Justice for the Unjust

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David.

1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
    Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
    your hands deal out violence on earth.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.

6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away;
    when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime,
    like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
    he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
    surely there is a God who judges on earth.” – Psalm 58:1-11 ESV

David opens this psalm with a question for the “gods” [ĕlōhîm] who “judge the children of man uprightly” (Psalm 58:1 ESV). The Hebrew word ĕlōhîm is a generic title used of the God of Israel, but also of false gods and human rulers. David’s rather sarcastic question was designed to highlight the injustice of Israel’s judges and expose them as hypocrites and frauds.

Do you judge the people fairly?
No! You plot injustice in your hearts.
    You spread violence throughout the land. – Psalm 58:1-2 NLT

David compares these powerful men to venomous snakes that refuse to be charmed. He accuses them of having been born in sin and being addicted to falsehood. They were like dangerous lions that prey on the weak and innocent, and he was fed up with their deadly charade. They were a menace to society and a blot on the name of God, serving up injustice in place of justice and refusing to extend mercy, love, and grace to God’s people. The prophet Micah warned the people of Israel that God had much higher standards for them.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8 ESV

David longed to see God avenge His people by dealing with these self-proclaimed “gods” and putting an end to their wickedness.

Break off their fangs, O God!
    Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.
    Make their weapons useless in their hands.
May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,
    like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. – Psalm 58:6-8 NLT

They were a menace to society and had no redeeming value. Their presence among the people of God was a detriment and not a blessing. So, David begged God to pay them back for their sins and remove them from power.  

It isn’t difficult to recognize David’s frustration with these men. He has run out of patience with their antics and wants to see these purveyors of injustice get what they deserve.

There are times when injustice seems to be everywhere. The 24-hour news cycle provides a steady barrage of reports from around the world that chronicle man's inhumanity to his fellow man. We read the newspaper, watch TV, and check our social media feeds, and are appalled at what we discover. The innocent suffer at the hands of the wicked. The weak fall prey to the strong. Bigger nations take advantage of smaller ones, and nobody seems capable of doing anything about it. Governments posture and promote plans to bring about justice, but their efforts make little or no dent in the situation. Often, those very same governments perpetrate acts of injustice of their own.

As David put it, violence continues to spread through the land. Nobody seems to even know what the word justice really means anymore, except God. Even though David felt justice was a lost cause in his day, he knew he could appeal to God because He is just and righteous. God not only sees all the injustice going on, but He can do something about it.

David felt impotent to do anything about “these wicked people” who “spit venom like deadly snakes,” but he knew that God was more than powerful enough to deal with them. So in his frustration, David asked God to step in and defend the rights of the weak, innocent, downtrodden, and helpless. David wanted God to do exactly what he would do to these people if he could. His request is graphic and far from compassionate. David pulls no punches, asking God to wipe these people off the face of the earth. At first blush, a reading of David’s request to God might be disturbing. It comes across as violent and unloving, but it also reveals David’s hatred of injustice. He can’t stand to see the unjust go unpunished, because he understands that they stand in direct opposition to his God.

David refuses to tolerate or grow complacent about injustice just because he is powerless to do anything about it. That is always a temptation for God’s people. When surrounded by a tsunami of injustice, we can easily grow callous or complacent because there appears to be nothing we can do. We read the stories of injustice going on in the world, and turn a deaf ear and a blind eye. We tend to ignore what we feel like we can’t impact. We know injustice is taking place, but because we feel powerless to do anything about it, we slowly learn to tolerate it, as long as it’s not happening to us.

But David was a man after God’s own heart who loved what God loved and hated what God hated. So David hated injustice and appealed to the only one who could do anything about it. He asked God to act. He cried out to a just God and demanded that He bring justice to bear.

Despite all that was going on around him, David believed that God would intervene. He counted on God's justice and trusted that He would judge justly and rightly. He confidently asserted, “Surely there is a God who judges justly here on the earth” (Psalm 58:11 NLT).

Whether David realized it or not, he was speaking prophetically. The day is coming when justice really will prevail. God will deal with the unjust and avenge those who have suffered at their hands. When we see injustice taking place, we need to call out to God for His help. We need to ask Him what He would have us do as His hands and feet on this planet. Injustice should make us long for justice. Sin should make us long for His salvation. Wickedness should make us long for righteousness. Darkness should make us long for the light of His glorious presence. Instead of ignoring injustice or becoming callous to its presence, we should learn to see it clearly and long to watch God remove it completely.

David was the king of Israel and served as God’s vice-regent. He had the full power and authority of God at his disposal and could have dealt with these wicked judges himself. Perhaps he had tried to purge these men from their posts and failed. One gets the feeling that the problem was bigger than David could handle on his own, which is why he took the matter to God. The prophet Micah provides a blunt assessment of just how bad things eventually got in Israel.

I said, “Listen, you leaders of Israel!
    You are supposed to know right from wrong,
but you are the very ones
    who hate good and love evil.
You skin my people alive
    and tear the flesh from their bones.
Yes, you eat my people’s flesh,
    strip off their skin,
    and break their bones.
You chop them up
    like meat for the cooking pot.
Then you beg the Lord for help in times of trouble!” – Micah 3:1-4 NLT

“Listen to me, you leaders of Israel!
    You hate justice and twist all that is right.
You are building Jerusalem
    on a foundation of murder and corruption.
You rulers make decisions based on bribes;
    you priests teach God’s laws only for a price;
you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid.
    Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord.” – Micah 3:9-11 NLT

Things were bad, but God is good, righteous, and just. David knew he could count on God to do the right thing and defend the weak, innocent, and helpless. He wasn't abdicating his authority as king or refusing to use his power to effect change, but he knew that true justice had to come from the throne of God. We need to take that same view and call on God to do what only He can do. Yes, we must be willing to do our part, but true justice can only come from a just and loving God. Yet, we must desire what God desires. We must have hearts that resonate with His. May we cry out like David and long to see “justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24 ESV).

Father, there is injustice in the land. It is all around us and we are powerless to do anything about it. But You’re not, so I ask that You intervene and do what only You can do. Bring justice. Protect the innocent. Establish righteousness. Remove wickedness. Send Your Son to right all wrong and avenge all injustice. So that the righteous might rejoice. Amen

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.

God’s Great Grace

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
    build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
    in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
    then bulls will be offered on your altar. – Psalm 51:1-19 ESV

In 1910, Julia H. Johnston penned the words to the hymn “Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord.” They reflect her understanding of the unmerited grace God made available to sinners through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

That last line speaks volumes and echoes the sentiment expressed by David in this psalm. As the title of the psalm suggests, David wrote this well-known and oft-quoted song of praise after reflecting on the marvelous reality of God's grace in the face of unforgivable sin.

That God’s grace is greater than all our sins is a truth that is virtually impossible for us to comprehend. It’s difficult to fathom how a holy and completely righteous God could love us so much that He would be willing to extend us grace despite our consistent struggle with sin. But David had experienced this truth first-hand. Here in Psalm 51, he is dealing with the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba. David was known as the man after God’s own heart and was the anointed king of Israel, yet he wrestled with the guilt and conviction of his affair with a married woman. As if that sin was not enough, when David discovered his illicit sexual tryst had produced a baby, he ordered the death of Bathsheba’s husband so that he might marry her and provide a more acceptable explanation for her pregnancy.

His was a sin of the first degree. It shocks even the most hardcore agnostic or atheist. These kinds of things are just not done in civilized society. But here is the leader of God’s chosen people confessing his guilt and willingly accepting God's just judgment.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just. – Psalm 51:4 NL

David opened his psalm with an admission of guilt and a plea for mercy. He describes the stain of his sin and the impurity of his guilt as barriers to God. He knew he was guilty, but he was counting on the fact that Yahweh was merciful and compassionate. 

Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins. – Psalm 51:1 NLT

He firmly believed that God was ready and willing to forgive his sin and restore him to a right relationship with Himself. He also knew that God was the only one who could provide restoration. So he cries out to God for mercy and appeals to God’s unfailing love. He asks God to show him compassion and begs for the stain of his sin to be removed. He pleads with God to wash him clean from his guilt and purify him from his sin.

David understood the depth of his sin and guilt. He had not attempted to excuse his actions or diminish his culpability. He owned his sin and confessed that he deserved God's just judgment. But this did not prevent him from crying out for God’s mercy and grace.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice. – Psalm 51:7-8 NLT

David was a broken man. Ever since his lust-fueled liaison with Bathsheba, he had been plagued by guilt and shame. His role in her husband’s death only stoked the flames of the raging condemnation that consumed his joy. When the prophet Nathan confronted the king about his sin, David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:14 NLT). And while Nathan assured David that God would forgive him, he warned that his sin would still be consequences.

Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13-14 NLT

The child was born but suffered from a deadly disorder. David fasted and prayed that God would spare the life of his son, but seven days later, the child died. This loss weighed heavily on David’s heart. Yet, David didn’t lash out at God in anger and resentment. He bore the brunt of God’s righteous wrath and cried out for restoration.

David knew that only God could make him clean. Time doesn’t heal all wounds, but God certainly can. Only God could renew his broken heart and restore a sense of joy through His compassionate act of salvation. Only God could give him the ability to return to a life of obedience and righteousness.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you. – Psalm 51:12 NLT

David was at the mercy of God and found comfort in that fact. The key to David’s appeal to God was his understanding that God was looking for true repentance from a heart grieved over its mistreatment of God and His Word. David knew that his sin was ultimately against God, not Bathsheba or Uriah. He also knew that God was looking for godly sorrow and not just a false sense of remorse or regret. The apostle Paul explains what godly sorrow looks like in his letter to the Corinthian church.

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. – 1 Corinthians 7:9-10 NLT

The sacrifice God wanted from David had little to do with lambs, goats, blood, or offerings. But it had everything to do with a broken and contrite heart. A heart that is broken and crushed because it understands that it has offended a holy, yet loving and merciful God.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
    You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. – Psalm 51:16-17 NLT

God wanted sacrifices offered in the right spirit, with the right kind of heart behind them. David’s sin had been an affront to God, and that sin needed to bother him as much as it did God. It seems clear from this beautifully worded and bluntly honest psalm that David had come to grips with the weight of his sin and built. That is what led him to come before God in sorrow, repentance, openness, honesty, and complete reliance on God’s mercy and grace.

David had full confidence that God would hear and restore him because he knew that God was gracious, kind, loving, and merciful. David’s God was forgiving. His grace was greater than all of David’s sins – from the smallest to the largest. David’s sins of adultery and murder rank high on our scale of transgressions against God, and yet David found mercy, grace, and forgiveness even for these two heinous sins against God’s holiness. God’s grace really was greater than David’s worst sins. Long before Julie H. Johnston wrote the words of he own song of praise, David learned the powerful truth they contain.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Father, thank You that Your grace truly is greater than my sin. And because of Your grace I can receive forgiveness, cleansing. restored joy, and the constant assurance of Your unfading love. Too often, I begin to believe that my sin is greater than You are. I listen to the words of the enemy and begin to doubt the reality of Your forgiveness, grace, and mercy. He convinces me that I am undeserving and You are unrelenting in Your hatred for my transgressions. Help me to understand that Your love is never based on my loveliness or loveableness. Your grace and mercy are there because I need them, not because I deserve them. Amen

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.

Lifting Up Those Who Are Down

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him;
2 theLORD protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 TheLORD sustains him on his sickbed;
in his illness you restore him to full health.

4 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me;
heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
“When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
while his heart gathers iniquity;
when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
they imagine the worst for me.

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;
he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me,
and raise me up, that I may repay them!

11 By this I know that you delight in me:
my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
and set me in your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. – Psalm 41:1-13 ESV

At first glance, this Psalm seems a bit disjointed. David starts out talking about the poor and how God blesses those who show kindness to them. Then suddenly, David is confessing his sin and crying out for mercy because of the apparent consequences of that sin. His problem seems to have nothing to do with poverty or need but is due to his own willful sin. However, a closer look at the Hebrew word dar translated as “poor” in verse one reveals that it can mean “one who is low or weak.” It is from the root word dālal, which can refer to someone weak, languishing, powerless, or who has been brought low. So, David is not necessarily talking about poverty as it relates to finances, but he is dealing with spiritual and emotional poverty. His knowledge of this topic comes from personal experience.

His poverty of spirit was real and not based on conjecture. David knew the pain that all too often accompanied sinfulness. Not only did disobedience to God bring divine judgment, but it also brought persecution and ridicule from others. While suffering conviction over his sin, David cried out to God, “Have mercy on me. Heal me, for I have sinned against you” (Psalm 41:4 NLT). But his enemies kicked him while he was down. They took advantage of his emotional distress and wished for his failure.

David imagined them wishfully crying out, “How soon will he die and be forgotten?” (Psalm 41:5 NLT). Rather than showing him kindness or compassion, they longed for his demise. 

David knew his suffering resulted from sin, and he had confessed that sin to God, but he was still experiencing the consequences of whatever he had done. God’s divine discipline was still going on, and he longed for relief. But his enemies, posing as friends, used their visits with him to gather gossip. They weren't interested in building David up but were intent on destroying what was left of his reputation by spreading salacious rumors.

They visit me as if they were my friends,
    but all the while they gather gossip,
    and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
All who hate me whisper about me,
    imagining the worst.
“He has some fatal disease,” they say.
    “He will never get out of that bed!” – Psalm 41:6-8 NLT

These posers showed no concern for David’s spiritual poverty and did nothing to lift his spirits. Instead, they tried to discern the cause of his condition and debated how long he had to live. They displayed no empathy, compassion, or mercy. Their deep hatred for David prevented them from commiserating with his condition. They never considered the tables being turned and them being on the receiving end of God’s judgment and David’s ridicule.

There is an old proverb that states, “There but for the grace of God go I.” The author of this proverb is unknown, but some attribute it to the English Reformer, John Bradford, who said it as he watched people led to execution for their crimes.

