Tawa Baptist

Blessing

Scripture: 1st Peter 3:8-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Defined by character
  • Defined by blessing
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What would you say defines a banana cake? [Wait]

That’s right – a banana cake is defined by bananas. It is made out of bananas and as a consequence its very character, its smell and taste, is banana-ish.

What about a custard square – what defines a custard square? [Wait]

That’s right – custard. Take the custard out of a custard square and it is no longer a custard square, it’s just a piece of pastry. Keep the custard and it does not matter what shape the pastry is, it is still a custard square.

What about a Christian – what defines a Christian? [Wait]

That’s right – Christ. A Christian is defined by Jesus. If a person stops walking in the way of Christ, they are no longer Christian. But how might we define the way of Christ?

Today we continue our series in first Peter, focusing on chapter 3, verses 8-12. In this passage Peter talks about some of the things that define the way of Jesus and therefore are characteristic of Christians. From verse 8 we read…

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be understanding, love one another as brothers, be compassionate and humble-minded. 9 Do not repay evil with evilor insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to thisyou were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

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

In these verses we learn what defines a Christian. We are defined by our distinctive Christ-like character and we are defined by blessing. First let us consider what a Christ-like character smells and tastes like.  

Defined by character:

In my hand here I have a Griffin’s Vanilla Wine biscuit. Vanilla Wines are a plain round biscuit with a distinctive smell and taste. They remind me of my Nana. Often when we went to visit she would put some Vanilla Wine biscuits out for us to eat.

It’s not that my Nana did not do her own baking. She made amazing peanut brownie cookies but I’ve never found a peanut brownie biscuit that tastes just like hers. Fortunately, Griffins have not changed their Vanilla Wine recipe so whenever I want to remember my Nana I simply smell and taste a Vanilla Wine biscuit.  

Character refers to the mental and moral qualities distinctive to a person or community. Character therefore refers to the inner substance of a person or group. Not their physical substance but their moral substance. Character is the seed bed of speech and behavior.

In considering what Christ-like character smells and tastes like, Peter lists five character traits for Christians. In verse 8 we read: …all of you, be like-minded, be understanding, love one another as brothers, be compassionate and humble-minded.    

Notice that Peter starts by saying all of you. In contemporary Western society we tend to think of character in individual terms. But Peter is writing in a cultural context which is more collective in its way of thinking. So these five mental and moral characteristics apply to all Christian believers, both individually and collectively as a community of faith.    

The first moral quality by which Christian character is defined is like-mindedness. Like-mindedness implies working together with other Christians as part of a team or family and not acting in isolation. Like-mindedness also refers to sharing a common heritage and ethical tradition. [1]

Some translations paraphrase the word like-minded as harmony, which provides a lovely image. The church is a bit like an orchestra made up of different people playing different instruments but all playing in a like-minded or harmonious way.

The thing that makes an orchestra like-minded is playing from the same musical score and following the same conductor. In a similar way, the thing that makes the Christian community like-minded is reading the same Bible and following the same example of Jesus Christ.

Closely related to being like-minded is having understanding for one another. Understanding on both an emotional level and an intellectual level. Being happy for people when things go well for them and being supportive of them when life is tough. Understanding requires us to see things from the other person’s point of view and ask ourselves the question; if I was in their shoes what would I find most helpful?

So for example: if the person in question has a problem with alcohol then understanding requires that we don’t buy them a bottle of wine for Christmas.

Or if someone has been abused as a child then understanding might mean not imposing a hug on them because you know they don’t like to be touched.

Or if a couple are not able to have children then understanding means not complaining about your kids keeping you awake at night.

Or if you are a married woman and you have a female friend who is on their own then understanding might mean going on a girls’ night out, rather than inviting your single friend to dinner with lots of couples. You get the idea.

The third character quality that Peter mentions is brotherly love. This comes right in the center of the five virtues, which might indicate it is the most important.

Some more modern translations take out the word brotherly and say ‘love one another’. They do this to appear more gender neutral, more inclusive. But the original text uses the expression brotherly love and when we remove key words in translation we risk watering down the meaning of the text. Brotherly love does not exclude women in any way. As we heard a couple of weeks ago, with the section on instructions to wives, Peter is not writing to men only.

The point is the kind of love Christians are to have for one another is the love that one has for family, for blood relations. We tend to put up with more from family members because they are family. The bond between family members is stronger somehow than other relationships. By using the term brotherly love Peter is saying the church is a spiritual family. So the bond between Christian believers should be at least as strong as the bond between blood relations.

The Hebrew word for love is closely related to the Hebrew word to give. Therefore, in Jewish thought, to love is to give. [2]

Let me share with you a traditional folk story that illustrates brotherly love well.          

Once therewere two brothers who lived in two villages and shared the land between them. Every year they would divide the harvest.

During one abundant year the older brother, who was married and had many children, was worried about his younger brother who did not have a family. Who would support him in his old age? In the middle of the night, the older brother secretly brought some grain to his brother’s storehouse, but when he woke up in the morning he still had exactly the same amount of grain that he had the night before.

The younger brother was also worried: How will my older brother support all his children? So, the younger brother decided to secretly travel to his brother’s storehouse and place some grain of his own inside, but in the morning, he discovered that he still had exactly the same amount of grain as he had before he gave any away.

This went on for two nights until on the third night, the two brothers met as each one was on the way to the other’s storehouse carrying grain. At once, they both understood what had happened and they embraced in brotherly love.

In Jewish folklore it is said that God decided the ground where the two brothers met would be the site of His holy temple. I’m not sure if that is historically accurate but it certainly contains some beautiful truths. Those brothers were defined by like-mindedness, understanding, love and compassion.

Compassion is the fourth word Peter uses to define the Christian believer and community.  In Biblical thought compassion is a strong gut feeling which moves someone to act in kindness for someone else’s well-being. The classic story of compassion is Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan.

You know the one; where a man is beaten up by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite each, in turn, see the wounded man and pass by without stopping to help. But when a despised Samaritan sees the man in need, he has compassion on the stranger. And his compassion moves him to stop and care for the man’s wounds. Then the Samaritan puts the man on his own donkey and carries him to an inn to recover, paying the expenses himself.     

One of the finer points of Jesus’ parable of the Samaritan is that the wounded stranger had been stripped of his clothes. And in that culture the clothes a person wore identified which race and religion they belonged to. So without seeing any clothes it was impossible for the Samaritan to know who he was helping. It could have been a Jewish enemy.

The point is compassion is blind when it comes to matters of race and religion. Some of you may sponsor children through World Vision or Tear Fund. Although both of these organizations are Christian, some of the communities they support through child sponsorship are not Christian. But that does not matter. As Christian organizations, World Vision and Tear Fund are not defined by the communities they help. No, they are defined by compassion.

Now in saying that compassion is blind to race & religion, I do not mean to imply that Christian compassion is stupid or unthinking. The exercise of Christ-like compassion requires wisdom and discernment.

Being compassionate makes us a target for deceitful people. You would not believe the number of scam emails we receive in the church office. If you try and help everyone who presents some kind of need, you will quickly destroy your capacity to remain compassionate.   

With this in mind, there are three basic questions we should ask ourselves when we come across someone in need:

Firstly, what is the real need here?

Secondly, is it in my power to help this person?

And thirdly, will my helping this person put other vulnerable people at risk?

