The Priority of Service

 “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.””

(‭John 4:34 ESV‬)

Satisfying our basic needs is fundamental to life. The drive to satisfy these needs is instinctual. If these needs are not satisfied, after all, we cannot survive.

What I’m referring to, of course, is our need for nourishment. What I’m referring to is our need to have our thirst satisfied. And what I’m referring to is the need for shelter and warm clothing. 

There are other needs we could discuss, but you get the point. We have certain needs that are fundamental for life. And, unless these needs are met, our life will not be long in this world.

This is what makes the statement of Jesus, seen above, so curious. Jesus had been sitting by a well, while his disciples went into town to buy food. And, as they returned, they found him talking to a Samaritan woman.

As the woman left that she might tell the townspeople about Jesus, his disciples urged him to eat. Jesus, then, responded as we see in verse 34. He told them that his food was to do the will of him who had sent him and to accomplish his work.

As we read this, it’s clear to whom Jesus is referring. He’s referring to God the Father. His food, then, was to do the will of the Father and to accomplish his work.

Jesus was explaining to his disciples, in this way, that doing the will of the Father was needful to him. Accomplishing the work of the Father was necessary for life. Like physical hunger, which has to be satisfied if we’re to survive, this was absolutely essential.

You and I don’t think of our service of God in the same way. While we may think of it as something that’s good to do, we don’t view it as essential. And while we may think of it as important, we don’t think of it as necessary.

It’s for this reason that doing the work of God and accomplishing his will falls lower on our priority list. We feel that we must first ensure that our needs are satisfied. And only then will we consider using our time, energy, and money to serve the Lord.

We certainly don’t earn life or salvation by doing the will of the Father. And we can in no way become deserving of these blessings. They are provided only by the death and resurrection of Jesus and received by faith in him.

This, however, is our purpose. It’s why we’re here. God has made us to be his own that we might accomplish his work. 

As we read in Ephesians 2, starting in verse 8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Constant Trust

 "…if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister."

‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

The gospel offers to us the assurance of salvation. It assures us of our salvation, which was obtained for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it assures of our salvation, which is received by faith in him.

We have a tendency, however, to believe that our salvation cannot be lost. We have a tendency to believe that we remain saved, regardless of our faith and life. As long as we’ve said the prayer, been baptized at the font, or answered an altar call, we believe that we will always remain saved.

Even if we no longer trust in Christ, we believe that our salvation is sure. Even if we no longer believe in him, we believe our salvation is certain. And even if we live only to satisfy our sinful appetites, we believe that we remain saved. 

This mindset, however, is not consistent with the gospel. It’s not consistent with the gospel which tells us that it’s by faith we’re saved. Nor is it consistent with the gospel which tells us that we have been saved from sin.

We see this, in the above passage, as Paul discusses the salvation of God. We were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he says. But, in Jesus, God has reconciled all things to himself, making peace by the blood of the cross.

We learn, here, that God is the source of our salvation. It is dependent not upon us, but upon him. And it was provided to us not by our activity, but his own.

This is true of us, we are reconciled, Paul says, if indeed we continue in the faith. It’s true of us if we continue in faith, stable and steadfast. And it’s true of us if we do not shift from the hope of the gospel we’ve heard. 

The faith by which we are saved, you see, is not a one-time event. It’s a constant throughout our life in this world. And it’s by this faith that we receive the promised blessings of God.

Apart from faith in Christ, there is no certainty. Apart from faith in Christ, there is no hope. And apart from faith in Christ, there is no salvation.

Delivered & Redeemed

 "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

(‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

As we visit with others, and as we search our own heart, we find a belief that is held in common. We generally think of ourselves as good people. And we think of ourselves as a deserving people.

Although we realize our weakness and imperfection, we believe that we’re, by nature, righteous. We believe that our intentions are generally good. And we believe we’re, for this reason, deserving of God's blessings.

We believe that we enter into the world in this state. We believe we enter this world in a state of innocence. We believe we begin this life as children of light. And we believe that, by nature, we are children of God.

This, however, is not the case. And we see this as we look at the passage above. Paul, in this passage, tells us that we were of the domain of darkness.

This, you see, is the state into which we were born. We were born in sin. We were born in a state of condemnation. We entered this world desiring not the things of God, but the pleasures of the flesh. And we naturally pursue not righteousness, but the satisfaction of our cravings and lusts.

As Paul makes plain, it’s from this that God has saved us. He delivered us from the domain of darkness. And he transferred us to the kingdom of his Son.

