Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

Saul had proven himself to be, if not cowardly, then unsure, indecisive, and selfish.  While he did have success defeating many enemies of Israel (1 Sam. 14:47-48) he didn't destroy the Philistine garrison in Gibeah as expected (10:5).  Jonathan did that, which kicked off the war of chapters 13-14.  Saul then didn't have the courage to wait for Samuel.  It was Jonathan's courage and faith, shown in the first verses of chapter 14, that jump-started the victory.  Saul's stupid and selfish command kept Israel from a complete victory, which Jonathan immediately recognized.  Saul is shown to be a selfish man with a carnal viewpoint, and his lack of faith led nearly to cowardice, while Jonathan's strong faith brought deep courage. 
         Is it any wonder that after watching his father dither for at least 25 years Jonathan had a strong reaction upon meeting David?  "And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." (1 Sam. 18:1)  David had just attacked a man well over nine feet tall, an experienced warrior from whom all else ran.  David had no battle experience and was unarmored.  David's confidence did not come from anything of this world.  It was his faith in God that led him to charging at a giant.  Jonathan saw this and seemed to think, "Finally, someone with whom I can share my faith." 
         Estimates of David's age when he killed Goliath range from 15-20 years old.  He was called a youth by Saul and wasn't expected to fight, most likely making him under 20 as that was the minimum age of those able to go to war according to the Law (Num. 1:3).  Meanwhile, Jonathan was old enough to fight in one of Saul's earliest wars and it had been 25 to 30 years since Saul had been anointed king.  (Saul reined 40 years.  David was 30 when he became king.  So, Saul had been king 10 years when David was born.)  Jonathan was likely 45-50 years old when he met David.  So this friendship was more like a mentor-mentee relationship than bosom buddies or Best Friends Forever! (BFFs).  A hint of this can be seen in how David approached Jonathan for advice when Saul first began to pursue David. (1 Sam. 20:1-3) 
         To all worldly viewpoints this friendship was counter-intuitive.  Jonathan was mentoring the man who was to take his place as Israel's king!  While Jonathan remained loyal to his father, he put his father's wishes behind him and squashed whatever ambitions he felt himself in his love for this youth who acted upon his faith. 
         This is something we should imitate in our friendships and loyalties.  Earthly blood should not define our closest relationships.  Similar earthly interests should not be the basis for our closest friendships.  Our closest relationships and deepest friendships should be with those who share our faith.  Our buddies are those who work with us in the Lord's Kingdom.  Our BFFs are those who join us in attacking Satan, and we should be quick to mentor the younger, a la Jonathan (1 Sam. 23:15-18). 
 
2 Cor. 6:14  "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers . . ."
1 Pet. 1:22  ". . . love one another from the heart fervently"


Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
 
As I opened the door to let Dene into our car, I felt something rip at my sleeve near the shoulder and felt the scratch on my upper arm. A large dog had lunged through the partly opened window for me. He broke the rain/sun guard over the window. No blood. Not even a real scratch mark. We were at a medical center, where else these days, and I went in to complain at the desk. Part of being deaf means that I am seldom soft spoken and I was still scared and worried, "What if it had been Dene?" When I got back out, I met the man coming from rolling up the window to leave a smaller opening on his little pickup. I said, unnecessarily since he had obviously come from the lobby where I complained, "Your dog almost bit me, did get his teeth on me." He was apologetic, but I just got in our car and drove away. A few blocks up the road, I put my hand on Dene and said, "I sure hope he never comes to church!" Another block or two, "I should hope he does so I can apologize."
 
Now, you know that I know better if you have read any of my devos. I have preached better for 50 years and done better at least as often as not, but, I have a good excuse, in fact, two or three of them. My adrenaline was still high, I have been bitten before, one requiring stitches, whereas, it is evil to leave the windows up in Florida heat with any live thing in the car, a gap that wide for a dog that big and aggressive is inexcusable, etc.
 
But, do you remember WWJD? Bracelets. Yes, Jesus was angry, but not over a personal injury but over indifference to the disease of a fellow and the refusal to believe (Mk 3:5).
 
