43 - Our God is a Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1–11 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

When the lockdown began, we were encouraged to learn this Psalm. I thought it would be good to revisit it now, several weeks later, to draw more comfort and encouragement from it. Here are a few headings that occur just on the surface of the passage:

God is Great. This is easy to overlook, as it is a statement of the obvious. But take a look at His works, as we’re encouraged to do in verses 8-9. He has brought appalling waste and horror on the earth, but He has also made wars to cease everywhere. He brings to nothing man’s weapons of destruction and death. He is above all these things and in control of them all.

God is Near. He is described in verse 1 as “a very present help.” The word, “very” means “exceedingly,” “abundantly,” or “greatly.” He is not just present - He is engaged! Some belief systems see God as having set the earth going and then withdrawn to see what would happen. This “God” has no interest or concern with the endpoint beyond (presumably) some sort of curiosity. The God of the Bible, however, is a God Who is near (Jeremiah 23:23–24). He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:8–10) and is working out all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). He is near, He is interested and He is concerned for the glory of His Name and thus for the good of those people upon whom He has set His name.

God is a refuge and strength. A God like this, Who is great and Who is very near, is therefore a refuge and strength for His people. He is both able and willing to defend and protect them. No trial we can face should therefore cause us to fear. The writer seems to speak of colossal disasters - landslides, tsunamis and earthquakes in verses 2-3. These are events on a massive scale, well beyond our ability to control. And yet, confident of God’s nearness and His greatness, the writer says that even in the midst of these, “we will not fear.” Indeed, if this God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

God is a source of joy, refreshment, strength to His city.  God’s care for His people goes well beyond protection. His nearness goes well beyond being close. The writer speaks here of the holy habitation of the Most High. Under the Old Covenant, God’s holy habitation was in the City of God, Jerusalem. Especially, it was in the Holy of Holies in the temple in that city. These things were all types and shadows. We read in Revelation that the New Jerusalem is the Church, and that she is now where He dwells. By His Spirit, He has taken up residence in the hearts of His people. God is in our midst! This great and powerful God is not just near - He is within! He is abundantly present with His children. Therefore we shall not be moved. He will not allow us to be lost but will extend all His power and His energy to ensure that we will be with Him forever in Glory! The river of life flows from God's throne in the New Jerusalem down the middle of her street. The tree of life is there also, bearing fruit and with leaves that are for the healing of the nations. No wonder there is joy here (v 4)! No wonder that this river, watering this city, brings such gladness to His people (take a look at Revelation 21 & 22)!

God brings peace. What should we do in the light of these thoughts? We should be at peace in the midst of difficulties and remember Who is our Refuge and our Strength! “Be still, and know that I am God!” No-one can overturn His plans and purposes. All our panicking and flapping about accomplishes nothing. He has determined that He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth - and one of the main ways in which this will happen is as He lifts up dead and rebellious sinners, breathes new, eternal life into them, inhabits them by His Spirit and brings them certainly to glory, to live with Him forever! How the refrain from this Psalm should encourage us - The Lord of Hosts is with us (power and “very presence”), the God of Jacob is our fortress (covenanted to defend us, omnipotent to keep the covenant)!

Once when I was really sick, with a high fever and confined to bed, my heart was racing and I was scared. I began to sing in my soul a beautiful and short praise song, drawn from this Psalm and from Exodus 15:26:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

“I am the LORD, that healeth Thee.”

As I sang, I was helped to be still in Him. My heart rate decreased and the Lord did heal me and raise me to health again. In these troubled days, surely we can rest in Him still? What is the coronavirus against His omnipotence? He cannot fail us. He is abundantly present to comfort and to bless. He will protect and defend us, saving us to the uttermost!
All in all, then, this is still a great Psalm for us to memorize, so that the Lord can bring it to mind when we go through times of trouble!

