The Forty Day Fade

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Pete

There’s part of me that just doesn’t get it . . . and part of me, unfortunately, that does. I read something in Exodus this morning that kind of blew me away. One of those things that, although I know I must have read it before, I never noticed it until today. One of those things that has me scratching my head as I think ahead to what I know is going to happen. I’m amazed this morning by the thought of the forty day fade.

Check it out! I never knew this . . . After Moses receives from God the ten commandments and the other laws covering altars, slaves, restitution, social justice, the Sabbath, and the festivals (Ex. 20:1-23:19) . . . after he is told to exhort the people to faithfully obey the voice of God (23:21, 22, 25) . . . after he is promised God’s presence and power in the conquest of the promised land (23:23-32) . . . after Moses comes and tells the people all the words of the Lord and the people respond, “All the words the Lord has spoken we will do” (24:3) . . . after the covenant is sealed with blood (24:8) . . . then Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel are invited up on the mountain to seal the deal with a meal.

“Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:9-11)

Okay . . . so they saw the God of Israel. Don’t know the exact form . . . obviously not the full out glory of God or they would have been dust . . . but the fact remains . . . they were in the presence of God . . . they knew it. The vision they had was clear . . . they saw His feet on a pavement of sapphire stone . . . they knew the ground they observed was holy ground. It says they beheld God, and ate and drank . . . talk about your up close and personal communion. Sensory overload? Perhaps. An out of this world experience? Literally. Life impacting? I’m thinking.

But as I read this my mind goes into “fast forward” mode. Zoom ahead forty days from this “wine and dine with the Divine” encounter . . . and there’s this same Aaron fashioning a golden calf to represent “your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (32:4-5). This same Aaron who had been one-on-one with God, and had beheld the sapphire-like glory of His dwelling, has the gall to cast Him as a cow . . . an inanimate cow. That’s not the One he had supped with!

And what amazes me is that the failure occurs less than six weeks after the feast . . . that he caves to the peer pressure only forty days after visiting the courts of God Himself. During that time Moses had been called back alone to the mountain for more “teaching time” (24:12-18) . . . and during that time the people had forgotten their covenant . . . and Aaron had lost site of his encounter. Talk about the glory fading . . . and in just forty days.

And that’s the part I just don’t get . . . and yet, do. While I want to show righteous indignation at how quickly Aaron goes from the mountain top of blessing to the pit of sin and stupidity, I can’t . . . ’cause I kind of get it. I don’t exactly know what it is about this human condition, but I don’t get very good “gas mileage” on past “encounters” . . . they seem to fade way too quickly . . . and what I need to do is keep “topping up the tank.” Sure Moses had been gone for over five weeks . . . but all they needed to do was look to the mount and see the cloud of the glory of God still hovering over it . . . and know that God was present and working. I too know what it is to get distracted . . . or disillusioned . . . or derailed . . . but I also can look to where I know God has said He’ll be found. I can look to His Word . . . I can look to His people . . . I can go into my closet knowing that He has promised to be found in “the secret place” (Matt. 6:6).

The trick, it seems to me, to avoiding the forty day fade is to not go forty days without beholding God . . . to not allow four days to pass without knowing communion with Him . . . to, by His grace, not go four hours without hearing His voice through His ever-indwelling Spirit. It’s to see His feet on a daily basis . . . to behold the sapphire pavement of His presence . . . to take a bit of time to go back up on the mountain and dine with Him . . . for our perseverance . . . and for His glory . . . amen?

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Book Burning

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Pete

It was more than just their literature going up in flames that day . . . it was their hobby . . . their private pursuits . . . perhaps even, their livelihoods. The scrolls were valuable to those who were fascinated with the world of black magic . . . to those who experimented with trying to contact “the other side” . . . with conjuring up spirits from realms they probably had very little understanding of. The value of that which burned that day was 50,000 pieces of silver . . . perhaps in the neighborhood of $10,000 today if a piece of silver is understood to be a drachma. Whatever the dollar value, it was lots . . . and you got to know that it had an impact on both those who burned and on those who watched them burn.

And these few verses in Acts 19, vv. 18-20, have me thinking about the need sometimes to make a clean break with practices and activities that once were just part of doing life. The “many” who burned their books that day were believers (v.18). They had recognized their need of salvation. . . . by God’s grace and through faith, they had embraced Jesus as their Savior . . . they understood, to some degree, that they had been brought into a new kingdom, one not of this world, . . . and now, now they were trying to figure out what it meant to live in that kingdom . . . what it meant to live under the authority of the Lord who inhabited them through His Spirit. And today . . . it involved book burning.