“In a way, the attitude of ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ is an antidote to judgmentalism. When we see someone who is down and out, who is suffering hardship, or who is reaping unpleasant consequences, we can respond in two basic ways. We can say, ‘He deserves it and should have made better choices,’ or we can say, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ The first response is what Job’s three friends ultimately chose; the second response shows empathy as we acknowledge the kindness of God toward us and extend that kindness to the one in trouble.” – https://www.gotquestions.org/there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I.html

David knows he has done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment from his friends. When the shoe had been on the other foot and David witnessed his enemies suffering, he grieved with them. He even prayed and fasted for them, feeling sadness for their condition “as though they were my friends or family” (Psalm 35:14 NLT). But now that David was down and out, his “friends” became enemies. So, David is left to seek mercy from God.

But what a reminder to those of us who claim to be Christ-followers that we are to have the same heart He had. We are to love like He loved. Jesus said of Himself, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come” (Luke 4:18-19 NLT).

We are to carry on that ministry to the down and out. The Proverbs of Solomon remind us that our words carry weight. They are powerful and can accomplish good or bring about evil in the lives of others.

The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain. – Proverbs 10:11

The words of the godly encourage many. – Proverbs 10:21 NLT

Solomon also warned that “with their words, the godless destroy their friends” (Proverbs 11:9). Rather than cheer and champion their fallen compatriots, the godless tear them down. Solomon went on to record the glaring difference between the words of the godless and the godly.

Some people make cutting remarks,
    but the words of the wise bring healing. – Proverbs 12:1 NLT

We are the hands, the feet, and the mouthpieces for Christ here on this earth. We are to have a heart for the lowly and all those who are languishing, whether it is because of their own sin or the sinful condition of the world in which we live. Some languish in financial poverty, while others suffer the effects of emotional and spiritual deprivation. Either way, we are to bring them words of encouragement and healing. We are to show them mercy and grace. We are to love them with both words and actions.

David knew that extending kindness to the “poor” could be a rewarding experience. To do so was to live a life that was pleasing to God. He rewards those who care for and encourage the down and out. He repays them in kind and “rescues them when they are in trouble” (Psalm 41:1 NLT).

Father, give me a heart for the down and out. Help me to see them all around me. It is easy to see the financially poor, but the spiritually and emotionally impoverished are all around me and they tend to hide their condition well. Don’t let me be like David’s friends, who because of their treatment of him in his time of need, were no better than enemies to him. May I be a true friend to those in need, providing words of encouragement and actions that back up what I say. Amen 

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 Joy of Forgiveness

A Maskil of David.

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! – Psalm 32:1-11 ESV

This is a didactic psalm, one that is intended to share a hard-learned life lesson with others. In this psalm, David uses his personal experience with sin, confession, repentance, and forgiveness to encourage others to follow his example. He describes the joy that comes with living openly and honestly with God.

“…what joy for those
    whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt,
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty! – Psalm 32:2 NLT

At the same time, David shares the far more painful experience of refusing to admit his guilt. Failure to repent results in the easily avoidable discipline of God.

When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. – Psalm 32:2-4 NLT

David provides only two alternatives when it comes to dealing with sin: Confess and receive God’s gracious forgiveness or stubbornly refuse God’s conviction and bear the consequences. For David, the choice was a simple one.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5 NLT

David used his life experiences as a teaching tool, hoping to spare others the painful lesson of trying to deny their sin and ignore their guilt. That way of life was unproductive and painful. Yet, the unpleasant consequences of unrepentance could be avoided by heeding David’s gracious advice. In a prayerful aside to God, David offers his desire that all men could discover the joy of confession and forgiveness. 

…let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. – Psalm 32:6 NLT

Turning back to his human audience, David begs them to heed his words.

Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control. – Psalm 32:9 NLT

Stubbornness is not a virtue. An unwillingness to admit guilt is not the same thing as innocence. Denying one’s sin does not make it go away. Refusing to accept God’s conviction does nothing to avoid condemnation. David offers the choice between sorrow and joy, suffering and blessing, denial and divine forgiveness.

One of the sad realities of human life is sinfulness. It is unavoidable and inevitable. We have inherited a sin nature, and it shows up uninvited and without warning on a regular basis in all of our lives. Sometimes, our sins are small and appear relatively harmless. Other times, even we are appalled at the extent of our own capability to commit sins that are offensive to most men, let alone God. Our sinful natures are constantly doing battle within us, fighting with the indwelling influence of the Holy Spirit. Paul put it this way:

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

The battle within us is real, and the presence of our sinful nature is easy to recognize. We see it in the sins we commit daily, both sins of commission and omission. We don’t do the things we should do, and we do those things God has forbidden us to do. But here is the good news: God is fully aware of our sinful nature. He knows that we are sinners, so He sent His Son to serve as our sin substitute.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

God has set us free from slavery to sin. We no longer HAVE to sin, because we have been given a new nature. He has provided His Spirit to indwell us, fill us, and empower us to live a life that is no longer sin-saturated, but Christ-centered. We now have the capacity to NOT sin. We can say no to sin.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. – Romans 6:6-7 NLT

But the truth is, we still sin because we still have three things contending against us: Satan, the world, and our own sinful natures. John reminds us, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8 NLT). So sin is still inevitable but avoidable. When we do sin, there is hope. We have forgiveness available to us. We need only confess or admit our sin to God, and He offers complete forgiveness. Confession is not telling God something He doesn’t already know about us. He knows everything. He sees all our sins. Confession is agreeing with God on the presence of that sin in our lives and acknowledging our need for His forgiveness. David said, “I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt” (Psalms 32:5 NLT). The Hebrew word for “confessed” is yada, and it carries the idea of both knowing something and making it known. As God makes us aware of our sin, we are encouraged to agree with HIs assessment and acknowledge our guilt to Him. That is confession.

Attempting to hide or deny our sin is ridiculous because God already knows all about it. When we refuse to confess, we miss out on His forgiveness. As part of His sanctifying process in our lives, God is always exposing our. He shines the flashlight of His divine omniscience into the dark recesses of our lives to point out the unconfessed sins that reside there. When He reveals our sins to us, all He asks is that we acknowledge or confess their presence to Him and ask for His forgiveness. The good news is that is exactly what we receive. David says, “what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalms 32:2 NLT).

David loved the forgiveness of God because he knew how much he needed it. He was a sinner just like you and me. He didn’t always do what God wanted him to do, and he sometimes did those things God didn’t want him to do. But David knew the reality and blessing of confession and forgiveness. So, he reminds us to live a life of confession as well.

David knew that God guides and directs His children on how to live. Part of that process requires the exposure of the sin in our lives so that we might be made aware of it and then confess it to Him. It is for our own good. To refuse to see it, acknowledge it, and admit it would make us like a senseless horse or mule that needs the pain of a bridle and bit to make it do what it is supposed to do. Confession is meant to be comforting because it leads to forgiveness. It frees us from guilt, restores our relationship with the Father, and brings us joy. So why wouldn’t we confess our sins readily and regularly?

Father, I confess to You that I do not confess often enough. I sometimes try to ignore my sins as if they are not that great. But I know that I need to see them and confess them to You. They are a constant reminder to me of my need for You. I cannot cleanse myself. I cannot sanctify myself. I cannot get rid of my sin by myself. Only You can remove the sin that remains within me. Only You can conquer the sin nature that still does battle with me daily. So I want to learn to confess more regularly and readily, so that I might enjoy the blessing of Your forgiveness.. Amen

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.

Describing the Indescribable

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
    thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
    hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16 He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his rules were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my lamp;
    the LORD my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the LORD proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

31 For who is God, but the LORD?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

43 You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
45 Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from the man of violence.

49 For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever. – Psalm 18:1-50 ESV

Victory has a way of changing one’s perspective and in this Psalm, David uses language that borders on hyperbole to explain his gratitude to God for his recent successes. The introduction makes it clear that David was enjoying a well-deserved respite from his long-standing dispute with King Saul. David had spent years living as a fugitive because Saul viewed his former employee as a threat to his throne. On several occasions, Saul had tried to murder David. The king had also placed a bounty on David’s head and hired mercenaries to hunt him down. Fueled by jealousy and an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), Saul had been relentless in pursuing David. He was a man possessed and obsessed. But God had plans for David. He was to be the next king of Israel, replacing Saul, who had proved to be disobedient and disappointing. The prophet Samuel had warned the king that his days were numbered.

“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” – 1 Samuel 13:13-14 ESV 

God had already commanded Samuel to anoint David the next king of Israel, but it would be 13 years before Saul was killed in battle and David ascended to the throne. During that lengthy delay, David’s life was marked by war, political intrigue, and death threats. He was a man on the run. But then God delivered him. That is what this Psalm celebrates and the imagery is classic David.

The simple, yet powerful words David uses to describe his God are found throughout the Psalms he penned. They are a vivid example of someone trying to describe the indescribable using terminology to which he can easily relate. David refers to God as his strength, rock, fortress, savior, and a source of protection. These divine attributes were the basis of David’s love for the LORD. They describe what God means to David. They illustrate characteristics of God that David has come to know and love during his days of exile and suffering.

This Psalm was likely written late in David’s life because it is almost a word-for-word copy of the song David sings near the end of his life, which is recorded in 2 Samuel 22. On that occasion, David was near death and recalled all God had done for him over a long, distinguished, and sometimes difficult life. C. H. Spurgeon calls this Psalm “The Grateful Retrospect.” David expresses appreciation, praise, and love for God’s unmistakable role in his life. He used a variety of powerful words and phrases to convey God’s activity: Pays back, subdues, rescues, holds me safe, saves me, gives victory, shows unfailing love.

David opens up this Psalm with praise for God’s characteristics. Then he closes it in the same way. It is a classic chiastic structure, where the first half of the Psalm mirrors the second half. The main point is found at the beginning and the end. God is David’s rock (sela). The Hebrew word describes a rock, cliff, or a hollowed-out place that provides safety, refuge, and protection. Why would David describe God in those terms? Why would a king who lived in a luxurious palace use that kind of imagery? Because he knew what it was like to live in rocks and caves, seeking refuge from Saul’s soldiers. David had spent over ten years of his life hiding in the wilderness, attempting to keep from being killed by King Saul. He hid in caves and lived in the remote wilderness, finding refuge and protection among the cliffs, rocks, and mountains.

These rocky redoubts had been David’s home where he hid from his enemy and found refuge in times of difficulty. Those rocks and caves became familiar to David and were a constant reminder of God’s protection and love. Yes, they were remote, foreboding, and uninviting, but to David they were familiar and comfortable. There were probably many times during his lengthy reign when he preferred to be back in those same caves. In fact, when his son Absalom stole his kingdom, David headed back to the wilderness again. It was familiar territory where he knew God would meet with him and provide for him.

Where do you and I run when times get tough? Do we have a place where God has shown Himself strong in the past? If we had to pick words to describe who God is to us and what He has done for us, which ones would we use? David spoke of God from experience. His knowledge of God and love for Him was not based on academics, but first-hand experience. I love what Eugene Peterson says about David and his relationship with God:

“The single most characteristic thing about David is God. David believed in God, thought about God, imagined God, addressed God, prayed to God. The largest part of David’s existence wasn’t David, but God. The evidence of David’s pervasive, saturated awareness of God is in his profusion of metaphors: bedrock, castle, knight, crag, boulder, hideout. David was immersed in God. Every visibility revealed for him an invisibility.” – Eugene Peterson, Leap Over a Wall

I long to have that kind of relationship with God. I want to see Him all around me and to view Him through all my circumstances. The words we use to describe God are a great indicator of just how well we know Him.

David’s language is highly descriptive, but borders on the fantastic. He describes God’s activity like an earthquake, causing the earth to reel and rock and the foundations of the mountains to tremble (vs 7). With his imaginative mind, David saw God as fire-breathing, cherub-riding, darkness-shrouded deity whose judgment was accompanied by hailstones and burning coals. He was fierce and fearsome. He thunders and flashes forth lightning. God isn’t obscure, distant, or disinterested in the affairs of men’s lives; He is active and powerful. 

David saw God as mighty and merciful. He is intimidating in His power but intimate when it comes to His love for His people. David describes God as his rescuer, deliverer, protector, support, light in the darkness, shield of salvation, and source of strength and victory. David’s God was all-powerful and deserving of awe and respect. But He was also merciful, kind, compassionate, and unfailing in His love. And David closes his Psalm with his commitment to praise God for all He has done.

For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
    I will sing praises to your name.
You give great victories to your king;
    you show unfailing love to your anointed,
    to David and all his descendants forever. – Psalm 18:49-50 NLT

Father, You are my provider, banker, counselor, guide, shelter, and the Kevlar vest I wear when the enemy attacks. You are the umbrella that keeps me dry in the storms of life, the life preserver when my boat goes out from under me, the warm fire when the lights go out and the heat goes off, and the unexpected check in the mail when my account is empty and my hopes are lost. Father, You have been there for me so often in my life. You have never failed to provide for me, protect me, and shower me with Your grace. Thank You! Amen

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 Unbelievability of Divine Accessibility

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved. – Psalm 15:1-5 ESV

Who can be a welcome guest in God’s house or become a permanent resident in the place where He lives?

Those are the questions David asks to open Psalm 15, and they are a bit sobering and scary if you stop to think about them. What kind of person has the right to come into God’s presence? What qualifies them to live their lives as God’s neighbor – so to speak? David answers his own questions by describing someone who lives a life of integrity. They “lead blameless lives and do what is right” (Psalm 15:2 NLT). That word “blameless” makes us uncomfortable because it seems to convey the idea of sinless perfection. But the Hebrew phrase David uses is hālaḵ tāmîm and it means “to walk uprightly.” It does not describe a life free from sin or unrighteousness but a way of life that is pleasing to God. It is the same calling Abraham received from God at the ripe old age of 90.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” – Genesis 17:1 ESV

David would have been familiar with this passage and known that God was not expecting Abraham to live a sin-free life. The Hebrew word hālaḵ means to live one’s life openly, without compartmentalization. Abraham was expected to conduct himself with an awareness that God saw all he did. There was to be no sacred/secular split in the patriarch’s life. Nothing was to be hidden or considered off-limits to God. Abraham’s conduct was to be tāmîm, which conveys the idea of wholeness or completeness. In other words, Abraham was to live a life of integrity. 

