Clothed in white garments for His praise and glory

Righteous are You, O Lord, when I complain to You; yet I would plead my case before you.  Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all who are treacherous thrive? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and produce fruit; You are near in their mouth and far from their heart.  --Jeremiah 12:1-2

Jeremiah has been called "the weeping prophet."  He shed many tears over the sins of his people.  Unfortunately, his crying over them did not turn them from their sinful ways.  The people hid behind their religion but continued in their sin.  This is why he said that God was near on their lips but far from their hearts.  Some of them were prosperous, enjoying money and possessions and land.  Jeremiah cried out to God, asking why He had blessed them with material wealth when they were wicked in all their ways.  God spoke warnings through the prophet Jeremiah, predicting a period of desolation in the land, of oppression and exile for the people.

There is an interesting object lesson that Jeremiah shared with the people of Judah.  

Thus says the Lord to me, "Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water."  So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist.  And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, "Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock."  So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.  And after many days the Lord said to me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there."  Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it.  And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.  Then the word of the Lord came to me: "Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.  This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.  For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.  --Jeremiah 13:1-11

God was showing the people what would happen to them because of their sinfulness.  Jeremiah was told to purchase this linen garment, just as God had redeemed or purchased Israel.  Jeremiah wore the linen garment for a time; in the same way, Israel had been attached to God like a belt around His waist, enjoying an intimate and close relationship with Him.  But then God told Jeremiah to go north toward Babylon, and to bury or hide the linen garment by the river there; in the same way, Judah would be exiled to Babylon for 70 years.  Over time the mud and water deteriorated the linen, so that it was no longer useful as a belt or loincloth.  Nevertheless, Jeremiah was commanded by God to go and get the useless garment and to bring it back, just as God would bring His people back from exile.  Even though it was spoiled, God would use it for His glory and praise, and the people would be known by His Name.

There is some debate over what type of linen garment this was.  The ESV (quoted above) says it was a loincloth, which we associate with old movies depicting American Indians or Tarzan.  The KJV says it was a girdle, which in a modern sense brings to mind foundation wear--something worn underneath the outer clothing to shape up the body.  The NASB20 calls it a linen undergarment, as linen was commonly used for undergarments in the ancient world.  If we use this interpretation, then we see that men use religion like people use underwear--to cover their nakedness.  If the undergarment is ruined, then it no longer covers one's shameful parts.  By extension, the prophecy would mean that when the veneer of their faith was hidden in Babylon, buried in the banks of the River, it would no longer cover their sins, and their shame would be evident to all.  

There is another school of thought about the type and purpose of the linen garment.  The NKJV calls it a linen sash.  The NIV says it was a linen belt.  Both of these interpretations imply that it was not worn next to the skin, but over the outer garment.  David Guzek says, "The sash was associated with the priestly garments both for the High Priest (Exodus 28:4) and the regular priest (Leviticus 16:4).  Such a linen belt was a sign of dignity and nobility."  Thompson adds, "If Jeremiah wore the traditional prophetic garb he would have been clothed in a fairly tight tunic of coarse material with a hair cloak over it. A linen girdle around his waist, such as was worn by priests and the rich nobility, would have made him something of a spectacle."  Using this interpretation, it would mean that God had chosen His people to stand out, to be a symbol of holiness in a coarse world.  Having that holiness tainted, soiled and degraded, would mean God's people were no longer set apart.  The sin in which they immersed themselves made them just like every other piece of clothing--coarse and unattractive.  Worse, a worn-out linen garment, full of holes and stains, was less useful than a horsehair cloak or a coarse tunic--at least those garments would keep a body warm.

In verse 9 of our text, God likens the linen garment to the pride of Judah and Jerusalem.  Their pride will be ruined when they are carried into exile in Babylon, and are buried in the banks of the Euphrates.  God wants the people to cling to Him like a waistband.  He gave them a purpose: to bring glory to His Name.  By going after other gods, they were no longer His people; they were not fulfilling His purpose for them.

What lessons can we apply to our lives from this passage?  Like the people of Judah, we have been called by God to a higher purpose.  Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.  You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart."  We must be wary of sin, however, and not follow after false prophets or worship other gods.  If we wander away from Him, God will allow us to be swallowed up in the culture that He has called us out of.  If we are stained with sin, misshaped or deteriorated by the world in which we immerse ourselves, we may lose our uniqueness and usefulness.

