A Little Break in the Action
I just wanted to write a brief post and let both of my readers know why I have not been as active recently here at the Isaiah 52 blog. I am preparing to take an Old Testament Pre-Exilic Prophets course at the Baltic Reformed Seminary in Riga, Latvia from Dr. Iain Duguid (RTS), and have been swamped with preparations. The course is next week, and I just got my text books a few days ago. This I guess is my lame excuse as to why I have not been more consistent with the current series on Ezekiel 36, but I wanted to stop by and let you know that I will be back in full force in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your support!
-Mark
Ezekiel 36: A new Series
Over the last two weeks I have been reading and meditating daily on Ezekiel 36, a major messianic passage and one of my favorite chapters in the OT. I have come to a number of conclusions as a result of this time and will be highlighting some of the main thrusts of the passage over the next few weeks here at the Isaiah 52 blog. I pray that it would be an encouragement to you and hope that you will leave your thoughts for me to ponder. “As iron sharpens iron…”
“The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity. So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land. But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came. 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 36:16-23 (ESV)
I think the first point to be made is rather obvious but commonly brushed off - especially in reformed circles. “The word of the Lord came to me” Our God is a speaking God. He who needed us not created us in His own image and chose to speak to us in clear ways. We have the scriptures and the prophets of old, but do not think for a second that the Lord in this time and place has stopped speaking. Indeed everything in this world is being held together by the Lord’s speaking voice, and He still speaks today to His people in a variety of ways. “He [Christ] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”(Heb 1:3) God’s speaking voice is powerful and kind, working all things for the sake of His holy name and the good of those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). For more on God’s speaking voice, I would highly encourage you to read AW Tozer’s The Pursuit of God (Full chapter on the speaking voice can be found here.)
The other main thrust of this passage I believe is that we are sinful. This may be an intellectual fact for you, but do you understand the gravity of the situation? It says in Psalm 53 that “They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” And again in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. You and I are both sinners by nature and choice, and therefore deserve no favor from the Lord whatsoever, but as it says in James chapter 4, “He gives us more grace.” He lovingly bestows grace unto all men and women of the earth, giving them good and holy gifts like life, food, family, and love. To His elect, those who have turned from their Sin to embrace His love, He gives special graces - gifts of the Spirit, the Church, communion in prayer, fellowship, and others. To His covenant people (in the Old Testament, the Jews, in the New Testament, the body of believers) He has shown love in a special way, but we are still sinful and “defile it by [our] ways and [our] deeds.” The vision given of the people of Israel in this passage is an exact allegory for those who are within the covenant community (the church), but not living in and for Christ. We live sinfully, and defile the promises and grace of the Father by our deeds of lawlessness. But once again, He gives us more grace. This grace however is not for our sakes - as we deserve none of it. From the fall in Genesis 3 we deserved nothing that the Lord gives to us, but “God shows His love to us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8). He has brought the people of Israel back to the promised land, and brought your sinful heart back into His presence by the blood of Jesus Christ not because you deserve it, but for His own name’s sake.
So what does this mean? The implications are twofold. First - you can’t live a life that is worthy of His love, so stop pretending that you can. His nature is sinless, your nature is sinful, and there is no way to reconcile these two natures apart from the propitiation found in Christ. What would it look like if you stopped counting your steps, and start dancing in light of the favor you have found in the eyes of the Father? How would your life be if you stopped wondering if you are good enough, and starting believing truly that Christ died that you may be justified freely. You must know that the grace of the Father is free, but do not think for one second that it is cheap - it indeed cost everything.
The second implication is like the first - I would urge you to find all of your strength in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Father sent the Son as a propitiation for our sins, and we are to trust fully in Him and Him alone that one day when we stand before the Father and he asks us upon what grounds we are to be judged righteous, we may say ‘None, my Lord. I have no righteousness of my own, but only that which is imputed to me through Christ. He is my sacrificial lamb, and I place all of my hope in Him.’