42 - The Royal Wedding

Psalm 45:1–17 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! 4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you. 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; 7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. 12 The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. 13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 14 In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. 15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. 16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. 17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

This Psalm is about the wedding between the Lord Jesus and His Bride, the church. It reads a little like the reporting of a royal news correspondent who takes in the dress of both Bride and Groom, and notes the arrangements that have been made for the event. It is addressed to the king, and clearly was the cause of great joy for the writer. Royal weddings are always happy events, full of pomp, ceremony and symbolism, and watched by many adoring well-wishers. The wedding described here is no different in that regard, but in view of who the Groom is, and how the Bride was won by the Groom, it surpasses all earthly weddings by far - it is not just “a” royal wedding - it is “THE” Royal Wedding - the one to be seen at! Let’s take a closer look at the Groom and the Bride.

The Groom is the most handsome of men. When he was on earth, there was nothing remarkable in the outward appearance of the Royal Prince, but when this wedding occurs, His true majesty will shine forth. Real beauty is an inward thing, too, and the writer observes that grace is poured upon His lips (His Word is gracious and loving) and He is therefore blessed forever by God (v 2).

He is also a mighty warrior, Who rides out in splendor, wielding His sword (the Word again) and through His victory, bringing about truth, meekness and righteousness. He subdues all the enemies of the king (v 3-5).

At this point, the divine nature of this Groom is revealed, as God the Father speaks to Him in verses 6-7 (see Hebrews 1:8-9). He calls Him, “God,” and confirms His everlasting reign, founded on uprightness. Because the Son loved righteousness and hated wickedness, God anointed Him with the oil of gladness (a symbol of the Spirit) more than any other.

Everything about the Groom’s clothing and the arrangements of His court is attractive and magnificent. The Queen herself (the church) is described as being clothed in fine gold, speaking of purity and of the glory of Christ’s righteousness which adorns her (v 8-9).

She now becomes the center of the writer’s attention. She is addressed by God as “daughter” and is counseled to forget her father’s house, where she came from (which must be a reference at least to this world or even to the Devil, whose children we were by nature), since the Groom desires her beauty (leaving and cleaving). She must also submit to His Lordship. (v 10-11). Her favor will also be sought as part of the Royal family of heaven. She is described again as all-glorious, and her robes (Christ’s righteousness) are again a point of particular note as she is led into the palace and to the King with great joy and gladness.

Finally, there is a note about the everlasting succession of the children of this marriage - all of the sons shall be made princes, and the name of the Groom shall be remembered through all generations.

There are many, many symbols and allusions in this Psalm, and we need to be careful not to press them further than we should. However, even these few notes above should warm our hearts as we meditate on our wonderful Groom, His beauty, glory and majesty, His might and His power! And then we look at ourselves - the Bride. I am always amazed to read that the King desires her beauty! But of course, it is beauty that He furnished her with, since He has purified her and provided her with her breathtaking garments!

It’s good to think about these things, because this is your future wedding if you are a believer - and you won't just be seen at it - you'll be the Bride! And this is your Groom, and this is the joy and gladness that is yours in measure now but which will find its fullness when the current state of betrothal ends and the marriage is consummated!

These thoughts help us to lift our eyes up above and beyond our current circumstances (over which He is fully in control) and to see the glory and splendor of all that He has prepared for us as His Bride. Spend some time admiring your Bridegroom and all the spectacular details of your approaching wedding and let these thoughts warm your hearts!

41 - The Promise and the Oath

Hebrews 6:13–20 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The writer of the Hebrews has as his main objective to get alongside those who were undergoing persecution and to encourage them not to give up on Christ and on their profession of faith in Him. Several were apparently tempted to return to Judaism as a way to avoid the problems that Christians were facing at that time.

In Chapter 6 he says, in a nutshell, that the only certainty and assurance that someone can have that they are truly saved is if they persevere to the end. People can know tremendous spiritual blessings and privileges and yet not be saved. Once they turn away, it will not be possible to bring them back to repentance. But, he says in 6:9, the work and love that has been shown in serving the saints are good grounds to believe that those he is writing to are truly the Lord’s, so he desires that every one of them will continue to demonstrate this earnestness so they may have the full assurance of hope until the end, at which time they will inherit the promises of God.

The next part of the letter is shown above, and it is truly remarkable! The writer continues with the idea of promises - and especially the ones God made to Abraham which are foundational to our hope and our inheritance.

