Full of Grace and Truth

 

You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.  --Isaiah 12:1-3

Christmas has come and gone.  By now you have most likely thrown away all of the wrapping paper and ribbons, which looked so festive when they adorned the gifts under the Christmas tree.  Now they are destined for a land fill somewhere, a remnant of Christmases past.  Perhaps you are spending this weekend taking down the Christmas tree, carefully removing and boxing the surviving ornaments, storing them away for next year.

In removing all the clutter and returning the family room back to normal you may see something that gives you pause.  Something you swept up off the floor--maybe a piece of the nativity set that somehow got separated from the rest--something small, but it makes you stop and smile.  You may remember the Christmas Eve service at church, or maybe a line from an old carol you hold dear.  A Bible verse may cross your mind, something you read to the children from the gospel accounts of Luke, or maybe Matthew, where the birth of Jesus is recounted in detail.

Matthew and Luke tell us the most about the events leading up to and surrounding the birth of the Christ child.  Mark doesn't mention it at all, introducing the Savior as a full grown man.  Then there's the gospel of John.  John's account of the Nativity is summed up in the first chapter.  Verse 9 speaks of Jesus's purpose: "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world."  Verse 10 speaks of his anonymity: "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him."  Verse 11 speaks of his rejection: "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."  Verse 12 speaks of his disciples: "But to all who did receive him, he gave the right to become children of God."

The whole of Jesus's ministry is summed up in verse 14: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."  The Word of God, whom Solomon referred to as Wisdom, the One who spoke the world into existence left the glory of heaven and walked among us.  God did not decide one day to just walk a mile in our sandals.  Rather, He became one of of us.  The creator of life spent nine months in utero.  The divine and eternal took on the flesh and blood of a mortal man.

Professor Chad Bird put it this way:

God becomes no bigger than a dot to save a cosmos. He doesn't just send a child to do a man's job. He sends an embryo to do a God's job. Jesus did not come down to earth to walk a mile in our shoes. He chose to live for the rest of eternity in our skin. The incarnation was not an internship. If there was ever any doubt about God's commitment to humanity, the incarnation removed that doubt. For the joy set before him, Jesus entered the womb, suffered through puberty, fought the good fight, endured the cross, exploded the tomb. For what joy? For the joy of calling you brother and sister, flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. For the joy of your salvation. It all began inside a virgin, when God became a man forever. And thus he is our brother, our kinsman redeemer, the God who would move heaven and earth to save us.

 Jesus's incarnation is the intersection of grace and truth.  

My wife gave me a book for Christmas called Breakfast With Bonhoeffer by Jon Walker.  In it, Walker compares the marriage of grace and truth to a husband and wife who have different ways of loading a dishwasher.  His wife is a structuralist, believing there is one and only one way to properly clean the dishes.  Jon, by contrast says he is improvisation.  His approach to cleaning dishes is more free-form, "that is, if it's in the machine somewhere, somehow, then surely it will get clean."  Walker notes that this marriage of legalism and grace is fraught with potential pitfalls.

Jesus came from the Father "full of grace and truth" on his mission to bring us into the Kingdom (John 1:14 NIV).  God's truth and grace work hand-in-hand, just like a couple who are polar opposites can work together when loading the dishwasher.  The danger as we follow Jesus into the Kingdom is that we can slip off the narrow path, on one side sliding into a ditch of burdensome religion--what we commonly call legalism--and on the other side sliding into a ditch where there is a presumptive disregard for the bloody cost of God's grace, something Bonhoeffer refers to as cheap grace. (Walker, page 52)

The Christian life is often compared to walking a narrow path.  The challenge is to keep our way between the ditches.  Too many times we follow "blind guides" referred to in Luke 6:39. On the one hand are fundamentalists who fastidiously follow all the rules,  On the other hand are the hyper-grace types who have no idea of the price Jesus paid for our salvation.  Both are in danger of falling into a ditch.