Some people would urge you to live today in the light of tomorrow. Some would tell you to live today in light of the next five years, or ten. What I am saying to you today is revolutionary - live today in light of eternity, for that is where you will find both your strength today and your hope for tomorrow.
-MD Letteney
Daily Bible Reflections: These Things Were Foretold
Well, it seems that google is down (very strange, I know) so I am posting today’s Daily Bible Reflection here on the Isaiah 52 blog. The content of the post being what it is, this post being here actually fits. Here goes:
Today’s reading comes from the book of Mark. You can find all of today’s readings here.
“And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’ And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’ And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’” - Mark 8:27-33 (ESV)
There is a song that I love by Caedmon’s Call titled Before There Was Time, and as far as musical exegesis goes it is top notch. The song is based out of Ephesians 1, which explains that before the world began the Lord chose for Himself a people to save and bring into the kingdom through the grace afforded by Jesus on the cross. This passage has stunning implications, namely that sin was not something that surprised God. He was not caught off guard by Adam’s fall, but indeed already had a plan in place to redeem the people who mock and defame His holy name by their sin. The song goes like this:
Before there was time, there were visions in your mind. There was death and the fall of mankind, but there was life and salvation’s design. And before there were days, there were nights I could not see your face, but the night could not keep me from grace. And you came and you took my place. So I cry ‘Holy only begotten Son of God!’ …I sing the praises of the on who saved me, and the promises He made before there was time.
Does this confuse you? It should. Why would a holy and perfect God, who has everything he wants and needs within the three persons of the Trinity, create earth and a people in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) that would ultimately run away from Him? This is one of the great questions that we will never know the answer to - why the Lord of the universe, who does not in any way need His creatures (Acts 17:25), would create a race of men and women who spit upon His name? We are indeed all sinners by nature and choice, and deserve eternal separation from Him as a result, yet still He saves us. Why?
We cannot ever know why - but we do know by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures that this is true. The Lord chose to create knowing that His creation would hate Him, and also chose before the foundations of the earth were laid to redeem that creation through His son Jesus Christ.
In today’s passage, we see Jesus claiming yet again that He is the messiah, sent to fulfill the prophecies that came hundreds of years beforehand and to redeem the nation of Israel. He alludes to passages such as Isaiah 52 and 53 and Ezekiel 36 when He says that the Son of Man must be killed, and rise again. This was not a coincidence, and the Lord did not see Adam’s sin in the garden and whip something up to fix the problem - no, He planned this all before there was time to bring the Himself glory and the honor and praise that he so rightly deserves.
So what does this mean to us? If you are sinfully doubting the Lord’s sovereignty and providence over the world that He created, repent of your foolishness and turn to the God who before time even began thought of you, and planned to send His only son to die in your place. The father who is not served by human hands still choses to send His love and grace on the whole world, a world which has turned their backs on Him. Know that you are chosen, bought and paid for, and live your life in the light of this truth! Take up your cross, as Jesus commands in this passage, and follow the God who predestined you to life! Do not repeat Peter’s sin of doubt, or try to rebuke God - for you know in part, but He knows fully. Don’t try to come at God with a list of bachelor’s level philosophical syllogisms, instead have faith that He who started a good work in you is faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus! (Philippians 1:6) Revel in the fact that you are a child of the Most High, and worship Him who planned this from the beginning.
Heavenly Father I thank you that you are both sovereign and good.. I praise you that this world is not a haphazard experiment gone wrong, but that the things of Jesus were foretold, accomplished, and brought to completion in my salvation. You are so holy, and so worthy of my praise! Take my mind from the things of this world and set it upon the things of You, for you are both sovereign, and good. Amen.
-MD Letteney
Pray for Burma
I am sure you have heard at least something about the cyclone that ripped through Burma a few days ago, and I would like to supplement a little of the knowledge and ask a favor of you.
