Imprecatory Psalms

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Imprecatory Psalms have as a major element a prayer from the Psalmist to afflict and punish his enemies as they deserve.

Four Views dominate the perspective on how imprecatory Psalms should be handled in the church age.

Imprecatory Psalms express evil emotions that should be suppressed as sin.
Imprecatory Psalms are utterances consonant with old covenant morality but inconsistent with new covenant ethics particularly because of the distinction between Israel and the church.
Imprecatory Psalms amy be appropriately spoken only by Christ in relation to his work on the cross and only by his followers through him.
Imprecatory Psalms should not be distanced from being legitimate prayers of God’s people today.

Considerations and conclusions for how imprecatory Psalms apply to the church.

I think that perhaps a “middle-way” combination of the last three views is appropriate.

We must remember that not every imprecatory Psalm is as appropriate for God’s people today to be praying because the language is clearly specific to one particular enemy for one particular time under the old covenant (cf. Ps 137).
We must remember that we are incapable of a sinless hatred like God is. Therefore, we should use the language of the imprecatory Psalms very cautiously in the power and name of Christ with submission to Christ (cf. Ps 69; 139).
We can and should pray for justice recognizing that sometimes justice includes the destruction of the wicked because this is what is deserved for sin (cf 7; 35; 58; 59; 69; 83; 109).
We can pray for God to be known in all his glory either through us or others who see God working (cf 7; 35; 58; 59; 69; 83; 109).

The following resources were invaluable in helping my drawing of these conclusions:

A good summary article by Justin Taylor of Peter Leithart’s book Crying for Justice

An excellent article by James Adams

Another excellent article by J. Carl Laney written from a very dispensational perspective

This is an interview transcript that gets off the topic of imprecatory psalms at times, but addresses some of the most important issues related to them.

John Piper’s thoughts on how we can deal with imprecations in the Psalms

David Powlinson’s thoughts on the imprecatory Psalms

The Lord Will Call to Account

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In August of 1553 Mary I became queen of England. Within two months of her accession she had imprisoned many Protestant leaders of the Church of England among whom were John Bradford, Hugh Latimer, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cramner. She succeeded in restoring Catholicism in England through a treaty with Pope Julius III, and then she started some of the most brutal persecution in history.

In February of 1555 Mary started putting Protestants to death. During her only five-year reign 283 Protestants were killed mainly by being burned alive at the stake. In the seventeenth century people started referring to her as “Bloody Mary.” Can you imagine living during that time period? Perhaps the Protestants in England thought as the Psalmist did in Psalm 10, “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

You know, Bloody Mary isn’t the only person to have ever oppress people; she wasn’t the first, and she certainly wasn’t the last. We could name the first century A.D. Jews, Nero, the Inquisition, Hitler, Communism, and Islam all as people or ideas that have oppressed people through the years. The depravity that is natural in mankind is always rearing its ugly head in the form of oppression and affliction upon others. Perhaps, in fact, you have even dealt with some sort of oppression in your own life that has you wondering the same thing the Psalmist wonders here, Where is God? Why won’t he do something about this? When we face these kinds of difficult circumstances where we are wondering where God is or if God is hiding, because we focus so much on the temporal and material world (what we can see and feel) we begin to doubt God and his sovereignty, and we begin to fear men.

However, I believe the message of the Psalmist in Psalm 10 is that we can and, therefore, must rest and fear the deserved judgment of God on the wicked. And I see two facts revealed here in Psalm 10 to explain the surety and deservedness of God’s judgment on the wicked that should motivate us to rest and fear.

The judgment is deserved because of the character of the wicked.

The first fact is that the judgment is deserved because of the character of the wicked. Scroggie calls vs2-11 “a graphic picture of ‘the atheistic self-complacency and pitiless tyranny of the wicked man.’” And who could argue with him? The picture that is painted of the character of the wicked in these verses is shocking in the sheer disregard for God and others that the wicked man has. In describing the character of the wicked, the Psalmists emphasizes three areas where the wicked reveal their despicable nature.

First, they are proud. Notice the repetition of the idea of pride in v2-4, “in arrogance” v2, the wicked “boast” v3, “in pride” v4, “he puffs” v5. In v3 where “he boasts of the desires of his soul,” Calvin says, “in my opinion, desire of soul here denotes rather lust, and the intemperate gratification of passion and appetite; and thus the meaning is, that they indulge themselves with delight in their depraved desires, and, despising the judgment of God, fearlessly absolve themselves from all guilt, maintain their innocence, and justify their impiety.” This fits well with the idea of pursuing the poor in arrogance mentioned in v2. The attitude that marks the wicked is that they seem to think that they can do whatever they want without any fear of the ramifications. So in their pride they completely excuse the thought of God. Calvin sees the idea of v3 reinforced in these words, “David simply means, that the ungodly, without examination, permit themselves to do any thing, or do not distinguish between what is lawful and unlawful, because their own lust is their law, yea, rather, as if superior to all laws, they fancy that it is lawful for them to do whatever they please.” The emphasis here is that they fancy that it is lawful for them to do whatever they please. This is certainly an attitude we see displayed in our culture as people will now get offended by the fact that anyone says any particular action is wrong or a sin. V5-6 then reinforces the idea that they fear no ramifications for their actions. Their attitude is one that cannot be tamed; again I quote Calvin in his explanation, “As they enjoy a continued course of prosperity, they dream that God is bound or plighted to them, and hence they put his judgments far from them; and if any man oppose them, they are confident they can immediately put him down, or dash him to pieces with a puff or breath.” The wicked have no time for thinking of their own demise or the consequences of their sin; they wink at the threat of judgment in spite of the fact that it is merely God’s mercy that allows them to live at all.

Second, not only are the wicked proud, but they are also corrupt of speech. Of V7 Spurgeon says, “There is not only a little evil there, but his mouth is full of it. A three-headed serpent hath stowed away its coils and venom within the den of his black mouth. There is cursing which he spits against both God and men, deceit with which he entraps the unwary, and [oppression] by which, even in his common dealings, he robs his neighbors.” John Morison also sees the idea of a deadly snake in the second phrase as he points out that this “striking allusion of this expression is to certain venomous reptiles, which are said to carry bags of poison under their teeth, and with great subtlety to inflict the most deadly injuries upon those who come within their reach.” Perhaps the most important point to note here is that this verse is used in Romans where “Paul uses the Greek (lxx) wording of this verse in 3:14 as part of his proof that ‘all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin’ (Rom. 3:9).” The significance of this fact cannot be understated; basically by quoting this passage in the context of Romans 3, Paul has condemned all of us as guilty as the wicked man of Psalm 10. You are the man!

