And the Page Turns

Silence………

With the possible exception of a few words to individuals about which we’re told by the Gospel writers, there were generations of silence during which the heavens must have seemed like brass. No prophets. No miracles. No deliverance. No expressions of love. No chastisement. Only silence.

Where was God?

Then, as we move from Malachi – the last word – to Matthew, it is symbolic of a great heavenly page turn.

And just like that we are moved from an era of law with its rigidity and accompanying condemnation, to a time of grace and mercy. We move from priests entering into God’s presence once a year with fear and trembling, to being able to enter into His very presence as we want and as we are, knowing we are loved – fearing nothing.

Even the way to God is changed. No more animal sacrifices with its demands and rituals. The Son was here, walked the earth and died to atone for our sins – once and for all. From the bite of the apple in the garden to the last thought you had – forgiveness for every single act was provided for by the Son. All that is required is the acceptance of the great gift – an acknowledgement of our need and repentance followed by submission to His Lordship.

The great page turn. From Old Testament to New. From estrangement to reconciliation. From an aloof and unapproachable God to One Who indwells and never leaves or forsakes.

From the position of an outsider to a member of the family – a place at the table.

You say you’re not worthy? Well, a quick read through the first few verses of Matthew should help you with that.

There’s Abraham who lied about Sarah being his wife. There’s Judah, the brother-seller. You see Rahab the harlot? What about David – the man after God’s own heart – the adulterer and murder?

All have sinned and fallen short. There is none perfect – not one.

Do you remember some of Jesus’ last words? They were directed to the occupant of the cross next door. We don’t know about this man’s record, but Jesus did. We might be disgusted by him but Jesus wasn’t. In His last act before He died for us all, He forgave this man and welcomed him into His family.

Are you feeling better? Well, take a seat. The story is only beginning.

Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham. And this is a list of his ancestors. From Abraham to King David, his ancestors were: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and his brothers (Judah’s sons were Perez and Zerah, and their mother was Tamar), Hezron; Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Obed (his mother was Ruth), Jesse, and King David. From David to the time of the exile in Babylonia, the ancestors of Jesus were: David, Solomon (his mother had been Uriah’s wife), Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, and Jehoiachin and his brothers. From the exile to the birth of Jesus, his ancestors were: Jehoiachin, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Achim; Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, and Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah. There were fourteen generations from Abraham to David. There were also fourteen from David to the exile in Babylonia and fourteen more to the birth of the Messiah. –Matt 1:1-17

This is the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. – Mark 1:1

Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard. –Luke 1:1-4

When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph. But his family went back through Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda; Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi; Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon; Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah; Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, Enosh, and Seth. The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God. –Luke 3:23-38

In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. God sent a man named John, who came to tell about the light and to lead all people to have faith. John wasn’t that light. He came only to tell about the light. The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like. –John 1:1-18

Standing in the Gap

Then Moses told Aaron, “Grab your fire pan and fill it with hot coals from the altar. Put incense in it, then quickly take it to where the people are and offer it to the LORD, so they can be forgiven. The LORD is very angry, and people have already started dying!” Aaron did exactly what he had been told. He ran over to the crowd of people and stood between the dead bodies and the people who were still alive. He placed the incense on the pan, then offered it to the LORD and asked him to forgive the people’s sin. The disease immediately stopped spreading, and no one else died from it. -Numbers 16:46-48

I don’t think I could have been so generous or forgiving. Had I been in Moses’ and Aaron’s sandals that day, I wonder if I would have just stood aside and watched God’s wrath leap out against those complaining, ungrateful sources of irritation. But stand he did and he saved lives that day.

We are all in need of those who will stand in the gap for us. Family has done it – paid off bills and provided a haven in which to rest. Friends have stood – believing in us when the whole world believed the very worst. And Jesus…thank the Father for the Son Who Stood – and stands today – in the gap for us, interceding and pleading for us in front of the throne of God.

The Incarnation

I stumbled across this thought regarding the Incarnation of Christ originally published in The Penecostal Herald and then reprinted in the November-December 1948 edition of The Preachers’ Magazine.  The language is beautiful, as is the picture conjured by it.

“The Incarnation marked an epoch in human thought and a distance crisis in the history of Redemption.  Christ brought a touch upon human history such as no other being ever did: He touched ‘the slave, and his shackles fell off; He touched the weak, and they became too strong to be oppressed;  He touched the home, and it became a bower of delight;  He touched the credle , and childhood became sacred;  He touched music, and it became pure and sweet; art, and the canvas took on lustrous beauty; architecture, and it became worthy of man’s worship.’  He lent man a new heart, and the publican rose up with the dignity of a king.  He taught man the law of love, and that law brought order into society and the realm of morals, as Newton’s law of gravity brought law and harmony into the realm of matter.”

A Terrible Enemy – An Indespensible Ally

The LORD refuses to help you, because you turned your backs on him. –Number 14:42

Three situations:

Think about all the years of your life, walking with God, enjoying His blessings, sensing His presence, protection and approval. Remember the times when He brought you out of situation you were powerless to affect. Consider the peace, love and joy of living that way. Why would you ever turn your back on Him?

But we have!

Remember the turning point – the point in time when you made the decision to turn your back on God. To shun Him. To follow your own path, wants and plans. Remember the failures, the frustration and futility of those days – days of complaining about your station in life, where you lived, what you did, with whom you had to associate. Why would you ever choose to live that way – alone and trying to make your own way?

But we do and we have!

Then came the day you had had enough. You recognized the error of your way and decided to do what the Lord had instructed. But the Lord, rather than instantly becoming your protector and ally, was seemingly against you at every turn, frustrating your efforts undertaken in your own strength.

We’ve all lived through these seasons. We’ve all come to the inevitable conclusion that our God is a terrible enemy but an indispensible ally.

The Bad Report

So Moses sent twelve tribal leaders from Israel’s camp in the Paran Desert with orders to explore the land of Canaan. And here are their names: Shammua son of Zaccur from Reuben, Shaphat son of Hori from Simeon, Caleb son of Jephunneh from Judah, Igal son of Joseph from Issachar, Joshua son of Nun from Ephraim, Palti son of Raphu from Benjamin, Gaddiel son of Sodi from Zebulun, Gaddi son of Susi from Manasseh, Ammiel son of Gemalli from Dan, Sethur son of Michael from Asher, Nahbi son of Vophsi from Naphtali, and Geuel son of Machi from Gad.  –Numbers 13:3-16

When’s the last time you ran into a Shummua? Is there a kid named either Shaphat or Igal living next door to you? What about at your kid’s school – have anyone named Palti, Gaddiel or Gaddis over there? Do you work with a Ammiel, a Sethur or a Nahbi? Have any staff members at the church named Geuel?

The answer to all these is most likely, “No.”

But how about Caleb or Joshua? You see where this is going?

Twelve people were tasked to check out the Promised Land. Twelve men saw exactly the same things. But ten saw with their eyes on themselves and their abilities, while two viewed the scene from a higher perspective.

Ten chickened out – two boldly proclaimed God’s ability.

Ten died and were never heard from again – two lived to see the victorious conquest of the land of promise.

With whom will you identify?