Gospel for October 18, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 22:15-22
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

The adversarial pressure on Jesus intensifies.  The Pharisees and Herodians collude with one another seeking to entrap Jesus.

This hostility toward Jesus is highlighted by the unlikely alliance of the Pharisees and the Herodians.  The Pharisees (whose name literally means the separated ones) aspire to holiness based on a rigorous and legalistic practice of the Mosaic and the oral law as passed down by rabbinical teachers.   Normally Pharisees have nothing to do with the Herodians.

The Herodians are worldly aristocrats loyal to the dynasty of the royal Herodian family.  Their allegiance is not to the temple, but to the king who insures their privileges. Nevertheless, they also see Jesus as a threat.

For the Pharisees, Jesus is a threat to the religious traditions of the law and the temple.  For the Herodians, Jesus is a threat to political stability and to their king because of his supposed pretensions to the throne as a descendant of David.

They contrive to ask a question of Jesus, pretending to respect him as an objective, impartial teacher of truth:

Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone.  Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

This is fascinating. The ultra-religious Pharisees and the ultra-secular Herodians have found just the question that they believe will place Jesus on the razor’s edge.  They know that the common people — known as the ha eretz, or people of the earth — hate the tax collectors and the Roman military occupiers who enforce the tax for the Roman emperor.

If Jesus answers that it is lawful to pay the Roman tax, the Pharisees and Herodians hope to drive a wedge between Jesus and his energized followers.  If he says no it is not lawful, they will have a pretext to accuse him of sedition against the state.  Note that the question of whether it is lawful concerns the Mosaic and oral law, not the laws of Rome.

Jesus sees through their ruse immediately:

 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?”

He calls them hypocrites (in Greek, this word literally means a pretender, a play actor).  He knows they are baiting him, and are pretending to ask a sincere question.

So, Jesus asks to see the tax money.  He points out the obvious — the denarius is minted and issued under Roman authority:

He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The fact is that someone, either one of the Pharisees or one of the Herodians, actually possesses this Roman coin bearing the likeness of Caesar. This suggests that whoever owned this coin had already answered the question for themselves — they acknowledged the authority of Rome because they were using Roman money.

In other words, if you use Roman currency, you are obliged to pay the Roman tax.  But God deserves all that which belongs to God.  And what belongs to God?  Read on in the Apply section for an opinion on that question.

The Pharisees and Herodians have no comeback for Jesus.  He has demonstrated that if a person uses the Roman coin, they acknowledge Roman authority.  But there is a higher authority to whom all are to answer — the authority of God.

The adversaries of Jesus are stymied:

When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.

APPLY:  

Many expositors and preachers, especially in the United States, have made this encounter between Jesus and his adversaries an illustration of the so-called “Separation of Church and State.”

This interpretation is anachronistic at best.  Jesus was not exploring the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution.  He was actually saying something far more radical than that.

The real question is — what belongs to God?  Caesar has imprinted his image on coins because of his military and political power to do so.  He rules the Roman empire by raw power.  But where is Caesar now?  His sovereignty was temporary.  The Roman empire is remembered in the history books and in the ruins and in the Romance languages that derive from their Latin tongue.  But Roman dominance is no more.  They have been swept away, as every world power has been swept away, by the tides of history.

The answer to the question —what belongs to God — is in the statement Jesus makes:

Give to God what is God’s.

What is God’s?  EVERYTHING.

The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein (Psalm 24:1).

We must remember that all of us are merely temporary tenants on this earth.  Empires, nations, the pride of military glory, political systems will all be superseded by the Kingdom of God.

This does beg the question, though.  Do we pay taxes or not?  The answer is simple — even Christians benefit from the good things taxes can provide, though we may complain about paying them.  Roads, fire departments, police protection, inspection of our foods and medicines, all can be a great benefit.

Paul makes it quite clear that even the Roman government, which represents a violent and idolatrous system, can provide security and stability.  And he urges the Christians in Rome to be in subjection to civil authorities:

Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing.  Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor (Romans 13:5-7).

