The Silent Voice of God

Immediate and mediate general revelation

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. - Psalms 19:1-4 HCSB

King David taught that every human is continuously surrounded with evidence of God’s existence. The universe itself is a billboard proclaiming God’s sovereignty. Though there is no audible speech, nor spoken words, the medium is all the more potent for it. If the message had come in any one language, a particular race or culture could have proclaimed ignorance of that message. Had the information been localized rather than universal, some forgotten tribe in the jungles of Borneo might have been accidentally overlooked.

Paul and Barnabas pled with the Lystrans, urging them to turn to the one true God. They argued that though God had been patient in times past, He had not left Himself without a witness. His many blessings, spread lavishly on both the righteous and the unrighteous,[1] testify to His innate goodness and beneficence.[2]

When God reveals Himself thus in nature, demonstrating His power in creation, and His beneficence in nature’s blessings, we call this “mediate general revelation”. All men are capable of perceiving Hashem’s divine characteristics in nature.[3] However, God also uses “immediate general revelation”, implanting an innate sense of Himself deep within our spirits. This is why God is justifiably angry when humans deliberately suppress both the natural evidence and this implanted enlightenment.[4]

When humans resist this deep-seated urge toward d’vekut,[5] choosing their own ideas of God rather than taking Him as He presents Himself, they begin sliding down a terrible slippery slope. Rejecting God’s enlightenment, they darken their souls and gradually subside into a moral quagmire.[6]

If there is anything to be learned from general revelation, it is that there is no favoritism with God. All those who sinned without special revelation (i.e. knowing the Scriptures) will be judged accordingly. However, even these people reveal their innate knowledge of the holiness of God because the moral law written on their hearts and their own consciences either condemn or excuse them, depending on their obedience.[7]

All this work, all this careful attention to building information in an accessible format for all humans of every culture and language into the very fabric of our natural existence, was done so that we might seek God, and perhaps reach out and find Him. It is a testament that no one is far from Hashem, for in Him we live and move and exist.[8]

[1] Matthew 5:45; Job 9:22
[2] Acts 14:15-17
[3] Psalm 19:2-4; Romans 1:18-21, 25, 28, 32; 2:14-15
[4] Romans 1:18-21
[5] A deep, passionate and intimate spiritual relationship with Yahweh
[6] Romans 1:28-32
[7] Romans 2:11-15
[8] Acts 17:27-28

Nostradamus Stinks

Internal Consistency; Inerrancy - Evidenced in Prophecy

But the prophet who dares to speak in My name a message I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods--that prophet must die.' You may say to yourself, 'How can we recognize a message the LORD has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the LORD's name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. - Deuteronomy 18:20-22 HCSB

Besides his claim to fame as the author of the book of “prophecies” called Centuries, Nostradamus (1503-1566) also claimed to be a physician. He wrote a supposed “translation” of Galen and another book called Traite des fardemens with treatments for the plague. Not one of his prescribed treatments worked.

His prophecies were all paraphrases of other works, with added references to various historical figures and events. He plagiarized the works of Livy, Suetonius, and Plutarch. The only parts of one work that were not word-for-word quotations of Richard Roussat’s Livre de l’estat et mutations des temps were copying errors.

The language he used in his quatrains was so vague, confused and nonsensical that not one has ever been used to accurately predict any event before it actually happened.

In contrast, around 701-681 BC, Isaiah accurately predicted the coming of the Messiah, describing Him as a servant of God who would be a light to the Gentiles and bring justice to the world.[1]

Jesus told us that His words would never be forgotten[2] regardless of what happened to the world. Over 2000 years later, we are still discussing them. He predicted the destruction of the Temple saying that not one stone would be left on another but that every one would be thrown down.[3] He went on to prophesy that all of Jerusalem would be destroyed and its people dispersed throughout the nations.[4] Forty years later, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, killing around 1.5 million Jews. The Temple was set on fire causing the gold-leaf ornamentation to run into all the crevices of the stones. The Romans pried apart every stone trying to get at that gold. Then the surviving Jews were taken as slaves and spread throughout the Roman Empire on every inhabited continent, accurately fulfilling the Lord’s prophecy to the letter.

Daniel also predicted the Lord’s death and the ensuing destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, even predicting which people would bring it about some 600 years before it happened.[5]

Around 750-686 BC, Micah said that Jerusalem would be “plowed like a field.”[6] In AD 135, a Roman officer named Turnus Rufus plowed the area of the Temple.

Literally hundreds of prophecies listing dates, times, places and even names of individuals[7] litter the Holy Scriptures. When comes to predicting the earth’s future, who would you rather listen to? El De’ot[8], God of Knowledge, or a pretender like Nostradamus?

[1] Isaiah 42:1-9
[2] Luke 21:33
[3] Matthew 24:1-2
[4] Luke 21:24
[5] Daniel 9:26
[6] Micah 3:11-12
[7] Isaiah 44:28; 54:1 some 700 years before Cyrus was born
[8] 1 Samuel 2:3

The Decision

Internal consistency and inerrancy – assumed by the Scriptures

Moses came and told the people all the commands of the LORD and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, "We will do everything that the LORD has commanded." And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and 12 pillars for the 12 tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. - Exodus 24:3-4 HCSB

Every human must make a decision concerning the nature of the Scriptures. Like our Master who clearly taught that He was divine,[1] the Scriptures plainly claim to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

Moses told the people that the laws came directly from the Lord[2] and they believed it. Jesus backed Moses’ claim, stating that God spoke directly to Moses[3] and for once even the Pharisees agreed with Him![4] Jesus called the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (all of the Old Testament) Scripture[5] and said that the Scriptures could not fail.[6] Note that our Master never said the scriptures contain the word of God. He said they were the word of God.