The wicked are proud, they are corrupt of speech, and thirdly, they are oppressive. Perhaps here we see the culmination of their wickedness in the fact that they are willing to pick on the vulnerable and unfortunate. This is certainly a sign of the height of wickedness that would seek out those who would struggle to defend themselves. Defending and helping the poor and unfortunate may not prove you are a Christian, but oppressing and afflicting them will certainly prove you are wicked. Thomas Brooks points out the unnatural nature of this oppression, “Oppression turns princes into roaring lions, and judges in evening wolves. It is an unnatural sin, against the light of nature. No creatures do oppress them of their won kind. Look upon the birds of prey, as upon eagles, vultures, hawks, and you will never find them preying upon their own kind. Look upon the beasts of the forest, as upon the lion, the tiger, the wolf, the bear, and you shall ever find them favourable to their own kind; and yet men unnaturally prey upon one another, like the fish in the sea, the great swallowing up the small.” Indeed, the prevalence of this sin proves the depravity of our nature more than any other perhaps. And it gets worse because it is deceptive. The lay a trap for the helpless before they pounce upon him with their strength. Calvin describes it this way, “These wicked men hide their strength, by feigned humility and crafty courteous demeanour, and yet they will always have in readiness an armed band of satellites, or claws and teeth, as soon as an opportunity of doing mischief is presented to them.” So is the way of the wicked, and their arrogance comes back into play as they think does care, or worse yet doesn’t even see. Clearly, the punishment against these wicked men is deserved, but does God see, does God know, is God sleeping while all this is happening?

The judgment is sure because of the character of God.

No, God does see and that fact brings us to the second fact, the judgment is sure because of the character of God.

Similar to the first eleven verses of the Psalm I see the Psalmist emphasizing four aspects of God’s character to show the surety of the judgment.

First, God is omniscient. I see this in v14, where the Psalmist notes that God does see and note mischief and vexation. One author notes, “This should be a terror to the wicked, to think that whatsoever they do, they do it in the sight of him that shall judge them, and call them to a strict account for every thought conceived against his majesty; and therefore it should make them afraid to sin; because that when they burn with lust, and toil with hatred, when they scorn the just and wrong the innocent, they do all this not only . . . within the compass of God’s sight, but also . . . in the bosom of that Deity, who though he suffered them for a time to run on, . . . yet he will find them out at the last, and then cut them off and destroy them.” Perhaps, we can identify just slightly with this in our world today with the prevalence of security cameras capturing our every move. It may have easy for the Boston Marathon bombers to ignore the fact that their every move was being recorded as they prepared for their heinous crime, but when the remaining bomber stands before the judge, the evidence against them will be displayed. However, the knowledge of our God is so much greater than even the greatest security camera because it sees the content of our hearts. God sees your motives and your attitudes even when you can dress yourself up for Sunday morning, and whether or any of the rest of knows is irrelevant when the judge of all the world sees and takes note.

In addition to being omniscient, God is a omnipotent. God will one day flex his omnipotent muscles against the wicked in defiance of their pride and oppression. When he does things will not go well for the wicked as God will break their power (their arms) and call their wickedness to account. Calvin notes this not “simply a prayer; it may also be regarded as a prophecy.” He summarizes what David is saying this way, “Lord, as soon as it shall seem good to thee to break the arm of the wicked, thou wilt destroy him in a moment, and bring to nought his powerful and violent efforts in the work of doing mischief. . . God can promptly and effectually remedy this evil whenever he pleases.” God will win in the end even when it seems he is ignoring the present. Which brings us to the next characteristic of God.

Thirdly, God is sovereign. We see this in v16 where the Psalmist notes that Yahweh is king forever and ever. Not just king yesterday, or today, or tomorrow, but forever ever, Calvin says, “this shows how absurd it is to think to shut him up within the narrow limits of time. . . . But we ought to entertain more exalted and honorable conceptions of our heavenly King; for although he does not immediately execute his judgments, yet he has always the full and the perfect power of doing so. In short, he reigns, not for himself in particular; it is for us that he reigns for ever and ever. As this, then, is the duration of his reign, it follows that a long delay cannot hinder him from stretching forth his hand in due season to succor his people, even when they are, as it were, dead, or in a condition which, to the eye of sense and reason, is hopeless.” God is king forever and ever; therefore, God is judge forever and ever. Therefore, the wicked will never completely get away with their wickedness. Remember God sees, God breaks their power, and God will judge them in the end. They will get what they deserve.

God is omniscient, God is omnipotent, God is sovereign, and finally, God is good. I think that this point is basically a summary of all of the points about God, but it shows them in a loving context. Perhaps our only response to an omniscient, omnipotent, sovereign God would be fear, but a God who is all this and good means he cares about the helpless. So this means that in his omniscience, he not only sees, but he takes what he knows into his hands (v14); in his omnipotence he not only breaks the arm of the wicked, but is a helper to the fatherless (v14); and in his sovereignty, he not only judges the wicked, but he also does justice to the oppressed. Stephen Charnock talks of God’s goodness in these verses in this way, “Now what greater comfort is there than this, that there is one presides in the world who is so wise he cannot be mistaken, so faithful he cannot deceive, so pitiful he cannot neglect his people, and so powerful that he can make stones even to be turned into break if he please! . . . God doth not govern then world only by his will as an absolute monarch, but by his wisdom and goodness as a tender father. It is not his greatest pleasure to show his sovereign power, or his inconceivable wisdom, but his immense goodness, to which he makes the other attributes subservient.

There are two possible responses to all of this that I have already referenced, fear and rest, and there are two possible recipients of this message, the wicked and the righteous. Let me address both of you.

First, if you are wicked your only option as a response is fear. You must fear God. Fear for you life and your eternity. Here are the facts of the matter, no matter who you are in this room, you are the wicked (Paul already through you all under the bus when he quoted this Psalm in Rom 3). You know it too; I am not giving you any news. You know the pride of your heart, the wickedness of your speech, the oppression of your actions. You know that you are guilty, and God has all his omniscience recording your actions and motives like a security camera as evidence against you on the day of judgment. You haven’t got a chance. So why are you still alive? Don’t you know that this is the mercy of God? God has allowed you to live up until this very moment to give you the chance to repent of the wickedness that you are and have done and turn to him for help. You have no where else to turn, you can’t do enough right to fix all this. Conrad Mbewe gave the example of someone who runs a red light. He notes that you cannot only go through green lights often enough to make up for that one red light. If the police pull you over, you are guilty, dead to rights, and to make things worse, as sovereign God must judge and your sin must be punished.

But there is good news. Jesus was punished for you. God made him to be wickedness for you so that if you will turn from your sinful condition, there is Jesus’ righteousness to replace your wickedness. Then you will never fear the condemnation of the omniscient, omnipotent, righteous judge who reigns forever and ever. You can be right with God.

But perhaps many of you have already accepted this righteousness for yourselves and stand right with God. What should be your response? I believe you should both fear and rest. First, you must fear, not your own condemnation, but the condemnation of those around you. Paul writes in 2 Cor 5:11, “Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.” Recognize that sin will be punished and beg people to be reconciled to God. Also fear for your own spiritual well-being. While you can never be condemned, you must still fear the judge of the universe who declared you righteous before him and if you will live in the sinful motivations of your flesh, fear the consequences of that sin.

