"YOU WHITEWASH WITH LIES" Bible Reading Thoughts for Dec. 11th

“YOU WHITEWASH WITH LIES”

     When we were young ‘whitewash’ was used a lot, it was a very cheap sort of white ‘paint’ you could quickly put on walls, even splash on and a grubby wall would quickly look good – but it was all for ‘looking’ good, it easily got dirty again and could not be cleaned down.

     As we continue reading Job – we see his increasing frustration at what his 3 ‘friends’ are saying; their self-righteousness is evident, and their false representation of the ways of God even more so!  

     Job is now even more blunt in responding to the worldly ‘wisdom’ of these three.  “as for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all … Will you speak falsely for God  and speak deceitfully for him?” [13 v.4,7] Their speaking falsely was to say that all bad things are caused by God as a punishment for sin.   This is a dangerous half-truth: it is true that God brought destruction on Nineveh as we read in Nahum today, a “city, all full of lies and plunder” [3 v.1] – a sad failure after the previous generation repented at the preaching of Jonah.

.    Job is so committed to his service to God that he declares, “Though he slay me I will hope in him, yet I will argue my ways to his face.  This will be my salvation. That the godless shall not come before him.” [v.15,16]  Yet when God finally reveals himself in conversation and “answered Job out of the whirlwind.” [30 v.1] Job is almost silenced, see v.3-5. Later God speaks of the “friends” and says his “anger burns against” them… for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has.” [40 v.7]

     Are we speaking of God and his Son “what is right”?  Sadly, many use “whitewash” in their self-confident portrayal of what God is; what many talk of as “faith” has no real substance. This took our thoughts to what we read today in Peter’s 1^st Epistle, he told the believers “if necessary (in the wisdom of God) you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness ofyour faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [1 v.6,7] May our faith become really genuine, if it is not that way already. May we not deceive ourselves by using “whitewash” in our thinking and ways of talking.

"YOU WHITEWASH WITH LIES" Bible Reading Thoughts for Dec. 11th

YOU WHITEWASH WITH LIES”

     When we were young ‘whitewash’ was used a lot, it was a very cheap sort of white ‘paint’ you could quickly put on walls, even splash on and a grubby wall would quickly look good – but it was all for ‘looking’ good, it easily got dirty again and could not be cleaned down.

     As we continue reading Job – we see his increasing frustration at what his 3 ‘friends’ are saying; their self-righteousness is evident, and their false representation of the ways of God even more so!  

     Job is now even more blunt in responding to the worldly ‘wisdom’ of these three.  “as for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all … Will you speak falsely for God  and speak deceitfully for him?” [13 v.4,7] Their speaking falsely was to say that all bad things are caused by God as a punishment for sin.   This is a dangerous half-truth: it is true that God brought destruction on Nineveh as we read in Nahum today, a “city, all full of lies and plunder” [3 v.1] – a sad failure after the previous generation repented at the preaching of Jonah.

.    Job is so committed to his service to God that he declares, “Though he slay me I will hope in him, yet I will argue my ways to his face.  This will be my salvation. That the godless shall not come before him.” [v.15,16]  Yet when God finally reveals himself in conversation and “answered Job out of the whirlwind.” [30 v.1] Job is almost silenced, see v.3-5. Later God speaks of the “friends” and says his “anger burns against” them… for you have not spoken of me what is right as my servant Job has.” [40 v.7]

     Are we speaking of God and his Son “what is right”?  Sadly, many use “whitewash” in their self-confident portrayal of what God is; what many talk of as “faith” has no real substance. This took our thoughts to what we read today in Peter’s 1^st Epistle, he told the believers “if necessary (in the wisdom of God) you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness ofyour faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [1 v.6,7] May our faith become really genuine, if it is not that way already. May we not deceive ourselves by using “whitewash” in our thinking and ways of talking.    

Today's thought “Set your hope fully on …” (December 11)

Is our world in a hopeless condition? The indications that it is are multiplying. The nations are too self-centred to take any effective action over global warming and the weather is getting more extreme. The United Nations are more disunited than ever over many issues, especially over Israel. The money woes of the nations increase and move from crisis to crisis; efforts to achieve disarmament are useless, the economies of some nations depend on making and selling weapons! And above all, efforts at moral reform no longer exist, instead laws are relaxed to allow many unnatural kinds of behaviour, ways of living God deplores.

We saw a lesson related to that last point as we completed reading the prophecy of Nahum against Nineveh today. It had repented at the preaching of Jonah, but the following generations had gone back to their old ways; doom is now pronounced by God, Nahum’s concluding words to them are – “upon whom has not come your unceasing evil”. Through his prophet Zephaniah God said, “I will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert” (2:13). And it happened.

As we start reading Peter’s letters we see how appropriate they are for us. His urgent message is for believers to have a strong faith, to remain steadfast as trials increase. He writes of “the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result inpraise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:7).

The whole chapter is a powerful message, but we took special note of verse 13, “Therefore,preparing your minds for action, and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. No half measures will be adequate; as the world becomes even more hopeless,

Peter tells them, “you have been born again” (verse 23) and then tells them how! “Born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” The seed of God’s message must “abide” in our hearts if we really want to prepare “our minds for action”. Jonah’s message to Nineveh had proved to be perishable, the children did not learn the lesson as their parents had. If we are to succeed where the Ninevites failed how vital it is for us to feed on and digest God’s word every day.

Today's thought “Woe is me” (December 9)

We saw in our readings in Job yesterday that Job was so depressed he declared, “I loathe my life”. However, we recall the comment we made as we began reading Job that the ultimate end of the book is one of wonderful restoration.