Thankfully, the Blood of the Lamb who was sacrificed for us can make us clean.  I John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  We can echo Jeremiah's heartfelt confession in Jeremiah 14:20-21: "We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.  Do no spurn us, for Your Name's sake; do not dishonor Your glorious throne; remember and do not break Your covenant with us."  Revelation 3:5 says, "The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his hame out of the book of Life.  I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels."  He can redeem us and give us a new purpose.  We can be called His people, called by His Name, to His praise and glory, amen.

He Chose Me!

 

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.  --Isaiah 65:24

I have a new appreciation for the ministry of Jesus to the outcast.  I am thinking not only of the 10 lepers He healed in Luke 17:11-19, one of whom was a Samaritan (indeed, the only one who was grateful enough to come back and thank Him.)  I think of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, and the Gadarene demoniac as told in Mark 5.  In only one of these stories was Jesus sought out; in the other two, Jesus deliberately went out of His way to meet them.

God brought this to my mind this morning as I was reading Isaiah 65.  It starts out this way:

I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.  I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name.  I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you."  These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.  --Isaiah 65:1-5

Doesn't this passage describe the ministry of Jesus to a tee?  Jesus came to the nation of Israel when they least expected it.  Their tradition said they should be looking for a Messiah, but when the Messiah came, they rejected Him.  John 1:11 says, "He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him."  Bible commentator David Guzik writes, "How could anyone think “I am holier than you!” when they were steeped in the sins described in this passage? This is a dramatic display of the blindness pride brings. They could say, “I am holier than you!” and really mean it, because of their complete blindness.

Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon titled Self Righteousness — A Smouldering Heap of Rubbish on this text. In it, he describes how dangerous and insidious self-righteousness is. “Moreover, self-righteous men, like foxes, have many tricks and schemes. They condemn in other people what they consider to be very excusable in themselves. They would cry out against others for a tenth part of the sin which they allow in themselves: certain constitutional tendencies, and necessities of circumstances, and various surroundings, all serve as ample apologies. Besides this, if it be admitted that they are wrong upon some points, yet in other directions they are beyond rebuke. If they drink, they do not swear; and if they swear, they do not steal: they make a great deal out of negatives: if they steal, they are not greedy and miserly, but spend their gains freely. If they practice fornication, yet they do not commit adultery; if they talk filthily, yet they boast they do not lie. They would be counted well because they are not universally bad. They do not break every hedge, and therefore they plead that they are not trespassers. As if a debtor for a hundred pounds should claim to be excused because he does not owe two hundred: or, as if a highwayman should say, ‘I did not stop all the travelers on the road; I only robbed one or two, and therefore I ought not to be punished.’ If a man should willfully break the windows of your shop, I warrant you, you would not take it as an excuse if he pleaded, ‘I did not break them all; I only smashed one sheet of plate glass.’ Pleas which would not be mentioned in a human court are thought good enough to offer to God. O the folly of our race!” (Guzik)

So Jesus went out to seek others who would respond to His call to repentance.  In an ironic twist, if you compare Isaiah 65:4-5 with Mark 5, you see that the Pharisees (who venerated their dead ancestors, and visited their tombs, who said to Jesus, "Get away from me, for we are set apart by God") rejected Jesus.  So Jesus left them, and went to the Decapolis, and found a man in chains, possessed by demons, sitting in a graveyard situated next to a field with pigs.  The man did not know Jesus.  He did not even call to Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus chose him.  Jesus delivered him from the chains, and cast the demons into the pigs, so that the swine all ran off a cliff into the sea and were drowned.  That is how far our sins are separated from us when He forgives us.

Romans 10:20 says, "Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, 'I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me'." (cf Romans 9:30: "What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith.")

I am currently reading a book called With Calvin in the Theater of God-- The Glory of Christ and Everyday Life.  It is a collection of essays edited by John Piper and David Mathis.  In the chapter called "Bad Actors On a Broken Stage: Sin and Suffering In Calvin's World and Ours", Mark Talbot writes:

From eternity past, it has been God the Father's plan to glorify his Son by gathering a bride for him from among all the earth's nations (Eph. 1:3-14; Rev. 21:2, 9; cf. John 3:29).  Our Lord, God's Lamb, has purchased this bride for himself with his own blood (Rev. 5:9) by becoming a curse for her (Gal. 3:13) and dying in her place (John 11:50-52; Eph. 5:2, 25).  And thus he has saved her (Rom. 5:1-2, 6-11) and is sanctifying her (Eph 5:26) so that "he might present [her] to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:27; cf 2 Cor. 11:2).