The first thing to dwell upon here is that God made a promise to Abraham and that as believers we get to hope for its ultimate fulfillment and our place in the good things that are surely coming. God promised that he would bless Abraham and multiply him (the first fulfillment being through the birth of Isaac), and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed in Abraham’s offspring (or seed). Paul argues that this promise pointed to a single seed, Christ, and that it is in Him that this blessing comes (Galatians 3:16). So the promise extends the blessing and the grace of God to all nations through Christ. And all true believers are consequently children of Abraham, possessing the same faith that he had, through which he was justified before God.  Now, a promise between men and women in this world today is taken very seriously still, even if some promises turn out to be “pie crust promises” - made to be broken. But this is a promise made by the eternal and unchangeable, almighty and all-knowing, holy God! That should be enough for us, shouldn’t it?

Yet, in a most amazing act of condescension, God wanted to show us more convincingly than His word of promise could, that His purposes in this matter are indeed unchangeable. So God adopted a practice common among men to guarantee a promise that is made. Still today, when someone wants us to believe something they say, a promise isn’t enough and they instinctively turn to an oath. They swear by something (or someone) greater than themselves. As the writer says here in v 16, this swearing of an oath puts an end to all argument.

To convince us then, that His gracious purposes are unchangeable, God swears an oath to that effect. Of course, God can find no-one greater than Himself to swear by, and so that is what He does:

Genesis 22:15–1815 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

So as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we now have these two things in which it is impossible for God to lie - His Promise and His Oath, so that we may be convinced that His gracious purposes for us in Christ are unchangeable!

So what does this mean for us? The writer tells us. We should be encouraged to hold fast to the hope that is set before us. This hope - the fulfillment of God’s promises to us in Christ - is so sure and so certain that it should serve as an anchor for our souls. When everything around us is in change and turmoil, this is solid and unmoveable!

The One in Whom all these promises find their fulfillment has gone to the cross for us, risen from the dead for us, ascended into heaven for us and even now, as eternal High Priest, intercedes for us in the heavenly tabernacle! There is not even an infinitesimally small possibility that any of those He died to save shall be lost!

With coronavirus creating uncertainty all around, hold fast to this sure and steadfast anchor - press in to Christ and rest in the promise and the oath of Almighty God!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVuHbkrD15w

40 - A Word for the Downcast

Psalm 42:1–11 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God. 

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. 8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43:1–5 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

I have reproduced Psalms 42 and 43 above, highlighting some common themes and phrases. They may originally have been a single Psalm, I believe. Certainly there is a continuity of thought and expression between them that strongly suggests they belong together.

These were written not by David but by the sons of Korah and they are very helpful for us when we become downcast, despairing and distressed, and when our souls are in uproar as was obviously the case for the writer here (note the repeated refrain in 42:5 and 11, and in 43:5). Clearly he had been the target of oppression and taunting (see 42:9 and 43:2), in which people had been asking him, mockingly, where his God was (42:3, 10). He had been hurt and brought to tears of anguish day and night (42:3), in part because he had no answer.

It would be very strange if true believers living godly lives in a fallen world never went through times like this. Something happens and people ask in a mean-spirited way, “Where is your God in this?” Like the psalmist, we sometimes have no good answer. Like him, we thirst and pant for God but we do not find Him (42:1-2). We feel (wrongly) that perhaps God has forgotten us (42:9) or rejected us (43:2).

It is so helpful to have this honest testimony of a godly man that true believers can pass through these experiences. It is perhaps even more helpful, though, to see how he reacted to this situation, because there is much here we can learn from. Here are the main activities that he gives himself to:

He remembers. Notice how the writer engages in acts of remembrance (42:4, 6). He calls to mind specific instances when he had known without doubt the blessing and the presence of God (42:4). He reflects on how God has been with him wherever he has been (42:6) and finally, he reminds Himself of Who God is and the promises He has made. Even if these difficulties are the displeasure of God unleashed in his life for a season, he hangs on to God’s steadfast love for him. He renews in his mind the fact that God is his rock (42:7-8). He reinforces these remembrances through prayer and singing (these are wonderful gifts from God and can serve as weapons in our warfare, setting our souls at rest when we are oppressed/afflicted).

