This will be the last post on Deuteronomy 10:12-13. I will try to keep it brief. And amazing.
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Here is my understanding this requirement:
1. Order of operations
Notice that this requirement comes at the end of the list; I think that's important to note. Far too often, we are tempted to feel like our relationship with God is contingent on our ability to tow the line. As Christians, we must continue to preach the gospel to ourselves: our salvation is a free gift from God and it is not of works. As Pastor Tullian Tchevidjian puts it, ""Once the gospel frees you from the enslaving pressure to do anything for Jesus, you'll want to do everything for Jesus." Works come after grace.
2. The Commandments of the Lord
Everyone wants to have some modicum of control over your life. The government, the media, family, friends, bosses, coworkers - everybody has an opinion on how you should live, behave, think and speak. Our society is filled with rules, both spoken and unspoken. At the end of the day, the only "rules" that we should be concerned with are those of the Lord. When I die and stand before God, it will not matter one bit if I "played the right part" at my school, my work, my social club. God's commandments take precedence over cultural commandments.
3. For Your Good
I have quite a few rules for my daughters. They aren't allowed to play in the road, for example. The neighborhood that we live in is still in development and we have a lot of dump trucks and semis driving up and down our road frequently. 2 summers ago, our neighbors' dog ran out in front of a truck and was killed. Would my girls like to play in the road? Heck, yes! Do they at 6, 5, and 1 have the presence of mind to not make a mistake like the neighbors' dog? Sometimes...Do they gripe and complain that my rules are unfair and unnecessary? Often. In the same way, God gives us rules for our good. Know that He has your best interest at heart and knows infinitely more about what is good for you. Trust His intentions for you.
I hope that this series has been beneficial for you. I like writing topically, but often it's just good to go through the scripture with a fine tooth comb. My hope and prayer is that anything I write would point you to Jesus and cause you to desire to dig into the scriptures for yourself.
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
What Does God Require? part 5
Continuing in our look at Deuteronomy 10:12-13, today we come to this requirement of the Lord:
1. Know Your Calling
There are tools to help you discern what you are good at and how you are wired (i.e. DISC test, Meyers-Briggs, Spiritual Gifts assessment), but nothing can substitute the sense of call that God will place in your heart. It can at times be frustrating to figure out what your calling is because God is not formulaic in the way He gives you that information. God is relational and desires you to pray and seek His face and read the scriptures. Only in that will you truly be able to rest in the security of your call.
2. Don't Desire Someone Else's Calling
For the last 10 years, we have had the privilege of watching the trainwreck auditions at the beginning of each season of American Idol. There is nothing more sad than watching an awful singer who is deluded in thinking that they can actually sing. When it comes to Christian service, don't be "that guy". If you stink at public speaking, chances are you're not called into preaching. Of course, God can always do a miracle, but He most often works with the giftings that He placed in us when we were born. Know your calling and learn to be OK with it.
3. Understand That Seasons Change
As the famous passage from Ecclesiastes observes, there are different seasons and times in our lives. You may find that what you are called to now is different than it was in the past. Or, a particular need may arise that has to take precedence for a season over the bigger call of God. The Apostle Paul was called to, you know, write the Bible! But when there was a need for money to help finance his trips, Paul made tents. When discerning your calling, ask God to help you know what things are "whole-life" callings and what things are seasonal.
4. Serve Wholeheartedly
Whatever you are doing in service to God or whatever season you are in, do it with all your heart and with all your soul. Leave it all on the playing field, so to speak. That's what's really at the heart of these verses in Deuteronomy. The God that we worship is so glorious, so precious, so valuable that He deserves nothing but our best. When we understand how good and loving and kind and powerful our God is, it becomes easy to pour ourselves into our tasks heart and soul.
If you are wrestling with the idea of calling and purpose, I would recommend 2 books to you. The first would be The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. In this classic work, Tozer does a magnificent job of painting a picture of a life that is fully devoted to knowing God. The second book I would recommend is Courage and Calling by Gordon Smith. This book does a great job of putting forth a Biblical theology of work, vocation, calling and purpose. Together, these 2 books can be very helpful as you seek God for His calling on your life.
"...serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul..."This is a call to action; we're not allowed to sit still. In part 3, we looked at the idea that God wants us to learn how to walk in all his ways. I view those words as instructional to how we "do life," our everyday actions, thoughts, and words. This requirement, however, may be pointing to something more specific. I believe that there is a unique role for each one of us to play in God's Kingdom. As 1st Corinthians 12 teaches, we are all unique and individual parts of the Body with different jobs and functions. There is a lot to say about calling and purpose, but let's highlight some key thoughts:
1. Know Your Calling
There are tools to help you discern what you are good at and how you are wired (i.e. DISC test, Meyers-Briggs, Spiritual Gifts assessment), but nothing can substitute the sense of call that God will place in your heart. It can at times be frustrating to figure out what your calling is because God is not formulaic in the way He gives you that information. God is relational and desires you to pray and seek His face and read the scriptures. Only in that will you truly be able to rest in the security of your call.
