Benevolent Dictator: Everlasting Father

The third title to consider from the Isaiah 9 prophecy this Advent is “Everlasting Father." 

As Christians, we confess that Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy, and we further confess him to be the Son of God, the Word made flesh. As a consequence, this particular title might cause confusion. How can the Son be the Father? As we discover, the title refers (as do all in the passage) to the promised davidic king, who ushers in a reign of justice, righteousness, and peace. This title anticipates the fatherly nature of his rule.

That God was a father to his people is evident in the compassion that he felt toward them. In Psalm 103, the writer gratefully acknowledges this: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” (see As dust, humans are finite, limited, and woefully ignorant. And the psalmist suggests that God took this into account in his merciful dealings with his covenant people, despite generations of rebellion and idolatry. That remembering on the part of God is an expression of abundant grace, prevailing pity. 

A consistent portrayal of God is that he cares for the poor, the fatherless, the widow. These represent those most vulnerable to the abuse of power. Israel’s kings were to reflect God’s compassion as they exercised their authority. There were few that did, however. The overwhelming testimony is that they “made [Israel’s] yoke heavy.” (1 Kings 12:4). The promise of a king who exercised fatherly care for his people must have fueled their longing daily. Doesn’t it yours?

And as the king was to the people so the father is to his children. We, too, are to reflect God’s character. As we can see, compassion is a vital component of parenting. The children put under our care are as vulnerable as those whom Jesus looked upon and considered like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34). He was filled with compassion for them and we should be for our children. This does not excuse bad behavior but it should temper our anger. It apparently does so for God. The writer of Hebrews observes that discipline from a father is a sign of love. It follows, therefore, that love should govern our discipline, not anger. What a tragedy to think that our un-compassionate parenting might create longing in our children similar to that of Israel. Rather, may we seek God for the grace to make our parenting a foretaste of the Messiah’s fatherly care.

Benevolent Dictator: Mighty God

We currently see the rise of the “strong man” in many parts of the world. This is a ruler who plots to gain complete authority, either through brute force, political manipulation, the weakening of governmental structures, such as the undermining of the judiciary, or a combination of all of the above, along with the silencing of critics, particularly the press. The pattern is consistent and not subtle. And despite the terrible consequences that have historically followed such accretions of power, there are still people who hail the strong man’s rise. Blinded by self-interest, motivated by fear, or fatigued by societal problems, the hope is that the man, by possessing complete control, will straighten things out. Alas, it never goes well, does it?

But there might be something in the desire for a strong man that reflects human longing on some deeper level. If we are part of a creation that exists of, through, and for God, then there is likely something within us that yearns to have someone take over and put an end to all the tumult. If we examine Scripture, we discover that that is indeed where history is headed. There is coming the ultimate strong man, a king who has all authority and possess divine power: 

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called . . .

Mighty God . . .

What would possessing divine power allow a king to do? I would suggest three things: he would be able to subdue all enemies, completely carry out his will, and withstand all assaults. Can we discover those capacities in Jesus’ ministry? Mindful that his name means Savior, and that he is also called Immanuel, God with us, we should look for the power to be present as he accomplishes his primary task, to save his people from their sins. His declarations in John 10 show unfettered capacity to carry out his will: “I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice . . . I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” In Luke 18, Jesus warns that he will be assaulted, but not overcome: “the Son of Man . . . will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” Lastly, in Acts 2, we are confronted with his ability to subdue those who plotted against him, bringing them into his fold: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified . . . Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart . . . and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” 

While among fallen humanity, the rise of the strong man is something to be feared, in the Kingdom it is something to be longed for. God’s Strong Man came as the promised child, bringing salvation. He returns to establish a rule of justice and righteousness. Tumult will, indeed, cease. Let us hail his rise this Advent season!

Benevolent Dictator: Wonderful Counselor

God has built authority into his creation. It originates with him, and is mediated through others. The Bible, and history, record the often ruinous ways in which God’s authority has been wielded by those who have had the privilege to possess it. Ahaz, the king of Judah at the time when several familiar prophecies were given, is an egregious example. In an attempt to preserve his power, rather than trusting Yahweh he sought to make an alliance with a pagan ruler, sending him the gold and silver stored in the Temple. Additionally, he sacrificed his son to a pagan god in an attempt to curry its favor. He then shut up the temple and set up alternative altars in Jerusalem. And most foolishly, he discounted the signs and ignored the stern, yet gracious, warnings from the God who had placed him on the eternal throne of David. Ahaz was a monumental political disaster. 

Yet, in the midst of this debacle, Yahweh offered a vision of political power that would be wielded with perfection. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder . . .” Here is one who will rule with all authority and will do so with wisdom, justice, and righteousness, for he will be the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6,7) What an extraordinary hope to set before us!

We can be grateful that in our country we have not had to suffer the sorrow and heartache of a despotic ruler, such as Ahaz. The framers of the Constitution were wise enough to understand that tyranny results when a person, or particular faction, is allowed to have absolute authority. The separation of powers effected by establishing three branches of government has proven to be a hedge against such an accretion of power. But it is a sad commentary on the untrustworthiness of fallen man that a such form of government was thought necessary. As Lord Acton famously observed, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Advent is the season when the church looks backward and forward, simultaneously. We look back to the fulfillment of the promise of a coming deliverer, and forward to the fulness of his deliverance. And that fulness entails his assuming the role of benevolent dictator. During his brief earthly sojourn, Jesus inaugurated his rule, but he promises that one day he will return to establish the envisioned peaceable kingdom. We pray with faith and live in hope of his return. May God hasten the day. 

