With the invention of the printing press, the reformation and the enlightenment, the western European mindset was forever changed. We moved from a culture that presented images and then used words to understand and explain them, to a culture that primarily used words to understand and explain life. Visit a Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, or Coptic (all traditions that were well entrenched prior to the invention of the printing press) church building, and you will find that the architecture and embellishments of the buildings are full of images. Indeed one of the long-standing arguments between Catholic and Protestant has been the understanding of the second commandment, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” Most of those from those ancient traditions would argue that they do not worship the images but simply use them as teaching tools. The use of an image in teaching, understanding, explaining and motivating is indeed powerful. God uses images here.
There are two major images included in this chapter which help illustrate the glory of our Lord. The first is the image of the ark. So just what is an ‘ark?’ It is basically a box. It is interesting that it could be translated ‘coffin.’ Think of the image here. The stone tablets upon which are written the Ten Commandments are stored in a coffin. In Moses’ day when a king (Suzerain) conquered another king (Vassal) a Suzerain/Vassal treaty was written up. Portions of both Exodus and Deuteronomy follow the form of such a treaty. One of the things that would take place with the treaty was that a copy of the basic stipulations of the treaty would be placed in the temple of the god of the Vassal and the temple of the god of the Suzerain. When you think of the Ten Commandments as the basic stipulations of a Suzerain Vassal treaty, it takes on an added significance. The Lord would be the Suzerain and the people of Israel would be the Vassal. It very well could be that the two tablets of the Ten Commandments were identical tablets. The Lord is the only God involved. The focal point of His tabernacle or temple was the ark of the covenant. The basic stipulations of the peace treaty were placed in the coffin. The ark is considered by most Christian commentators to be a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you get the image? The basic demands of the law, the peace treaty, are placed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. With His death, the demands of a holy God are satisfied. Peace is obtained.
Before they had even received the tablets of the basic stipulations, they had broken them. Now that they had received them, they are immediately instructed to place them in a coffin! What an image! What do you think they thought when they saw the image? Every time that they got up to move to a new location in their 39 years of wandering in the wilderness, the focal point of their move was the cloud or fire above the coffin which held the stipulations which they had broken! What an image! Before I had any understanding of the holiness of God, I had already broken the entirety of the Law. The demands of my breaking the law are carried out in the Lord. Every time that I see Him, both now and in Eternity to come, I will see His scars and be reminded that I broke the Law, and the demands of the law were placed upon Him causing those scars. He died for me! He is my peace. What an image!
But there is a second major image dealing with the covenant in this passage. It is the image of circumcision. What a strange request God would have of His people. Why in the world would he want the males who are part of His covenant to have their foreskin cut off? First of all, it would be a lifelong image. Every time a male would urinate or bathe, he should have a visual reminder that He was part of the covenant family. Every time he made love to his wife, he should be reminded that he was part of the covenant family.
Today there is a reaction against circumcision. In some countries there are groups that are trying to make the practice illegal. I wondered if there was any health benefit to circumcision, just as there is for much of the dietary laws. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, circumcision might have various health benefits, including: easier hygiene, decreased risk of urinary tract infections, decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections, prevention of penile problems, decreased risk of penile cancer. The New York Times reported that a new study suggests that circumcision in adult males in Africa reduces the risk of getting HIV from a female partner, cutting infection rates 40 to 60 percent. Hmmm. . . it would seem to me that those benefits imply that circumcision increases hygiene which then results less likelihood of infection. Underneath the extra skin, uncleanness can hide. Removal of the skin reduces the area where unwanted bacteria, fungi or viruses can hide.
What image does that produce spiritually? God calls them to circumcise their hearts. He is telling them to remove from their lives anything which would allow sin to hide and produce its killing infectious disease. We must cut away anything from our thinking process or decision making process or emotions which hides the truth about the condition of our hearts. We must allow our hearts to be invaded by the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He shines His light upon it, we must confess the sin, repent and receive His provision to set us free!
Now, take those two images and apply them to this passage. We are commanded to love the Lord our God. The ark is the image which motives us to do that. What else could we do but love Him who died just for us? Circumcision of the heart is the image that tells us how. We come to His light. We expose ourselves to Him. We cease hiding. Is that not amazing? What images which declare His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PROVERBS 6
A Christian friend of mine is currently writing a blog on “body talk.” Several weeks ago he warned those who were reading his blog that they might be offended by his blog in the upcoming weeks because he was going to talk bluntly about sexuality as it relates to God. He said that some might consider it “bawdy” talk. From his quotes, it is obvious that he is drawing from the works of Pope John Paul II on the theology of the body. The Pope apparently developed the theology over a period of years in a period of weekly talks which he gave in response to the degeneration of marriage in the church and in our cultures. One of the main points that my friend is making is that our parents Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. As such, our sexuality was originally very good. It reflected the image of God. While I am not sure how to take some of his ‘bawdy’ talk, I would agree with the one point that our sexuality should reflect His image.
