Tawa Baptist

Servant King

Scripture: Deuteronomy 17:14-20

Video Link: https://youtu.be/nCG_TxxcEk0

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Optional
  • Secure
  • Exemplary
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Did you know there are currently 29 monarchs in the world today? That is, 29 kings or queens who rule over 44 countries.

Only three of these monarchs have absolute power over their country. The Sultan of Oman, the King of Saudi Arabia and the Pope who is king of the city state of the Vatican.

Most of the monarchies are constitutional, which means the king or queen has their power restrained by law. So, for example, King Charles III can’t do whatever he wants.   

Today we continue our series in Deuteronomy. In chapter 17, Moses outlines some requirements for Israel’s king. These are like constitutional rules to moderate the powers of the king. The kings, in ancient Israel, had more power than the King of England does today but they did not have absolute power.  From Deuteronomy 17, verses 14-20 we read…

14 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” 15 be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. 16 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” 17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. 18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

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

Three words to organise our thoughts on this passage: optional, secure and exemplary. Israel’s human king is optional, not compulsory. He is to be secure in the Lord, not anxious. And he is to be exemplary, not a law unto himself. Let’s start with this idea that the king is optional not compulsory.  

Optional:

I’m guessing almost everyone listening to this has a TV or some other device for watching TV in their home. TV’s are an optional extra. They may feel like a necessity but in actual fact they are optional.

You can go through your whole life without watching TV and be quite okay. Human beings survived without TV’s for thousands of years. In fact, TV’s weren’t invented until the 1930’s and they didn’t become common place in people’s homes until the 1950’s and 60’s.  

If you have young children living with you, then you probably want to delay TV watching for them as long as you can. Eventually though, they will go to school or to a friend’s house, become aware that TV’s exist and not want to miss out.

When that day comes, and you are no longer able to withhold the flat screen, as parents you will want to decide how much TV your kids watch and what programmes they view.

The king in ancient Israel was a bit like a TV. The king was optional, not compulsory. Israel did not actually need a human king. The Lord God, Yahweh, was their King and he had provided all the infrastructure the nation needed to function without a human monarch.

The Lord had given the law. He had prescribed a justice system with judges to sort out people’s disputes. And he had appointed priests to teach the law and facilitate worship. The Lord’s leadership structure was flat and power was democratised, spread among the people, not concentrated in one person.      

God and Moses wanted to delay the introduction of a human king as long as possible, especially while the nation was young. But the Lord and Moses knew the day would come when the people would insist on a king like the other nations around them.  

When that day came the Lord, in his grace, would accommodate Israel’s wishes but God wanted to choose the king and moderate his behaviour. Much like a responsible parent wants to manage their child’s TV watching.

Where it says, the king must be a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner, this is a safe guard against outside religious forces that might introduce foreign gods or foreign ways of worshipping. Sort of like a parent wouldn’t let their six year-old watch an R16 movie.

Moving forward in Israel’s history, we read in 1st Samuel chapter 8 that once the people were settled in the land, they did in fact ask for a king like the other nations around them. The prophet Samuel was displeased with this request so he prayed to the Lord and God said to him…

7 “Listen to everything the people say to you. You are not the one they have rejected; I am the one they have rejected as their king. 8 Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have turned away from me and worshiped other gods; and now they are doing to you what they have always done to me. 9 So then, listen to them, but give them strict warnings and explain how their kings will treat them.”

God appointed Saul to be Israel’s king and when that didn’t work out the Lord appointed David. David was a king after God’s own heart but most of the human kings were rat bags and made life more difficult for the people.

The human king in ancient Israel was optional, not compulsory. But once Israel got on that roller coaster, there was no getting off for several centuries.

Ideally, Israel’s king was to be secure in the Lord and not anxious.

Secure:

Imagine you are taking a walk in the wilderness. This particular tramp will likely take all day and you don’t know if there will be any streams or watering holes along the way. So you need to take some water with you.

Do you carry the water cupped in your hands or do you take it in a bottle? [Wait] That’s right, you put the water in a bottle. If you try to carry the water in your hands it will soon spill out, plus you won’t have your hands free.

If the water in this little parable represents your security, then putting your security in God is like putting the water in the bottle, it’s a far better option. The king needs to put his security in God and not try to handle it all by himself. 

Another question you might ask yourself, before you go on this walk, is how much water will you carry? Two or three litres should be enough for the day. But a hundred litres wouldn’t make any sense. Not only do you not need a hundred litres, it would be too heavy to carry. You wouldn’t make it very far.

