The Ultimate Promise

“I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” (Ho 2:20 AV)

This promise comes amid dire statements regarding Israel’s immediate future.  The LORD, by His prophet Hosea, is severely rebuking Israel for their idolatry.  They had left Jehovah God for the false gods of their neighbors.  They had compromised everything it meant to be God’s chosen people.  Pride and lust were the cause.  They were offended because God choose Judah rather than Ephraim.  After all, the first governor of the nation was Joseph, the father of Ephraim.  Half of the judges in the book of Judges were from the tribe of Ephraim.  They felt entitled to lead the nation.  When Rehoboam lost the ten northern tribes, they left the customs and religion of the south.  In pure spite, they rejected everything it meant to be Jewish, excluding purity of lineage.  Because they would have lost a physical inheritance, they knew enough to separate physically.  But culturally and religiously, they compromised with their neighbors.  Eventually, the kingdom of Assyria would invade and take them all into captivity.  The book of Hosea is the judgment proclaimed upon the rebellious northern kingdom.  It is rather pointed and bleak.  Right in the middle of the harsh words of judgment, there is this promise of grace.  In the times of the end, Israel will come together, and those who wish to believe in Jesus will be cared for in the wilderness.  There is a promise from God for faithfulness toward his people.

Those who have been married a lifetime treasure faithfulness.  Not because their spouse is faithful; although that indeed is a treasure.  Rather, being faithful is one of the greatest gifts of love one can give.  True love is never about desire or possessiveness.  True love is about faithfulness.  Faithfulness requires self-imposed limitations for the good of the one you love.  Faithfulness requires desiring the pleasure and provision of another more than one’s own.  Faithfulness means there is no other that can or will occupy that single place of prominence in the heart.  Faithfulness requires focus.  Faithfulness means the eyes are only toward the one you love.  The blessing of faithfulness is that when restricted from all other choices, the treasure of the one you made is amplified.  You didn’t get the best that was available.  You got the best, period.  The longer I am married to my best friend, the more I appreciate faithfulness.  Not hers.  I have never doubted hers.  I appreciate mine.  Not arrogantly.  Rather, the pleasure of being solely committed to one person is the foundation of a love that cannot be experienced any other way.  Faithfulness is a blessing not only for the one to whom it is shown, but the possessor of faithfulness is equally blessed.

We may not be God’s chosen people.  This verse is more aptly applied to Israel.  However, the church is the bride of Christ and, in the same manner, He has promised the same.  Our Savior is faithful.  He will love no other.  His love is reserved for the church, no matter how much we may or may not reciprocate.  The love of our Savior is faithfulness.  He will never leave.  He will never forsake.  He will never cast us aside.  We are saved by grace and kept by grace.  We are also loved by grace.  God cannot be unfaithful.  It is contrary to His holiness.  He can be nothing else.  Our Father and His Son love us with an everlasting love.  They love us beyond our ability to understand it.  Divine faithfulness must first produce gratitude.  We should be eternally grateful for His faithfulness.  Second, divine faithfulness should be reciprocated in kind.  If He is faithful to us, we should be the same toward Him.  We will fail from time to time.  But our hearts should repent and recommit to the One who loved us enough to die for us.  The verse above is a precious one.  As the bride of Christ, we share this promise with Israel.

Life-long Humility

“Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish [was] I, and ignorant: I was [as] a beast before thee. Nevertheless I [am] continually with thee: thou hast holden [me] by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me [to] glory.” (Ps 73:21-24 AV)

Asaph, who was chief composer under David, wrote this psalm.  Many suggest that this psalm, which follows the book of psalms directly ascribed to David, is David’s eulogy.  Asaph, with deep respect for his king, wrote the above as a pattern of David’s life.  It is more than astounding that a king as great as David remained humble until his death.  He knew the only hope he had was in the grace of God!  If only we could live as humbly.

The word ‘nevertheless’ is very precious here.  It is the bridge between David’s failures and God’s grace.  The reader is to focus intently on the truth that follows that word.  Regardless of David’s spiritual condition, God is with him.  This does not mean God takes sin lightly.  No doubt David, having lived next door to the temple, that he was a frequent visitor.  No doubt with countless cattle at his disposal, he was not without sacrifice.  We know from the psalms that David was a man of prayer.  So, when our beloved king professes his wicked nature, he can also say with confidence that God never leaves him.  He can also profess with absolute certainty that upon his death, he will rise to glory.  Another truth of importance is the act of God’s providential hand upon David, in spite of his fallen human nature.  Even though the king professes to be no more successful than a beast, it is the hand of God that holds him up.  No wonder David was a man after God’s own heart.  He knew how to accept and live in the grace of God.  He knew how to stay humble and serve God because he was loved by grace.