Second, you must rest. Rest in the omniscient, omnipotent, sovereign, goodness of God. When you want to ask where God is, or why he doesn’t see, rest! When you see the wickedness of the wicked compounding, rest! When you wonder at the oppression you and other face, rest! God sees, God is more powerful, God is the forever judge. He can be trusted because of his eternal goodness. Rest in him!

God vs Nations

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Life gave David many opportunities to trust God. Perhaps you think back to his times in the field with the sheep when he was called upon to defend them against a lion and a bear. Later, he faced the 9+ foot Goliath, was chased by Saul throughout the Judean wilderness, and was forced to deal with the death of his best friend. Later yet, he became the king of God’s people, dealt with immorality in his own life and the lives of his kids, and faced a rebellion led by his own son. Certainly, David (who is called a man after God’s own heart by Stephen in Acts 7 by the way) faced many difficulties and circumstances that would require him to trust God. And David voices in this Psalm his recognition of his need for God. Even when the enemies turn their backs and stumble as is mentioned in v3, David “acted wisely . . . when he lifted up the eyes of his mind to God, in order to perceive that victory flowed to him from no other source than from the secret and incomprehensible aid of God.” (John Calvin)

Whether you realize it or not, you also face many circumstances that require you to trust God. I can’t speak to your personal situations, but I can give many examples from my own life where I have struggled to trust God and that I continue to see the need for complete reliance on him.

For me, sports always creates a need to trust God because I am messed-up enough to think that my worth or identity is determined by whether or not my sports teams win. Just recently the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team was down three games to one in their best of seven series against the Detroit Red Wings, and I was constantly fighting the thoughts that crept into my head about how embarrassing this would be if they lost since they had the best record in the regular season, or how they needed to prove how much better they are than the Red Wings. I know; it’s messed up, but it’s what I fight.

Another area where I need to trust God is my finances. Now you might be thinking it’s because I am struggling to get my on a meager associate pastor’s salary, but that is not the case. I have far more than I need, and sometimes I think I still need more. I have to fight the nagging notion that I will be satisfied if I just had a bigger house, a nicer car, or just more stuff in general. I struggle to live in the contentment that Paul voiced in Phil 4:11-13.

Yet another area where I often fail to trust God is in my thoughts about all of you. I stand up here in front of you all, wondering what all of you are thinking, wondering if you are judging me or looking for a way to magnify my trip-ups. I wonder if people like to listen to me preach or are learning anything. I need to trust God and his Word, preach as accurately as I possibly can, and leave the rest to God.

I could spend all day rehearsing my lack of trust, but you didn’t come to hear about all that . . . I don’t think. The truth is that I don’t mention these things to get pity from you or to have you reaffirm me in any way. I am just voicing my struggles; this is who I am. I don’t trust God enough.

Whether or not you can identify with my individual struggles does not really matter, because I know you struggle with the same basic thing. This is a human nature problem. We don’t trust God like we know we should, and when we don’t trust God like we should (which is a sin in itself), we become susceptible to further sin and despair.

I feel like I also need to make one more point on this. Perhaps this is an issue that you will try to excuse as a problem everyone has so it isn’t that bad. Let me take a moment and address this common and sad problem with Christianity, maybe particularly American Christianity. If you are willing to say that any particular sin you struggle with or are living in is not a big deal, you have a drastically misshapen view of the gospel and sin. Let me remind you that Jesus had to die for all of your sin. Paul reminds us in 2 Cor 5:21 that God made Jesus to be sin for you. If I understand that correctly, that means that Jesus was made to be pride, selfishness, lying, lust, and failure to trust God for you. For you to diminish any sin in your life as unimportant is to diminish the sacrifice and propitiation of Christ, and I question the salvation of anyone who fails to repent of any sin in their lives no matter how small.

That said, I borrow the words of W. Graham Scroggie to emphasize my point, “The people of God must firmly believe what this Psalm teaches, namely, that God is Sovereign and will vindicate [that] fact in the world by the defeat of his enemies.”

Psalm 9 draws a contrast for us. A contrast between God and the nations or peoples (they are also called David’s enemies at one point). I believe all these of terms are synonymous in this Psalm as representative of an anti-God worldview that has pervaded nearly every society since the dawn of Creation, what Scroggie calls “a conflict between good and evil that is being waged all the time.” From this we can understand that God is always against those who make themselves to be enemies of him and his people; that is he considers them his enemies.

Specifically, Psalm 9 draws out three contrasts between God and the nations that vindicate God’s sovereignty in this world and drive us to trust him regardless of the circumstances.

God’s eternal throne contrasts with the utter destruction of the nations – God is sovereign.

The first contrast is that of God’s eternal throne contrasting with the utter destruction of the nations. This emphasizes that God is sovereign. This concept of the throne of God and God’s being enthroned is a concept repeated several times in this Psalm. In v4 God sits on the throne, in v7 he is enthroned with an established throne, in v8 God judges (related to his throne), in v11 he sits enthroned, in v16 again we see the judgment as well as in v19. But I think the contrast is seen most pointedly in v5-7, where David says, “You [God] have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever”; then “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice.” V6 creates some slight problems as the ESV and NIV (at least) interpret the verse with the idea that God is doing the destroying and rooting out of the cities and memory of the enemies, while the KJV and NKJV see the idea that the enemy is doing that destroying and rooting out of cities and memories. I have very little in the way of Hebrew knowledge so I am in no position to make a judgment other than I like the flow of the ESV/NIV translation. Although even having said so, perhaps the KJV/NKJV reading draws the sharper contrast. However, neither interpretation does anything to diminish the point especially with the verse sandwiched between v5-7, the contrast is great between the unsureness of the enemies’ ultimate existence and the established forever throne of God.

Speaking of forever, we must consider this length of time that God sits enthroned. Calvin notes that this means “however high the violence of men may be carried, and although their fury may burst forth without measure, the can never drag God from his seat.” Also, “it is impossible for God to abdicate the office and authority of judge” because that throne has been prepared or established for judgment. So there is nothing that mere men can do in relation to the sovereign rulership of God’s throne other than submit; this concept makes us aware that God is in charge, and it emphasizes also that we can/should trust him.

God’s righteous judgment contrasts with oppression of the nations – God is just.

I think that it is important to note how these contrasts build on each other. When we see God’s eternal throne emphasizing his sovereignty first, it naturally flows in to the idea of judgment. As you will notice in the Psalm itself, the transition between eternal throne and just judgment is seamless in v7-8, and we naturally think of those who are enthroned to have the authority to judge matters leading us to our second contrast that God’s righteous judgment contrasts with the oppression of the nations. This emphasizes that God is just.

