Tawa Baptist

Nebuchadnezzar’s Tree

Scripture: Daniel 4

Video Link: https://youtu.be/D-yuZGs-fuc

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
  • God’s Sovereignty
  • God’s Just Mercy
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Many of you would have heard of the story of Beauty and the Beast. In one version of this fairy tale, the young prince is turned into a beast because he behaves in a beastly manner; he is cruel, unkind and selfish. Only when he learns to be more human, to love and be loved, is the curse lifted.

Beauty and the Beast is a redemption story. A story of overcoming fear and evil with faith and self-giving love. It’s a story with a happy ending. Reality is seldom so kind and yet the story endures because we need to believe that change is possible, that the beast within each of us can be transformed by love.

Today we continue our testimony of trees series. In recent weeks we have considered the mustard tree, the almond tree, the sycamore, the tamarisk and the olive tree. These are all physical trees with scientific names. Nebuchadnezzar’s tree is a psychological tree, seen in a dream by a king who behaves like a beast but, in the end by God’s mercy, has his humanity restored.  

We learn about Nebuchadnezzar’s tree in the book of Daniel chapter 4.

Daniel 4 is very long with lots of repetition, so we won’t read it all.

To set the scene, Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon who lived around five or six hundred years before Christ. Nebuchadnezzar was the one who conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, killed thousands of Jews and had the survivors deported into exile in Babylon.

Among those Jews brought to Babylon was a young man named Daniel.

Daniel became an advisor to the king and was given a new Babylonian name, Belteshazzar.

Anyway, one night king Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a tree. Well, it was more of a nightmare really, one that stayed with him and terrified him. No one was able to interpret the king’s dream, so Daniel (aka: Belteshazzar) was asked to give the meaning. From Daniel chapter 4, verse 10, Nebuchadnezzar retells his dream…

10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the wild animals found shelter, and the birds lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed. 13 “In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. 14 He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven timespass by for him. 17 “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ 18 “This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” 19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! …

22 Your majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth…

24 “This is the interpretation, your majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.  26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, your majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

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

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

I started this sermon by talking about the story of Beauty and the Beast.

In doing this I do not mean to imply that the story of Nebuchadnezzar is a fairy tale. The story of Beauty and the Beast was not written until many centuries after the Babylonians.

Nebuchadnezzar was a real person in history. We have good reason to think the events described in Daniel 4 did happen. To a modern reader, it appears Nebuchadnezzar had some kind of breakdown followed by a period of mental illness. He would not be the only ruler in history to experience this.

Charles VI reigned as king of France from 1380 to his death in 1422. He came to the throne at the age of 11 and lived with psychosis for much of his life. Charles VI thought he was made of glass and that if he were knocked, he might break. One can only imagine the mental anguish he suffered from this belief.

Our minds are like icebergs. Our conscious thoughts are just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more going on beneath the surface, in our unconscious, that we are not aware of.

Depth psychologists reckon that the dreams we have while we sleep are our unconscious minds communicating with our conscious minds. The unconscious speaks to us in symbols. Most dreams you have will not be that significant. They are simply the mind’s way of ironing out the wrinkles in your day.

But sometimes our dreams are telling us something important. Warning us to restore the balance and get our life back in order. Dreams can be like a warning sign at the top of the cliff, there to prevent us going over the edge. 

Occasionally God communicates with us through the dreams that surface from our unconscious. Most dreams are not from God, but some are. God gave Nebuchadnezzar a dream to warn him to get his life in order or he would take a fall.      

There are basically four main images in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The first is of an enormous tree which provides food and shelter for the creatures of the earth. Daniel says the tree in the dream represents Nebuchadnezzar himself. The king is great and powerful. The nations of the earth are subject to him, they depend on him. 

The second image is that of a holy one, a messenger from heaven, what we might call an angel or a watcher. The image of the angel shows us that this is no ordinary dream. This dream is a message from God in heaven.

And the message is this: as great and powerful as Nebuchadnezzar is, he is still subject to God in heaven. Heaven is in charge, not Nebuchadnezzar. The king is about to lose it all.  

The third image Nebuchadnezzar sees is the stump of the tree, still in the ground, bound with iron and bronze. This shows that Nebuchadnezzar will be cut down. He will be humbled. He will lose his power and authority for a time, but not forever. Just as a tree stump can grow new shoots, there is hope too for Nebuchadnezzar. He will be restored to his throne in the fullness of time.

The fourth image is that of animals in the field. In many ways Nebuchadnezzar’s treatment of people was inhumane. The king could be brutal and animal like in the way he behaved toward others. Therefore, he would be given the mind of a beast. Nebuchadnezzar will think he is animal.

What’s interesting here is that Nebuchadnezzar is given the mind of a relatively harmless beast. He won’t be like a lion or a bear, which might attack other creatures. He will be more like an ox, eating plants in the field.   

God’s Sovereignty

In verse 25 Daniel says, seven times will pass by before the king acknowledges that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

We don’t know exactly how long seven times is. It might be seven seasons or seven years, or it might be a proverbial way of saying, as long as it takes, or until God decides the king’s sentence is complete. The point is, God is in control, not Nebuchadnezzar.     

Verse 28 tells us that all this happened to king Nebuchadnezzar. The king did not heed Daniel’s warning to change his ways. His behaviour towards his subjects remained beastly and he continued in his pride. Consequently, the king’s dream came true. A year later, when Nebuchadnezzar was congratulating himself on all his achievements, a voice from heaven said…

“This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

Immediately, what was said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. 

Now at this point I need to make something very clear. The cause of mental illness is not the same for everyone. Just because God gave Nebuchadnezzar the mind of an animal, it does not automatically follow that mental illness is a punishment from God.

Mental illness can be caused by any number of factors. Sometimes physiological or chemical, other times it is the result of trauma or something else that science cannot explain. We don’t have an answer for everything.   

What we do know is that ultimately God wants people to enjoy good mental health. In John 10, Jesus says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Jesus goes on to talk about himself as the good shepherd, who gives his life for the sheep. Jesus came that we would have abundant life. Jesus wants to renew our minds.

Those who know their history (or who at least watch Bridgerton) will know about king George III of England, the husband of Queen Charlotte. King George reigned 60 years from 1760 to 1820. He came to the throne at the age of 22.

It is unclear exactly what his mental health disorder was, but he suffered a great deal because of it, as much from doctors as from the malady itself. Despite all he went through though, George was a kind and decent king.

He had a sense of justice and compassion.

For example, according to the historian Andrew Roberts, “George never bought or sold a slave in his life. He never invested in any of the companies that did such a thing. He signed legislation to abolish slavery.” 

King George was a humanitarian. He was nothing like king Nebuchadnezzar.

I don’t believe George’s bouts of mental illness were a punishment from God. We don’t know why George suffered in this way. Most of the time we are given no explanation for suffering. Suffering is usually cloaked in mystery.

However, Nebuchadnezzar is given an explanation. In verse 17 the angel says: ‘…the holy ones declare the verdict so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’

Nebuchadnezzar need not flatter himself by thinking it’s all about him. It’s not. Nebuchadnezzar will be humbled and restored so that people everywhere will know that God in heaven is in charge. Being the king doesn’t make you great. Leadership is simply a function. God can make anyone he wants king or queen.

So, whatever you do with Daniel 4, don’t transfer it to other people you know who live with a mental illness. Nebuchadnezzar’s case is unique, just as every person is unique.

Daniel chapter 4 is more about God in heaven than it is about Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else. The text is showing us, in bright neon colour, that God is sovereign over all. God is in charge. God has all power and authority and dominion. Failure to acknowledge God’s sovereignty is madness.

In an individualistic, me centred, consumer oriented society like ours, it’s easy to think it’s all about us. The culture and ethos of Babylon is alive well today. We need constant reminders that we are here to serve God. The Lord is not some kind of cosmic Santa Claus or magic genie, there to grant our wishes.

We acknowledge God’s sovereignty by trusting and obeying him.

Sometimes obedience to God is pleasant. Other times it is painful or at least uncomfortable. None of us is fully able to trust and obey God. All of us fall short in that regard. This is why Jesus came. Jesus does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus trusted and obeyed God even unto death on a cross.

God’s Just Mercy

Beyond the obvious, of highlighting God’s sovereignty, Daniel 4 is also showing us the just mercy of God. That is, God’s mercy is one with his justice. They go together. God’s justice is not separate from his mercy. 

We see God’s just mercy in the way the Lord warns Nebuchadnezzar in a dream of the path he is on. God could have simply removed Nebuchadnezzar and replaced him with someone else. But God gives the king an opportunity for redemption.

God’s just mercy is embodied in the person of Daniel. Daniel unlocks the meaning of the king’s dream in a way that is gracious and true.

Remember that king Nebuchadnezzar was the leader of Israel’s enemies.

He destroyed whole cities and subjected the survivors to slavery. He was not a very nice man. Nebuchadnezzar was probably responsible for killing some of Daniel’s friends and family. He was certainly responsible for Daniel’s exile and forced servitude.

And yet Daniel does not rejoice at hearing of the king’s coming fall. Daniel is deeply disturbed by the dream and has compassion for the king. Daniel says, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries.’

Daniel also shows courage in speaking the truth to Nebuchadnezzar, pointing out that the king is sinful and wicked and needs to repent. Daniel seeks the king’s wellbeing at risk to his own life. Daniel shows us what it looks like to love your enemies. Grace and truth. Justice with mercy. That’s what you get with the Spirit of Jesus.  

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul encourages us to pray for those in authority. This was no small thing when we remember the governing authorities were often hostile to the Christian church of the first century.

To pray for Caesar was to turn the other cheek and love one’s enemies.

Whoever may be in government, whether we agree with their politics or not, whether they make good decisions or not, we have a responsibility to pray for them, that we might live in peace and respectful relationship with others. Ultimately, the governing authorities are subject to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.    

God’s just mercy is also seen in the way the Lord gives Nebuchadnezzar twelve months to change his ways. Time is grace. Sadly, Nebuchadnezzar did not recognise this time of grace for what it was.

Nothing though is wasted in God’s economy. The time Nebuchadnezzar spent in the fields living like an ox, provided some relief for those who were oppressed by the king. For many, it was an act of God’s mercy to have Nebuchadnezzar sidelined for a while. 

God’s just mercy is also seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration. From verse 34 we read… 

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35 All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” 36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honour and splendour were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Conclusion

Verse 34 tells us it was when Nebuchadnezzar looked to heaven that his sanity was restored. We are never as sane as when we recognize our need for God.

The prodigal son came to his senses while starving in a pigs stye.

Jesus said, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Only when we come to the end of own resources are we ready to truly acknowledge God’s sovereignty and throw ourselves on his just mercy.

Let us pray…

Sovereign God, thank you for your just mercy. Forgive our arrogance and help us to walk humbly with you. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory. Forever and ever. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Nebuchadnezzar was terrified by his dream. Have you ever had a dream that terrified you? What happened in your dream? What images did you see? Do you know the meaning (or purpose) of your dream?
  3. Discuss / reflect on the four main images in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. What were these images saying? What is the main message of the dream? Why does God give Nebuchadnezzar this dream?
  4. What do we mean by God’s sovereignty? How do we acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our lives?
  5. In what ways do we see God’s just mercy at work in Daniel 4? In what ways are you aware of God’s just mercy at work in your own life?
  6. What does good mental health look like? How might you know when your mental health is improving (or declining)? What practical things can you do to support good mental health? For yourself? For others?
  7. Spend some time this week praying for the governing authorities.  
Tawa Baptist

The Olive Tree

Scripture: Zechariah 4

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Vs_KEWMjnfM

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Have you noticed how much the price of olive oil has increased lately. A couple of years ago you could buy one litre of olive oil for around $10 or $12. Now it costs nearly twice that or even more for some brands. The reason for the increase seems to be a shortage in global supply due to climate change. 

Olive oil is still worth using though, if you can afford it. Scientists tell us that olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which help to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol.

As well as being good for your heart, olive oil also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Plus, it tastes good in cooking.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the Olive Tree. The Olive Tree is mentioned throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. This comes as no surprise given it was widely cultivated in the ancient near east.

Perhaps the most famous reference to olive trees is found in the gospels where we read that Jesus often retreated to the Mount of Olives (when he was near Jerusalem) to spend time in prayer and teaching his disciples.  

Our message this morning though focuses on Zechariah chapter 4, which describes a vision the prophet Zechariah had of a lampstand holding seven lamps fed by the oil from two olive trees.

Zechariah 4

From Zechariah chapter 4, verse 1 we read…   

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I replied.

6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. 7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstonein the hand of Zerubbabel?”

11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. 14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed toserve the Lord of all the earth.”

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

Olive trees are self-sterile, which means they cannot produce fruit on their own. They need another compatible tree close by for pollination.

The other thing olive trees need to be fruitful is lots of light. If you let an olive tree grow wild, the foliage gets quite dense, and you won’t get much fruit from the tree because the leaves and branches block out the light.

The Italians say you should prune an olive tree so a bird can fly through it. That way, the tree gets the light it needs to bear fruit.

People are a bit like olive trees in some ways. We need lots of light and we cannot be fruitful on our own. We need the right people alongside us if we are going to be fruitful.

However, we are not like olive trees in every way. A human being might live around 70 to 80 years on average, whereas an olive tree can live for as long as two or three thousand years. Olive trees are pretty resilient. They bear witness to human history through long periods of time.

Zechariah was born in exile in Babylonia and migrated back to Jerusalem as a young man. He was from a priestly family. Zechariah prophesied around 520 years before Christ, about the same time as the prophet Haggai. 

At that point the temple built by Solomon lay in ruins and the people’s morale was low. Zechariah and Haggai encouraged the returning exiles and their leaders to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Zechariah chapter 4, which we heard earlier, retells one of the visions Zechariah received from the angel of the Lord.

In verse 1 of Zechariah 4, the prophet describes what it was like when the angel of the Lord came to him. It was like being woken from sleep. I don’t think that Zechariah was physically asleep. It’s more like the angel was waking Zechariah up to spiritual realities.

In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul talks about how our vision of spiritual reality is incomplete in this life. Paul writes: 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

There is more to the picture than meets the eye. We don’t know what we don’t know. Each of us are, in a sense, sleepwalking through this life, spiritually speaking. Without God to reveal the truth to us, we are stumbling in the dark, not fully conscious.   

