Song as a War Strategy

Last Sunday we heard a powerful sermon from Pastor Jacob about Jesus – the Supreme Son of God from Colossians 1:15-20. An early insight shared in that sermon was that Colossians 1:15-20 is believed to be one of the oldest hymns we have from the early Church. We see another example of an early hymn like this in Philippians 2:6-11. In the context of orderly worship, Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 14:26, “…When you come together, each one has a hymn…” In a few weeks, we’ll see in Colossians 3 that one of the ways we remember our identity in Christ (3:1, 3) and keep our minds set on things above (3:2) as we await Christ’s return (3:4) is to together “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness to God in your hearts,” (3:16). Notice the refrain here? In all of these verses, Christ’s bride has always been a singing church. Why is that?

Songs certainly weren’t unique to the New Testament. We see many references to songs and their various types sung throughout the Old Testament as well. Take for instance the two Songs of Moses in the Old Testament. One is found in Exodus 15 as a victory song of God, detailing how the LORD overcame Pharaoh’s army by bringing back the parted waters of the Red Sea over top of them. It is bookended by the chorus, “Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea,” (Exodus 15:1, 21). The second song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32 is a song Moses had the people memorize and teach their children. It was meant to serve as a warning and witness for them. It was to be in their hearts as a continual reminder to trust and obey God’s law and good purposes to them as their very life, or receive deadly consequences.  In addition, we’ve seen in Pastor Coty’s Psalms series that there are groupings of Psalms sung for specific purposes within the calendar year. One example are the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) sung as God’s people walked up to Jerusalem each year during the Feast of Tabernacles. Another set of songs are the Hallel songs of praise to the LORD sung at Passover (Psalms 113-118).

Throughout the Bible we see many reasons why God’s chosen and redeemed people have always been a singing people. Singing songs of praise to God about His character and past faithfulness certainly glorifies God. It also pleases Him to see His redeemed children seeing and savoring their almighty God. It serves as a way to verbally cry out and demonstrate His matchless worth (the essence of worship) through belting out who our triune God is and what He has done.

But I want to suggest to you today that singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs both individually (and especially collectively) is a means by which the Spirit enables us to wage spiritual warfare against our threefold enemy: our sinful flesh, the fallen world, and the Satanic powers of darkness. Yes, there are other means for spiritual warfare God has given us. These include regular reading of God’s Word in public gatherings and private settings. It includes private and corporate prayer, memorizing and meditating on God’s Word, regular meeting together for worship and fellowship, the Lord’s Supper and baptism, and fasting, among others. But I want us to briefly ponder in a few passages the purposeful power of singing to God while in the battle.

A classic case of this is in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat of Judah finds the southern kingdom facing the combined forces of a 3 nation army. Feeling fearful and weak, Jehoshaphat wisely calls for all of Judah to fast (2 Chronicles 20:3), and he seeks the Lord in dependence, admitting to God, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you,” (2 Chronicles 20:12). The LORD hears and graciously responds with the familiar answer to “not be afraid…or dismayed” (2 Chronicles 20:15). He then uses words reminding them of past victories He’s won for them. Just as David once had yelled out to Goliath, now the LORD reminds Jehoshaphat and the people, “the battle is not yours but God’s,” (2 Chronicles 20:15).  And similar to Moses’ words to the people trapped at the Red Sea, now God says, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf,” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

The response of the people is elation and boldness and faith and worship. It says, “Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice,” (2 Chronicles 20:18-19). The people rose up early, the King encouraged them to believe the LORD, and then after meeting with the singers something shocking happened. The singers went before the army and began to sing a chorus of praise to Yahweh, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His steadfast love endures forever,” (2 Chronicles 20:21).

Note, the battle lines of the enemy were not weakened, and the circumstances had not changed. The people had simply heard, received, and believed that the LORD was mighty, that He’s with them, and that He’s for them. And they worship! And what’s the result? Verse 22, “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” We see in verse 23 the LORD turned the enemy against themselves. God’s presence turned the sin of fear to bold faith in Him, and used the bold faith as a means to turn their worldly enemies and Satan’s plans for evil to total defeat. The people plundered the spoil of their completely annihilated foe. It took three days to haul off. The valley of enemies that had just evoked fear became after that moment Beracah (the Valley of Blessing).

Two other quick New Testament examples of songs of praise being lifted up in the middle of the battle.

  1. Acts 16 – Paul and Silas went to Philippi and Paul, by God’s power, freed a fortune-telling, slave girl from spiritual possession. In anger, the slave’s owners seized Paul and Silas, raised up a mob, and they ended up being beaten with rods by the authorities. They were then sent to an inner prison and their feet were fastened in stocks. “About midnight,” the text tells us in v. 25, “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,” They were singing in the spiritual battle. Suddenly, an earthquake hit, all the prisoners’ chains were released, but none left. Paul saved the jailer who was about to commit suicide and then the jailer and his entire family received Christ and are baptized. Singing in the midst of the storm was instrumental for both Paul and Silas to keep their focus and perspective on their loving, unchanging, all-powerful God. It also was a means that fallen people around them heard the Gospel, and for more of Satan’s territory to be plundered.