This Psalm talks much of the oppressed, needy, and afflicted. We see them mentioned in v9, v12, v13 (speaking of David himself), and v18. Based on the message of the Psalm, C John Collins believes we can blame the oppression, neediness, and affliction on the nations and enemies of God’s people when he says, “This psalm grew out of an occasion in which the Gentile rulers sought to oppress them.” And several commentators pointed out the fact that the oppressed in this Psalm have a close connection to God himself as the people of God. So we see the contrast/conflict between God and the nations further emphasized here not only in the language of the Psalm but the concept of oppression vs justice.

Now we need to consider this idea of justice as it applies to life in general because we might read a passage like this one and consider the realities of life and determine that things don’t match up. Does this justice of God mean that God’s people will live lives free of injustice from the enemies of God? That was a rhetorical question of course, because reality tells us that justice isn’t always served and often the recipients of injustice are God’s own people. Just this week I read the story of Stephen in Acts 7; consider the way the Jewish religious leaders treated Stephen and not because of anything he had done but only because their consciences were confronted with the truth of their sinful condition. Stephen isn’t the only example of injustice suffered at the hands of those seeking to thwart God’s plan in this world. So what do we do with these facts?

I believe that to understand this concept of justice we must establish two facts. First, justice isn’t always what we think it is. For example in v4 David mentions that God maintained my just cause. According to C. John Collins, “When an Israelite sings of his just cause (v. 4), he should think beyond the simple right to live unmolested by foreigners, to the very purpose of the call of Israel, namely, to be a light to the Gentiles through living faithfully in the covenant (cf. v. 11).” So this isn’t just about having life without interference from those who have an opposing world view, but rather, it is also tied to what God wants me to do in this world. Collins points out the telling of God’s deeds in v11, but even Paul echoes this concept in 1 Tim 2, when we pray for those in authority so that we might live a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. But this peaceful and quiet life isn’t merely for our enjoyment; Paul goes on to say, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Our peaceful and quiet life ought to give us opportunity to share the gospel unmolested from those who oppose our worldview.

But what about when even that isn’t the case; what if the enemy is so against us that they are able to eliminate the peaceful and quiet life as well? What do we do when it seems our just cause is not being maintained? This brings us to the second fact, justice doesn’t always occur when and how we want it to. I believe John Calvin provides us with some sound insight in this regard. He says this, “The true doctrine on this subject is . . . to place [God] on the throne of power and equity, so that we may be fully persuaded, that although he does not immediately [help] those who are unrighteously oppressed, yet there is not a moment in which he ceases to take a deep interest in them. And when he seems for a time to take no notice of things, the conclusion to which we should come most assuredly is, not that he deserts his office, but that he wishes hereby to exercise the patience of his people, and that, therefore, we should wait the issue in patience, and with tranquility of mind.”

With this in mind, we can trust God. If God’s Word is true (and it is) and if God is on the throne (and he is), then he must be a just judge and he must see the oppression and affliction that we bear. He sees our need and he will help us (according to Calvin, “in order at length to [help us] at a more convenient season, according to the greatness of [our] necessity and affliction.”

God’s delivering refuge contrasts with the self-destruction of the nations – God is a stronghold.

So if God is sovereign and therefore judge, he must be a stronghold, a refuge to run to when we facing the difficulty of our own lives, which brings us to the third contrast, that God’s delivering refuge contrasts with the self-destruction of the nations. This emphasizes that God is a stronghold.

This idea of stronghold (it’s the same word twice in v9, by the way) points to a high refuge. Spurgeon used this colorful language to describe it for us, “He is a high tower so impregnable that the hosts of hell cannot carry it by storm, and from its lofty heights faith looks down with scorn upon her enemies.” Scroggie adds, “He is your protection from the precipice [in the extremity of trouble in which all hope of deliverance is cut off].” This greatly contrasts with the self-destruction that the nations bring upon themselves talked about in v15-16.

Can we not attest to many instances in history when these facts that David relates here have come to pass? The wonder in all of it is seen in the phrase that fits between the repetition of the idea that they are caught in their own trap; that is that the Lord has made himself known in this execution of judgment. To this fact Calvin observes, “Whenever God turns back upon themselves whatever schemes of mischief they devise, David declares that in this case the divine judgment is so evident, that what happens can be ascribed neither to nature nor to fortune.” So it is God who brings these things back upon the heads of those who have contrived them, and this to Calvin is sure evidence of divine intervention.

So if we can remember stories like those of Haman in the book of Esther, or, as pointed out by Barton Bouchier the use of the guillotine on those who murdered Marie Antoinette, we can see the hand of justice from an incensed God against the work of oppression. Should this not drive us to trust him? Every time we see these evidences our faith should be affirmed and strengthened.

So what does this faith look, is there anything a bit more practical I can do that “merely” trust, or will this trust become evident in some way? Let us remember that in Scripture faith always results in action, and in Psalm 9 the action that results is obvious to us.

First, we will praise him both individually and corporately. That is how David starts off this Psalm with words of praise from his “whole heart” in contrast with those who offer mere lip service. When we are trusting God in ever circumstance of our lives we will be glad and exult in God for the work he has done and the confidence we can have that he will continue to work because he is the eternally enthroned sovereign of the universe.

Secondly, we will seek him. V10 reminds us that those who know him will trust him because he doesn’t forsake the ones who seek him. So seek him to know him and you will know why you trust him. As you get to know God more, you will see how trustworthy he is and this will serve to strengthen your faith in the future.

Third, we will ask for his help. Those who trust God never forget that they need him. David prays for grace for himself and judgment for his foes. God must help me by lifting me up from the gates of death so I can stand in Zion’s gates. God must judge my enemies so they are reminded that they are mere men and must fear God.

This is a transcript of a sermon preached June 2, 2013 at Trinity Baptist Church, Fond du Lac, WI. You can listen to the audio here

God’s Majesty, Man’s Glory

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Have you ever heard someone praise another person, but the praise was completely over the top? If you ever want to here over the top anything, just listen to political or sports pundits. Nearly every one of these people make so many hyperbolic statements, it will make you sick. Trust me, things are never as bad or as good as these media pundits make it out to be.

That said, one particular political pundit has made a name for himself in the past few years concerning over the top praise, and that is Chris Matthews of MSNBC in his over the top praise of President Obama. Whether or not you share Matthews’s positive take on President Obama does not diminish the over the top nature of his praise. Examples of this abound, like when he compared President Obama’s second inaugural address to Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address and Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. “Matthews [also] praised [President] Obama for ‘rescuing’ the auto industry with the auto bailouts. . . . [and] The MSNBC host said [President] Obama did an ‘exemplary’ job in his response to Hurricane Sandy. In fact, Matthews said he ‘perfectly displayed bipartisan cooperation’ in the wake of Sandy.”

Now, I am not in the place to judge or publicly denigrate the President’s job in these areas, but when a pundit is making comparisons to one of our nation’s most famous speeches or using words like “rescue,” “exemplary,” and “perfectly,” I believe it is safe to say that Matthew’s praise is over the top.

