Joy In Our Deliverance

Psalm 126

In my last posting, looking into the Book of Isaiah we looked at going through extremely difficult times, times when we can’t find a way out, and the Lord bringing us deliverance.  Today’s Scripture, from the Book of Psalms, brings a song of praise following just such a deliverance.  Let’s take a quick look at this Scripture which in some ways could be a follow-up to our previous study.

Psalm 126 is one of the fifteen psalms (Psalms 120-134) called the Songs of Ascent, short psalms that pilgrims and travelers to Jerusalem would recite as they made their way to the capital city and the Temple there.  They were called songs of ascent due to the topography of the land there, Jerusalem being built on a high hill.  Any traveler to the city, coming from any direction, would be making a steep climb in elevation.

Today’s psalm was most likely written to express the joy of the people of Israel following their return to the Promised Land following the years of the Babylonian captivity.  The people of Israel had spent approximately seventy years away from their homeland, brought as captives hundreds of miles east into Babylon.  Now the children and grandchildren, and perhaps some of the original captives, were returning to their homeland!  It was like a dream for them, something that they felt would never have happened! (vs. 1).  They are laughing and singing for joy (vs. 2).  They proclaim their praises that the Lord has done great things for them!

When something wonderful happens to us, we don’t just keep it to ourselves.  No, we tell our friends and neighbors.  We let everyone we can think of know the good news.  We tell everyone, especially if it is some blessing that the Lord bestowed upon us, a blessing that perhaps we didn’t even see coming.  The people, upon their return to their homeland, wanted to proclaim to all the surrounding nations what great and wonderful things Yahweh had done for them (vs. 2-3).  Their joy served as a witness to God’s glory and power.  It showed to all that He is a sovereign God, and that He will always keep His covenant promises to redeem His people.

As the psalm continues, the people pray to the Lord for continued restoration (vs. 4).  God had delivered them from the Babylonian captivity, but they acknowledge that it is only through His power and mercy that they will stay free.  There is physical captivity, and sometimes people are sadly, tragically caught in that.  There is also captivity to sin, to bad habits, to addictions, and any other thing.  We need the Lord to bring us out of that captivity.  We need His salvation.

The psalm concludes with the idea of going out in tears, but returning with joy (vs. 5-6).  The children of Israel had been taken captive into Babylon in tears of misery and sorrow, and spent the next seventy years there in wretchedness and anguish.  Their prayers for deliverance were mingled with their tears.  The Lord God heard their prayers, and He honored His promises.  The people returned home, reaping their blessings with joy.

How often do we bring our prayers for so many things to God with tears of sadness and distress?  We may sow those prayers in tears, but there will come a day when we will reap a harvest with joy!  We can trust in the sovereignty of God.  Just as He restored Israel, He will remain faithful to His promises today.  Because of that, we should share with others the joy of His salvation, and testify to them of God’s goodness.

We should not always dwell on the dark side of everything, and the bad things we have gone through. Instead, praise God for bringing us out of the horrible pit and miry clay, and setting us on a Rock (Psalm 40:2).  The Lord has brought us to a place of abundance (Psalm 66:12).  The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God should be, who has led us through them all, and preserved us to today.

A New Thing

Isaiah 43:16-21

Have you ever found yourself in a terrible predicament, one where it looked like there was no way out, where you were caught by whatever the problem was, and you were likely to go down?  Many of us have faced such a situation.  What does one do?  Where do you turn?  There doesn’t seem to be an answer, or anyone who can help.  In our Scripture today, the Lord God gives an answer through one of his prophets, the mighty prophet Isaiah, where He reminds us of His sovereign power, and His ability to make a way even in impossible circumstances.  Let’s take a quick look at what He has to say to us today.

As Isaiah begins this passage of Scripture, he looks back to one time in the nation of Israel’s history, a time when their backs were up against a wall.  Isaiah spoke of the day when Moses had led the people of Israel, enslaved by Egypt, out of that country.  However as they left, they came up to the shore of a branch of the Red Sea, and the army of Pharaoh on their chariots were right behind them.  What were they going to do?  The water before them, and Pharaoh and his chariots behind them.