Sometimes we try to make ourselves more secure by accumulating more stuff. And while some stuff is helpful and necessary, too much stuff tends to make us less secure and less effective.

In verses 16-17 of Deuteronomy 17, we learn how the king needs to put his security in the Lord and not try to secure the future through his own efforts or by accumulating power, influence and wealth for himself. In other words, the king must not acquire too many horses, too many wives or too much gold & silver.

Horses, in the context, were essentially weapons of war. Horses and chariots were symbols of military power, like tanks and fighter jets. The king is allowed to have some military equipment but not at the expense of relying on Yahweh to fight for Israel.

King David, one of Israel’s most successful military commanders, did not rely on horses and chariots. He relied on the Lord, famously defeating the Philistine Goliath with a stone and a sling shot. 

The danger with too many royal wives isn’t so much to do with sex. It’s more to do with idolatry. Kings don’t always marry for love. They often marry to secure political alliances with other nations. If the king’s harem is stacked with women who worship foreign gods, then he will be tempted to start worshipping other gods alongside Yahweh.

Just as too many wives will alienate the king from God, too much wealth will alienate the king from the people he is there to serve. Money is not evil in itself. We need some financial resources to get by in this world. The problem is, that too much money (or too little) can distort our perspective.

If you own a huge mansion, seven rental houses, four cars, two boats and a helicopter, with plenty of spare cash in the bank, then it is easy to lose touch with the reality faced by someone who is renting one of your houses and taking the bus to a minimum wage job every day.

So the king should put his security in God, not in the accumulation of weapons, wives and wealth.

There is a reference in verse 16 to not going back to Egypt. Egypt was a land of slavery for the people of Israel. The inference seems to be that if the king makes it his business to expand his military power, his harem and his portfolio of assets, then that will result in a heavy burden of taxation on the people, essentially making the nation slaves to the king’s ambition.

Deuteronomy 17 provides a critique of king Solomon. In 1st Kings 10 & 11 we read of Solomon’s many wives, weapons and wealth and how he turned away from the Lord. Solomon may have been wise and successful but he was not always faithful.

The financial burden his household placed on the people of Israel became intolerable. Solomon broke all the rules for Israelite kings and the people suffered for it.

Returning to our water metaphor, it was like Solomon forced the nation to carry a hundred litres of water for a day’s walk, when he only needed two or three litres. As his reign extended, Solomon’s security was not in the Lord.  

In Matthew 6, in the context of talking about wealth and worry, Jesus says this:

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow…, won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you?

It is interesting that Jesus talks about king Solomon alongside worry and anxiety. Is Jesus suggesting that, despite all his wealth and splendour, Solomon was actually quite anxious and insecure? [1]  

Ironically, the more stuff a person accumulates, the more worry they create for themselves. Not that poverty is the answer. Being poor creates anxiety too. Better to aim for moderation. Give us this day our daily bread.

King David had his head on straight. As we read in David’s psalm, The Lord is my shepherd… In other words, the Lord God is my security.

The point is, Israel’s king needs to find his security in the Lord and not be anxious. If the king puts his security in military power or political marriage alliances or material wealth, then he will always be wanting more.

But when the king puts his security in God, he sets the right kind of example for his people and the nation is better off.

Exemplary:

After her coronation Oath, Queen Elizabeth was presented with a Bible and these words: ‘Our gracious Queen: to keep your majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.’

This idea of giving Queen Elizabeth a copy of the Bible to read, came from Deuteronomy 17. In verses 18-19 Moses instructs the king to copy out the law himself and to keep that copy handy, reading from it daily throughout his reign.

The point of copying and reading the law like this is to shape the king’s thinking in the ways of the Lord, so the king will make decisions that keep Israel’s covenant with God. The Lord wants the king to be exemplary, to set a good example for the nation.

Kings of other nations made laws to protect their own interests and to regulate the conduct of their subjects. But Israel’s king was to be different. Israel’s king was to regulate himself in accordance with God’s law.

In verse 20 we read how the king is not to consider himself better than his fellow Israelites. This means the king is not above the law. He is first among equals. He is not to change the law or make new laws to suit himself. The king is to be exemplary in keeping the law. The king is to lead by example, in other words.   

Looking a bit deeper we see one of the character traits a king needs is humility. The king needs to keep his feet on the ground and maintain a right understanding of himself in relation to others. Being king does not automatically make him a better person than anyone else. It is important the king does not believe the hype surrounding himself.

