For Himself and yet for us . . .

READ Psalm 31–35

John Piper authored a book about  the pleasures of God explaining that God can take delight in Himself and what He does because He is the only One worthy of delight.

It takes a while to wrap my head around that. It seems a contradiction that God is not selfish yet acts for His own name’s sake. David seemed to understand. He wrote:

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God . . . . Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:3–5; 19)

God does not tell me to look at Him because He is altruism at its finest; He tells me to look at Him in reverence because in the looking I am totally blessed and blessing those who worship Him gives Him pleasure. He loves to love us and to have that love bouncing back to Himself. He is the only One worthy of our utter devotion.

The psalmist also writes of God’s forgiveness and protection — the only One who freely and gladly takes care of all our needs:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit . . . .You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah (32:1–2; 7)

This care is shown to those who grab hold of it, not to those who reject it. That is, perfect goodness is never freely given to those whose sin says NO to it. That is not goodness because seeing it but rejecting it has no benefit to the recipient. That is, “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (32:10–11)

Responding to God blesses God, but it also blesses me. “Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright . . . . For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (33:1; 4–5)

For this, I stand in awe of Him. He spoke the world into existence, brings the plans of the nations to nothing, frustrates evil and blesses all who bless Him. (33:8–12) These words are my words too:

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles . . . . Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:1–6; 8–10)

The Lord “redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned” because this is who He is. For this I can say if anyone delights in what God has done for His people, we can shout for joy and be glad and “tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long” to a world who so desperately needs to hear it. (35:27–28)

I woke again feeling heavy and sad, but the Lord changes that — because He is a God of joy, He wants to share that joy with His people so others will see it and realize how wonderful He is! He does all this for His own name’s sake, yet how delightful that He shares His joy with us!

 

The reason God saves people . . .

 

READ Ezekiel 33–36

Microsoft studied how many times a message must be heard before it was remembered. They concluded 6 to 20 , but some say 7, others say 17. God knows our forgetfulness judging by how many times He told Ezekiel to repeat His warnings to His people. In each case, the warning had eternal consequences, for the people and for the prophet.

“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:7–9)

Again, the people didn’t listen. They said, ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ yet they continued in their sinful ways, even to declaring, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is was their own way that is not just. Just as the NT says, true faith is shown by the fruit it bears. These people were condemned because their lives did not reveal faith in their God.

In the twelfth year of their exile, Jerusalem was struck down. The land was made desolate because of their sin and as God said to His prophet, they were “like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.” (33:32–33)

God condemned their shepherds and promised to “rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.” He would seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured, strengthen the weak, and destroy the strong. He also points to Jesus:

And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. (34:10–24)

His promises for their future included a covenant of peace, physical security, rain when needed and to make them showers of blessing as well. Trees would yield their fruit, the earth its increase. God would free them from those who enslaved them and they would live without fear, hunger or reproach. They would know that He is the Lord their God and that they are His people. (34:25–31)

As for the nations, they would be made desolate. His people would possess them and no longer bear disgrace or made to stumble. These nations would recognize that God rescued His people for His name’s sake as He told Ezekiel:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 36:22–23)

The promise of salvation is given, again pointing to the redemption and new life found through faith in the promised Messiah:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules . . . . Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways . . . . (Ezekiel 36:25–32)

And the desolate land will become like the garden of Eden, with cities fortified and inhabited. And the remaining nations will know that that He is the Lord. Even as this prophet repeats and repeats God’s warnings, he also repeats the good news: Jesus saves us from our sin. No one can do it without faith in Him and the experience of a new heart and new life — given to those who believe and glorify God. 

Lord, may I glorify You this day and always!