Tawa Baptist

Elijah & Elisha

Scriptures: 1st Kings 19:19-21 & 2nd Kings 2

 

Title: Elijah & Elisha

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The call of Elisha
  • The empowerment of Elisha
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a Maori Adze (or axe)

–         The head of the axe is made out greenstone (pounamu) and the handle is made out of wood

–         The handle has carving on it which symbolises the history or whakapapa of those leaders who have carried the adze in previous generations

–         With each new generation of leadership the greenstone head is removed and a new handle is carved for the new leader

–         So the pounamu head stays the same from generation to generation, while the handle changes

–         This means there is continuity with the past but also freshness or newness with each succeeding generation

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         This morning’s focus is the relationship between Elijah & Elisha

–         This is a relationship in which the mantle of prophetic leadership is passed from one generation to the next, so the work of God continues

–         Elisha is like the new handle for the old pounamu axe head

–         Elisha carries the word of God as Elijah did before him and as others would after him

 

Today’s message is in two parts:

–         Firstly, the call of Elisha and then the empowerment of Elisha

 

Elisha’s call:

The call of Elisha is found in 1st Kings 19, just after Elijah’s encounter with the Lord God on Mt Horeb

–         After defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah runs for his life into the wilderness because Jezebel wants to kill him

–         Elijah feels scared and alone – he has lost his perspective, his sense of continuity (some would say he is burnt out)

–         But God meets him, not in the fire or the wind or the earthquake but in sheer silence

–         After this Yahweh tells Elijah to go and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to succeed him as prophet

–         By giving Elijah an apprentice the Lord is making Elijah’s work less lonely and he is giving Elijah a sense of hope & continuity

–         The Lord’s work will not die with Elijah

–         From verse 19 of 1st Kings chapter 19, we read…

 

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

 

On the wall here is a picture of some Korowai

–         A Korowai is a special type of Maori cloak (or mantle) woven out of flax with tassels and sometimes feathers on it

–         It can take anywhere between 4-12 months to make a Korowai by hand

–         They are a special garment to be worn on special occasions like graduations or weddings and other important ceremonies

–         Korowai are often handed down as an heirloom from one generation to the next

–         They provide a continuity or connection with the past, present and future

–         A Korowai is reflective of honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection, skill & beauty

 

One of the intriguing things about Elisha’s call is that Elijah doesn’t actually say anything to Elisha

–         Elijah simply takes his cloak (or his mantle) and throws it over Elisha

–         Elijah’s cloak wasn’t a Korowai as such, (it may have been quite ordinary for all we know) but it was nevertheless special because Elijah wore it

–         By throwing his mantle over Elisha, Elijah was effectively bestowing honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection and skill on Elisha

–         It was an invitation for Elisha to become his successor and Elisha understood this intuitively

 

Another thing we note is that Elijah found Elisha at work in the fields plowing

–         To give some context the land had been in drought for over 3 years and after Elijah prayed the rains came

–         This meant that farmers, like Elisha, were finally able to get out and plow the ground and sow their crops

–         Which means Elisha was being called to leave his work at a time when things were picking up again

–         It wasn’t so much that one door closed and another opened for Elisha

–         It was more like two doors opened at the same time and Elisha had to choose which one he was going to walk through

–         Was he going to be a farmer or a prophet?

 

Elisha chose to follow Elijah – but first he asked permission to kiss his parents good bye

 

Elijah granted permission saying: “What have I done to you?”

–         It is unclear what Elijah meant by this exactly

–         It could mean, ‘you are free to choose what you do’

–         But at the same time, Elijah may have his own experience in mind so he means something like, ‘In calling you to be a prophet, I’ve called you to a difficult life. You will be lonely, misunderstood and you will lack the usual securities and comforts that other people enjoy’

–         Jesus said a similar thing to those who followed him – people will hate you because of me

 

Elisha is young and willing – he’s a good keen man which is just what the older more jaded Elijah needs

–         After some difficult experiences Elijah (who is recovering from burn out) is at risk of falling into cynicism and contempt

–         Elisha is a breath of fresh air for Elijah

–         I imagine Elisha’s youthful enthusiasm and sense of hopefulness inspired Elijah to be the best version of himself that he could be, for Elisha’s sake

 

To mark his commitment in following Elijah and God’s call, Elisha sacrifices his two bulls as a fellowship offering – there’s no turning back now

–         Sometimes choosing continuity with God’s story means discontinuity with our old way of life

–         Elisha feeds the people with the meat from his oxen

–         This is symbolic of his ministry – as a prophet Elisha will sustain people with the meat of God’s word (man cannot live by bread alone)

 

When I started here at Tawa, you (the congregation) gave me a mantle of sorts – a cloak in the form of a Hurricanes rugby jersey

–         I come from the Waikato / Bay of Plenty area where the Chiefs are based

–         Had I been a Chiefs supporter I suppose I would have had to burn my chiefs jersey, sort of like Elisha burned his oxen and farming equipment

–         Luckily for me I was never a Chiefs supporter

 

After Elisha has said his goodbyes and fed the people he goes with Elijah and becomes his attendant or servant

–         Similar language is used of Joshua who became Moses’ servant centuries earlier

–         We, the reader, are meant to see the continuity woven into the Korowai of God’s salvation story

–         Elisha is to Elijah what Joshua was to Moses – someone chosen by God to carry on the Lord’s work after Elijah is gone

 

Elisha’s empowerment:

Some of the external doors of the church auditorium have been difficult to open and close, partly due to their age and partly due to all the rain we’ve had lately

–         During the week Ewan & Neville fixed the fire exit here at the front

–         One of the things they did to free the door up was replace the hinges – the old hinges were a bit rusted and seized

–         They didn’t throw the door out – they kept the door but replaced the hinges so there is continuity with the past, present and future

 

The purpose of a hinge is to allow movement and change – to create openings and endings

–         In some ways a prophet is a bit like a hinge in that they allow movement and change

–         They are anchored to the past (the door frame) and to the present (the door itself)

–         Through the words they speak God’s prophets make society aware of hinge moments in human history

–         They let people know when new doors of hope have been opened

–         They also warn people when old doors of sin & injustice are about to close in judgment

 

Of course, it is God who opens and closes the doors of history – the prophet (like the hinge) simply helps to facilitate that movement

–         If a prophet performs the function of a hinge in history then we could say, Elisha is like the new set of hinges on the old door

 

We are not told much about how Elijah mentors Elisha, as we were with Moses & Joshua

–         Presumably Elisha learned like any apprentice, by watching and doing

–         In any case the emphasis of the text isn’t on the technical aspects of mentoring – it is rather on the spiritual empowerment of Elisha

 

The next time we hear about Elijah & Elisha together is 2nd Kings chapter 2

–         After a bit of a tiki-tour through Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho, Elijah & Elisha head out into the wilderness toward the Jordan

–         They both know that Elijah is soon to be taken by God

–         When they reach the river Elijah strikes the water with his cloak, the water divides and the two of them walk across on dry ground

–         Sort of like Moses separating the Red Sea with his staff

–         Once again we find a continuity – the past, present and future are woven together into the wider cloak of the Biblical narrative

–         We pick up the story from verse 9 or 2nd Kings chapter 2…

 

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

 

In ancient Jewish culture the first born son inherited a double portion of the Father’s estate

–         So in asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, Elisha is asking to be Elijah’s legitimate heir – that is, the prophet’s successor

–         Elisha wants to carry on the prophetic work Elijah started but he needs the power of Elijah’s spirit to do that

–         And by “Elijah’s spirit” we don’t mean his human spirit we mean the Spirit of God that rests on Elijah

 

Elijah says to Elisha, “You have asked a difficult thing”

–         In other words, it’s not up to me whether you will be my successor or not

–         I can’t control what the Spirit of God does any more than I can control where the wind blows

–         The hinge doesn’t get to tell the carpenter what door it will hang on

 

From verse 11…

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

 

By calling Elijah his “father”, Elisha is showing deep respect and affection for his predecessor

–          “The chariots and horsemen of Israel” is another title of respect for Elijah

–          Elisha is basically saying that Elijah is the Lord’s weapon against evil

–          God’s word through Elijah was far more powerful than any army of chariots and horsemen

 

The point, not to be missed here, is that Elisha saw his master go, which means he would inherit Elijah’s spirit – the Spirit of God

–         Elisha would now become the Lord’s weapon against evil

 

Yet again we see continuity with the past, present & future

–         Elijah’s ascension foreshadows Jesus’ ascension to heaven – it is all part of the weaving of the larger Biblical narrative of salvation

–         Just as Elijah ascended to God’s presence in heaven before Elisha inherited his spirit – so too Jesus ascended to heaven before pouring out his Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost

–          So if Jesus is like Elijah then we are sort of like Elisha, empowered by Jesus’ Spirit to carry on the Lord’s work

 

Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

 

Again we notice the Lord’s masterful weaving

–         Just as Joshua (the successor to Moses) separated the river Jordan so the people could cross over into the Promised Land, so too Elisha (the successor to Elijah) divides the waters of the Jordan on his re-entry

 

The interesting thing here is that it didn’t work the first time for Elisha

–         He has to strike the water twice and ask where God is before the river parts for him

–         Perhaps this is a reminder that the power is not in Elijah’s mantle – the cloak is not magic – the power is with the Lord God Almighty

 

In any case…

15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

 

Conclusion:

The other night around our dinner table one of the kids asked what is salience?

–         I had a vague idea but wanted to make sure I had my facts straight so went to get a dictionary off the book shelf to look it up

–         Robyn laughed at me (as she usually does) and said, “Just google it”

–         Of course I ignored her and went off to find an actual dictionary while she looked up a virtual dictionary on her phone

–         Robyn has kept up with the new generation – I’m more old school

–         Not that it really matters – different approaches, same answer

 

Salience is the quality of being particularly noticeable or important

–         A salient point is one which is prominent – or sticks out like a tall poppy

 

The story of Elijah & Elisha is enigmatic – it is cloaked in mystery

–         Yes, theirs is an intergenerational relationship but so what?

–         What is the salient point of their story?

–         What’s the application for us?

 

Well, the thing that stands out most prominently to me is that God is weaving the cloak (the Korowai) of our salvation

–         One of our values as a church is passing on our faith (the Christian faith) to the next generation

–         We don’t want the church to end with us – we want to leave things in good shape for our kids and see them continue walking with Jesus

–         We want there to be a continuity between the past, present and future

–         That’s one of the reasons we encourage an intergenerational culture in the life of the church – that’s why we are having this sermon series

 

The salient point with Elijah & Elisha’s story is that God is the weaver, not Elijah & Elisha

–         Yes, Elijah was obedient to God when the Lord told him to appoint Elisha as his successor

–         And yes, Elisha was willing to submit to God’s purpose, even though he had other options

–         But really it was the Spirit of God who empowered both Elijah & Elisha and created the continuity

 

What I’m trying to say is that, even though the tide of cultural change is against us at present, we don’t need to be anxious about the future of the church

–         Yes, we have our part to play but what really counts with passing on our faith to the next generation is the power of God’s Spirit

–         Like Elijah, we don’t get to tell the Spirit what to do

–         God is the master weaver and he will draw it all together in the end

–         We are part of his larger Korowai – his cloak of salvation

–         The Lord will provide the continuity by his Spirit

 

 

Reflection Questions:

 

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

 

2.)    Why did God tell Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet?

–         How might Elisha help Elijah?

 

3.)    What was the significance or meaning of Elijah throwing his cloak (mantle) over Elisha?

 

4.)    Have you (like Elisha) had the experience of two doors opening at the same time and needing to make a decision about which one you will walk through?

–         Can you share your story? (E.g. What happened? How did God guide you? What and why did you decide as you did? Etc.)

 

5.)    How is Elisha similar to Joshua?

 

6.)    In what sense is a prophet like a hinge?

 

7.)    What does Elisha mean when he asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit?

–         Why is this a difficult thing to ask for?

 

8.)    In what ways does Elijah foreshadow Jesus?

 

9.)    What is the salient point in the story of Elijah & Elisha?

–         And what’s the application for us?

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/27-aug-2017-elijah-elisha

Tawa Baptist

Jephthah and his daughter

Scripture: Judges 11

 

Title: Jephthah & his daughter

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jephthah’s rejection
  • Jephthah’s vow
  • Jephthah’s daughter
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a piece of rock with a vein of gold running through it

–         It is the image of a precious metal mixed in common granite

–         People can be like this – a mixture of things precious and things base

 

This morning we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible – that is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         Most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at so far have been positive – like Moses & Joshua, Naomi & Ruth and Eli & Samuel

–         Not all intergenerational relationships are so rosy though

–         Some are more a mixture of things precious and things base

 

The focus of today’s message is Jephthah and his daughter, whose name we are not told

–         Theirs is truly an intergenerational story but not in a good way

–         More in the sense of the sins of the father having a negative downstream impact on the next generation

–         Having said that the hard rock of this story is not without its veins of gold

 

Jephthah was one of the Judges (or leaders) of ancient Israel during the time between Joshua and the kings, Saul & David

–         The Israelites had moved into the Promised Land, after their 40 years in the wilderness, but they hadn’t yet subdued their enemies

 

The period of the Judges was a sad time in Israel’s history when the nation was unfaithful to the Lord (Yahweh) by worshipping the Canaanite gods

–         Generation after generation there was a repeating pattern of the people rejecting Yahweh, then being oppressed by their enemies before turning back to Yahweh for help

–         When his people repented the Lord would empower a special Judge to lead Israel against their enemies.

–         Israel would gain the victory and everything would be okay for a while until the people forgot the Lord again and began to conform to the ways of the world around them

–         Sadly with each cycle the behaviour of the next generation got worse

 

With this background we read the book of Judges knowing that the stories it contains are not an ideal to aspire to, but rather a cautionary tale of what happens when people don’t follow the ways of God

 

Jephthah came after Gideon and before Sampson

–         Like most of the Judges of that time, Jephthah was a mixture of things precious and things base

 

We will cover three parts of Jephthah’s story this morning…

–         Jephthah’s rejection, Jephthah’s vow, and Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s rejection:

Let’s begin with Jephthah’s rejection – from Judges, chapter 11, verse 1

–         I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version…

 

Now Jephthah the Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, was a mighty warrior. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away, saying to him, “You shall not inherit anything in our father’s house; for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws collected around Jephthah and went raiding with him.

 

4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the Ammonites.”

 

7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Are you not the very ones who rejected me and drove me out of my father’s house? So why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?” 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Nevertheless, we have now turned back to you, so that you may go with us and fight with the Ammonites, and become head over us, over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

 

Who can tell me what this guy on the wall is famous for?