The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable could see there was a real need. There was a man bleeding out on the side of the road. It was a life and death situation.  

It was also in the Samaritan’s power to help the injured man. It probably was not convenient but he did have the resources to save the man’s life.

And thirdly, the Samaritan helped the wounded stranger in a way that did not put other vulnerable people at risk. There may have been some risk to the Samaritan himself, but there was no risk to anyone else.  

If someone drives up to you in a Lexus and asks for money for petrol, you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the real need here?’ Because it is probably not money. It’s not likely to be a life & death situation.

Or if a complete stranger, who is sleeping rough, wants a bed for the night then you might ask yourself, do I have the resources to pay for a motel room for them? If you have a wife and children at home, then it would be unwise to let the stranger stay in your house because it would put your family at risk.

Jesus said, ‘Do not put your pearls before swine.’ In other words, do not offer things of value to those who will treat them with contempt. Be discerning about how you spend the pearls of your compassion.      

Being humble-minded is the fifth virtue defining the followers of Christ. Humility was not considered a virtue in Greco-Roman society, although it was a virtue in Jewish culture. In the first century, humility was regarded as a sign of weakness and shame, because it meant an inability to defend your own honour. Only those of degraded social status were humble. [3]     

Another finer point from Jesus’ parable, in Luke 10, is the way the Samaritan puts the wounded stranger on his own donkey to carry him. This shows that the Samaritan was humble-minded. In that culture, the person riding the donkey had greater status than the person walking beside the donkey. The Samaritan gave up his status for the man in need by carrying him on his donkey. 

We kiwis may be tempted to think we are the very picture of humility, but I’m not sure we are. In the Christian sense of the word, a truly humble person does not attempt to defend their personal honour. When insulted, a truly humble person forgives the offence and trusts in God to vindicate them.  

Jesus was humble-minded. He had the power to defend his honour but he chose not to and instead embraced the shame of the cross, trusting God to glorify himself.

Like-mindedness, understanding, brotherly love, compassion and humility. These are some of the essential character qualities that define Christians. Put those virtues together and you have a Vanilla Wine biscuit that reminds people of Jesus.

Having outlined how his readers are defined by Christ-like character (in verse 8), Peter goes on (in verses 9-12) to discuss how we are defined by blessing. 

Defined by blessing:

Our church’s mission statement summarizes our purpose: We are to glorify God and be a blessing to his world. Christians are defined by blessing. We are both the recipients of God’s blessing and the agents of God’s blessing to others.

Verse 9 reads: Do not repay evil with evilor insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to thisyou were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

These words resonate with the teaching of Jesus who instructed his disciples to love their enemies and to bless those who curse you.

The temptation when we are maligned or insulted is to exaggerate the offence in our own mind and use the hurt as fuel for getting our own back against the one who has insulted our honour. But a tit for tat response allows our enemies to set the agenda and define us. As difficult as it is, in the heat of the moment, we need to hold on to who we are. We need to remember that we are not defined by insult and grievance. We are defined by blessing.

What then does Peter mean by blessing? Well, a blessing can be in word or deed. When we speak well of others, publicly, we are blessing them. Or when we ask God to show favour to someone, we are invoking God’s blessing on them. Of course, words of blessing that are not substantiated by deeds of blessing tend to sound a bit thin.

The story is told of a Christian soldier living in a barracks with his unit. Each evening, when he read his Bible and prayed before going to bed, he was insulted and verbally abused by one of the other soldiers opposite him.

One night a pair of muddy combat boots came flying across the room at the Christian. The next morning, the hostile soldier found his boots at the foot of his bed, cleaned and polished and ready for inspection. Several soldiers in his company eventually became Christians as a result of the winsome witness of this one Christ follower who returned blessing for insult. [4]

In this situation the Christian soldier did not allow himself to be defined by his antagonist. He was defined by blessing. God had shown him grace and so he passed this grace on to his enemy. 

In verses 10-12 of chapter 3 Peter provides some Old Testament support for what he is saying by quoting from Psalm 34. Psalm 34, as a whole, focuses on suffering and the Lord’s deliverance of those who are afflicted. Peter chose Psalm 34 because it speaks to the same sorts of issues faced by Peter’s first century readers.

Psalm 34 is attributed to king David who spent some time in exile with the Philistines. David was on the run from king Saul and had to hide in a pagan society, surrounded by people who were hostile to him.

David’s situation was a fitting parallel to the situation of Peter’s readers, who also lived in a pagan society, surrounded by people who viewed them with suspicion if not outright contempt.

Just as God delivered David from his exile among the Philistines, God will deliver Christians from their afflictions caused by their faith in Jesus. [5]

Verses 10-11 of chapter 3, outline the pathway (or lifestyle) of blessing…

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

The wisdom here is that our words and deeds need to be in line. We don’t want to be bad talking someone behind their back and then nice to their face. Our words and deeds need to be positive & consistent, both in private and in public.

In the world we live in, speech and words have become a bit cheap. We often say things we don’t mean and swearing and cursing is common place. It’s like we imagine our words don’t matter. But it has been scientifically proven that the things we say to ourselves and to others have a very real effect in shaping our brain and thought patterns.   

We need to watch what we say because, if our speech is deceitful, we will end up believing a lie.

I have mentioned before that Robyn has an acrostic she uses with her class. T.H.I.N.K. – think before you speak. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If the answer is yes, say it. Otherwise think a bit more.

The idea that we must seek peace and pursue it indicates that peace does not simply find us as we sit quietly in a room. Peace requires some effort, some pursuit. Specifically, the effort of acting justly. There is no peace without justice. We cannot control how other people might act but we can control our own actions.    

Jesus’ command to love our enemies does not refer to an emotional feeling. You do not necessarily have to like your enemies. Enemy love means acting justly and kindly towards our adversaries, regardless of the emotions we may feel, and that’s where the effort in pursuing peace comes in. It takes real strength of character and divine energy to go against the grain of what we are feeling and love our enemies. 

I was at the Dentist recently, sitting in the waiting room, and I saw a newspaper article warning against the use of mouth wash. Research has found that we need a diversity of bacteria in our mouth, in order to maintain good oral health. Apparently mouth wash tends to reduce the diversity of bacteria.

This made me think of a parallel with our reading of Scripture. Sometimes we apply a kind of mental mouthwash to the Bible. We can be tempted to sanitize the Scriptures, by reading selectively to remove the parts we don’t like or that sound a bit harsh or offensive or out of date.

For example, we might tend to steer away from the passages that talk about God’s judgement and anger and justice because that makes us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed or fearful. But if we remove the justice and judgment of God from our Bible reading, then we will find it very difficult to believe in the goodness of God as well. And if we lose faith in the goodness of God we won’t be able to repay insult with blessing.

Verse 12 of 1st Peter 3 concludes the quote from Psalm 34…

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This verse alludes to the justice and judgement of God. We might be tempted to sanitize it by removing the part about the face of the Lord being against those who do evil. But actually we need to hold on to that because it tells us our doing good in response to evil is not in vain. God, who is just, will not tolerate evil indefinitely. There is a reckoning for those who insult others without just cause.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard what defines the followers of Jesus. We are defined by our distinctive Christ-like character and we are defined by blessing.

The ideals Peter holds up here are not easy to attain. If we spent too long measuring how far we fall short, we might become discouraged and give up. Loving our enemies takes some heavy lifting, it is hard work.

