God never quits

Deuteronomy 19; Psalm 106; Isaiah 46; Revelation 16

If anyone doubts the love and patience of God, Psalm 106 is the place to go. It tells a partial history of His dealings with His people as He brought them out of bondage and into the land that He promised them. It is peppered with praise and reminders of His promises but stained with the rebellion of those He redeemed. These descriptions humble and bless me:

Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness and put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked but sent a wasting disease among them. (Psalm 106:6–15)

This up/down record is repeated as the Lord repeatedly disciplined them and they turned to Him — “Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. For their sake he remembered his covenant and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.” (Psalm 106:43-46)

Why? Why does a mother persist in training a child who has discovered the word NO? Part of the answer is that God loves His people as a mother loves her child, unconditionally and because it is her nature to care about her baby. But it is not the full answer for why God persists. It is found in the middle of the first passage above: He does it for “His name’s sake, that He might make known His mighty power.”

Redemption for Israel and redemption for me is to show the world what God is like. He reveals Himself in His dealings with people. Yesterday I noticed Isaiah 45:7. God says, “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” Humanity tends to see God only as they want Him to be, only in the events and circumstances that feel good. Others see Him only in the disasters with an attitude of blame, that God is ruining their lives. Psalm 106 shows that God’s hand is in both. He is at work using all things to reveal both His love and His power that we should respond as the psalmist responds:

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD! (Psalm 106:47–48)

If anyone is wondering why this world seems to be falling apart at the seams, or wondering why they are so protected during the many calamities of life, the answer could be this: “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.” (Isaiah 46:12–13)

I don’t know the responses of everyone, but the news every day seems to declare the need of humanity for changed hearts and involves the bower of God doing whatever it takes to bring all of us to our knees admitting our need. Protests will not change prejudice; it only makes us more aware of our sin. The threat of death cannot scare us into removing that threat; it only makes us more aware of our limited lifespan. Even our resistance to the ‘rules’ of this pandemic make me more aware of my desire to control things, resisting the authority of anyone else, including God. What will it take to bring all of us to the realization of who He is and to the, “Amen, praise the Lord” that is due Him?

APPLY: I cannot change anyone. I cannot change myself. Only God can change my heart. As the ancient Israelites, I need to remember His goodness and repent at every sin — for there is a day coming when all will “curse the name of God” . . .  and will not “repent and give Him glory.” (Revelation 16:8-10)

 

Worse than any X-rated movie . . .

I’m reluctant to keep reading. Yesterday described the horrors of a world being judged and that was only the beginning of the worst part. It starts with the seventh seal opened and seven angels with trumpets announcing severe destruction. Soon the fifth angel blew his trumpet and another one flew directly overhead and cried out, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

The fifth sound came and the bottomless pit or the abyss was opened. Out came creatures given the task of tormenting all without the seal of God on them. Those people would seek death but not find it. This was the first woe.

The sixth angel sounded his trumpet and four more angels were released to kill one third of humanity by three plagues, yet those who were left did not repent and continued to worship idols. Then another angel came with a scroll. Seven thunders sounded but John was told not to write what they said. He was told there would be no more delay and that at the seventh trumpet sound, “the mystery of God would be fulfilled.”

John was told to take and eat a little scroll and prophesy again. He was to measure the temple of God and told about two witnesses that would prophesy for a time, be powerful against anyone who wanted to harm them, but eventually be killed by “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit.” People would rejoice over that. However, in a short time the two would come to life and rise to heaven in a cloud.

After that, a great earthquake would happen killing 7000 people. This was the second woe but before the third came, those people still alive after the quake “were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (Revelation 11:15–18)

Sometimes Revelation reads as a sequence of events and sometimes it reads as an overlap, thing happening one after the other or mixed in a jumble. I cannot begin to know what is going on but reading the above few verses causes me also to give glory to the God of heaven. Christians often say we know the end: Jesus wins! This is the beginning of the end; the victory is happening. The promise of God is being fulfilled:

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)

There is a song based on this promise. It says these words and adds, “Still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose You now.” I have considered that a hint that those who reject Jesus before the end described in Revelation had hope but thought this was incorrect theology. Now I know that the song writer read this last book with greater care than I had. During the beginning of sorrows, multitudes are saved and martyred (Chapter 7) and here at the seventh trumpet, those who survive a great earthquake give glory to God. I see them on their knees confessing the Jesus Christ is Lord. Such is the power and grace of God whose mercy triumphs over wrath.

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Lord Jesus, this is awful yet amazing. All have sinned and fall short. All deserve to be separated from You for You are holy and we are polluted. Yet You save anyone and everyone that calls upon Your name. No one is turned away and when that horrible day comes, You are still in the business of drawing sinners to Yourself.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- deepening faith in Jesus Christ.

- delight seeing and hearing the children in our church doing a prelude and a musical skit that honored the Lord yet made us laugh.

- several edifying conversations with friends.

- good food and a warm home.

- tensor sleeve is giving my tennis elbow some relief.

Anything is possible . . .

Alexander the Great was born in 356 BC. He notably tamed a horse when he was 13, convincing evidence of his ambition and ability. Seven years later, he succeeded his father Philip II to the throne. Most of his ruling years were spent on a military campaign through Asia and northeast Africa. By the age of 30, he created one of the largest empires of the ancient world stretching from Greece to northwestern India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered one of history's most successful military commanders.

What are the odds of such a thing? I cannot imagine this happening in our day. Yet it happened then because God had a plan. God wanted a united world and a common language, and because of this brave young man,

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law . . . (Galatians 4:4)

Jesus was born. The time was right. The world was united to the point that most people understood Greek, and the good news of God’s grace could be shared among them freely. Even for those who spoke other languages, God gathered them together soon after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven and had His disciples speak in other tongues (other languages) so all could hear the Gospel. Anything is possible with God.

I cannot help but connect this with the events in our world. What is God up to? We have tyrants and evil leaders. We have ambitious politicians that are hated or tolerated. Our world seems ripe for someone to come with strong leadership abilities to take over and ‘fix’ the mess it is in. Is that what God is planning?

I’ve no idea of what tomorrow’s headlines will be. However, looking at the way God prepared the world for the arrival of His Son, I’m not anxious about the news or the mismanagement that seems to prevail. God can bring diverse cultures under one ruling power if He so wishes, even under the rule of a mere youth. Alexander proves God can do whatever He wants to fit with His purposes.

Some interpret the Bible prophesies to mean we will experience a one-world leader. Others have varying ideas about the ‘end times’ and the fate of our civilization. Whatever comes next should not produce anxiety for anyone who knows the power of God. His plan will prevail and because He is good, gracious and merciful, I am clearly in favor of trusting Him.

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Lord Jesus, the end of this age seems nearer now than it did a few years ago because of all the disasters and general lack of righteousness that is all around us, but I don’t know that for certain. What I do know is that You are God and You are a good, good Father. I can trust You to work out Your plan. Besides, I’ve read Your book and at the end, Jesus wins. Your people win. We live forever with You in a new heaven and new earth. You don’t need a twenty-year-old warrior to bring it to pass either. It will happen because You willingly gave Your life more than two thousand years ago . . .

You were in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Yourself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, You humbled Yourself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted You and bestowed on You the name that is above every name, so that at Your name every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5–11)

 Amen!