The Response Is what Makes Us Different

“They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.” (Isa 42:17 AV)

Isaiah is a book of judgment and restoration.  There is a judgment on the enemies of Israel and a judgment on Israel itself.  Restoration comes only to the people of God.  What is the difference?  Why are the people of God restored and the enemies of God are not restored?  Why are the sins of Israel deemed less severe (or, so it would seem) than the sins of the wicked?  The Bible tells us Judah exceeded the sins of the heathen around them.  Why, then, does God restore His people even though they have done worse than those who are not His people?  It cannot be that the sins of God’s people are less severe.  It cannot be the people of God sinned less.  There must be something else that makes them unique.  Other than the covenant God made with their forefathers, there is something different.  It is reflected by the underlined phrase above.  The people of God will feel shame at the rebuke of God whereas the enemies of God will not.  There is something inside the child of God that causes him or her to respond when corrected.

There are extreme cases of people who feel no remorse for the things they have done.  Clinical psychology will define such a person as a psychopath.  According to verywellmind.com, psychopathy is defined as, “The term ‘psychopath’ is used to describe someone who is callous, unemotional, and morally depraved.”  In film, this type of person is often depicted as completely unemotional towards the pain and suffering of others even to the point of inflicting such pain.  In short, they feel no shame for what they have done.   The worst of the worst are often shown in film and entertainment.  Those who have done horrendous things often make the news.  We need to remember the psychopath is nothing more than an extreme example of what all of us are.  That is, our conscience is seared with a hot iron and we learn to live with, and ignore shame.  This is natural to the lost man.  To those who are saved, this requires we quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and learn to live with and ignore shame.  This is not how God intended His people to live.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for the purpose of communication with God and spiritual maturity in Christ.  The latter requires we listen and respond to the voice of God.  Oft times, the people of God are maligned and abased by those who do know not God for doing the same things as they.  Sometimes we do.  The difference is, we have been quickened and have the privilege of feeling shame to a depth the lost know nothing about.  Shame is a good thing.  Shame is what keeps us closer to God than we would be otherwise.  When I read the above verse, I am comforted.  The conviction of the Holy Spirit is a good thing.  A really good thing.  No one likes to get yelled at the instant it comes, but those who desire change welcome it soon after.  It is uncomfortable to get corrected.  But the peaceable fruits of righteousness follow.  The feeling of heightened guilt and shame are not indicators of being lost.  Rather, just the opposite.  Praise the LORD for these emotions.  They are welcomed.  They are needed.  They are comforting.  They are an indication of the active ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and it is the hope of our conversion into Christlikeness.

By His Word We Live

“O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.” (Isa 38:16 AV)

This is part of a prayer prayed by Hezekiah, king of Judah upon learning he had been diagnosed with a terminal disease.  Hezekiah did not have a son, and therefore, if he passed, the throne would pass to the next closest descendant of David.  Hezekiah knew this and prayed for a miracle.  The things of which Hezekiah referenced are the promises of the Word of God.  This would include the promise that a descendent of David would reign.  If Hezekiah does not have a son, this would be the first time in the history of Jewish kings wherein a son does not take the throne in the absence of his father.  Hezekiah’s hope is in the word of God and it is by the word of God with God’s goodness by which men live.  It is the word of God and God’s abiding presence that gives life to the spirit.  It is by the word of God we live.

My doctor has recently added to an after-visit summary that I am an undisciplined and out-of-control eater.  I have gained sixteen pounds in five years.  I think his assessment is a bit exaggerated.  Nonetheless, his words have motivated me to lose weight.  So far, so good.  I have lost ten pounds and two inches off my waist in the last three weeks.  I cut out all extra sugar and bad carbs.  I eat more protein and good carbs.  I no longer snack much during the day.  Breakfast and supper are the only two meals I have and if I am hungry during the day, I have a handful of peanuts or other good nut combinations.   I drink my coffee black.  Water is the only other beverage I consume.  I also take vitamin B6 which helps control hunger.  I’ll show that doctor!  What does this have to do with the word of God being the life of our spirit?  I have learned the sweet and unhealthy things of life were not giving me all that much pleasure.  As we are on vacation for the last few weeks at a cabin with the family, unhealthy snacks abound.  But I look at all of it and have no interest.  Why?  Because they are not what gives me pleasure.  Last night, I had steak and grilled asparagus.   The asparagus was out of this world.  Better for me than mashed potatoes.  What was good for me actually tasted better than that which was not.