So, how many people would you be ashamed to have see your car and the partial plate number they remember in your church parking lot? Or, someone who heard how you spoke to your wife? Maybe a co-worker who sees your goof-off work ethic?
 
If my man did walk in, would I have an opportunity to apologize or would he turn and leave when he saw me across the room?
 
We are responsible for our deeds (Mt 16:27).
 
"Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. " (Prov 14:29).
"​A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. " (Prov 15:18).
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: " (Eph 4:31).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Doy Moyer.

Justice is a common desire. When someone has committed a terrible act against another, we want to see justice done. We know there is something wrong about someone getting away with a criminal offense. Consequently, societies have systems in place in order to try to bring about justice for the offended. Since they involve humans and human governments, these systems are imperfect. We don’t always get the resolution that we desire, and sometimes we err. Yet we continue trying because it is the right thing to do. 

If we, as human beings, desire justice, then how much more shall we think that God desires justice? God was certainly concerned about justice under the Law (cf. Exod 23:2, 6; Deut 10:18; 16:19; 24:17; Isa 1:17, and… so much in the prophets!). His desire is, always, that His people “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). 

Unlike mere human beings, however, God knows the way of perfect justice. He knows the beginning from the end and knows the hearts of all. He sees what we cannot see, knows what we cannot know, and has the perfect wisdom and understanding to carry out judgment and justice without the finite flaws of imperfect societies. Consequently, when God brings judgment, it will be right. We may not always be able to understand or see why God judged a nation at a particular time, but those calls are His right to make. Our lack of knowledge and understanding hardly constitutes reason to call God into question over His judgments. God owns life and death (Deut 32:39). He is the Creator, the Potter, the King, and the Judge. 

Abraham understood that God had the right to judge the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. He pled with God, to be sure, hoping that God might spare the cities if only only ten righteous people could be found. “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen 18:25) He was calling upon God’s just nature, hoping to spare his own family from what was about to happen. The ten could not be found. Yes, the Judge of all the earth will do what is just. He will make no mistakes in carrying out justice so it should not surprise us when God finally brings down the gavel. 

Why would God bring such judgment? When human beings are violated, we rightly want justice. Again, how much more ought God to desire justice, especially when He has been violated? This is the nature of sin, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Sin violates the nature and glory of God. Just as crime against other humans violates human rights, God has “divine rights,” and these are violated when we sin. In detailing the sins of God’s people, Isaiah said that they were being judged “because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, to rebel against His glorious presence” (Isa 3:8, NASB). 

Shall we, then, think it right that we would “get away” with crimes against the Almighty Creator? Shall we think to remove His divine right to judge? Should we think that He is out of place for bringing justice and doing so perfectly with complete wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? He could do it with the nations and He can do it with us. One day, there is, indeed, a final day of judgment coming. As Paul told the people of Athens, God “commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31; cf. 2 Cor 5:10)

This can be rather frightening, especially when we realize that our crimes against the Divine Glory, when met with justice, means suffering “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thess 1:9). 

Yet here is where the Gospel becomes so powerful. God Himself stepped in, took on human flesh (John 1:14), and suffered as a sacrifice on our behalf so that He would be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). By doing this, He does not give up being just while forgiving the sins of those who turn to Him. His justice stands. His holiness stands. His glory stands. His grace is magnified. To God be the glory! 

God’s right to judge is established by the fact that He is the Creator. Just as human beings expect justice when human rights are violated, so God brings about justice due to His divine rights beings violated. He does this with perfect knowledge, wisdom, and power. Will the Judge of all the earth do what is just? 

He already has, and He always will. 

Doy Moyer

Taken from Doy's blog, Searching Daily

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.
 