The fact that this bon fire activity is recorded right after the incident involving the seven sons of Sceva, itinerant Jewish exorcists who had undergone a whoopin’ at the hands of some evil spirits, I’m thinking is significant. Word had got out about the encounter . . . Jesus they knew . . . Paul they recognized . . . but to these evil spirits, the seven sons of Sceva and their “power” was a joke. And, as the word started to circulate, fear fell upon the people and the Lord Jesus was extolled (Acts 19:13-17) . . . and the believers who were used to “playing” in this arena realized that it needed to be a thing of the past.

So, these children of God confessed their practices . . . they openly divulged that they dabbled in “magic arts” . . . they agreed with God that such pursuits were wrong, were sin, . . . and they repented . . . time for a 180 degree turn. And the evidence? . . . burn the books. Not sell the books and try and recoup some of the losses, but burn the books . . . get rid of them . . . get rid of them publicly . . . stand for the things of the kingdom.

Christianity was making a difference in the lives of people. Or, as Luke records, “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (19:20)

The turning continued. They had turned to Jesus on the day of salvation . . . and they continued to turn as they understood more the implications of that salvation. As the word increased . . . as believers grasped more of what Christ had done and what they had been saved into . . . the “turning” continued . . . and so did the burning. The Word increasing . . . minds changing . . . people confessing . . . books burning.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Cor. 5:17).

Oh, the danger of thinking I’ve got it nailed . . . that all the changing in thought patterns that needs to be done has been done . . . that all the repenting that needs to occur has occurred. Oh, that the word of the Lord would continue to increase . . . that my redeemed mind might continue to be brought into marvelous light . . . and that the word would prevail mightily. Oh, that I, by God’s grace, would know what of that “old man” still needs to be dealt with . . . that the pursuit of “the new” might loosen the grip on “the old” . . . no matter the cost . . . or the perceived value of the books. Oh, that I might have eyes to see and ears to hear concerning those books that still need to be burned . . . for His glory . . . amen.

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In the Middle of the Story

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Pete

Sometimes it happens . . . you’re reading the Scriptures and you find yourself in the text . . . not just observing it, but interacting with it . . . or rather, it interacting with you. It probably isn’t very good “rules of interpretation”, but as you read, the “literal context” fades and the words you’re reading are being spoken directly to you. The “historical object” of the teaching is displaced and you find yourself in the middle of the story . . . you become the subject of the teaching. And though, it might seem an “unconscious act”, I’m wondering if it isn’t one of the ways the Spirit energizes the word of God such that it becomes “living and powerful.” I had one of those “living and powerful” encounters this morning.

Address? Matthew 13:10-17. Context? Jesus teaching His disciples in parables . . . in particular the parable of the sower. Familiarity factor? Pretty high. I’ve read this passage once or twice before . . . have heard it preached on once or twice before. Maybe that’s why I “drift” from seeing it as a conversation between Jesus and the disciples who were with Him, and find myself reading it as Jesus talking to this disciple . . . sitting in this chair . . . some 2,000 years later. They ask Him, “Why do you speak in parables?” And instead of answering them, He speaks to me . . .

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven . . . For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance . . . blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:10-12, 16-17)

And I am overwhelmed with a sense of privilege . . . and with a sense of thanksgiving for His grace.

To me it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. In His sovereign, gracious determination, He purposed to remove the scales from my eyes . . . to take the plugs out of my ears . . . to replace my heart of stone with a heart of flesh attuned to the things of God . . . and has let me in on the secrets of heaven. Once dead to the things of God because of the permeating presence of sin, through His blood He redeemed me . . . through His Spirit he re-birthed me and rewired my spiritual DNA, bringing me into an awareness of things that transcend this earth . . . that transcend the here and now . . . things concerning the kingdom of heaven.

And for the one who has, more is given . . . abundantly more. Oh, there is so much more to know of Him and His ways . . . but, I also know so much more now than I did when this journey began. Faithful, by His grace and enabling, with little . . . given more. Acting upon limited understanding . . . graciously given more understanding. It’s what makes the Word of God a life-long pursuit. It’s depth’s never fully plumbed . . . it’s treasures never completely discovered. There’s an abundance to be discovered . . . to be revealed . . . to be leveraged in the process of transforming me through the renewing of my mind so that I might discern the ways and will of God (Rom. 12:2).