Then, in the light of this remembrance, he takes two additional steps:

He reprimands his own soul. Look again at 42:5 and 11, and in 43:5. He is giving his soul a good talking to, asking it why it is so dejected when he has experienced such blessings and is heir to such promises! Do you ever talk to your soul and basically tell it off? “What right do you, of all souls, have to be in this condition? Look what God has done for you! Look at His great and precious promises to you! I will turn my attention to praising God, my salvation!”

He remonstrates with God. He asks why this is happening to him. Why is he mourning? Why is God apparently far off? (42:9, 43:2). He asks God to vindicate him before his enemies and to deliver him. In his darkness, he appeals that God would send His light and His truth (God's Word) to lead Him and guide him back to the Lord and His dwelling place, at which point he will renew his praise and adoration of the Lord with a glad and sincere heart (43:4).

Remember, reprimand, remonstrate. These are three excellent activities for us at all times, but especially in oppression and affliction which bring darkness and dejection into our hearts as their companions.

Some of us are going through distressing times right now. Perhaps people are taunting us about where our God is in the current problems and we are barely hanging on. It’s wonderful to have this example to help us to keep on keeping on. I have tried to lay them out in a way that is easy for us to recall. It’s also good to be open and honest with each other, and to seek someone we can sing, pray and read the Bible with for the strength and encouragement that fellowship brings!

39 - The LORD's Name on His People

Numbers 6:22–27 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

This has always been a favorite passage of mine, and as I read it today, I wanted to spend a few moments dwelling on it.

First, it has always struck me that this blessing is somewhat oddly situated. It seems to be wedged between the instructions on Nazirite vows and a list of all the offerings that were brought when Moses set up and consecrated the Tabernacle. It has to be in this place for a reason, but after looking through a few commentaries I didn’t find a compelling explanation.

So let’s spend the rest of our time thinking about the blessing itself, the effects God intended it to have and some applications for us as believers under the New Covenant. Here are the elements of the blessing in order:

The LORD bless you and keep you. To live under the blessing (favor) of Yahweh, as the people of the covenant God is a privilege indeed. God’s blessings are generous - lavished upon those in whom He delights. They extend to all the material and spiritual provision that He supplies. He is also engaged to keep His people, which seems to mean guarding them from harm (e.g. from His enemies) and includes keeping them in the place of His covenant blessing.

The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Here, God is asked to make His presence and His pleasure (His shining face) known to His people. And arising from His pleasure in them, His grace upon them is requested. As always, this is His unmerited favor, coming upon them not because of anything that is in them but owing to everything that is in Him and the covenant He has entered into with them!

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. This is another step of amplification in the good things that are pronounced upon the people. Still talking of His face (His presence), He is asked to lift it toward His people - to pay particular attention to them. We know that the hiding of God’s face meant displeasure (see Psalm 27:9), but here God is asked to show His face to His people especially. In addition, He is asked to grant them peace - completeness and well-being. When someone knows this kind of peace from God and with God, it truly means an assurance of good-standing with Him - of redemption.

So what about the effects of this covenantal blessing? God tells Moses: “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” In other words, God will own them as His possession (as when we put our name on something - or on our children - so that others will know they belong to us) and He will most certainly bless them! The blessing comes upon the people on the basis of and as a confirmation of the covenant that God has entered into with them. It shouldn’t be thought of as a magic formula that somehow forces blessing out of God (and neither should our praying “in Jesus’ name” be seen in this way).

What an amazing blessing this is! How wonderful to know when it was pronounced on the people that it was God’s intention to bless the people and own them as belonging to Him! Isn’t this all Old Covenant-oriented, though? What are we to make of it under the New Covenant?

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that the New Covenant is better than the Old one, being based on better promises, with better sacrifices, a better mediator/High Priest etc. We also know that in many ways, Old Testament Israel prefigured the New Testament Church. Based on these observations, and on the length, breadth, height and depth of the love that God has demonstrated for the Church, we can be confident that the enjoyment of all the things pronounced over God’s people in this passage may be ours in and through Jesus Christ, our Savior. In fact, since the Covenant under which we are in relationship with God is a better Covenant, its blessings are better blessings! So we may know in a better, richer and fuller way all the good things pronounced here over the Old Covenant people of God! And if this blessing emphasized God’s ownership by redemption of His Old Covenant people, it has to be more true of us, since we are His possession by virtue of a better sacrifice, of nobler blood!

