Faithful Proclamation, whatever the cost - 1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13 is a strange passage - an Altar prophesied against, a prophet invited for a meal with another and a lion who kills the prophet but then stands beside the dead body. It all sounds rather bizarre. But there are vital messages for us in this passage, two of which impacted my heart as a Pastor particularly today.

The first is simply this … the unnamed prophet went at God’s command and proclaimed God’s message boldly despite standing against the King, the mood of the nation and the philosophies of the day. His confident proclamation was not the key …. It was God’s hand of power that turned the words proclaimed into powerful action. He didn’t know God would validate his words or protect his life in this way, and yet he went with God’s word, trusting Him. No one turned to God that day, despite the proclamation of God’s word and the display of God’s power. But it was enough that he was faithful and strong in the Lord. God would use his word as a testimony across generations and an encouragement to His servant Josiah many generations later.

The second lesson for me was the parallel truth that even in our obedience and faithfulness as Pastors we are going to be under attack from many sides. This faithful prophet was misled by another apparently Godly prophet. (Interestingly this other prophet himself seems led by the Lord though unaware it was a test for the faithful prophet, though I’m aware commentators differ on this). The faithful prophet’s failure in keeping to God’s command could cause us to worry about our own standing … how can I resist all the people and things that might cause me to fail? Yet the reality is the same for protection as it is for proclamation … we go only in God’s strength reliant on His word. We can be just as confident in His ability to keep us as we can in His ability to use His word. It’s about constantly looking to Him and hearing His voice, even when it is God’s people who may sincerely be seeking to help but are actually leading astray.

In proclamation and in protection our God is more than able, and we can rest in His might, His love and His direction. This is our confidence, but it is also our call to dwell close to Him, listening to His voice, confident in His leading.

Seeing God in our midst - Numbers 14:13-14

These verses are so relevant to our times. Bear with me and let me explain their context first.

These verses come just after the spies have been in the promised land, and 10 spies returned scared by the power of the nations in the land God had promised to give them, and only Caleb and Joshua had seen that God was able. Moses is pleading with God, and reminds himself, and all God’s people, in his prayer of all God has already done in prepare for them taking the land.

The nations had heard that God was with them. They had heard that they spoke with God ‘face to face’. They had heard of His power among them. They had heard that He leads them. God had already prepared their hearts to fear Him and fall before Him as His people went to occupy the land.

But God’s people didn’t see it themselves! All they saw was the size of the opposition, not the power of their God.

As we are about to come out of Lockdown, as God’s people are about to return to their workplaces, as we are about to meet many more people each day, I wonder if we are aware that we are in the same position. People have heard that We have met with the living God and seen Him ‘face to face’. People have heard of His power that has forgiven, redeemed and set free, people have heard of His mighty work transforming sin-scared lives. Yes, the opposition looks powerful, unconquerable, and today’s humanist-secularist world is fiercely opposed to God’s people. But He has gone before us. It’s His Kingdom that will be victorious. It’s His message of good news that will reach others and transform lives. It’s the gates of Hell that constantly fall.

So, let’s see as Moses saw ... all that God had already done to prepare the way of victory. Unashamed, undefeated, unshackled, emboldened by the presence and power of the Spirit, as churches and individuals this is a time of opportunity with a promise of ultimate victory. How we need to hear God’s call to enter into His gospel work seeing all He is and confident in all His power, so that His Kingdom purposes may be accomplished through us in our days.

 

The amazing intricacy of God's work - Ezra 6:1-2

Strange verses to highlight? No. God had sent the exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city, but difficulties had arisen and the hearts of the people had strayed. But now, through Haggai and Zechariah, God had told them to start work again. It was going well,. but then opposition arose again. But, in explaining what they were doing, they mentioned that King Cyrus had commanded them to rebuild. In previous years the investigation that was then requested by the opponents would have generated only opposition. But Darius had become King (v1), and the Persians had taken Babylon in such a way that all records had been preserved. And more, he had seen Daniel's witness, had seen God's power and so he ordered a proper investigation. Just as well ... although he ordered the archives in Babylon to be checked (v1), it was further away that the documents were found (v2). And so the work was not only able to continue but given total authority.

What we see is the intricacy of God's work. His timing in bringing His word to the prophets, His work in softening the hearts of the returned exiles, bringing repentance and a commitment to do the work of God, His placing of Daniel for Darius, His work in Darius' heart, His working so that the documents were found even though not in the place they were ordered to look, and His enabling and enpowering of work on the Temple and Jerusalem. All this came together 'at just the right time'. The opposition that looked like disaster God used for His purposes. He had put all the pieces in place at the right time to completely work out His will.

Facing things that look like a problem? Seems like God is not working as you would wish? Being faithful to God but not seeing quite what He is doing? All these are Ok ... God is on His throne and working out all things well!

Three Points of Comfort in God - Psalm 75:1-2,9

In a time of panic, God's people have every reason to react entirely differently. These verses help us see how. There are three good reasons given:

1. 'Your Name is near' ... We have a God who has made Himself known to us, has revealed His love towards us in Jesus, and covenanted His love towards us ... He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we are hidden within the stronghold of His love. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is His perfect love that drives out fear.

2. 'People tell of your wonderful deeds' ... He is a God who works in mighty ways. He has told us that He will shake the nations so that the desired of all nations will come into His Kingdom. He does this through many means, even through the fallenness of this world. He is sovereign God. Like Jesus, resting in a boat in the middle of a storm, we can rest in God's sovereign purpose and authority.

3. 'I choose the appointed time' ... We have a God who rules over all of time. The Psalmist in Ps139 reminds us that every day ordained for us was planned before one of them came to be. Our times are in His hands. He has numbered our days. Our life will not end until the time He has ordained. But this verse also speaks of the time of God's judgement. That reminds us that it is God who ordains even that final time and that even then, if we are in Christ, all God's just anger over our rebellion has been spent on Jesus - we are the redeemed. So, whatever the times are, we are secure in Him and need not fear.

There is one result of knowing all this in Jesus ... The Psalm starts and ends with praise. Even in the worst circumstances, God's people can be a people of praise because we know the certainty of God's love, power and authority. So, let's be the people we ought to be in Christ even when all around us fear.

A Famine to Fear - Amos 8:5,11

In a day when regular Church attendance by God's own people is going down, these words of Amos remain hugely relevant. When we spend the day God has given us to worship Him thinking more of the other things we could be doing for our own 'profit' we have forgotten that our greatest, our only eternal, profit is Jesus

We do not gather to tick a box, but to enjoy the presence, hear the voice and be reminded of the mission of the one whose love for us is perfect. When we think little of such a privilege, or even despise it (if not in words but certainly by our actions), we need to consider the alternative ... a famine of hearing God's word, His loving voice, His gentle leading, His compassionate words of peace.

If we are those who truly 'love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength', then our hearts will long to spend time with God and with His people, and will shudder at the thought of being cut off from hearing his voice.

This passage in Amos was a call of love to a loved but foolish people, ... and it still is.