Both of these ditches look a little bit like following Jesus, and so we can trudge through the mud, thinking we're still hot on the heels of Jesus.  But both these ditches carry us away from the intimate relationship God desires that we have with Jesus Christ.  Both of these paths attempt to do the impossible: the first tries to separate grace from truth and the second tries to separate truth from grace.  Either way, it only creates a monumental mess. Bonhoeffer says either extreme will leave us perpetually immature, the one following rules instead of learning to be dependent upon Jesus and the other following impulse instead of learning to be obedient to God's Word.  The idea that we can disconnect from Jesus or that some part of our life can be disconnected from Jesus is a delusion straight from the pit of hell. (Walker, page 53.)

 The prophet Micah asked God what might cover man's sin.  Did he want sacrifices? If so, what kind, and how much?  Would one bull or ram sacrifice be enough, or would it require more?  If it required more, how much more?  A hundred animals? A thousand? The sacrifice of Micah's first-born son?  God's answer is one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture: "He has told you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (or mercy), and to walk humbly with your God? (Michah 6:8, emphasis added).

Jesus came to speak God's truth.  God is holy.  Man is sinful, separated from God.  Jesus also came to show us what grace looks like.  God requires punishment for our sins, but Jesus was willing to take that punishment for us.  Being the recipient of God's grace through the blood of Jesus does not give us license to sin.  A total surrender to Jesus should make us want to be holy.  

While you are busy boxing and storing the Christmas decorations, do not reflect so much on the baby, who came naked into this world through Mary.  Remember that this same man died naked on the cross, bearing our sins upon him, so that we may be the recipient of God's grace. 

The "Star" of Bethlehem

 

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting.  --Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

Bethlehem literally means "House of Bread."  As we wade into the Christmas season, we will be reminded often that Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus.  This same Jesus once called Himself the "bread of life."  In fact, at the Last Supper (the first Communion) Jesus broke bread, and told his disciples to "Take, eat, for this (bread) is My body which is broken for you."

So what do we know about the little town of Bethlehem?  Why was this village featured so prominently in the Bible? And what lessons can we learn from its most prominent residents?

The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is the place where Jacob, the Patriarch of Israel, buried his wife Rachel.  Rachel was the mother of Joseph, who was sold into slavery, falsely accused by the wife of Potiphar, thrown into prison, and was subsequently freed by Pharaoh when Jacob interpreted a dream.  You will recall that Jacob was then elevated to a high position in Egypt, and was instrumental in feeding thousands.  Jacob is sometimes referred to as a "type" of Christ, meaning there are parallels between his life and the life of Jesus.  Jesus was falsely accused and was taken prisoner.  Jesus was also highly exalted, and was instrumental in feeding thousands.  Just as Joseph saved his family from the famine, Jesus saves His people from their sins.

Another mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is the twelfth chapter of Judges.  A man named Ibzan from Bethlehem ruled Israel for 7 years.  Bible scholars are divided about who this man Ibzan was, and even whether it was the same Bethlehem that was called "the city of David."  Jewish tradition, however, says that it was the same village.  Moreover, Jewish tradition equates Ibzan with Boaz, another prominent resident of Bethlehem.  You will recall that Boaz was kinsman/Redeemer of Ruth.  Similarly Jesus is our kinsman/Redeemer.  Jesus paid the price for us.  We (as the Church) are His bride.

The last reference we will mention today is a combination of all the passages in Samuel and Chronicles involving David and his proximity to Bethlehem.  Before he was king, David watched his father's sheep in Bethlehem.  While he battled Saul for the kingdom, David longed for water from his hometown, so much so that three mighty men broke through the Philistine forces to get him a container of water.  David was impressed, but did not drink the water when the men brought it to him.  Instead, he poured it out on the ground as a sacrifice to God.  Jesus was broken and spilled out for us.  He poured Himself out as a sacrifice for us.

Of all the prominent sons of Bethlehem, there is none brighter than Jesus.  He is the Star of Bethlehem that shines so brightly it beckons wise men from the East, who shines so long that He calls to you and me some 2000 years after His sacrificial death and resurrection.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 

This is the preparation He made for His Advent.  He prepared a place called the House of Bread so that Mary and Joseph could travel there and give birth to the Bread of Life.  It is by this preparation that we can break bread in holy Communion, in remembrance of Him and in some way becoming a member of His body, the body that was broken for us.

