, God’s servant Elijah. It wasn’t rocket science. Evil men, unbelievers, recognize God’s people. They see the difference God makes in our lives. When you live for Christ, it does not escape notice. People know when you have been with Jesus. Luke reported: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
Ahaziah sought to arrest and likely even kill Elijah: “Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: ‘Man of God, the king has said, “Come down!”’ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty." (2 Kings 1:9-10).
Then the king sent a second "captain of fifty" (v. 11) with his men and the same fate awaited them (vs. 11-12). These two displays of God’s judgment by fire were dramatic messages that the people had better repent or they would all taste the judgment of God’s wrath. And notice how, even with fire from heaven crashing down on these men, the Lord protected his servant Elijah, who was standing nearby. God’s people, those who trust in Jesus, may be persecuted by ungodly men, but God fully protects His own.
Third, God saves His people. A third “captain of fifty” (v. 13) was sent by the king. However, this time things are different. This third captain proved to be both wise and humble. He showed true respect for Elijah, the “man of God.” This man submitted himself to the Lord and to His servant. He pleaded with Elijah in such a way as to endear himself to Elijah and to God as he acknowledged the full authority of God’s servant.
“The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: ‘Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight” (v. 13). He pleaded for his own life and the lives of his men. He understood both who Elijah was and who God is. He humbled himself, kneeling down before God’s man as a way of bowing before the Lord Himself.
He pleaded for mercy as he added, “Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight” (v. 14). Humbled before Elijah and God, his request was granted. His life was spared, along with the lives of his men.
It is interesting to note the Lord’s response as He again directs His servant Elijah. Verse 15 reads, “And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the king.” It was the captains who were to be feared as much as the king. It may be that they were not only instructed to arrest Elijah, but on the way to the palace, to kill him! But God said there was nothing to fear. God had his backside!
Ahaziah was anything but a godly man. He had everything to fear. While the godly knows God’s grace, the ungodly will know God’s wrath. The king was in bed when Elijah confronted him with the words, “you shall surely die” (v. 16). All hope was gone! He was on his death bed! Still, he refused to obey the Word of God.
“So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” (vs. 17-18).Thus the Word of the Lord to the ungodly king was fulfilled.
An ungodly and unrepentant world awaits the fire of God’s wrath. It will come upon them suddenly “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9).
God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Those who do will know God’s grace, not his wrath. It is by faith in Jesus that the godly escape the wrath that is to come. God saves His people. The gospel is both a message to believe and a mandate to obey. Amen.
Picking up where we left off in the life and times of Elijah, prophet of fire, we find that there are times when God gives us what we think we want, especially when it is not His will, but only our will in defiance of Him. It is His way of disciplining us in order to get our attention and call us back to Himself.
God judges those who rebel against Him and persist in defying Him. Ahaziah (Ahab’s son) had a brief rule (1 Kings 22:51-53) and his death (2 Kings 1:17) illustrates this principle. He died as a part of the prophesied destruction and death of all of Ahab’s household (1 Kings 21:17-29).
Ahab repented (1 Kings 21:27), but it was only a partial repentance. It was only on the outside, yet God delayed His judgment, though He did not eliminate it. The message for us is that God judges all who persist in defying Him, and while partial repentance for the wrong reasons may delay God’s judgment, it does not totally vindicate God’s wrath. True repentance, on the other hand, will result in salvation.
The Bible says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). And that is exactly what happens here in 2 Kings 1:1-18. Sinners who ultimately refuse God, who refuse to trust in Jesus the Messiah, are judged by fire—ultimately the judgment of eternal hell-fire.
The Lord is in charge. When He is not allowed to rule in our lives, He overrules. The sins of idolatry, pride, and disobedience caused God to take action against the unrepentant sinners in our text. After much longsuffering, the Lord brings judgment. But God’s people, those who walk with the Lord Jesus, experience things the unrepentant sinner never knows and never sees.
First of all, God directs the paths of His people, those who love Him. Unbelievers, on the other hand, do not experience this godly guidance because they do not love God and they do not follow Him or seek His face. They do not turn to God.
Note Ahaziah's character: “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.” (1 Kings 22:52-53)
He was an evil man—an evil king. Moab rebelled and Ahaziah could not care less! His attitude was to let Moab rebel. It mattered not to him! The text simply says, “Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab,” (2 Kings 1:1). It makes no mention of any reaction from the king. He concerns himself only with himself: “Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, ‘Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury’” (v. 2).
Ahaziah worshiped Baal, and that fed his bent toward all things evil. He persisted in rebelling against God. Meanwhile Moab took advantage of this week, self-centered king and broke the bonds that had chained them to Israel since David first conquered them (2 Sam. 8:2). Under Ahaziah the tribute went away.
About ten years or so before Ahaziah “fell through the lattice” (v. 2a) and injured himself, Elijah had won a great victory. He defeated Baal on Mount Carmel when he called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18). Neither Ahab nor Jezebel were convinced or converted. So Ahaziah, in following suit, turned not to the Lord God of Israel, but to the false god Baal for guidance concerning his injury.
“Baal” means “lord” (small “l”) and “Baal-Zebul” means “Baal is prince.” But the devout remnant in Israel, who worshiped the true God, changed the name and ridiculed the false god of their neighbors. “Baal-Zebel” (one such name) means “lord of the dung,” and “Baal-Zebub” (the name used here) means “lord of the flies.” It was one of the names Jesus’ enemies used to insult Him. (Matt. 10:25).
Leave God out and He overrules in your life. Ahaziah was persistent in rebelling against the Lord by ignoring the God of Israel, so the Lord overruled in his life. He intervened by sending His servant Elijah. “But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD: “You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”’ So Elijah departed.” (vs. 3-4) and did as instructed.
When you ignore God and leave Him out of your life, He will overrule at some point and you may not like what happens. When you persist in rebelling against God and refusing to believe on the Lord Jesus for your salvation, eventually judgment will fall, as it did with Ahaziah. He persisted in rebelling against Christ. He refused to believe. Only judgment remained. God overruled in his life.
Follow God and He will direct your path. The Lord wants to direct your path much like he did Elijah’s. Look at how He directs Elijah in this passage: “the angel of the LORD said to Elijah” (v. 3a). He spoke to his heart and brought the king’s name to his mind. The Lord even laid on his heart the words to speak. Elijah followed God and He directed Elijah’s path.