2. Don't Desire Someone Else's Calling
For the last 10 years, we have had the privilege of watching the trainwreck auditions at the beginning of each season of American Idol. There is nothing more sad than watching an awful singer who is deluded in thinking that they can actually sing. When it comes to Christian service, don't be "that guy". If you stink at public speaking, chances are you're not called into preaching. Of course, God can always do a miracle, but He most often works with the giftings that He placed in us when we were born. Know your calling and learn to be OK with it.
3. Understand That Seasons Change
As the famous passage from Ecclesiastes observes, there are different seasons and times in our lives. You may find that what you are called to now is different than it was in the past. Or, a particular need may arise that has to take precedence for a season over the bigger call of God. The Apostle Paul was called to, you know, write the Bible! But when there was a need for money to help finance his trips, Paul made tents. When discerning your calling, ask God to help you know what things are "whole-life" callings and what things are seasonal.
4. Serve Wholeheartedly
Whatever you are doing in service to God or whatever season you are in, do it with all your heart and with all your soul. Leave it all on the playing field, so to speak. That's what's really at the heart of these verses in Deuteronomy. The God that we worship is so glorious, so precious, so valuable that He deserves nothing but our best. When we understand how good and loving and kind and powerful our God is, it becomes easy to pour ourselves into our tasks heart and soul.
If you are wrestling with the idea of calling and purpose, I would recommend 2 books to you. The first would be The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. In this classic work, Tozer does a magnificent job of painting a picture of a life that is fully devoted to knowing God. The second book I would recommend is Courage and Calling by Gordon Smith. This book does a great job of putting forth a Biblical theology of work, vocation, calling and purpose. Together, these 2 books can be very helpful as you seek God for His calling on your life.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
What Does God Require? part 4
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Today we will look at the next instruction from this verse, that we are to love God. There is a lot that can be said about this simple command, so I will try to highlight some other Biblical passages that provide us a robust picture of what it means to love God. As you're probably aware, the original languages of the Bible have more than one word for "love." In English, we say that we love pizza or we love a particular TV show or we love our country or we love our children. Obviously, those are different types of love. Let's look at some other scriptures that help us understand what loving God looks like.
1. Love God Not Just For What He Does, But For Who He Is.
2. Love God Not Just With Your Emotions, But With All Of Who You Are.
3. Love God By Obeying Him
4. Love God By Resting In His Love
I'm quite certain that there is much more that could be said about what it means to love God, but the above points should give each of us something to think about, to wrestle with, to pray about. There is nobody who loves God perfectly, so we all have some way that we can grow in this area. I'll simply close this blog out by echoing the prayer of Paul found in Ephesians 3:
Today we will look at the next instruction from this verse, that we are to love God. There is a lot that can be said about this simple command, so I will try to highlight some other Biblical passages that provide us a robust picture of what it means to love God. As you're probably aware, the original languages of the Bible have more than one word for "love." In English, we say that we love pizza or we love a particular TV show or we love our country or we love our children. Obviously, those are different types of love. Let's look at some other scriptures that help us understand what loving God looks like.
1. Love God Not Just For What He Does, But For Who He Is.
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! - Psalm 150:2God does incredible things. Creation, common grace, healing, provision, comfort, and...oh yeah, SALVATION!! It is good for us to love God and praise Him for His incredible works, but the scripture doesn't let us stop there; we are to also praise God for who He is. Think about the attributes of God: eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, compassionate, merciful, wrathful, patient, just, righteous, loving, etc. Those are but some of the attributes of God that we are to love. If we only love God for what He can do for us, that type of love is ultimately selfish and will leave us frustrated when God doesn't always do what we want. But if we love God for who He is (and remember that He is is unchanging), we will never be left disappointed.
2. Love God Not Just With Your Emotions, But With All Of Who You Are.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. - Mark 12:30In our culture, "love" is almost exclusively defined as an emotional experience. We say that we've "fallen out of love" with someone, meaning that the emotional high of the initial love experience isn't there anymore. The Biblical definition of love includes the emotions to be sure, but it is much bigger and deeper than that. We are to love God by learning about Him intellectually. (I have written before about the fact that if you love something, you will learn about it). We are to love God by persevering through difficulties and dry seasons. We are to love God by being disciplined to seek Him through scripture and prayer. Again, the emotions are very important but they are not the definition of what it means to love God.
3. Love God By Obeying Him
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. - 1 John 5:3Plain and simple, we demonstrate our hearts through our actions. It would be no good for me to tell my wife and kids that I love them with my mouth but never go to work and provide for their needs or never defend them against harm or never show them physical affection. If we claim to love God, we will learn what pleases and displeases Him and seek to bring Him joy. *VERY IMPORTANT* This obedience must first spring from an understanding of the Gospel. You will not impress God and earn your place in His family with your amazing works. In fact, the Bible says that even our best deeds are like filthy rags in God's eyes. But once you understand that the cross and resurrection mean that you are already accepted by God because of what Jesus did, it frees you from the burdensome toil of trying to measure up. Once we have understood the gospel, we are now free to keep the commandments of God out of loving response to the love that He has already shown.
4. Love God By Resting In His Love
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. - John 15:9I don't know about you, but the above verse gives me a avery strong sense of peace and rest. Here, Jesus is assuring us of His love, letting us know that He loves us the same way that God the Father has loved Him. Our proper response should be to relax, to rest, to trust in that love. Our love toward God should not be anxious or fearful; God has demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rest. Relax. Enjoy. Abide. Live in His love. Experience His love day by day.