–         His name is Dr Thomas Midgley [Wait for people to respond]

–         That’s right – Dr Midgley was a key figure in a team of chemists who put lead in petrol and produced the first chlorofluorocarbons or CFC’s

–         Lead has been taken out of petrol now because its considered too much of a health risk and CFC’s are what caused the hole in the ozone layer

–         So Dr Midgley is famous for at least two innovations which damaged the environment on a large scale

 

There was a saying in ancient Israel

–         “The fathers eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge”

–         It basically means that children often have to live with the consequences of their parents’ actions

–         Thomas Midgley died in 1944 before many of us were born but the sour grapes he ate have set our teeth on edge

–         We are still living with the ill-effects of his work – the sins of our fathers

 

Jephthah paid the price for the sins of his father

–         Mr Gilead got a prostitute pregnant and Jephthah was born

–         Although Jephthah was not to blame for his father’s actions his half-brothers would not accept him and forced him to leave home

 

Two weeks ago I showed you a tripod for holding a video camera

–         For the tripod to stand on its own it needs three legs

–         With just one or two legs the tripod will fall over and the camera will be damaged

–         Three things the human soul needs to stand are identity, belonging and purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose go together – they give us strength & security – a sense of wholeness and well-being or shalom

 

When Jephthah’s brothers rejected him and drove him away they cut off his identity & belonging in their family so that Jephthah was forced to find these things elsewhere

–         Acceptance is the way to strengthen identity & belonging

–         Had his brothers accepted him I think Jephthah’s story would have had a very different outcome

 

Jephthah was a leader so he soon attracted other outcasts and became a force to be reckoned with

 

When Israel’s enemies threaten, the leaders of Gilead come cap in hand to ask Jephthah for help

–         Their approach is quite self-serving – they don’t really care about Jephthah, they just want to save their own necks

–         Jephthah agrees but only if they accept him as their leader

–         They have offered Jephthah purpose but he wants identity and belonging as well – he is hungry for their acceptance

–         The deal is done

 

In some ways Jephthah’s treatment at the hands of his brothers is a parable (in miniature) of Yahweh’s experience with Israel

–         Through no fault of His own the Lord is rejected by Israel and then, when Israel find themselves in trouble, they repent and ask for help

–         Israel doesn’t really care about Yahweh – they are desperate and are using the Lord for their own ends

–         Although Yahweh doesn’t need Israel’s acceptance (like Jephthah did) the Lord is still in a difficult position

–         He knows Israel is using him and will reject him again but he can’t turn his back on the people he loves

 

Once he has been made leader of the Gileadites, Jephthah approaches the king of the Ammonites (Israel’s enemies) and seeks a diplomatic solution

–         This shows wisdom and good leadership on Jephthah’s part

–         Unfortunately it doesn’t work

–         Israel is in a weaker position so the Ammonites choose war

 

In his exchange with the king of the Ammonites, Jephthah has his finest hour

–         From verse 27 of chapter 11 Jephthah says…

 

27 It is not I who have sinned against you, but you are the one who does me wrong by making war on me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today for the Israelites or for the Ammonites.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not heed the message that Jephthah sent him.

 

Although Israel is in a weaker position from a military point of view, Jephthah has the faith to say publicly that the Lord God (Yahweh) is the ultimate judge and he will decide who is right and who gets the land

–         There is real gold in what Jephthah says here but the gold soon runs out and Jephthah’s finest hour is turned to stone

 

Jephthah’s vow:

29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord’s, to be offered up by me as a burnt offering.”

 

Jephthah is making a solemn deal with the Lord

–         If God gives him victory he will kill (as a human sacrifice) the first person who comes out of his house to meet him

 

Steve Hansen has been on the telly lately advertising Arnott’s biscuits

–         The ads imagine Steve Hansen (coach of the All Blacks) riding on a motorbike through a post-apocalyptic wasteland

–         Steve then recreates the events which led to the destruction of the world

–         Essentially it involves one of the All Blacks eating someone else’s biscuits (either their Shapes or their Tim Tams)

–         Then the person who has lost their biscuits over reacts, triggering a series of misunderstandings which lead to nuclear war

–         The moral of the story is, “Never, ever lose your biscuit.”

 

To ‘lose your biscuit’ means to lose your cool or lose your perspective

–         ‘Never lose your biscuit’, therefore, means stay calm

–         Don’t be afraid, don’t stress out, don’t over react because you don’t know what disaster may come from it

 

Unfortunately Jephthah did lose his biscuit

–         In public Jephthah was full of confidence that God, the righteous judge, would give him the victory

–         But in private Jephthah was that scared little boy who had never been properly accepted – who longed to be identified with his father’s family, to be counted as belonging with his brothers

 

Jephthah had been called by men to fight the Ammonites – but God had not spoken to him yet

–         God had spoken to other leaders in the past, either through an angel (as he did with Gideon) or through a prophet (as he did with Barak)

–         But in Jephthah’s case, Yahweh had been strangely silent

 

Certainly the Lord had sent his Spirit on Jephthah enabling him to go through various towns to rally support

–         The presence of God’s Spirit on Jephthah should have given him confidence that he had God’s support – but it didn’t

–         Perhaps Jephthah wasn’t aware of the Spirit’s empowering presence – perhaps he mistakenly thought he was doing this in his own strength

–         Or maybe he was aware of God’s Spirit with him but didn’t make the connection that this implied the Lord’s support

 

Whatever the reason, on the eve of battle Jephthah was not able to stand the awful silence of God and he lost his biscuit, making a rash and unnecessary vow

 

Let me be very clear – Jephthah’s vow had nothing to do with the Spirit of God and everything to do with Jephthah’s own fear & insecurity

–         Jephthah had power from the Holy Spirit to do a particular task but having power from God is not the same thing as having a relationship with Him

–         Jephthah didn’t really have a relationship with the Lord and so he didn’t know God all that well

–         Because he had been rejected by his own family in the past, Jephthah was probably afraid the same thing might happen with God & he over reacted

–         But God is not like Jephthah’s family, the Lord is faithful

 

Jephthah’s vow was wrong on a number of counts

–         Firstly, it involved human sacrifice, which is against God’s Law

–         The Old Testament Law allowed animal sacrifice but human sacrifice was murder – it was absolutely forbidden

–         It stands to reason that Jephthah didn’t know this

 

Secondly, Jephthah’s vow was a faithless attempt to bind God

–         God is free – he won’t be placed under obligation by us, although he may of his own free choice place himself under obligation for us

–         Trying to manipulate the gods by making sacrifices is a pagan thing

–         Yahweh does not operate like that

–         The Lord operates by grace and faith

–         We don’t pay God to do things for us

–         In faith we receive from God, freely, and we respond with thankfulness

 

Jephthah mistakenly thought he could make a deal with God

–         The tragedy is that Jephthah already had the victory

–         He didn’t need to make a deal with God – he simply needed to trust God

 

As I said at the beginning of this message – the stories of the Judges are not an ideal to aspire to, they are cautionary tales, warning us of what to avoid

 

Okay – so far we’ve heard about Jephthah’s rejection as a youth and his rash vow as an adult

–         Now let’s consider the intergenerational impact on Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s Daughter:

After winning a crushing victory over his enemies, Jephthah returns home triumphant. We pick up the story from verse 34 of Judges 11…

 

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing. She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.”

 

36 She said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: Grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I.” 38 “Go,” he said and sent her away for two months. So she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

 

39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to the vow he had made. She had never slept with a man. So there arose an Israelite custom that 40 for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

 

May the Spirit of God help us to know Jesus

 

When Jephthah made his vow to sacrifice the first person who came out of his house to meet him he probably had in mind one of his many servants

–         I don’t think he was expecting to kill his only daughter

–         And yet, as cruel chance would have it, she was the first to meet him when he returned home

 

The text makes it clear that she was his only child and that she was a virgin – which means that with her death Jephthah would have no descendants

–         In that culture, to die without children or descendants was a fate worse than death – this is why Jephthah tears his clothes as a sign of grief

–         In seeking to bind the Lord with a vow Jephthah has bound himself and can see no way out of it

 

We shouldn’t interpret this as Yahweh’s punishment of Jephthah

–         The Lord does not punish children for their parents’ mistakes – although children are sometimes the innocent victims of their parents sins

–         In this case Jephthah actually has the audacity to blame his daughter for his own mistake saying: “You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me.”

–         It was hardly her fault though – she didn’t know about his vow

 

I don’t believe God wanted any person to die or suffer for Jephthah’s vow

–         I say this because God’s Law provided a way out in situations like this

 

In Leviticus chapter 5 we read,

 

If someone makes a careless vow, no matter what it is about, he is guilty as soon as he realises what he has done. When a person is guilty, he must confess the sin, and as a penalty for the sin he must bring to the Lord a female sheep or goat as an offering. The priest shall offer the sacrifice for the man’s sin.

 

Jephthah had made a careless and evil vow

–         Clearly God did not require Jephthah to follow through on his vow and murder his daughter – yet that is exactly what Jephthah did

–         By carrying out his vow, Jephthah made his word more important than God’s word

–         So there was no virtue in Jephthah keeping his vow – he only made things worse

 

Most likely Jephthah was ignorant of the fact that…

–         One, human sacrifice is unacceptable to the Lord

–         And two, if you do make a rash vow, God has provided a way out

–         All Jephthah needed to do was confess that his vow was a mistake and have a priest offer an animal sacrifice in place of his daughter

–         The biggest cost would have been to Jephthah’s pride in admitting he had made a mistake

–         But there is less shame in admitting you are wrong and stopping evil than insisting you are right and fulfilling it

 

Whether he was aware of God’s law or not Jephthah didn’t need to kill her

 

This is what Jesus had to say about oaths and vows…

 

“You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by earth, because it is the resting place for his feet; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.  Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’, be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No’. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”    

 

Jephthah’s vow came from the evil one

 

Thinking about our granite rock with a ribbon of gold in it – the response of Jephthah’s daughter is something very precious

–         She is far more gracious and courageous than her father

–         She doesn’t blame him for his mistake, even though he unfairly blames her – nor does she try to negotiate her way out of it

–         Instead she asks for two months to grieve with her friends in the hills

–         This is a wise move by Jephthah’s daughter – it creates a period of grace

–         Who knows what might happen in that grace period

–         Perhaps someone from the community will intervene and persuade her father to change his mind – or maybe God will intervene

 

When Abram was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, an angel of the Lord intervened to stop Abram and God provided a ram as a substitute

–         Also, when Saul made a rash vow which could have cost his son Jonathon his life, the men around Saul intervened to save Jonathon

 

Sadly there is no intervention for Jephthah’s daughter, divine or otherwise

–         No one thinks to inform Jephthah of the way out and God remains silent

–         The two months pass and Jephthah kills his only child

 

Conclusion:

When we put it altogether this is such a tragic story

–         We have Jephthah’s painful rejection as a young person

–         His unnecessary vow – made out of fear and insecurity

–         And then his failure to find redemption for his only child

 

Hebrews 11 mentions Jephthah as one of the heroes of the faith, which is surprising given his faithless vow & ignorance of God’s ways

–         The fact that he makes it in is more a testament to God’s grace than anything else – Jephthah is a cautionary tale, not an ideal to follow

–         I think his daughter is more the hero, for she reminds us of Jesus who accepted his Father’s will in going to the cross for our redemption

 

Jephthah’s daughter also reminds us of the millions of innocent children who are sacrificed in our world today, through child abuse, slavery, war or blind ambition and neglect

–         As John Hamlin puts it…

 

Jephthah sacrificed his daughter because of his own anxieties and ambitions. Today parents who have a driving ambition to achieve security, wealth or fame may, through neglect, unwittingly sacrifice the welfare of their own children. We might also look at nations whose drive for power or wealth or security is so strong that a whole generation of its youth may be lost in war, while the after effects may lead many to drugs or crime. [1]

 

We may not be that different to Jephthah

–         We may be disturbed by the reality that God seems to remain silent in the face of this child abuse

–         Perhaps we should be more concerned with our own silence

–         Humanity is more culpable than God

–         That said, God doesn’t always intervene to save those most vulnerable

–         I don’t have an adequate answer for this – I can’t see the whole picture

–         All I have is my one or two pieces of the puzzle

 

I do believe in resurrection though – that those innocents who are sacrificed (like Jephthah’s daughter) are given abundant life in heaven

–         God is just and merciful – he makes all things new in the end

 

I also believe, there is a redeemer

–         A redeemer for those who have been condemned by the sins of their parents

–         And a redeemer for those who have lost their biscuit and over reacted – causing others to suffer

–         The name of this redeemer is Jesus, God’s own Son

 

 

Let us pray…

 

–         For those children in our world today who are sacrificed or abused in various ways – for God’s healing grace and redemption

–         For those who are parents – that the sins of the parents would not be passed on to their children (this may involve asking God to forgive our own parents)

–         Forgiveness for those times when we ‘lose our biscuit’ or over react causing others grief

 

Out Takes

It is probable that Jephthah was not well acquainted with God’s law

–          He had lived much of his life as an outlaw among pagans, therefore he wasn’t exposed to a lot of teaching about God’s ways

–          But I’m not sure living in ancient Israel would have helped him that much either

–          The time of the Judges was a time when people largely ignored God’s law anyway and did whatever seemed best in their own eyes

 

 

[1] E. John Hamlin, “Judges, At Risk in the Promised Land”, page 124.

Tawa Baptist

Job & Elihu

Scripture: Job 32-37

 

Title: Job & Elihu

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Job
  • Elihu
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

As you arrived this morning, some of you would have been given a puzzle piece

–         Based on the piece of the puzzle you have, can you tell me what you think the full picture is?  (What time of the year is it? Etc.)