Peter later taught that not only Moses but each of the ancient prophets “spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”[7] He then went on elevate Paul’s writings to the same level as the Old Covenant saying “He (meaning Paul) speaks about these things in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”[8]

Paul accepted the authority of what he was divinely inspired to write, instructing the churches to pass his letters around and read them publicly[9] and the early church complied.[10]

We cannot accept this claim of divine inspiration while simultaneously holding that the Bible is characterized by errors. Either we accept the whole, or we reject the whole. Either the Scriptures are divinely inspired and thus infallible (free from error) in their original, or they contain errors and thus surely not inspired by perfect God.

“Thus says the Lord” occurs over 400 times in the Old Covenant. “God said” occurs 42 times in the Old and 4 times in the New. “God spoke” occurs 9 times in the Old and 3 times in the New. The Scriptures plainly teach that the Spirit of the Lord spoke through various prophets.[11] If we believe that God cannot make errors, then we must assume that His words are equally perfect.

To teach that the Scriptures are less than inerrant is to diminish God’s capacity to use humans to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.[12] It is to raise one’s self as judge and jury over the Word of God. We must humbly settle ourselves to the idea of “nothing beyond what is written.”[13]

[1] John 10:30
[2] Exodus 25:1; Leviticus 1:1; Numbers 1:1; Deuteronomy 1:6
[3] Mark 12:26
[4] Matthew 19:4-7; John 9:29
[5] Luke 24:44 cp
[6] Matthew 5:18; 23:53-56; Luke 16:17; John 10:35
[7] 2 Peter 1:21 cp Hebrews 1:1
[8] 2 Peter 3:16
[9] Colossians 4:16
[10] Ignatius [Epistle to the Ephesians, 12], Polycarp [Epistle to the Philippians, 3.11,12], Clement [Epistle to the Corinthians, 1.47]
[11] 2 Samuel 23:2; 1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chronicles 20:14
[12] Romans 12:2
[13] 1 Corinthians 4:6

Watching for Morning

LORD, if You considered sins, Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered. I wait for the LORD; I wait, and put my hope in His word. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning--more than watchmen for the morning. - Psalms 130:3-6 HCSB

A farmer wakes up his son and starts breakfast. As the eggs fry, he turns on the radio to hear the weather for the day and the price of corn. The day ahead will be full of work but he looks forward to the satisfaction that physical labor can bring.

A traveler’s alarm buzzes and he blearily staggers into the shower. After the stinging water washes away the night, he wanders out of the hotel bathroom while brushing his teeth. He hits the TV button on the way by, only half listening to the news while he peers through the curtains at the first glimmers of light. He needs to get his clothes and toiletries packed up quickly. There are a lot of miles to go.

A mother quickly and quietly gets herself ready in the semi darkness of a quiet house. The family dog’s tail thumps the floor as she hears her mistress moving about, knowing that she will soon get to go outside. The washer is emptied into the dryer and the mother begins to set out clothes for her children to wear to school that day. Already she is planning both lunch and supper while a million other things that she must track for her family tick through her mind like the world’s longest chore list.

A criminal sits despondently in his cell, his eyes focused on the small bit of sky his cell’s window provides. As the first rays of dawn creep across the sky, he is both attracted and repelled because they signal his last day on earth. This is the last time he will ever be able to absorb their beauty and his mind drinks in every detail while simultaneously dreading the sound of footsteps outside his door.

Each of these people watch for the morning; some with anticipation; others with fear and dread. Day after day, for thousands of years, God’s people have anticipated each morning, wondering, “Is this perhaps the day? Will the Messiah return today?”

Some consider each day a gift; an opportunity; another chance to worship God through service and hard work. Others dread each day, anticipating only the endless rat race of useless human endeavor.

The key to hope lies in this passage. Those who acknowledge their sinful state and utter helplessness without the forgiveness of God will find hope; not only for the Messiah’s return, but for the beauties and opportunities of each day.

Those who cannot humble themselves enough to acknowledge the truth of their sin’s conviction can only fear the sound of the footsteps of their coming God.[1]

[1] Genesis 3:10

The Temple Within

Though an army deploy against me, my heart is not afraid; though war break out against me, still I am confident. I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the LORD and seeking Him in His temple. For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock. Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the LORD. - Psalms 27:3-6 HCSB

A soldier was captured by the enemy and taken to a POW camp. He was subjected to physical torture and mental abuse. He was left in solitary confinement for months at a time without the release of human contact, even with his captors.

He began reciting Scriptures he had memorized as a child to himself. Then he tried singing all the songs he had ever learned in church. He developed such a strong internal life that he was able to endure horrible conditions that many others did not survive.

We often fail to develop our internal life. We get so focused on the “in your face” externals that sometimes we forget that the possibility of inner spiritual communion is even possible. Many Christians relegate meditation to something only “eastern” religions do, not realizing that Christianity IS an eastern religion.