I think the key to this truth is being ok with living in it.  To remain humble means, we have to be ok with living in and by God’s grace.  We have to be ok with striving against sin, knowing the only and final hope is our glorification.  We have to be ok with being human, yet living in the power of God’s grace.  There should never be a time when we think we have arrived.  There should never be a time when we think we have done enough to be entitled to God’s grace.  There should never ever be a time when we think we are so close to godliness that humility is no longer required.  I get the feeling that David thought of himself the same way he did as a child.  Even though he had grown and changed for the glory of God, I get the impression that no matter how godly he could or would become, it would always be a far cry from the perfect holiness of God.  I think that is true.  The older we get, the more and more we realize our own wickedness.  We are surprised when we hear older people talk this way.  The sins of their youth are forever lost to time.  Their present sinfulness cannot be nearly as bad as it was decades ago.  Although much has changed, there is still far more that needs to be changed.  This was where David was up to the day of his death.  Realistic and humble regarding his wicked state.  May we possess the same humility until the day of our heavenly graduation!

Not Moving

“I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end.” (Da 6:26 AV)

Stedfast is an interesting word.  It appears only eleven times.  All but three refer to or challenge me to be stedfast.  To me, that was surprising.  Of the remaining three, one use refers to the word of God given by angels.  In particular, the word of God given to Moses on Mount Sinai.  The second use of the word refers to God's character in that He cannot lie.  There are two immutable facts given regarding God in Hebrews chapter six.  These two truths are stedfast.  This last us in Daniel is the one remaining that directly describes God.  This use is unique in that Darius uses the word to describe the total person of God; attributes, actions, character, etc.  The word means enduring and secure.  The Greek word for stedfast means firm and immovable.  Darius’ words are in response to Daniel’s miraculous deliverance from the den of lions.  I am sure the miracle was even more dramatic once the rebellious princes and their families were cast into the den.  As the lion tore them to pieces, the impression of Daniel’s miracle had to be even more astounding than merely coming out of the den alive.

There is something comforting about an object that cannot or will not move.  One of my phobias is falling.  Don’t like the feeling at all!  We moved into a house three blocks from train tracks.  Each time the freight train goes by, our house does a bit of a shake.  When I deer hunted, I didn’t much like being in a stand suspended in the air while a stiff wing blew.  The tree would sway back and forth.  Not a comfortable feeling.  We just concluded our state fair, which is about a mile away.  I go by it several times a week.  The highest three rides are erected right next to the main road.  There is the Farris wheel, the Bungie chord slingshot, and the twirling Farris-wheel.  These rides use the same fear of falling as the thrill that attacks their riders.  Those people are nuts!  One of my worst fears is being in traffic while sitting on a bridge.  With each passing heavy truck, the bridge bounces a bit.  The more traffic that is stopped on the bridge, the greater the sensation.  I like solid ground.  Flying isn’t nearly as fearful as those shaking bridges.  I’d much rather be in a plane at 35,000 feet than one hundred feet above a gorge on a shaking bridge.  But nothing beat old terra firma!  There is great comfort in something that cannot be moved.

Darius’ correct statement in the steadfastness of God is the greatest of all comforts.  God is not subject to material laws of creation.  He cannot fall.  He cannot lose control.  Because God is the Creator and does not change, He cannot be unwillingly influenced by anything He has created.  All things are subject to Him.  And He does not change.  From eternity past to eternity future, God is God.  His character does not change.  His attributes do not change.  His nature has been and always will be the same.  God is God, and there is none else.  Placing our faith in Him is not a stretch.  It is common sense.  Knowing the ground does not move, why would I ever want to leave it for something that does move.  God is that one God who is predictable, absolute, and secure.  Darius was right.  If you are going to worship and submit to anyone or anything, why not the One who never changes?  He, and only He, is the source of absolute security!  Praise be to God.

Joy by Hope

“The hope of the righteous [shall be] gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.” (Pr 10:28 AV)

Gladness is joy and pleasure.  Solomon’s suggestion is the faith of the saints will produce as such.  If we have no gladness, we have no hope.  It kind of figures.  If we know the end from the beginning, and the end is all good, then the middle should be livable.  It should be more than that.  Gladness is a byproduct of hope.  This does not mean trouble disappears.  What it means is in the midst of trouble, we can still have joy.  The Devil wants us to believe that our joy is circumstantially derived.  This is not true.  Joy is the result of truth.  Joy is the result of faith in that truth.  This may seem impossible from time to time.  How do you tell a saint who has just received a terminal diagnosis to have hope and be full of joy?  How do you tell someone who has lost a loved one to hope and have gladness?  How do you tell a child whose parents just divorced to hope and have joy?  This is not always easy.  But it is possible.

