Can You See the Incarnation?

These passages and questions are what our small group worked with this morning. Can you see the Incarnation in these passages? 

Can you see the Incarnation in your life?

Your marriage?

Your church?

The professing-church in our country?

Let’s please consider John 14:16 – 15:11 along with Ephesians 2:19 – 22.

 What do we see about the Incarnation in these passages?

What should the Incarnation look like today in our lives?

In our families?

In our churches?

Please try to be specific by thinking of at least two examples for ourselves, our families, and our churches – if you are married, please consider at least one example of what the Incarnation should look like in your marriage.

In pondering the Incarnation in your own life, please identify one area of your life in which there is a disconnect between what the Incarnation ought to look like compared to what it actually looks like – and then let’s please pray for one another in regard to these areas.

Are We Teaching the Difference?

In Ezekiel 22:23 – 31 Yahweh speaks to Ezekiel concerning the sin of Judah, with a special focus on its priests, prophets, and princes. In verse 26 we read:

“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”

I think, that to hide our eyes from God’s sabbaths is to hide our eyes from Jesus Christ, for He is our Sabbath, and within that Great Sabbath (Jesus Christ) are found all of God’s sabbaths. Christ is our Great Rest (see Hebrews Chapter 4), in Him we cease from our own works of righteousness (which are as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6) and learn that without Christ we can do nothing (John 15:1 – 5).

No doubt there are myriad ways to do violence to God’s law, but since the context of this passage focuses on the holy and the profane, is it not true that when we use God’s law for our own ends, to manipulate others to gain what we want – such as always bigger churches, always larger offerings, always a wider religious market for our ministerial wares, always more popularity – that we have done violence to God’s law? Is it not true that when we use God’s law as a facade to preach and teach our own agendas, to cater to what is “trending” and “trendy”, that we have done violence to His law?

Is it not true that when we twist the Scriptures to accommodate the world, the flesh, and the devil that we have done violence to the law of God? Have I done this? O God search my heart and reveal the sin and impurities in me; please forgive me in Christ Jesus.

Then we come to the sin of the priests in not teaching the difference between the holy and profane, between the unclean and the clean (a chiasm). Did the priests lead the people astray, or did the people lead the priest astray? Both sinned, but who has the greater sin? Of course the priests, the prophets, the princes – their sin is from the depths of the abyss – all sin is hideous, the sin of those who are to serve and teach others, who are to especially hallow the Law of God and the Person of Christ, is particularly evil (if we can use such comparative language).

And yet when we come to Ezekiel Chapter 44, we see that not all priests abandoned their holy calling:

“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord Yahweh…Moreover they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean [a chiasm].”

Can we hear Paul saying to the Corinthians, “…what agreement has the temple of God with idols?...do not touch what is unclean…let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1)?

Can we receive Peter’s words, “…like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:13 – 16)?

Where are the priests of Zadok today? Where are those pastors and teachers and elders who are teaching God’s People the difference between the holy and the profane, the unclean and the clean?

The name Zadok is derived from a Hebrew word that means “right, just, righteousness” among other nuances. We see the Messiah, the Christ, in the High Priest Zadok and his faithful descendants. “Your throne O God, is forever and ever, a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness…” (Psalm 45). We see this enfolded in the priesthood of Melchizedek, “king of righteousness.”

As there is only One Sabbath, the is only One King of Righteousness – our Lord Jesus Christ; there is only One Faithful Priest. All other sabbaths, all other servant-leaders of righteousness, all other faithful priests…are found within our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no rest, no righteousness, no faithful priesthood – outside of Jesus Christ.

But how to teach God’s People the difference between the holy and the profane, the unclean and the clean? How to do this when syncretism has not so much invaded, but rather been invited, into the Temple, into the Church, into the People of God?

How to teach the difference between the holy and the sinful when our society and our lives are permeated with the unclean and the world, the flesh, and the devil? How to do this when our methods are not those of God but of the world? When our epistemology and pedagogy is not of the Word of God but of the world?

Peter says that we ought to “sanctity Christ as Lord in your hearts” (1 Peter 3:15). The context of these words contains suffering, righteousness, and witness to the Gospel. How can we do any of these things unless Christ is the center of our very existence? As we sanctify Christ perhaps we begin to discern the holy and the profane, the unclean and the clean.

How can we sanctify Christ when we sanctify popularity, money, prestige, power, recognition, pleasure, comfort, avoidance of persecution, sensuality, entertainment, departure from the Word of God…?

Where are the Zadoks of our day?

Are we teaching the difference between the holy and the profane? Or have we given up?

Incarnation

What does the Incarnation look like in my life? In your life? In the life of our churches?

The Shepherds

We’re not told how many shepherds received the angelic proclamation of the Messiah’s birth (Luke Chapter 2).

Perhaps one of the shepherds was the father or grandfather of a newborn baby boy. If so, what was that man thinking, what was he feeling, when within the space of two years Herod’s minions arrived in Bethlehem to slaughter his son or grandson?

Perhaps another shepherd told his rabbi about the angelic visitation and about his own visit to Bethlehem to see the Child. What did the rabbi say? Did the rabbi suggest it was a hallucination? Did the rabbi say that since none of the religious leaders in Jerusalem were aware of such a thing that it must not be true? Did the rabbi convince the shepherd to forget about that night?

Perhaps there were shepherds who, like Mary, pondered these things and treasured them in their hearts – but for how long? When the Roman oppression continued did the wonder of that night fade away? As the pressures and uncertainties of life remained did hope deteriorate?

Would some of these shepherds encounter Jesus in years to come, and if so, would they make the connection? When they heard of Jesus in years to come, what would they think?

What about us? When Christ appears, when God speaks, how do we respond?

Paul “was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) – what about me? What about you?

Has the babe in the feeding trough grown to be a Man in our souls?

Candlesticks

Would we even know it if Christ removed candlesticks? (Revelation 2:5).