The instruction to not accumulate too many weapons, wives or wealth (in verses 16-17) makes sense in light of verse 20. Because it is hard to remain humble, it’s hard to keep your feet on the ground, when your ego is constantly being inflated by the trappings of status and worldly success.

Not many of Israel’s kings managed to follow Moses’ instructions in Deuteronomy 17. King Hezekiah and king Josiah were given special mention as good kings, better than most, but none of the kings really nailed it.

Most of Israel and Judah’s kings led the people astray by their example and as a consequence Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians and the survivors were sent into exile.

We might wonder how Deuteronomy 17 applies today. Can we, for example, use these verses as a guide when voting for our political leaders? Well, maybe, but we would be hard pressed to find any politician today who measured up to the ideal leader in Scripture.

Having said that, if a political leader is super rich or a philanderer or arrogant or a poor example of a human being, then that raises some red flags and we probably shouldn’t support them with our vote.

We do better to apply the principles outlined in Deuteronomy 17 to ourselves, whether we are in a leadership position or not. We could, for example, ask ourselves questions like…

Where is my security placed? Is my security in God or is it in my own strength or my own ability? Is my security based on my career or my bank balance or my reputation or my youthful good looks?

Can I honestly say with David; The Lord is shepherd (my security)? Or am I compensating for my insecurity with a flash car or by criticising others or with some other self-promoting strategy? 

Humility (keeping your feet on the ground) is a key indicator that your security is well placed in the Lord.

Thinking of how today’s passage applies to us personally, another question we might ask ourselves is, how often do I read my Bible? And, by extension, do I make life decisions with reference to God’s moral law in the Bible? For example, do I consider what God might want when buying and selling stuff or making career decisions or taking care of my family?

Is the lifestyle I lead a good example to others or is it a stumbling block? Children are always learning. They are always on. And their main teacher is the example of the adults around them.

Conclusion:

Of course, Deuteronomy 17 is not primarily about us or our political leaders. These verses are first and foremost about Jesus. Deuteronomy 17 describes what God’s true Messiah looks like and Jesus fits the bill perfectly.

Jesus had no horses or chariots. He did not care for military power. Jesus walked the path of non-violence, making himself vulnerable instead.

Jesus had no wife and was not at all interested in creating political alliances. He said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world’.

Likewise, Jesus did not accumulate gold and silver for himself. He is humble in heart, near to the poor and broken hearted. Jesus understands how hard life can be and he cares for you.

Jesus is 100% secure in God his Father, willing to wash his disciples’ feet and able to say: the greatest among you is the servant of all.  

Not only did Jesus know the law, he also fulfilled the law in a way that no one before him or after him has ever been able to do.   

Jesus is the ideal King, the prime example of what it means to remain faithful and obedient to God, even unto death on a cross. Jesus is our servant King.

Let us pray…

Father God, you are sovereign over all the earth. You are our security. We pray for the earthly leaders you have appointed to govern in this world. Give them wisdom and courage to serve your purpose. We pray for ourselves. Help us to follow the example of Jesus, our eternal King, for your glory. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Why does Moses discourage the king from accumulating too many weapons, wives and wealth?
  • Where is your security placed? How do you know where your security is placed?
  • How often do you read the Bible? In what ways do you (or can you) make life decisions with reference to God’s moral law in the Bible? (E.g. when buying or selling something, how you spend your time, how you treat your family, career decisions, etc.)
  • Discuss / reflect on the ways Jesus meets God’s requirements of a king, as detailed in Deuteronomy 17.   
  • Who has set a good example for you in life? What in particular was helpful about the example they set? What kind of example do you set for others?

[1] As Walter Brueggemann observes, it is not an accident that Solomon is cited by Jesus as the quintessential anxious one who, in all his power and wealth, turned out to be second rate. C.f. Walter Brueggemann, Deuteronomy, page 187.

Tawa Baptist

Secure

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:3-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Salvation secured
  • Faith tested
  • Prophecy revealed
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When you find yourself on holiday, browsing through a book store for that perfect summer read, you might look at the dust cover of a book to get an idea of what the story is about. The brief blurb does not tell you the whole story and it certainly won’t give away the ending, but it’s designed to whet your appetite and get you interested in reading further.

It’s similar with movies. Before the feature movie starts they usually play trailers advertising other movies. Just a small taster to sow a seed and invite your imagination in.

When you go to a friend’s home for dinner they normally greet you at the door with a warm welcome, a hug or a handshake and they offer you something to drink and some snacks before the full meal is served. The host wants to put you at ease and make you feel good about being there. That way you will let your defences down and simply enjoy the evening. 