Hezekiah knew his life would eventually come to an end.  Yes, the LORD would grant him fifteen more years so he could have and raise a son.  Eventually, however, his life would come to an end.  A longer life may have satisfied him for the moment, but it was a regular diet of the word of God that revived his spirit.  It was the word of God that gave life to his soul.  Getting what he wanted didn’t turn out so well.  His son was the reason Babylon came and took Judah away.  Had Hezekiah died as originally planned by God, who knows who would have taken the throne?  Who knows how things would have turned out?  Getting what we want is not necessarily as fulfilling as fellowship with God through His word.  Hezekiah uttered these words not realizing just how profound they were.  By these things (the truths found in scripture) men live.  But these things the soul and spirit feel alive.

Adversity is Limited

“Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.” (Isa 33:1 AV)

This word of truth is a general one meant to be applied to all of Israel’s prosecutors.  Assyria, Babylon, and Persia would all grow in strength and then decline by the hand of a greater enemy than their former one.  Assyria invaded Israel and took away the ten northern tribes.  Babylon came next.  After invading Assyria, they too invaded Israel and took away Judah and Benjamin.  Then the Persians invaded Babylon and took away all, including those Jews residing in Babylon.  The point is, a persecutor will not sustain his persecution.  The persecutor will eventually become the persecuted.  Eventually, the enemy will be depleted of strength and resources, usually by complacency and ease, until another takes its place.  This is a good thing to remember when we are overwhelmed by adversity greater than ourselves.  Eventually, be it Sprite or Scourge, will run out of gas.

Nazi Germany comes to mind.  The way in which they advanced over Western Europe was impressive.  It doesn’t take much to find a documentary on the battles of WWII.  A cursory scan of cable channels will reveal all sorts of historical references or even highlights of this famous war.  Even those dedicated to weaponry will have a program or two highlighting the different armaments used during this great war.  Germany used a doctrine referred to as the Blitzkrieg.  In German, the term means lightning war.  The philosophy of Hitler was to overwhelm his enemies with vastly superior forces very quickly.  There was little tactical planning because sheer numbers would bring victory.  They would rapidly take advantage of every access point into the desired territory or city and send everything they had.  They overwhelmed much of Western Europe in months instead of years.  The allied powers used this to their advantage.  What eventually led to the downfall of the Axis powers in Europe was a thinning of their resources and ranks.  The Allied forces would retreat in a spread-out fashion to entice the Axis powers to follow quickly and disperse too thinly.  Coming in from behind their forces, the Allied were eventually able to surround and constrict the Axis forces.  What led to their downfall was they advanced too rapidly and could not give their supply lines time to catch up.  They literally ran out of gas.

What is true in temporal warfare is also true in spiritual warfare.  Our adversary is limited in what he can do.  The trials of life are only temporary.  Eventually, they will run out of gas.  Even with health issues, the body will eventually fail.  But we will have a new one.  An incorruptible one.  One that cannot suffer pain, discomfort, or death.  Whatever we face, be it Sprite or Scourge, is limited.  It will eventually pass.  This is the hope and the patience of the saint.  The world does not understand how we can face adversity with the peace that passes all understanding.  This is one of the reasons why.  The world despises us for it.  They hate us.  They attack us because even though we will suffer like fates as they do, no one can steal our joy.  We are not hopeless.  We are not helpless.  By God’s grace, we will make it through.  There is no adversity we will face that is bigger than God.  None.  No enemy, no trial, no suffering, no challenge.  God is always bigger.  He always will be.  And, unlike all we face, God has no limits.  He cannot run out of gas.  He has eternal power, wisdom, and presence.  We face a defeated enemy and he knows it.  Let us run the race set before us as though we will win and not lose.  Because that is the reality of our lives as children of the Most High.