 

  1. Then we see our LORD on His last night. He’d just eaten the Last Supper with His disciples. He’d just washed the feet of His closest friends who would all abandon Him. Jesus was about to break the news of this to His disciples and Peter. He knew, Peter would answer that he’d stay with Jesus till death, but that He’d actually deny three times he even knew Him. Another He knew, had just left the dinner to betray Him. So what does Jesus do as He’s leaving the dinner table, about to have these conversations, with the weight of the world on His shoulders? Matthew’s Gospel tells us as an aside, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Just before Jesus takes the path headed straight towards what He knows is His certain death towards the Mount of Olives, likely on the same trail David took when he was weeping while fleeing from Absalom, He sings! He’s singing to God and then He’s praying to God. He alone took the path and made the decision in that Garden to go forward to the cross. He alone willingly took the path that didn’t lead to God’s encouragement that He’d be with Him, but led to Him becoming sin and the Father’s wrath. But on the way, He sang and then He prayed. And the result of His finished work on the cross and empty tomb was to set up a new kingdom. He defeated sin’s penalty and power over all who would believe in Him. He came to overturn and make right again this fallen world. And He came, and will come again, to finally crush and defeat Satan and his evil forces by fully plundering his kingdom of darkness and bringing people into the light of the kingdom of God!

 

So brother and sisters, in your homes, and as we come together this weekend, recognize one of the means of grace at your disposal – singing songs of praise to our God. When you do, know that it is a means to fight against the war we’re all involved in – against sin, against the fallen world, and against Satan Himself. Remind yourselves in Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs how great our triune God is. How loving our Savior is. Remind yourself how powerful the Spirit of God is within us and of the kingdom in which Christ has made us heirs, ready to fully inherit at His return. Sing with joy in God, knowing that He’s won our victory, He’s with and for us, and He’s using our song as a means through which our enemies camp is plundered.

Praise to the Son in Colossians 1:15–20

Colossians 1:15–20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Why is Jesus worthy of praise? Colossians 1:15–20 counts the ways. These ways can be neatly divided into two broad categories: (1) Jesus’ Supremacy in Creation and (2) Jesus’ Supremacy in Salvation.

Jesus’ Supremacy in Creation

  1. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). The Son of God is the perfect reflection of the unseen God. All his unrivaled beauty, all his radiant glory is displayed perfectly in the Son of God. And God delighted for all his fullness imaged in the Son to dwell in the man Jesus of Nazareth (Colossians 1:19). Thus, he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature (Hebrews 1:3). So when we desire to see and praise the glory of the unseen God who dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16), we look at Jesus of Nazareth, because we behold “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). We praise Jesus because Jesus is God.
  2. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15–17). The uncreated Son of God existed eternally in joyful fellowship with his Father before creation breathed its first breath. He was before all things. The Son of God created all things in concert with the Father and the Holy Spirit. All things were made by him and all things were made through him (John 1:3). The Son of God bears up the universe by the word of his power, keeping it from flying apart (Hebrews 1:3). In him all things hold together. And the Son of God is the goal of all creation. All things were made for him. We praise Jesus because we only exist through him and for him.

 

Jesus’ Supremacy in Salvation

  1. Jesus is the head of the body, the church (Colossians 1:18). Jesus nourishes us in our faith, unites us together in our faith, and grows us in our faith (Colossians 2:19). We praise Jesus because he has united us in him, who is the head, source, and object of our faith.
  2. Jesus is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18). Jesus is the Last Adam who is the beginning of a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus is the firstborn of the dead in that though all died in Adam, Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection so that all in him are made alive (1 Corinthians 15:20–22). While the first Adam was a living being, Jesus, the Last Adam, became a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). In him the old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). We praise Jesus because he makes us new and gives us resurrected life.
  3. Jesus the Son of God reconciled all things, making peace by the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:19–20). Jesus through his death has given us peace with God. Through the cross of Jesus, God reconciled sinful man to him, not counting our trespasses against us (2 Corinthians 5:19). Through the cross of Jesus, God transferred us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13–14). Jesus through his cross has given us peace with one another. He has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, making us one body, killing the hostility (Ephesians 2:14–16). Through the cross of Jesus, God brought all things back under the rightful rule of his Son by disarming all rulers and authorities (Colossians 2:15), and then bestowing on Jesus the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9–11). We praise Jesus because of the cross.

Jesus is worthy of praise because of his supremacy in creation and his supremacy in salvation. Jesus created and Jesus renewed. Thus, Jesus is worthy of praise because in all things, creation and salvation, whether in heaven or on earth he is preeminent (Colossians 1:18). Praise his name.

Thankfulness in Colossians

The book of Colossians reveals that our walk as Christians hinges on our thankfulness to God for what he has done for us in Jesus, what he is doing for us in Jesus, and what he promises to do for us in Jesus. Even so, we might not instinctually connect Colossians to the concept of thankfulness. Rather, Colossians is most well-known, and rightly so, for having some of the most stunning christological language in all of Scripture. I mean, who can keep themselves from being swept up into the mind-boggling wonder of descriptions like this in Colossians 1:15–18,

 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

 

We’re truly breathing the rarefied air of pristine alpine peaks here. But what is Paul’s aim in soaring to these spectacular heights? Well, it is certainly authentic worship on his part, so that would be the ultimate end. But why invite the Colossians into this worship? What gift does Paul seek to impart here? To answer this question, it helps to consider what seemed to be the climate in Colossae.

It seems that some false teaching had recently clouded the Colossians’ view of this christological summit. Given a few of Paul’s commandments, this false teaching was on the order of a strange mix of asceticism, mysticism, and pagan and/or Jewish rituals that all billed themselves as a means to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God. In response, Paul issued instructions such as these:

 

 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath (Colossians 2:16).

Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels (Colossians 2:18).

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? (Colossians 2:20–22).

 

But to all these, Paul says “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 1:23–3:1).

In short, false teaching tempted the Colossians to add to the gospel of Jesus some legalistic measures or practices in order to make themselves worthy of God and to increase their knowledge of God. So that was the situation at Colossae. And, that is why Paul’s entire message to the Colossians from the beginning is this:

Jesus the Son of God, who is your life, is supreme; therefore, just as you received Jesus, so walk in him (Colossians 1:18; 2:6).

So, to return to the top, what is Paul’s aim in highlighting Jesus’ supremacy? Well, according to the message I just articulated, Paul aims to spur the Colossians to right obedience. But we might say, how does Jesus being supreme inspire obedience? How are the two connected? We find the connection in the relative clause, who is your life.

See, essential to Jesus’ preeminence is that he is the first born from the dead (Colossians 1:18). It is through supreme Jesus’ cross and resurrection that sinful man has been reconciled to God (Colossians 1:20). It is through supreme Jesus that the Father qualified sinful man to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12), which is their hope laid up in heaven (Colossians 1:5). It is through supreme Jesus that the Father delivered sinful man from the domain of darkness and transferred him to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). It is through supreme Jesus that sinful man has redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14). And, it is through supreme Jesus that sinful man is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his creator (Colossians 3:10). Jesus is supreme. And, his supremacy, his preeminence, goes hand-in-hand with his redemption of sinful man, whom he makes new and to whom he promises eternal, resurrected life. He is the first born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Paul ascends to such apexes to remind the Colossians that this is their present spiritual condition. Supreme Jesus has made them alive and new, and he is making them alive and new. And because of Supreme Jesus, this is also the Colossians’ future. He will resurrect them alive and new to live with God for all eternity.

What should such a reality inspire in the Colossians? Thankfulness. And here we’ve arrived at the main point of this post. Notably, Paul does something more in Colossians, than he does in any other epistle. What is that? He exhorts his audience to thanksgiving.

 

…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him…giving thanks to the Father…(Colossians 1:9–12).

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6–7)

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15).

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16).

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2).

 

Colossians is a short book. The density of exhortations to thankfulness is impressive and noteworthy. What does this reveal to us? It reveals this: Our walk as Christians hinges on our thankfulness to God for what he has done for us in Jesus, what he is doing for us in Jesus, and what he promises to do for us in Jesus.

Colossians reveals to us that we must stoke the flames of thankfulness in our hearts. To do that, let’s follow Paul. Let’s take his invitation to try as we might to summit the peaks of Jesus’ supremacy. We must be fascinated by and stand in wonder at who Jesus is and what he has done for us. We must see Jesus as supreme. And, when we see him thus, we cannot help but be thankful.

3 Ways to Pray to a Passionless God

One common objection to the doctrine of impassibility which states that God does not suffer or feel the actions of creatures upon himself is that it implies that God’s love for us is inferior in someway. We can be tempted to think that God lacks of passion means he doesn’t care about our circumstance (particularly our suffering), and so it appears that God’s love is cold and distant. This cannot be further from the truth. God being revealed as a God who does not have passion actually means that he cannot love you more than he already does. His care and intention toward you is superior to human care and intention because it does not require a first cause or stimuli. As we heard proclaimed during our time in the book of Mark, God loves you because he loves you and all of his acts toward you are filled with his khesed.

I’ve been encouraged by the response I’ve received since I preached on this topic. The questions, challenges, and conversations have led to deeper study of the doctrine and confirmed my belief that these doctrines matter. I want to continue the dialogue by applying God’s impassibility to our prayer life. How does understanding Yahweh as a passionless God impact our prayer life? If God is impassible why should we pray? And, what is the impact of my prayer on God? So here are 3 ways to pray to a passionless God.

When we follow Gods command to pray we are more able to see him as the infinitely loving God in all of life’s circumstances.

Pray with the knowledge that Christ is your Lord

When we focus on a particular attribute of God whether it is his impassibility or omniscience, we can lose sight of the other things that God has revealed himself to be. God has revealed himself fully in the life of Christ who prayed often to the same Father we have. Christ is not only our model but our Lord who commands that we pray (Matthew 26:41), so we pray to follow the lead of our master who forever lives to intercede for us. We do well to humble ourselves under a God who seeks to serve and build us up through our prayers.

Pray as a means of Gods grace and glory

Imbedded in the question “If God is impassible why should I pray?” is the implication that our prayers are not a result of God’s attributes. This may be easier to see if we replace impassibility with sovereignty. God has revealed himself to be sovereign over all things and this can lead us to ask the same question, “Why pray?” The answer is the same for both questions, our prayers are means of God’s sovereignty and an act of God’s unchanging love toward us. God’s unchanging emotional state is not a reason to pray less but more. We pray for forgiveness knowing that our sins do not change God’s redemption love toward us in Christ, and he is zealous to redeem us as we have seen in the book of Ruth. We pray that God shows his glory through our words and deeds to those arounds us, which he is committed to do. He uses our prayers as a conduit to accomplish his good and perfect will for us. This is an act of his unchanging love for us. Our prayers are the means of grace that he uses because he is impassible not in spite of it.