Today we continue our new series (started last week) in the letter of 1st Peter. Today’s reading, from chapter 1, verses 3-12, is one long sentence in the original Greek. This passage is like the dust cover of the book, or the trailer of a movie, in that it gives you an idea of what’s in store in the rest of the letter. It whets your appetite and invites your imagination in.

Today’s reading is also like the warm welcome you receive when you go to a friend’s house for dinner, in that it puts you at ease. It’s like Peter is saying to his readers, ‘I know you. I understand your situation. I get where you’ve come from. We are friends.’ In this way Peter helps his readers to feel comfortable, so they will lower their defences and allow his words in. From 1st Peter chapter 1, verses 3-12, we read… 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!In his great mercyhe has given us new birthinto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade.This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you,searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christin them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.Even angels long to look into these things.

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

There’s a lot going on in these verses. It is the theological equivalent of a Christmas cake – rich and thick. To help provide some clarity, I see this one long sentence in three parts:

Verses 3-5 are talking about salvation secured,

Verses 6-9 are about faith tested

And verses 10-12 touch on prophecy revealed.

First let’s consider the security of our salvation.  

Salvation secured:

Imagine you are driving your car along a country road in the rain. It’s been pouring for days and the paddocks either side of the road are flooded. You come round a bend and see the road in front of you is underwater. You stop for a moment to consider what to do.

You have been driving for hours and are in the middle of nowhere. If you go back the way you came you might run out of petrol, or find that the road you’ve just travelled has become impassable. But if you go forward you risk stalling the car and getting stuck underwater.

You decide to risk it and very carefully drive forward, hoping the water doesn’t get too deep. Your car handles the first 50 metres well enough but then there is a dip in the road, the car bonnet is submerged and the air intake starts sucking water. The engine cuts out and won’t start again. You are stranded.

Water is filling your car quickly now and as the tide rises, so does the feeling of panic. You climb out the window and on to the roof. There is no cell-phone reception. You are wet, cold and alone. It’s just a matter of time before the whole car goes under, so you try to swim to higher ground, but the current is too strong and sweeps you away. It’s all you can do to keep your head above water.

The torrent carries you downstream for some miles – you can’t be sure how far. By this stage you are exhausted and thinking, ‘so this is how it ends’. Then, in the distance, you see a bridge with people standing on it. Hope flickers in you like a distant star. You wave out to them. Maybe they can help.

The people on the bridge see you. One of them runs away only to return moments later with something. What is it? As the current carries you closer you recognise it is a rope. They are lowering a rope to you and yelling for you to grab hold of it as you float past.

You manage to get a hand on the rope and find they have conveniently made a loop in the end, so the rope will hold you like a harness. You feel the rope snapping tight and realise the people up on the bridge are pulling on it. All you have to do now is hold on. You hope the rope will hold your weight. You hope your rescuers are strong enough.

After the two longest minutes in your life your rescuers have you out of the water and on the bridge with them. You look round and see the rope was tied to a four-wheel drive all along. A four-wheel drive with a snorkel. That’s how they roll in the country. You are still cold and tired but you are not alone. You were as good as dead but now you live again. It’s going to be alright.

Hope is the belief that something good is waiting for us in the future. Or said another way, hope is the ability to imagine a good future. The rope lowered from the bridge symbolises hope. Hope is like a rope connecting the future to the present. Hope gives us something to hold onto in the present moment. When we are struggling to keep our head above water, hope connects us – it keeps us afloat and allows us to imagine a future with a good outcome.

In verse 3 of chapter 1, Peter praises God for his great mercy in giving us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. God (Father, Son & Spirit) is like the people on the bridge who threw you the rope. You were as good as dead and powerless to save yourself but God, in his mercy, threw you a life line. God saved you. He gave you new birth.

Jesus talked about this new birth in John 3, when Nicodemus came to see him at night. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 

Peter says we are born again into a living hope. If the people on the bridge had thrown a rope that was too short to reach, or too rotten to carry your weight, then that would be a dead hope. But the rope they threw you was long enough and strong enough and so it is a living hope. Meaning it is a hope that is sure and certain and secure. It is not a long shot, like winning Lotto. The rope of hope that God offers is a hope that will not disappoint.    