But ultimately, we are reminded that the world, and everything in it, belongs to God and returns to God.

RESPOND: 

The custom of imprinting images on coins goes back millennia.  By embossing the image of a Roman emperor on the coin, the authority of the coinage was established.  It was a way of stating that the “full faith and credit” of the Roman political and economic system would back the value of the coin.

It shouldn’t escape our notice, though — no one really owns anything.  We are merely temporary tenants who are given the opportunity to temporarily use land, houses, rivers, forests and mountains.  The only One who really owns anything is the One who created all things.

And another truth shouldn’t escape our notice — coins may be embossed with the images of kings and presidents and national heroes.  And those images can be changed as past heroes fall into disfavor, and new heroes arise.

However, there is one “coin” that is stamped with an indelible image — the image of God:

God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).

Coins imprinted with the image of ancient Roman emperors (no doubt the image of Tiberius in the time of Jesus) have become relics, of value to antiquarians and archaeologists, but of no use as actual currency.  But the image that has been stamped on our human nature — the image of God — is of inestimable value.

We can easily give up the coins of our day — they rise and fall in value.  But we must give to God that which is most precious to him, the coin that bears his image — our own lives.

Lord, you have stamped your image on our lives, and restored your image in us through the life, death and resurrection of your Son. I pray that I may render to you what belongs to you — myself.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
"The Biblical Tribute Penny: Tiberius AR Denarius 16-34 AD; Obverse" by Essam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

Epistle for October 18, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

According to most scholars, 1 Thessalonians is the earliest written work included in the New Testament.  Paul  may have written this letter to the church in Thessalonika from Corinth sometime around 52 AD.

He had only recently left Thessalonika.  He was at this time on what is called his Second Missionary Journey, which took him through Syria, Cilicia, Galatia and Asia — and then, for the first time, across the Aegean Sea into Europe. His journeys in Europe took him to key cities where he planted churches — in Macedonia (Philippi, Thessalonika and Berea) and in Achaea (Athens and Corinth).

This letter to the Thessalonians represents one of the earliest samples of Christian preaching and doctrine, some twenty years after the resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.

As was common with ancient letters, Paul begins with a salutation.  He is writing this as a corporate letter, with greetings from the other two missionaries who are with him in Corinth — Silvanus, and Timothy. And the recipient of the letter is also corporate — the entire church at Thessalonika.

Silvanus and Timothy both appear elsewhere throughout the New Testament record.

Silvanus is believed to be the same person known as Silas in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.  At one of the key councils in Jerusalem, Silas was chosen, along with Judas Barsabbas, to accompany Paul and Barnabas as they set out for Antioch (Acts 15:22).  This was the beginning of the very missionary journey that would take them to their present location in Corinth. Silas is mentioned twelve times in Acts. One of those accounts describes Paul and Silas in jail together in Philippi, which proved to be a pivotal moment in their ministry there (Acts 16:25-32).  Paul mentions his colleague and travelling companion Silvanus three times in his letters (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:19). And we also find Silvanus mentioned by the Apostle Peter in his first letter, giving the impression that Silvanus actually helped Peter in the drafting of the letter (1 Peter 5:12).

Timothy, of course, is well-known as Paul’s young protege. The relationship of Paul and Timothy is that of an affectionate father with an adopted son. We know much more about Timothy — he was from Lystra in Galatia, the son of a Jewish woman and a Greek father.  Paul made a point of having Timothy circumcised because of his Jewish heritage, in order to avoid offending the Jews in Galatia (Acts 16:1-3).   Timothy often acted as a messenger for Paul, bearing his letters and bringing personal possessions that had been left behind.  We last see Timothy in Acts saying farewell to Paul in Asia, and there is some evidence that Timothy became the overseer (Greek episcopos, or bishop) of the church in Ephesus.  Timothy is mentioned six times in Acts;  twelve times in Paul’s letters (not including the two letters that were written specifically to Timothy by Paul, 1 & 2 Timothy), and once in Hebrews 13:23.

These co-workers in the Gospel may also have been co-writers with Paul of this letter.