When God lays someone on your heart, He likely wants you to pray for them and talk with them about Jesus. That is how God led Elijah, and He does the same with us. And what did Elijah do? “So Elijah departed” (v. 4b). He went and spoke with Ahaziah. We are quick to talk with people about all sorts of things that are dear to us, but what about Jesus? God wants us to tell others what Jesus means to us. When He leads, He will direct you and give you the words to speak.
Second, God protects His people. King Ahaziah tries to arrest Elijah and have him killed. But God protects him from such evil. Elijah gave God’s message to the king’s messengers and they relayed it to Ahaziah: “And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, ‘Why have you come back?’ So they said to him, ‘A man came up to meet us, and said to us, “Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”’”’ Then he said to them, ‘What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?’ So they answered him, ‘A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.’ And he said, ‘It is Elijah the Tishbite.’” (vs. 5-8)
Ahaziah knew immediately it was God’s man, God’s servant Elijah. It wasn’t rocket science. Evil men, unbelievers, recognize God’s people. They see the difference God makes in our lives. When you live for Christ, it does not escape notice. People know when you have been with Jesus. Luke reported: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
Ahaziah sought to arrest and likely even kill Elijah: “Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: ‘Man of God, the king has said, “Come down!”’ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty." (2 Kings 1:9-10).
Then the king sent a second "captain of fifty" (v. 11) with his men and the same fate awaited them (vs. 11-12). These two displays of God’s judgment by fire were dramatic messages that the people had better repent or they would all taste the judgment of God’s wrath. And notice how, even with fire from heaven crashing down on these men, the Lord protected his servant Elijah, who was standing nearby. God’s people, those who trust in Jesus, may be persecuted by ungodly men, but God fully protects His own.
Third, God saves His people. A third “captain of fifty” (v. 13) was sent by the king. However, this time things are different. This third captain proved to be both wise and humble. He showed true respect for Elijah, the “man of God.” This man submitted himself to the Lord and to His servant. He pleaded with Elijah in such a way as to endear himself to Elijah and to God as he acknowledged the full authority of God’s servant.
“The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: ‘Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight” (v. 13). He pleaded for his own life and the lives of his men. He understood both who Elijah was and who God is. He humbled himself, kneeling down before God’s man as a way of bowing before the Lord Himself.
He pleaded for mercy as he added, “Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight” (v. 14). Humbled before Elijah and God, his request was granted. His life was spared, along with the lives of his men.
It is interesting to note the Lord’s response as He again directs His servant Elijah. Verse 15 reads, “And the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the king.” It was the captains who were to be feared as much as the king. It may be that they were not only instructed to arrest Elijah, but on the way to the palace, to kill him! But God said there was nothing to fear. God had his backside!
Ahaziah was anything but a godly man. He had everything to fear. While the godly knows God’s grace, the ungodly will know God’s wrath. The king was in bed when Elijah confronted him with the words, “you shall surely die” (v. 16). All hope was gone! He was on his death bed! Still, he refused to obey the Word of God.
“So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” (vs. 17-18).Thus the Word of the Lord to the ungodly king was fulfilled.
An ungodly and unrepentant world awaits the fire of God’s wrath. It will come upon them suddenly “when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:7-9).
God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Those who do will know God’s grace, not his wrath. It is by faith in Jesus that the godly escape the wrath that is to come. God saves His people. The gospel is both a message to believe and a mandate to obey. Amen.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Enough Is Enough!
At this point in our story on the life and times of the prophet Elijah, Ahab and Jezebel have been given every opportunity to see God’s work and recognize His reality. They have been given every opportunity to respond in faith and repentance, but they refused, especially Jezebel. Ahab feigns acceptance, but in truth they both refuse to believe and they just walk away from God.
Let’s follow Ahab for a moment: In 1 Kings 20 Ahab defeats Syria twice. The first time the Lord promised Ahab victory through an unnamed prophet (v. 13) and Ahab indeed won the battle (vs. 19-21). The prophet then told Ahab to be ready in the spring for round two (v. 22).
The second time the Syrians brought the battle “in the plain” (20:25) and Israel was greatly outnumbered (v. 27). Another “man of God” came and declared that God would again deliver the Syrians into their hand so that “you shall know that I am the LORD” (v. 28). And again the victory was won (vs. 29-30). Both times God did as He said He would.
Then Ahab entered into a treaty with the Syrian king Ben-Hadad and let him live (20:31-34). As a result, a “man of the sons of the prophets” (v. 35) confronted Ahab and delivered God’s message: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people’” (v. 42). Ahab stands condemned.
After this, Ahab gives way to Jezebel and gets himself into more hot water in 1 Kings 21:1-16. It is all over a piece of real estate: namely, Naboth’s vineyard. Enter Elijah to confront Ahab (vs.17-29).
In this passage, three principles are revealed concerning the power of sin. These principles are at work in the life of Ahab as he is confronted by Elijah. But our series is all about the life and times of Elijah. So alongside of God’s confrontation of Ahab concerning his sin, we will follow a parallel outline concerning Elijah’s spiritual walk and God’s work through him.
The first principle from Romans 6:23 is that “the wages of sin is death.” As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here we see Elijah receive God's Word (1 Kings 21:17-19).
Concerning sin, the unrepentant sinner faces death, eternal spiritual death. In 1 Kings 21:1-16, Jezebel, in Ahab’s name, commits murder and steals a vineyard. For that heinous act, Ahab faces God’s judgment, and thus faces the prophet Elijah again. Elijah finds him in the garden that had belonged to Naboth, just as God had said.
Elijah delivers God’s Word to Ahab, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you murdered and also taken possession?’" (1 Kings 21:19a). And he added, “Thus says the LORD: ‘In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours’” (v. 19b).
Ahab, an unrepentant sinner, faced certain judgment. His sin would not go unpunished, and neither will our sin. Romans 6:23 pronounces God’s judgment on sin: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A faithful servant like Elijah surely held out to Ahab the prospect of life, but the sinner with an unrepentant heart still reaps death, eternal separation from God, every time.
Elijah is a faithful servant. He received God's Word and delivered it to the king. It saddened Elijah’s heart to hear that the king had not yet repented and believed in the Lord. In fact, the word was that things had only gotten worse for Ahab. Now judgment had to be proclaimed. The time had come for God’s sentence to be handed down.
