Our God in Heaven (Psalm 115:2-3)
“Why should the nations say,
‘Now, where is their God?’
Our God is in the heavens—
All that he delights in, he does.”
(Psalm 115:2-3)
Indeed, those who have made gods to worship out of gold and silver do look at us and ask us how we can worship a God that we can neither see nor touch? The psalmist’s reply is an important one. Often, when we are pressed with the same question from a secularist, we retreat and are a bit defensive with our answer. We usually say something to the extent of, “well, it takes faith…” Or, if we are a bit more astute, one of the classic answers that is given is, “you cannot see the wind, but you see the effects of the wind—so it is with the Holy Spirit and with those born again of the Holy Spirit,” making a reference to Jesus’ language before Nicodemus. Yet, there is nothing defensive about the psalmist’s response. The psalmist replies to the question by saying, “Our God is in the heavens and he does all that he pleases.” Do you see what the psalmist is doing here? It is as if the psalmist is saying—you are criticizing me for not having a god made out of metal or stone that I can see, but your gods are inanimate objects—the creation of your own hands—how can I bow down to one who is incapable of answering my prayers? I worship a God who rises high above the heavens—he cannot be constrained by puny things of metal or stone, nor can he even be constrained by the world itself—and all that takes place is a result of my God’s good will. So, who will you worship, the god formed out of the dirt by the sweat of your own brow, or the God who created the dirt and all that is around with but a word of his power. Beloved, statements like this are anything but defensive, they cut to the quick, and address the problem at hand—who is the true God of heaven and earth and what ought to be done with all of the bad imitations?
Loved ones, why are we so often intimidated when people challenge our faith? We know the effect of the hand of God in our own lives, we have seen God’s work in the world, and we know the truth of God that is found preserved for us within the Holy Scriptures. In addition, creation itself testifies to God’s majesty! Where is there room for anything but bold assurance? It is not incumbent upon us to prove to the atheist that God does exist—it is his responsibility to prove that God does not exist if he wants to hold a position that is so contrary to reason and observation. Because we have allowed ourselves to be intimidated by academic degrees and titles, we have allowed unbelievers to turn the tables on us, forcing Christians to swallow lies in the name of “science”—lies that do not even stand up to the secularist’s own scientific methods of scrutiny.
The final statement is also telling for two reasons. First of all, it compliments the previous statement about God in the heavens. We do not worship a God that was like the gods of the Greek philosophers—ones who were transcendent and so separate from the world that they do not act, but only observe—but we worship a God who does act within the realms of men. But what is also important is that not only does God act, he takes pleasure in his acting. We spend a lot of time talking about God’s sovereignty and that he works out all things according to the council of his own will (Ephesians 1:11), but we often neglect the principle that is expressed here—that God does take pleasure in his actions.
Beloved, think on things this way: God is satisfied with himself to such a wonderful degree that all that he thinks and does brings him pleasure. And, to continue the line of thought to its logical end, if God finds his ultimate satisfaction in himself and finds profound pleasure in all that he does, we can find our ultimate satisfaction in Him and pleasure in all that he does in our lives. That is an easy statement to agree with when things are going well, but what about when the world around us seems to be falling apart? Can you affirm, even in the midst of your greatest heartache, that God is still working all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose? Though we may struggle with it, this is exactly how we should be thinking. Our God rules the creation and works out his good pleasure in your life and in mine; let us strive to take our pleasure in the working out of these things by his strong and steady hand—finding our hope and satisfaction in Him and in Him alone.
Psalms, Hymns, & Spiritual Odes (Colossians 3:16)
<<Please note that since 2008, my views on this interpretation have changed. When time permits, these reflections will be amended to reflect that change of view. In the meantime, this has been left here as a historical marker and as a reminder that as we grow and mature, sometimes the nuances of our theology do change.>>
“Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing with psalms, hymns, and spiritual odes, in thanksgiving in your heart, to God.”
(Colossians 3:16)
This passage is the passage that has often been cited in the debate over what kind of music should be allowable in the worship of God’s people. Some have argued that “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” all refers to the singing of the Psalms from the Old Testament, but such a statement carries with it very little textual support. Paul uses three distinct words in the Greek to express what he commends the Colossian church to be doing; he uses the term yalmo/ß (psalmos), from which we get the English word “psalm,” the term u¢mnoß (humnos), from which we get the English word “hymn,” and the word wˆjdh/ (ode), from which we get the English word “ode.”
In Greek, the word “psalms” obviously refer to the 150 psalms which compose the book of the same name. These psalms were used as part of the worship of God’s people in the Old Testament. The word “ode” refers to those songs sung as part of the church liturgy and were not limited to the 150 Psalms; for example, Moses’ song in Exodus 15 is called an “ode” in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. “Hymns” on the other hand referred to any song with religious content. The very fact that the Old Testament is filled with hymns that are not part of the book of Psalms and the very fact that the New Testament is filled with song fragments should remind us that God never intended that his people limit worship to the 150 psalms found in the Old Testament. In addition, the saints in heaven are described as singing “a new ode” (Revelation 5:9), implying that even in heaven, God’s people are continuing to compose new songs of praise to our God and King. The reality is, there are not enough words in all of the languages of all of the peoples of the world, nor enough combinations of notes or instruments to adequately praise our God for who he is and for what he has done, and this means that every new generation of believers has an obligation to continue to add to the body of the hymnody for the glory of our Redeemer. Oh, how heaven will be filled with song! Let us look forward to that time as we sing praises to our God and King as well!
Beloved, what an important part singing praises to God has in the life of the believer, and note just how closely we see Paul connecting the singing of praises with the dwelling of Christ’s word in your heart. This leaves us with a very important principle that marks a good hymn from a bad one. Good hymns lead your heart into God’s word: they either contain scripture or are built upon scriptural truths. Good hymns reinforce God’s word within you; good hymns point to God and His Word, not to the hymn or to the singer. The singing of hymns, psalms, and spiritual odes is not an end in and of itself, but rather is meant to draw you more deeply into Christ and into his word—if they do this, no matter the tempo, the instrumentation, the longevity, or the pedigree, they are good hymns; if they do not draw you more deeply into Christ, they are wasting your time.
All glory, laud, and honor
To thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring!
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s name comest,
The King and blessed One!
-Theodulph of Orleans
Wearing Filth or Righteousness (Colossians 3:8)
“But now, you must take off—even you—the whole: wrath, anger, evil, blasphemy, obscene speech from your mouth.” (Colossians 3:8 )
Oh, the follies of youth. Sometimes, in looking back on some of the things that I did growing up, I groan a little—and sometimes I groan a lot. I remember one summer evening, I had just gotten home from doing something with my friends Heath and Jason, and the three of us got to talking and then we got to boasting. As I remember it, it was Heath who boasted that Jason and I could not wrestle him down—it was not long before the three of us were on the ground, in the dark, wrestling about. And had things ended there, the memory of the event would have faded into obscurity. The reason the evening has remained in my mind all of these years is because of what Heath did next.
As we were wrestling about, Heath reached out his hand for balance and put it in something soft and mushy—a pile of dung left behind by one of the neighborhood dogs. And with the kind of logic that only makes sense to the teenage mind, deciding that if he had it on him, we might as well have it on us as well, it was not long before he started smearing it wherever he could get it on us. Oh, the exclamations of surprise that came from the two of us! When everything was said and done, Jason fared the worst, but we all reeked of something that we ought not to have reeked from. Jason’s mom made him hose off before he was allowed in the house. When I got inside, I could not get out of my soiled clothes and into the shower fast enough. I wanted to get that stench off of me and fast.