–         [Let people make their guesses]

Well, they were (mostly) good guesses – but this is the full picture when you put all the pieces together…

It’s a photo of The Remarkables taken from Frankton, near Queenstown

–         The point I’m trying to make here is that when we have only one piece of the puzzle it is extremely difficult to accurately imagine the whole picture

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible by focusing on Job & Elihu

–         Job was an elder in the community and Elihu was a young man

 

Job:

For those not familiar with the story, Job was a righteous man who went out his way to always do the right thing by God and his neighbour

–         He lived by a strict moral ethical code

–         Job prospered in everything he did, had a large family and was well respected in the community – he was a genuinely good guy

–         Then one day Job lost everything

–         Through a series of unfortunate events he lost his great wealth and all his children were killed in a single day

–         Despite this incredible loss Job did not curse God

–         He said, ‘The Lord gives and takes away – blessed be his name’

 

Not long after that Job lost his health as well – he was covered in painful boils

–         Although he was suffering in every way that its possible for a man to suffer, Job still did not curse God

 

For seven days he sat in silence on the ash heap, scraping the puss out of his boils with pieces of broken pottery

–         When Job’s friends came to offer him comfort they could hardly recognise him

–         The three men sat in silence with Job, waiting for him to speak

 

When Job finally did open his mouth, it wasn’t to curse God but rather to curse the day of his birth – Job felt so miserable he wished he’d never been born

 

Although Job didn’t curse God he still had a beef with the Almighty

–         All his life he had lived by a strict moral code based on the belief that God is just and all powerful – he rewards good behaviour & punishes bad

–         That was the one piece of the puzzle that Job had

–         He didn’t have other pieces of the puzzle like we do

–         For example, he didn’t know there was a resurrection of the dead

–         For the people of Job’s day this life was all there was – you lived and died and that was it

–         So if you didn’t get justice in this life, you missed out altogether

 

And therein lies the rub for Job – he felt he had been unfairly treated

–         Job knew that, although he wasn’t perfect, he had never done anything bad enough to deserve this

–         How could God (who is just) let a good man like him come to ruin?

–         If Job had a belief in the resurrection then he would at least have the comfort of knowing that whatever injustices he suffered in this life, God would make it up to him in heaven

–         But Job doesn’t have that piece of the puzzle

 

From Job’s perspective it seems that God has punished him unfairly, without explanation

–         Job wants his day in court with the Lord

–         He wants God to tell him what he’s done wrong

–         Job wants the opportunity to justify himself – but God is silent

 

Job’s friends (Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar) are well meaning but unfortunately they have the same puzzle piece that Job has

–         Like Job they believe God rewards good behaviour and punishes bad (in this life) – end of story

–         Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar don’t want to face the inconvenient truth that sometimes bad things happen to good people – so this life isn’t fair

–         They can’t see a both / and solution to this problem

–         They can’t see how both God and Job can be justified at the same time

–         For them it is either / or – either Job is right or God is right

–         God can’t be wrong therefore Job must have done something really bad to deserve the calamity that has fallen on him

 

Now not everything the friends say is wrong – some of what they say is right and true – they simply lack the humility to admit they don’t have all the answers

–         Their faith isn’t spacious enough to accommodate doubt

–         Like someone once said, ‘the opposite of faith isn’t doubt. The opposite of faith is certainty’

 

As the dialogue goes back and forth between Job and his friends, the friends become more hostile toward Job until in the end they accuse him of heinous crimes from the past – crimes Job never committed

–         Job is misunderstood by those closest to him and that just adds to his feelings of isolation and mistreatment

 

In their rush to defend God, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are unkind to Job (they kick the man while he is down). As Derek Kidner points out…

–         “One of the lessons of the book is that God [hates] our special pleading for him, with its suppression of unwelcome facts” [1]

–         In other words, God doesn’t like it when we deny or falsify the facts to defend him

 

Job said it well when he replied to friends…

 

Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?

Will you show partiality toward him, will you plead the case for God?

Will it be well with you when he searches you out? [2]

 

Last night Robyn and I went to my cousin’s, 40th birthday party

–         My cousin is married to an artist and he had a painting on the wall that looked something like this…

If you can imagine a whole lot of circles of different sizes and colours arranged on the wall, with space in between the circles – it looks really cool

–         The artist has an interesting process

–         He starts by painting one really big single art work and then he cuts the circles out and puts them on the wall

–         So we don’t get to see the whole picture – we just see bits and pieces

 

Some would call this abstract art but in my mind it points to reality

–         I don’t know why he paints like this but I reckon it’s a parable of how we experience life

–         We never see the full picture – we only see bits and pieces

–         We have blind spots

–         There are gaps in our understanding and gaps in our conversation

–         There’s the things we say and the things we hide

–         There’s our words and our silence

–         There’s the circles and the space in between

–         Faith lives in the space in between

 

God, the artist, sees the whole picture – we don’t

–         We might look at the fragmented pieces of our life and not be able to make sense of it – that’s how it was for Job

–         He didn’t have the full picture – he just had bits & pieces and he was struggling to join the dots, to make sense of it all

 

It was similar for Job’s friends – they looked at the ruin of Job’s life and couldn’t see the full picture

–         They weren’t comfortable with the space in between – they tried to force all the circles together and in the process they left no room for faith

–         They misunderstood both Job and God

 

All the while that Job and his three friends are having this conversation, others are watching and listening in, including a young man called Elihu

–         The interesting thing here, from an intergenerational perspective, is that young people (like Elihu) were allowed to observe and even participate in deep theological discussions like this

–         They weren’t excluded or shielded from these difficult matters

 

 We pick up the story from Job chapter 32…

 

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.  

 

Elihu is angry with his elders because he feels like they have misrepresented God in their conversation

–         By insisting on his innocence Job has made it appear as though God is unjust

–         And by letting Job have the last word, the three friends have made it seem like God was in the wrong

 

For the next six chapters Elihu presents his ideas

–         Some commentators dismiss Elihu’s contribution as unimportant

–         But when we listen to what he has to say with an open mind, without looking down on him because of his age, we have to admit he adds value

–         Elihu does take a different approach to his elders and in the process helps us to see one or two other pieces to the puzzle

–         He doesn’t have the whole picture and he misunderstands Job at times but he also foreshadows some of the things Yahweh says to Job later

 

The first point of difference is that Elihu addresses Job by name

 

You might think this is a small thing but actually it’s quite significant

–         How do you feel when someone forgets your name?

–         Most of us feel less somehow

–         But when people remember our name we feel like we matter, we exist – we are not nobody – we are somebody

 

Elihu calls Job by name which is a way of acknowledging that Job is a person and he is not ashamed to admit that he knows Job

–         Job’s three friends don’t use Job’s name when talking to him which seems to indicate that he has become a stranger to them

–         It’s not that they’ve had a senior moment and forgotten Job’s name

–         It’s more like they are embarrassed to admit they know Job and that’s hurtful

–         (Having said all that I hope I don’t forget anyone’s name today – if I do, it’s not intentional)

 

The next main point of difference is that Elihu bases his comments on what he has heard Job say

–         He doesn’t accuse Job of some imaginary sin from the past or make up some alternative facts like Job’s friends did

–         Elihu sticks to the evidence available to him

–         Elihu was actually listening to Job and trying to give him a fair go

 

This said, Elihu sometimes gets his wires crossed and misunderstands Job

 

For example, in chapter 33, Elihu quotes Job as saying…

–         ‘I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt. Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.’

 

Elihu makes it sound like Job is claiming moral perfection and…

–         “While Job is confident that he has followed God’s way faithfully, he never asserts that he has not sinned.” [3]

–         Job’s position is that he cannot recall having ever done anything bad enough to warrant such harsh punishment

–         Elihu hasn’t properly understood Job

 

On the whole though Elihu’s basic approach is miles better than that of Job’s three friends, even if it lacks some refinement

 

Another point of difference is that Job and his friends seem obsessed with the cause of Job’s suffering while Elihu suggests they would be better to consider the general purpose of suffering

 

Do you understand the difference between cause and purpose?

–         If you are receiving chemo treatment for cancer then you might experience some hair loss

–         The cause of the hair loss is the chemo drugs – but you don’t think too much about the cause because there’s no gain in that

–         Rather you choose to focus on the purpose of the chemo drugs, which is to make you better

–         Thinking about the purpose gives meaning to the hair loss and strengthens your resolve to carry on with the treatment

 

Elihu tries to get Job and his friends to quit their obsession with the cause of Job’s suffering and start thinking about the purpose – what does suffering achieve?

 

In chapter 33 Elihu says to Job…

–         Why do you complain to [God] that he answers none of man’s words? For God does speak – now one way, now another – though man may not perceive it. [God speaks] in a dream, in a vision of the night… Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain…

 

One of Job’s complaints was that God was silent and wouldn’t respond to him

–         Elihu suggests that God has been trying to communicate with Job

–         Through dreams of the night (Job had certainly had nightmares)

–         And through pain (C.S. Lewis said that pain is God’s mega phone – Job was in a lot of pain)

–         The purpose of the nightmares and pain, according to Elihu, is so God…

…may terrify them with warnings, to turn man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword

 

In other words, stop worrying about the cause of your suffering Job and consider God’s purpose which is to save you from death

 

While Elihu is on the right track, he can’t see the whole picture

–         God’s purpose isn’t to turn Job away from wrong doing – Job was never on the wrong path in the first place

–         God’s purpose was to set Job free from the prison of himself

–         Of course Job didn’t know this at the time – we seldom know the purpose until after the fact

 

Elihu carries on, in chapter 33, with a note of hope, saying…

 

Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator… to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him’ – then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.

 

Elihu’s idea here is that God provides an angel to help the man in trouble – to be his advocate, pay the bail and get him out of prison

–         This is really Job’s idea, but Elihu does well to agree with Job on this point – Job had said in chapter 16…

 

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

 

In his desperation Job had accurately guessed one of the pieces of the puzzle yet unseen – a very important piece as it turns out

–         Jesus is our witness in heaven – our advocate on high

–         The Spirit of Jesus is our intercessor and friend who pleads with God on our behalf (with groans and sighs too deep for words)

 

One of the poetic twists in the story is that Job himself acts as a mediator and intercessor, praying for God to forgive his friends, at the end of the book

 

In chapters 34 & 35 Elihu gives Job a hard time for insisting on his own innocence – this is not Elihu’s finest speech

–         Like Job’s friends, Elihu’s purpose is to defend the reputation of God

–         Ironically, in making the point that God is just, Elihu is unfair to Job

–         What Elihu doesn’t realise is that it’s not necessary, in Job’s case, to defend God – the Lord is big enough to handle our questions and doubts

 

Elihu finishes well though – in chapters 36 & 37 he focuses on the greatness and splendour of God – which is what Job needs

–         Elihu asks Job a series of questions which Job can’t answer. He says…

 

Listen to this Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightening flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?

 

And so on…

–         Because of his obsession with being right Job had become locked in a prison of self-absorption

–         By talking about the mastery and wisdom of God in creation, Elihu reminds Job that he is not the centre of the universe.

–         The world doesn’t revolve around Job

–         In this way Elihu gets Job thinking about something other than himself and he anticipates God, who asks Job a lot of unanswerable questions too

 

Conclusion:

God’s response seems baffling to us for God doesn’t speak directly to Job’s complaint (which is essentially, ‘What have I done to deserve this?’)

–         The point seems to be that Job and his friends had arrived at a faulty conclusion because they weren’t asking the right questions

–         God wasn’t interested in punishing Job – he wanted to set Job free from his moralistic, man-centered theology

 

Sometimes, like Job, we can become too preoccupied with questions of ethics and our destiny

–         We might be uncomfortable with the space in between the circles – the unknown, the realm of mystery, where faith lives – God is in the gaps

–         If we force the circles together too tightly – if we try to confine God within our narrow theological system – then God may need to pull the circles apart again to make room for faith and communion with Him

–         God is in the gaps

 

It’s when Job gives up trying to justify himself that God vindicates Job, restoring his life and perspective

 

The people at the Fuller Youth Institute say that…

  • – Young people who have safe relationships in which to share their questions and struggles tend to have stronger faith
  • – But I don’t think it’s just young people that need safe relationships
  • – We all need someone who will listen without condemning us and without trying to save us or fix our theology
  • – Being safe doesn’t mean having all the answers – it means being able to handle the truth with grace and without fudging the facts to defend God
  • – It means having a faith that is spacious enough to accommodate doubt

 

Sadly, neither Job’s friends nor Elihu were equipped to provide Job with a safe relationship (although Elihu did a slightly better job than his elders)

  • – Through the process though Job became a safe person for others

 

I’m not sure how you have suffered

–         I’m not sure what doubts you wrestle with

–         But I am sure you can’t provide sanctuary for others unless you yourself have suffered loss and been hollowed out by grief

 

As Jesus said…

–         “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.”  [4]

[1] Derek Kidner, ‘The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes’, page 61-62.

[2] Job 13:7-9

[3] John Hartley, NICOT ‘Job’, page 440.

[4] This is the Message Bible’s translation of Matthew 5:4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted’.

Tawa Baptist

Jesus in transition

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Title: Jesus in transition

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Foreshadowing
  • Identity, belonging, purpose
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Recently I had an eye exam and was told I needed transition lenses, which are sort of a modern take on bifocals

–         Switching to transition lenses is really weird – it’s a transition in itself

–         With transition lenses you have to turn your whole head to keep things in focus. It takes a bit of getting used to

 

I’m telling you this for two reasons:

–         Firstly, if I seem to be looking at you funny, don’t be offended – I’m just getting used to these new glasses

–         And secondly, it relates to this morning’s message – Jesus in transition

 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 2, verse 41 – page 77 toward the back of your pew Bibles

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships by focusing on Jesus, as a 12 year boy, interacting with adults in the temple in Jerusalem

–         In Jewish culture of that time, a boy became responsible for keeping the Law at 13 – so 12 was an age of transition as he prepared for manhood and the responsibilities associated with the Law, also a time of viewing oneself (in relation to God and the world) differently

–         And, as we’ll hear shortly, it wasn’t only a transition for Jesus, it was a time of transition for Jesus’ parents as well

–         From Luke 2, verses 41-52 we read…

 

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate the gospel for us

Foreshadowing:

On the wall here we have an example of foreshadowing

–         The picture of a cave man, from the past, holding a stick foreshadows present day man who holds a cell-phone

 

Foreshadowing is a literary technique where the author plants little clues at the beginning of a story to hint at what is to come later

–         Foreshadowing helps us make the transition from ignorance to meaning

–         It creates a point of reference helping us to join the dots so we can accurately interpret the story

 

Many of the characters of the Old Testament foreshadow Jesus

–         Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers but then later saves them, foreshadows Jesus who was betrayed by his own for our salvation

–         Moses, the law giver, foreshadows Jesus who fulfils the law

–         David, the shepherd king, foreshadows Jesus the good shepherd king

–         Elisha who heals Naaman, the gentile leper, foreshadows Jesus who not only healed lepers but came that people of all nations would be cleansed

–         We could go on but you get the point: the Old Testament foreshadows Christ

 

We notice quite a bit of foreshadowing in this morning’s account of the boy Jesus in the temple

 

Luke 2, verse 41 tells us how every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival

 

The Passover remembers one of Israel’s great transitions – their exodus from slavery in Egypt

–         This little vignette of Jesus going to the Passover festival foreshadows Jesus’ death on the cross at Passover time

 

Travelling from Nazareth to Jerusalem is a journey of about 5 days each way on foot – so that’s at least 10 days on the road

–         Add to that another 8 days for the festival itself and the round trip took nearly 3 weeks – that’s a big commitment to make every year

–         Living as far away from Jerusalem as they did Mary & Joseph weren’t legally required by the Law to attend the Passover festival every year but they freely chose to do so – foregoing 3 weeks income to be there to honour the Lord

–         This shows us that Jesus’ parents, Mary & Joseph, were devout people – they were very committed to God and his law

 

With the festival over, Mary & Joseph head back to Nazareth

–         Because they were travelling in a large group with extended family & friends they didn’t realise Jesus was missing until the end of the first day

–         You can imagine their worry and anxiety – anything could have happened to their boy

 

It takes a day for them to return to Jerusalem and then on the third day they find him in the Temple

–         Here we observe a foreshadowing of the resurrection – for Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day

 

Mary & Joseph are astonished (or surprised) to find Jesus sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions

–         How is a small town boy (a carpenter’s son) able to foot it with these heavy weight theologians from the big city?

