Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Longing for a home I’ve never seen, Part 2

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This post carries the designation “Part 2” in the title because I had previously used the title Longing for a home I’ve never seen in a previous post.

Longing for the Lion to lay down with the LambIn the internet age there is so much information flying around that a news source has to be extremely sensational to get any attention. The easiest stories to sensationalize are negative ones, ones that show mankind at its worst. Wars, shootings, traffic fatalities, child neglect and abuse, government failure and general stupidity are regularly featured.

In contrast to all this I read this prophecy from Isaiah:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:1–10, ESV)

The reason the news creates such disquiet in us is because we were designed for something better. I would think that most people have an innate sense that things are horribly wrong, but cannot identify why they feel that way. We are taught by our public educators that everyone has to determine his own right and wrong and it is presumptuous to apply our standards to other people. We are products of our DNA. But, if we are “dancing to our DNA,” why should we care about what is happening in the world around us? Why does the news from around the world cause disquiet?

The point is that we do have a sense that things ought to be different.

Part of the good news of the Gospel is that there will be a solution to all of the problems around us. The prediction of Isaiah is that at some point, there will be one who will come and set everything right. The “root of Jesse” will rule and danger from war and natural disaster will be eliminated. We have a longing for everything to be put right and are anxious for Isaiah’s prediction to come true.

Christians have identified that root of Jesse as Jesus the Messiah. We look to the return of Jesus as the solution to the mess within us and around us. We can be comforted by the fact that God remains in control and has a solution mapped out to our problems. We know the end of the story and Jesus will establish his final victory when he returns.

May the return of Jesus be soon!

Discussion question: Does the thought of Jesus’ return help you in any way? Do you find comfort in this or is it just “pie in the sky” for you? Please add your thoughts in the comment section below.

Even Lawyers Can’t Mess This Up

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Chained Bible At our church, we are studying through the book of 2 Timothy in the New Testament. A line from Chapter 2 struck me where Paul writes, “but the word of God is not bound.” Paul is saying that even though he himself is bound, Scripture cannot be put in chains.

Our society is becoming increasingly restrictive as to when, where and how Scripture can be displayed or read out loud. Efforts are made to prevent the Bible from speaking into our society in an effort to live free from moral restraint. Lawyers around the country have brought suit to remove the Bible from mainstream thought.

When Charles Spurgeon was asked how to defend the Bible, his response became a classic. He suggested that those who attack the Bible are like men who seek to attack a caged lion with clubs. In that case, one does not have to defend the lion, one merely has to let him out of his cage and he will defend himself.

A couple of applications come to mind.

First, in light of the recent ruckus over the burning of the Koran (which was an inherently stupid thing to do), I suggest that burning of the pages of the Bible would not produce the desired result. We do not venerate the paper and leather on which Scripture is printed and bound, we venerate the words themselves as coming to us from God. However symbolic the Bible burner considers his act, neither God, nor the Church is diminished by it.

Another application of this is that we should take any opportunity to read, teach, preach and distribute the Bible. God promises that Scripture cannot be bound and it will affect change. My reading it will change me. My teaching it will change others. This is an appetite that can and should be passed on, a healthy addiction.

The reason why enemies of faith border on paranoia about the Bible is that the Chief Enemy knows how effective it is in changing individuals and society for good.

We should take this opposition as a sign that our efforts to teach Scripture are not in vain. God will bless the distribution of his Word. With regard to standing against the Enemy of Scripture, I will end with the advice of Winston Churchill:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Lions and Bears as Training Aids

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LionWhen David volunteered to confront Goliath to take away the reproach of Israel, Saul questioned David’s preparation for this task.

David responds by informing Saul of times when he protected his sheep by killing a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:34-36). This story triggered two thoughts as I read it today.

First, David was anointed King over Israel. In Verse 13 of the previous chapter we read that the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. David was prepared for the battle with Goliath by having the Holy Spirit come upon him.

Second, I see that God arranged experiences to prepare David for the battle with Goliath. God brought the lion and the bear to David and gave him the ability to defeat them. These animals were used by God as training aids in preparation for Goliath. David could sense the hand of God upon him as he faced Goliath just as he had felt it when facing the lion and the bear.

In the same way, we have the Holy Spirit to indwell us and provide the wisdom and strength needed to face whatever challenges come at us. God brings us through smaller battles to prepare us for the larger ones. He promises to keep us out of any situation that is too difficult for us. (See 1 Corinthians 10:13)

As I look back on events in my life that seemed difficult at the time, I can see how God was leading me step by step and building my confidence. Not confidence in my own ability, but confidence in God’s provision and support. As more difficult tests come, the knowledge that I survived the previous struggles prepares me for what lies ahead.

While we are not promised ease or comfort, we can have peace and joy in the midst of the battle knowing that we have been prepared and empowered to be obedient and victorious.

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