Israel’s Glory is Gone

16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle, 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads. 22 So on the day of the battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. 23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash. 

1 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave at Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. – 1 Samuel 13:16-14:3 ESV

Samuel had vacated the premises but the Philistines weren’t going anywhere. Their superior forces set up a base of operation in a place called Michmash, a Benjamite city located nine miles northeast of Jerusalem. From this central location, they sent out raiding parties to harass the poorly equipped Israelite army. While the Israelites had spent decades under Joshua’s leadership fighting the inhabitants of Canaan to gain possession of the land, they never really developed a standing, permanent army. Each tribe remained independent of the others and would send their troops only when the circumstances required it. During the period of the judges, the Israelite tribes became increasingly more isolated from one another and the Philistines controlled the iron trade within the region. This monopoly on iron prevented the Israelites from producing weapons that would allow them to compete with the Philistines. The more powerful Philistines even banned the blacksmith trade within the borders of Israel, forcing the Israelites to rely on Philistine tradesmen to sharpen their farm implements.

The whole point behind this historical aside in the narrative was to emphasize the desperate situation in which Saul and the Israelites found themselves. Things were going from bad to worse. Samuel was gone, a large portion of the Israelite army had deserted, and Saul was left to deal with the much larger and far superior forces of the Philistine army. The parenthetical statement regarding blacksmiths was meant to drive home the insurmountable odds facing Saul and the disobedient nation of Israel.

So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan. – 1 Samuel 13:20 NLT

To put it bluntly, the Israelites were outmanned and outgunned. They were facing the battle-tested Philistines with little more than picks, axes, and sickles to defend themselves, while the Philistines had iron weapons, body armor, and chariots at their disposal. Things did not look good for the people of Israel, and their new king was nowhere to be found because Saul had left camp and taken refuge in a cave somewhere near Gibeah (1 Samuel 14:2). 

But in Saul’s absence, his son Jonathan became frustrated by the lack of action on the part of the Israelites. Their presence near Michmash was doing little to stop the daily raids of the Philistines. The impotence and inaction of the Israelite army emboldened the enemy, causing them to increase their forays into Israelite territory where the helpless occupants of the targeted villages and towns became increasingly more frustrated and demoralized. 

Desperate to do something about the situation, Jonathan convinced his armor-bearer to join him on a covert mission to infiltrate the enemy camp. The son of the new king refused to run this plan by his father because he knew it would never get approval. After all, it was little more than a suicide mission.

While Jonathan and his aide-de-camp prepared to sneak behind enemy lines, Saul was safely ensconced in Gibeah, surrounded by his 600-man personal garrison and accompanied by Ahijah the priest. The news that Saul included a priest of God in his contingent is tempered by the fact that this man was a descendant of Eli, the high priest whom God had rejected and whose line He had promised to eliminate. Because of the wickedness of Eli’s sons and his failure to deal with their abuse of their priestly positions, the line of Eli was cursed by God.

”I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!” – 1 Samuel 2:30-34 NLT

The text painstakingly chronicles Ahijah’s family tree, emphasizing his association with the cursed line of Eli.

Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh. – 1 Samuel 14:2 NLT

The disobedient Saul had chosen to seek the aid of the great-grandson of the disgraced high priest, Eli. Whether he realized it or not, Saul had picked the wrong player for his team. His choice of Ahijah was going to backfire because this man had been rejected by God and was no longer qualified to serve as a priest. He may have been wearing the ephod and the sacred garments of the high priest but he no longer bore God’s seal of approval. The text makes this clear by the mention of his uncle’s name: Ichabod.

The mention of Ichabod’s name is intentional and designed to drive home the desperate nature of Saul’s predicament. Chapter 4 contains the sad fate of Hophni and Phinehas, the two wicked sons of Eli. They were killed in the very same battle in which the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. At the same time, Phinehas’ wife died while giving birth to his son.

She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. “Don’t be afraid,” they said. “You have a baby boy!” But she did not answer or pay attention to them.

She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” – 1 Samuel 4:20-21 NLT

The mention of Ichabod in the opening lines of chapter 14 is meant to stress that the glory of God had departed Saul and his camp. The king may have enjoyed the company of a priest dressed in his priestly robes, but he was missing the presence of God. Ahijah was going to be of no use when it came to seeking God’s favor or atoning for sin. He could offer up prayers and present the appropriate sacrifices but his efforts would be futile and fruitless. Ahijah was an unworthy replacement for Samuel and his presence in Saul’s camp only served to emphasize the dire nature of the circumstances.