This disaster is not over yet. Yes the waters have subsided from the 200,000 square miles of flooded land, and people from all over the country are flocking to the ruins of the most populous cities in search of basic ammenities, but without fresh water and foreign aid, the migration is doomed. The worst hit areas housed over 50% of Burma’s population, and with the death toll at 200,000, the risk of infection for the remaining survivors grows every day the Burmese junta does not step in and start burning the bodies of the dead. These people are not just mourning the loss of 200,000 family, friends, and coworkers, but they are struggling to find the most basic things - food, uncontaminated water, and shelter. The first of the foreign aid flights have landed, but aid packages are still sitting on the tarmac as the government refuses to distribute aid and refuses to give visas to foreign workers, fearing western influence that could compromise the junta’s strangle hold of power over the nation.
As you can see, this is a major disaster, and if no help is allowed in the death toll could reach a projected 500,000. As a point of reference, the boxing day 2004 tsunami took 230,000 lives.
So when do we start worrying? When do we start praying for our brothers and sisters in Burma? When the death toll gets high enough? Why don’t we flinch until blood is spilt? Why does it take horror stories to move us to even reflection anymore? Why?
Here is what I would like you to do. As often as you think of it, please pray for the families in Burma, and for the government officials. Pray that the Lord would be glorified in the this terrible situation and that He would bring comfort to those who so desperately need it.
Heavenly Father, I praise you because you are both sovereign and good, and you delight in giving good gifts to your children. Father as we survey the world and especially this Burma disaster, we do not doubt your sovereign will but know that all things happen for your Glory and Christ’s name and that even though the evil one is alive and well in this world and has much power over men’s hearts, he is yet restrained from deceiving the nations. For this we praise you. Father I do pray this day that you would move powerfully in the hurting nation of Burma and make your name known to those that will receive the Good News of Jesus Christ. Father bring comfort to the people of Burma and restore to them their basic needs for survival. Soften the hearts of the junta and move them to finally help their own people. Use the junta and foreign aid workers as the hand that carries out your good works of mercy upon us sinners who deserve neither grace nor mercy. Father, be Lord of this situation and bring healing to Burma. I ask these things in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.
-MD Letteney
Reflections of a Struggling Swedish Student
Ok this entry is going to be a small break from the normal reflections you see on the Isaiah 52 blog, but I hope its entertaining nonetheless.
Jag just tala till Martin at jag prattar på Svenska idag med trea kvinna i tranås simhallena och det gör jätte bra! Min svensk are bättre dag efter dag!
So, my Swedish gets better and better as time goes on, and I am getting to a point where I try to speak Swedish with everyone around town as much as possible. This is a bittersweet thing, as it is exciting to get to this point, but also makes me very vulnerable to being labeled with ’stupid American’ status. Not that I haven’t been a stupid American before (indeed that is most of what I am here), but speaking in Swedish just makes it that much more apparent. Anyway, this is a list I compiled in my head while weed-whacking for six hours today (welcome to my world) of things I have learned as a result of my study of the language. Enjoy!
- I can order any type of food in Swedish and get basically what I want, except for hamburgers. Not that I cannot order them and get a hamburger, but I can’t do it in swedish, despite trying almost every week. You see, the Swedish word for hamburger (hamburgare) is harder to pronounce than it seems, and every time I try to order one the person behind the counter automatically knows that I speak english and replies with - “You want a hamburger. Let me get you one.” It is jätte frustrating.
- I can now pick Arabic out of a crowd pretty easily. I live in a section of town with a lot of immigrants, and a good 15% of them speak Arabic in and around the complex. I don’t know what they are saying - but I do know what language they are saying it in. That’s a start.
- When speaking English with Swedes, I sometimes say certain words deliberately wrong (names of products, place names, etc.) with a thick Swedish accent, not because I don’t know any better anymore, but because I know that the likelihood of the other person knowing what I am talking about is much greater if I do.