Now what does having dog poop smeared all over you have to do with what Paul is talking about in this verse? The word that Paul uses here, translated as, “you must take off,” is the Greek word ajpoti/qhmi (apotithami). Literally, this word refers to the taking off of one’s clothing. But Paul adds force to this word by using the imperative, saying you must take these things off! In the larger context of the passage, Paul is saying to us, “look, you have been born again, you have been made into a new person because of the work of Jesus Christ—get out of those dirty, wretched, filthy, smelly clothes that you have been wearing and put on the righteousness of Christ!”
Clothes are a common metaphor in scripture, and are used to convey the idea of status and righteousness. Our own righteousness is as soiled rags, horrid, wretched things deserving of nothing other than to be burned up in the fire (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:8). Yet, the wonderful blessing of God’s grace is this, if we are born again believers in Jesus Christ, having repented of our sins and come to Christ in faith, when we stand before God in judgment, we will not stand on our own merits or, to maintain the metaphor, in the clothing of our own righteousness. As believers, we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ. Oh, what a wonderful gift we have been given as believers—and how that should spur us on to get out of our own stained and smelly rags as fast as we can with the Lord’s help.
Beloved, one of the difficulties of this life is that even though we have put on Christ, we so often drift back to the rags of our own life. It is almost as if we, after having been given new garments, have saved the old soiled ones, putting them away even without washing them so that every once in a while we might get them out to see if they still fit. Loved ones, the things of your old life—the things that belong to this world—should not be clung to, but should be burned! Friends, let your mouth and your actions reflect the one who has saved you—the one whose garments you wear. One of the arguments that is made for making children neat, clean uniforms to school is that children tend to behave better when they are dressed better. While I am not entirely sure just how true this is, Paul is applying a similar principle to believers. Beloved, work to make your behavior match the clothes that you wear; in doing so, you will glorify the one who has saved you and draw others to his wonderful presence.
Are Christians “Peculiar” or “Possessed”? (1 Peter 2:9)
In a conversation that I had recently with a friend, we stumbled across an excellent example of why we ought to use modern translations and not the old King James. In this case, we were looking at 1 Peter 2:9, and we struck on a significant difference in translation between the King James and the ESV (which I typically use to preach and teach from). I found that the results were both interesting and useful, dealing with the question: “are we a peculiar people” or “are we a people in Christ’s possession” as we go through life?
Initially, I compared the Greek of the Majority Text (from which the KJV is drawn) to the NA27 (from which modern translations are drawn) to see whether the difference in translation lay within a textual variant (please note that while there are variations between ancient manuscripts, they are largely minor linguistic nuances, and none of them place in question any orthodox doctrine that has been held by the church). Yet, both Greek Texts are identical in terms of this verse. Here is how the verse is literally translated (nuances of the words in parentheses):
“But you are an elect family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession (could also be a people for preservation), in order that you might proclaim the moral excellence of the one who called (or summoned) you from darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
The language of “a people for possession” is the language that the King James Version translates into “a peculiar people.”
To understand this, we must recognize that the word “peculiar” in English is a word that has changed its use in meaning over the last 400 years since the KJV was translated. Today, we use the word “peculiar” to refer to something that is a little odd or strange—unique or outside of the mainstream. We might say something like, “This tastes peculiar,” to suggest that there is something disagreeable with the meal that has been set before us—in other words, it tastes odd.
But this is a more modern usage of the term and it was not what the KJV translators intended to communicate. In the 17th century, the term “peculiar” referred to something that was the exclusive property of something or someone else. When you understand this, the modern translation of “a people for possession” is synonymous with what the 17th century translators understood when they wrote, “a peculiar people.” It is only in a modern sense that we have tended to misunderstand what the KJV was saying because we no longer typically understand the word “peculiar” in the same way.
We do still have remnants of this old usage in modern English when we say things like, “the antiseptic smell that is peculiar to hospitals” or “he speaks in an accent that is peculiar to the Cajun culture of New Orleans.” Yet, even this use of the word “peculiar” seems to be falling away from common vernacular.
For what it is worth, the English word “peculiar” comes from the Latin, peculiaris, which means, “private property.” This is exactly the sense that Peter is using the term—we are the private property of Him who has delivered us from darkness and into his marvelous light—we are Christ’s exclusive property—a people peculiar to Him.
(Note: to its credit, the New King James Version translates this as, “his own special people,” which does a better job of capturing the idea in modern vernacular. The point: language changes as it is used one generation to the next and being bound to translations that use outdated language can easily lead to misunderstandings of the Biblical text.)
Live for Christ
“Therefore, you must put to death the bodily members which are of the earth: sexual immorality, unnatural vices, sensual passion, lust, and evil, and also covetousness, which is idolatry—” (Colossians 3:5)
“I speak humanly because of the limitation of your flesh. For just as you offered your bodily members as slaves to unnatural vices and to lawlessness—leading to lawless deeds—now, in the same way, offer your bodily members as slaves to righteousness—leading to holiness.” (Romans 6:19)
“For all of the things in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and arrogant living—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” (1 John 2:16)
Friends, do not miss the force of this passage. This “therefore” that Paul begins with is a powerful connection of this verse to the things that he has written earlier in this epistle. Essentially, Paul is saying, “because Christ is who he is and because he does what he does, because Jesus is the true wisdom that you seek and because he is the revelation of the Father himself, because Christ has redeemed you to be his own and separated you from the things of the world—thus those things that are part of your life, that are part of the world, need to be put to death—executed, killed, destroyed, obliterated, massacred and all with extreme prejudice.” This is what Paul is conveying when we finally get to this point of the passage.
The reality of our lives is that we are all in a state of transition. We have been made holy, in that God has declared us, as believers, as justified in his sight. We no longer stand before God to be judged on the basis of our own righteousness—something that would earn us nothing but Hell and eternal condemnation—but we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ and judged upon his merits. At the same time, we are being made holy—an act of the Holy Spirit upon our lives which progressively works within us to conform us to the image of Christ—to make us ready for glorification. This process, which we call sanctification, takes time and is worked out from the point of our conversion to the point of our death—preparing us for heaven.
Therefore, as we look to our lives, as we reflect on our persons, we should be at the work of rooting out those things that separate us from God; we should be always seeking to grow in grace so that we may more and more reflect Christ to the world and glorify His name with our lives. And when we speak of the members of our body being put to death, this is the same kind of figurative language that Jesus uses in Matthew 5:29-30. Though sin stems from our hearts and from our minds, it is often played out through our members. Paul and Jesus are both saying that we need to conform our entire beings to the righteousness of God—there is no room for compromise.
Beloved, oftentimes we talk about our response to Jesus in terms of being thankful for what he has done for us. And, this is a wonderful thing. Jesus has done infinitely more for us than we could even dream of doing for ourselves. But, to leave things there is to fall woefully short of the mark. We also worship and praise Christ simply because he is who he is. When we begin to see how beautiful, how delightful, how wonderful, how rich, and how satisfying Christ is, then our worship takes on a whole new character. No longer do we worship with a sense of obligation, but we adore him because there is nothing in the world more pleasant to adore—we cherish him because there is nothing in creation that has a greater value. Oh, beloved, my prayer for you is that you nurture that sense of adoration for our King based on his character. Delight in him for who he is and not just for what he has done for you. How much more satisfying he will become to you, when he is your ultimate delight.
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.
-John Newton
Found in Christ
“When Christ should be revealed—who is your life—then, also you will be revealed in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)
Beloved, not only is our life, that is our true life, tied to Christ, but the glory that we will one day experience is tied to Christ as well. Everything we are and everything we do is dependant on the one whom we serve. We have no life apart from Christ, but only know death and sin. In Christ there is life and as Christ was raised in glory, so too, will believers be raised up in glory when Christ returns in the skies. What a wonderful promise that God has given us; not only does he justify us and redeem us from our sins, but in time he will glorify us with his Son!
