2nd Evangelical Free Church

Blogging Through Isaiah: Dump those idols.

Isaiah 44:6-23

Isaiah moves on to describe in further detail the folly of idolatry. For one thing, it belittles the one true God and moves Him out of the main focus of life. Idolatry exalts some thing or person or idea or lifestyle and puts that into the place which should be held by God. Isaiah’s purpose for doing this is so that Israel (and we) will have no illusions about the vanity of idolatry. After all, idols in his day were just blocks of wood or stone fashioned by human hands and so useless to help in times of need except as fuel for cooking or heat.

We may tend to minimize the concept of idols because of the way Isaiah described them. The idols then were objects and people no longer really worship such things as statues or images. But we don’t have to look far to realize that this is not true. Many people do pray to statues and pictures and treat them with great honor and respect as they would do to a divine being. Many of those people would claim that they are not worshipping the image or representation but adore the spirit which it represents or which inhabits that image. Apparently these spirits cannot operate apart from the image nor can they be approached in prayer in any other way. How can they really help us then? Our God is a Spirit who can be reached anywhere, anytime for He does not need a statue or image, temple, shrine, or church.  

When we think of an idol today we usually adopt the version that the media has popularized: a person, a celebrity whom people admire with great passion almost to the point of worship. No man must ever occupy our attention or passion so much that he or she usurps the place of God as our authority, driving force, counselor, guide or reason for living. No man can provide the guidance or the salvation that Jesus can give. 

 

Blogging Through Isaiah: Modern idolatry.

Isaiah 31 

Isaiah supplements the previous series of oracles with another one pronouncing woe upon those who trust in Egypt. Yahweh says plainly that He will fight for His people. He is the divine Warrior. Though His strength cannot be seen because it is in the realm of the Spirit, He is omnipotent and attacks with surprise and fear far greater than the “shock and awe” strategy that was so proudly proclaimed by the US military in Iraq. No human being who takes arms up against the Lord can ever hope to win. Trusting any person or thing or system other than the Lord is idolatry and must be rooted out.

It may be hard for us to think of idolatry except in terms of statues, idols, false gods and myths, but it actually takes many forms. Any person who does not submit every area of his or her life to the Lord is committing idolatry because he/she is not putting total allegiance or faith in the Lord. All those who rely primarily upon human government to secure and protect them is committing idolatry. Any person who does not seek the Lord’s counsel first in any issue or crisis is committing idolatry. Any person who values the opinions of any celebrity or politician, movie star or guru, friend or relative over the counsel of God is committing idolatry. Of course we tend to forget this in our media drive society. We compartmentalize our lives into work, relationships, leisure. Our relationship with the Lord does not influence how we act in these other areas of life. Yet this too is idolatry.

 

Blogging Through Isaiah: Wealth leads to pride.

 Isaiah 23 

The last of Isaiah’s oracles against the nations concerned the nation represented by the city of Tyre. Tyre was an eminent and wealthy and seaport on the coast of the Mediterranean in what is now modern Lebanon. It was the capital of the trading nation of Phoenicia which dominated all sea trade on the Mediterranean as far west as Spain (Tarshish). Judah had strong diplomatic and commercial ties with that nation and so was somewhat dependent on Tyre for commercial prosperity. As we have seen, however, the Lord demanded that His people trust Him for all things.

Tyre faced the wrath of the Lord not for her wealth but for her pride in that wealth. Though there is nothing inherently wrong with wealth, the sad fact is that it leads people away from trusting the Lord to trusting self, to self-centered pride. Thus Tyre represents the pride of the wealthy in their wealth and in their self-sufficiency. Those who seek wealth often do so at the cost of human lives and relationships. In the quest to satisfy their lust for material prosperity the wealthy often do things that are unkind and unscrupulous. They spurn those who stand in their way and use and abuse those who can help them achieve their goals, after which they cast them aside. Those who seek wealth at all costs then will face God’s wrath as did Tyre.

Wealth and money and the things they can buy all will perish but He who does the Lord’s will receive eternal rewards that will not. Thus we Christians should be wary about seeking wealth for our own sake. If we seek wealth and material prosperity we had better be sure that our motives are to glorify the Kingdom of God. Otherwise what wealth we attain will become a curse and a snare. 

 

Blogging Through Isaiah: Don’t place your trust in pleasure.