- Not being Italian, I don’t naturally speak with my hands, but I have recently gotten very used to pantomiming my words while speaking with a Swede because it helps them understand. They don’t do the same, so I’m on my own in the translation department most of the time.
- No matter what they say, I don’t understand old women’s Swedish. It may be the most basic thing, but I cannot get it. Very frustrating on sundays at church.
- More than once I have answered a question that I didn’t understand with ‘awh’ (yes) and been met with a spout of laughter from everyone in the area because ‘yes’ didn’t make any sense in the context. Very embarrassing.
- I call anyone who says hi to me my friend, because I really don’t have any.
- Even though my Swedish is still very bad, my English has gotten worse too. I can no longer speak either language fluently.
- When speaking English, I tend to insert Swedish words that make sense in the context but really don’t have good English translations. This is called Swenglish or Svengelska, and it rules.
- I have gotten a high five when I understood something said to me. Seriously.
- Swedes generally only know ten to fifteen English verbs, and use them over and over. I have gotten so used to broken English and improper verbs that I tend to finish sentences for Swedes who’s Engelska is inte so bra.
- It seems like the only preposition Swedes use is on (på). That took some getting used to.
- People complain that praying in a foreign language is hard, but I really don’t have a problem with it. I guess that’s a plus.
and finally
- I have more than once gotten stuck trying to think of a word in Swedish and consequently forgotten what I was talking about in the first place.
So there you have it - my Swedish is sub-par, but I love learning it anyway!
-Mark
Daily Bible Reflections: God’s Faithfulness to You
Today’s reading comes from the books of Acts. You can find all of today’s readings here.
“But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.”
“Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him? And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” - Acts 22:30, 23:6-11 (ESV)
Today there will be two points, so you’re getting double your money’s worth. Get excited.
First off - I cannot help but mention the humor in this passage. There are a lot of people that approach the bible in a completely serious mental state, and granted the bible is generally a very serious text, but you cannot help but laugh at the people and events depicted in it every once in a while. For instance - in Genesis chapter fifteen, when God makes His covenant with Abraham, he tells a sinful pagan who is at the time 87 years old and his barren wife that they will have a son who will become a great nation, and the idea seemed laughable. They soon give birth to a son, and because God always gets the last laugh, the boy’s name is Issac which means laughter. That’s got a little comical value no matter what angle you come at it from. So let’s set the scene here: Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin, the teachers of the law and high priests of the land, because the Roman guards are wondering if he really is guilty. The scene is chaotic and accusations are being thrown all around the room at Paul, and it is stated that the Saducees don’t believe in the spirits or angels. Undoubtedly knowing this, one of the Pharisees stands up and says “Hey guys come on now, maybe he is telling the truth and a spirit or angel spoke to him!” Doi! Come on man! You have got to know that saying stuff like that in the Sanhedrin is gonna cause a ruckus - and this time it did so much so that the Roman guards had to take Paul out because they feared for his safety! Idiot.
Ok, now that we got that out of the way and you know that the bible doesn’t always have to be taken so serenely, let’s move on to the meat of the text.
We see here in verse eleven of Acts chapter twenty three God’s faithfulness to those who He has called into ministry. Yes, Paul was murdered before he ever got to Spain to preach the gospel as he had hoped, but not a second before the Lord allowed it to happen. This scene happens towards the end of Paul’s last missionary journey over thirty years after he was called and converted on the Damascus road by Jesus, and even as Paul is in prison the Lord speaks to him and tells him that his mission is not yet over - he must still proclaim the good news of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection in Rome. The Lord called Paul at a specific time for a specific purpose, as He has done with you, and was faithful to provide until that mission was accomplished and Paul was called home to be in the presence of the Father. Paul even says himself in his letter to the Philippians “…I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6 (ESV)
If you are in Christ, it was not because of your good works but because of the Lord’s gracious calling of you to Himself that you are saved. He called you at the perfect time with a perfect plan for your life, and in this you may rest that no circumstance is without reason. Indeed the Lord is waiting for you to trust him with every aspect of your daily life, and is faithful to carry you in love and grace until He sees fit to call you home.