Friends, dwell on that picture. Let it sink into your soul. This is not a lame promise of sitting on the clouds playing a harp for eternity, but this is a real and concrete promise that we will be remade according to the image of Christ—free of all of the difficulties and problems that are associated with these mortal bodies that we have now. And, in the glorious resurrection, we will be free from sin. St. Augustine called not being able to sin the greatest freedom. What a wonderful promise and hope we have.
The problem is that we often do not live our lives like a people of hope. Instead, we live our lives in the world just as the rest of the world does. So often we fear death and seek to flee from it; so often we cling to the things of this world, when the next world beckons us. Beloved, if you have been born again in Jesus Christ, you have a blessed hope, and that hope is the glorious resurrection alongside of the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns to judge the world and condemn his enemies. Trust in that promise, for it is sure and true.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King.”
-Charles Wesley
Jesus Paid it All–All to Him I Owe…
“And you, being dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, forgiving us all trespasses.”
(Colossians 2:13)
“And yet God demonstrates his own agape love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:8 )
We who have nothing to bring to the table, we who have no righteousness of our own, we who stand guilty in our sin, we who stand as gentiles without the law, we who deserve God’s wrath and the fires of hell, it is for us that Christ died. We initiated rebellion; God initiated restoration. We sinned; Christ bore the punishment for our sins. We have hated and despised the good and righteous law of God; Christ has loved us with a sacrificial love that loves regardless of whether that love is reciprocated and has fulfilled the law on our behalf. In the fall, we rejected the earthly paradise that God has prepared; Christ prepares for us a heavenly paradise that cannot be spoiled. Beloved, what more can I say? Jesus did it all, how is it that we so often do not feel a compulsion to honor him with all of our beings in our worship and our lives? How is it that we as believers so often live for ourselves? Loved ones, give all of your life to Christ, holding nothing in reserve. You cannot hope to pay him back for what he has done, but oh, how you can glorify him as you live out your lives in this world!
And when, before the throne,
I stand in him complete,
‘Jesus died my soul to save,’
my lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all,
All to him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
-Elvina Hall
God’s Work of Creation
God’s Creative Work
The work of creation is a work that was engaged in by all three members of the Triune Godhead, thus it needs to be briefly treated here, as we discuss Theology Proper. Within this category, there are four things that we must principally discuss: The Setting of creation, the Act of creation, the Purpose of creation, and the Destiny of creation.
The Setting of Creation
When we speak of the setting of creation, we are speaking of the state of existence prior to creation from which God began his creative work. In this case, there was nothing apart from God.[1] All things that are were created by God and from nothing. In other words, there was no preexistent matter from which God began his creative work.[2] This fact rejects the Gnostic and Greek notion of the Pleroma, it rejects any sort of polytheism, and it rejects the notion of the universe being eternal[3] and ongoing. In modern science, it also rejects the notion of the universe’s origin being a “Big Bang” as the theory hinges on the idea of a preexistent singularity from which the universe came. Similarly, this rejects naturalism, as God is outside of and not bound within nature. Simply speaking, God existed in perfect harmony and satisfaction in his Triune state for eternity prior to his work of creation; he is the self-existent being from which all that exists finds its origin.
The Act of Creation
There are several things that fall under this heading: first, the cause of the act; second, the means by which the act was performed; and third, the act itself.
First, we must note that there was no outside cause that brought about God’s act of creation, nor was there anything lacking within God that precipitated a need for him to create. He made the decision to create purely for his own eternal purposes and to show his own glory. There are some who would portray God as being needy without the praises of his people or as being desirous of a relationship that was outside of himself, yet this is not the Biblical presentation of God’s sovereign being or act of creation.
Second, we must address the means by which God created. Scripture affirms that God spoke all creation into being[4] by the word of his power[5], which is Jesus Christ.[6] Scripture does not portray God as creating through other powers, it does not portray God as creating by forming preexistent matter, nor does scripture present God as creating through an interplay with or against evil powers. Instead, scripture presents God in the sovereign act of creating and then pronouncing that which he created as good.[7]
Finally, we see the act itself, by which God made all things.[8] There is a great deal of debate as to the nature of this act. Did God directly create all things by divine fiat? Did God begin the work of creation miraculously and then guide the natural development of the world through secondary causes? Did God begin creation and set the natural laws and then leave development to take place in a natural way? Is the world relatively young of is the language of Genesis 1 metaphorical?
It is not possible, within the scope of this discussion to address all of these issues as much ink has been spilled over these debates. The answer to this question falls largely into the question of which one holds to have priority. Do we interpret scripture according to man’s reason and scientific understandings or do we submit our reason and scientific understanding to the authority of scripture? We must ask, “which is translated by which?” There are faithful Christians on all sides of this debate. If one holds that scripture is primary, then science must be interpreted in light of the revelation. If one holds otherwise, then one is free to hold various interpretations of Genesis 1. See appendix for a defense of a literal (seven 24-hour days) position on the time and order of creation and the importance of holding to such a position.
The Purpose of Creation
There are really only two answers that can be given to the question of the purpose of creation. The first is that God created to glorify himself[9] and that the second is to honor Christ.[10] While there may be many secondary and subordinate plans and purposes that God has worked out in his world, like that of bringing us into a relationship with himself, the primary purpose of creation is to honor the one who brought it into being—to honor the one who rightly deserves praise and adoration. Even in our fallen state, one thing that we understand well is that it is right and proper to honor the artist or maker of a great work of art. Hence, names like Michelangelo and Rembrandt, Bach and Mozart, or Chaucer and Shakespeare are well known to us, though many years have passed since they created their masterpieces. Even the most ardent unbeliever understands that it is proper and honorable to give words of acclamation to someone who is an accomplished musician, athlete, or painter. Thus, when we see the created order and understand it to be the infinitely wonderful masterpiece that it is, how much infinitely more proper it is to praise its artist, God himself, for his work. Even more so, how much more wonderful is the infinitely perfect character of God himself than the character of his creation, and how we should praise him simply for who he is even apart from what he has done! Indeed, how much more rude and conceited it is when we refuse to honor God properly than when we refuse to give a human artist his or her due. Likewise, Christ, as the radiance of God’s glory[11] and the perfection of God’s image[12] deserves our praise.[13]
The Destiny of Creation
The discussion of the end of the created order begins with God’s initial creation. For God created all things and pronounced them to be very good[14] and gave mankind the responsibility of subduing it[15], essentially extending God’s garden of Eden—paradise—to the whole of the created order.[16] In other words, creation, while very good in every way, needed to be given order and further cultivation. Man and woman, in taking dominion over the world, were to imitate God in his gardening activity by making the planet paradise. Yet, Adam and Eve fell and as the created order was under their regency[17], the created order fell with them. Yet, God has promised through Christ that the created order will be remade perfectly at the time his Son returns[18], Jesus as King in Adam’s place, remaking the world into paradise. Hence the language of Revelation picks up on much of the Old Testament imagery of the Garden of Eden.[19] Thus, the destiny of the created order is never-ending paradise under the dominion of Christ.
[1] Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-2.
[2] See the unit on Symbolics for more on God’s creating ex-nihilo.
[3] Note that there is a difference between time and eternity: time being created and eternity being a state of timeless-ness, it simply is. This is important to note, as Augustine points out in his Confessions, for otherwise we must ask why God waited “so long” to begin his noble task of creation. Time is simply the measure that finite beings use to mark the sequential progression of their existence. Eternity describes the state of God’s being.
[4] Genesis 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26.
[5] Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 33:9.
[6] John 1:14.
