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Tag Archives: fear of the Lord

Psalm 119:73-80, Translation & Notes

07 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by memoirandremains in affliction, Hebrew, Psalms

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Affliction, fear of the Lord, Hebrew Translation, Hope, mercy, Prayer, Psalm 119, Psalm 119:73-80

Your hands made and formed me

Make me discern, that I may learn your commandments.

May those who fear you see me and rejoice,

for I hope as you have spoken.

Lord, I know, your judgments are just:

you afflicted me in faithfulness.

Oh, let your kindness be comfort to me,

As you promised your servant.

Let your mercies come to me, and it shall be

For I delight in your law.

May the mockers be ashamed for they twist me with lies,

Still I ponder and pray over your precepts.

Those who fear you will turn to me

And then will know your testimony.

Let my heart be blameless in your precepts

So that I will not be put to shame.

Hebrew Text & Notes  Continue reading →

O Praise to the King

30 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, Obedience, Praise, Preaching, Psalms, Singing

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1 Corinthians :6-8, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 2:9, A precise God, Acts 2:36, All Hail the Power of Jesus Name, Colossians 3:5, covetousness, Crown Him With Many Crowns, Ephesians 2:3-6, Eugene Peterson, fear of the Lord, Hebrews 1, Hebrews 1:5, Hebrews 4:12-13, I-Me-Songs, idolatry, Isaiah 66:1-2, Jesus Is My Boyfriend, John 14:6, John 17:5, Luke 2:14, Malachi 1:8, Matthew 1:38-39, O Sacred Head Now Wounded, Praise, Prayer, Psalm, Revelation 5:9-10, Richard Rogers, Romans 3:10-12, Romans1:4, Shia Linne, Songs, Thomas Brooks, Thomas Watson, Vapid Songs, Worship, Wrong Songs

Notes for a sermon on Hebrews 1:5a

 

Hebrews 1:1–6 (ESV)

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”?

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”

 

Look down at verses 5-6. These contain three quotations from the Old Testament. Each quotation tells us that (1) Jesus is King, and (2) all creation must worship Jesus as King.  There is a wonderful hymn which teaches this doctrine plainly and memorably:

All hail the power of Jesus name

Let angels prostrate fall.

Bring forth the royal diadem [diadem is word which means “crown for a king”]

And crown him Lord of all.

 

Here is one you should recognize, because we just sang it:

Crown him with many crowns

The Lamb upon his throne

Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns

All music but its own.

Awake my soul and sing

Of him who died for thee

And hail him as thy matchless king

Through all eternity.

 

The words are a little old fashioned with thees and matchless, but that only reminds us that the church, the people of God came long before us.  Look at those hymnals in front you. The first hundred and some pages are songs written by men and women over hundreds of years who all repeated in verses what I am going to tell you today.  If you don’t know the two songs I have quoted this morning, you would do well to go learn those songs.  If you took just a little of the time you devoted to football or Facebook or politics or video games and gave that time to learning a useful hymn or two, your soul would profit.

This morning, we are going to look at the first half of Hebrews 1 verse 5

You are my Son, Today I have begotten you.

From that text we are going to learn one thing:

Jesus is King.

And we will have one point of application:

We must worship Jesus as King.

Jesus is King:

Look down at verse 5, look at those words

You are my Son, today I have begotten you.

Those words come from Psalm 2.  By quoting those words, the writer of Hebrews means to prove something important about Jesus.  Now, you will not understand what those words mean in Hebrews unless you know what those words mean in Psalm 2—so please turn with me to Psalm 2.

Psalm 2 has a very simple structure: there are four parts, and each person of the Trinity takes a turn speaking. The first part concerns the people on earth. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Psalmist, tells us that human beings have gathered together to kill Christ.

Look down at verse 1:

Why the nations rage

And the peoples plot in vain?

 

The Psalmist, perhaps King David, looks out over the world and sees the nations in rebellion. Look at the words at the end of verse one: “plot in vain”. If you have an NASB it reads, “devising a vain thing.” I just want you to consider this: The insanity of the people is that they are consumed with something empty, something vain. 

Do I really need to prove this to you? Just look out at the world. Listen to the news.  Isn’t this world in a raging, vicious mess? And why is the world in such a fury?

Look at verse 2:

Psalm 2:2 (ESV)

2  The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed,

 

This Psalm is a prophecy about Jesus. The kings and the rulers mentioned in this Psalm are Pilate and Herod and the priests and the leaders of the Jewish people.  

Everyone got together to rebel against God: They are meditating day and night on how to free themselves from the Lord and from the Lord’s Anointed.[1] Anointed is another way of saying Messiah – or the word we usually use, “Christ”. In verse 3 we see that they look upon God’s majesty and control as chains, as bonds and fetters and cords.

Nothing has changed – the rebellion is the same. And since they hated Jesus, they will certainly hate those who love Jesus. Do not be surprised.

The next section, verses 4-6, turns to God the Father.  In verse 4 we see that God sits in the heavens, that means God sits enthroned with transcendent majesty: God is above and beyond his creation. When looks down on the rebellion he can do nothing but mock.

It has always been this way with humanity. The first sin was an attempt to free ourselves from God. The Serpent’s promise was that we no longer need God because we would become like God. Yet, rather than rising we fell into death and disgrace. Ever since, human rebellion and sin has been the foolish, vain attempt to cast off God.

With the coming of Jesus, we thought we could do so with one final attack upon the Lord’ Anointed:

This is the heir. Come let us kill him and have his inheritance. And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Matthew 21:38-39

The rebels think they have destroyed God’s efforts. But they do not understand what God has done. There is a secret in this world. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 Paul explained the secret:

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of the God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (ESV).

Christ did not merely die upon the cross. Those present saw Jesus for the charge of being “King of the Jews”. It is how Jesus came into the world. In Luke 2, an angel appears to the shepherds of Bethlehem and tells them that a Savior has been born in Bethlehem and this Savior is Christ the Lord. Then angels appear, the sky bristles with light, and they sing

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Luke 2:14.

Matthew 2 we read of the Magi who came to worship the King of the Jews. But the wicked ruler Herod the Great seethed when he heard these words. He did not go to worship, but rather he sent soldiers in the vain hope that by murdering little boys he could destroy the Lord’s Christ.

No. None of the rulers of this age understood what happened. Look at verse 6 of Psalm 2.

Psalm 2:6 (ESV)

            6       “As for me, I have set my King

      on Zion, my holy hill.”

 

Rebellion double crossed the rebellious:  The wicked thought they could overthrow Christ. But in the moment when they thought that they had slipped the demands of God, they found themselves captured. They thought they had killed Jesus upon the Cross. But God looked down and saw a king conquering his enemies.

 

The third section turns to the Son. If you are thinking of this as a story, the first paragraph is the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. The second paragraph records the anger of God at the murder of His Son. The third paragraph turns to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to be king over all creation. We will now listen to what Jesus has to say, read with me verses 7-9:

 

Psalm 2:7–9 (ESV)

 

            7       I will tell of the decree:

                  The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;

      today I have begotten you.

            8       Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,

      and the ends of the earth your possession.

