Transcendent Praise

Judges 11:34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.

Jephthah was persuaded by his half-brothers who had hated him to go fight a battle for Israel against the Ammonites. Jephthah took the matter to God at Mizpah and then agreed. He made a vow to God that if he won the battle he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house to meet him on his return. For me, this account of Jephthah needing to sacrifice his daughter is among the saddest in Scripture. It turned me inside out when I read it. What was Jephthah thinking? Surely he must have known when he made the vow that his daughter would most likely be the first person to run to him when he got home – children do that! It is one of the purest joys of parenthood.

Was it Jephthah’s intention to demonstrate his love for God or was he just shooting off at the mouth? In the end he tore his clothes and admitted to his daughter that he was miserable and wretched because he could not break the vow he had made to the Lord. It is a cautionary tale to us, especially when you consider how lightly vows are regarded in society today. Should we make vows to God? Are we capable of keeping them?

As I meditated on this story and the outcome, the Holy Spirit dropped two words into my consciousness: “equal sacrifice”.  Jephthah experienced the pain of the heart of God when he gave his only Son. Years later as I re-read this account, the Holy Spirit spoke again:

“Those called of God are very special people. They are called to walk on a different level entirely; to be like God, to have his heart, to give as he gave, to love as he loved to the point of sacrifice. It will hurt, but it is to the end that men see the heart of God in their fellows. Only then can they draw men to me. And that is what I require, that my children draw others to me by their love.”

Jeremiah 32:17  Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

I firmly believe that only the Spirit of God can give us an understanding of what it means that God is sovereign. It is too awesome to grasp or put into words but if we even comprehend it a little then it silences a lot of our fears, questions, and doubts.  Faith takes hold and becomes “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  (See Hebrews 11:1 – KJV). It will calm many fears because we come to the understanding that God has not abdicated his rule of over the earth which he created and has plans for it and humankind and that no one, however powerful they may feel, can undo those plans.

We are the diamonds of his creation and so he has done everything to bring us into fellowship with himself because he desires our good. His love is exemplified in the death of his Son, Jesus. Jesus did not die because he felt sorry for us. He died because he alone could satisfy the righteousness which God requires and he submitted because he came to do his Father’s will. This is why to reject Christ is to turn our backs on God and leaves us in danger of his judgment.

Acceptance of God’s sovereignty leads to submission. The Apostle Paul asks: But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”  Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” (Romans 9:20-21).

If you accept God’s sovereignty over your life and the salvation provided in Christ Jesus, it will amaze you how God will cancel out the negative influences of your past and your mistakes and lift you up. God is not bound by what we consider the normal course of things. He is sovereign over time and circumstance and is completely trustworthy.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

What would it do to the way we worship if we realized that every time we enter the house of God, angels are present? That is assuming of course that the building is still his dwelling place. So many church buildings today are in decline and/or disrepair. Usually the outward decay is also a sign of spiritual decline. “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” has as much to do with the physical condition of the house as with the spiritual condition of the worshippers. Where God is being worshiped in spirit and in truth, the worshippers will see to it that his house, however humble, is clean and prepared as though to welcome an honored guest.

As we prepare the place, so we must deliberately prepare ourselves to worship. As believers, we should not show up as empty vessels to be filled, expecting super-human performances from our worship teams and preachers. We should enter the house of God already in a state of repentance, thanksgiving, generosity, praise and expectancy, with the awareness that God has plans for each worshipper that day. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). In this atmosphere when the Spirit of the Lord descends we are ready.

“Yes, the angels are the Holy Spirit of the Most High God overseeing his churches in the earth. They minister to my people as they worship me in spirit and in truth. They judge, they purify, they rebuke. They bring the praises of my people to me. They see that my name is revered and lifted up. When they are not present nothing happens because true worship is not taking place. Beware therefore that your hearts are prepared before me when you enter my house to worship.”

Zechariah 14: 3 – 4 and 9 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

If you do not believe that the return of the Lord is going to take place in a literal sense, then the above verses are pure fiction.  But how can they be when the names of the places are literal and known to us today and we know that these events have not yet taken place. These events will take place in the day of the Lord which, as indicated in verse 7, is known to the Lord. Regarding the End of the Age, Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36).