Marks of the True Church: Discipline

We've been considering the three “marks of the true church” as outlined in the Belgic Confession, and we've come to the last: “if church discipline is exercised in punishing sin.” There's at least two words in that statement that make modern church ears uncomfortable — discipline and punishing. They sound controlling, legalistic, unloving. Did the author of the confession get it wrong? Is it a product of a sterner time that has little relevance for today? To the contrary, the Confession reflects enduring biblical truth. 

We must be quick to note that the church is full of sinners. That’s who we were before coming to Christ and that’s who we are after coming to Christ. The issue of concern is not the presence of sinners, but the presence of impenitent sinners. When a person comes into the Church through faith in Christ they are entering into a new framework of living. They have a new standard of morality, a new paradigm for understanding the world. To shift one’s thinking (or to use a Biblical description, put on “the new self”) God has put in place a number of devices that facilitate the process. Local church membership and the mutual accountability it entails, biblical preaching and teaching, gathered worship, spiritual “disciplines” such as prayer and fasting, and, if need be, loving admonition and correction, all play an important role in making us who we have been created to be. We need these elements so that we can move on to the maturity that God envisions for us. 

As is evident from the list above, there’s a lot of “discipline” that goes on before a church ever has to “purge the evil person" from among them. (1 Corinthians 5:16), and that’s a good thing. Excommunication is something that should be extremely rare if the folks in a church are intent upon putting on the new self, "created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) But if there is one in their midst that refuses to heed Christ, unrepentant about their sin, or intent on spreading false doctrine, that one must be treated “as a Gentile and a tax collector,” that is, one out of fellowship with God and his people. (Matthew 18:15-20)

That last point is important to emphasize. As John teaches, the purpose of proclaiming the gospel is to have fellowship with God and his people. (1 John 1:1-3) Sin intrudes on that fellowship, and when it does the necessary thing is to confess it, knowing that God forgives sin (1 John 1:8). If one refuses to acknowledge sin for what it is then that one makes God out to be a liar and demonstrates that the gospel has not been embraced (1 John 1:10). Such a one has no place within the church until he is ready to confess what all true churches confess, that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord.

Marks of the True Church: Pure Administration of the Sacraments

In a previous post we considered the first of three “marks of the true church” as articulated in the Belgic Confession: the pure doctrine of the gospel being preached. The second indication, or mark, that the church is "true" is "if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ” (Article 29). 

I suspect that most evangelicals don’t think much about the sacraments (the Reformers saw only two in the Bible: Baptism and the Lord’s Table), at least not with the level of intensity as did the Reformers. For evangelicals, other marks are important: expositional preaching, small groups, “spirit-filled” worship, quiet times, mentoring relationships. While these are not to be despised, and can prove profitable for spiritual growth, they do not rise to a sacramental level. The Lord Jesus ordained two rites, Baptism and Communion, for identifying and strengthening his disciples. Other practices that have grown up in the church, if they are helpful and biblical, can be added to them, but the sacraments are God-given, God-designed, God-ordained rites that ought to be understood and maintained.

The sacraments are spoken of as a “means of grace.” By this is meant not that they are charged with some inherent power that gets transferred in their use, but that God uses the sacraments to promote the spiritual maturity he is looking for in his people. How do they do this? I would argue that they do so primarily as covenantal signs. Paul teaches that when Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself in response to the covenant God had made with him, he “received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith.” This was done, Paul instructs, so that Abraham would be the father of all who are justified by faith, not by the law. This was important for it allowed the “promise [to] rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring.” Paul goes on to say that Abraham “in hope . . . believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations.” After all, he “was as good as dead.” Nevertheless, “no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:11- 21)

Consider the important role circumcision played in strengthening Abraham’s faith. He bore the mark in his body that preached to him that God would fulfill what he had promised. Could his circumcision be reversed? It could not. Neither would God’s covenant. In a similar fashion, the sacraments are signs and seals of what God has done for his elect. Was Christ’s atoning sacrifice sufficient? Indeed, it was. This is proclaimed each time a baptism is administered and the bread and cup are distributed. His work was complete. Sin has been covered. Salvation is guaranteed by the covenant ratified in his blood and confirmed to us by the waters of baptism and the elements of the Supper.

Do you doubt God’s love? Do you question your place in the kingdom? Do need assurance that there is an inheritance reserved in heaven for you? In faith, look to your baptism. In faith, receive the cup and bread. God has promised eternal life and given signs and ratifying seals so that you might not waver concerning the promise of God, but grow strong in your faith as you give glory to God, being convinced that he has done, and will do, all that he has promised.

Marks of the True Church: The Pure Doctrine of the Gospel Is Preached

Say you were to move to a different city and wanted to find a church to join, what would you look for? Some folks would look for a church that was large with lots of programs. Others might look for something smaller, anticipating greater intimacy in relationships. Music might be a factor, or the kind of worship the church offers on Sunday morning, with some leaning toward the “traditional” and others toward “contemporary.” Location might also weigh into the decision. For some, the particular theological commitments of the church would be most important. Is it Reformed?  Or decidedly not Reformed? Charismatic? Pentecostal? Do they baptize babies or only adults? Do they allow for female elders or only male?