Wisdom Incarnate: The Gospel of Proverbs

 

If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.  --Proverbs 1:23

We are entering the Christmas season.  Having cleaned up the Thanksgiving meal, we have likely set about the setting up of the Christmas tree.  Today is the first Sunday of Advent, so no doubt in our church services we have begun singing Christmas carols and hymns.  

One such hymn was sung in our worship service this morning.  The song, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is a haunting tune expressing a longing for the Messiah to come to ransom Israel.  One of the verses in that hymn (depending on the hymnbook your church uses, or the translation that the editors chose), goes something like this:

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high
And order all things, far and nigh
To us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go

The poetic invocation of Wisdom here is not just a plea for divine knowledge, although the dissemination of that godly knowledge was certainly the divine work of the Messiah.  I would urge you, though, to open up your mind a little bit here.  Wisdom is the personification of God.  Remembering the beginning of John's gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word, was God,"  Author Chad Bird puts it this way: 

"God has wisdom like a father has a son.  I mean that the Father begot wisdom, brought forth wisdom to be by His side, to work alongside Him in creation, to teach humanity, and eventually to Tabernacle with humanity.  Like the word of Yahweh, the wisdom of Yahweh is a person.  Using trinitarian terminology, scholars sometimes cal this the "hypostatization" of wisdom.  They mean that wisdom is a hypostasis (person) who, while essentially of God, is also distinguished from God.  I would say, more simply, that wisdom is another name for the Father's Son." (Chad Bird The Christ Key 2021, page 36).

 If we understand this concept, then we see the book of Proverbs as a Gospel message.  Proverbs 1:20-23 says,

Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

If you can get past the fact that the word for wisdom in Hebrew is a feminine noun, then you can see how the Wisdom that Solomon speaks of in Proverbs is a foreshadowing of the Son of God.  Did not Jesus cry out in the streets and marketplaces?  Did He not promise to pour out His Spirit on all people?

A more direct image is found in Proverbs 3:19: "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth."  There are several New Testament passages that flesh out this thought.  1 Corinthians 8:6 says, "For there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."  Jon 1:3 says, "All things were made by Him (the Word), and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Looking further into the New Testament equivalency of Wisdom and the Christ, we see in Hebrews 1:2-3, "In these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power."  Colossians 1:16-17 says, "For by Him (Jesus) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us Wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption."  I challenge you to read the 8th chapter of Proverbs and not see the work of Christ in almost every verse.  "For my mouth will utter truth." (verse 7).  "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me." (verse 17).  "For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord." (verse 35).  

If you have one of those Bibles that prints the words of Jesus in red, these verses in Proverbs 8 should be red as well.  This is the speech of God's Son.  He is telling us that He is begotten of the Father.  He was "brought forth" by Him.  Moreover this was "before the beginning of the earth" (*:23); before anything was created, He was there.  But once the Father was forming seas and erecting mountains, what was the Son doing? Wisdom was the "master workman" of architect of creation, "rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the children of man" (8:30-31).  (ibid Chad Bird, page 68).

Was it any accident that Joseph, the man who raised the boy Jesus on earth, was a carpenter?  Joseph, in all likelihood, trained Jesus in this trade.  Jesus probably earned His livelihood by being a carpenter up until age 30, when He began His earthly ministry.  Why is this important?  The Greek word for "beginning" is arche, from which we get our English word "architect".  A carpenter's work will not stand without an architectural drawing, and cannot be completed with a certification from an architect.  Not only is Jesus the builder of the universe, He is the architect.  He is both the founder and the foundation.  Revelation 3:14 says, "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of God's creation'."  John is describing Jesus here; not only is He the Amen (the end), but He is the beginning of creation.

Another favorite song of mine is the hymn Be Thou My Vision.  The second verse says this:

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Jesus was the Wisdom spoken of in Proverbs.  He is the Son of God who dwelt among us.  He bids us all to become children of God.  For this reason we sing, "Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel has come to ransom Israel."