            In 1 Sam. 2 the man of God comes to Eli with a horrifying pronouncement.  Eli's family was to be removed from the priesthood; none of his descendants were to live to old age, and his two sons were both to die on the same day.  This would happen because Eli had not reined in his wicked sons and their perversion of the worship of God.  Then, in chapter 3, the first message received by Samuel as a child prophet is essentially a repeat with one addition:  "And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering forever." (1 Sam. 3:14)  Why the repeat?  Why the later statement that sacrifice would not work as a means to avoid the punishment?
            A similar thing happens later with King Saul.  In chapter 13, because of the sin with the offering, Saul is told that the kingdom would be removed from him and given to a man after God's heart.  Then in chapter 15 he is reminded that he was anointed at God's command and that he should listen to God.  After he fails to obey God's instructions against the Amelekites, Saul is again told the kingdom would be taken away from him.  This time God instructs Samuel to quit praying for Saul (16:1). 
            Why did God repeat his pronouncements against Eli and Saul?  I think in each case God was letting Eli or Saul know what was coming because of their sins and allowing them a chance to repent.  It is spoken as a done deal but is actually more of a warning.  We see this same kind of judgment declared against Nineveh in the book of Jonah.  Jonah's message was simply "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (3:4) and yet when the city repented, God relented.  Jonah was so aware of God's mercy that he had expected it.  In all three cases we see bald statements of doom without an "unless", but it seems that in each case God was allowing for repentance.  Why else repeat the judgment to Eli and Saul?  And so we see a lesson of God's mercy.
            There is also another lesson here.  When Eli and Saul refused to correct the error of their ways God reached a point at which He would no longer show mercy.  Eli is told that sacrifices would no longer expiate the sins of his house and Samuel is told to stop mourning for Saul.  Their sins had reached a point at which God would no longer remove the earthly consequences of those sins.  So, while we see the mercy of God, we also see a warning.  Do not keep flirting with sin until God decides you are a lost cause.
 
Rom. 11:22  "Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
 
Lucas Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I have heard someone relate all the ways that the O.T. ordinances contributed to the Israelites’ health. It is true that they did this—there is even a book about it called, None of These Diseases. But, the fact is that they never knew about the health aspects of the rules about latrines, no pork and other dietary regulations, quarantines, etc. For them, these were rules that had no value other than God said so, and to them the purpose was to draw a line that determined whether one would go his own way or God’s way.

Certainly, God knew the health purposes but that was not his purpose either. When I pointed that out in a Bible class, the teacher was shocked. I responded that since God lifted the dietary and other restrictions and did not bind them on the church, did that mean he cared more for the health of the apostate Jews than he did for that of obedient Christians? In effect, by allowing the church to ignore these regulations, he denied them all the health benefits of the O.T. ordinances. Did he love the church less than the Jews in that for more than a millennium and a half until medical discoveries by men, his people died from their failure to follow those ordinances? History reveals that neither the Jews nor others discovered the relationship of these rules to health until the advent of modern medicine.

God’s true purpose was to distinguish between the holy and the common, to firmly establish that such a distinction exists and to teach men to value the holy. Further, these requirements define “Holy” as whatever God says it is. Men may never understand why. So, when we come to the N.T. ordinances [literal meaning, “requirements”] how do you react? Do you decide such things are not really significant—as long as one follows the main issues regarding the deity of Jesus and grace and faith, then such things as instrumental music, use of the church’s money, method of baptism, church organization, etc. really do not matter? Or, is your attitude expressed by the phrase, “I will be holy because God is holy?”
 
Since we are to be a spiritual people with new hearts (Ezek 36:26; Gal 4:6) our diet consists of the things we read, watch, hear, etc. From the Movies and TV shows, I have heard discussed after church, had our people lived under the Law of Moses, they would have been eating a little pork now and then because it is not really like worshipping a different God or coveting. From the dress of both men and women, we who are priests would have ignored the restrictions placed on the High Priest's clothing as "not in style" and having nothing to do with true worship.
 
God looked on their hearts just as he did on David's, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart" (Deut 6:5-6).
 
God looks on our hearts too, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. " (Phil 4:8). God commands mind-control to maintain holiness of heart.
 
 
"but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, " (1Pet 1:15-17).
 
Keith Ward

It hasn't been long since I used an article by Doy Moyer.  But then I came upon this, probably on Facebook posted by someone else, and knew immediately that I needed to share it.  Especially as a parent, God expects us to be the  watchdogs of the home--do not be afraid to say, "We will not watch this in our house."
---------------------------------------------------------
Compiled by guest writer Doy Moyer.