So many options! Why is this so? It’s one of the by-products of the Reformation. Once the Roman church was no longer the only church, the forces at work spawned multitudinous expressions under the Christian banner. I don’t know if Martin Luther anticipated such a result, but his concern for the true gospel impelled him to nail his ninety-five theses to the door of current orthodoxy and the die was cast.

For the Reformers and their immediate offspring, concern for the “pure gospel” became one of three “marks of the true church” (see Belgic Confession, Art. 29). In part an explanation for their schismatic actions, it remains the primary concern for anyone who claims the label Christian when it comes to evaluating a church. If the gospel is not the foundation then inevitably the house built upon it will not be truly Christian.

This leads to a discussion of how we can know what the gospel is, which, in turn, leads us to consider the authority of the Bible. We can confidently know the gospel because in the Bible we have the authoritative story of Jesus and its authoritative interpretation, recorded for us by men specifically chosen and empowered by him for the task (John 17:6-8; Luke 24:44-49; Ephesians 4:11-14).This is why the reestablishing of the Scriptures as the “supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men and private spirits, are to be examined” (Savoy Declaration of Faith, Ch 1.10) was so necessary for the Reformers. God has spoken, and it is his voice that must be heard if a church is to remain an expression of the “true” church.

Moving soon? If so, consider if what is taught in the church you are evaluating lines up with the biblical witness. Before you go, however, take a few minutes to learn about the other two “marks of the true church.”

A Servant of the Servant

Paul begins his letter to the Romans, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus . . .” When we consider how we are to live, Paul’s self-description is important to keep in mind. He lives as a servant of Jesus. That relationship defines who he is and what he does. He is one totally devoted to the will of the one to whom Jesus was totally devoted. What he does, following Jesus’ example, is live out that will in his day-to-day dealings with people. Jesus did this perfectly. Paul did not. But Paul knew that this was what was required of him as a servant of Christ Jesus.

Israel had been set apart to serve God. They were to be a “light to the nations.” (Isa. 42:6) Their knowing and doing the will of God was intended to be a life-giving provocation to those around them. Consider Moses’ instruction as Israel was about to enter the Promised Land: “I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Deut. 4:5, 6) Alas, Micah (and the rest of the prophets) had to constantly remind Israel who they were and how they were to live: “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,and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) Except for brief flashes of obedience, they failed miserably.

In God’s kindness, Jesus did what Israel could not do: consistenly and perfectly walk in the will of God. In this sense, he was the true Israel, the true light to the nations, the true inheritor of the promises. As we have been joined to him by faith, the blessings come our way, but so do the obligations. Each of us is a servant of Christ Jesus, the risen one, who leads by his Spirit. This is why the language of Paul is important. We are now in service to the one who has purchased redemption and brought eternal life. Our words and actions must reflect that reality. 

The Law: Friend or Enemy?

Biblical law is a tricky thing. It is both positive and negative. It is positive in a negative way and negative in a positive way, while at the same time being positive in a positive way and negative in a negative way. It is something we are to live by, but it’s also something we are to die to. It instructs how we are to live, and yet it produces death. It can show us how far short we fall, and yet let’s us think we are doing pretty well. It is something that brings a blessing, and something that brings a curse. It confines. It frees. Confused? I don’t blame you.

The problem is not with the law, it’s with us. We are created to find our freedom, satisfaction, joy, indeed, our humanity in following God’s law. Instead, we seek to live by another law, one of our devising that is wholly inadequate to the task. It’s like trying to fuel a car with grass instead of gas. Grass is good for cows, not cars. So too with human beings. We need to feed on what makes us go.

The historic problem, of course, is that our default condition has become one of wanting grass not gas. So when the law is presented to us as that in which we need to walk, we either reject it wholesale, or take the bits of it that we like and leave the rest. This not only alientates us from God, it alienates us from oursleves. We are trying to be human without nourishing ourselves with what makes us human. It is a losing battle with eternal consequences.

There is hope, however. God has acted to change our appetite. He clears the way by reconciling us to himself through the atoning death of his law-loving Son. He places a new desire within us, one that is eager to walk in his will. He also renews our minds so that we can see how our thinking has been skewed by sin. 

What a radical change takes place in the life of believers! What produced death now brings life. What once exposed our impotence is now a world of possibility. We can, by the grace of God, through his Spirit working is us, have a foretaste of the liberty we will experience when we are, at last, released from all the trappings of our old, fallen selves and are walking in “the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21) This will not be apart from the law. It will be wholly defined by the law, and we will delight in it.

Are You a Thief?

The Eighth Commandment, “do not steal,” is straightforward. If it does not belong to you, then do not take it. This relates, of course, to other people’s property, their stuff. But the command is not limited to stuff. If we slyly manipulate a situation so that we unjustly favor ourselves while putting others at an economic disadvantage, it can be a form of theft. Theft can also take place when one party is owed something by another and does not receive it: the rent due as stipulated by a lease, or a full day’s work for the agreed upon wages. But not only matters related to money or property are involved. The apostle Paul speaks of owing honor, respect, and obedience (Romans 13). These are due certain people in our lives and if we do not offer them then it is a debt that remains unpaid, and we are thieves.