The Psalmist is praying not to change God but to be changed by God because he knows God loves him despite his circumstance (42:8)

Pray in times of suffering knowing that God loves you

Psalm 42 is great example of how we should pray in light of Gods passionless love for us. The psalmist is in despair and he feels that God has forgotten him. His enemies take note of his condition as well and taunt him. At first glance, knowing that God’s love for him has not changed and cannot increase may not seem to be the best encouragement. We are tempted to think “if this is how God shows his love then no thanks.” This is not the psalmist’s response to his circumstance. Instead he prays for his soul to put its hope in God (Psalm 42:5,11). The psalmist is praying not to change God but to be changed by God because he knows God loves him despite his circumstance (42:8). This is a great example for us because our petitions to God should be informed by who he has revealed himself to be and not simply how we would like him to act on our behalf. This is not to say we should not pray that our suffering be removed—this is a good and worthy petition to God. However, what we ultimately need is to see God for who he is even when we suffer so that our faith In him increases even in our times of suffering. Nothing will separate us from his love, even life’s trials (Romans 8:31-39).

So our prayer life should not be hindered but enhanced by who God has revealed himself to be. He wants us to cast our cares onto him because of his unchanging love for us (1 Peter 5:6-7). When we follow God’s command to pray we are more able to see him as the infinitely loving God in all of life’s circumstances.

 

God Delights to Redeem His People

“Praise our triune God, who delights to redeem us!” That was our service theme last Sunday. Through Jacob’s sermon and our reading of Ruth chapter 3, we saw Boaz’s delight in serving as Ruth’s redeemer – and subsequently recognized the picture of God’s delight in redeeming His people.

We face constant temptations to think differently about God. When we sin, when we fail, when we neglect prayer or Bible reading, we often feel as if God is annoyed with us, frustrated with us, ready to have nothing more to do with us.

But our God is the happy God. Whatever He pleases, He does (Psalm 135:6). He overflows with joy within the Trinity.

God is pleased to spread His joy by redeeming a people for His own possession, who will receive and then display and proclaim His love and mercy, His grace and truth (1 Peter 2:9-10). We His people become His intimate family, sharing in His joy (Psalm 16:11, Matthew 25:21, 1 Peter 1:8-9).

But we all are sinful, are fallen, while God is holy; He is “light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He thus is the God of perfect justice; every sin must be paid for. So if we are to be in His family, there must be a payment for our sins – the redemption price.

So Jesus provides that payment. Indeed, through the sorrow and pain of the cross, Jesus knew the “joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2), the joy of redeeming God’s people for His glory.

Thus, our redemption is God’s work from beginning to end. He delights to accomplish that redemption. He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust, that we are fallen (Psalm 103:14). And so through the Gospel He provides a way for us, sinful as we are, to be His delight. We become like Him in hating sin – we must be holy, for He is holy (Leviticus 11:45). Yet when we commit sin, we come to Him in confession and repentance, relying on Jesus’ sacrifice, knowing that in Him the Father accepts us completely (1 John 1:9-2:2, Romans 8:1).

Reflect on these great truths. Meditate on the God who delights to redeem His people. And – whatever you do, however you fail – know that God delights to redeem you for Himself.

To help you in those reflections and meditations, here are additional Scriptures on this theme. (Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are ESV. Emphasis added.)

  • Micah 7:18-20 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.
  • Jeremiah 32:37-41 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
  • Psalm 35:27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare [shalom] of his servant!”
  • Psalm 147:10-11 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, 11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
  • Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.
  • Isaiah 43:25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
  • Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
  • Psalm 103:13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
  • Psalm 130:7-8 O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.  (NET 7b-8: [He] is more than willing to deliver. 8 He will deliver Israel from all the consequences of their sins.)
  • Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
  • Mark 1:40-42 NET Now a leper came to [Jesus] and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” he said. 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” 42 The leprosy left him at once, and he was clean.

So join the leper in saying to Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean!” He will gladly say to you: “I am willing! Be clean! Welcome to my intimate family!”

The Efficacy of Prayer in Ruth

Have you ever noticed the prayers that the different characters pray in the book of Ruth? In their book, Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth, Peter H.W. Lau and Gregory Goswell point us to John Berquist, who highlights “the efficacy of the many prayers in the book of Ruth.”[1] Specifically, they identify the prayers in Ruth 2:11–12, 2:20; 3:10, 4:11–12, and 4:14–15. They helpfully point out that these prayers help us see that God is providentially working in the background of Ruth’s narrative to bring about his desired end.[2]

Let’s draw from Lau and Goswell while looking at these prayers to see how God answers them.

 

The Prayers in Ruth

Naomi prays in Ruth 1:8–9 that God would show kindness and grant rest to her daughters-in-law:

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

 

In Ruth 2:12, we see Boaz pray that God would reward Ruth for sticking by Naomi and seeking refuge in the Lord:

“The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

 

Naomi prays a blessing over Boaz for having regard for Ruth and for being a means of the Lord’s kindness in Ruth 2:19–20:

And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

 

Boaz prays another blessing over Ruth, once again, for seeking redemption through him, a kinsman redeemer in Ruth 3:10

And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.”

 

The elders and people at the gates of Bethlehem pray in Ruth 4:11–12 that the Lord would bless Ruth in marriage to Boaz with offspring, offspring that would lead to building up the house of Israel, and that Boaz would be renowned.

Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,  and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

 

And finally, the town’s women bless the Lord for what he has done for Naomi, praying that her grandson, Obed, would lead to her complete restoration and redemption in Ruth 4:14–15.

