God Honors Humility

 [God] says, "I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free...Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country." (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

1 Kings 21:21, 24-29

For anyone who has read the Bible Ahab's name is synonymous with idol worship, murder, and wickedness. Very few men in Scripture are treated with as much contempt as he is. Yet, these few verses aren't really about Ahab's wickedness but about His repentance and God's mercy. 

According to verse twenty-five Ahab had maxed out his sin before God. It says, "there was never anyone like Ahab" in regard to his sin. And yet, when Ahab finally found fear of the Lord, when he became convinced that judgment was coming; he repented from his heart. Ahab, the great king of Israel, took off his royal robes and put on sackcloth. He gave up his kingly feasts and fasted before the Lord. This wasn't done privately but publicly. Ahab publicly repented of his sin before God.

Perhaps, even more surprising than Ahab's abrupt about-face is that a holy and righteous God would relent and show a measure of mercy to him. Here's a man who had dedicated himself to wickedness for decades. Yet, when he humbles himself before the Lord, God still chooses to honor his humility and repentance. As James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

No matter how bad your sin, God honors humility and true repentance. Conversely, no matter how good you are, arrogance and a self-righteous attitude will incur God's wrath. So humble yourself. Stop and consider the sin you're ignoring in your life and repent from your heart. God will honor it.

Dust to Dust (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7

History has proven that men are often more prone to arrogance than to humility. Thus, almost immediately after our Lord tells us of our role in creation (see Genesis 1:26-30 and last week's post), how being made in His image we are to rule over the world as His vice-regents, He humbles us by reminding us what we are truly made of... dust. We have been chosen by God to rule over this world not because of any inherent goodness or regal quality in us, but rather by an extra dispensation of His grace to us.

 

Psalm 103:13-16 makes the point this way,

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 

Reading that passage you get the idea that David is saying that we are but dust. One breath of the Lord's nostrils and we would disperse to the ends of the earth. Thus, our loving Father is gentle in correcting us for He (better than anyone else) knows how fragile we are.

Again Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 frames the point slightly differently saying,

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.

We are no better than the animals that God has set us over. We are both made from the dust and when we die we return to the dust the same as they do.

What does all this mean? Well...it means this: Humble yourself before the Lord and remember that you are but dust. All that you have, He has given you. You haven't earned any of it. He has freely given it all. So when you enter His presence in prayer or worship do so with a humble spirit. But in your humility never forget our great hope.

The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (I Corinthians 15:47-49).

One day the Christian will be made like Christ. We are dust now, but one day we will have heavenly bodies. We will be made like Christ. That is our hope and to that end we strive to be increasingly conformed into His image day by day.

For further reading...

• II Chronicles 33:1-20: Check out how Manasseh humbled himself before God and how seriously the Lord took his humility.
• Ecclesiastes 5:1-2: Let your words be few.
• I Corinthians 15: Check out what our heavenly bodies will be like.
• Romans 8:29: Destined to be conformed into the image of Christ.

Poor in Spirit

"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

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

Matthew 5:1-3

Jesus has reached a point of some popularity in His ministry. Crowds of people are following Him now. So, He climbs up a mountain, sits down, and delivers a sermon that calls His followers to a radically new way of living, one that is deeply at odds with this world. He calls us to live in light of Heaven, to live like we believe Heaven is really real. And He starts this sermon on the mount by turning our idea of what it means to live the good life on its head. He starts by telling us who the truly blessed people in this life are. And the very first people that He says are blessed are the poor in spirit. 

To be poor in spirit means you're deeply aware of your own need. It means you approach God not with arrogance or self-righteousness but with lowliness and desperation. You approach Him with empty hands confessing your unworthiness and crying out for mercy. 

This is the tax collector in Jesus’ parable who went to the temple to pray but stood at a distance and wouldn’t even look up to heaven but beat his breast and prayed “God have mercy on me a sinner” (Luke 18:9-14). This is the prophet Isaiah who upon seeing God in a vision cried out “Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5).