Two things to bear in mind. Firstly, God is on your side. He wants to bless you. He wants to see you succeed in overcoming evil with good. If (or when) we slip up, God is gracious and willing to forgive, provided we are honest and willing to repent. 

Which brings us to the second thing. The perfection of our character is not achieved in a day. So think marathon, not sprint. Pace yourself. Break it down into manageable pieces. Take little steps in the right direction, every day, and stay the course. By God’s grace, and through the power of His Spirit, you will get there in the end.   

Let us pray…

Loving Father, we thank you for your goodness, your justice and mercy.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil we ask.

Help us to remember who we are in Christ.

Help us to be like-minded, working in harmony with other Christian believers.

Help us to be understanding, quick to see things from the other person’s point of view.

Help us to demonstrate brotherly love, for by this will all people know that we are Jesus’ disciples.

Help us to be compassionate, in a wise and discerning way, not wasting our pearls but making them count for your glory.

Help us to be humble, not quick to defend our own honour when we are insulted, but ready to embrace the shame of carrying our cross, in faith that you will vindicate us, if not in this life then at the day of judgement.

Save us from giving in to the temptation of being defined by our enemies.

Help us instead, Lord, to love our enemies and to repay evil with a blessing.

We thank you for the blessing of eternal life that is promised to those who trust and obey Jesus. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How does Peter define the Christian community in chapter 3, verses 8-12?
  • Discuss / reflect on the five character virtues Peter lists in verse 8. How might you apply each of these in your context?
  • Which of Peter’s five character virtues do you find hardest to practice? What small steps could you take to become more Christ-like in this aspect of your character?
  • Which Christian character qualities do we see in Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan? What three questions should we ask to help us spend our compassion wisely?
  • Why do you think Jesus taught his disciples to bless those who curse them? Can you think of a time (from your own experience) when someone repaid an insult with a blessing? What happened?
  • How might you be a blessing to those around you? (Whether they be friend or foe.)
  • Take some time this week to audit what you say. How much of what you say is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind?

[1] Karen Jobes, 215

[2] https://www.ifcj.org/learn/holy-land-moments/daily-devotionals/brotherly-love-2/

[3] J.H. Elliot, 605.

[4] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 218.

[5] Karen Jobes, page 223.

Tawa Baptist

God Defend New Zealand

Scripture: Psalm 47, 2nd Kings 18-19, Isaiah 32:16-18, Psalm 10:14-18, Psalm 68:4-6,

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s sovereignty
  • God’s justice
  • God’s compassion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Last Sunday I asked a quiz question based on pop culture. Today I have a history question for you. And to make it easier, it’s multi-choice. 

In what year was the song ‘God Defend New Zealand’ first played at an Olympic Games? Was it…

  1.  1896
  2.  1920
  3.  1956, or
  4.  1972

I’ll give you a couple of seconds to choose your answer. [Wait]

The answer is D.) It was first played when the men’s rowing eight won gold at the 1972 Olympics in Germany.

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series. In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.

The song we are looking at this morning is called God Defend New Zealand, one of the two official national anthems of our land. The other one being God Save the Queen.  

Now you might be wondering, why has Will chosen the national anthem to preach on? Well, two reasons. Firstly, there hasn’t been any sport on TV lately and some of you may be missing a bit of patriotism. Secondly, and more importantly, God Defend New Zealand is actually a prayer. When we sing our national anthem we are acknowledging God as our sovereign and asking for his help. 

The words for God Defend New Zealand were written by Thomas Bracken in the 1870’s. Bracken was born in Ireland and baptised a Catholic. His mother died when he just 6 years old and his father died when he was 11. Thomas was then sent to Australia at the age of 12. He held a number of jobs there and, in his spare time, wrote poetry. Thomas Bracken arrived in New Zealand in 1867. He was 22 years old by that stage.

Bracken settled in Dunedin and took a job as a journalist with the Otago Guardian. In 1875 he started his own newspaper called the Saturday Advertiser.

Then, on the 1st July 1876 he published the five stanzas of God Defend New Zealand under the title ‘National Hymn’ in his own newspaper. At the same time, he announced a competition to compose music to go with his poem.

Somewhat ironically, the competition was judged by three Germans living in Australia. The winner of the music competition was a New Zealander though; John Joseph Woods from Lawrence, in Otago. J.J. Woods was a school teacher and later became the town clerk of Lawrence.

Alison Crampton has a connection with J.J. Woods. Alison was born and raised in Lawrence. Her mother’s side of the family have been there since the gold rush days. Alison’s mum could remember J. J. Woods coming along to school and conducting the pupils when God Defend New Zealand was to be sung on special occasions.

Okay, time for another multi-choice quiz. When did God Defend New Zealand officially become one of the national anthems of NZ? Was it…

  1. 1876
  2. 1901
  3. 1972, or
  4. 1977

I’ll give you a moment to choose your answer. [Wait]

While God Defend New Zealand was well received by the general population, it didn’t officially become our national anthem until 1977. I know. Crazy aye. It took over a hundred years for Thomas Bracken’s hymn to be formally recognised by the government.

The more astute among you may be thinking, if this was the case then why was God Defend New Zealand played at the Olympic Games medal ceremony in 1972? Good question. Because, technically, they were supposed to play God Save the Queen. Well, no one really knows why they played God Defend New Zealand. It seems to have been a happy mistake. Certainly the men’s rowing eight were pleased to hear it. Many of them were moved to tears.   

God Defend New Zealand is essentially a prayer for God’s protection and peace for our nation. In particular, the song points to three things about God: his sovereignty, his justice and his compassion. First let us consider God’s sovereignty.

God’s sovereignty:

To say that God is sovereign is to say that he is the supreme power, the ultimate authority in this world.

Thomas Bracken’s hymn begins with the words ‘God of nations’ and verse 2 starts with, ‘We of every creed and race’. This is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. God isn’t just God of Israel or New Zealand, he is the God of all nations and cultures. In Psalm 47 we read…

1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth…
6 Sing praises to God… 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. 8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9 The nobles of the nations assemble… for the kingsof the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.  

At least ten times throughout the five verses of our national anthem we ask God to defend our country. What’s more, the first verse contains the line: Guard Pacific’s triple star from the shafts of strife and war. It is unclear what Thomas Bracken meant by the phrase, Pacific’s triple star. Some say this refers to the three main islands of NZ; the North Island, the South Island and Stewart Island (not the West Island). Others say it is a reference to the three stars on the flag of Te Kooti (a Māori political and religious leader of the 19th century). Whatever the case, we are asking God to defend our land.

One of the main jobs of a sovereign ruler is to defend their people. It is because God is the supreme power and authority in this world that we can have confidence in his ability to defend and protect our shores.

One story that comes to mind of God’s sovereignty over the nations is in 2nd Kings chapters 18-19, where the city of Jerusalem is surrounded by the might of the Assyrian army. At that time in history Assyria was the dominant world power. Hezekiah was one of the good kings of Judah. Under great pressure from a military powerhouse, Hezekiah prayed to God asking the Lord to defend the city saying, “O Lord, God of Israel…, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God… Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O Lord, are God.

Then the Lord sent a message to king Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah;

Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. By the way he came he will return; he will not enter this city declares the Lord. I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”     

The next day the king of Assyria withdrew and returned to Nineveh.