I'm quite certain that there is much more that could be said about what it means to love God, but the above points should give each of us something to think about, to wrestle with, to pray about. There is nobody who loves God perfectly, so we all have some way that we can grow in this area. I'll simply close this blog out by echoing the prayer of Paul found in Ephesians 3:
[I pray] that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What Does God Require? part 3
We're continuing to go through Deuteronomy 10:12-13 with a fine tooth comb. Today, I want to address the next phrase in the list of requirements from God:
Walk in all His Ways
I remember when I first learned how to water-ski; it was a terrifically awkward experience. Every time the boat started to pull forward, my natural inclination was to straighten out my legs, lean forward, and stand up on top of the water. There was a slight problem, however: that is the exact opposite of what a person needs to do to go from the floating position to being up on top of the water. No matter how many times my teacher told me to lean back, keep my knees bent and relax, I just couldn't find it in myself to do it. Only after several hours of trying (and several gallons of lake water going through my nose) was I finally able to water-ski successfully.
A lot of hobbies and activities are like that. It is very awkward and unnatural to learn how to play an instrument or swing a golf club or shoot a basketball properly. Most every one of us have experienced, at some point or another, the frustration of learning to do something correctly when it goes against our natural inclinations.
When it comes to how we live our lives, our culture preaches a message of "do whatever comes most naturally to you" or "just be yourself" or "you gotta do you." The problem is, like the beginner water-skier or violinist, the proper way to "do life" often runs against our natural inclinations. When God instructs us in this verse to "walk in all His ways," I think it's a bit like Him telling us "I have a way that I want you to live your life, but I want you to know that it's going run against your natural inclinations. Because of your sinful, fallen nature, you think you know how your life should operate, but I have a better way. It's going to feel awkward, it's going to frustrate you sometimes, but in the end, it leads to the truest life that you will ever find."
Does this surprise you? Doesn't it make sense if God is perfect and we are imperfect that our paths would diverge at some point? Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Last week, when driving around an unfamiliar city with my wife, I thought I had a sense of the way back to our hotel, but in the end it led to...well, not death but just a golf course. Much like how our external sense of direction can get messed up, our internal moral compass is easily misled. Only the heart that is submitted to the ways of God will be able to navigate the twists and turns of life successfully.
This verse is intensely practical. It means that our day-to-day activities should be challenged by the teachings of the scripture. It means that our emotional reactions to life events should be challenged by the scripture. It means that we should daily, hourly seek the guidance of the Spirit as we face our daily and hourly tasks and situations.
It also means that we must rely daily upon the grace of God as we know that we will not always "get it right." Salvation is not a matter of works but of grace. Once we understand that our salvation is a gift from God, it frees us up to pursue God's ways out of a sense of love for Him. Our pursuit of God's ways will not be an arduous climb or a life-sucking task list, but a joyous, life-giving pursuit of the God who has made us and knows best how we ought to live our lives.
Walk in all His Ways
I remember when I first learned how to water-ski; it was a terrifically awkward experience. Every time the boat started to pull forward, my natural inclination was to straighten out my legs, lean forward, and stand up on top of the water. There was a slight problem, however: that is the exact opposite of what a person needs to do to go from the floating position to being up on top of the water. No matter how many times my teacher told me to lean back, keep my knees bent and relax, I just couldn't find it in myself to do it. Only after several hours of trying (and several gallons of lake water going through my nose) was I finally able to water-ski successfully.
A lot of hobbies and activities are like that. It is very awkward and unnatural to learn how to play an instrument or swing a golf club or shoot a basketball properly. Most every one of us have experienced, at some point or another, the frustration of learning to do something correctly when it goes against our natural inclinations.
When it comes to how we live our lives, our culture preaches a message of "do whatever comes most naturally to you" or "just be yourself" or "you gotta do you." The problem is, like the beginner water-skier or violinist, the proper way to "do life" often runs against our natural inclinations. When God instructs us in this verse to "walk in all His ways," I think it's a bit like Him telling us "I have a way that I want you to live your life, but I want you to know that it's going run against your natural inclinations. Because of your sinful, fallen nature, you think you know how your life should operate, but I have a better way. It's going to feel awkward, it's going to frustrate you sometimes, but in the end, it leads to the truest life that you will ever find."
Does this surprise you? Doesn't it make sense if God is perfect and we are imperfect that our paths would diverge at some point? Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Last week, when driving around an unfamiliar city with my wife, I thought I had a sense of the way back to our hotel, but in the end it led to...well, not death but just a golf course. Much like how our external sense of direction can get messed up, our internal moral compass is easily misled. Only the heart that is submitted to the ways of God will be able to navigate the twists and turns of life successfully.
This verse is intensely practical. It means that our day-to-day activities should be challenged by the teachings of the scripture. It means that our emotional reactions to life events should be challenged by the scripture. It means that we should daily, hourly seek the guidance of the Spirit as we face our daily and hourly tasks and situations.
It also means that we must rely daily upon the grace of God as we know that we will not always "get it right." Salvation is not a matter of works but of grace. Once we understand that our salvation is a gift from God, it frees us up to pursue God's ways out of a sense of love for Him. Our pursuit of God's ways will not be an arduous climb or a life-sucking task list, but a joyous, life-giving pursuit of the God who has made us and knows best how we ought to live our lives.