Being aware of your own sin, of your unworthiness before God, isn’t something our world encourages. We are surrounded by distractions that keep us from thinking like this. There are an endless number of ways to puff our egos up falsely and shift the blame onto someone else so we never have to admit our sin. But in this first beatitude Jesus reminds us that ignoring our sin actually hurts us in the long run. There’s a peculiar advantage to being deeply aware of your sin, of coming before God knowing you have nothing to offer, because that’s the only way to receive mercy and grace and it is the only way to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

You can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven all puffed up with self-righteousness. You must first be broken by your sin and cry out for grace. And having entered the kingdom like that, we dare not turn back to arrogance and self-righteousness. Of all people Christians ought to be poor in spirit. We ought to easily and regularly acknowledge our need and our sin before God. 

When was the last time you confessed specific sins to God or wept over your brokenness? Take time to do this. Cultivate a heart that is poor in spirit before the Lord, and you will be blessed for it.

God Honors Humility

[God] says, "I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free...Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country." (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”

1 Kings 21:21, 24-29

For anyone who has read the Bible Ahab's name is synonymous with idol worship, murder, and wickedness. Very few men in Scripture are treated with as much contempt as he is. Yet, these few verses aren't really about Ahab's wickedness but about His repentance and God's mercy. 

According to verse twenty-five Ahab had maxed out his sin before God. It says, "there was never anyone like Ahab" in regard to his sin. And yet, when Ahab finally found fear of the Lord, when he became convinced that judgment was coming; he repented from his heart. Ahab, the great king of Israel, took off his royal robes and put on sackcloth. He gave up his kingly feasts and fasted before the Lord. This wasn't done privately but publicly. Ahab publicly repented of his sin before God.

Perhaps, even more surprising than Ahab's abrupt about-face is that a holy and righteous God would relent and show a measure of mercy to him. Here's a man who had dedicated himself to wickedness for decades. Yet, when he humbles himself before the Lord, God still chooses to honor his humility and repentance. As James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

No matter how bad your sin, God honors humility and true repentance. Conversely, no matter how good you are, arrogance and a self-righteous attitude will incur God's wrath. So humble yourself. Stop and consider the sin you're ignoring in your life and repent from your heart. God will honor it.

The Unavoidable Result of Exalting God

Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.
                            Psalm 99:5


It is a simple and unavoidable truth that exalting God inherently means humbling ourselves. We cannot lift God up and make much of Him without ourselves being brought low. The higher God is lifted up the lower we are in relation to Him. Look at today's verse. Once God is exalted, where is the worshiper left? At his footstool. The word for worship here carries the idea of bowing down. So the image is of God being enthroned on high while we worship Him from a position at or below His feet.

This is what proper worship does; it exalts God and humbles man. You cannot make much of God and make much of yourself at the same time. True worship doesn't work that way. If you are not willing to decrease, then you have no part to play in Christ increasing (John 3:30).

So are you willing to decrease? Are you ready to be humbled? To be thought less of? And to think of yourself less? If not, then you need to stop and ask yourself, who am I really trying to lift up, God or myself?

That One Time Peter Told Jesus to Go Away

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

Luke 5:8

Everyone wanted to get closer to Jesus. Once, while Jesus was teaching by the Sea of Galilee, the crowds pressed in on Him.  As the crowd inched forward I imagine Jesus' feet finally met the water. Seeing Peter's fishing boat nearby Jesus put it to good use. They put the boat out a little from the shore and Jesus sat down to teach.

When His sermon was over Jesus told Peter to go out into the deep water and let down his nets for a catch. Peter knows this breaks every rule of fishing. There is a zero percent chance this is going to work. Yet for whatever reason, Peter did it. The nets were so full of fish that Peter couldn't haul them in by himself. He called his partners over and they filled two boats so full of fish that they were both in danger of sinking. 

That's when Peter looked over at Jesus. This miracle that was tailor made for a fisherman had given him a glimpse of who Jesus really was. So right there in the boat, knee deep in fish. Peter falls down before Jesus and asks Him to leave. 

Peter's response seems odd at first. Everyone wants to get closer to Jesus. The crowds had been pressing in on Him. But here is Peter, enjoying next level intimacy with Jesus and wanting to get away. He's sharing a small boat with Jesus receiving personal miracles, and yet he's telling Jesus to get away from him.