[7] Genesis 1:31.
[8] Note that in the discussion of God creating all things, we are including the spiritual realms as well as the physical realms. Though it is not entirely clear as to on which day God created the spiritual world and populated it with angels, given that God is the only pre-existent being, it is understood that they were created at some point within these seven days. See appendix for more on angels and the spiritual realm.
[9] Revelation 4:11; Isaiah 43:7.
[10] Colossians 1:16.
[11] Hebrews 1:3.
[12] Colossians 1:15.
[13] Note that while some would consider God to be conceited and prideful for demanding our praise, we need to remember two principles. First, conceit and pride come as a result of a disproportionate emphasis on self to the exclusion of the rightful honor of others, and certainly this is not so with God. Secondly, praise is in our best interests, for when we praise that which is good, we find great joy. Thus the greatest of joy can be found in praising that which is the most praise-worthy: God himself.
[14] Genesis 1:31.
[15] Genesis 1:28.
[16] Genesis 2:15.
[17] Romans 8:20.
[18] 2 Peter 3:10.
[19] Revelation 21:1, 22:1-3.
Understanding Predestination
Predestination:
The natural outworking of the Doctrine of God’s Decrees when applied to salvation is the language of predestination, of which election is a subset. Regardless of how you understand predestination to be worked out in history, the term (and terms surrounding predestination) need to be dealt with because they are employed within scripture. With this in mind, various views on the nature of predestination have been put forth including that of God’s foreordination of some to glory and some to reprobation (Calvinistic), God’s predestination based on divine foresight (classic Wesleyan), and God’s predestination of Christ as the only elect one and believers finding their election in him (modern Wesleyan).
To better frame out this discussion, the first question that needs to be raised is whether God is active or passive in his predestination. The Calvinist will typically hold that God’s predestination of believers to glory is active while his predestination of unbelievers to reprobation is a passive activity—that of literally choosing not to act in the life of some. The Wesleyans will hold that God’s predestination of both believers and unbelievers is passive, the final decision in terms of salvation being left in the hands of the individual who chooses either to believe or to reject the things of God.
The second question that is addressed is the question of who forms the object of predestination. The Calvinist will hold that all men, both good and evil, are the object of God’s predestinating work. The Wesleyan will either argue that men ultimately choose to become the object of the predestinating work (as the work is passive) or that Christ is the only object of God’s predestinating work. It is worth noting that these theologies typically apply the language of predestination to angels as well as to humans, thus it is God who predestinated Satan and his minions to fall or that it is Satan and his minions who chose to fall on their own free and un-influenced will.
The third question that must be addressed is that of the specific language of the New Testament surrounding predestination. There are several terms that feed our understanding of God’s decretive work when it comes to predestination.
- proori/zw (proorizo): This term that we typically translate as “predestine” is constructed from two root words: pro (pro), for “beforehand” and oJri/zw (horizo)—“to define, appoint, or set a limit to.” Thus, when the terms are combined, this refers to something that is predetermined or decided upon ahead of time. Thus, two ideas must be accounted for in interpreting this word. First is that this word carries with it the idea of willful determination. God determined to do something (scripture context and theology will determine what that something may be); there is an intentionality that is contained by this word. Second, this willful act is an act that takes place before said events are realized, arguably, based on passages like Ephesians 1:4-5, said willful act takes place before the act of creation.
- proginw/skw (proginosko): Again, this term can be broken down into two constituent parts: pro (pro) and ginw/skw (ginosko), which means, “to know.” Thus, this term refers to God’s knowing beforehand things and events. There are two ways in which this “foreknowing” has been understood. The Calvinists have consistently argued that God’s foreknowing is due to his foreordaining (God knows the end of the story because he wrote the book). The Wesleyans have typically held that God, being outside of time and not bound by the linear time-stream as we are, equally sees past, present, and future, viewing the entire timeline of history from his divine vantage point (God knows the end of the story because he read the story beforehand).
The Wesleyan view ties proginw/skw (proginosko) with proora/w (proorao), or “foresight.” Thus God knows because he sees. Yet, the Calvinist points out the theological connection between ginw/skw (ginosko) and the Hebrew term [d:y” (yada), “to know.” The Hebrew concept of knowledge is relational, thus, when Adam “knew” his wife, she became pregnant. The Calvinist would thus argue that it is impossible to have a relationship with something that is simply seen in time, but that the word demands the idea of God setting his affections on those he “foreknew” ahead of time.
- ejkle/gomai (eklegomai): This is the verb that we translate as “to elect” or “to choose,” noting that this verb implies a certain degree of intentionality. This idea is also communicated through two nouns: ejklekto/ß (eklektos)—“chosen one” or “elect”—and ejklogh/ (ekloge)—“a choice” or “an election.” This is a term with which we will deal in more detail in our unit on Soteriology, but it is an important part of the understanding of predestination in terms of God’s decretive work. For our purposes here, though, it is important simply to understand the idea of election as being something that is a result of God’s intentional choice, regardless of the means by which you understand that choice being made (foresight or foreordination) or of your understanding of the object(s) of God’s electing work (Christ alone or all believers).
There is a fourth question that must be addressed, and this question, though it is one that tends to be more subjective than objective, is one that carries with it more pastoral connotations, and thus, in the eyes of many, is likely the most important question to address. This question is, “Is the idea of God predestinating fair?” Certainly, one may dismiss this concern by quoting, “Who are you, O Man, to answer back to God?” And, indeed, it is important to be reminded that we are the ones who must answer to God and he does not answer to man or seek man’s counsel. We were not the ones who set the world into place nor do we even know what tomorrow will bring. God is sovereign and man is not. As the German composer, Samuel Radigast, wrote: “Whatever my God ordains is right…”
At the same time, as we discussed before, God is not capricious and he is not unjust. All God does, he does in perfect harmony and accordance with his will. Thus, the question is raised once again, how do we understand the idea of predestination in terms of the “rightness” or “fairness” of the act that is consistent with the goodness of God’s character? The answer that we must give falls under a right understanding of our fallen, sinful estate. While we will discuss sin further when we discuss Anthropology, let it suffice to say that as a result of Adam’s fall, what every man, woman, and child deserves is the judgment of God—that is what we have earned. Thus, in terms of “fairness,” what is fair is that all mankind would face eternal judgment. In turn, the redemption that is seen in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ must be seen as the greatest of mercies delivered to an undeserving people. Regardless of your particular view on the object or means of election, a right view of our sinful states places into its proper context the marvelous, gracious, and wonderful work of our Lord on the cross. It can be said that the more seriously you take sin and its effects, the more you will appreciate the mercy of the cross.
One final note in terms of the language of predestination, in particular with respect to the Decrees of God: while there are many and varying views on how one explains the theology and theological ramifications of predestination, one must not ignore the concepts because they are scriptural concepts. One must deal honestly with the language of texts like Acts 4:28 and others, and while one’s theology may make less or more of them, one must make something of such passages in order to be faithful to scripture.
Ordinarily, this approach is rather backwards. Normally, when doing exegetical work, one should examine the words and their meanings, working from what the text literally states within its context and then deriving an interpretation from that point. Yet, in discussions as theologically charged as this discussion can be, it is worth noting that one’s theological presuppositions will often color one’s understanding of the context within which particular words may be found. If one is aware of one’s own presuppositions as they approach a text like this, it is my belief that one will be more inclined to recognize the effect that said presupposition is having on interpretation, hopefully using more discernment as the words are defined and understood.
Note that one must not be too hasty in assuming that a word can be defined accurately by combining the definitions of its constituent parts. Just as the English word “hot-dog” does not refer to a cute, fuzzy pet on a summer-time afternoon, such is often the same with Greek terms. At the same time, just as in English, many compound words do carry with them the combined meanings of their parts, and thus is the case with proori/zw.