Some may read the first part of Psalm 8 where God’s name is described as magnificent, illustrious, or glorious and think that this praise is a bit over the top. They may think of David as no more than a media personality over-hyping some story or personality. The truth, however, is that rather than being an overstatement of God’s majesty, this passage is an understatement. John Calvin says it this way, “David, by this exclamation, acknowledges himself unequal to the task of recounting [God’s wonderful works]. David, therefore, when reflecting on the incomprehensible goodness which God has been graciously pleased to bestow on the human race, and feeling all his thoughts and senses swallowed up, and overwhelmed in the contemplation, exclaims that it is a subject worthy of admiration, because it cannot be set forth in words.” In other words, David is only responding to all that he could say that is true of God.

God is deserving of praise, but that is not all. He is also worthy of our submission. Notice how David begins this exclamation of God’s goodness, he address “Lord, our Lord.” You may think that this is David being repetitive, but these are two different words that are both translated Lord. Pastor Leeds has pointed out to you before that English Bible translators have adopted the policy of using all caps when translating the name for God, Yahweh, while they will use lowercase to translate the word Adonai, or master. So David is saying, “Yahweh, our master, how majestic is your name in all the earth.”

There is significance in this statement. These two identifications of God are important because the first tells us God’s name. While the word general word for god could be used to refer to any god in the Old Testament (it is used to refer to Yahweh), when the Old Testament authors want to clarify who exactly the only God is they use His name, Yahweh. This is what the children of Israel called out at Carmel when God sent fire to burn up Elijah’s sacrifice in 1 Kings 18. Most of our English translations quote them as saying, “The Lord, He is God,” but they are saying, “Yahweh, He is God,” in contrast to Baal being god.

The title of master is also significant because it recognizes the required submission that must be displayed by humanity because Yahweh is Creator. Our proper response to this realization is to recognize his lordship over our lives. But there is one problem with both of these significances. In our fallen state we often make ourselves out to be god of our lives rather than worshipping and submitting to Yahweh as the only deserving master of our lives/agendas. However, I believe that David is calling us to and aiding us in seeing that we ought to worship and recognize Yahweh as only God and our Master. Psalm 8 reveals two realities that should move us to worship and recognition of Yahweh as only God and our Master.

1. The greatness of God’s majesty is seen in His creative power.

The first reality that should move us to worship and recognition of Yahweh as only God and our Master is the greatness of God’s majesty seen in His creative power. David focuses in the beginning of this Psalm on what God has done in creation, and he does so by emphasizing two particular aspects.

shown in the arrangement of the heavens

First, he recognizes that God’s creative power is shown in God’s arrangement of the heavens. That is, on the astronomical wonders of our universe. David mentions the majesty of God displayed in the heavens twice in the first three verses of the Psalm. In v1 God has set his glory above the heavens illustrating his transcendence, and in v3 David considers the heavens, in particular, the moon and starts that God has set in place.

Isn’t this is appropriate? Alexander Van Humboldt says it best I think when he says, “The mere thought that [the stars] are so far beyond and above everything terrestrial–the feeling, that before them everything earthly so utterly vanishes to nothing–that the single man is so infinitely insignificant in comparison with these worlds strewn over all space–that his destinies, his enjoyments, and sacrifices, to which he attaches such a minute importance–how all these fade like nothing before such immense objects; then that the constellations bind together all the races of man, and the eras of the earth, that they have beheld all that has passed since the beginning of time, and will see all that passes until its end; in thoughts like these I can always lose myself with a silent delight in the view of the starry firmament.” Truly, the vastness of the universe presents to us a small glimpse of the greatness of the majesty of God because all of this, as David mentions, is the work of his fingers, which one commentator points out is a “most elaborate and accurate . . . metaphor from embroiderers, or from them that makes tapestry.” Something that would require great order and arrangement which David also emphasizes in the phrase “set in place.” One author notes that here “the Psalmist seems to have a reference to the very beautiful order by which God has so appropriately distinguished the position of the stars, and daily regulates their course.”

So, look up at the sky and see first and foremost the majestic creative power of our God, who has arrange the heavens in their beauty and regularity as a show of the artistic nature of his embroidery.

established in the mouths of infants

David also recognizes that God’s creative power is shown in God’s use of the mouths of infants to silence his enemies. This is amazing to consider. The remarkable nature of such a statement has led many commentators to search for alternate figurative meanings for this text, but John Calvin would have none of it. He stands adamant that, “the meaning . . . is, that God, in order to commend his providence, has no need of the powerful eloquence of rhetoricians, nor even of distinct and formed language, because the tongues of infants, although they do not as yet speak, are ready and eloquent enough to celebrate it. . . . David, therefore, has the best reason for declaring, that although the tongues of all, who have arrived at the age of manhood, should become silent, the speechless mouth of infants is sufficiently able to celebrate the praise of God. . . . To express the whole in a few words: so early as the generation or birth of man the splendor of Divine Providence is so apparent, that even infants, who hang upon their mothers’ breasts, can bring down to the ground the fury of the enemies of God. Although his enemies may do their utmost, and may even burst with rage a hundred times, it is in vain for them to endeavor to overthrow the strength which manifests itself in the weakness of infancy.”

Wow! Might I just add that we see the enemies of God “[doing] their utmost” and “bursting with rage . . . to overthrow the strength which manifests itself in the weakness of infancy” in abortion? What better illustration is there of the enemies of God raging against the strength of the infant and their own desire to have no God or Master than their destroying of human life before it is even born and can display “the splendor of Divine Providence.” But although they have succeeded in silencing some of those infant tongues which do not yet speak, with each new birth the enemies of God are reminded again of the praise of God.

May we who have arrived at the age of manhood ever join the tongues of those who do not yet speak to celebrate the majestic creative power of God.

2. The kindness of God’s mercy is seen in man’s image-bearing glory.

David doesn’t stop with the creative majesty of God’s power, as he goes on to show a second reality that drives us to worship and recognition of Yahweh as only God and our Master, the kindness of God’s mercy seen in man’s image-bearing glory. When David mentions the arrangement of the heavens in v3 he is moved to question why God would show such mercy to give man glory. Let’s look at both that mercy and that glory

the mercy of remembering frail children of dust

First, God shows his kindness in the mercy of remembering frail children of dust. When David questions why God would think or care for man the terms he uses are not flattering. The first term he uses emphasizes the frailty of man; this emphasizes how relatively weak and slow we are in comparison to the rest of creation. Even the fastest man cannot outrun a cheetah; the strongest man is no match for an elephant, and our most powerful bomb has no comparison to a category EF-5 tornado like the one that swept through Moore, OK earlier this week. The second term, son of man, seems to be a reference to our origin out of dust, not something that makes us particularly worth loving or caring for. Again Calvin notes the reality of how far short of worthiness we fall, “God, with very good reason, might despise them and reckon them of no account if he were to stand upon the consideration of his own greatness or dignity.”