Meanwhile, as Saul and his discredited priest hid out in Gibeah, Jonathan and his servant made their way toward the enemy camp. As his father sat in a cave far from the enemy lines, Jonathan made the decision to risk capture and death rather than allow further inaction to lead to additional humiliation at the hands of the enemy. What happens next will serve to differentiate the son from his father and set the stage for God’s plan for Saul’s future replacement.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Motivation to Give Sacrificially

1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

4 Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 5 Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; 6 blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; goats’ hair, 7 tanned rams’ skins, and goatskins; acacia wood, 8 oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 9 and onyx stones and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece.

10 “Let every skillful craftsman among you come and make all that the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle, its tent and its covering, its hooks and its frames, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12 the ark with its poles, the mercy seat, and the veil of the screen; 13 the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand also for the light, with its utensils and its lamps, and the oil for the light; 15 and the altar of incense, with its poles, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the door, at the door of the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering, with its grating of bronze, its poles, and all its utensils, the basin and its stand; 17 the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases, and the screen for the gate of the court; 18 the pegs of the tabernacle and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19 the finely worked garments for ministering in the Holy Place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests.”

20 Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. 21 And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the Lord’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. 22 So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the Lord. 23 And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats' hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. 24 Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. 25 And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. 26 All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. 27 And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, 28 and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. – Exodus 35:1-29 ESV

His face aglow with the glory of the Lord, Moses delivered his latest message to the people of Israel, and he began with a reminder of the Sabbath day of rest. With the construction of the Tabernacle not yet begun, Moses knew that the Israelites would be tempted to violate God’s prohibition against working on the Sabbath in order to complete the massive project as quickly as possible. Since the Tabernacle was to house God’s presence, it would be to their advantage to finish its construction in record time. They likely believed that the longer it took them to build it, the greater the risk that God might abandon them. So, God had Moses warn them against working on the Sabbath.

“In six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on it will be put to death.” – Exodus 35:2 NLT

They were not to allow the project's size and scope and their zeal to complete it to lead to further disobedience. Violating the Sabbath would not be an acceptable compromise. In fact, God reminds them that even the simple task of kindling a fire on the seventh day would result in death. All of God’s were equally valid and binding. There were to be no concessions or compromises. Attempting to fulfill the will of God by breaking the law of God was never acceptable. The Tabernacle was to be built according to God’s terms and no shortcuts or loopholes were allowed. The people were expected to do everything God’s way or not at all.

With the golden calf incident behind them, the Israelites were to prepare for the construction of the Tabernacle. It was time for God’s design to become a reality but before they could begin, the people had to provide the materials for its construction. This was not the first time the people had heard about God’s command for a voluntary contribution of building materials.

“Tell the people of Israel to bring me their sacred offerings. Accept the contributions from all whose hearts are moved to offer them. Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them:

gold, silver, and bronze;
blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.” – Exodus 25:2-8 NLT

The people had been more than willing to donate their gold so that Aaron could make the golden calf but would they prove generous when it came to all the material needed to build God’s house? And the list was a long and expensive one. Precious metals, rare gems, fine linen, timber, thread, oil, tanned animal skins, and incense were all required for God’s house. Without the building materials in hand, the craftsmen would find it impossible to create the walls, framework, and furniture for God’s house. There would be no bronze altar, ark of the covenant, or mercy seat. The walls that designated the Holy of Holies where the presence of God would rest above the mercy seat could not be built. The entire structure would remain little more than an idea, instead of becoming a tangible reality and the place where God would dwell among His people.

So, Moses reissued God’s call for donations and restated that this was to be a voluntary contribution, given by those “of a generous heart” (Exodus 35:5 ESV). This was not a mandatory tax but was to be considered a freewill offering. God was giving His people an opportunity to participate in His work by donating their time, treasures, and talents. The promise of His presence would require sacrifice on their part. For God’s house to become a reality, they would have to give of themselves, sacrificially surrendering their resources and their lives to the cause. And the people responded.

So the whole community of the Israelites went out from the presence of Moses. Everyone whose heart stirred him to action and everyone whose spirit was willing came and brought the offering for the Lord for the work of the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments. – Exodus 35:20-21 NLT

Motivated by the Spirit of God, the people rose to the challenge and contributed all the resources God had requested. Nothing was missing. No items were left out or withheld. And Moses records that this voluntary effort had 100 percent participation.

Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the Lord's contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. – Exodus 35:24 ESV

Everyone gave something, whether wood, gold, silver, fabric, spices, oil, yarn, or talent. The entire Israelite community got involved and engaged.

