When God called us into ministry, few would say that problems weren’t anticipated. The truth is, we don’t have to go around like Sherlock Holmes to find them. However, many times the difference between the problems we expected and what the realities are become overwhelming. The following list is by no means exhaustive, but should at least help give a reality check. This list is not to be interpreted to discourage anyone from responding to God’s call, rather it should be more understood as “counting the cost” of discipleship.
1. Just because God has called you, you must be right. One of the things that is often overlooked is the fact that even Solomon had advisers. The less experience we have the more we need input from those who have already walked that trail. “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” Proverbs 12:15
2. Not everyone that opposes you is an enemy. Walking into a ministry position with a “them vs us” attitude will only become a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is closely related to #1.
3. I shouldn’t be having these problems if this were God’s will. It is true that some problems are a result of our own fault. In that case, we need to repent, seek reconciliation, and correct the issue. However, not all problems have that as a root cause. Look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10:
“3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."
Problems are one of the things that God uses to form our character. How we respond under the pressure and stress of problems is more important than the problem itself.
4. All Pastors, staff, etc., are godly people. This is by no means a criticism of those in the pastorate or in other staff positions, but the recognition that we all have clay feet. We all face temptation and are in the process of God making us into His own image. Do not expect perfection; you are not perfect either.
5. The people within my church should understand that I know what I am doing. It may be that you even have a college or seminary degree in music, worship, etc. You may have many years of experience, but trust and confidence doesn’t come in a resume, but in relationships. You will earn the right to be heard, and sometimes it may take years. Be patient. Be loving.
6. My family shouldn’t have problems because I am serving God. The truth is some of the most Godly men and women I know have faced devastating problems of life and death. God’s call is not a shield from problems, but a mandate to obedience that results in a changed life. Go back and look at Paul’s list in #3.
7. My training in school should have prepared me for this. As rigorous as schooling is, no one knows what the future holds. A large percentage of the professors teaching now began their studies before cell phones were even in existence, and even more before the internet was around. No one could have foreseen all the implications and changes. Besides the basics, one of the marks of a good education is training in the ability to discern and synthesize. If all you do in school is regurgitate a memorized content, then you probably are going to have issues in the near future. Learning how and when to ask “Why?”, “What was the cause?” and “What are the implications?” can go a long way to help prepare you for what is yet to come.
8. My wife, children, family, should understand that what I do is important. I really don’t have time or space to unpack all the implications of that statement here, but rather than be a competition of time in your ministry, your spouse, children, and family are critical to the biblical success of your ministry. I would encourage you to read Peter Scazzero’s The Emotionally Healthy Church. It should be required reading for every staff member of every church.
9. My value comes from how effective a worship leader and director I am. The truth is or worth comes from what Christ did for us, not what we might be able to do or not do. This is liberating. The person trapped by a self-worth dependent on output will eventually crash into disappointment and disillusionment. I am free to love others because Christ loved me and can ask Him to love them through me for His glory. Because it is He that is working through me, it is He that should get all the glory. It is very easy to fall into this trap of building one’s self-worth from accomplishments. It is a black hole; run from it as fast as you can.
10. I don’t have to be careful about my personal devotional time. We might as well say we don’t have to worry about breathing, that we will do it when we feel like it. Your ability to lead others is dependent on the level of intimacy with the Father. You can not take others where you have not been, where you have only read about. What we do on Sunday is overflow from where we have been during the week. We can become defensive and lower our moral defenses when we separate us from a regular, intimate time with the Father each day.
I trust these have been a kick-start to some thought and reflection.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Where Am I as a Worship Leader?
“Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 30:22 NLT
Tucked away in the books of the Chronicles are a myriad of gems and points to ponder. Chapter 30 of 2 Chronicles lists some of the reforms that Hezekiah accomplished in his 29 year reign as king. One of these was the restoration of the Festival of Unleavened Bread [Passover]. Because there weren’t enough priests who were ritually clean the celebration had to be postponed one month and even then, the Levites were more diligent than the priests. But the Levites were also diligent in another area, perhaps overlooked in today’s culture– they were diligent in their skill. This could have been the skill in which they played, or the skill in which they carried out their responsibilities, but regardless, it was done with such excellence that the King noticed it, and encouraged them in what they were doing.
The Levites did not have “top billing” in the worship service; that was left to the priests. It might have been easy to become slack in performing a duty that might not even be noticed by anyone else but a few individuals, but they performed their duties with excellence anyway. They must have realized that they were doing this for Yahweh, and not just as a job. When a job is done well only when we think someone is watching, we reflect a poor understanding of what the job is and why we are to do it. Let me unpack this just a little so we can better understand what the implications are.
David had reassigned responsibilities to the Levites [1 Chron 25] looking forward to the construction of the Temple, since they would no longer be needed to carry the Tabernacle from one place to the next. Part of this reassignment was a group dedicated to the worship of God through song. The chants were taught father to son for the life of the father, at which time the son would take over more or less when the father reached 50. Verses 6-8 give more insight into the process:
"Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties."
Notice the phrase “all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord”. This was a process that took time. They were not satisfied with half-hearted work or ability, they had to reach a level of excellence to be able to serve. Now let’s fast forward back to the time of Hezekiah, hundreds of years had passed, yet, there must have been a group throughout this entire period that remained faithful to God, teaching their children the melodies, teaching them the texts of the psalms, especially since the music was not written down and everything was passed on aurally. Discipline and excellence can stand the tests of time when tied to an eternal purpose.
The Levites demonstrated their musical skill because they had paid the price to achieve that level of skill. Natural talent may help, but skill development is work. It is hard work and it takes time. They must have had a keen sense of being in the presence of God and carrying out their responsibilities for Him and for His approval.
So what does that have to do with me? Too often, we have forgotten Who we are serving and why we do what we do. We allow personal convenience to dictate our schedule, rather than order our schedule around what should really be the priorities of our lives. In the case of a worship leader, this means practice, and by practice I do not mean briefly running over the music. Practice implies:
[1] having a strong understanding of music fundamentals to be able to understand when one has reached a high skill level.
[2] Perseverance to keep on working until that level of skill is achieved.
Unfortunately, music is thrown together, run through a time or two and topped off with the phrase, “Well, that will have to do for Sunday.” I praise God for some who are diligent and truly work at improving every time the opportunity arises, but for many, just getting by week to week is an established norm that refuses to broken.
The question we must ask ourselves as worship leaders is, “Am I at the same skill level in my craft as I was a year ago?” Unless we can be honest with ourselves, it is doubtful that our skill levels will ever improve. Churches are looking for worship leaders and have the expectations that they have the “musical chops” to lead, play, sing, and direct. When someone hands a piece of music to a worship leader, the last thing anyone wants to hear is, “Sorry, I can’t read or play that.” There is no substitute for hard work. Fine tuning our skill development means that we do what it takes to get there. One of the best ways to do this is with further education. I teach in a Seminary that specializes in just those skills. We provide the technical expertise as well as biblical groundwork for a balanced, well-rounded preparation. [If this sounds like a commercial, well it could be taken that way; I am not ashamed of our program.] I am partial to ours, but would encourage all worship leaders to get what it takes to improve your craft.
Getting more education will help, but the greatest help for life long ministry is one that is more than a narrowly focused study. One of the advantages of a program like ours at the Seminary is that it is broad based. By that I mean that the training is more than in just one area. If we knew what churches would need in 5, 10, 15 years from now, we would focus on those areas, but the reality is, no one does. Because of that, it is of upmost importance that the education one receives focus on more than what’s “hot now”. Education needs to be more than focusing on just the areas that we like. I do not want to go to a doctor that only studied the things he thought was important. Our churches deserve better as well.