But let’s return to the Thessalonians.  Their identity and relationship with God are immediately established. The church is described as:

 in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…

While we might be tempted to scan this greeting rather quickly, we do well to pause just a moment.  Because this is likely the first written record of the New Testament, these are significant words.  It is clear that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are being given equal billing.  Although the Holy Spirit is not mentioned until verse 5 and 6 in this passage, we have the beginnings of a doctrine of the Trinity.

That God is Father is a given from the Jewish perspective.  But when Paul says that Jesus is Lord and Christ, he is making an important claim about Jesus.  Jesus is not only the Christ (aka Messiah), fulfilling the Hebrew prophecies and expectations — he is also Lord.  Lord denotes more than merely a title of aristocracy for Paul.  In Hebraic thought,  the word Lord is synonymous with the title given to Yahweh in the Old Testament — Adonai.  Based on that evidence, Paul is describing Jesus the Christ as God.   

And Paul offers a greeting that will become familiar to the reader of his epistles:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace is one of Paul’s consistent themes throughout his epistles.

As he continues the body of his letter, Paul is personal when remembering the Thessalonians, their faith and their work.  He speaks in the first person plural on behalf of Silvanus, Timothy and himself, describing their intercession for the church:

We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

Paul calls the Thessalonians his brothers,  and reminds them of their new identity.  They are chosen — the theological term is elect — and Paul celebrates the fact that they not only heard the Gospel,  but the Holy Spirit reinforced this word  with power and assurance. 

This provides a glimpse into the doctrine of Pneumatology (theology related to the Holy Spirit).  A survey of the work of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament suggests that power and assurance are frequently associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit’s power is manifested in such events as:

• The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary and conceives the holy child within her, despite her virginity (Luke 1:35).
• The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus with power, enabling him to heal all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38).
• The outpouring on Pentecost, with its mighty wind, tongues of fire, and speaking in tongues (Acts 2).

And along with power, there is the unique work of assurance — what is also called the witness of the Spirit.  This sense of assurance describes the inward witness given by the Holy Spirit within the spirit of the believer. This inward witness makes possible the personal relationship that exists between believer and the Spirit:

• The Spirit affirms the believer’s identity as a child of God:
  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17).
• The Spirit is also the intimate agent of communication between God the Father and the believer. Because the Spirit is God’s Spirit, he knows the mind of the Father; and because the Spirit is omniscient (all-knowing) he can penetrate every person’s thoughts, motives and emotions:
  In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.  He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God (Romans 8:26-27).

Paul then continues by reminding the Thessalonians of the ministry that he and his colleagues offered when they were in Thessalonika, and the impact that it has had on the church.  He says boldly that the Thessalonians became imitators of the three missionaries, and of the Lord.  The implication is clear — Paul is an imitator of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). Therefore the example that the Thessalonians see in these missionaries is a good role model for new believers.

Moreover, because the Thessalonians received the Gospel with joy, despite their affliction (presumably persecution), they now have become:

an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.  For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.

The rumors of Thessalonian receptivity and repentance have preceded the three missionaries throughout Macedonia and Achaia even before Silvanus, Timothy and Paul arrived in those regions!

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

At the very conclusion of this portion of 1 Thessalonians, which serves as a salutation, Paul sums up the essence of the Christian Gospel that he proclaims:

• That God is the true God, and no idol such as the Greeks have previously been worshipping.
• That Jesus is the very Son of God, and therefore divine.
• That God has raised Jesus from the dead.
• And faith in Jesus delivers us from the consequences of sin.

This is the eschatological hope for which they are waiting — for Christ who will come from heaven for his church.

APPLY:  

Anyone who has ever tried acting on the stage knows that part of what he or she is doing is imitating a character — and the best actors learn to think, feel, move, and behave like the character they are seeking to portray. This applies to one of the themes of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians — that we are to imitate those who imitate Christ, so that we may be an example to others. The ripple effect of such a lifestyle can be profound.  The more we imitate Christ, the more others are drawn to Christ.