I would also suggest that we can be thieves of other people’s shalom. Shalom is the Hebrew term for peace, but it means more than absence of conflict. It envisions wholeness, equanimity, serenity, lack of disturbance. God instructed Aaron to bless Israel by pronouncing God’s shalom over them. This is what he desires for them and what would have been enjoyed if they had not rejected his favor. Nevertheless, by his grace, shalom is what we have to look forward to in the New Jerusalem. Between now and then, however, we are called, as his people, to be agents of shalom in this fallen world. But as Paul notes in Ephesians 4, our capacity for disrupting shalom often resides in our tongues. As peacemakers, we are to “let no corrupting talk come out of [our] mouths.” To the contrary, we are to strive to speak “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Lastly, we can be guilty of stealing love. Paul says that love is the one debt from which we will never be released (Romans 13:7). This is not like a business arrangement in which we've agreed to pay someone for their labor. When we’ve handed over the check we have discharged our debt. But not so with love. We are always required to love and if we do not offer to others the love that God desires, we are thieves for we are stealing something that others have a right to possess. 

As with the other commandments, there is a broader application than the most obvious. For the Eighth, property is definitely involved, but so is honor, respect, obedience, and love. In seeking to live by the command, we do not want to be found to be in possession of something that belongs to another, no matter what it is.

Trouble Submitting?

Creation is an act of self-revelation on the part of God. As the apostle writes, God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). As God is a living person and not an inanimate thing, we should expect that creation consists of more than atoms and impersonal forces. Inherent in the reality that he has spoken into being are principles, concepts, ways of living. Of foundational importance is the principle of authority. 

Authority is woven into all that God has made and is a principle present in the Ten Commandments. At the head of the “first table” of the Commands is the authority of God: “You shall have no other gods.” At the head of the “second” is the authority of one human being over another: “Honor your father and your mother.” To not accept authority as a settled reality is to live in an alternative universe. Unfortunately, rebellion is in the heart of the human, the fruit of which is glaringly evident all around us and within us.

Despite our natural tendency to rebel, humans must learn to accept and be grateful for authority. And the place God has designed for us to grasp this foundational principle is the home. The Fifth command directs us to hold in honor our parents. John Calvin notes that, biblically, this entails reverence, obedience, and gratitude. That is, we are to deeply respect our parents, submit to their authority, and return the kindness shown to us by providing for them when the need arises.

Getting this primary human relationship right set us up for all of our human relationships. It is intended to shape us into people who will love neighbor as self. The call for godly leadership on the part of parents and ready honor on the part of children teaches, among other things, responsibility, humility, sacrifice, generosity, patience, love, justice, mercy and forgiveness. It’s not difficult to see why Moses teaches that heeding the Fifth Commandment results in long life and prosperity (Deuteronomy 5:16).

Authority is inescapable in the universe God has made. And while it’s the case that humanity’s inherent rebellion has led to some tragic parenting, resulting in wounded souls and broken hearts, we cannot afford to neglect the Commandment’s principle. To do so invites destruction, not just to families and the individuals involved, but to whole communities (see Deuteronomy 21:21). Our goal is to steward authority well so that accepting it proves a delight.

Christ, the Hope of the Sabbath

When God had put everything in its place: the heavenly host, the creatures populating the water and dry land, he ceased from his labors. All was perfect. The human beings were directed to take hold of the potential of what God had made and use it wisely for creation’s benefit and God’s glory. Alas, they were not content with what had been granted them and they rejected God’s story for their own. But God always has the first word and the last. He intends to re-establish, and even surpass, that original peace when he dwelt in perfect harmony with all that he had made.

To carry out that plan he initiated covenants. Promises made to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David, all led to the coming of the Redeemer, the one “born of the seed of the woman.” The particular covenant made with Israel had a unique component. They were told to keep the Sabbath, not doing any work on the seventh day, for the LORD “blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11). God gave two rationales for expecting this of them: he had ceased from his work on the seventh day, and they were to remember that he had delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. As such, the Sabbath represented on the one hand the rest that had been scorned and on the other the gracious hope that had been set before them in the gospel. When they obeyed the Sabbath, they declared to all the world that they knew where history was headed.

When the promised Redeemer came, he declared himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). His lordship was evident in his correcting the accretions to the command made by the Pharisees. Most importantly, his lordship over the Sabbath was realized in his being the one to whom the command pointed, for the hope of dwelling in perfect harmony with God is possessed by all who believe in him (Hebrews 4:11). In the blood of the Promised One a New Covenant was initiated. And as the redemptive purpose of the Sabbath had been fulfilled, its demands were nailed to the cross. 

Though the Sabbath no longer binds the people of God, the consummation that it pointed to is yet to be realized. The church, like Israel before her, has an obligation to direct people’s eyes toward the end of all things. Our faithful participation in the worship of the Lord of the Sabbath, and our persistent pursuit of our new selves, will direct our watching neighbors to the reality of the hope set before them in the gospel. Let us not, therefore, neglect “to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).

What's in a Name? Everything!

When parents are expecting a child, one of the tasks, indeed, privileges, is to choose a name for the boy or girl to be born. Sometimes they choose a name because of its sound. Sometimes they want to honor someone, a relative or famous historical figure. Despite such intentionality, it is not always the case that a name is chosen for what it means. And I doubt if it is ever chosen with an understanding that this is who this child is. In this regard, names in the Bible are of a different ilk. They very often signify something about the person: Abraham, the father of many nations; Jacob, supplanter; Nabal, fool; Moses, drawn out, which refers to his having been drawn out of the water by Pharaoh’s daughter, but also that he would draw out God’s people from Egypt. 