We had not heard from Elijah for some time. But now he is back in center stage. God gave him the message to deliver and even told him where to find the king: “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it’” (1 Kings 21:17-18). Elijah heard God’s Word and was faithful to do God’s Word. The faithful servant hears the Word of God, listens to it, and is certain to live by it.
The second principle concerning the sinner, found in Genesis 6:5, is that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here we see Elijah deliver God's message (1 Kings 21:20-26).
The unrepentant sinner simply does evil. It is his way of life. Ahab once called Elijah “O troubler of Israel” (18:17). Now he makes it more personal. He calls Elijah, “my enemy” (21:20a). “Have you found me, O my enemy?” asked Ahab. His guilt weighed so heavy on his conscience that he knew Elijah had come to condemn him. After all, he was a sinner who did only evil all the time.
Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin’” (vs. 20b-22).
By fighting against God, he was his own worst enemy. He had brought down on himself the very sentence Elijah had come to pronounce. He would die for his sins in a most dishonorable way. Even the dogs would lick up his blood. And the same would go for Jezebel (v. 23) and all his household (v. 24). Ahab and Jezebel enjoyed many years of doing whatever they felt like and running roughshod over the people. Now those days were over. Judgment awaited.
For Elijah, everything was different. God gave him a special message for Ahab (vs. 19-22). Elijah was faithful to deliver the message exactly as God intended, and he did so in a timely manner.
While “the intent of the thoughts of” Ahab’s “heart was only evil” all the time, “the intent of the thoughts of” Elijah’s “heart was only” seeking to please God and to do the Father’s will. The faithful servant seeks to do the works God has prepared for him to do.
The third princicple concerning the power of sin is that "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5). As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here Elijah see's God's mercy (1 Kings 21:27-29).
The unrepentant sinner will certainly perish. “So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning” (21:27). Ahab reacted rather strongly to the Lord’s rebuke through Elijah. He put on sackcloth, fasted, and went into mourning. He humbled himself before the Lord.
Ahab actually repented! “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house’” (vs. 28-29).
The judgments were not canceled, just postponed until the reign of his son Joram. (You can find the story in 2 Kings 9:14-37). Ahab, however, was killed on the battlefield and the dogs licked his blood at the pool of Samaria (1 Kings 22:37-38). Because the judgment was postponed, it was his son Joram’s blood that the dogs licked up on Naboth's property, just as Elijah said (cf. 2 Kings 9:14-37).
Ahab's repentance proved to be short-lived. He put on a good front but his repentance was on the surface. HIe never trusted the Lord. Speaking with Jesus, some people sought to name events where someone’s sin was greater and more deserving of punishment than their sins (Luke 13:1-2). Jesus then suggested another scenario (Luke 13:4). In both cases His answer was the same, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Apart from repentance no man can be saved.
When there is repentance coupled with genuine faith, salvation occurs—a sinner is saved by grace. We cannot see into the heart of the sinner. Only God can do that. The faithful servant presents the Word of God, seeking repentance, and lets God take it from there, because He knows the heart and He will act according to the heart of the repentant sinner.
The faithful servant receives God’s Word, delivers God’s message, and when a sinner repents, he sees God’s mercy at work—another sinner saved by grace! It is a beautiful thing to behold, as well as a blessing to experience. Repent. Believe. Seek to be that faithful servant. Amen.
Let’s follow Ahab for a moment: In 1 Kings 20 Ahab defeats Syria twice. The first time the Lord promised Ahab victory through an unnamed prophet (v. 13) and Ahab indeed won the battle (vs. 19-21). The prophet then told Ahab to be ready in the spring for round two (v. 22).
The second time the Syrians brought the battle “in the plain” (20:25) and Israel was greatly outnumbered (v. 27). Another “man of God” came and declared that God would again deliver the Syrians into their hand so that “you shall know that I am the LORD” (v. 28). And again the victory was won (vs. 29-30). Both times God did as He said He would.
Then Ahab entered into a treaty with the Syrian king Ben-Hadad and let him live (20:31-34). As a result, a “man of the sons of the prophets” (v. 35) confronted Ahab and delivered God’s message: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people’” (v. 42). Ahab stands condemned.
After this, Ahab gives way to Jezebel and gets himself into more hot water in 1 Kings 21:1-16. It is all over a piece of real estate: namely, Naboth’s vineyard. Enter Elijah to confront Ahab (vs.17-29).
In this passage, three principles are revealed concerning the power of sin. These principles are at work in the life of Ahab as he is confronted by Elijah. But our series is all about the life and times of Elijah. So alongside of God’s confrontation of Ahab concerning his sin, we will follow a parallel outline concerning Elijah’s spiritual walk and God’s work through him.
The first principle from Romans 6:23 is that “the wages of sin is death.” As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here we see Elijah receive God's Word (1 Kings 21:17-19).
Concerning sin, the unrepentant sinner faces death, eternal spiritual death. In 1 Kings 21:1-16, Jezebel, in Ahab’s name, commits murder and steals a vineyard. For that heinous act, Ahab faces God’s judgment, and thus faces the prophet Elijah again. Elijah finds him in the garden that had belonged to Naboth, just as God had said.
Elijah delivers God’s Word to Ahab, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you murdered and also taken possession?’" (1 Kings 21:19a). And he added, “Thus says the LORD: ‘In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours’” (v. 19b).
Ahab, an unrepentant sinner, faced certain judgment. His sin would not go unpunished, and neither will our sin. Romans 6:23 pronounces God’s judgment on sin: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” A faithful servant like Elijah surely held out to Ahab the prospect of life, but the sinner with an unrepentant heart still reaps death, eternal separation from God, every time.
Elijah is a faithful servant. He received God's Word and delivered it to the king. It saddened Elijah’s heart to hear that the king had not yet repented and believed in the Lord. In fact, the word was that things had only gotten worse for Ahab. Now judgment had to be proclaimed. The time had come for God’s sentence to be handed down.
We had not heard from Elijah for some time. But now he is back in center stage. God gave him the message to deliver and even told him where to find the king: “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it’” (1 Kings 21:17-18). Elijah heard God’s Word and was faithful to do God’s Word. The faithful servant hears the Word of God, listens to it, and is certain to live by it.
The second principle concerning the sinner, found in Genesis 6:5, is that "every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here we see Elijah deliver God's message (1 Kings 21:20-26).