And the secrets which have been revealed . . . and are being revealed . . . are things that many seekers of God in past ages sought to understand. I was reading in Exodus this morning, as well . . . and of the greatest of all prophets, Moses, “whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10-12). But despite His face to face relationship with the God of glory and all the signs and wonders he was privileged to participate in, He left this earth not knowing perhaps the greatest secrets of the kingdom . . . the nature of Messiah . . . the means of eternal deliverance from the bondage of sin . . . the dynamics of fellowship with God through the indwelling Spirit. Though Moses told the people that God desired a “treasured possession among all peoples” and a people to be to Him “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:5) . . . Moses could not have imagined the church . . . the body of Christ . . . the bride of the Lamb . . . the living, breathing, worshiping, habitation of God through the Spirit.

Yup, a bit overwhelmed. What privilege . . . what responsibility . . . what a blessing! And there I am, right in the middle of the story . . . by His grace . .. and for His glory.

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Knowing the Lord of the Glory

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Pete

So . . . here’s the question that’s kind of going through my mind this morning as I continue to track the Israelites as they leave Egypt . . . “Did they not see the pillar of cloud?” You know, the pillar of cloud that was the manifestation of God among them . . . the pillar of cloud that was evidence of the LORD going before them to lead them along the way . . . the pillar of cloud by day which became a pillar of fire by night so that they could sojourn 24/7 as needed . . . the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night which did not depart from before the people (Ex. 13:21-22). Did they not see the pillar of cloud when they grumbled and complained to Moses?

Or, am I to imagine that they kind of turned their collective backs on the cloud and whispered to Moses, “Psst! Moses! We’re thirsty! What are you going to do about it? What kind of deliverance is this?” Or, did they pull Moses into a tent, away from the cloud, “Hey! . . . You! . . . We’re starving to death! At least when we were in Egypt we sat by meat pots and ate bread to the full . . . sure we were slaves and in bondage and oppressed, but at least when we got home at night, if we could stay awake, we had something to eat. Whaddya’ gonna do about this?!?” Did they not know that God was among them? Did not they not get that He who had arms powerful enough to deliver them from the slavery of Egypt also had ears powerful enough to hear their grumbling? I’m guessing not.

And what really brought this home were a few verses in Exodus 16 this morning:

And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'” (Exodus 16:10-12)

They saw the glory of the LORD . . . that is, they looked at the pillar, they were aware of the cloud . . . but they still didn’t know the LORD their God. Though they had seen the deliverance of the LORD when they walked out of Egypt, they didn’t quite get the LORD’s purposes to also deliver them to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (13:5). They were aware of the power . . . but they were dense to His presence. They saw the cloud . . . but didn’t connect it with His care. They had the light of the fire at night . . . but didn’t recognize in it the faithful determination of God to never leave them nor forsake them. And so, they grumbled. They grumbled about bitter water . . . they grumbled about gurgling stomachs . . . they grumbled at Moses . . . they grumbled at Aaron . . . and, though they thought they could hide from the cloud, they, in fact, were grumbling against the LORD (16:8).

They saw the glory of the LORD . . . but they didn’t know the LORD of the glory.

And so the Father, in patient faithfulness says, “I’ll feed you . . . I’ll give you drink . . . then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

Oh how, He wants to be known by His people. How He wants to be trusted by those He has redeemed. How he wants us to turn our face to Him in times of struggling and trouble . . . rather turn our backs on Him as we complain and/or try to figure it out on our own . . . somehow thinking He doesn’t hear and doesn’t care.

Oh, to be a people that, having seen the pillar of cloud, recognize the presence of God. Having been faithfully led by Him in the past, look to Him for direction for the future. Having had their greatest need met by Him through deliverance, would turn to Him first for the next need . . . and the next . . . and the next. Oh, that we might see the glory of the LORD and then acknowledge Him, in all our circumstances, as the LORD of the glory. Amen?