I wonder if Thomas Bracken had this story of Hezekiah in mind when we wrote verse 3 of his hymn: “…Lord of battles in Thy might, put our enemies to flight.”

Freedom gets mentioned a bit in our national anthem. ‘God defend our free land’ is repeated in the middle of each of the five verses. And the last verse begins with the line, “May our mountains ever be freedom’s ramparts on the sea.” Freedom is a value that is held dear by most New Zealanders. Freedom is also one of the values of the kingdom of God. Jesus came to set the captives free and in Christ we have freedom from sin and death; freedom to love. (In the bonds of love we meet.)

Freedom aligns closely with God’s sovereignty. Because God is the supreme power and authority in this world he is free to act as he sees best. He is not subject to anyone or anything. However, even though God is free to do what he wants, God chooses to listen to our point of view and limits his freedom. In fact, when God made human beings in his image and gave us free will he was effectively sharing his power and authority with us. God shows us how to exercise power by using his freedom for the well-being of his creation. God’s freedom is always tempered with listening and responsibility.      

What we need to remember is that our freedom is not a freedom to do whatever we want. Our freedom is a freedom to be faithful to God, to preach love and truth and to act with justice and compassion, in service to God’s purpose.    

So that’s the first main theme of the song, God’s sovereignty. Another major theme is God’s justice.

God’s justice:

New Zealanders have a strong sense of justice. We want things to be fair and equitable. One of the country’s longest running TV shows is called Fair Go. Justice is in our blood. Many of our Pakeha forebears came from places in Europe where things were not fair or just. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Last January I was reading a biography on the life of Bing & Joyce Lucas, written by Bruce Murray. Interwoven throughout the book are these snippets of history which give context to the Lucas’ story. In chapter 2 of Bruce’s book we read about some of the unjust conditions in England which drove people to come the other side of the world for a fairer deal in the 19th Century.

In 1881, some years after he wrote God Defend New Zealand, Thomas Bracken entered parliament as an MP for Dunedin central. He served for three years. Thomas had a strong sense of justice. (He was after all Irish by birth.) Thomas Bracken was particularly concerned to see justice for Maori, at a time when that was not fashionable. In his first speech in parliament (in 1882) Thomas forcefully criticised the government’s dealings with Maori at Parihaka. He also spoke out against the detention of Te Whiti and Tohu and what he saw as a dishonourable breach of the commitments of the Treaty of Waitangi.

We see Thomas Bracken’s passion for justice in some of the lines of our national anthem. For example, in verse 2 where we sing, ‘From dissension, envy, hate, and corruption guard our state’. Our enemies are not just external. We also need protection from internal threats, like corruption. Corruption is the opposite of justice. We are so blessed in this country not to have to pay bribes to get things done. I don’t mind paying taxes to the government. A good tax system saves us from corruption. If we don’t fund the civil service properly people will be forced to take bribes just to make a living. This happens overseas.

We also see the theme of justice in the third verse of the song: ‘Let our cause be just and right’ and then again in verse four which reads, ‘…may Thy blessings never cease, give us plenty, give us peace’. In the Christian way of thinking, peace corresponds directly to justice. Without justice there can be no real peace.

In Isaiah 32 the prophet speaks about the effect of justice & righteousness. From verse 16 of Isaiah 32 we read: 16 The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert,his righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

King Solomon prayed for wisdom so that he could rule with justice, then the nation would be at peace.

When I as at primary school, in the late 1970’s, we sang God Defend New Zealand during assembly. But we always sang it in English. I don’t remember ever singing it in Maori. For many years I didn’t even know there was a Maori version of God Defend New Zealand. Probably most of us didn’t realise that until the late 1990’s when the nation started singing the first verse in Maori at test matches.

In actual fact all five verses of God Defend New Zealand were translated from English into Maori in 1878 by Thomas Henry Smith, who was a judge of the native land court. T.H. Smith’s Maori words are not a direct translation of Thomas Bracken’s original English version but the sentiment and themes are the same. In fact, the Maori version helps to shed light on the meaning of the English. They complement each other.

In the fourth verse of the Maori version we read, ‘Waiho i te rongo mau Aotearoa’ which translates as ‘Let peace reign over Aotearoa. A prayer for peace is a prayer for justice.

Then in the fifth verse of the Maori version we read, ‘Tōna pai me toitū
Tika rawa, pono pū; Tōna noho, tāna tū;’, which in English translates, ‘Let its good features endure, let righteousness and honesty prevail’. When righteousness and honesty prevail people live in peace and security, as Isaiah preached.

As well as pointing to the sovereignty and justice of God, our national anthem also points to the compassion of God.

God’s compassion:

God’s compassion is very closely connected to his justice – the two go hand in hand. In fact, we could say God’s justice is compassionate.

For about three and half years, while I was growing up, my mum and my sister and I lived on the DPB. Like I said before, I don’t mind paying my taxes. I am thankful for a compassionate welfare state. It meant I could stay in school and get an education, rather than leaving home at 13 to get a job, like my grandfather did.

As I said at the beginning of this message, Thomas Bracken lost his mother when he was only 6 and his father died when he was 11. So Thomas was an orphan. Yet, despite his loss and despite being sent to the other side of the world, Thomas Bracken became a leading citizen of New Zealand; a poet, a journalist, a business owner, an MP and eventually a husband and father also. How did this happen? By the compassion of God. I’d be willing to bet that God put people in Thomas Bracken’s life who had compassion on him and helped him along the way.

In Psalm 68 we read: Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. 5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is [our] God…. 6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing;

And then in Psalm 10 we read: 14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless… 17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

I could go on but you get the picture, God is compassionate and he takes care of the little guy. As far as countries go New Zealand is one of the little guys. We are not large or strong or powerful. We are small and humble and vulnerable but God is our advocate and our defender. In the upside down kingdom of God, our weakness is a strength in God’s hand. As Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians [1], God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.  God delights in taking the one no one expects and using them for his purpose.

There is a theme in Thomas Bracken’s song of asking God to use little New Zealand to bless the other nations of the world. In verse 5 for example where we sing, ‘Guide her in the nations’ van, preaching love and truth to man, working out Thy glorious plan’. The Maori translation of that verse helps to shed light on what this means where it says, ‘Let it [Aotearoa] never be ashamed, but rather, let its name be known, thereby becoming a model to emulate.’

This prayer, for our country to become a model to emulate, has been answered in many ways over the years. For example, we were the first country in the world to give women the vote. Almost every other country in world followed suit. We made a stand against nuclear testing in the Pacific. And we banned some types of firearms following the mosque shootings in Christchurch. I notice Canada is now following our example by banning automatic weapons.

Thinking about ways New Zealanders have preached love and truth to the rest of the world, and become a model to emulate, puts me in mind of some pretty remarkable people associated with Tawa Baptist. For example, Bing Lucas who did incredible pioneering work with National Parks and conservation, both in New Zealand and around the world, long before environmental issues became sexy.

Then there is David & Elaine Wilson. David has literally travelled the world preaching the gospel for 50 years. Also, Frank & Marjory Duncan who helped people in China through famines and revolutions. I’m mindful too of people like Steve Dowall who was involved with significant aid and development work in Asia and the Pacific. There are many other New Zealanders from this church as well who have shown practical compassion to the world in various ways.