Night Songs

“Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.” (Isa 30:29 AV)

 

One commentator suggests the evening song referred to here is the beginning of the Passover in which the Assyrian army may have invaded Israel.  However, this would not go with the context here.  There is gladness.  There is solemnity.  The point to be made here is the Sabbath started in the evening and the psalm sung would have been one of solemnity.  Whether it be the Passover, or an ordinary Sabbath, the song sung in the evening would have been quiet, meditative, and deeply moving.  The context of this verse is the wonderful grace of God in the greater context of God’s correcting hand toward Israel.  The encouragement for Israel is to not get so overwhelmed by the hand of God that they forget just how good God is.  God must correct.  He wouldn’t be a good God if He didn’t.  The hope is seen above.  No matter the circumstance, whether trial of faith or correction, the LORD will give songs in the night.  Songs of solemnity.   Songs of deep emotion.  Songs of quiet devotion that rest the weary soul.  It is not necessarily the cause for these songs which the writer wishes to think upon.  Rather, the nature of the songs which speak to my heart is what I wish to think upon.

There is a special place from my childhood that comes to mind every now and then.  This special place was only accessible during the summer months.  There was a special event that happened at this special place and as a child, it seems God was extra close during these times.  Every Wednesday evening, during Boy Scout camp, there was a church service held at a simple open-air chapel overlooking our lake.  The back of the chapel faced west, so our church service was conducted as the sun set in the west.  A protestant Chaplin held the service as we sat on log benches in the open air. This happened no matter the weather.  Some of these services were in the rain.  The only type of weather that would cancel the service was an active thunderstorm.  The Chaplin would lead in common hymns sung without instruments. He would usually read a passage of scripture, give a brief sermon, and read other passages of scripture.  Depending on the Chaplin, we might have partaken in the LORD’s supper.  These special services were different than normal church services in that they were more solemn, quiet, and meditative.  They were not designed to be rowdy.  They were not organized to pump us up.  It was a quiet time to reflect on how great and all-present God was to us.  We called them vespers. 

Fast forward to a few years ago.  In one of my churches, I attempted to hold Christmas Eve vespers.  They were ok with the type of service I had in mind.  Just not the name.  They thought the term, Vespers, meant some liturgical church service styled after the tradition from which I came out.  There is something to be said about quieting down our worship and allowing the Spirit to work in different ways.  I do not think being meditative and solemn is more profitable than celebration and verbose praise.  All of this has its proper place and time.  Condemning one as opposed to another shows ignorance of the word of God and makes for an unbalanced saint.  There are times when the songs of the evening are appropriate.  These songs of praise may even use the same words as the songs of volume and quick tempo.  The message has not changed.  But the emotions involved do.  I love the songs of the night.  They are very special to me.  They are times when all is quiet.  They are times when God can speak to my heart with less to overcome.  They are very special to me in that the Holy Spirit of God often becomes far more personal.  These times are precious.  These times are priceless.  These times are necessary.  And, these times must be pursued.

Determined and Directed

“The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.” (Isa 26:7 AV)

John Gill has a good explanation of this verse.  In short, the way that the saved must go is uprightness, and God, who is the most upright, has judged that way to be the right and just way.  Note in particular the path of the just is weighed.  This means the way of righteousness is not an arbitrary standard or rule.  This means God has meditated upon the way and has deemed it the best and only way for the just.  Mankind has a hard time believing this.  We want to think the ways of God are based only on His nature and not by a pragmatic principle that makes righteousness advantageous to the saint.  At least that is what immature man thinks.  He learns, over time, God's way is not only the right way but also, the best way.  This is not limited to general living, but also the specific will of God for our lives.  This is not limited to sanctification.  This would also include our place and calling in life.  His way is the best way.  Not just because He has declared it to be so.  But, He has thought it through, examined all aspects of it, and determined the way in which we should go is the best way.