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That They Should Seek God

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Pete

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” . . . that’s what Paul might have been thinking (well, not exactly . . . he hadn’t seen Wizard of Oz . . . but maybe something like that) as he walked through Athens. Say what you want about the Jews of that time, but one lesson they had learned from the past . . . one thing that had stuck after the Babylonian captivity, was “No Idols!” Israel had become an idol-free zone . . . at least the sort of idols made of gold and silver. And so, for this boy from Jerusalem, religiously trained in the elite courts of the Pharisees, for him to be walking around Athens and seeing it jam packed with idols, it was a enough to provoke the spirit within him (Acts 17:16). But, it also provided opportunity . . .

And so Paul engages the philosophers and “wise men” of the city as he talks to them of one of their objects of worship . . . in particular, the empty altar . . . the altar bearing the inscription, “To the unknown god.” And so, what they worshiped as unknown, this Paul would proclaim to them (17:23).

He is the God who made the world and everything in it . . . the Lord of heaven and earth . . . One who does not live in temples nor is served by humans as though He needed anything. Instead, He gives life to all mankind . . . and has done so ever since He determined to form the nations from one man at the dawn of creation. And His intent throughout the ages has always been “that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him” (17:24-27).

There has been set within the heart of men and women a spiritual GPS pre-programmed with God as “Home”. Solomon says that God has put eternity into the heart of man (Eccl. 3:11) . . . Paul would write to the Romans, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:19-20) God has designed man that man should seek God.

Oh, that we respond to the inner calling to seek God. Whether “sinner” or “saint” . . . whether still looking for the way, or having entered through the narrow gate and navigating our pilgrim path . . . that we might be seekers of God. Intent on knowing Him who has made Himself known.

And while, for a time, it was like groping in the dark, in these days He has clearly “marked the map.” Type in “God” on His “google maps” and you’ll get Jesus crying out, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Not only has the way been revealed, but “GPS assist” has been invoked as, while we are to seek Him, He has determined too “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). As we cry out to Him, He calls out to us (1Thess 2:12) . . . as we look for the path, the Shepherd gently calls to His sheep, “Follow me” (John 10:27) . . . as we determine to draw near to Him, He, in turn, draws near to us (James 4:8).

God has desired that all mankind should seek Him. And for those of us that have “made initial contact” . . . those who have believed in the Son, been forgiven of their sin, and have been adopted into His family . . . God’s purpose for us remains the same . . . “that they should seek God.” To seek first the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33) . . . to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1Tim. 6:11) . . . to count all things loss for the surpassing worthy of knowing Him (Php. 3:8) . . . to press on “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Php. 3:14).

Oh, to be a seeker. To push the “Home” button on our internal GPS, put pedal to the metal, and run the race set before us!

So long Kansas . . .

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The Blood

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Pete

So I’m trying to imagine what it was like that day. Six hundred thousand households all packing up . . . hundreds of thousands of blemish-free, bleating sheep going silent as their throats are slit and their blood is pored into catch basins . . . men of all ages busy making paintbrushes from hyssop, all with the same “honey do” chore on their list — paint the doorframe with the blood of the lamb . . . hundreds of thousands of houses with blood smeared over their door frames . . . an entire nation having a “last supper” — all feasting based on the same menu plan: roast lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs . . . and then waiting. And at midnight the Lord descends and strikes down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt . . . save for those houses where the blood had been applied . . . the awesome God of terrifying judgment skips over those houses . . . for, He had promised, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:13).

Oh, what a weird scene to imagine for those outside of Christ . . . for those still in darkness . . . for those whose spiritual DNA still lies dormant. Ah, but for the redeemed . . . for those saved through faith by the grace of God . . . for those “made alive” to the perfect ways of God . . . it is a scene packed with meaning. The lamb . . . the blood . . . the feast . . . the Passover . . . the escape . . . it’s an exodus to be identified with. For too, the redeemed have applied the blood of a spotless lamb, judgment has passed over, and they have escaped . . . bound too for a promised land.

Sounds cliché? Perhaps. True? You bet. And all because of the blood.

That night, theirs was a “temporary fix” . . . the blood shed then was just the beginning of centuries of atoning sacrifices to pay the penalty of sin . . . for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb. 10:4). But the precedent had been set — without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). And too, the stage was set for a once-for-all-sins and once-for-all-time final sacrifice . . . the blemish-free, spotless offering from heaven itself . . . Immanuel, “God With Us” . . . the Son of God . . . He, who John the Baptist identified as, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

“For Christ our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1Cor. 5:7). The blood shed . . . available to all who would, by faith, apply it to the doorframe of their lives . . . securing not only forgiveness of sins and thus escaping the penalty of sin . . . but too being delivered from Egypt and from the bondage of the power of sin . . . and being destined for a place being prepared for His own, where eventually we will escape the presence of sin. It’s the believer’s own “mini-Exodus”. And all, because of the blood.

