“I received mercy.... and grace...”

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:12-14

Every Christian shares this perspective on their salvation with the apostle Paul. We should be filled with overwhelming thankfulness for the good news that changed us because Jesus has done it all for us! Jesus has made all believers what they are today. It is not a result of self-effort or human achievement. Like Paul, we all have shameful, sinful former pasts now beautifully transformed by our Savior Who calls us into faithful service to Him. Jesus changes sinners. And we should marvel every time we think about it!

We aren’t what we were. We are now recipients of mercy through the cross. Guilty sinners are made holy, forgiven by the innocent blood of Jesus. That mercy saw us trapped in sin, ignorant in unbelief, and brought the gospel to us so that in trust of Christ we might be forever changed. We did not deserve such love, but it is now our story.

Jesus also showers us with grace. Paul describes it as overflowing. That grace spills out in faith and love for our Savior. It flows through us to help us trust God and love others like Jesus loves us. And that grace is why gospel proclamation is always a part of Christian worship and should move us as we speak truth into our world. We live because of Christ. We live for Christ.

lifted up

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

when Israel suffered

under great sin

in the wilderness

snakebit and dying

God provided a way

for healing

when Moses

fashioned a bronze snake

and it was

lifted up

Israel looked only

to what God provided

and lived.

a world suffers

sick, guilty of sin

enemies of God

wicked and dying

God provided a way

to eternal life

when Jesus

God’s only begotten Son

gave His life

lifted up

We can look only

to Jesus our Savior

and live!

better... not bitter

And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

Daniel 1:20

Four young Hebrew captives, ripped from their homes and led away into Babylon, castrated and forced into serving the royal household, were faithful to God despite their cruel captivity. They were found to be excellent young men, the best political advisors Babylon had every known. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were living examples of God blessing obedience to Him even in hardship. Yes, they suffered in being brought to Babylon. Yes, their lives were permanently shaped by their captivity and role as slaves to privileged leaders. They were in the palace, but slaves nonetheless. But they did not turn bitter despite this life of mistreatment by jealous captors. The book of Daniel will repeatedly show us that jealous captors discriminated against them, even twisted the law of the land against them. Instead, these guys rejected being bitter and instead became better. And their faithfulness to God first is the reason that this happened.

They desired to be faithful to God’s law even as captives in the king’s court. They were allowed to honor the dietary laws of Moses (see 1:9-19) and upon examination by the king himself, were found ten times better than all his other officials. God rewarded their obedience, blessed them even in their trials, and they rose to stable positions supporting a pagan government that ultimately kept all the Jews in Babylon safe. Like Joseph in Egypt, these four young men influenced world power and God used them providentially to keep His people safe and make their world a better place.

Could that example be enlightening for Christians today? Could God ask us to be faithful in similar situations? It seems to me that in cultural captivity, believers in Jesus Christ should obey His truth personally at all costs, courteously avoid confrontational posture (Daniel used favor with his boss to propose an experiment, not demand a “right”), interact within the means we have to speak to our culture, and let God’s power and blessing be seen in the result. May the examples of these Hebrew teenagers so long ago point us to humbly follow Christ and gently, firmly interact with, answer, and serve our world with gospel clarity!

sweet gracious words

Gracious words are like a honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Proverbs 16:24

In a culture of clashing ideals and quick cut downs, this proverb may get lost in the chaos of the churning crowd. But for the Christian it should be a call to speak clearly, graciously, and godly even in the angry din around us. I’ve seen politics and technology collide over the last half decade or so. It has turned some Christians into cruel commentators with all the grace and charm of a snarling junkyard dog on the attack. I know this personally too well because at one time I was caught up in the new found power of the social media megaphone, what I thought was my best witty insight, and the pride-swelling drug of the “like” button lighting up my posts. When that combination takes over, very little thought of grace controls your choice of words. I know this because shamefully, that was me at one time. I was lovingly admonished about it. I chose to change my tone and content before I inflicted more damage and brought more shame and judgment upon myself.

What I want most is not some political outcome for my world. That is a human proposal that is severely limited and flawed by a broken system. But grace... that comes from heaven... from the God of all grace. That changes me. Through the the gospel it changes people. And God can give me words of grace and actions of grace that can save the souls He loves by His mercy and change all who believe for eternity! I want the sweet grace of Jesus to fuel my soul and bring rest at the end of each day. Grace brings joy, life, peace, and health. And man, is that needed right now!

So Lord,

You know the lessons I have had to humbly learn in repentance and the temptations I face to easily forget those lessons. You know that controlling my online expression in grace is a wise and holy taming of my tongue that ultimately shows Your great transforming power. Please drip the honey of Your sweet grace on my lips so that Your words will restore souls and bring health to a sick world that right now is literally dying in dire need of the saving grace of Jesus. 

Amen

rock and stronghold

But the LORD has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge.