As Paul and his colleagues have proclaimed the Gospel and lived in imitation of Christ, the Thessalonians have sought to replicate that example in their own lives.  And as the Thessalonians have lived in this radical, new way, others have also been influenced.

We see this clearly when Paul writes:

You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

The concept of the Imitation of Christ has a long and distinguished history.  Although Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous book by the same name sometime between 1418 and 1427, the principle originates in the New Testament.

This is a serious challenge to all Christians, which has both inspired and discouraged multitudes for many centuries. On the one hand, this is a high calling to a heroic life.  As C.S. Lewis says:

Now the whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ. If we do, we shall then be sharing a life which was begotten, not made, which always existed and always will exist. Christ is the Son of God. If we share in this kind of life we also shall be sons of God. We shall love the Father as He does and the Holy Ghost will arise in us. He came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has — by what I call “good infection.” Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else (from Mere Christianity).

Sadly, we also have many bad examples of Christians and Christian leaders who have failed to follow the teachings and example of Christ.  Today, we tend to hear this excuse most often — quite often even on bumper stickers — Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. This becomes a rationale for behavior that is quite unChristlike.

The excuse “well,  I’m only human” may be true.  And, yes, it may be necessary for Christian leaders to publically repent and apologize — but a lifestyle that is inconsistent with the life and teaching of Christ can be subversive to those who seek to be disciples, especially when those leaders refuse to change because “they’re only human.”

The saying is cliche — which makes us prone to dismiss it — but it is nonetheless true:

Your life is the only Bible some people will ever read.

The Thessalonians saw the Gospel and the character of Jesus Christ when they saw Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.  And they were inspired not only to believe, but to follow their example.  And they in turn became an example to others.

This is the way the Gospel spreads — when our words and our works are in harmony with one another.

RESPOND: 

A family member of mine used to say that her God was a “God of love, not a God of wrath.”  I think I understand where she was coming from.  She had been raised in the church, and I’m sure had heard more than a few sermons from  the “fire and brimstone” genre. I surmise that God’s wrath was a frequent theme in those days instead of God’s love.

And yet.  And yet.  We cannot escape language about wrath, and judgment, and, yes, Hell.  Not if we are faithful to the Biblical text. After praising the Thessalonians for their faith, love and patience of hope, Paul assures them that they are loved by God and are chosen.  And then he reminds them that they now worship the living and true God who raised his Son from the dead, who is:

—Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

How do we reconcile God’s love and God’s wrath?

Perhaps the simplest way to do so is to be reminded that for humans, love  really describes our desire that the one we love be happy and blessed and receive good things.  Isn’t that generally true when we think of God’s love for us?  God desires that we have abundant life, blessing, and receive good things.  That seems to be a consistent theme of the Bible. God’s ultimate goal is our well-being. And that goal requires great sacrifice on his part to achieve it for us.  And it also doesn’t mean that we won’t endure temporary suffering before we receive an everlasting reward.

What is wrath?  Wrath is anger, and in terms of relationship, anger occurs when we are disappointed in someone or something, or when something has fallen short of the goal.  Wrath describes God’s reaction to the disparity between his will for us and, our will for us! This is what happens when we settle for something less than God’s best for us.  Biblically, God is angry when our lives and character separate us from him, harm others, and harm ourselves.  This is another way to describe sin.  Therefore God’s anger can be seen as an expression of God’s love.

God the Son has given up his life that we might be saved.  When we read language about God’s wrath we can often miss the point that his wrath  — his anger —  is not at us. God’s anger is against sin and evil and injustice.

As I’ve often said, expanding on an oft used cliche —

God loves the sinner, but hates the sin,  because of what sin does to the sinner. 

Another way of putting this is another expression —

We aren’t punished for our sins; we are punished by our sins.