Note the empathic words ‘shall be’.  Not might be.  Not could be.  But shall be.  In other words, it is guaranteed.  There have been many patients in my history as hospital chaplain and pastor.  One of the most challenging yet rewarding is those who are coming off a serious injury or illness where they need to relearn a basic life skill.  Whether it is speech therapy or physical therapy, the work involved is daunting at best.  The patient can become easily frustrated.  There are many spiritual and emotional hurdles the patient must also overcome.  It could be guilt, doubt, fear, or confusion.  As they work through the reasons for their circumstances, the therapy that awaits hasn’t changed.  There are still drills to be done.  There are steps to be taken.  Somewhere along the line there is a benchmark that is reached that drastically changes the patient’s attitude toward life.  It could be as simple as walking the entire length of the parallel bars, turning around, and getting back to their chair.  It could be forming and saying an entire short sentence to accomplish a simple task.  When that step is successfully taken, even though there is much work to be done, gladness is the result.  Why?  Because they see the end.  They see what it is they hope for even though it is unreachable at the moment.  Knowing there lie possibility and change is the hope of the infirm.

We have a glorious future awaiting us.  This fallen world is not our home.  In the light of eternity, our life here is very brief.  Very brief.  Each day might be a struggle.  But there is coming an eternity where there is none.  Hope is so very important.  Hope produces gladness.  Take away a person’s hope and there is no joy to be found anywhere.  How to we get this hope?  We get it by reading and believing God’s word.  Faith comes by hearing the word of God.  That is what Paul tells us in Romans.  So, if joy is lacking in your life, the best remedy is Bible study.  Stop fussing against temporary situations and rest in the eternal promises of God’s word.  Our life is but a vapor.  It will soon pass away.  Our hope is not in what is, but what shall be!

Always Learning

“Give [instruction] to a wise [man], and he will be yet wiser: teach a just [man], and he will increase in learning.” (Pr 9:9 AV)

Meant to encourage instruction towards those who will receive it and use it, Solomon inadvertently points out another absolute.  There is no time frame listed above.  There is no qualification of when this might end.  There is no indication that the wise and just man will come to a point when instruction is sufficient.  The wise and just man is always learning and applying.  This also means that no matter how old and disciplined we are, there is always a flaw that needs addressing.  This also means that if we are perfectionists, we can be concerned with our flaws, but we cannot be discouraged.  We cannot think ourselves as total failures because of the flaws we have.  After all, there are far more that have been overcome.  Solomon speaks words of encouragement to the instructed as well as the instructor.  To the instructor, discretion is the point.  Don’t waste your time on someone who wants nothing to do with wisdom.  To the instructed, there is hope that lessons will keep coming and failure is normal.

There are three types of people.  There are those who don’t care about defects.  Life goes on.  There are those who see them and try to overcome them while accepting what cannot be changed.  Then there are those who are so obsessed with flaws that it controls their lives.  This type of individual is never happy because they cannot live with the imperfect.  The first person is in error because he or she does not seek change where change can happen.  The third person is miserable because they are proud perfectionists.  They cannot live with the imperfect, and often the imperfection is their existence.  Somewhere, the contented saint has to learn to live as the second person.  He or she must examine and change.  This is a process that will not end until heaven is met.  Confession, forsaking, and changing are the way of life.  Learning, growing, maturing, applying, etc., are the steps of the believer.  There are always things that can be learned.  There are always new experiences that need to be lived.  This is the way of life.

This verse is special to those who struggle with his or her walk with God.  Struggling with it is an indication of spiritual life.  It is also an indication that God is still working, teaching, guiding, and empowering.  It is very encouraging to know that we will never know it all.  Perfect is possible, but not probable.  The old man still fights back.  The key is to have more victories than defeats.  When we begin to realize that no matter how hard we work at it, there will always be more work to do, then we can relax and not demand out of ourselves something we cannot, in our own power, attain.  It matters not how old we are.  It doesn’t matter if we are on our deathbeds.  There are things we can learn.  There are things we can apply.  Praise the LORD!  You are not a failure.  The measure of wisdom and being just above in not the success measured only by outward markers.  Rather, the wise and just man or woman will accept instruction and try to live by it.  Even if we fail and fall flat on our faces, the fact that we accept instruction and seek to live by it means we are wise.  Praise the LORD!

Lest I Cause Others to Fall

“Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.” (Ps 69:6 AV)

A very humble prayer on the part of David.  Paul echoes these sentiments in several of his letters.  Those who lead others, whether it is a king, missionary, parent, or mentor, should be concerned that their life does not become a discouragement to others.  The example they leave should be of grave concern.  It is a very sensitive leader who worries for those who are watching.