            9       You shall break them with a rod of iron

      and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

 

The language we read in verse 7, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” Obviously the words cannot mean that Jesus was born on that day. The Psalm is referring to the crucifixion of Jesus. The Psalms also cannot be referring to the Son of God being created or any such nonsense. Rather, this is referring to Jesus being made Lord and Christ[2]. Peter says this in Acts 2:36:

 

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Acts 2:36 (ESV)

 

Paul explains the same thing in Romans 1:4:

 

4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:4 (ESV)

 

You see, by raising Jesus from the dead, God declared Jesus to be free of sin. God also declared Jesus to be the rightful king of the entire creation. By defeating sin and death and the devil, Jesus became king by conquest. When it says that God said to Jesus, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you” it means that on the day God publicly declared Jesus to be King.

 

Give praise to King Jesus, the blessed Son

Victorious, glorious resurrected One

To Him belongs power, glory and honor

Ascended where he sits at the right hand of the Father

At the Cross he made atonement—His people he saved

After three days He was raised in defeat of the grave

By faith the elect behold Him, His scepter is golden

–Jesus is Alive.

 

So, when our writer in the book of Hebrews quotes Psalm 2 verse 7, he is referring back to this idea that the Son became a man, was crucified and then rose again to ascend to the right hand of majesty on high.  He is saying, Jesus is king because he destroyed his enemies and because God has appointed him.

 

That is the first point of our sermon: Jesus has become King.

 

Now, the point of theology is never just so we can know something. The point of theology is to know something so that we can be and do something. The last paragraph answers the “what does this mean” question. If Jesus is King, what does that mean for mean?

 

Point Two: Since Jesus is King, we must worship him.

Let’s read the final paragraph, beginning in Psalm 2 verse 10:

 

Psalm 2:10–12 (ESV)

 

            10       Now therefore, O kings, be wise;

      be warned, O rulers of the earth.

            11       Serve the LORD with fear,

      and rejoice with trembling.

            12       Kiss the Son,

      lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,

      for his wrath is quickly kindled.

                  Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

 

The passage contains a command and a warning. First, the command, we will see that in verse 11:

 

Serve the LORD with fear

And rejoice with trembling.

 

That is a command to worship.  In the beginning of verse 12 we see more detail on this command is to be fulfilled: Kiss the Son.  If you have an NASB it reads “Do homage to the Son.” Kissing the Son would be to show him homage, worshipful respect as King, both convey the same idea: We worship God by giving glory to the Son.

 

You see, we have no access to God around or apart from the Son. Jesus said in John 14:6:

 

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

When Jesus rose from the dead, God affirmed that Jesus was the only way through this world, past the gates of death and into the kingdom of light and life.  Try as you may, there is no way around Jesus. He is the supreme and absolute ruler, he is lord of lords and king of kings. Therefore, we must worship him:

 

Let this, therefore, be held as a settled point, that all who do not submit themselves to the authority of Christ make war against God. Since it seems good to God to rule us by the hand of his own Son, those who refuse to obey Christ himself deny the authority of God, and it is in vain for them to profess otherwise. For it is a true saying,

  “He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent him,” (John 5:22.)

And it is of great importance to hold fast this inseparable connection, that as the majesty of God hath shone forth in his only begotten Son, so the Father will not be feared and worshipped but in his person.

 

John Calvin, Psalms, electronic ed., Calvin’s Commentaries (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998).

 

This is a theme which runs from the beginning to the end of the Bible. It runs throughout the Psalms, the Gospels, the Epistles. It is especially clear in Revelation which calls Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 5:9-10 records the scene:

 

Worthy are you to take the scroll

And to open its seals

For you were slain, by your blood you ransomed for God

From every tribe and language and people and nation

And you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God

And they shall reign on the earth. Revelation 5:9-10.

 

Christ in his death bought his people from the land of death and rescued his people from sin and shame. Hebrews 4:12-13 says of Jesus

 

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

 

You see, Jesus came into this world filled with rebels. We do not love him or respect him or worship him by nature. 

 

None is righteous, no not one;

No one understands;

No one seeks God.

All have turned aside;

Together they have become worthless;

No one does good,

Not even one. Romans 3:10-12

 

That is us, you and me.  No, not me, someone may say. Yes, you. 

 

Let me show: Do you love God with all your heart soul mind and strength? Do worship God and God alone? Do you love your neighbor as yourself?  Do you see that God’s law probes far deeper than merely your actions? God’s word concerns your words and actions, but he seeks something far more profound: God does not merely desire the sounds which come from your mouth – he seeks your heart.

 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. Hebrews 4:12-13.

 

God does not play. Jesus is not nice.  He will call all the rulers of the earth and all the peoples of the world before on the great day of judgment – and you will stand condemned.

 

Cause sin’s problem is much greater than human hurts

You owe a debt to the Creator of the universe

And trust me son, He’ll do much more than dial your number

The Lord is gonna track you down like a bounty hunter.

-Christ Crucified.

 

That is why the good news is so very good. You see, when Jesus died upon the cross, God hung our sins upon Christ. Christ, knowingly and personally bore the sins of those he came to save:

 

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24.

 

Jesus died upon the cross to save the rebellious and wicked world from its rebellion. You see, if we come to him as King and worship him as King, if we confess our sins, repent and believe, he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you repent and believe, you will be among those stand about the throne and worship the lamb who was slain.

 

But if you refuse him who calls, then you must beware. In that passage of Revelation 5 we read that Jesus was worthy to open the seals on the scroll. The scroll contains the judgment of God. There will only be those who worship and those who are destroyed. Do you remember the warning of Psalm 2:12,

 

Kiss the Son lest he be angry and your perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.

 

Do not provoke the Son, do not test his patience. He has every right now to slay us in our steps. It is only his mercy and patience which hold back judgment[3].

 

And believers, my brothers and sisters, we should consider seriously our salvation.

 

We were children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:3b-6.

 

We too lightly value our salvation; we lightly esteem God. What we call “worship” or “praise” is often shallow, timid and dull.

 

If we would take our souls to the brink of Hell and stare into the pit of eternal misery, of darkness and sorrow without end; if we were to take to heart how truly we deserve hell, and then to truly realize the depth of mercy, the blood of Christ which in love rescued our souls from judgment we deserve; then we would serve with fear and rejoice with trembling.  But we soon forget the wrath from which we were saved; we put a light price upon an eternal glory and sing and pray as if we received only what we had earned.

 

Look in Psalm 2. Look down at verse 11 and see there directions for true worship.  There are two lines to consider. They both refer to the same thing, but they will give us slightly different views – sort of like taking a look room from one direction and then crossing the floor and taking a look again from a different angle.

 

First,

Serve the LORD with fear.

 

By “serve” the Psalmist does not mean go do some work for God.  God obviously does not need our efforts. By “serve”, the Psalmist means to worship God. It means that we must bend our entire life in visible demonstration that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

 

The Psalmist does not merely say that we must worship God. He goes to state that we must worship the LORD with fear. Christians sometimes say we should have no fear.  It is true that we must not fear men, and we should not fear death; but we must fear the Lord.

 

To fear the Lord does not mean we live in abject terror of the Lord.  Thomas Watson explains a godly fear like this:

 

The fear meant in the text is a divine fear, which is the reverencing and adoring of God’s holiness, and the setting of ourselves always under his sacred inspection. The infinite distance between God and us causes this fear….God is so great that the Christian is afraid of displeasing him, and so good that he is afraid of losing him. The Great Gain of Godliness, 13.

 

It is a fear which is mixed with love, faith and hope. It is a fear which eyes both the judgment of God and God’s kindness and thus draws us onto to repentance.  It is a fear which comes from being a child of God and no longer being an enemy of God[4].