Hezekiah encouraged those who demonstrated their craft with excellence. Our job is to please a King on a much higher plain, who deserves much more than our second best. He is worthy of more than our best, our best is the least we should give. He is the One we live for, play for, sing for; He is the reason. In the words of the slogan, let’s just do it!
2 Chronicles 30:22 NLT
Tucked away in the books of the Chronicles are a myriad of gems and points to ponder. Chapter 30 of 2 Chronicles lists some of the reforms that Hezekiah accomplished in his 29 year reign as king. One of these was the restoration of the Festival of Unleavened Bread [Passover]. Because there weren’t enough priests who were ritually clean the celebration had to be postponed one month and even then, the Levites were more diligent than the priests. But the Levites were also diligent in another area, perhaps overlooked in today’s culture– they were diligent in their skill. This could have been the skill in which they played, or the skill in which they carried out their responsibilities, but regardless, it was done with such excellence that the King noticed it, and encouraged them in what they were doing.
The Levites did not have “top billing” in the worship service; that was left to the priests. It might have been easy to become slack in performing a duty that might not even be noticed by anyone else but a few individuals, but they performed their duties with excellence anyway. They must have realized that they were doing this for Yahweh, and not just as a job. When a job is done well only when we think someone is watching, we reflect a poor understanding of what the job is and why we are to do it. Let me unpack this just a little so we can better understand what the implications are.
David had reassigned responsibilities to the Levites [1 Chron 25] looking forward to the construction of the Temple, since they would no longer be needed to carry the Tabernacle from one place to the next. Part of this reassignment was a group dedicated to the worship of God through song. The chants were taught father to son for the life of the father, at which time the son would take over more or less when the father reached 50. Verses 6-8 give more insight into the process:
"Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. Along with their relatives—all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord—they numbered 288. Young and old alike, teacher as well as student, cast lots for their duties."
Notice the phrase “all of them trained and skilled in music for the Lord”. This was a process that took time. They were not satisfied with half-hearted work or ability, they had to reach a level of excellence to be able to serve. Now let’s fast forward back to the time of Hezekiah, hundreds of years had passed, yet, there must have been a group throughout this entire period that remained faithful to God, teaching their children the melodies, teaching them the texts of the psalms, especially since the music was not written down and everything was passed on aurally. Discipline and excellence can stand the tests of time when tied to an eternal purpose.
The Levites demonstrated their musical skill because they had paid the price to achieve that level of skill. Natural talent may help, but skill development is work. It is hard work and it takes time. They must have had a keen sense of being in the presence of God and carrying out their responsibilities for Him and for His approval.
So what does that have to do with me? Too often, we have forgotten Who we are serving and why we do what we do. We allow personal convenience to dictate our schedule, rather than order our schedule around what should really be the priorities of our lives. In the case of a worship leader, this means practice, and by practice I do not mean briefly running over the music. Practice implies:
[1] having a strong understanding of music fundamentals to be able to understand when one has reached a high skill level.
[2] Perseverance to keep on working until that level of skill is achieved.
Unfortunately, music is thrown together, run through a time or two and topped off with the phrase, “Well, that will have to do for Sunday.” I praise God for some who are diligent and truly work at improving every time the opportunity arises, but for many, just getting by week to week is an established norm that refuses to broken.
The question we must ask ourselves as worship leaders is, “Am I at the same skill level in my craft as I was a year ago?” Unless we can be honest with ourselves, it is doubtful that our skill levels will ever improve. Churches are looking for worship leaders and have the expectations that they have the “musical chops” to lead, play, sing, and direct. When someone hands a piece of music to a worship leader, the last thing anyone wants to hear is, “Sorry, I can’t read or play that.” There is no substitute for hard work. Fine tuning our skill development means that we do what it takes to get there. One of the best ways to do this is with further education. I teach in a Seminary that specializes in just those skills. We provide the technical expertise as well as biblical groundwork for a balanced, well-rounded preparation. [If this sounds like a commercial, well it could be taken that way; I am not ashamed of our program.] I am partial to ours, but would encourage all worship leaders to get what it takes to improve your craft.