Friday, May 20, 2011
What Does God Require? part 2
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13
This week, I'm working on memorizing the above verses. As these verses are incredibly dense with meaning, I thought it would be a good idea to carefully go through these verses with a scalpel. In the last post, we explored the idea that God's requirements for us are evidence of His love. Deism is wrong, God is active and involved. Today I want to explore the next small piece of this verse, "...to fear the Lord your God."
What Does It Mean To Fear God?
The fear of God is a major theme of the Bible. In Proverbs, it says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Paraphrase: you don't know jack unless you've first learned to fear God. In Luke 12, Jesus tells his followers to not be afraid of those who can merely kill the body, but rather to be afraid of the one who has the authority to cast into hell. Just so we're clear here, that is in reference to God. Not Satan, not your pastor, not your neighbor, but only God is the judge who has the authority to grant eternal life. Fearing God is apparently quite important, but we need to unpack and explore what it truly means. I have outlined below (via numbered list, of course) several of the markers of a healthy fear of God.
1. Awe
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? - Psalm 8:3-4
Have you ever had one of those experiences where you bumped up against the power of nature and suddenly felt your insignificance and smallness? Like Matt Chandler says, nobody goes up to the Grand Canyon and suddenly feels compelled to brag about their scholastic or career accomplishments. Or have any of you musicians ever seen a really, really good concert and been overwhelmed at how good the players were? Has it ever made you feel pretty puny or like you wanted to quit playing? Part of what it means to fear God is to overwhelmed with awe at His immensity, His greatness, His incredible attributes. We should be awestruck by God.
2. Respect
...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15
We live in an incredibly rude and disrespectful society. Our entire culture looks like MTV's Real World slogan: "Find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real." Rudeness is actually heralded as a virtue because "at least you're just being honest." Even toward earthly rulers - presidents and kings - we have lost any sense of respect for those in rule or authority. You can buy shirts at the mall that say "Bush is a Dumbass." Jon Stewart called President Obama "dude."
Now, I'm not advocating that we should speak to God in King James English or that we have to dress a certain way to show respect to God. The issue isn't about external things like words or clothes or rituals; the issue is the position of our heart. God is the true King over all the other kings, presidents, prime ministers, and rulers. He places rulers in their place of authority and removes them at His discretion. We should reject any treatment of God that is bossy, demanding, childish (not child-like), or disrespectful.
3. Trust & Obedience
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9
I'll be honest: sometimes I just don't get God. It seems like the way He runs the universe is different than I would do it. I suppose that's a good thing, because my own house is not always in order. I have mold growing in my garage. Fearing God means that we mentally give assent to the fact that His ways are better than our ways. This is trust. But trust does not exist in a vacuum. Real trust, real faith means that our actions must match. This is the obedience part. I could say that I trust a bungee cord, I could even believe intellectually in the strength and elasticity of the cord, but if I'm not willing to jump I've just revealed that my heart doesn't really trust it. It is scary to hand over control of my life to someone else, but trust and obedience are two very important aspects of walking in the fear of the Lord.
4. Actual Fear (Like Being Afraid)
But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. - Isaiah 8:13
Electricity is a really good thing. It helps our lives immensely and has changed the way we do literally everything. However, when I see linemen working on the power lines near my house, I get a little queasy. While useful, electricity is also incredibly dangerous. The power that electricity represents should give us caution before we just treat it however we want. The same is true with God. His power should cause us to be cautious in how we think, speak and act before a Holy God. If you are willfully behaving sinfully, you should fear. If you are mocking the grace of God, you should fear. We should fully embrace the goodness, grace and mercy of God, but make no mistake: God will not be mocked. (Gal. 6:7).
I love the way that C.S. Lewis writes of Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe:
Conclusion
There is much in the scripture that teaches us about the closeness, the familiarity of God. Jesus teaches us to pray to God as "Abba," the Aramaic equivalent to our children saying "daddy." The Holy Spirit is spoken of as our Comforter. Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. The disciple John is said to have been reclining up against Jesus at the table. I get it, I really do. God has revealed Himself to us as being close to us, loving and approachable.
But, without a proper fear of the Lord in place, we can easily swing into self-importance and self-sufficiency. Hebrews 1 says that the entire universe is upheld by the word of His power. Think about that. At this moment, water is still behaving like water because of God. Grass is growing right now because of God. My computer is functioning on electricity right now because of the word of God's power. Not a molecule in the universe is out of God's sight at this very moment. I can't even find my freaking ear buds today. He alone is God. I am not. He is awesome in power and should be rightly feared. A proper understanding of the fear of God makes His invitation to approach Him like a little child all the more unbelievable and scandalous.
Our fear of God should not paralyze us or cause us to shrink away from Him. Rather, we should run with abandon into the arms of the one who is more powerful that we can ever understand and more loving than we could ever comprehend.
This week, I'm working on memorizing the above verses. As these verses are incredibly dense with meaning, I thought it would be a good idea to carefully go through these verses with a scalpel. In the last post, we explored the idea that God's requirements for us are evidence of His love. Deism is wrong, God is active and involved. Today I want to explore the next small piece of this verse, "...to fear the Lord your God."