–         It would be like losing your 12 year old child at the stadium after a test match, only to come back and find him discussing the game with Steve Hansen and Kieran Reid (the All Blacks coach & captain)

 

‘Listening & asking’ suggests humility and respect on Jesus’ part, so we shouldn’t imagine a precocious or arrogant child setting his elders straight

–         The 12 year old Jesus doesn’t know it all – rather he is hungry to learn

 

Apparently the teachers asked Jesus some questions too – not because they expected to learn something from the boy – but because questions encourage people to think for themselves – that was their teaching method

–         And all who heard Jesus were amazed at his intelligent answers

–         In other words, Jesus’ response showed a deep understanding of the Scriptures – far deeper than one would expect from a 12 year old

 

This picture of Jesus discussing theology with the teachers of the Law foreshadows Jesus’ ministry when he will amaze people with his wisdom and insight in teaching the ways of God

 

We all have foreshadowing in our lives don’t we

–         Things that happened to us in our childhood which anticipated an even deeper reality in adulthood

–         Some of that foreshadowing may have been helpful – it may have set you on a good path

–         By the same token some of it may have been detrimental – history has a nasty habit of repeating itself

–         Whatever foreshadowing you’ve had in your own life, whether good or bad, Jesus understands

–         He is able to join the dots and make sense of your life – give your life meaning

 

Identity, belonging and purpose:

I have here a tripod

–         This tripod is used to support a video camera

–         For this tripod to stand on its own it needs at least 3 legs

–         With just one or two legs someone needs to hold it, otherwise it will topple over and the camera will be broken

–         To make this tripod stable it helps if each of the legs are evenly matched

–         If one leg is shorter than the others it is more prone to tipping

 

Three things we human beings need to stand are: identity, belonging & purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose are like the three legs of the tripod supporting our soul

 

Identity answers the question: Who am I?

–         Belonging answers the question: Where do I fit?

–         And purpose answers the question: Why am I here?

–         Who, where and why?

 

As human beings we go through a number of transitions or changes in our life

–         And these transitions are not always easy – they may leave us feeling like a fish out of water, at least for a little while

–         The transition from the security of the womb to the outside world

–         The transition from home to kindy and then kindy to school and eventually from school (or university) to the workforce

–         The transition from childhood to adulthood – otherwise known as adolescence – this is a challenge for both teenagers and their parents

–         Some people make the transition from being single to being married or perhaps from being married to being divorced

–         Having children is one of life’s most profound transitions

–         A number of you here have made the transition from a different country and culture to come to New Zealand

–         Others have made the transition from full time paid employment to retirement

–         Grief is a kind of transition – as we come to terms with loss and adjust to a new normal

 

The point is: we go through lots of transitions in life and these are sometimes painful or difficult at the time

–         Having a good sense of identity, belonging & purpose gives us security – supporting us through times of transition and change

 

The transition Jesus was going through at 12 was not easy for Mary & Joseph

–         When Mary asks Jesus…

–         “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

 

Jesus points out that they had no need for concern, saying…

–         “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

 

Jesus’ response here reveals a strong sense of identity, belonging & purpose.

–         Jesus identifies himself in relationship with God

–         He basically says, ‘God is my Father and I am His Son’

–         That’s identity

 

Because Jesus knows who he is (God’s Son) it then becomes clear where he belongs – in His Father’s house, that is, in the temple

–         As God’s Son, Jesus felt perfectly safe and at home in the temple

 

And as for purpose, well, ‘I had to be in the temple’

–         In other words, it was inevitable that you would find me here discussing theology with the experts – because the temple is where people learn about God and my life’s purpose is to teach people the ways of God

–         How can I teach others unless I first learn myself?

 

If you are going to be a doctor it is inevitable that you will go to medical school and hospital

–         If you are going to be a teacher it is inevitable that you will go to teachers’ college and end up in the classroom

–         If you are going to be a minister or a priest then it is inevitable that you will study the Bible and spend time in church

 

This all seems intuitively obvious to Jesus – but it’s lost on his parents

–         Mary & Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus was saying to them

–         They knew from the circumstances of his birth that he was somehow special – but they didn’t yet realise his identity as God’s Son, much less his purpose in life or where he belonged

 

Incidentally, being misunderstood by those closest to him is another foreshadowing of Jesus’ future ministry

 

Jesus is not put off by his parent’s slowness to understand though

–         He is secure in his identity, belonging and purpose

–         Jesus knows that God (his Father) understands him and that’s enough for Jesus

–         So he returns to Nazareth with Mary & Joseph and is obedient to them

 

Conclusion:

Luke 2 finishes by telling us that Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with both God and man

–         That Jesus ‘grew in wisdom’ tells us that our Lord wasn’t born knowing everything – he had to learn wisdom like everyone else

–         (Although it appears he was a faster learner than you or I)

–         Even though God was his Father, this didn’t mean any short cuts for Jesus

–         He did his time, paid his dues and went through puberty as we all do

–         Jesus wasn’t just fully divine – he was also fully human

 

Sometimes we might think that being Christian somehow makes us exempt or gives us immunity from the misfortunes or hardships of life – It doesn’t

–         We are just as likely to catch a cold or have car trouble or be misunderstood or made redundant or lose a loved one, as anyone else

–         God didn’t prevent his own Son from experiencing loss and suffering and difficulty – so we shouldn’t expect special treatment either

 

Like Jesus we do have some advantages though

–         In Jesus we have a secure and level tripod for our soul

–         We find our identity, our belonging and our purpose in Christ

–         Jesus is our answer to those deeper questions of who, where and why

–         Jesus is our brother – that’s identity (we are brothers and sisters with Christ – that is who we are)

–         Through Jesus we have a place in the Kingdom of God – that’s belonging (you might not feel like you belong in this world, well we are just sojourners passing through – heaven is our home)

–         And, with the power of Christ’s Spirit in us we find our unique purpose (we are all different and that’s because we each have a special purpose)

 

Let us pray…

 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, you are our security in an insecure world – you provide stability for our soul through times of change & transition. Whatever the foreshadowing in our own lives, may we find our identity, belonging and purpose in you.

Tawa Baptist

Eli & Samuel

Scripture: 1st Samuel 3

 

Title: Eli & Samuel

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – Immersion
  • Learning by immersion (repetition & routine)
  • Spiritual direction
  • God’s ways are not our ways (grace & truth)
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

I have here a sponge and a bucket of water

–         In order for a sponge to work it needs to be wet

–         Now I could get the sponge wet by sprinkling water on it like this

–         But the best way is by immersing it in the bucket like this

 

Today we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses & Joshua, Ruth & Naomi, Elijah & Elisha

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Eli & Samuel

–         For those who may not be familiar with the story, Samuel was dedicated to the Lord’s service by his mother Hannah

–         This meant that once Samuel had been weaned she left him at the temple in Shiloh to serve with Eli the chief priest

–         Hannah didn’t just sprinkle a bit of religion over her son, she immersed him totally in the Lord’s service

 

The ground of today’s message is 1st Samuel chapter 3

–         At this stage Samuel is still a boy – we are not sure exactly how old but probably no older than 12?

–         By contrast Eli is an old man, most likely old enough to be Samuel’s grandad

–         From 1st Samuel chapter 3 (in the NIV) we read…

 

3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel,

“Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

 

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

 

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

Learning by immersion (routine & repetition)

When it comes to learning we human beings are a little bit like a sponge

–         We tend to learn best by immersion – rather than sprinkling

–         If you think about it a child learns to walk and talk not by attending a lecture, but by being immersed in an environment where other people are walking and talking

–         In the process of listening to adult conversations and seeing other people walk the child naturally picks up what to do and then starts attempting to walk & talk themselves

–         It’s good for young children to be around older children and adults because that’s how they learn

–         If small children only ever hung out with other small children they wouldn’t learn what the next steps were, so to speak

 

Repetition and routine are an important part of the ‘learning by immersion’ process

–         It’s amazing how small children love to hear the same story over and over again and how they can play ‘peek a boo’ for what seems like hours on end without ever growing tired of it

 

G.K. Chesterton has a wonderful quote about children and repetition. He says…

 

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

 

Churches tend to accumulate traditions

–         There are certain rhythms and regularities that we follow

–         We stand for the offering because we aren’t just giving our money – we are offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices

–         We celebrate communion once a month, usually with the same words of institution for the elements

–         We give out chocolate fish each week to celebrate special occasions

–         We light candles during Advent

–         I almost always start the sermon with ‘Good morning everyone’

–         And we have combined services at Easter & Christmas and so on

 

Having traditions may seem monotonous or boring to us, as adults, but they tend to be quite exciting and full of wonder for small children

–         And they provide a sense of comfort for people in the twilight of life

–         Those traditions that we might prefer to break, in adolescence & mid-life, are actually a great vehicle for teaching our kids

–         While it’s okay to change traditions every now and then we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water

–         Most of our traditions (our repetitions) serve an important purpose

 

There would have been a lot of repetition in Samuel’s life, immersed as he was in the rhythms of the temple with its daily routines of worship & related chores

–         Opening the temple doors at the start of the day & closing them at the end

–         Filling the lamp with oil

–         Gathering wood to burn the sacrifices & cleaning up the mess afterwards

–         Whatever the details of Samuel’s day, it followed a repeating pattern and that repetition was good for Samuel – there was comfort and security in it

–         What’s more, because Samuel was young and abounding in vitality, he was able to exult in the monotony of tradition (not just endure it)

 

Now, in pointing out how Samuel was immersed in the rhythms and routines of the temple, I’m not for a minute suggesting that you should drop your children off to the church for me to look after them each day

–         I can’t see that working out very well

–         What you can do, if you have responsibility for young children, is immerse them in good routines

–         Immerse them in the stories of the Bible

–         Immerse them in your prayers

–         And immerse them in service to the Lord with you

 

You might, for example, have a little bedtime routine where you read a Bible story and then pray the Lord’s Prayer with them

–         It may be the same stories and the same prayer over and over but that doesn’t matter – repetition is an important part of spiritual formation

–         Don’t just limit it to bedtime though – take any opportunity you can find.

–         In Deuteronomy 11, while Moses is giving the people of Israel God’s Law, he instructs them saying…

 

Teach these things to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up

 

One of the things we do here at Tawa Baptist to help spiritual conversations at home is we try (as much as possible) to have the Flock Sunday school curriculum follow the sermon series

–         So the sermon you heard last week about Ruth & Boaz is what the kids are learning about in the Flock this morning

–         You may have noticed on the back of the newsletter a couple of sentences letting the congregation know what the Flock kids are learning with an invitation to talk with your kids about it later

 

Another thing you can do is bring your kids to church regularly

–         If you only come occasionally its harder to feel like you belong

–         I’m not saying this to make you feel bad if you don’t come every week – I understand that it’s not always possible to be here every Sunday

–         But come as often as you are able because by doing that you give yourself and your kids the best chance of feeling at home here

 

One of the things we do in this church is keep the children in the morning service for a good 20 minutes or so before sending them out to Sunday school

–         This is teaching by immersion

–         Children naturally pick up what to do in a worship service and feel comfortable simply by being in it

–         We still need some separate programming for the kids though because they are at a different developmental stage and have different needs

–         Besides, my sermons are too long and serious to hold a child’s attention

 

Tawa Baptist has a strong tradition of grandparents bringing their grandkids to church and Sunday school – which is fantastic, keep doing that

 

Whether they are your kids or your grandkids though the trick is to involve them in those areas of service you are involved in – let them participate

–         So if you are on door duty, get one or two of your kids to do it with you

–         Or if you are collecting the offering, get the child with you to help

–         Sometimes Ang puts instruments out at the front for the kids to use while we are singing – that’s about encouraging participation

–         And when your kids reach College age, there are opportunities for them to serve in crèche and the Flock and the music team and Club Intermed

–         Learning by immersion involves both observation and participation

 

Shona (who is on piano this morning) told me that her Dad, Frank Duncan (who used to be a minister in this church) got her involved playing piano on Sunday mornings from a young age

–         More than just playing piano though, Frank gave Shona real ownership in the service by asking her to select some of the songs

–         Participation you see

 

Returning to Samuel & Eli

–         Samuel grew up immersed in the rhythms & routines of the temple and it had a shaping effect on his soul – it formed him spiritually

–         Sort of like a rock being made smooth as it is continually washed in the surf on a beach

–         Or a piece of clay being shaped and moulded as it spins round and round on the potter’s wheel

 

Eli, for his part, did a good job involving Samuel in the tasks of the temple so that Samuel wasn’t just a spectator or a consumer but an active participant, a contributor

 

Spiritual Direction:

Samuel quite happily followed the rhythms & routines of temple life until one night God introduced a new routine

 

While he was sleeping somewhere near the vicinity of the ark (the symbol of God’s presence) Samuel was woken by a voice calling his name

–         Eli was old, overweight and almost blind – he relied on Samuel to help him with things – so Samuel naturally thought Eli was calling him

–         But when he goes to Eli the old priest says, ‘My son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.’

 

This little pattern is repeated three times and by the third time Eli realises Samuel is hearing the word of the Lord, so Eli offers Samuel some spiritual direction – he tells the boy what to say if he hears the voice again

–         Say, ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening’

 

Eli does well here

–         In the first instance he does well not to get frustrated with Samuel for waking him in the middle of the night

–         More than this though Eli has the presence of mind and the spiritual sensitivity to realise God is calling the boy

–         Eli’s insight is quite remarkable when we think about it

 

Remember we are told, right at the beginning of chapter 3, that ‘the word of the Lord was rare in those days’

–         Most people wouldn’t have expected God to speak at all, let alone to a servant boy. A child prophet? That was unheard of

–         Nevertheless Eli realises that God is talking to Samuel

 

Given the unexpected nature of it all, how does Eli discern this?