The proverbs are filled with body talk. Today’s chapter is no exception. “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul.” My generation really pushed the idea of ‘free sex’, sex without commitment. It hasn’t worked. It has destroyed lives. It is destroying our culture. Why? If our sexuality is such a wonderful thing (and it is) what is it about sexual promiscuity that ruins people? It is precisely because our sexuality reflects the image and glory of God that promiscuity and adultery destroy lives. It is precisely because our sexuality reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church that promiscuity and adultery destroy lives.
There is no greater love that exists than what exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is a passionate, eternal, joy-filled love that is abundant between them, the One God. There is no greater or intense love than that. That love expressed itself in the creation of Man, male and female, in His image. Our passion for and commitment to our spouses is to reflect God’s passion for and commitment to Himself and His passion for and commitment to us. When we walk away from that passion, we are walking away from displaying and declaring His glory, His passion, His commitment. We have essentially slapped the eternal God in the face. We have declared that He is not passionate toward us. We have displayed that He is not committed to us.
When God destroyed the earth in Noah’s flood, His stated reason was, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”(Gen. 6:3) Additionally when the flood was over, He gave Noah a rationale for capital punishment, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”(Gen. 9:6) The major problem with violence toward man (male and female) is that it is striking at the image of God! It is degrading His glory! The major problem with sexual promiscuity or adultery is that it is striking at the image of God! It is degrading His glory! In so doing, it destroys your own soul.
Laura and I just celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary. What a joy to know that we can look each other in the eye and say, “I am just as passionate about you; I am just as committed to you, as on that Saturday afternoon on June 4, 1977, when we looked each other in the eye and sang, ‘With this ring I thee wed, and I give to you my life. Mine is yours; yours is mine, and we can live that way forever. With this kiss we will seal that we now are man and wife. Two in one, one in two, that’s the way it’s got to be.’” One of the joys of that 38 year accomplishment is that it reflects God’s glory, not ours. He is the One who empowered us. Our doing was to trust Him for the empowerment, but His is the glory!
But what if one has spoiled one’s life by being promiscuous or by committing adultery? Isn’t it interesting that this book of Proverbs was written by a man that was one of the biggest adulterers of all time (700 wives and 300 concubines)? What’s up with that? It is the glory of our Lord to restore those who repent and believe, no matter how badly they have screwed up. He brings forgiveness and redemption for those who repent and believe! He can restore the marred image! He can make our lives once again reflect His passion and commitment! Wow! What glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
JEREMIAH 1
I understand that there is a so-called evangelical theologian today who teaches that God does not know the future. That is a pretty bold statement. That would imply that time is not a creation of God. It would also demand that many of the clear statements of Scripture would have to be creatively reinterpreted. Consider Jeremiah’s call to ministry: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” If God does not know and control the future, then such statements are meaningless. Not only does God know the future, but in Jeremiah’s case, He sends Jeremiah into an impossible situation and promises to deliver him through the situation! Sure enough, the future turned out exactly as God promised.
What does that tell me about my life? God has called us to trust Him with our futures. For some of us our futures will be a bit more pleasant than others of us. But in all cases, for those of us who trust Him, He will deliver us through the situation. That is the glory of our Lord. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
JOHN 16
". . . and when He (the Holy Spirit) has come He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" I remember in high school the editor of the Tulsa World writing an editorial entitled, "Whatever happened to sin?" He was troubled by the growing tendency in America to blame their "mistakes" on someone or something else. Certainly in the intervening years, the tendency has not resolved itself. Our culture has championed relativism. We have rejected the possibility of absolutes. According to our culture, sin and righteousness do not exist.
But if I reject the speed limit sign in a school zone as being true for others and not for me, if I continually drive 65 in that school zone, then I have still broken the law. No matter how much I protest about the relativism of the law, I will eventually be caught by a policeman and ticketed-and rightfully so.
Jesus is the absolute. The worst sin one can commit is to refuse to believe in Him. He is the standard of righteousness. He is the ultimate judge. Our culture would have us reject Him. But no matter how much we protest against Him, He will return, and His righteousness will be enforced. We may enjoy the benefits of His righteousness if we trust in Him and His work (He who knew no sin became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.) Or we will experience His justice when He returns to judge the earth. In either case He is glorified. We have a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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