While it is difficult to find movies or shows that are worth watching (for various reasons), I do believe Christians need to consider how to evaluate what they watch and hear from the biblical perspective. In recently reading Unraveling Philosophy by Groza and Moreland, I found these questions helpful:

1. What is the point of the movie or show? Movies are not made in a vacuum. There will be an ultimate message, and we need to be able to find it. “Spend some time ascertaining the point of the movie and then ask the all-important question: Is that true? Is the movie telling me the truth or is it lying?” (239)

2. What is the story of redemption? Story plots typically involve something that goes wrong. What is the resolution to the problem? “Another word for resolution, in this sense, is redemption. How is the wrong made right?” … “Knowing the story of redemption enables a greater appreciation of the movie. It also helps explain why its message resonates” (241).

3. “What is the perspective on sin? Does the movie make clear the ‘folly of sin’?” Is sin painted in a positive light or not? Are the consequences of sin shown or is the sin glorified? “Movies can tell the truth by exposing the bad consequences of sin, or movies can lie by painting sin in a positive light and minimizing (or excluding altogether) those consequences.” If good is painted as evil and evil as good (cf. Isa 5:20), and the consequences of this are not shown, we might want to look elsewhere.

4. What virtues are promoted or denied? “A good movie celebrates characters for the right reasons; characters who exhibit virtues such as hope, courage, and loyalty” (242). Or are the “heroes” of the movie bad guys who are celebrated in their wickedness and irresponsibility?

Groza and Moreland finish with this:
“The goal is to provide a framework for thought and conversation for the purpose of discerning beauty and its relation to truth. The goal is not to read Christian themes into art where such themes do not fit, or to impose a Christian worldview against the evidence within the movie. The principle of charity requires that Christians seek to understand the message of a film as it is presented and not as we will it to be understood. Not every story is a Christian story. It is legitimate to see Christian themes where they exist. It is not legitimate, charitable, or honest to force such themes.” (243)

Perhaps we just want to watch shows for entertainment purposes. We don’t want to overthink it. But we cannot afford not to think at all. We are inviting ideas and philosophies into our minds and we will either interact with them with a godly perspective or we will mindlessly imbibe what we see and hear. Let’s be careful, therefore, how we hear, and seek to walk with wisdom and understanding even in our recreational time. If there is nothing redeemable about a story, will the time spent on it be redeemable?

Via Doy Moyer and whoever shared it.   Thank you both!

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

Unlike 1&2 Corinthians, which are two separate letters written at different times about different topics to the same group of people, 1&2 Samuel was originally just one cohesive book which got chopped in two for reasons that are lost to history.  The same holds true for the books of Kings and Chronicles.  It's pretty clear that one of the major themes of Samuel is the contrast between the two men anointed by Samuel, at the command of God, to be king over Israel.  One was chosen according to man's criteria, since Israel wanted a king to be like the nations.  Really, the only description given of Saul in 1 Sam. 9 is that he was the most handsome man in Israel and he was the tallest man in Israel.  In 10:24 Samuel asks the people, "Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen?  There is none like him among all the people."  But this man who looked the part did not have the courage, leadership, or moral character to be a good king, as his story shows us through the rest of 1 Samuel.  Then there was the man whom God chose by His criteria, looking into his heart (1 Sam. 16:7).  While David was far from perfect, his purpose in life was to serve God.  When he needed to repent, he modeled for all future generations of believers what true repentance was.  His reign was a golden age and became a symbol for the Messiah who was coming. 
 
So, clearly, one of the themes of this book is the enormous difference between how man would choose versus how God chooses.  In essence, it is a historical illustration of Isa. 55:9  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
 
Now, take that dichotomy, played out between two of God's anointed, and add to it the fact that nearly 28% of the times the words anoint and anointed are used in the OT, they are found in the book of Samuel.  By page count in my Bible, Samuel is less than 7% of the OT.  So, anointed is used four times as often as one might expect in this book.  Now remember that Messiah just means The Anointed One.  Could it be that Samuel was meant not just as an illustration of Is. 55:9, but as a reminder to the Jews during the time of Daniel's fourth kingdom (Rome, during which God would create His kingdom) that the Messiah might not look like they expected?  Instead of an earthly, physical king ruling on a physical throne and ruling the world, Samuel reminds that God's plans might encompass more.  It was to remind them that things are always better when we let God choose our kings, rather than when we choose them.  Perhaps a study of this theme could help us convince Premillennialists of their errors.  For me, the lesson is a reminder to let God choose and follow His plan.  It is bound to be better than my meanderings.
 