 

When we think of God’s holiness, justice, love and mercy shown together in the Cross of Christ we should experience fear and love; we should respond immediately with the worship. The reason we do not worship the Lord we fear is because we do not rightly understand what God has done in Jesus Christ. Perhaps we know some words and have a faint idea of what the Gospel means – but if we rightly understood it, we love and fear.

 

Let me give you a picture of what love and fear mixed would mean in one’s life. Nearly 1,000 years ago, someone wrote a poem which we know as O Sacred Head Now Wounded. That poem considers Christ being killed in our place. As the poet thinks of the wonder and beauty of Christ’s love, he is overcome with the terrified thought that perhaps I could lose my King and dearest friend:

 

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

 

That is worship mixed with fear. Now, consider the second half of Psalm 2:11

 

Rejoice with trembling.

 

We must obey in fear, but we do not merely serve – we rejoice. Our service is a fearful obedience of joy – a joy so profound that we tremble as we sing. This matter of trembling in our service is no light matter. For it is only a trembling Christian who can live with the Lord:

 

Isaiah 66:1–2 (ESV)

66 Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool;

what is the house that you would build for me,

and what is the place of my rest?

2  All these things my hand has made,

and so all these things came to be,

declares the Lord.

But this is the one to whom I will look:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit

and trembles at my word.

 

God is high and mighty. He stands above and beyond the world he has created. And the Lord will take pleasing notice of human beings who are so small and frail. The proud will be destroyed, but the humble, contrite, the one who trembles at the word of God – that one God will see and with him he will be pleased.

 

So this matter of trembling is no small thing. But again, it is not a servile trembling; it is a trembling of joy. What a strange matter that is. We do not normally take together tremble and joy, but our Psalmist has said that one who knows Christ is King must rejoice with trembling.

 

If our worship is to be true, it must be a trembling worship, a fearful worship or it is no worship. What Thomas Brooks wrote of prayer applies to all worship:

 

As a painted fire is no fire, a dead man no man, so a cold prayer is no prayer. In a painted fire there is no heat; in a dead man there is no life; so in a cold prayer there is no omnipotency, no devotion, no blessing. It is not cold but working prayer that can lock up heaven three years, and open heaven’s gate at pleasure, and bring down the sweetest blessings upon our heads, and the choicest favours into our hearts. Cold prayers are as arrows without heads, as swords without edges, as birds without wings: they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to heaven. Cold prayers do always freeze before they reach to heaven.

 

Thomas Brooks, The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart, vol. 2 (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert, 1866), 493.

 

Such worship is the reason we exist; it is the reason we have been saved:

 

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

So while we cannot do any service for God, as if God needs anything, we can give the service of worship –which must include our praise of God. However, when we look at the content of our praise, it is often shallow, silly, or plain wrong.

 

I am going to use songs to illustrate the point, because they are easy to understand and you know many of them.   Songs help to demonstrate the content and understanding of our worship. And since songs are powerful means of teaching and lodging information in our memory, songs have a great effect upon our theology. I will often use songs as a means of teaching someone in counseling.  I will give them the assignment of memorizing a song to help focus their heart and life.

 

I also want to make a quick point, most of the negative examples will be contemporary songs, but that is not because new is bad and old is good. Rather, it is because weak and lame songs tend to get lost over the course of time.  People simply don’t keep second rate material around – it is sort of like purging your closet and the attic. You only have so much room and so that shirt you don’t quite like will have to go.

 

 I want to affirm that there are some great contemporary songs. I’ve quoted Shia Linne this morning.  Men like Shia Linne and Lacrae and others in the Reformed Rap world have written some remarkable songs which extoll the glory of God.  Keith and Kristyn Getty have written some beautiful songs. Enfield has recorded and updated hymns, so that the songs no longer sound old fashioned and needlessly distant.  By no means does “old” mean “good.” There are wretched old songs; fortunately, because they are both bad and old no one knows them anymore.

 

I also want to make an apology before go into these examples.  We’re going to look at songs that many of you may know or even love. I am not bringing these examples to humble you or embarrass you.  I am not trying to make you unhappy. I am trying to protect you and help you to know and love God more deeply.

 

You see, that we come to know and understand God with the most power and joy and fear when we know God in our worship.  As we have seen, the only proper response to the kingship of Jesus Christ is worship.  That worship must be reverent, fearful and filled with joy.

 

But if our worship is slight or weak, our love for God will suffer. Our knowledge of God cannot exceed what we know of God and our taught of God. So, if we are taught poorly, we will not a clear vision of God. I want to help you think through Christian music. At the end of this, you might find that you could clear out some space; a sort of spring cleaning.  I remember cleaning out my wife’s grandmother’s house and finding vaccination records for a dog that had been dead for over 20 years. Sometimes some-things have to go.

 

Consider this one of those reality show interventions. I am going to look at four types of songs that have to go: I-me-songs, Jesus is my boyfriend songs, Vapid songs, Wrong Songs.

 

I-Me-Songs:

 

Let’s think of what our service entails: Our worship is to praise God for what God has done. However, we fail to do this when we sing songs which are more about us than about God.  Let’s call these “I-me-songs”.

 

I do not mean that a song is a failure because it speaks of “I” or “me”.  The importance here does not lie with the speaker but with the subject.  For example, in Psalm 18 David speaks at length of what God is to him and what God has done for him. Yet, David never takes the focus from God. David is centered always upon God, even though David discusses the how God has intervened in David’s life.

 

It’s not wrong for a song to use the word “I” or “me”. However, a song which leans on the words “I” and “me” should be scrutinized carefully.  If the focus of the song is more on you and what you’re going to do; if you find yourself saying “I, I, I” the focus is probably in the wrong place.  I remember some years ago when I was a musician in a praise band. I was alphabetizing my music and realized most of the songs began with the word “I”.

 

When you were taught to write in school, your teacher may have told you not to use the word “I” in an essay. The reason for the rule is not that the word “I” is evil. The reason is that when you say “I” it is very easy to lose focus from your subject and to start talking about yourself.

 

At heart, idolatry is all about me. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:5, covetousness–a passionate desire for what is not mine–is idolatry.  Our culture in some ways has made idolatry a great good: we are taught a thousand times a day that we want is what we deserve.  In fact, it is “hateful” to ever say or think that perhaps some-things we want may be wrong or bad.

 

Such self-centeredness lies at the heart of sin. And therefore we must be very careful of it. Yet sin is so powerful that has figured out how to take good things, work, family, prudence, money, intimacy –even songs of apparent worship and to make these things wicked and self-centered.

 

Because it sounds good, we don’t notice that all our singing about I will this and I will that –aren’t you lucky God that I’m around– subtly draw our heart after idols, just like the idolators in Amos.

 

Eugene Peterson explained this in a 2005 interview with Christianity Today. He explained how much of our worship is no better than Baal worship:

 

Do we realize how almost exactly the Baal culture of Canaan is reproduced in American church culture? Baal religion is about what makes you feel good. Baal worship is a total immersion in what I can get out of it. And of course, it was incredibly successful. The Baal priests could gather crowds that outnumbered followers of Yahweh 20 to 1. There was sex, there was excitement, there was music, there was ecstasy, there was dance. “We got girls over here, friends. We got statues, girls, and festivals.” This was great stuff. And what did the Hebrews have to offer in response? The Word. What’s the Word? Well, Hebrews had festivals, at least!

 

Still, the one big hook or benefit to Christian faith is salvation, no? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Is this not something we can use to legitimately attract listeners?

 

It’s the biggest word we have—salvation, being saved. We are saved from a way of life in which there was no resurrection. And we’re being saved from ourselves. One way to define spiritual life is getting so tired and fed up with yourself you go on to something better, which is following Jesus.