This association of name and person takes on eternal weight when we consider the name of God. Though there are several names by which the one true God is known, in an exchange with Moses we learn of the name that is unique to him: “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say this to the people of Israel, “YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”’ (Exodus 3:14-15). From this name we learn of God’s transcendence and his imminence, his aseity and his covenant faithfulness. He exists, dependent upon nothing. But he is also near, carrying out his promise to Israel’s forefathers. 

We can then understand why God places such a premium on his name, why it is that his people are not to “take the name of YAHWEH your God in vain.” His name is his, it is holy, it is revelatory. If we use his name as a cloak for evil, such as to validate an oath we have no intention of fulfilling, or if it is woven into colloquialisms that express our surprise or frustration, or defame it by making it interchangeable with some “four letter word,” we have gravely diminished the glory attached to the only true God for we have treated his name as though it were worthless, signifying nothing.

God’s name is to be reverenced by all, but this is a particular obligation for his people. As he places his name on them, calling them his own, it is to be borne well by them as they live their lives. And because it is name of the God of salvation, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, we are to confess it before all for “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Worshiping Idols

Taking the First and Second Commandments together, we learn who we are to worship and how we are not to worship. Yahweh alone is to be worshiped and he specifically says that images are not to be worshiped when we worship. Does the Second Commandment forbid the making of images altogether? It does not. In truth, God enjoys images. He is the one who made all that there is and, as the apostle teaches, “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” The issue is not images. The issue is idolatry, and specifically, the use of images (or idols) by which we worship. Please notice that last preposition. By which we worship is not the same thing as in our worship, nor is it the same as the use of images when we are not worshiping. 

Though it has often been the case that in Reformed circles depicting God has been frowned upon, if not downright prohibited, the Second Commandment says nothing about it. Wisdom might teach that depicting God could lead someone astray, either by encouraging worship of the depiction, or by creating a misleading image in people’s perception of what God is like. But the fact that God created men and women “in his image,” and that he fully took on our existence in the incarnation, suggests that he is not opposed to being depicted in very concrete ways. Some might counter that the two instances I mention involve his acting to reveal himself. That is true, but again, the Second Commandment involves worshiping images, not making them, even of God.

So, if something is clearly proscribed when it comes to worship, is there a guideline as to what is permitted? The best rule is twofold: keep God as the primary audience of worship throughout, and include only those elements that have biblical warrant. Following this rule, the liturgy (all churches follow a liturgy) might be complex or simple. It might feature an orchestra, or a small ensemble (that it can involve both music and musicians most certainly has biblical warrant). It might include written or extemporaneous prayers (but it should include prayer). It definitely should involve Scripture with its exposition. And celebrating the Lord’s Table when the faithful are gathered also has biblical precedent. 

There are other elements that could be considered, but whatever is included should direct the congregation’s faith and devotion to the one, true, living and redeeming God. Anything else is worship of the creature and not the Creator, which is what is specifically prohibited by the First and Second Commandments.

No Other Gods

The first command of ten says that Israel is to have no other gods before Yahweh. It's important to understand the first as the foundation for the remaining nine. Having Yahweh alone as their God means that his precepts and laws, his desire for them as a people, their purpose in history, is what Israel needs to know and attend to. Loyalty to him is mandatory.

But when we consider the prior reminder of his grace: “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,” then knowing and attending to God’s will is more than perfunctory obedience. It is an expression of gratitude and love. He is the one who created, preserved, protected, and provided for them. No other gods? Absolutely! How could any other god match that display of divine power and grace?

But is Israel alone to have no other gods but Yahweh? No, for the prohibition extends to all humanity, for the God of the Bible is the God of the whole earth. He made and upholds everything; he showers rain and sun on the just and unjust; he is the one before whom all will have to stand to give an account. This is the reality of things despite the multitude of gods, philosophies, and humanistic rationales that have been conjured up by fallen humanity. As Paul teaches, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:22, 23). As a result, humanity is “storing up wrath for . . . the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5).

On that Day, the substance of the prosecution will be, “How did you express your loyalty, love, devotion and gratitude to the One who made you and provided you with all things, including his only begotten Son to bear the cross on your behalf? What ought you to have done, and did you do it?” No one on that day, including any Israelite or Christian, will be able to claim, by their own merit, a perfect record in that regard. Only in Christ will a defendant be found to be righteous, for He alone lived as we are meant to live.

The life we live flows out of the God we worship. To live righteously we must be united to the One who is true and righteous.

The Posture of Worship

There is a posture to worship. Physically, the Bible often describes it as bowing down or prostrating oneself. Of greater import, however, is the posture of the soul. It’s not difficult to see why. One can be flat on one’s face in a setting in which worship is being offered and yet remain bolt upright in heart. An unwillingness to yield to the majesty and worth of God is the essence of rebellion and idolatry, and it is an attitude that can creep into any worship service no matter how quiet or how raucous. Worship, true worship, involves the soul of a person acknowledging the worth of God and giving the honor that is due him. This was the worship Mary offered to Jesus.