God didn’t leave them in that hopeless and helpless situation (vs. 16-17).  As the prophet reminded the people, and reminds us today, God made a way in the sea, and a path through the water.  Moses couldn’t do that on his own.  None of the people could, either.  God stopped the army of Pharaoh.  Pharaoh ruled the most powerful kingdom in the world at the time.  His armies were the best equipped, and his chariots with soldiers riding them were rightly feared, yet they were as nothing to Yahweh.  He brought them down so that His people could escape.  God has unmatched authority over nature and nations, and is faithful and capable of delivering His people.

The people that Isaiah was ministering to were facing more challenging situations, just as many of us are today, situations that look exceptionally grim.  As Isaiah continued his message from the Lord, he told them not to focus solely on what was done in the past (vs. 18).  It is good to remember what happened in the past, to learn the lessons it can teach and the encouragement it can bring, however we need to focus on what God can and is doing today.  We cannot live in the past, with both its triumphs and mistakes.  If we’ve repented, God has forgiven those sins. We need to trust His promises for today.

God promises us that He has something new for us today, that He will do a new thing, and that it will spring forth (vs. 19).  We may feel that we are in a wilderness or a desert with our problems, and there’s no way out.  However Yahweh has promised that He will make a way in that wilderness for us, and bring a river of water into that desert.  He has control of all creation, and it will honor Him (vs. 20-21).

Though we might not see it right away, or understand it, God can bring good out of a bad situation.  Just like the heat of forest fires releases the seeds of some pines from their pine cones, bringing new life, we often feel God’s love and healing most powerfully in difficult situations.

One “new thing” that the Lord God did for us, something that had never been done before, was through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior.  He became a human, spent His life here, and died for our sins, even for the sins of His enemies.  Who would have ever thought that the Creator and God of the whole universe would stoop to do that for mankind?  And now He is with us through the Holy Spirit, and promises to share everlasting life with us.  No other “god” or deity has ever done such a thing, and none have ever made such promises to their people.

When faced with our own personal Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, instead of worrying that what God did in the past could not possibly happen again today or in the future, we need to keep our eyes open for the new things that He will do for us today.  When our eyes are focused in the wrong direction, we could miss what blessings God has for us now, and what He has in store for our future.  We should remember the past deliverances God has done for us and others, and now trust Him with the current challenges we have today and in the future.  His nature and ability is unchanging, and He can transform our life and bring us hope.

The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

A former, now deceased, pastor of mine used to tell the story of how a number of years ago he witnessed a few times to a well-known Chicago area baseball announcer.  However, that person could not get past the fact that he was a terrible sinner, and believed God could/would never accept him, despite assurances from my late pastor.  Perhaps some of you out there have the same feeling, that you have been too long in the pit of sin for God to forgive and save you.  If so, then today’s Scripture is for you.  It is one of the most famous and favorite of the parables that the Lord Jesus told.

In response to the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus for eating and associating with sinners, the Lord told three parables.  The first two were short ones - the parable of the lost sheep, and the parable of the lost coin (Luke 15:1-10).  The third one, was much longer, and is the parable told in our Scripture, that of the lost son.  The parable begins with a man and his two adult sons.  The younger son went to his father and demanded his portion of the inheritance right then.  He didn’t want to wait until his father died.  He wanted it right then!  The father gave him his portion, and then the younger son left to go live in a far country (vs. 11-13).  While there the young man lived a wild and sinful lifestyle.  The Scriptures say that he wasted all of his money on “prodigal” living, a wanton and sinful lifestyle.  It is quite possible he spent all of his time partying, with alcohol, drugs, and orgies.  He is representative of all unsaved people.

When his money ran out, a famine also hit, and the rich boy who never worked, was now reduced to pouring slop to pigs (vs. 14-16).  This young man was hungry, he did not have a nice, comfortable bed, and when his money was gone, so were his “friends”.  He had hit rock bottom.  This, though, was where he needed to be, as in this wretched state he was able to come to his senses, and see exactly where his sinful life had led him (vs. 17).  He began to think the truth about himself, and the situation he had created.  We all need to see and believe the truth about ourselves, that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  We need to repent and agree that our wrongdoing is sin, and to decide to turn away from it.  The young man wanted to go home.  He wanted to return, even if it meant being a servant in his father’s household (vs. 18-19).  He didn’t know what kind of reception he would get, but he repented of what he had done, and decided to go back home where he belonged.

