Jeremiah 14
If everything were stacked against you, and you perceived certain struggle in the future, how would you turn to God? What would you ask for? How would you pray? In chapter 14 of Jeremiah, we get another wonderful glimpse into a conversation between the prophet and his God. God continues to present a message of coming judgment through Jeremiah, and a brutally honest prophet continues to faithfully convey the message while at the same time communicating his heart and struggles to God.
Now that is a difficult combination to preserve in our lives: brutal honesty and complete faithfulness. Oftentimes we assume that we have to surrender ourselves to a destructive doubt in order to speak with God on honest terms, or we feel that in order to remain faithful to God and his call on our lives, we need to ignore the questions or frustrations creeping along in the backs of our minds. Neither is so with Jeremiah. This chapter contains another display of Jeremiah’s struggles with the problem of evil while at the same time containing the prophet’s prophetic description of a famine resulting from rebellion.
So how does an honest and faithful prophet struggle with the problem of evil? In verses 8 and 9 Jeremiah opines:
O you hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
Why should you be like a man confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
In other words, Jeremiah is wondering how God can act like a tourist or a worthless warrior while his people perish all around him. And before we have a chance to catch our breath, God replies in verse 10:
Thus says the LORD concerning this people:
"They have loved to wander thus;
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the LORD does not accept them;
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins."
God’s answer, in this situation, is that the problem of evil is directed at the wrong person. Why is there so much evil and why does it seem that God is absent? It is because rebellious people have wandered away from God. It is not God who is causing the trouble, and thus it is not God who should be catching the grief. The people’s rebellion caused their pain.
And then after some more conversation, Jeremiah finishes his thoughts with a prayer. Given all that the weeping prophet sees around him, and all that he knows is good for the people of Judah and for himself, this is how he summarizes his thoughts in verses 20-22:
We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,
and the iniquity of our fathers,
for we have sinned against you.
Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.
Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O LORD our God?
We set our hope on you,
for you do all these things.
Three things come to the surface. First, Jeremiah recognizes that he and his people are sinners. Even if Jeremiah struggles with the problem of evil from time to time, he knows it does not exonerate him or those around him from their sins. Thirdly (a little out of order), he acknowledges God as the only God. There is no one besides him who can rescue his people.
Secondly, and I think most telling, Jeremiah asks for God’s name to be glorified. Jeremiah does not pray that the whole ordeal will be over with quickly, or that the righteous would be saved from the pain and sorrow, or that God would stop it all. What Jeremiah wants more than anything else at this moment is God’s glory. He knows that what is best for him and best for Judah is what is best for God-that he would be exalted and glorified.
Will I have the strength of faith required to pray that prayer when the time comes? Do I honestly know that no matter what I perceive to be the best outcome in the face of pain or peril, it is the one that will glorify God? God’s glory is my greatest delight.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Saturday, October 15, 2005
What Does God Think?: Jeremiah 12:7-17
Jeremiah 12:7-17
This particular passage is one of those that can fly by very quickly in our evening devotions as we prepare to fall asleep. You know the kind of passage. The one you reach and think to yourself, “I can skim through this passage-it will be OK.” We are all guilty of that, and we can’t always be blamed for trying to get to sleep on time. But there are treasures for the diligent reader, and this passage contains some wonderful and challenging truths for us if we only have the wherewithal to read closely.
Our passage opens with God describing the loss of his treasure. Though destruction is upon his people, and though God has warned them and told them the present troubles are a result of their own evil deeds, God is broken-hearted. Notice how the first three phrases make this evident:
“I have forsaken my house,”
“I have abandoned my heritage,”
“I have given [to their enemies] the beloved of my soul.”
I hope that our trek through Jeremiah has taught us a clear lesson about God-he is not vindictive, capricious, arbitrary, or spiteful. The God of the Bible is so full of love for his creation that even when we suffer the consequences due our rebellion, God hurts over our struggle and still considers us his beloved. His love demands we feel the sting of our sins and rebellion, but he remains always the lover of our souls and the forgiver of our sins.
As the passage continues, God describes how Judah has turned against him though he came to them over and over. They were like a wild lion in the forest and turned on their God. Then the chapter ends with an enthralling twist of pronouns.