Ephesians 2:12-13 says, "Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." This is the miracle of God choosing us when we did not choose Him, answering us before we call.  He was making Himself fully known to us before we had the capacity for that knowledge, and then gave us the grace to know Him fully.

In the collection With Calvin in the Theater of God which I cited earlier, the essay called "At Work and Worship in the Theater of God: Calvin the Man and Why I Care", Julius Kim writes, "Without a clear understanding and hope in God's powerful, personal, and purposeful care over our lives, life and death can only be pointless."  

From creation and fall to redemption and consummation, God is purposeful in his providential care over his children who put their trust in Christ alone.  Calvin summarizes his thoughts this way: "Gratitude in mind for the favorable outcomes of things, patience in adversity, and also incredible freedom from worry about the future all necessarily follow upon this knowledge."  We can live with deep assurance because our sovereign God is our Father, who for the sake of Christ directs all things for our good.  Is this not a comforting teaching? It means that not a hair can fall from your head, or a tear from your eye, without your heavenly Father knowing it.  Knowing that God is powerful, personal, and purposeful in his care provides much comfort and courage when life is difficult.  As pilgrims following a providential God, we can persevere. (Kim)

Why did God choose me?  God only knows; I was not looking for Him.  Indeed, I did not even know He existed.  Yet in His Providence He purposed in His heart that I should know Him, and make Him known by His power.  Think of this the next time you read the story of the Gadarene demoniac, or the woman at the well, or the calling of the disciples.  Look at those stories with fresh eyes, and then with a grateful heart thank God for leaving the 99 and seeking and saving that one lone lost sheep that is you.

The Heart and Sole of Jesus

 

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." --Isaiah 52:7

Medical doctors will tell you there is a correlation between your feet and your heart.  If there is numbness and tingling in the feet, it could be a sign of heart disease.  Most people link the heart and feet less clinically and more poetically.  An Irish proverb, for example, says, "Your feet will take you where your heart wants to go."

Soccer superstar Pele once said, "The head talks to the heart, and the heart talks to the feet."  I believe he was describing the game of futbol, but I think there is a spiritual lesson there as well.  If we look at the feet of Jesus, we will see the heart of God.

Look with me in your Bible to Isaiah 52, beginning in verse 13 and continuing through the end of the chapter.  I will be reading from the Amplified BIble.

Indeed, My Servant (the Messiah) will act wisely and prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted.  Just as many were astonished and appalled at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form [marred] more than the sons of men.  So He will sprinkle many nations [with His blood, providing salvation], Kings will shut their mouths because of Him; for what they had not been told they will see, and what they had no heard they will understand.

The Humble Head

Let's revisit verse 13 again to see the position of Jesus.  "Behold, My Servant shall act wisely; He shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted." (Isaiah 52:13, ESV)  Before He is exalted, He would be humbled, coming in the form of a servant.

God loved His people so much that He sent His Son to take on flesh and live among us. The feet of Jesus were directed by the hand of God.  So Jesus humbled Himself and became one of us.  Near the end of His ministry, Jesus brought the disciples together for a special Passover meal.  John 13:1 shows us the heart of Jesus: "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end."

I want us to pay particular attention to what Jesus did next.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.  He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist.  Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.  --John 13:3-5

Jesus's feet took Him to where His heart was, to the men who had followed after Him for the last 3 years.  Then He did something amazing.  In washing their feet, He not only humbled Himself to the status of a servant, but He also anointed the feet of the disciples for a higher calling.  

Physically, He cleaned their feet of the dust and dung they had all walked through to get where they were at that point in time.  Spiritually, Jesus does the same thing for us.  We all have a past.  We have all walked through some pretty shady places.  There are remnants of dry dust from deserts we have crossed.  There are stains from mud and muck we have waded through.  Jesus knows this about us, but He still loves us.  He loves us so much that He is willing to lay aside His kingly garment and get down where we are, to wash our dirtiest parts, to cleans our hearts as well as our feet.