The unrepentant sinner simply does evil. It is his way of life. Ahab once called Elijah “O troubler of Israel” (18:17). Now he makes it more personal. He calls Elijah, “my enemy” (21:20a). “Have you found me, O my enemy?” asked Ahab. His guilt weighed so heavy on his conscience that he knew Elijah had come to condemn him. After all, he was a sinner who did only evil all the time.
Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin’” (vs. 20b-22).
By fighting against God, he was his own worst enemy. He had brought down on himself the very sentence Elijah had come to pronounce. He would die for his sins in a most dishonorable way. Even the dogs would lick up his blood. And the same would go for Jezebel (v. 23) and all his household (v. 24). Ahab and Jezebel enjoyed many years of doing whatever they felt like and running roughshod over the people. Now those days were over. Judgment awaited.
For Elijah, everything was different. God gave him a special message for Ahab (vs. 19-22). Elijah was faithful to deliver the message exactly as God intended, and he did so in a timely manner.
While “the intent of the thoughts of” Ahab’s “heart was only evil” all the time, “the intent of the thoughts of” Elijah’s “heart was only” seeking to please God and to do the Father’s will. The faithful servant seeks to do the works God has prepared for him to do.
The third princicple concerning the power of sin is that "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5). As to Elijah's spiritual walk, here Elijah see's God's mercy (1 Kings 21:27-29).
The unrepentant sinner will certainly perish. “So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning” (21:27). Ahab reacted rather strongly to the Lord’s rebuke through Elijah. He put on sackcloth, fasted, and went into mourning. He humbled himself before the Lord.
Ahab actually repented! “And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house’” (vs. 28-29).
The judgments were not canceled, just postponed until the reign of his son Joram. (You can find the story in 2 Kings 9:14-37). Ahab, however, was killed on the battlefield and the dogs licked his blood at the pool of Samaria (1 Kings 22:37-38). Because the judgment was postponed, it was his son Joram’s blood that the dogs licked up on Naboth's property, just as Elijah said (cf. 2 Kings 9:14-37).
Ahab's repentance proved to be short-lived. He put on a good front but his repentance was on the surface. HIe never trusted the Lord. Speaking with Jesus, some people sought to name events where someone’s sin was greater and more deserving of punishment than their sins (Luke 13:1-2). Jesus then suggested another scenario (Luke 13:4). In both cases His answer was the same, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Apart from repentance no man can be saved.
When there is repentance coupled with genuine faith, salvation occurs—a sinner is saved by grace. We cannot see into the heart of the sinner. Only God can do that. The faithful servant presents the Word of God, seeking repentance, and lets God take it from there, because He knows the heart and He will act according to the heart of the repentant sinner.
The faithful servant receives God’s Word, delivers God’s message, and when a sinner repents, he sees God’s mercy at work—another sinner saved by grace! It is a beautiful thing to behold, as well as a blessing to experience. Repent. Believe. Seek to be that faithful servant. Amen.
Friday, January 30, 2015
That Still Small Voice
In our text today (1 Kings 19:9-21), God reveals Himself to Elijah and speaks to him. But He does not speak to Elijah out of His omnipotence; He does not speak in a loud and dramatic fashion, calling attention to Himself. Rather He is still and soft. He speaks to Elijah out of the quietness and in “a still small voice” (v. 12b).
The greatest work Christ ever did for you was to die on the cross in your place, to give you new life and eternal life in Him. That was the single most important thing He did for you since sin entered the world. But it was not done out of strength, it was not done out of power, though Christ is the omnipotent, all-powerful God of Creation.
His work of salvation was done out of weakness and suffering. It was done on a cross while the world looked on in disbelief and a total lack of understanding. As they looked on, they saw the weakness and suffering of Christ on the cross as a total defeat. Instead it was a total victory! They were fools. They did not understand.
David said, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:1-3)
Paul quotes from this Psalm when he says, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10-12)
Sometimes we are only a step ahead of the fool who denies the very existence of God. We believe in God, but we do not listen to Him. We are afraid to listen to the voice of God. We want to have that “pity party” and feel sorry for ourselves, like we see Elijah doing. It we listen to the voice of God, we will not be able to do that.
To his credit, Elijah did listen to God and he also took action because of what he heard. He did not mind listening for the voice of God, because he made a habit of listening to the Lord and of doing according to His Word.
What Elijah understood and what we need to learn is that God’s voice is friendly. He seeks only our best. We need not fear His voice, but we must listen for His voice with a heart that is ready to obey. That is what Elijah did.
The chapter begins with Elijah on the run, hoping to save himself. When he stops running, he argues with God in an attempt to defend himself. He goes from the mountaintop to the swamp, but in the end his strength is restored, both physically and spiritually, and he obeys God, yields himself to Him, and is returned to his work of service.
In all that he did, Elijah responded to the voice of God. He felt like giving up, but he did not. Instead he listened for God's voice and when God spoke to him, he acted on the Word God spoke. When we feel like giving up and walking away we too need to stop and listen for the voice of God.
The unbelief and fear that the people of Israel showed at Kadesh Barnea caused them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness (Num. 13-14). Elijah's unbelief and fear led to his 40 day trial in that same desert (v. 8). Yet the Lord directed his steps all along the way, using this time in the wilderness to prepare Elijah to meet Him anew.
When he arrived at Mount Horeb, “he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place” (v. 9). He made this cave his home and he waited on the Lord “in that place.” This cave is special. Not only is this Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb), the very mountain where God met Moses in the burning bush some 400 years earlier and wrote the Ten Commandments with the finger of God, but this is possibly the same cave or “cleft of the rock” where God put Moses while His glory passed by.
The Hebrew literally says, “He came there to the cave” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 4. 149). Note the use of the definite article “the.” This is not just “a” cave, this is “the” cave. So it is possibly the very "cleft of the rock" where God had placed Moses as his glory passed by (Exodus 33:22-23).
In this sacred cave Elijah waited on the Lord. He was depressed. He was ready to give up both his calling and his life. Remember verse 4 when Elijah sat under “a broom tree” and prayed, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” What a sad day it was. But Elijah did the right thing: he got away from it all and sought the Lord.
The Lord came and met him, just as Elijah had hoped. But He didn’t come to chastise Elijah or even to instruct him. He came to ask him a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 9b)
Elijah avoids the question. He says simply, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (v. 10)
Rather than admit he is hiding, he complains that God’s people have gone astray, killed the prophets, and put a contract out on his life as well! He exaggerates.