Getting more education will help, but the greatest help for life long ministry is one that is more than a narrowly focused study. One of the advantages of a program like ours at the Seminary is that it is broad based. By that I mean that the training is more than in just one area. If we knew what churches would need in 5, 10, 15 years from now, we would focus on those areas, but the reality is, no one does. Because of that, it is of upmost importance that the education one receives focus on more than what’s “hot now”. Education needs to be more than focusing on just the areas that we like. I do not want to go to a doctor that only studied the things he thought was important. Our churches deserve better as well.
Hezekiah encouraged those who demonstrated their craft with excellence. Our job is to please a King on a much higher plain, who deserves much more than our second best. He is worthy of more than our best, our best is the least we should give. He is the One we live for, play for, sing for; He is the reason. In the words of the slogan, let’s just do it!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Do You Have Any Bronze Snakes in Your Worship?
In 2 Kings 18, the biblical author records an interesting occurrence when describing the reforms that Hezekiah accomplished in the early part of his reign:
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) [2 Kings 18:1-4, NIV]
Notice the last part of verse 4, “He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)” It is just a passing reference, but demands that we stop and take the time to unpack it. The bronze snake had its origin when the people of Israel began to gripe and complain during their wilderness journeys. We find the story in Numbers 21: 4-9:
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Remember that not long before they had witnessed some of the greatest miracles in the Bible, the parting of the sea, their crossing on dry ground and the defeat of Pharaoh’s army. They were being fed manna by God, Himself, and many other miracles of God’s provision and protection had occurred. Although it is easy for us to play armchair quarterback as we read the story, when we are honest with ourselves, many times we forget all that God has done as well when a sudden crisis arises and we are in deep need. The needs that arose in the wilderness served as tests to see if they would believe God and trust Him. Unfortunately, almost every time, they failed the tests. When the crisis hits us, or the phone comes with bad or tragic news, it is difficult to respond in faith, but as our relationship with God deepens, it can and will happen.
Back to our story. The pole with the snake that Moses made soon fades into the background of Israel’s history and doesn’t surface again until the days of Hezekiah. Scripture doesn’t give us a detailed account, only that by the time of the writing of 2 Kings, what once had been a symbol and memorial of God’s justice and redemption, had become an object of worship. The people had even gone so far as to give it a name, Nehushtan, which sounds like the words for bronze and snake in Hebrew. I do not want to make more of this than does Scripture, but over the years the snake must have been kept by the priests and it must have been more accessible and visible than the ark, which the people could not see.
Where or how really isn’t that important, but what must have happened was a gradual shift in how the object was viewed. Over the years as the story was told the emphasis must have changed from God’s power and Moses’ obedience in making the snake to the people just looking at the snake. They must have forgotten that God used an object that represented their own disobedience to bring about their restoration. Instead of realizing that it was in obeying God’s command to look at the snake that they were healed, they focused on just looking at the snake, as if it in its own power it could perform miracles. What was meant to be a memory or memorial of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness had become an idol of worship.
The snake was not the only idol worshiped when Hezekiah became king, but it was probably one of the few, if not the only one that was directly related to objects within their own religious history. As painful as it must have been for the King to destroy something that Moses, himself had fashioned and used and that had been such a powerful symbol in their history, Hezekiah knew that it has lost its true meaning and was actually leading people away from God, instead of reminding them and turning them to Him. There was only was only one way to stop the idolatry and that was to destroy the idol.
Although this is a fascinating account, what does it mean for us today? We don’t have poles with bronze snakes on them in our sanctuaries, do we? Well, that is a great question. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love history and am passionate about our understanding where and how we have gotten to where we are so that we can better understand where we are going. To ignore our past is to take a path to destruction.