David picks up on this theme of living an integral, uncompartmentalized life and uses it to describe the kind of person who can enter into God's presence. They are the kind of person whose actions are right and whose speech is marked by truth and not lies. They don’t use words to hurt others or take advantage of them. They have a strong dislike for anyone whose life is marked by a love for sin. But they recognize the value of those who love the Lord. They are promise keepers, not promise breakers. They share their money with others without demanding payment in return (plus a little something extra for their efforts). And they would never think of selling out someone just to pad their own wallet.

David says the person whose life is characterized by this kind of behavior is the one who will be left standing in the end. He or she will be welcomed as God’s guest and given a place in His presence. David covers virtually every aspect of an individual’s life: character, speech, conduct, values, integrity—even finances. This is a person who shares God’s heart. It’s a portrait of someone whose life pleases God.

But wait. How are we expected to pull this off? According to the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV). In the previous Psalm, David clearly stated, “There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1 ESV).
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No one always does what is right. No one always speaks the truth from a sincere heart. Everyone gossips and occasionally speaks evil of their friends. There isn’t one thing on David’s list of godly characteristics that any human being can hope to fulfill perfectly or entirely. So, what hope does humanity have of entering God’s presence? If these are the criteria for acceptance, how can anyone measure up?

In Psalm 14, David said, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Psalm 14:2-3 NLT). Paul takes up that same theme in his letter to the believers in Rome. “No one is righteous — not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). So what are we supposed to do?

Paul goes on to tell us, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:20-22 NLT).

But David didn’t know about Jesus. While he had a vague conception about the coming Messiah, it did not include an understanding of Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. David had no way of knowing that Jesus would fulfill the Law and provide a way for sinful men to be restored to a right relationship with God the Father through faith in His sacrificial death on the cross. 

David was ignorant of the Gospel, but he understood the love of God. David knew that God placed high expectations on His children, but he was confident that God’s holiness and righteousness was balanced by His grace and mercy. David longed to be the kind of man who could access the presence of God but he knew he would need God’s help to do so. In the very next Psalm, David explains his confident belief that God would assist him in his quest to be a man “who walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Psalm 15:2 ESV).

I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:7-11 NLT

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.

Present Faith in Future Promises

18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” – Zechariah 8:18-23 NLT

Chapter 7 began with a question about fasting. Now, Yahweh points to a future day when it will no longer be necessary to fast. Leviticus 16 records Yahweh’s command concerning fasting. ʿ

“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.” – Leviticus 16:29 ESV

The Hebrew word translated as “afflict” is ānâ and it carries the idea of humbling oneself, to be afflicted, or bowed down. It was commonly associated with fasting because fasting was intended as a sign of repentance and mourning over sins. The Book of Isaiah records Yahweh’s displeasure with the false fasting of the people of Israel.

“Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble(ānâ) himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?” – Isaiah 58:5 ESV

He accused His people of going through the motions of fasting without the requisite heart change that was required. The people couldn’t understand why their outward displays of self-denial were getting them nowhere with Yahweh.

“Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
    Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?” – Isaiah 58:3 ESV

But Yahweh explained His disinterest and unwillingness to take their fasts seriously.

“Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
    and oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
    will not make your voice to be heard on high.” – Isaiah 58:3-4 ESV

Fasting was intended to display a repentant heart and a willingness to alter one’s behavior. It was an act of self-denial and public humiliation that demonstrated a recognition of one’s sin and a need for atonement.

But in this chapter, Yahweh describes a future in which fasting will be replaced by “seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts” (Zechariah 8:19 ESV). The fasts associated with the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of God’s people will no longer be necessary. Yahweh is pointing to a day when joy will replace mourning and celebrations commemorating His goodness will eliminate all memories of past sins and divine judgment.

The Temple, once completed, would fully restore the sacrificial system, not eliminate it. The need for atonement would continue to require the blood of bulls, goats, sheep, and rams. The immediate future of the people of Judah would require a fully functioning priesthood, a completed Temple, and the sacrifice of countless animals to serve as sin substitutes for the guilty. The Day of Atonement would still require fasting on the part of the people before they could be cleansed from sin. 

The author of Hebrews explains the necessity of the sacrificial system but also identifies its shortcomings.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV

So, when Yahweh speaks of “seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts,” He is talking about a future day when full and permanent atonement will be attained for His people. This message from Yahweh includes His promise of the future restoration and spiritual transformation of His chosen people. It coincides with the message He delivered through the prophet Ezekiel.

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:22-27 NLT

All of these promises will take place when Christ returns to set up His earthly Kingdom. Daniel was given a vision of the end times, including the period known as the Great Tribulation. During those days, God will bring judgment upon the earth and His people, both Jews and Christians, will suffer persecution at the hands of the Antichrist. But God will only allow this wicked world ruler to carry out his genocidal pogrom for three and a half years.

“He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.

“But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” – Daniel 7:25-27 NLT

This future kingdom will include believing Jews and Gentiles who will reign alongside Christ for 1,000 years.

“The manifestation of the kingdom will be attended by such a fulness of salvation that Judah will forget to commemorate the former mournful events and will only have occasion to rejoice in the benefits of grace bestowed by God.” –  Merrill F.  Unger, Zechariah

Yahweh wants Zechariah to know that the rebuilding of the Temple was just the beginning of His plans for the people of Judah. There is far more in store for His chosen people than they realize. They will accomplish their mission and complete the construction of God’s house. They will also rebuild the walls and hang the gates. The city will be repopulated and the nation will once again enjoy the blessings of Yahweh. But their greatest days lie in the distant future when God will redeem them fully and restore them to a right relationship with Himself that will last for eternity. The apostle Paul described this future day as a mystery. 

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,

“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
    and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
And this is my covenant with them,
    that I will take away their sins.” – Romans 11:25-27 NLT

As Zechariah listens to these amazing pronouncements from Yahweh, he can't help but consider the less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding him and the far-from-perfect spiritual state of his fellow Judahites. But God is promising Him a future free from godlessness and sin. Not only that, the formerly destroyed city of Jerusalem will become a light shining on a hill attracting people from all over the world. Countless individuals from distant nations will declare their intention to visit the glorious city of Jerusalem.

“Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.” – Zechariah 8:21 ESV

Three other prophets recorded this same scene, further certifying its validity and future certainty.

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem. - Isaiah 2:2-3 NLT

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem. – Micah 4:1-2 NLT

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.
The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
    to worship the Lord our God.’” – Jeremiah 31:3-6 NLT

Yahweh reiterates His future intentions for His chosen people to Zechariah, stating, “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23 ESV). These promises concerning Judah’s future were meant to encourage Zechariah and motivate the people to carry out their work with enthusiasm and faith. They served a good and gracious God who loved them and had great plans for them.

But Yahweh didn’t want His people to live with their eyes focused on the future. They weren’t to live with their eye set on the preferred future God had in store for them. His promises of future redemption and restoration would take place long after they were gone so, in the meantime, they were to “love truth and peace” (Zechariah 8:19 ESV). In other words, they were to love what God loved. They were to live in keeping with His will, treating one another with love, dignity, respect, and honor. With all His future promises in mind, they were to dedicate themselves to living in a way that honored Him in the here and now.

“Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate…” – Zechariah 8:16-17 ESV

The apostle Peter gave the same admonition to the believers who received his second epistle.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:3-8 NLT

The people of Judah were to live with the end in mind, but they were never to lose sight of Yahweh’s call to live godly lives. God’s future faithfulness was meant to inspire present obedience in His covenant people. No matter how difficult the days ahead might be, they could rest in the promise of Yahweh’s unwavering love and long-term commitment to their well-being.

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 Marvelous Mercies of God

16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

22 “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 25 And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. 27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. 29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

32 “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. 35 Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. 36 Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. 37 And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

38  “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests. – Nehemiah 9:16-38 ESV

While God had been faithful, the people of Israel had not been. The next part of this communal prayer was their corporate confession of ancestral culpability. To put it in modern terms, the people of Judah threw their ancestors under the bus, graphically detailing their many transgressions against God. In the second half of Chapter 9, they juxtapose their forefathers' unfaithfulness with Yahweh's grace and mercy. These people had heard the horror stories of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. They knew all about God’s miraculous deliverance of Jacob’s descendants from Egypt. Still, they were also keenly aware of how their forebearers responded to God’s goodness with grumbling and ingratitude as soon as their journey to Canaan took a turn for the worse. 

The trip from Egypt to the Promised Land was filled with delays and disappointments. There were times when water became scarce and their food supplies ran low. These unexpected setbacks led the people to respond with unbridled anger and frustration at Moses for his lack of leadership.

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” – Exodus 16:3 NLT

These confrontations with Moses were far from rare but despite their stubbornness and ingratitude, God continued to shower them with grace and mercy. He quenched their thirst with water that flowed from a rock. For 40 years, He satisfied their hunger by providing quail they didn’t have to catch and bread they didn’t have to bake. Yet, they continued to complain and disobey His commands. This track record of insubordination culminated with the incident at Mount Sinai when the people of Israel decided to give up on Moses and turn their back on Yahweh.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” – Exodus 32:1 ESV

While the people plotted their insurrection, Moses was on the mountaintop receiving the Ten Commandments from God. His lengthy absence caused the people to panic and plot a new strategy for reaching the Promised Land. They appointed Moses’ brother Aaron as their new leader and tasked him with making a new god. 

This unflattering episode from the past was common knowledge among the people of Judah. They included it in their prayer of confession and used it to highlight the longsuffering nature of Yahweh.

“…they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies.” – Nehemiah 9:16-17 NLT

What makes this story so amazing is that God had revealed Himself to the people of Israel in a powerful and impossible-to-miss manner.

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. The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. – Exodus 19:16-20 NLT

The people of Israel were terrified by the devastating display of God’s presence and power. The sights and sounds emanating from Sinai scared them to death.

When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.

And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” – Exodus 20:18-19 NLT

But their fear didn’t prevent them from disobeying God. In fact, their demand for Aaron to craft them “new gods” was actually a desire for a different manifestation of the one true God. They weren’t trying to replace Yahweh, they simply wanted Him in a more familiar and easy-to-manage form. When they saw what Aaron had crafted, they responded, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4 ESV). The Hebrew word for “gods” is 'ĕlōhîm, which is the most commonly used name for God in the Scriptures. They were replacing the unattractive image of Yahweh as a God of fire, smoke, lightning, and thunder with a more user-friendly version. Aaron’s golden calf was Yahweh 2.0, a more accessible and amenable rendition of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But God didn’t let this affront to His glory prevent Him from keeping His covenant promises.

“But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!” – Nemeiah 9:19-21 NLT

This prayer expresses the people’s shock at God’s grace and mercy. As they reflect on the dark nature of their past, they can’t help but stand in amazement at their track record of disobedience and God’s outpourings of love, compassion, and undeserved mercy.

“In your wonderful mercy, you rescued them many times!” – Nehemiah 9:28 NLT

He faithful led them, fed them, protected and provided for them. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, He helped them conquer and occupy the land of Canaan. He supplied them with victories over more powerful nations. When they disobeyed, He lovingly punished them by allowing their enemies to gain the upper hand. Then He faithfully rescued and restored them. During their times of rebellion, God sent His prophets to call them to repentance, but rather than change their ways, the people turned on God's messengers. So, He kept His word and allowed them to suffer the consequences of their actions.

“But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!” – Nehemiah 9:31 NLT

Verse 32 brings the prayer full circle, placing the emphasis on the current state of affairs in Judah. The returned exiles have rebuilt the Temple and restored the walls of Jerusalem, but they are still suffering the aftereffects of their forefathers’ sins. They find themselves living in a “land of plenty” (Nehemiah 9:36 NLT), but they confess, “The lush produce of this land piles up in the hands of the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins” (Nehemiah 9:37 NLT).

They describe themselves as little more than slaves. While they are back in the land they still have to endure foreign oppression and are unable to enjoy the many benefits the land has to offer. This prayer is a call for repentance on the part of the people and a request for God to intervene. They are ready and willing to renew their commitment to God and agree to put it in the form of a legal document. 

“…we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.” – Nehemiah 9:38 NLT

This corporate pledge of allegiance will bind them “to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes” (Nehemiah 10:29 ESV). God has proven Himself to be faithful, loving, merciful, and compassionate. Now it is their turn to declare their faithfulness and pledge their commitment to Yahweh alone.

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 Transcendence of God

Studying the attributes of God is a noble and worthy task but it must be acknowledged that man’s capacity to understand the greatness of God is limited by his inherent finiteness. The apostle Paul eloquently stated humanity’s dilemma.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
    Who knows enough to give him advice?
And who has given him so much
    that he needs to pay it back?

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. – Romans 11:33-36 NLT

Paul makes it clear that the human mind is incapable of fully comprehending the greatness of God. This all-powerful and incomparable Being is Invisible to the human eye and incomprehensible to the human mind and must choose to make Himself known if He is to be recognized at all. As Paul stated in the opening chapter of Romans, God displayed certain aspects of His divine nature through creation.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. – Romans 1:20 NLT

The universe reveals His power, majesty, creativity, and sovereign control over all things. While we can’t physically see God, we can witness the work of His hands and begin to grasp the awesome nature of His power and transcendence. David was blown away by the indisputable evidence of God found in the natural world. He could see the proof of God’s existence everywhere he looked.

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 19:1-14 NLT

Creation declares the glory of God but it will never fully mirror the majesty of its Maker, and David seemed to understand that fact. When he became king of Israel, David voiced his growing awareness of God’s unlimited power and sovereignty over all things. God didn’t just make the universe, He ruled over it with unrivaled authority that made David’s royal power pale in comparison.