A little help here, please?

 

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. --Psalm 46:1

I just got back from vacation, where we visited my family near Waco, Texas.  We stayed with my sister, who is helping to raise her grandchildren.  My wife and I have no grandchildren, and after seeing our two- and four-year-old great nephews run their Gram ragged, I'm kind of glad we don't.

Gram sometimes refers to her grandsons as "feral children."  They run and explore and play all over the property all day long.  They have quite a few ride-on toys, as well--bicycles, scooters, a toy tractor and a battery powered four-wheeler.  Whenever they drive off the paved driveway and into the yard or the gravel road that heads to the shop out back, the driving is less than reliable.  They often get into situations where the wheels spin, but they don't go anywhere.  Whenever they get themselves into this situation, they merely have to call on Gram or G.G. (which is what they call their great-grandmother) to come give them a push.

I was thinking of this on the flight back home.  Even when the nearest adult is in the shop, or in the house, or at the other end of the property, those little guys know that calling "help!" will get someone's attention.  And because they know from experience that the nearest adult will help them when they call, they do not stop calling.  Whenever they are stuck they will cry out until Mommy, Gram, or G.G. comes to their aid.  The call is never panicked.  It is never tearful.  It is simply persistent.

Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 7:7-11.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Greek scholars have pointed out that the verbs ask, seek, and knock are in the present perfect tense, which to be properly translated into English would be keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.  Not just a one and done prayer, but a continuing action of asking, seeking, and knocking.  I think this is what Paul was driving home in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, "Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Those little guys in rural Texas don't stop calling for help after one or two tries.  Mommy may be on the phone.  Gram may be putting away the breakfast dishes.  G.G. may be folding clothes.  Eventually, though, someone will answer the call if they are persistent.  It is the same with us.  We can't give up if God doesn't seem to hear our prayer the first time.  We must be persistent.  We must be consistent.  We cannot see what God is doing at all times, but we know that He will meet all of our needs.

Now, I don't want to take the position that God is a cosmic Santa, or that our prayers are some kind of Christmas list.  He will not give us what we don't need, even if we beg Him for it.  On some occasions, He may even withhold good from us in order for us to grow and mature.  Let me give you an example.

There may come a time when my sister's four-year-old grandson needs to learn to get himself out of a jam.  Instead of sitting in the driver's seat calling out, "Help, help!", Gram may want to urge him to get out of the four-wheeler and give it a little push himself.  In the same way, our heavenly Father may want to get us out of our comfort zone, urging us to stop doing what we've always done.  He may even allow us to go through a rough patch, either to shake us out of our complacency or to fully appreciate His grace and mercy when He finally does come through for us.

Before our vacation last week, I was going through a bit of a rough patch myself.  I was crying out to God for mercy as I was putting dirty clothes into the washer.  The thought occurred to me that in order to get fully clean, the smelly sock or the stained shirt had to be plunged deep into the water.  There is a device inside a washing machine that ensures the clothes get pulled deeper into the soapy water.  That device is called an agitator.

It struck me that without that agitator in the washing machine, not all of the clothes would come out fresh and clean.  In the same way, sometimes God allows us to be agitated, to be pulled deeper and deeper in over our heads, so that He can cleanse us and make us new.  Does this mean we should stop praying? Certainly not!  Remember Jonah, who cried out to God as he was sinking further into the sea.  What might have been his worst fear turned out to be his salvation; he may have been terrified of being eaten alive by a great fish, but God had prepared that fish to swallow him up and keep him safe, all the while transporting him back to the seashore.

What was Jonah's response?  We see it in Jonah chapter 2.

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, "I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and He answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.  For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all Your waves and Your billows passed over me.  Then I said, 'I am driven away from Your sight; yet I shall again look upon Your holy temple'." --Jonah 2:1-4

Next time you are stuck and it seems your wheels are spinning and you are going nowhere, call upon the Lord, who is your help.  If He delays in answering you, be persistent.  Pray continually.  And if your situation turns to agitation, or if you feel you are in over your head, to the point where your worst fears are coming true, pray some more.  God will hear you.  He will mature you.  He will be with you til the end, and beyond. 