All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. – Exodus 35:29 ESV

God moved among His people, creating the desire to fulfill His will. This was not a case of coercion or forced generosity. Their hearts were moved to do the right thing. Left to their own devices, the Israelites would have proven to be stingy and stubbornly resistant to God’s request. But He moved their hearts to do the right thing. And this movement of the Spirit of God was a foreshadowing of things to come. Centuries later, God would declare His intention to move in their lives yet again, transforming their sin-hardened hearts so that they might do the right thing.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT

God’s will is always done His way, but He graciously chooses to use people to accomplish His will. To do so, He transforms hardened hearts so that they might respond to His invitation to serve alongside Him in His work. God could have built the Tabernacle Himself, but He chose to give His people a part to play in its construction. Their time, talents, and treasures would be essential ingredients in the making of His earthly dwelling place – for their good and His glory.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Corporate Confession

1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2  as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
    who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. – Isaiah 64:1-7 ESV

Isaiah continues his passionate prayer to God, temporarily abdicating his role as God’s messenger in order to speak to God on behalf of his people. In a sense, Isaiah reversed his role and became an emissary for Judah to God, pleading with the Almighty to leave heaven and invade their circumstance with His divine presence and power. He wanted God to show up on the scene and prove to the stubborn and sin-blinded people of Judah that He was real and that His promises to save them could be trusted.

Isaiah’s graphic description of how he envisioned God showing up on the scene reflects his understanding of how God had appeared to the people of Israel in the past. When God first appeared to the Israelites at Mount Sinai in the wilderness, Moses had used similar terminology to describe the scene.

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. – Exodus 19:16-19 NLT

Isaiah longed to see the very same thing because he knew that his rebellious friends and neighbors would have a hard time ignoring a God who revealed Himself in such a dramatic and undeniable way. With that kind of entrance, even the most jaded among the people of Judah would have to sit up and take notice. They would have no excuse to ignore God anymore. In essence, Isaiah is asking that God move from being transcendent to immanent. It is not that God is one or the other at any given time. He exists outside of time and space and is only knowable by men when He chooses to reveal Himself to them. But God has done just that. As Paul states in his letter to the believers in Rome, “what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20 NLT).

Over the centuries, God had revealed Himself to men in a variety of ways. On several occasions, God appeared to Abraham and spoke with Him. He appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush. In the wilderness, He revealed Himself to the people of Israel in the form of a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. Later on, Moses would make a request of God: “show me your glorious presence” (Exodus 33:18 NLT). And, in response, God gave Moses the following instructions:

“Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”  – Exodus 33:21-23 NLT

Isaiah longed for a similar experience. He had obviously talked with God, but now he expressed His desire to see God with his own eyes. And this yearning was driven by a longing to see God intervene on behalf of His people so that the nations would know that the God of Judah was truly powerful. Not only did Isaiah want the people of Judah to see their God for who He really was, but he also wanted their enemies to shake in their boots at the sight of God Almighty. So, he begged God, “to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!” (Isaiah 64:2 ESV).

Isaiah knew that God stood alone. He had no competitors and there were no other gods who could be compared with Him. But he was looking for tangible, palpable proof. He wanted to see God in action with his own two eyes, and he wanted to see Him do “awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations” (Isaiah 64:3 NLT).

But Isaiah knew there was a problem. God was holy and they were not. There were certain requirements that God had placed upon His chosen people. And Isaiah articulated them.

You welcome those who gladly do good,
    who follow godly ways. – Issaiah 64:5 NLT

God demanded righteousness. He expected holiness. He had chosen the people of Israel and set them apart for His glory. They were to live their lives according to His laws and they were to reflect His holy character to a lost world. Even back in Midian,  when God appeared to Moses in the form of the burning bush, He had warned him, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5 NLT). Later on, when God allowed Moses to see His glory, He denied Moses the right to see His face. God is holy and He expected His chosen people to live holy lives. But Isaiah knew that was a major problem. 

But you have been very angry with us,
    for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved? – Isaiah 64:5 NLT

Here we have Isaiah aligning himself with the people of Judah and asking as their corporate representative. He includes himself as one of the guilty, describing their state as sinners who deserve no salvation from God. And Isaiah doesn’t attempt to minimize the depth of their sinful state. He lays it out in graphic terms that reveal his understanding of their corporate culpability and well-deserved condemnation.