In Jesus, Paul says, we have redemption. In him we have the forgiveness of sins. And these blessings are found nowhere else. 

This is the work of God, from first to last. Our character and deeds play no role in it whatsoever. It is an undeserved blessing lavished upon us by God.

We, then, must look only to Christ for the salvation that he alone can provide. We must trust only in the salvation he provided for us by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. And we must in no way seek to take even the smallest credit for the blessings we’ve received.

The Exception to the Norm

 “And the Lord said to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭27‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is often a way that we tend to do things. There is often an established order that is the basis of this tendency. There is, in fact, often a rule that informs it.

However, that being said, there is often an exception to that rule. There is often an exception to that established order. And there is always an exception to the norm.

We, however, tend to dismiss these exceptions. We pretend that they don’t exist. And we do so in an effort to protect or preserve the established order.

But how do we discern God's will in such cases? How do we determine what we’re to do? We receive some guidance as we look at an example in Numbers 27.

In this chapter, inheritance rights were the issue. And, typically, it was the sons of a man who received the inheritance. But we encounter, in this passage, the daughters of a man who had no son.

They came to Moses asking why his name should be taken away from his clan. They asked why it should be taken, simply because he had no son. And they asked to be given a possession among their father’s brothers.

As we look more broadly at the Old Testament, we see that God was concerned for the individual. He was concerned for the name of the individual. We find that he did not want a man’s name blotted out of Israel. Even in exceptional circumstances, like this one, he wanted the man’s name to be preserved.

This was also the basis of God's commands when a man died, leaving no children. His brother was to marry his widow. And the first son was to succeed to the name of his deceased brother. 

Although there was an established order, there would be exceptions to the rule. There would be situations that didn’t fit the rule or the practice. But this was addressed by God's concern that a man’s name should not be blotted out of Israel.

When we, then, encounter exceptions to the norm, this is a good place for us to start. As we pray about the situation, we should look for the underlying principle behind the rule. And this will typically lead us to the answer.

Flipping Tables?

 “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”

(Philippians 4:5 ESV)

In the modern Christian Church in America, something of which we’re routinely reminded is that Jesus flipped tables. This, of course, is a reference to his cleaning of the temple. And it’s true that he, indeed, flipped tables.

This, however, is often used as an excuse for our demanding, angry, and unloving behavior. It’s used to excuse the fact that we often behave like complete jerks to the world around us. And this is not an appropriate way to use the example of Jesus.

Looking at the gospel accounts, he likely cleansed the temple on two occasions, one at the beginning of his ministry and the other at the end. But this is not something that characterized his life and ministry. 

While Jesus taught truth, he also loved those who surrounded him. He was kind toward sinners. And, typically, his anger was reserved for the religious authorities, who were misleading the people, denying them the grace of God.

While we must stand firm under the authority of God’s Word, and while we must not compromise truth, we are called to behave in a loving manner toward our neighbor. And we see the attitude that we’re to display in the verse above.

Paul says that we’re to let our reasonableness be known to everyone. The word translated “reasonable” also means gentle, kind, or tolerant. These character traits, then, are to be evident to everyone around us.

Rather than being argumentative and insulting to those who surround us, rather than demeaning them and behaving in a condescending manner, we’re to be loving toward them. And it is possible for us to be loving and faithful to God’s Word at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive.

There are times when righteous anger may be appropriate. But it’s safe to say that those times will be few. What should be displayed on a regular basis is kindness, gentleness, and reasonableness.

The Blessing of Labor

 "If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me."

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Labor is something that’s become a dirty word for most of us in modern society. We view work, in any form, as drudgery. We view responsibility as something beneath us. And we want nothing more than to free ourselves from it. We want nothing more than to eliminate it from our lives.

We seek to do so as we gain wealth. As we gain the ability to let go of certain responsibilities, hiring others to do them for us, we take advantage of it. We may hire someone to mow the lawn. We may hire someone to clean our home. We may hire someone to shovel the snow. Or we may hire someone to watch our children.

We also hope and plan to do so, as we grow older and retire. We set money aside throughout our career, investing it, hoping that it sufficiently grows. And when we have enough, however we define that, we plan to stop working.

Our ambition is to have no responsibility whatsoever. Our goal is having the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want. We dream of a life where we are governed not by alarm clocks or schedules, but simply our own desires.

Labor, however, is a good thing. It’s a blessing. And, as we see in the passage above, it is fruitful.