He would repeat the question, but first He revealed His power to Elijah in order to let him know that God does not always speak in dramatic form. In fact He rarely does. If you want to hear God’s voice, you have to listen carefully for that “still small voice” of God that comes to us without all the noise.
“Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (vs. 11-12)
That "still small voice" (v. 12b) shook Elijah to the core. All the Lord wants is for us to listen and let Him guide us by that “still small voice.” Elijah listened. He heard that “still small voice.” And “when Elijah heard it…he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave” (v. 13a). He was ready to hear the Word of the Lord.
Sometimes we too need to find our way through all of the noise and listen for that “still small voice” of God. He is there and He is speaking to our hearts. It’s just that oftentimes we are not listening. We don’t listen because we don’t want to obey. It seems easier to put our nose to the grind and do it ourselves, in our own power. But that doesn't work. We need God's guidance and His power.
Again the question was asked: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 13b). And again Elijah gave the same response: “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (v. 14). Elijah, Elijah! It was time to quit speaking. It was time to listen!
That “still small voice” brings the Word of God to the listening ear and the contrite heart. There is a time and a place for the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but most of the time God speaks directly to our hearts with that gentle whisper, with a quiet persuasion. God’s Word is like a gentle breeze that cools and refreshes, cleanses and produces life.
The greatest work Christ ever did for you was to die on the cross in your place, to give you new life and eternal life in Him. That was the single most important thing He did for you since sin entered the world. But it was not done out of strength, it was not done out of power, though Christ is the omnipotent, all-powerful God of Creation.
His work of salvation was done out of weakness and suffering. It was done on a cross while the world looked on in disbelief and a total lack of understanding. As they looked on, they saw the weakness and suffering of Christ on the cross as a total defeat. Instead it was a total victory! They were fools. They did not understand.
David said, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:1-3)
Paul quotes from this Psalm when he says, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10-12)
Sometimes we are only a step ahead of the fool who denies the very existence of God. We believe in God, but we do not listen to Him. We are afraid to listen to the voice of God. We want to have that “pity party” and feel sorry for ourselves, like we see Elijah doing. It we listen to the voice of God, we will not be able to do that.
To his credit, Elijah did listen to God and he also took action because of what he heard. He did not mind listening for the voice of God, because he made a habit of listening to the Lord and of doing according to His Word.
What Elijah understood and what we need to learn is that God’s voice is friendly. He seeks only our best. We need not fear His voice, but we must listen for His voice with a heart that is ready to obey. That is what Elijah did.
The chapter begins with Elijah on the run, hoping to save himself. When he stops running, he argues with God in an attempt to defend himself. He goes from the mountaintop to the swamp, but in the end his strength is restored, both physically and spiritually, and he obeys God, yields himself to Him, and is returned to his work of service.
In all that he did, Elijah responded to the voice of God. He felt like giving up, but he did not. Instead he listened for God's voice and when God spoke to him, he acted on the Word God spoke. When we feel like giving up and walking away we too need to stop and listen for the voice of God.
The unbelief and fear that the people of Israel showed at Kadesh Barnea caused them to wander for 40 years in the wilderness (Num. 13-14). Elijah's unbelief and fear led to his 40 day trial in that same desert (v. 8). Yet the Lord directed his steps all along the way, using this time in the wilderness to prepare Elijah to meet Him anew.
When he arrived at Mount Horeb, “he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place” (v. 9). He made this cave his home and he waited on the Lord “in that place.” This cave is special. Not only is this Mount Sinai (or Mount Horeb), the very mountain where God met Moses in the burning bush some 400 years earlier and wrote the Ten Commandments with the finger of God, but this is possibly the same cave or “cleft of the rock” where God put Moses while His glory passed by.
The Hebrew literally says, “He came there to the cave” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 4. 149). Note the use of the definite article “the.” This is not just “a” cave, this is “the” cave. So it is possibly the very "cleft of the rock" where God had placed Moses as his glory passed by (Exodus 33:22-23).
In this sacred cave Elijah waited on the Lord. He was depressed. He was ready to give up both his calling and his life. Remember verse 4 when Elijah sat under “a broom tree” and prayed, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” What a sad day it was. But Elijah did the right thing: he got away from it all and sought the Lord.
The Lord came and met him, just as Elijah had hoped. But He didn’t come to chastise Elijah or even to instruct him. He came to ask him a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 9b)
Elijah avoids the question. He says simply, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (v. 10)
Rather than admit he is hiding, he complains that God’s people have gone astray, killed the prophets, and put a contract out on his life as well! He exaggerates.
He would repeat the question, but first He revealed His power to Elijah in order to let him know that God does not always speak in dramatic form. In fact He rarely does. If you want to hear God’s voice, you have to listen carefully for that “still small voice” of God that comes to us without all the noise.
“Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (vs. 11-12)
That "still small voice" (v. 12b) shook Elijah to the core. All the Lord wants is for us to listen and let Him guide us by that “still small voice.” Elijah listened. He heard that “still small voice.” And “when Elijah heard it…he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave” (v. 13a). He was ready to hear the Word of the Lord.
Sometimes we too need to find our way through all of the noise and listen for that “still small voice” of God. He is there and He is speaking to our hearts. It’s just that oftentimes we are not listening. We don’t listen because we don’t want to obey. It seems easier to put our nose to the grind and do it ourselves, in our own power. But that doesn't work. We need God's guidance and His power.
Again the question was asked: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 13b). And again Elijah gave the same response: “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life” (v. 14). Elijah, Elijah! It was time to quit speaking. It was time to listen!
That “still small voice” brings the Word of God to the listening ear and the contrite heart. There is a time and a place for the wind, the earthquake, and the fire, but most of the time God speaks directly to our hearts with that gentle whisper, with a quiet persuasion. God’s Word is like a gentle breeze that cools and refreshes, cleanses and produces life.
With Elijah ready to listen, the Lord God wasted no time in giving instructions: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place” (vs. 15-16). It was time to pass the torch to Elisha to equip a new generation.
He is told that by his words and works Elisha will finish the work (v. 17). He is further told that he is not alone (v. 18). So he did as instructed (vs. 19-21). Elijah listened to God’s “still small voice” and did as the Lord led him.
Elijah had his moments. At times he walked by sight and not by faith, yet he had an ear to hear the “still small voice” of God. Do you hear His voice? Listen carefully and follow Him faithfully. Amen.