Little did he know, though, that his father was earnestly waiting for him to return! (vs. 20).  The father had been looking, watching the horizon every day for the sight of his son to return.  Then one day the father’s hopes and prayers were realized, his son had come home.  He wasted no time, but hitched up his robes and ran to welcome him home.  It didn’t matter that his son was filthy and smelly from the life he had been living.  It didn’t matter how sinful he had been, once the son had repented and decided to return, the father welcomed him.  Our Father in heaven is like the father here. We stray away from Him and are lost, but God loves us, and never gives up searching for us until found.  We are never tossed away or forgotten about, even when we lose our way or turn our backs on Him.  There is great delight and joy in the Father when one of His children turns around from their sinful ways and heads home.  He ran to meet his son!

Not everyone was so delighted to see the prodigal son return home.  The older son was angry when he saw the way their father welcomed him back home (vs. 25-30).  He is like the Pharisees, the self-righteous religious hypocrites. He was angry that his brother was welcomed, and probably believed he should have been punished for his sins, not received blessings.  He was jealous of what his brother received.  When we notice God blessing someone’s life, it doesn’t mean He has forgotten us.  There was enough to go around for not just the prodigal son, but the older one, as well (vs. 31).  God won’t hold back from blessing us, too, if we will just come to Him and ask.

When we reject God’s will in our life, we enter a “far country”.  Satan beckons us there with promises of excitement.  But the reality of the “far country” never fulfills those empty promises.  Sin distorts our thinking, and we lose our sense of what is right and good.  When we don’t follow God’s will, we make foolish decisions and end up in trouble.  The end of that journey will be our own personal pig-pen.  When we have been lost and are found again, there is great rejoicing in heaven.  It is never too late to repent and be found by God.  Our sin will never out-distance the reach of God’s grace.  If we turn around and come home to the Father, He will receive, forgive, and restore us with rejoicing.  He is calling!  He is waiting!

A New Creation In Christ

II Corinthians 5:17-21

Have you ever run across someone you once knew, but hadn’t seen in a number of years, and you notice a big change in them?  Perhaps they have lost a lot of weight, or have had a change in their finances and are now in a whole different type of wardrobe and car.  We can change our hairstyle, wear different style clothes, get a new car or house, but that doesn’t change our personality or what type of person we are.  Our outside may change, but our inside is the same.  There is one thing, though, that changes us on the inside, which is described in our New Testament Scripture this week.

In the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, he instructs us that if we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and are thus “in Christ”, we are now a new creation (vs. 17).  When we are saved and become a believer, we are spiritually reborn, our old sinful nature is replaced with a new life in Christ.  This change is not merely superficial, but is a complete renewal of our heart and mind.  This is because we now have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.  Our eyes and mind are opened to understand the Scriptures, which the unsaved have no ability to do.  The more we walk with the Lord, the more we have His mind and discernment.

When a sinner turns to God for salvation, He cleanses the heart of iniquity, and gives that person a new nature.  Occasionally the believer will return to following the old flesh patterns, so the Lord calls us to confess and repent when we miss the mark (I John 1:9).  Because of the substitution that Jesus made, where He took upon Himself our sins, and instead gave us His righteousness, we have been adopted into His family and our sins have been forgiven and nailed to the cross.  The debt demanded by the Old Testament Law has been paid in full.  We have been welcomed into a new life, a life filled with forgiveness and hope.  Now, we need to be committed to putting off of the old worldly way of life, and putting on our new life in Christ.  We need to move from death into life, and grow from immaturity to maturity in the Holy Spirit.  This putting off of the old and putting on the new indicates a decisive choice and action.  An entirely transformed way of life is needed.