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.” – 1 Chronicles 29:10-12 NLT

To say that God is transcendent is to confess His otherness. In other words, it is an admission that God is not like us. He is not a slightly improved version of man; a human being on steroids. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, transcendent means “being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge” (“Transcendent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcendent. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024). God is beyond our comprehension. He exists outside our scope of understanding. He is not only invisible but unknowable and, yet, He has chosen to make Himself known.

God desires for us to know Him, not just cognitively but personally and intimately. The Bible is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It all began in the garden where God developed an ongoing relationship with the first man and woman. In that pristine and perfect environment, Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of the transcendent God. He spoke to them and made His presence known to them. They couldn’t see Him but they knew He was there. When they eventually disobeyed His command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they attempted to hide from Him.

When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. – Genesis 3:8 NLT

Their sin resulted in their banishment from the garden and the loss of their intimacy with God. From that point forward, mankind began its unrelenting trajectory away from God. It was not that God was somehow relegated to the garden and their travels took them further from His presence. Distance didn’t determine their separation from God, it was the spiritual state of their hearts. But the further they went, the weaker their awareness of God became. In time, they forgot about Him altogether, and the Book of Genesis records the sad result of their faithlessness and forgetfulness.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. – Genesis 6:5 NLT

Humanity had been allowed to know and experience the transcendent God of the universe but had chosen to walk away from Him. So God started over, revealing Himself to a man named Noah. Once again, the invisible, all-powerful God made Himself known and knowable. He spoke with Noah and provided him with a plan to repopulate the world and reboot the system. The flood destroyed the rest of humanity but Noah and his family were preserved by God. They were given the privilege of salvation and the responsibility to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 

This royal reboot allowed Noah and his family to experience the personal presence of the transcendent God. He sealed them in the ark and protected them during the days of the flood. He graciously preserved them and mercifully released them to begin the process of filling the world with more of their kind. But the rest of the Book of Genesis records the less-than-stellar results of their post-flood experience. It didn’t take long for Humanity 2.0 to succumb to the same internal bugs that doomed the previous model.

But all along the way, God continued to make Himself known. He revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He displayed His glory to Moses. He showed up in a light show on the peak of Mount Sinai, displaying His majestic power to the people of Israel cowering in the valley. He gave them His Law, designed to be a further revelation of His holiness and righteousness. He provided them with the Tabernacle and the sacrificial system to accentuate His set-apartness and to ensure their own holiness. The invisible, unknowable, inaccessible God continued to make Himself known. He had made them His own people, His chosen possession. He gave them a land as their inheritance. He provided them with kings. He blessed them and prospered them. But in return, they turned their back on Him

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and I called my son out of Egypt.
But the more I called to him,
    the farther he moved from me,
offering sacrifices to the images of Baal
    and burning incense to idols.
I myself taught Israel how to walk,
    leading him along by the hand.
But he doesn’t know or even care
    that it was I who took care of him.
I led Israel along
    with my ropes of kindness and love.
I lifted the yoke from his neck,
    and I myself stooped to feed him.” – Hosea 11:1-4 NLT

The more the transcendent God made Himself known, the more comfortable and complacent the people of God became. They lost their awareness of His greatness. Their awe and wonder diminished over time. His blessings became rote and expected. They took His power for granted. Eventually, God chose to remove His hand of blessing and allow His people to experience the loss of His presence. They had lost their wonder and appreciation for God. Their undeserved access to and intimacy with Him lost its value. His persistent presence robbed them of their appreciation for His transcendence.

And so the Lord says,
    “These people say they are mine.
They honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
And their worship of me
    is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites
    with amazing wonders.
The wisdom of the wise will pass away,
    and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear.” – Isaiah 29:13-14 NLT

For centuries, the people of Israel would lose their privileged position as God’s chosen people. Their Temple would be destroyed. The sacrificial system would be eliminated. Tens of thousands of Israelites would spend their lives living in exile in foreign lands, far from their homeland and separated from their God. They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but that was not the case for the Israelites. Even after their return to the land of Israel, they failed to reestablish their wonder and awe for God. Their hearts remained far from Him. But the transcendent God was not done revealing Himself to His people.

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. – Galatians 4:4-5 NLT

God sent His Son, and this staggering event would prove to be the greatest revelation of God that man has ever experienced. The apostle John reminds us of the staggering nature of Jesus’ incarnation.

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. – John 1:18 NLT

Jesus, the Son of God, made the invisible God visible, a fact the apostle Paul makes abundantly clear.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation… – Colossians 15 NLT

The unknowable, unapproachable, invisible God of the universe wants to be known. He desires to have a relationship with fallen humanity. As Paul makes clear, no one is seeking a relationship with God. The reality of indwelling sin makes the pursuit of God impossible for all men.

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.” – Romans 3:10-12 NLT

But God sought us out. He sent His Son to make Himself known and knowable. The transcendent God condescended to take on human flesh and make the fulness of the Godhead visible to fallen mankind. This fact should not only astound us but cause us to rejoice in the greatness and goodness of our gracious God.

“He is far away, in one sense, but in another He is as near as your heartbeat, for the cross has bridged the gulf. Let the blood of Jesus cleanse us from all sin. He who is God the Transcendent One says, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’” – A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God

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 Justice of God

Ever since 2020, the word justice has become a hotly debated topic in our modern culture, even among evangelical Christians. In fact, one of the most frequently quoted verses during the last four years comes from the pen of the prophet Micah.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8 ESV

It is only appropriate that Christ-followers should care for and be concerned about justice because it is of great importance to our God, whom the prophet Isaiah describes as “a God of justice.”

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. – Isaiah 30:18 ESV

Moses, who enjoyed an intimate and up-close relationship with God, referred to Him as a “Rock” whose “work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deuteronomy 32:14 ESV). In his personal experience, Moses discovered God to be just in everything that He does. So, as His people, we should seek to follow His example and make justice a high priority in our lives. But what exactly is justice and how should we display it in everyday life? Better yet, what does God’s justice look like and is it even possible for us to emulate this divine attribute of the Almighty?

The prophet Isaiah provides some insight into these questions.   

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. – Isaiah 1:17 ESV

“For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong…” – Isaiah 61:8 ESV

The Psalms also promote the need for justice among the people of God.

For the word of the Lord holds true,
    and we can trust everything he does.
He loves whatever is just and good;
    the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.. – Psalm 33:4-5 NLT

Turn from evil and do good,
    and you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice,
    and he will never abandon the godly. – Psalm 37:27-28 NLT

There is joy for those who deal justly with others
    and always do what is right. – Psalm 106:3 NLT

But before we take it upon ourselves to right the world’s wrongs by performing amazing feats of justice on behalf of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised, it would make sense to discover what brand of justice God has in mind. Like any other attribute associated with God, we are not free to define justice on our own terms or to implement it in ways that are solely intended to achieve our own agenda. The Psalmist provides a sobering reminder about the divine nature of justice.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
    Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants. – Psalm 89:14 NLT

As fallen creatures, we don’t get to decide what is right and wrong. Our sinful natures render us incapable of determining what is righteous and unrighteous. The prophet Isaiah gave a stinging assessment of man’s inherent inability to do the right thing.

We are constant sinners;
    how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
    When we display our righteous deeds,
    they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:5-6 NLT

So, it would seem that any attempt on our part to display justice and righteousness is severely hampered by our fallen state. As Isaiah makes painfully clear, even our most righteous efforts done with the best of intentions are little more than soiled garments in the eyes of God. Yet, He commands us to do justice and to love kindness.

The problem with modern-day concepts of justice is that they leave God out of the equation. But as Isaiah makes clear, any attempt by fallen men to distribute true justice will fall woefully short and be the byproduct of sinful, self-serving hearts. So, we must turn to the justice of God as our model and for the proper motivation for our behavior.

A. W. Tozer notes that “In the inspired Scriptures justice and righteousness are scarcely distinguished from each other” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy). It is impossible to dispense justice without righteousness. Notice what the prophet Amos says about these two inseparable concepts.

…let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. – Amos 5:24 ESV

In man’s well-intentioned effort to mete out justice, he often does so in ways that are out of step with God’s righteousness. Equity and equality are impossible to achieve if God’s righteous laws are voided or ignored. In distributing justice, God never violates His own righteous decrees. As Moses put it, “Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!” (Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT).

The justice of God is “that essential and infinite attribute which makes his nature and his ways the perfect embodiment of equity, and constitutes him the model and the guardian of equity throughout the universe” (ATS Bible Dictionary, 1859). In other words, any hope we have of distributing justice on earth is dependent upon a solid understanding of God’s justice toward us.

God’s justice flows from His holiness. He is without sin and completely righteous in every way, which guarantees that all His acts of justice are always right, pure, and perfectly executed in keeping with His nature. There is never any aspect of unfairness or inequity with God. He shows no favoritism or partiality (Romans 2:11). He doesn’t mete out punishment arbitrarily or disproportionally. At no time does God act unjustly or unrighteously. He cannot be charged with inequity or accused of wielding His power and authority inappropriately. His holiness ensures that His justice is wholly righteous and right in its application.

To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
    to those with integrity you show integrity.
To the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
You rescue the humble,
    but you humiliate the proud. – Psalm 18:25-27 NLT

For justice to be right and fair, it requires an outside criteria or standard of measurement. According to the Scriptures, God is the sole arbiter of what is just, right, and fair. He alone determines the basis for true justice. The reason injustice exists in the world is because of the presence of sin. According to 1 John 3:4, sin is lawlessness, a direct violation of God’s righteous commands. Virtually all sins are crimes against others. The list of sins contained in Galatians chapter five provides a stern reminder that our human flesh can only produce “fruit” that is self-promoting and damaging to others. 

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

While we may try to convince ourselves that our sins pose no threat to anyone else, this list suggests that most, if not all sins are committed against others. They are not just self-destructive, but they are a direct assault on the well-being of our fellow man. David didn’t simply commit sin with Bathsheba, he sinned against her. In a fit of jealousy, Cain took the life of his brother Abel. Driven by lust for his half-sister Tamar, Amnon orchestrated a plan to seduce and rape her.

But sin is much more than a crime against a fellow human being, it is a violation of God’s revealed will. David understood this stark reality, and after his illicit affair with Bathsheba, he confessed his guilt before God.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment. – Psalm 51:4 ESV

David had violated the commands of God, having committed adultery and murder. These transgressions required that justice be served and God did so in such a way that both atonement and forgiveness could be administered fairly and righteously. David’s sins were paid for with the life of the newborn son he shared with Bathsheba. We may find this solution untenable and difficult to understand, but God’s ways are always just, right, and fair. Sin has a cost. All violations of God’s will come with a price tag. Cain was cursed for his murder of Abel. Amnon was executed by his brother Absalom for the rape of Tamar. Absalom would ultimately die a gruesome and ignominious death at the hands of Joab.

Sin requires justice because God is holy and righteous. And since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, all deserve the same fate: Death. Yet God, in His mercy and grace, came up with a plan that would allow Him to be loving without sacrificing His justice. To pay the debt owed by humanity, God chose to send His Son as a substitutionary atonement – a sinless Lamb to die on behalf of sinful men and women. Jesus took our place so that we might be spared the just and righteous wrath of God.

“A simpler and ore familiar solution for the problem of how God can be just and still justify the unjust is found in the Christian doctrine of redemption. It is that, through the work of Christ in atonement, justice is not violated but satisfied when God spares a sinner. Redemptive theology teaches that mercy does not become effective toward a man until justice has done its work. The just penalty for sin was exacted when Christ our Substitute died for us on the cross. However unpleasant this may sound to the ear of the natural man, it has ever been sweet to the ear of faith. Millions have been morally and spiritually transformed by this message, have lived lives of great moral power, and died at last peacefully trusting in it.” – A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

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 Grace of God

In 1910, Julia Johnston wrote the lyrics to the hymn “Grace Great Than Our Sin” that speak of the matchless grace of God. I remember singing it as a child but the significance of the words was lost on me. It was not until later in life and long into my journey of faith that I began to understand the reality of God’s great grace and its impact on my life.

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
freely bestowed on all who believe:
you that are longing to see his face,
will you this moment his grace receive?

Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.

– Lyrics by Julia H. Johnston and music by Daniel B. Towner

This marvelous grace is one of God's most endearing and deeply appreciated attributes.  A. W. Tozer describes grace as “the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy). Without God’s grace, His love would be unavailable to us, because He is holy and, as sinners, we are worthy of His wrath, not His compassion and beneficence.

Yet, at the heart of the gospel message is the wonderful story of God’s grace, showered upon the undeserving.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

My grace is all you need. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. – Titus 2:11 NLT

But grace is not a New Testament doctrine. From the pages of the Old Testament, we read of the eternal nature of God’s grace and mercy toward His children.

“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” – Exodus 34:6-7 ESV

Tony Evans describes God’s grace as “His inexhaustible supply of goodness by which He does for us what we could never do for ourselves” (Tony Evans, Theology You Can Count On). A much older, but no less accurate definition comes from the pen of Abraham Booth: “It is the eternal and absolute free favor of God, manifested in the vouchsafement [favor] of spiritual and eternal blessings to the guilty and the unworthy” (Abraham Booth, The Reign of Grace, 1793).

Grace is a gift of God that flows from His very nature. God is gracious and makes His grace available to the undeserving because of who He is, not because of anything we have done. His grace is unmerited, unearned, and completely undeserved. No one can ever say to God: “You owe me!”

A. W. Tozer puts it this way: “Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who have no merit in them and for which no compensation is demanded from them” (A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God). The apostle Paul clearly understood the amazing nature of God’s grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… – Ephesians 2:8 ESV

Just as God’s love is made available through His grace, so His love makes it possible for Him to display grace. These two marvelous attributes go hand in hand and one cannot exist without the other. It is because of love that He extends His grace. The apostle  Peter reminds us, “…we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11 NLT). The apostle Paul expands on that thought by adding that we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24 ESV). A. W. Tozer provides us with further insight into the one-sided nature of God’s grace. It flows in one direction, from our gracious God to a world of undeserving sinners.