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

 

Prayers Answered

So here we have six prayers. And by the time the book of Ruth comes to a close, we see either explicitly or implicitly that God sovereignly answered each and every one of them. What is noteworthy is how God answers them.

First, after having prayed for the Lord to show kindness and grant rest for Ruth (1:8–9), we see Naomi initiate and orchestrate this very thing. Naomi first recognizes that in Boaz, a kinsman redeemer, God has provided a means of his kindness (Ruth 2:20). Therefore, she seeks rest for Ruth in that kindness by having her go to Boaz and request that he redeem her (Ruth 3:1–5). And, Boaz does. He marries Ruth, and Ruth experiences the kindness and rest of the Lord.

Second, after having prayed that the Lord would bless Ruth for seeking refuge under the wings of the Lord (Ruth 2:12), Boaz as a kinsman redeemer becomes the manifest wings of the Lord under whom Ruth takes refuge (Ruth 3:9).

Third, after praying that the Lord would bless Boaz who took notice of Ruth (Ruth 2:19–20), Naomi formulates a plan by which Ruth works a great kindness to not only her but the elder Boaz as well, who gets to marry the young, worthy Ruth and have children (Ruth 3:10; 4:13).

Fourth, after having prayed that Ruth would be blessed for her selfless kindness (Ruth 3:10), Boaz, once again as a redeemer, becomes a blessing for Ruth by redeeming her in marriage and providing children for her (Ruth 4:13).

Fifth, after all the people at the gates of the town pray for Ruth’s fertility and offspring to build up the house of Israel and the renown of Boaz (4:11–12), we see that through their marriage, Boaz and Ruth do produce offspring. And their offspring leads to the eventual birth of King David. And, the Lord ultimately covenants with David to build a house through him and to establish an everlasting kingdom over which David’s son will reign (Ruth 4:17–22; 2 Samuel 7:11–16). And, David, of course, give rise to Jesus the Messiah. Through Boaz’s offspring, then, an eternal house is built, and Boaz is ever remembered and renowned as not only the ancestor of King David but of the Messiah.

Sixth, after the women pray that Obed would become renown and that he would be a restorer of life for Naomi (Ruth 4:14–15), Obed goes on to become the grandfather of King David from whom the Messiah, Jesus, the one who restores all life, would come.

 

Lesson Learned

What’s the payoff here? Well, what we see is that in the story of Ruth, God delighted to use his people as a means to answer prayers and carry out his sovereign plans. And in Ruth, God often delighted to use the active faith of his people as a means to grant even their own prayer requests. We should be joyfully aware, then, that when we pray for God to advance his kingdom and his gospel, or when we pray for a co-worker, friend, or family member to come to know Christ, or when we pray that a suffering person would feel the comfort of God, the way God often delights to answer these prayers is through his Holy Spirit empowered people. He might even tap you to be the conduit of his grace, kindness, and blessing that answers the very prayer you were praying. Thus, we should pray with an expectation that God will not only work through our prayers, but that he will work through us to perhaps bring about some of the very things we pray. God delights to use the prayers of his people and their faithful actions as a means to carry out his sovereign plans.

 

Conclusion

We should recognize that our faithful praying and our faithful actions are not divorced from the sovereignty of God. Rather, the reality of God’s sovereignty and his delight to use his people as a means to advance his kingdom should bolster our prayer life and bolster our works of faith. Indeed, God has given us the Holy Spirit for this very reason, to carry on the work of Jesus through us. So let’s take our cues from the book of Ruth. Our prayers are effective, and this is by divine design. We should be a people of great faith who recognize that God delights to use us and our prayers for the advance of his glory.

 

[1] Peter H.W. Lau and Gregory Goswell, Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth, NSBT, ed. D. A. Carson (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2016), 15. FN Cf. Berquist 2008: 55.

[2] Lau and Goswell, Unceasing Kindness, 104. Here, Lau and Goswell point us to Gow (2000:176)—M.D. Gow, ‘Ruth’ in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, eds T.D. Alexander and B.S. Rosner (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2000), 176–78.

Ruth’s Faith

[I’ve adapted this devotional from a portion of my sermon that I will preach this Sunday, May 12, 2024, as an encouraging foretaste of what is to come.]

 

At DGCC, we have just begun a sermon series focused on the book of Ruth. When we engage the OT, it is vital for us, the new covenant people of God, to recognize that the OT was written for us (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1–11; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12). So when we see characters in the OT, we should see them in two ways: as examples for us to emulate or not emulate and as pointers to Jesus, who fulfills all the OT. Well, in this short book of Ruth, we get to know two great historical figures that we cannot help but love in Ruth and Boaz. And when we look at Ruth, we see a person of great faith that we would do well to imitate. Let’s consider her faith.

 

The Starting Place and Context of Ruth’s Faith

The starting place of Ruth’s faith is this: she seeks refuge in the Lord, Yahweh (Ruth 1:16; 2:12). Ruth was not of Yahweh’s people. In fact, she was a Moabite, a people who, according to Scripture, were perpetually cursed (Deuteronomy 23:3). However, Ruth in faith forsook her people, forsook her mother and father, forsook her gods, and sought refuge in Yahweh (Ruth 1:15; 2:11–12). Here, Ruth is a great example of faith for us. The starting place for authentic faith is seeking refuge in Yahweh. And as we will see from Ruth, it is in this context—refuge in Yahweh—that we actively exercise our faith in him.