What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

My Savior has secured eternal redemption . . . not by means of the blood of animals, but by His own blood (Heb. 9:12). Christ offered Himself without blemish to God on my behalf . . . and, as such, the blood of Christ has purified my conscience from dead works so that I might serve a living God (Heb. 9:14). And through the blood of Christ, I have confidence to enter the holy place . . . and to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith . . . holding fast the confession of my faith without wavering (Heb. 10:19-23). All because of the blood.

Oh precious is the flow . . . that makes me white as snow . . . no other fount I know . . . Nothing! Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Posted in Exodus, Hebrews | Leave a comment

Reaching Out to the Cheap Seats

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Pete

It’s easy . . . and, in fact, intended . . . to focus solely on the major players of the drama played out in the first part of Exodus. There’s the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who, determined to be faithful to His promises, has declared it time to deliver Israel’s descendants from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Then, there is Moses . . . the favored prophet of God . . . the reluctant spokesman for God . . . but not so reluctant that he doesn’t talk back with God concerning his feeble speech and concerns about standing before the most powerful man in all of Egypt. And, finally of course, there is Pharaoh . . . powerful, arrogant, heart of stone. And so the stage is set . . . the players in place . . . and the drama unfolds. But what of the bit players? . . . what of the extras? . . . what of the “innocent bystanders” . . . those Egyptians on the side lines? . . . those far from the action in the “cheap seats?”

As I read Exodus 7 through 9 this morning I’m struck by an “under current” . . . a sub-plot, if you will. Sure the main event is the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh and the plagues from the hand of God sent to “encourage the right behavior” from the heart-hardened despot. But from the beginning of the conflict God makes known a purpose beyond just getting His people out of Egypt. Check this out . . .

“The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them (7:5) . . . Moses said, ‘Be it as you say [the frogs will be gone tomorrow], so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God’ (8:10) . . . But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth (8:22) . . . For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth . . . so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth (9:14, 16).”

While it was about a tongue tied prophet . . . a hard hearted Pharaoh . . . and a mighty, mighty God of promise . . . it was also about the bit players. While Moses went face to face with Pharaoh . . . and Pharaoh dared to stand toe to toe with God . . . God showed Himself mighty to those on sidelines, as well. And I’m thinking that this epic confrontation was not only for the redemption of Israel, but too for all those who had “ears to hear.” Here’s what got me on that track . . .

The seventh plague . . . hail . . . such as had never ever been seen before in Egypt (and I’m guessing nowhere else either) . . . hail stones that were more like hail boulders . . . so big and so fierce that it could kill men and livestock. Moses, as has been the case with previous plagues, foretells the judgment. And he even warns Pharaoh, his servant, and his people to get their livestock and themselves out from the field and into safe shelter otherwise, to be caught in the hailstorm, would be to die (9:19). And it says, “Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses” (9:20). There it is . . . they believed the word of God . . . they responded with a fear of God . . . the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10) . . . the means of salvation, at least from the hail . . . and, perhaps, justification and redemption as their belief is counted to them for righteousness (Gen. 15:6).

Just bit players . . . no names watching from the cheap seats . . . but responding to their growing understanding about the awesome God of the Israelites. And in this I see the grace of God. While delivering His people . . . and dealing with Pharaoh . . . He makes Himself known . . . proclaims His name in all the earth . . . reaches out to lost masses revealing He is LORD . . . that there is none like Him . . . none like Him in all the earth. And there are those who would respond . . . who would fear the LORD . . . believing that His word is truth . . . responding to whatever limited revelation and understanding they possess . . . taking cover as He says . . . and I wonder, if they too were not eventually released from their bondage . . . the bondage of sin.

How great is our God? How vast are His purposes? How long is His arm to save? To Him be glory . . . for there is none like Him in all the earth . . . may His name be proclaimed . . . amen?