At the same time, we must be honest with ourselves and others if we are allowing things in our past that perhaps at one time were pillars of our faith to become bronze snakes. Perhaps at our conversion a particular pastor, song, place, etc., was instrumental in our coming to Christ or for many to come to Christ. The memory and emotions linked to that time were strong, perhaps even overpowering. Yet, with time the focus has morphed into one where the joy of the memory is more with the association of the song, place, etc., than God who brought it all together. If we are not careful, we can allow these very precious people, or things to become bronze snakes that steal away the worship that only God, Himself deserves. God has zero tolerance for idolatry. We can and should thank God for the important people and events that have been instrumental in our relationship with God, but careful to remember it is God and God alone who is the center and focus of our worship.
In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) [2 Kings 18:1-4, NIV]
Notice the last part of verse 4, “He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)” It is just a passing reference, but demands that we stop and take the time to unpack it. The bronze snake had its origin when the people of Israel began to gripe and complain during their wilderness journeys. We find the story in Numbers 21: 4-9:
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Remember that not long before they had witnessed some of the greatest miracles in the Bible, the parting of the sea, their crossing on dry ground and the defeat of Pharaoh’s army. They were being fed manna by God, Himself, and many other miracles of God’s provision and protection had occurred. Although it is easy for us to play armchair quarterback as we read the story, when we are honest with ourselves, many times we forget all that God has done as well when a sudden crisis arises and we are in deep need. The needs that arose in the wilderness served as tests to see if they would believe God and trust Him. Unfortunately, almost every time, they failed the tests. When the crisis hits us, or the phone comes with bad or tragic news, it is difficult to respond in faith, but as our relationship with God deepens, it can and will happen.
Back to our story. The pole with the snake that Moses made soon fades into the background of Israel’s history and doesn’t surface again until the days of Hezekiah. Scripture doesn’t give us a detailed account, only that by the time of the writing of 2 Kings, what once had been a symbol and memorial of God’s justice and redemption, had become an object of worship. The people had even gone so far as to give it a name, Nehushtan, which sounds like the words for bronze and snake in Hebrew. I do not want to make more of this than does Scripture, but over the years the snake must have been kept by the priests and it must have been more accessible and visible than the ark, which the people could not see.
Where or how really isn’t that important, but what must have happened was a gradual shift in how the object was viewed. Over the years as the story was told the emphasis must have changed from God’s power and Moses’ obedience in making the snake to the people just looking at the snake. They must have forgotten that God used an object that represented their own disobedience to bring about their restoration. Instead of realizing that it was in obeying God’s command to look at the snake that they were healed, they focused on just looking at the snake, as if it in its own power it could perform miracles. What was meant to be a memory or memorial of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness had become an idol of worship.
The snake was not the only idol worshiped when Hezekiah became king, but it was probably one of the few, if not the only one that was directly related to objects within their own religious history. As painful as it must have been for the King to destroy something that Moses, himself had fashioned and used and that had been such a powerful symbol in their history, Hezekiah knew that it has lost its true meaning and was actually leading people away from God, instead of reminding them and turning them to Him. There was only was only one way to stop the idolatry and that was to destroy the idol.
Although this is a fascinating account, what does it mean for us today? We don’t have poles with bronze snakes on them in our sanctuaries, do we? Well, that is a great question. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love history and am passionate about our understanding where and how we have gotten to where we are so that we can better understand where we are going. To ignore our past is to take a path to destruction.
At the same time, we must be honest with ourselves and others if we are allowing things in our past that perhaps at one time were pillars of our faith to become bronze snakes. Perhaps at our conversion a particular pastor, song, place, etc., was instrumental in our coming to Christ or for many to come to Christ. The memory and emotions linked to that time were strong, perhaps even overpowering. Yet, with time the focus has morphed into one where the joy of the memory is more with the association of the song, place, etc., than God who brought it all together. If we are not careful, we can allow these very precious people, or things to become bronze snakes that steal away the worship that only God, Himself deserves. God has zero tolerance for idolatry. We can and should thank God for the important people and events that have been instrumental in our relationship with God, but careful to remember it is God and God alone who is the center and focus of our worship.