The theme of God’s compassion is even more obvious in the Maori version of the hymn. Verse 1 in Maori contains the line: Me aroha noa, which is a prayer asking God to cherish us. That word ‘cherish’ is old school. It was once used in marriage vows. It means to treat with affection, to protect and to foster. Cherish is a word closely associated with compassion.

Verse 3 of the Maori version gets to the heart of God’s love and compassion where it says: May all our wrongs, we pray, be forgiven. Our country is a wonderful place to live in but we are not perfect. For example, we haven’t always been fair to Maori. And, in my lifetime, the gap between rich and poor has grown. Then there are our tragic rates of child abuse, suicide and abortion. We stand in need of God’s wisdom and grace.

Conclusion:

Thomas Bracken was well aware of the need for improvement in the New Zealand of his day. On his grave stone is written a quote from one of his poems. It reads…

“Oh God! That men would see a little clearer or judge less harshly where they cannot see. Oh God! That men would draw a little nearer to one another, they’d be nearer Thee and understood.”     

Let’s stand and sing God Defend New Zealand in our bubbles now. I encourage you to take the time to sing all the verses. God Defend New Zealand isn’t just a song we sing at rugby matches. It’s a prayer which acknowledges God’s sovereignty and seeks to integrate his justice and compassion into our nation’s culture.

E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta whakarangona;
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau tō atawhai;
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa

God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific’s triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.

Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.

Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.

Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country’s spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.

May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations’ van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

Listen to the song ‘God Defend New Zealand’.  What are you in touch with as you listen to this song? (What connections, memories or feelings does the song evoke for you?) 

What is God’s sovereignty? What are the implications of God’s sovereignty for us?

Can you think of times in New Zealand’s history when God has defended our country, whether from external threats or internal threats? Can you think of a time in your own life when God has protected you personally?

Discuss / reflect on the relationship between God’s sovereignty and freedom. How does God exercise his freedom? How should we exercise our freedom?

Discuss / reflect on the relationship between justice and peace. In what ways does a good tax system foster a just and compassionate society? (Think of practical examples.)

In what ways are you aware of God’s compassion in your life? Can you think of people God has put in your life to help you along the way? Give thanks to God for them.

In what ways is New Zealand an example to emulate? In what matters of justice and compassion have we failed? Thank God for the good things and ask his forgiveness where we have fallen short. 

Outtakes

There is a wonderful story of God’s sovereign protection in 2nd Kings chapter 6. The prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an army of Arameans and Elisha’s servant asked, ‘What shall we do?’ Elisha replied, ‘Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  

The horses and chariots of fire were the Lord’s spiritual army, more powerful than any earthly army.

[1] 2nd Corinthians 12:9.

Tawa Baptist

Nineveh Repents

Scripture: Jonah 3

 

Title: Nineveh Repents

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jonah’s preaching
  • Nineveh’s repentance
  • God’s compassion
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

The Economist Intelligence Unit did a global livability study looking at the most “tolerable” cities to live in given crime levels, threat of conflict, quality of medical care, levels of censorship, climate, schools and transport links [1]

–         And they came up with a list of the 10 best cities in the world

–         There were 4 Australian cities in the top 10 and 3 Canadian cities

–         With Melbourne being rated the best city to live in, in the world

–         Auckland, NZ, came in tenth – which made me wonder whether they had considered Wellington at all

–         We lived in Auckland for 3 years and while it wasn’t too bad, Wellington is a way better city in pretty much every way

 

At the other end of the spectrum, if you google ‘most violent cities’ then Latin American countries are predominant

–         The city of Caracas, in Venezuela, is currently ranked the most dangerous with nearly 120 homicides per 100,000 people  [2]

 

Today we continue our series on the city of Nineveh

–         These days Nineveh is more of a province in northern Iraq

–         But in ancient times it was a significant city

–         Nineveh would not have won any prizes for being the most tolerable place to live but it was certainly up there as one of the most violent places

 

For two Sundays now we’ve looked at the city of Nineveh through the book of Jonah

–         This morning we pick up the story from Jonah chapter 3

–         I will be reading from the New International Version – the words will appear on the wall…

 

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.

 

Now Nineveh was a very important city; a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

 

6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.  9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

 

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

There are essentially three parts to this chapter…

–         Jonah’s preaching

–         Nineveh’s repentance

–         And God’s compassion

 

First let’s consider Jonah’s preaching…

 

Jonah’s preaching:

Robert Frost has a poem called Reluctance

–         The last verse goes like this…

 

Ah, when to the heart of man

Was it ever less than a treason

To go with the drift of things,

To yield with a grace to reason,

And bow and accept the end

Of a love or a season?

 

Jonah is sometimes described as the reluctant prophet – and for good reason

 

When God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah protested and when his protest failed he tried running away

–         Then when God saved Jonah from drowning, by providing a large fish, Jonah was thankful but he wasn’t really sorry for running away

–         Nevertheless God wanted to give Jonah a second chance, so he spoke to the fish and the fish spewed Jonah out onto the beach

 

Once again God calls Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh

–         This time Jonah obeys God, but only reluctantly

–         His heart is not really in it

–         ‘The drift of things’ (of everything in fact) is pulling Jonah towards Nineveh and yet it still feels to his heart like treason

–         Yes, Jonah obeys God this time, but it is a reluctant yielding to reason

–         Like a man subject to the change of seasons or to a love which is ending, Jonah is subject to forces he cannot control

–         The most sensible option available to Jonah is simply to go with it

 

We can’t be sure where the fish spewed Jonah out, but we do know that Nineveh was inland by quite a distance (about 500 miles north of Jerusalem) so it would have taken Jonah a fair while to walk there

 

Verse 3 tells us that a visit to Nineveh required three days

–         This probably means Jonah could reasonably expect to budget three days to proclaim his message in all of Nineveh’s public places

 

Jonah’s sermon, in a nutshell went like this…

–         “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned”

 

Now you might think, a short sermon is a good sermon

–         But this is too short

–         We know for a fact that Jonah could do better

–         Just last week we heard his beautifully composed poem about how God rescued him from drowning

–         Jonah delivered this poem in the belly of a fish where no one but God could hear

–         Now, when he is faced with an enormous audience, Jonah gives 8 words of doom (it’s actually only 5 words in the original Hebrew)

 

There are no illustrations or movie clips and no miracles to prove his point

–         There is no explanation of what Nineveh has done wrong, nor is there any specific application about what they can do to put things right

–         In fact, God’s name is not mentioned at all

–         If Jonah wanted to save Nineveh then we might expect him to be a bit clearer with the details

–         Instead Jonah’s message is blunt and vague

–         It appears that Jonah is forcing himself to obey God – all the time hoping that his message won’t be successful

–         To be fair to Jonah though, the people of Nineveh spoke a different language – so that may have been a limitation

 

Language is a funny thing

–         One word, spelt exactly the same, can have two quite different meanings

–         For example, the word bark can mean a loud noise, like a dog might make, or it can mean the covering of a tree

–         The word light can refer to a lamp but it can also mean not heavy

–         And the word cool – can refer to temperature but it can also mean something is really good or acceptable – as in, ‘that’s cool man’

 

The word, “overturned”, which Jonah uses in his sermon (hapak in the original Hebrew), has a double meaning [3]

–         On the one hand it can mean destroyed – as in God is going to wreck this city

–         But on the other hand it can also mean changed – as in God is going to transform this city, he is going to turn your world upside down so that your whole way of life is different