We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

This was not a new recognition by Isaiah of the guilt of he and his fellow Judahites. From the day God had called him, he had expressed his realization that they all stood condemned before a holy God. In fact, he had clearly stated, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips” (Isaiah 6:5 NLT). But it’s essential that we notice what prompted this incredible confession from Isaiah. Chapter six opens up with the words, “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple” (Isaiah 6:1 NLT). Isaiah had seen God. He had been given a vision of God. In that vision, Isaiah had seen the seraphim surrounding the throne of God and had heard them proclaiming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:2 NLT).

And the immediate impact of that vision on Isaiah was a recognition of his own unholiness. Standing before the perfectly holy God, Isaiah was fully and painfully aware of his own unrighteousness and undeservedness. He had no right to be in the presence of God. He was guilty of sin and unclean as a result. And he knew that the only thing he deserved from God was condemnation and death. Yet, God had sent one of the seraphim with a burning coal from the altar to touch the lips of Isaiah. And the next thing Isaiah heard was the incredible news, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven” (Isaiah 6:7 NLT).

That experience had left Isaiah a changed man. He would never be the same again. And now, years later, he was pleading with God to reveal His holiness to the people of Judah. Why? Because he longed for them to have the same life-changing experience that had transformed him from guilty to forgiven.

Yet, in spite of their undeniable sin and guilt, Isaiah is shocked to admit that “no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy” (Isaiah 64:7 NLT). There was no one willing to confess, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips.” And, as a result, Isaiah sadly acknowledges the state of affairs in Judah.

Therefore, you have turned away from us
    and turned us over to our sins. – Isaiah 64:7 NLT

Isaiah was the only one willing to admit the obvious. They were sinners and deserved every ounce of judgment God was bringing upon them. They were a people of unclean lips, but because they refused to admit it, there would be no burning coal to cleanse them and provide forgiveness. Instead, they would face the loving discipline of God. Because they refused to repent of their rebellion against Him, he would punish them for it. But Isaiah was not going to give up. His prayer was not quite finished. He knew what it was like to stand before the holy, righteous God of the universe, and have his life radically altered. And he would not be content until he had interceded with God on behalf of his people.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Word of Mouth.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. – Psalm 145:4-7 ESV

Psalm 145

Commend. Declare. Speak. Pour forth. Sing aloud.

Silence may be golden, but it has no place in the life of the believer when it comes to God. We are to be blatantly verbal and vociferous about Him. According to David, the only time we should be silent about God is in order to meditate on the splendor of His majesty and on His wondrous works. But the meditation is simply intended to provide us with food for thought and then words of testimony and praise. When we think about God and His greatness, we will be motivated to turn those thoughts into verbal expressions. God is due our praise and if we are silent, we demonstrate either our ignorance of His greatness or our indifference. It is interesting to note that when Jesus was entering Jerusalem on the back of a donkey's foal, the crowds were cheering wildly, exclaiming “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38 ESV). When the Pharisees witnessed this scene, they demanded that Jesus silence the crowd. But His response was simply, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out” (Luke 19:40 ESV).

God deserves praise. And as the only members of His creation with the capacity for speech, we are intended to use our voices to verbally acknowledge who He is and all that He has done. We are to commend, declare, speak, pour forth and sing aloud. And of all people, believers should have the most to say about God. There is something normal and natural about talking about that for which we are grateful or by which we have been amazed. When we see a beautiful sunrise, we feel the urge to tell someone. When we take a memorable vacation, we can't help talking about it. When we are proud of our children, no one will be able to stop us from bragging about them. We tend to praise that which we appreciate. We talk about what interests us. We unashamedly testify to others about what we find meaningful in our lives. It could be a delicious meal at a local restaurant, a good book, a movie, a newly discovered musical group, a recent Facebook post, a personal achievement or any of a number of other things. But how often do we declare the greatness of God? How many times do we commend God to others? How frequently do praises concerning God come from our lips and to the ears of those we meet? Are we prone to sing God's praises out loud and outside the context of a Sunday morning worship service?

David so eloquently wrote, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19:1-4 NLT). The heavens declare the glory of God. We can see it in a sunrise or sunset, a cloud formation, a night sky filled with stars or the gentle breeze on a warm summer night. God's creation constantly praises Him. The angels in heaven never cease to offer Him verbal praise and adoration. But as human beings, the pinnacle of His creative energies, far too often we remain silent. Rather than commend God to others, we complain. Instead of declaring the mighty acts He has already done, we demand that He do more. We speak, but do the words that come out of our mouths concern God? Do words of praise, thanksgiving and honor for God pour forth from our lips? Do we sing aloud of His righteousness?