Monday, June 3, 2013
What Does t Mean to “Honor God?”
Worship leaders as well as other in ministry positions say we want to “honor God in all we do,” as well we should. But too often we only have some vague notion of what honoring God means. When we think of honoring someone, we generally think of some special recognition that is accompanied with some kind of plaque or reward. However, Scripture provides an interesting insight to honor that we might miss if we are not careful. Let’s follow the story found in Numbers 20:
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.
The story is a familiar one. The Israelites were in need of water during their desert wandering and God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, rather than strike it as he had done previously. One can understand his frustration: there were over one million people, including young children crying for thirst from lack of water; animals might have been dying, there weren’t any lakes or rivers nearby and all eyes were on the man that had led them into this desolate place. God had told him to strike the rock the last time, why not this time as well?
Look at the progression of events:
1. Moses reacts, rather than responds to their frustration and complaints: “Listen you rebels...”
2. Moses assumes personal responsibility for meeting the needs of the people, rather than depending on God: “must we bring you water out of this rock?”
3. Moses operates out of his own strength to do what God had asked him to do: “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff.”
4. God responds in grace and gives water, in spite of Moses’ action, not because of it: “Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.”
God provides the commentary for Moses’ action:
“Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
The Study notes in the NET Bible states that Moses was showing that he was not satisfied with what God had said, wanting something more forceful, giving the wrong picture of God to the people.”\ Moses did not display trust in God or His character to act. In that moment, he wanted them to fear Moses more than God. Rather than Yahweh, whose loving kindness is everlasting, Moses gave an image of a god who was capricious. [note 17, Numbers 20:12, Loc 97126]
God describes Moses’ action in terms of a lack of trust and lack of honor. So what does God mean by “honor” in this passage? The transliteration of the verb is “Qadash” and it means “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate” [http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/qadash.html ]
So what does the word ‘honor’ mean in this context? He failed to trust God to do what He said He would do. He failed to obey a direct commandment. By his disobedience, Moses had failed to reflect the character of God. He allowed the frustrations and complaints of the multitudes to bother him, because he was assuming the responsibility of meeting their needs, rather than just allowing God to do so. He had been the central figure for so long he began to believe in his own importance, and his pride pushed him to take matters into his own hands.
Honor in this context means an acknowledgment in the absolute power and authority of the One being honored, and surrendering total allegiance to His command and will. When we honor other persons, we do so for some achievement, but when we honor God, it is not just for what He has done, it is for Who He is. Moses failed to trust God for who God was, he failed to respond to the One who was in absolute authority and control, and in anger he strikes the rock not just once, but twice.
His failure to show God the proper honor as a leader was extremely costly; he forfeited the privilege of going into the Promised Land, Canaan. Some might consider the punishment beyond the severity of the crime, but in the eyes of God, those that would represent His nature and character as leaders are held to a higher standard. Think of Saul and his failure to obey God completely with the destruction of the Amalekites; his partial obedience cost him a lasting dynasty. James underscores this principle in his letter: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” [James 3:1]
What is the take away from this? Are we honoring God? Are we acknowledging His greatness, and living in such a way that shows His absolute power and authority over all and surrendering completely to His command and will? What does such obedience looks like in real life?
1. We do not assume for ourselves the position of God in the lives with whom we work. God may have called us into leadership, but only He can supply the needs of those to whom we have been called.
2. We do not allow personal pride and position to cause us to respond in a manner that does not reflect the nature and character of Christ.
3. We give God the freedom to work in a new way. We obey God just as He leads, even if it seems different than the way we might have previously done so.
4. We realize that failure to obey completely can have drastic and costly consequences.
5. Thank God for His love and grace that are constant.
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4 Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.