 

Jonah was hoping for the first meaning (destroyed) but he knew God well enough not to rule out the second meaning (changed)

 

Nineveh’s repentance:

Despite his half-hearted (reluctant) sermon, Jonah’s success as a preacher is unparalleled in history

–         The entire city from the least to the greatest (from the livestock to the king himself) took Jonah’s message to heart and very quickly repented

 

Apparently Jonah didn’t need to use the full three days to spread his message, because the people of Nineveh spread it themselves

–         They didn’t need the problem explained to them because they already knew what they had done wrong

–         The king of Nineveh certainly knew – he summed it up as…

–         “Let them give up their evil ways and their violence”

–         What’s more, even though Jonah never mentioned Yahweh’s name, verse 5 tells us the people of Nineveh believed God

 

Belief in God goes hand in hand with repentance

–         You can’t really have one without the other

–         If we believe in God it will inevitably lead to repentance

–         If belief doesn’t lead to repentance then we are just kidding ourselves

 

For example, if it’s cold and the clothes you are wearing are wet, then the best way to get warm is to get out of the wet clothes and into something dry

–         Simply thinking warm thoughts isn’t repentance

–         Actually changing your clothes (changing your behaviour) is repentance

 

The problem is, most people don’t want to get out of their wet clothes because they think, “I’m not that wet anyway” or “I’ll soon dry off” or “It’s going to make me even colder getting changed”

–         They’re not really facing the problem

–         In order to change our clothes we need to feel even colder

 

If we apply this metaphor to the people of Nineveh, then they were already cold, standing around in wet clothes, when Jonah turned up

–         Jonah’s message to them was, “You’re going to get hyperthermia & die”

 

The people of Nineveh didn’t need convincing – they were freezing and they knew what they had to do to get warm – change into some dry clothes

–         In other words, stop their violent ways and practice kindness

 

Real repentance only comes about when we realise just how cold & wet we are

–         So long as we hold on to the illusion that we are right – so long as we keep denying the truth and justifying ourselves,

–         So long as we keep saying, “I’m not that wet, I’ll dry off soon” – we can’t change

 

It’s harder for good people, respectable people (like Jonah) to admit when they are wrong – they don’t want to change their wet clothes, it’s too embarrassing

–         It was easier for the people of Nineveh to admit they were wrong because they could feel the coldness of their actions

 

Again it is ironic that Jonah (who has experienced God’s miraculous power & grace) is unwilling to say sorry and seek forgiveness

–         Yet the people of Nineveh (who have never experienced God’s miraculous power and only hear a message of judgment) are willing to repent and seek mercy

 

In Matthew 12 Jesus says to the men & women of his day…

–         The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here.

 

If the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah (a foreigner) and believed his message (as poor as it was), it seems crazy that Jesus’ own people did not believe Jesus’ message (as rich as it was)

 

In some ways the king of Nineveh shows more insight than Jonah himself

–         In verse 9, after making a royal decree for everyone to repent and change their ways, the king says…

–         Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish

 

This is interesting for what it reveals

–         Unlike Jonah, the king of Nineveh seems to intuitively understand that God is free

–         Just because they have repented, it doesn’t automatically follow that God must forgive them

–         The king throws himself and his people at God’s mercy and hopes for the best

 

Earlier this week Brian Gillies sent me a link to an article about Henry Gerecke[4]

–         Gerecke was an American army chaplain during the second world war

–         He served in a field hospital in 1944 following the D Day invasions

–         He also saw inside the Nazi concentration camps at the end of the war

 

Gerecke was preparing to return to the US following the war when he was asked by Colonel Andrus if he would stay behind to act as a chaplain to some high profile Nazi war criminals (Hitler’s henchmen) as they stood trial at Nuremburg

–         Many people on the home front thought these Nazi’s shouldn’t be given the chance to make their peace with God

–         Consequently, Henry Gerecke (a Lutheran pastor) together with Father Richard O’Connor (a Catholic priest), were inundated with hate mail

–         What they were doing was thought to be anti-Semitic, unpatriotic and unjust – a kind of betrayal of the Jews and allies who had died at the hands of the Nazi’s

 

It was a difficult decision to make but in the end Gerecke and O’Connor felt that ministering to these loathsome men was what Christ would have them do

–         Christ too was criticised for keeping bad company but always maintained he came to seek and save the lost

 

Gerecke’s situation was similar to Jonah’s in that God had called Jonah to minister to his enemies – people Jonah considered beyond redemption

–         It would have felt like a betrayal of his own people

However, unlike Jonah, Gerecke and O’Connor were willing to serve and did not try to run away from God

–         Gerecke & O’Connor were not as successful as Jonah

–         Of the 21 men who stood trial, 11 were condemned to die and, according to Gerecke’s final report, only four of them…

–         “…died as penitent sinners trusting God’s mercy for forgiveness [and] believing in Jesus who shed his blood for their sins.”

 

Will those repentant Nazi’s be forgiven and make it into heaven?

–         God is free, so like the king of Nineveh the most we can say is…

–         Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish

 

God’s compassion:

Jonah’s preaching was reluctant – half hearted

–         By contrast, Nineveh’s repentance was genuine – fully committed

–         But it’s God’s compassion which triumphs in the end

 

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

 

There are two sides to the coin of compassion

–         One side is entering into the suffering of another – sharing their pain

–         The other side is doing something to alleviate that pain

–         When we feel someone else’s pain as our own then we are motivated to relieve their suffering

–         So to have compassion is firstly to feel and then to heal

 

This is a picture of the memorial at Gallipoli

 

The story that goes with this memorial is that there was a wounded British soldier groaning in agony in no man’s land between the trenches

  • – At that moment a piece of white underwear was raised from the Turkish side and a well-built, unarmed soldier appeared.
  • – The Turk walked slowly towards the wounded British soldier, took him in his arms and carried him to the Allies’ side, before gently placing him down on the ground and returning to his trench.

 

There are some who question the accuracy of this story

  • – I don’t know, I wasn’t there
  • – Either way, it is a picture of compassion
  • – Feeling another’s pain and then acting to help & heal that person
  • – Feeling and healing

 

To say that God had compassion on the people of Nineveh means that he was affected by their sin (he felt the hurt they inflicted on each other) and he acted to heal that hurt – feeling and healing

 

God’s compassion wasn’t just a response to the people’s repentance

–         His compassion is seen long before that, when he sent Jonah to warn them

 

That God is compassionate and open to change tells us that the details of God’s will are not fixed in stone

–         Sometimes we are tempted to think of God’s will as a train travelling along the tracks

–         The thing about a train is that it can’t really deviate off the tracks – it has to follow the path laid out for it

–         And once the train gets up some speed it is very hard to stop, because it’s got all this weight (all this history) behind it

 

But I don’t believe God’s will is like a train following the tracks

–         I see God’s will as more dynamic than that

–         God’s will is like a 4WD vehicle

–         God can follow the road or he can go off road

–         If someone or something is in the way then God can easily stop to wait or change course to avoid a collision

–         Yes, he has a fixed destination in mind (the redemption of his creation)

–         But he also has the power and freedom to alter his course in getting to that destination

–         And that’s what he does in the case of Nineveh – God changes his course (without changing his overall purpose) and saves the city

 

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard that Jonah was a reluctant preacher