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A Friend of God

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Pete

This year I switched Bible translations for my morning devo’s. I’ve been a New King James (NKJV) guy for quite a few years. This year though, I decided to use the English Standard Version (ESV) as I work through my reading plan. Not a big departure really from what I’m used to, but I do find myself coming across phrases or ideas that I’d never “discovered” before in my reading . . . little “surprises” . . . “ah-hahs” . . . and in the case of this mornings “unexpected finding”, a bit of a “Thanks be to God!” blessing.

“The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.” (Ps. 25:14)

Friendship with the Lord. Now how’s that for a phrase to noodle on. In the NKJV and NASB it’s rendered “The secret of the LORD” . . . in the NIV it’s “The LORD confides”.

The idea behind the word is that of being part of an inner circle . . . a council of familiar conversation . . . an assembly of familiar friends . . . those who are confided in . . . those who are privileged to be “brought into the know”.

You can see where both translations are accurate, though each emphasizes something a bit different. The NKJV emphasizes the evidence of the relationship, the “secret” . . . the ESV emphasizes the relationship itself . . . the secret is for the inner council, those who know “friendship” with the Lord.

A friend of God. Friendship with the Lord . . . friendship with Jehovah . . . friendship with “the existing One”. That is the intimate relationship available for those who fear Him . . . for those whose sins are remembered no more (25:7) because of redeeming grace . . . for those who have been pardoned of their guilt (25:11), having been justified by faith. These are brought into intimate relationship with God.

To them He makes known His promises (25:14) . . . to them He makes known His ways, teaches them His paths, leads them in truth (25:4-5). “Who has understood the mind of the Lord?” asks Paul. “We have the mind of the Christ,” comes the response (1Cor. 2:16).

Brought near through the blood of Christ, we have entered the inner council . . . and the inner counsel . . . of Jehovah . . . of I AM . . . of the Creator of all things. His secrets, to the degree He has chosen to reveal them to men, have been made available to those who believe. And not to be left to ourselves to “decipher” the high and holy ways of a God who is beyond fully understanding, we have been given the very Spirit of God as a permanent, resident instructor concerning the things of the secrets of the kingdom of God. Yeah . . . that’s a good indicator of friendship.

And while “the secrets” are evidence of “the friendship”, the friendship goes so far beyond Revealer / receiver . . . more than Teacher / student . . . deeper than Master / disciple . . . but within this inner council there is fellowship . . . communion . . . a heart of God to heart of man connection . . . as He knows our frame (Ps. 103:14) and is familiar with our frailty and weakness (Heb. 4:15) . . . and as we come to know His heart and the full dimensions of His love for us (Eph. 3:18-19). And so, the relationship grows, as do all healthy relationships. “The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows!”

Oh, to be a friend of God. Not to presume on the relationship . . . but to ponder the privilege . . . to respond with a holy determination to remain faithful by His power and grace . . . to bow down and worship with a thankful heart. Thanks be to God!

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God Knows

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Pete

Started in on Exodus this morning. Who woulda’ thunk? When those boys sold Joseph into slavery . . . when Joseph interpreted that dream and was placed over Egypt’s “feast and famine” program . . . when the brothers were reunited . . . when Jacob & Co. moved down to settle in Egypt . . . when the family of Jacob grew into the nation of Israel — fruitful, multiplying, growing exceedingly strong, filling the land (Ex.1:7) . . . who woulda’ thunk that it would have ended up in ruthless slavery and oppression(1:13-14)? Cue your standard Sunday School answer . . . God!

“. . . and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel — and God knew.” (2:23-25)

Times were tough . . . beyond tough. The people groaned . . . they sighed and gasped in pain and grief. And they cried out for help . . . turned their faces heavenward . . . to what likely seemed to be a silent sky . . . and with whatever mustard seed of faith was left, they called out for rescue. And then, these observations about God . . . God heard . . . God remembered . . . God saw . . . God knew.

Now, they didn’t know that. Only from the vantage point of the divinely inspired Scriptures do we get this insight to another “dimension” at play. And these things were “written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).

Situation? . . . Apparently hopeless. Gas left in the tank of endurance? . . . Running on empty. Number of ways out? . . . About zero. Course of action? . . . Cry out! Basis for course of action? . . . That God is unchanging . . . the same yesterday, today, and forever . . . and so, He hears . . . He remembers . . . He sees . . . He knows.