In making this statement, Paul is talking about life and death. And, in doing so, he notes that departing to be with Christ is better by far, when compared to life in this world. But life, he says, means fruitful labor for him.

Life meant that he was able to serve the Lord. It meant that he was able to serve his neighbor. And Paul sought to do so, first and foremost, through the ministry of the gospel.

This, he noted, was necessary for them, his readers. They needed the labor, they needed the ministry, he had to offer. And, for that reason, he was convinced it was not yet his time to die.

Our labor may take a different form from that of Paul. Yet, the same truth remains. Life means fruitful labor for us.

For as long as the Lord provides us with life in this world, we are able to serve him. For as long as he provides us with life in this world, we are able to serve our neighbor. We are enabled by God, in this way, to be a blessing.

And this is something that should never be despised. It’s something from which we should never flee. It’s something of which we should never aspire to rid ourselves.

There will come a day, of course, when we may no longer be able to work as we once did. We may no longer be able to have a career. But even then, in some capacity, we are able to serve and to be a blessing.

The Authoritative Word

 ‬‬

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

(‭‭Revelation 22:18-19 ESV)

Among those of us who believe in the authority of Scripture, there is a strong emphasis on its inerrancy. There is a strong emphasis on its infallibility. And this is both right and fitting.

Scripture, after all, is God's Word, and not that of man. As God is perfect, so too is his Word. And as God is unchanging, so too is his Word.

Believing as we do, we react strongly when others take from God's Word. We react strongly when people seek to alter his Word. And we react strongly when people seek to strip it of its meaning.

When those of the liberal Church, or those of society, want to deny the clear teaching of Scripture, the hair on our neck bristles. When they argue against the clear teaching of Scripture, our stomach turns. And when they take a position that contradicts Scripture, we find it upsetting.

However, as we see in the passage above, not only is it wrong to take from God's Word. It’s equally wrong to add to it. It’s equally wrong to read into Scripture our own ideas and beliefs.

This is why Jesus reacted so strongly to the religious leaders of his day. Their tendency was not to take from God's Word, but to add to it. And they did so by making their traditions, they did so by making their teachings, as authoritative as Scripture itself.

Their interpretation of God’s Law became as authoritative as God’s Law. It was equated with God’s Law. And therein lies the problem.

This, you see, is the mistake we often make in the conservative Church of our day. We tend to add to the Word of God by way of legalism. We, at times, read into Scripture. And we make our understanding or our interpretation as authoritative as Scripture itself.

If we truly stand under the authority of God’s Word, and if our faith is guided by God’s Word alone, we will do neither. We will not take from it. But neither will we add to it.

Why Did God Save Us?

 ”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,“

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Most of us are very familiar with the gospel message. We know that God sent his Son into the world. We know that Jesus died in our place, paying the penalty of our sin. And we know that he rose from the grave, standing victorious over death. 

The way it’s stated in Ephesians 2 is that, when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together in Christ. He, then, raised us up with him, with Jesus. And he seated us with him in the heavenly places.

We learn from this message that we played no role in our salvation. It’s something that he did. It’s a work that he performed for our blessing.

Nothing about us contributes to it in any way. And nothing we’ve done contributes to it in any way. It results from God’s grace alone. And this grace is received through faith in Christ.

This message, of course, is very comforting. It’s very reassuring. And it fills us with peace. But it also begs the question: Why did God do this? 

What we find is that it had everything to do with God and nothing with us. It has everything to do with his nature, and nothing with our own. And it has everything to do with his character, and nothing with our own.

According to the above passage, he did it because he is rich in mercy. This, in other words, is God’s nature. It’s part of his character. There’s nothing about us that caused God to extend this mercy. He did so because of who he is. He did so because he is merciful.

He did so also because of the great love which which he loved us. It, then, has nothing to do with our love for God. His love for us is the reason he saved us. His love for us is the reason he gave us new life.

As God’s nature, as his character is unchanging, this provides us with assurance. As God is, and will always be, merciful, our salvation is sure. And as God’s love for us is unchanging, our salvation is sure.

Upheld

 "Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.“

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There are times in life when we disapprove of others. We disapprove of something they’ve said. Or we disapprove of something they’ve done.

This is especially true when they are our leaders. It’s especially true, in that case, because everything they say and do is before us. Our leaders, as we often say it, live in a fishbowl.