To demonstrate that the good things mentioned at the end of Numbers 6 are still applicable to believers today (but moreso), see how Paul adopts the language of this blessing in his writings:

Romans 1:7 To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

These are not just nice-sounding words with which to open a New Testament letter. Paul is invoking rich covenant blessings on the recipients - those upon whom God has set His Name irrevocably. He is their God, they are His people. They are redeemed by Christ’s blood. So now, let’s go back and read this blessing again, realizing that all these good things are ours fully and eternally in Christ. Now that is something worth meditating on and rejoicing in!

38 - Ecclesiastes: the Prequel!

Psalm 39:4–6 “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

As I read this Psalm it was like déja vu all over again! The themes and the applications sounded so familiar to me:

• David’s righteous anger at the wicked in his presence (v 1). He wanted to say something but refrained but he got hotter and hotter in his heart (v 2). Presumably justice was not being applied to them (v 3).
• Finally he had to speak and he directs his words to the Lord. He focuses on the shortness of his life. His life - and all mankind’s is but a breath. (v 4-5, 11)
• Man is in turmoil for nothing and heaps up wealth but doesn’t know who will get it after him (v 6)

This was the point where I remembered the place where all these messages are contained - in Ecclesiastes, which we looked at so recently!  So I checked the Hebrew word translated “breath” and “nothing” (in bold above). Sure enough, it is the same word translated “vanity” In Ecclesiastes 1:2 and throughout the book! Everything is a vapor, a breath, said Solomon there, in effect. It is insubstantial and momentary. Hence, from Solomon’s “under the sun” perspective in that book, it is essentially meaningless.

I was fascinated that David should express such similar ideas in such similar language in Ps 39 but it makes it clear where some of the seeds for Solomon’s book came from! I have noticed other places before where Solomon quotes David - for example in Psalm 72:5-6, where the similarity with some of David’s last words in 2 Samuel 23:4 is striking. But this seems to be another instance. In passing, those of us who are parents should be encouraged to keep instructing our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, because clearly David’s teaching found a resting place in Solomon’s heart!

This is all very interesting, but what shall we learn from this Psalm that is different than we have seen in Ecclesiastes?

David asks that he might know how fleeting his life is (v 4). He is talking here about its shortness, not its vanity. He asks basically the same question in Psalm 90:12. Why is that an important question to ask?

One of the tricks of our enemy is to convince us that we are never going to die. Once we have that belief (even subconsciously) we begin to live differently. We put off getting right with God, or maintaining a close walk with Him. “There’ll be time enough for that later on,” we say to ourselves. We allow ourselves to enjoy the world too much and to spend too much time with its attractions, because our hearts are here and we don’t believe that will change any time soon. The world is intoxicating, and the message that we will be here forever is very persuasive and we fall under its spell and drift through our lives.

Thankfully, God is merciful! He will send things into our lives to make us realize that we won’t carry on like this indefinitely. Change is coming. We will transition out of this life and into the next. We need to live now in the light of that truth.

It’s clear that David was being disciplined by the Lord at the time he wrote this Psalm (v 10-11). He had come to see the shortness of his own life, the vanity of the world and the sinfulness of his actions more clearly. He finally seems to have asked himself “What am I waiting for?”(v 7) And so he prayed for deliverance from his sins (v 8 - we all need to do this). It leads me to think that David’s transgression was somehow bound up with his keeping silent in the earlier part of the Psalm when he should perhaps have been praying to God (which he finally does in v 4) and speaking to expose the deeds of the wicked (which he didn’t want to do in v 1-2).