Imagine yourself the king of Judah. Your enemies surround your country, many of your town and villages have already been leveled, and here stands the prophet of God bringing you the news of your imminent demise. Then you get this little gem:
“Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors… after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them…”
If you watch the pronouns closely (or read this passage in a clear paraphrase or contemporary translation), you will discover that God is telling Judah that he will have compassion on their enemies. This is not what you, the imaginary king of Judah, want to hear. But it is a powerful pair of lessons from the God of history to his people.
First, this reality, the potential for gentiles (everyone) to become part of God’s kingdom, should fight against the hatred the Judeans have at this point for all outsiders. God’s priority for them-even them-is reconciliation with him.
Secondly, this passage is a clear theological call for the particularity of the worship of the God of the Bible. God describes the terms of their reconciliation by telling us that He should be worshiped alone: there is no room for sincere worshipers of idols and pagan gods.
There is a great deal of pressure in our pluralistic culture to minimize the particularity of Christianity and hold to the kind of belief in which all sincere religious adherents have access to “salvation.” One catch is that Scripture doesn’t teach that. The most compassionate thing we can do is expose people to the God of the Bible and give them an opportunity to become a part of His kingdom-no matter who they are.
Let us not loose the courage of our doctrine, but gain the freedom found in the truth of the unique Gospel of Jesus Christ. And let us gain the compassion and strength to carry the message to “whosoever will.”
This particular passage is one of those that can fly by very quickly in our evening devotions as we prepare to fall asleep. You know the kind of passage. The one you reach and think to yourself, “I can skim through this passage-it will be OK.” We are all guilty of that, and we can’t always be blamed for trying to get to sleep on time. But there are treasures for the diligent reader, and this passage contains some wonderful and challenging truths for us if we only have the wherewithal to read closely.
Our passage opens with God describing the loss of his treasure. Though destruction is upon his people, and though God has warned them and told them the present troubles are a result of their own evil deeds, God is broken-hearted. Notice how the first three phrases make this evident:
“I have forsaken my house,”
“I have abandoned my heritage,”
“I have given [to their enemies] the beloved of my soul.”
I hope that our trek through Jeremiah has taught us a clear lesson about God-he is not vindictive, capricious, arbitrary, or spiteful. The God of the Bible is so full of love for his creation that even when we suffer the consequences due our rebellion, God hurts over our struggle and still considers us his beloved. His love demands we feel the sting of our sins and rebellion, but he remains always the lover of our souls and the forgiver of our sins.
As the passage continues, God describes how Judah has turned against him though he came to them over and over. They were like a wild lion in the forest and turned on their God. Then the chapter ends with an enthralling twist of pronouns.
Imagine yourself the king of Judah. Your enemies surround your country, many of your town and villages have already been leveled, and here stands the prophet of God bringing you the news of your imminent demise. Then you get this little gem:
“Thus says the LORD concerning all my evil neighbors… after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them…”
If you watch the pronouns closely (or read this passage in a clear paraphrase or contemporary translation), you will discover that God is telling Judah that he will have compassion on their enemies. This is not what you, the imaginary king of Judah, want to hear. But it is a powerful pair of lessons from the God of history to his people.
First, this reality, the potential for gentiles (everyone) to become part of God’s kingdom, should fight against the hatred the Judeans have at this point for all outsiders. God’s priority for them-even them-is reconciliation with him.
Secondly, this passage is a clear theological call for the particularity of the worship of the God of the Bible. God describes the terms of their reconciliation by telling us that He should be worshiped alone: there is no room for sincere worshipers of idols and pagan gods.
There is a great deal of pressure in our pluralistic culture to minimize the particularity of Christianity and hold to the kind of belief in which all sincere religious adherents have access to “salvation.” One catch is that Scripture doesn’t teach that. The most compassionate thing we can do is expose people to the God of the Bible and give them an opportunity to become a part of His kingdom-no matter who they are.
Let us not loose the courage of our doctrine, but gain the freedom found in the truth of the unique Gospel of Jesus Christ. And let us gain the compassion and strength to carry the message to “whosoever will.”
Friday, October 07, 2005
Take It From An Old Man: 1 John 2:1-6
1 John 2:1-6
What would your last piece of advice be? If you had a chance near the end of your life to write a letter to your loved ones, how would you encapsulate the lessons of your life? John had a chance to do that very thing in this letter, and his advice is a little surprising. We might think of “love God,” or “be thankful and kind.” There is nothing wrong with either of these pieces of advice, but they are not what John picks.