Typically, when we speak of the Decrees of God, we speak of them as having taken place prior to his creative work.
Matthew 22:14; Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:22; Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Peter 2:4; 2 John 1; Revelation 17:14.
It is important to note that a related debate in terms of predestination is that of single/double predestination. Some would argue that God actively elects some to salvation and passively permits unbelievers to condemn themselves to damnation. Others would argue that God actively elects some to life and elects others to condemnation. That debate is outside of the scope of this discussion, though it deserves to be referenced in this context.
Note that this question is often rephrased to say, “Is it just?” or “Is it consistent with my understanding of God’s character?”, but ultimately, if you read between the lines, the question that is being asked is whether or not God is being arbitrary and partial, which flies in the face of most of our understandings of “fairness.”
Romans 9:20—Here Paul is citing Elihu’s rebuke of Job (Job 33:13) and Isaiah’s illustration of a clay pot in the master’s hands (Isaiah 29:16).
Also note that predestination, even in a strict Calvinistic sense, is different from philosophical determinism. God did not make automatons of mankind and though we make choices that are set within God’s will, these choices are not coerced in a negative sort of way. This will be discussed further in our discussion of Anthropology.
Becoming… : Hebrews 1:1-4 (part 15)
Becoming so much greater than the angels, as much as he has inherited a name superior to theirs.
Becoming… What does it mean for Jesus to “become so much greater than the angels…”? Is Jesus not God? Is he not already greater than the angels? Has he not always been greater than the angels? Hasn’t his name always been superior to that of angels? While we know the answers to these questions from our study of the Bible as a whole, we need to ask what the writer of Hebrews is doing here, especially since there have been some who misconstrued these verses to support the idea of Jesus as one who was not divine in all senses until after the resurrection.
So what does the writer mean when he is speaking in these terms? To begin with, always remember the broader context of the passage and of the book, what is the writer seeking to communicate. For the book of Hebrews, one prevalent theme is that of Jesus being better than any other angel or god and of his covenant being better than the old covenant. So right away, you find Jesus being spoken of in contrast to the angelic beings—beings that some people even today are want to worship.
Secondly, this introduction sets up a picture of God’s work in redemptive history, beginning with the creation and coming to close at the resurrection of our Lord. This is important in terms of our understanding of the role of our Lord. Prior to the coming of the Lord, scripture speaks clearly and freely about the coming Messiah who will deliver his people from the bonds of death and destroy the serpent. Indeed, there is also a clear sense that with the coming of the Messiah, the old will pass away to make space for the new. Yet, at the same time, the fullness of the awesome work of the Godman was yet a mystery. It was a mystery, that is, until our Lord lived out that redemptive work before the eyes of a watching (and largely doubting) people. And in the completed work, now that we understand the fullness of what Christ came and did, in our hearts, Christ has become the focus of our adoration and hope. We now see the fullness of his redemptive work and proclaim the name of Jesus as the name above all other names and as Lord and Master over our lives. Thus, this change that the writer of Hebrews is speaking of is not a change in Jesus’ essential being, but a redemptive-historical change from the perspective of man gazing in awe at the completed work of Christ.
Beloved, and indeed, in our hearts, Jesus is elevated as one greater than angelic beings and as one who is the very hope and joy of our days. He is our master, our savior, and our companion—a friend in troubled times, a rock of defense in times of trial or persecution, and God’s hand of rebuke in times of sin. He is due infinite glory and then infinite glory again! He is to be the center of our thoughts, our dreams, and our desires. He is the one who is great and above all created things. Yet, how often we place created things before our eyes. How often we come to a point in our lives when we exalt other things more boldly or more highly than Christ. Loved ones, repent of this sin, for it is a sin, and flee to Christ for forgiveness. For his name is infinitely higher and greater than that of even the most mighty creatures within the creation—the angels themselves. Friends, the angels too, fall on their faces in worship before Christ, why do we think anything else might be able to be the object of our adoration?
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
-Matthew Bridges
Cessation: Hebrews 1:1-4 (part 14)
after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Jesus “sat down…” The imagery of this is of a victorious king who has returned home after the defeat of his enemies. The sitting symbolizes that the victory is final and decisive. And indeed, we who have received the benefits of that victory can and do rejoice in the wonderful victory of our King! Oh, the peace and confidence that come from knowing that our Lord reigns unopposed.
Yet, with this in mind, there are several observations that must be made from this clause. The first observation is that this victory took place at the cross. “After making purifications for sins,” this passage begins, Jesus sits down in victory. Beloved, Jesus’ victory over the devil and sin is not something that has yet to take place, but it has already taken place at the cross. Indeed, the devil still rages against believers. Indeed, sin still haunts our lives and the effects of sin still surround us. But these things are the death throes of a defeated enemy and we can rejoice in knowing that the attacks we endure have lost their sting (1 Corinthians 15:55-56) for the law has been satisfied by the work of Christ (satisfaction is another aspect of the atonement—see above). The devil is dead and he knows it, he is simply thrashing about to do as much damage as he can to God’s people for as long as he is able. Indeed, there is a time when our Lord will once again leave his throne and enter into our world in final judgment, casting the devil and his servants into the eternal lake of fire, but for now, our Lord reigns victorious while he brings the entirety of his elect church to himself.
The second thing that we must note about this passage is where our Lord takes his seat. It is at the right hand of God the Father in all of his glory. Now, we know that this is metaphoric imagery. We know that God the father does not have hands and we know that God the Father and God the Son (as well as God the Holy Spirit), while three persons, are one God, so to make too much about designation and location is inappropriate—there is no real subordination, for example, within the Godhead (though, we can argue that there was an economic subordination in the sense that certain members of the Godhead primarily focused on certain tasks in redemptive history, but all-the-while knowing that God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are present when God the Father is working, etc…). All of this having been said, we must note that the right hand was symbolic in ancient cultures of the hand of power and authority. In other words, sitting at the right hand communicates that all of the power and authority of God are at the disposal of the one to that side. It is the side given to the honored guest, brought into the fellowship of one in authority (note that we retain some of this imagery in our modern culture when we extend the right hand of fellowship to another in a handshake). The symbolism of the right hand is seen as a confirmation that Jesus’ completed work of atonement has met the full satisfaction of God the Father and nothing more needs to be added. Jesus’ work is complete; his sacrifice never needs repeating. God’s justice and honor has been satisfied and his wrath has been meted out in terms of the elect—there is no more work to be done for the redemption of God’s people.
Loved ones, let that sink in a bit. Jesus’ redemptive work is complete. We neither need to nor are even able to add to it on a saving level. Jesus successfully accomplished what we could not accomplish for ourselves. Jesus’ merit was sufficient to satisfy the righteous law and his sacrifice was sufficient to satisfy the justice of his Father—what more is there left but for us to adore him! Oh, loved ones, when we speak of the “Cessation” of the Son’s work, we are not suggesting that he puts his feet up on a celestial ottoman and sips divine lemonade for all eternity, no, he lives to make intercession for his people (Hebrews 7:25)! Yet, in terms of the work necessary to redeem his people, that work was fully completed on the cross—we are just going through history while that redemptive work is slowly realized in the lives of the elect (2 Peter 3:9). Believer, rejoice in the knowledge that your Lord and Savior sits in such a place of honor and privilege in the grand scheme of God’s great plan, yet, for those who may not believe and have a relationship with Jesus Christ, be afraid, for the one you reject is the one who has the Father’s ear and who promises that none will come to the Father save through the Son (John 14:6).