God knows. How much comfort is there in that alone? Not that we presume on what God will do and when He will do it . . . but to be reminded that our Father knows, should be, in and of itself, such a source of encouragement. In our “dimension” it can feel overwhelming . . . no escape apparent . . . no end in sight. But to be reminded that God knows . . . is familiar not only with the details . . . aware, not only of the degree of affliction . . . but also intimately knows how we are wired and what we can bear . . . working all things together for his purposes in our lives. That’s the other dimension . . . God knows.

The Israelites would be delivered from Egypt. There would still a bit of “process” to work through . . . some doubts to deal with . . . frustrations . . . more burden . . . but delivered they would be. And sure, it would involve some time in the desert . . . some correction along the way. But God, who hears . . . God, who sees . . . God, who is faithful . . . God, who remembers His promise . . . God, who remembers His people . . . God, who is powerful to save . . . the God of Jacob . . . my God . . . this same God . . . knows the sufferings of His people and will “come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and bring them up out of the land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:7-8).

Oh, to be reminded this morning that God knows. To be aware of that “other dimension” as we deal with the realities of “this dimension.” To not lose heart . . . but to cry out to the Him who hears, sees, remembers, and knows . . . and to know then, a peace that passes all understanding (Php. 4:6-7).

For our perseverance . . . for His glory . .

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Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Pete

It was a conversation that had to be had. How “Jewish” did a Gentile need to become in order to be “really saved?” That was the question on the table. How much ritual was required for full redemption? How much practice was needed for proper salvation? How much uniformity was needed to have real unity? You can ask the question in any number of ways. In Acts 15 it was asked like this, “Is it necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses?” (15:2) It was a conversation that had to be had . . . and as “I listen in”, I am struck again with awe and adoration at the wonderful grace of Jesus.

Without being too harsh, it was probably a legitimate question. After all, the Jews’ world was being turned upside down . . . what, with a suffering Messiah rather than a reigning Messiah . . . and salvation through faith and not by the works of the law . . . and now, the Gentiles being preached to and welcomed into a common fellowship . . . it was a lot for someone who grew up in a long-standing “religious tradition” to take in and fully understand all the implications of.

So . . . really? . . . just repent and believe and receive Jesus substitutionary death on your behalf, and you’re in? Just like that? That’s it? Yeah, was the answer, pretty much!

After much deliberation and debate, Peter sums it up, “God determined that the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit . . . having cleansed their hearts by faith. And we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (15:7-11) That’s it . . . God’s determination . . . the power of the gospel . . . the exercise of faith . . . the sealing of the Holy Spirit . . . the transplanting of new hearts . . . all through the wonderful, matchless grace of Jesus.

To require anything else . . . to link salvation to conformance to the law of Moses . . . was to place a yoke on the neck of Jesus’ disciples. It would constrain . . . it would seek to control . . . it would attach a burden. But the salvation offered by Jesus was freedom from bondage . . . the only control prescribed was the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit . . . and the burden of the limit of human efforts was to be lifted as Jesus once for all carried that burden.

Not to say there wouldn’t be instruction on how to walk worthy of the calling to be “a people for His Name.” Not to say there wouldn’t be teaching on the manner in which a disciple of Christ should live . . . and how they should be transformed in their thinking. But this would be about living for Jesus . . . not about securing additional favor with God . . . and “sealing the deal” on their salvation.

And as I linger over this discussion, there is a warning here for me . . . a “watch out for” . . . a “be careful” about attaching man’s works to Jesus work on the cross. When the Son declared, “It is finished” . . . it was. We are saved by grace . . . and grace alone. And that, that it is by grace alone, is the other refreshed realization as I noodle on this conversation. Saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus . . . infinite grace . . . grace greater than my sin . . . all sufficient grace. It brought to mind an old hymn . .

V1. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Greater than all my sin; How shall my tongue describe it, Where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, Setting my spirit free, For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. V2. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching to all the lost, By it I have been pardoned, Saved to the uttermost; Chains have been torn asunder, Giving me liberty; For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. V3. Wonderful grace of Jesus, Reaching the most defiled, By its transforming power, Making him God’s dear child, Purchasing peace and heaven, For all eternity; For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Chorus: Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea; Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,
All sufficient grace for even me; Broader than the scope of my transgressions, Greater far than all my sin and shame; O magnify the precious Name of Jesus, Praise His Name!

Indeed . . . Magnify the precious Name of Jesus . . . Praise His Name . . .

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