The thing that makes Christian hope living and sure is the resurrection of Jesus. Whenever Peter preaches in the book of Acts he talks about the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection was front and centre of the Christian message in the first century. Jesus’ resurrection is the anchor of Christian hope. Our hope of salvation is tied to the resurrection of Christ like the rope (in my story) was tied to the four-wheel drive. It is because Jesus has been raised from the dead to eternal life that our hope of eternal life is not just wishful thinking.

In verse 4 Peter goes on to say that our new birth is also into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – an inheritance kept in heaven for you.  

Just as people receive their ethnic identity, their citizenship, their socio-economic class (and so on) from their biological parents, Christians receive a new identity and a new citizenship from God (their heavenly Father) when they are born again. The new birth that God gives redefines the believers’ relationship with society and transforms their identity and character. [1]      

There’s a line in that great hymn Be Thou my Vision which reads: “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Be thou my inheritance now and always.”

The most common form of inheritance in the Middle East, of the first century, was land. In the context of this world, land represents security.

Some of Peter’s listeners had likely been disinherited for choosing to follow Jesus. Others may have been driven from their homeland by persecution, due to their Christian faith. So they had essentially lost their inheritance in this world. They had lost their physical and material security.

What an affirmation and an encouragement it would have been to have Peter, a hero and an icon in the early church, saying they have a heavenly inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. An inheritance which is immortal, pure and beautiful – and therefore more secure, more valuable, than land.

Again we hear the echo of Jesus’ words, where the Lord says (in Matthew 6:19-21) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus is talking about eternal security here. The most valuable part of our inheritance is Jesus himself. We want to be building a quality relationship with Jesus now (in this world) that will serve us well for all eternity. 

In verse 5 of chapter 1, Peter talks about the Christian believer being shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The salvation Peter has in mind here is a deliverance from this world (which is hostile to God) and into God’s kingdom – a place where God’s will is done perfectly. For Peter, salvation is the coming inheritance, to which Christian believers are now fully entitled but do not yet fully possess. [2]   

Okay, so our salvation, our hope of eternal life, our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, is secure. The next thing I want to highlight is the way Christian faith is tested, as Peter describes in verses 6-9.

Faith tested:

Roald Dahl wrote a book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s about a boy called Charlie who wins a golden ticket for a tour through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Charlie and his family are very poor and so the abundance of Mr Wonka’s chocolate factory fills young Charlie with awe and wonder.

Other children win tickets too and are allowed to take one adult with them on the tour. Little do they realise but Mr Wonka is trying to find someone to inherit his chocolate kingdom. He wants to give it all away to someone he can trust; someone who will trust him.

As the children make their way through the factory, one by one, they get themselves into trouble so they cannot finish the tour. It’s not that Mr Wonka is trying to catch them out. It’s just that in a chocolate factory trials and temptations are inevitable.

In the end, only Charlie and his Grandpa Joe are left. But they are disqualified for stealing fizzy lifting drink. Charlie proves himself faithful by handing the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka. ‘So shines a good deed in a weary world.’  

The analogy is not perfect, and should not be pressed too far, but in some ways God is a bit like Mr Wonka, wanting to share his kingdom with humanity. Likewise, Peter’s listeners are like Charlie, poor in material wealth but rich in genuine faith.

From verse 6 Peter writes: though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed.  

Gold, in the ancient world, was the most valuable material there was and one of the most durable too. Peter is comparing Christian faith to gold. He is saying genuine faith in Jesus is more valuable and more resilient than gold.

The grief and trials his readers have had to suffer are not cause for shame or disgrace. They should not think of their hardship as a punishment from God. Suffering does not mean God is unhappy with you. Nor is God going out of his way to make life difficult for people.

As one commentator put it, this life is not an obstacle course that we must get through in order to make it into heaven. Rather, suffering in a world that is opposed to the ways of God is inevitable and serves to prove the true value of your faith.

Now, we may not suffer in the same way that Christians did in the first century. While NZ society has (generally speaking) become less friendly to the church, we are not yet openly persecuted for our faith in Jesus. But we do still suffer. This life is difficult and being a Christian does not make one immune from trials and grief.  

Part of Peter’s message to us is that suffering provides an opportunity to test and prove genuine faith. Why are you a Christian? Is it just for the perks of forgiveness and grace? Is it just so you can get into heaven when you die? Or is it because you love and trust Jesus as your Lord and friend.    

Peter shows us that suffering can be a positive thing. Suffering for Christ leads to glory with Christ. For this reason, Christians can find nuggets of joy in the gravel of suffering.