To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
-Fanny Crosby
Purification for Sins: Hebrews 1:1-4 (part 13)
after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
There are many theories that have been put forth in the history of theology to try and articulate all of the ramifications of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. Yet, the scriptures affirm so many different aspects of Jesus’ work on the cross that it is difficult to encapsulate all of them within one theory. And here is one of those passages in scripture that gives us a glimpse into one aspect of Jesus’ redeeming work—that of making purification for sins. This idea of making purification ties in closely with the Old Testament concept of the high priest offering a sacrifice to make atonement for his people. Indeed, this very language is found in the Greek translation of passages like Exodus 29:6 and Exodus 30:10, which speaks specifically of this atoning work.
In light of the Old Testament passages of atonement for sin, one thing that we must recognize is that sin is an offense to God, it is ugly and wicked, and it warps us wholly. The physical disease of Leprosy in the Old Testament is a visual description of the effect that sin has upon us in life. It makes us wretched and separates us from that which is holy and of God. Yet, God offers a means by which we may be made clean. In the Old Testament age, this cleansing revolved around the illustration of slaughtering animals. Though the blood of animals has no intrinsic value of its own, the promise of the work of Christ would impart value to it (Hebrews 9:15). And ultimately, the work of Christ in laying down his life as an offering of atonement, would offer a cleansing for those who flee to him in faith. Just as Jesus physically healed the lepers and others who were being consumed by disease and the other effects of the fall, Jesus heals us as well through faith in his finished work.
Does this idea of cleansing encapsulate the entirety of what Jesus’ atoning work does, certainly not! There are legal aspects where we need to talk about Jesus in terms of penal substitution. Scripture speaks of Jesus as having provided a ransom (to God, not the devil) for believers. There is the language of his being a model for us to follow and one who imputes his righteousness. We could go on, but that misses the point. The atonement is quite complex and we will likely never plumb the depths fully of this remarkable doctrine; this passage gives us just one glance at what Christ does for us: he cleanses us from our sins so that we might stand as clean in the presence of a righteous and a holy God who cannot tolerate sin in his presence. And this task, the writer of Hebrews affirms, Christ has gloriously completed, taking his seat at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Blessed be the name of our Lord!
Extol the Lamb of God,
The sin atoning Lamb;
Redemption by His blood
Throughout the lands proclaim:
The year of jubilee is come!
The year of jubilee is come!
Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.
-Charles Wesley
Bearing All Things: Hebrews 1:1-4 (part 11)
also bearing all things in the word of his power;
What does it mean that Jesus bears all things? The Greek word that is used here is the word fe/rw (phero), which is a fairly broad verb, but it typically carries with it the idea of carrying something from point “A” to point “B.” Now, indeed, the writer of Hebrews is not trying to depict Jesus as carrying the universe around in a basket from location to location, but in the context of the passage, the writer is presenting Jesus as the one who carries all creation from time to time. Earlier in this passage, the writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as being the means by which God created, but he does not leave the imagery there, instead, Jesus is also portrayed as being the one who is preserving the universe in an ongoing way, holding it and binding it together (Colossians 1:17), and literally bearing up the universe through time from beginning to end.
There is an illustration that seems to be floating around Christian circles today for the purpose of illustrating God’s creative activity. This is called the “Watchmaker” analogy, and it is a very old illustration that has come back into usage. Essentially it poses the question of our innate expectations—when we see something that has a clear and orderly design, we expect that there is a maker. When we see a sandcastle, per say, we do not wonder whether it was formed by the wind and tides, we know that there is design and hence a designer. When we see a watch, we realize the same thing. While this is a good reminder, in principle, of God’s creative activity, it has dangerous ramifications in our understanding of the nature of God’s providential care of his creation. When a watchmaker makes a watch, he lets it alone after it is wound so that it will go on working as it was designed until it needs to be rewound. This idea of a “hands-off” God is not Biblical and leads to Deism, not genuine Christianity.
The writer of Hebrews is saying that not only did Jesus form the clock, the clock is formed in such a way that it cannot run on its own and that it is Jesus’ hand that allows it to move on. The second that Jesus withdraws his hand will be the second that the universe stops and dies. The word of Jesus’ power of so integral to the creation’s very being, that the creation cannot be said to have existence without it. It would be like being a human being trying to live and act without air or blood, it would be like an automobile trying to drive without fuel to run it or oil to lubricate its parts, and it would be like trying to turn on a light-bulb when there is not yet any power run to the house. Nothing can be said to be or to be able to continue without the word of God’s power—without the work of Jesus Christ.
Loved ones, think of the ramifications of this principle. Even the unbeliever needs Jesus, whether he likes it or not. Without Jesus, the unbeliever and the believer alike could not walk, breath, have life, or even exist—we would be nothing and nothing would be. That makes nonsense out of even the most ardent atheist’s rejection of God, for they could not reject were not Christ causing all things to be and were not Christ allowing them the setting and ability to reject. What a wonderful reminder of how we ought to be bold in our evangelism, for we know and have a relationship with the one who holds the cosmos in its place and who will bring it into its logical judgment! Oh, beloved, how our God did not create a clock to be wound and sit on the table, but instead, he created a machine that can do nothing on its own, but requires one to be ever moving and bringing it life—and the great promise is that Christ will not fail to uphold this universe, but will do so by the word of his power to its appointed time when it will be brought into judgment and remade free from the effects of the fall.
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 6)
“As with fat and the choicest cuts of meat, my soul will be satisfied.
My lips will exult; my mouth will exclaim hallelujah!”
(Psalm 63:6 {Psalm 63:5 in English versions})
Now, in a culture that is as health conscious as ours is, we somewhat lose the impact of the initial metaphor. We usually think of fatty food as something bad and to be avoided because it is just simply not good for you (or at least, in a society that is as sedentary as ours is, it is not good for you). Yet, one thing that must never be forgotten is that typically, when you are dealing with meats, the fattiest cuts are also the tastiest cuts. As a child, before I became aware of this and that health concern and when I was active enough that I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound, one my favorite things about when Dad made steaks on the grill, was eating the fat on the outside of the cut. And that is exactly what David is communicating. Take all of your health issues and set them to the side and think simply of the wonderful taste that comes with fat, and recognize that David is saying that his soul enjoys his God in the same way as his taste buds enjoys the fatty cuts of meat.
We, as humans, respond to food. This is not a cultural thing, but it is tied to our very being—we like to eat and we like to eat well. We have made an art out of fine cooking, and almost everything we do on a social level is done around food. Different cultures may have different styles of food that is popular with their palates, but there is food, none-the-less. And what David is seeking to communicate to us through the ages is that as satisfying as the best meal may be—and when we have an exceptional meal prepared for us, it is not uncommon for us to think of that meal for days if not weeks—and crave it again—so too, David says, his soul enjoys God. The question that needs to be asked, then, is does your soul crave God in the same way your mouth craves a favorite food. Do you look forward all day to your morning or evening prayer time in the same way that you look forward all day to a special meal that is being prepared? Do you savor your time in prayer as you do a good meal or do you see it as just one more thing to do?
Beloved, I think that we are all guilty of falling short of the mark that David sets for us, but he continues his metaphor in the second line of the psalm. Just as your lips and mouth do not remain silent, but instead rejoice, in a good meal, so too, his lips and mouth cannot remain silent at the presence of God in his life. And, indeed, David’s mouth did not remain silent, but from his mouth came the many sweet psalms of the first part of the book of Psalms. Loved ones, does your heart sing, do your lips exult, does your voice refuse to remain silent at the wonders of God? If so, then praise God, but if not, I pray that these words of David will spur you on and help nurture within you a heart of praise.
I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! With his blood he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debit and made me free.