The temples of Solomon and Herod are gone. The next temple will be built at the behest of the Antichrist. Obviously, we won’t be worshipping there. So the next viable temple will not be available until the Millennium. How do we then apply today’s passage to our lives? How can we desire to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, gazing on His beauty and seeking Him in His temple?

Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?[1] If you have been adopted into God’s family, you have the privilege of possessing an internal temple where you may go and meet with the sovereign Lord of the Universe at any time of your choosing.

Work hard to develop and build that temple. Memorize scriptures, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs[2] so that they will be available to you when the dark days come. Abstain from sin so that your temple will be a fitting place for the Master.

Then go to that sanctuary daily. Set aside time to quietly meditate on the beauty of the Lord. When you do, it will not matter if an army is deployed against you. They may harm your body, but they cannot prevail against your sanctuary.[3]

[1] 1 Corinthians 6:19
[2] Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16
[3] Matthew 16:18

Ordination

The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. - Acts 6:5-6 HCSB

It’s amazing to see how many false assumptions Christians have about the process of ordination, seeing as it’s one of the most basic, elementary teachings of the Bible.[1] Ordination is a symbolic recognition of an individual’s giftedness. It does not convey giftedness but rather acknowledges it. An ordination is an acknowledgement on the part of a congregation that they have seen evidence of God’s calling. It’s a way of affirming the person being ordained in that call.

Notice that I said that the source of the ordination was the congregation. Thousands of websites begin their treatment of the subject with “you need to go to seminary.” This is particularly interesting since that requirement is found nowhere in Scripture. As a matter of fact, seminaries were not invented until the Catholic Church came up with them in the 1600s as part of the Counter Reformation!

Aaron and his sons were ordained as priests.[2] The Levites were ordained to be the servants of God.[3] Seventy elders were ordained to assist Moses in bringing justice to the people.[4] Joshua was commissioned as Moses’ successor.[5] In today’s passage, the First Church of Jerusalem ordained deacons to care for the distribution of their funds and later, ordained their first missionaries.[6] This process of prayerfully selecting individuals based on their character, their relationship with God, their fitness[7] and their calling became standard operating procedure in the early church.[8]

This places both huge authority and an enormous burden of responsibility on the local congregation, not only to ordain but also revoke that ordination if necessary.[9] It is not to be entered into lightly and should be well bathed in prayer. There may be grave consequences if the ordination is based solely on popularity or appearances.[10]

The process of ordination is not merely a delegation of authority. In some very real sense, it unlocks potentiality.[11] No one must be ordained to office until his fitness is surely known. Those who would teach by their doctrine must also teach by their life. He who appoints an unfit man to office becomes in a certain sense responsible for that man's sins.[12]

There are many different gifts and the confluence of each can bring help to a given ministry. Therefore, the ordination is not based primarily on the person’s spiritual gift but on the church’s recognition of God’s calling upon that person.[13] The way to recognize that calling is not by viewing a couple of taped sermons and asking a couple of “hot topic” questions. The person being considered should be already serving the Lord in a volunteer capacity. Their calling is so urgent that they would do it even if no one paid them.[14]

[1] Hebrews 6:1-2
[2] Exodus 28-29; Leviticus 8-9
[3] Numbers 8:5-14
[4] Numbers 11:16-17, 2425
[5] Numbers 27:18-23
[6] Acts 12:2-3
[7] 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9
[8] Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 2:2; Titus 1:5
[9] Matthew 16:19; 18:17-20; John 20:23; 1 Timothy 1:3-7, 19-20
[10] Joshua 9:14
[11] Numbers 27:18-20 cp Deuteronomy 34:9; 1 Timothy 4:14
[12] 1 Timothy 5:22
[13] Acts 13:2-3; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:6-9
[14] Jeremiah 20:9

Simplicity 2

I trust you had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday.

But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone. - 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 HCSB

Living with godly simplicity does not equal inactivity. It is not an encouragement for mental or physical laziness. Simplicity, when it is handled properly, removes the noise and clutter that threaten to steal our sense of peace and intimacy with Christ.

We should never tire of doing even the smallest things for God, because He isn't impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done. We must not be discouraged if we fail in the beginning because the practice will eventually cause our efforts to become a pleasurable habit that we will do automatically, without thinking.

We should simply dedicate ourselves to the development of an attitude of faith, hope, and love. We need not be concerned about anything else. All other considerations like work, ministry or family are simply is not as important. They should only be regarded as means by which we get to the final goal - which is being entirely lost in the love of God.

Every age has its own particular traits - the iron age, the agrarian age, the industrial age, or the information age. Right now, with the cultural diversity and religious relativism that characterizes our age, we are being overwhelmed by complexity. The simplicity of the Gospel was never more needed than now. We try to replace that simple gospel and the means by which is it spread (I mean the Church) with programs, methods, organizations, and a world of nervous activities. Like our electronic entertainment, these occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of our hearts.

We try to satisfy ourselves with shallow weekend retreats and hollow self-serving worship. Our sickly attempts to imitate the world’s programs and promotional methods only serve to demonstrate that we have not yet fully experienced the real thing. We still know God and His peace imperfectly, else we would be dissatisfied with everything else.