It is an extraordinary scene. She enters the room where Jesus is dining and breaks open an alabaster flask of expensive perfume. She then begins to anoint the head and feet of Jesus. Then, and this perhaps the most shocking of all given the cultural context in which this act took place, she assumes the posture of a slave at the feet of Jesus, let’s down her hair, and begins to wipe off his feet with it. Time must have stopped in that room. 

Were others embarrassed for her? Perhaps, but she was not, and neither was Jesus. When some (and in particular, Judas) protested, Jesus rebuked the detractors saying she had done something beautiful for him. Whether she realized it or not, she had saved the perfume for his burial, something which was about to take place as he laid down his life “for the nation and . . . to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:51, 52).

Mary’s worship was sacrificial. She held nothing back. The perfume used was costly, her servile behavior considered shameful, the cultural barriers breached, scorned. But Jesus was worth it. Her life had been rescued from futility and she had a foretaste of the eternal life that he promised. She had sat at his feet and pondered the ultimate reality he spoke of, she witnessed his heartache at the brokenness of the world, and she was stunned at the power he possessed to overcome sin and death. When the opportunity came, what else could she do but pour out her life at his feet in adoration and gratitude in the posture of worship?

Declaring God's Worth - The Heart of Worship

The etymological root of the word 'worship' is worth-ship. I think that's helpful to remember when we consider what it means to worship God. In our worship we are declaring his worth. Acts 2:11 comes to mind. At Pentecost, the people observing those recently anointed by the Holy Spirit are amazed: "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." The same could be said by us when we read the testimony of the grateful psalmist of Psalm 116: "We hear him telling of his mercifully deliverance when he cried out, 'O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!'" 

God's worth is on our tongues when we recount his attributes, his works, his faithfulness. We know his worth because we have experienced first hand the result of believing in him. We are humbled by election, dumbfounded by justification, encouraged by sanctification, and bolstered by promised glorification. These gospel realities we can appreciate by pondering what God has revealed in this word, and they are sufficient to provoke us to declare his worth every day. But the psalmist offers additional cause for expressing worship -- God's intimate, merciful, and sufficient answer to prayer. If you would closely read that beautiful psalm, I am confident you will sense the vital relationship that he shares with the Lord. He was desperate, in anguish, feeling the tentacles of death ensnaring him, and he knew that he was partly to blame for the situation he found himself in. His naiveté made him vulnerable to unscrupulous men (v. 6 & 11). Nevertheless, in faith he cried out to God for deliverance, and God "inclined his ear," and heard his "pleas for mercy." Fresh fuel for passionate worship. As a result, he vows, "I will call on him as long as I live . . . I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

This kind of lively faith, a faith that animates our daily walk, brings an immediacy to our worship when we gather each Lord's Day. We have fresh evidence of his worth to make known to the congregation. We have experienced anew his love for us, his faithfulness to his promises, his intention to carry us through each day, each circumstance, until we come to stand before him face-to-face. The psalmist learned this and we can hear how it caused him to worship: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

If you have such a declaration to make, make it in church this Sunday. Come ready to declare among your fellow saints God's worth-ship!

Covetousness

Including covetousness in the Ten Commandments was a brilliant stroke (I know, it borders on blasphemy for me to suggest that God could do otherwise). It not only deals with the First, the need to have only Yahweh as God (to covet something that belongs to another is to express our discontent with what God has given us), it also gets at the root of the sins against others that are proscribed. The Tenth commandment says that we are to not covet anything that is our neighbor’s. And what is murder, adultery, stealing, and bearing false witness, but the fruit of covetousness? The life of the other is desired, his spouse is lusted after, his property is seized by greedy hands, and justice must bend to the transgressor’s will, no matter what the cost to his neighbor. Covetousness is wickedness. It is not surprising that Jesus told those with him, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness” (Luke 12:15). 

What makes the Tenth unique among the commandments is that it is the only one that God alone sees. Of course, all the others emanate from dark regions of the soul, but you and I can’t see covetousness. We can observe what it produces, such as the evils enumerated above, but, “the LORD sees not as man sees . . . the LORD looks on the heart’’ (1 Samuel 16:7). 

How many people, when told of their the need for salvation from sin, have said, “Well, I never killed anyone”? It’s true, not many have gone so far as to murder someone. But who, except Christ, has never coveted what wasn’t theirs. Does God not know this? Certainly he does. Is he not offended at the idolatry? Certainly he is.

We live in a society that promotes idolatry with almost every commercial or glossy print ad. Covetousness is the currency of Madison Avenue. Yet the apostle teaches that, “there is great gain in godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6).  Being content will go a long way to taming the heart and teaching it to be “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). If we are satisfied with him, if he is our greatest treasure, then our heart will follow and we will not be deceived by the empty promise of possessions. 

Fear Not

Imagine opening up a letter you received and reading the following, "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation." I suspect you'd find it pretty unsettling, so much so that your eyes might glaze over and you'd begin to think, "Is this for real? Who sent this to me?" And when you glance back down at the letter you notice the words that follow, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."

I can speak with confidence that not one of us in the West has ever opened up our mailbox and found such a letter. But at some point, near the end of first century, the church at Smyrna did (Revelation 2:8-10). Jesus, through the apostle John, was sending a message to this group of believers so that they would be prepared for what was about to transpire. They had already suffered at the hands of some "who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan," but there was yet more to come. Despite the trepidation that they would have initially felt, Jesus told them not to fear. A reward awaited their faithfulness.