Isaiah 22

The valley of vision refers to Jerusalem and Judah. It was a misnomer, for in reality Judah lacked vision. She was blind to what the Lord was doing. The Lord was angry because the people, as a whole, failed to heed the prophecies Isaiah has just declared against the nations. If mighty Babylon was going to suffer a crushing defeat, how could little Judah survive? The Jews may have been filled with dread at this prospect, but this did not turn them to God for answers, help or comfort. Hezekiah may have repented but not the nation as a whole. They chose to follow other leaders who only led them astray. And, in the light of the doom that would come shortly they decided to seek comfort in sensuality and pleasure rather than in the Lord. 

Many of the people of our world are like this. Many are quite pessimistic about their lives and about the world in general. That feeling of dread and fear causes them to adopt lifestyles of hedonism and sensuality. All they have is the pleasures of the flesh. These delights numb them to the pain of life and block out their feelings of despair and grief but do not eliminate them. They reason that if this life is all there is, then it is vital to enjoy themselves by finding meaning and comfort in indulging fleshly appetites. But they lack vision. They do not see what God is doing; they fail to heed any of His warnings; they reject all of His loving invitations to come to Him and find rest. Non-believers lack vision because they are blind to their sinfulness, their need for repentance and their need for a Divine savior. The hope of the cross shines like a beacon in this dark world. Pray that many would see it and come to faith in Jesus. 

 

Blogging through Esther: A Persian beauty pageant.

Esther 2

Vashti’s loss was fortunate for Esther, Mordecai and all the Jews. Ahasuerus sought out a new queen through a rather ridiculous and quite excessive manner which brought hundreds of unfortunate virgin women to “audition”. The whole manner in which this was accomplished makes it seem as a rather sick and twisted beauty pageant where the women were judged on looks and sexual performance. After one night with Ahasuerus each was banished to the harem where they stayed until summoned, if ever, for, as we note, Esther’s turn came up 4 years after Vashti had been banished.

Resistance to compromise brought blessings to Daniel and his companions, but here accommodations were made by Jews in order to survive in a pagan environment. Esther, also known as Hadassah, a Hebrew name that means myrtle, a beautiful fragrant tree, was quite beautiful and wise. For these reasons she found favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus. Yet her name Esther is derived from Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love. In addition she actively engaged in unholy practices including marrying a pagan and eating unclean food, all at the advice of her cousin Mordecai. His name is derived from the Persian god Marduk. The Persian names were used to cover up their Jewish identity and do not necessarily indicate they were apostate though their actions were certainly questionable. Such actions  are not meant to be emulated. The point of the story is God is faithful when we are not.

 

The Kingdom Values.

Ezra 2

Here we find a record of all the people who responded to Cyrus' decree and returned to Israel. The list is of families and the towns in Babylon they came from. Almost all of these people could demonstrate their Jewish ancestry. As such, this list records those who belonged to the faith community divided into several subgroups: lay people, the regular citizens; priests; Levites who assisted in the Temple function rites; singers; gatekeepers; the Nethinim, which literally means those given, those dedicated to God, servants who assisted the Levites; and finally those who could not demonstrate their ancestry. This last group had to wait until the priests could later identify them properly.

Although the listing may seem dull and pointless because it is just a list of names, there seems to be a very good reason for its inclusion in the scripture. It reminds us of the importance of the purity of the community of faith. Those who say they belong to Jesus become members of His royal household. They must be able, however, to verify that relationship with evidence. What is required is not a genealogy of course, but the evidence of a changed life, one that has renounced the world completely and is marked by tangible acts of love and self-sacrifice.  

We Christians are often called on to provide the required proof, usually in the form of a testimony that gives evidence of a changed life. Once we were sinners. Now we are not. Once we valued all the world deems important. Now everything in the world, no matter how grand or glorious, no matter how heroic or noble, lofty or exalted, popular and fashionable, beautiful and talented, pales into insignificance before the love, mercy and righteousness of the Kingdom of God.

 

 

Blogging through Ruth: We cannot redeem ourselves.

Ruth 3

Naomi’s instructions to Ruth may seem odd but they are designed to secure Boaz as their kinsman-redeemer. The kinsman-redeemer would be able to buy the property that had belonged to Elimelech so his family would maintain their inheritance in the Promised Land (Lev. 25:25ff). In addition he had to marry Ruth, the widow of his kinsman to raise up children in the deceased’s name (Deut. 25:5-10). Boaz could fulfill the requirements but because he was so humble, he did not put himself forward. It was up to Ruth to make the marriage proposal which, of course, was not her place. Thus her actions have sexual overtones, but they are actually her way of asking Boaz to marry her and fulfill his duty as kinsman-redeemer.