God has his eyes on Israel and our future is tied to the future of that Land. God has covenanted himself to them and, in sending Jesus as Savior, has covenanted himself to all who believe in him. God has his own agenda and is allowing us this parenthesis of grace for all men to come to know him. When I finished reading this chapter of Zechariah, the Holy Spirit spoke up:

“In that day, the day of the Lord, which is certain, the Lord God himself will set foot on the earth again in triumph and great glory. At that time he will subdue all powers and thrones and any semblance of government so that men will know that he alone rules.”

1 Chronicles 15: 12 – 13 He said to them “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not enquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”

Do read 1 Chronicles 15 and 16 to see how David had a second chance to bring the ark of God home. Note the process. He took responsibility for his mistake by realizing he had not asked the Lord. Then he prepared a place where the ark would rest. Next he identified the right people for the job – the Levites whom God had ordained to be the ones to carry the ark. He re-established God’s order of service.

You and I have to understand that even in our enthusiasm or haste to serve the Lord we can make mistakes. Like David, our first response may be to become angry at God when we do not get the result we hoped for, but as you can see from David’s situation that is never the appropriate response. Allow yourself to “chill out” as they say and re-examine your motives. The Spirit of the Lord will show you where you went wrong. Many years ago I made a decision which was well-intentioned and not entirely selfish. At the time I truly believed it was what God wanted me to do. The experience has been purgatorial, but in the midst of it God has revealed himself in truly amazing ways. He has taught me that he is my Savior Deliverer!

Do not curse your life experiences, even those that seem negative. If you believe you did wrong, confess it to God, ask for forgiveness and ask him to move you forward.

John 13: 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”

Most of us know that Judas betrayed Jesus and we sometimes think: “How could he, after having known Jesus personally for so long?” Well, let us get up and go look in the mirror. Despite our relationship with the Lord, every so often we come up against something that tempts us and we think for a moment but still end up making the wrong decision.

Like you, I have read this account in John 13 where Jesus predicted that one of his disciples would betray him but the focus always seems to be on Judas and about the reaction of the other disciples to Jesus’ pronouncement. Everyone was in disbelief and curious to know who they should point the finger at. However, Jesus knew why he came to earth and we know that he knew everything the Scriptures had said about him. So in response to everyone’s curiosity, he prefaced his prediction with: “But this is to fulfill the scripture: he who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.” (Verse 18) So what was about to happen was no surprise to Jesus.

That said, just this once, could we consider Jesus? It is striking to me the effect sharing this information with his disciples had on him. “After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in his spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” It disturbed Jesus that a disciple whom he had loved and taught was about to do something which would separate him from his Lord for time and eternity.

Friend, have you counted the cost of your next move? Is it something that could be fatal for your future and your relationship with your Lord? How can it possibly be worth it? Do change your mind before it is too late. Look at your situation through the lens of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18). He overcame and so can you.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

If you have never read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation, you should start today because it will never be enough to hear the Word preached to you. Reading in this sequence will lend discipline to your study but remember it is not a race; you will get to the end at some point. Then you can start over again. The important thing is to read and ask the Holy Spirit to minister to you and interpret what you are reading. Some passages, like the genealogies in I Chronicles, may boggle the mind but in later years you will find them useful or at the very least understand why they were written.

When you set out to read a book such as a mystery or detective story, the last thing you want is for someone to tell you how it ends, because that would deprive you of the pleasure of finding out for yourself.

Not so with the Word of God. Reading the Scriptures brings life, light and wisdom and reading the Book of Revelation in particular comes with a promise that you will be blessed. Why is that? Because it is the revelation of Jesus Christ! You know that he came as a baby and lived to teach and demonstrate the nature of God, then he died as Savior, was buried and rose again and now sits at God’s right hand to intercede for all believers. The Book of Revelation tells us what happens next – he will come again but as Judge and King of Kings. If you do not read it you will never grasp the totality of God’s authority over his creation nor understand the degree to which He is determined that every knee will bow to his Son and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord. (See Philippians 2: 9 – 11). You also will not understand that God is faithful to those who believe in him and is determined to vindicate them.  All this is the embodiment of your faith. Once when I finished reading Revelation 19, 20 and 21 the Holy Spirit spoke to me:

“He who now takes away the sins of the world as the lamb slain from the foundation of the world shall come again as Judge and King of Kings of the earth. As the Word says, he will reward every man according as his work has been. He will render justice for the oppressed and down-trodden; he will deliver his people. He will make all things plain. He will put in place the new heavens and the new earth wherein only righteousness will reign. Never again will his name be blasphemed in the earth but he himself will reign in righteousness. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He alone is worthy and true.”