 

Well, it seems to me that Eli knew Samuel well

–         It wasn’t like Samuel to wake him in the night 3 times for no reason

–         Samuel wasn’t a naughty kid – he was compliant

–         Samuel wouldn’t have disturbed Eli unless he had heard a voice

 

I think also that Eli saw a potential in Samuel and he loved the boy

–         So it wasn’t difficult for Eli to imagine that God might speak to Samuel

–         In fact, given the miraculous circumstances of Samuel’s birth and Hannah’s dedication of Samuel to God’s service it logically followed that God had a special purpose for Samuel’s life

–         Eli reminds those of us who are older to see the potential in those who young and not discount their usefulness to God

 

Eli also knew enough about God’s ways to realise this is often how the Lord operates – through the unexpected and through repetition

 

When I was in my late teens / early 20’s I said I would never be a pastor

–         Then one day, some years later, four people independently of each other said to me in the space of 24 hours…

–         ‘Will, I think you should consider becoming a pastor’

–         I wasn’t expecting that – and I certainly wasn’t looking for it so I knew it didn’t come from me

–         The unexpected, unsolicited nature of the message and the repetition of it made me think, perhaps God is trying to say something to me here

 

God speaks to people in different ways

–         He spoke to Samuel directly, so that Samuel saw a vision and heard an audible voice – it was nice and clear

–         That kind of communication from God is extremely rare – it’s not like that for most people

–         We are more likely to hear from God through reading the Bible or through another person or a sermon or an alignment of our circumstances

–         As a general principle though God’s word is often unexpected (from our perspective) and it is confirmed through repetition of the message

–         God’s word is always consistent with the person of Jesus – for Jesus embodies the word of the Lord – he is God’s word in human form

 

Samuel certainly wasn’t expecting God to speak to him

–         At that point in time it was outside of his experience

–         Fortunately Eli was present to give Samuel the spiritual direction he needed

 

God’s ways are not our ways:

You know the more I read the Bible the more it occurs to me how different God and I are

–         For one thing, God is a lot younger than I am

–         He appears to be far more trusting than me – more ‘fierce & free’, willing to take incredible risks

–         I imagine God would find roller coasters and sky diving exciting & fun

–         Whereas I’m too anxious for roller coasters and too grown up for fun

–         I prefer to keep my feet on the ground by going for a quiet walk on the beach or reading a book

–         God loves the whole world in all its wildness and diversity – he is present in the world everywhere, even the dark and dangerous places

–         The reach of my love is not so great however

–         God is uncreated, unlimited and eternally young

–         In contrast I am created, very limited and growing older every day

–         God thinks big – I think small

–         He is in no hurry – I’m always busy

–         He does not need anything from anyone and certainly not from me

–         But I depend on him for my very life & breath

–         I like to be organised ahead of time, with my sermon notes written out almost verbatim and my rosters prepared 3 months in advance

–         God, on the other hand, tends to be more last minute, leaving the future open – I don’t think he uses Excel spreadsheets or rosters either

 

God and I are very different but we do share one thing in common – Jesus

 

Why am I telling you this?

–         Well, God’s ways are not our ways

–         If it was up to me I wouldn’t have risked giving a young boy like Samuel such a hard task to do – at least not straight away

–         I would have eased the boy into his work – but not God

–         The Lord throws Samuel into the deep end on his first assignment

–         The very first message God gave Samuel was one of the most difficult of Samuel’s career

–         It was a message of judgment against Eli and his family

–         Basically, God wanted Samuel to tell Eli that the sins of Eli’s unrepentant sons were so bad they could never be forgiven or atoned for

–         Not only that but Eli himself was guilty too for not restraining his sons

 

That’s a heavy message for a young boy to tell the gentle old man he loves & respects

 

Now in saying that God threw Samuel in the deep end, I’m not suggesting the Lord is reckless or careless

–         God knew what Samuel could & couldn’t handle

–         God would not have asked Samuel to do this if he thought Samuel wasn’t up for it

–         The point is: sometimes we under-estimate what children can cope with

–         We want to protect them from what seem to us to be harsh realities and difficult truths – and, at times, rightly so

–         But as adults we need wisdom to discern when it is right to shield our kids and when it is better to let them hear the truth

–         In this instance God doesn’t protect Samuel – he doesn’t wrap the boy in cotton wool

–         Instead he gives Samuel the grace he needs to cope with a difficult truth

–         Ironically, that grace comes in the form of Eli

 

Eli notices that Samuel is avoiding him – which indicates Samuel has something to hide

–         So Eli goes to Samuel and puts a little pressure on him, getting him to release the burden he is carrying by saying, ‘May God deal with you severely if you hide anything from me’

–         A good spiritual director knows when & how to squeeze a person to draw out the truth

 

With permission to speak freely, Samuel relays God’s message in its entirety & Eli accepts it without getting angry with Samuel or censoring him

–         In this way Eli makes it safe for Samuel to be completely honest in the future

–         We need to do for our kids what Eli did for Samuel – release them from the burdens they carry by making it safe for them to be honest with us

 

It is not always easy to hand over tasks to others

–         Generosity towards those who are called to replace us is a real sign of grace [1]

–         God had clearly rejected Eli’s family and chosen Samuel to be his spokesperson to Israel

–         Samuel demonstrated integrity in speaking the truth of God’s message

–         And Eli demonstrated grace in making room for Samuel

 

Conclusion:

God’s ways are not our ways – which is just as well

–         He uses an inexperienced youth and a tired old priest to work out his purposes – such an unexpected combination

 

 

[1] Mary Evans, ‘The Message of Samuel’, page 37.

Tawa Baptist

Ruth & Boaz

Scripture: Ruth 2

 

Title: Boaz & Ruth

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Safe Access
  • Warm Understanding
  • Community Connection
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Earlier in the service I stood on a table and tried to give someone a hand up so they could stand on the table with me – It didn’t work

–         But when I stood on the ground and gave them a hand up from alongside, it worked much better

–         I want you to keep that picture, of a hand up from alongside, in your mind as you listen to today’s message

 

This morning we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses and Joshua, the aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel, King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Ruth and Boaz

–         We don’t know the age difference between Boaz & Ruth, only that Boaz was somewhat older than Ruth, maybe between 10 & 25 years older

–         Setting aside the romantic attachment that developed between them, Boaz demonstrates for us a number of things that those who are older can do to come alongside those who are younger and give them a hand up

 

Boaz gives Ruth access, understanding and connection

–         We also can do these things for those who are younger than us

 

Setting the scene:

We touched on Ruth’s story 3 Sundays ago when we looked at the inter-generational friendship between Naomi and Ruth

–         But in case you missed that I’ll give you a quick overview to set the scene

 

The story takes place during the time of the Judges in ancient Israel – which is after Joshua and before Saul & David

–         In many ways it was the worst of times – when men behaved badly

–         But it brought out the best in certain people

–         There was a famine in the land and Naomi’s husband and two sons were forced to leave Bethlehem to try and find food in Moab, the land of their enemies – they were essentially refugees – displaced people

 

While they were in Moab, Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls: Orpah and Ruth

–         Ten years passed in Moab before Naomi’s two sons died also

–         Despite 10 years of marriage Orpah & Ruth had no children

 

When Naomi hears that God has provided food for his people in Israel, she decides to return to Bethlehem

–         Long story short – Orpah stays in Moab, while Ruth goes with Naomi saying…

 

“…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God…”

 

Ruth wholeheartedly commits herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people and to Naomi’s God. This was a huge leap of faith and a great act of hesed or loyalty on Ruth’s part

 

Ruth & Naomi return to Bethlehem just in time for the barley harvest

 

The Law of Moses was written with the poor and vulnerable in mind, using a hand up, not a hand out, approach

 

One of the safety nets provided by the Law was a practice called gleaning

–         With gleaning, the poor were allowed to follow behind the harvesters picking up the grain left behind

–         The harvesters were to ensure there was adequate left overs for the gleaners to pick up by not harvesting the edges of their fields and not going over the ground twice

–         Gleaning was not a ‘hand out’ because the gleaners had to work for their grain

–         Having said that, gleaning by itself wasn’t enough to lift someone out of poverty – but it did at least save people from starvation

 

So they wouldn’t starve, Ruth respectfully asks to go gleaning in the fields and, as providence would have it, she finds herself in Boaz’ field

–         I say, ‘as providence would have it’ because Boaz does three things to help Ruth:

o   He grants her safe access to his field for gleaning

o   He shows Ruth warm understanding

o   And he connects her with others in the community

–         Safe access, warm understanding and community connection

 

These three things that Boaz does for Ruth are things that we can do for those who are younger than us

 

Safe Access:

Firstly, Boaz grants Ruth safe & generous access to his field

 

When Boaz turns up to see how his harvesters are getting on he notices this young women working in his field, so he asks his foreman who this mystery gleaner is, and the foreman replies…

 

“She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters’. She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

 

There’s a few points to note here:

 

Firstly, the foreman doesn’t seem to know Ruth’s name – he identifies her as the ‘Moabitess from Moab’

–         In other words, she’s not one of us, she’s an outsider

–         Despite the fact that Ruth was an outsider the foreman still granted her access to glean in Boaz’ field

–         Apparently word had got around of Ruth’s hesed (or loyalty) to Naomi

 

Secondly, Ruth asks permission to glean in the field, even though the Law of Moses already says she can

–         This tells us that Ruth doesn’t come with any sense of entitlement

–         She approaches the foreman with respect and humility

 

Thirdly, the foreman says how Ruth has ‘worked steadily’

–         This indicates Ruth’s virtue

–         She’s not lazy, she’s not looking for a hand out, she’s not there to pick up a man – she’s there to provide for herself & Naomi and for this the foreman respects her

 

Boaz comes alongside Ruth and says to her…

 

“My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field… Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

 

Although immigrants like Ruth (who embraced the God of Israel and his covenant) were provided for and protected under the Law, this didn’t guarantee their safety

–         The time of the Judges was a bit of a dodgey time in Israel’s history when people tended to do what was best in their own eyes

–         Consequently finding people who kept the Law was rare

–         Boaz was one of those who did keep God’s Law but he was well aware that many of his countrymen didn’t

–         Had Ruth gone to glean in another field she could have been driven away or worse, assaulted

–         That’s why Boaz encourages Ruth to stay in his field where she won’t be molested

 

Boaz is in a position of power – he is careful not to abuse his power, but rather to use it to help Ruth, to empower her by granting safe access to his field

–         Granting safe access to those young people who embrace Christ (as Ruth had embraced the God of Israel) is something we can do also

 

At a recent deacons meeting Daryl gave a devotion from the Fuller Institute’s book “Growing Young”

–         In this book we find the following true story…

 

Remember your first set of keys?

–         Stephen — who goes by “Stretch” — received his first set of keys when he was 16.

–         His town handed him a driver’s license, and his parents handed him the key to the family car.

–         Heart pounding with excitement, he climbed behind the wheel and pulled out of his driveway for the first time on his own.

–         Stretch couldn’t believe the newfound freedom and responsibility he had been given.

–         He took a step away from childhood and a step closer to adulthood.

 

As Stretch pulled onto the street and began to accelerate, he faced an important and practical question. Where should I go?

–         Within a moment he knew the answer. Over the past several years, his church had become like a second home to him. There he felt known, accepted and valued. So naturally, he headed in that direction.

 

As he drove into the parking lot, the church’s childcare was wrapping up for the day.

–         One of the coordinators who knew Stretch noticed him driving the car.

–         Given a recent shortage of childcare workers and seeing that he now had transportation, she asked if he was interested in helping after school.

 

She was only halfway through the question before Stretch knew his answer. He would get to hang out at the church, spend time with kids, and on top of it all … he would get paid. This day couldn’t get any better!

–         Until a few minutes later, when she returned from the church office and handed him a key to the church. “If you’re going to help us, there will be times when we’ll need you to lock up,” she explained.

 

Stretch was staring so intently at the key that he barely heard her words.

–         The pastor had this key.

–         His Sunday school teacher had this key.

–         Other adults who were mature — who had power — had this key.

–         But him? It was like he had been waiting on the sidelines during the big game and was now being called to step onto the playing field.

 

Life was truly as good as it could be. Until it got even better.

 

A week later, while Stretch was working in the childcare center, the youth pastor dropped by. “You know, Stretch,” he said, “if you have your license and are already at the church, would you be willing to stock the soda machine for me? The job comes with all the Mountain Dew you can drink.”

–         Key to the car. Check.

–         Key to the church. Check.

–         Key to the soda machine. Check.

–         Stretch knew he had arrived.

 

Later that night, Stretch received the final “key” that forever changed the course of his life. Standing alone in the empty church, he heard God speak to him — not audibly but distinctly.

–         “You like to be here, don’t you?” God asked.

–         “Yes, I do,” Stretch answered.

–         “Well, get comfortable, because you’re going to be here a lot.”

 

From that day on, Stretch knew that both his future and his vocation were closely tied to church ministry.

–         Leaders he deeply respected had entrusted him with access and authority by giving him keys, both literally and figuratively.

In the several decades that followed, others continued to entrust him with the keys of leadership & he’s now been a youth pastor for over 20 years [1]

 

That’s a good news story

–         The more mature adults in the church put faith in Stretch, they trusted him and gave him access

–         And Stretch, for his part, was respectful of the trust (the keys) he had been given – he didn’t take it for granted, nor did he have any sense of entitlement – he was simply grateful for the faith others showed in him

 

Keys provide access

–         Granting access is really about trusting people and empowering them

 

We let our young people (who embrace Christ) have access in a number ways

–         Sometimes literal access to the church buildings by giving keys

–         But also access to opportunities for service & leadership, through the music team or through Sunday school, Club Intermed, youth group and night church

–         The next generation may do things differently to the previous generation but that’s okay – so long as each generation holds to Christ

 

It seems to me that Daryl is very good at trusting the young people in his care by giving them access to the church and opportunities for service

–         But it’s not just Daryl – our deacons and our congregation as a whole want to continue seeing the next generation participating in church life

–         By the same token we are fortunate to have young people who (like Ruth and Stretch) are respectful and responsible with the keys we give them

 

Warm Understanding:

Not only does Boaz grant Ruth safe access to his fields, he also shows Ruth warm understanding

–         When Ruth asks Boaz why he is showing her such favour, Boaz replies…

 

“I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before… May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

 

To which Ruth replies…

–         “…You have given me comfort and spoken kindly to your servant…”

 

Ruth’s reply indicates there is real warmth in what Boaz says here

–         He is showing her, with his words, that he understands and appreciates what she has been through and what she has given up for Naomi’s sake

–         Consequently Ruth feels comforted by his words

 

What’s more, by saying, I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law, Boaz is making it clear to Ruth that the rumour mill is positive

–         She doesn’t have to worry about how others are perceiving her

–         He’s not the only one who knows about her hesed (her loyalty) to Naomi

 

Sometimes when we are young we can feel a bit unsure of ourselves

–         We might not have worked out who we are or where we fit just yet

–         One of the things older people can give younger people is encouragement – kind words communicated warmly, not cold words of criticism

–         You don’t have to be over the top with complements or embarrass people by doing it publicly – just a few gentle words on the quiet at the right time to show you are on their side

 

Mother Teresa once said:

–         Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty

 

The thing about warmth & understanding is that it stops people from feeling alone and unwanted – it keeps their demons at bay

–         When you feel that someone really gets you, really understands you, then you feel more at peace, more at home with yourself and with others

 

The 24-7 youth work that Jo & Thomas do at Tawa College is about warmth and understanding

–         It’s about coming alongside and being present to listen so young people don’t feel alone

 

A few weeks ago I attended the Baptist Lead conference in Lower Hutt

–         One of the speakers there, Tricia Hendry, told a story of a boy who was sent to live with his gran

–         The boy began wagging school, not just once or twice, but regularly

 

When his gran found out he’d been wagging she didn’t react straight away

–         She took a deep breath and considered how to approach the situation

–         Her grandson was respectful to her at home and so it was a bit puzzling why he would do this

 

In the end the gran decided to take him out to KFC for dinner – he loved KFC

–         On the way the boy asked, ‘Why are you taking me to KFC gran?’