Our silence condemns us. But it has even far greater implications. Our failure to speak up concerning God's glory and greatness puts the next generation at a distinct disadvantage. They run the risk of growing up having never heard of who He is. And it is not that they are living in a verbal void. They are surrounded by voices of all kinds shouting messages of every type imaginable. Their ears are being bombarded by false messages and deceitful words that leave God out or attempt to diminish His significance. So we must speak up. We must commend, declare, speak, pour forth and sing aloud. What the next generation will know about God will only come from what we tell them about God. Paul would have us consider “And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14 NLT). God deserves our praise. The next generation depends upon it.

The words of the chorus, “My Lips Will Praise You” say it all.

My lips will praise You

For You are holy

My voice will ever rise

Before Your throne

My heart will love You

For You are lovely

And You have called me

To become Your own

We have much for which to praise God. There is no reason to remain silent. Our silence indicts us. It reveals an ingratitude or at least an ignorance of His activity in our lives. And it leaves the next generation at a distinct disadvantage. So let us talk loud and often. Let us declare boldly and proudly. Our God is great and greatly to be praised.

A Glimpse of God.

Exodus 23-24, Mark 9

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. – Mark 9:2-4 ESV

What would it be like to see God? Unimaginable, isn't it? I can't even begin to get my mind around what a personal glimpse of God would look or feel like. And yet God is incredibly interested in revealing Himself to us. The entire Scriptures are His revelation of Himself to mankind. His Son, Jesus Christ, "is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15 ESV). When Jesus came to earth, He made God visible to man. But in Moses' day, God was hidden. His actual form was unseen by human eyes. They could see His glory, but not His true divine essence. To have looked on God would have been a death sentence. Later on in the Exodus story, Moses will ask for permission to actually see God, but God will tell him, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live" (Exodus 33:20 ESV). Moses would be allowed to see God's glory, but not His face.

Yet in the 24th chapter of Exodus we have the story of Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders all getting a glimpse of God. "They saw the God of Israel … and he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank" (Exodus 24:10a, 11 ESV). Yet the description of what they saw is quite cryptic and limited: "there was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stones, like the heaven for clearness" (Exodus 24:10b ESV). They were given a glimpse of God's glory, but not a full-on revelation of His person. They couldn't have handled it. It would have been too much for them. God gave them just enough for them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was indeed Him.

Even the people got to experience a God-sighting. "Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel" (Exodus 24:17 ESV). There was no doubt in their minds that they had experienced the presence of God. It was clear and powerful. God's purpose behind these appearances was to convince His people of the reality of His person and presence. He was a tangible, living being. He was real and not the figment of Moses' imagination. Moses had been convinced of God's reality on a number of occasions. But now His leadership team was receiving up-close and personal proof of the reality of God. They would know for sure that the laws being given to them by Moses were from God and not man.

What does this passage reveal about God?

The laws of God carry no weight if the existence of God remains in doubt. In chapter 23 of Exodus, God repeatedly tells the people, "you shall" and "you shall not." He clearly articulates His expectations and requirements of His people. He leaves nothing up to speculation or the imagination. But He knew that the people needed proof. Everything God commanded and demanded hinged on the reality of His existence. It all goes back to the key question the people had been asking since they had left the land of Egypt. "Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7b ESV). God was patiently proving His presence to a people who were plagued by doubt and constantly in need of evidence. But God lovingly refrained from displaying His full divine nature, because the results would have been devastating. Instead, He provided glimpses of His glory – small revelations of Himself that were faith-building, but not life-threatening. In the case of Moses and his leadership team, God wanted them to know that they were ratifying a covenant with the all-powerful, holy God of the universe. They shared a covenant-closing meal with God Almighty. That would prove to be a dinner they would never forget. The people had eagerly agreed to God's covenant demands, shouting as one, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 24:3 ESV). But God knew the people well. He knew that their pledges to obey would be short-lived and nothing more than lip-service without a visual reminder that the God to whom they were swearing allegiance was both real and ready to hold them accountable.

What does this passage reveal about man?

Man has an overwhelming need to see God. That's why men make idols and worship the creation instead of the Creator. We value what we can see. The unknown, while intriguing, is difficult to wrap our minds around. We desperately search for explanations for the inexplicable and rationalizations for the unknowable. Not knowing is uncomfortable for us. And we find not being able to see scary. So we search for God in the visible. But the danger is that we end up making a god of our own choosing. The disciples were guilty of doing just such a thing. Their view of God had been influenced by generations of ancestors before them. Their God was invisible and unknowable. He was distant and disconnected from their everyday life. It had been a long time since anyone had seen the glory of God in a pillar of fire or a pillar of cloud. They had not been at Sinai when the glory of the Lord descended on the mountain in smoke, thunder and lightning. Their God was real, but unproven in their day-to-day existence. They continued to make sacrifices at the Temple, attend the Synagogue on the Sabbath, and attempt to keep His commands, but the proofs of His presence were few and far between.