Nativity

Nativity
John Donne, 1572 - 1631

Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov'd imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod's jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith's eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.

He Came To His Own

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” John 1:11.

I suppose when we read this that we think of Jesus coming to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and being rejected by them. That is certainly the immediate historical context. We wonder how the very people who were looking for the Messiah rejected the very Messiah they were looking for.

Perhaps Paul gives us a clue when he writes concerning his kinsmen, “For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:2 – 4).

The majority of Jews who encountered Jesus failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ because they did not “subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” The Gospel of John portrays this over and over, the Jews clung to their self-righteousness and in doing so attacked Jesus Christ (John 8:12 – 59).

But what about us who call ourselves Christians? Do we recognize Jesus when He comes to us? Or, like the Jews of two thousand years ago, are we so caught up in our traditions, in our political and economic and social agendas – that we cannot recognize Jesus?

Do we not use Jesus to advance our wants, desires, and agendas? Do we not form Jesus into our own image, just as the Jews created an image of a Messiah? No doubt the Pharisees, had one image; the Sadducees another; the Essenes another, and the Zealots yet another. Have we not traduced the image of Jesus into multiple caricatures – each designed to justify ourselves and our agendas?

Can it not be written of us today, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not”?

Reading, Knowing, and Living in the Word of God

Below is a letter I gave to my congregation in January 2019 - I wonder what this year was like for them in terms of reading, knowing, and living the Word of God?

How has it been for you?

Maybe there is something here for you?

Love,

Bob

Dear Bethlehem Family,

I want to encourage us to read the Bible during the coming year. What’s your plan? Are we reading the Bible as if it were a life and death matter? It is. We are surrounded by a culture of death – we are called to be men and women and families of light and life in Jesus Christ.

Take a look at 2 Peter 1:1 – 11; through God’s Word we are partakers of His Divine Nature. As we feed on Jesus Christ (John Chapter 6) we live, and if we live in Christ we can feed others in and through Christ. We ought to be traveling bread trucks, food trucks – dispensing the grace and mercy and life of Christ freely to those around us. Are we feeding others?

Please read all of the New Testament this coming year.

Please read at least one Psalm each day – this is a treasure house.

The Old Testament contains the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy); books of history (Joshua – Esther); Wisdom/Poetical books (Job – Song of Solomon); the three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), and the Minor Prophets (Daniel – Malachi). This is just one quick way of looking at the OT, there are other ways. This method gives us five sections.

Why not choose a section to get to know really well in the coming year? Or in the first quarter? Then after the first quarter you can decide to move to another section or remain where you are.

In the NT, try to read a Gospel chapter a day – we can never get too much of our Lord Jesus. Begin with a Gospel and then move to another Gospel throughout the year.

The NT has the Gospels, Acts, the letters of Paul, Hebrews, the General Epistles (James – Jude), and of course Revelation. (Hebrews can be placed with Paul or with the General Epistles).

How about choosing a section or book of the NT to get to know really well during the first quarter or during the entire year? If you are thinking of Paul, rather than start with all of his letters you could choose the Prison Epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon); or the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus); or 1 & 2 Thessalonians, or Romans and Galatians, or 1 & 2 Corinthians.

Let’s get to know the Bible so that God’s Word owns us and we own God’s Word. If we can get up in the middle of the night and find our way to the bathroom in the dark, surely we ought to know the Bible so well that we can come to the place where we can find our way from Genesis to Revelation without a flashlight or lamp on a nightstand.

People need us to know God’s Word and to allow His Word to live and flow through us. God’s Word is where we can enjoy intimate relationship with our Father and with one another.

Take a look at Joshua Chapter One – if we don’t walk on the land we will not possess the land – the land is the Word of God.

Have a plan – work the plan; gain ground, don’t circle round and round for 40 years…or 60…or 70…or 80.

Much love,

Bob

Another Mystery

You may or may not have a context for this, and I do hope I follow this up with some extended written thoughts. This is a note I sent to one of my brothers in our Tuesday-morning group:

I said something that might have been misconstrued, and I think I'll try to work it out in a written piece that explores it...but for the short-term:

My comment about Christ and Isaiah was not to mean that Christ and Isaiah were/are the same "persona" - (though Isaiah is a member of the Body of Christ - but I'll leave that alone for now, human words are pretty inadequate for some of this!) - but rather to approach the idea that the "Word" that Isaiah saw and transmitted was the Word of John 1:1. That ever-present Word in His People - mystery though it is.

So then, while I struggle with the mystery of "fully God and fully man", and while I want to give due recognition to this mystery - the idea that Jesus Christ simply "studied" the Scriptures and was relying solely on memory when He "quoted" them - falls a bit short for me. I cannot sort it out, anymore than I can sort out "though He were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which He suffered and being made complete..." Hebrews 5:8 - 9. 

Anymore than I can sort out Hebrews 2:11 - 13 - we have a transcendent brotherhood in and with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29) within His Atonement.

So Christ was the Word which Isaiah saw, heard, and spoke - if in fact Christ was the glory that Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6, John 12:38 - 41), which of course He was.

Also, (and I just thought of this), if the New Covenant is having the Word of our God written on our hearts and in our minds, and if Jesus Christ is the minister of the New Covenant - shouldn't we anticipate that He is the embodiment of the very Covenant He mediates?

Ah - the joy of Christ, the joy of His Word, the joy of a band of brothers!

Bob

Zechariah (10)

Here's another installment of our small group exploration of the prophet Zechariah, maybe there is something here for you.

Our passage is Zechariah Chapter 10.

The motif of Chapter 9, God judging the nations and preserving His People, continues in Chapter 10. As we read the Scriptures, whether in the OT or NT, it is good to keep this motif in mind, as it is found from Genesis through Revelation. Too often we tend to think that everything is woe on the one hand, or, on the other hand, that God does not distinguish between those in His Kingdom and those in rebellion against Him and we think we’re all involved in a group hug. While for sure God is merciful to all and desires all to know Him, God also judges those who reject His Son Jesus Christ; there is enough light for those willing (by His grace) to “see” to “see”, and enough darkness for those who reject the light of His Son to live in darkness.