-Philip Bliss
The Reflection of God’s Image (b): Hebrews 1:1-4 (part 10)
and the exact image of his essence…
So, understanding the theology of this passage in terms of the divine nature of Christ, what does that mean for us as humans apart from the theology of salvation? We are told in scripture that as human beings we too are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Yet in the fall of Adam and Eve, while the image of God within us was not lost, it was severely twisted and warped by sin. Living as sinful men and women, that sin nature distorts the image of God, making it difficult to see or understand and impossible to experience. Yet, Christ is the exact image of God (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15), and Christ, in all his being and glorious work, did so without sin (Hebrews 4:15). In other words, if we want to look at a picture of what our lives ought to look like were we not marred by sin, Christ provides that picture!
Thus, that is why, when we talk of our sanctification, we often use the language of being made more like Christ (1 Corinthians 4:16; Ephesians 5:1). Or, perhaps to put it in another way, as we grow in grace, our lives should more and more reflect Christ and less and less reflect our old, sinful man. People should be able to look at your life and at mine, as believers in Jesus Christ, and see Christ reflected in us.
So how do we engender that in our lives? Certainly the process of our sanctification is a process driven and empowered by the Holy Spirit, but there are also many passages in scripture that exhort us to labor alongside of the Spirit as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:10). In other words, the way in which we order our lives either resists or compliments the sanctifying work of the Spirit. So how do we being the process of what Peter refers to as “supporting” or “reinforcing” our faith (2 Peter 1:5-7)? To begin with, we need to go back to the Ten Commandments, the Moral Law of God, and seek to apply that to our lives. Why is this the place to begin? First of all, Peter says as much in 2 Peter 1:5, for the very first attribute that is to be added to faith is that of ajreth/ (arete), or “moral excellence.” Where else would we find God’s standard of moral excellence other than in God’s moral law? In addition, the moral law itself is a reflection of God’s perfect and holy character, thus, if we are being remade into the image of Christ who is the perfect image of God, then ought not we strive to instill within our lives the moral excellences as taught by God and demonstrated by his very character?
Loved ones, how important it is to apply God’s law to our lives and seek to live it out. Indeed, we cannot do so in our own strength, but in the strength of the Holy Spirit, these character traits may be worked out in our lives. Through the process of sanctification we are being made ready for glory—we won’t ever be fully glorified here in this world, but as we grow in faith, we should be more and more reflecting Christ and less and less reflecting our old, fleshly, sinful selves. How deep and wide is the chasm that Christ bridged between sinful men and God himself, let us walk along that bridge, not resisting the movement of the Holy Spirit, but participating with it, so that our lives reflect the reality of the Spirit’s work in us and on us in every way. Look to your lives, beloved, and apply God’s perfect law so that you may reflect Christ to a sinful world—Christ who is the exact image of His essence.
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 12)
“The King will rejoice in God;
and boast, will all who swear by him;
for the mouth will be shut of all who speak a lie.”
(Psalm 63:12 {Psalm 63:11 in English Bibles})
And David, who is the rightful king of Israel, will rejoice in God (even in the midst of having to flee for his life) because God will shut the mouths of the liars—God will vindicate David’s name and bring to shame those who would seek to speak ill of him. What an amazing statement! David is saying that because God is who he is, that he has no fear. Even in the situation he is in, where people are seeking his life and his kingdom, that David is entirely confident that God will bring truth to the surface and will bring an end to the lies that are being spoken about him.
Beloved, were it that we could only have such faith! That we could walk with such confidence as to know that God will stop the mouths of those who lie about us. Yet, friends, we can because God will! How often do we respond to lies about us by angrily confronting the liars? How often do we drop everything that we are doing just to focus our energies on “restoring our good name?” Loved ones, do not misunderstand me, a good name is an important part of your Christian witness, but do you not think that God will restore your good name for you? Do you not think that God is able to put an end to false talk about you? If you believe that God will do this and that he is able to do so, why do you fret and panic about the lies of the enemy so?
Loved ones, you are held in the hand of the one who is the very definition of truth and righteousness—pursue His truth and righteousness and the lies of the enemy will be shown for what they are. As our Lord, himself said:
“Blessed are you when they reproach you, persecute you, and say evil and lies of you because of me. Rejoice and Exalt! For your reward is great in heaven. For thus they persecuted the prophets who came before you.”
(Matthew 5:11-12)
Beloved, let our lives sing and boast of the one we serve, for what other god is like our God? None! No not one!
I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood, he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon,
Paid the debit and made me free.
-Philip Bliss
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 11)
“They will be thrown down on the sword;
they will be a portion for foxes.”
(Psalm 63:11 {Psalm 63:10 in English Bibles})
Not only is David confident in the death of those who seek his life, but he is confident in the ignoble way in which they will die and be left for the scavengers of the field. The language of being “thrown down” on the sword paints the picture for us of the execution of defeated enemies, forced to their deaths. And of course, the language of their bodies being a portion for the foxes finishes the picture of dead bodies strewn across the battlefield and left to rot and be eaten by scavenging animals—alone and without the dignity of a proper burial.
Oh, the indignity of the final end of those who persecute God’s own. Not only is it ruin in this life, but it is ruin in the next. Beloved, how many people do you know and love that are destined to be a portion for the foxes? How many people do you regularly interact with who are on the wide path that leads to damnation? And have you been faithful in showing them that there is another way? Have you worked, even at cost, to remind them that Christ is the answer to their problems? Have you warned them that unless they flee to Christ, condemnation is what they will face? Oh, loved ones, how often we sit idly by while those we care about head for the sword of final judgment. Friends, take a serious look around you at those whose lives do not reflect a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Will you share the good news with them? They may reject you, forsake you, change the subject, or walk the other way, but if they don’t, and they listen, oh the joy that you will share in seeing one who was destined for destruction experience life!
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 10)
“And those men of ruin, who require my life,
they will go to the lowest parts of the earth.”
(Psalm 63:10 {Psalm 63:9 in English Bibles})
Thus, not only does David have the assurance that he may hide behind the strong hand of God for protection, like a small child with his or her parent, but that God will act against those that seek his harm. He says of those who seek his life, that God will send them to the lowest parts of the earth—the grave—Sheol—as a sign of his judgment against them. Even in referring to these men, he calls them “men of ruin”—not so much because they are seeking David’s ruin (which they are), but because by seeking the death of God’s anointed king, they are condemning themselves to judgment. Woe to those who oppose the chosen of God—woe to those who would seek to destroy God’s anointed children!
There is some discussion about the translation of the first clause of this verse. Many will translate it as “those who seek to ruin my life,” connecting the “ruin” with the work of these men and not the lives of these men. Yet, the Hebrew system of accent marks (a system designed to bind words together or to separate them) binds these first two words together into one unit—hence, “men of ruin.”
The principle, beloved, is clear. God will protect and preserve his own. Oh, how we so often fail to trust in that promise. Oh, how often we doubt God’s provision for us! And, loved ones, how often we neglect to remember that promise when we have a dispute with another believer. Oh, dear friends, let us never forget that the promises that God extends to us are the same promises that He extends to other born-again believers; there is no room for bickering and in-fighting in the house of God. Beloved, let there be peace.
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 9)
“My soul cleaves behind you;
your right hand takes hold of me.”
(Psalm 63:9 {Psalm 63:8})
As David is reflecting on his dependence on God’s strong hand of defense, he switches to a different, but related metaphor. In the previous verse, he employs the imagery of being a chick under a mother eagle’s wings; here, the imagery is that of a timid child, clinging for protection to his father’s leg. He begins this verse with the language of his soul or his spirit clinging or cleaving to God, yet doing so from behind. Many of our English translations do not do a good job of bringing this out, but the Hebrew clearly suggests that the clinging is done as if he is coming up on God from the rear—just as a child hides behind their parent’s leg for protection when they perceive danger.