But Peter's response isn't all that odd or unique really. Consider Isaiah's response when he entered God's presence in a vision. "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips..." (Isaiah 6:5). When God first spoke to Moses at the burning bush Moses hid his face in fear (Exodus 3:6). When the people of Israel heard God speak at Mt. Sinai from the midst of the cloud and the fire, they were so afraid that they told Moses not to let God speak to them anymore (Exodus 20:18-21).

The key to understanding Peter's response is in the second half of verse eight. Peter asks Jesus to leave him because he is a sinner. When Peter got a glimpse of who Jesus really was it made him more acutely aware of his own sinfulness. Far from a rejection of Jesus, Peter's statement is a form of worship. It's like he was saying, "I am unworthy to be in Your presence." 

When was the last time you felt unworthy of God? How long has it been since you were so moved by a passage of Scripture or so overwhelmed by the power of His presence in some place that you said to God "I am unworthy of You. I don't deserve You." This is the appropriate human response to entering God's presence. If we don't occasionally respond to God in this way then we have a problem. Either we think too highly of ourselves, we think too little of God, or we simply aren't seeing how good God really is. Take some time today to fall down before the holy God and declare yourself unworthy.

The Greatest

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 18:1-4

What makes a person great? How do you measure greatness? Do you need fame? Fortune? Status? Some would say that the key is arrogance. In sports and business people tend to think that self-confidence isn’t enough to be truly great. You need to be a little cocky. You need to have some swagger. You need to believe you are the greatest before you can become the greatest. 

Muhammad Ali certainly believed that. Consider this quote from the man many consider to be the greatest boxer of all time. "I'm not the greatest, I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round."

Thankfully God measures greatness differently than our world does. In fact, He turns our concept of greatness on its ear. Jesus says that if you want to be considered truly great by God, then you must humble yourself. In other words, the way up is down. Humble yourself before God and He will make you great.

Jesus gives us a picture of what this looks like, a little child. Specifically, Jesus draws attention to the child’s humble standing. In first century Jewish culture children were the most powerless members of society. They had no status and no power or privileges. They were completely dependent on their parents' love for provision. (Keener, Craig S., The Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament, p.93.) Yet, Jesus says we must become like this if we hope to be saved and if we want to be great by God's measure.

So how do you approach God? Do the words "humble," "dependent" and "powerless" accurately describe your demeanor before the Lord? If not, then you have a pride problem. The Christian philosopher Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “Pride grows in the human heart like lard on a pig.” Pride is a sneaky sin. In my experience the more you think you aren’t proud the more likely it is that you are!

God hates pride! Scripture tells us that He opposes the proud (James 4:6). It says that He pays them back in full (Psalm 31:23). It even says that God detests the proud and ensures they are punished (Proverbs 16:5). So what must we do?

Humble yourself before God. Come to Him seeking forgiveness of your sin. Serve others, especially His church! Jesus said “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Begin obeying His commands. When you read His Word allow it to correct you instead trying to find some error in it. When you pray, seek God's help like a small child would. You should even fast from time-to-time to remind yourself how great your need for God is.

Isaiah 66:2 says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word." Is this verse doesn't describe your heart today, then humble yourself before the Lord and ask for forgiveness.

For further consideration...

• More than 16 times in Scripture God says that He exalts the humble but casts down the proud. - 2 Samuel 22:28, Psalm 18:27, Psalm 107:39-41, Psalm 147:6, Proverbs 3:34, Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Zephaniah 3:11-12, Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:12, Luke 1:51-52, Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14, James 4:6, I Peter 5:5. 
• Consider how Jesus humbled Himself- Mark 10:44-45 & Philippians 2:5-11.

Humble Much?

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:1-4

What do people most easily notice about you? 

For me, it's being hairy. I know. Probably not what I would have chosen, but tall, muscular and handsome were all off the table. Hairy is what I got, so you play the hand you were dealt.

These outward features are what people most notice about you, until they get to know you. The longer a person knows you, the less they notice the superficial features of your appearance and the more they view you based on your character. 

What character trait are you most known for among your friends and family? Is it your temper? Is it being funny? Is it your passion for your vocation or hobby? 