In 10:1 we are told to ask for rain. Please compare with Joel 2:23 and James 5:7 – 8. Some of us may know that old hymn, “Showers of Blessing.” That hymn has its roots in the Biblical image of rain as a blessing. If we keep in mind the idea found in Haggai 2:9 that the “latter glory of the house will be greater than the former”, we might conclude that the glory of the Early Church, which was birthed in Acts Chapter 2, will be surpassed by the glory of the Latter Church as our Father reveals Himself through His Sons, (Romans 8:18 – 30).

While I realize there are other perspectives regarding the trajectory of the Church, I believe that the Scriptures call us to growth in our Lord Jesus and victory, that we are to be overcomers (Romans 8:31 – 39) and that we are here on earth to glorify Christ by laying our lives down for Him and others.

Consider Zechariah 10:5 – 12, is this a picture of victory or defeat?

Are we participating in that victory in our lives?

Please consider Ephesians 1:15 – 23 and Ephesians 3:14 – 21: what do these passages look like in our lives? In the lives of our churches?

In Zechariah 10:2 – 3 we see, once again, God’s judgment on unfaithful religious leaders; we’ve seen this throughout the Minor Prophets. We should not forget Revelation 22:18 – 19 and Proverbs 30:5 – 6.

In Zechariah 10, Egypt and Assyria are the personification of the enemies of God’s People, Egypt is to the south of Judah and Assyria attacks Judah from the north and east. Also, in 10:11 God speaks of “the sea of distress”.

Are there Egypts and Assyrias in our lives? Sources of temptation and conflict? Are we going through a “sea of distress”? Are we in slavery to anything or anyone other than our Lord Jesus Christ? If so, let’s pray for one another and let’s please remember 1 John 4:4, 17 – 18; 5:4.

Are there Egypts and Assyrias and seas of distress that others are in? Is God calling us to rescue others from these difficulties and strongholds? God sent Moses to Egypt, He can send us too.

God sent His only Begotten Son to earth – how is God sending us? John 17:18; Matthew 28: 19 – 20.

Much love,

Bob

Guarding What Has Been Entrusted

“O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you…” 1 Timothy 6:20.

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” 2 Timothy 1:14.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2.

How are we doing in terms of guarding what has been entrusted to us in Christ? As Paul looked back over his decades of service to Christ, as he contemplated that which Christ had entrusted to him, “…the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11), his heart’s desire was that Timothy would guard that trust which Paul had passed on to him, and that Timothy in turn would pass that trust on to others.

But where are the faithful men? How are we guarding that trust…if indeed we have received the glorious Gospel?

I do wonder what we have received, and I wonder what we are passing on. Is it some kind of church culture? Some kind of “Christian” culture? It is a syncretistic blend of the Bible, marketing, sociology, entertainment, and nationalistic fervor?

Would we show up on Sunday mornings if all that we had was Jesus Christ without the trappings? Is Christ in His Word and the Holy Spirit enough? Might we experiment one Sunday and see what would happen if we didn’t serve the yams and mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce and green beans and pumpkin pie? Would we still return the following Sunday?

Are we entrusting the glorious Gospel to others who can (and do!) teach others? Were  our Bibles to be confiscated has the Gospel become incarnate in us so that we can teach the Gospel without missing a step? Or does Christ remain in a painting, does He remain on a page in the Bible, does He remain in a commentary?

Are we sowing the Gospel into the lives of others so that they may guard it and entrust it to others? What are people hearing and seeing in our lives? Are we living Gospels?

What do the treasures of the Gospel of Christ look like in our lives? Are we entrusting those treasures to others?

Zechariah (9)

Here is what our small group pondered when we worked through Zechariah Chapter 9, maybe there is something here for you:

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 9.

I think chapters 9 – 11 probably form a unit of thought, within which are varying movements. Note the wording of 9:1, “The burden (or oracle) of the word of the LORD”; then note 12:1, “The burden of the word of the LORD.” My point is that this phrase indicates the beginning of a large unit, or series of movements, and that 9:1 commences one series that culminates at 11:17; 12:1 commences another unit which takes us to the end of the book. As always, let’s recall that there were no chapters or verses in the original manuscripts – chapters and verses were added about 1,000 years ago (+/-) to help us reference passages – this was before Google.

Chapters 9 – 11, and then 12 – 14 are similar to chapters 1 – 6 in the sense that in chapters 1 – 6 we have vision after vision, with the visions interconnecting. In chapters 9 – 11 and 12 – 14 we have emphasis after emphasis with these varying areas of focus interconnecting. It’s like a kaleidoscope – the colored glass is the same but the patterns change.

If we really want to come close to having a handle on Zechariah the best advice I can give is to read it again and again and again and watch for the patterns. This is pretty much the same with a book like Revelation (or Daniel), the patterns repeat themselves and as the patterns become more familiar the more we’ll see, both as we read Zechariah and as we read the entire Bible. As they say in NASCAR, “There ain’t no substitute for ‘seat time’.”

In Chapter 9 we see the “world”, the people of God, and the Messiah saving and delivering His people – and since the NT teaches us that in Christ there is now “one people” (Ephesians 2:11 – 3:7 as an example) I see these passages as applicable to all generations, including our generation.

In 9:1 – 7 the “word of the LORD” focuses on a number of kingdoms and peoples immediately surrounding Israel and Judah. We could study any one of these kingdoms in its historical setting, and some receive a lot of attention in the Bible, especially Tyre – which is often a representation of the throne of darkness (you can read Ezekiel chapters 27 and 28 if you want to see an example of this. If you do read Ezekiel Chapter 28 note the unusual nature of verses 11 – 19).

All of the peoples listed in Zechariah Chapter 9 personify opposition to the Kingdom of God; the spiritual descendants of these peoples are undoubtably with us today.