It doesn’t have to be a moral issue that leads us to disapprove of them. Nor is it always a matter of right and wrong, for which they must be held accountable. It may, in fact, be the sin of our own heart leading us to do so.

But our disapproval leads us to speak against them. It causes us to be critical of them. And it may motivate us to challenge them.

This is what was happening in the passage above. Miriam and Aaron, we find, spoke against Moses. They did so, asking if the Lord spoke only through him. They did so, asking if the Lord hadn’t also spoken through them.

In this way, they were putting themselves on equal footing with Moses. They were claiming for themselves an authority equal to that of Moses. And the reason they did so was because of the Cushite woman Moses had married. 

There is some debate as to whether this refers to Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian, whom Moses married after fleeing Egypt, or if he had married another. The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that this woman was a Cushite princess, named Tharbis or Adoniah.

We also do not know why Miriam and Aaron disapproved of this woman. Was it because Moses was already married? Or was it, as some suggest, because she was black?

Although there are several unanswered questions, none of them ultimately matter. What is clear is that Miriam and Aaron disapproved of Moses’ wife. And, for this reason, they spoke against him.

The Lord, however, heard. He heard what was said by Moses’ siblings. And he upheld Moses before them. 

Moses, after all, was chosen by God. He was appointed by God for a purpose. He was called and appointed by God to bring his people out of Egypt, the land of slavery, and into Canaan, the land of promise.

As we consider the actions of Miriam and Aaron, we must realize that, whatever reason we have to disapprove of others, it’s known to God. Whatever we speak against others, God hears. And whenever we seek to bring others down, God is not unaware.

We must not, like Moses’ siblings, seek to bring others down. Nor should we bad-mouth or malign them. We should seek, rather, uplift them.

We must do so realizing that it’s God who has placed them where they are. We must do so realizing they’ve been chosen and appointed by him. And we must do so realizing that God himself will uphold them.

Obstacles

 "And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.””

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭13‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As the blessing of the Lord is before us, we often see difficulty. As his bounty is before us, we see only obstacles. We see things that, from a worldly standpoint, would keep us from it.

Even knowing what we do about God, this becomes our focus. Even knowing his power, this becomes a source of discouragement. And even knowing his faithfulness, this becomes a source of doubt.

Rather than looking to him in faith, we question. Rather than trusting in him, we waver. And rather than believing his promise, we despair.

This is what happened to the people of Israel in the passage above. As the spies passed through the land of Canaan, which had been promised to them by God, they saw its abundance. But they saw also a major obstacle.

The people of the land were strong. The cities of the land were fortified and strong. And they saw giants, they saw descendants of Anak, living there.

From a human perspective, this made their conquest of the land difficult. It made it, in fact, untenable. They, then, feared to go up and take possession of it.

Even knowing what God had done in Egypt, they feared. Even remembering how he miraculously brought them out of slavery, they feared. And even remembering how he’d provided for them as they journeyed through the wilderness, they feared.

They didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, fulfill his promise. They didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, display his might. And they didn’t seem to believe that God could, once again, act on their behalf.

As a result, the people of Israel were kept from the land of promise. They did not inherit the blessing of God. They were sent back into the desert, until the last of that generation had perished.

God gave his blessing to their children. It was they who were enabled to take possession of the land. As they trusted in the Lord and his promise, his blessing became theirs.

God’s blessing, his forgiveness and salvation, are received through faith in Christ alone. We, then, must not make the mistake of the people of Israel. We must not allow our circumstances to cause fear and doubt to well up within us. If we lose faith in the Lord, if we fail to trust in him, we too could miss out on his blessing.

Grumbling or Trusting?

 "And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp.“

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When things aren’t going well for us, we have a tendency to complain. We have a tendency to whine. And we have a tendency to protest.

We do so, believing that we deserve better. We do so, believing that we’re being treated unfairly. We do so, believing that God is withholding from us his blessing.

Such behavior reflects not faith. It reflects not a trust in the Lord. And it reflects not the belief that God is good. It reflects, in fact, the opposite.

We see this, as well as the response of the Lord to such an attitude, as we look at the verse above. After their deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the people of Israel followed the Lord on their way to the Promised Land. The journey, however, was not easy.

They, then, began to complain about their misfortunes. They began to complain in the face of their distress. And they did so in the Lord’s hearing.

The Lord, in other words, knew what they were saying. He was aware of their complaints. And his anger was kindled.