Paul continues as he highlights the concept of reconciliation, showing how God, through Christ, bridged the gap caused by sin (vs. 18-19).  Reconciliation means to mend a broken relationship.  It takes us from being someone’s enemy to now being considered their friends. This reconciliation with God is a work of His grace alone, and cannot come through our own human effort.  Reconciliation is God moving towards us through the cross of Jesus Christ.  When we place our faith in the Savior, we immediately take part in that reconciliation.

Now that we are reconciled to God, and are a new creation with a new life, God has commissioned us with an important assignment. We have been commissioned to be His ambassadors to the world (vs. 20).  An ambassador is an important position.  He or she represents their country to the government and people of another country.  As believers, we are called to represent Christ on earth as His official agents, and are commissioned to bring God’s message of reconciliation to the world.

The Apostle Paul closes out this segment of Scripture with one cornerstone of Christian belief, that of the substitutionary atonement (vs. 21).  This verse encapsulates the doctrine of imputation, that Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, took on our sin so that we might receive His righteousness.  This shows the depth of both God’s love and His righteousness.

In closing, let’s remember that we represent the family of God to the world.  The world will judge our Heavenly Father based on our words, our behavior, and our attitude.  The deeds that we do, whether good or bad, will reflect an image of the Father that others will see.  When others look at us, do they see someone who is attempting to live for the Lord Jesus, or do they see someone who is no different than a worldly person?  Let’s take seriously the role of being an ambassador for Christ, and faithfully share the Gospel message, both with our words and our actions.

Deliverance From Fear

Psalm 34:1-8

Think, if you will, of your greatest fear.  You might have some very serious financial fears, or perhaps of not surviving a serious illness you or someone you love has.  Perhaps it is a fear of getting seriously sick in the future, or of aging and being alone.  Some people have a fear of actual physical enemies, or fears of certain types of animals.  There are so many different types of fears that disturb our life, sometimes dramatically.  What do you do when your fears become overwhelming?  Some may try to overcome their fears by seeking counseling.  Others think they can drown their fears in alcohol and/or drugs.  Some people just allow their fears to overwhelm them.  Our psalm selection this week gives us another option with what we can do when faced with fear.  Let’s see what God’s Word says.

Psalm 34 was written by David following a rather fearful event in his life.  David had defeated Goliath, then was court musician, and later son-in-law to King Saul.  However, Saul grew jealous of David’s success and popularity, and tried on numerous occasions to kill him, so he had to spend many years fleeing Saul.  At one time David sought refuge with the King of Gath, however when other courtiers reminded the king that David was the one who killed their champion Goliath, he feigned madness and fled for his life (I Samuel 21:10-15).

Having to flee from Saul all across his homeland of Israel, and now one of his places of refuge was also now a threat to his life, this would be discouraging and even fearful to many people.  What do we see David do, though?  He wrote this psalm to celebrate his deliverance from the king of Gath, and the first thing David did was to give praise to God, blessing His Name (vs. 1).  We may feel overwhelmed by our fears, all of those terrible things in our life that keep knocking us down, and we might not feel like praising God.  We can, though, always praise Him, whether we “feel” like it or not.  We can schedule praise breaks into our day, like devoted people in the Old Testament did (Psalm 119:164).  Praise is not conditional, but is an act of faith and obedience, as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 and I Thessalonians 5:18.

Satan is the instigator of fear and discouragement.  He will do anything he can to dishearten us, and keep our focus on negative things instead of on God.  Irrational fears, or even legitimate ones don’t need to terrify us.  David found true solace and comfort only in his relationship with God.  When he sought help from human sources, they often failed, as with the king of Gath, or when circumstances separated him from his good friend Jonathan.  God, though, was always there.  He could turn to Him in prayer, and He would hear and answer him (vs 4-6).  God hears and delivers those who earnestly seek him.  He is all-wise and all-loving.  When fear starts to overwhelm us, we need to stop and remember that God is our God, and He will always hold us up.  When we trust in Him, we can face our trials with confidence (II Timothy 1:7).