What Ruth did placed both her and Boaz in jeopardy. After all, there on the isolated threshing floor in the dark of night, who would know what happened? If they had been caught, their reputations as godly people would be tarnished even though nothing sinful occurred. Boaz was righteous and would never do anything sinful. He resisted the strong temptation Ruth presented. Yet he was deeply blessed by her kindness since he was quite a bit older than she. He accepted her proposal and pledged to fulfill his promise with great haste.

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a type or symbol of our own redemption. We, like Ruth go to the Lord in the midst of our need and express to Him our inability to save ourselves. We place ourselves at His feet to plead for mercy. He reaches out to us and covers us with His mantle of protection. We collectively as the Church become His bride. 

 

Blogging by Numbers: The Lord will uphold the faithful.

Numbers 13

The 12 spies went in to Canaan to explore the land. They were to survey it and can bring back reports of its lush fertility. These reports would be used to inspire the people, to whet their enthusiasm to enter the land as soon as possible. In addition this reconnaissance would determine the obstacles the Israelites would face so they could prepare for them. The purpose was not to determine whether they would move in or not depending on whether they liked the place or not. It was not like shopping for a house. They had no choice but to go in for this was the place the Lord had chosen for them.

 

The initial reports were of a fruitful land flowing with milk and honey. However, the report also included stories of the inhabitants, giants like the Nephilim of old. Caleb and Joshua were not dismayed by these Canaanites. Since they knew they could rely on God’s strength and guidance, they knew that the difficulties were easily overcome. Not so the other 10 men. They were afraid of the Canaanites and perceived that they could not drive them out. So often we too are dismayed by the obstacles and trials we face. This is because we listen to the world and the warnings and prognostications of the “experts” or the scientists yet forget that the Lord God is a God who does what we think is difficult or impossible. Why listen to the wisdom of the world and be filled with doubt and fear? The Lord has promised to be carry His people through all tribulations even illness and death and prevail for the glory of His Kingdom.

Know the truth so you can reject the lies.

1 Timothy 4

Paul emphasizes the importance of sound teachers and sound doctrine for these will counteract the lies and speculations of the false teachers who will arise in the church, indeed had already arisen in the church of Ephesus. Paul refers to them as hypocrites, an indication that such people had arisen and will arise from within the fellowship of believers. These were people who had joined the church, made an outward profession of faith but who had no desire to exalt the name of Christ. Rather they wanted to exalt themselves by proclaiming esoteric doctrines and building up a following of believers under their authority. They then could look spiritual by telling others how to live while neglecting their own need for righteousness.

At Ephesus, these false teachers were legalists who attacked the good things God had given as evil, specifically sex and diet. They felt that the body was evil so that it must not be indulged or appeased in any. They forbade some to enter into marriages and forbade sex within marriage. They asserted the holiness of keeping the Jewish dietary laws and of exercising the physical body. While it is true that abuse in the areas of sex and diet can lead to sin, Paul rebukes such teaching by pointing out that all that the Lord God Almighty has created is good and should be taken with thankfulness and gratitude and used in the way He intended for it. Thus sex is good and holy only within the covenant of marriage. All food is good if used to feed and nourish the body. This same principle can apply to physical activity or almost anything in life. We should not become so focused on anything so that it becomes an idol. All our passion and energy should be devoted to the Lord and doing the work of His kingdom.

Meditate & Apply: What consumes your passion and energy most?

Watch your mouth!

Colossians 4

Paul now alludes to some other very important aspects of the Christian life: prayer, our evangelistic witness and our speech. Each of these builds the kingdom of God as we treat others with kindness and respect. When we pray for others we build community and oneness. As we pray we become bound with others by feelings of love and compassion. Their suffering becomes ours. As for our Christian witness, we must make use of every opportunity that comes our way to share the gospel, but in the right way. We must consider the other, listen and learn where they hurt o we may apply scripture, compassion and the love of Christ to the point of their need. We are to be wise as to how we approach others as our attitude and words ought to win them with peace.

 

This matter of speech must also be applied to our fellow believers and to every one of our relationships. Our words and expressions have power to encourage and heal but also to hurt. Too often we say things that are mean and cruel because we are not thinking of the needs, disposition or pain of the other. We are thinking too much of ourselves, how the other’s behavior reflects on us, or how much the other person disgusts us or how superior we are to such weak people with issues and problems. We need to speak with grace so that Christ is glorified and praised. He will enable us to do so as long as we realize we are His servants, just as were the believers whose names Paul lists at the end of this letter. They all served God but helping Paul. They did not seek honors or kudos for their efforts but are a testimony and example to us of faithful and unselfish service.

Meditate & Apply: Have you ever hurt someone with your words? What was the result? Should you always say what you feel? How do you think your speech and words can be improved so that Christ is glorified?