Then Peter, James and John got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a glimpse of God, up-close and personal. And it would not be what they had been expecting. They had been walking with Jesus for some time. They had chosen to follow Him, becoming His disciples and slowly coming to grips that He might be the Messiah for whom they had long waited. When Jesus asked them "who do you say that I am?," Peter quickly responded, "You are the Christ" (Mark 8:29 ESV). The word "Christ" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for "Messiah." It means "anointed one." Peter was clearly acknowledging Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. But His statement did not carry with it an understanding of Jesus' deity. So Jesus would include Peter in the trio of disciples who would witness His transfiguration on the mountaintop that day. Mark records, "And he [Jesus] was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them" (Mark 9:2-3 ESV). Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, having a conversation with Him. When Peter saw this remarkable sight, all he could say was, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" (Mark 9:5 ESV). In spite of what he saw, Peter still could not see who Jesus really was. But God cleared it up for him. "This is my beloved Son; listen to him" (Mark 9:7 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

Sometimes I see only what I want to see – that includes what I see of God. I can be just as guilty as Peter of having my own vision of what God "looks like" in my life. Peter was willing to acknowledge Jesus as his Messiah, but based on his own definition and according to his own terms and expectations. He was wanting a conquering Messiah who would lead the Jews in a political and military victory over the Romans. But Jesus came to be the suffering Messiah. He came to bring victory over sin and death, not Roman rule. He came to bring freedom from slavery to sin, not from Roman oppression. God gave Peter a glimpse of His glory by allowing him to see His Son in His glorified state. Over in Exodus 24:15-16, Moses spent six days on the top of the cloud-cloaked mountain before God appeared to him on the seventh day. In the gospel of Mark, we read, "And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves" (Mark 9:2 ESV). It was on the seventh day that God revealed Himself to the disciples in the transfigured form of Jesus, His Son. God was proving His presence among men. He was lifting the fog like a veil, in an effort to prove His presence and communicate His Word to His people. That day on the mountain, God told Peter, James and John, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him" (Mark 9:7 ESV). Jesus is the very nature of God, revealed to us as proof of God's presence among us. But I must learn to listen to Him. I must seek to know Him and see Him for who He is, not who I have made Him out to be. I have been given a glimpse of God in the life of Jesus. And He now lives in me!

Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to me through Your Son, Jesus Christ. But forgive me for failing to see Your abiding presence all around me through Your indwelling Spirit and the power of Your Word. Give me eyes to see Your glory and worship You for who You really are. Amen

For the Glory of God.

 Exodus 9-10, Mark 2

“But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.” – Exodus 9:16-17 ESV

God will share His glory with no one, including Pharaoh. His every action and every decision are designed to reflect His glory and greatness. Every plague He brought on the people of Israel was designed to prove His power and convince the Israelites and the Egyptians of His glory. Pharaoh, the great ruler over Egypt, who was viewed by his own people as a god, was simply a tool in God's hand to accomplish His divine will and bring glory to His name. When Moses and Aaron first approached Pharaoh and made their request that he allow them to leave Egypt, his response had been, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2 ESV). But God was going to introduce Himself to Pharaoh and the people of Egypt. He would provide them with more than enough evidence of His existence and plenty of reasons to proclaim His glory and greatness. When all was said and done, there would be no man, woman or child alive in the land of Egypt who did not know who Yahweh was, and it would not be long before His fame spread throughout the known world at that time.

What does this passage reveal about God?

God was in complete control of the situation. He knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened. He knew what Pharaoh would say and do before Pharaoh did. Each plague was planned and designed to fall in exactly the order in which they came. The intensity of the plagues increased over time. The devastation and destruction they brought on the people and the land grew exponentially each time Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go. This was all part of God's plan. Early on, He had told Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong had he will drive them out of his land" (Exodus 6:1 ESV). God was going convince Pharaoh to not only let the people go, but to drive them out of the land and fill their pockets with treasure in the process. This entire story reveals a well-orchestrated plan implemented by an all-powerful God whose ultimate objective is to make Himself known among men. Everything in the Exodus story points to God's glory. The defeat of the Egyptians will bring God glory. The release of the Israelites will bring God glory. Even the stubborn refusals of Pharaoh will ultimately bring God glory.