A Glorious Word Picture

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness shall bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it. --Isaiah 45:8 

Every once in a while I read something that touches me so deeply that it literally takes my breath away.  This happened to me this week while I was reading through the Psalms.  When I read Psalm 85, I found a word picture so vivid, so vibrant, so clear that I had to stop and give praise to God for His salvation.  The more I studied it, the more commentaries I read about it, the more I knew that I was not alone.

By way of background, the Psalm speaks to Man's greatest need, summarized in Verse 7: "Show us Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation."  These days the Gospel is so watered down that we forget we need mercy.  On the one hand, modern culture preaches that there is no such thing as sin; that any action or behavior by any person is okay.  No judgement, right?  On the other hand, modern churches preach that Jesus loves everyone unconditionally, and there is no reason for repentance.  Any person who stands up against sin is accused of hate speech, and is shunned.  Any person who preaches the need for atonement for sin is called a fanatic.

The writer of this Psalm knew that sin--both personal and corporate--had taken them captive and had separated them from God.  Verses 4 and 5 says, "Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?"  The Psalmist knew that the people had acted foolishly, and prayed "Let them not turn back to folly." (Verse 8).  He also knew that repentance was necessary, a turning from their sins.  "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land." (Verse 9).

With this in mind, here is the passage that stands out:  "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.  Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven." (Verses 10 and 11).  At first glance, I see a word picture of God looking down from heaven, shining as the sun, and in response the flower growing up from the earth, the tree reaching its boughs toward heaven.  In my mind's eye, I picture warm breezes bringing moisture from the sea, forming clouds.  When these clouds are kissed by colder air aloft, the earth receives merciful rain.

Bible commentator David Guzik writes:

Mercy and truth have met together: In beautiful terms the psalmist describes the salvation God brings to His people. It might seem that mercy and truth are set against each other, with mercy looking to grant pardon and truth determined to condemn. In God’s great work of salvation, mercy and truth have met together.

Mercy and truth have met together: The word here translated mercy is the great Hebrew word hesed, which often has the idea of grace or loyal love. This verse may have been the inspiration for what John later wrote: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).

Righteousness and peace have kissed: Even as mercy and truth meet, so righteousness and peace greet each other warmly. It might seem that righteousness would condemn me and prevent God’s shalom (peace) from ever reaching me. In God’s great work of salvation, His righteousness and peace are the best of friends.

C.H. Spurgeon puts it this way:

"Earth carpeted with truth and canopied with righteousness," shall be a nether heaven. When God looks down in grace, man sends his heart upward in obedience. The person of our adorable Lord Jesus Christ explains this verse most sweetly. In Him truth is found in our humanity, and his deity brings divine righteousness among us. His Spirit's work even now creates a hallowed harmony between his church below, and the sovereign righteousness above; and in the latter day, earth shall be universally adorned with every precious virtue, and heaven shall hold intimate intercourse with it. There is a world of meaning in these verses, only needing meditation to draw it out. Reader, "the well is deep," but if thou hast the Spirit, it cannot be said, that "thou hast nothing to draw with."

Are you beginning to see the word picture I saw?  God's grace comes down as our prayers go up, creating a vertical relationship between truth and righteousness.  Mercy and peace meet on a horizontal plane, intersecting the vertical relationship at the Cross of Christ.  Thomas Leblanc (1689) wrote: 

Mercy and truth; righteousness and peace. Note, four virtues stand out prominently in the incarnation; namely, mercy, truth, righteousness and peace, or love producing peace. These were like four steps of the throne of Christ, or four princes standing near and accompanying Him.

1. On the right hand, is mercy presenting the olive.
2. On the left, truth holding the white lily.
3. Before Him walks justice bearing the balance.
4. Peace follows Him, having a cornucopia full of flowers, and scattering the flowers around.