What Does It Mean To Fear God?
The fear of God is a major theme of the Bible. In Proverbs, it says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Paraphrase: you don't know jack unless you've first learned to fear God. In Luke 12, Jesus tells his followers to not be afraid of those who can merely kill the body, but rather to be afraid of the one who has the authority to cast into hell. Just so we're clear here, that is in reference to God. Not Satan, not your pastor, not your neighbor, but only God is the judge who has the authority to grant eternal life. Fearing God is apparently quite important, but we need to unpack and explore what it truly means. I have outlined below (via numbered list, of course) several of the markers of a healthy fear of God.
1. Awe
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? - Psalm 8:3-4
Have you ever had one of those experiences where you bumped up against the power of nature and suddenly felt your insignificance and smallness? Like Matt Chandler says, nobody goes up to the Grand Canyon and suddenly feels compelled to brag about their scholastic or career accomplishments. Or have any of you musicians ever seen a really, really good concert and been overwhelmed at how good the players were? Has it ever made you feel pretty puny or like you wanted to quit playing? Part of what it means to fear God is to overwhelmed with awe at His immensity, His greatness, His incredible attributes. We should be awestruck by God.
2. Respect
...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15
We live in an incredibly rude and disrespectful society. Our entire culture looks like MTV's Real World slogan: "Find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real." Rudeness is actually heralded as a virtue because "at least you're just being honest." Even toward earthly rulers - presidents and kings - we have lost any sense of respect for those in rule or authority. You can buy shirts at the mall that say "Bush is a Dumbass." Jon Stewart called President Obama "dude."
Now, I'm not advocating that we should speak to God in King James English or that we have to dress a certain way to show respect to God. The issue isn't about external things like words or clothes or rituals; the issue is the position of our heart. God is the true King over all the other kings, presidents, prime ministers, and rulers. He places rulers in their place of authority and removes them at His discretion. We should reject any treatment of God that is bossy, demanding, childish (not child-like), or disrespectful.
3. Trust & Obedience
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9
I'll be honest: sometimes I just don't get God. It seems like the way He runs the universe is different than I would do it. I suppose that's a good thing, because my own house is not always in order. I have mold growing in my garage. Fearing God means that we mentally give assent to the fact that His ways are better than our ways. This is trust. But trust does not exist in a vacuum. Real trust, real faith means that our actions must match. This is the obedience part. I could say that I trust a bungee cord, I could even believe intellectually in the strength and elasticity of the cord, but if I'm not willing to jump I've just revealed that my heart doesn't really trust it. It is scary to hand over control of my life to someone else, but trust and obedience are two very important aspects of walking in the fear of the Lord.
4. Actual Fear (Like Being Afraid)
But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. - Isaiah 8:13
Electricity is a really good thing. It helps our lives immensely and has changed the way we do literally everything. However, when I see linemen working on the power lines near my house, I get a little queasy. While useful, electricity is also incredibly dangerous. The power that electricity represents should give us caution before we just treat it however we want. The same is true with God. His power should cause us to be cautious in how we think, speak and act before a Holy God. If you are willfully behaving sinfully, you should fear. If you are mocking the grace of God, you should fear. We should fully embrace the goodness, grace and mercy of God, but make no mistake: God will not be mocked. (Gal. 6:7).
I love the way that C.S. Lewis writes of Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe:
"Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy.
"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion."
"Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."
"That you will, dearie, abd make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."
"Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."
Conclusion
There is much in the scripture that teaches us about the closeness, the familiarity of God. Jesus teaches us to pray to God as "Abba," the Aramaic equivalent to our children saying "daddy." The Holy Spirit is spoken of as our Comforter. Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. The disciple John is said to have been reclining up against Jesus at the table. I get it, I really do. God has revealed Himself to us as being close to us, loving and approachable.
But, without a proper fear of the Lord in place, we can easily swing into self-importance and self-sufficiency. Hebrews 1 says that the entire universe is upheld by the word of His power. Think about that. At this moment, water is still behaving like water because of God. Grass is growing right now because of God. My computer is functioning on electricity right now because of the word of God's power. Not a molecule in the universe is out of God's sight at this very moment. I can't even find my freaking ear buds today. He alone is God. I am not. He is awesome in power and should be rightly feared. A proper understanding of the fear of God makes His invitation to approach Him like a little child all the more unbelievable and scandalous.
Our fear of God should not paralyze us or cause us to shrink away from Him. Rather, we should run with abandon into the arms of the one who is more powerful that we can ever understand and more loving than we could ever comprehend.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
What Does God Require? part 1
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13
I have an iPhone app called "Fighter Verses." The app was put together as a way to help people memorize certain key verses from the Bible, these 52 "Fighter Verses." The app is really well done and I highly recommend it, but that's beside the point. This week's verse comes from Deuteronomy 10, and it really struck me as valuable. Maybe I liked this verse so much because it comes in the form of a numbered list, my favorite information delivery technique. I thought I would take a couple of blog posts and go through this verse with a fine tooth comb. The more I have meditated on these words, the more densely packed I see them to be. This post will only cover the first 12 words.
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you?
This verse records Moses speaking to the people of Israel after God gave Moses the second set of the 10 Commandments. In Deuteronomy 5, Moses gathers together all the people of Israel and launches into a lengthy speech to the people, instructing them in the ways that the Lord has set before them. Moses is asking this question as a way to teach the people of God, clearly and succinctly, how God desires us to be in relationship to Him.