In a similar vein, Jesus warns all of his followers to be prepared to suffer on account of him (Luke 12:4-5). And, as he offered to Smyrna, he tells of the reward that awaits those who look beyond the persecutor's threats to the final reckoning. On that Day he will confess the names of those who have acknowledged him before men no matter what had been threatened: "I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8). There, in the courts of heaven, before the judgment seat of God, the roll call of persevering saints will be read and the "Well done, good and faithful servant" pronounced.

The prevalence of such language in the New Testament is to be taken seriously, even by us who live in relative peace. We might never find ourselves in such peril, but there's a good chance that we will be treated with contempt because of our belief in the biblical Jesus. The temptation at that point will be to deny him so that we might not have to suffer scorn. This we must not do. What's the worst they can do? Kill us? This we are not to fear, for we are known by the one who has power to cast into hell. He will uphold our cause even as he lifts our names up before the throne of God.

Tempting Hypocrisy

Jesus leveled some of his most severe criticism against hypocrites. The Pharisees, who presented themselves as guardians of the law of God, had actually supplanted the law by layering on top of it their own interpretation, which, though at times incredibly rigorous, resulted in the real law being obscured. Ironically, their scrupulosity allowed them to neglect the demands of the actual law, which is to love God with all of one’s being and the neighbor as oneself. It’s much easier to spend time assiduously setting aside tithes of all of one’s herbs than to take seriously the divine command to love. In truth, their purported piety was nothing more than hypocrisy. 

Hypocrisy was not just a problem for the Pharisees. It also threatened Jesus’ disciples. He told them to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 21:1). This suggests that hypocrisy can stealthily permeate a people as leaven permeates dough. Jesus understood how tempting it is to settle into hypocrisy. The pride, self-righteousness, feeling of superiority, and freedom to judge others crouches at the door as sin did for Cain. But the community of Jesus was not to let it in. They were to diligently pursue true righteousness, righteousness defined by the true law of God.

The church needs to remain aware of the threat of hypocrisy. As people who have been given a high moral standard by which to live, it is tempting to put on a good show rather than trying to actually fulfill the moral demands (it's interesting to note that the origin of the word hypocrisy comes from the ancient Greek theater; it's the term used for an actor, one who plays a part). Is this because the church is not a safe environment in which people can mess up? It might be - but it shouldn’t be. The church should be the one place in which people recognize that believers are learning what it means to put off the old self and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). We should encourage authenticity and honesty about our struggle with sin. And in relation to our neighbors, we should not preach moral demands at them that we are not willing to pursue ourselves. There is nothing more embarrassing to Christians, or more dishonoring to Christ, than to have someone publicly inveighing against immorality who is then discovered to have been doing the very things he has condemned. The damage to the reputation of the church can feel irreparable.

So how can we guard against hypocrisy? We make a commitment to honesty, humility, repentance when convicted, and thankfulness when pardoned. We covenant with one another to live with these commitments so that we do not become a people in which hypocrisy, leaven-like, corrupts the community. With God’s help, we can be who we are supposed to be.

Kingdom Praying

Prayer is an enigma. We reach out to a God who is all-knowing, all-powerful, who has proven that he both understands and loves us (Psalm 103:14; Romans 8:32). On account of his attributes and character, we are assured that, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him,” so we need not “heap up empty phrases” as though we will be “heard by [our] many words” (Matthew 6:7, 8). Yet, despite possessing this knowledge, we are exhorted, to “let [our] requests be made known to God” in “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6). Why would that be? Might it be because there is more taking place in prayer than our offering a laundry list of needs?

When Jesus responds to the request that he teach his disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1-4), he offers a succinct prayer (certainly not one of many heaped up phrases). But its effect is to focus our attention on the Kingdom of God. As those who have “entered the Kingdom” by reason of our having been made children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:5), we pray to our Father. We ask that His name would be held in reverence by us and all that he has made, and that we would not bring shame upon it, as his people had in times past (see Ezekiel 36:22-23); that his rule would be increasingly realized in our life, church, and world; we express confidence in his provision for all of our lives; we humbly express our need for his continuing grace and we live in that humility with others; and we pray with the self-awareness that we are “prone to wander,” and so ask God to not lead us into trials that will prove too much for us to bear. This is Kingdom praying with Kingdom priorities. If the matters we bring before our heavenly Father are brought under this rubric, it will condition what we pray for and how we pray.

This leads to another enigmatic aspect of prayer: asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:5-13). If our loving Father knows what we need, why must we be taught to be persistent in our praying? It can’t be that he is like the reluctant and annoyed neighbor that Jesus portrays. Nor does he not know how to give what is needed. I suspect the delay is for the purpose of purifying our prayer. We are Kingdom people learning to pray with Kingdom priorities. How often might the requests we make be infected with desires that do not align with the desires of God? More often than we might realize. But as the need persists, we persist in our prayers, and God persists in helping us sort through just what it is that is going on.

Prayer is enigmatic, but it is not frivolous. God uses our prayers to accomplish his will in our lives and in his world. What an extraordinary privilege!