Jer. 10:23  "I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."      
 
Lucas Ward           

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

The second verse of “I’ll Fly Away” identifies a problem with the attitudes of many, “Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I’ll fly away.”
 
Why don’t we think of life as “prison bars?” Surely that is the implication of the song.  Certainly, “When the shadows of this life have grown” implies the infirmities of age.  But more seriously, we need to consider that life is a prison that keeps us from home whatever the state of our health.
 
Have we become so comfortable on the compound that we no longer see the razor wire surrounding us?  Everywhere we go we find corruption and wickedness.  Instead of forming an escape committee to dig a tunnel, we long to join in.  Many seek to blend in.  Where is our holiness? Why do we not feel we are on “bread and water” rations as our beliefs are openly assaulted daily?
 
We line up to watch the latest movies, catch the latest TV series which are full of foul language, but much worse, every portrayal of love is contrary to God’s view; we cheer when the "good guy" exacts revenge on the "bad guy," forgetting that God said vengeance is his exclusive right (Rom 12:19).  Do we not feel brainwashed? Deprogrammed? Do you wonder whether the angels marvel that we willingly subject ourselves to such?
 
Even when one is young and full of health, life is a prison. We can never be with God until we escape.  We can never be free from temptation and filth until we fly away.  No wonder many churches are being overcome with carnality. We do not teach our people to want to escape or to know that life is a prison. Nor, do we teach them the way free people live. 
 
The world sees what we refuse to admit for no one asks concerning the hope within us when they see that ours is the same as theirs. (1 Pet 3:15).
 
We have the key in our hands and many simply lock themselves in every day.  Now is the time to use it to set ourselves free.
 
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee (2Cor 5:1-5).
 
Keith Ward

Today's post is by guest writer Lucas Ward.

All ancient books of history, Biblical or secular, are written for their object lessons.  Ancient historians were not interested in just telling the stories of what happened, nor of charting social movements across time, but they told the stories of great men, great battles, great villains to highlight the lessons to be learned.  Maybe it is because I just led a study of the book of Judges, but I think it may be one of the most obvious collections of object lessons out of any ancient history. 
            Most are aware of the cycle of the Judges:  Israel sins.  God punishes Israel.  Israel repents and cries out to God.  God sends them a Judge to save them from their oppressors. There is peace in the land during the life of the judge, but after he dies, Israel again sins and the cycle starts over.  Many studies of the book of Judges start and end with that cycle, but there is so much more to the book that that.  First, it isn't so much a cycle as a spiral, as Israel's sins get worse and worse and God's punishments get more and more severe.  (Compare Jdgs 3:7 with 10:6 and then 3:8 with 10:7)  Surely there are lessons we can learn from that.  More interesting to me is the fact that every excuse given for the failure of the Israelites to complete the conquest of the land is answered by the various salvations performed by the judges. 
            In Judges 1:19 the tribe of Judah could not drive out the inhabitants of the valleys because they had chariots of iron.  From this point, the rest of the chapter is a litany of failure as tribe after tribe did not drive out the inhabitants of the land as God had commanded. Often the reason given is that the Israelites wanted to keep them around as slaves, but by the time of Deborah the Israelites were enslaved to these same Canaanites.  Vs. 34 says the Amorites forced the tribe of Dan up into the hills and would not allow them into the coastal areas.  In all of these cases we see the Israelites making decisions based upon their own strength, their own wisdom, and their own desires rather than following God's instructions in faith.  Reading between the lines, their concerns seemed to be the numerical superiority of the Canaanites, the superiority of the Canaanites' weapons, and their own desires for slaves and, maybe, just friendly neighbors.
            By the time of Deborah the questions of fighting against a numerically superior foe who has better weapons should have been answered by Othniel's victory over an empire-building king from Mesopotamia.  The idea of friendly neighbors should have been answered by the Moabite oppression, relieved by Ehud in a secret agent mission worthy of 007, and by the early troubles with the Philistines, answered by Shamgar.  Now, the erstwhile Canaanite slaves have banded into a coalition headed by Jabin, king of Hazor and they have enslaved the Israelites.  Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, had 900 chariots of iron at his disposal.  These chariots were rather long wagons with high sidewalls which protected the multiple archers who rode in them.  They were as nearly impregnable in their day as M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks are today against foot soldiers.  When God commanded Deborah to send Barak to fight against Sisera, Barak had only 10,000 infantry men.  Human wisdom said that Barak did not have a chance. His army would be run down, trampled upon, and shot to pieces.  However, God fought on Israel's side and they won a decisive victory.  If you trust God, maybe you can defeat chariots of iron.
            Gideon then takes on an enemy as numerous "as the sands on the seashore" (7:12), a phrase normally reserved for Israel and the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.  Gideon had all of 300 men with him.  Though the Israelite army later joined Gideon for the mop-up and pursuit, the greatest slaughter of Midianites occurred when Gideon only had 300 men with him.  If God is on your side, maybe the enemy's numbers don't matter? 
            Gideon and Jepthah both conquered cities.  Samson vividly demonstrated that one person plus God is all the army anyone needs.  Samson also demonstrated that to "dwell among them" was untenable as his downfall came as a result of being too friendly to his enemies. 
            Over and over, all the reasons for Israel not driving out the Canaanites, stated or implied, are answered by God every time He saves them via a judge.  It is almost as if He is saying, over and over, 'If you had trusted me in the first place, you wouldn't need saving now'. 
          Just a thought:  Maybe the same is true of us today, in our battles against worldliness? 
 