The next verse reflects the response of God to his action—God’s right hand takes hold of him. The Hebrew word that is used here is the term $m;t’ (tamak), which reflects the idea of grabbing hold of something firmly and not letting go. In addition, it is important to be reminded that the language of the right hand reflected the idea of strength and might—in other words, with God’s hand of power, he grabs hold of David to provide that protection. In addition, we need to understand that the idea of “soul” for the Hebrew reflected the idea of his whole life and the entirety of his being. Sometimes vp,n< (nephesh) is translated as “life” (Genesis 9:5) or even the idea of “personality” (Leviticus 26:30). In other words, David is not speaking only of spiritual matters in the context of this verse and the metaphor he is employing, but that of the entirety of his life.
Beloved, so often we like to imagine ourselves as being the strong hero pressing against the storms—you know the picture, the man in the cowboy had and duster bent down as he fights his way forward against the wind and driving rain. Yet, loved ones, this is not the Biblical model. There are no lone cowboys in the body of Christ and none of us can stand alone against the storms—if we try we will fail. The Biblical picture is that which David is painting for us here—we are children clinging for safety to our Father’s leg, and with his strong hand he leads us. Oh, what a contrast there is between the way we like to perceive ourselves and the way God perceives us. Oh, how much foolishness we engage in when we get that perception wrong. Beloved, cling to the leg of your heavenly Father—his strong hand will hold you during times of trouble.
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 8)
“For you are my help
and in the shadow of your wings I will exult!”
(Psalm 63:8 {Psalm 63:7 in English Bibles})
The language of God being as a mother eagle to his people, Israel, is a common Old Testament image (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11; Ruth 2:12; Psalm 17:8; etc…). And oh, what a wonderful image it is—that of God providing his strong protection over his people, sheltering them from the storms by his great and mighty wings. And it is from under the protection of God’s wings that we may not only rest in confident assurance of that protection, but we may sing to God undistracted by the cares of this world. What assurance there is when you know that you are safe and protected! What peace comes to a child’s heart when, after they have been threatened, they rest once again, safely in their parent’s arms!
Sadly, we live in a culture where many do not understand this concept. Many children grow up in families where both spouses work and are out of the homes and have to learn to protect themselves from life’s difficulties. Many children grow up without their fathers and don’t know the peace that comes from the assurance of the safety of being in their father’s arms. Many adults put their own interests and goals ahead of the good of their families, again creating an environment where children are forced to find protection elsewhere. Abuse, too, runs rampant in our culture, making the home anything but a safe place to be. As a result, these young men and women have grown up relying on themselves, not trusting too many people, and not knowing the assurance of resting in the arms of one who loves them and is able to keep them safe from the cares of the world.
Oh, the damage we have done to our families by pursuing our own agendas instead of the agenda of God—instead of pursuing his glory and righteousness. Oh, beloved, what a message of hope we have to offer, though, in the Gospel! In Christ, there is hope and peace and rest for the weary soul. In Christ there is safety; under God’s strong wings we may find rest and help. And under God’s strong wings we may finally sing for joy—exult—in the glory of Him who is greater than all the threats of this world put together. In Christ and in Him alone we may find our help.
Our God, Our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come.
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
-Isaac Watts
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 7)
“When I remember you on my couch,
in the night watches, I mediate upon you.”
(Psalm 63:7 {Psalm 63:6 in English Bibles})
David begins this passage with a conditional clause. In the Hebrew, this particular conditional clause (with the conjunction ~ai (im)), reflects the idea of a realizable condition. In other words, this is not a vague or “pie in the sky” hope, but this is something that is a concrete event in his life. On those dark and lonely nights as he lay awake sleepless, it was God that will fill the mind of David—even in the midst of his great troubles and times of flight for his life. How often we lay awake at night because of the burdens of life (bills to pay, things left undone, etc…); David sets before us another example—meditate upon the person of Christ and his beauty and the depth and wonder of our God. No, it won’t make your obligations or bills go away, but it will put them in their proper perspective.
How rarely we meditate on the person of Christ! How rarely do we sit and reflect on the perfections of God! Oh, beloved, we often think of all the things that God has done for us, and that is good and right to do, but do you think on the beauty of the one who has done these things for you? Do you spend time reflecting on his person and his character? A marriage relationship with stagnate if the couple is only in love with each other based on what they do together or what the one has done for the other. Though the actions and deeds are still very important, relationships find their depth in falling in love with the person and character of the spouse. So too with God. If your love for God is only based on what he is done for you, you will find yourself in crisis every time you go through a dark trial and cannot see his hand at work. You must fall in love with God for who he is for your relationship to grow deep.
Oh, beloved, what is on your mind during those dark hours that you cannot find sleep? Is it God? Is it God’s perfections and character? Is it the beauty of Jesus Christ? Is it all that God has done in the world—and for you as well? Do you lay awake marveling at God’s redemptive plan? Do the concerns of this world overwhelm your mind when all the lights have gone out? Loved ones, God has promised that if you seek him, he will take care of the stresses of the day—spend your waking hours during the days and nights seeking after him and his righteousness and all these other things he will add unto you.
David in the Wilderness: Psalm 63 (part 6)
“As with fat and the choicest cuts of meat, my soul will be satisfied.
My lips will exult; my mouth will exclaim hallelujah!”
(Psalm 63:6 {Psalm 63:5 in English versions})
Now, in a culture that is as health conscious as ours is, we somewhat lose the impact of the initial metaphor. We usually think of fatty food as something bad and to be avoided because it is just simply not good for you (or at least, in a society that is as sedentary as ours is, it is not good for you). Yet, one thing that must never be forgotten is that typically, when you are dealing with meats, the fattiest cuts are also the tastiest cuts. As a child, before I became aware of this and that health concern and when I was active enough that I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain a pound, one my favorite things about when Dad made steaks on the grill, was eating the fat on the outside of the cut. And that is exactly what David is communicating. Take all of your health issues and set them to the side and think simply of the wonderful taste that comes with fat, and recognize that David is saying that his soul enjoys his God in the same way as his taste buds enjoys the fatty cuts of meat.
We, as humans, respond to food. This is not a cultural thing, but it is tied to our very being—we like to eat and we like to eat well. We have made an art out of fine cooking, and almost everything we do on a social level is done around food. Different cultures may have different styles of food that is popular with their palates, but there is food, none-the-less. And what David is seeking to communicate to us through the ages is that as satisfying as the best meal may be—and when we have an exceptional meal prepared for us, it is not uncommon for us to think of that meal for days if not weeks—and crave it again—so too, David says, his soul enjoys God. The question that needs to be asked, then, is does your soul crave God in the same way your mouth craves a favorite food. Do you look forward all day to your morning or evening prayer time in the same way that you look forward all day to a special meal that is being prepared? Do you savor your time in prayer as you do a good meal or do you see it as just one more thing to do?
Beloved, I think that we are all guilty of falling short of the mark that David sets for us, but he continues his metaphor in the second line of the psalm. Just as your lips and mouth do not remain silent, but instead rejoice, in a good meal, so too, his lips and mouth cannot remain silent at the presence of God in his life. And, indeed, David’s mouth did not remain silent, but from his mouth came the many sweet psalms of the first part of the book of Psalms. Loved ones, does your heart sing, do your lips exult, does your voice refuse to remain silent at the wonders of God? If so, then praise God, but if not, I pray that these words of David will spur you on and help nurture within you a heart of praise.
I will sing of my Redeemer, and his wondrous love to me:
On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free.
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer! With his blood he purchased me;
On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debit and made me free.
-Philip Bliss
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