In the vision, the angel shows Zechariah a golden lampstand with seven lamps on it. The seven lamps in the vision receive an unending supply of olive oil from two olive trees either side of the lampstand.

On hearing of a gold lampstand, an ancient Hebrew listener would most likely think of the holy place in God’s temple, which had a golden lampstand. The lampstand didn’t hold candles like we might imagine today. Rather it had seven lamps fueled by olive oil. (There was no electricity in Biblical times.)

The number seven has special significance in the Bible. Seven is the proverbial number of wholeness or completion. A set of seven is a perfect set. The Sabbath is the seventh day, a holy day set apart for the Lord.

So, what we have here (with the vision of a gold lampstand and seven lamps) is a highly valuable, holy light that never goes out.   

Basically, the lampstand with its seven lights represents the witness of God’s people in the world.[1] The lampstand symbolizes both the fixed physical witness of the temple building and the dynamic relational witness of the Jewish community. God’s faithful people worshipping together are a light for the world.

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John borrows this metaphor of lampstands as a picture for the witness of God’s people in the world.

John presents the seven Christian churches of the first century as seven lampstands in a dark world.

From an earthly perspective the people of God feel poor and weak, vulnerable and despondent. They are living in relative poverty and life is difficult. But from a heavenly perspective they are highly valued and resilient. The witness of their light will never go out.  

Zechariah doesn’t ask about the meaning of the lampstand. The lampstand does not seem strange to him. He is more puzzled by the two olive trees and the oil they produce. Although the temple doors were made out of olive wood, the holy place in God’s temple did not have two living olive trees in it.

Zechariah asks the angel about the olive trees, and the angel replies by saying…

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Zerubbabel was the governor of Jerusalem during the time of Zechariah.

The Persians, who were the dominant world power at that stage, had put Zerubbabel in charge. Interestingly, Zerubbabel was a direct descendant of king David. He was royalty.

Often, we hear the prophets confronting the leadership of the land, telling them to change their wicked ways. Last week, for example, we heard how Amos had a message of judgement for Jeroboam the king of Israel and Amaziah the priest at Bethel.

But the Jewish leadership of Zechariah’s day were not the same as the leadership of Amos’ day. Zechariah has not been charged with giving Zerubbabel a telling off. Quite the opposite. God wants to encourage Zerubbabel to get on with finishing the rebuild of the Jerusalem temple.

However, they would not complete the temple by human might or power.

In other words, they would not accomplish this task like Solomon did, with an army of workers or by applying political pressure or heavy taxation.

The completion of the temple would be resourced by God’s Spirit, the same life-giving breath of God that was present at the creation of the cosmos. Indeed, the rebuilding of the temple signifies a new creation, a new beginning for the people of Israel.

The oil from the olive trees, therefore, is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit would keep the lights on. The Holy Spirit would enable the returning exiles to complete the temple under the leadership of Zerubbabel.

The angel of the Lord continues his message for Zerubbabel in verse 7 saying:

7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground…” 

The returning exiles were facing opposition to the rebuilding of the temple, and they were overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. From an earthly perspective, the obstacles in front of them felt like a mountain to move. Heavy. Impossible. That’s why the building work had stalled.

But from a heavenly perspective, the mighty mountain of obstacles is nothing, for Zerubbabel is empowered by the Spirit of God. What is a mountain to God’s Spirit. The Spirit of God is wise and powerful. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Did Jesus have Zechariah 4 in mind when he told his disciples they could move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed? Perhaps he did. Because it’s not the size of our faith that matters. It’s the power of God’s Spirit that moves obstacles. Faith is the key which releases the power.

The capstone mentioned at the end of verse 7 is the final stone of the building project. This is a message of hope. The angel of the Lord is saying, Zerubbabel will put the finishing touches on the new temple, with the blessing and support of the people.

In verses 8-9 Zechariah gets another word from the Lord. It’s the same message just said more plainly. Zerubbabel will complete the temple rebuild. Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled about four or five years later. The second Jerusalem temple was dedicated around 516 or 515 BC.

Verse 10 addresses a concern. The newly restored temple was not as grand or glorious as the temple Solomon had built. For some the new temple was underwhelming. It was a case of reality falling well short of expectation.

But the angel of the Lord won’t have any disappointment, saying..

“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstonein the hand of Zerubbabel?”

The ‘seven eyes of the Lord’ is not to be taken literally. It’s a proverbial way of saying God sees everything that happens around the world. God is all knowing in other words. Basically, from an earthly point of view the new temple might not look like much but from a heavenly point of view, it is a cause for great joy.

Of all the majestic and wonderful things the Lord sees around the world, this new temple makes God happy (even if it is small in comparison to the first temple).  

The word to not despise the day of small things reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, which we heard about a couple of weeks ago. Jesus said…

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”   

Thinking of small things also brings to mind Genesis 8. After the flood, Noah (who was still in the ark) sent out a dove to test whether the waters had gone down. At first the dove came back emptied handed. But seven days later when Noah sent the dove out again, the bird returned with an olive leaf in its beak.

An olive leaf is small but that small leaf carried a great deal of hope for those on the ark. That olive leaf was a sign that the waters had subsided and God was making all things new.    

Zechariah is still unclear about the meaning of the two olive trees, so he asks the angel again in verse 11, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” And the angel replies…

“These are the two who are anointed toserve the Lord of all the earth.”

To be anointed by God is to be chosen for special service, perhaps as a king or a prophet or a priest. The Hebrew word for ‘anointed one’ is Messiah and the Greek word is Christ. The Lord anointed a number of people for special service in the Old Testament.

Most likely, in the historical context of Zechariah 4, the two olive trees signify Zerubbabel and Joshua, two men chosen by God to lead his people at that time. Zerubbabel, as we’ve just heard, was the governor of Jerusalem and a descendant of David, while Joshua was the high priest.

(Please note: this Joshua is not to be confused with the Joshua who was Moses’ assistant centuries earlier.)    

In other parts of the Bible (like, Jeremiah 11, Romans 11 and Revelation 11) the olive tree is a metaphor for the people of God collectively.

Here, in Zechariah 4, the two olive trees together with the lampstand are representative of God’s people. The olive trees are intimately connected to the lampstand. Neither can serve God’s purpose without the other.

Joyce Baldwin puts it all together for us…

“Joshua and Zerubbabel wait on the unseen Lord, who is the source of their authority and power. They in turn give themselves to build both the temple and the community; by daily life and worship the whole people is to be a light to others. The city on a hill cannot be hid.” [2] 

Or to say it another way, Zerubbabel and Joshua (the co-leaders of Israel) act as conduits for the oil of God’s Spirit, empowering the people to be a strong witness, an enduring light, to the nations. 

Zerubbabel and Joshua are examples of servant leaders. They don’t bully the people or hold them to ransom. They lead with humility and in a way that sustains the people of God to continue in their witness.

Zerubbabel and Joshua point to Jesus. Jesus is the ultimate anointed one, the perfect Messiah. Jesus is Servant King and High Priest all in one.

Conclusion:

So how does Zechariah’s vision of the lampstand and the twin olive trees apply to us today?

Well, part of our purpose as a church (as God’s people in this place) is to bear witness to Christ in the world. (Our vision statement is literally ‘Christ in community’.) As Jesus said to his disciples: you are the light of the world. Among other things this means we are Jesus’ witnesses in the world.

We bear witness to Christ. Light is a complete contrast to darkness. Therefore, to be Jesus’ witnesses means to be distinctive in a good way, in a way that reveals the truth and casts out fear. We are to be in the world but not like the world.

Tawa Baptist is not the whole lampstand here in this place, but we are one of the seven lamps on the lampstand, together with the other churches in Tawa.

Our church building and our congregation is not big or impressive.

By comparison with years gone by, we are perhaps a little underwhelming. 

But who dares despise our smallness. The Lord delights in faithfulness.

The task of being Jesus’ witnesses in this world may feel overwhelming at times, particularly as the church in New Zealand becomes more and more marginalised. But we don’t need to worry about the waxing and waning of society’s attitude to the church. We can’t control that.

Our part is to stay connected to Jesus, to abide in him. For Jesus is our olive tree. Jesus is the one anointed by God to lead us and feed our lamp with the oil of his Spirit.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, we thank you for Jesus who sustains our light by your Spirit. Help us to remain faithful witnesses for you, together in this place. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What are some of the characteristics and uses of the olive tree?
  3. What does the golden lampstand in Zechariah 4 represent? What is its significance?
  4. What do the olive trees in Zechariah 4 represent? What does the oil of the trees signify?
  5. Discuss / reflect on the words: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. Why does God say this to Zerubbabel? What might God be saying to you (or us) with these words?   
  6. How does Zechariah’s vision of the lampstand and the twin olive trees apply to us today? How might we let our light shine? How might we remain in the world but distinctive from it? How might we bear witness to Jesus? 
  7. What connections do you see between Zechariah 4 and the teaching of Jesus?

[1] Refer Joyce Baldwin’s commentary on Zechariah, page 124.

[2] Refer Joyce Baldwin’s commentary on Zechariah, page 124.

Tawa Baptist

The Sycamore Tree

Scripture: Amos 7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/CD8ZTg4VlW4

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the sycamore tree. Or to be more precise the Ficus Sycomorus, also known as the sycamore fig; not to be confused with Acer Pseudo Platanus, which is the European version of the sycamore tree that some here might be more familiar with.

The sycamore fig is native to Africa but grows well in parts of the Middle East, where it was plentiful during Biblical times. It reaches a height of 20 meters with strong lateral spreading branches. The leaves are broad and heart shaped, making the sycamore fig ideal for shade.

The fruit of the Ficus Sycomorus is a large edible fig, about 2-3 cm in diameter. Interestingly, the sycamore bears fruit all year round. You can get up to five crops in a 12-month period.   

The sycamore fig is mentioned seven or eight times in the Bible, including most famously in Luke 19, where the tax collector, Zaccheaus, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passes through Jericho.

Our message today though is based on the prophet Amos chapter 7, which also mentions the sycamore fig tree. From Amos 7, verse 1, we read… 

Amos 7:

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: He was preparing swarms of locusts after the king’s share had been harvested and just as the late crops were coming up. 2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”  3 So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said. 4 This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: The Sovereign Lord was calling for judgment by fire; it dried up the great deep and devoured the land. 5 Then I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, I beg you, stop! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” 6 So the Lord relented. “This will not happen either,” the Sovereign Lord said. 7 This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb linein his hand. 8 And the Lord asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.” 10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words. 11 For this is what Amos is saying: “‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.” 14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 

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

You may have heard of the term cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the internal distress a person feels when their external reality does not align with their values or beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance can be caused by our own behaviour; when we do things that go against the grain of our values. Or it can be caused by the behaviour of other people, when they do things which contradict what we believe to be right or true. Let me give you some examples…

Imagine you put a lot of importance on eating healthy food and exercising regularly. You believe your body is a temple and consuming sugar is a sacrilege. If one day you fall off the wagon and eat junk food instead of going to the gym, then you will feel distressed, probably guilt or shame. That’s cognitive dissonance caused by the choices you have made.

Or say you are in middle management and top management tell you to make two of your team members redundant to cut costs. If giving people the sack to increase profits goes against the grain of your values, then you will feel angry and distressed because you are being forced to do something you don’t believe is right. That is cognitive dissonance caused by the choices other people have made.

The experts reckon there are basically four ways to deal with cognitive dissonance. Four ways to bridge the gap between what you believe is important or true and your lived reality.

One way is to change your behaviour. In the case of the health fanatic, that might mean having an apple for dessert instead of ice cream. However, changing your behaviour doesn’t work when the cognitive dissonance is not caused by anything you are doing.

Say, for example, you believed your uncle to be a good man. Then one day you saw him doing something extremely bad. In that scenario, it is your uncle’s behaviour which has conflicted with your belief and caused the cognitive dissonance. Changing your own behaviour won’t help.

To bridge the gap, you would have to modify your belief about your uncle. You would have to accept the fact that he wasn’t as good as you thought he was.

Returning to our healthy eating example: if not eating sugar proves too difficult you could try modifying your values, letting things slide a little. You might tell yourself, “I’m allowed ice cream and brownie every once and a while, especially tonight because I’ve had a hard day.” The problem with this approach is that it can become a slippery slope.

The third thing you can do to bridge the gap caused by cognitive dissonance is compensate by adding new behaviours. Compensatory behaviour is like balancing out the bad with some good.

For example, you might make yourself feel okay about having ice cream and brownie with chocolate sauce, by promising to do an extra spin class tomorrow.

Or you might make yourself feel okay about making money in a dodgy business deal by donating some of the profits to charity. Compensatory behaviour is not ideal. It leaves you divided within yourself. It makes you weaker, less whole.  

The least helpful strategy for dealing with cognitive dissonance is denial.

Denial is when you lie to yourself by pretending your behaviour is not at odds with your values. You might, for example, tell yourself that eating ice cream and brownie with chocolate sauce and sprinkles every day is good for you.

Or you might try to convince yourself that your uncle’s bad behaviour was for the greater good. Or you might reframe that dodgy business deal by saying, “It’s not wrong. Everyone does it. It’s just how the world goes round.”

The problem with denial is that it doesn’t work over the long term. The truth always comes out in the end.    

At some point, all of us must wrestle with cognitive dissonance. At some point all of us realise there is a gap between what we value and how we behave.

At some point we all face a disconnect between what we believe to be right and true and what we experience in reality.

What is the cause of your cognitive dissonance? How do you bridge the gap?  

You might be wondering, ‘what has this got to do with Amos and the sycamore tree?’ Well, bear with me. It will become clear soon.

Amos was a Hebrew prophet. He spoke his message roughly 240 years after king David and around 760 years before Christ. During that time the people of Israel enjoyed a period of sustained prosperity. The people were not oppressed by political enemies and business flourished.

Sadly, the people’s wealth made them complacent toward God. Many in Israel were not living in alignment with the values of God’s covenant. Hence the Lord called Amos to confront the people over their sins.

At that stage the Jewish nation was divided in two. There was the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel.

Imagine if New Zealand was divided in two, politically, with one government for the North Island and a completely different government for the South Island. That’s sort of what it was like for the Jews of Amos’ day.