–         But despite his reluctance the people of Nineveh still humbled themselves in genuine repentance

–         And God had compassion on Nineveh

–         God is free and he uses his freedom to love his enemies

 

I’m conscious that today is September 11 – fifteen years since the attack on the Twin Towers in New York

–         The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured over 6,000 others

–         In response to these attacks America declared a war on terror and thousands more died

–         So people might say the city of New York is akin to Nineveh, with its violence

–         Others say, no, it’s the terrorists who are more akin to the people of Nineveh

–         I suspect it’s not that black & white

–         All of our cities have violence in them

–         All of our hearts the seeds of terror

–         None of us can claim to be completely pure or righteous

 

I don’t think the events of 9/11 were God’s will

–         I think what happened that day grieved his heart and went against his will

 

Jesus points us to the will of God (to the compassion of God) when he says…

 

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous…

 

 

Let us pray…

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-sep-2016-nineveh-repents

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/pictures/9477990/The-worlds-10-best-cities-to-live-in.html?frame=2311083

[2] http://www.businessinsider.com/most-violent-cities-in-the-world-2016-1/?r=AU&IR=T/#1-caracas-venezuela-had-11987-homicides-per-100000-residents-50

[3] James Bruckner, NIVAC ‘Jonah’, pages 90-91.

[4][4] http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/may-web-only/would-you-share-gospel-with-hitlers-worst-henchmen.html?start=3

Tawa Baptist

YHWH

Scripture: Exodus 34:1-9

 

Title: YHWH

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • YHWH
  • Moses
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on Moses in Exodus

  • You may remember that God made a covenant with Israel – a sacred agreement in which they were committed in loyalty to Yahweh
  • Sadly the people were quick to break this commitment by making and worshipping a golden calf
  • But Moses interceded for the people asking God not to destroy them
  • And God listened to Moses
  • This morning’s reading picks up the part in the story where God is renewing the covenant with Israel – giving them a second chance

 

Israel didn’t really appreciate what God was offering them in the covenant

  • But now, through their fall and failure, they learn more deeply the extent of God’s steadfast love for them

 

Today I will be reading from the New Revised Standard Version

  • The words will appear on the wall behind me
  • Exodus chapter 34, verses 1 – 9

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to me, on the top of the mountain.

 

3 No one shall come up with you, and do not let anyone be seen throughout all the mountain; and do not let flocks or herds graze in front of that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the former ones; and he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

 

5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name, “The Lord.” 6  The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate [merciful] and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,7 keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

 

8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 He said, “If now I have found favour in your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

YHWH:

On the wall here we have some text language

  • If you are under the age of 30 then this will probably be easy
  • But if you are over 40 then it might be a bit harder
  • So for those over 40 only – what does BTW mean? [Wait]
  • Yes – that’s right – ‘By The Way’

 

That was an easy one to get you started

  • What about FWIW? [Wait]
  • ‘For What It’s Worth’

 

Okay – one more – BOT [Wait]

  • ‘Back On Topic’

 

You could be forgiven for thinking the title of this morning’s message (on the front page of the newsletter) was text language – YHWH

  • But it’s not – this is God’s name
  • In English it is usually translated simply as LORD, all in capitals
  • But really it is untranslatable
  • We tend to put vowels in to at least make it pronounceable – so it sounds something like ‘Yahweh’
  • In any case there is significant mystery and sacredness in the name

In Exodus 33 Moses had asked to see the Lord’s glory and God had said…

  • I will make my goodness pass before you and will proclaim my name before you …but you cannot see my face… you may see my back.
  • Now in chapter 34 (the passage we read earlier) God does just that

 

6  The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate [merciful] and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…

 

Yahweh is different from the deities of the pagan nations around ancient Israel

  • The gods of the other nations were represented by wooden or metal statues – something the people could see and touch
  • Something that wouldn’t talk back or tell them what to do
  • Something they could control

 

But Yahweh forbids the people to represent Him in this way

  • Instead Yahweh represents Himself with words: poetry is God’s language
  • Words are like seeds – they are powerful and once buried in the soil of our imagination take root, grow and bear fruit in our actions

 

The first characteristic or attribute God reveals about Himself here is that He is compassionate (sometimes also translated merciful)

 

Compassionate and merciful are relatively long words in English

  • The Hebrew root word is quite short – just three letters ‘RHM’
  • As Phyllis Tribble observes, the Hebrew word for ‘compassionate’ or ‘merciful’, when used in relation to Yahweh, is intimately connected to the word for ‘womb’ [1]
  • Compassionate and womb share the same linguistic root

 

A womb is a sacred and holy part of a woman’s body

  • It is where human life grows and is formed in secret
  • A womb is a powerfully creative thing – a place of nourishment and protection for the child
  • And it is cloaked in mystery – science doesn’t yet understand it

 

It’s like God is saying in poetic language…

  • ‘My inner most being is sort of like a womb
  • At my core is mystery, power and creative energy
  • I am like a mother to you Israel, carrying and protecting and nourishing you, bringing you into this world at great pain to myself
  • And like a mother I am compassionate’

 

To be compassionate means to receive the other person’s suffering

  • To see their sadness and pain and reach out to accept them so they know they are not alone
  • We don’t have to pretend with God
  • If God asks us how we are we don’t have to say, “I’m fine”, if we are not
  • We can be honest with God – He can handle it

 

Steve Apirana has a song we sometimes sing in church called, Something Beautiful

  • Something beautiful, something good
  • All my confusion, He understood
  • All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
  • But He made something beautiful out of my life

 

This is really a song about God’s compassion

  • God has the power to receive our pain and suffering
  • To take it into Himself and transform it into something beautiful
  • To do something creative with it so that it serves a good purpose
  • Just like when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery
  • God received Joseph’s rejection (his pain & suffering) and used it to save many people, including Joseph’s brothers

 

In the ‘Gospel for Asia’ magazine which came out this month there is an article – a true story of a 2 day old baby girl who was left in a rubbish bin [2]

  • The doctor had said the baby was abnormal and the parents felt so ashamed they threw the child into a dumpster
  • The sister-in-law of the man who had thrown the child away was a Christian. Her name, Pranaya
  • When Pranaya learned that her wee niece had been put out with the rubbish, she went & found the child, reached into the bin & lifted her up
  • Pranaya carried the baby home, named her Jansi and cared for her
  • Even after Pranaya married and had children of her own, she still accepted Jansi in her family

 

Pranaya showed compassion, graciousness & steadfast love – she reached out to accept someone else’s suffering – to carry, nurture, protect and nourish Jansi

  • This is what God did for Israel and it’s what He does for each of us

 

The second word God uses to describe Himself is gracious

  • To be gracious here means that Yahweh acts freely and generously, without need for compensation or hope of benefit
  • God works pro-bono – for free and without agenda
  • God’s graciousness points to His freedom
  • God doesn’t do things for us because He needs something from us
  • God doesn’t need anything – He is able to meet His own needs
  • God does things for us because He wants to and He can

 

That phrase, slow to anger, literally translates from the Hebrew ‘long of nose’ or ‘long nostrils’ – this is Hebrew idiom which is lost on us to some extent

  • Make the snort of anger noise – that’s a snort of anger
  • To say that God has long nostrils means, it takes a long time for the snort of anger to come through God’s nose

 

In today’s English idiom we might say ‘God has a long fuse’