The following metaphor helps me get a little closer to understanding this concept, although I admit it is a very imperfect picture — suppose you, your family, and your whole neighborhood  have been captured by a terrorist band.  They are holding you hostage.  They are threatening to shoot all of you, and the danger is imminent.  A rescuer arrives to rescue you, and he manages to free you so that you and the others are able to run away from the terrorists.  The rescuer warns you that you must run as far and as fast as you can, because he intends to destroy the terrorists and their weapons.  But instead of running away, you linger.  You have grown fond of your captors. But they are not fond of you.  They have you in their clutches, and are raising their weapons to fire on your family. your neighbors, and on you. They begin to fire. The rescuer must prevent the terrorists from harming all of the other people. He must fire immediately in order to prevent their violence. They will be destroyed. And because you did not separate yourself from the terrorists, you are also destroyed because you did not flee the wrath to come!

Granted, this is a crude analogy.  Our damnation is collateral damage because we refused to seek the safety that was offered.

John Wesley once answered his critics, who denounced him for suggesting that there was only one way to be saved. He said that his critics were right.  He did believe that:

For as there is but one heaven, so there is but one way to it, even the way of faith in Christ, (for we speak not of opinions or outward modes of worship,) the way of love to God and man, the highway of holiness. And is it uncharitable to think or say that none can be saved but those who walk in this way?

He then offers Biblical evidence that it is God who warns us that we must believe or be damned, follow holiness or we won’t see the Lord, and love God and neighbor.  But all of these warnings, from God or from God’s messengers, are inspired by love:

But is there any uncharitableness  [charity is also translated as love; so to be uncharitable is to be unloving] in this, in warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come? On the contrary, not to warn a poor, blind, stupid wretch that he is hanging over the mouth of hell, would be so inexcusable a want of charity, as would bring his blood upon our own head. (John Wesley: A Farther Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion, Section III,paragraph 3).

Our ultimate goal is to grow in grace, become imitators of Christ, and anticipate his return and the joy of fellowship with him in heaven.  But we must begin with the admission that we are sinners, and as such deserve the wrath of God.  We are immensely grateful for the grace and mercy that God has shown us in his love by sending his Son on our behalf.  And that means that we ask his forgiveness.

This is illustrated by John Wesley’s description of the early Methodists who met regularly to “watch over one another in love”:

There is one only condition previously required in those who desire admission into this society, — “a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins.”  (from A Plain Account of the People Called Methodists, Section I, paragraph 8).

So, to my family member who believed in “love” over “wrath,” I would have to say that the most loving thing we can do is be aware that God’s wrath is the flip side of God’s love — he destroys the poisons and the pestilences that corrupt the good world that he has made.  And we must flee those poisons and pestilences and find refuge in God in order to be saved.

Our Lord, I pray that I might be encouraged to faith, love and patience as I seek to imitate you.  Thank you for delivering me from the wrath that is to come against all evil.  Amen.

 PHOTOS:
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Psalm Reading for October 18, 2020

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 99
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm of praise extols the holiness of God as King over all. The character of Yahweh is declared three times:

He is Holy!

God’s holiness describes his unique separateness from all other reality.  God is, as theologians might say Wholly Other.  Creation is finite, and God is infinite and transcendent.

Some of the imagery in this Psalm describes a supernatural realm beyond the realm of normal human experience.  Yahweh:

sits enthroned among the cherubim.

Not only are the people to tremble but even the earth quakes because of his supernatural power.

The term cherubim is the plural form of an order of angels that appear at various points in Scripture:

• They guard the entrance to Eden after Adam and Eve are expelled (Genesis 3:24).
• The cherubim are represented as two figures of gold on the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-22).
• The Lord spoke to Moses from the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant between the two cherubim (Numbers 7:89).
• When the ark of the covenant is installed in the temple after the reign of Solomon, prayers are directed toward the Lord who is perceived as seated above the cherubim (2 Kings 19:15, Isaiah 37:15-17).
• In Ezekiel, the cherubim are part of the unearthly “wheel within a wheel” vision that appears to the prophet (Ezekiel 10). In this vision they fly and deliver God’s fire to be scattered over the city.

Needless to say, the cherubim are beyond normal human experience.

And yet this same God, who sits enthroned upon the cherubim and who is holy and transcendent and otherworldly, also reigns in human affairs:

The King’s strength also loves justice.
You do establish equity.
You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob.