 

But the minute we start advertising the faith in terms of benefits, we’re just exacerbating the self problem. “With Christ, you’re better, stronger, more likeable, you enjoy some ecstasy.” But it’s just more self. Instead, we want to get people bored with themselves so they can start looking at Jesus.

 

We’ve all met a certain type of spiritual person. She’s a wonderful person. She loves the Lord. She prays and reads the Bible all the time. But all she thinks about is herself. She’s not a selfish person. But she’s always at the center of everything she’s doing. “How can I witness better? How can I do this better? How can I take care of this person’s problem better?” It’s me, me, me disguised in a way that is difficult to see because her spiritual talk disarms us.

 

Thus, these songs which speak about me and what I will do are songs that play directly into our temptation to worship anything other than God. The more exalt ourselves, the less worship, the less fear, the less joy, the less trembling, the less Jesus.

 

Jesus is My Boyfriend:

 

Second, there are “Jesus is my boyfriend” songs.  Here is how you pick out these songs. Listen to the words. If you can take out Jesus and put in the name of some other human being, it’s not worship – usually it’s just creepy.

 

Christian “praise music” is filled with such songs. I once saw a singer saw how wonderful it was that her song could be about a boy – or could be about Jesus. In this category John MacArthur singled out “I Come to the Garden Alone”. Take the lyrics of your favorite Christian songs and ask hard questions.

 

Vapid Songs:

 

Third, there are plain vapid, shallow, confused songs. Typically these songs pile Christian words and phrases, sometimes Christianese, sometimes parts of Bible verses. At first glance they look like they might mean something, but they are in the end just a bunch of noise.  The words do not tell a story or make an argument.

 

Again, I remember my time on the praise band. The guitar player looked at me and asked me what the song we were practicing meant. We didn’t know.  While we could make sense individual phrases, we couldn’t put together a cohesive sense. It was a very popular Christian song.

 

Compared to life in this world, the Christian faith is complex. We drink in the spirit of our age, but we need to persistently come to understand life through the lens of scripture.  Think of it, any thoughtless rouge can blurt out a song about the desire to have a sexual relationship with some person he doesn’t even know. Anger, covetousness, deceit, violence, intoxication really don’t take much effort to explain or understand. No one become more mature in the things of sin; any child can be an expert in selfishness.

 

But the things of Christ require maturity. To understand doctrine and to be able to explain it in a clear manner takes years of training and effort

 

Songs at their best teach us lessons in a manner which is easy to understand and easy to carry about with us. 

 

This is where it may become more difficult to discern the difference, because we are not speaking of things which are completely wrong; but rather we are concerned with songs which have little information and do little to lead us to greater maturity.

 

I am going to compare the opening lines of two songs which cover the same basic idea and ask, which song demonstrates greater Christian maturity?

 

Jesus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee;

  Destitute, despised, forsaken,

Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.

  Perish every fond ambition,

All I’ve sought, and hoped, and known;

  Yet how rich is my condition,

God and Christ are still my own!

 

And:

Where you go, I’ll go

Where you stay, I’ll stay

When you move, I’ll move

I will follow…

 

All your ways are good

All your ways are sure

I will trust in you alone

Higher than my side

High above my life

I will trust in you alone

 

The second song is not heresy, but it lack the depth of wisdom and maturity found in the first.  If our goal is to worship The Lord in fear and rejoice with trembling, which song will bring you closer to the goal?

 

Here’s a test: Don’t sing the song. Read the words out loud, including all the “yeahs” and “whoas”  and weird insertions of the word “Hallelujah”. Does it make sense?

 

Here’s a second test: Imagine that you have just received brutally difficult news or are in a painful situation. Let us say you are standing at the bedside of a dying child: could you sing this song for joy and hope and solace at your moment of greatest pain? I remember singing Rock of Ages with my father while he died. I have cried in the midst of It is Well.

 

Here’s a third test: Does the song encourage you to fear God?

 

The Devil is the enemy of logic and beauty. The Bible is filled with magnificent poetry. Jesus used sharp and powerful logic. It was the Devil who started confusion and nonsense when he tempted Eve. The Devil is the father of stupid, dull, boring stories.  The Devil is the one who turned martial union into pornography, courage into bullying, kingship into oppression.

 

Why, why, why would we stoop to stupid, childish songs when we can sing something magnificent?  I want you to think of all the Christian contemporary songs you have ever heard, including the one where the guitar play starts with, Listen to these words, because man they’re really awesome.

Vapid, weak songs will breed vapid, weak Christians.  What would you think of a parent who raised his kids on candy corn and called it a vegetable? Could the parent plead with the dentist who was filling another cavity in the sickly child, I know it was candy, but it was candy corn!

 

Can Christians be surprised to find themselves forever immature when they never hear mature sermons nor sing songs written with true theological merit?

 

Wrong Songs:

 

Fourth, there are songs which are plain wrong. These are songs which contain lines which simply misstate the doctrine. While the songs may otherwise have merit , there is simply no reason to accept a little glass in the candy. A small hole can sink a large ship. A small error in doctrine can lead to a catastrophe.

 

Just after 300 A.D. the Christian Church was met by an exceedingly subtle attack which nearly destroyed the church over the next 100 years.  A man named Arius simply said, The Son is like the Father. It doesn’t sound that bad. And yet, it means that the Father created the Son. It means the Son is very great and powerful and important and glorious – he’s just not God.  It was a small sounding error which tore a great whole in the Church.

 

Most of the goofy and wrong points of Christian theology have sprung from small errors – usually a small error which crept in through a song or a written prayer.

 

Let me give you a few quick examples of songs – and I know that many of you may like these songs, so please forgive me:

 

Above All:

You took the fall and thought of me above all

 

No, according to Jesus , he was concerned with his own glory:

 

And now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. John 17:5.

 

 

Your Great Name:

All condemned; feel no shame, at the sound of your great name
Every fear; has no place; at the sound of your great name

 

Again, false. While some who are condemned will be redeemed, many will be judged.  Only those in Christ Jesus will be beyond condemnation.  The door to reconciliation is the blood of Christ. To say otherwise is an ancient heresy called “universalism”. The name of Jesus will be the sound of judgment for many human beings.

 

Second, as we have been saying “fear” is a necessary thing for a Christian. Now many Christians would like a feel-good Jesus, but that is the real Jesus. 

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10.

 

Behold Our God

God eternal humbled to the grave.

 

Now it is very problematic to say that God has died, because God cannot died. It is true that Jesus is God incarnate and that Jesus did die. But God, himself, could not die.  The real trouble here is the statement that God was humbled. God was not humbled.  Jesus expressly stated that

No one takes my life from me, I lay it down of my own accord. John 17:18.

 

By Our Love

Children, you’re our hope for justice.

 

That is so wrong and weird, I hardly know how to respond.

 

These are just some songs.  Someone here will complain that I am just being nitpicky. Let’s say I am being very precise: how is that wrog?

 

The content of our worship must accurately correspond to God’s self-revelation. We know nothing about God except what God has told us of himself. When we sing, the content of our praise can only mirror back what God has disclosed to us of himself. Our worship will never be true, reverent or change causing unless and until it is precise. 

 

J.I. Packer wrote:

 

Richard Rogers, the Puritan pastor of Wethersfield, Essex, at the turn of the sixteenth century, was riding one day with the local lord of the manor, who, after twitting him for some time about his “precisian” ways, asked him what it was that made him so precise. “O sir,” replied Rogers, “I serve a precise God.”