So what does this mean? You are a beloved child of the God most high, so live like it! Your life has a purpose, so seek it out! You have a redeemer who is on a continuing conquest for the hearts and minds of men, and He has chosen you to be a part of this ministry! So what are you waiting for? I would encourage you that the Lord will never leave you or forsake you, and you are constantly in the safest place on earth - in the center of His will. Take chances, live your faith out in every situation, and worship like no one is watching, because this is the life the Lord has given you and it is for His glory that you live it.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your faithfulness to me. I am a broken sinner who has rebelled against your will every step of the way, yet I rejoice that you do not forsake me but have mercy on me and even call me your child. Father guide my steps and give me the courage to stop worrying about what others will think or do to me, and start living out my faith in every situation that you have so graciously ordained for me. I pray these things for the sake of my savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
-Mark
Fear and Trembling
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” - Philippians 2:12 (ESV)
I have been closely following the online debate between Dr. NT Wright (see my previous post about how theologians are predictable) and Dr. Bert Ehrman. If you have not checked it out yet - I would highly recommend reading through the arguments on both sides and deciding which side you line up on, or if you agree with either on the subject of God’s goodness in allowing suffering in the world. The blog can be found here.
Not knowing much about Dr. Ehrman before now, I have been researching him a bit in my spare time and learning about his background and his theological insights. He is a professor of New Testament studies at UNC Chapel Hill, and that being the case I will hopefully be taking quite a few classes from him in the near future. Herein lies my problem, though. Dr. Ehrman went to college a professing christian, and after learning about the difficulties with biblical manuscripts has since denied his faith, now calling himself an agnostic. (For more on biblical manuscript issues, see his book Misquoting Jesus) Now I have no problem taking a biblical based class from someone who is not a professing Christian - indeed they can and do still have impressive academic insights to share, and they are honorable men that I can learn from, but as I thought more and more about this possibility, I was hit with a thought that pops up in my mind quite a bit as I study theology - “What if, a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now, I decide that this is no longer worth it, and walk away from the God I love?”
Now I am not saying that I do not have blessed assurance - indeed I do - but this is a very real fear of mine. I love Christ with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength to the best of my ability. I am a sinner, no doubt, and I deny Christ by sins of omission and commission daily, but I can say that the Holy Spirit is alive in me and Christ is who I aim to satisfy in all that I do. Yet still this fear. What if I fall away? What if I decide that it is just a sham? What if…?
In Philippians 2, Paul urges his Christian brothers and sisters, in view of Christ’s mercy and humility, and in response to the faith that they have been called to, to “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling”. This is what I am charged with daily. I am required to pick up my cross and follow Christ, leaving everything else behind, and also to work out my salvation in every way possible, because the devil, although restrained from deceiving the nations (see Revelation 20), is yet at work and continually uses my sin as a foothold in my soul, waiting. As it says in Genesis “…sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (4:7b ESV)
We, as Christians, are called to work out our salvation daily with fear and trembling because we do not know when our time is up or what tomorrow will bring. This, dear brother, is your lot in life. Now live it to the full and rest in the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit! Do not be complacent in your accomplishments, for we know that “there is no one who does good, not even one”! Psalm 14:3 (ESV)
Christ came to give life, and give it to the full, so be on guard against the evil one, Christian, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling that when you stand before your father in judgement, and he asks you what you have done to deserve heaven, you may faithfully answer “Nothing, my Lord. I have only put my trust fully in the atoning death of your Son, and I have been made righteous in the light of His sacrifice. I deserve not your favor, Lord, and base all of my hope on the blood of Christ.”
“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.” Psalm 130 (ESV)
