Get up! Get Right!

"The Lord then said to Joshua, "Stand up! Why are you on the ground? Israel has sinned. They have violated My covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart.  They have stolen, deceived, and put the things with their own belongings. This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from you what is set apart" (Josh. 7:10-12, HCSB).

The natural human response to tragedy is to blame God. After the amazing victory at Jericho, Joshua should have deduced a problem when his men lost against the small village, Ai. Yet, Joshua blamed God. In essence, he said, "Why have you brought us here just to let us be defeated?"

Before I go any farther, I think I should make a few things clear. Every tragedy is a result of sin. However, that does not mean that every person who goes through tragedy is the cause of their own difficulty. Difficulty is not always (not even usually) the result of personal sin. But difficulty happens because of sin. Adam sinned and brought the human race into a fallen state. His sin impacted all of the created order, so that now creation groans for the appearing of Christ. All human beings, except Jesus, have been born with a sin nature. God is not the author of sin.

The sin of others affects us. Sometimes, difficulty is the result of someone's sin against us. For example, let's say I am driving down the road, in my lane, at the legal speed. All of the sudden, a drunk driver speeds through a red light and smashes into my car. Let's say that the experience paralyzes me. Should I assume that I did something wrong? Would the God who punished my sins in Christ, punish me in this way? I doubt it. The story of Job teaches us that not all who suffer are suffering because they have displeased God. Job pleased God very much. God permitted Job to suffer so that the world would know how pleased he was with Job.

Now back to our example. I'm in a wheel chair do to the sin of another (and not my own sin). Let's say the drunk driver is put in jail. Is he being punished for his sin? Yes, of course he is, but that doesn't mean he is beyond the reach of grace. However, that is a post for another day. What I want to point out is that just because one person suffers as a consequence of  their sin that doesn't mean everyone who suffers is personally responsible.

Back to Joshua and Israel. Instead of accusing God, Joshua should have been asking why the defeat happened. Maybe he should have began by asking if he did something that cost his men, but considering his close relationship to the Lord, Joshua would have known if he was the problem. He would have immediately asked for forgiveness. He should have said, "God, what went wrong?"

Two more things should be pointed out. First, the sin of one Israelite had an affect on all the other Israelites. God's people were held accountable for the sin of one of their own. Second, God was more concerned with the sin of his people than of the nations. The nations that dwelt in Canaan were all under the judgment of God. Their sin had reached its full measure, but God permitted the Amorites to have victory over Israel because of Israel's sin.

What's the point? Judgment begins at the house of God. Those who know God are held to a higher standard. To whom much is given, much is required. Israel floundered in its forward advance because their was sin in the camp. Maybe the church is floundering today because there is sin in the camp. We don't practice church discipline much any more.

God is still holy. He still demands holiness of his people. The author of Hebrews tells us that without holiness no one will see the Lord (Heb. 12:14). We are called to live righteous lives. The church is called to maintain righteousness within the body. The enemies of Christ appear to be gain victory over the church in several places. It's tempting to believe that it is because the enemies possess greater power. Maybe it's because of the weakness of the Church. The Lord's solution for Joshua is our solution as well, "Get up! And get right!"

Numbering Our Days

"Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts" (Psalm 90:12, HCSB).

These words come from a psalm of Moses. It was probably written after he became the leader of Israel which means he was somewhere between 80 and 120 years of age. Most people would assume at that point in life you are a wise as you're going to get. Not Moses. He was committed to the process of learning.

Moses had to learn some lessons the hard way, and after that he was more inclined to listen. Maybe this prayer was written after Moses learned he would not enter the Promise Land because of his disobedience. Maybe the rebuke of the Lord left him feeling his foolishness.

Maybe he uttered this prayer while looking out over a vast multitude, freshly rescued through the sea. Maybe he feared the awesome responsibility of leading the people.

Whatever Moses' motivation, one thing is certain. Moses desired to live his life wisely. What would you do if you knew you were going to die in six months? Most of us would want to make the most of that time. To paraphrase Moses, "Lord, remind me of my mortality and impending judgment, so I'll do the right kind of things.

If you don't know it, your days are numbered. Only God knows the full count of them. One day, possibly soon, you will stand before him and give an account of how you lived. I hope you will be able to stand before him with a wise heart.

A Mark of Good Judgment

"The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, the ears of the wise seek it" (Prov. 18:15, NIV).

The heart was the center of thinking and decisions making. The discerning person, or individual of good judgment, acquires (learns over time) knowledge. Knowledge is intellectual understanding. It is comprehension of what truly is. The ears of the wise seek knowledge. Those who are truly wise want to learn.

Why does Solomon state such an obvious truth? The wise have knowledge seems like such a, "Well, Duh!" statement. Of course, the wise have knowledge. What is your point, Solomon?