Scripture says that believers will be known by our love. But in today's passage Jesus points out another character trait that is all too often lacking in our lives: humility. 

Jesus' emphasis on humility jumped out at me today in a new way as I read this familiar passage. The disciples go to ask Jesus a question, one that reveals they still haven't grasped what the kingdom of heaven is all about. "Who will be first in the kingdom?" they ask. They want to know who will sit at Jesus' right hand, who will be in the inner court. They want to know what they need to do in order to gain a high position when the new world order is put into place.

At first, Jesus bypasses their question altogether. He says, "If you want to make it into the kingdom at all, then you must change and become like children." Then He says, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." This statement has major implications for believers and for our future with God in heaven. You would think that it would cause a ripple effect throughout the church and throughout Christian history of men and women of God racing each other to get to the lowest position of servitude.

Certainly there have been Christians throughout history and still today who are shining examples of this. Sadly, I am not one of them. Are you? 

How would our lives look different if we took Jesus' words here seriously? 

1. It would change the way we come to God in prayer. No longer would we approach God with a sense of entitlement or with accusatory tones. Humility would teach us both that we have nothing to offer God and that He owes us nothing. Finally, we would begin approaching Him in prayer not with our own agendas, but with questions and with open hands ready to receive answers and guidance from the only One who has the wisdom to give them.
2. The way we view ourselves would change. Many of us look upon ourselves through rose-colored glasses. We give ourselves the benefit of the doubt in any situation, and we often consider ourselves to be better than most, above par, better-than-average. Paul instructs us, in Philippians 2:3, saying "in humility count others more significant than yourselves." True humility leads you think less of yourself. It does not lead to self-loathing or being overly critical of yourself in unhealthy ways for these errors only cause us to think about ourselves more often. True humility isn't merely about esteeming yourself more lowly, it is also about esteeming others more highly. 
3. Lastly, humility would increase our compassion for the downtrodden and forgotten in the world. In verse five of Matthew 18, Jesus continues by assuring His disciples that when they receive one such child in His name, they receive Him. Humility increases our compassion for the lowly and oppressed by reminding us that we are not so very different from them. We don't deserve better than them. Thus, humility leads us to begin putting others ahead of ourselves, as Jesus Himself did. Truthfully, most days it is difficult for me to put my own family ahead of myself, let alone others. Humility would change that.

Father, cultivate humility in our hearts so that the way we view and treat You, ourselves and others is in line with Your good Word.

It Starts Small

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

Mark 4:30-32

 

 

It occurred to me tonight as my wife and I read to our daughter out of her story Bible that God has a habit of starting large undertakings in small ways. When His people were enslaved in Egypt, even before they cried out for His help in Exodus 2:23-25, God began His rescue plan by saving one little baby boy from Pharaoh's plan to kill him (Exodus 1-2). Think about it. When God's people needed a Savior, He didn't send an army or even a lone warrior. God sent a baby! Then He worked in Moses' life for 80 years - first giving him a heart for God's people (Acts 7:23-29) then teaching him to be a shepherd (Exodus 3:1-3) - before finally calling him at the burning bush to lead the exodus.

 

Much, much later when the Savior to whom Moses' life pointed came to rescue God's people from their sins, He came not as a conquering warrior to trample Satan under His feet, but He also came as a seemingly helpless baby boy. A baby who, like Moses, was rescued from the hands of a murderous king. A baby who was dependent on a teenage girl for nourishment and care. This boy grew to be a man as He waited thirty years to begin His ministry. It was through Him that God redeemed a people for His name from every tribe, people, nation and tongue (Revelation 5:9). It was He who crushed the power of Satan by allowing Himself to be crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5).

 

There is a profound wisdom in God's plan that is beyond my understanding. But tonight as I consider it, it occurs to me that perhaps this is why God opposes the proud and so often chooses to exalt the humble by using them to do great things (James 4:6-7). It is how He has gone about doing things for a long time. It maximizes His glory. If this is right, then one major tactic the enemy might use to make us unfruitful in the service of our Lord is to encourage creeping pride in our lives. Examine your heart. Do you find pride? If so, ask the Lord to root it out. Perhaps this small prayer will be the beginning of another great work of God in your life.