Just as Israel and Judah faced opposition, the Church faces opposition today. Just as in the time of Zechariah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple there was opposition to the work of God in His People, there is opposition to the work of God in His people today.

What are the forms of opposition the Church faces today? How are we responding to that as individuals? Our marriages and families? Our congregations?

In Zechariah 9:8 – 17 we see that God not only will be with His People, but that the ultimate outcome of God working in and through His People will be peace for the nations.

Compare verse 9:10 with Zechariah 2:11 and Matthew 28:18 – 20.

God in Christ is on mission to the peoples of the earth and He has commanded us to join Him in that mission. How are we fulfilling Christ’s command in Matthew 28 to “go”?

Are we and our congregations teaching others to “obey all that He has commanded us”? Are we and our congregations living under the authority of the Bible, God’s Word? Are we teaching others to live under that Authority?

I include our congregations in these questions because we are called to live in community with other disciples, and our churches (communities) are called to live in submission to God’s Word. In Revelation chapters 2 – 3 Christ judged local churches – just as nations are judged, churches are judged; Christ even says that He will remove churches that do not repent, and Peter writes that “judgment begins at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17). Churches that lack the willingness to be self-critical in the light of God’s Word and by the help of the Holy Spirit are churches that are not going to grow in Christ, and that will atrophy – if not ultimately depart from the faith.

  

Compare 9:9 with Matthew 21:5, John 12:15. On Palm Sunday the crowds cheered Jesus, on Good Friday they crucified Him. Can we see ourselves in this?

Do we recognize Jesus when He comes to us in an old VW Beetle? Would we recognize Him if He drove onto our church parking lot in a rusted Yugo? Why or why not?

Compare 9:16 with Isaiah 62:3. Consider 2 Timothy 2:10 and 1 Timothy 4:16. God in Christ sees His People as precious and valuable, Paul says to Timothy that he suffers for the sake of the people of God, and he tells Timothy that Timothy is to be careful how he lives and teaches so that others will come to salvation.

Are we living for the salvation of others? Are we living for the sake of our brothers and sisters? (See 1 John 3:16).

Or do we see our lives as our own that we can do with as we please?

How are we responding to Jesus’ words in Mark 8:34 – 38?

Ezekiel and Revelation

In the early chapters of Ezekiel, the prophet sees the Temple profaned and the glory of Yahweh depart from the Temple. The Temple is filled with idol worship and with unfaithful spiritual leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. The disgusting picture that we see in Ezekiel is reflected in much of the professing-church today, we are exchanging the glory of God for the glory of fallen man, not seeking and receiving “sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3) but rather “accumulating for ourselves teachers in accordance with our own desires.”

In Revelation chapters two and three, we see Christ walking in the midst of the seven candlestick-churches, warning them of judgment, warning them that if they do not repent that their candlesticks will be removed. It is encouraging that there are faithful disciples in these churches, a reminder that God maintains a remnant.

Since Peter writes (1 Peter 4:17) that, “…judgement begins at the household of God…” it seems logical that God’s judgements in Revelation begin in the church.

And yet, in both Ezekiel and Revelation we have wonderful hope, for we see God’s glorious purpose fulfilled in His Son and in His Temple in the final eight chapters of Ezekiel and the final two chapters of Revelation.  In these passages we witness the perfection of God’s people, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ – in Jesus Christ.

“…Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25 – 27).

Yes, Christ will cleanse His Church, He will judge it and purify it, and He will cast out all unclean things. Yes, as Haggai writes, God will shake all things in the heavens and on the earth – so that those things which cannot be shaken will remain. Those things that remain will be revealed to be those things which are rooted and grounded in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, showing forth His light and His glory.

In the midst of the present chaos, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith – for Christ has a glorious outcome planned for those who are faithful to Him, to His Word, and to His People.

Zechariah (8)

Here's what our small group pondered when we considered Zechariah Chapter 8, maybe there is something here for you:

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 8. As we move toward the conclusion of our time in the Minor Prophets, Zechariah 8 presents a motif that we see time and time again in the Bible, and especially in the prophets – God’s judgment and His deliverance work hand-in-hand. God is always faithful and we can always trust Him.

This passage concludes the series of messages that began in Chapter 7 that are indicated by, “Then the Word of the LORD…”

Compare Zechariah Chapter 8 with Isaiah 65:17 – 25.

Compare Zechariah 8:16 – 17 with Zechariah 7:9 – 10, and Micah 6:8.

Note the concept of “remnant” in Zechariah 8:11 - 12; see also Isaiah 1:9; 10:20ff, 11:11; 37:31ff. This can be an important concept for those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ in a world that has gone crazy – and a professing-church that often departs from (and rejects) God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:1 – 2; 2 Timothy 3:1 – 5).

Compare Zechariah 8:20 – 23 with Isaiah 60:1 – 3, 15 – 22. God and His People will be victorious, no matter how dark things may appear. The darker the darkness, the more brilliant the Light. We are called to be overcomers as we look into the face of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 3:1 – 3; 4:4; 5:4).

How do you sense Christ working in your life?

As you reflect back over the past year, what have been your highs and lows? Your challenges and your victories?

How should the men in your group be praying for you?

John Newton on Politics, Government and War – More Thoughts

More helpful thoughts from John Newton. Please keep in mind as you read this that Newton was NOT disengaged from the welfare of people - for example, he was an encouraging and guiding hand in the anti-slavery movement...as well he should have been, having once been the captain of a slave ship. When Newton wrote "Amazing Grace" he knew what he was talking about. 

On March 15, 1794, Newton wrote to John Ryland, Jr.:

“You are welcome to tell everybody you please that I do not justify all the measures of those in power. Indeed I do not justify any of them because they do not live in my way, and I think myself not competent to judge. I only wish to preach the Gospel and to be one of the quiet in the land…

“But I compose my mind by considering all hearts and all things as instruments of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will, and makes all subservient to the fulfilling [of] it. I think the crucifixion of our Lord, was, taken in one view the worst action that the worst men ever committed. But instead of scolding Caiaphas, Judas and Pilate (whose part I should have acted had I been in their places and left to myself) I rather choose to admire the wisdom and love of God in this transaction, which considered his appointment, was the brightest display of His glory ever afforded to his creatures.