Going back to David Gezek:

“These four divine attributes parted at the fall of Adam, and met again at the birth of Christ.... Mercy was ever inclined to save man, and Peace could not be his enemy; but Truth exacted the performance of God’s threat, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die’; and Righteousness could not but give to every one his due.” (Horne)

“Now, Where did these meet? In Christ Jesus. When were they reconciled? When he poured out his life on Calvary.” (Clarke)

Paul later expressed this idea in Romans 3:26: That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. At the cross, God demonstrated His righteousness by offering man justification (a legal verdict of “not guilty”), while remaining completely just (because the righteous penalty of sin had been paid at the cross). God could be only just, and simply send every guilty sinner to hell, as a just judge would do. Only God could find a way to be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Keith and Kristyn Getty wrote a hymn that encapsulates this word picture for me in a song called The Lord is My Salvation.

The grace of God has reached for me
And pulled me from a raging sea
And I am safe on this solid ground
The Lord is my salvation

I will not fear when darkness falls
His strength will help me scale these walls
I'll see the dawn of the rising sun
The Lord is my salvation

Who is like the Lord, our God?
Strong to save, faithful in love
My debt is paid and the victory won
The Lord is my salvation

Life is hard

 

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.  --Hebrews 12:3

Last week we introduced what are known as Impreccatory Psalms--that is, Psalms that seem to call down curses against the enemies of God.  Psalm 69 is a great example: David became so fed up, so tired of the lies and deception, the traps set by his enemies that he cried out to God for their destruction.  Here's what he wrote.

Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.  Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.  Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.  May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.  For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.  Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.  --Psalm 69:22-28

What could have caused David to be so, well, ungracious? Vindictive? Acrimonious?  I think the rest of the Psalm explains the attitude.  If we look a little deeper, perhaps we see a bit of human nature coming out.  The great thing about this Psalm, however, is that parts of it are quoted in the New Testament describing the suffering that Jesus went through, and how He handled what life threw at Him.

Drowning in a flood of trouble

Save me, O God!  For the waters have come up to my neck.  I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.  I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched.  My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.  More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies.  What I did not steal, must I now restore?  --Psalm 69: 1-4

Many of us can relate to feeling like we're in over our heads, drowning in a deluge of personal problems.  Like David, we feel we have prayed until we are parched; we have cried out to God until we are blue in the face.  We sometimes feel as if we might die before we see the power of God rescue us.

Then we remember Jesus.  He was hated without cause; He was attacked with lies.  How did He react?  In Matthew 26, starting in verse 36, we see that Jesus took a few of His closest friends and went to the Garden to pray.  Verse 37 says, "He began to be sorrowful and troubled."  The Amplified Bible says, "He began to be grieved and greatly distressed."

Jesus prayed, "Let this cup pass from me"--in other words, God, take away this stress, this burden, this problem that will be the very death of Me.  In hindsight, we know that God did not rescue Him.  Further, we see in John 15:25 a direct quote from Psalm 69:4, when Jesus said, "But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause'."

Jesus endured hatred, false accusations, persecution and even death, even after praying that God would spare Him.

The constant drip of disapproval

O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from You.  Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek You be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.  For it is for Your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face.  I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.  For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.  --Psalm 69:5-9

David knows that he is not perfect, but only God could judge him.  David felt the criticism of his enemies, and the sting of their words.  He felt especially bad when they criticized him for being too religious.  He felt like he was being called out for doing the right thing.  Yet his heart was pure, and David prayed that none of his actions would lead men astray.  He did not want his own actions to cause any believer to stumble, or to make anyone fall away from God because of His actions.  That's what constant criticism can do--it can make you feel guilty for doing the right thing.

Remember Jesus getting violent in the Temple?  In John chapter two, beginning in verse 13, Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, but sees atrocities in the Temple.  Profiteers were selling sheep and oxen at exorbitant prices.  Sacrifices were necessary, but not the price gouging.  Money changes were there, converting world currencies for the Temple tax.  Tithes were necessary, but not at the expense of integrity and fair-dealing.  Jesus saw it, and Scripture says he wove a whip out of cords.  He went into the pens of the livestock, and drove the animals out.  He stepped up to the tables where the currency exchange was taking place, and He threw the tables over onto their sides causing the cash boxes to spill onto the ground.  Seeing this, the disciples remembered the words from Psalm 69:9: "Zeal for Your house will consume Me." (John 2:17).