Amos came from Tekoa, which was in the southern kingdom of Judah.

God compelled Amos to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel.

That would be like God sending someone from rural Otago with a message for the people of Auckland.

For the most part, Amos’ message was an oracle of judgement. The people of Israel were supposed to live as an example to the nations around them. They were supposed to worship the one true God, to administer justice, to show kindness to the poor and to walk humbly with their God.

Unfortunately, many in Israel were more influenced by the pagan nations around them. Many in Israel worshipped other gods alongside Yahweh.

The consequent moral decay resulted in the rich oppressing the poor.

Basically, the behaviour of the Israelites was not aligned with the values and beliefs of their covenant with Yahweh. And this was causing quite a bit of cognitive dissonance, quite a bit of distress in the land.  

The people dealt with their cognitive dissonance in all the wrong ways.

They compromised their values, they compensated for their injustice by singing worship songs and offering sacrifices, and they denied there was anything wrong in what they were doing.

You see, it wasn’t that the people were not religious. They were very religious, but in the worst possible way. They separated ritual worship from justice and compassion. Their worship was compartmentalised into one day a week.

It wasn’t woven through all of life. They put God in the corner, out of the way.

When people do that, worship becomes empty, false, a kind of going through the motions to cover shame and appease a guilty conscience.

Amos was sent by God to tell the people of Israel they needed to change their behaviour. They needed to repent by bringing the way they lived back into line with the beliefs and values of their covenant with Yahweh. If they didn’t, judgement would follow. The truth always comes out in the end.

In verses 1-6 of Amos 7, the prophet repeatedly refers to God as the Sovereign Lord. A sovereign is the supreme ruler, like a king or the emperor. By calling the Lord, ‘Sovereign’, Amos is reminding us that God is the supreme ruler of the universe. As Sovereign Lord, God has the power and legitimate authority to pass judgement.   

When the Lord shows Amos a vision of judgement by locusts and Amos sees the destruction caused by the locusts, he begs God to forgive Jacob. (Jacob is another name for the nation of Israel.)

And, even though the Sovereign Lord has every right to send a plague of locusts, He listens to Amos and shows mercy on Israel.

Next the Sovereign Lord shows Amos a vision of judgement by fire, so that the water ways are dried up and the vegetation is destroyed. Again, Amos begs God to stop. If God carried out this vision of judgement by fire, the people of Israel (aka Jacob) would surely die.

And once again the Sovereign Lord, who has every right to destroy by fire, listens to Amos and relents.

Next the Lord shows Amos a vision of a plumb line and a straight wall.

Then the Lord says to Amos, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 “The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam.”  

A plumb line is used by builders to make sure the structure is straight.

Yahweh has measured the behaviour of his people Israel (those descended from Isaac) and found their worship to be crooked.

Therefore, God is going to bring them back into line by destroying their places of worship and removing their leadership. Jeroboam was the king of Israel at that time, and he was among those who had led the people astray. 

This vision of judgement, which involved exile for the people of the northern kingdom of Israel, was a more merciful vision than the total destruction God had been contemplating.

So what about the sycamore tree then? Well, the sycamore fig was important in ancient Israel. So important in fact that king David appointed a cabinet minister to oversee the care of sycamore trees. [1]

Sycamores were valued for the shade they provided for animals and people alike. And probably too they were part of Israel’s food security strategy, given they fruited all year round.  

In traditional medicine, the fruit of the sycamore fig is sometimes used to treat conditions like constipation and diarrhoea. Also, the tree’s bark is used to heal coughs, sore throats and chest diseases.

One of the curious things about the sycamore fig is that the fruit must be pricked or cut three or four days before harvesting, otherwise it won’t ripen properly and will taste awful.

Before God called him to be a prophet, Amos was a shepherd and an orchardist. Amos took care of sheep and sycamore fig trees. Among other things, taking care of sycamore trees would have involved pruning branches and pricking the fruit, at the right time, so it ripened properly.

The role of the prophet in ancient Israel was similar to that of a dresser of sycamore trees. The prophets pruned back the dead branches of idolatry and they pricked the collective conscience of the nation, so the fruit of justice and mercy would ripen in people’s lives. 

‘Pricking the conscience of the nation’, is another way of saying the prophets pointed out the cognitive dissonance caused by the people’s moral failure. 

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, had his conscience pricked by Amos, and he didn’t like it. Rather than letting the truth of what Amos was saying sink in, Amaziah was in complete denial of any wrongdoing. Amaziah reported Amos to the king and he told Amos to get lost, saying…

“Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”

A seer is another name for a prophet. Prophets like Amos see visions from God and are therefore called seers. In ancient Israel there were people who made a living as prophets or seers. They would tell people what their itching ears wanted to hear and be paid for it.

By telling Amos to earn his bread prophesying back in Judah, Amaziah is accusing Amos of being a prophet for hire. He is calling Amos’ character and motives into question.

Amaziah seems to be implying that Amos is being paid by the religious establishment of Judah to spread conspiracy theories and fear in the northern kingdom of Israel. Amaziah sees Amos as an enemy who could have a destabilising effect on Israelite society.   

While it is true that Amos’ words could potentially upset the status quo, no one is paying Amos to give a message of judgement against Israel. Far from it.

Amos is an honest man and a friend to Israel. His plumbline words of truth are a kindness, not a conspiracy.

When God showed Amos visions of Israel’s possible destruction by locusts and fire, Amos interceded for the Northern kingdom of Israel, asking God to have mercy. Amaziah is the one promoting conspiracy theories, not Amos.

Amos stands his ground saying: “I was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ 

In other words, “I’m not a prophet for hire and neither is anyone in my family.

No one is paying me. I’m not even part of the religious establishment. I am a labourer. I’m not here for any personal gain. I’m here because God sent me”.

Amos gets the last word, saying to Amaziah…

17 “…Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a pagancountry. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’”

The truth always comes out in the end. Amos’ word from the Lord was realised in 722 BC when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by Assyria and the people were taken into exile. 

Conclusion:

Amos foreshadows Jesus in a number of ways…

Both Amos and Jesus were practical men, they worked with their hands.

Amos was a shepherd and Jesus is the good shepherd.

Both men lived most of their lives in relative obscurity before being compelled into a public ministry of proclaiming God’s word.

Both Amos and Jesus had an interest in sycamore trees. (Jesus probably slept under a few sycamore trees in his time.)

Both men were sent by God, offering a remedy for cognitive dissonance.

Both Amos and Jesus preached a message of repentance.

Both men confronted a religious establishment that was blind and corrupt.

And both were rejected by those they came to save.      

There is a significant difference between Amos and Jesus though. Amos came to fore warn the people of God’s judgement in the form of exile.

Jesus came to redeem the exiles (the lost sheep of Israel) and bring them home. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus bridges the gap of our cognitive dissonance removing our guilt and shame. Our part is to trust and obey Christ.

Let us pray…

Sovereign Lord, we thank you for your justice and your mercy. Forgive us for not living by the plumbline values of your kingdom. Grant us the grace to live in alignment with your purpose for us in Christ. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What are some of the characteristics and uses of the sycamore fig tree?
  3. What is cognitive dissonance? How does cognitive dissonance make you feel? What are the four strategies for managing cognitive dissonance?
  4. What was the cause of Israel’s cognitive dissonance in Amos’ day? How did Israel deal with this? What is the cause of your cognitive dissonance? How do you deal with it?  
  5. Why does Amos refer to God as “Sovereign Lord”?
  6. How is God’s mercy evident in Amos 7?
  7. In what ways are Amos and Jesus similar? In what ways are they different? 

[1] 1 Chronicles 27:28

Tawa Baptist

The Mustard Tree

Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33

Video Link: https://youtu.be/kEpEo0T-vtg

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Transformation
  • Abundance
  • Usefulness
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In our fridge at home, we usually have three different kinds of mustard: mild mustard, which we use on hot dogs and sausages, whole grain mustard, which has a bit more of a kick to it, and Dijon mustard which is useful for making salad dressings.  

Mustard is used all over the world as a condiment or a spice in cooking, from India to Europe, to the Middle East and the Americas, as well as Tawa.

Mustard requires just four ingredients to make: seeds from the mustard plant, vinegar, salt and water.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by focusing on the mustard tree. Three of the four gospels record Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. Our message today draws on Matthew’s version, which also includes Jesus’ parable of the yeast. From Matthew 13, verses 31-33 we read…   

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsof flour until it worked all through the dough.”

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

If you google images of heaven you tend to get pictures of blue sky and rays of light shining through the clouds. But this is not the image Jesus gives of heaven. The images Jesus uses for the kingdom of heaven are very down to earth. A common mustard seed and yeast for baking bread. 

The kingdom of heaven is not so much a geographical location. It’s more a state of being in which God’s will is done perfectly. The kingdom of heaven (also known as the kingdom of God), is characterised by justice and mercy, truth and grace. It is a community of lasting peace, joy and love.

The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast are both telling us something about the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven (come to earth) is about transformation, abundance and usefulness. We begin with transformation…

Transformation:

Most of you will have heard of the story of the Ugly Duckling. A mother duck is sitting on her eggs and one of the eggs is larger than the rest and takes longer to hatch. Then, when it finally does hatch, out crawls a drab grey looking creature, not a beautiful yellow chick.  

The ugly duckling looks and feels different to everyone else and because of this he is teased and taunted by the other ducks until finally he leaves home.

But the ugly duckling doesn’t fare much better out in the wide world, because all the other birds he meets also point out his flaws.  

The ugly duckling manages to survive one catastrophe after another until eventually makes it through the winter. Then one spring day, when the lake has melted, some children start throwing bread for him to eat.

And as they do they say to each other, ‘look at that beautiful swan’. The ugly duckling thinks the children are talking about someone else and so he looks down. But as he does, he sees his reflection in the water. He can’t believe his eyes. He was never a duckling in the first place. He had always been a swan.

Now he is able to find his own kind and is welcomed by them

The story of the Ugly Duckling is a parable of transformation, from humble beginnings to a beautiful end. The kingdom of heaven (or the way of God) is like the ugly duckling: different, misunderstood, abused and rejected at first. But in the end God’s will proves perfect and pleasing.

How often do we resist or even despise the will of God, finding it too distasteful, too difficult, too embarrassing, too small or too inconvenient, only to learn in the fullness of time that God’s will was the best thing to have happened to us, better than we expected or imagined.

Although the kingdom of heaven starts out small (like a mustard seed) it finishes up the largest of all garden shrubs. Likewise, although only a small amount of yeast is used in baking, it permeates through a large amount of flour, transforming it into delicious, nourishing bread. 

We note that the yeast permeates the flour from the inside. The kingdom of heaven is not a violent take over from the outside. The kingdom of heaven (like yeast) transforms the world, quietly, from the inside out.

Implied in these parables is an encouragement to persevere. It’s like Jesus is saying, I know the kingdom of heaven doesn’t look like much to start with, but don’t despise small beginnings. You will be surprised to see what comes of it. God’s kingdom (in its fullness) is worth remaining faithful for.  

Jesus was the original ugly duckling.

Jesus was born of a virgin and people questioned his parentage.  

Jesus came as a carpenter, when people were expecting a warrior king.

Jesus spoke the truth, and people threw him out of the synagogue.

Jesus cast out demons, and people accused him of being the devil.

Jesus ate with sinners, and people called him a glutton and a drunkard.

Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead, and people crucified him.

But that is not the end of the story, for Jesus embodies the kingdom of God in himself. Jesus is like the mustard seed and the yeast. Jesus’ coming has a transformational effect on the world.

After Jesus died, they laid him in a tomb and on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead, the first of many. If you confess with their mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show us that the kingdom of heaven, coming to earth, involves a process of transformation. Heaven’s humble beginnings on earth are a complete contrast to its glorious end.

So hang in there – persevere – for God’s kingdom is worth it in the end.           

The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show us the kingdom of heaven is about transformation and abundance.

Abundance:

In verse 32 of Matthew 13 Jesus says that though the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree…

Now in reading this we need to remember, Jesus is not giving a scientific lecture on seeds and plants. This is not a botany lesson. This is a kingdom of heaven lesson. It would be a mistake to test the truth of Jesus’ words using a scientific method. A parable is like poetry, it uses a certain amount of creative license to get the point across.

Jesus’ point is not that mustard seeds are the smallest seeds in all of creation. Mustard seeds are about 2-3 mm’s in diameter. Obviously there some seeds (or spores) which are smaller.

Nor is Jesus saying that mustard trees are the tallest of all trees. A mustard tree might grow between one and two metres tall, maybe more if conditions are right, but we are not talking the height of a kauri tree or an oak.  

Nevertheless, in the context of a herb garden, mustard seeds are tiny in comparison to the size of a mustard tree. And that is the point. From one tiny seed comes an unbelievable transformation and abundance.

You don’t see a lot of mustard trees growing in New Zealand, but you do see quite a bit of gorse. Gorse is not like mustard in every way, but it is similar in some ways.

Gorse and mustard plants are around the same size and both come out in a bright yellow flower. What’s more they are both abundant. Gorse and mustard plants are so quick to self-seed and spread they are considered an invasive weed by some people.  

As many of you will already know, gorse is not native to New Zealand.

Gorse was introduced to New Zealand a couple of hundred years ago from Scotland, I believe, where it is used as an ornamental hedge.

The settlers who introduced the gorse plant to New Zealand did not expect it to become so pervasive. The climate in New Zealand is warmer and so gorse plants grow more rapidly here and are harder to control.

Despite the millions spent on herbicides, slashing and burning, gorse is still found everywhere in New Zealand. In fact, gorse is so resilient that burning just makes it spread further

I imagine it must have come as quite a shock to Jesus’ first century listeners when he compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard plant. They would have been expecting Jesus to say the kingdom of heaven is like a tall cedar of Lebanon, just as we might expect him say the kingdom of heaven is like a mighty Totara of Aotearoa.

Instead, Jesus uses a far more ordinary image, the image of a common shrub that was actually unwanted by many. It would have seemed strange to Jesus’ original audience when he said, a man took a mustard seed and planted it in his field. Why would anyone intentionally plant mustard seed in their field. That would be like a farmer intentionally sowing gorse seed.

But despite being unwanted at first, the kingdom of heaven is resilient.