Over in the book of Mark we read of Jesus healing the paralytic. There is an interesting exchange between Jesus and the Scribes. They were appalled that Jesus had dared to forgive the man's sins, something only God could do. Jesus asked them, "Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk?'" (Mark 2:9 ESV). Obviously, it is much easier to tell someone his sins are forgiven, because the results can't be measured or proven. So Jesus takes the more difficult path. He commands the man to get up and walk. And He gives as His reason, "that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (Mark 2:10 ESV). The result of this healing was that everyone who witnessed it "were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'" (Mark 2:12 ESV). God was glorified. Jesus performed the miracle, but God was glorified. Jesus' entire life and ministry was designed to bring God glory. In fact, in His prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus told the Father, "I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do" (John 17:4 ESV). Jesus' life and death brought glory to God. The cross brought glory to God. The plan of redemption brought glory to God. And there is a day coming when the give all men will give God glory because of what Jesus has done. "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

We tend to live for our own glory. We are constantly attempting to make everything about us. The result is that we end up viewing the world from our limited perspective and fail to see God's fingerprints all over our lives and circumstances. Pharaoh thought he was in control. He truly believed he had the upper hand and the last word in what was going to happen. But he was going to learn, perhaps the hard way, that God was the one in control. He would come to understand that God alone was going to get the glory. Every man, woman, and child exists ultimately for God's glory. We were created for His glory. We exist for His glory. All creation is designed to bring God glory. Jesus Himself brought God glory. Should we be any different? God will be glorified on this earth and through the lives of those who occupy it. His name will be lifted up and proclaimed through all the earth. As His people, we are to be His witnesses, His ambassadors, spreading the glory of His name and the good news regarding His Son. Our lives are to be living, breathing proof of His presence and power. Our faith should bring Him glory as we learn to lean on Him, resting in His strength and not our own. Our transformed lives should bring Him glory and proclaim His greatness and goodness to the nations.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

I exist for God's glory, not my own. My life is to be a tribute to His greatness, not my own. He is at work in my life, not to bring me happiness or to satisfy my selfish desires, but to bring Himself glory. And the amazing thing is that He brings Himself glory by transforming me into the likeness of His Son. I personally benefit from the process, but I am not the focus of it. The Israelites were going to get to enjoy freedom from slavery. But it wasn't because they deserved it or had somehow earned it. God would later remind the people of Israel, "It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:7-9 ESV). Ultimately, it was because God was a covenant-keeping God. He is a loving, faithful God who does what He promises to do. For His glory and our good. Jesus did what He did, not because man deserved it, but because God had planned it. He did what He did for God's glory and our good. I am the beneficiary of God's goodness because Jesus sought to bring His Father glory.

Father, I want my life to bring You glory. I know that You will be glorified regardless of whether I acknowledge You or not, but I would rather be a willing participant in the process, instead of like Pharaoh. I want to willingly glorify You by regularly acknowledging Your presence and power in my life. I want to praise You more. I want to focus more on You and less on me. I want to seek Your glory and not mine. May my life be lived in faithful obedience to Your will, bringing glory to Your name. Amen.

You Give – God Gets the Glory.

2 Corinthians 9

As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 9:13 NLT

For many in the church today, the word, giving conjures up all kinds of negative images. Some who once made going to church a regular part of their life, quit going long ago because they felt like all the church wanted was their money. And in the case of some churches, it would appear that building campaigns and fund-raising efforts have taken the place of the Gospel. Yes, there are times when churches need to grow and must depend on their congregation for the resources to make those efforts possible. But giving, while essential, was never intended to be the primary message of the church. It has always been an integral part of the believer's experience, even during the early days of the church. But it would seem that the purpose behind giving was more practical and aimed at ministering to the needs of the growing body of Christ around the world.

Paul had no problem asking the various churches to whom he had ministered to give money toward the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. He asked boldly and he expected them to give generously. He wanted them to give willingly and not grudgingly. In fact, Paul told them "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully" (2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT). Giving was to be a decision between the individual believer and God. It was to be an expression of faith and a tangible picture of their love for God and for others. Giving is not a selfish or self-centered act, but something done in cooperation with God. "For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you" (2 Corinthians 9:10 NLT). This is not a promise of prosperity and riches if you give. Paul is not saying that God is obligated to bless you with a financial windfall if you give. He is simply reminding his audience that it is God who gives us all that we have. Just as a farmer must depend on God to provide the seed and, ultimately, the bread, so we are dependent on God to provide us with our jobs and even the capacity to work so that we might earn a wage. God enriches us so that we might enrich others. He is generous with us so that we might be generous with others. And when we give, not only are others blessed, He gets glory. "And when we take you gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving – the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12 NLT).