This episode early in the ministry of Jesus made enemies of the religious leaders.  Eventually it led to His death.  Doing the right thing may get us into hot water, too.  That doesn't mean we should stop doing what is right and good in the sight of God.

Our dying prayer

Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.  Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.  Answer me, O Lord, for Your steadfast love is good; according to Your abundant mercy, turn to me.  Hid not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.  Draw near to my soul, redeem me; Ransom me because of my enemies!  You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to You.  Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.  They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.  --Psalm 69:14-21

Our world may be literally shaken with bad news.  Life is truly hard.  In his book Limping with God: Jacob and the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship, author Chad Bird writes this:

Divine visitations are not always pleasant experiences.  Nor will they necessarily take on the visionary quality of Jacob's.  They may look like a tumor on a CT scan.  An email about your termination of employment.  Or a phone call at 3 a.m. that begins with, "I am so sorry I have to tell you this, but..."  And suddenly, in an instant, everything changes.  In the weeks and months to come, following Jesus feels like a cruel joke.  You're not following anyone.  You're chained to despair.  The glowing eyes of monstrous uncertainties blink at you from the darkness.  Rather than seeing a ladder from earth to heaven, it seems there's an escalator from hell to earth, with demons showing up in legions on your doorstep.  This is ordinary.  These things happen to the people of God in our fractured world.  So, when they do, when you feel beyond overwhelmed, know that the Lord Jesus is near, right at the door.  He is wading into the darkness, eyes only for you.

Remember Jesus, who in Matthew 27 was led to be crucified, carrying His own cross.  Psalm 69:21 was fulfilled not once, but twice (see Matthew 27:34, and again in verse 48).  They offered Him sour wine to drink when He was so dehydrated He cried out.  It was for us, for our sins that He bore this suffering.  Again from author Chad Bird:

Christ has come because you cannot come to Him.  He is following you, not the other way around--following you into the vortex of pain and loss and fear and anger.  He does so unblinkingly.  Without hesitation.  Since Jesus, "for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross," do not for a moment imagine that He grimaces or flinches or weighs His opinions before entering your pain and loss and the crucible of your own suffering (Hebrews 12:2).  He's all in, all in for you, all for the joy of loving and saving you.  You will learn much about yourself, but more importantly, you will learn much about the magnanimity of the Lord's heart.  With greater clarity, you will realize that apart from Him, you have no hope.  But in Him, hope is an inexpressible gift that enables us all to face the future, which is already enfolded within the resurrection of Christ.

Whatever your trial, whatever your trouble, remember Christ.  He endured far more than we could imagine, endured far worse that whatever we are going through.  The suffering that we endure in this life do not compare to the joy that will be ours when we see Jesus. 

An old Spiritual goes like this:

1 Jesus walked this lonesome valley;
He had to walk it by himself.
Oh, nobody else could walk it for him;
He had to walk it by himself.

2 We must walk this lonesome valley;
We have to walk it by ourselves.
Oh, nobody else can walk it for us;
We have to walk it by ourselves.

3 You must go and stand your trial;
You have to stand it by yourself.
Oh, nobody else can stand it for you;
You have to stand it by yourself.

 

 

Don't imprecate me, Bro!

 

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.   --Matthew 18:6

One of my favorite Facebook groups, and a source of many biblical memes that I use on my own page, is called "Imprecatory Psalms for Dads and Malms."  It's a play on words, encouraging parents to teach the entire Scripture to their children, even those passages that aren't all warm and fuzzy.

Imprecatory is an adjective that means to curse or invoke evil on someone.  Yes, the Bible does that.  This week in my daily Bible readings I came upon Psalm 59, which is considered to be one of six or seven Imprecatory Psalms in the Bible.  

Before you shut me out or stop reading because this idea offends you, let me point out some things.  In the secular world, we use some pretty violent imagery in our daily struggle on this Earth.  How do we describe someone who happened to pick some winning stocks or bonds?  "He made a killing in the market."  How do we encourage a friend who may be going through a divorce?  "Hit him where it hurts."  What is the first thing a child might think if he has gotten into trouble?  "My parents are going to kill me."