–         ‘Because you’ve had a rough time lately and I wanted to do something nice for you.’

–         They sat in the restaurant and ate their KFC – the grandmother didn’t say anything about the boy wagging school

 

After they’d eaten the gran drove the boy home, but she took the long way.

–         They were sitting side by side in the car, not face to face, and so the posture was not top down or confrontational, it was alongside

–         The boy asked, ‘Why are we taking the long way home?

–         And his gran replied, ‘I want to ask you a question. When you are not at school are you keeping yourself safe?’

–         The gran’s question let the boy know two things:

o   That his gran was aware he was wagging, so he didn’t need to hide or keep that secret anymore (the truth sets us free)

o   And secondly, that she cares – there’s no judgement, no threat of punishment, just warmth and a genuine desire to understand

 

The boy says, ‘Yes gran. I am looking after myself. I go to my mother’s work and sit outside her window so I can be there to help her if she needs me.’

–         You see the reason that boy was sent to live with his gran was that his father was being violent to his mother

–         The boy just wanted to protect his mum

 

What a wise gran – full of truth and grace

 

Sometimes older people think they have nothing to offer.

–         That’s not true

–         If you are older then you have experience and you can show warmth and understanding to those who are younger

–         (You can be a surrogate grand-parent)

 

Now I’m conscious there are a lot of teachers here, some of whom may have to deal with students who wag school

–         I’m not suggesting you take them all out to KFC – a teacher’s role is quite different to the role of a grandparent

–         Besides, not all kids wag for good reasons like the boy in that story

–         The point is, whether you are a teacher or a parent or a grandparent or whoever, warm understanding is usually a more helpful place to start than cold criticism

 

Tawa College is great with their restorative practice – it’s a warm understanding approach

 

Community Connection:

Okay – so far we’ve heard how Boaz gives Ruth a hand up (not a hand out) by:

–         Granting her safe access to his property

–         And by communicating with warmth and understanding

–         The other thing Boaz does for Ruth (in chapter 2) is he creates connections for her in the community

–         He does this by inviting her to eat lunch with him and his workers

 

At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.”

 

By sharing a meal together the workers got to know Ruth a bit so that she wasn’t just the Moabitess from Moab – she wasn’t a stranger anymore

–         And by giving Ruth more than she could eat Boaz is underlining Ruth’s status as a person to be valued and accepted by others

–         Boaz is modelling for his workers how he expects them to treat Ruth, with generosity and respect

 

Sometimes you find yourself in a conversation with someone who says something like: ‘Young people these days are terrible’

–         If you do then don’t abide that – put them straight

–         Model for them a positive way to talk about young people

–         Tell them about the young people you know who are good

–         Most young people are good these days – certainly better than I was

 

A few things we do to help foster relational connections in the life of the church include: tea & coffee after the morning service, ‘Count Me In’ lunches, small group Bible studies and all-age (intergenerational) services from time to time

–         Those things in themselves don’t guarantee community connections – they are a hand up (from alongside), not a hand out

–         So some effort to talk to someone new and get to know others is still needed on our part

 

There’s heaps more we could say about creating community connections but that’s enough for today

 

Conclusion:

Boaz gives Ruth a hand up by granting her access to his field, warm understanding and community connection

–         These are things we can do also

 

Boaz points us to Jesus

–         Jesus came down from heaven and became human to be alongside us and give us a hand up

 

For those who may identify with Boaz…

–         Is there someone you can come alongside to offer a hand up?

 

And for those who identify more with Ruth…

–         What can you do to help yourself?

 

Let us pray…

[1] https://www.nae.net/unlock-keychain-leadership/

Tawa Baptist

But Who Do You Say I Am?

BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? (Sermon Notes – by Mrs Karen Brassett)

 

Good morning

 

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Karen. Those of you who do know me may be wondering why I am up here and, believe me, I am wondering that too! When Will first mentioned writing a sermon I just laughed and forgot about it – I thought he was joking. A few days later, however, he followed up on the idea and assured me that he had actually been quite serious. As I have never done anything like this before I hope you will bear with me.

 

Today we are going to look at Matthew 16:13-23.

I am using the New Living Translation and the words should appear on the wall.

 

From Matthew 16 we read:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

 

May the Holy Spirit use this reading to speak to our hearts and teach us more about Jesus.

 

Jesus headed north with his disciples, to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

  • It is generally thought that he did this to take a bit of a break from the crowds, so that he could spend more time teaching the disciples and trying to prepare them for what was to come.
  • A lot has been happening in the two preceding chapters. Chapter 14 includes the feeding of the crowd of five thousand men, plus an undisclosed number of women and children, followed by Jesus walking on the water and calling Peter to come to him. In chapter 15 Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman and rewards her faith, in the face of some quite harsh rejection, by releasing her daughter from demon possession. He heals many more people besides in both chapters, and also feeds another crowd, this time of four thousand. It certainly seems like some time out would have been beneficial.
  • The setting chosen for this passage is a very significant one, for both religious and cultural reasons, but I would like to leave that to one side this morning and focus on the personal significance of what is happening.

 

In the context of all these things that the disciples have recently witnessed, Jesus asks them two questions as they are walking along the road. The first question is rather safe and neutral:

13“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 

The disciples are able to report back what they have been hearing from the crowds.

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

 

These answers show that the crowds recognise Jesus as someone special. They are placing him in the category of “Prophet” which was a very high honour. But this is still a human category and falls far short of the truth.

 

Jesus then asks a second question which is anything but safe and neutral. This question is direct and very personal:

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 

Every time I read this an image comes to mind of the whole group suddenly going very quiet, probably even coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the road. This time only one of them gives an answer.

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 

At this point it looks like Peter has got it.

  • He has listened to Jesus teaching for several years now
  • He has witnessed miracles and healings
  • He has even had his own personal experience of walking on water.

 

The response Peter gets from Jesus certainly makes it seem like he has got it right:

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

 

This is pretty mind blowing stuff!

 

Stop and try to imagine for a minute how this must have felt for Peter. He had just put himself way out there and declared that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That in itself would have been an intense experience. But Jesus then responds by changing his name (Simon is now Peter, “the Rock”), and bestowing unimaginable authority on him. That has got to be more than anyone can get their head around in just a few minutes, and so it proves to be.

 

In the next verse Jesus predicts his death for the first time.

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 

Poor Peter! This really is too much!! He has just made a really courageous declaration, been rewarded with an amazing affirmation and the apparent appointment to a really important position, and now Jesus is talking about dying. Not only does it not seem right that the Messiah, the Son of God, will die, but he is talking about being tortured and murdered by the religious leaders.

 

Peter decides he needs to set Jesus straight.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

 

This time Jesus’ response is very different.

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not God’s.”

Peter goes from number one supporter to dangerous enemy in the blink of an eye.

 

Two things stand out here for me.

Firstly, I have to admit to feeling rather sorry for Peter.

  • A lot of very intense and significant stuff has just happened in a short space of time.
  • He has just had some huge future responsibilities and expectations described to him.
  • Before he has had time to even try to process what they might mean he is confronted with yet another major announcement.

He responds with his typical impetuous enthusiasm, steps in to start trying to live up to his new job description, and runs head first into a brick wall. Ouch!

 

So let’s have a look at what just happened.

  • Jesus asked his disciples a question.
  • Peter answered him. In fact Peter not only answered the question, he gave the perfect answer.

Surely that should have been the end of it – ten out of ten for you Peter.

The answer Peter gave Jesus was honest and genuine. What happened next, though, brings me to my second point:

Jesus’ question is not static.

He was not just seeking information or setting a test to see which of the disciples would pass. Peter gave a great answer, and he believed what he said, but his subsequent actions show that he did not really understand his answer, or who Jesus really is.

 

How did Peter end up on such a roller coaster ride?

  • He had been following Jesus for several years by this time, living closely together with him, and learning daily from his teaching.
  • He had witnessed countless healings and other miracles, including several people being brought back to life, and he really believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
  • So why could he not accept Jesus’ predictions of what was about to happen next?

 

It is easy for us to look back from 2000 years after the Resurrection and ask why Peter did not understand the significance of these things. We probably like to think that, with all that evidence, and having such a close relationship with Jesus, we would have been able to see things more clearly. Surely we would have understood when he talked about having to die and be raised from the dead.

 

But would we?

 

Peter accepts, I believe whole-heartedly, that Jesus is the Messiah, but his concept of what that means is shaped by the Jewish teachings he has been raised with from birth. These present the Messiah as a person sent by God to restore Israel, and bring peace to the earth, by ruling as a human king. In spite of all the time he has spent with Jesus, and all the new teachings he has heard, he has still not been able to make the transition from the strong historical traditions he has grown up with to the radically different concept of an eternal, heavenly kingdom which begins on earth.

 

Here I would like to swap sides in the conversation for a moment. It is easy for us to imagine how confused and hurt Peter must have felt in all this – but what about Jesus? Have you ever stopped to think how Jesus must have been feeling at this point?

 

The words Jesus uses to denounce Peter hark back to his response to Satan during his temptation in the wilderness. One of the temptations Jesus was offered was all the kingdoms of the world if he would only kneel down and worship Satan.

 

In effect Peter is now trying to get Jesus to accept the very same thing, earthly kingship and power. This is, after all, the Jewish interpretation of the Messiah. It is his human expectation of what should happen.

 

I imagine the temptation must have seemed so much stronger to Jesus this time because it was being offered by a friend in the guise of support and acclamation, rather than by his obvious enemy. I am absolutely certain that it must have been incredibly painful for him.

 

Jesus was on a very similar roller coaster to the one Peter was riding.

 

When we look at this passage we can imagine, and probably identify with, the range of feelings and reactions that Peter and the other disciples might have had. But how often do we try to put ourselves in Jesus’ place, to imagine the significance these interactions had for him?

 

Although they had been on the same journey over the last few years, Jesus would have experienced it from a very different perspective.

  • Only Jesus understood the importance and true meaning of what he had been sent to do.
  • Only Jesus knew how crucial it was that the disciples should start to understand his teachings before he left them
  • Only Jesus understood the significance of Peter’s declaration.

 

When Peter made his declaration, Jesus must have been elated, and probably also a bit relieved. Here was the evidence that all his work was bearing fruit. He knew that Peter was to be the one who would lead the infant Christian community and now, as he prepared to face the events ahead of him in Jerusalem, he had some reassurance that Peter was nearly ready.

“You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.”

 

How hard would it have been for him then, to have to turn around and say:

“You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not God’s.”

 

For me these two statements help explain how Peter could get everything so right and then so wrong. His first answer was described as a revelation from God. He ran into trouble when he turned from that revelation and fell back on his human thinking and experience.

 

They also highlight for me something that caught my attention recently when I was reading the second chapter of John. Verses 23-25 say:

 

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

 

Jesus may have experienced a similar high and low but, unlike Peter, he did not experience confusion or disbelief.

25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

 

While he may have been excited by Peter’s declaration, and deeply hurt by the temptation Peter put in front of him, Jesus was not caught by surprise. He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. He knew that Peter was going to stumble, and even that he would desert him. He knew what was in Peter’s heart, and he knew that he did not yet understand what his answer meant.

 

This brings me back to the point I made earlier, that the question Jesus asked is not static.

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 

You see Jesus still asks this same question today. He asks each one of us, and we need to think about this carefully. It is not a question that you can answer and leave.

 

But who do you say I am?

 

Like Peter, we can give the perfect answer, and we can believe it. But do we understand what our answer means?

 

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 

The truth is that our understanding of what our answer means can change with each significant experience we have in life.

  • It is influenced by where we are in our spiritual journey.
  • It is influenced by what is going on in our lives right now, and by what has gone before.
  • It also has a big influence on how we live our lives, on the decisions and choices we make.

 

This is why Jesus’ question is just as important for us today as it was for the disciples when he asked them. Who we say Jesus is, how deeply we believe it, and what we understand that to mean, directly determine how we choose to live.

  • As we get older we grow
  • As we live we experience so many different things
  • As we experience different things we learn
  • As we learn we gain knowledge and, hopefully, increased understanding.

 

“for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”

 

We need to remember that Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. Today he continues to ask each one of us the same question he asked Peter and the other disciples. He asks because he knows that our answers are not important for HIM, they are important for US.

 

“But who do YOU say I am?”

 

I want to leave you with these two questions this morning:

  • What is your answer for Jesus?
  • What does your answer mean for you?
Tawa Baptist

True Worship

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

 

Title: True Worship

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Content & packaging
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall behind me is the Tawa College crest on which are written the words

–         Do justly

 

‘Do justly’ is a quote from the prophet Micah

–         Let me read to you the context of these words

–         From Micah chapter 6, verses 6-8 we read…

 

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 

May the Lord bless the reading of his word

 

Content & packaging:

[Hold up a packet of M&M’s]

–         Who likes M&M’s?

–         Okay – leave your hand up if you would like to come to the front to receive these M&M’s (you can bring an adult with you if you want)

–         [Choose someone (close to the front) to come to the front]

 

Now, before I give you this bag of M&M’s I want to ask you a question – it’s not a trick question:

–         Which of these two bags would you prefer?