As we consider them, the Lord’s feelings make sense. After being miraculously delivered from bondage, why would they fail to trust in the Lord now? What reason did they have to believe that he would not care and provide for them? And what would motivate them to believe they’d been suddenly abandoned?

Rather than complaining, they should have come to the Lord in their distress. They should have brought to him their need. And they should have looked to him for his provision.

In the same way, rather than complaining about our misfortune, we should bring it before the Lord. We should entrust it to him. We should look to him in our hour of need, knowing that he will both hear and answer.

God, after all, is good. He has always been faithful. He’s withheld from us no blessing. He even sacrificed his only Son, that we might receive adoption as his children.

The Miraculous Nature of Faith

 ”For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.“

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As we look back over our life of faith, and as we remember how we were brought to faith, we can point to those who shared with us the gospel of Christ. Maybe it was a parent or grandparent. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher. Or maybe it was a friend.

In this way, it seems very organic. It seems natural. It seems almost worldly.

Paul, however, was another story completely. In his case, it was clearly miraculous. It was supernatural. And, for this reason, the way in which he was brought to faith seems far greater.

We remember how Jesus appeared to Paul, on the road to Damascus. And in this way, he was brought to faith. We remember how he was struck blind and how, as Ananias laid hands on him, his sight was restored.

He goes on to explain, in chapter 1 of Galatians, that he did not consult with anyone. He explains that he didn’t even go to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him. He, rather, went away into Arabia before returning to Damascus.

His point was that he received no instruction from anyone immediately after Christ appeared to him. The gospel was not taught to him, in the traditional sense. He, rather, received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

His point, in saying this, is not that his conversion was miraculous while that of others was not. He was stating that the gospel he proclaimed was not man’s gospel. It didn’t have a human origin.

As we consider Pau’s experience, we find that ours isn’t all that different. What I mean is that the way in which we were brought to faith is nothing less than miraculous. Although certain people shared with us the gospel, it was, in reality, delivered to us by God himself.

The Bible, after all, is the Word of God. And even though it is taught to us by man, it remains his Word. As we read it, as we hear it, it’s his voice speaking to us.

We find also that we cannot understand this Word apart from the Spirit of God. Paul tells us as much in 1 Corinthians 2. The natural person, he tells us, the person apart from Christ, does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolish to him. And he’s not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

What Paul is telling us is that, apart from the Spirit of God, we cannot understand the things of God. Apart from the Spirit of God, we cannot understand the Word of God. It’s only as he gives understanding that we’re able to comprehend it.

The fact that we’ve received the gospel, then, is nothing short of miraculous. The fact that we’ve been brought to faith is the work of God himself. Although he’s certainly used people in this process, it’s the gift of God from first to last.

Not to be Taken Lightly

"All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life."

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭7‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As much as we try to do what is right, we fall into sin. As much as we strive to live in obedience to the Lord, we fall short. We do so quite regularly. We sin, in fact, on a daily basis. 

However, although it is such a regular occurrence, we think of it as no big deal. It’s so commonplace that we’ve become dismissive of it. We’ve become so numb to it that we fail to recognize how serious it is.

We believe it’s something that affects us only in the moment. Although we may suffer some immediate consequence of our actions, we don’t believe it goes beyond that.  We don’t believe that they go beyond our time in this world.

What I’m saying is that we fail to recognize the eternal consequence of sin. And this is what stands out in the passage above. What is being described in these verses is the response of a young man to the adulteress woman. 

As she tempts him, he follows her. But look at the description. He follows her like an ox to the slaughter. He follows her as a stag that is caught fast, as a deer stepping into a noose, until an arrow pierces its liver. He follows her like a bird rushing into a snare.

He does not know that it will cost him his life. He knows not that it leads to his death. He doesn’t grasp the finality of his course.

This applies, of course, to more than this one scenario. It applies to more than this one sin, that of adultery. According to Scripture, the consequence of all sin is death.

And the death to which Scripture refers is more than physical death. It’s more than death in a worldly sense. The death to which it refers is eternal.

It speaks of the fact that we deserve not the blessings of God. We deserve, rather, his punishment. We deserve an eternity of torment in hell.

Christ, of course, has paid the punishment of our sin. He gave his life on the cross, paying the penalty of our sin. But even this should reveal to us the serious nature of sin.

It could not be overlooked by God. Nor could it be dismissed by him. If we were to be saved, the penalty had to be paid, even if the price was the life of his only Son.