John has, almost literally, seen everything. He was there at the cross, the empty tomb, and the ascension. And don’t forget, this is John the Revelator who watched as Christ’s kingdom came to fruition. So what might this wise man say? “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” (vs. 1) So this apostle, whom God has given the opportunity to watch the universe be torn apart as a result of sin and rebellion, turns to his beloved readers and pleads with them not to sin. In a world in which we take sin lightly, in a world in which we think we may find joy and fulfillment in redefining our brokenness and indulging our shortcomings, John asks believers to take sin seriously. Take it from an old man who has actually watched it happen-sin will tear us all apart.
But John is a realist, and this brings us to the good news.
John pleads with me to avoid sin, but he also knows I will fail. He immediately adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ…” (vs. 1). The error the false teachers were making (dealt with in chapter 1) was that they did not believe in sin. The error the sinner makes is not turning to a God who is “faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.” And this is a God who not only wants our repentance, but who has provided everything necessary for our forgiveness. We need not do anything but turn to Him.
Many believe that we should soften the blow of Christian teaching by downplaying the topic of sin. The idea is that it is easier to make people happy and fulfilled if they are not aware of their sinfulness. But John sees things differently. After describing the boundless forgiveness provided for by God Himself, John has this to say in verse 5, “but whoever keeps his word, in him, truly the love of God is perfected.”
The phrase, “love of God” is interesting here. It could mean several things, but most scholars agree that it is intended to convey the concept of “my love for God.” Secondly, the word “perfected” adds a great deal of meaning. This word is translated in a few ways in the NT including “finished” and “fulfilled.” It contains the Greek prefix telos, which means, “purpose,” “end,” or “design.” Now, having a feel for John’s language, reread that first phrase of verse 5. I am able to perfect/fulfill/find purpose for my love for God if I keep His word-if I come to Him finding forgiveness and His amazing grace. But that requires that I take a humbling, but crucial step toward him.
So many of us are searching for meaning and fulfillment in life, and John has given us insight into how to realize these desires. Let us strive to take the advice from this old and wise man-find yourself in the ocean of God’s forgiveness and love.
What would your last piece of advice be? If you had a chance near the end of your life to write a letter to your loved ones, how would you encapsulate the lessons of your life? John had a chance to do that very thing in this letter, and his advice is a little surprising. We might think of “love God,” or “be thankful and kind.” There is nothing wrong with either of these pieces of advice, but they are not what John picks.
John has, almost literally, seen everything. He was there at the cross, the empty tomb, and the ascension. And don’t forget, this is John the Revelator who watched as Christ’s kingdom came to fruition. So what might this wise man say? “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.” (vs. 1) So this apostle, whom God has given the opportunity to watch the universe be torn apart as a result of sin and rebellion, turns to his beloved readers and pleads with them not to sin. In a world in which we take sin lightly, in a world in which we think we may find joy and fulfillment in redefining our brokenness and indulging our shortcomings, John asks believers to take sin seriously. Take it from an old man who has actually watched it happen-sin will tear us all apart.
But John is a realist, and this brings us to the good news.
John pleads with me to avoid sin, but he also knows I will fail. He immediately adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ…” (vs. 1). The error the false teachers were making (dealt with in chapter 1) was that they did not believe in sin. The error the sinner makes is not turning to a God who is “faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.” And this is a God who not only wants our repentance, but who has provided everything necessary for our forgiveness. We need not do anything but turn to Him.
Many believe that we should soften the blow of Christian teaching by downplaying the topic of sin. The idea is that it is easier to make people happy and fulfilled if they are not aware of their sinfulness. But John sees things differently. After describing the boundless forgiveness provided for by God Himself, John has this to say in verse 5, “but whoever keeps his word, in him, truly the love of God is perfected.”
The phrase, “love of God” is interesting here. It could mean several things, but most scholars agree that it is intended to convey the concept of “my love for God.” Secondly, the word “perfected” adds a great deal of meaning. This word is translated in a few ways in the NT including “finished” and “fulfilled.” It contains the Greek prefix telos, which means, “purpose,” “end,” or “design.” Now, having a feel for John’s language, reread that first phrase of verse 5. I am able to perfect/fulfill/find purpose for my love for God if I keep His word-if I come to Him finding forgiveness and His amazing grace. But that requires that I take a humbling, but crucial step toward him.
So many of us are searching for meaning and fulfillment in life, and John has given us insight into how to realize these desires. Let us strive to take the advice from this old and wise man-find yourself in the ocean of God’s forgiveness and love.
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