–         This one here which is empty?

–         Or this one which is full?

–         [Let them respond]

 

The full one – good choice – here is your bag of M&M’s

 

But before you go I want to ask you one more question

–         Which of these two bags of M&M’s would you prefer?

–         This big empty bag?

–         Or this small full bag?

 

Okay – so even though the empty bag is much bigger, you would still prefer to have the smaller bag which is full

–         That would be my preference too – here’s the smaller bag for you to give to someone you like or don’t like (up to you)

–         Thanks for helping me – you can sit down now

 

The point here is that the contents of the bag are more important than the packaging

–         It doesn’t matter how big and glossy and fancy the packaging is, without any M&M’s inside it is worthless

–         Now it’s not that the packaging is necessarily bad in itself

–         We need the packaging – the packet is good for holding the M&M’s together so they don’t roll all over the floor

–         And it’s also good for letting you know what’s inside the bag

–         The packaging only becomes rubbish when the bag is empty

 

In Micah 6 the prophet asks the question…

–         Shall I come before [the Lord] with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression…?

The first four examples of ritual offerings listed here: burnt offerings, calves a year old, rams and oil, are like the packaging – they are only good if they are accompanied by the contents of the bag: justice, mercy and humility

–         The last example of sacrificing a first born child is not packaging – it is poison – never good under any circumstances.

 

Micah is saying here: God is not pleased when we offer Him an empty bag

–         God is more interested in the contents of our life than the packaging

–         There’s no point in following a whole lot of religious rituals if we don’t live our lives with justice, mercy and humility

 

These days we don’t sacrifice animals to God – Jesus put an end to that by his death on the cross

–         Generally speaking, these days our ritual offerings are things like giving money to the church and singing songs of praise

–         But all that kind of stuff is packaging – it only becomes meaningful when it holds a life of justice, mercy and humility

–         It’s not that we should stop giving financially and singing songs – those things are still important (we need the packet to hold everything together)

–         But if singing or giving money or some other religious ritual becomes a substitute for justice, mercy & humility then we’ve got a problem

 

You see, it’s not either/or – it’s both/and

–         It’s not either the packet or the M&M’s – it’s both the packet and the MM’s

–         It’s not either attending Sunday services or practicing justice & mercy the rest of the week – it’s both those things together

–         Like Jesus said in Matthew 23, when he was telling the Pharisees off:

–         You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. (It’s both/and – not either/or)

 

Worship of God needs to encompass all of life

–         Offering ourselves (as living sacrifices) by doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God is true worship – this is faith in action

–         And if we want to know what justice, mercy and humility are, we look to Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith

 

Conclusion:

On the wall here is an invitation and response based on Micah 6, verse 8

What does the Lord require of you?

–         To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God

 

Tawa Baptist

Unity

Scripture: Psalm 133

Title: Unity

Structure:

  • Introduction – unity is diversity with order
  • The Trinity and us
  • Unity comes down from God above
  • Unity is for sharing
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a tapestry of the Lord’s Supper

–         A tapestry is a unity

–         It is not sameness which makes for unity – rather, unity is diversity with order

–         Although there are many different coloured strands they are all woven together in an ordered way to pleasing effect

–         Together the strands form a bigger picture which makes sense

 

In our house there are three women and one shower

–         One of the things that happens with this arrangement is that long strands of hair gather in the drain, causing a blockage, so that the water in the bottom of the shower rises to your ankles

–         Whenever this happens it is my job to unblock the drain, pulling all the hair out by hand – I don’t mind though, it makes me feel useful

 

The hair in the drain is the opposite of unity

–         Unlike the tapestry which has a variety of different strands woven together in an ordered way, the hair in the drain is pretty much all the same and it is clumped together in a tangled mess of soap scum

–         There is no order, no bigger picture, no meaning, no pleasantness with hair in the drain

–         Unity is diversity with order – unity is pleasing

 

This morning we return to our series on the Songs of Ascents

–         These songs were probably sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way to the temple in Jerusalem for various religious festivals

–         They are songs for the faithful as they gather together for worship

 

Our focus today is psalm 133

–         This song celebrates God’s gift of unity

–         From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

 

1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

The Trinity and us:

One of the prominent features at the front here is the organ

–         The organ is a unity – it has a diverse range of parts & pipes put together in an ordered way to make music which is pleasing

 

The organ is a metaphor for creation – creation is a unity, a diversity of different matter put together in an ordered and pleasing way

 

Today is Trinity Sunday, when we reflect on the mystery of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

–         God is a unity – a diversity of three persons who are one

 

In a limited way the organ serves as a metaphor to help us understand the Trinity’s interaction with creation

–         I say ‘in a limited way’ because I’m very cautious about using any sort of analogy for God or the Trinity

–         God is holy – which (among other things) means he is different from us and indeed different from any created thing

–         God is beyond compare so no metaphor is adequate for describing God

 

Having said that, metaphors can be helpful to help our finite human minds form some concept of our infinite God and how we might relate with Him

 

Anyway, as I was saying, if the organ represents creation then the Trinity (Father, Son & Spirit together) designed and built the organ

–         The organ is not God – creation is not God – it was just made by Him

 

God the Father is like the organist and composer of the music

–         The Father writes the music and plays it on the organ (or through creation)

 

The gospel of John tells us that God the Son (who we know as Jesus) is God’s Word – so the Son is like the music God has composed

–         Just as music is an expression or embodiment of the composer’s soul, in a similar way, Jesus is an expression or embodiment of God Himself

–         Just as the music unites the choir, so everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, so too Jesus unites the church and indeed all of creation – Jesus shows us which notes to follow

 

If we imagine that God the Father is the organist and Jesus is the music and we (in all our diversity) are the organ pipes, then the Holy Spirit is the wind passing through the pipes, making the sound God wills through us

–         We can’t make the music on our own – in fact we only find our meaning and purpose when we let God’s will be done in our life

–         Nor do we get to hear the whole song in our lifetime – we have to wait for eternity for that

 

Now in some ways this analogy is inadequate

–         Firstly, Jesus is more than just the music (as important as that is)

–         Jesus is a real person – the one who came to redeem & repair creation

–         It’s like the organ of creation was damaged by sin and Jesus (the organ builder’s Son) came to fix it

 

Likewise the Holy Spirit is more than just the wind blowing through the pipes (as important as that is)

–         The Spirit of God is also a real person

–         If we are the organ pipes, each one of us sounding a different note, then the Spirit is like the tuner who comes to adjust us when we get out of tune

 

Of course – an organ is not a living thing with free will

–         Some parts of God’s creation always do what they are supposed to at the right time – not so us humans, we are far more difficult to work with

 

In John 15 Jesus uses the image of the vine – the vine being a living organic unity

–         The Lord says to his disciples: I am the vine, you are the branches and God the Father is the gardener

–         Following this logic we might cautiously suggest the Holy Spirit is the sap or the life flowing from within the vine to the branches

–         As branches we come in different shapes and sizes but we are united by Christ, the main trunk of the vine

–         What’s more we are sustained and made fruitful by the life giving Spirit of Jesus in us

 

Unity comes down from God above:

Returning to psalm 133

–         This song is attributed to King David and it is essentially about unity

 

Although it is short (only 3 verses) psalm 133 uses two quite different images to convey the one idea that unity is a good and pleasing gift from God

 

Verse 1 begins with David describing the experience of unity from a human perspective

–         How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.

 

On the sixth day of creation (in Genesis 1) the Lord God saw all that he had made and it was very good

–         Creation before the fall was a perfect unity – it was diverse but at the same time ordered in such a way that was good and pleasing

 

Unity from God is not unpleasant, like tangled hair and soap scum clogging up the shower drain

–         No – unity from God is good & pleasant, like a well ordered tapestry conveying a meaningful bigger picture

–         Or like an organ playing the right notes at the right pitch at the right time

 

The implication of verse 1 is: if it’s not pleasant then it’s probably not unity as God intended it

 

In verse 2 we are given the first image of unity

–         It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

 

Now to us this image doesn’t seem all that pleasant

–         It actually sounds messy and inconvenient

–         If someone poured so much oil on your head that it ran down your face and onto your clothes you would probably want to jump in the shower and put your clothes in the wash

 

But in ancient Middle Eastern culture it was customary for the host to greet a guest by pouring oil on their head

–         It was a way of saying welcome, you have a special place of honour among us, we are pleased you are here

–         Oil on the head was a picture of generous hospitality – it was an expression of unity

 

We read of Jesus being anointed in this way on more than one occasion in the gospels, by women (because the men were preoccupied)

 

But the picture in verse 2 isn’t just one of hospitality – for the verse goes on to describe the anointing of Aaron, the high priest of Israel during the time of Moses

–         Aaron was anointed with a special kind of oil – one mixed with perfume

–         So the oil of unity is sacred and it has a pervasive aroma

–         Unity is a pleasant fragrance which cannot be contained and which everyone can enjoy [1]

 

Jesus is our high priest – he is the Christ or the Messiah

–         Christ and Messiah mean the same thing: anointed one

–         Jesus (the anointed one) is the head of the church and we are the members of Christ’s body

–         Although we are quite diverse in many ways we are united by Christ

–         Jesus brings order to our diversity and the oil of his Spirit is a pleasant fragrance which cannot be contained

 

The main thing to note in verses 2 & 3 of psalm 133 is that the oil of unity runs down – it descends from above, meaning that unity comes from God above

–         Unity is not manufactured by us from the ground up – it is a gift (or a blessing) bestowed by God from on high

 

We heard last week about the builders of the Tower of Babel

–         In the end their unity was revealed to be false for they were trying to manufacture it themselves from the ground up

–         That kind of forced unity never lasts

–         True unity is a blessing from God above – not a human achievement

 

Verse 3 offers a second simile for unity

–         It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.

 

Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel, found in the north near Galilee

–         Hermon is proverbial for its heavy dew

–         The mountains of Zion refer to the much smaller mountains in the south of Israel on which the city of Jerusalem was built

–         Hermon and Zion were diverse geographically speaking (they were spaced well apart) and they were quite different in height

–         Yet little Mount Zion enjoyed the same gift as grand old Hermon – they both share the same dew from heaven above

–         High and low drink the same sweet refreshment. [2]

–         Like the labourers in Jesus’ parable, at the end of the day, we are all paid the same, regardless of how many hours we worked  

Perhaps also, as King of Israel, David is reflecting on what God has done in uniting the different tribes of Israel – bringing the north and the south together

–         David sees a diverse range of people all coming together to worship God at his footstool in Jerusalem and he appreciates the harmony of it all

 

In any case, unity is a life giving blessing from God

–         Just as oil flows down from the head and just as dew comes down from above, so too unity comes down to us from God above

 

The thing is though that God often blesses us with unity in unexpected ways

–         Just last Friday night there was a power cut in Tawa – it was a complete black out

–         But it was also a blessing to our family – it was something a bit different, something fun and unexpected that brought us together

–         We lit candles, gathered close, laughed and talked because there wasn’t anything else we could do

–         It was quite a lovely time of family unity and felt like a gift from God

 

Unity is for sharing:

As well as showing us that unity comes from God above, the two images in psalm 133 also show us that unity is not designed to be contained

–         Rather, unity is for sharing

–         The pleasant fragrance of the perfumed oil on Aaron’s head and shoulders cannot be contained – the aroma is for everyone

–         Likewise the dew of Hermon falls liberally on Zion as well – it is not funnelled off somewhere exclusive – it is for high and low alike

 

Given that unity is a gift from God and given that it may come to us in unexpected ways, when it does come we need to be careful to recognise it and share it, without getting in the way – without creating a blockage

–         We need to ask ourselves how can we be a conduit for God’s gift of unity

 

In Luke 12 Jesus tells a rather sobering parable about a man whose land yielded a bumper crop

–         This blessing from God above created a problem for the farmer

–         Instead of consulting with his neighbours though he ignored his community and tried to figure out the problem on his own

–         He said to himself: ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

–         Still talking to himself he said, ‘I know, I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones to store all my grain – then I’ll be able to retire early, put my feet up and take life easy.’

 

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

 

The tragedy is this man didn’t realise he was actually quite disconnected and God was trying to bless him with the gift of unity in the form of a bumper crop

–         If only he had talked with his neighbours he might have realised how his actions would only isolate him further

–         By holding onto the grain the farmer was driving the price up

–         If he had been less greedy and sold the grain at a lower price then the rest of the community would have benefited, especially the poor

–         Everyone would have enjoyed the pleasant fragrance of God’s special anointing on his land

–         High and low alike would have been refreshed by the dew of Hermon poured out on him

–         What’s more he would have enjoyed something far better than money – he would have experienced how good and pleasant it is to dwell in unity

 

By keeping it all for himself the man (ironically) rejected God’s gift of unity

–         He became a blockage to unity and God had little choice but to remove the blockage by taking back his life

 

Jesus told some really sad stories aye. That one was real tragic. I’m more of a happy ending kind of guy so let’s imagine this parable differently

 

Once there was a farmer who worked on his land from dawn till dusk six days a week

–         God had been good to him and blessed his hard work so that he was able to pay off his mortgage about 10 years sooner than he expected

–         But these kinds of gains come at a cost

–         As a consequence of working such long hours he didn’t have time for a wife and family – his was a relatively solitary life

 

He did reserve Sundays as a day off though when he would go into town to attend church in the morning before picking up some groceries from the supermarket on the way home

–         It wasn’t that he was particularly religious – he went to church mostly for the social contact (the cuppa and chat afterwards was his favourite part)

 

As the years went by the city expanded into the countryside and it was just a matter of time before property developers started eyeing up his farmland to build new homes for a hungry suburban market

–         One such developer offered the farmer 5x what he had paid for his land

–         It was a tempting offer – with no mortgage and this sort of cash in the bank he could retire before he was 50

 

That Sunday the preacher at church spoke about the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12

–         The farmer didn’t normally care for the sermon that much but this particular week he hung on every word

–         After reflecting on Jesus’ parable he decided not to get back to the developer just yet

 

The next Sunday, over coffee after the service, the farmer mentioned to one of the bankers in the congregation that he had been approached by a developer who was wanting to buy his land and turn it into a sub-division

–         The banker asked what the developer was offering and, on hearing a figure, explained how the land would be worth a lot more than that after it had been sliced up – The farmer had guessed as much

–         The banker asked if the farmer would consider subdividing the land himself

 

The following Sunday the farmer got into a conversation with a young guy in his 20’s who was saving to buy a house – it was tough to get a deposit together these days, especially with a large student loan

–         The farmer didn’t say anything about the developer’s offer this time

–         He was all of sudden conscious of a great divide between the two of them

–         So he offered the young guy some extra work on his farm

–         The young man was grateful and proved to be pretty good at fencing

–         To his surprise the farmer found he quite enjoyed the company

–         It had been a long time since he had worked with someone, it made the job seem more pleasant somehow

 

A few more weeks went by and the developer returned with an even bigger offer – but this time the farmer said ‘no’

–         Instead he made an offer of his own – not to the developer but to the young guy and his wife

–         He sold them a parcel of his land for half what the developer was offering him – which was about a quarter of the retail rate

–         To make the deal even sweeter he had a lawyer draw up a contract saying as long as they lived in the house they could pay him back interest free over a 20 year period

 

The couple still needed to borrow from the bank to build the house but the reduced cost of the land and the less onerous repayments made getting into their own home more affordable

–         The great divide he had sensed at first, between himself and the young man, was gone – the farmer felt closer to his neighbours

 

He did the same thing for others who were struggling, gradually selling pieces of his farm at below market rates

–         It meant reducing stock numbers a bit and being a bit smarter with his pasture management but it was workable because he was freehold

 

As the farmer shared his land a tight but diverse community developed so he became less isolated and more connected

–         He no longer needed to work 12 hours a day six days a week on his own – there were always willing neighbours ready to lend him hand

–         No one defaulted on their loans – partly because he was discerning about who he helped but also because a bit of grace usually motivates people to do the right thing

 

The farmer worked till he was 65 before taking his super and he lived comfortably in his retirement till his death at age 84

 

When asked by the pastor one day why he had helped so many people the farmer replied…

–         “When I look back on it I realise it wasn’t me who did it. I was isolated and alone before God blessed me with unity. All I had to do was get out of the way so God could do His thing.”