We learn from this that, even as those who trust in Christ, even as those who have been forgiven, sin is not something we can take lightly. It is not something we can simply overlook or dismiss. As we are brought to see our guilt, we must look to Christ for the forgiveness and salvation he’s provided. And we must ever thank and praise him for securing our release from this fate.

Before Whom Will We Bow?

 “…He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it.”

(Isaiah 44:14–15 ESV)

We don’t see or experience much in the way of traditional idol worship here in the United States. We don’t typically see people bowing before a statue, or a carved image, praying to it. Yet this continues to take place in many parts of the world.

The first time I experienced something remotely like this was as I lived in San Diego, where I served my first congregation. Many immigrants from Vietnam lived in my neighborhood. And many of these families had a small altar outside of their home, in which they’d regularly place a small offering of rice for their ancestors.

As I’ve been in other parts of the world, on mission trips, I’ve seen temples. Although I didn’t go into these temples, they contained the gods worshiped by the people. They contained idols to which the people would bow and offer their prayers.

For those of us, unfamiliar with these customs and religions, this seems foolish. And it is foolish. Isaiah, in the passage above, makes this clear.

He presents the illustration of a man who plants a tree, he plants a cedar, and it’s nourished by the rain. It then becomes fuel for him. He takes a part of this tree and warms himself. Over the fire, he bakes his bread.

At the same time, however, he makes a god of that same tree. He makes an idol from its wood. He then worships it. He falls down before it. He cries out to it for deliverance, declaring it to be his god.

He makes clear, in this way, that an idol is nothing. He makes clear that it is the work of man. He makes clear that it is the creation of man.

This, then, makes clear the foolishness of such an act. After all, how can something man has made deliver him? How can the creation of man save him?

Although this seems foreign to us, it’s really more familiar than we tend to believe. We too practice idolatry. We too depend upon man or the work of his hands for salvation.

In our culture, we often make a god of ourselves, looking to ourselves for salvation. We may look to others. We may depend upon political leaders. We may depend upon armies. We may depend upon wealth and possessions. We may depend upon technology. The examples are endless.

And just as we see the foolishness of bowing down to a block of wood, so must we see the foolishness of our actions. We must repent of it, turning to Christ for forgiveness and salvation. And rather than looking to something we have made to save us, we must look to the one who has made us.

Where Life is Found

 “You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.“

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our tendency is to behave like those who surround us. We do so because we want to fit in. We want to be liked and accepted by those among whom we live.

This, however, is a problem. It’s a problem because those who surround us are living in sin. They live only to satisfy their passions and desires. And, therefore, they are under God’s judgment.

This is what God was telling the people of Israel in Leviticus 18. They were not to do as they did in the land of Egypt, from which they had been delivered. Nor were they to do as they did in the land of Canaan, the land to which they were going.

Although it’s not directly stated, the people of these nations were under God’s judgment. They were under his wrath. And to live like them, then, is to be under God’s wrath.

They, rather, were to be different. They were to be distinct. They were to be holy, set apart from those who surrounded them.

They were to follow the Lord’s rules. They were to keep his statutes. And they were to walk in them.

If a person does them, God says, he will live by them. If he does them, rather than suffering judgment, he will have life. If he does them, rather than experiencing God’s wrath, his life will be preserved. It will be sustained.

As we read these words, we understand what God is saying. Yet, a difficulty soon presents itself. And the difficulty is that, no matter what we do, we cannot abide by God’s Word.

We see this played out in the history of Israel. Although they had the Word of God, and although they knew his laws, they continually violated them. And they lived like the nations who surrounded them.

It was for this reason that they fell under God’s judgment. It was for this reason that they experienced his wrath. And it’s for this reason that their nation was eventually destroyed.

The same is true of us. We cannot live according to God’s laws no matter how hard we try. Like the people of Israel, like the Jews, we continually revert to our sinful ways.

We too, then, are under God’s wrath. We are under his judgment. And we deserve nothing other than death and destruction.

The good news, however, is that God sent his Son into the world. And Jesus was able to keep the Word of God. He was able to fulfill the Law of God. 

He did so for us. He did so on our behalf. And he did so that, as we trust in him, we can receive the blessing of life.

More than that, he took our sin upon himself. He took our curse upon himself. He then died in our place, satisfying the wrath of God and paying the penalty we deserve.

Although we are still called to be different from those who surround us, and although we are still called to have distinct lives, our life is found in Jesus. Our salvation is found in Jesus. It’s found in the one who lived the perfect life we’re unable to live, and gave his life in our place.