Many people in today's culture live their lives in some form of deism. Deism is the general belief or understanding that there is a God who somehow made the world, but that God is very distant and uninvolved. In the deistic view, what God really wants and requires of us is to figure out life on our own. God started this whole universe project, but has now abandoned it and left us in charge of everything. Many enlightenment thinkers, including the majority of America's founding fathers, were deists; this is why our cultural awareness is steeped in do-it-yourself-ism. It's as thick as the air that we breath. This worldview certainly encourages hard work but certainly fails to take into account the God to whom we are actually responsible.
Right from the beginning of this verse, we are confronted with the idea that God requires something from us. This is not a particularly popular message to speak today, but it is truth. We were created by God and for God. Everything that was created was made by Him. Our next breath, our next heartbeat is dependent on God. When God speaks and lets us know what is required of us, we had better pay attention.
I find great comfort in knowing that God requires something from me. I find it comforting because it means that God is not distant and uninvolved. It means that God is a good God, a good Father who cares about us, our lives, our actions, and our treatment of other people. It means that God loves us enough to not leave us alone. The ultimate form of hate is indifference, and God is clearly not indifferent.
Rather than recoil in "American-do-it-myself-self-sufficient" horror at the thought of God's requirement, I encourage you to find comfort in these verses. God is treating you as His child. Embrace Him. Submit yourself to Him. He is good and He has your ultimate good in mind.
In the next post, we will explore what it means to "fear God."
I have an iPhone app called "Fighter Verses." The app was put together as a way to help people memorize certain key verses from the Bible, these 52 "Fighter Verses." The app is really well done and I highly recommend it, but that's beside the point. This week's verse comes from Deuteronomy 10, and it really struck me as valuable. Maybe I liked this verse so much because it comes in the form of a numbered list, my favorite information delivery technique. I thought I would take a couple of blog posts and go through this verse with a fine tooth comb. The more I have meditated on these words, the more densely packed I see them to be. This post will only cover the first 12 words.
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you?
This verse records Moses speaking to the people of Israel after God gave Moses the second set of the 10 Commandments. In Deuteronomy 5, Moses gathers together all the people of Israel and launches into a lengthy speech to the people, instructing them in the ways that the Lord has set before them. Moses is asking this question as a way to teach the people of God, clearly and succinctly, how God desires us to be in relationship to Him.
Many people in today's culture live their lives in some form of deism. Deism is the general belief or understanding that there is a God who somehow made the world, but that God is very distant and uninvolved. In the deistic view, what God really wants and requires of us is to figure out life on our own. God started this whole universe project, but has now abandoned it and left us in charge of everything. Many enlightenment thinkers, including the majority of America's founding fathers, were deists; this is why our cultural awareness is steeped in do-it-yourself-ism. It's as thick as the air that we breath. This worldview certainly encourages hard work but certainly fails to take into account the God to whom we are actually responsible.
Right from the beginning of this verse, we are confronted with the idea that God requires something from us. This is not a particularly popular message to speak today, but it is truth. We were created by God and for God. Everything that was created was made by Him. Our next breath, our next heartbeat is dependent on God. When God speaks and lets us know what is required of us, we had better pay attention.
I find great comfort in knowing that God requires something from me. I find it comforting because it means that God is not distant and uninvolved. It means that God is a good God, a good Father who cares about us, our lives, our actions, and our treatment of other people. It means that God loves us enough to not leave us alone. The ultimate form of hate is indifference, and God is clearly not indifferent.
Rather than recoil in "American-do-it-myself-self-sufficient" horror at the thought of God's requirement, I encourage you to find comfort in these verses. God is treating you as His child. Embrace Him. Submit yourself to Him. He is good and He has your ultimate good in mind.
In the next post, we will explore what it means to "fear God."
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Things We Don't See In English Bibles
For one of my classes, I am doing some extensive research on the Old Testament book of Micah. Micah is my favorite of the OT prophetic books. I stumbled across some research into the Hebrew language that only deepened my appreciation for the Scriptures in general and the book of Micah in particular.
In 1:10-1:16, Micah rattles of a list of cities that will be affected by the impending judgment of God. Before continuing further, take a minute and read through it here. This passage sounds like the typical judgment language that is used throughout the Old Testament prophetic books. These prophecies came at a very dark time in the history of Israel/Judah, and the language can be harsh-sounding to our modern ears. Most of these prophetic books were written for 3 main purposes: 1) to encourage God's people to stop continuing further in sin, 2) to explain why judgment and calamity has come upon them, and 3) to offer future hope and salvation. *side note: these #3 passages are often where we find the predictions about Jesus prior to his advent.
What we don't see in our English translations is how the words of judgment are related to the names of the cities themselves. Many commentators and Hebrew scholars have been astounded at the wordplay at work in these verses. Aside from the fact that this is divinely inspired scripture, the literary genius is truly remarkable:
City, Meaning of Name, Related Activity
1. Gath sounds like Hebrew for "tears" or "crying." The verse says to "weep not at all."
2. Beth-le-aphrah means "City of Dust." The verse says to "roll yourselves in the dust."
3. Shaphir sounds like Heb. for "beautiful." This city will be left "in nakedness and shame."
4. Zaanan sounds like Heb. for "moving around" or "coming out." The verse says that they won't come out.
5. Beth-ezel means "House of Taking Away." The song of weeping about this city will be so sad it will "take away" their ability even to stand.