Not only do we get such an abundance of it from a small seed, once the kingdom of heaven is sown it is practically impossible to get rid of.

The kingdom of heaven spreads everywhere like mustard plants in Palestine or like gorse in New Zealand.

The parable of the yeast also speaks to the abundance of the kingdom of heaven. In verse 33 of Matthew 13 Jesus says: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsof flour until it worked all through the dough.”

60 pounds is an enormous amount of flour, more than you would normally bake for a family. It would make enough bread to feed a small village.

But that’s the point. Jesus is drawing a comparison between the small beginnings of the kingdom of heaven and the abundance it produces.

This idea of God’s abundance is often lost on us. We live in a society and culture which is more focused on scarcity and missing out. Our economy is driven by demand and supply which assumes there isn’t enough to go around, because sometimes (due to greed) there isn’t enough.

Not so in God’s country. The underlying assumption of the kingdom of heaven is abundance (due to generosity) with more than enough for everyone. Just imagine how different life will be when heaven is realised on earth in its fullness.   

The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast show us the kingdom of heaven is about transformation, abundance and usefulness.

Usefulness:

When I was a teenager living at home, we used to grow mustard plants in the vege garden. Once the mustard plant got to a certain height (and before it went to seed) I would dig the foliage back into the soil. The green leaves acted as a fertiliser replenishing the soil’s nitrogen levels.

The mustard plant is useful for more than just fertiliser though. Indeed, the whole of the mustard plant is edible. The roots can be mashed up into a paste to be eaten. The leaves of a young mustard plant can be used in a salad and the seeds from the flowers are used to make the mustard you put on your ham.

In this way, the mustard plant is different from gorse. I wouldn’t advise trying to eat gorse, although goats have been known to feed on it.

Jesus finishes the parable of the mustard tree by saying: it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.

Birds do in fact find sanctuary in the branches of the mature mustard tree, but this is a parable and so the word, birds, has a double meaning. The prophets Daniel and Ezekiel used the image of birds perching in a tree as a metaphor for the gentile nations. 

Many of Jesus’ Jewish audience, therefore, would have understood the birds of the air to be a poetic reference to non-Jews. Once again, Jesus’ parable probably grated with some of his listeners. The nation of Israel, at that time, was under the thumb of the Romans. Some of Jesus’ Jewish listeners would have preferred God to destroy the people of other nations, not create a sanctuary for them.

There is one other way in which the mustard plant is similar to the gorse bush. Just as a mustard plant provides sanctuary for birds, so too the gorse bush is useful in providing a nursery for New Zealand native trees. If you leave gorse undisturbed, native seedlings will grow up through it, protected by the gorse.

In much the same way that gorse is useful for regenerating native bush, so too the kingdom of heaven is useful for regenerating the souls of people of all nations.

We are talking about the usefulness of the kingdom of heaven. In thinking about Jesus’ parable of the yeast, the question of usefulness should be obvious. Bread feeds people.

More than that, fresh bread baked with yeast is usually more pleasant to eat than unleavened flat bread. The yeast of God’s kingdom makes all that it comes in contact with more palatable, more delightful.

Now in case you are thinking, ‘this is just poetry and clever story telling with little or no application to real life’, let me give you some examples of how the mustard seed and the yeast of the kingdom of heaven has made a significant impact on human history (as if the impact of Jesus himself is not obvious enough).

The first hospital was set up by a Christian woman called Fabiola of Rome. Fabiola lived during the fourth century, about 350 years after Jesus. Fabiola came from a wealthy noble family and was married off at a young age to a husband who proved to be abusive and probably unfaithful.

Fabiola found the courage to divorce her brute of a husband and start again. She had to really, for her own survival.

After the death of her second husband, Fabiola had a conversion experience. She used her wealth to build a hospital in Rome where she gave herself to caring for the poor and the sick, those rejected by society because of their illnesses.

You have to understand that there were no hospitals in ancient Rome. The poor would often die in the street. 

Fabiola’s idea of a hospital caught on and spread around the world. Where would we be today without hospitals? Hospitals are like mustard trees in which the sick and injured find sanctuary. There are other examples too of the mustard seed of God’s heavenly kingdom taking root and having a positive effect in the world.

In his sermon last month, Murray Lucas highlighted Christians like Robert Boyle, John Dalton and Michael Faraday who rescued science from the blind superstition of the dark ages, giving us a more reliable scientific method which has enabled the advances in medicine we have today.

Closer to home, many of you will be familiar with the story of Ngakuku and his daughter Tarore. A mustard seed of heaven found its way into Ngakuku’s heart and mind, transforming his way of thinking and living.

Jesus taught us to pray: …forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…

Ngakuku took Jesus’ words to heart. When Tarore was murdered, Ngakuku was determined to forgive those who killed his daughter. Ngakuku discouraged his people from seeking revenge and God honoured Ngakuku’s faith and obedience to Christ.       

Tarore’s killer found a Māori translation of the gospel of Luke in Tarore’s pocket. When someone read the gospel to him, a mustard seed of heaven found its way into his heart and he sought forgiveness from Tarore’s father.

That is the kingdom of heaven at work in people’s lives and relationships.

Small seeds of love and truth growing and spreading to make a positive difference where it matters. What other mustard trees of heaven do you see in the world today?

Conclusion:

The mustard seed and the yeast of the kingdom of heaven are at work all around us, silently and right under our noses. The question is not, what can we do to make the world a better place? The question is: how might we join God in what he is doing in the world?

Let us pray…

Gracious God, open our eyes to the mustard trees and the bread of the kingdom of heaven all around us. Help us to sow the seeds of your love and truth wherever we are. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Do you have mustard at home (in the kitchen or in the garden)? What do you use it for?
  3. What are some of the characteristics of the mustard tree?
  4. What is the kingdom of heaven?
  5. In what ways is the mustard seed similar to the kingdom of heaven? In what ways is yeast similar to the kingdom of heaven?
  6. What mustard trees of God’s kingdom do you see growing in the world today? How might we join God in what he is doing in the world?
Tawa Baptist

The Almond Tree

Scriptures: Numbers 17 and Jeremiah 1:4-12

Video Link: https://youtu.be/s7j84uA3qy0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Numbers 17 – Priest
  • Jeremiah 1 – Prophet
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

One of the greatest joys in life is learning something new. One new thing I learned this past week is that walnuts, cashews, pistachios and almonds are not nuts. Technically they are drupes. 

A drupe is a kind of fruit with the fleshy part on the outside and the seed inside. The seed, on the inside, is often encased in a hard shell. Other examples of drupes include peaches, plums and cherries. The flesh is on the outside and the seed is on the inside.

It’s a bit confusing because with peaches, plums and cherries we eat the flesh on the outside and throw away the seed in the middle. But with walnuts, cashews, pistachio and almonds we don’t eat the flesh on the outside. We discard the flesh and the shell and eat the seed in the middle.

When you buy walnuts, cashews and almonds in the shop they usually come with the outer fleshy part removed. Sometimes they come in their shell, but more often all we see is the edible seed.

Today we continue our Testimony of Trees series by considering the almond tree, the fruit of which is not a nut but a drupe. There are different kinds of almonds, some bitter, some sweet.

My favourite kind is a variety known as Scorched Almonds. Scorched Almonds are native to New Zealand. Unlike regular almonds, you do eat the chocolatey flesh on the outside as well as the almond seed on the inside. No part of the scorched almond fruit is wasted.

Our message this morning focuses on two readings from the Bible which feature the almond tree. Numbers 17 and Jeremiah 1.

Numbers 17 – Priest:

We begin with Numbers 17, where we pick up the story of Aaron and Moses and the people of Israel in the wilderness. From Numbers chapter 17, verse 1 we read…

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. 3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4 Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. 5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.” 6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law. 8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff. 10 The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.” 11 Moses did just as the Lord commanded him. 12 The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! 13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die. Are we all going to die?”

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

Almond trees grow best in a Mediterranean type climate. They prefer warm dry weather. Too much rain and the crop will fail. A few years ago, they tried growing almond trees in the Hawke’s Bay. At that time the Hawke’s Bay had a drought and they found the almond trees did well in the dry weather, better than any other tree.

The name ‘almond’ derives from the ancient Greek word, ‘amygdala’.

For us today, the amygdala refers to that part of the human brain (shaped like an almond) which is associated with memory and emotion, in particular fear. The amygdala triggers the body’s fight or flight response when you feel like you are in danger.   

For example, if you have a bad experience around water when you are young, your amygdala stores that memory so that whenever you find yourself in a similar situation, you automatically feel frightened and want to get out as quickly as possible, whether it is dangerous or not.   

People in Biblical times would not have understood the structure of the brain in the same way we do today. For them an amygdala was an almond, so we shouldn’t make too much of it, but it’s a curious connection, particularly given the fear reaction of the Israelites in Numbers 17.

In the context of Numbers 17, the people of Israel are in the desert after their exodus from slavery in Egypt and they are not happy. In fact, many of the people are angry with Moses and Aaron.

Some people (led by a bloke called Korah) resented Moses and Aaron, accusing them of setting themselves above everyone else. Korah thought any Israelite should be able to serve as a priest.

It was the priests’ job to act as an intermediary between the people and God. Among other things, the priests helped the people deal with their sin so they could be right with God.

But ancient Israel was not a democracy. Ancient Israel was supposed to be a theocracy, which means the priesthood is decided by God, not popular vote.

When Korah and his followers tried to act as priests by burning incense (in Numbers 16) some were swallowed by the ground, some were consumed by fire and others were killed by a plague. Thousands died. It was carnage.

To settle the matter once and for all, the Lord tells Moses to gather up the staffs of the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel, write each man’s name on his staff and leave them in the tent of meeting (aka: the tabernacle).

The tent of meeting was a holy place, like a mini portable temple for God’s presence. God would choose the high priest he wanted by causing that man’s staff to sprout.

Sure enough, the next morning when Moses went to collect the 12 staffs, he saw that Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

Normally, it takes about three years before the almond tree is ready to bear fruit and once it is mature enough it takes between 7 and 8 months from when the tree first flowers (in early spring) to when the fruit is ripe (in autumn).

God had made Aaron’s staff (a dead piece of wood) flower and produce almonds in one night. This miracle served as a sign to the people that God had chosen Aaron and his sons to serve as priests for Israel.

We don’t need to try and find a scientific explanation for Aaron’s staff budding. That would miss the point. Better to be filled with a sense of awe and wonder.

The miracle performed by Yahweh shows that God enlivens every stage of life, from flower to fruit, from youth to maturity. Indeed, it is the Lord who makes life fruitful and fulfils its purpose.

More than that, the Lord has power over sin and death. It is God who appoints an intermediary to deal with our sin and it is God who causes dead things to spring to life.

From our vantage point in history, we who believe in Jesus, can see that Aaron’s budding staff points to the resurrection.   

You might be wondering, why did Aaron’s staff grow almonds? Why not plums or cherries or apples? Well, if Aaron’s staff was made from almond wood, then that might explain it.

Nevertheless, there is a curious connection between God and the almond tree. When God gave instructions on how the tabernacle should be built, he stipulated in Exodus 25, that the gold cups of the lampstand be shaped like almond flowers, with buds and blossoms. The almond tree, then, is associated with divine light, holy light.  

I said before, there are different varieties of almonds, some bitter and some sweet.

Bitter almonds contain a compound that when ingested breaks down into cyanide. Cyanide is poisonous of course.

Sweet almonds (which you get in the supermarket) are safe to eat, but bitter almonds are dangerous and should be avoided. Around 50 bitter almonds could kill an adult, even less would kill a child. 

Were the almonds on Aaron’s staff bitter or sweet? We don’t know. But there is something mysterious and potentially dangerous about these almonds. Just as there is something mysterious and potentially dangerous about God.

The young nation of Israel is terrified by the miracle of Aaron’s staff growing almonds overnight. It is a clear sign of God’s holiness, power and sovereignty. The memory of God’s holiness sears itself on the collective amygdala of the nation.

Instinctively, on an unconscious level, we all know that God is holy. Deep down we all know that God is good, but he is not safe.

People living in a Western society today (people like us) tend to struggle with what God did in Numbers 16 and 17. It offends our sensibilities. The society we live in believes in personal freedom.

Freedom is not a bad thing in itself, it’s a good thing. I’m thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in New Zealand (democracy is better than fascism).

But if we put personal freedom on a pedestal and make an idol out of it, then we reject God’s sovereignty and forfeit true freedom.

Any society that sacrifices holiness on the altar of individualism is on a dangerous path. May God deliver us from ourselves.

Jeremiah 1 – Prophet:

Our second reading, featuring the almond tree, comes from the book of Jeremiah chapter 1. In Numbers 17, the Lord makes it clear to everyone that he has chosen Aaron as high priest. In Jeremiah 1, the Lord chooses Jeremiah to be his spokesman, his prophet to Israel and the nations.

From Jeremiah chapter 1, verses 4-12, we read…   

4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knewyou, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” 7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” 11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”

“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. 12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watchingto see that my word is fulfilled.”

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

The famous Renaissance artist, Michelangelo, painted an image of the prophet Jeremiah on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel in Vatican City. In Michelangelo’s fresco, Jeremiah is depicted as deep in thought and anguish as he laments over the destruction of Jerusalem. His face is darkened with grief, his countenance heavy with unwanted responsibility.

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. He was reluctant to accept God’s call on his life. He didn’t want the job and who could blame him. He had the unenviable task of telling the nation that Jerusalem would be destroyed because of the people’s sin. Very few people listened to him. Jeremiah was misunderstood and mistreated, even though he was the real deal.  

God’s call is not always attractive or comfortable. Sometimes we are compelled by God, whether we like it or not. We may protest (like Jeremiah) or rebel (like Jonah) but eventually we realise God’s purpose is inevitable and irresistible, like the current of a river or the ocean’s tide, or the pull of gravity.

Some art historians think Michelangelo’s painting of Jeremiah is a self-portrait. It seems Michelangelo identified closely with Jeremiah. Michelangelo was burdened by unwanted responsibility. He did not want to paint the Sistine chapel. He wanted to sculpt, but the Pope gave him little choice.      

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of Israel. That means Jeremiah was related to Aaron, for only Aaron’s descendants could serve as priests.