The story is a familiar one. The Israelites were in need of water during their desert wandering and God instructed Moses to speak to the rock, rather than strike it as he had done previously. One can understand his frustration: there were over one million people, including young children crying for thirst from lack of water; animals might have been dying, there weren’t any lakes or rivers nearby and all eyes were on the man that had led them into this desolate place. God had told him to strike the rock the last time, why not this time as well?
Look at the progression of events:
1. Moses reacts, rather than responds to their frustration and complaints: “Listen you rebels...”
2. Moses assumes personal responsibility for meeting the needs of the people, rather than depending on God: “must we bring you water out of this rock?”
3. Moses operates out of his own strength to do what God had asked him to do: “Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff.”
4. God responds in grace and gives water, in spite of Moses’ action, not because of it: “Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.”
God provides the commentary for Moses’ action:
“Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
The Study notes in the NET Bible states that Moses was showing that he was not satisfied with what God had said, wanting something more forceful, giving the wrong picture of God to the people.”\ Moses did not display trust in God or His character to act. In that moment, he wanted them to fear Moses more than God. Rather than Yahweh, whose loving kindness is everlasting, Moses gave an image of a god who was capricious. [note 17, Numbers 20:12, Loc 97126]
God describes Moses’ action in terms of a lack of trust and lack of honor. So what does God mean by “honor” in this passage? The transliteration of the verb is “Qadash” and it means “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate” [http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/qadash.html ]
So what does the word ‘honor’ mean in this context? He failed to trust God to do what He said He would do. He failed to obey a direct commandment. By his disobedience, Moses had failed to reflect the character of God. He allowed the frustrations and complaints of the multitudes to bother him, because he was assuming the responsibility of meeting their needs, rather than just allowing God to do so. He had been the central figure for so long he began to believe in his own importance, and his pride pushed him to take matters into his own hands.
Honor in this context means an acknowledgment in the absolute power and authority of the One being honored, and surrendering total allegiance to His command and will. When we honor other persons, we do so for some achievement, but when we honor God, it is not just for what He has done, it is for Who He is. Moses failed to trust God for who God was, he failed to respond to the One who was in absolute authority and control, and in anger he strikes the rock not just once, but twice.
His failure to show God the proper honor as a leader was extremely costly; he forfeited the privilege of going into the Promised Land, Canaan. Some might consider the punishment beyond the severity of the crime, but in the eyes of God, those that would represent His nature and character as leaders are held to a higher standard. Think of Saul and his failure to obey God completely with the destruction of the Amalekites; his partial obedience cost him a lasting dynasty. James underscores this principle in his letter: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” [James 3:1]
What is the take away from this? Are we honoring God? Are we acknowledging His greatness, and living in such a way that shows His absolute power and authority over all and surrendering completely to His command and will? What does such obedience looks like in real life?
1. We do not assume for ourselves the position of God in the lives with whom we work. God may have called us into leadership, but only He can supply the needs of those to whom we have been called.
2. We do not allow personal pride and position to cause us to respond in a manner that does not reflect the nature and character of Christ.
3. We give God the freedom to work in a new way. We obey God just as He leads, even if it seems different than the way we might have previously done so.
4. We realize that failure to obey completely can have drastic and costly consequences.
5. Thank God for His love and grace that are constant.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
A Psalm for a Post-Christian Time: Psalm 73
How do you respond when those who laugh and scoff at God seem to be blessed and those who fear and obey God suffer? Psalm 73 is a psalm by Asaph, one of the chief musicians and author of many of the psalms provides keen insight and is particularly important in this post-Christian time when God has been removed from the moral fiber of law. Today, the majority may rule, but the majority isn’t always right; God has been abandoned for self indulgence. Mass media lifts up the immoral and defames those who would uphold moral values. A national turning to God does not seem on the horizon.