“Farther, if the measures of government were totally wrong and pernicious, it would excite in me, more of grief than wonder. Neither our great men nor I fear the bulk of the nation acknowledge God. Neither his direction nor his blessing are sought. And therefore I should rather pity than blame them, if they blundered most egregiously. I should say the thing is of the Lord who takes wisdom from the wise and then of course they must stumble like men in the dark. So while our fleets and armies set the Lord of hosts at defiance, if he gives success to their enterprises so as to preserve us from such desolation as prevails in many parts of the continent, I shall ascribe it not to their prowess, for he can soon make the boldest captains tremble…

“I am neither Whig nor Tory, but a well wisher to both. I would pass on as a stranger in a strange land, without intermeddling in the disputes of people whose language I do not understand…

“I grieve for the war and its mischiefs. But I believe our sins plunged us into it, and that by a providential train of circumstance, it was, humanly speaking inevitable. I pray for peace, but I know the Lord alone can give it. I know not how I can serve my country, but by prayer, and by using my influence so far as it will go, to sooth angry spirits on both sides, and to try to lead their thoughts to the cross and to eternity.”

From:

Wise Counsel, John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland, Jr., Ed. Grant Gordon, Banner of Truth, 2009.

John Newton's Politics

In Newton’s December 13, 1793 letter to John Ryland, Jr., commenting on the French Revolution and Christian speculation as to why it was occurring, he writes:

“…Great things are upon the wheel. But though the Lord’s path is in the great waters, my path of duty seems plain enough. I am to preach the gospel, mourn over my own sins, and the sins of professors [Christians] and of the nation, and to stir up as many as I can to stand in the breach by prayer. I hope many are thus employed. For the rest, I know the Lord reigns, that the wrath of man, so far as permitted to act, shall praise him, shall be overruled to the accomplishment of his wise purposes, and that the remainder thereof he will restrain. All the designs of men, which do not coincide with his, shall be frustrated. In the meantime, he will be a sanctuary to them that fear him.

“He bids his people not [to] be terrified. They are warranted to trust in him, though the earth should tremble, and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea. Public measures, whether right or wrong, are under his direction. If sword, famine, pestilence, or discord, go through the land, he sends them. If he take wisdom from the wise, or courage from the bold, I cannot wonder that they do not prosper, when the Lord has forsaken them. Sennacherib and Cyrus were God’s servants; no less so, though in a different way, than Moses or Joshua. They performed his commission, and they could do no more.

“If I were lawfully called to a civil office, I would endeavor to acquire proper knowledge, and to use every means in my power to serve my country. At present, I wish to serve it by prayer, and by employing my influence to soothe angry spirits, and to cultivate peace on all sides. Let the dead bury the dead, and the potsherds of the earth strive with each other, I am a stranger and a pilgrim among them. My conversation/citizenship is in a different kingdom, a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Such are the outlines of my politics.”

(Note, the words in italics are supplied by me, in the original letter Newton uses a Greek word, found in Philippians 3:20, that can be translated – citizenship, commonwealth, conversation [way of life] ).

Wise Counsel, John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland, Jr., Ed. Grant Gordon, Banner of Truth, 2009.

Pondering Proverbs 10:4 & 5

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully. (Proverbs 10:4 – 5).

I can think of no greater call to diligence than the call to commune with our heavenly Father and Lord Jesus in the Holy Spirit, by His grace, in the depths of His Word and prayer. And I can think of no greater result of this communion than laboring in the fields of humanity, bringing in a harvest to the glory of God.

To walk (live) in the Way of the Righteous (Psalm 1) is to mediate on the Law of the LORD both day and night. His Word is to be our sustenance, our breath, our Water, our milk if we are young and our meat if we are adults.

Jesus tells us that the fields are already “white for the harvest” (John 4:31 – 38), and He tells us that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:36 – 37) and that we should beseech the Lord of the harvest for workers. Should we not also offer ourselves as an answer to our prayers? Should we not cry, “Here I am Lord, send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)?

Are we sons and daughters who are acting wisely? Or are we sons and daughters who are acting shamefully?

Are we gathering or are we sleeping?

Is our Father rejoicing in us in the fields of harvest? Or are we bringing shame on Him as we sleep away our lives as others are perishing without Jesus Christ?

What about me? What about you? What about our churches?

No Distinction

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 

And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken. The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 22:23 – 31, ESV).

As I was reading this passage a few mornings ago, I was particularly struck by the following:

“Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things.  They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.”

What does it mean that Yahweh is “profaned among them”? We know, from earlier in Ezekiel, that demonic idol worship was taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem. We know that, as a result of this profanity, the Presence of Yahweh departed from the Temple.

Did anyone notice when the Presence of Yahweh left the Temple? Does anyone notice today when the Presence of Christ is no longer with us? Do we know what Ichabod means and looks like (1 Samuel 4:21)? When the Testimony of Christ, the Gospel, has been used as a plaything, treated as religious and spiritual merchandise, chanted as an incantation – can anyone discern it? Does it matter? Or, are our senses dulled to the point that we no longer make a distinction between the clean and unclean, between the profane and holy?

To be sure, many congregations want to be affirmed in their uncleanness. To be certain, many of us are willing to trade the holy for the profane if that will bring more people to the pews – we believe the lie that if we attract people by importing idols into the Temple that we can later recover the ground we have lost and gradually introduce the holy back into our teaching and preaching. This is delusional. The unholy will eat our very souls, corrupting our hearts and minds and destroying godly judgement and discernment.

