The Undivided Heart :: Reflections on 2 Kings 18

The hearts of men are deceptive. Without a proper understanding of our own heart condition, we will never be able to understand the fullness of the Gospel or comprehend all that the Spirit of God is trying to accomplish in our hearts, namely sanctification. Left on our own, we are very much like the Israelite Nation who turned its back on her deliverer and sustainer, seeking more “accommodating” gods, which as we saw yesterday led to their enslavement (literal and spiritual).

So where does our hope lie, where can we go to find a companion to lead, guide and instruct our lives? Within the heart of the Old Testament we have glimpses of what a life centered around God’s revelation looks like. Such is the life of Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was devoted wholly to the Lord and His counsel. His devotion did not stem from his own imagination or creative plan, but seeking to follow the path well trodden by his “father” (very distant grandfather) King David, Hezekiah set his sites on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who revealed himself through Moses and the Law.

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). 5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. 7 And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. (ESV)

Whenever I read this passage within its immediate context, I find myself asking, “where did this guy come from?” and here I am again wondering how on earth in the midst of such idolatry and decay we find a man who turns aside from the culture-saturated forms of worship to seek out the Living God who demands worship to be on His terms according to His will. Nevertheless, Here is this son of David who:

1. Trusted in the Lord (vv.5)
2. He held fast to the Lord (vv.6).
3. He Followed God and kept His commands (vv.6).
4. He prospered (vv.7).
5. He rebelled against opposition (vs.4 & 7b).

Hezekiah, unlike his Israelite brothers, had an undivided heart before the Lord. His gaze was set upon the commands of God and the example of godly forerunners. The work God accomplished in the life of Hezekiah proves that God is exactly who he says he is. Consider Exodus 34:6-8

6 The Lord passed before him [Moses] and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. (ESV)

This passage, which has become central to my understanding of the Lord God, reveals God’s intent not only for Israel but all peoples everywhere and the generations that spring up from those who follow the Lord, even those who turn from him in rebellion. Hezekiah’s devotion to the Lord was not ill-informed, but fully informed of who God said he was. Until we come to grips with who we are (rebels and idolaters) and begin to understand who God is, we will always be content with false gods who leave us lacking, wanting, and dead. But once we devote ourselves fully to the God revealed in scripture we will find life and be completely alive to the joys of obedience. A heart undivided will always look to the God unmatched to provide god-honoring ways to magnify, serve, and glorify this One True God.

In closing, lets meditate and consider our hearts by reading Davids prayer in Psalm 51:

Psalm 51 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. (ESV)

The Divided Heart :: Reflections on 2 Kings 17

Confronted with a choice, I had to make a decision based upon principle. What did I truly believe about myself? Was I ready to cut away the manageable, convenient relationship for one that would demand my life and all I had? The choice was there before me and I had to either kill off the easy for the joy of depth or turn away from the fullness of a self-denying life and continue to chase the manageable convenient friendship.

In 2 Kings 17 we encounter the culmination of the heart of Israel toward God in relation to other gods in their midst. Hundreds of years of denying themselves of the blessing of obeying God’s revealed will for their lives in the Promise land led them to embody the curses God had promised would come if they would rebel against their Deliverer.

This passage is heart breaking, because we see the downfall of a people who had continually ignored the voice of their God in order to gratify themselves. The immediate, manageable gods of the nations who had possessed the land before them, seemed to provide a more satisfying, experiential life full of tangible expressions of worship. These gods placed man at the center and allowed man to prescribe how these false gods would be worshiped. Whenever man is allowed to conjure up the elements of worship, it will always benefit man and his desires.

Israel had become enslaved once again. Not to Egyptian Pharoahs but to the will of the flesh of men. They had turned their hearts from the revealed will of God who had delivered them and brought them up out of Egypt and traded it for a man-exalting, flesh-pleasing form of worship that denied the power of the Holy One in their midst. All the while saying that they loved God.

There is a fallen inclination that we have about ourselves. We tend to set our feelings and desires up above anything or anyone, especially if they lay any claim on our wills. Longing for the most satisfying experience we will deny the most fulfilling, life giving, flesh-killing reality and trade it for a manageable quick-fix experience that will gratify our yearnings for just another moment, and all the while say, “I love and fear the Lord”. Our hearts reflect so easily the divided heart of Israel and we sit in judgement over them when we read and wonder how they could have gotten so far off track.