6. Maroth sounds like Heb. for "bitter." This city is said to be waiting "anxiously for good" in the middle of this bitter disaster.
7. Lachish sounds like Heb. for "horses." The inhabitants of the city are encouraged to flee on horses and "chariots."
8. Moresheth-gath is related to the Heb. word me'orasah which means "one who is betrothed." The idea of "parting gifts" is related to the idea of a dowry that would go to a bride.
9. Achzib sound like Heb. for "deceptive." In turn, this city will be deceptive to the "rulers of Israel."
10. Mareshah sounds like Heb. for "conqueror." Now another "conqueror" will come to this city.
11. Adullam does not seem to have any apparent wordplay in place.
What an interesting literary device! This really brings home the emotion connection to these judgment verses. I'm trying to think of what this would look like if it was given to American cities:
...ships will flee from Anchorage.
...no angels will be found in Los Angeles.
...Fort Worth will be left utterly worthless.
...people in Nashville will grind their teeth.
...God will destroy the sorcerers in Wichita.
OK, so I'm obviously no Micah, but you get the idea. The main point is that when we read a little bit deeper into the texts of the scripture, it is amazing the layers that start to appear. I am left with little choice but to be amazed all over again at God's handiwork through these human authors that gave us the scriptures.
In 1:10-1:16, Micah rattles of a list of cities that will be affected by the impending judgment of God. Before continuing further, take a minute and read through it here. This passage sounds like the typical judgment language that is used throughout the Old Testament prophetic books. These prophecies came at a very dark time in the history of Israel/Judah, and the language can be harsh-sounding to our modern ears. Most of these prophetic books were written for 3 main purposes: 1) to encourage God's people to stop continuing further in sin, 2) to explain why judgment and calamity has come upon them, and 3) to offer future hope and salvation. *side note: these #3 passages are often where we find the predictions about Jesus prior to his advent.
What we don't see in our English translations is how the words of judgment are related to the names of the cities themselves. Many commentators and Hebrew scholars have been astounded at the wordplay at work in these verses. Aside from the fact that this is divinely inspired scripture, the literary genius is truly remarkable:
City, Meaning of Name, Related Activity
1. Gath sounds like Hebrew for "tears" or "crying." The verse says to "weep not at all."
2. Beth-le-aphrah means "City of Dust." The verse says to "roll yourselves in the dust."
3. Shaphir sounds like Heb. for "beautiful." This city will be left "in nakedness and shame."
4. Zaanan sounds like Heb. for "moving around" or "coming out." The verse says that they won't come out.
5. Beth-ezel means "House of Taking Away." The song of weeping about this city will be so sad it will "take away" their ability even to stand.
6. Maroth sounds like Heb. for "bitter." This city is said to be waiting "anxiously for good" in the middle of this bitter disaster.
7. Lachish sounds like Heb. for "horses." The inhabitants of the city are encouraged to flee on horses and "chariots."
8. Moresheth-gath is related to the Heb. word me'orasah which means "one who is betrothed." The idea of "parting gifts" is related to the idea of a dowry that would go to a bride.
9. Achzib sound like Heb. for "deceptive." In turn, this city will be deceptive to the "rulers of Israel."
10. Mareshah sounds like Heb. for "conqueror." Now another "conqueror" will come to this city.
11. Adullam does not seem to have any apparent wordplay in place.
What an interesting literary device! This really brings home the emotion connection to these judgment verses. I'm trying to think of what this would look like if it was given to American cities:
...ships will flee from Anchorage.
...no angels will be found in Los Angeles.
...Fort Worth will be left utterly worthless.
...people in Nashville will grind their teeth.
...God will destroy the sorcerers in Wichita.
OK, so I'm obviously no Micah, but you get the idea. The main point is that when we read a little bit deeper into the texts of the scripture, it is amazing the layers that start to appear. I am left with little choice but to be amazed all over again at God's handiwork through these human authors that gave us the scriptures.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
She's Only Mostly Dead?
One of my absolutely favorite Bible teachers and preachers is Tim Keller. The following is his commenting on a story found in Mark 5, where Jesus raises a little girl from the dead:
Tim Keller, King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, pp. 67-69, commenting on Mark 5:38-42:
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Most Boring Section of the Whole Bible
For the last few days, my Bible-reading plan has taken me through some of the most boring chapters I could have ever imagined in the entire Bible: Joshua 15 through 19 or so. The book of Joshua, up to this point, has been recounting the military exploits of the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua as they conquer the land of Canaan. The stories are full of intrigue, blood, drama, and interesting characters. But, at chapter 15, the narrative begins to describe how they divided up the land between the different tribes and groups of the Israelites. It is, without a doubt, one of the most tedious sections of scripture I have ever had the privilege to read. The specificity with which the geographical locations are named is tough to follow, much less understand.