Monday, January 26, 2015
From the Mountaintop to the Swamp and Back Again
It has been far too long since my last post, which was at Christmas. My resolution is to do better in 2015. A lot has been happening. I am still searching for the churcch miniistry God has for me. Also, on a good note, Barbara has just two chemo treatments left.
Now it is time to return to the story of Elijah. We pick up the story in 1 Kings 19:1-8. Elijah has just called down fire from heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18). Now Elijah deals with a real threat on his life. Elijah struggles with the issue and chapter 19 gives great insight into how he handles the problem.
James 5:17 says that “Elijah was as human as we are” (NLT). We often tend to think of the men and women in Scripture as being nearly perfect. They were not. They are “as human as we are,” just like James said. In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul called the Bible the “word of truth,” and the Bible describes the failures and shortcomings of even the greatest people in Scripture, as well as their successes.
When James wrote those words about Elijah being human, he may have had 1 Kings 18 and 19 in mind. In these two chapters we see Elijah at the height of his ministry, on the mountain top calling down fire from heaven, and at his lowest moment, sulking under a “juniper tree” (19:5, NASB).
How many times over the years have even the best of Christians sunk deep into despair not long after experiencing a great victory for God? In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes a deep bog referred to as “the slough of despond,” or “the swamp of despair.” Christian, under the weight of his sin and guilt, finds himself sinking deep into this bog. And all because the enemy has driven him to despair.
In Scripture, some of God’s greatest leaders struggled with despair and discouragement as well. But what we also see in Scripture is that, in spite of the fact they were human like us, having many shortcomings, they knew how to get back on track with the Lord. By paying close attention to stories such as this one about Elijah, we can learn as much from their defeats as we can from their victories.
Stories like this remind us to always be ready for what sometimes happens after the victories God gives us. How quickly we can go from the mountaintop to the valley, or “the swamp.” Humble yourself before the Lord. Be ready for the trials that so often follow the victories.
The chapter begins with Elijah on the run, hoping to save himself. When he stops running, he argues with God in an attempt to defend himself. We would probably say he was suffering from a textbook case of burnout. He was exhausted and depressed. There was a contract out on him and he fled for his life. It may be he thought himself a failure because his work failed to sway the king toward God. As a result He fell into a time of self-pity. So Elijah goes from the mountaintop to the swamp, but in the end his strength is restored physically and spiritually, he obeys God, yields himself to Him, and is returned to his work of service.
The text does not say how Ahab broke the news to Jezebel of what had taken place on Mount Carmel. It does not say how he went about telling her that Baal had been put to the test by Elijah and defeated. It does not say how Ahab informed Jezebel that Baal had been humiliated and declared to be false before all the people. Nor does it say how Ahab told Jezebel that all her prophets of Baal had been executed. What the text does say is simply, “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword” (v. 1).
“Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time’” (v. 2). Jezebel put out a contract on his life and it put him to flight: “And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there” (v. 3). His was a natural reaction. Any one of us may have done the same. When persecution sets in we tend to run and hide, just like Elijah did. It’s only natural.
But is that the right reaction? When we suffer and are persecuted by enemies of Christ, should we run and hide? That is what Elijah did. He “ran for his life” (v. 3a) and found a place to hide and sulk. “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree” (v. 4a). Is that the response we should have? Should we cower before the enemy? Should we run and hide and sulk, saying “Woe is me”? Probably not.
What should our reaction be? When everything begins to go south and seems to go wrong, when we don’t get the results we expected from our outreach to others and persecution sets in, don’t run and hide and sulk. Instead, kneel and pray and seek God’s face. Don’t give the enemy any inkling of victory. When things don’t go as expected, seize the moment by going to God in prayer. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Stay alert! Kneel and pray!
That is what Elijah did after he ran and hid. Well sort of. He prayed alright, but his prayer was nothing more than a way of sulking and complaining. “And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” (v. 4b).
But, you know what? Sometimes that is precisely where we are, and where we need to begin. Not being suicidal, but being honest with God. When things go wrong, and we are suffering and discouraged like Elijah, we need to pray like Elijah did. He didn’t mince words. He was honest with God and simply put into words what he felt inside. It was a good beginning. His honesty with God prepared him to rise up from the swamp and come back again into a closer walk with God.
Sometimes you just need to take a little nap. You need rest. Whether you are discouraged or just plain exhausted, either way, the best remedy is sleep. And that is what Elijah did—he slept. In Mark 6:31 Jesus said to His disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” That is where Elijah was. He was discouraged and exhausted. He needed some rest.
As he slept he was visited by an angel; an angel with a purpose—to renew his strength. “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat’” (v. 5). Then verse 7 says, “And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat.” Here this visitor is referred to as “the angel of the LORD,” an Old Testament title for the pre-incarnate Christ. Elijah was visited by Jesus!
When the angel awoke him the first time, Elijah “looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again” (v. 6). He was allowed to sleep a little longer; how long we do not know, we are not told. But at some point Jesus woke him a second time. This time Jesus told Elijah to “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you” (v. 7b).
Jesus knew where Elijah planned to go. He was headed for Mount Sinai, one of the most sacred places in all of Jewish history. Sinai was located about 250 miles from Beersheba. It would be a very long journey, so Elijah needed strength beyond measure. The Lord renewed his strength.
When you look at how God worked in Elijah’s life and ministry in 1 Kings 18 and 19, you can see the promise of Isaiah 40:31 written all over it. “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
For three and a half years God hid Elijah. Throughout that time Elijah was faithful to “wait on the LORD.” Then, when at Mount Carmel, the Lord enabled Elijah to “mount up with wings like eagles” as he called down fire from heaven defeating the prophets of Baal. Elijah followed God faithfully by praying for rain and the Lord sent the rain in abundance and strengthened Elijah to “run and not be weary.” Jesus sustained him for forty days, so he could “walk and not faint” throughout his journey.
Even though he was discouraged for a time, Elijah knew he had to “wait on the LORD,” if he was to have the strength he needed for the journey God had for him to travel. When He needed strength, the Lord renewed his strength. And all along the way the Lord was building his faith.
When you take control of your life you will find the swamp, and that is no fun. If you find yourself there, pray. God will lift you up and give you strength for the journey. If you give God control of your life you will find your way back to Him. Amen.
Now it is time to return to the story of Elijah. We pick up the story in 1 Kings 19:1-8. Elijah has just called down fire from heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18). Now Elijah deals with a real threat on his life. Elijah struggles with the issue and chapter 19 gives great insight into how he handles the problem.