God’s Word does provide an honest and transparent answer for how we can respond:
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. 8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. 11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” 12 This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. 15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. 16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Asaph begins with the truth that he had been taught, but it seemed the reality around him was something other than this truth. The author had taken his eyes off the truth and fixed them on those around him and began to observe the apparent prosperity of the wicked. They didn’t seem to suffer or have needs [v. 4-5], they were violent, arrogant, and calloused to the needs of others [v. 6-7]. They boasted about their rebellion, and seemed to say, “Even if there is a God, He doesn’t care or matter” [8-11]. In spite of all their evil, they just seemed to get richer and richer [v. 12]. How did the psalmist respond to all of this?
It takes courage to admit feelings and doubts. Here the psalmist even writes them down. His courage to admit [confess] serves to help encourage us when we are similarity tempted. In his commentary, Dr. David Garland summarizes the psalmist response in verses 3-20: Asaph confesses [1] his own doubts about trying to live a good life– is it worth it all? [2] his own troubled emotions in dealing with the situation, [3] concern for his people, had he continued to respond in doubt and [4] the transformation of being in the presence of God. The change began when he “ entered the sanctuary of God” [v. 17]. His return to worship God and meditate on who God is and what He has done was the turning point in his attitude and response. Notice that this does not change the actions of the wicked, but the focus of the psalmist heart.
In the first part of the psalm, the psalmist’ eyes are on the wicked, even envying their wealth and easy life of luxury, culminating with thoughts that being obedient to God has only been a mistake, a lie, that he has only gotten the “raw end of the deal,” while those that could care less about God only prosper. In the second half of the psalm, the psalmist has refocused his attention on the reality of God, who has given him a new, eternal perspective: the consequences of lives lived in self gratification and lives lived in obedience to God’s laws. The destiny of the wicked is destruction; the destiny of the godly is being in the presence of God.
Not only does worship help the psalmist get his focus back on track, but it also helps him see what he was like while his focus was on the wicked: “my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you” [v. 21-22]. When we begin to focus on the wicked and envy them, we will become bitter. Wrong focus can lead to bitterness and bitterness can lead to depression. It makes us numb to God and what He is doing. We cease to function as God intended; we become like a “brute beast.” But meditating on God and spending time with Him changes us, it transforms us.
It is too easy to see only the present and not think of the future consequences of present actions, especially when we are suffering. Worshiping and spending time with God helps us bring things back into focus and helps us see the bigger picture. God is in control. God is just and righteous. He will bring a righteous judgement. We can trust Him, even when it seems that those who flaunt their rebellion against God are prospering. We must remember that they are on “slippery ground.” In the light of eternity, all their wealth and “accomplishments,” and their boasting, will prove false, hollow, and disappear like a vapor.
How are we to respond in this post-Christian world that we live in? We need to keep our focus on God, regularly spending time in worship, meditating on the greatness and goodness of God and all that He has done. We need to realize the temporal nature of this existence and that there is a reality of greater value that can only be seen by those who have put their trust in Christ as Lord and Savior. Let’s look at some summary statements:
Insights
1. Even when things are going relatively well, we can get off track when we begin to shift our focus away from God and His goodness.
2. Evil people do evil things, and many times it will seem like they never suffer the consequences. Many times God seems to remain silent, not in approval, or because He doesn’t care, but in grace and mercy to allow for repentance.
3. We need to be honest how we feel when we see the wicked prosper, but careful about changing our focus.
4. As we begin to re-center our thoughts God, that He is good, that He is in control, and that He will bring a righteous judgement, we will begin to see the situation in better light.
5. We need to spend time each day refocusing and God’s greatness, love, and mercy.
6. Wrong focus can lead to confusion and bitterness. Bitterness can lead to a loss of hope and depression. Eventually we can become numb to the voice of God in our lives.
7. Even when we refocus our attention on God, the actual situation may not change. What does change is our response to the situation.
8. Responding correctly in difficult or unjust situations can serve as an encouragement to others who are going through difficult situation.
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