I am a fairly decent sports fan.  Yesterday was a day for college football, where rivals on the gridiron were encouraged to "knock their heads off" or "cut them into tiny pieces."  Former football star Dick Butkus said, "When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt one deliberately--unless, you know, it was important; like a league game or something."  Today two of my favorite NFL teams played in nationally televised games.  One smashed the other team into submission; the other got beat like a rug.

Not a sports fan?  Then how about politics?  You can hardly turn on the television or radio without being subjected to the vitriol and spite hurled at the other side in order to convince you to vote for one side or the other.  Imprecations are part of the human experience; we are hard-wired to invoke curses on one another.  This doesn't stop when one becomes a believer; it is merely tempered with grace.

My enemies try to implicate me

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me.  Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloodthirsty men.  For look, they lie in wait for my life; the mighty gather against me, not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.  They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.  Awake to help me, and behold!  You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors.  --Psalm 59:1-5 NKJV

David was running from Saul, because Saul was determined to kill David.  Saul want to accuse David of treason, a crime for which David was completely innocent. David's prayer was a cry for justice, not limited to the house of Saul only, but against any nation that came against God's people.

Jesus said in John 15 that His followers would have to endure persecution for His Name's sake.

But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.  He who hates Me hates My Father also.  If I had not done among them the  world's which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law: "They hated Me without a cause."  --John 15:21-25

Jesus quoted Psalm 69:4 and 109:3-5, which by the way are also known as Imprecatory Psalms.  They underscore His innocence, and prophesy that evil will one day come upon His accusers.  David's words preceded Christ's, but they spoke of the same problem, because the wicked would always accuse the innocent.

My God will vindicate me

I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense.  My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.  Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield.  For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak.  Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. --Psalm 59:9-13

They say that truth is the best defense, but it is not so in this day and age.  I have a friend who posted a meme about the non-government organizations who are providing the most assistance after the devastating hurricanes in Florida: they are churches and faith-based organizations, not political ones--not Planned Parenthood or Black Lives Matter or any other pseudo-political "grass-roots" movements we have seen in the news in recent years.  Unfortunately, my friend was beset by internet trolls, who accused him of outright lying.  Their argument seemed to be that he did not know who was sending help of contributions to those in need, and therefore he needed to shut up about it.  He took down the meme, and said that he would focus instead on his own ministry.

Even as we pray that God would set things right, we do not pray for death and destruction against our enemies.  "Do not slay them," David wrote, because of God's tender mercy (long-suffering or steadfast love, as the ESV translates the Hebrew word hesed, which we have written about many times before.)  We want God's will to be done, even if that means they come to know Christ and start preaching His word.  Remember Paul?  As David described his enemies "belching out" lies and corruption (see verse 7), we are reminded that Paul was "breathing out threatenings and slaughter" against believers (see Act 9:1).  God showed mercy to Paul; He may also have mercy on our enemies, or not--that is up to Him.  If He wants to consume them utterly for their unbelief, He is entitled to do that.

Their sin will imprecate them

And at evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city.  They wander up and down for food, and howl if they are not satisfied.  But I will sing of Your power; yes I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy.  --Psalm 59:14-17

It is good to have God on our side.  We are sinful, separated from God, but we receive mercy.  1 John 2:1 says, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  Isn't it good to have an advocate, a defense attorney who is in the Judge's good graces?

The danger with our message is that it is often too grace focused.  Will everyone believe in Jesus, and be saved from God's wrath by His shed blood?  Unfortunately, no.  Jesus Himself said, "Whoever causes on of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea." (Matthew 18:6).  This Imprecatory statement (e.g. curse, wishing evil upon someone) came from Jesus Himself.  In John 3:18 Jesus said, "He who believes in Him (God's Son) is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God."

Believe in Him today.  Call upon Him for forgiveness and salvation before your eternal soul meets a fate worse than death.  Confess your sins, for that is the only way to obtain God's mercy.