James 5:17 says that “Elijah was as human as we are” (NLT). We often tend to think of the men and women in Scripture as being nearly perfect. They were not. They are “as human as we are,” just like James said. In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul called the Bible the “word of truth,” and the Bible describes the failures and shortcomings of even the greatest people in Scripture, as well as their successes.
When James wrote those words about Elijah being human, he may have had 1 Kings 18 and 19 in mind. In these two chapters we see Elijah at the height of his ministry, on the mountain top calling down fire from heaven, and at his lowest moment, sulking under a “juniper tree” (19:5, NASB).
How many times over the years have even the best of Christians sunk deep into despair not long after experiencing a great victory for God? In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes a deep bog referred to as “the slough of despond,” or “the swamp of despair.” Christian, under the weight of his sin and guilt, finds himself sinking deep into this bog. And all because the enemy has driven him to despair.
In Scripture, some of God’s greatest leaders struggled with despair and discouragement as well. But what we also see in Scripture is that, in spite of the fact they were human like us, having many shortcomings, they knew how to get back on track with the Lord. By paying close attention to stories such as this one about Elijah, we can learn as much from their defeats as we can from their victories.
Stories like this remind us to always be ready for what sometimes happens after the victories God gives us. How quickly we can go from the mountaintop to the valley, or “the swamp.” Humble yourself before the Lord. Be ready for the trials that so often follow the victories.
The chapter begins with Elijah on the run, hoping to save himself. When he stops running, he argues with God in an attempt to defend himself. We would probably say he was suffering from a textbook case of burnout. He was exhausted and depressed. There was a contract out on him and he fled for his life. It may be he thought himself a failure because his work failed to sway the king toward God. As a result He fell into a time of self-pity. So Elijah goes from the mountaintop to the swamp, but in the end his strength is restored physically and spiritually, he obeys God, yields himself to Him, and is returned to his work of service.
The text does not say how Ahab broke the news to Jezebel of what had taken place on Mount Carmel. It does not say how he went about telling her that Baal had been put to the test by Elijah and defeated. It does not say how Ahab informed Jezebel that Baal had been humiliated and declared to be false before all the people. Nor does it say how Ahab told Jezebel that all her prophets of Baal had been executed. What the text does say is simply, “Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword” (v. 1).
“Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time’” (v. 2). Jezebel put out a contract on his life and it put him to flight: “And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there” (v. 3). His was a natural reaction. Any one of us may have done the same. When persecution sets in we tend to run and hide, just like Elijah did. It’s only natural.
But is that the right reaction? When we suffer and are persecuted by enemies of Christ, should we run and hide? That is what Elijah did. He “ran for his life” (v. 3a) and found a place to hide and sulk. “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree” (v. 4a). Is that the response we should have? Should we cower before the enemy? Should we run and hide and sulk, saying “Woe is me”? Probably not.
What should our reaction be? When everything begins to go south and seems to go wrong, when we don’t get the results we expected from our outreach to others and persecution sets in, don’t run and hide and sulk. Instead, kneel and pray and seek God’s face. Don’t give the enemy any inkling of victory. When things don’t go as expected, seize the moment by going to God in prayer. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Stay alert! Kneel and pray!
That is what Elijah did after he ran and hid. Well sort of. He prayed alright, but his prayer was nothing more than a way of sulking and complaining. “And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’” (v. 4b).
But, you know what? Sometimes that is precisely where we are, and where we need to begin. Not being suicidal, but being honest with God. When things go wrong, and we are suffering and discouraged like Elijah, we need to pray like Elijah did. He didn’t mince words. He was honest with God and simply put into words what he felt inside. It was a good beginning. His honesty with God prepared him to rise up from the swamp and come back again into a closer walk with God.
Sometimes you just need to take a little nap. You need rest. Whether you are discouraged or just plain exhausted, either way, the best remedy is sleep. And that is what Elijah did—he slept. In Mark 6:31 Jesus said to His disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” That is where Elijah was. He was discouraged and exhausted. He needed some rest.
As he slept he was visited by an angel; an angel with a purpose—to renew his strength. “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, ‘Arise and eat’” (v. 5). Then verse 7 says, “And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, ‘Arise and eat.” Here this visitor is referred to as “the angel of the LORD,” an Old Testament title for the pre-incarnate Christ. Elijah was visited by Jesus!
When the angel awoke him the first time, Elijah “looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again” (v. 6). He was allowed to sleep a little longer; how long we do not know, we are not told. But at some point Jesus woke him a second time. This time Jesus told Elijah to “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you” (v. 7b).
Jesus knew where Elijah planned to go. He was headed for Mount Sinai, one of the most sacred places in all of Jewish history. Sinai was located about 250 miles from Beersheba. It would be a very long journey, so Elijah needed strength beyond measure. The Lord renewed his strength.
When you look at how God worked in Elijah’s life and ministry in 1 Kings 18 and 19, you can see the promise of Isaiah 40:31 written all over it. “But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
For three and a half years God hid Elijah. Throughout that time Elijah was faithful to “wait on the LORD.” Then, when at Mount Carmel, the Lord enabled Elijah to “mount up with wings like eagles” as he called down fire from heaven defeating the prophets of Baal. Elijah followed God faithfully by praying for rain and the Lord sent the rain in abundance and strengthened Elijah to “run and not be weary.” Jesus sustained him for forty days, so he could “walk and not faint” throughout his journey.
Even though he was discouraged for a time, Elijah knew he had to “wait on the LORD,” if he was to have the strength he needed for the journey God had for him to travel. When He needed strength, the Lord renewed his strength. And all along the way the Lord was building his faith.
When you take control of your life you will find the swamp, and that is no fun. If you find yourself there, pray. God will lift you up and give you strength for the journey. If you give God control of your life you will find your way back to Him. Amen.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
When God Comes Near
A lot has been happening this past month keeping me from making a new entry. Sorry this has been so long in coming. Barb has had a rough month but is doing better, except for being so tired all the time. However, she is nearing the end of her chemo treatment.
I preached a Christmas message this past Sunday, December 21 in Greensburg, Kansas, at the Greensburg Christian Church. Barb and I had a great time. We greatly enjoyed meeting so many outstsanding people who walk with Jesus. It was great to be back in the pulpit. Looking forward to returning there sometime soon.