Simplicity brings freedom. It is not the absence of control or convenience. Instead, it is the pinnacle of true abiding and fellowship with God. Francois de Fénelon writes: "O, how amiable this simplicity is! Who will give it to me? I leave all for this. It is the Pearl of the Gospel." [1]

In regaining their spiritual balance, the Thessalonian Christians embraced the discipline of simplicity. They refocused their hearts and minds on Jesus Christ, knowing that He would never fail them.

[1] French Theologian and tutor to the young Duke of Burgundy for whom he wrote Telemaque (1699)

Simplicity, 1 of 2

But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone. - 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 HCSB

Francois de Fénelon[1] made a habit of encouraging his friends to live a quiet life. To one he wrote: "Your mind is too much taken up with your circumstances, and this hinders you from understanding the mind of God . . . I think it is such a hindrance to the kind of quiet meditation in which God reveals Himself. You must learn to be humble and simple . . . Be content with leading a simple life."

The Thessalonian Christians had lost their joy. Peace evaded them. Their hope for the future had all but vanished. Many stopped working, allowing idleness to permeate their ranks. Others had fallen into a state of restlessness and gossip.

What was the problem? What emissary was so powerful and mighty that it had the ability to discourage and sway these early Christians away from what Christ had called them to do – to live for Him and to anticipate His victorious return?

The Thessalonian believers were known throughout Asia Minor for their faith, hope, and love. Yet they had allowed a degree of false teaching to persuade them to believe something other than the Gospel Paul had presented. As a result, the focus of their lives had shifted from God and His promises to the unstable ideas of false prophets. Their minds were no longer firmly set on Christ and His infinite ability. Instead, they had fallen victim to anxiety. Questions plagued them: Had the resurrection taken place? Had they missed it?

The Christian life is not complicated but when we allow fearful thoughts to invade our lives, we suddenly find that they have turned into struggles. God's wisdom is sure, uncomplicated, and unwavering. He never meant for the Thessalonians to be captured by doubt or the frantic pace of their society. Instead, the Lord wanted them to learn to live simply – to be satisfied with what they had been given and to be diligent in their work and also for the Lord. [2]

In times of uncertainty, God's Word is a mighty, stabilizing force. Emotions and feelings often lie to us. We cannot trust them, but we can trust the wisdom we find in God's Word.

Paul does not belittle these believers for becoming frightened or paralyzed by their thoughts. His message to them is straightforward and simple: get back to work, stop talking badly about one another, and know that God's love and promises to you have not changed. "Faithful is He who calls you," writes Paul, "and He also will bring it to pass."[3] Jesus would return, and those who believed in Him would be with Him in glory.

[1] French Theologian and tutor to the young Duke of Burgundy for whom he wrote Telemaque (1699)
[2] 1 Thessalonians 4:11
[3] 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Glorified Bodies

But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself. - Philippians 3:20-21 HCSB

Jesus’ glorified body was able to change appearance. Even before His resurrections, at the Mount of Transfiguration, we get a glimpse of the possibilities.[1] His appearance was dazzlingly brilliant and terrifying.

Immediately after his resurrection, He was able to look like one of us at will and to even make it impossible for those who had known Him his entire human life to recognize him. Mary Magdalene recognized him immediately. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus did not. The Scriptures tell us they were “prevented” from recognizing Him. Hours later, their eyes were opened and they knew Him, just as He disappeared from their sight.

Mary at first mistook Him for a gardener until He spoke her name. As proof of His identity, the disciples were shown His hands and feet, evidently displaying the scars of His crucifixion so apparently these scars could come and go at will. However, even after seeing the Lord, the disciples were subject to being fooled again later on. [2]

Take care to note that in every case, regardless of his being recognizable or not, Jesus was always in a masculine body. His gender did not change when He received His glorified body. This is an important point in understanding what to expect out of our glorified bodies.

Other miraculous capabilities of Jesus’ glorified body include the capability of appearing and disappearing at will, and of flying.[3] The Apostle John gives us a glimpse of what Jesus’ glorified body looks like in its natural state, describing Jesus as being white like wool and having fiery eyes among other amazing things. He said that Jesus’ face shone like the sun at midday[4] which matches what John had seen during the Transfiguration.[5] The Apostle Paul was also a witness of the brilliance of Christ’s body.[6] However, it is important to keep in mind that Jesus’ body was still capable of normal biological functions.[7]

When Christ returns, we will be given “glorified” bodies like His and interestingly, the righteous resurrected are also described as “shining”.[8] Perhaps we should take the title “sons of light” more literally than we thought?[9]

However, we too will still be able to perform basic biological functions. Isaiah predicted that during the Millennium there would be nursing infants and that the godly would bear children.[10] Jeremiah agreed, prophesying that God’s intent would be to rebuild His people.[11]

So we can look forward to amazing bodies that are capable of doing miraculous things, but that will still remain recognizably human and identifiable. We will know each other[12], love each other and still be capable of enjoying the benefits of physicality yet without sin or its consequences.[13]