Jeremiah’s message was two parts judgement and one part hope. In verse 10 the Lord says to Jeremiah: “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

For Jeremiah there will be twice as much uprooting as there will be planting. Uprooting and planting is something one does with trees. This metaphor suggests God’s sovereign activity in restoring order to his creation by his word.

The almond tree features in verses 11 and 12 of chapter 1, where we read:

11 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
“I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied.

12 The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

Sometimes in English you come across words which sound the same and are spelt the same but have different meanings. We call these words homonyms.

Take for example the word bark; depending on the context bark can refer to the skin of a tree (as in tree bark) or it can refer to the noise a dog makes.

Crane is another homonym. A crane can be bird or a piece of machinery used for lifting heavy objects. One might also crane their neck to see over an obstacle. Spelt the same but with a different meaning.

Homonyms are fodder for puns and jokes. And so we get sayings with a double meaning like, “You’re barking up the wrong tree”.  

We can’t see it in the English translation but in the original Hebrew there is a play on words with almond and watching. They are not homonyms exactly, but they are very close. In Hebrew, the word for almond and the word for watching come from the same root and are spelled the same except for one letter. [1]

This gives the word almond a double meaning. Essentially, the almond tree is also the watching tree.

It makes perfect sense. One thing that is true of almond trees the world over is they are the first tree to bud and flower in spring. They are like the daffodils of the tree kingdom.

Just as one might watch for the flowers of the almond tree to see when winter is ending and spring is starting, so too God is watching over his word to see that it is fulfilled.

On the one hand this is a word of encouragement to Jeremiah, a reassurance that God will make his word (through Jeremiah) come true. God isn’t going to let Jeremiah down or give him a message that is not fulfilled.

At the same time, God is telling the people of the day that Jeremiah is the one to watch. By paying attention to Jeremiah, the people will know when the long winter of Judah’s idolatry and apostacy are coming to an end and the spiritual renewal of spring is close at hand.

Basically, God’s word through Jeremiah is like flowers blossoming on an almond tree. God’s word will bear fruit in season but not right away. In fact, Jeremiah prophesied for about 40 years before the words God gave him about Jerusalem were fulfilled.

Conclusion:

You may be relieved to know the almond tree passages in Numbers 17 and Jeremiah 1 are not primarily about us. In the Bible, the almond tree is a sign of what God is doing in Israel. They also point to Christ.

The almond tree is associated with God’s selection of Aaron to be the high priest of Israel. Jesus is the high priest chosen by God to be our intermediary. Faith in Jesus makes us right with God. Don’t be like Korah who rejected God’s sovereignty. Choose life.

The almond tree is associated with the lamp stand in the Tabernacle, God’s holy place. Jesus is the light of the world; the holy one who reveals God’s glory. The light of Jesus casts out darkness and fear. The light of God’s love for us in Christ illuminates the way of humility and respect. Walk in the light.   

The almond tree is associated with the fulfilment of God’s word through the prophet Jeremiah. Jesus is the word of God in human form; Jesus (the Christ) fulfils the law and the prophets. If you want to understand God’s word, then trust and obey Jesus.

The almond tree is associated with spring and new life. Jesus is the first sign of the resurrection to come. Those who embrace Christ, even though they suffer for it, will be raised to eternal life. Build your hope on the firm foundation of Jesus’ resurrection.   

The almond tree is a sign pointing to the beauty, the mystery and the holiness of God’s presence among us. With this in view our response needs to be that of wonder, awe and praise. May the word of the Lord blossom in your life. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What are some of the characteristics of the almond tree and its fruit?
  3. What is the almond tree associated with in Numbers 17?
  4. What did the budding of Aaron’s staff signify? Why did the people of Israel react with fear? What do we mean when we say God is holy? How does God’s holiness affect you? 
  5. What is the almond tree associated with Jeremiah 1?
  6. In what ways is does the almond tree point to Jesus?
  7. Discuss / reflect on the meaning of Jeremiah 1:11-12. 

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Jeremiah, page 27.

Tawa Baptist

The Tamarisk Tree

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/w4-ftz3ddMM

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Peace
  • Prayer
  • Purpose
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

There are two kinds of trees: deciduous and evergreen.

The word deciduous means ‘to fall off’. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn, to conserve energy in winter, then regrow their leaves in spring. Deciduous trees tend to have broad leaves, like oak or maple.

In contrast, evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round and generally cope better with hot weather. The leaves of an evergreen tree tend to be narrower, like pine or kānuka.

Today we continue our series, The Testimony of Trees. Last week we heard about the tree of knowledge in Genesis 2 and 3.

This week our focus is the Tamarisk tree, in Genesis 21. There are about 60 varieties of tamarisk trees growing around the world. Some are deciduous and some are evergreen.

The variety of tamarisk native to the Middle East (the geographical setting of Genesis 21) is Tamarix Aphylla. Tamarix Aphylla is the largest of the tamarisk family, growing up to 18 meters tall.

It has slender branches and scale like leaves. The tamarisk tree is known to be very tolerant of salts. In fact, its leaves excrete salty water. Due to the high salt content of its foliage tamarix aphylla is slow to catch fire. Which means it can be used as a fire barrier.

Tamarix aphylla grows relatively quickly, providing shade from the sun and shelter from the wind for stock. It also has an extensive root system which makes it good for erosion control, particularly in sandy soils. 

Basically, tamarix aphylla is a hardy, resilient tree. A friend to shepherds in the middle east. From Genesis 21, verses 32-34 we read about the tamarisk tree.

32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

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

In the context of Genesis 21, the tamarisk tree is associated with at least three things: peace, prayer and purpose. Let’s begin by considering the peace connection.

Peace:

Last Thursday, the 6th of February, was Waitangi Day, a national holiday for the people of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) in 1840.

The Treaty was eventually signed by 531 Māori chiefs and the representatives of the Crown. Queen Victoria of England was the reigning monarch of the day.

The purpose of Te Tiriti was to protect Māori and their land, as well as establishing stable government to keep peace and order. New Zealand was a pretty wild place in those days, without law or an effective justice system.

You sometimes hear the principles of the Treaty summarized by the three P’s: partnership, participation and protection.

Those who signed the Treaty in 1840 understood it to be a covenant, a forever agreement. The wording stipulates ‘forever’. Sadly, there has been much disagreement over the interpretation and application of the Treaty during the past 185 years, not helped by the fact there are two versions of the Treaty, one in English and one in Māori.      

In verse 22 of Genesis 21, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, and his general, Phicol, offer to make a peace treaty with Abraham. If you think about it, this is quite remarkable really. Normally, with peace treaties, the party in the weaker position approaches the one in the stronger position.

Outwardly, Abimelech appears to be in a stronger position than Abraham. Abraham is a wandering shepherd, a sojourner, a resident alien in the land;   he doesn’t have a fortress or an army like Abimelech and so we don’t expect Abimelech to make a treaty with Abraham. Why then does Abimelech feel the need to do this?

Well, Abimelech gives his reason in verse 22 when he says to Abraham: “God is with you in everything you do”. What does it mean that God is with Abraham?

I’ve come up with a little acronym which outlines what it means to be with someone. W is for wellbeing, I is for intimacy, T is for trust and H is for help.

You know someone is with you when they are committed to your wellbeing. When they share themselves intimately with you. When they trust you. And when they provide you with help.   

God is with Abraham, as a friend. Theirs is a relationship characterised by wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help.

One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. Jesus is, God with us. Through faith in Jesus, we can have a relationship with God based on wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help.

Returning to Genesis, Abimelech has the spiritual sensitivity and insight to see that God is with Abraham. And so, Abimelech says to Abraham…

23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”
24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”          

By making a treaty with Abraham, Abimelech is aligning himself with Abraham’s God who holds the power of life & death. Abimelech wants Abraham to deal honestly with him and to treat him with kindness

The Hebrew word translated as kindness here is hesed. Hesed is a Hebrew term which is sometimes translated as kindness, sometimes as mercy and other times as steadfast love or loyal (covenant) love.

Hesed isn’t just an abstract concept though – it is an action, something tangible that one does for someone else’s well-being. Abimelech wants Abraham to make a solemn commitment to always treat him and his descendants with hesed, and Abraham agrees.

In agreeing to a covenant with Abimelech, Abraham shows respect, humility and meekness. Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is strength tempered by self-control. Meekness is the twin of gentleness.

God was with Abraham and had promised the land to him. But Abraham does not let that go to his head. Abraham does not seek to take the land by force. Abraham prefers peace. He respects the people of the land and waits for God.  

Abimelech’s treaty provided Abraham with the opportunity to sort out a dispute over watering rights. Abraham had dug a well and Abimelech’s servants had seized it. Water wells were vitally important in that part of the world. Rain fall was seasonal (it wasn’t all year round) so wells were essential to the survival of people and animals alike.

Abimelech wanted peace with Abraham but without justice there can be no peace. So, Abraham sought justice over the well.

This was an awkward moment for Abimelech. The king has just given a speech about how he has treated Abraham with ‘kindness’ or hesed and now he is learning that in fact his servants have done nothing of the sort. The servants have embarrassed Abimelech and the king is quick to plead ignorance.     

What happens next is quite unexpected. Normally the one who has been wronged (in this case Abraham) would be owed some compensation. But in this situation Abraham doesn’t seek compensation for himself. He does the opposite. Abraham gives Abimelech seven sheep. Abimelech is confused and asks, ‘what does this mean?’

Abraham explains that by accepting these sheep you are acknowledging that I dug this well.

By seizing Abraham’s well, Abimelech’s servants had done an injustice to Abraham and brought shame on their master. To save face Abimelech might feel it necessary to punish his servants. But Abraham comes to the rescue of the men who seized his well by providing compensation on their behalf.  

In this way Abraham has done hesed by preserving Abimelech’s honour and shielding the servants from punishment. Indebted by Abraham’s hesed, Abimelech and his servants will now stay away from Abraham’s well.

Prayer:

It is after making this peace treaty with Abimelech that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.     

To call on the name of the Lord is another way of saying that Abraham prayed to God and worshipped him.

Elsewhere in Genesis, Abraham is noted as building an altar and calling on the name of the Lord. In this context planting a tree is like building an altar. It designates a sacred place for prayer and worship.

Now to be clear, Abraham is not worshipping the tree. The tamarisk is not like an idol that he bows down to. Nor does the tamarisk tree in anyway represent God. We should not think of the tamarisk tree as a metaphor for God.

As hardy and resilient as the tamarisk tree is, it is not eternal like God.

A tamarisk tree might live somewhere between 50 to 100 years depending on the circumstances. In contrast, the Lord lives forever.

What we notice in verse 33 is Abraham’s prayer life. He has a special place for calling on the Lord. We can pray to God anywhere and at any time, of course. God is not rooted to one location, like a tree. The Lord will hear us wherever we are. Nevertheless, it can be helpful to us if we have a special place where we pray.   

Abraham’s special place was by the tamarisk tree he planted in the dry and desolate wilderness of Beersheba. Once grown, the tamarisk tree would act as a sanctuary, providing shade from the harsh sun for Abraham while he prayed.

Prayer is like a tamarisk tree in that it provides a sanctuary for the human soul.   

The wilderness of Beersheba is an interesting choice. Around the same time as agreeing to a peace treaty with Abimelech, Abraham sent his eldest son, Ishmael into the desert of Beersheba, with his mother Hagar and a skin of water.

Abraham’s second son, Isaac, had just been born and there was friction in the household between Sarah and Hagar. Long story short, once the water had run out, Hagar left Ishmael under a bush to die. Was the bush a young tamarisk tree? Quite possibly, we can’t be sure. From verse 17 of Genesis 21 we read…

17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.

Interesting that Ishmael became an archer. I read somewhere that the wood of the tamarisk tree is good for making bows. Apparently, tamarisk wood has the strength and flexibility needed.

What did Abraham pray about under his tamarisk tree? We are not told but probably all manner of things. As a parent, we could well expect him to pray for his children, that God would be with them and watch over their lives for good. In fact, God was with Ishmael and Isaac, even as they took different paths in life.

Prayer is like a tamarisk tree. It provides a sanctuary for the human soul.

Where is your tamarisk tree? Where is your sanctuary for prayer?

Do you have a private prayer closet in your home? Or do you prefer to pray in a small group of close friends? Maybe this church auditorium is your prayer place? Or perhaps you prefer to pray with your hands in the garden, pulling out weeds and watering the plants?  

The tamarisk tree of Genesis 21 is associated with peace, prayer and purpose. 

Purpose:

You may have heard of the term agroforestry. Agroforestry does not refer to angry trees. Rather agroforestry is a sustainable farming practice. That is, planting trees and shrubs alongside crops and livestock.

Agroforestry enhances biodiversity and mitigates the harmful effects of monoculture. (Monoculture is when just one crop is grown.)

Tamarisk trees are used in agroforestry as wind breaks and they also help with the reclamation of marginal lands. As already mentioned, tamarisk roots give stability to the soil and the branches provide shade for livestock. If pasture is scarce, then sheep and goats and cattle can feed off the leaves of the tamarisk.

What’s more, the tamarisk flower attracts bees, which are good for the pollination and propagation of a variety of plants. 

Abraham probably chose to plant a tamarisk (rather than an oak or something else) because it served a practical purpose. The tamarisk was suited to the harsh environment of Beersheba and, as verse 34 makes plain, Abraham intended to stay there for a good long while.

Planting tamarisk trees in Beersheba was an agroforestry strategy long before the term ‘agroforestry’ was coined. Planting tamarisk trees would help Abraham and future generations with farming and shepherding livestock.  

I can’t help noticing how Abraham is a bit like the tamarisk tree in some respects.

Through years of waiting in barrenness, God had grown Abraham & Sarah’s faith strong and deep and wide, like the root system of a tamarisk tree.

Abraham’s faith in God has proven resilient, prospering in even the harshest of environments.

Abraham (who is now over 100 years old) is still evergreen, fathering a son in his old age.

What’s more, Abraham is a salt of the earth kind of person. Just as the tamarisk leaves sweat salt, so too Abraham is salty. Abraham is in the world but not of it, maintaining the distinctive flavour of holiness.

Abraham and the tamarisk tree are both a blessing to the land. Abraham does not try to take the land by force. He is humble and meek, lending stability and peace. Abraham is a man of prayer and a servant to God’s purpose.