When we are afraid, it is good to remember those occasions in the past when God has heard and answered yours and your loved one’s prayers, and delivered you all from your fears.  Are you afraid of physical danger?  Remember times in the past when he protected you.  Remember all of the times the Lord brought healing to you and your loved ones when you fear for your health.  When financial fears stalk you, remember the times in the past when He has provided for your needs.

David continued in his psalm by reminding us that believers have another reason not to be overwhelmed with fear.  As we read in verse 7, the Lord surrounds us with His angels.  These mighty warriors of the Lord provide us with their protective presence as we also read in Psalm 91:11-12.  David closed this portion of the psalm with an invitation and challenge for all to try the Lord, just as one would recommend a good meal.  This was a call for all, both then and now, to have a personal experience with God, one beyond just an intellectual knowledge to a tangible relationship with Him.

Even in the darkest hours, when our fears seem the strongest, Psalm 34 reminds us that we can turn to the Lord, calling upon Him for help and deliverance.  Worshiping God fills the heart with joy and the mind with peace.  The joy and deliverance from our fears that David described in his psalm should motivate us to share the Gospel so that others, too, may also “taste and see.”

Rahab

Joshua 2

It is quite common for someone to be, sometimes unfairly, judged because of their past.  Perhaps during a period of their life they were involved in some sinful and/or illegal business, whether with drugs, alcohol, or any manner of carnal business.  Maybe they were associated with some disreputable people or held a questionable job.  They may be unfairly judged by others, and they also may judge themselves harshly, thinking that even God would never accept them, as they are too sinful.  Is anyone just too sinful to come to God for salvation?  And if they do, is anyone’s past too bad to ever be used by God for any ministry?  To those who judge others, or who judge themselves as being too sinful for God’s use, I would recommend that they read today’s Scripture and take a look at the life of this Biblical character.

Our Scripture opens with the children of Israel about to enter the land of Canaan, the land that the Lord God had promised their fathers.  They were preparing to cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land.  The first target would be the city of Jericho, just opposite their position along the river.  Joshua decided to send two spies to check the city out and bring back a report (vs. 1).

Shortly after entering Jericho the two men met with a woman named Rahab, a woman who the Scripture says was a harlot or prostitute.  Let’s take a closer look at this woman.  The 1st century Roman-Jewish historian Josephus, along with some other early Rabbinic teachers and other Biblical scholars have said that Rahab or her family ran an inn in Jericho, and that likely Rahab offered other “services” for an additional fee.  This would make sense, as spies at that time would likely go to an inn with a tavern, as that would be a good place to gather information.

Word got out to the king of Jericho that there were Jewish spies in the city.  He figured they might be staying at Rahab’s, and wanted her to give them up (vs. 2-3).  However, Rahab has seed-sized faith in the God of Israel, and she decided to hide the spies.  She took them to the roof and hid them with the grain stalks on her roof (vs. 4-7).  After the king’s men left Rahab told the two Hebrew spies how the city has heard all about the Israelites from the day they came out of Egypt until then, and how Yahweh had taken care of them and fought for them.  She shared how they were terrified of their people, and then shared with them her faith in Yahweh, acknowledging that He is God of heaven and earth (vs. 11).   As Rahab lets them safely escape she asks that her life, and that of her family, be spared when they conquer Jericho (vs. 12-13).  They made that promise and later kept it.

Despite her background, Rahab demonstrated remarkable faith in the God of Israel.  She acknowledged Yahweh’s sovereignty, giving a powerful testimony of faith, a faith that moved her to act by hiding the spies and helping them safely escape.  Those actions demonstrated that her faith was real, not just empty words.  Centuries later in the New Testament James referenced her as an example of faith in action (James 2:25), and she is mentioned in “Faith’s Hall of Fame” (Hebrews 11:31).

Through the grace and mercy of God, Rahab, who was a prostitute and a Gentile Canaanite, served as a witness to the truth, and a role model of faith.  We are not accepted because we are great, but because of God’s compassion and mercy.  God accepted Rahab when she heard of Him and responded in faith.