 

Ruth’s Active Faith

It doesn’t take long in the narrative for Ruth to begin to actively exercise her faith in Yahweh, which we see in Ruth 2:2—

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

Let’s make some observations about Ruth’s faith here…

 

Ruth’s Faith Initiates

Ruth’s faith initiates action. Here in verse 2, we first see Ruth’s faith initiates going to glean. We say, how is this an example of Ruth exercising faith in Yahweh? Well, because Yahweh built this provision into his law.

In both Leviticus 19:9–10 and Leviticus 23:22 we read this: 

Leviticus 19:9–10—“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

And

Leviticus 23:22—“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

God has built into his law a means by which the poor—often widows—and sojourners from other nations (à la Ruth the Moabite who has sought refuge in Yahweh) would be able to have food to survive. And Ruth in faith intends to take advantage of this provision. Why? Because Ruth’s faith to glean banks on something. This leads to our second observation of Ruth’s faith.

 

Ruth’s Faith Banks on Yahweh

Ruth’s faith banks on Yahweh and his word. The reason Ruth exercises faith to glean is because her faith rests on Yahweh in whom she has sought refuge. It rests on his character, his promises, and his ability to deliver on those promises. Yahweh has made a provision in his Law (Lev 19:9–10; 23:22), and Ruth’s faith to find refuge in Yahweh now says, “Okay, I have sought refuge in you. Now let me put my faith in you to work because of who you are and what you have said in your Word. Ruth’s faith banks on Yahweh and his word. Because Ruth banks her faith on Yahweh, her faith also takes on another characteristic.

 

Ruth’s Faith Is Bold

Ruth’s faith is bold. How do we come to this conclusion. Well, for one, Ruth is a woman. And for two, she is a Moabite. Both factors work against her in this context. Indeed, we will see Boaz feel the need to command his young men not to touch her, reproach her, or rebuke her (Ruth 2:9, 15–16). And Naomi confirms later that the danger of assault exists (Ruth 2:22). But Ruth, with faith banking on Yahweh, despite inevitable prejudice and inherent risk based on the fact that she is a Moabite woman, boldly goes to glean anyway. This is because Ruth in faith expects something.

 

Ruth’s Faith Looks For and Expects Yahweh’s Grace

Ruth’s faith looks for and expects Yahweh’s grace. You say, “Where do you see grace here.” Look at what Ruth says again in verse 2. She says she will glean “after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” The word for favor in verse 2 is the same Hebrew word for grace. When God gives unmerited grace, we experience it as favor. Ruth’s faith hopes for and anticipates that she will find Yahweh’s grace coming through the farmer or owner of the field she ends up working behind.

 

Ruth’s Faith, an Example for Us

In sum, Ruth’s faith to first seek refuge in Yahweh is, in that context of refuge, an active faith that (1) initiates, (2) banks on Yahweh, (3) is bold, and (4) looks for and expects Yahweh’s grace. Ruth is an example of faith for us. Our faith should move us to always be seeking refuge in Yahweh, and it should be an active faith that initiates action, rests completely on Yahweh and his Word, is bold and risk-taking for his glory, and looks for him to give grace upon grace.

 

Conclusion

As the story goes, Ruth’s active faith ends up being rewarded. Yahweh gives her grace upon grace through her redeemer, Boaz, who prefigures Jesus. Thus, we, with full knowledge and assurance of God’s grace—which is his kindness to redeem us through Jesus—should have an active faith that matches and even surpasses Ruth. Thank God for giving us Ruth as an example to us. But thank God even more for Jesus our redeemer who ensures that our active faith is not in vain.

Reading Ruth Backwards

A Multi-Layered Story of Love That We Love

This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series in the book of Ruth. This is understandably one of the most loved books of the Old Testament simply given its content. It’s a very personal story about a widow, Naomi, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, who through their resourcefulness, initiative, and faith, lean into the promises of Yahweh to redeem and reward his people, which he does in this case through Boaz. We love it because it is a multi-layered love story. It highlights the love between a widowed daughter-in-law and widowed mother-in-law who care for and provide for one another even at great risk to themselves. It highlights the love of a man for a woman, a woman whom the man is willing to risk his economic stability for in order to love her and do right by her and his kin. And, it highlights God’s love for Naomi and Ruth, whom he ultimately redeems and rewards. But we also love it because it fits into the bigger scheme of God’s redemptive narrative.

One grammatical feature stands out from the very beginning of the book of Ruth. The very first word in Ruth is the Hebrew conjunction that we render, “And.” So a literal translation for the first words in Ruth could be “And it was…”. This seems odd. We don’t usually start sentences, let alone entire books with a conjunction because they are meant to connect what follows with what precedes. This suggests, then, that the book of Ruth connects to something preceding it. What is going on? Well, the author of Ruth aims to make abundantly clear that this very personal and intimate narrative fits into the greater scheme of the canon of Scripture. Ruth is meant to be read in light of the whole of God’s grand redemptive narrative. This becomes even more evident when we start considering the book of Ruth by first reading it backwards. Or, rather, reading the end first. To fully appreciate the book of Ruth in all of its beauty and to apply the wisdom therein, we must understand the narrative in light of its ending.

 

Begin at the End

This is how the book of Ruth ends:

 

And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David (Ruth 4:17–22).