Perhaps also the tamarisk tree serves as a symbol of God’s purpose for the nation of Israel. Through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God was making a nation that would be resilient and life-giving, a source of shelter and sustenance to those who find themselves in the wilderness. A blessing to the nations.

Sadly, the people of Israel fell short of God’s purpose for the nation, as we have all fallen short. But by God’s grace Jesus fulfils God’s purpose for Israel and for all humanity.

Like Abraham, Jesus serves God’s purpose as a man of peace and prayer.

Jesus did not go to war against the occupying Roman forces of his day.

Jesus chose the path of gentleness and humility, saying…

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.

And, blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Conclusion:

At this point in the sermon, you might expect me to encourage you all to be more like the tamarisk tree; hardy, resilient, salty, lending stability to the land and providing shelter from the harsh elements of this world.

And while they might be good things to aspire to, I’m not sure that is the best application of the text. What you will notice as we go through this series is that each variety of tree we learn about is different.

A better question might be: If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? How has God made you? Some of you may be like the tamarisk tree, but not all of us are suited to a dry and desolate environment. Most of us do better when planted beside streams of water.

The point is, don’t try and be something you are not. Be who God made you to be. Whatever tree you might be like, grow where you are planted and let God fulfil his purpose for your life.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, help us to grow to full maturity in Christ and be the people together you made us to be. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. What are some of the characteristics of tamarix aphylla? What are tamarisk trees useful for?
  3. Why did Abraham plant a tamarisk tree in Genesis 21? What is the tamarisk tree associated with in Genesis 21?
  4. Where is your tamarisk tree? Where is your sanctuary for prayer? 
  5. In what ways is Abraham like a tamarisk tree?
  6. In what ways are Jesus and Abraham similar? (How do Abraham’s actions in Genesis 21 point to Jesus?)
  7. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? How has God made you?
Tawa Baptist

The Tree of Knowledge

Scripture: Genesis 2:8 -3:7 (selected verses)

Video Link: https://youtu.be/qC2-dBaqrLs

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Genesis 2 – Paradise
  • Genesis 3 – Paradise Lost
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

The street we live in is lined with Pōhutukawa trees, well mostly. We actually have one or two Rātā trees as well, although it’s hard to tell.

Rātā and Pōhutukawa trees appear almost identical at first glance. Their flowers and trunk and branches all look the same. The difference is with the leaves. The underside of a Pōhutukawa leaf is a greyish colour and furry to touch, while the underside of a Rātā leaf is light green in colour.

The difference is subtle but there is a difference, and I didn’t know this until about six weeks ago.

Today we continue our new sermon series which I’m calling, The Testimony of Trees. Last Sunday we heard about riparian planting in Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17. This morning, we explore the meaning of the Tree of Knowledge in Genesis 2 and 3.

The tree of knowledge is about discernment. Not so much the knowledge to discern the difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa. Rather the knowledge to discern the difference between good and evil.

There’s too much going on in Genesis 2 and 3 for us to do justice to every verse, so I will read a selection of the verses as they relate to the Tree of Knowledge. You can read chapters 2 and 3 in their entirety later, if you want. From Genesis 2, verse 8 we begin…

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” …22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the ribhe had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man…  25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

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

Genesis 2 – Paradise:

There are 13 national parks in New Zealand, taken care of by the Department of Conservation. Our national parks are protected by law. They are sanctuaries or sacred spaces, to be preserved for their own sake and for the enjoyment of the New Zealand public.

In Genesis 2, we read how God planted a garden in the East, in Eden. When we think of a garden, we probably imagine a nicely manicured back yard, perhaps with some roses and raised vege beds. But the sort of garden in view here is more like a national park.

The garden of Eden is sacred space, like a sanctuary or a temple for God on earth. Adam is formed and placed in the garden to take care of it. In many respects Adam is like a DOC ranger and a priest, serving in God’s natural sanctuary. 

Eden (which in Hebrew means ‘delight’) [1] is filled with all sorts of trees which look beautiful and are good for food. The garden of Eden is a picture of bio-diversity and abundance.

At the centre of God’s national park / holy temple, are two special trees. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.   

We might talk more about the tree of life another time. Today though, our main focus is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The knowledge of good and evil is most likely the ability to discern between right and wrong. Sort of like discerning the subtle difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa, except with moral issues, as opposed to botanical issues.      

So, eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, would impart wisdom, opening the mind to discern what is beneficial and what is harmful.

(Sort of like eating an orange imparts vitamin C.)

We might wonder why God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge. Afterall, isn’t knowledge, discernment and wisdom a good thing?

Well, yes. Knowing the difference between good and evil is helpful. The tree and its fruit are not bad, but knowledge is something we human beings need to grow into. We learn in stages.

There are some realities we shield children from because it would be harmful for them to know before their minds and hearts are ready to take it.

As permissive as we are, we don’t let five-year-olds watch R rated movies for the same reason we don’t let them drive cars or play with matches; it would put them and others at risk.

Likewise, we have laws against sexual contact with minors, just as there are laws against children consuming alcohol and so on, because that sort of experiential knowledge is damaging to children.

It stands to reason that God put the tree of knowledge in the garden because he intended for Adam and Eve to eat from it eventually, when they were mature enough. [2]  

Okay, so God’s prohibition on the tree of knowledge is there to protect Adam and Eve from harm. If that’s the case, then why plant the tree of knowledge in the garden in the first place? Wouldn’t it be better to keep the tree away from Adam and Eve, out of harm’s way? 

No, it wouldn’t. God’s command not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge provided Adam and Eve with the freedom of a real choice. Adam & Eve could opt out of their relationship with God at any point by eating the forbidden fruit. Human freedom (or free will) means the Lord is vulnerable to rejection.

God is love. He loves us and his love makes him vulnerable. God was trusting Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and he was inviting Adam and Eve to trust him with what they did not understand.

God’s commands may seem strange or puzzling to us, but they protect us, they create real freedom, and they foster trust.

In verse 18 of Genesis 2, God says: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Everything God has created in Genesis so far is good. Man’s loneliness is the first not good. This shows us that human beings were made for fellowship. People need people. So God makes Eve, a suitable helper for Adam.

The word ‘helper’ does not imply that Eve was somehow less than Adam.

It’s not that Adam was the boss and Eve was his assistant. More like they were co-workers in God’s sanctuary. God is described as a helper 16 times in the Old Testament. [3]  So, calling Eve a helper signals the woman’s value and dignity.

I like the way Matthew Henry puts it, and I paraphrase…

‘Woman is not made out of man’s head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be loved.’

God presents Eve to Adam, as his wife and (in their state of innocence) they felt no shame (even though they were naked). We pause here to consider the implications. Knowing the difference between good and evil makes us responsible.

If we know what is right and do not do it, or if we know what is wrong and do it anyway, then we are guilty. But if we don’t know, our conscience cannot condemn us. That said, innocence is not the same thing as righteousness.

Genesis 3 – Paradise Lost: 

If Genesis 2 depicts humanity living in paradise, then Genesis 3 describes how paradise is lost. That phrase ‘paradise lost’ comes from the famous poem written by John Milton, first published in 1667.  

Milton’s Paradise Lost is really long, consisting of ten books initially, then later arranged into twelve books. His poem reimagines the story of Genesis 2 and 3. However, Milton takes some liberties with the text, filling in the gaps with his own creative license.

He has quite a bit to say about Satan and hell, which is extra to the Bible, and his characterisation of Adam and Eve goes beyond the text too. Although most of us wouldn’t have read Paradise Lost, its cultural impact has indirectly shaped (or perhaps misshaped) the way we read Genesis 2 and 3.  

For example, in Milton’s poem, Eve sees her own reflection in a lake after God has formed her and she quite likes what she sees. Later Eve tells Adam that she found him less enticing than her own reflection. That is not found in Genesis.

It plays on the stereotype that women are vain. This is unfair and unhelpful. The truth is, almost everyone harbours some kind of vanity.    

Genesis 3 introduces the crafty serpent. The intriguing thing about this serpent is that he (or she, we can’t be sure of the snake’s gender) is able to talk.

How do we explain a talking snake? Does Eve speak parcel tongue? Or does the snake speak human? Or is the conversation more psychological, something Eve imagines in her head? Perhaps the evil one is speaking through the snake?

Who knows? The Old Testament doesn’t identify the serpent of Genesis 3 as Satan in disguise, but the inference can be drawn from various verses in the New Testament which refer to the devil as a serpent. [4]

There are a few subtle tricks the serpent uses to tempt and deceive Eve. Identifying these tricks in our own lives can be difficult, like discerning the subtle difference between Rātā and Pōhutukawa. But knowing the tricks will help us avoid falling for them. Here’s your defence against the dark arts.

Firstly, the serpent subtly calls God’s goodness into question by saying, Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? The serpent makes it sound like God is mean or unfair or overly strict. The truth is Adam and Eve could eat from all the trees, except for one. Far from being mean, God is generous.

Eve takes the serpent’s bait. She responds by misquoting God: “…But God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

God didn’t say anything about not touching the tree of knowledge. By adding to the word of God, Eve has made God seem less reasonable than he is.

Her mind is now fixed on the one thing she cannot have rather than the many things she can enjoy.   

Our first defence against the darks arts then is to remember God’s goodness. If we go down the path of thinking God is mean or unfair, then we will become vulnerable to evil.

For example, if we are wronged by someone and they make no amends, we may feel tempted to take our own revenge. We resist the temptation for revenge by reminding ourselves that God is good. He is just and fair. He will right all wrongs. The Lord will justify us and restore us (if not in this world, then in the next), so we don’t need to take matters into our own hands.    

The second trick the serpent uses is to deny or minimise the consequences of wrong doing. You will not certainly die, he says. This is an outright lie. If we entertain the thought that God won’t hold us to account for our actions, that he will let it slide, we lose the Godly fear that prevents us from doing harm.

We need to remember there is a day of judgement for us all. No one in the Bible talks about the eternal consequences of our actions more than Jesus.

It’s important though to hold defence 1 and 2 together. In remembering God’s judgment, we need to remain mindful of God’s goodness – his fairness and mercy. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.   

The third trick of the serpent is to make evil seem good: …when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

Being like God, that’s a good thing, isn’t it? Being able to discern good from evil, also a good thing, right? Hmmm. I wouldn’t want God’s job for all the gold in the world.

When the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he began by suggesting Jesus turn stones into bread. Turning stones into bread is not an inherently bad thing to do. In fact, it is potentially good. Imagine all the people you could feed. 

But Jesus wouldn’t have a bar of it. Jesus responded to Satan by quoting Scripture: ‘People cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Our defence is to remember God’s word, to put our trust in that and not rely on our own understanding.  

So here again are our three defences against the dark arts…

Firstly, remember God’s goodness to you personally. You might do this by keeping a gratitude journal. 

Secondly, remember God’s judgment. There is a reckoning with God. The Lord is merciful and just. He will hold us to account and right all wrongs.

And thirdly, remember God’s word. Do not rely on your own understanding but trust in God’s wisdom. We remind ourselves of God’s word by reading the Bible.

You might be wondering where Adam was while this conversation was happening. Well, in Milton’s poem, Paradise Lost, Adam and Eve have a disagreement which results in Eve suggesting they work in different parts of the garden for a while. During this time apart (according to the poem) the serpent (aka Satan) tempts Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.  

But this part of John Milton’s poem is fiction. Verse 6 of Genesis 3 says quite plainly that Adam was with Eve. Apparently, Adam has nothing to say while Eve is chatting away to the snake. Was he even listening? Isn’t that typical of men. Adam should have intervened and told the serpent to get lost. But he silently goes along with it. Adam is just as guilty as Eve.     

When Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit, their innocence is lost and their clear conscience becomes clouded by shame and guilt. Their shame and guilt cause them to hide, first behind fig leaves and then later from God. This is what it means to know evil. This is why God commanded them not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

To be clear, the original sin committed by Adam and Eve was not sex.

Humanity’s original sin was idolatry. Idolatry is when we put something else in the place of God. That is, when we worship something other than God.

Adam and Eve tried to put themselves in the place of God. They grasped at knowledge and the power they thought this would give them so they could be like God, so they would not need God.

With the power of knowing good and evil they thought they could set up their own empire and make their own rules independently of God. But this was just vanity and chasing after the wind. There is no life apart from God. To declare independence from God is to choose death.   

For us today, death has been reduced to physical terms. Death is when your heart stops beating and your brain function ends. But for the writer of Genesis, life and death are not just physical, they are spiritual as well. Life is connection. Life is intimacy with God and death is when we are cut off from the presence of God, alienated from him, hanging on by a thread.

Adam and Eve survived physically for many years after eating the forbidden fruit, but they were driven out of God’s presence and denied access to the tree of life immediately after God had confronted them over what they had done.

Their existence outside of Eden became a painful struggle in contrast with the abundant life they had known with the Lord in the garden of Eden. 

Conclusion:

So where is the good news? Well, as always, the good news is found in Christ. For God so loved the world that he sent his own dear Son that all who believe in him would not die but have eternal life. And by eternal life, we mean life in God’s presence. Intimacy with God. Abundant connection.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple which separated the holy of holies, was torn in two as a sign that humanity has access to God the Father through faith in Jesus.

We were not made for power. We were made for fellowship. We were not made for independence or self-reliance. We were made for trust. We do not live by our own strength or by our wits or by luck. We live by faith in Jesus and by God’s grace.

May the Lord bless you with abundant life in Christ. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. 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?
  2. Why does God plant a garden in Eden? What is the purpose of the garden? Why does God form Adam and put him the garden? What purpose do Adam and Eve serve?
  3. Why does God command Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge? How does this command benefit Adam and Eve? What are the implications of this command for God?
  4. What subtle tricks does the serpent use to tempt and deceive Eve? How might we defend ourselves against ‘the dark arts’?
  5. What was the original sin committed by Eve and Adam? What were the consequences?
  6. What is life, in the Biblical sense? What is death? How do we find life? 

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Genesis, page 62.

[2] Refer John Walton, NIVAC on Genesis.

[3] Refer Bruce Walke’s commentary on Genesis, page 88.