Today we have the final chapter of the prophecy of Micah which begins, ‘Woe is me’! Remarkably, as with all the smaller prophets we have been reading in recent weeks, the final message God gives through them ends with a triumphant picture of ultimate blessing.

But the earlier part of this chapter, which describes the lawless attitudes surrounding the prophet, uses words which could just about describe life as it is around many of us today. “The godly has perished from the earth”, he writes, and “there is no one upright … put no trust in a neighbour; and have no confidence in a friend” (verses 2,5).

Family life in Israel had broken down, “the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother” (verse 6). Then the prophet seems to step back and make a fuller reflection on the situation from his personal perspective and sets us a great example, “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me” (verse 7).

That is the power of positive faith, this is the spirit we need and may need more and more, especially if we feel overwhelmed by events and we are tempted to cry, “Woe is me”.

The concluding verses indicate the final blessings for God’s people, it is a message for those who seek to maintain and build up their faith, and also those who have sought repentance after failure. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance … he will again have compassion on us” (verses 18,19). May he have compassion on us too – for no one is perfect – but our aim must be to “go on to perfection” (Hebrews 6:1, AV) or “go on to maturity” (ESV) so that we can “draw near (to God and our saviour, the Lord Jesus) with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22).

"YOU HAVE SEEN THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD" Bible Reading Thoughts for Dec. 10th

    Have you seen it?  The context of the above statement we read today in the Epistle of James is most interesting – and challenging!  We can say that we have seen the purpose of the Lord in many things, in particular in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but note the particular context in which James makes this statement..

    “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Behold, we consider those blessed who remain steadfast.  You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” [Ch.5 v.10,11]

    The Lord does nothing without a purpose, but do we always recognize that purpose?  Our reading of Job illustrates God’s purpose with him in developing his character.  The prophets all went through a similar development of character, although only in the larger books is this fully apparent. Studies of the lives of Jeremiah and Isaiah are most revealing about this!

    Now James was writing when the nation of Israel was soon to be destroyed.  In v. 3 today he calls them “the last days” and he has many thoughts very suitable for these last days of the Gentile era.  Patience and steadfastness were vital qualities. The Greek words could also be translated as endurance.

    It is God’s will and purpose that we go through trial, look at Ch.1 v.2-4. James’ life was a huge learning curve.  If we accept that, in all probability his mother was Mary (the mother of Jesus) and that Jesus made a special appearance to him after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15 v.7) we see that James is writing this as he reaches the climax of his life. Historical records indicate fairly clearly that he was martyred in A D 62.

     So James marvelled at the purpose of the Lord in his life and he is exhorting others to see the same in their lives – and so remain steadfast under trial: “establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” [v.8]   What an appropriate message and example for us as we near the end of 2013 and the events in and, especially around God’s Holy Land show seemingly endless conflict, the latter day “purpose of the Lord” is unfolding – and God’s purpose will become increasingly clear to those who really know his word..     

"MY GOD WILL HEAR ME" Bible Reading Thoughts for Dec. 9th

“MY GOD WILL HEAR ME”                                                                                                                   

                                                                                               

    This is how the final chapter of the prophecy Micah begins, ‘Woe is me’!  Much of this chapter, as with his previous chapters, pictures the lawless attitudes surrounding the prophet. 

     His words of lament could just about describe life as it is becoming today around many of us.  “The godly has perished from the earth,” he writes, and “there is no one upright … put no trust in a neighbour; and have no confidence in a friend”[v.2,5].  Family life in Israel had broken down, “the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother” [v.6].    It was similar in the previous chapter, the “inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.” [6 v.9]

    However - and this is remarkable, as with all the so-called smaller prophets we have been reading in recent weeks, the final message God gives through them ends with a triumphant picture of ultimate blessing.  This must have been a great source of encouragement to each prophet – as it is to all those today who make sure they spend some of their time reading and reflecting on these God-inspired messages.

     Micah says, “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation, my God will hear me” [v.7].  That is the power of a positive faith, this is the spirit we need and may need more and more, especially if we feel overwhelmed by events and we are tempted to cry, “Woe is me”.

    The last verses indicate final blessings for God’s people, blessing for those who maintain their faith and also those who have sought repentance after failure.  “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance … he will again have compassion on us” [v.18,19]

    May he have compassion on us too - for no one is perfect but if we, with Micah, will “wait for the God of my salvation”, we can say with Micah, “my God will hear me.”

"FAITH BY ITSELF ... IS DEAD" Bible Reading Thoughts for Dec. 8th

"FAITH BY ITSELF ... IS DEAD"                                                                                                            

    The Epistle of James is particularly remembered for its message about faith.  Faith is a vital factor in our salvation, but the genuineness of our faith is shown in what it causes us to do. James writes, “If you really fulfil the royal law according to scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself,’ you are doing well.” [2 v.8] 

    It surprises some to realize that this “royal law” is not one of the ten commandments, yet when Jesus was asked by a lawyer, “Teacher which is the great commandment in the Law? … he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And the second is like it:  You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.” [Matt. 22 v.36-40]

     Do you realize when Moses wrote this commandment? Jesus was quoting from Leviticus 19 v.18; it was one they only applied when it suited them!  Recall the parable of the Good Samaritan that he told to answer the question, “Who is my neighbour?’

     So James presses home the point, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”[v.14-17]

    In verse 12 James told his readers to “act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty” - what did he mean?  He had already made the point in Ch.1 v.25 that “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing”  

    The point is, they have been liberated, given freedom, from keeping the letter of the Mosaic Law – they now had to keep “the perfect law” that Jesus had spelt out in answering the lawyer. The chapter concludes with examples from the lives of Abraham and Rahab who showed their faith by what they did.   The last verse makes the point, “For as the body apart from the spirit (breath) is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”