Our generosity to others will cause them to glorify God. They may never know that we were the ones who contributed to their need, but they will know that God was behind it all. And when we give willingly and generously to the needs of others, it is practical proof of the reality of the Gospel in our lives. Generosity is not a natural outflow of the human heart. Because of sin, we are prone to selfishness. We tend to want to horde and are suspicious of those who might take what we see as rightfully ours. One of the first words every child learns to say is, "MIne!" Possessing comes naturally to all of us. Giving does not. Sharing is not a normal or natural trait for most children. It must be taught to and, in some cases, forced upon most children. And most of us still struggle with it as adults. But the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives should begin to change all that. The more we grow to understand the grace and mercy we have been given by God, the more we should learn to share what we have with others. Paul describes it "the overflowing grace God has given." He has been overwhelmingly generous with us, providing us with the priceless gift of His Son. So He fully expects us to be generous with one another. All that we have, He has provided. He blesses us so that we might be a blessing to others. He gives to us so that we might give to one another. He meets our needs in order that we might learn to meet the needs of those around us. Which is why Paul tells us, "Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!" (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT). Give because you can. Give because you want to. Give because God has given to you. Give because it brings glory to Him. Give because it strengthens the body and grows the Kingdom. Give because you can't out-give God. Giving is a ministry, not an obligation. It is a privilege, not a burden. It is a gift, and we should thank God for it.

Father, I want giving to become increasingly more a part of my life. I want it to be a joy to give. I want to see it as a privilege, not a burden. I want to give in faith, knowing that it is You who meets all my needs – not me. I want to learn to trust You for all my needs as I willingly, joyfully help meet the needs of others. I want to increasingly know from experience that I can't ever out-give You. Amen.

Jars of Clay.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. – 2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

Paul was anything but a braggart. He had plenty of credentials, a great education, spotless pedigree, and a sterling resume, but he didn't put a lot of stock in those things. In fact, in his letter to the Philippian believers, Paul had this to say about all his accomplishments, "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done" (Philippians 3:7 NLT). Paul had a unique perspective when it came to his role and relative value regarding the work of the Kingdom of God. While others might want to brag about their importance and highlight their accomplishments for Christ, Paul was content just being used by God to spread the message of salvation. He was a tool in the hands of God. He was nothing more than a messenger of the Good News. He didn't use coercion, flowery words, persuasive speech, trickery, deception, or showmanship to attract followers and impress men. He didn't practice self-promotion or try to pad his reputation. "We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5 NLT). Paul had a singular message and that was Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He viewed himself as simply a conduit of that message. Paul's life was nothing more than a lens through which the light of Jesus Christ shone out. He lived to magnify Christ and to let the glory of His Savior shine on those who lived in darkness just as he once had.

Paul saw himself as a fragile clay jar – a common, ordinary household jar made of unbaked clay. There was nothing about Paul's life that made him any more valuable or worthy of God's love and Christ's salvation than anyone else. He was frail and fallible. He was unimpressive and undeserving of the grace and mercy that had been given to Him through Jesus Christ. And yet, he had received the light of Jesus Christ into his life. The glory and power of God resided in him. Paul never ceased to be amazed at the significance of this reality. He was constantly blown away that God had chosen to take up residence in his life and displayed His power through him. For Paul, it was never about his accomplishments or capabilities, but what God was doing through him. He knew that God was doing the work, not himself, so He had no problem giving God the credit.

It is not the value of the container that matters, but the contents. Paul told Timothy, "In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:20-21 NLT). The context of this statement had to do with cleansing ourselves of any godless behavior that would bring dishonor to God. Paul was encouraging Timothy to keep his "vessel" pure. He wanted Timothy to understand the importance of keeping himself pure and avoiding godless behavior. It is God's presence in our lives that give us value and worth, not our "container." It is His glory that must shine through us. Too often, we want to impress others with the value of our vessel. We worry way too much about what others think about us than who they see in us. It was John the Baptist who said of Jesus, "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less" (John 3:30 NLT). That was the attitude of Paul, and that needs to increasingly become the attitude of every one of us as believers. We are common, ordinary clay jars containing the glory of God and allowing the light of Jesus Christ to shine through the cracks of our sin-fractured lives.

Father, it still amazes me that You chose to redeem me. I know that I bring nothing to the table that qualifies me for Your grace and mercy. I have no value or worth that merits the gift of Your Son. I am a fragile, fractured clay jar, but You have placed Your Spirit within me and are allowing Your glory and power to flow through me. That truly is amazing and humbling. Amen.