It is only after performing this lowly act of washing our feet that Jesus is exalted in our hearts and minds.  When we give our hearts to Him, He redirects our path.  We are anointed by the washing of water with the word (see Ephesians 5:26).

The Suffering Servant

Read with me the very next verse in our text.  God said His Servant, the Messiah, would be exalted high and lifted up.  In the very next verse we read this: "As many were astonished at you--His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the children of mankind--" (Isaiah 52:14 ESV).

In the book of Genesis, Abraham was first called a Hebrew, a term that literally meant "one from beyond."  His descendants were always called Hebrews, or outsiders, a People not from here.  It was astonishing that these people were chosen by God, and were led to a land that had been promised to Abraham, to "dwell in houses they had not built, and to eat from vineyards they did not plant" (see Joshua 24:13-15).  

It was no less astonishing that the Son of God, the Messiah, would not only come in the flesh, but that He would be beaten so badly that He was barely recognizable.  Yet that is exactly what happened.  They beat Him severely.  They placed a crown of thorns on His head.  They nailed Him to a cross, piercing the very feet that had brought God's message of peace to them.

Isaiah 53:3 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hid their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not."  We read further in the very next verse, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; ye we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted."

Lance Secretan, British-Canadian author of business books best known for leadership theory, said this: "Authenticity is the alignment of head, mouth, heart, and feet--thinking, saying, feeling and doing the same thing--consistently.  This builds trust, and followers love leaders they can trust."  There was never anyone so authentically consistent or as consistently authentic as Jesus, yet there are those who do not trust Him.  They will one day be astonished that He is sitting at the right hand of God.

The Cleansing King

Let's read the last verse in our text now.  Not only is He a servant who is exalted high and lifted up, not only is He willing to give Himself completely for you to the point of death and disfigurement, He is also willing to purify the nations.  "So shall He sprinkle many nations.  Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him, for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand." (Isaiah 52:15 ESV)

In the Old Testament the people were made clean with the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice.  Jesus shed His blood on the cross so that we might be purified by the sprinkling of His blood on and around us. 1 John 1:7 says, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."

As for His pre-eminence among all, Psalm 72:11 says, "Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him." (NKJV)   Micah 7:16-17 says, 

The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth; they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.

Whether this response to God's sovereignty is in this life or the next is not clear.  Our mission, however, is clear.  We must "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

Catholic bishop Fulton Sheen wrote, "Show me your hands.  Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet.  Are they wounded in service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love?"  Jesus did.  His feet were led by His heart, and His heart was for me.  O, those beautiful feet, pierced for me.  When I get to Heaven I will lay prostrate at them.  For now, I can lay all my burdens at those beautiful feet.

Behold Our God

 

And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” --Isaiah 25:9 (NKJV)

How do you take the measure of a man?  I don't mean physical measurements such as height, weight, or BMI.  Nor do I mean his capabilities--how much he can lift, how fast he can run, or how far, fast, or accurately he can throw a ball or a spear.  I don't even mean his mental acuity, such as how he can memorize or calculate or convince by means of logic.

Who a person is has nothing to do with any of the above.  How do you measure a man's character, his very soul?

To some, the true measure of a man is seen at his highest point of achievement.  Plato said, "The measure of a man is what he does with power."  J. K. Rowling said, "If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."  Samuel Johnson said, "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

What about those who are not rich or powerful?  How do they measure up?  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  Peter Nivio Zarlenga said, "The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune."  Joseph Biden, Sr. gave this advice to his son Joe Biden, Jr., who would later become President of the United States: "Champ, the measure of a man is not how often he is knocked down, but how quickly he gets up.

By contrast, how can man take the measure of God?  According to Bible commentator David Guzik:

A great philosopher named Alexander Pope once wrote, “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man.” In one sermon, Spurgeon replied to that famous statement: “It has been said by someone that ‘the proper study of mankind is man.’ I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.”

In the 40th chapter of Isaiah, we read that "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.  The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:6b-8)  In comparison to God, man is no greater than a blade of grass, and all of mankind is no greater than a field of hay.  We have no control over our lives, how much water we receive, or whether we are burned up or harvested and put to some use by One greater than ourselves.  How can we mere mortals describe an infinite God?  The answer is that we describe God imperfectly, using words and ideas that men can understand, no matter how inadequate they might be.