I am reminded of a scene in the Christmas Movie Classic, A Christmas Story.  The story is set in the 1950s Indiana.  Ralphie is the main character.  He is relating the story of the Christmas when he asked for, and received, a Red Rider BB gun with a compass in the stock.  The story is all about an adolescent boy and his turmoil over the most desired gift of all.  Repeatedly, his dreams are dashed.  Other frustrations of that age were an underpinning theme.  There was the school bully, the strict teacher, and his friends who didn’t always have his back.  One storyline was that of his father.  His father was a pleasant enough fellow, but let a string of curses shout from his lips when dealing with a stubborn boiler.  His wife and two sons could hear the filthy language all the way in the kitchen.  On returning from succoring their Christmas tree, the family got a flat tire.  Dad jumped out and began to change it.  Ralphie joined his father.  While holding the hubcap, Ralphie scattered all the lug nuts.  He let out a single curse word.  Dad was shocked.  He told his wife, and she almost fainted.  While sitting in the bathroom with a bar of soap in his mouth, mom asked Ralphie where he had heard that word.  Dad had used it countless times.  Yet Ralphie blamed it on one of his friends.  Son had learned from Dad.

Let’s face it.  We do not want to see our children make the same mistakes we did.  We don’t want God’s people to fall from God because of something we did.  We don’t want a student to miss his or her potential because we somehow failed them.  There is a part of us that wants all to succeed despite our limited ability to help.  This heart is normal.  I have seen too much of the other side of the coin.  I have seen parents not care one iota how their example affects their children.  When their children fail, they are quick to blame all but themselves.  We see this in our secular government.  Pols do not care how their example might influence a nation.  Inappropriate behavior is passed off as normal and acceptable.  It is acceptable to parents, but not in children.  We wonder why our kids do not grow up to love the LORD, and we don’t have to go much further than the adults who led them.  David and Paul were keenly aware that their lives meant something to others.  They were concerned that choice they might make would cause the spiritual downfall of others.  This is a good thing for which to be concerned.

Hope To The Hopeless

“Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.” (Eze 37:11-12 AV)

The thirty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel is familiar to most.  If not for the specific verses found there, the event is well known.  It is known as the vision of the valley of dry bones.  The LORD takes the prophet to a valley wherein dried human bones of a multitude lay white and bleached in the sun.  Many years have passed, and the only remaining evidence of human life was the bones laying there, lifeless and long past hope.  Gone are the adornments of the flesh and flesh itself.  All that lay there were the bones of human beings lost decades or centuries earlier.  The desert dryness preserving the bones from rot and the heat keeping wildlife from eating the bones, they lie there still and permanent.  For there to be any hope of life from these bones would be beyond reasonable resurrection.  The LORD commands the prophet to speak to the bones.  First, to cover them in flesh.  Again, he is commanded to speak to them, which brings wind and the breath of life.  The implication is clear.  As the LORD is able to bring back dry bones to life, so too can He bring Israel back from utter hopelessness.  The prophet is shown this vision so he can preach hope to those without it.

This passage has many encouraging applications.  First, it is encouraging to know that when we feel the same, we are not alone.  Many have gotten to this point.  Israel had been taken away into captivity.  They were exiled.  There was one generation who had grown up in this condition, and not until the end of their lives did they know freedom.  Many perished in exile.  The hope of which Israel speaks is national, and not personal hope.  They did not see how they would ever be a nation again.  Second, it is good to know that even though our circumstances may be self-inflicted, there is hope.  Israel did this to themselves.  They turned their back on God, so He reciprocated.  God treated Israel as Israel treated Him.  Many centuries prior, the LORD made a covenant with Israel through the person of Abraham.  This He did knowing the future choice to come.  God would not turn His back on His promises.  Even if Israel felt that all hope was lost, it wasn’t.  God is a faithful God.  He will not take His promises back.  Third, things are not as dire as they seem.  Not when God is involved.  The bleached bones had no hope of living again.  None!  In this hopelessness, Israel was correct.  There was no hope without a miraculous, divinely sent resurrection. 

I know what it means to gaze upon human bones in the middle of the wilderness.  One spring while walking in the turkey woods, I stumbled across human remains.  All that remained were bleached bones and clothing.  There was nothing else remaining.  If someone had told me they could resurrect those bones to the person that once possessed them, I would have thought that person crazy.  There would be no way those bones would ever see life again.  This is exactly how Israel felt.  This is exactly how we feel from time to time.  Isn’t it ironic that when our trial or correction is over, and life returns, we remember not the entire event?  When the next severe hardship comes, we lose all hope once again.  This is our cycle.  At least for a good length of time.  Once we learn that God can bring us out of the worst of all circumstances, we finally learn to relax and trust the LORD.  Israel had lost all hope.  But Israel’s hopelessness did not shorten the hand of God.  God restored them.  They are now in Palestine.  They are back in their land.  Jesus will return, and the promises to Abraham and David will come to pass.  Praise the LORD that our hopelessness does not hinder the ability of God to grant miracles.