11 years ago I sat outside my dormitory on Ozark Christian Colleges Campus, asking myself if I would rather have a friendship (with a member of the opposite sex) that was manageable, a friend I knew well and could finish their sentences. Or would I rather give my life pursuing a girl who had captured my heart and was full of mystery and wonder. I loved her and I knew it! But this pursuit would demand everything I had and would be the end of all other quasi-dating relationships. My heart would be devoted to Rachelle Marie Stewart and there would be no room for any other or I could just add her to the list of manageable friendships that I pursue when I needed them or wanted something from them. I had to decide to add her to the long list of friends or devote myself wholly to her and know and be known as a “lover”. There could be no middle ground. I love Rachelle and her alone!

Oh Father, Son, and Spirit, Unite my heart! Tear down any idols that I have constructed to satisfy my own desires. Incline my heart to your revelation and teach me to walk in your ways. Satisfy my longings with the bread of life and living water. May the well of my heart be filled to overflowing by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. Lord turn our affections to you! You alone are the God who saves, you are not without testimony. Now unto you alone, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Church. Amen.

Called to the Ministry :: Edmund Clowney

Dr. Edmund Clowney

As fall is setting in here in middle America, I am finding myself devouring books that I’ve put off for way to long. I have a deep joy for reading and study. The fruit that comes from investing time in anothers mind and thoughts is indescribable. I love it! Most of what I’m reading is concerning ministry and the work of a Pastor. Not all of God’s elect are Pastors but all are Ministers. I am becoming more and more aware of the truth of this statement. On my way out my office door I snatched from the shelf this small book entitled, Called to the Ministry, by Edmund Clowney. It’s been in my possession for over a year and I have tried to start it a few times, but tonight would be the evening Dr. Clowney would not only teach me but capture me. I started reading knowing that I’ld not be able to put this down till its done. So with pen in hand and book in lap (skipped the pipe) I began to be awakened to beautiful and impossible things.

Calling to ministry can be so vague. What does it mean and who is it for? Well the answer to that should not be so complicated.

Are you called to the ministry? If you have been called out of darkness into Christ’s light you are surely called to ministry. You must do all in your power to show forth his praise who called you to follow him.

But the question this book wrestles with in Part 2 is not “ministry” but the work of “gospel ministry” meaning distinct authority given by Christ to a Man set apart by the Holy Spirit and a local Church to carry out distinct functions for Christ, the Church and the World (not of the world but for the world. Tullian Tchvidian said it best in Unfashionable, “Against the World, for the World”). Dr. Clowney clearly outlines the special work and duties of the gospel minister. This section was earth shattering to me only because we’ve made so little of the office of Pastor/Evangelist in our churches. There are clear instructions set forth in scripture that teach us what a Pastor is and what he is to be about. I wish I could take the time to outline the whole premise and arguement of this book, but its a short book that must be read slowly. And to set yourself to this task would be of great benefit, especially for one considering the “gospel ministry”.

Ephesians :: Blessed by the Blessed God

Reflections for Ephesians 1:3-6

I have received innumerable gifts from my father in my 29 years upon this earth. Many were given to me at special times (e.g. Christmas, Birthdays, etc.). All of them expressions of love to me his child, not because of any merit or anything I had done to earn them, but simply because of his great love for me. Not only did I receive gifts but also so did my sisters upon the same basis, his love for us. Many more lives have been added to our family through marriage and the arrival of new children, his grandkids. His giving love has continued to be extended to each and every one of these. This expression of love was not for me alone, nor was it only reserved for his immediate offspring, but extended to those we, his son and daughters, love as well. We in turn thank and bless him, not because of his gifts but because of the great love and affection he has shown to us.

Paul in Ephesians 1:3-6 begins blessing God the Father of our Lord Jesus for his great love extended to us, his Beloved. The characteristics of God described in this prayer are full of actions God has taken on our behalf but more importantly to “the praise of his glorious grace”. Like my earthly father, God is a Father who blesses his children (v.3). We are not only given a singular blessing in and through Christ, but he has blessed us with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”. God has extended to us everything he has to offer us in Christ. I pondered the this thought a day or two ago, “Why am I always looking for something more, when I have been given everything in Christ?” What could I possibly desire or wanting that would benefit me more?