[4] E.g. Revelation 12:9 and 20:2

Tawa Baptist

Riparian Planting

Scripture: Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17:5-10

Video Link: https://youtu.be/PjnEYSNxYsQ

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Psalm 1
  • Jeremiah 17:5-10
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you watch Country Calendar then you will have heard of riparian planting. Riparian planting is the practice of planting trees and shrubs alongside the edge of rivers, streams and lakes.

There are many advantages to riparian planting. The tree roots give stability to the soil, preventing erosion, and the plants act as filters keeping the water clean by inhibiting effluent and fertiliser run off.

Trees along the water’s edge also provide shade, maintaining cooler more stable water temperatures. This prevents the growth of excess algae and weed as well as protecting marine life. Many fish in New Zealand cannot survive when the water temperature is above 25 degrees.

Riparian planting has a lot of benefits for the environment. And, as God designed it, these benefits do not come at the expense of the tree. Shrubs planted near water ways tend to thrive because they have a reliable source of moisture and nutrients. Life is connection.

Today we begin a new sermon series which I’m calling, The Testimony of Trees. The Bible has a lot to say about trees and what they have to teach us. We start our series this morning by thinking about two passages of Scripture which use riparian planting as a metaphor for a life well lived. Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17.

Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 are similar in a number of ways. We are not sure which passage was written first, but we will start with Psalm 1 because that is the more familiar reading…

Psalm 1 

1 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of mockers, 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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

Robert Frost wrote a poem called The Road Not Taken. The famous last verse goes like this…

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.     

Perhaps one of the things Robert Frost is saying here is that life is full of choices. We are not governed by fate. We get to make a difference in our own lives by the path we choose.

Not everything that happens in life is down to the choices we make of course, but our choices can and do have a significant influence on the outcome. Which means that human life is not a joke. Human life is charged with responsibility, fused with purpose and invigorated by hope.   

Psalm 1 sets before us two contrasting ways of living, each with very different outcomes. The way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. The way of the righteous leads to fruitfulness and abundant life, while the way of the wicked leads to emptiness and destruction.

Psalm 1 begins with the word ‘Happy’ or ‘Blessed’. Think about that for a moment. The whole collection of 150 psalms begins with happiness. Apparently, God wants us to be happy. The Lord wants us to find abundant life.

But the road to happiness is not the path of least resistance. Verse 1 is a statement of what not to do if you want to be happy.  

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of mockers,

As Derek Kidner notes, following advice has to do with thinking. Taking a path has to do with behaving and sitting in a seat has to do with belonging. Thinking, behaving and belonging, this is how a person chooses their allegiance.

Maybe there is a kind of progression with these three things. It all starts with the mind, what we think about. What we think about tends to inform our behaviour. If we think about doing good, then we are more inclined to do it. And if we think about doing bad then we are more inclined to do that.

The path we take represents our routine way of doing things. Our daily habits. Do we make room in each day for prayer. Is our conversation filled with words of truth and grace. Do we deal with people fairly and kindly.  

Of course, how we behave invariably determines who we end up sitting with. That is, who we belong with. For example, if we choose to steal, we will end up hanging out with thieves. But if we choose to work and worship honestly, we will end up in the company of honest God loving people. 

In the Bible a ‘scoffer’ or a ‘mocker’ is one of the worst kinds of sinners because they are the furthest from repentance. [1] A ‘mocker’ is so far down the wide and easy road that they not only can’t see anything wrong in what they are doing, they also ridicule others who are living right and doing it hard on the narrow road.

Having said what the happy do not do (in verse 1), verse 2 then goes on to describe how happy, righteous people do behave…  

…but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.2   

Meditating has to do with what we think about, what we chew over in our minds. So the secret to happiness is not thinking all day and all night about what I can do to satisfy my every desire. The secret to happiness is found by thinking about what God wants.  

As Jesus says in Matthew 7: ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.’

Delighting in the law of the Lord is not about feverishly following a list of rules and regulations. It’s about realising the freedom we have to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

We delight in the law of the Lord (his Word) because through it God shapes our thinking, heals our hearts and reforms our behaviour so that we are set free to do what is right and stand with God’s people.

So, who then is righteous and who is wicked? I mean, most people appear to be a bit of a mixture.

Well, it’s like Jesus said in Matthew 7: ‘You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit…’

Perhaps Jesus is saying here, you can’t really judge a person by first impressions. You have to look at the fruit of a person’s life. You have to look at what outcomes their actions produce. Do their actions reveal God’s good character and bless others, or not?

Verse 3 of Psalm 1 goes on to describe the outcome (or the fruit) of those happy ones who meditate on God’s law…

3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Here we have the image of riparian planting. A well-established tree, planted by a waterway, doing good for the environment it is in.  

Fruit of course is not enjoyed by the tree itself; it is enjoyed by others. The fruit is anything that blesses others – anything that is good for others. What’s more the fruit arrives in its season – that is, in a timely way.

The fruit could be an act of justice, a gift of mercy, a helping hand, some wise listening or a kind word, just when it is needed.  

The reference to the leaf not withering is a poetic way of saying that the tree is not adversely affected by drought. It is not that the tree never experiences difficult circumstances, it does. The point is the tree (or the righteous person) is able to withstand the dry and difficult times because they are nourished at their roots by the water of God’s Word and Spirit.

When it says, whatever they do prospers, it doesn’t necessarily mean that good people get rich and stay healthy. It means the good work they do prospers. God sees to it that the lives of the righteous have meaning and are not wasted, even if they do happen to suffer in some way.

If the righteous are like fruitful trees planted by a stream, then the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away. You couldn’t get a greater contrast.

Chaff (in the Bible) is the ultimate example of what is rootless, weightless and useless. Chaff is the complete opposite of a fruitful tree. Fruit has seeds, it perpetuates itself. But chaff doesn’t. Chaff is dead, it comes to nothing.  

At the final judgement, the wicked won’t have a leg to stand on. In the end, they are separated from the righteous in much the same way that chaff is separated from grain.

Psalm 1 concludes with a kind of summary statement in verse 6…6

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 1 is saying, when you boil it all down there are basically two ways you can live your life, each with a very different outcome. You can choose happiness or emptiness. You can live as if God’s instructions matter, or you can live as if they don’t. You can be a riparian planting of the Lord, or you can be chaff.

Jeremiah 17

Jeremiah 17 gives virtually the same message as Psalm 1. From Jeremiah 17, verses 5-10 we read…

5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Fashions change. These days tanned skin is considered attractive but prior to the 20th century white skin was the desired look. To achieve this white complexion, wealthy people would apply a pale lead-based makeup to their face.

Lead is toxic of course and the makeup had a detrimental effect on people’s health. Some even died from lead poisoning while others did damage to their skin, which they only made worse by applying more lead makeup.  

Not that we are much better today. Over exposure to the sun in pursuit of the perfect tan puts you at risk of skin cancer.

Similar to Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17 contrasts two very different types of people. Those who put their trust in God and those who don’t. Jeremiah thinks of righteousness in terms of trust in the Lord.

Those who turn away from the Lord in their heart are likened to a bush in the wastelands. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. In other words, they will end up thirsty, fruitless and isolated.

In the eyes of the world the bush may appear to be doing well. But just because someone appears successful and attractive at first doesn’t mean they will flourish and be fruitful in the end. Sometimes people cover over a sad reality with a lead-based makeup, more concerned with how things look than how things really are.

In contrast, those who trust in the Lord are like a riparian planting. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

They are not anxious or afraid of hard times. Nor do they need to pretend to be something they are not. They flourish and remain fruitful, whatever the climate, because they depend on the Lord.

It is worth noting that the tree of verse 8 is the person as heaven sees them.[2] The values of heaven are different from the values of this world. The person of verse 8 may not always appear successful from a worldly point of view. And they might not always feel like they are flourishing. But ultimately, the person of verse 8 is like the proverbial tortoise who wins the race in the end. Only heaven sees us as we really are.

When Jesus gave the beatitudes in Matthew 5, he was describing those who are truly flourishing from the perspective of heaven. For example, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and so on.  

In the eyes of the world, the poor, the meek and those who grieve do not look like they are doing well, nor do they feel great. But from heaven’s perspective they are the lucky ones because they are depending on God. They rely on the Word and Spirit of the Lord from the roots of their being.   

The key to a tree’s fruitfulness and resilience is its roots. The roots are the unseen foundation. The roots are what connects the tree to life giving water and nutrients. The roots feed the tree.

The roots of the human soul are our heart and mind, our inner life. What we feed our mind on, tends to shape our conduct and our character.

Jeremiah draws a connection between the roots of a tree and the human heart and mind in verse 9 where he says: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

In this context the heart is not the physical blood pump in your chest. It’s the heart in a spiritual sense. What we today would think of as the mind, emotions and will, our inner life where decisions are made. 

Jeremiah is putting his finger on the root cause of the problem. It’s a Catch 22 situation. There is no way we can cure our minds. The only instrument we have for understanding our minds is our own minds. [3] But because our mind is desperately sick, we can’t accurately diagnose the sickness, let alone treat it.

We might think we are being honest with ourselves, but our mind deceives us. Our conscious mind is blind to what’s going on in our unconscious. We don’t know what we don’t know.

Like the people of centuries past who covered over the problem with lead-based makeup, the very things we think will help become the very things that make matters worse. We have no way out of the vicious cycle, at least not on our own.

Knowing that the Lord is able to search our heart and examine our mind and reward each person according to their deeds, is a fearful thought. It means there is no hiding from God. There is no makeup (lead based or otherwise) that can disguise the truth of what we are from God. The Lord sees the whole person from root to fruit and he holds us to account. 

And so we find ourselves praying with Jeremiah, in verse 14: Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

We need God to heal our heart and mind if we are to bear good fruit. 

Conclusion:

Jesus is the answer to Jeremiah’s prayer. Jesus is the one God sent to heal us. Jesus is the source of living water we need to be planted beside. Or to say it more plainly, Jesus is the Word of God and the giver of God’s Spirit. Jesus is our righteousness. Our life and fruitfulness depend on Christ.

As we read in the gospel of John, chapter 7… 

37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive… 

Let us pray…

Merciful God, grant us the grace to put our roots down deep into the soil of your marvellous love. Nourish our souls with the water of your Word and Spirit, that we would be fruitful to the praise of your glory. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.  

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. What are the benefits of riparian planting?
  3. According to Psalm 1, what must we do (and not do) to be happy / blessed?
  4. Compare and contrast Psalm 1 with Jeremiah 17:5-10. How are they similar? How are they different? E.g. What word pictures do Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 use to describe a righteous person? What words pictures do Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 use to describe a wicked person?
  5. Why is our thought life so important? What sorts of thoughts normally occupy your mind? What practices support you to meditate on God’s Word in the Bible?
  6. How might we discern whether we are truly a riparian planting of the Lord, from heaven’s perspective?
  7. What (or who) is God’s answer to the sickness of the human heart and mind?

 

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on the Psalms, page 64.

[2] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on Jeremiah, page 73.

[3] Refer John Goldingay’s commentary on Jeremiah, page 95.

Tawa Baptist

Science and Christian Faith – by Murray Lucas

From the chemistry of our morning cup of tea or coffee to the instruments that map the night sky. From breakthroughs that reveal great mysteries to medicines that improve our health outcomes. Science touches every part of our life.

Today I want to explore the relationship between Science and the Christian faith. I contend that Science and Christianity are indeed compatible and are two inseparable halves of a unified whole world view. Also, Christians through their faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have in fact enhanced Science. Many of the good outcomes of Science have been inspired by men and women of faith.

Partly as a result of the COVID epidemic, differing opinions of the relationship between Christianity and Science have been highlighted and sadly these have divided families and broken friendships.

In some Christian circles today, people contend there is no overlap between a belief in God and Science and would contend that a belief in Science is tantamount to idolatry. Even, if these same people would think nothing of entrusting their bread to a toaster every morning and sometimes more often.

Others contend that Science and Christianity go hand in hand and Science is one of God’s ways of repair and restoration.

Arguably the birthplace of modern Science is the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge university in England. It was in the Cavendish Laboratory that NZ Scientist, Ernest Rutherford, split the atom. As you enter this laboratory there is a verse from Psalm 111 inscribed in Latin. The English translation is “Great are the works of the Lord. They are pondered by all who delight in them.”.

The Christian writer Joyce Rupp goes further and says, ‘We can only speak about and proclaim you through the guiding help of symbol and story’. Science and Faith are about symbols and stories. Science and Faith is about observation, interpretation and inspiration.

I will look at the history of Science from the Middle Ages to now and use the example of three scientists who were inspired by their deep Christian faith to make lasting, valuable and life-giving contributions to Science. They are Robert Boyle-the father of Chemistry, John Dalton who also advanced Chemistry and Michael Faraday a key person in the field of Physics.

In both the Middle Ages and the Dark Age, most Scientists were called Alchemists and Science was defined as Alchemy. Alchemy was a search for a mysterious element or compound often called an elixir that could transform all metals to gold. Looking back at this time many scholars believed that the spiritual aspects of alchemy were at best not good and at worst occultic and evil. Science in those ages could be described as alien to Christianity.

Towards the end of the 17th Century, Robert Boyle, a scientist who was Christian, published a book “The Sceptical Chymist’. This book challenged the idea that matter was made up of a mix of all the 4 elements earth, fire, air and wind. He went further and advocated the notion that God created the universe according to different laws.

Instead, Boyle used new equipment and experiments to prove his theories about the world. As a result, Boyle is given the title ‘The Father of Modern Chemistry’ and was one of the key figures that set up the Royal Society which is still in existence today some 364 years later. It is the oldest continuously existing scientific academy in the world.  

Robert Boyle is an outstanding example of a Christian scientist whose faith interacted fundamentally with his science. His faith in God was the driving force behind his interest in Science and his Christian character shaped the ways in which he conducted his scientific life. Boyle believed God gave humans three books to aid their salvation – the book of Scripture, the book of conscience and the book of nature’.

Boyle was born in Ireland and along with his siblings was raised as devout members of the Anglican church. He was the fourteenth of fifteen children in his family.

Another Christian scientist who built on Boyle’s pioneering work on the atomic theory of matter is John Dalton. Dalton developed methods to calculate atomic weights and to represent atoms pictorially. Among other things he also discovered colour blindness which at the time was known as Daltonism. He was described as the father of modern atomic theory.

Dalton was a committed quaker throughout his life and he was educated at a quaker school. He must have been a fast learner as he was employed as a teacher at the age of 13 and became Principal of the school at the age of 19.