Tomorrow is Christmas day, a day for celebrating the birth of our Savior. The birth of Jesus in a lowly stable out back behind an inn that had no rooms available was hardly what Mary and Joseph had in mind for a deliverly room. But then who would even consider second-guessing God? They certaiinly would not. The stable was just fine, and the manger worked perfect as a cradle.
The central part of the Christmas story is found in Luke 2:1-20. The first seven verses tell of the birth of Jesus in the stable, while verses 8-20 tell us about the role of the shepherds. They were called upon by God to announce His birth to the world. So let's dig in!
The Christmas story has everything a great story needs. There is amazement, along with conflict and fear as the story begins. There is an upright man who is engaged to be married, but he finds out his wife-to-be is with child. What should he do? How will he handle this delicate situation? Then an angel appears in a dream and tells him of wondrous things he couldn’t even imagine.
There is concern, as well as anticipation as the story continues and a census is required. Joseph and Mary make a long, treacherous journey from Galilee down to Judah, to the city of Bethlehem, the city of their ancestors.
There is drama throughout, from the journey itself, to their arrival in Bethlehem where the streets are crowded with all sorts of people and there are no rooms available in any of the inns. Seeing that Mary was with child, a kind innkeeper allows them to stay in the stable out back, where soon Jesus is born.
Then there is also political intrigue; a government wanting to eliminate anything that might affect the status quo and a king seeking to find and kill this baby, a baby people refer to as a King. Again, danger is in the mix as eventually Joseph, warned in a dream, has to take Mary and baby Jesus and flee for their lives to Egypt.
And yet the Christmas story is really quite simple and straight forward. It begins in an insignificant village, Nazareth, when an angel of God visits Mary and Joseph separately. It ends in another insignificant little town, Bethlehem, when baby Jesus is born in a stable and laid in a manger.
But that is what makes everything about the Christmas story so intriguing! In insignificant places, Nazareth and Bethlehem, God finds and uses insignificant people, a carpenter and his betrothed wife, and through an insignificant event, the birth of a baby, He changes the world!
The 'happening' places of the world at that time were Rome and Syria. The world rulers lived there. No one gave much thought to Palestine, tucked away in a small little pocket of the Roman Lake, also known as the Mediterranean Sea, except God.
When God comes near, everything changes. When God acts, the important places become less important and the insignificant places of the world suddenly become important and are noticed.
The Christmas story focuses on little places, like Nazareth and Bethlehem. When the order was given for the census (Luke 2:1-2), “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.” (vs. 4-5).
Nathanael once asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). That is how the world viewed these small towns—as insignificant. Yet it was in Nazareth where God found Mary, a faithful woman, and Joseph, a faithful man, and put His work of salvation in motion. Yes Nathanael, something good can come out of Nazareth.
Bethlehem is called “the city of David” because David was born there, but it really was not a city of any noticeable size and it had no great importance as far as the world was concerned. “So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).
Who would expect anything great to take place involving a manger in a stable? Yet that is where Jesus was born. And God visited the fields outside of Bethlehem, where the shepherds were watching their sheep, to announce the birth of His Son. “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (vs. 10-12).
When God comes near, common things are no longer common. When God comes near, insignificant places are remembered throughout history. When God comes near, ordinary things are looked upon with favor and even remind us of the great things God has done.
The important people of the world were Caesar Augustus and Quirinius (vs. 1-2). But they weren’t called on by God. He used them in a way, but He didn’t call them to do His work. No, He called on the common folk.
First there is the young poor couple from Nazareth, Joseph and Mary (vs. 4-5). Joseph was but a poor carpenter, albeit a good one, and Mary was just a young teenager. Yet they were chosen by God for a great work; a work that would ultimately change the entire world.
God also chose the shepherds: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (v. 8). Throughout the Bible shepherds had important roles, as we see in this story, but socially they were outcasts. They were considered unreliable, untrustworthy, and larcenous. In the eyes of the world they were insignificant, yet God chose to use them.
“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (vs. 15-16). They never expected to hear such things or see such sights, but they did.
God chose the despised shepherds to carry the announcement of the birth of the Savior to the world. And they did not disappoint. “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child” (v. 17). “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them” (v. 20).
Even the lowly innkeeper was chosen by God to see that Mary and Joseph were not left out in the elements that night. The innkeeper is so insignificant a person that he is not even mentioned in the text. There is only a slight reference to his role: “because there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7b). Yet it was this unnamed innkeeper whom God used to protect the baby Jesus and keep Him warm.
God uses common people still today to do His work. He uses towns like the one you live in, churches like the one you attend, and people like you to do His bidding. Simply respond to God as Mary did to the angel, “Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).
The big events of the day would be plastered all across the front page of the morning paper in Bethlehem. You would read all about the census. It may even mention the enormous influx of people and catch everyone up on how the economy is fairing because of the people and all the money being spent in local businesses. But a baby born to a poor carpenter? At best you might find it in the “living section,” somewhere around page 5 in section D. Most people wouldn’t see it as important enough, even though it was unusual, having occurred in a stable.
But that one event, the birth of Christ, would ultimately overshadow everything else that went on there that day. The rest of the news that day is gone. The census that was taken is only known because of the role it played in bringing Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It is but a minor detail in the great event. What everyone remembers is the birth of Jesus, the birth of our Savior. That is the most important event of the day. Why? Because God came near and a Savior was born.
An ordinary event. Yet to the believer, an event that is anything but ordinary. God came near and prophecy was fulfilled. God came near and a virgin was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), conceived, and gave birth to the Savior. God came near and lowly shepherds were visited by angels and brought the good news of the birth of the Savior to the people (Luke 2:17). God came near and wise men from the east saw a star that guided them to the Savior (Matt. 2:1-2, 9-10). God came near and Joseph was warned in a dream about King Herod and fled to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus to keep Him safe (Matt. 2:13-15).
Another event about thirty-three years later would finish what God started that first Christmas morning. That baby grew and though He “knew no sin” He became “sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The birth led to the cross, providing forgiveness of sin and salvation.
That is the ultimate truth of the Christmas story. It is God coming near to provide salvation for us. It is about God coming near to us still today. All places, all people, and all events matter to God. You matter to God! We tend to see ourselves as insignificant. In the greater scheme of things in this world we think we are of little importance. But you are just the person God most wants to use to accomplish His purposes. Have a little faith. Let Him have all of you. And let God use you to His glory. Amen.
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