In this we see God’s mercy. While we may think pretty highly of ourselves, we would do better to think in terms that Isaac Watts referred to himself in his hymn “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed,” wondering why God would devote Jesus’ sacred head for such a worm. We have nothing to bring to God that makes us desirable or worthy of his love and affection; rather, we have done much to deserve his wrath and fury, but he has chosen to look in favor upon us in granting that we might bear his image in creation, which is the second illustration of God’s kindness to men, the glory of granting dominion over creation.

the glory of granting dominion over creation

In spite of our frailty and origins from dust, God cared for us in such a way as to create us in his image and be his representative here on earth. Here John Calvin notes, “The Psalmist confirms what he has just now said concerning the infinite goodness of God towards men, in showing himself near to them, and mindful of them. In the first place, he represents them as adorned with so many honors as to render their condition not far inferior to divine and celestial glory. In the second place, he mentions the external dominion and power which they possess over all creatures, from which it appears how high the degree of dignity is to which God hath exalted them.”

Lets consider first how God has adorned us with so many honors as to render our condition not far inferior to divine glory. He does this by making us a little lower than the heavenly beings, and crowning us with glory and honor. I believe this entire section is a direct reference to Gen 1:26-28; here we see the image of God being gracious granted to man. God made man the very pinnacle of creation in granting him to take part in his image. This is what separates us from the beasts and gives us the ability to experience the second benefit that Calvin mentioned,

The external dominion and power which we possess over all creatures. This is where the passage gets particularly interesting because this passage is quoted in two New Testament passages to emphasize the fact that all things are not actually in subjection under the feet, not of man in general, but of Christ in particular. First, in 1 Cor 15:25-28, we are told of Christ that “he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Then Paul goes on to quote Psalm 8 as having said God put all things under his feet. So clearly the reference is to Christ and all his enemies have not been put under his feet, as death has not yet been defeated completely.

The second passage of consequence Heb 2:5-9. In this passage the author references Christ as being made a little lower than the angels to illustrate the humility that Christ pursued in becoming human, and he mentions that at present we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. What are we to make of these Christological references?

These passages bring to light a very important truth that is revealed in these verses. We must understand that this passage must be referring to man’s pre-fall condition in the Garden of Eden. There, man was given all authority and dominion over all the works of God’s hands; all things were put under his feet. But as Rolland McCune reminds us, “Sadly . . . the original dominion mandate was ruined by the fall. This is seen, for instance, when the author of Hebrews says that the eschatological kingdom will be ruled not by angels but by men, supporting this assertion by noting man’s original place in God’s universe. There was nothing created that was not put in subjection to him, the author asserts. However, to this the author adds, “But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.” The fall into sin ruined this original dominion and man awaits the eschaton for the resumption of complete dominion.”

And this resumption of complete dominion is fulfilled ultimately in the rule and reign of Christ in the last days when he will take back the dominion that man has lost, but lest we lose this important point that the author of Hebrews seems to be making throughout his epistle, that dominion still belongs to man. It was lost by the first Adam, but redeemed by the last Adam. Although we do not see the full dominion restored, we see it partially in Christ’s work on the cross and will see it in its finality restored when we rule and reign with him in his kingdom.

In this truth we see the grand magnificence of this passage which not only preaches the greatness and majesty of God, but also the need and provision of the gospel. As one author notes, “Divine design [that is in making man to be crowned with glory and honor and having all things in subjection under his feet] is not frustrated for God himself has become man, and by the incarnation and sacrifice on Calvary that is restored which by the first Adam was lost . . . and some day, in millennial glory, the groaning creation shall sing under the rule of Christ.”

So what difference does all this make to us? Well, first of all let’s remember that the focus of this passage is on God and what he has done (notice the repetition of you focusing on what God has done), and we can’t overstate our praise of God. Our first response ought to be one of praise of God as we have provided opportunity even this morning in the service. Be in awe of God, be in awe of his love, be in awe of his care, and praise him.

Also, let’s remember that because we were made by him, we ought to submit to him. He is the Master and God, so he makes the rules. We have no right to our lives and to decide what to do. We aren’t in charge; God is. So instead of submitting to what you want to submit to, things like money, sports, pleasure, or your cell phone, submit to God and experience his freedom.

Finally, remember that the plan of God is not thwarted. If he can still the enemy and avenger with the mouth of infants and restore the wreckage of sin-cursed humanity, then he is worthy to be trusted and depended on. He is worthy of us to declare as Yahweh, our Master, the one whose name is majestic in all the earth!

This is a transcript of a sermon preached May 26, 2013 at Trinity Baptist Church, Fond du Lac, WI. You can listen to the audio here

The Reason for OT Sacrifices

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Sorry for the long delay in getting a post up. At one point I was at a loss for words, then I was just lazy. This is the content that I used for our Good Friday service on Sunday morning at church:

God set the precedent. Adam and Eve had tried to sew fig leaves together for clothes, but God did one better. He made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. He killed an animal to cover their shame and nakedness. The animal didn’t do anything, but it died for Adam’s benefit. What followed were generations of animal sacrifices, usually from the flock. From Adam and Eve’s second son Abel to Noah after the flood. Abraham seemed to understand the gist of Heb 10 for he was prepared to willingly offer a human sacrifice, but God stopped him and again substituted an animal. Abraham passed the tradition on to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, then Jacob to all his children.

Then God set the standard. He regulated the sacrifices. For every sin or reminder of sin there was a sacrifice. It was always an animal. There were morning and evening sacrifices; there were holidays with annual sacrifices. There seemed to be no end, especially when God got a permanent building and the scale and ceremony of everything was amped up. Day after day, year after year. At one point the temple was destroyed, but they rebuilt it and it all started again; day after day, year after year. Why?

Why would God first exemplify then mandate the sacrifice of animals for humans? Wasn’t enough, enough? Think of all the animals (probably millions); think of all the blood. Why couldn’t God be appeased? Heb 10 tells us. The sacrifices were a reminder of the fact that sin had not been taken care of yet. The animal sacrifices just weren’t cutting it. So what would? The writer of Hebrews gives us a hint when he says that when Jesus came God prepared for him a body. You see the sacrifice had to be human. It couldn’t be an animal because animals hadn’t sinned. It was man’s sin that had brought death (Rom 5:12); therefore, it would have to be a man who paid the price, but a problem still existed though, because it couldn’t be just any man who would die. No, it had to be a perfect man. That is why neither Isaac nor anyone else who preceded or followed him wasn’t good enough. Now where to find a perfect man. Again the author of Hebrews assists us. It would have to be someone who could sit down at the right hand of God; in other words, it would have to be God himself. So if the sacrifice had to be a man, and had to be God, it would appear that we need a God-man. God had this under control too.

God’s spirit entered the womb of Mary a virgin and conceived in her a son. Because he was conceived of God’s Spirit he would be 100% God, and because he was conceived in Mary, he would be 100% man. Because he was not conceived by a man, he would not have the sin nature passed on to him; therefore, God had created the perfect God-man to take the penalty and end the animal slaughter of centuries. His name was Jesus. He grew just like everyone else, but when he became a man he preached and taught for three years before he irritated the religious status quo badly enough to move them to want to kill him. They had him illegally tried; they had him illegally judged. They beat him and then asked the Romans to kill him for them. He suffered more and worse than any animal had before and than all the animals combined. He carried the weight of our sin upon himself receiving our whipping, thorns, and mocking; carrying our cross and receiving our nails through his hands and feet. He suffered for the better part of a day and when he was good and ready, he died.