“…it is the favor of God shown to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own, but who are thoroughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving. It is completely unmerited and unsought, and is altogether unattracted by anything in or from or by the objects upon which it is bestowed. Grace can neither be bought, earned, nor won by the creature.” – A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God

All of this seems to run counter to our human understanding of how things should work. We have been raised to believe that you don’t get something for nothing. To put it another way, there is no such thing as a free lunch. You only get what you deserve or what you have legitimately earned. And while modern society seems to have run amuck with the idea of entitlement, we all know that earning and effort go hand in hand.

But not with God. God owes us nothing. He is beholden to no one. The apostle Paul, quoting from the book of Isaiah, asks the rhetorical question: “…who has given a gift to him [God] that he might be repaid?” (Romans 11:35 ESV). Then he adds that the flow of God’s grace is one-directional. “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36 ESV). 

It is important to understand that the goodness of God is only accessible to fallen mankind through the grace of God. Romans 3:23 reminds us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Romans 6:23 provides us with the non-negotiable consequences of man’s sin: “the wages of sin is death.”

God’s justice and righteousness require that He condemn and pronounce judgment against all sin. He cannot leave sin unpunished and still remain holy and just. But in His divine wisdom, God chose to provide undeserving men and women a means by which they could be made right (justified) with Him.

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 ESV

God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. – Romans 4:24-25 NLT

Tony Evans writes, “…grace means giving a person something he doesn’t deserve” (Tony Evans, Theology You Can Count On). Because of sin, all men deserve death. But in His grace, God gives men the opportunity to experience forgiveness for their sins and eternal life in place of death and eternal separation from Him. This amazing grace is available only through faith in God’s Son. Centuries before it happened, Isaiah prophesied about this marvelous expression of God’s grace.

…he [Jesus] was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. – Isaiah 53:5 NLT

As another old hymn of the faith points out, Jesus’ death was an expression of God love and grace that made possible our right standing with Him.

Jesus paid it all,
All to him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow – Elvina M. Hall, 1865

Without the grace of God, every man and woman who has ever lived would stand before God as “a sinner condemned, unclean.” Yet, in 1905, Charles H. Gabriel penned the words to the hymn, “My Savior’s Love,” providing us with a timeless reminder of just how amazing God’s grace really is.

I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus, the Nazarene,
and wonder how he could love me,
a sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous, how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous, how wonderful
is my Savior’s love for me!

But God’s grace extends beyond the point of our salvation. It shows up in the everyday affairs of life, providing God’s children with the power to live the life He has called them to live. Each day, we must rely on His undeserved grace to experience the joy, contentment, peace, and power He has promised. At no point are we to fall back on our own strength or to live as though our spiritual growth is somehow up to us. Our salvation was based on grace and the same is true of our sanctification. We cannot grow to be more like Christ through self-effort. In fact, it requires death to self. It demands that we give up any hope of transforming our lives by our own power.  We cannot earn God’s favor. We cannot score brownie points with God. But we can rest in His amazing grace and rely upon the power of His indwelling Spirit.

The author of Hebrews would have us remember that grace is a gift from God and, if we want to enjoy it, we must always go to the source of it.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:16 NLT

James would add that humility is a non-negotiable prerequisite for those who desire to experience the ongoing gift of God’s grace.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. – James 4:6 NLT

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.

A Man After God’s Own Heart

15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary, 18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.

1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet. – 2 Samuel 8:15-9:13 ESV

I have chosen to link these two passages together because they provide a telling illustration of David’s approach to his power. At the close of chapter eight, we are told, “David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people” (2 Samuel 8:15 ESV). He was a good king and a fair one who took his job seriously and ruled responsibly. He surrounded himself with trustworthy men who would act as his official cabinet. Joab was his military commander and Jehoshaphat served as his chief of staff. Zadok and Ahimelech were his spiritual advisors, Seraiah performed the duties of royal secretary, and Benaiah was a representative. Each of these men was given a specific role in David’s administration and trusted with the responsibility of helping him lead the kingdom of Israel.

But the closing line of chapter 8 contains a statement that should catch the reader’s attention. It states that David appointed his sons as priests. The number and the names of David’s sons are not provided but their assignment as priests would have been unexpected and in violation of God’s law. As members of the tribe of Benjamin, they would have been disqualified to serve as priests because that privilege was reserved solely for the tribe of Levi.

For the LORD your God chose the tribe of Levi out of all your tribes to minister in the LORD’s name forever. – Deuteronomy 18:5 NLT

In the closing verses of chapter 8, it states that David appointed Zadok and Ahimelech as priests, and the Hebrew word used for “priest” is kōhēn. This is the same word used to describe the role of David’s sons. 

…and David's sons were priests (kōhēn). – 2 Samuel 8:18 ESV

If David had really appointed his sons as priests, he would have been making a serious mistake; one which the Lord would have viewed as an egregious affront to His law. But since there is no indication elsewhere in Scripture that David’s sons ever functioned as priests, many believe that an alternative meaning of the Hebrew word kohen must apply. Two times in Scripture, that word is used to describe a chief ruler or prince. The New American Standard Bible translates verse 18 as “David’s sons were chief ministers.” It would seem that, as sons of the king, these young men were designated as princes of the realm, and it is likely that they had no official roles in David’s administration. 

The New Living Translation refers to as “priestly leaders,” a designation that reflects an intermediary position. While not official priests. they served as intermediaries between the priesthood and David’s administration.

The main point of the closing paragraph of chapter 8 is that David did not try to rule alone. He surrounded himself with wise and gifted men who could assist him in administrating the nation of Israel. Most of these men had proven themselves loyal to David over the years, and he was willing to take their advice because he trusted their character. He knew them well.

But there was more to David than a strong organizational mind; he was also a loyal leader who did not abuse his power or allow the significance of his role to go to his head. In a sense, David was still a young shepherd boy at heart. He may have become the king of all Israel, but his character remained virtually unchanged, and chapter 9 provides insight into David’s heart.

After solidifying his rule over all of Israel, he remembered a covenant he had made with Jonathan, Saul’s and his best friend. When David decided it was time to leave Saul’s employment for good, he and Jonathan met for the last time to say their goodbyes. At that emotional farewell, the two men made a covenant with one another. Jonathan pledged to David, saying, “may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the Lord, that I may not die? You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” (1 Samuel 20:13-15 NLT).

As they parted ways, Jonathan said one last thing to David:

“Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” – 1 Samuel 20:42 ESV

Now, years later, Jonathan was dead and David was king, and he remembered his covenant with Jonathan. This led David to inquire about the status of Saul’s descendants. In a desire to keep his covenant commitment to Jonathan, David wanted to know if anyone remained alive in the house of Saul.

If David had been like any other king of that era, he would have been asking that question for an entirely different reason; so that he could eliminate any possible claimants to the throne. Killing any male heirs of the former king was a common practice that greatly diminished the possibility of a coup attempt. But David wasn’t seeking to murder any heirs with legitimate claims to Saul’s throne; he was attempting to keep his commitment to Jonathan.

To David’s apparent surprise, he was informed that Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who had been crippled in a household accident at the age of five, and by this time was probably a young man. Ever since Jonathan’s death, Mephibosheth had been under the care of a man named Ziba. Having been informed of Mephibosheth’s existence, David that he be brought to the palace. One can only imagine how this royal decree struck the young grandson of Saul? He was probably petrified. In fact, the text states that, upon entering the palace, he fell on his face before David. It is unlikely that Mephibosheth expected a warm reception from the king. From his perspective, he had been arrested and hauled before his grandfather’s sworn enemy. But sensing Mephibosheth’s fear, David attempted to calm him.

“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”  – 2 Samuel 9:7 NLT

These words must have come as a shock to Mephibosheth. He probably knew well the stories of his grandfather’s treatment of David, so he would not have been expecting a warm welcome. Yet, rather than heaping scorn and revenge on the helpless, disabled grandson of his former foe, David extended grace and mercy.  He welcomed him with open arms and invited him to live in his home and eat at his table. David took complete responsibility for Mephibosheth’s care – all out of respect and honor for his friend Jonathan. Mephibosheth was so taken aback by all of this, that all he could do was bow before David and exclaim, “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9:8 NLT).

Mephibosheth became like a son to David, living in the king’s palace and sharing meals at the family table. He was treated with dignity, honor, and respect. David even returned to Mephibosheth all the land and property that had belonged to his grandfather Saul. The incredible kindness shown by David was not something he was required to do; he did it out of love for Jonathan. He had made a covenant and he was going to keep it. He refused to let his newfound power and fame go to his head. David could have easily justified or rationalized away the keeping of his covenant to Jonathan but he was a man of his word – even if it cost him. Some of David’s recently appointed cabinet members likely viewed his treatment of Mephibosheth with disdain and voiced their concerns. But David was determined to do the right thing, even if others might have viewed it as illogical and unnecessary. As a result, Mephibosheth became the undeserving beneficiary of David’s mercy, grace, and kindness.

Those of us who have placed our faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ have also been shown mercy and grace – from the King of kings and Lord of lords. In our weak and undeserving state, crippled by sin and condemned to death, we were invited to feast at the King’s table and made His sons and daughters. Paul tells us in Romans that we are God’s children and heirs (Romans 8:15-17). In his letter to Titus, Paul gives us a reminder of just how much like Mephibosheth we really are.

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:4-5 NLT

David was a man of his word and a man after God’s own heart. That is why he was willing to keep his covenant commitment to Jonathan and showed mercy to Mephibosheth. And God is faithful to keep His promises to us. We are His sons and daughters and one day we will inherit His kingdom. We will feast at His table and live in His presence; not because we deserve it, but because of His grace, mercy, and love.

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.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. – Philippians 4:14-23 ESV

Paul was grateful, and he expressed that gratitude to the Philippian church. They had lovingly and generously reached out to him in what they believed to be his time of need. Paul didn't want his earlier admission of having no need to come across as ungrateful. The last thing he wanted to do was offend his brothers and sisters in Christ because they had heard of his predicament and reached out in love and concern.

Paul wanted them to know that he was appreciative because not every church had been as kind and caring. Not only had some of the places in which he had preached failed to give toward his ministry, they had also rejected his message. While Paul had been ministering in Macedonia and Thessalonica, it had been the Philippians who had donated toward his ministry and provided for his needs.

Yet Paul, always trying to keep their minds focused on what is truly important, reminds them that their eternal reward is of far greater value than any temporal benefit he may have received from their gift. God was going to reward them for their generosity. He would bless them for their willingness to sacrifice on Paul’s behalf. The gift was not the important thing. It was the condition of hearts behind the gift.

The generosity of their gift had left Paul well-supplied and in need of nothing but,  more importantly, their gift had been “a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18 NLT). Paul was blessed, God was pleased, and the Philippians were fruitful. What more could Paul ask for?

And Paul wanted the Philippians to know that God was going to care for them because of their gracious and loving generosity.

…this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19 NLT

God loves a cheerful giver, and God expresses that love by generously meeting their needs so that they might be equipped to give again. Paul expressed this very same idea to the church in Corinth.

Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 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.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 NLT

Paul was not preaching a prosperity gospel or promoting the idea of giving to get. Personal reward should never be the motivation behind generosity. That is a totally self-centered and selfish approach that does not comport with Scripture. But gracious, selfless giving is proof of the Spirit’s work in an individual’s life; it reveals His presence and power.

But if a Christian allows reward or recognition to be his motive for giving, he will never enjoy the blessings of God. Jesus made this perfectly clear in His Sermon on the Mount.

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” – Matthew 6:2 NLT

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:5 NLT

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.” – Matthew 6:16 NLT

Giving that is motivated by the praise and applause of men will be the only reward they receive. The admiration of others is no substitute for the blessings of God. To have men speak well of you may inflate your ego but it never increases your favor with God. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus exposed the danger of seeking the praise of men.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” – Luke 6:26 ESV

Men may be impressed by our outward displays of generosity but they are unable to see into our hearts. But God can. That is why Jesus went on to say, “Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:30-31 ESV). Give with no strings attached and no expectation of reward or recognition for your actions. Let it be an outflow of the heart.

Paul expressed his thanks, but he didn’t want the Philippians to mistakenly assume that it was the nature of their gift that had earned them a reward from God. He didn’t want them to think that God was now somehow obligated to them or owed them a blessing. It was their love for Paul that was of greatest importance; the gift was simply an expression of that love.

We can all give, pray, and fast, expecting God to reward us for doing so. But if we don’t do it out of love, our giving, praying, and fasting have no value in God’s eyes. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul stressed that even the greatest display of generosity or sacrifice would be of no value without the presence of love.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. – 1 Corinthans 13:3 NLT

Paul was able to declare that God had met every one of his needs, and he knew that God would continue to do so. God Almighty wasn’t reliant upon the Philippians to meet Paul’s needs. He could have sent an angel to minister to Paul. But God allowed the Philippians the joy of knowing what it is like to be instruments in His hands. They were allowed to experience the blessing of being the tools through which He accomplished His will for Paul’s life. Their sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading, as evidenced by their gift to Paul, was meant to remind them that God was working in them and through them. This brings us full circle to a statement Paul had made earlier in his letter to them.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. – Philippians 2:12-13 NLT

God was working in them and it was evident in the way they lived their lives. Their gift had blessed Paul, pleased God, and would result in His gracious reward of them. For Paul, the most important thing was that God be glorified in all things. It was never about the Philippians or Paul; it was all about the greatness and goodness of God. Paul firmly believed his imprisonment for the sake of the gospel would bring glory to God. It seems evident that God had already used Paul’s incarceration in Rome as a means to bring the good news of Jesus Christ into the household of Caesar.