Yahweh works not only through the ministering angels known as cherubim, but through his human agents:

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel among those who call on his name;
they called on Yahweh, and he answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.
They kept his testimonies,
the statute that he gave them.

There are actually three orders represented by these men —  Moses the prophet, Aaron the priest and Samuel the judge.

The Psalmist points out that the original self-disclosure of God is given in the pillar of cloud which guided the Israelites in the wilderness, and which filled the tabernacle in their camp when Yahweh met with Moses face to face.  And further, the decrees and statutes were also a form of God’s self-disclosure.

God speaks through the extraordinary and miraculous means of the pillar of cloud, but also through the moral and ritual guidance of the law.

And the Psalmist suggests that God’s self-revelation discloses the balanced nature of God, both compassionate and just:

You answered them, Yahweh our God.
You are a God who forgave them,
although you took vengeance for their doings.

Finally, in this Psalm there is a kind of “refrain” that is repeated twice (almost identically).

Verse 5:
Exalt Yahweh our God.
Worship at his footstool.
He is Holy!
Verse 9:
Exalt Yahweh, our God.
Worship at his holy hill,
for Yahweh, our God, is holy!

The reason for such worship is the same — God is holy and is worthy of our worship.

APPLY:  

Why do we worship God?  Because we are exhorted to do so by a worship leader? Perhaps.  Because we see his magnificence in the world around us? Certainly.  Because of his characteristics of justice and righteousness and forgiveness? Of course.

But perhaps the most telling motivation for worship is simply the very nature of God — he is holy.  Holiness means that he is uniquely set apart by his transcendence, majesty and ethical purity.

This same sense of his holiness is suggested when the people are exhorted to:

Exalt Yahweh, our God.
Worship at his holy hill,
for Yahweh, our God, is holy!

The name revealed to Moses — Yahweh,  the “Tetragrammaton,” i.e., the four letters of the “I Am” (YHWH) — reveals the nature and identity of God.  We get the same sense from Revelation 1:8, where God says,

  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Our only proper response to the Creator and Finisher of all things, and to the Eternal One, is worship!

RESPOND: 

I ran across a wonderful little “meme” on Facebook recently, entitled “Leibnez’ Contingency Argument”  by Dr. William Lane Craig.  This is a fast-paced, fun, and visually entertaining Youtube exposition on a very sophisticated argument for the existence of God.

I will try to sum it up as simply and briefly as possible:

1. Everything which exists has an explanation of its existence.
2. If the universe had an explanation of its existence, that explanation must be God.
3. The universe exists.
4. Therefore, The explanation of the universe’s existence is God.

If the first three premises are true, then the fourth premise must follow.  Some people, the Youtube narrator suggests, might question the obvious logic of the first premise.  They picture Bertrand Russell smoking a pipe and saying “The universe is just there, that’s all. No explanation needed. End of discussion.”

The Youtube video then offers a wonderful little rebuttal to this nonsensical idea by picturing the viewer and a friend as two cartoon friends hiking through the woods and coming upon a shiny sphere in the middle of the forest.  You would wonder how the sphere came to be there, and you would think it odd if your friend said “There’s no explanation for it. Stop wondering.  It just IS.”  Not a very satisfactory answer, I daresay!

And the video goes on to say:  if the ball were larger, even to the size of the universe, the change in its size wouldn’t remove the desire for an explanation. We are predisposed to require explanations, scientifically and intuitively — and I would add theologically!

The Youtube meme continues and does an excellent job of demonstrating that while some things exist contingently (depending on the existence of other things — e.g., your birth depends on your parents), God exists necessarily because everything that exists depends ultimately on him.

I recommend that you check out this video on Youtube: Leibniz’ Contingency Argument.

The bottom line for me is that I believe in and worship God not because of a philosophical argument — although I find that helpful and encouraging.  Ultimately, I believe because I have experienced God through Scripture and through personal faith.