The Good Portion

A man schooled in rabbinic law challenged Jesus with a question: ‘‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’’ Jesus turned the question back on him by asking, “What does the law say?” The lawyer responded with the “summation” of the law: love God with all of your being, and your neighbor as yourself. The conversation then focused on the second part of the summation, with Jesus offering the famous Good Samaritan parable and the lawyer being directed to go and do likewise. Given the concentration of the exchange, the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself, some commentators consider the vignette that follows an effort by Luke to illustrate the first part of the summation (Luke 10:38-42). I think they may be right. Fulfillment of the second part, no matter how robust, does not negate the primacy of the first.

Martha was busy with preparations to the point of distraction. She had invited Jesus into her home, but the task of entertaining her guest had actually caused her to neglect him. She had to be reoriented to the “one necessary” thing, the “good portion” that her sister Mary had chosen. That can happen, can’t it? We can get so focused in doing good things for Jesus (and desiring that one’s guest be well-fed and comfortable is a good thing) to the point of being overwhelmed by the anxiety they produce. That’s when we need to sit down next to Mary and listen. Jesus is the one necessary thing. He is the good portion. Whatever we do in his name must be done for his name.

For many, however, the idea of the Good Samaritan exists with no apparent connection to Jesus. A man can do many good works, be lauded a 'Good Samaritan,' and yet not begin to scratch the surface of loving God with all of his being. What might Jesus say to such a one? “Only one thing is necessary. Sit and listen to my word. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (10:22). Sit and listen. I am the one necessary thing.”

The Perfect Samaritan

The Good Samaritan is a parable that is almost too well known to be heard. It is often the case that we are so familiar with something that we no longer respond to it as we might if it were new to us. This is certainly true of oft-walked streets. We no longer see what’s around us as it all too familiar. I think the term “Good Samaritan” can be like that. People know what it means even if they’ve never heard the parable. And while it might be enlightening for them to actually read the story, they already know the basic message and, as a consequence, the greater import of the teaching can be missed.

It’s clear that the parable challenges us to transcend the racial and historic barriers that exist and, out of compassion for fellow human beings, be merciful. It’s effectiveness in communicating that ethic is evidenced by the many who have heeded the call to be a Good Samaritan, aware of the parable of not. But the initial inquiry was not for whom is one responsible, but how one obtains eternal life. The secondary issue arose as a self-justifying redirect of the conversation. Jesus’ illustrative parable calls the man (and us) to serve whoever is in need, regardless of our biases. But it also points to the answer of his initial question. 

What must be done to inherit eternal life? Fulfill the law -- fulfill the law by loving God with all of your being and your neighbor as yourself, and eternal life will be yours! There’s no amount of tweaking neighborly obligations that will save someone from the peril of not meeting that demand. 

But what is the gospel? Isn’t it what God has done out of love and compassion for us? Out of love, the Father sends his Son; the Son, also out of love, lays down his life. And what does this plan accomplish? It fulfills the very law that we are unable to fulfill. That’s the answer to the lawyer’s question. How do you inherit eternal life? You acknowledge with repentance and faith that only Jesus knows how to perfectly love God and neighbor. And miracle of miracles, his perfection becomes your perfection and, here and now, eternal life is yours.

We want to heed the call to be a Good Samaritan. It should be the aim of every Christian to reflect the ethics of the Kingdom. But we cannot substitute our good works for those of Jesus. It is his compassion that saves us, and it is only his compassion that will save the one we are helping. May God give us grace to offer aid as well as the message of eternal life.

Jumping for Joy

Joy is rare. Happiness, related to joy but not the same, is something more readily experienced. Joy is a deeper happiness, a more exultant happiness. It is usually attached to more momentous moments, moments that possess great significance and emotional weight. Examples are readily found in sports. Imagine what it would be like for a guy who grew up playing baseball. A kid will often pretend he’s playing in the final game of the World Series. His imaginary scene is fraught: there are two outs, bases loaded, count is 3-2. Out loud he imitates the play-by-play of the announcer: “There’s the pitch, it’s a sharply hit fly ball out to left-center, Jones is running back, he’s running, he’s on the track, he leaps and  —  and  — he makes the catch! He makes the catch!! Ball game over!! World Series over!! The crowd goes wild!!!” Now, what if that kid, who has been playing that tape in his head all his life, turns into a major leaguer and actually catches the last out of the last game of the World Series? He would be out of his mind with delight, with exuberant, exultant joy!

Such was Jesus’ response upon the joyful return of the 72 (Luke 10:1-24). They had experienced a foretaste of the salvation that he was to accomplish. And that it was to “little children” and not to the “wise and understanding” that it had been revealed made it even more exhilarating for him. Jesus was thrilled! Here the fulness of the Triune godhead, in perfect harmony, was carrying out the eternal plan of redemption, a plan that attacked pride, the root sin that had provided the deadly sustenance for all subsequent sins. 

Understand, it is not education or training that is being undercut (ignorance is not virtuous). It is the mindset that allows people to think that they can stand in judgment of the gospel rather than the gospel judging them. The 72 had embraced with faith, evidenced by their going out a lambs amidst wolves, the call of Jesus. Like little children they trusted their heavenly Father to protect them and provide for them and they experienced first hand God Almighty’s mercy and grace. Jesus’ response was totally appropriate.

To be rescued from the eternal consequences of sin is no less momentous than a man being plucked from a boat adrift in the ocean with no shore or ship in sight. It's not difficult to imagine what the reaction would be when the one who was lost is finally hauled up on deck. 

In those moments when God impresses you afresh with the reality of your salvation, let at least a hearty “Hallelujah” emanate from your grateful heart.