[1] Matthew 17:2
[2] Mark 16:9-14; John 20:11-16; Luke 24:13-16, 29-31, 39-40; John 20:25-28; 21:4
[3] Luke 24:29-31, 36-37, 51; John 20:19, 26
[4] Revelation 1:12-17
[5] Matthew 17:2
[6] Acts 22:6-11
[7] Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-15
[8] Daniel 12:1-3; Matthew 13:41-43
[9] Luke 16:8; John 12:36; 2 Corinthians 6:13-15; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:12-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 2:9-10
[10] Isaiah 65:17-25
[11] Jeremiah 31:27-28; 33:14-22
[12] 1 Corinthians 13:12; Luke 9:28-36 they recognized Elijah and Moses; 16:19-31 they both knew each other;
[13] Revelation 21:4

Incense in Worship

"You are to make an altar for the burning of incense; make it of acacia wood…There is to be an incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations.” - Exodus 30:1, 8 HCSB

Hashem ordered His people to make incense a regular part of their worship experience on numerous occasions[1] going so far as to actually give the specific ingredients to a formula that was to be strictly dedicated to tabernacle use.[2] He even gave the exact dimensions and materials that were to go in an altar of incense.[3] Not only was incense part and parcel with both the tabernacle and the temple, but offerings of incense were considered a normal act of worship.[4]

However, no unauthorized person outside of the Levites could actually burn the incense in offering to the Lord.[5] Jeroboam did not heed this command, choosing to make up his own festivals and rituals and offering incense of his own making on an altar in Bethel[6] and found himself roundly rebuked by the Lord for his hubris.[7]

His attitude of “self-made religion” was taken up by the people who started offering incense in their own ways and places.[8] Because they weren’t obeying, they ended up worshipping gods of their own making and reaped the consequences of their foolish pride.[9]

King Uzziah was also so lifted up in pride because of his power and acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God by going into the sanctuary to burn incense on the altar. The priests tried to warn him but he grew enraged when they said only descendents of Aaron could offer the incense and was immediately struck with a skin disease.[10] In contrast, King Hezekiah was blessed for recognizing the Levites’ place as the “burners of incense[11] and for systematically removing all other forms of incense worship.[12]

Clearly, incense was not completely forbidden even to the Old Covenant godly for “oil and incense bring joy to the heart”[13] but that was not within the context of tabernacle or temple worship. And obviously, even incense burned in the temple by Levites was abominable to the Lord God if the people’s hearts weren’t right.[14] Interestingly, it was during the offering of incense that the birth of our Master was announced.[15]

However, under the New Covenant there is no longer a distinction between Jews and Goyim among the believers[16] and we are now all part of the “royal priesthood.”[17] The veil separating the Holy of Holies that prevented all but the High Priest has been torn down[18] and we may now all boldly approach our Father’s throne.[19] Though Hashem primarily considers our prayers as incense before the Lord[20], I don’t think that anything prevents believers from incorporating incense in their daily or corporate worship as long as they don’t start focusing on the externals to the detriment of their hearts.

[1] Exodus 25:2-6; 31:11; 35:8, 15, 28; 40:27; Leviticus 16:12-13; Numbers 16:17; Deuteronomy 33:10
[2] Exodus 30:34-38
[3] Exodus 30:1 cp 37:25
[4] Numbers 7:14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 44, 50, 56, 62, 68, 74, 80, 86; 2 Chronicles 2:6
[5] Numbers 16:40; 1 Samuel 2:28; 1 Chronicles 6:49; 23:13
[6] 1 Kings 12:33
[7] 1 Kings 13:1-2
[8] 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4, 35; 16:4; 17:11; 18:4; 2 Chronicles 13:9-11; Isaiah 65:3, 7; 66:3; Jeremiah 1:16; 11:13; 18:15
[9] 2 Kings 22:17; 23:5; cp Romans 1:21-23
[10] 2 Chronicles 26:14-21
[11] 2 Chronicles 29:1-11
[12] 2 Chronicles 30:14; 32:12; 34:4, 7
[13] Proverbs 27:9
[14] Isaiah 1:13
[15] Luke 1:9-11
[16] Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11
[17] 1 Peter 2:9
[18] Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45
[19] Hebrews 4:16
[20] Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-5

Dead Prayers

Indeed, the LORD's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear. But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen. - Isaiah 59:1-2 HCSB

An old righteous man was convinced by friends to visit their church. The day of worship dawned, bright brisk and beautiful, as they all joyfully looked forward to fellowshipping with other believers and praising God’s holy name.

However, as the tzaddik approached the church, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. “I can’t go in there,” he told them.

“What do you mean? Why can’t you?” they wondered out loud.

He searched for words for a minute as he gazed into the building, “I can’t fit in there. There’s no room for me.”

“That doesn’t make sense!” they exclaimed. “It’s a huge building and there are still lots of seats left!”

He cried out, “You don’t understand! It’s full of prayers.”

They laughed, “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?”

“No,” he answered “These are all dead prayers. The prayers of these people are stillborn, totally unable to rise to heaven and they are crammed floor to ceiling, layer upon dead layer in there.”