And then the writer of Hebrews tells us the best part of it all; you see after he died, he sat down. That’s right, while on the cross he said, It is finished, and then he sat down. The sacrifices were over. His was once and for all. No one would ever need to sacrifice anything ever again, for the work of this lamb had taken care of it all. You couldn’t do enough to pay for your own sin, and you don’t need to. Jesus took it all for you on that cross, and not just the sins you committed before, but the sins to come as well. He took it all. For you.

Praying in the Holy Spirit

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Last week, I wrote about how we misuse the spiritual experiences in our lives when we make them normative for others in their spiritual experiences. I referenced a sermon where a preacher determined to preach on Jude 20 and prayer in the Holy Spirit. The preacher not only implied that his far-out spiritual experiences should be considered normative, but he also did a horrendous job dealing with prayer in the Holy Spirit. Although his main purpose seemed to be to prove why we need to pray in the Holy Spirit (and he didn’t do a great job with that), I believe he wasted an opportunity to instruct on what praying the Holy Spirit really means, and how we do that.

Now, if I were to preach on praying in the Holy Spirit, I am pretty sure that Jude 20 would be the last passage I would go to because it offers me nothing to preach an expository sermon on prayer in the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t explain why we should pray in the Holy Spirit, nor does it explain how we should pray in the Holy Spirit. I would use Romans 8:18-27 instead because I believe that passage explains enough to completely change the way we think about prayer especially in relation to the Spirit. The real beauty of the passage though is that it explains everything we need to know about prayer in the Holy Spirit, both the why and the how.

Our first truth concerns why we need to pray in the Spirit: Sin causes suffering and weakness in us.

Paul spends the first eight verses explaining the role of suffering in this world and how it doesn’t compare to the glory of eternity that awaits those who have been justified in Christ Jesus. He explains that what we are all waiting for is the consummation of our adoption as sons when all things will be made new. Even creation itself is groaning under the curse of sin just as we are. All of the suffering in this world is making obvious to us our need of redemption and reconciliation. We are in major need of help, and v26 clearly delineates where that help comes from, the Spirit. The reason we must pray in the Holy Spirit is because the Spirit helps our weaknesses and intercedes for us according to God’s will. This leads us to our second truth, how to pray in the Spirit . . .

The prayer of believers is always prayer in the Holy Spirit.

The only way to pray in the Holy Spirit is to pray. It’s really that simple. Pray and trust that the Spirit is interceding for you according to will of God. There are not some magical words to say or some extra-diligent focus needed to pray in the Holy Spirit; the only thing that is required that is missing in most of our lives is the praying. If we have been justified apart from our own goodness, why do we think that we must pray in some “super-spiritual” way in order to be heard. I suffer from this way of thinking all the time. Every day in my classes at school I ask a student to pray for our day and any requests. As they pray I often consider their prayers to be half-hearted sounding and insincere. Now some of them may not be saved so I my expectations should be low, but I also need to realize that there is nothing that any student in my classroom can do to make their prayers more acceptable to God. It is Jesus Christ’s righteousness that makes anything we do acceptable to God including our prayers, and because believers already have the Spirit living inside them, they will always have their prayers heard, and they will always be praying in the Spirit. It is the believer’s default praying mode.

If your prayer life suffers because you are constantly worrying about saying the right words or “meaning it,” stop doubting; start trusting, and pray. The Spirit is interceding for you, Jesus’ righteousness is pleading for you, and that is all you need. So start praying in the Spirit. . . . why not right now?

Are Spiritual Experiences Normative?

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I recently had the opportunity to visit Northland for their Heart Conference, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The preaching was, for the most part, excellent, and I was encouraged through both the Word and Christian fellowship. There was one sermon; however, that was extremely frustrating to listen to for a couple of reasons (you can listen to it here if you can stomach it). First, the sermon was not expository, which is the only type of sermon I believe is worth listening to. If I wanted to hear motivational speaking or something similar, I would have attended a different conference than Northland’s Heart Conference. Secondly, some of the theology was suspect at best. The preacher made some very good points in his sermon, and most of what he said I would agree with; however, he made two points in particular that I want to address here and then follow-up with a post of what I think he could/should have said.

The points he made are related to a specific problem that I believe is not uncommon in some circles of evangelical Christianity in general and Fundamentalism in particular. At about nine minutes into the sermon he told a story of a time when he was preaching to a bunch of athletic teenagers that were at least implied to be hard-hearted. As he was preaching in the service, about half-way through the message two-thirds of the teenagers “jumped” to their feet and “ran” out of the service. He goes on to blame all of this on “the Holy Spirit [coming] down on an audience,” and asking us to raise our hands if we had experienced something like it. Then about twenty minutes in, he mentions how he has dealt with demon-possessed people and basically claims to have cast out a demon. What is the point of these illustrations? Why give them?

I believe in the Holy Spirit; I believe everything that the preacher spent most of his sermon trying to prove about the personhood of the Spirit. Therefore, I believe that the Spirit works supernaturally and can do things that are beyond our understanding like “coming down” on a service of teenagers, or delivering the demon-possessed. I even believe that for the most part my fundamentalist roots have downplayed the supernatural ability of the Holy Spirit is some fairly egregious ways. That said, I have one major problem with the type of thing that was implied in the use of the aforementioned events as sermon illustrations.

The use of these events as sermon illustrations implies the normalcy of them. I concede that the preacher said that the event at the camp was in “the subjective realm”; however, when he asked us to raise our hands to say whether or not we had experienced something similar, he seemed to imply that this an expected experienced by those who are in ministry. Additionally, he made no effort to indicate that casting out demons was something that doesn’t happen very often or shouldn’t be pursued regularly. I have never been in a situation where I could definitively say that there was demon activity going on; maybe I would know it if I experienced it, but it’s just not something I want to be the judge of. First of all, what if I’m wrong? Secondly, what if Acts 19:13-16 happens to me? Neither of those scenarios sounds appealing to me.

Here is my point. We tend to make our spiritual experiences, especially those that are supernatural, normative, and this is a problem. We basically say that God has to work the same with everyone because this is the way he worked in my situation. We also tend to be minimalists. We conclude that if a particular conference or speaker has impacted in our spiritual lives, we assume everyone will be changed by that same conference or speaker. We assume that the work of God is one-size-fits-all, and it’s not. Just because you were converted through door-to-door evangelism, doesn’t mean it is the only biblical way to handle evangelism. This is even more true in situations as weird as kids jumping out of their chairs during sermons or casting out demons, we must use caution to not give the impression that our spiritual experience is the only way God works. So leave room for God to work, share your testimony when appropriate, and don’t make everyone else feel bad because it didn’t happen the same way with them.