Jude 24-25  "Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen."

Lucas Ward
 

Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.

Only a few times in Scripture are mortals permitted a glimpse of God’s heavenly throne. His throne, I say, because we are never shown any representation of the Lord himself.  Read the great Old Testament vision scenes such as Isaiah 6 or Ezekiel 1 or in the New Testament, Revelation 4.  We find glorious descriptions of the throne, the pavement, the lights, etc., but never a description of God himself.  This underscores God’s declaration to Moses, "You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live" (Ex. 33:20).  So we are only allowed the sights and sounds surrounding the Lord: we see his attending angels, his robe, the lightning, the smoke; we hear the thunder and a mighty angelic chorus; we feel the earthquake.  If you can imagine yourself actually being there and experiencing all this, it will take your breath away.  But you never see God.

In the New Testament, aside from the very symbolic book of Revelation, we seemingly lack these glorious visions of the Lord . . . or do we? Philip raises the question in Jn 14, “Show us the Father.”  Jesus’ answer, if you think about it, is astounding, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”  Think about that: Jesus himself is our vision of God!

We should never allow ourselves to view this “vision” as being somehow inferior or less glorious than those other visions.  Jesus was not like one of the prophets, chosen and sent to us with God’s message.  He was God incarnate! Immanuel!  “God with us!”  Understand, not representatively but in reality he was God in the flesh.  Far more than the visions of God’s throne, this should take our breath away.

Philip wanted to see the Father.  I think we all do.  But why?  It’s pretty simple, I think.  We want to know what God is like.  Not merely what he looks like (as mortals, we can never know that) but what is he like toward me.  Does God love me?  Learn about Jesus and you have your answer.  Can God ever accept someone as corrupt as I am?  Look at Jesus, the friend of sinners.  Can God change my life?  Look at everyone Jesus came in contact with.  Who was not changed?  What does God want from me? To love God, obey him, and go about doing good, just like Jesus did.  Will I have to give up a lot for God?  Yes, everything!  But you get much more than you give up.  Look how God glorified Jesus (Eph 1:20-23).

So then, God has given us this vision of himself, the grandest and most glorious vision of them all.  This vision we can all understand, and yet in a way that is so profound that it staggers the imagination; we can never fully plumb its depths.  We continue to look at this Jesus, in wonder and amazement—this man—this glorious vision of God.

What more can we say then?  Such a vision lays claim on our lives, makes demands of us.  “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).  That is what Paul said after seeing Jesus, and that is our question—you and I—are we obedient to Jesus, our heavenly vision?
 
…who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; (Col 1:15).

Keith Ward