He shunned publicity but when Dalton died in 1844, he was buried with honours in Manchester, England. More than 400,000 people visited his body as he lay in state.

The third Christian scientist I want to feature is Michael Faraday. He discovered many of the fundamental laws of Physics and Chemistry despite the fact that he had virtually no formal education. The son of an English blacksmith he had his first job at the age of 14 as an assistant to a bookseller and bookbinder. Faraday was extremely curious, questioning everything. He read every book that he bound and decided that one day he would write a book.

Faraday has been described as the father of Electricity and the discoverer of Electromagnetism and transformers and was a pioneer of radiocommunication. He also was a passionate Scientific educator and in the 1850’s established Christmas lectures on Science for children that still take place today.

Faraday’s family and Faraday himself belonged to a Christian denomination called the Sandemanian which according to Faraday was the most important influence on him and provided spiritual sustenance. Faraday was so involved in Church that he acted as co-pastor for a significant number of years where he preached in the services and also had spiritual oversight and pastoral care of the people in his congregation.

Faraday believed that in his scientific research he was reading “the book of nature… written by the finger of God”. He was a devout Christian who remained loyal to God throughout his life.

Faraday saw his faith as integral to his scientific research. One of the most respected organisations looking at understanding Science and religion is the Faraday Institute for Science and religion. It is a Cambridge based interdisciplinary research institute which aims to improve public understanding of religious beliefs in relation to the Sciences. It aims to provide accurate information in order to facilitate informed debate. Courses in 2025 at the Faraday Institute include ‘Caring for Creation, leading the Church Forward’ and “Science, Religion and Justice”.

I have only mentioned three Scientists who credited God as their inspiration. There are many others such as Sir Isaac Newton and the astronomers Galileo and Kepler. Francis Collins was once an atheist but through his work on the genome theory has become a committed Christian.

The Father of Chemistry, the Father of Modern Atomic Theory and the father of electricity were all committed believers and their faith in God was instrumental in their scientific work. They believed that because the universe was created by God and that human beings are made in God’s image it is perfectly possible and in fact necessarily logical that we could – and we should – try to understand the universe by observation, by interpretation and inspiration. The Father of the universe, God, has been both their inspiration and their sustainer. It has enabled Science to progress from a situation where theories were made to fit philosophies but not reflect observations to a situation where science is a powerful tool to promote human health and wellbeing as well as the ecological health of the world.

The writer of Genesis challenges us to be good stewards of the earth. Boyle, Dalton and Faraday have done just that and used Science as a valuable tool to progress humanity both physically and spiritually.

In terms of being stewards of the earth there are numerous biblical verses to support this. In 1 Corinthians 4:2 Paul states that it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. In Numbers 35 we are told not to pollute and defile the land in which we live. In Genesis 2 before the Fall, the Lord God took humans and put them in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. In Psalm 8 we read that God has given us dominion over the works of God’s hands and he has put all things under our feet and this includes beasts of the field, birds of the sky and fishes in the sea.

Currently we observe our world and we see the land, the sky and the sea that is being destroyed by needless wars and we also see the rapid increase in numbers of species of animals, birds and fishes that are now considered endangered. We need more than ever leadership and help from Christian scientists whose motivation is built on a Christian worldview.

Finally, the Bible makes it clear that Science is a gift from God who is the source of all good things (James 1:17). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting challenges”.

The fact is we can use our intellect along with our Christian worldview to explore the physical world and make discoveries that can improve our living conditions and heal the world. This is not only good but is biblical.

I would like to conclude by sharing a story of how reading Scripture enabled a Scientist to gain a new perspective on his field of interest that benefited humanity.

Matthew Maury was a naval commander. His research and charts pioneered the field of oceanography and navigation. In 1839, Maury sustained a leg injury that left him bedridden. As a sailor he had been around the world many times. While he was recovering from his injury, his wife read to him from various books, including the Bible.

One day Mrs. Maury read to him from Psalm 8, which talks about God’s creative power and might. As he listened, Matthew wanted to have his imagination and thinking ignited. The particular words that caught his attention were verses 6 to 8, where it is written, “you have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands, you have put all things under his authority – all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the sea”.

Maury began thinking, “How can the sea have paths?” Then he thought that if he ever got back to sea, he would do some research on the paths of the sea. Two years later he went back to the navy and was put in charge of their depot of charts and instruments. In this post he launched an investigation of the ocean currents which kept him busy for the next 20 years and earned him the title “Pathfinder of the Seas”.

He designed logbooks and gave them to sea captains from many nations. He asked them to keep a daily record of their locations, wind speed and weather conditions. He persuaded sailors to drop bottles in the sea with messages recording the date and the location.

Eventually, Commander Maury was responsible for charting the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Stream and laid the foundations for the US Naval Observatory. Maury’s work cut precious days from travel time as captains took advantage of the natural currents of the sea. His discoveries saved countless lives by helping navigators to avoid dangerous storm times at sea. It all stemmed from his belief that “the paths of the sea” was not a piece of poetic expression but an accurate statement that science had not yet caught up with.

The Bible of course is not a scientific document. Rather it is a book which seeks to present God’s perspective on things. This is an example of how Science and Christian faith work together for the benefit of humanity.

Benediction

So now we offer our thanks

for the beauty of these islands.

for the wild places and the bush

for the mountains and the coast and the sea.

We offer thanks and praise to God

for this good land.

for its trees and pastures,

for its plentiful crops

and the skills we have learned to grow them

Our thanks for marae and cities

we have built.

for science and discoveries,

for our life together,

for Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Amen.

Tawa Baptist

In Our House – by Neville Gardner

Earlier in the service I read out a story called “Where’s God?” written by Victor Kelleher. I refer to it a bit in this talk, so here’s a summary:

A boy called Peter wanted to know where God is. His sister and dad weren’t much help, but mum said God was in everything. Peter looked in a church, where he discovered that God is in lots of places at the same time, but he couldn’t see him. An old man in the park told Peter that God is in his heart, but Peter didn’t know how to look there. By the end of the story, Peter still hadn’t found God, but he would be searching again soon.

The church we are sitting in was opened on the 1st of February 1965; that’s very nearly 60 years ago. There were other buildings before that – what we now use as the church hall was the previous church. Some of you were here for the opening and have been coming ever since. Others of you have been coming for varying lengths of time – many of you weren’t even born 60 years ago! Whatever your age or background, you all share reasons for being here.

I realise there are some people who are unable to be here for various reasons, though they would like to be – they are still part of this congregation.

In the story I read earlier, the boy Peter went into a church looking for God. I guess that’s one reason some people go to church, but there are lots of others, as we’ll see. Later, Peter was told that God is in everyone’s heart.

Let’s use Peter’s style of logic. If God is in everyone’s heart, then everyone who goes to church takes God in with them. Therefore, a good place to meet someone who has found where God is, is in a church full of people.

But if they’ve already found God, why are they in church?

With the start of a new year, and with this building’s milestone, I thought we could remind ourselves of some answers to this question.

When you visit someone else’s house, you can normally work out what each room is used for by the things that are in them. The kitchen contains things connected with cooking; the laundry contains things connected with washing clothes, and so on.

Some rooms contain things that as a visitor you might want to ask questions about. Visitors to our house are often interested in the displays of minerals and historic artefacts in the lounge. Or the books everywhere – Nicky and I have rather different responses to questions about them!

These types of things reveal more about your hosts than an armchair or toaster do. All the extra stuff is evidence of accumulated personal history and memories; it can give you a sense of the unique character of the occupants.

Over its 60 years, this church building, like a house, has acquired a collection of, mostly, useful and meaningful items. These say something about the character of its users. Like a house, you can get an idea of this character by looking at the contents.

Today we’ll look at some of the physical contents of this auditorium and use them to answer that question I arrived at earlier – why do we come to church?

Sometimes when you visit a house, you only get to see one or two rooms. But you know there are other rooms with other functions. In the same way, I’m going to concentrate on this auditorium – there are other spaces where the functions of the church go on, not just in the buildings around us but wherever you are out in the world.

So, let’s examine some of the contents of this room.

You might expect me to start with the cross at the front, but my first item is actually the rows of seats. These represent you, the community of Christians who worship in this church on a Sunday morning. I wouldn’t be able to talk about some of the other items in the auditorium without mentioning the people who call this church home.

Now for the crosses. Even many non-Christians know that a cross is a symbol of the execution of Jesus. Some churches have a representation of Jesus on the cross as a reminder of his suffering and sacrifice. Others, including Baptist churches, use an empty cross, emphasising the fact that Jesus was taken down, buried and then rose from the dead.

It’s less common to see three crosses together in a church.

Jesus was crucified with a criminal on either side. One of them wanted Jesus to save him so he could escape judgement. The other was willing to accept judgement, because he knew he had done wrong, but he allowed Jesus to take up the burden of his sin. The cross on one side therefore represents the rebellion of humankind. The cross on the other side represents the repentance we all need. The central cross represents the redemption that Jesus offers.

  • We don’t worship the cross, but we do worship the risen Christ it represents. That’s one of the reasons we come to church.

I’ve chosen the Bible next; it’s quite obvious here at the front. Some churches have an open Bible on display to acknowledge it as God’s Word, to show it is treasured and to indicate that it is accessible to everybody. There are copies in the pews for people to use during a service.

The Bible is a source of authority. It records how God has revealed himself to humans, and how he expects them to respond. We tend to use it as a sort of guidebook to navigate our lives. It can be quite hard to understand, and that’s where this lectern comes in. This is where someone stands to read parts of the Bible out to people, and where they place their notes if they are preaching.

I said just now that the Bible is accessible to everyone; we can read it for ourselves, so why do we need sermons? Sometimes we need help to discern some of the things God says, and we can benefit from a different way of seeing things, presented by people God has given the task and gifts to. That way, we may learn to see things clearer for ourselves. Sermons can stir up our emotions and excite us about God. Also, by being with others as God’s word is explained, we can be affected and supported by the reactions of those around us.

There are lots of inspirational sermons available online to watch at home or on the move. However, I feel that we benefit by hearing our own ministers bring messages created, under God’s guidance, especially for this congregation.

  • Learning from the Bible is one of the reasons we come to church.

We can see plenty of evidence of music in this church. There’s the organ, the piano, other musical instruments and, at times during a service, singers and musicians. Over the years, music has played a large part in developing the character of this church community.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the words of Paul still urge us to be “speaking to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts.” (Ephesians 5:19).”

Psalm 33 tells us to “Give thanks to the Lord with harps, sing to him with stringed instruments. Sing a new song to him, play the harp with skill, and shout for joy!”

This collective singing, and the making of music, is not for entertainment; it’s to speak to God, to worship him and to rejoice in him. As I can attest, you don’t have to have a good voice – God hears your best attempt and takes it as praise.

When you sing collectively, you also sing to each other, joining together in worship. You sing to yourself too, soaking up and refreshing yourself with the words.

Many years ago, I used to live in Cardiff, Wales, just across the river from Cardiff Arms Park rugby ground. When the national team was playing, I’d open my window and listen to thousands of Welsh people singing together, all supporting the same side. That’s what we do in here, sing together because we’re all on the same side.

  • Singing and playing to the Lord is one of the reasons we come to church.

The next thing I’ve chosen to look at is less obvious. It’s the very stylised fish symbol above the windows. I talked about the cross earlier, but it wasn’t a commonly used symbol in the early Christian church. Until Christianity became an accepted religion, Christians were persecuted, even crucified for their beliefs. So the cross was a symbol of fear for many. Instead, the image of a fish was often used, like a sort of password, to mark secret meeting places and to identify Christians to each other.

Why a fish? Many reasons have been suggested. The simplest say it was because Jesus used fish in several of his miracles (think bread and fish, filling empty nets with fish). He also called some of his earliest disciples, actual fishermen, to become ‘fishers of men.’

We don’t need a secret password anymore, but the fish is still a potent symbol. It reminds us of the hardships of early Christians, but mostly it reminds us that we too are to be ‘fishers of men’. And in church we can learn some of the attitudes, the biblical knowledge and tools necessary.

  • Being encouraged to be ‘fishers of men’ is one of the reasons we come to church.

I’m going to stop my little tour of this room in our house here. There are other reasons for coming to church that don’t have an obvious object associated with them, such as prayer. Items connected with other reasons are only present sometimes – communion and baptism for instance. I encourage you to think about how these fit into your own church-based life, or how you would explain them if you were taking a visitor on a tour of the auditorium.

I’ve mentioned some reasons for coming to church that can be summed up as ‘spiritual growth’ – we can develop our spiritual life and grow closer to God through worship, Bible-based teaching, singing, prayer. Mind you, you can do these things on your own too.

Scripture doesn’t tell us that we must attend church, but it does speak about the blessing of being part of a church community. For example, in the Letter to the Hebrews we read:

Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Hebrews 10: 24-25

As well as worship and spiritual growth, there are reasons for gathering together which can’t always be met elsewhere.

We can meet and build friendships with people who share our beliefs and values. This helps give us a sense of belonging.

It helps us receive comfort and support when life becomes difficult.

If you have children, you are supported in giving them a Christian upbringing.

I’m sure you will think of other reasons.

So, we have lots of reasons for coming together for worship and fellowship on a Sunday, and we have accumulated a number of physical items to help us. It’s hard to imagine gathering on a Sunday without a cross, a Bible, sources of music and somewhere to sit. Some would argue that you can have all these things without having a dedicated building that is only used one morning a week. After all, such a building is expensive to build and maintain, and resources could be better used helping our wider community, our neighbours.

Different churches have found different ways to address this balance. All have advantages and disadvantages.

Here at Tawa Baptist we are blessed, because earlier congregations (including some current members) have given us facilities that include both a dedicated worship auditorium and rooms and buildings for other uses. It’s much like a house of many rooms.

And I think Peter would have found God in all of them, don’t you?

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. How would you answer the question “Where’s God”?
  2. When people visit your home, how do you respond when they ask questions about what they see in a room?
  3. When you visit someone else’s home, do you just notice the contents (without appearing to be nosy of course) or do you ask questions? What sorts of things do you like to know about?
  4. How important do you think it is for a faith community (a church) to have a permanent, dedicated building to meet in? Think of some advantages and disadvantages.