 So God jolted David out of his complacency with a trial that was clearly painful. The Lord took some things away from David that were precious to him, and in his grief he wept (v 11-12).
Hebrews 12:11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Can we apply this to ourselves in relation to the current time? Certainly the coronavirus is a jolt to our system, and a terribly painful one for some. Certainly it is causing us to realize that we are frail creatures who are subject to death, and that there is something after this life that we need to be prepared for (are you right with God?) Maybe we have been too much in love with the world and God is using this time to wean us away from it and back to Him. Possibly, He is challenging us to be doing something for Him that we have been reluctant to do until now, and that we have been pushing off into the dim and distant future. Whatever it is, may the Lord help us all to learn what He wants to teach us through this time. May we all come through it closer to Him, more useful to Him, and with a clearer understanding that we don’t belong in this world if we are His children - our citizenship is in heaven and we’re just passing through!

37 - As Each Part Does Its Work

Numbers 4:1–3 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting.

I read this chapter this morning. It’s all about the assignment of responsibilities to the Levites for various aspects of the work of the Tabernacle. As I was reading it, another Scripture came to mind. This one (underlined in the passage below) I can never recall except with the accompanying music from Handel’s Messiah:

Malachi 3:1–4 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

This prophecy clearly talks about the coming of John the Baptist, followed by Christ. He will come to His temple, the place of His dwelling and the center of His worship, and He will come to purify and to refine. And He will refine the sons of Levi. They will be refined like silver and gold (in a crucible) and as a result they will bring offerings to the Lord in righteousness. So the question is, who are the “sons of Levi” who will be purified by the work of Christ and will make an offering to Him in righteousness. And the answer is, it is us! It is the church - all who believe in Christ and trust Him alone to save them! They are purified from their sins through His shed blood. We are the ones who can and who will offer a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name  (Heb 13:12-16).

This gives us a lens through which we can look at the service of Levi in Numbers 4. I think we can see it as a picture of the service we as a church are to render to the Lord. With that in mind, what do we see in this passage?

First, there is a tremendous sense of privilege that percolates through the chapter. The Levites were chosen for this work. They received no land inheritance in Canaan, because God Himself was their inheritance. This is a statement that extends throughout the chapter. It didn’t matter what the actual task was which a given Levite had to do, they were chosen for that work and it was an honor and a privilege for them to do it. Needless to say, we need to regard our service in the church in the same way.

Then look at the variety of tasks that had to be done. The work of the Kohathites involved the “most holy things” - the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the Lampstand and so on. The Gershonites’ job centered on the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting. The Merarites had to focus their efforts on all the frames which held up the curtains to form the tent.
Note, though, that although some of these assignments dealt with those things that are most holy, they were all essential to the proper functioning of the tabernacle and therefore to pleasing and acceptable worship of God. What would the Gershonites have done with all their curtains if there had been no bases and frames set up to hang them on? Where would the Ark have been placed if all the frames were there but the Gershonites decided to take a day off, or felt their work was unimportant or unappreciated, so that there was no tent? What kind of service would have been possible if the Kohathites had grown tired of their work and left the Ark, the Altars and the Tables in the wilderness somewhere?

It’s also clear that there was a lot of hard work involved in tearing down the tabernacle, carrying it on their shoulders and then putting it back up. Everything had to be done in the right order - everything had to be put in the right place and in the right orientation so that the entrance to the tent of meeting faced eastwards. It’s a lot like the set up and tear down each Sunday for our service, isn’t it? We need to understand, though, that the picture here extends beyond physical activity to cover our spiritual service of the Lord.

Finally, the work had to be done with great care. God holy, and treating Him and His worship in a careless and worldly manner was something that He did not accept. The Levites (especially the Kohathites were warned about this (see v 17-20).

Of course, it’s exactly the same in the church as we offer service to God. Some aspects of service are more public and revolve around the central aspects of God’s public worship (preaching, singing, prayer etc) whereas other aspects are done behind the scenes (calling in to check up on a brother or sister, supporting the work in prayer and financially). We all have our gifts and our responsibilities in the body, and things don’t tend to work as well as they might (or in some cases, they may not work at all) unless we play our part. It may be difficult. It may be hard work. It may be done so that only the Lord and one or two others know about it. But it is an offering and a sacrifice that is pleasing to our God! Paul picks up this very idea but uses the metaphor of the body instead of the tabernacle in 1 Cor 12:12-31).

This truth is no less applicable to us in coronavirus days. We can still minister, we can still serve. We can still offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness as the New Covenant sons of Levi!