 

The book of Ruth ends by highlighting David. Thus, the ending of Ruth makes clear that through Ruth and Boaz, God preserved the line of king David. And in preserving the line of king David, God ultimately preserved the line of the the promised offspring, who would be the Messiah, Jesus. To make himself clear on both counts, the narrator repeats himself. First he notes the words of Naomi’s neighbors that say Obed was the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:17). Then the narrator offers a genealogy using the formula, “these are the generations of…” (4:18–22) which echoes genealogies elsewhere in the OT that highlight God’s covenant faithfulness to preserve the line of his promised offspring of the woman in Genesis 3:15 (Gen 5:1; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:19; 37:2). To fully appreciate the book of Ruth in all of its beauty, we must understand the narrative in light of this end. We must read Ruth backward, starting with the end, then go to the beginning. Indeed, this is how the original audience reading Ruth or hearing Ruth read to them would have interpreted the story.

For the original audience and/or those readers of Ruth in the post-exilic and intertestimental period—those who either experienced firsthand or heard and read about David’s glorious reign—the first few sentences in Ruth would create massive tension:

 

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband (Ruth 1:1–5).

 

Elimelech. Naomi. Ephrathites. Bethlehem. Judah. Ruth. Elimelech dead. Ruth’s husband dead. The ancient, OT-informed reader or hearer of this would immediately know that the line of king David was hanging in the balance. Just as we should read this and immediately know that not only was the line of king David in jeopardy, but the line of the Messiah was in jeopardy. As one reads the story then, one sees that through the very real, practical, innovative, yet covenantally informed faith of normal people (Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz), God worked to preserve the line of David and to preserve the line of Jesus. The riveting story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz’s mutual love and kindness toward one another becomes even more riveting when understood as culminating in God’s redemption of not only Naomi and Ruth, but of humanity.

 

A Glorious Principle

Besides just being a glorious story that points us to Jesus, there is a principle in Ruth for us to draw out. God uses means to carry out his covenant promises. And one of the primary means God uses is his faithful people. Through the man Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the exemplar of our faith, God fulfilled all of promises. And now, through Jesus working in his faithful people, the church, by the Holy Spirit, God continues to fulfill his promises.

 

Conclusion

Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 seems apt here. There Paul prays this:

 

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul prays that every resolve for good birthed in the heart of his people and every work of faith that springs forth from those resolves would be fulfilled for a glorious purpose: that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us and us in him. Our practical, creative faith in action right now proves to be a means by which God continues to work to glorify the name of Jesus in us so that we may be glorified in him. Just as God used the faith of very real people in the book of Ruth to preserve the line of David and ultimately Jesus, God continues to use the faith of his very real people today. Today he works through his people to carry out his plan of redemption through the spreading of the church. Therefore, let us take our cues from the book of Ruth and Paul’s prayer and continue to work by faith knowing that God is glorifying Jesus through us for our ultimate joy in him.

Not One Word

Has anyone told you they would do something – then failed to do it?

We all experience such disappointments time and again. Why?

The person may have lied, making a promise while having no intention of carrying it out.

Or perhaps they were not aware at the time that they could never fulfill the promise. (One of my children, after a discussion at age six of the nature and consequences of sin, stated with wide eyes and complete sincerity, “I will never, ever sin!”)

Alternately, although sincere when stating their intentions, circumstances may have changed:

  • They may change their mind and no longer want to fulfill the promise;
  • They may have forgotten their promise;
  • Or although they remember the promise and want to fulfill it, they may no longer be able to. Perhaps they have lost the money they planned to give you. Or their health has failed so they can’t take you on the promised trip. Or they have died.

Thus, people often fail us. Consequently, we learn to be skeptical about promises others make.

We wrongly also become skeptical about promises God makes.

Scripture gives us plenty of examples of humans failing to live up to their promises – promises made to one another, and promises made to God. But the Bible assures us: God always fulfills every promise.

The book of Joshua underlines this point. The rescued Israelites have promised repeatedly to obey all that God says (Exodus 19:8, 24:3 & 7). Yet they have made and worshiped a golden calf; they have grumbled and complained and have wanted to choose a different leader to bring them back to slavery in Egypt.

What about God? Joshua 21:45 provides a summary:

Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Note that the identical Hebrew root underlies “word,” “promises,” and “made.” We get a taste of the way an ancient Israelite would hear this verse by rendering it: “Not one word of all the good words that Yahweh had worded to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”

Not one! Every word God spoke proved to be true!

And that is still the case. God will fulfill His every promise. For God is not liable to the human weaknesses listed above that lead us to make promises we don’t fulfill. Consider them in turn:

  1. God doesn’t lie.
    1. Numbers 23:19: “God is not man, that he should lie”
    2. 1 Samuel 15:29: “The Glory of Israel will not lie”
    3. 2 Samuel 7:28: “O Lord GOD, you are God, and your words are true”
    4. Titus 1:2: God, who never lies
    5. Hebrews 6:18: It is impossible for God to lie
  2. God doesn’t forget. We often feel as if He does, and Scripture records such feelings among those who are His (see, for example, Lamentations 5:20, Psalm 42:9, Psalm 77:7-9, and Isaiah 49:14). But God tells His people, “You are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me” (Isaiah 44:21). Furthermore, He addresses their doubts directly in Isaiah 49: Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”
  3. God doesn’t change His mind.
    1. Numbers 23:19 again: “God is not … a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
    2. Romans 11:29: The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
  4. Nothing can prevent God from fulfilling His promises
    1. Genesis 18:14: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
    2. Jeremiah 32:27: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”
    3. Job 42:2: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
    4. Luke 1:37: “Nothing will be impossible with God.”
    5. Mark 10:27: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
    6. Mark 14:36 “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.”
  5. Even we cannot prevent God from fulfilling His promises in us and through us

We see this in the Old Testament in the repeated failures of the people of Israel – yet God’s promises still prove true. Not one word of all God’s good words to them fails! We see this similarly in Jesus’ disciples: they fail Him, they desert Him, Peter denies Him – yet He indeed makes them fishers of men, and builds His church through such weak, fallible humans.