Lord, as the Psalmist exhorts me, I exalt you and worship you because you are holy.  Thank  you for your forgiveness and your love.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:

"Psalm 99" uses this photo:  "M31 - Andromeda Galaxy (NGC 224) [Explored 5/9/2010 #20]" by Cyrus II is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Old Testament for October 18, 2020

Tintoretto’s interpretation of Yahweh’s presence passing by Moses on Mt. Sinai.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Exodus 33:12-23
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OBSERVE:

Moses has a unique relationship with Yahweh.  From the moment he encountered the burning bush on the mountain, through the plagues of Egypt, leading the entire nation of Israel through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness, his relationship with Yahweh has grown increasingly closer. Moses has not only conversed directly with Yahweh, Moses has seen Yahweh’s awesome power.  This relationship is incredibly intimate for a mortal man to have with Almighty God. We are told:

Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11).

But in our lectionary passage, Moses is feeling bold enough to quarrel with Yahweh — or at least ask difficult questions.  Here is the context — while Moses was at the top of the mountain receiving the law, Israel had turned to idolatry.  Moses interceded on their behalf to spare his people, but he had also erupted in anger and punished them with the help of his own brethren, the Levites.

Now Moses is experiencing profound uncertainty.  Recent events have seemingly shaken him.  Moses has gone to the Tent of Meeting, which is pitched outside the camp, to meet face to face with Yahweh.  And he begins to ask tough questions. Moses reminds Yahweh of the commands and the promises that have been made to him:

Moses said to Yahweh, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people:’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’

Somewhat audaciously, Moses demands evidence!

 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your way, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight: and consider that this nation is your people.

Not only is Moses “reminding” Yahweh of promises made, the way a man might address someone with whom he has made a contract, he reminds Yahweh of his special relationship with Israel.

Yahweh assures Moses:

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

The word presence in Hebrew is panayim, which literally means face.  This vividly suggests Yahweh’s personal presence that is to be with Moses.  And he is promised the rest that is suggested in the fourth commandment, which is the blessing of Sabbath rest.  This doesn’t merely suggest rest from work, but spiritual rest as well.  

But Moses isn’t satisfied!  He is persistent. Almost accusingly, Moses says:

If your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t carry us up from here.

There is a plaintive tone here.  Moses doesn’t want to envision a future without Yahweh; and he certainly doesn’t want to try to lead Israel without Yahweh’s help.

And Moses again restates to Yahweh the special relationship that Yahweh has with Israel. Moses in particular, and Israel in general, are to be a visible sign of a unique relationship:

For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?

The word separated is often translated as holy.  To be holy is to be separated, or set apart, from what is profane.  Moses is very aware of this unique privilege — but he is also anxious that Yahweh not abandon his people.  This may seem to be a very real possibility after the incident with the golden calf.

Yahweh again reassures Moses that he will keep his promises, and assures Moses of his favor, and that he knows Moses by name.  The concept of favor in Hebrew is closely analogous to the New Testament concept of grace — God’s unmerited favor and acceptance and blessing.

And to be known by name in Hebraic thought denotes a deep, personal relationship.  This is a reminder of Moses’ freedom to relate to God as with a friend, because God has favored him with this freedom.

And so Moses is now emboldened to make an inconceivable request:

He said, “Please show me your glory.”

Yahweh’s glory is difficult to describe.  It suggests the inherent character of God — not merely the metaphysical beauty and power suggested by the fiery presence associated with Sinai, but his very nature.  Moses is asking to see God himself!

Yahweh offers an alternative, because Moses’ request is simply impossible to fulfill:

He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.”

Moses may see the effects of God’s nature — that is, his goodness and grace and mercy — and hear his holy name.  This name — Yahweh (I Am That I Am) — was revealed to Moses in his first encounter with God, but it retains its mystery and power.

But included in this offer is a warning — to see God’s face, his glory, is simply impossible.  Mortal man doesn’t have the physical or spiritual capacity to endure it.

So Yahweh finds a way to accommodate Moses:

Yahweh also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock.  It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by;  then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.

This description is anthropomorphic, meaning God is described as having a hand, a back  and a face.  Obviously, God is Spirit (John 4:24), and transcends the physical dimension.  But here he uses language that Moses can understand.  No doubt, Moses did hide in the cleft of the rock, and could only see the “effects” of God’s glory as he passed by.