If Hashem gave you the power to see your prayers, what would they look like?[1] As children of God, we have the right to advance boldly into His throne room to make our requests.[2] We have been given the Holy Spirit who intercedes on our behalf with unspoken groanings when we are at a loss for words.[3] This is why we should at all times pray in the Spirit and stay alert to the Spirit’s presence and needs.[4] A large part of our confidence lies in the fact that the Spirit has sealed us for the day of redemption, granting us peace of heart concerning our salvation. However, the Holy Spirit can be grieved and this can interfere with our prayer life.[5]

What sins particularly interfere? The first that comes to mind is prideful hubris as exemplified by Job’s friends.[6] Selfish and narcissistic prayers are always still-born.[7]

When we maintain malice in our heart, the Lord does not listen to us[8] so we’ll find our worship hindered when we leave unattended sin in our relations with other believers.[9]

Our spousal relationship is particularly crucial to our prayer life. We must be careful to take good care of our spouses lest Satan find a toe hold in that relationship.[10] Husbands who do not properly treat their wives with honor will soon find their prayers hindered.[11]

If we avoid these sins, our prayers should generally be answered. The answer may be delayed by factors out of our control,[12] but our Lord promised:

Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven.[13]

[1] Psalm 141:1-2; Revelation 8:3-4
[2] Hebrews 4:16
[3] Romans 8:26-27
[4] Ephesians 6:18
[5] Ephesians 4:30
[6] Job 42:8
[7] James 4:3
[8] Psalm 66:18
[9] Matthew 5:23-24
[10] 1 Corinthians 7:5
[11] 1 Peter 3:7
[12] Daniel 10:12-13
[13] Matthew 18:19

Millennial Babies

They will not build and others live in them; they will not plant and others eat. For My people's lives will be like the lifetime of a tree. My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor without success or bear children destined for disaster, for they will be a people blessed by the LORD along with their descendants. - Isaiah 65:22-23 HCSB

I was recently asked if the Ransomed would bear children during the Millennium. I believe that today’s passage adequately answers that question. For many Christians, this is a novel concept but we must remember that when God created Humanity, His first command to us was to be fruitful and multiply. He considered the creation of sexual creatures to be “very good.”[1] In fact, God considered a single gendered, essentially sexless humanity to be bad and He did something to fix the situation.[2]

Since the Fall, God has consistently worked to restore Humanity to its original condition and relationship with Himself. His command to have sex was reiterated to Noah[3] and Hashem considered successful sexual reproduction to be part of His promised blessing to Abraham.[4] The Abrahamic blessing came in direct response to Abraham being “devout.” Sex has never been a “dirty” thing in God’s kingdom. Within its proper marital boundaries, it is holy.[5]

Some may object on the grounds that Jesus said that we would be “like the angels”. What Jesus actually said was that angels are not bound by human marriage traditions and rituals[6] and the passage in Luke clarifies that the comparison to angels was in relation to their immortality, not their sex life. After all, angels are not necessarily without gender.[7]

While angels generally appear as men in Scripture, Zechariah may suggest this is not always the case. The two women mentioned in this passage are not specifically called angels, but they are clearly winged agents of God so we must be careful about making dogmatic statements about angels being without gender or sex.

This is especially true in light of the Nephilim passage in Genesis 6.[8] The phrase “sons of God” there would seem to be indicative of angelic beings. It is the same phrase used in Job which clearly intends to mean angelic beings.[9]

If these “sons of God” were not angelic, why were their progeny consistently characterized by gigantism and why were they so evil and yet so powerful? I’m not sure how but perhaps this may some day shed some light on Paul’s notoriously difficult homily on women and head coverings.[10]

Not only will we have children but the survivors of the Great Tribulation[11] will too. Each Millennial child will have a free will[12] and will be given the chance to choose Christ’s rule or Satan’s. Those who decide to cast their lot with the rebels will suffer the same consequences as they.[13]

[1] Genesis 1:28-31
[2] Genesis 2:18-25
[3] Genesis 9:1, 7
[4] Genesis 17:1-2
[5] Hebrews 13:4
[6] Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25; Luke 20:34-36
[7] Zechariah 5:9
[8] Genesis 6:1-4
[9] Job 1:6; 2:1
[10] 1 Corinthians 11:10
[11] Zechariah 14:16
[12] Zechariah 14:17-18;
[13] Revelation 20:1-10

Childish Desires

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. - 1 Corinthians 13:11 HCSB

Unfortunately, American “Christianity” is often characterized by childish immaturity and shallowness. As with all spiritual conundrums, the problem lies in our approach to “d’vekut,” which is our relationship with God.

We often hear people express their desire to be “carried in the arms of God” or to “sit in His lap.” While I understand the idea of our need to seek Hashem’s support and strength, my concern is the selfishness expressed.

Children are intrinsically narcissistic. It’s normal for a tiny baby to want, or even need, to be carried in its father’s arms. However, at some point that child will hopefully grow up and start walking on its own. It will still need its parent but not in that same immature fashion. It must grow up in order to be able to experience a better and less selfish relationship.

Paul urged his spiritual son Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”[1] He constantly urged the Corinthians to grow up and quit being childish saying, “Brothers, don't be childish in your thinking, but be infants in evil and adult in your thinking.”[2]

Only the mature can receive a message of wisdom - not the wisdom of this age, nor of the supposed philosophers and wise men of this world who are coming to nothing – but of God’s hidden and mysterious wisdom.[3] This is why Hashem gave us an entire book dedicated to the pursuit of intellectual and spiritual maturity called “Proverbs.”