Paul closed his letter by bringing greetings from the believers in Rome, including “those of Caesar's household” (Philippians 4:22 NLT). Because of Paul’s arrest and imprisonment, the gospel had infiltrated the royal palace and resulted in the salvation of some of Nero’s servants. God was using Paul’s less-than-ideal circumstances to bless the lives of others, and Paul was a willing and eager participant in the entire process. He was blessed to be used by God and closed his letter with a prayer that his readers experience God’s grace so that they too might continue to be willing instruments in His hands.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. – Philippians 4:23 ESV

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

Misunderstand God’s Ways Leads to Misjudging His Character

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers’ house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. Write each man’s name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron’s name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers’ house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers’ houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony.

8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, shall die. Are we all to perish?” – Numbers 17:1-13 ESV

The Israelites had proven themselves to be all-star professional whiners who could grumble with the best of them. Repeatedly, since the day they left Egypt, they had found reasons to complain – about everything from the food God provided to the leadership He had placed over them. Most recently, it had been God’s decision to have only the Levites serve as priests in the Tabernacle that had left them disgruntled and ready to voice their displeasure. God had given the tribe of Levi the sole responsibility of serving in the place of the first-born males of every tribe. The Levites had been divinely chosen to serve as substitutes.

But the people had decided they didn’t like this plan. Under the leadership of Korah and a few other leaders, the people had risen up against Moses and Aaron, demanding their version of equality and inclusion, but their demands were met with the discipline of God. He destroyed all those who instigated the rebellion against Moses and Aaron and then brought a plague against those who blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of their friends. Only the quick action of Aaron, who offered an atoning sacrifice for the people, spared even more from death that day.

In light of all the complaining, God came up with a plan to settle the matter once and for all. He knew the people were far from done, and it was just a matter of time before something else stirred them up and caused them to question His will and grumble against His chosen leaders. So, God instructed Moses to have each tribe select a branch from an almond tree and inscribe on it the name of the prince or head of their tribe. These 12 rods were then to be placed in the Tabernacle before the Lord.

The people agreed to God’s proposal and each tribe submitted their staff to Moses. He placed each of them in the Holy of Holies before the Ark of the Covenant. The next day, Moses went in and discovered that the rod bearing Aaron’s name had budded, blossomed, and borne fruit. Miraculously, Aaron’s rod had gone through an entire growing season overnight. Devoid of water and the benefits of the tree from which it had been taken, this one rod evidenced a supernatural capacity for fruitfulness. This amazing visual display was intended to convince the Israelites that God had selected Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests – case closed. There was no more reason for the people to question or complain because God had settled the dispute once and for all.

Or maybe not. Immediately after this event, the people cranked up their complaining once again. This time it was about their physical well-being. They said, “We are as good as dead. Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the LORD dies. We are all doomed!” (Numbers 17:12-13 NLT). Instead of praising God for what He had done with the almond rod, they focused their attention on their own well-being. They were so busy pitying themselves, that they had no time to think about God’s miraculous demonstration of power and His clear endorsement of Aaron and his sons.

God’s divine display had been intended to settle the leadership dispute. He had unquestionably reaffirmed His selection of the Aaronic priesthood. He even commanded that the rod be placed alongside the Ark of the Covenant as a permanent reminder of Aaron’s selection. God had spoken and the matter was settled. His will was not up for debate and He expected His commands to be obeyed at all times.

But the people saw His actions as a statement of judgment and feared further retribution from God. They had just witnessed the earth open up and swallow the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then they stood back and watched as the fire of the Lord consumed the 250 leaders who had joined in the rebellion. Finally, they had seen 14,700 of their fellow Israelites die from the plague that God had sent upon them.

So, they viewed the budding of Aaron’s rod as a further indictment of their guilt and reacted with fear.

“Look, we are doomed! We are dead! We are ruined! Everyone who even comes close to the Tabernacle of the Lord dies. Are we all doomed to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

Rather than glorying in the greatness of God, they cowered in fear. Instead of repenting for their rebellion against Him, they accused Him of being a vengeful, bloodthirsty deity. They displayed no remorse. They exhibited no signs of sorrow for their sins. They simply expressed their fear of God’s judgment and wrath. After all the time they had spent in His presence, enjoying His power and provision, they still had no idea who He was and how they were to respond to Him. Centuries later, the psalmist would record God’s assessment of this generation of Israelites.

“For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.’” – Psalm 95:10 ESV

The author of The Letter to the Hebrews quoted this very passage when writing to his audience of Jewish converts to Christianity, and he followed it up with this admonition:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:12-13 ESV

Even this New Testament congregation of Jewish believers was struggling with disbelief and doubt. Having placed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, they were beginning to have second thoughts because their lot in life had not improved. Living outside the land of Israel and surrounded by pagan Gentiles, these Jewish Christians were in the minority and even despised by their fellow Hebrews. Their decision to follow Christ had left them ostracized by their own people and questioning the validity of the gospel message they had so eagerly embraced. Their difficult circumstances caused them to question the validity of Jesus’ Messiahship and tempted them to return to Judaism and the Mosaic Law.

But isn’t that what we do? We can get so consumed by dissatisfaction over our lot in life that we fail to see the miracles of God taking place all around us. We whine and moan, and spend all our time grumbling to God that we become blind to His goodness and greatness. Yet God patiently endures our rejection of Him and continues to shower us with His grace and unmerited favor.

The author of Hebrews encouraged his readers to remain committed to Christ, their Messiah.

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. – Hebrews 3:14 ESV

Rather than return to life under the Law, he wanted them to keep their eyes on the One who had set them free trying to earn their way into God’s good graces. Jesus had come to provide them with access to God’s presence through the effort of His saving work, not their own. Jesus had died for their sins so that they might enjoy full forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. This incredible gift of grace, made available by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, was to become the focus of their lives. They no longer needed to fear God and there was no need to look to the Law as a way of earning His favor. Everything they needed had been provided by Jesus.

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

The Israelites had sinned against God but had also been graciously spared. But rather than rejoice in His mercy, they feared His retribution. They had rejected His will and now, they failed to understand His ways. Because they had sinned, they expected judgment. Yet the budding of Aaron’s rod was less an indictment of their sin than it was a confirmation of God’s will. He wanted them to trust Him. His ways were righteous, just, and worthy of their obedience.

They had turned their backs on God but He had not abandoned them. The guilty had suffered the just and righteous penalty for their sins. But the vast majority of the Israelites had graciously been granted the mercy of God. Yet, they couldn’t fathom what God was doing. Rather than rejoice in His forgiveness, they expressed their fear of pending judgment. Despite all God had done, they remained ignorant of His ways and distrustful of His goodness.

The truth is, as God’s people, we still turn our back on Him, but He never abandons us. He disciplines us, but He never stops loving us. He is faithful, even when we are unfaithful. He provides us with leadership, direction, sustenance, and everything we need to survive in this hostile and sin-prone world. Yet we continually misunderstand His ways and misjudge His character. Worse yet, we end up fearing Him rather than basking in the love He pours out on us. Like the Israelites, we live as if God is out to get us, not to bless us. We view Him as a cosmic killjoy, not a loving Father who wants to meet our every need in Christ.

Sin is ultimately self-centered; it always has been. It ends up being all about me, and when I constantly focus on myself, I tend to lose sight of Him. If I’m not careful, that myopic, me-centered perspective will lead me to mischaracterize God and miss out on the joy of His blessings, just like the Israelites did.

“We are bound to die! We perish, we all perish! Anyone who even comes close to the tabernacle of the Lord will die! Are we all to die?” – Numbers 17:12-13 NLT

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 Loss of Appetite for God’s Ways

1 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11 Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12 Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14 I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.” – Numbers 11:1-15 ESV

The people of Israel were on the move. After nearly a year encamped at the base of Mount Sinai, they had watched as the cloud of God’s presence departed from above the Tabernacle, indicating His desire for them to break camp and continue their journey to the land of Canaan. They followed His instructions and methodically made their way to the wilderness of Paran where the cloud had come to rest.

But it wasn’t long before the obedient children of God became disgruntled and obstinate. Their willingness to follow God’s leading came to an abrupt end as soon as they encountered any kind of discomfort or dissatisfaction, and this was not the first time they had expressed their displeasure with God. A year earlier, when they were leaving Egypt after their release from captivity, they found themselves in an unexpected and highly uncomfortable predicament. After Pharaoh had finally agreed to release them, they followed Moses into the wilderness and arrived on the shore of the Red Sea.

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle. – Exodus 13:17-18 NLT

God had led them to that very spot. It had been His will that they arrive on the banks of the sea just as Pharaoh and his army were bearing down on them. It seems that Pharaoh had experienced a change of heart and decided to force the Israelites back into slavery. So, when the people found themselves with their backs to the sea and the army of Egypt bearing down on them, they responded to Moses in anger.

“Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” – Exodus 14:11-12 NLT

Yet, despite their complaining, God miraculously delivered them. He had Moses part the waters of the Red Sea and they crossed over on dry ground, and the cloud of God’s presence kept the Egyptians at bay until the very last Israelite had made it to the eastern shore of the sea. Then, as Pharaoh’s army attempted to pursue them, “the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived” (Exodus 14:28 NLT).

Their miraculous crossing and the destruction of the Egyptians made an impact on the Israelites.

When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses. – Exodus 14:31 NLT

Now, more than a year later, it appears that their faith had run out. Once again, they struggled with discontentment concerning God’s will for them. They were not happy with their circumstances and so they began to complain to Moses once again.

Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. – Numbers 11:1 NLT

Their year-long hiatus at Mount Sinai had made them lazy and unprepared for the difficulties of traveling through the wilderness. So, the journey to Paran left them disgruntled and dissatisfied with God’s plan for them. They were unhappy and more than willing to voice their displeasure. But again, this was not the first time the Israelites had become disenchanted with God’s will for them.

Three days after their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, they found themselves in the desert of Shur, a barren place where water was scarce. When they finally discovered an oasis, its water was contaminated and undrinkable. This disappointing outcome led the people to direct their anger at Moses.

Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. – Exodus 15:24 NLT

But God directed Moses to a particular piece of wood that, when thrown in the spring, “made the water good to drink” (Exodus 15:25 NLT). Having temporarily satiated the thirst of His dissatisfied people, God then led them to another oasis “where they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees” (Exodus 15:27 NLT). He provided for all their needs. He even “set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him” (Exodus 15:25 NLT).

“If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.” – Exodus 15:26 NLT

All God required of His people was that they remain faithful and obedient. In return, He promised to provide for and protect them; they would never go without. That doesn’t mean they would never experience difficulties along the way. But by trusting God, they would get to see His providential hand providing for their every need.

Yet, a year later, they exhibited the same stubborn tendency to grouse and complain at the slightest inconvenience, and God heard everything they said. As a result, “his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp” (Numbers 11:1 ESV). It’s unclear whether anyone actually died in this conflagration or whether it was only meant to get their attention. Whatever this “fire” was, it had its intended effect, producing fear in the hearts of the Israelites.

…the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped. – Numbers 11:2 NLT

But while the fire died down, their complaining continued, and it wasn’t long before another round of grievances made their way to the ears of God. It seems that the foreigners who had chosen to accompany the Israelites when they left Egypt had grown disenchanted with the manna that God had provided for them. One month after the Israelites departed Egypt, the people expressed their displeasure to Moses and Aaron over the lack of food.

“If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.” – Exodus 16:3 NLT

But God heard their complaints and responded with grace and mercy. Rather than sending fire as a punishment for their ungratefulness, He determined to shower them with manna.

“I have heard the Israelites’ complaints. Now tell them, ‘In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” – Exodus 16:12 NLT

God fed them. He miraculously met their physical needs with spiritual food. No one knew exactly what manna was but it provided them with the strength and stamina to continue their journey to the land of Canaan. And God would provide it every day for over 40 years.

So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. – Exodus 16:35 NLT

Yet, just a year after having left Egypt, the people were complaining about the monotonous menu of manna.

“Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

They returned God’s grace and mercy with ungratefulness and dissatisfaction. They didn’t like God’s culinary skills. They wanted a more varied and appetizing selection of menu options. In their faulty imaginations, they recalled enjoying a much more diverse and appealing range of food choices back in Egypt. They conveniently forgot the part about slavery and making bricks without straw. They left out the persecution and pain they had experienced during their years of captivity. Driven by their physical appetites, they conjured up memories of their halcyon days in Egypt – which were nothing more than figments of their imaginations.

And, once again, their complaints reached the ears of Moses and God.

Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. – Numbers 11:10 NLT

But this time, it’s Moses who displays his anger with the people and expresses his frustration with God.

“Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? How can I carry them to the land you swore to give their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people? They keep whining to me, saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:11-15 NLT

Moses was not a happy camper. For more than a year he had been attempting to lead a people who were inflexible and incorrigible. Nothing seemed to make them happy, and he was at his wit’s end. He had grown tired of their constant complaining and expressed his frustration to God. The burden of caring for these people had taken its toll and he boldly conveyed his displeasure to God. In fact, Moses seems to blame God for the whole state of affairs. He shakes his fist in Yahweh’s face and, essentially, accuses Him of abandonment. According to Moses, God had placed all the burden of leading the nation of Israel on his back, and he was overwhelmed by it all. He was tapped out and ready to throw in the towel.

Moses was suffering the same condition as the people he claimed to be leading. He had taken his eyes off of the Lord. He no longer recognized the sovereign hand of God over his life and conveniently forgot how the Almighty had provided for all his needs. As a result, he wrongly assumed responsibility for the well-being of God’s people. Moses had forgotten that he was nothing more than a conduit of God’s blessing and not its source. He was responsible for leading them but God was their sole provider and protector.

When God had given the people the manna to eat, He had told them it would be a sign of His power and provision.

“Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” – Exodus 16:12 NLT

Yet, Moses and the people had lost sight of that fact. Comfort and convenience had taken precedence over their faith in God’s sovereignty and providence. Now that the people had the Tabernacle and the guarantee of God’s presence, it was as if they assumed following God would be a trouble-free experience. But at the first sign of discomfort, they complained. And Moses was brazen enough to demand that God fix the problem or kill him on the spot.