 

Conclusion:

Unity is diversity with order

–         Unity is pleasant

–         Unity comes down to us from God above, often in unexpected ways

–         Ultimately though unity is for sharing

 

Let us pray…

–         Father God, we thank you for your gift of unity through Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit

–         Help us to recognise your blessings when they come and to be a conduit for unity by sharing your good gifts

–         We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-jun-2017-unity

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on ‘Psalms 73-150’, page 489

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 489.

Tawa Baptist

The Tower of Babel

Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9 (also Acts 2:1-12)

 

Title: The Tower of Babel

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A stairway to heaven
  • God’s judgment is salvation
  • Conclusion – Pentecost

 

Introduction:

The New Zealand short story writer, Owen Marshall, has a poem called The Divided World

–         It’s quite long so I won’t read you the whole thing but here’s a few lines,

 

The world is divided between those who blame Lucifer, and those who blame a lack of dietary fibre – between the superstitious, and the unimaginative

 

The world is divided between those who say they adore the country and never go there, and those who say they hate the city and never leave it 

 

The world is divided between those who try themselves, and those who seek a less corrupt judge.

 

The world is divided between those who are tolerant and wise, and their husbands. Between the people we always suspected, and the butlers who did it.

 

The world is divided between those who have shifted to the North Island, and those passed over for promotion;

 

Between those who face the world with a religion, and those who wish to but have only irony in its place. 

 

The world is divided between those who boast of their climate, and those who rejoice in secret that a cold wind isolates a landscape; between the few now, and the great majority on the other side.

 

The world is divided between those who are proud, and those who have lost their self-respect and so become the most dangerous of men;

 

When we look around the world today we see a great deal of division

–         The U.K. is divided over the Brixit issue

–         The U.S. is divided over Donald Trump’s nationalism

–         Syria is divided by Assad’s regime

–         The Middle East is divided by the Israeli / Palestinian conflict

–         While East Africa is divided by war and famine

–         Closer to home, families are divided by divorce

 

Today our message focuses on the story of the Tower of Babel – this is one of the traditional readings for Pentecost

–         It speaks to a divided world

–         From Genesis 11, verses 1-9 we read…

 

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

A stairway to heaven:

In 1971 Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote a song called Stairway to Heaven

–         It became a rock classic & was later criticised (in the 80’s) by people who said that when you play it backwards one of the lines talks about Satan

–         If that’s true then I suggest you don’t play it backwards

–         It sounds better if you play it forwards anyway

 

The first verse goes something like this…

There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

 

When asked what the song was about Robert Plant said it was “about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration…”  [1]

 

In other words, it’s about someone who is a bit spoilt in that they always get their own way, while taking others for granted

–         The song criticizes those who think they are entitled to special treatment because they have lots of money or because of who they know

–         This verse in particular is saying you can’t buy happiness – you can’t expect money to make life perfect, you can’t buy a stairway to heaven

–         You are not entitled to special treatment – life doesn’t owe you anything

 

Now, I’m not here to defend Led Zeppelin – I have no interest in condoning them or condemning them (and I can’t speak for the rest of the song either)

–         It’s simply an illustration to help us better understand Genesis 11

–         The people who built the Tower of Babel were a little bit like the woman in the song who thought she could buy a stairway to heaven

 

Genesis 11 is set sometime between Noah and Abraham when everyone still spoke the same language

–         Language is a great unifier – being able to reach a common understanding connects us and helps us to work together cooperatively

–         As the descendants of Noah repopulated the earth a group of them migrated east and settled on the plains of Mesopotamia where they decided to build a city with a tower reaching to the heavens

–         They were essentially trying to build a stairway to heaven

 

According to archaeologists and historians the tower of Babel was most probably an ancient ziggurat. It would have looked a bit like a pyramid with a staircase to the top. Unlike a pyramid though it wasn’t hollow inside and it wasn’t used as a tomb.

In those times people didn’t actually live in the city like we do today – the city was more of a temple complex

–         The purpose of the tower was to provide a gateway and a staircase for the gods to come down from their heavenly realm and bless the people

–         People didn’t walk up and down the staircase themselves – it was sacred space for the gods to use

–         Therefore, the ziggurat or the Tower of Babel was very much a symbol of pagan religion

 

Now when we hear the word ‘pagan’ we tend to think of someone who has no religion, when in actual fact a pagan is very religious

–         Pagans seek to placate and manipulate the gods for their own benefit

–         Pagans view the gods as having needs

–         They think, “If I take care of the gods, by making sacrifices and offerings, then they will take care of me”

–         It is a quid pro quo arrangement: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours

–         Pagans basically think they can pay the gods off and buy their way into heaven

 

In contrast to paganism, Christians believe there is only one God and He doesn’t have needs – He is Holy – meaning (among other things) that He is morally good and He doesn’t need us to take care of Him

–         God is not short of cash or any other resource

–         He doesn’t need anyone to build him a staircase to come down from heaven and He doesn’t need anyone to feed him with offerings of food

–         In fact it is the other way around – we need God to provide for us

 

Now, because God has no needs he cannot be manipulated – He is free – and the idea of a free God who won’t be manipulated is quite scary for some

–         What might the most powerful being in the universe to do us?

 

Given that we need God to provide for our needs and given that we can’t control God then it logically follows the only way we can relate with God is by faith – by trusting in His goodness & grace to provide for us

 

Faith in God’s grace, as opposed to buying a stairway to heaven – this is what makes Christian religion different from pagan religions

 

Verse 4 of Genesis 11 reveals the pagan nature of the building project

–         The people were building a city and a staircase for the gods so they could make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the whole earth

–         They were seeking to harness the power of the gods to leave a legacy – to make themselves famous and secure

–         We need to be careful what we wish for – the people of Babel did become infamous for all the wrong reasons

 

The builders of Babel’s stairway to heaven stand in stark contrast to Abram – the wandering Aramean who doesn’t settle in one place for too long, but walks by faith, trusting in God’s promises

 

You know, sometimes paganism can creep into Christianity

–         In its most obvious form paganism is known as ‘cargo cult’ or ‘prosperity doctrine’

–         The idea that if I give a lot of money to God he will bless me with health and prosperity and my life will go well – this is false

–         God does not promise us health and prosperity – these things are not entitlements. Nor are they for sale. They are gifts, pure and simple

–         We give back to God out of gratitude for what he has already given us

–         We give without strings

–         We practice generosity because God is generous

 

Sometimes though our paganism can be more subtle

–         Maybe we live a good clean life,

–         We meet our obligations and pay our taxes,

–         We take care of our family,

–         We serve in the life of the church (perhaps sacrificially),

–         We do everything right and yet we still have this abiding feeling of resentment, simmering away just beneath the surface

–         If that’s the case for us then perhaps on some sub conscious level our paganism is at work so that we think we are being short changed and that God owes us for all we’ve done for him

–         Like the lady in the song (deep down) we think we are entitled

 

One way to counter the dormant paganism which resides in each of us is to stay in touch with our vices – be honest with ourselves about our sin

–         If we turn a blind eye to the darkness in us and if try too hard to be good all the time, it usually comes back to bite us on the bum

–         We end up thinking that our good behaviour entitles us to special treatment, so that we shouldn’t suffer injustice or misfortune

–         We are not entitled to any special treatment in this life

–         God doesn’t promise that we won’t suffer.

–         To be sustainable our good behaviour needs to be born out of gratitude for God’s grace, not out of fear of calamity

 

The elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal son, shows us the ugly face of paganism when he refuses to come in and celebrate his younger brother’s return

–         The elder son thinks his long service and good behaviour entitles him to certain benefits which his reckless undeserving brother is now enjoying

–         He resents the Father’s grace toward the younger son

 

In the parable of the labourers we see an attitude of entitlement (and paganism) by those who worked all day and were paid the same as those who worked less time

 

These are negative examples – let me give you a more positive one…

–         You may remember Steve Askin, the helicopter pilot who died while fighting fires in Canterbury earlier this year

–         Well Steve’s dad is a Baptist pastor – Paul Askin

–         I shared a ride from the airport to a pastors’ conference with Paul Askin a few years ago – he’s a genuine soul

 

Anyway, after his son Steve had died fighting the fire, Paul was interviewed by the news media and he said…

–         ‘I got to spend 38 years with Steve’

–         What struck me here is that Paul said this with gratitude

–         Although he had suffered a terrible loss Paul was thankful for the time he had been given with his son

–         He didn’t deny his loss but nor did he deny the gift of Steve’s life

 

Paul is an outstanding pastor – he has served God faithfully for many years

–         If anyone might deserve a break its him

–         But Paul didn’t think his service to the Lord entitled him to special benefits – despite the pain he was in there was no resentment

 

Now I’m not saying it’s bad to feel angry when we suffer loss

–         Resentment is not always a sign of paganism

–         Grief is an unpredictable critter and we all handle our grief in different ways the best we can

–         All I’m saying is: in that moment, when Paul was at his most vulnerable, I saw Christ who didn’t think he was entitled to special favours because he was God’s Son but rather accepted the cross he was given

 

God’s judgment is salvation:

In verse 5 the Lord comes down to see the not yet completed city and tower

–         Clearly the Lord didn’t need the people to build him a stairway – he was quite capable of managing the journey to earth without their help

 

The fact that God came down to investigate shows us that God is fair & just

–         He doesn’t react rashly or flippantly – the Lord’s response is measured and considered – taking into account the facts

 

When God sees what they are doing he says to the heavenly council (which is presumably the other members of the Trinity and the angels in heaven)…

 

“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

 

God can see the people have embarked on a bad path – one which would ultimately be destructive to the builders’ themselves and to others

–         So God intervenes to prevent a disaster

 

Now we might ask ourselves, ‘What is the offense here? Why does God deem it necessary to intervene?’

–         Well, it’s not that cities or towers or other forms of technology are bad and it’s not that working together is bad either

–         Nor is it bad to want to leave a legacy

–         As we heard last week God chose a city (Jerusalem) as a dwelling for his footstool – the Ark

–         Not only that but he promised to make David’s name great and give David an everlasting legacy

 

Most likely the problem is with the people’s perception of God – their pagan theology sucks [2]

–         They have seriously misunderstood God by thinking he has needs and can be manipulated like a man

–         Paganism is fundamentally bad because it is based on a lie and eventually leads to all sorts of evil including human sacrifice

–         As a consequence God prevents them from doing further harm by taking away the key to their success – he confuses their language

 

Imagine for a moment that you’ve had some friends over to watch the rugby

–         Although you have been a responsible host one of your mates has had a bit too much to drink

–         You invite him to stay for the night but he refuses. So you offer to drive him home yourself but he won’t let you do that either

–         In the end you have no choice but to take his keys off him and wait for him to pass out on your living room floor

–         He isn’t too happy with you but that’s better than letting him drive drunk at the risk of causing an accident

 

By deeming your mate unfit to drive and taking his keys away you have passed judgment on him – but it’s a merciful judgment – a judgment which saves him

 

By confusing the languages God was taking the keys away from the builders and passing judgment on them – but it was a merciful judgment

–         In fact God’s judgment (in this context) is also His salvation

 

By scattering the people over all the earth the Lord was actually giving them a second chance – He wasn’t destroying them

–         But nor was he enabling their fantasy – he wasn’t colluding with their lie

–         He was putting them in a position of vulnerability where they would have a better chance of learning to trust Him

 

Verse 9 explains why the abandoned building site was called “Babel”

–         Babel is a parody on the Akkadian word Babilu from which we get the name Babylon – meaning ‘gate of god’ [3]

–         I say that Babel is a parody of Babilu because Babel is the Hebrew word for confusion and as providence would have it Babel also sounds very close to the English word babble

 

Babylon (or Babel as the Jews called it) was of course a city of exile for the Hebrew people – so you could imagine the delight the Jewish exiles had in reading this story of Babel – the city of their enemies

–         The narrator of Genesis is essentially criticising Babylonian theology

–         He’s basically saying, you think that Babylon is the ‘gate of the gods’ but you are confused – completely deluded in fact.

–         You can’t build or buy a stairway to heaven.

–         Right relationship with God is by faith, not manipulation.

 

Conclusion:

Today we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of God’s Spirit

–         At Pentecost we catch a glimpse of God’s plan of salvation for the world

–         The Holy Spirit translates the truth about Jesus for us

–         Not only that but the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts

–         And when the Spirit of Jesus is in our heart we don’t need to build a stairway to heaven because God is right there inside us already

–         Like an antidote to our hidden paganism the Spirit gently shows us our vices (He convicts us of our sin) and reassures us of God’s grace & forgiveness

 

When we look at what happened next (after Acts 2) we find that Jesus’ followers didn’t gather in Jerusalem for long

–         Rather God scattered the believers outward from Jerusalem to Samaria and to the ends of the earth,

–         And as they went the believers spread the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/4-jun-2017-the-tower-of-babylon

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_Heaven

[2] Refer John Walton’s (NIVAC) on Genesis, pages 371-377 and 379-382.

[3] Refer Bruce Waltke’s commentary on Genesis, page 181.