In case you actually listened to sermon, next week I will address what I think it means to pray in the Holy Spirit (hopefully through exposition).

Counseling and the Christian

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I am not sure how this one is going to go over, but if I want to be a great blogger, I have to take risks. Right?

First, watch this: (if the video doesn’t show up refreshing the page may help or you could go here)

Before I begin, let me clarify some things: I know some Christians that have greatly benefited from counseling; therefore, don’t take anything I say here as true in each and every situation. I am confident that there are times when seeing a counselor is the best option for a Christian. Second, I don’t think that premarital counseling is the same as marriage counseling. Pre-marital counseling is an education course in something that (usually) neither participant has experienced, while marriage counseling is attempting to fix problems in a marriage.

The problem I have with this video is not what is said, but what is implied. It seems to infer that we are better off in or seeking counseling. Should I be seeking counseling? Do I have problems if I am not seeking counseling? I would answer both questions with a qualified, no. Rather, I believe that God has given us something better than counseling, the church.

A healthy church will offer the same benefits that counseling attempts to imitate:

The church should be having regular meetings that emphasize the exposition of Scripture and application of it to the believer’s life (1 Tim 4:11-14). Isn’t this what good Christian counseling ought to be doing anyway? I don’t believe that the psychoanalysis of counseling makes the counseling room better than the sanctuary on Sunday morning. If a pastor is faithfully preaching the whole counsel of God, avoiding mere moralism, and applying Scripture to believer’s lives, then anything that could be said in the counseling room will be redundant. In our church I have the opportunity to be counseled by the Word of God twice on Sunday morning, once each on Sunday evening and Wednesday evening, and at least one other day of the week in the form of various Bible Studies I am a part of. Instead of meeting with a counselor once a week or once every two weeks, I am able to receive better counsel much more often.
The church should be a place of close, transparent relationships marked by accountability (Heb 10:24-25). I can hear those who are or have gone to counselors rebutting my previous argument with some statement about the fact that their counselor is the only one they can really open up with. Really? Why? Isn’t the church supposed to be the Body of Christ? Aren’t we supposed to be encouraging one another, helping one another, praying for one another, and holding each other accountable? The only way these goals are to be accomplished is by having the closeness and oneness that the Body of Christ demands. If you have things you can only tell your counselor, then either you or your church has a serious problem (please don’t default the blame to your church).
The church is the dwelling of the Holy Spirit; therefore, God is at work there (1 Cor 3:16-17). I don’t mean to imply by this that the Holy Spirit can’t work through a Christian counselor, but it’s different. If God has ordained His church as the means through which He is working in the world, why won’t we let Him work in us through said vehicle? The great thing about this point is that we have that same Spirit in us; so, as I wrote last week, we can even counsel ourselves after reading the Word for/by ourselves.

You don’t need counseling. You need the faithful exposition of and application of Scripture. If you are getting it at your church, then find one that faithfully exposes the Word of God and benefit from the “pre-counseling” ministry of the local church.

Do I Need Professional Help?

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Sorry this post is a day late, but this weekend we had a bit of a plumbing problem at our house. We started off with a leaky bathtub faucet, and I decided that I, being the man of the house, should try to fix it. Now, I have done some plumbing work before and haven’t had too much difficulty in making most of my projects work. I figured with some diligence I could also make this little project work. We picked up a new faucet at our local big-box hardware store (not what I would recommend) and soon I was hard at work installing the new faucet. However, I soon found out after I had failed twice, sufficiently frustrated my wife by eliminating our bathroom for a full day, and nearly soaked through the ceiling in my living room that installing a bathtub faucet is a job better left to professional plumbers. We were able to get it fixed without much angst on Monday, but it made for a long and frustrating weekend to be sure.

As I thought about this little adventure in home-ownership, I thought that I could probably use this to learn or teach some lesson. Well, here is my attempt at application: Sometimes when we are working at interpreting Scripture we may begin thinking that this is a task best left to “professionals.” We think that we are unable to understand Scripture like our pastor, radio preachers, or seminary professors; however, when we think this way, we have failed to understand two things: 1) Pastors, radio preachers, and seminary professors are merely people who get paid to study Scripture; they may have more tools than you or more experience than you, but they are had to start somewhere. Remember that the men you look up to are experienced because they spent much time studying Scripture, and the only way you will get better is to do the same. 2) Technically, you have all that you need to know Scripture if you are a gospel believer because you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you and enlightening the meaning of Scripture. You don’t have to be a seminary graduate to interpret Scripture (although education can be helpful); you only need to be a Christian (John 16:12-15; 1 Cor 2:9-3:2).

So, the next time you are faced with a passage that seems to require “professional” assistance. Remember that God wants all of us to be students of Scripture and has given us all we need to be able to “do [our] best to present [ourselves] to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15 ESV)

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this post is intended to be detrimental to seminary education, Bible commentaries, or other tools that are needed to do effective Bible study; this post is merely to encourage believers that they have the Holy Spirit who is fully able to help them understand the Word of God

Tim Tebow Angst

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God doesn’t care whether Tim Tebow wins or not, and neither do I. . . . There I said it; now I will prepare for the hate-mail.

I know I am a week late on the Tim Tebow blog post train, but I read this article on Saturday while I listened to the Patriots handing Tim Tebow his head on a platter. The most gut-wrenching line in the article is that 43 percent of people said they believed Tebow’s success could be attributed to divine intervention. As if God cares about football?

Now before you go accusing me of some sort of heresy, let me clarify that I believe in the sovereignty of God and His omnipotence, and I believe He could intervene in a game if He desired. However, I don’t think that football is all that important to Him that He feels the need to intervene in a game merely based on how outspoken a Christian the players are. It’s as if people think that God needs Tim Tebow to win to prove that He is real and that He is God. We all know God doesn’t need that; He has proven existence clear enough in creation (Ps 19:1; Rom 1:18) and in His Word. The problem is that most evangelical Christians have been acting like God will cease to exist if Tim Tebow loses. Yet my Facebook wall the past two weekends has been completely cluttered with emotional responses to the success and failure of Tim Tebow. We seem to have this huge emotional investment in a football player merely because of his faith claims.

I love sports, and sometimes I take my sports too seriously; however, God is continuing to show me that His unfailing love and acceptance of me has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I, my favorite team, or my favorite player wins a game. I believe that God is much more concerned about our attitudes in winning or losing than He is in the outcome of the game. So take heart Tebow-maniacs out there; God is still God, and He always will be. Stop taking your sports and sports heroes so seriously; instead enjoy sports for the diversion that they are, then move on when you expectations aren’t met. Because I can promise you one thing: Sports will always let you down. Trust me, I’m a Cubs fan.

On a completely unrelated note, if you only choose to read one blog in your life, it should be Kevin DeYoung’s. He is smart, balanced, and extremely readable. I commend him to you.

image from TSM Interactive