“If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:15 NLT

They all had a lot to learn about God’s providential care and, despite their ongoing displays of ingratitude and unbelief, God would continue to show them mercy and grace. He would even respond to Moses’ bold ultimatum with love and not anger, providing His servant with a plan for lightening the burden of leadership.

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.

It Always Comes Back to Grace

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. – Galatians 6:11-18 ESV

The fear of man has always been a real-life, everyday problem for believers and non-believers alike. Everyone fears being rejected, disliked, misunderstood, or mistreated for their views. Our deep-seated desire for attention and affection sometimes drives us to do and say things that go against what we believe. We don’t want to be the odd man out so we tend to give in rather than stand up for our beliefs. Peer pressure is a powerful force in every person’s life, and Paul knew that. He was fully aware that following Christ put a target on the back of every believer. Bearing the cross of Christ was a costly endeavor that often brought His followers rejection and ridicule, including his brothers and sisters in Galatia.

Paul had first-hand experience with persecution and rejection. As a Jew and a former member of the sect of the Pharisees, he faced intense backlash when news of his conversion to Christianity became known. His entire public ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ had been marked by conflict and the constant temptation to give in to the fear of men by compromising the gospel message and disobeying his divine calling.

Yet Paul had stood his ground, refusing to allow his fear of man to get the better of him. But he couldn’t say the same thing for the Judaizers, those individuals who were demanding that all Gentile converts undergo the Jewish rite of circumcision to validate their salvation. According to Paul, their zealous efforts to persuade the Galatian believers were motivated by the fear of man. The party of the circumcision, as Paul referred to them, were Jews who confessed to being followers of Christ, but Paul insists that they were promoting circumcision out of fear of rejection by their fellow Jews.

Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. – Galatians 6:12 NLT

Paul insisted that these Jewish Christians feared being persecuted and ridiculed for putting all their hope and faith in the cross of Christ alone. To do so would require them to reject their dependence upon the law and their reliance upon their own self-effort to justify themselves before God. Their commitment to the doctrine of faith alone in Christ alone would make them social pariahs among their Jewish brethren, and they were not willing to endure that kind of rejection.

But Paul pointed out the absurdity of their logic.

…even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. – Galatians 6:13 NLT

They were more concerned with what their fellow Jews thought of them than they were with how God would perceive their actions. This was man-pleasing at its ugliest. Paul knew that their message had a deadly side-effect that would lead people away from the saving knowledge of faith in Christ alone. For Paul, the message of salvation had nothing to do with works or human effort. It could not be earned. It was a grace gift provided by God Almighty Himself. This is what led Paul to append the following line to the end of his letter: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14 ESV).

Paul wasn’t going to boast about his Hebrew heritage, his resumé as a Pharisee, his education under Gamaliel, the great Hebrew rabbi, or his missionary exploits. At one point he confessed, “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT).  Paul had been transformed by the saving work of Jesus Christ. His efforts on behalf of the gospel were the result of the Spirit within him, not his own efforts.

The primary issue threatening the Galatians believers was that of circumcision. But Paul said, “It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation by faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:15 NLT).

This rule or principle regarding the efficacy of the gospel would bring peace and mercy to all who lived by it. Giving in to the false message of the Judaizers would result in guilt, shame, and a never-ending attempt to win favor with God through self-effort. Paul found that choice appalling. He also wanted his readers to know that he was anything but a man-pleaser. He had suffered greatly in his effort to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world, and he had the physical and emotional scars to prove it. He closed his letter with the words, “I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus” (Galatians 6:17 NLT).

The message of faith in Christ is a difficult one for people to understand and even harder to accept. It sounds absurd. The story of God taking on human flesh, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead sounds crazy to most who hear it. Yet for Paul, it was the truth. Over the course of his ministry, he had seen it transform his life and the lives of thousands of others. The gospel was not just a message, but a powerful force for change in the world, and he believed in it wholeheartedly and preached it unapologetically.

He told the believers in Rome who were living under the persecution of the Roman government, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV).

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because he believed in its life-transformative power. He was willing to suffer ridicule and rejection at the hands of men because he had placed his hope and trust in the promises of God. He wanted every believer in Christ to know the joy of living with their faith placed firmly in the saving work of Jesus Christ and the future redemption promised to them by God. Their hope was never to waver from the simple message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is what led Paul to close out his letter with the following words of encouragement.

May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. – Galatians 6:16 NLT

The Galatians were already the new people of God; they didn’t require a physical change to their bodies or a set of rules and regulations to obey. Their lives had been transformed by the power of the gospel and nothing else was needed to guarantee their membership in God’s family. In the end, all they needed was a reminder of the reality of grace.

…may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. – Galatians 6:18 NLT

With this closing line, Paul returned to the opening theme of his letter.

May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. – Galatians 1:3-5 NLT

All the glory belonged to God because He made salvation possible. It was His grace that made the incarnation possible; He willingly sent His Son as the payment for mankind’s sin debt. And Jesus, in full compliance with His Father’s will, fulfilled the divine plan by serving as the sacrificial substitute whose sinless life satisfied the just demands of His Heavenly Father. Jesus willingly gave His life in the place of sinful men and women, so that they might be justified before God and declared righteous in His sight. And it was all the result of grace, not human effort. It was a gift freely given, not a reward for good behavior.

Paul closed his letter with a reminder of God’s grace. Salvation wasn’t available for purchase or accessible through good works, and Paul wanted the believers in Galatia to refocus their attention on the irrefutable nature of God’s redeeming grace. This was the same message he conveyed to the believers in Ephesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

Their salvation was secure and nothing else, including circumcision, was required. As long as they continued to embrace grace, the Galatians could resist the fear of man and the false teaching of the Judaizers. They could live as the new people of God, empowered by His Spirit and fully confident in the promise of their future reward of eternal life. 

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 Life of Law-keeping is Enslaving

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:13-21 ESV

Freedom from the law results in license. That was one of the accusations the party of the circumcision leveled against Paul and his message of grace and freedom from the law. They most likely used Paul’s own teaching as evidence against him.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote, “…where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20 ESV). And yet, Paul went on to say, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 ESV). Grace was not a license to sin. The freedom it provided from the Mosaic Law was not a ticket to live as one pleased. Grace freed people from having to keep the law in an attempt to earn favor with God. The law held men captive to their sin, in bondage to their own weakness, and incapable of doing anything about it. But the salvation offered in Christ set men free. It was William Barclay who wrote, “…the Christian is not the man who has become free to sin, but the man, who, by the grace of God, has become free not to sin.”

That is why Paul warned his readers to not use their new-found freedom in Christ as an opportunity for the flesh. They were free from having to keep the law, but not free from having to live in keeping with God’s expectation of holiness. At one point in His ministry, Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of God was, and He responded:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

Paul used these very words of Jesus to admonish his readers. Loving God meant living according to His holy will. Loving others required loving them selflessly and sacrificially, which is why Paul said, “…through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 ESV).

In his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul provided an entire chapter on the subject of love. In it, he wrote:

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 MSG

But this kind of love is only possible through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Without His help and our complete reliance upon His power, we will tend to live in the weakness of our own sinful flesh; we will become selfish and self-centered. We will tend to gratify the desires of our old nature, which Paul describes with painful accuracy. These fleshly desires are the exact opposite of what the Spirit wants to produce in us. They are counter to the will of God and reflect a love of self more than a love for Him. They most certainly don’t model a love for others.

Look at Paul’s list: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, and wild parties. Each of these “works of the flesh” reveals a disdain for God and a complete disregard for others.

The moral, ceremonial, and civil sections of the Mosaic Law were designed to regulate the lives of the people of Israel regarding their relationship with God and with one another. But as Jesus said, all of the commandments could be summed up by two simple commands: Love God and love others.

Loving God required a sold-out allegiance to Him as the one true God. The Israelites were forbidden from giving their affections to any other god. Jesus’ admonition to love others required concrete and observable actions. To love another person meant that you could not become jealous of them, get angry with them, lust after them, or take advantage of them. These kinds of actions were antithetical to love.

Notice that Paul’s list has more to do with our relationships with one another than our relationship with God. There is a reason for this. The apostle John wrote, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20 ESV). The greatest expression of our love for God is to be found in our love for those whom He has made. When we love others, we are actually displaying our love for God. Living selflessly and sacrificially exemplifies the very character of God. When our lives are marked by self-control and a focus on the needs of others, we reflect His divine nature and its influence over our lives. But Paul makes it clear that these divinely influenced behaviors are only possible when we live according to the power of God’s indwelling Spirit.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. – Galatians 5:16 NLT

Paul points out that a Spirit-led life stands diametrically opposed to a flesh-filled life.

…the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

In the life of a believer, a battle is always raging between the flesh and the Spirit.

These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:17 NLT

Salvation does not eliminate a believer’s sin nature; it provides him with a way to reject its influence over his life. Paul reminded the members of the Colossian church that they had been “raised to new life with Christ” so they were to set their sights “on the realities of heaven” (Colossians 3:1 NLT). At the same time, they were to allow the Holy Spirit to remove all those behaviors that were associated with their old sinful natures.

…put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. – Colossians 3:5-10 NLT

Paul wanted the Colossians and the Galatians to understand that a life continually characterized by the works of the flesh was a life devoid of the Spirit of God. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ have received God’s indwelling and empowering Spirit and, as a result, they are no longer slaves to sin and incapable of living righteous lives. They have been filled with the Holy Spirit and have the power to love God and love others. That’s why Paul told the Romans, “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all)” (Romans 8:9 NLT).

The presence of the Spirit within us does not guarantee that we will live sin-free lives, but it does mean that we don’t have to live sin-dominated lives. Living according to our own sinful flesh will always produce bad fruit. But living according to the Spirit of God produces good fruit that pleases God and blesses others. We have been freed from the penalty and power of sin. Because of Christ’s death on the cross and His Spirit’s presence within us, we are free to say no to sin.

The grace of God has made a sin-less life possible. We are not completely free from sin but we are no longer slaves to its wishes and whims. According to Paul, salvation has broken the chains by which sin once held us captive.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. – Romans 6:6-7 NLT

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. – Romans 6:14 NLT

Paul’s whole point is that a return to law-keeping is a return to enslavement. The law could not empower anyone to say no to sin; it could only reveal the presence of sin in their lives. The law could only expose and condemn sin but it couldn’t provide a way to resist its influence. That’s why Paul pointed out how his pre-conversion life was marked by a love-hate relationship with the law.

…it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. – Romans 7:7-8 NLT

Paul didn’t want the Galatians to exchange the grace of God for a life of enslavement to the law and a losing battle with sin. He had long ago discovered that “the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead” (Romans 7:10 NLT), and he wanted to keep the Galatians from experiencing the futility of a life ruled by law-keeping instead of grace.

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.

True Freedom

1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. – Galatians 5:1-6 ESV

In these verses, Paul makes it clear that the rite of circumcision was one of the big issues facing the Gentile believers to whom he wrote. They were being pressured by the Judaizers into believing that their salvation was incomplete unless they agreed to be circumcised. In essence, they were being told that they needed to become Jews before they could become card-carrying Christ followers. But Paul warns them that there is no end to this slippery slope down which they are about to slide.

If they give in to the demand of circumcision, then they will be required to keep the whole law. By accepting the idea that obedience to the law is necessary for their salvation, they are placing themselves back under the full weight of the law. The apostle James warned of the danger of falling under the spell of the law.

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. – James 2:10 ESV

There is no such thing as partial obedience to the law. One who chooses to live under the commands of the law must adhere to all of them, without fail and with no opportunity to decide for self-determination. God’s law wasn’t up for debate or customizable. It was all or nothing.

But the real issue for Paul is that of freedom in Christ. He states that it is “for freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1 ESV). Most of us, when we think of our freedom in Christ, focus on our emancipation from sin and death. And yet, Paul speaks of another freedom we enjoy because of our relationship with Christ.

When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. – Romans 7:5-6 NLT

Does our release from the law mean that the law was somehow evil? Paul answers that question rather emphatically. “Of course not!…the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good” (Romans 7:7, 12 NLT). Paul is emphasizing that the law is no longer to be viewed as a mandatory code of conduct or as a set of rules that must be obeyed to gain a right standing with God. We have been freed from that pointless pursuit, which is why Paul spent his lifetime preaching the believer’s newfound freedom in Christ. That freedom includes our release from having to pursue justification through adherence to the law.

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. – Galatians 2:16 NLT

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:19-20 NLT

So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” – Galatians 3:11-12 NLT

Paul didn’t want the Galatians to fall back into a life of slavery. Before coming to faith in Christ, they were slaves to sin and under the control of Satan himself. They had no other choice. But when they had accepted Christ as their Savior, they had been released from their captivity. Now, by listening to the teachings of the Judaizers, they were risking a return to slavery – placing themselves under the demands of the law.

Paul warns that if they turned their backs on the grace offered through Christ and the justification that He alone could provide, they would be willingly allowing themselves to live according to their own self-reliance and their ability to keep God happy through rule-keeping. To do so would be to fall away from grace, and Paul was not willing to sit back and watch them do that. It isn’t that Paul feared that they ran the risk of losing their salvation. That is not what falling away from grace means. He is simply saying that by returning to the law, they would be walking away from God’s sole method of salvation and justification: His undeserved and unearned grace as offered through His Son through faith.

In Paul’s theology, faith in God’s grace made available through the gift of His Son would result in good works and a willing adherence to His commands. In the minds of the legalists, it was the exact opposite. Man’s adherence to God’s law would earn him a right standing before God and was, if anything, as important as faith in Christ.

Paul gives us the key difference between a life that is grace-focused and one that is law-based.

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. - Galatians 5:5 ESV

The believer is to live according to the Spirit’s power and not his own own. And it is the Holy Spirit who provides the believers with the faith necessary to wait for the hope of righteousness. We don’t manufacture faith; it is a gift provided to us by God. It is with the Spirit’s help that we enjoy “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV).