We had some wilderness my father owned in which we camped out a lot.  Keeping twelve children occupied for a week or two with nothing more than 66 acres of woods and a pond was a herculean task.  There as fishing, swimming, and canoeing.  There was badminton, volleyball, and more swimming.  There was hiking, biking, and more swimming or fishing.  After the first two days or so, we were bored out of our minds.  So, my father allowed us to build trails to hike.  We marked them with different color markers.  These trails would wind around certain features like pine forests, hardwoods, the pond, and the outside perimeter of the property.  Everything was acclimated to the pond.  My dad had to approve all plans for trails.  We had to walk him through what we wanted to do before he gave us saws and axes.  Why?  Because he knew that property like the back of his hand.  He knew where the wells were.   He knew where the broken fences were that could allow an errant bull to wander into our woods.  He knew where the poison ivy grew, where the thorn apples were the thickest, and where we could ride our bikes fairly easily.  In short, he knew the overlay of the land much better than we would ever know it and knew the best way to go.

The same is true of God, and much more.  He does not establish our way for the mere pleasure of dictating our lives.  No.  His was is the best way.  His way is the right way.  He has examined all possible ways and has determined that His way will reap the greatest blessings of any way.  The way of the just is upright.  He has weighed in the balance that way and found it to be the excellent way.  There is no better way.  This way is the easiest to travel and the one with the greatest outcome.  God does not promise us a way free of trouble and trials.  This comes with being human.  But it is the way wherein God will be glorified and we, blessed.  It is the way of mutual benefit.  It is the right way.  It is the way in which the just shall remain just.  It is the way wherein the just shall proclaim the goodness of the LORD to all others.  It is the way wherein the adversary can do much less.  It is the way determined before God created anything.  His whole of creation is made to function in that way.  To go contrary is to invite heartache and disaster.   This right way even His angels will attest to.  This way, even the devil will agree – is the right and best way.  We simply must accept and trust.  Trust and obey, for there is no other way.

Faithfulness in the Fire

“Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.” (Isa 24:15 AV)

Spoken to captive Israel in Babylon while Media/Persia invaded.  The fires are the fires that the Persians lit to burn down the city.  Captive Israel would have been affected by the judgment coming upon their captors, yet, they were instructed to glorify God while suffering for the disobedience of their enemies.  This had to be a scary thing.  They had gotten acclimated to their new surroundings under the governance of Babylon.  Now, there is a massive army invading through the center of the city and burning everything in sight.  There is no discretion on their part.  They burned it all.  Israel did not do a thing to cause this.  God sent Persia against Babylon for their treatment of Israel.  They took their calling a bit excessively.  They did not restrain themselves.  For this, God sent them the Persians who not only ended their reign but made their land completely unihabitable to this day.  In all this, Israel had to witness, and even suffer a bit while God dealt with their enemies.  This is not anything new.  They had to do the same in Egypt.  God’s people, even if by no fault of their own, will suffer while God judges His enemies.  How we respond will reveal our attitude toward the holiness of God and the depth of faith we possess.

We live in an interesting neighborhood.  It is not such a peaceful one.  Several times over the last few years, the police have been called for different reasons.  There was a domestic dispute just up the street.  There was the throwdown of a rival prostitute or drug dealer that happened just across the street.  There was a fella that was going through cars on our street.  There was the murder of a six-year-old and the murder of a mother of four.  There is the occasional loose pitbull that attacks other dogs.  But the one that sticks in my mind happened about two years ago.  I look out my dining room window and there are cop cars all over the place.  They have our alley blocked on both ends.  They have both streets on both sides of the alley covered.  This is only two doors down.  Then I see about a half-dozen SWAT members in full gear preparing to storm a house.  They were looking for a bail jumper.  Another similar event happened the next street over.  This was the other direction and only a few houses from our own.  SWAT was all over it.  Very similar circumstances.  This time, it was a squatter who was held up in a vacant house with a minor.  In times like these, it is advisable to stay in one’s house away from windows lest a stray bullet or two come your way.  It is not fair.  It is not right.  We are not guilty of anything, yet treated like prisoners in our own homes.   It was for our safety. 