The next action Paul points out is that God “chose us in him [read Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him [read God the Father]” (v.4). What an amazing and comforting thought! Our great God has not only blessed us but has chosen to set apart those who believe to be holy and blameless before him. He has extended his love beyond the giving of blessings from heaven to make us capable to dwell in his presence, because of the work of Christ. So, we are chosen by God in Christ to be holy and blameless before Him. This was God’s doing an act of blessing before the creation of the world.

“In love” here is a motivation of the Fathers heart. What exactly has it motivated? Action: he predetermined to adopt us as sons through Jesus Christ (v.5). Out of love he chose not only to bless us with every possible heavenly blessing and not only to make us holy and blameless, but also to make us his very own sons and daughters. In Christ we have been adopted into the family of God. We who were once enemies because of our disobedience are now brought into the house of God to take our place among the children of God. No merit or clever planning could bring us into this great blessing, but only the work of God in Christ could bring about such approval. Again the motivation of the heart of God is love. You can see this demonstrated in the sons and daughters of God who have reached beyond their selves and taken children into their blessing/home who are not their own flesh and blood. The motivation is Love.

But to what end has God acted in this way toward us in Christ? Paul states it very clearly and pointedly, “according to the purpose of his will” . God’s will was established before creation and is now being fulfilled in creation. All God has done and is doing was determined by Him. These acts of blessing, choosing and love are not mere unplanned activities. They are a fulfillment of the will of God established in his heart before he spoke the words of Genesis 1:1. This is done “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (v.6). God is receiving praise and blessing not only by our recognition of his great acts in Ephesians 1 but that they are being carried out in and through Christ according to his will and plan.

“Father, I bless your holy name, because you have demonstrated your Fathers heart to thousands. You have chosen to make for yourself a people who can call upon you as Father and draw near to you in Christ, holy and blameless. I am blessed beyond my deepest needs and desires, because in and of myself I would never have desired this. But Christ in obedience to your will has extended to me the great blessing of being called your son. Lord teach me to love and serve those you have called into your family as well. Let us live to the praise of your glorious grace as a unified family. Father, thank you for acting on our behalf before the foundation I bless your name!”

Ephesians :: Faithful in Christ Jesus

In his greeting to the Church(es) in Ephesus Paul is joyful to address “the saints who are in Ephesus” and are “faithful in Christ Jesus”. Addressing them in this way has caught my attention over the past few days, mostly because it is a select group of people he’s addressing, but also that he recognizes a difference between those who hang around the church and those who are being built up by “being” the church.

Reading this letter is challenging me to think with community lenses on. We cannot ignore that this was not written to an individual but to a gathering of believers. “Saints, faithful in Christ Jesus”. No man is an island, so why do we read these letters of Paul so individually. The use of “us” and “we” throughout the first chapter is convicting me to think more along the lines of a people God is saving to the praise of his glory, rather than individuals.

Community Hermeneutic. How do we study the scriptures or read them? Are we reading them with communal lenses or just as individuals wanting to get some nugget of inspiration for the day. These words are for US so that WE can be built up in Christ who is the head of the BODY. Taking our place among the “Saints, faithful in Christ Jesus”!

Tuesday mornings at 6AM there are a group of guys who meet (at a local diner in Danville)* for prayer and the word. They call themselves the Iron Workers. Their format for meeting is really simple, but I am learning something huge from them. They get together, some order breakfast, catch up a bit (this is not a drawn out conversation about the weather) and get right to reading the word of God, stopping every now and then to process and discuss what is being said. They are practicing Communal Hermeneutic!

Reading it out loud in a gathering of believers really opens the word up in a whole new way. I want to try to read Ephesians once a week with one or two other believers to see what we can glean from God’s Word together. Just thinking out loud!

*Note: This meeting is not at the “church” building but outside the walls in public. They don’t do it for the Show, but trust me people notice!

Ephesians

Getting the Gospel into my thoughts and meditations is something I want to be about. Paul sets forth the gospel in an incredible way to the Ephesians. Building off his teaching and living among the church in Ephesus, Paul continues to instruct them in their life in Christ to the praise and glory of the Father.

This book has been central to many teachings and lectures I have listened to over the past year, now I am eager to spend some time in the study of this incredible letter written to the Ephesians and kept for the encouragement and discipleship of the church.

Hope to share what I am learning here…