That is how the author of the book of Hebrews describes faith. God’s indwelling Spirit provides us with the supernatural ability to believe in things that have not yet happened and to trust in those things we can’t even see. It is by faith that we believe we will be fully sanctified by God. We can’t see the end result and we can’t even see our sanctification taking place in real-time. But we believe that God is doing what He has promised to do. Paul wanted believers to have certainty and an abiding assurance that God had not only saved them by faith but was busy perfecting them by faith. And one day He was going to finish what He began by glorifying them by faith.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. – Philippians 1:6 NLT

God doesn’t need our help to make us holy. He simply asks for our complete reliance upon Him and our willing obedience to what He calls us to do, even when it doesn’t make sense. For Paul, it always came back to faith. Faith was the key to salvation, sanctification, and our ultimate glorification. To place oneself under the demands of the law, in the hopes of earning a right standing with God, was to reject the grace of God. It would make all that Christ accomplished on the cross ineffective and unnecessary. His death would have been needless and pointless; a fact that Paul raised in chapter two.

I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. – Galatians 2:21 NLT

For Paul, there was no going back. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews and a former Pharisee, but he was not willing to place himself back under the strict and unwavering demands of the law. He knew he was incapable of living up to God’s exacting standards. In fact, in his letter to the believers in Rome, he described his ongoing battle with sin and the flesh. He knew the real issue was not the law but man’s inability to live up to its holy demands.

…the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. – Romans 7:14-20 NLT

Paul goes on to lament his battle with sin and his inability to live up to God’s holy standard.

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? – Romans 7:24 NLT

But he provides an answer to his own question, by stating his immense gratitude for God’s gracious gift of His Son.

Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. – Romans 7:25 NLT

Righteousness is not something we produce; it is a gift we receive. Freedom from sin is not something we achieve through law-keeping; it is a by-product of our faith in Christ and the outworking of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The grace of God makes it possible and the death of Christ makes it available – to all who will receive it by faith.

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.

The Light-Giving, Life-Restoring Love of God

10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.

12 And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first daughter Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-happuch. 15 And in all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters. And their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations. 17 And Job died, an old man, and full of days. – Job 42:10-17 ESV

Rather than seeking vengeance against his accusers, Job graciously interceded for them and God forgave them. He did for these men what they should have done for him. Yet, in 42 chapters of recorded history, not once did Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, or Elihu lift up a single prayer on Job’s behalf. Their words were directed at him, but never for him in intercession to God. Whatever sin they believed Job to have committed, they could have called on God to provide forgiveness and restoration, but they refused to do so. And now, when given the opportunity to get even, Job revealed his true character and prayed for his tormentors.

Without knowing it, Job was keeping the command that Jesus would give centuries later.

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” – Matthew 5:44-46 ESV

Luke records a slightly different version of this same command.

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” – Luke 6:27-30 ESV

And Jesus went on to provide a strong source of incentive for demonstrating this gracious and unexpected kind of love.

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” – Luke 6:35-36 ESV

Because of his willingness to love his enemies, Job ended up experiencing the truth behind Jesus’ words. He became the recipient of God’s mercy and magnitude. The text states, “the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” (Job 42:10 NLT), and it was all because Job demonstrated undeserved love and grace to those who had caused him much pain and suffering. Job did so, not because he was expecting a great reward but because he had survived his encounter with God and had lived to tell about it.

Job knew that he had experienced the mercy and kindness of God. His demand for an audience with God had been out of line and his assertions that God was somehow unjust had been undeserved and worthy of God’s wrath. But instead of judgment, Job had received nothing more than a stern reprimand. Now, much to his surprise, he would receive a double blessing from God.

So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. – Job 42:12-13 NLT

This list is meant to take the reader back to the opening chapter in Job’s story.

He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area. – Job 1:2-3 NLT

God effectively doubled Job’s material wealth and graciously replaced the ten children he had lost. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, states that Job was 70 when his suffering began, and that he lived another 140 years after his fortunes were restored by God. This doubling of his life span would have been another sign of God’s gracious reward.

And this man who had lost everything, including his reputation and former status as a well-respected leader in the community of Uz, was welcomed back with open arms by all those who had abandoned him in his darkest hour.

…all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring. – Job 42:11 NLT

Notice that his friends “consoled him and comforted him” after his fortunes were restored and he graciously hosted them in his own home. Job was the one who took the initiative. There is no indication that they reached out to Job or offered to provide him a costly feast in their own homes. But Job held no grudges and refused to be bitter about their former treatment of him. He opened up his heart and home and showered them with undeserved love, and this gracious act prompted them to respond with money and gifts intended to forestall any act of revenge and assuage their own guilt. They knew Job had every right to be angry and the resources to seek retribution.

But Job was content to live out his life with an attitude of gratitude to God. He lived an additional 140 years, enjoying the pleasure of watching four generations of his offspring grow up right before his eyes. He would have attended weddings and celebrated births. He would have reveled in the daily blessings of God and vividly recalled those dark days when his life had been turned upside down by unexpected and inexplicable events. And there is no indication that Job ever received an explanation for what had happened.

It’s interesting to note that the text seems to place the responsibility for Job’s losses on God. It clearly describes Job’s sufferings as “the trials the Lord had brought against him” (Job 42:11 NLT). But this phrase is in the context of Job’s friends offering him consolation and comfort. It may be that they still held the mistaken view that Job’s suffering had been the judgment of God for sins he had committed. Yet, the opening chapters reveal that it was Satan who was behind the disasters that devastated Job’s life. Yes, God was aware and provided Satan with permission to implement his diabolical plan to test Job’s faithfulness, but God was not the author of Job’s misery and pain. In fact, God is displayed as the restrainer and restorer throughout the story. He is the one who put a limit on Satan’s aspirations. The enemy could test Job’s allegiance to God but he was prevented from taking Job’s life. Everything that Satan took from Job was eventually restored – twofold. God plays the part of redeemer and restorer. He came to Job’s defense, not because he somehow deserved it but simply because God is gracious and loving and cares for His own.

King David provides a timely reminder for all those who express belief in God and place their faith in His unwavering love and mercy.

The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
    of those who are faithful to his covenant,
    of those who obey his commandments!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
    from there he rules over everything. – Psalm 103:13-19 NLT

Job would live an additional 140 years and throughout all that time, he would experience the the unconditional and unmerited love of God. Not only that, he would grow in his understanding of God’s sovereignty and providential care. Had Job not experienced his season of pain and loss, it is likely his grasp of God’s sovereignty and gratitude for God’s love would never have deepened as it did. His appreciation for God’s love, mercy, grace, power, and provision had been deepened by the darkness as well as the light.

The apostle Paul provides an apt summary for the events of Job’s life and he does so out of his own experience. He knew what it was like to suffer for the sake of his faith. He understood the pain that comes with living in a fallen world, and while he prayed for God to remove the source of his pain, he clearly heard God say, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). Which led Paul to say:

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Job’s darkness had been dispelled by the light of God’s righteousness and his life had been restored by the undeserved outpouring of God’s love. He had come to know that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17 ESV).

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.

Diminishing God’s Glory by Disregarding His Love

22 “Behold, God is exalted in his power;
    who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed for him his way,
    or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’?

24 “Remember to extol his work,
    of which men have sung.
25 All mankind has looked on it;
    man beholds it from afar.
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not;
    the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water;
    they distill his mist in rain,
28 which the skies pour down
    and drop on mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
    the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him
    and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he judges peoples;
    he gives food in abundance.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning
    and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its crashing declares his presence;
    the cattle also declare that he rises.

1 “At this also my heart trembles
    and leaps out of its place.
2 Keep listening to the thunder of his voice
    and the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven he lets it go,
    and his lightning to the corners of the earth.
4 After it his voice roars;
    he thunders with his majestic voice,
    and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard.
5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
    he does great things that we cannot comprehend.” – Job 36:22-37:5 ESV

Elihu now shifts the focus of his argument away from Job and onto God. He has not given up on leveling his indictment against Job, but has simply taken a new tactic. By emphasizing the transcendence of God, Elihu hopes to shame Job into submission. What right does this groveling and grumbling man have to expect an audience before the God of the universe? Elihu wants Job to understand that his incessant demands for justice from God are a waste of time and breath.

“Look, God is all-powerful.
    Who is a teacher like him?
No one can tell him what to do,
    or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’” – Job 36:22-23 NLT

Elihu’s theology promoted a God who was above reproach and beyond man’s capacity to understand. How dare a mere mortal like Job shake his fist in the face of the Almighty and demand restitution and restoration. God owed Job nothing, and all of Job’s petty and self-pitying pleas were having no impact on the One who had bigger fish to fry. Instead of bombarding God with a barrage of questions and calls for an inquest, Job would be better off praising His glory and greatness.

“Instead, glorify his mighty works,
    singing songs of praise.
Everyone has seen these things,
    though only from a distance.” – Job 36:24-25 NLT

Not bad advice but, once again, it lacks nuance and is being used to shame Job into silence. In essence, Elihu is telling Job to stop complaining and start praising. The truth is, there may be a time when that kind of counsel is called for, but in Job’s case it seems a bit out of place and insensitive. It wasn’t wrong for Elihu to remind Job of God’s glory and to encourage an attitude of praise, but his motivation seems a bit off. Was Elihu interested in the glory of God or in using that topic to shame Job into a confession of guilt? 

Everything he says is correct and in line with the Scripture’s description of God’s nature and character. He manages to paint an accurate likeness of God but everyone of his brush strokes seems to emphasize God’s majesty and transcendence. His portrait of God displays a distant and incomprehensible deity who remains aloof and detached from man. Look closely at Elihu’s use of language.

“Look, God is greater than we can understand.
    His years cannot be counted.
He draws up the water vapor
    and then distills it into rain.
The rain pours down from the clouds,
    and everyone benefits.” – Job 36:26-28 NLT

Yes, God is mysterious and far beyond man’s capacity to understand. His ways are unfathomable and incomprehensible. This great God of the universe is busy managing the details of His vast kingdom and orchestrating everything from the weather to the annual harvests that meet the needs of all men. Elihu’s God is patterned after the pagan deities who were believed to rule over various aspects of nature and who used their domains to exact blessing and judgment on the human race. Notice how Elihu describes God as using nature to either benefit or punish mankind.

“Who can understand the spreading of the clouds
    and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven?
See how he spreads the lightning around him
    and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
By these mighty acts he nourishes the people,
    giving them food in abundance.
He fills his hands with lightning bolts
    and hurls each at its target.” – Job 36:29-32 NLT

Elihu then draws the conclusion: “The thunder announces his presence; the storm announces his indignant anger” (Job 36:33 NLT). It is no coincidence that Job some of the losses that Job had suffered were due to “acts of nature.”

Job would have remembered that fateful day when one of his servants arrived with the following news:

“The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” – Job 1:16 NLT

And before Job could process this devastating information, another servant showed up with even worse news.

“Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.” – Job 1:18-19 NLT

The “fire of God” and “a powerful wind” were responsible for Job’s losses and now Elihu declares, “the storm announces his indignant anger” (Job 36:33 NLT). What was Job supposed to deduce from this message? What point was Elihu attempting to make?

Elihu answers those questions when he counsels Job to “Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from his mouth” (Job 37:2 NLT). Elihu is letting Job know that God is not yet done pouring out His judgment. According to Elihu the ongoing presence of pain and suffering in Job’s life was proof of his guilt and evidence of God’s judgment.

Elihu even manages to portray himself as the godly saint who recognizes God’s greatness and responds accordingly.

“My heart pounds as I think of this.
    It trembles within me.” – Job 37:1 NLT

He trembles in awe at the power of God but he is not afraid of judgment because, unlike Job, he had done nothing wrong. It is Job who needs to worry. That is why Elihu counsels him to offer praise and glory the all-powerful God so that the storm of His wrath might subside.

“God’s voice is glorious in the thunder.
    We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power.” – Job 37:5 NLT

This seems to be a subtle suggestion that, unless Job confesses his guilt, things are going to increase in intensity. The judgment of God will not relent until Job repents. Elihu is attempting scare Job straight. He is using the inescapable and unfathomable power of God to threaten Job into submission and force a confession.

But nowhere do we hear Elihu speak of God’s mercy and grace. He never mentions the love of God and he never encourages Job to seek hope in the patience and forgiveness of God. Yet, God described Himself in those terms when speaking to Moses in the wilderness.

“Yahweh! The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.” – Exodus 34:6-7 NLT

It was King David who said of God, “O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help” (Psalm 86:5 NLT). He went on to describe God in terms that provide a much-needed balance to Elihu’s one-dimensional view. His words echo the self-disclosure of God Himself.

But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 86:15 NLT

The prophet, Jonah, who had been commanded by God to “go to the great city of Nineveh” (Jonah 1:2 NLT), was reluctant to take up his commission because he didn’t want to see the Ninevites spared from God’s judgment. God had made Jonah’s commission quite clear: “Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are” (Jonah 1:2 NLT).

When Jonah finally obeyed God’s command and made his way to Nineveh, his worst fears were realized when the citizens of that wicked city repented. Disappointed that the enemies of God’s people had been spared and not destroyed, Jonah declared his dissatisfaction.

“Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. – Jonah 4:2 NLT

The whole reason Jonah tried to avoid his God-ordained mission was because he knew that Yahweh was merciful and compassionate. He understood that God was loving and quick to forgive. It was his knowledge of God that prompted him to try and disobey God because he didn’t want to see the Ninevites spared.

In a way, Elihu seems to be doing the very same thing. He avoids any mention of God’s love, mercy, and grace. He refuses to portray God as patient and compassionate. In his determination to convict and condemn Job, Elihu ends up diminishing the glory of God. He invites Job to praise a version of God that is incomplete and, therefore, inaccurate.

Elihu could have used a few pointers from the prophet, Joel. Rather than trying to scare Job into submission by emphasizing the judgment of God, Elihu should have pointed his suffering friend to the love, mercy, and grace of God.

That is why the Lord says,
    “Turn to me now, while there is time.
Give me your hearts.
    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,
    but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
    He is eager to relent and not punish. – Joel 2:12-13 NLT

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.