Genesis 35:5 Then they set out, and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.

“Two wrongs don’t make a right.” This is the thought that came to me when I read chapters 34 and 35 of Genesis. There is rape, deceit, covetousness, treachery and murder – all the evil that is in the human heart. In the midst of it Jacob is in pain and fear when he learned what his sons had done. He realized that although the men of Shechem had been slaughtered, their neighbors the Canaanites and Perizzites would come after him and his family.

God intervened and told Jacob to get out of there “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” (Genesis 35:1). I believe this is one of those situations where God intervened for the sake of his own name, not because he condoned the conduct of Jacob’s sons. By that I mean that God’s plans for his people cannot be thwarted by anyone. God did not allow the actions of mere men to derail his plans for the whole nation of Israel and for saving humanity. He would keep his covenant promise to Abraham and Isaac and now Jacob.

God displayed his mercy and power in delivering Jacob because the text says “the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.” What does that mean? Were they physically paralyzed or just paralyzed by fear? I don’t know, but either way, it meant deliverance for Jacob.  As I stopped to meditate on what I had read, the Holy Spirit spoke:

“The terror of the Lord is like nothing else that men have experienced. He moves and shakes the heavens and the foundations of the earth and none can stop his hand. The Lord God is his name and exemplifies his character. He is accountable to no mortal. He is the Lord.”

Hebrews 10: 5 – 7 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will O God.’”

I was in one of my cycles of reading through the Bible a few years ago. When I came to the Book of Leviticus that time around, I was really challenged by all the blood and gore of the many different and frequent sacrifices that had to be made. These animal sacrifices were mandated under the covenant that the Lord entered into with the  Israelites while they were under the leadership of Moses. In the process of observing these rituals the law required that nearly everything had to be cleansed by blood, because without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (See Hebrews 9:22).

By the time I got to the end of Leviticus Chapter 7, I asked the Lord to help me understand the context of the sacrifices for today. This is the enlightenment that I received from the Holy Spirit:

“The purpose of all these sacrifices is to signify your dedication to me. It is a demonstration of unwavering faith. That is why they had to be repeated. It requires your coming to me again and again to pledge your love and obedience. It is to remind you of my own sacrifice for sin. It cost me greatly to redeem you from sin. The ugliness of sin requires a blood sacrifice, nothing else will do.”

I am eternally grateful that these repeated sacrifices are no longer required and that God found a better way. If not, “Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26).

It seems such a small thing then that all God requires is that we believe in the Lord Jesus as his Son and obey and worship him continually as Savior and Lord. What grace!!

1 Chronicles 4: 9 – 10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

This is probably the briefest and most encouraging story of a life in Scripture. It speaks volumes of the individual life that God chose to bless. Jabez’s name is listed among the names in the Clan of Judah but the names of his mother and father are not given. To make matters worse, even his mother doesn’t seem to have cared much for him since she named him Jabez because of the pain he had caused her at birth. The one bit of positive information available is that he had brothers and he was more honorable than they were.

What then separates Jabez from his brothers and why do we still talk about him while his brothers are pretty much unknown or forgotten? Simply this: he knew how to commune with God! This has to be a source of great encouragement to anyone who feels lonely, rejected, ostracized or hopeless for any reason. You can call out to Almighty God all by yourself, you can ask for his help. You can tell him what ails you and ask him to save you. You can ask him for a new beginning. He will hear your cry.

To be able to commune with God and have his blessing on your life surpasses all earthly treasures or the approval of men. “Though my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” (Psalm 27:10). The Holy Spirit affirms:

        “When you choose to honor the Lord God he will change everything in your life and circumstances that needs changing. He will set you up for success beyond your wildest dreams. He will set his love upon you and be pleased to call you his child. As you pursue Him he will pour out spiritual blessings upon you to prepare you for service and a life that will surprise you and everyone else. Yes, your life will glorify Him and you will be an ensample of his goodness.”