Here is a brief snippet for you. Please try to stay awake all the way through:
The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. (Joshua 16:5-7 ESV)
I hold to the view of scripture known as "Verbal Plenary Inspiration." Inspiration means that the Bible does not come from mere men, but that God himself spoke His Word through them (2 Peter 1:21). Verbal means that the specific words of the scripture are given to us by God (Matthew 5:18). Plenary means that the ENTIRE Bible was given to us by God and is for our good, even the seemingly irrelevant sections (2 Timothy 3:16). It is easy to appreciate the exciting stories in the Torah or the practical teaching from Paul's writings; it is often more difficult to appreciate the genealogies or the long descriptions of Levitical priestly practice or these long geographical descriptions. However, something happened recently that spoke volumes to me about these chapters in Joshua.
Two Sundays ago, a doctor from my church did a presentation on a medical mission that he is a part of in the Sudan. For those who don't know, the Sudan has been decimated by decades of civil war, ethnic strife, and genocide. It is undoubtedly one of the poorest regions in the entire world and in desperate need for God's people to step in and intervene. Dr. Jack was talking to my friend Rich about the fighting in the region and he said something very interesting. One of the major contributing factors to the fighting between people groups in Sudan is the lack of geographical boundary lines for their territories. The boundary lines were drawn up by government people looking at a map, not at the actual land. Dr. Jack said that if they were to have rivers and mountains dividing the people instead of imaginary lines, it would go a long way to easing the tensions.
Have you ever wondered why some of our United States are so weirdly shaped? It's because many of their borders follow the natural geography of the region. Only someone on drugs would think to draw a state shaped like West Virginia if they were handed a map and a marker. Only further out west, when the U.S. took control over huge regions of land, did we get boring, theoretical state shapes like Utah and Colorado. There is tremendous wisdom, sociologically speaking, in having people's boundaries marked by the natural divisions we see in nature.
Now, when I read Joshua 15 and such, I am thankful to God for His tremendous wisdom in giving the people of Israel the land according to natural markers. In fact, only 300 short years after the events in Joshua, the people of Israel became so divided that they actually split into 2 autonomous nations. Could you imagine if they hadn't had natural divisions? They might not have made it 50 years!! Once again, we see the hand of God at work in providing His people with the best possible chance for success as a nation. These potentially boring chapters can now, with a little understanding, open up our eyes to a greater measure of God's manifold wisdom and give us an opportunity to worship Him.
p.s. For those who may be interested, here's the website for the Alaska Sudan Medical Project: www.AlaskaSudan.org
Here is a brief snippet for you. Please try to stay awake all the way through:
The territory of the people of Ephraim by their clans was as follows: the boundary of their inheritance on the east was Ataroth-addar as far as Upper Beth-horon, and the boundary goes from there to the sea. On the north is Michmethath. Then on the east the boundary turns around toward Taanath-shiloh and passes along beyond it on the east to Janoah, then it goes down from Janoah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and touches Jericho, ending at the Jordan. (Joshua 16:5-7 ESV)
I hold to the view of scripture known as "Verbal Plenary Inspiration." Inspiration means that the Bible does not come from mere men, but that God himself spoke His Word through them (2 Peter 1:21). Verbal means that the specific words of the scripture are given to us by God (Matthew 5:18). Plenary means that the ENTIRE Bible was given to us by God and is for our good, even the seemingly irrelevant sections (2 Timothy 3:16). It is easy to appreciate the exciting stories in the Torah or the practical teaching from Paul's writings; it is often more difficult to appreciate the genealogies or the long descriptions of Levitical priestly practice or these long geographical descriptions. However, something happened recently that spoke volumes to me about these chapters in Joshua.
Two Sundays ago, a doctor from my church did a presentation on a medical mission that he is a part of in the Sudan. For those who don't know, the Sudan has been decimated by decades of civil war, ethnic strife, and genocide. It is undoubtedly one of the poorest regions in the entire world and in desperate need for God's people to step in and intervene. Dr. Jack was talking to my friend Rich about the fighting in the region and he said something very interesting. One of the major contributing factors to the fighting between people groups in Sudan is the lack of geographical boundary lines for their territories. The boundary lines were drawn up by government people looking at a map, not at the actual land. Dr. Jack said that if they were to have rivers and mountains dividing the people instead of imaginary lines, it would go a long way to easing the tensions.
Have you ever wondered why some of our United States are so weirdly shaped? It's because many of their borders follow the natural geography of the region. Only someone on drugs would think to draw a state shaped like West Virginia if they were handed a map and a marker. Only further out west, when the U.S. took control over huge regions of land, did we get boring, theoretical state shapes like Utah and Colorado. There is tremendous wisdom, sociologically speaking, in having people's boundaries marked by the natural divisions we see in nature.
Now, when I read Joshua 15 and such, I am thankful to God for His tremendous wisdom in giving the people of Israel the land according to natural markers. In fact, only 300 short years after the events in Joshua, the people of Israel became so divided that they actually split into 2 autonomous nations. Could you imagine if they hadn't had natural divisions? They might not have made it 50 years!! Once again, we see the hand of God at work in providing His people with the best possible chance for success as a nation. These potentially boring chapters can now, with a little understanding, open up our eyes to a greater measure of God's manifold wisdom and give us an opportunity to worship Him.
p.s. For those who may be interested, here's the website for the Alaska Sudan Medical Project: www.AlaskaSudan.org
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