This spiritual wisdom is simply only available to spiritually mature people. Those who remain close to the roots of their natural man cannot welcome what comes from God’s Spirit because it is foolishness to them and seems so because it can only be evaluated spiritually.[4]

A spiritually mature person, on the other hand IS capable of evaluating everything while remaining a cipher to those less mature because he has been with the Lord and, like Moses,[5] has been transformed by that holy experience.

It’s a small wonder that the Lord’s half-brother considered trials a great joy and urged the pursuit of intellectual, emotional and spiritual maturity.[6] That maturity grants us a better relationship with our Father. Imagine how you’d feel if your children never grew up and only wanted to be carried!

I, too, need to be hugged by my Father once in a while. However, most of the time I want to walk beside Him pulling on the yoke[7] as a co-laborer. As a good child aids its parent in the daily tasks, I urge that we set aside our selfish urges and take on the tasks our Father has at heart[8] so that we can hear “Well done, good and faithful slave!...Share your master's joy!'”[9]
We were not called to be carried but to labor.


[1] 2 Timothy 2:1
[2] 1 Corinthians 14:20 cp 3:1-3
[3] 1 Corinthians 2:6-7
[4] 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 cp Hebrews 5:12-13
[5] Exodus 34:29-35
[6] James 1:2-5 cp Lamentations 3:27
[7] Matthew 11:29-30
[8] Matthew 9:37-38
[9] Matthew 25:21

Returning to Ancient Paths

Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren't at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse, says the LORD. This is what the LORD says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested: We won't! I appointed watchmen over you and said: Listen for the sound of the ram's horn. But they protested: We won't listen! Therefore listen, you nations and you witnesses, learn what the charge is against them. Listen, earth! I am about to bring disaster on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to My word. They have rejected My law. - Jeremiah 6:15-19 HCSB

America has acquired a taste for the new. We’ve gotten it into our heads that new means better. However, if I had to choose between a TV dinner and my wife’s home-cooked, from-scratch meals, I’m pretty sure my choice would not involve peeling cardboard off of aluminum.

America has acquired a taste for “personal empowerment.” “It’s my body. I’ll do what I want to” is the song of the day. However, just because something may be permissible does not make it helpful. Even permissible things can, with the wrong emphasis, become controlling addictions.

Our bodies were not designed for sexual immorality. Have the epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases taught us nothing? Our bodies were not made for sensuous, emotional eating. Has the wave of American obesity taught us nothing?

If we have truly submitted our lives to the sovereignty of Yahweh Melek, then our bodies have become the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. We are no longer our own, for we were bought with a price. We should then glorify God in our bodies.[1]

Hashem calls us to the ancient paths that lead to peace; but we stubbornly seek out the cliff faces and rocky crags. He appoints watchmen over us and we protest, “We won’t listen! Who do you think you are? Why can’t you just accept me as I am?”

If there is any lesson to be learned from this generation’s move toward post-modernism, it is that there is a deep-rooted dissatisfaction with modern philosophy. The attraction for the “ancient-modern” reveals an abiding desire for history and context. Even our society’s attraction to tribal and warrior tattoos shows that people no longer look to the pomaded, pressed and jacketed as valid leaders.

The church needs to return to its ancient roots and relearn the simplicity of the Gospel, or we will soon be relegated to the trash bin along with saddle shoes and poodle skirts.


[1] 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Esther’s Courage

"Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, night and day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish." - Esther 4:16 HCSB

Hadassah was a young Benjamite girl whose name in Hebrew meant “Myrtle”. When the people of Judah under King Jeconiah’s leadership lost a war, King Nebuchadnezzar dragged her family (along with thousands of others) to Persia.[1]

Along the way or shortly thereafter, both her parents died and she was adopted by her uncle Mordecai.[2] At some point, she was renamed Esther which is Persian for “Star”. Actually, she was named after the Persian goddess Ishtar. I personally believe that her uncle Mordecai gave her the name so that she would blend in more successfully with the goyim (gentiles).[3] You see, the Persians were not known for following the Geneva Convention when it came to dealing with beautiful, willowy prisoners, if you know what I mean.

So here’s a young woman whose entire life has been one long lesson in pain. She was captured, held prisoner, lost both parents and was living a double life in fear of being identified as a Jewess, which meant she would possibly be raped and killed.

However, God had some amazing plans for young Hadassah. The new king, King Ahasuerus,[4] had a falling out with his queen[5] and was looking for a new trophy wife. A competition was held in all 127 provinces of the vast Persian Empire. Girls from India to Cush were vying to become the next queen. Interestingly however, though all the other girls gathered at the fortress of Susa where the final competition for “Persia’s Top Model” was taking place, Esther was “taken” as if by force.[6] Wouldn’t you know it? The only woman who didn’t want to win – did!

Mordecai drilled into her again, “Don’t let anyone know that you’re Jewish!” So although she was queen, she still lived daily in fear of discovery.