When we cease to obey God’s Word, and instead make excuses for our sin, for it is indeed sin when we do not receive the grace of God and obey His Word; when we justify our disobedience, when we invite others to participate in our disobedience and tell them that God understands and approves of their sin – certainly this is profaning God.

Concerning Yahweh’s Sabbaths; the Sabbaths portray our One True Sabbath, Jesus Christ; for when we come into Christ we rest in Christ (Hebrews Chapter 4) as God’s Word does it work deep within us. Therefore, we profane the Sabbaths when we look to anyone and anything other than Jesus Christ for our salvation and way of life; as we see in Hebrews 12:2, we are to always be “looking unto Jesus.”

Why is Jesus no longer enough for the church?

Will we be intercessors who “stand in the breach”?

Will we teach the difference between the holy and the profane?

Will Jesus Christ be our all-in-all?

Will we go outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13:12 – 14)?

Church Life and Mission

Church life should not be considered apart from mission, for Jesus says to us, “Go into all the world.” When a church exists without mission it becomes introverted and obsessed with its own existence – the irony is that this obsession ensures its own death – whether numerically or spiritually or both. It is little wonder that such congregations cannot “go” to others, for their legs have atrophied and they can no longer walk.

Zechariah (7)

Below is what our small group worked with this morning. How can we read the Prophets and not see ourselves? How can we not see that in Christ alone is there hope? What is the Word of the LORD in our lives today? In the lives of our churches? Are we hearing Christ in and through His Book? Are we obeying Him? Or...are we playing with religion as the people of Zechariah's time? And consider - these are the very people who God released from captivity in Babylon.

Our passage is Zechariah Chapter 7. As we’ll see, the prophet is switching gears here in the sense that chapters 1 – 6 contain a series of visions; beginning in Chapter 7 we move into the type of material that we’ve seen in most of the Minor Prophets -  not so heavy on visions and their interpretation but rather heavy on the contemporary situation and how God views it.

My sense is that chapters 7 & 8 form a unit; compare 7:1, 8; 8:1, 9, and 18. Just as we had a series of visions in chapters 1 – 6, we have a series of “the word of Yahweh” coming to Zechariah in chapters 7 and 8. (Remember that when the word LORD is capitalized in English that it means the word in Hebrew – the primary language of the OT – is either Yahweh, or the shortened form of Yahweh, “Yah”. This is the covenant name of God.)

In Chapter 7 we have two movements, or two instances of the Word of Yahweh coming to Zechariah, or two units of thought…however we may choose to term it. The first is 7:1 – 7 and the second is 7:8 – 14.

Considering 7:2 – 3, while we may not know the exact background of the Jews who lived in Bethel, we know that they were people who were weeping and fasting in the fifth month for many years – presumably over the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

Then when we look at 7:5 it appears that there was a practice of fasting and mourning among many other Jews in the fifth and seventh months during the seventy-years captivity.

In 7:3 the people of Bethel have a question for Yahweh; then in 7:4 – 7 Yahweh takes their question and turns it into a question for all the people of the land and the priests.

What is Yahweh asking the people and the priests and why might He be asking these questions?

While there are many passages we can link 7:4 – 7 to, including passages we’ve already read in the Minor Prophets, I’m going to suggest we look at a classic passage – Isaiah Chapter 1.

We can also link Isaiah Chapter 1 to Zechariah 7:8 – 11.

What do we see when we compare Isaiah Chapter 1 with Zechariah Chapter 7? When we gather on Sunday morning why do we gather? Is there any difference between one Sunday and the next Sunday and the next Sunday? What is the level of commitment to Christ in our churches?

What happens when a people do not care for the disenfranchised? The poor? The widow?

See Matthew 25:31 – 46. Note that those who were judged unrighteous were judged not on the basis of what they did, but rather on the basis of what they didn’t do.

Looking at 7:10 we see the idea of “devising evil in your hearts toward one another”. What examples do we have of this today?

Well boys, how are we measuring up in all this? Our families? Our churches? The church in the USA?

Enculturation or Sin?

At the request of a friend, I’ve been pondering and writing on the subject of temptation on my blog, Kaleidoscope. I’m seeing a lot as I meditate on what the Scriptures have to say on the subject and I’ve been struck that a key element in our response to temptation is how we view the world around us. If we see the world, this present age, as friendly or even benign, it is likely that we will view many of its priorities and practices as friendly or benign; thus dulling our discernment of good and evil, right and wrong, righteousness and unrighteousness.

This has led me to consider a term that I’ve heard in the church, and often used myself, for at least three decades – “enculturation”. We speak of the church being enculturated by the world; that is, the church has imported the ethos of the world.

I think the word “enculturation” may be an euphemism for “worldliness” and “sin” in that it allows us to avoid the harsh reality that being a friend of the world makes us God’s enemies, and that if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15 – 17). We would rather say that we are enculturated than say we’re sinful. We would rather say that we are enculturated than say we need to repent. As I review the Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation, I can’t find the concept of enculturation but I do see the command to repent of sin in the church.

The fact that some Christians may use the term “worldliness” in a self-righteous and legalistic context, in which they compare themselves with others in a holier-than-thou fashion, should not mean that we do not consider the term in a Biblical context – the truth of the Bible is always being traduced one way or another by those who call themselves Christians.

When Israel and Judah built altars to idols throughout the land, and when the priests brought idols into the Temple in Jerusalem, I don’t think God called it enculturation. When Ezekiel was shown the idolatry rampant in Jerusalem and the Temple, I don’t see where God called it enculturation. When Jesus, in the Seven Letters, condemns spiritual and sexual promiscuity, lukewarmness toward Him, a lack of love for God – I don’t see Jesus calling these things enculturation. When Paul and Peter and James and John and Jude write and warn against false teaching and ungodly living, I don’t see them using the word enculturation or its conceptual equivalent.

Is “enculturation” a euphemism? What do you think?

Is This Normal?