 

For further reading...

• Exodus 1-3- Consider how the Lord worked in Moses' early life.
• Matthew 1-3- Compare Jesus' early life to that of Moses.

Faultfinder

And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?

Job 40:1-8

I've spent the last four days with thirteen 4th-6th graders at kids' camp. That means for the last few days I've experienced more than my normal share of fun, sunscreen, swimming, belly flops, games, skinned knees, and...complaining. I really enjoy kids' camp but it doesn't take long for the complaints to get to me. This year it only took me a day to institute a no complaining rule. All offenders were required to do 10 pushups on the spot. This helped keep the attitudes in check quite nicely.

Over the same few days I finished reading the book of Job in my personal quiet times with the Lord. I couldn't help but wonder how often the Lord feels the same way with us. Does God ever just get sick with all of our complaining and want to tell us to drop and give him ten?

 

Although I have no doubt that God is more patient than me, I have to imagine He does often grow weary of our whining. In the book of Job, God allows Satan to attack Job in order to test his love for Him. Job remains faithful to God but complains throughout the book that he is unjustly persecuted by Him. Job claims that he has done nothing to deserve such punishment from God. In chapters 38-42, the Lord answers Job's complaints. Though God does justify Job as a righteous man, He takes him to task for complaining. In the passage above God calls Job a "faultfinder." And then He says to him, "Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?"

 

Do you find fault with God and complain about your lot in life? Maybe it doesn't always come out of your mouth but how often do you think it? How often does your spirit cry out against Him- "This isn't fair, God!" Too often this is true of me. Let us all allow this passage to give us a loving rebuke...a gentle warning. God is holy and just. We do not have the perspective, knowledge or wisdom to sit in judgment of Him. So receive whatever comes your way with humility. Endure suffering like Jesus Himself did, by focusing on the joy set before you (Heb 12:2). Trust that God is still good and that He is still in control. Humble yourself under His hand and in due time He will lift you up (I Peter 5:6).

 

For further reading....

• I Peter- Focus on the meaning of I Peter 5:6 in the context of what the entire book has to say about suffering in the life of the believer. Specifically focus in on I Peter 4:12-5:10.

Feeling a Bit Puffy Lately?

But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.

1 Corinthians 8:2-3



 

We all like being the one who knows more, right? Even as little kids, when we knew something that our friends (or even our parents) didn't know it made us feel good. The truth is that many of us are still like this as adults and it contributes to our conflicts. We care much less about our relationships with the people who disagree with us than we do about proving that we are right...that we know more than they do. Knowledge is a good thing, but it can puff up. This is the difference between simply being smart and being a smart aleck.

 

Today's passage reminds us that no matter how smart we are, none of us know yet as we ought to know. You can be the smartest person on the planet and still be humbled by the truth that you do not yet know all that you will know one day in heaven. Nor do you know anything now in the way you will know it there. You see knowledge is always understood within a specific context, or worldview. You can know a fact, but misunderstand its importance when you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. Only once all is revealed from heaven's vantage point will we fully and finally grasp God's plan in all its glory. Only then can we see how all the little factoids we have picked up along the way fit into His grand masterpiece.

 

Yet, all of this is surpassed by something else: love. Whoever loves God is known by God. What a promise! What a blessing. How many of our problems are based on the fact that we are striving for knowledge of God or of His creation at the expense of drawing nearer to Him in love? Even knowledge of God can puff up. For that reason, it goes unnoticed from God's vantage point. But love for God puts a person on His radar. We can be sure that a man or woman or child who is deeply in love with God does not go unnoticed. In a world of ungrateful rebels, souls that are lifted up in true heartfelt affection stand out in sharp contrast. So I wonder...have you been seeking after knowledge of God more than love of Him? Has your knowledge of God or of anything else caused you to get a bit puffy in your interactions with Him or with others? If so, choose to focus on love today. Love for God and love for others. And as you do, know that you will not go unnoticed by God.

 

 

For further reading...

• John 15- Abide in Him.
• Mark 12:28-31- The two greatest commandments.