He is the Strong Shepherd

 The prophet Isaiah invites us to "behold your God," in chapter 40, starting in verse 9.  The first description of God is that He is omnipotent, all powerful, yet gentle as a shepherd.

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.  He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. (40:10-11)

 While it is true that God has the power to destroy us all, His divine love enables Him to gently pick us up and hold us close to his heart, as a man would pick up a lost lamb and carry him home.  In comparing us to sheep, Isaiah knew that sheep must be shepherded.  They must be led to good pasture, then moved on to new pasture when they have stripped the field bare.  Charles Spurgeon said, "No creature has less power to take care of itself than the sheep; even the tiny ant with its foresight can provide for the evil day, but this poor creature must be tended by man or else perish.”

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15).  This chapter in Isaiah is Messianic in nature, pointing us to the Messiah.  In his Study Guide for Isaiah, commentator David Guzik points out that almost every Scripture that mentions shepherds can be seen as Messianic.

God loves to identify Himself with a shepherd. Many of the greatest men of the Bible were shepherds, and their character as shepherds points to Jesus Christ.

• Abel is a picture of Jesus, the sacrificed shepherd.
• Jacob is a picture of Jesus, the working shepherd.
• Joseph is a picture of Jesus, the persecuted and exalted shepherd.
• Moses is a picture of Jesus, the calling-out-from-Egypt shepherd.
• David is a picture of Jesus, the shepherd king.

He is the Master of All Matter

 Taking a broader view, Isaiah next describes the awesomeness of God.  "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?  Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40: 12)"

This is another example of what we call anthropomorphism — speaking of God in human terms so we can partially understand who He is and what He does. God is not a being with the body of a giant, so large that all the waters of the earth could be cupped in His hand, or so large that the universe could be measured by the span of His hand. The Bible tells us that God the Father is spirit, so He does not have a body as we know it (John 4:24). But we understand exactly what the LORD tells us through the prophet Isaiah — God is so great, so dominant over all creation that we should stand in awe of His power and glory. (David Guzik Study Guide for Isaiah 40)

God's knowledge is far and away greater than man's.  Luke 12:7 says God knows the number of hairs on your head, a number once thought incalculable.  Nowadays you can Google an estimate: humans have between 90,000 and 150,000 hairs on our heads, although the number varies by individual.  But think about this: God knows the number of hairs on every individual head--all 8 billion of us alive today (plus all of those who have died before us, and all of those yet to be born.)  Isaiah puts it another way: God knows the number of individual dust particles on the earth.  If you try to Google that number, it comes up as a weight: the average home, it is said, contains up to 40 lbs of dust at any given time. But how many particles of dust per pound? God knows.  Friend, God knows the weight of all of Earth's mountains, and can compare them with the weight of all the hills.  How awesome is that?

He is Wiser than the Wisest

Isaiah moves on to describe God's wisdom.  "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him?  With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice?  Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:13-14)

 The Apostle Paul expands this idea in Romans 11:33-36:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable  are His judgments and His ways past finding out!  "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?"  Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?  For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.

Did you notice Paul's citing of the passage in Isaiah 40?  The question was not answered in Isaiah's day; it remained unanswered in Paul's time; and it remains unanswered today.  Can you know the mind of God?  If you think you can, then your God is too small. 

The Greatness of God is beyond compare

For the sake of time we will not expound on the comparisons here, but if you want to study it on your own, you will see that:

1. God is greater than the nations (40:15-17) "The nations are as a drop in a bucket."
2. God is greater than all idols (40:18-20) "Be sure to choose a tree that will not rot...to prepare a carved image that will not totter."
3. God is greater than all creation (40:21-26) "He sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers."

In conclusion, Isaiah shows where the weakness of man intersects with the power and might of Almighty God.

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40: 29-31)

Man is at his physical peak in his youth and early adulthood, but even then he grows weary and cannot stand for long.  We are weak, whether we are like sheep or like the grass that the sheep graze upon. Look to the Shepherd, who never grows weary.  Look to the Savior, who never sleeps. Look to God, whose greatness is unfathomable.

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."  John 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."