God’s trap finally closed on a man named Haman who was conspiring to massacre the Jews.[7] This nasty fellow was an Agagite, a descendent of King Agag who King Saul spared against God’s orders.[8] Problems that we are unwilling to face may cause major difficulties to our descendants.[9]

Saul, like Esther, was also a Benjamite and was obviously royalty. However, where Saul lacked the moral courage to finish the job, Esther went against all of her early training and programming and stepped up to the task at the risk of her life. She confronted Haman in front of the king and, as a result, Haman was convicted and hanged and her people were saved.[10]

God is in complete control, even of kings.[11] He can promote or demote anyone He wants.[12] He can protect us anywhere.[13] When desperate times come may we, like Hadassah, show moral courage.[14]

[1] 1 Chronicles 3:16; Esther 2:6; Jeremiah 24:1; 27:20
[2] Esther 2:5
[3] Esther 2:10
[4] Likely King Xerxes I (486-485 BC)
[5] Esther 1:1-22
[6] Esther 2:8
[7] Esther 3:1-10
[8] 1 Samuel 15
[9] Exodus 20:5
[10] Esther 7:6-10
[11] Proverbs 8:15-16
[12] Psalm 113:7-8
[13] Psalm 118:6-14
[14] Ezra 10:4

Tidal Islands

Then He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces! Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children. Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. - Matthew 14:19-23 HCSB

[1] Some Christians act as though they are continental shelves, massive, immovable, supporting entire civilizations and constantly necessary.

Our Lord gave us a different perspective. He acted like a tidal island, a piece of land that is connected to mainland at low tide and separated at high tide.

All of us need to recharge from time to time. Even the Son of God periodically dismissed the crowds and went off by Himself to pray. The difference is that the Christ never promoted monasticism. Not in the sense that many take it. He never taught His disciples to permanently isolate themselves from the world - far from it. He constantly taught, both by word and deed, to reach out to others and love them sacrificially. He fed the crowds and healed the sick. He gently taught those who acknowledged their sinful state and lovingly rebuked those who refused to.

As John Milton wrote, “I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race, where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat…”[2]

Yet we must also acknowledge our weakness and humanity. We must return to our Father’s throne and there renew our commitment to His cause. We need to seek His face and thereby recall the sense of urgency that was the first impulse of our ransomed hearts.

In this constant ebb and flow, prayer must be balanced with action; contemplation with involvement; the monastery with the mission. As the great prophet Moses warned, “Cursed is anyone who does not put the words of this law into practice.”[3]

Herein lays the source of life on our island. Here is the remedy for the stale spiritual life and the burnt out hulk of an overused soul. Time spent alone at the Holy Spirit’s feet enriches our souls and the teachings we glean there are confirmed by committing them not only to memory but to our lives.

We are allowed to make a tactical withdrawal to a spiritual retreat when we must, but soon we must return to the battle front before we are charged with dereliction of duty.



[1] Cumulus Over High Tide Island; oil on birch panel by Susan Gosselin
[2] Areopagitica; 1644
[3] Deuteronomy 27:26

Jezebel’s Ambition

But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the LORD's sight more than all who were before him. Then, as if following the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat were a trivial matter, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and then proceeded to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. - 1 Kings 16:30-32 HCSB

There are three main reasons that many people have come to associate Jezebel with lewd sensuality. Jehu associated her with prostitution as well as witchcraft,[1] the Bible describes Jezebel as painting her eyes and adorning her head,[2] and another woman who was metaphorically addressed as “Jezebel” incited sexual immorality among God’s children.[3]

However, there is neither any indication that she was ever unfaithful to her husband, nor does the Bible explicitly say that she expected to seduce Jehu with her makeup. In fact, the opposite would seem to be true because as he rode up she challenged him calling out, “Do you come in peace, Zimri, killer of your master?"[4] She was referring to a chariot captain who had killed a king and usurped his throne but ended up having the shortest reign of all the kings – seven days. She clearly was not out to seduce Jehu!

So if Jezebel’s principal sin was not sexual in nature, what was it? I believe it was her unadulterated ambition. She was the daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre and Sidon. She likely grew up a pampered Phoenician princess in the city of Tyre which had been established around 2750 BC.[5] As such, she was used to the king wielding absolute control.

She ended up in a political marriage with Ahab who, as an Israeli king, did not have nearly as much power over his people as her father did over his. When Naboth refused Ahab, she was likely disgusted by his childish behavior and moved to increase the throne’s authority and power by having Naboth killed.[6] She clearly enunciated her goal when she told Ahab, “Now, exercise your royal power over Israel.”[7]

Phoenician royalty was based on its control of the national religion of Baal worship. This worship was centered on the need for rain and entailed ritual prostitution. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see the connection between the sexual act and the rain bringing life to the earth. However, its principal goal was to keep the king on the throne.

Jezebel’s ambition led her to slaughter the Lord’s prophets,[8] lie, cheat, steal, instigate perjury and lead an entire nation into systematic prostitution. The result: her husband did not keep the throne, her oldest son, Ahaziah, only reigned two years[9] and died under God’s judgment,[10] her second son, Joram, got an arrow in the back running away and his body was dumped on the plot Ahab had stolen[11], and she died horribly.[12]

Ill-gotten gains do not profit anyone, but righteousness rescues from death.[13]

[1] 2 Kings 9:22
[2] 2 Kings 9:30
[3] Revelation 2:20
[4] 2 Kings 9:31
[5] According to Herodotus
[6] 1 Kings 21:1-15
[7] 1 Kings 21:7
[8] 1 Kings 18:4
[9] 1 Kings 22:40
[10] 2 Kings 1:2-17
[11] 2 Kings 9:22-29
[12] 2 Kings 9:32-37
[13] Proverbs 10:2