  • Someone with a short fuse is someone with a quick temper – they explode in anger at the smallest thing
  • Someone with a long fuse (like God) is not prone to exploding

 

As we heard last week, anger or wrath is not primary to God

  • It is secondary and temporary
  • If anger is represented by the white ball in a game of pool then the cue which sets the white ball moving is God’s care
  • Like an expert pool player God is in control of His anger

 

We could say that ‘slow to anger’ basically means God is patient

  • He is not pressured or in a hurry – He measures twice and cuts once

 

Steadfast love is mentioned two times by Yahweh in today’s passage – so it is given extra emphasis

  • It translates from the Hebrew word hesed
  • Hesed doesn’t have an exact English equivalent
  • Loyal love or covenant love or steadfast love are generally the best translations
  • Steadfast love (Hesed) is not a romantic feeling which waxes and wanes
  • It is not skinny love
  • Steadfast love has substance – backbone
  • It is an unswerving, unbreakable commitment to someone else’s well-being

 

William Shakespeare was describing something like steadfast love when he wrote…

  • Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;

 

In other words, true love is constant – it does not change with the circumstances

  • Steadfast love goes on loving the other person even when that love is not reciprocated
  • The commitment that Noah shows for Ally in the movie the Note Book is steadfast love
  • The commitment Ruth shows to her mother-in-law Naomi (in the Bible) is also steadfast love

 

Faithfulness is complete trustworthiness and reliability

  • It means Yahweh won’t go back on what He has promised
  • He won’t break His word – His word is truth
  • God does not promise Israel an easy road
  • He promises to go with them – He promises His presence

 

In verse 7 the Lord continues revealing His character saying He is a God who

  • …keeps steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

 

 

Now, at first glance this statement sounds contradictory

  • God is saying He forgives people but then in the same breath He also says He doesn’t clear the guilty
  • So which is it: forgiveness or justice? Grace or punishment?
  • Well, it’s not either / or with God – it’s both / and
  • The steadfast love of God requires Him to exercise both forgiveness and just judgement

 

What we notice is that the judgement – or the just consequence – is limited to 3 or 4 generations, while the steadfast love is unlimited, for 1000’s

  • Wrath is not a continuous aspect of God’s nature
  • Wrath is temporary – a particular response to a historical situation
  • God’s natural inclination, His default setting if you like, is to show steadfast love

But steadfast love does not mean anything goes

  • There is no predictability or inevitability about divine grace
  • We should not presume upon God’s forgiveness
  • We can’t say, ‘Well, I know this is wrong but I’m going to do it anyway because God is my mate, He will forgive me, it’s in His nature.’
  • God is not obligated to forgive us
  • If we are playing Him for fool then He will see through that

 

The Lord is slow to anger and quick to forgive but that doesn’t mean we have immunity from the consequences of our actions

  • For forgiveness to really happen, something has to die
  • Usually it is our pride and wilfulness which needs to die

 

Okay, so hopefully that helps you to understand something of the meaning of Yahweh’s name

  • But really we can only know Yahweh through a relationship with Him
  • We can only know Yahweh’s compassion if we suffer
  • We can only know His graciousness if we have empty hands to receive from Him
  • We can only know His steadfast love & faithfulness if we trust Him through thick & thin
  • We can only know His patience and forgiveness if we admit our failure

 

The other person in this morning’s reading is Moses – let’s take a look at things from his perspective

 

Moses:

Moses has just experienced a revelation of God’s goodness

  • There is something overwhelming about God’s goodness
  • There is a grandeur and a beauty to it (like a mountain range) which both inspires us and makes us feel inadequate at the same time

 

God’s goodness infinitely outweighs our goodness – we become aware that we are unworthy, not equal partners in the relationship

Moses responds by bowing before God in worship

  • Worship is the appropriate response to God’s goodness
  • In bowing we are saying, ‘God, You are the bigger, better person here. How can I possibly stand in Your presence.’

 

Based on Yahweh’s revelation of Himself, Moses goes on to ask three things of the Lord (for the sake of Israel)…

  • Go with us – that’s presence
  • Forgive us – that’s grace
  • And take us as Your inheritance – that’s acceptance
  • Presence, forgiveness and acceptance

 

One interesting thing we observe here is the way Moses identifies himself with the people in their sinfulness

  • Go with us – forgive us – accept us
  • Moses could have said forgive them – but he doesn’t
  • Moses wasn’t part of the golden calf debacle and yet he stands in solidarity with the people – he wears their shame, he carries their cross
  • Remind you of anyone?

 

Forgiveness is the key to Yahweh’s relationship with Israel

  • In order for Yahweh to accept Israel and go with Israel, the Lord will need to be prepared to forgive Israel, for they are a stiff necked people
  • Like a mule that won’t be led by its master Israel will fight God and resist Him each step of the way

 

In verse 10 God answers Moses’ prayer for presence, forgiveness and acceptance by saying: “I hereby make a covenant [with Israel]”

  • Renewal of the covenant is not automatic – Moses must make an admission of guilt on behalf of the people

 

We are not that different to Israel

  • Forgiveness is key to our relationship with God also
  • Without God’s forgiveness we can’t know His presence or acceptance
  • But forgiveness is not automatic – there needs to be an admission of guilt on our part, otherwise it is not an open or honest relationship

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard about the Lord’s name – His character, His values, His nature

 

As the Son of Man, Jesus is like the new Moses – interceding for humanity before God – carrying the cross of our shame – asking for God’s presence, forgiveness and acceptance for us

 

And, as the Son of God, Jesus embodies and personifies Yahweh’s name

  • Jesus shows us God’s compassion and graciousness
  • His patience, steadfast love and faithfulness
  • Most of all though Jesus shows us God’s forgiveness on the cross
  • This is not a forgiveness to be presumed upon or treated lightly
  • This is a forgiveness which calls us first to confession and then to the obedience of faith

 

As a way of responding to the message this morning I would like to lead you in a guided prayer. I invite you to close your eyes as we pray…

 

Imagine you are in the place of Moses

  • You are up the mountain in the cleft of a rock
  • No one else is with you – just God
  • You can’t see God – you can only hear Him

 

God speaks His holy name to you

  • It is not like anything you have heard before and you’re not sure if you could even repeat it

 

God goes on to explain the meaning of His name

  • This is God’s character, His values, His nature

 

The Lord is compassionate – able to handle your deepest hurt and pain

  • He is gracious – giving generously without expectation of return
  • The Lord is patient – unhurried and completely in control of Himself
  • His love is steadfast – like a mountain range – majestic, immense, ancient
  • There is a strength & reliability in His words which both reassures you & makes you feel uneasy at the same time

 

This revelation of God’s goodness inspires your trust

  • But it also reveals your own lack of goodness
  • Your lack of compassion
  • Your lack of graciousness
  • Your lack of patience and self-control
  • The skinniness of your love and the lightness of your words

 

How can you stand in God’s presence – this is not a relationship of equals

 

God finishes talking and gives you opportunity to respond

 

What is it you want to say to Him?

  • What is it you want to ask?
  • Take a moment now to quietly speak to the Lord (in your heart)
  • [Wait]

 

Lord, go with us, forgive us and accept us we pray

  • In Jesus’ name. Amen

[1] Walter Brueggemann, ‘Theology of the Old Testament’, page 216.

[2] Gospel for Asia magazine, November 2015, pages 20-21.