Glamorless

The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

Nehemiah 3:5

Serving the Lord is not always glamorous. In fact, it rarely is. Don't let the TV preachers fool you. It's not about sequined jackets or puffy hairdos. The Bible talks about feeding widows, caring for orphans, healing lepers, protecting the foreigner and the stranger, and showing hospitality to those who need a place to stay. Jesus Himself walked the dusty roads of Palestine for three and a half years, healing and loving on the dregs of his society. He "put his shoulder to the work" of the cross, carrying it to the place of His crucifixion (John 19:17). He did not think it below Him to take your sin and your punishment upon Himself but "took on the nature of a servant" and "humbled himself" even to the point of  "death on a cross" (Philippians 2:7-8).

The Apostle Paul also gives us an example to follow. The great missionary financed his journeys at times by working as a tent maker during the day and preaching when he could (Acts 18:3-4, I Thess 2:9, II Thess 3:7-10). Paul never thought of himself as too good to do the Lord's work. Paul saw himself as he truly was...a vile sinner saved by grace. Redeemed out of slavery to sin, Paul had become a slave of God...a willing servant who "put his shoulder to the work" willingly with a grateful heart. He once wrote of the church as a great body in which the different members are asked to do different jobs. Just like the human body cannot be all mouth or all foot, the church cannot be all prophet or all teacher. Paul notes that "the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it" (I Cor 12:23-24).

Jesus Himself said to His disciples, "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’” (Luke 17:10). So maybe God has been asking you to do something that you thought was below you or maybe it was just something you didn't want to do. Refusing to obey God is never a good idea. (See the story of Jonah for a refresher on how that works out!) So choose today to do whatever God has called you to do and whatever the Bible commands you to do with a cheerful heart as a thanks offering unto your Lord Himself. 

For further reading...

• I Cor 12:12-31- Which part of the body are you?
• Luke 17:7-10- A hard word on the true nature of servitude.
• Jonah- Trying to run from God's command?

Unassuming God

He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice...

Isaiah 42:2-3

Last night as my wife and I read the story of Jesus' birth to our eight week old daughter from The Big Picture Story Bible, I found myself overwhelmed with fresh insight into the truth of this passage. Here is how David Helm puts it in that book:

"But in this crowded city where would this special baby be born? In a nice, big home? No, not in a nice, big home. In a clean hotel? No, not in a clean hotel. All the nice, big homes and clean hotels were filled up with people. Can you guess where this baby would be born? God's forever king was born in a stable, a place for animals." (emphasis mine)
 

Being just a handful of classes away from a Masters of Divinity degree, this quote from a children's story Bible didn't confront me with any new information, but rather it presented a familiar truth with such simplicity and beauty that I found myself struggling to read the rest of the story. How utterly mind blowing that the birth of creation's king should occur in the same place that a donkey might be born, or eat his dinner, or even relieve himself! I wanted to weep and praise God for His goodness right then there. Is there no limit to God's humility? What have I ever done to deserve such a King?

It's astounding that a holy God would choose to love a sinner like me at all. It's unfathomable that He would choose to enter into the finite space of His creation to show me that love. It is unthinkable that He should take the guilt for my sin against Him upon Himself and die in my place. But how far beyond human reason is it to think that the one true Creator God would enter this creation as a helpless baby who can't even lift His own head? And then that the birth of this baby should not be met with fanfare or honor as even the birth of a human king would be, but rather that it should be crowded out of all civilized conditions and into a stable..."a place for animals!" Again I ask is there no limit to God's willingness to humble Himself on our behalf? 

There is no other god like this God. No other god is so deserving of honor. No other god is so unassuming. The only proper response to an event like this is dumbfounded awe followed by heartfelt worship and joyous proclamation. And yet, my own human capacity to grow accustomed to God's great actions towards me and even to take them for granted never ceases to amaze me either. Don't take this amazing gift for granted today. And don't wait for Christmas to celebrate or break out into worship for this God's most amazing gift to His creation. Sing, exult, lift up your heart in worship for the one, true God has humbled Himself and taken on the nature of a man because of His love for you. And yet in doing so, He did not demand honor as a human king would. He did not impose His will on anyone. In fact, He came so gently that He would not have even broken a "bruised reed" or snuffed out "a smoldering wick." What manner of God is this! Certainly one who deserves my praise, my life, my all.