Rahab’s inclusion in God’s plan, despite her sinful past, underscores the theme of redemption.  It showcases God’s grace and willingness to save anyone who turns to Him in faith.  Rahab’s scarlet cord (vs. 17-21) was symbolic of her commitment to repent of her sins, and turn from her pagan lifestyle to become one of God’s children.

The Lord God honored Rahab’s faith in a very special way by allowing her to be the ancestress of the royal line of David, and even greater, the ancestress of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).  God’s grace extends to all who come to Him in faith.  He can use anyone for His purposes, no matter what their past is like, just like He did with Rahab!

Are Tragedies A Punishment?

Luke 13:1-9

When something bad happens to someone, does the thought that perhaps they must have done something to deserve what happened come to your mind?  Or maybe the opposite, when something good happens, you think that this is their reward for being a good person?  Some people use the saying “what goes around, comes around”, or have a belief in a type of karma, that if you do good, you’ll get good, or if you do bad, you’ll get bad back.  Our Gospel reading today gives Jesus’ answer to that.  Let’s see what He has to say.

As our Scripture opens, some people had told the Lord Jesus about something that had probably just happened in Jerusalem.  A group of Galilean pilgrims had traveled to Jerusalem to make sacrifices at the Temple, and while there, something must have happened involving this group that angered Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea (vs. 1).  The Gospel does not elaborate as to what this was.  Perhaps they got mixed up in some zealot anti-Rome uprising.  However, whatever it was, Pilate crushed it, and had them put to death.   Another tragic incident also recently happened when a tower in the village of Siloam fell, killing eighteen people (vs. 4).

Whispers were going through the crowd as people said that these unfortunate people must have done something to merit these tragedies to happen in their life (vs. 2, 4).  It was a popular belief then, and is still among some today, that these victims suffered because they were greater sinners.  Jesus told the crowds that this thinking was not correct (vs. 3, 5).  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  Joseph the son of Jacob, and St. Paul are examples.  Jesus specifically corrected His disciples when they questioned whether the man born blind was so afflicted because of his sins or the sins of his parents (John 9:2-3).

Galatians 6:7-8 says that we reap what we so, but unlike karma, God doesn’t promise justice here on earth (II Thessalonians 1:6-7), and He doesn’t promise an easy life for believers (John 16:33).  Jesus refuted the notion of karma, and emphasized that all individuals are sinful and equal in need of repentance.  He told the crowds there that day that it was imperative that everyone repent and turn to God, because judgment is coming, and if they don’t they “will all likewise perish.”  This underscores the urgency of spiritual repentance for salvation, and reminds us that judgment can come unexpectedly.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow, as both of these groups found out.  None of those who died in these verses expected when they woke up that death would meet them before the end of the day.

Jesus then proceeded to tell the parable of the barren fig tree (vs. 6-9).  A man had a fig tree in his vineyard, and for three years it was not producing any fruit.  He told the gardener that he wanted it cut down, but the gardener asked to give the tree one more chance.  He would give it special care and fertilize it.  If that didn’t work, then he would cut it down.  Fig trees had long been a symbol of the nation of Israel, and in Jesus’ parable, it represents them, and more broadly, anyone who fails to bear spiritual fruit despite God’s blessings.  Cutting it down shows God’s righteous judgment, but the gardener’s plea for another year shows God’s patience and mercy.  God’s mercy is abundant, but it is not limitless.  Without repentance and fruitfulness, judgment is inevitable.

Our fruitfulness matters greatly to God, but only when it is the genuine article, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  That fruit is produced as we abide in the Vine, the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:5).  No matter how impressive, works achieved solely through human effort have zero value in God’s eyes.

In closing, let us realize that each of us is personally accountable to God.  We need to examine our life for spiritual fruit.  Are we bearing fruit for the Lord Jesus, or are we a barren tree, not truly saved, and just taking up space?  We need to heed the call to repent, recognizing God's mercy, but not taking it for granted.  We need to be careful not to judge others, that somehow their misfortune was brought on by their behavior.  Don’t mix Christianity with karma or any Eastern religion (Colossians 2:8).  It is important, though, that we heed Jesus’ warning to repent and accept Him as Savior, for we never know what will happen before the end of any day.