 

Pastor Kevin DeYoung commented on this passage:

 

If ever there were a Christianity that cut against the grain, this is it. Those who embrace “precisian” ways will always be in a different spiritual universe from those who find the Bible to be unclear, theological exactness to be a distraction, and the norms of Scripture to be far from normative.

 

If we are going to rightly worship God, then our worship must be true, accurate and clear.

 

Let’s think about you:  would you be pleased with a paycheck which put the decimal point in the wrong place? It’s just a little mistake–a matter of millimeters, and yet the difference it makes. Or say a surgeon who only missed by a couple of millimeters, would you still be happy?

 

Would you accept a love letter from your spouse that misspelled your name or better yet a love letter that talked about a date you never had or a movie you never saw together. If I called my wife Julie instead of Kelley, I would have some explaining to do:

 

Malachi 1:8 (ESV)

8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.[5]

 

Let us test ourselves: Do we rightly consider that Jesus is King? Do we take that to heart, or do we just play church and play Christianity? Do we measure music by entertainment and taste and style or by depth and power and maturity?  We will never grow in maturity, unless we grow in maturity of worship. And we will never grow in maturity of worship until to take to heart the fact that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, is seated at the right hand of majesty on high and will return to judge the living and the dead.

 

 


[1]

Luther bids us observe how consolatory this truth is to the militant Church. For the rage of our enemies is not aimed at us, but at the Lord and His Christ. They can only reach us through Him.

J. J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms; A New Translation, with Introductions and Notes, Explanatory and Critical, vol. 1, Fifth Edition, Revised. (London; Cambridge: George Bell and Sons; Deighton Bell and Co., 1883), 116.

A twofold consolation may be drawn from this passage:— First, as often as the world rages, in order to disturb and put an end to the prosperity of Christ’s kingdom, we have only to remember that, in all this there is just a fulfillment of what was long ago predicted, and no changes that can happen will greatly disquiet us.

John Calvin, Psalms, electronic ed., Calvin’s Commentaries (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998).

[2]

The expression, “I this day have begotten thee,” can only mean, This day have I declared and manifested thee to be my Son, by investing thee with thy kingly dignity, and placing thee on thy throne. St. Paul teaches us to see the fulfilment of these words in Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It was by that that He was declared to be (marked out as, in a distinct and peculiar sense, ὁρισθέντος) the Son of God. (Rom. 1:4; cf. Acts 13:33.) The day of Christ’s coronation was the day of His resurrection. From thenceforth He sits at the right hand of the Father, waiting till His enemies be made His footstool.

J. J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms; A New Translation, with Introductions and Notes, Explanatory and Critical, vol. 1, Fifth Edition, Revised. (London; Cambridge: George Bell and Sons; Deighton Bell and Co., 1883), 118.

[3]

4. It is no disparagement to the greatest monarchs (but a mean for them to eschew the wrath of God) to be subject to Christ Jesus, to stand in awe of him, to submit themselves to him, and promote his service to their power; for the command to all, and to them in special, is serve the Lord in fear. 5. As there is matter of fear to Christ’s subjects, lest they provoke him; for there is matter of rejoicing for them to be under his government, and these two affections may well consist in his service: rejoice in trembling: yea there is no right rejoicing in any thing without some mixture of fear to offend him. 6. Because Christ Jesus the Son of God, is a lovely king, bringing righteousness and eternal life to all his true subjects, he should be submitted unto, and embraced (when he offereth grace) very heartily: to this end, kiss the Son, or do him homage, is added; for to kiss is a sign of religious adoration, Hos. 13:2, and a sign of homage and hearty subjection, 1 Sam. 10:1. 7. Where grace offered by Christ Jesus is refused, the refusing of mercy shall procure more anger than all former sins; kiss the Son lest he be angry. 8. When Christ taketh a refusal off a man, to whom grace is offered, wrath will follow, to the cutting off of the refuser from all means of happiness, both temporal, which he hunteth after; and eternal, which is offered in Christ unto him, and to the bringing upon him utter perdition; for it is said, kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way of all possible salvation. 9. Unspeakable must the wrath of God be, when it is kindled fully, since perdition may come upon the kindling of it but a little. 10. Remission of sin, delivery from wrath, communion with God, and life everlasting, are the fruits of embracing Christ, of closing in covenant with Christ, and resting on Christ; for blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

David Dickson, A Brief Explication of the Psalms, vol. 1 (Glasgow; Edinburgh; London: John Dow; Waugh and Innes; R. Ogle; James Darling; Richard Baynes, 1834), 9–10.

[4]

Filial fear, as children fear to offend their dear parents; and thus the godly do so fear God, that they do also love him, and obey him, and cleave to him, and this preserveth us in our duty: Jer. 32:40, ‘I will put my fear in their hearts, and they shall not depart from me.’ This is a necessary frame of heart for all those that would observe and obey God. This fear is twofold:—

(1.) The fear of reverence.

(2.) The fear of caution.

(1.) The fear of reverence, when the soul is deeply possessed with a sense of God’s majesty and goodness, that it dareth not offend him. His greatness and majesty hath an influence upon this fear. ‘Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it?’ Jer. 5:22. His goodness and mercy: Hosea 3:5, ‘They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness;’ Jer. 10:6, 7, ‘There is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might: who would not fear thee, O king of nations?’ Both together engage us to live always as in his eye and presence, and in the obedience of his holy will, studying to please him in all things.

(2.) The fear of caution is also called the fear of God, when we carry on the business of salvation with all possible solicitude and care. For it is no easy thing to please God and save our souls: Phil. 2:12, ‘Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.’ In the time of our sojourning here we meet with many temptations; baits without are many, and the flesh within us is importunate to be pleased, and our account at the end of the journey is very exact: 1 Peter 1:17, ‘And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.’ A false heart is apt to betray us, and the entertainments of sense to entice and corrupt us, and we are assaulted on every side, and salvation and eternal happiness is the thing in chase and pursuit; if we come short of it we are undone for ever: Heb. 4:1, ‘Having a promise of rest left with us, let us fear lest we come short of it.’ There is no mending errors in the other world; there we shall be convinced of our mistakes to our confusion, but not to our conversion and salvation.

Thomas Manton, The Complete Works of Thomas Manton, vol. 7 (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1872), 172–173.

[5]

Our great end and scope must be to please God. They are true servants that make it their business to please their master: Isa. 56:6, ‘They choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;’ John 8:29, ‘The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always the things that please him;’ 1 Thes. 4:1, ‘I exhort you all by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as you have received of us how to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more;’ and 1 John 3:22. ‘And whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things which please him.’ So Heb. 11:5, ‘Enoch had this testimony, that he pleased God.’ The property of a servant is not to please himself. They that set themselves to please God observe his will in all things. There is a great pleasing in the world, but few make it their business to please God. All inferiors please their superiors on whom they depend; and shall not we please God, who is infinitely greater than man, and on whom we depend every moment for all that we enjoy?

Thomas Manton, The Complete Works of Thomas Manton, vol. 8 (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1872), 293.

Ecclesiastes 8 — Rough Draft Notes for a Lesson

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in Ecclesiastes, Wisdom

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1 Corinthians 15:32, 1 Corinthians 1:27-2:5, Eat and Drink, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Ecclesiastes 1:13, Ecclesiastes 8, Fear, fear of God, fear of the Lord, Isaiah 22:12-14, Job 11:7-12, Luke 12:13-14, Malachi 3:5, Matthew 5:3-12, Proverbs: 11:6, Romans 11:33-36, Wisdom

(Some rough draft notes for Ecclesiastes 8 lesson – next Sunday. This is only one strand of thought which runs through the passage.) 