For further reading...

• Philippians 2:5-8- More on Jesus' humility.
• Luke 2:1-3- Helms also draws a comparison between Caesar and Jesus. Jesus comes so humbly at the same time that Caesar is trying to show his greatness by numbering his subjects.
• Matthew 26:47-27:56- What all-powerful god would allow himself to be treated like this?

Who Do You Live For?

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Mark 1:35-39

Jesus has just healed a great many people the night before. He is beginning to gain momentum and build a name for himself in this town, and what does he decide to do? Leave and go to the next town, because "that is why I have come." Jesus could have stayed and been famous! But He doesn't do that because He knows that isn't what He has been sent to do. You see right at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry He has a chance to grab at personal glory, but He walks away. Jesus decides that He will not settle for personal notoriety and success. He will live His life for God's glory, not His own. Now this may seem like an odd thing to say about one of the most famous people in the history of the world, but you must remember that in His lifetime Jesus was not considered that significant. He never married. Never had kids. Never owned a home. He traveled, but not really very far. (Paul traveled much further than Jesus did.) Yes, at times Jesus had a large following. But this wasn't God's ultimate purpose for Him. This is evident from stories like the one we find in John 6:22-71 where Jesus loses many of his followers because of a hard saying. Jesus didn't shy away from saying difficult things for the same reason He found it so easy to move on from town to town. His purpose wasn't to build Himself up, but to announce the coming of the kingdom of God to the people of God. His greatest desire was obedience to God not increasing His own following.

What is your greatest desire? Better yet, what are you living life for? If you are anything like me, each week feels like a marathon. You barely make it day to day, getting done all that you have to do. You just make it to the weekend...a weekend which rarely affords you enough rest to feel ready to head into the next marathon week. How true God's Word is when it says, "Each day has enough trouble of its own!" (Matthew 6:34) If you are living like this, expending all this effort, what are you living like this for? For more money? For a bigger office? To hear your kids say thank you one day? Or are you doing, whatever you are doing to obey God, to enlarge His glory, His name, and His pleasure. Or let me put it this way, who are you living life for? Are you trying to make your parent's proud or your spouse happy? Are you trying to provide enough stuff for your kids so they don't feel out of place at school? Or are you living solely for the One who created you and who loves you (even when you rebel against Him in sin), the One who took on flesh and experienced the pains of everyday living in order to save you from your sin, and the One who is drawing you to Himself even now? Who are you living for? Choose today. Will you live for yourself, for other people or for God? (Hint: you should really choose God!)

For further reading...

• Philippians 2:1-11- Jesus didn't consider equality with God something to be grasped.
• John 6:22-71- I love Peter's line, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
• John 12:42-43- Two of the saddest verses in all of the Bible. These men chose to live to please other people.

John the Baptist: Herald of the Promised King

...as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— "a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

 

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:2-8

 

 

Every king needs a herald... someone to go before him to announce the greatness of his arrival...someone to make sure that the people have been prepared...that there will be a reception fit for a king. This is no less true of the promised Messiah. The coming of this Messiah had been foretold many times for more than a thousand years before Jesus. So there was great expectation, especially in Jesus' day, for the coming of the great king from the line of David who would restore the people of God to their rightful place. But Mark weaves Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 together in verse 2 of his gospel to remind his readers that the Messiah wasn't the only one who was prophesied to come. For over five hundred years now the people of Israel had awaited the herald, one like Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6), who would announce that the time of the coming king was finally at hand. This herald would make ready and prepare the way before the Messiah. Let's look and see what the herald has to teach us.

 

First, let's look at his actions. John the Baptist appears out in the wilderness offering a baptism of repentance in the Jordan River. This action was rich with history for the people of Israel. God had long ago rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. He led them through the waters of the Red Sea on dry ground and through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land (God's promised inheritance for His people). Then they passed through the Jordan River (also on dry ground) to enter the Promised Land. This story of the Israel's exodus is the context for understanding what John the Baptist is doing. By his actions John is saying, a new exodus has begun. We have fallen short of living like the people of God should, so repent and let's start over. The king is coming, now is the time to repent before he gets here. We want him to find us washed of our sin and living rightly when he gets here. So prepare yourselves for the coming of the king! Come back to the wilderness with me. We will pass through the waters again in repentance and in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. God is doing a new thing. Now the people of God will receive the true promised inheritance.