 So listen to God’s Words. Every one is true. Every one is sincere. He will fulfill every one.

When you are tempted to think of God as if He were a man, when you are beginning to doubt His promises, reflect on the Scriptures cited above. Consider the context of each. And have confidence: God’s Word is more certain than anything in all creation: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

Two Evils, One Gospel

Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:12–13)

When I read this verse, a story comes to mind.

 

Once about ten years ago, I made a bad decision. I woke up one morning and decided to go for a long distance run. Now keep in mind that I had not been running regularly at all. And even in my more regular running days, distance running was not my specialty. Due to genetics and ultimately God’s sovereign design of my anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, I am what you might call, a sprinter. One hundred meters pushes it distance-wise for me. However, as I began running that morning…I felt good. So I just kept running. And running. And running. And before long, I had gone about twelve miles…in one direction! Having opted for the country roads, I was not around a lot of life…except cows. I was dead. My legs were jelly, and I could feel small twinges in my quads and calves that were the harbingers of painful cramps that were sure to come. And of course, I was, naturally, quite thirsty. However, I had neglected to bring water with me. As I said, this was a bad decision. Added on top of all of this was the fact that I had to figure out how to make it back home. There was really only one option. So I turned around and began the very long, very slow jog/walk/stumble home.

 

As I made my way, it didn’t take long for the blazing Oklahoma summer sun to begin baking me. It got to the point that I had to find water. I was running the risk of succumbing to heat sickness or, worse, heat stroke. Thankfully, it had rained just the night before so there was some rain water in the bar ditch beside the road. I didn’t have to think very hard about whether or not to drink it. I knelt down, soaked my shirt and slaked my thirst with water from the ditch. And ultimately, by God’s grace and a car ride from a stranger (also God’s grace), I made it home. Now where does Jeremiah 2:12–13 come in? Let’s consider it.

 

In Jeremiah 2:12–13, God’s word identifies for us the dual reality of our evil, sinful actions. And according to the LORD, our actions are appalling and shocking to the heavenly realm. Why? Because we, God’s creatures and image bearers, who completely depend upon God for life, have “committed two evils.” We (1) have forsaken God and (2) have hewed out broken cisterns.

 

First, we have turned away from God the source of our life or, as God says, “the fountain of living waters” (2:13). This was our first evil. Second, and on top of that, when we found ourselves dying of thirst, instead of turning back to God we sought out sin and idols in an attempt to satisfy our thirst—in an attempt to find life apart from God, which is impossible. Or, as God says, we “hewed out cisterns for [ourselves], broken cisterns that can hold no water” (2:13). This was our second evil. And this is the natural progression of sin, is it not? We first rebel, turn away from, and forsake God. And then, we find and cling to our favorite idols and sins. And slowly and progressively, we begin to reflect God less and reflect our idols more. Instead of loving God, receiving life from him, and giving life to others, we love our idols, which do not give life but take life. And so we too ultimately take life from others. We become: lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of sexual immorality, lovers of power, prideful, arrogant, angry, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Tim 3:1–5). We become all of this, all because we forsake God our fountain of living water, end up finding ourselves thirsty, and turn to broken cisterns that do not satisfy our thirst or give life. Let’s consider my running story once again to illustrate this.

 

When I found myself fifteen or so miles into my run—feet cooking on hot asphalt, head roasting in the hot Oklahoma sun, body in dire need of water for the sake of my immediate health—if someone would have come and offered me crystal clear, clean, cold, fresh water, it would have been utterly foolish of me to instead choose the ditch water that ran next to the road. To put an even finer point on it, it would have been utterly foolish, indeed insane, of me, upon seeing any available water to choose instead to eat a handful of dirt rather than drink. But this is exactly what we do when we choose idols and sins rather than God who is our fountain of living water—we choose to eat dirt from broken cisterns. This is a testament to our blindness to the worth and value of God and an offense to his goodness. This is evil twice over. And according to Jeremiah 2:13, this is precisely what we have done. But thanks be to God, who does not leave us to our foolish selves.

 

Pastor Wil will expound on this gospel reality more this weekend. But for now, let us whet our appetite for the feast that awaits come Sunday. God in his grace comes to us by his Son in the time of our most dire need when our spiritual dehydration threatens to consume us. And what does his Son say? He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). Jesus offers us living water so that we will never thirst again (John 4:10, 14). Jesus offers us life in God once again through the Holy Spirit if we will but turn from our sins—plug up our broken cisterns that we’ve dug—, come to him in faith, and drink deeply. Let us not reject his offer. For if we drink from his living water now, the gospel promises that we will be sure to drink from it in the new heavens and new earth where the river of life flows freely, unabated by any vestiges of human sinfulness (Revelation 22:1–5). So come. Come and drink. Taste and see that the Lord is good.