The chapter begins with the basic proposition: Don’t cross the king, because : 1) one has an obligation toward God; and 2) the king has great power. In short, this is the safe and wise course.

 

2 I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him.3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases.4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing,

 

In the middle of v. 5 comes a pivot.

 

Proposition:

 

and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.

 

The proposition is supported by the argument/axiom:

 

6 For there is a time and a way for everything,

 

However, the proposition and support are undercut by a series of three ki statements [the parallel structure is not immediately apparent in English. The word ki carries multiple translations.]

 

 

although [ki] man’s trouble lies heavy on him.

7 For [ki]he does not know what is to be,

for [ki] who can tell him how it will be?

 

 

There is a time – but such decisions will be made in the midst of trouble & no one actually knows the future. Therefore, who could anyone know the right way. There be a time and a way for everything (v. 6a) — but who would know it?

 

The limitations on human beings is made even more explicit in v. 8 (this has the implicit effect of limiting one’s concern about the king: be respectful — but the king does not command one’s ultimate allegiance or fear )(Luke 12:13-14).

8 No man has power to retain the spirit,

or power over the day of death.

There is no discharge from war,

nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it.

 

The first three all concerns limitations on human power. The last clause emphasizes there is no way around God’s sovereignty (for wickedness is ultimately an attack upon God as king and law giver). The last phrase is literally, “masters of evil” — those who are experts at evil.

 

Qoheleth here picks up the question of the wicked (in language which echoes his original quest set forth in Ecclesiastes 1:13):

 

9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun,

when man had power over man to his hurt.

 

This sentence ties the argument of the entire passage together. First, it points backwards “I observed”. Second, it explains the wicked referenced in v. 8. When Qoheleth seeks to summarize evil, it is a matter of oppression: 4:1-3; 5:8-9. Thus, evil is the precise opposite of love.  When the matter is compared to the remainder of the OT, evil in its worst consists of idolatry and oppression of the weak. Indeed, false worship (no matter how precise in performance of the rite) and oppression are inseparably linked: to not fear God flows out in oppression:

 

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:5.

 

Ecclesiastes is aiming precisely at the matter of fearing God. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. He is building the case that fearing God is the only rational solution. But he does not simply state the proposition; he ruthlessly works through facts to make such a conclusion unavoidable.

 

The power of oppression is the power of wickedness. But really doesn’t help: Since no one has power over death or life, evil can’t deliver anyone.

 

10 Then I saw the wicked buried.

They used to go in and out of the holy place

and were praised in the city where they had done such things.

This also is vanity.

 

There is a translation issue: “Praised” in the third clause might be “abandoned” — that is, their corpses were abandoned in the city. The ambiguity of the usage makes for a very poetic turn of thought: they are both praised then abandoned. Wickedness does not really generate any abiding love or loyalty.

 

Now he explains the “why” of evil behavior (not the existence of evil, or the desire for evil; but rather the pyschological justification for evil): It looks like it works.

 

11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily,

 the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.

12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life,

yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God,

      because they fear before him.

 

Verse 12 moves from the first level of knowledge to the second: it appears like evil pays — the evil man can even prolong his life by evil. At the mid-point, Qoheleth moves from sight to faith: Even though evil looks like it works, I do know that it is better to fear God.

 

This raises the question: Why should I fear God? Is there any support for such a conclusion?

 

13 But it will not be well with the wicked,

neither will he prolong his days like a shadow,

because he does not fear before God.

 

There are three ways to understand the movement from v. 12 to 13. The three options explain the radically different readings one may have of this book. First, some people think the book was written by multipl authors.  Verse 12a is the work of the original author, a complete cynic. 12b-13 is the work of a second pious author, cleaning up an evil, wicked book. While it is possible, I wonder: Why would anyone take the time to rewrite an evil book? Wouldn’t it be better to just chuck it and condemn it? If the book was “popular”, wouldn’t the original “popular” book have maintained its status anyway?  If someone could sufficiently control the book to make only the edited version avialable, wouldn’t it have been simpler just to suppress the original?

 

Second, some people think Qoheleth was simply cynical and purposefully paradoxical for the sake of spite. But that doesn’t make much sense of things: Why would he be purposefully paradoxical and commend a pious position? It might be fun game playing but it is ultimatley meaningless.

 

Third, one writer is moving between points of view: He first looks at the world “under the sun” — whcih forces a hope for another world. The world is meaningless if there is no God who will judge in righteousness.

 

There is at least a hint of eternal life in v. 13: The one who fear God will prolong his days — not under the sun; but, he will prolong his days nonetheless.

 

This corresponds to a great many Proverbs: 11:6, 8, 9; 12:6, et cetera.

 

As an honest observer, Qoheleth cannot merely stop at the proposition, It is better to fear God. When we look at this world, we must admit there is a bias to favor the wicked.:

 

 

14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth,

that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked,

and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous.

I said that this also is vanity.

 

This is a serious and painful aspect of the vanity which takes place under the sun. But it is not the total of life.  Since the advantages of evil are only illusory, there is no cause for bitterness.  In fact, the comforts and joys of this life should be received: first, becasue they are meant to ease the pain of this world. Second, it will go well for those who fear God. Therefore, our comforts now are promises, previews, stays and grounds for hope.

 

Richard Sibbes noted that we often make our crosses worse than God designed. While the world hurts, we need not fall to despair.

 

15 And I commend joy,

for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat

      and drink

      and be joyful,

for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life

      that God has given him under the sun.

 

This is a necessary corrective: When we see the evil of this world, we can sometimes think it is wrong or morally insensitive to not go about in a perpetual mourning.

 

Objection: But didn’t Qoheleth state that the fool was the one who rejoiced here? Isn’t the wiseman the one who keeps his heart at the graveside?

 

Answer: A joy which is not settled upon this world as an end is to be commended. A joy which anticipates the marriage feast which is coming is a godly joy. A frivolity which sees no further than today is a wicked, foolish pleasure.

 

12 In that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and mourning,

 for baldness and wearing sackcloth;

13 and behold, joy and gladness,

killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,

eating flesh and drinking wine.

“Let us eat and drink,

for tomorrow we die.”

 

14 The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,” says the Lord GOD of hosts. Isaiah 22:12-14

 

What do I gain if, humanly speaking,

I fought with beasts at Ephesus?

If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”1 Corinthians 15:32

 

 Eating and drinking and “rejoicing” without regard to God, to judgment, to the resurrection is a wicked, foolish thing.

 

Well, then, what must we think about this world? We should live wisely within the actual structures of our world (such as the king).  There is a right way to live — but no one knows what is going to happen. Human power is constrained on all side. The wicked’s strategems provide some temporary advantage — but that advantage can’t take them past the grave.

 

There is a judgment which is coming — therefore, we can and should enjoy this world. — That brings up another point. It would be a great sorrow to us, if fearing God merely lead one to sorrow in this life. But, the future judgment of God, the reconciliation of all accounts leaves us the freedom to enjoy life. If there were no future judgment, it would be incumbent upon us to settle all accounts else justice would be denied. But Qoheleth hints at such things throughout the book:

 

If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 5:8

 

He makes this explicit at the end:

 

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. 12:14.