Now the thing about faith and hope is that one trusts in what one cannot see. When Charlie handed the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka he could not see how that was going to play out. Charlie was simply doing what he believed to be right, in faith, that things would work out in the end. Likewise, when a person who is drowning is thrown a rope, they take hold of it in faith that it will hold their weight and save them. 

In verse 8 Peter admires his readers saying they love Jesus and believe in him even though they have never seen him. In some ways, their faith (and ours) is greater than Peter’s own faith, for Peter had seen Jesus, whereas his readers have not. As the risen Jesus said to Thomas, in John 20:29, Blessed are those who do not see [me] and believe. Peter’s readers are truly walking by faith and not by sight.

The inheritance of our salvation is secure and the presence of suffering is cause for joy because it tests and proves genuine faith. Which brings us to the third point of today’s message: Peter’s readers live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus (the Messiah) have been revealed.  

Prophecy revealed:

Throughout this year, the government in New Zealand have based their COVID management decisions on scientific evidence. No one can predict the exact timing or circumstances in which a virus cluster might arise but, through contact tracing and community testing, we can gain some understanding of the patterns of the virus and when it is prudent to move up or down levels.

Modern science is also working hard to find a vaccine against the virus, so we do not have to keep running and hiding every time a cluster flares up. 

In many ways we are privileged to live at a time in history when science is able to reveal so much about the virus. When the bubonic plague broke out nearly 700 years ago, people simply did not have the technology to accurately identify it, let alone create a vaccine for it.   

In verses 8-9 Peter applauds his readers for believing in Jesus, even though they have not seen him. Although there is an element of not being able to see with faith, this does not imply there is no evidence for Christian faith. Faith in Jesus is based (in part) on the evidence of the Old Testament prophets.       

Peter observes how the prophets (people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and others) were able to predict the pattern that the Messiah would suffer and then be glorified. But they did not know the time and circumstances in which the things they predicted would take place.

Like the scientists of today, who are searching for a vaccine for COVID, the prophets of long ago searched intently and with greatest care to determine when and where the Messiah would turn up, but this was not revealed to them. It has however been revealed to us.

By recognising the Old Testament prophets in this way, Peter accomplishes a number of things at the same time. Firstly, Peter shows there is a continuity between the Old & New Testaments. The same Holy Spirit who empowered Christ and was poured out at Pentecost, is the same Spirit who pointed the prophets of old to the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection.

This pattern was not an accident of history but was in fact designed and planned for, by God, all along. Despite the way things may appear, God is still in control and his purpose will be achieved in the end.  

Secondly, Peter is providing objective evidence for those believers who may have been struggling with doubts and thinking about chucking their faith away. The fact the Old Testament prophets predicted the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and glorification, confirms that Jesus is the Messiah and so their faith in Jesus is well placed. Not only that, but their current suffering confirms they stand in solidarity with Jesus – so they can take comfort in knowing they are on the right track.

Thirdly, for those who may be tempted to self-pity (due to their trials and grief), Peter points out how privileged they are; for they live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus have been revealed. Something even angels long to look into.   

Conclusion:

The things Peter touches on here, at the beginning of his letter, whet our appetite and invite our imagination in. Verses 3-12, of chapter 1, show that Peter understands his readers. He knows where they have come from and where they are headed. 

The hope of our salvation is secure through Jesus’ resurrection.

The true value of our faith is tested and proved through suffering.

And we are privileged to live at a time in history when the ancient prophecy concerning Jesus, the Messiah, has been revealed.

Peter will develop these three ideas in the rest of his letter. 

What is the take away for you today?

Are you weary with grief and trials? Are you struggling to keep your head above water? Hold on to the rope of hope. Jesus is standing on the bridge holding the other end. He’s got you.

Suffering is not a sign that God has abandoned you. Suffering provides an opportunity for the refining of our faith. It is an opportunity to show God that you love him for who he is and not just what he gives.

We don’t know how lucky we are to live at this time in history.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

 Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

Peter says God has given us ‘new birth’. What are we born again into? What are the implications of this new birth for us?

What is hope? In what sense is hope like a rope? Where is your hope placed? (What rope are you holding onto?) Why is Jesus’ resurrection important to Christian hope?

Peter talks about an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. What does he mean by ‘inheritance’?

What purpose/meaning does Peter give to suffering? How might this inform (or transform) the way we interpret our own suffering? Why are you a Christian?

What three things may we glean from Peter’s reference to the prophets in verses 10-12? 

Take some time this week to reflect on (and give thanks for) the privileges we enjoy at this time in history.  

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 81.

[2] Refer Karen Jobes, page 88.