This pattern will appear again centuries later when Elijah goes to the same mountain (known as both Sinai and Horeb) seeking consolation from God.  Elijah also stood at the mouth of a cave — perhaps the very same in which Moses stood — and experienced his own theophany, when God manifested himself (1 Kings 19:8-18).

Moses has made an astounding request of God, and has received as much glory and favor as a mere mortal can possibly experience, short of heaven itself.

APPLY:  

It may be argued that Moses had a unique relationship with God because of his distinct call and experience.  Perhaps that may be so, but we do well to remember that Moses was a mortal.  In fact, his own character was besmirched by a few major flaws that can’t be overlooked. He murdered an Egyptian overseer who was beating a Hebrew slave.  Later, his anger would trouble him again when he ignored God’s specific instructions at Kadesh concerning a water supply for the people (Numbers 20:1-20).  This last act of doubt alone is what is cited as the reason Moses could not enter the Promised Land.

And yet despite his flaws, Moses was called a friend of God.  Becoming a friend of God begins with God’s initiative.  It is my conviction that God seeks this relationship with each of us.  What is required for us to deepen this friendship is our faithful obedience and ongoing interaction with God through prayer, even when we are faced with seemingly impossible adversity.

And in my opinion, prayer includes authentic honesty with God, the kind that Moses models.  He acknowledges the power and holiness of God, but he still asks questions and speaks quite frankly with God.  I see this same authenticity in Jacob, David, and Job,  among others.  For real, flesh-and-blood, honest conversation with God, one only need look at the Psalms.

My own belief, to paraphrase Elizabeth Kubler Ross (the famous physician who did groundbreaking work on death and dying), is that it’s okay to be honest with God. God can take it!

We can logically draw the conclusion that God knows our minds anyway, since his Spirit searches our spirits, and he is omniscient.  We might as well say what’s on our minds.  When we do so, we are authentic with God, and our relationship with him is deepened.

And as we grow in our relationship with God, we may experience what Jesus said of his disciples:

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you (John 15:15).

RESPOND: 

When I was in high school, one of my Dad’s many hobbies was photography.  From time to time our living room was transformed into a photographic studio, complete with expensive camera and an assortment of very bright klieg lights, all on tripods at various heights.

I remember one time when I was sitting, rather bored, waiting for my picture to be taken, as Dad adjusted his camera for the umpteenth time.  I watched lazily as a moth flew into the room and then circled, and then flew into one of the brilliant — and very hot — klieg lights. It was vaporized instantly!

I have thought of that image when I read the account of Moses asking to see the glory of God.  Especially when Yahweh tells him:

You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.

I admit I can only think about this by using analogies.  The holiness and transcendence and power of God are so great that he exceeds our physical capacity to withstand his unmediated presence.  Not to mention that he vastly exceeds our spiritual and intellectual comprehension.

I think of those lines from a T.S. Eliot poem:

human kind
Cannot bear very much reality.
Time past and time future
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.

Yahweh, the one whose name means I Am That I Am, is Reality.  Upon him all that is real and exists lives and moves and has its being (see Acts 17:28).

It is like those who would look at an eclipse — the rays of the sun are so bright that to look upon it without special glasses would cause blindness.  And yet here is the miracle — God has made it possible for us to see him by revealing himself to us in Jesus, who is fully God and fully human (see John 1:1-2,14;  Colossians 1:12-20).

And it is Jesus who becomes the “lens” through which we see God the Father:

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him….He who has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:7, 9).

Without the mediating priestly ministry of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father and the Second Person of the Trinity, we cannot see God.  Through Jesus, we are able to see God through the eyes of faith.

Lord, I pray that my relationship with you may become so intimate that I can be completely honest and transparent, and that I might see you.  I know your love for me as revealed in the goodness of creation, your redemptive work on the cross, and the sanctifying presence of your Spirit.  You have called me your friend.  May I grow in my friendship with you. Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“The Eternal Father Appears to Moses” by Tintoretto is in the Public Domain.