 

Putting his thoughts into the context of both the entire book of Ecclesiastes and the rest of the canon makes the paradox more seemly. Note that Qoeheleth will first unwind and contradict that which he stated at the first of the chapter.  In v. 5b he said a wise heart will know. Here he will say, wisdom can’t work it out:

 

16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom,

and to see the business that is done on earth,

how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep,

17 then I saw all the work of God,

that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun.

However much man may toil in seeking,

he will not find it out.

Even though a wise man claims to know,

he cannot find it out.

 

Zophar in Job 11 expresses a similar sentiment:

7 “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?

8 It is higher than heaven-what can you do? Deeper than Sheol-what can you know?

9 Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.

10 If he passes through and imprisons and summons the court, who can turn him back?

11 For he knows worthless men; when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?

12 But a stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man! Job 11:7-12

 

So what then can we do? This world, viewed from under the sun, cannot be resolved.  A paradox and trouble runs through the world which cannot be resolved: It is the damage caused by sin: We know that the world was supposed to have been different — we know, this is not the way it is supposed to be. And yet, at the same time, sinfulness is seemingly the best means of living.

 

It is as if we live in a “fun house” where mirrors distort our vision at every turn. We “know” the twisted images cannot be right — and yet, the twisted images are all that seem to make sense. We can’t “see” anyway through the confusion.

 

Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy) uses the image of flying upside down — without realizing our predicament. The call of Christ is to live in a manner utterly at odds with everything we see:

 

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3-12.

 

How is that even those who utterly reject the claims of Christ can see such a call as “true”? How can our sight of this as true and beautiful square with our knowledge that it is utterly impossible? How can our need for wisdom reconcile with our lack of wisdom?

 

It is at that precise cleavage that God makes himself apparent.  The Gospel is reversal and resolution of the trouble caused by sin. In the cross, God’s weakness and foolishness became strength and wisdom. There is no wisdom within this world which can work. Sin has made such a resolution impossible (there seems to be a way here to think through matter of Kant, “liberal” Christianity, and the matter response of the “funadmentalist” and Neo-Orthodox; but that is for another time). However, in the cross, God both resolves the trouble of sin and rescues:

 

 

27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,

4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:27-2:5.

 

There is a way and time — but we cannot reach it ourselves. We can’t even know what will happen — but God will call this world to judgment. It will be resolved. And, there will be a rescue for those who do not rely upon their own wisdom (which cannot save) but rather the wisdom of God:

 

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

 

34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?”

35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

 

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36.

Edward Polhill: The Fear of God Which Prepares One for Affliction

13 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in affliction, Biblical Counseling, Edward Polhill, Fear, Isaiah, Luke, Puritan

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A Preparation for Suffering in an Evil Day, Affliction, Biblical Counseling, cords of kindness, cords of love, Edward Polhill, Fear in a handful of dust, fear of God, Fear of man, fear of the Lord, Hosea 11:4, Isaiah 51:11-16, Luke 12:4-7, Proverbs 29:25, Psalm 103, Psalm 3, Puritan, Suffering, T.S. Eliot, The Burial of the Dead, The Waste Land

Much of Polhill’s instruction on how to prepare for suffering makes sense upon first consideration: For instance, a lively hope of eternal life necessarily orients one to look to beyond the suffering, and thus limit the pain which suffering can inflict (for suffering afflicts one most painfully by extending endlessly into the future — but the certain hope that it will end, that suffering can only be a “little while” (1 Peter 5:10) does much to defang the monster).

Yet, when he comes to the seventh direction, one may begin to question his wisdom:

The seventh direction is this, if we would be in a fit posture for suffering, we must get an holy fear in our hearts.

Edward Polhill, A Preparation for Suffering in an Evil Day, 347. Polhill knows the apparent difficulty with the concept, therefore he begins by defining the scope of this holy fear by means of three characteristics: It is fear of the Lord — human beings; it is a fear which springs from faith; and it is a fear mixed with love.

Fear must have its end in God: Human beings are contingent creatures — we have no life or being in ourselves; we cannot cause our life to continue; we cannot cause our body to persist. All our existence hangs from something else, and that something else rightly becomes the object of fear.

When fear does not find its object in the Creator, the human being becomes even more wretched — for the fear does not disappear by banishing God. Rather, the fear flits about for an appropriate object making the man ridiculous:

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water.
OnlyThere is shadow under this red rock
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.

T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land, “The Burial of the Dead”. But what of one who claims to have no fear of any-thing? Look at his life? Why the absurd concern for basketball teams or politics? How could the movement of a ball across a court or field be of such moment? If no Creator or Judge concerns himself with us, then why the least concern for life or death? To concern oneself with life or death, with politics or police in the absence of any God is like anxiety for soapbubbles – in fact, bubbles existing in a meaningful universe matter more, for they can convey beauty: but what beauty can exist in absurdity?

To live without a rightly angled fear must by necessity be a persistent affliction. Thus, we seek to remedy this by landing our fear upon the image not the original. We concern ourselves with humanity which Scripture calls “fear of adam [human beings, “man”]” which is a trap:

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

Proverbs 29:25

To fear man is to fear too little — fear must be set upon its rightful object:

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows

Luke 12:4-7

Here is a curious fear: It is an existential fear — it is a fear of that which reaches to one’s existence beyond the grave. Yet, this fear becomes the basis of comfort. Having fixed our fear on its rightful and sole object — God who created us and can exercise absolute dominion over us — the fear transforms to solace, “Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” When we finally fix our fear on Creator, than nothing of the creation can instill fear:

12 “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, 13 and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? 14 He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. 15 I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.'”

Isaiah 51:11-16.

When our heart fills with fear of The Lord, then we will not fear man — for man is merely something made by God. Indeed, the entire creation lies within God’s control, God “who stirs up the sea ….”

The second aspect of godly fear is faith. It makes sense to set one’s faith upon the ultimate matter of concern — God who has consumed all one’s fear:

Holy fear is and must be in conjunction with faith. Fear flies from the evils of sin and hell; faith closes in with the promises of grace and glory; both concur to make a man fit for suffering; and such a sufferer shall have God for his help and shield.

Polhill, 348. As we rightly fear God, the fear closes with faith and drives us to God. Godly fear does this by causing us to fear offending God — which drives us from sin. And, having been driven from sin, we have no choice but to run toward God.

Thus, fear of God reduces the creature to its true measure and drives us on to God.

Finally, a fear which prepare for suffering is mixed with love. Here is a peculiar fear that draws one to the one feared, for the one whom we fear is the one who draws us in love:

I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.

Hosea 11:4. The Creator looks upon the creature and has compassion upon out fraility:

13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.

Psalm 103:13-19. As we rightly fear the King and Creator of all, our fear mixes with love and instills love. Our confessed weakness stirs our Lord’s love and protection; as when David calls out to God for protection, and God answers with rest and sleep for David:

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah 3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around

Psalm 3:1-6. We will be bound to sin to the extent that we do not fear God. One who cannot and does not fear God will be bound to the world of sin — how then can he suffer for this God or suffer to lose this world (seeing it is his all):

the love of sin lives in him still, as an ancient hath it. Such an one is not in a fit case to suffer for the truth; he hath not a love to God to move him to it, nor a capacity to have heaven after it; and how can he suffer? It is very hard for a man to suffer for a God that he loves not; or part with the good things of this world, when he hath no hope of those in a better. That fear, which prepares for suffering, is not servile, but filial; it stands not in conjunction with the love of sin, but with the love of God; the nature of it is such, that he that hath it will displease man rather than offend God; part with a world, rather then let go the truth and a pure worship; nay, and lay down his life rather then forfeit the divine presence and favour which are better than life.