God must judge sin.  We are in the midst of it.  As much as the LORD desires to judge only the wicked, we do not live in a vacuum.  Yes, the LORD will rapture the church before the seven years of tribulation commences.  We will not have to endure such horrible circumstances as the twenty-one judgments coming.  Leading up to this event, however, may mean we have to suffer a bit.  America cannot continue down this path of complete rebellion against God without suffering circumstances for it.  As believers, we live in this cesspool.  Because we do, we have to endure all that comes with it.  This means some hard years are coming.  Perhaps harder than we can imagine.  How we react will tell the world who we love and how much we believe in Him!  The martyrs of the first century and beyond knew their suffering was for the glory of God.  They did not shy away from the stake, the lion’s den, or the hanging.  They endured it all for the glory of God.  Those days may be coming for the N.T. church.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Regardless, we need to be prepared to glorify God in the fires for it is this praise that just may turn others to the salvation so freely given in Christ.

Avoid It At All Costs

“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.” (Pr 4:14-15 AV)

These two verses and the verses following are great passages for young men to memorize.  Solomon gives a wonderous road path for practical righteous living.  The first step is above.  Simple.  Just stay out of the areas of life where sin is easy.  The vast majority of our problems could be avoided if we would simply avoid being at the wrong place or wrong time.  Sin is all around us.  Sometimes, we invite it in.  The biggest threat we have is the TV.  Now that it is pride month; or should we say Sodom and Gomorrah month; the TV should probably stay off.  The commercials are replete with all sorts of wickedness.  We get ourselves into trouble by having things on the tube that would offend God.  Don’t go by their way.  The advice that follows these two verses are a continuing thought.  A focused and purposeful life will also keep the saint out of a lot of trouble.  What we do want to meditate on this morning are those areas of life where we could avoid temptation that would eventually lead to sin.

The LORD blessed us with plane tickets to see my family in Tennessee.  With Lisa’s cancer, driving anywhere more than just a few hours makes it a journey.  What could normally be done in one day would have taken two and a half.  I have not been to an airport in a very long time.  It is a fishbowl of human behavior both good and bad.  It astounds me how immodest most people dress today.  From the guy who wore an untucked t-shirt three sizes too small and had his belly sticking out, the to parade of yoga pants and tight shirts, it is enough to pray the LORD might temporarily blind me.  I couldn’t help being where I was.  There was only one way to get on my plane and that was around thousands of people who did not know the LORD nor lived as though they did.  One woman knew what she had and was not afraid of showing it off.   The other day we went to the zoo.  There was a GenReb (gender rebellious.  I refuse to call them trannies because it is physically impossible to transition from one gender to the next) who thought he had to display to the entire world his rebellion.  Dressed in a slitted dress that exposed his undergarments, it was clear we had to get the grandkids out of there.  It is all around us.  The question is, knowing this, how much effort do we take to avoid it?

My fear is sin will become so commonplace that the saints do not take the effort to avoid it.  We can act fatalistic as though we cannot get away from it so we don’t even try.  But that is not the case.  There are many things we can do.  With the woman at the airport, the key was to look outside at the plane traffic as opposed to the parade of vain sex appeal constantly passing before me.  The zoo was a matter of knowing the general whereabouts of the pervert and being at a different part of the zoo.  The most effective of all measures is prayer.  Being in constant prayer keeps the mind and eyes where they belong.  We need to have a spiritual escape hatch.  A place we can run to out of the temptation that surrounds us.  We need a resolve to take a long way around rather than pass right through the evil that is so pervasive.  So, let us make a covenant with our souls that no matter what, we will strive to remove as much temptation as possible.  Control the things we can leave to the LORD those things we cannot.  We owe it to the Savior.