Here are some truths we can glean from Solomon's insight:

1. Knowledge is possible, that is, there is a truth to be known.

2. The reason so few "know" it is because so few seek it.

3. Knowing doesn't come without effort.

4. Wise people are always ready to learn.

5. Wise people measure or test everything they learn against the standard of truth.

6. Solomon is exposing a pattern to imitate.

7. The wise are storehouse of sound advise.

8. We should surround ourselves with the wise.

9. We should seek to become wise.

Open your ears to the voice of truth, and you will acquire knowledge. May your heart grown in discernment as you seek knowledge.

Judgment Begins with God's Family

"Look at the nation and watch--and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told" (Hab. 1:5, NIV).

In grace, the Lord replied to Habakkuk's questions, but what he says doesn't comfort. Habakkuk wanted to know when God would judge the violent, unjust multitude overran the righteous. Judah was in a state of spiritual apostasy. They had abandoned true worship of the Lord, yet they felt no shame. Although they pursued unrighteousness, they thought their pseudo-worship in the temple secured their safety.

God's solution for the apostasy was to send swift and terrible judgment. God hates sin. He particularly hates sin among his people. As Peter reminds us,

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" (1 Pet. 4:17-18, NIV).

Sin will not go unpunished. In Habakkuk's day, judgment was going to come in the form of the Babylonian army. The hardship would punish the rebellious for their rebellion, and purge the wicked from the Land. Chastisement still falls on the disobedient. God will not permit his people to linger in sin.

Habakkuk is told what is going to happen so that he can warn his generation. Sounding the warning gives people the opportunity to repent and seek mercy. To the hardened heart, warnings never seem serious.  But some hear the warning and turn in repentance to the Lord.

Here are somethings that we can glean from Habakkuk 1:5-11:

• God doesn't (usually) answer "Why?" questions.
• God is at work around us.
• God's work is often incomprehensible.
• God is sovereign over the nations.
• Life may get worse before it gets better.
• The wrath of God is swift and terrible.
• Our enemies are (often) just like us.

Judgment Through Consequences

Have you ever found yourself wondering why bad things happen? Have you ever asked yourself, "Why doesn't God stop sin from happening?" In part, God doesn't immediately judge sin, because he is showing mercy to the sinner. He willing shows patience to extend the opportunity of repentance to the rebel. Sometimes what seems like delayed justice is actually God judging through consequences.

Speaking about human conflict, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote, "It is God's judgment upon us, not in the sense that he caused or sent war, but that He has allowed our sins to work itself out and lead to its inevitable consequences of suffering and pain" (The Plight of Man and the Power of God, pgs. 90-91).

Someone might argue, "But so many innocent people get hurt and killed during war." If we take the popular understanding of the nature of mankind, that people are inherently good, then it would seem that many innocent lives are consumed by the ravages of war.  The biblical view of the nature of mankind is not so optimistic.  The Bible teaches that mankind is inherently sinful.  We are sinners by nature and sinners by choice.

Experience confirms this.  Children instinctively learn to rebel against authority. Each night on the news we hear report after report of brutality, corruption, deception, etc. Education cannot erase the darkness of the human heart.  Wealth does not eliminate it.  Even the socially mobile can do despicable things.

The reality of mankind's sinful nature means that there is no truly innocent people.  We have all fallen short of what God created us to be.  We have all failed to love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.  We all stand condemned before a holy, righteous Judge. Therefore, it is consistent with God's just nature to allow mankind to go their own way.

Isaiah says we all like sheep have gone astray (see Isa. 53:6).  The good news is that God has sent a Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come into the world to pursue us.  He ransomed us through his death and resurrection and now calls us to turn from sin and place our faith in him.  But for those who have rejected his grace and suppressed the truth with their unrighteousness, he has turned them over to their waywardness.

That sense of turning them over to their own devices is what Dr. Lloyd-Jones is talking about.  Mankind wishes, for the most part, to be free of God's authority.  Therefore, they erect structures and systems that undermine that authority. When God permits them to do so, these structures and systems bring destruction instead of freedom. Sinners reject God's rules for living, and then get angry at God for not keeping them from hurting themselves while they were doing their own thing.  It is similar to a person gouging our their own eyes, and being upset by their blindness.

God, in his grace, has shown patience to humanity. Humanity has rebelled against God, and he has permitted them to go. The rebellious heart of mankind drives people farther from their Creator. The farther mankind gets away from God the more damage they do to themselves and others. Pain and suffering are the logically results of mankind's rebellion.

Had God not willed to rescue humanity, through Christ's substitutionary death and resurrection, we all would still be going astray. We would all be consumed by the darkness of the human heart unrestrained by the law of God. Were it not for the grace of God, humanity would have wiped itself out long ago.  But God has preserved for himself a people. And in the midst of the suffering and pain of this world, there is a light.  If only we will turn to Jesus, and find it.