Edward Polhill, 348.

The Crook in the Lot (Revised).3

02 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Ecclesiastes, Preaching, Psalms, Thomas Boston

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Affliction, Biblical Counseling, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Ecclesiastes 7:13, Faith, fear of the Lord, Fearing the Lord, Preaching, Psalms, The Crook in the Lot, Thomas Boston

Eighth, to show that only God has power over the crook. In Ecclesiastes 1:15, we read,

            What is crooked cannot be made straight,

            And what is lacking cannot be counted.

In Ecclesiastes 7:13 we learn what the crooked cannot be made straight:

            Consider the work of God:

            Who can make straight what he has made crooked?

The crook in the lot displays the power of God – and that is for our good:

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 (ESV)

 Now it is a good for us to fear God. First, it is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Second, it is the beginning of wisdom (9:10). Third, the fear of the Lord prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27; 19:23; Ecclesiastes 8:12-13).  Fourth, the fear of the Lord gives confidence (Proverbs 14:26). Fifth, the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27).  Sixth, by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil (Proverbs 16:6).  Seventh, the fear of the Lord brings honor (Proverbs 22:4).  Eighth, the one who fears the Lord is blessed (Proverbs 28:14). Ninth, the fear of the Lord delivers one from the fear of man (Proverbs 29:25). Tenth, a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised (Proverbs 31:30). Eleventh, one must fear God (Ecclesiastes 5:7, 12:13; Isaiah 8:13).  Twelfth, one who fears the Lord will rightly balance his life (Ecclesiastes 7:18). 

            It is the one who trembles at the word of the Lord is one who will receive the Lord:

1 Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:1–2 (ESV)

Indeed, those who fear the Lord will be remembered by the Lord:

16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. Malachi 3:16–18 (ESV)

Thus, when we are faced by the crook in the lot it should bring us to the blessing of fearing the Lord.

            Ninth, the crook in the lot gives us grounds for praise and faith. Since God alone can remove the crook, the crook displays the power of God.  And, God displays his power in overcoming every obstacle. Psalm 105 recounts the crooks which fell across the lot of his people – and how God delivered his people. The Psalm begins:

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! Psalm 105:1–6 (ESV)

Then the Psalm recounts the history of the patriarchs through the exodus. Thus, we read one example of how could unbent a crook:

16 When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, 17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 18 His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; 19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD tested him. 20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; 21 he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, 22 to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom. Psalm 105:16–22 (ESV)

The greatest act of unbending the crooked way was made in the coming of the Lord:

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 40:1–5 (ESV)

And in the coming of Christ, the greatest crooks – sin and death – were undone:

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:50–58 (ESV)

It is fitting that Paul notes that our labor will not be in vain. Ecclesiastes recounts how vain, how futile, how disappointing life under the sun necessarily is due to the unbending crooks of our lot. And yet, with the resurrection of Christ, sin and death have been undone and the crooked is made straight – therefore, our labor will not be in vain.

Acceptable Worship

05 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Ministry, Spiritual Disciplines

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Ecclesiastes 5, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, fear of God, fear of the Lord, Ministry, Prayer, Reverence, Spiritual Disciplines, temple, Worship

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7:

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Psalm 5:7

But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

Psalm 95:6

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

Psalm 122:1

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!”

Micah 4:1-2

1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, 2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 1:

10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Malachi 1:

6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised.
8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.
9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts.
10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.
12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised.
13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD.
14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

Amos 5:

21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
26 You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god-your images that you made for yourselves,
27 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts.

Hebrews 12:

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.
26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken-that is, things that have been made-in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,
29 for our God is a consuming fire.

1 Samuel 15:20-22:

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”
22 And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Hosea 6:4-6:

4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.
5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Proverbs 15:

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.

Proverbs 21:3:

To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Proverbs 21:27:

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he brings it with evil intent.

Psalm 113:

4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 115:

1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

Matthew 6:

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 Corinthians 11:

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Do Not Say it is a Mistake

04 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Ecclesiastes, Numbers, Vows

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Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 5:6, fear of God, fear of the Lord, Fearing the Lord, Mistake, Numbers, Numbers 15:27-31, Unintentional Sin, Vows

Qoheleth raises the matter of the one who makes but does not keep a vow:

Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Ecclesiastes 5:6

This is interesting, because the law made provisions those made a “mistake”:

27 “If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering.28 And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.
29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them.30 But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.31 Because he has despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”

How then do we correlate the statements Ecclesiastes and Numbers? One way is to assume that Qoheleth is simply unorthodox on this point (indeed, he a common means to handle Ecclesiastes is to find it to be unorthodox). However, there is another method to correspond the two. While a mistake may be handled by means of a sacrifice for an “unintentional” sin (the same word as “mistake” in Ecclesiastes 5:6), an intentional sin has no such provision.

Note closely that Qoheleth does not deny the provision of the law. Rather, he warns that one who foolishly or flippantly makes a vow should not call it a mistake, “do not say … it was a mistake”.

How then is it not a mistake? It comes not from trying to do one thing and inadvertently doing something different. Rather, it comes from simply being unwilling to recognize God as God:

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-3.

The fool’s wrong takes place before he even makes the vow — the vow simply caps off a
profound lack of fear.

The fool who lacks a fear of God, who makes rash vows, would also see sacrifice as a means of manipulation. God is a means of gain. The lack of fear constitutes the sin — the rash word prove the lack of fear. Thus, the claim of mistake misses the point — indeed, the claim of mistake proves that the lack of fear.

Fear, Shame, Glory, God & the Gospel

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in 2 Timothy, John, Matthew

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2 Timothy, 2 Timothy 1:7, Fear of man, fear of the Lord, Fearing the Lord, glory, honor, Humility, John, John 5:44, Matthew, Matthew 5:11-12, Proverbs, Proverbs 29:25, shame

John 5:44:

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Proverbs 29:25-26:

25 The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
26 Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the LORD that a man gets justice.

Matthew 5:11-12;

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

John 15:18-19:

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2 Timothy 1:7-12:

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,
12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

Thomas Boston: The Happiness of Fearing Alway

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Thomas Boston

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Biblical Counseling, Fear, fear of the Lord, Thomas Boston

PROVERBS 28:14

Happy is the man that feareth alway.

IF these words have any connection with the preceding verse, they must be taken as an evidence of the sincerity of him who confesseth and forsaketh his sins. Such an one will be afraid of sin for the future, having felt the smart of it. Or the text may be taken as a direction to such, how to avoid relapsing into a sinful course. They must fear alway.

You, in this place, have been confessing, preparing, and communicating. It is probable, that at this solemnity you have been brought to say, How dreadful is this place! But the fear of many quickly decays, and they become fearless, as if bread and wine could of themselves be armour proof against temptations; or did entitle them to a liberty of sinning safely. Nay, but if you would prove your sincerity, if you would not relapse into your old sins, then be not high minded but fear. Thus you shall be happy indeed. For happy is the man that feareth alway.

Thomas Boston, The Whole Works of Thomas Boston, Volume 3: Sermons, Part 1, ed. Samuel M‘Millan (Aberdeen: George and Robert King, 1848), 5.

The Blessing of Fearing the Lord

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Psalms

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Blesing, fear of the Lord, Fearing the Lord, Psalms

Psalm 147:

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

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