I've been preaching through Paul's letter to the church in Rome. My perspective on Romans is, I suppose, fairly simple. After Paul's introduction in 1:1 - 1:15 in which he lays the foundation for the entire letter, we have the Gospel in 1:16 - 8:39. Within 1:16 - 8:39 we have two main movements, the first, which concludes in 5:11, is focused on justification through the Cross and blood of Jesus Christ. The second movement, from 5:12 - 8:39, focuses on our identity in Jesus Christ, through the Cross and our dying and rising with Him. This is a comprehensive statement of the Gospel, one movement without the other leaves us with a partial Gospel. 

In chapters 9 - 11 we see the providence of God and His election.

In chapters 12 - 16 we see, based on the preceding chapters, how we should live both in the world and in the Church. Or, as I also style it, in these chapters we see what the working out and manifestation of the New Jerusalem is to look like in our lives as God's People. 

In 5:12 - 8:39 we see that we are no longer in Adam but in Christ. We are dead to sin and alive to God. We are no longer married to the Law because we have died with Christ on the Cross (the Law has not died!) so that we may be married to Christ. We are the sons and daughters of the Living God, being led by the Spirit of God, and in Christ we are super-overcomers. 

Romans Chapter 7 is perhaps, I think, the most misunderstood passage in the Bible - and I speak in respect to both the first section and the section section. Regarding the first section, we tend not to understand that we have died with Christ to the Law, and that this death servers and ends our marriage to the Law. Consequently we are now married to "another", to Christ, so that we might bear fruit unto God.

Understanding the second section is controversial with often more heat than light. Both in the academic and pastoral communities there is disagreement - often with opposing sides imputing motives and theology to others that simply isn't true. 

Be that as it may, one principle of interpretation is that when we encounter a passage that is unclear, that we interpret that passage with passages that are clear. That is what I have attempted to do in the handout (below) that I gave to the congregation this past Sunday. I realize that not all who read this will agree with me, and perhaps it will generate some heartburn, but I am committed to shepherding others into a secure identity in Jesus Christ, a vibrant life in Jesus Christ, with a single-minded focus on Jesus Christ. I am not in any way suggesting that we do not deal with sin in this life, but I am insisting that Christ be our identity, our source of life, our everything - so that we might be His Presence in this generation. We are transformed as we behold Christ (2 Cor. 3:17 - 18; 1 John 3:1-3). Love...Bob 

Is This Normal? (Romans 7:14 – 25)

Notes – September 29, 2019

Pastor Bob Withers, Bethlehem Congregational Church

A.   Who is Paul describing in this passage and why is it important to know?

a.    It is critical to know who Paul is describing because if he is describing his present condition (the condition he was in when he wrote Romans), then we can look at this passage as being normative for Christians. However, if he is describing himself before he knew Christ, or if he is describing a hypothetical Jew under the Law before knowing Christ, then we understand this passage as an experience that should not be normative for the disciple of Jesus Christ.

B.   How do we interpret this passage?

a.    We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate God’s Word to us (1 Cor. Chp. 2).

b.    We must be willing to submit to God’s Word.

c.    What is the context? “A text without a context is a pretext for a prooftext.

C.   What is the context?

a.    The immediate context – the surrounding verses.

b.    The context within the book of the Bible we are reading.

c.    The context of the author’s other writings (if any) in the Bible.

d.    The context of the entire Bible.

D.   The immediate context of Romans 7:14 – 25:

a.    In 7:1 – 12 Paul teaches that our relationship with the Law has ended through the death of Christ.

b.    In Romans Chapter 6 we are taught that in Christ we are dead to sin and alive to God and that we are to present our bodies as instruments of righteousness.

c.    In Romans Chapter 8 we see that we are the Spirit-led children of God who are overwhelmingly conquerors through Him who loved us.

d.    Conclusion: the immediate context of Romans 7:14 – 25 indicates that Romans 7:14 – 25 should not be normative for the Christian.

E.   The context of Paul’s teaching:

a.    1 Cor. 6:9 – 11; Gal. 5:19 – 24; Eph. 5:3 – 5: If these passages are true then Romans 7:14 – 25 cannot be normative for the Christian.

b.    Colossians 3:1 – 17: What is our identity in this passage? If this passage represents our true identity in Christ, then Romans 7:14 – 25 cannot be normative for the Christian.

F.    The context of the Bible:

a.    1 Peter 2:4 – 12; 1 John 3:1 – 3; Hebrews Chp. 2; John Chp. 17; James 1:18; Isaiah 60:1 – 3; Psalm 100:3. If these passages reflect who we are in Christ, then Romans 7:14 – 25 cannot be normative for the Christian.

G.   One more question: What about us? How are we living? How am I living? How are you living? How is Bethlehem Church living?

The Source of our Political Troubles

John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, wrote to pastor David Williamson concerning a book that Williamson had published on civil and religious liberty. The context was the bloody French Revolution – I mention this because the French Revolution was certainly a threat to England, both socially and militarily.

Newton writes in part, “My dear sir, my prayer to God for you is, that he may induce you to employ the talents he has given you, in pointing out sin as the great cause and source of every existing evil, and to engage those who love and fear him, instead of losing time in political speculation.” (John Newton, Wise Counsel, John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland, Jr., Grant Gordon editor, Banner of Truth, 2009).

In Newton’s letter to pastor John Ryland, Jr. of November 6, 1793, in which he touches on David Williamson’s book and his letter to Williamson, Newton writes:

“The times are awfully dark, but the Lord reigns…However, it shall be well with the righteous. I am, or would be, of no sect or party, civil or religious;[i] but a lover of mankind. It is my part to mourn over sin, and the misery which sin causes, to be humbled for my own sins especially, to pray for peace, and to preach the gospel. Other things I leave to those who have more leisure and ability, and I leave the whole to Him who does all things well.” (Ibid).

What can we learn from John Newton? If we believe the words he penned in Amazing Grace, what should that look like in our lives? In my life? In your life? In the lives of our churches?