What a powerful message! You know this message is still relevant today. The Bible tells us that King Jesus is coming yet again at some time in the future to take his new people into their Promised Land (Heaven). So make ready and prepare yourself for the coming of the king is at hand! What do you need to repent of in order to be prepared for the king's arrival?

 

Second, let's look at his words, and what powerful words they are! John says that he is unworthy to even stoop down and untie the straps of Jesus' sandals. The ESV Study Bible notes that untying the straps of the master's sandals was usually the job of a low servant in the household. You see, the roads and well worn paths of that day were often littered with animal waste and other filth, so this was an undesirable job to say the least. In fact, Jews were not supposed to ask their Jewish servants to do this task. This disgrace was reserved for the already unclean Gentile servant.* John uses this everyday activity from their culture to make a powerful statement about his place in relation to Jesus. He says that he is not even worthy to be Jesus' lowliest servant. That is how high Jesus is above him. Let me ask you, do you serve the Lord with this kind of humility?

John continues by comparing their baptisms. "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” What a wonderful thought, to be immersed not in water but in the Spirit of the living God! This is truly a salvation experience, to know God and be immersed in His presence. And this is what Christ has done, He poured out the Spirit for all believers on the day of Pentecost and He continues to pour out the Spirit into the lives of those who believe in Him today. I can say from experience as a redeemed sinner that nothing in this world compares to knowing this kind of intimate fellowship with God. And this isn't something that you can secure for yourself. Only Jesus can give this to you. If you haven't yet experienced it, then I encourage you to accept Jesus as your Savior. Surrender your life to God today by following the simple formula in Romans 10:9. And seek after God. He will not run from you for His Word tells us to, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8- English Standard Version).

 

 

For further reading...

• Exodus 1-14: Read the story of the Exodus.
• Joshua 1-3: And the story of the crossing of the Jordan River.

* ESV Study Bible note on Mark 1:7-8. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, IL. 2008.

The Great Paradox of God

For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me— the very people I have created."

Isaiah 57:15-16

What a paradox our God is! He is both high and exalted, yet He chooses to delight in the lowly and contrite. This juxtaposition of seemingly contradictory traits is more than man could have imagined. Yet, it is true of our God! This passage brings to mind the story of Manasseh, king of Judah. Scripture tells us that Manasseh led Jerusalem back into the idol worship that his father King Hezekiah helped lead them out of. This Manasseh even went so far as to sacrifice his own children in the fire to foreign gods and to erect idols in the sacred temple of the Lord. Thus, Scripture rightly says of Manasseh that he "led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites" (II Chronicles 33:9). 

However, this is not the end of Manasseh's story. It continues in chapter thirty-three of II Chronicles to become not only one of the most unexpected repentance stories in all of Scripture, but also one of the clearest examples of God's grace and forgiveness in the Old Testament.

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

II Chronicles 33:10-13

The next few verses of the chapter tell how Manasseh returned to Jerusalem a changed man. After once again making Jerusalem secure from its enemies, "he got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel" (II Chronicles 33:15-16).

If there is anything we can learn from Manasseh it is the wisdom of humble repentance when we find ourselves under God's judgment. How often we bear the result of our sin with disdain. How frequently we cry out to God as though we were as innocent as Job and demand to know how He can allow our afflictions to come upon us. The truth is that many of these afflictions are the result of our own sin. God cannot be mocked, we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). It is often better to humble ourselves under the Lord's correction and to show Him a contrite heart. God didn't have to hear Manasseh's prayer, but He did because He delights in humility and repentance. Humble yourself before the Lord, and see if you do not fare better.


For further reading...

• Philippians 2:1-11: Jesus is the ultimate example of a man who lived in humility before the Father.
• Proverbs 22:4,  Proverbs 3:34 & Daniel 4: There are numerous passages of Scripture that point to the fact that God prefers humility to pride. These are just a few. 
• Isaiah 57: Read the context.