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[i] While Newton was an Anglican priest, he had fellowship and participated in ministry with non-Anglicans who loved Christ and the Gospel. John Ryland, Jr. was a Baptist. Newton was focused on what C.S. Lewis later regarded as “Mere Christianity” – the core of the Gospel.

Zechariah (6)

Here is another installment of our small group study in Zechariah. Are you participating in the rebuilding and restoration of the Temple?

Our text is Zechariah Chapter 6.

This chapter is the conclusion of Zechariah’s series of visions which began in 1:7 (remember there were no chapters or verses in the original OT and NT documents).

After reading Chapter 6, please review the material in 1:7 – 5:11 and do your best to identify similarities between that material and Chapter 6.

What do you see that is interconnected?

What appear to be the main themes in 1:7 – 6:15?

What do these themes have to do with Jesus Christ?

How is God revealing Himself in these passages?

How might God’s revelation (self-disclosure) of Himself influence the way we live?

Influence our priorities (what’s important to us, what we invest ourselves in)?

Note how the vision begins (1:8) and how its conclusion is introduced (6:1).

Note the correspondence between 3:8 – 10 and 6:11 – 13.

Note 4:9 and 6:13. In 4:9 the focus is on Zerubbabel (of Judah), the head of civic authority completing the rebuilding of the Temple. In 6:13 the focus is on Joshua (of Levi) the high priest completing the Temple. But notice this comment in 6:13, “…Thus he will be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.” (Translations might differ, but this should be close to what all translations say).

This is a picture of the offices of ruler and priest being combined in one person. Notice that the image of the Branch is back in 6:12 (remember 3:8). What we have here is an image of the Messiah in whom we find our King (ruler) and our Hight Priest. All Scripture points to Jesus Christ, again and again and again.

What happens on earth is a reflection of what is happening in the heavens. The rebuilding of the earthy Temple gives us a picture of what the rebuilding of the heavenly Temple on earth looks like. In the OT the high priest did not wear a crown (symbolizing ruling authority), but here we have an exception and the exception is prophetic, it is an image of the Messiah, who is Priest and King – it is a vision of unseen reality in Jesus Christ.

Think about our study of Hebrews and the prominence given to Melchizedek. Take a look at Hebrews 7:1, “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High…” Here we see the merging of King and Priest in one person, who is an image of the Person of the Messiah (remember the importance of Psalm 110 in the book of Hebrews).

I hope we see the interconnectedness of the Bible, the flow and interchange of the Holy Spirit throughout the Scriptures. This mighty Mississippi has many tributaries; the headwaters of this mighty River flow from the Throne of God and the River leads us to Jesus Christ (Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:15).

The rebuilding of the Temple is all about Jesus Christ – and it is about us living in Him and Him living us - all to His glory.

How are we seeing Jesus Christ in the book of Zechariah? This is really the main question…this is always the main question. And how are we responding, in obedience, to what we see of Christ? This is pretty much always the second question linked to the first question.

Pondering Proverbs 10:3

“Yahweh will not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked.” Proverbs 10:3

Our economy is based on craving and would collapse without it. We are conditioned to crave. We condition our children to crave. Many of our churches are conditioned to crave. We want more, then more, then more. We think that if we have just a little more that we’ll be satisfied, but of course that is a mirage.

The more our souls consume of the things and values of this world the more they crave – we are obese with poison. God rejects these cravings. Yes, He will “give us up” to them, He will allow us to consume what we crave and to be turned into those very cravings – we will become what we crave and worship. That is a hideous picture, but it is beautiful to those who crave it – yet a Day will come when that beauty will turn to dust, when the hideousness of our idols will be revealed for all to see.

The word we see the most in the Bible for these cravings is “lust” – and lust is styled as idolatry. We may not have idols in the sense that the ancient world had them, ours are more sophisticated – our images tend to be those which have been marketed to us. We open our wallets and pay homage to the idols. We open our minds and hearts and invite the idols to live within us. We raise our children as offerings to the idols.

And as for our children, like fools we then boast about what good jobs we have done in raising them in the image of the idols…conforming our children to the values and desires of the idols of wealth, prosperity, influence, fame, materialism, and pleasure.

The cravings of the wicked are never satisfied. We were not created to desire these cravings. We were not created to be conformed to them. We were not created to be their dwelling places. We consume them and they consume us.

Yet the soul of the righteous will not hunger. Now here is a healthy tension. While it will not hunger it will hunger, for our Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” So we hunger but we don’t hunger. Those who have tasted that Christ is good want more of Him, and the more we have of Him the more we want.

Yet again, in the Incarnate Son of God we see that His food is to do His Father’s will (John 4:31 – 34). And who is the Righteous but our Lord Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ says, “My soul has become troubled…” (John 12:27). “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).

When we are one with Jesus Christ we are one with the Righteous One and we participate in the Incarnation. Christ lives in us and we live in Christ; He lives out His pilgrimage in us and we live out our pilgrimage in Him.

The Father will not allow the soul of the Righteous One to hunger. We hunger for our Lord Jesus and in Him we find rest and food, the Bread of Life and Living Water. We hunger for more, we hunger to see Him more clearly. We hunger to taste the Bread of Life more deeply, for our palates to become more sensitive to Him, to enjoy and discern the taste of our Lord Jesus, the true Manna from heaven.

The fact that our souls hunger speaks to us of Someone greater than we are. The fact that we have desires to fulfill speaks to us of the transcendent, of that which is greater than ourselves. Our bodies hunger because they need food. Our souls hunger because they need their own food. The question for us is which table we choose to eat at – if we eat at the table of the Wicked we will never be satisfied.

If we eat at the Table which our Good Shepherd has prepared for us, if we partake of His body and His blood – of His life – we will know the joy of tasting that the Lord is good, we will know the satisfaction of living in the deep love and grace and mercy of the True and Living God.

No matter what our circumstance, our kind and gracious heavenly Father desires to feed our souls; He gives us His Son Jesus Christ and in Christ we will never hunger without being fed.