Psalm 94:22

No matter the circumstance, despite the challenges life my throw at us, believers have a secure stronghold in relationship with God. The storms of life may blow. Broken situations marred by the curse and complicated by a sinful world might tempt us to despair of any hope. But God is our Rock. God is our refuge. The Lord is bigger and stronger than anything outside us. He is clearly in control.

God keeps His people. And He always will. That is the confidence offered in worship here in this Psalm. It was a blessing Israel enjoyed as God’s covenant nation when this psalm was composed. It is a blessing that Christians too can know because Jesus has promised “I am with you always” and “I will not leave you as orphans”. God loves us and His love promises to provide for us and keep us.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee; 
let the water and the blood, 
from thy wounded side which flowed, 
be of sin the double cure; 
save from wrath and make me pure. 

Not the labors of my hands 
can fulfill thy law's demands; 
could my zeal no respite know, 
could my tears forever flow, 
all for sin could not atone; 
thou must save, and thou alone. 

Nothing in my hand I bring, 
simply to the cross I cling; 
naked, come to thee for dress; 
helpless, look to thee for grace; 
foul, I to the fountain fly; 
wash me, Savior, or I die. 

While I draw this fleeting breath, 

when mine eyes shall close in death, 
when I soar to worlds unknown, 
see thee on thy judgment throne, 
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
let me hide myself in thee. 

the blessings of relationship with God

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Leviticus 26:13

As the book of Leviticus winds down, God gives Israel a rehearsal of His relationship with them as a nation, reminding them that the focus of the covenant is His saving work to bring the nation into relationship with Him. It was God’s doing. He delivered them from the awful slavery of Egypt. He brought them out to give them the land of Canaan promised to Abraham. God gave them the Law through Moses so that they could please Him and enjoy His blessings.

Relationship with God was initiated by God. All the means and methods for the nation to enjoy these blessings were provided by Him in grace. But they then had to commit to all God had given in the Law. They had to keep covenant by following His laws, worshiping God and turning from idols, and living joyfully and peacefully in the blessings that His grace would pour on an obedient nation. He provided it all. They simply had to receive, commit, believe, and obey.

Unfortunately, the history of Israel in these matters was one of regular and long complacency and disobedience. They experienced blessings when they modeled commitment, worship, and obedience. But they didn’t always teach the next generation well. And so that disobedience would lead to the curses of the Law coming upon them. Even then, when the people repented and re-committed, God in mercy graciously returned them to the experiences of His blessings. God loves to redeem and restore broken sinners. And I know this personally! It is what Jesus did for me, though I am imperfect in my obedience. I repent and return to the gospel in confession of sin because it is the only way to know God’s peace! Through Jesus, God wants to free all people from painful, sinful bondage forever! That is the New Covenant Jesus brought so that we might not be bound in the yoke of sin’s slavery any longer.

Stressed? Circle back.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

This prayer Paul prayed for a church in distress is important to remember right now. Three pressures teamed up to put the Thessalonian church on edge: 1) They were experiencing increasing eternal persecution (1:4). 2) They were confused by doctrinal misinformation that had muddled their hope in Christ’s return (2:1-2). 3) Some among them had become lazy, mooching gossips straining relationships and resources in the church (3:6-12). That is why this prayer to renew hope in the gospel in their hearts is so important. Pressures can take our eyes off Jesus and all the good things His grace has given us. We are called to circle back to our basic identity.

What is this basic identity as Paul prayed over this church? Three considerations help us understand it. 

• First, WHO has given us our identity? It is our Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father. We don’t get our identity from ourselves or other people. God tells us who we are in Christ. 
• Secondly, WHAT are we given in Christ? God loves us in Christ. God comforts us in Christ. God provides real hope in Christ. God’s grace is poured over us in Christ.
• Thirdly, WHERE is our identity known and shown? God changes and comforts our hearts. He builds us up from the inside out. This is then displayed in what we do and in what we say and in how we do and say those things.

And so, as pressures still feel great today, let us take our comfort, strengthen our hope, and be strong! Persecution need not rattle those comforted and strengthened in Christ. Misinformation will fade in the bright light of the clear standard of God’s Word. Idleness must be rejected as we live out the grace of the gospel.

Grace and Truth

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:16-17

So long ago

from Sinai’s plateau

in thunder and flame

God’s Law came

from God’s throne

written in stone

Moses delivered

while Israel shivered

fear and terror

corrected their error

Truth from the Lord

and His powerful holy Word

Grace then, and yet to come

in a Promised One.

Through centuries of pain

on Bethlehem’s plain

into a manger

born into danger

Jesus left heaven’s throne

to make earth His home

Grace did finally arrive

so that truth could thrive

death would lose

for all who would choose

to follow this Savior

Who changes behavior

for Jesus is Lord

the Living Word

Grace and Truth have come

in God’s only Son!

Be a good thinker.

The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Proverbs 14:15

It seems to me there would be a lot less social media and cultural drama if people followed this clear proverb. And we wouldn’t be inundated with fake news from friends if we all paused and simply thought first. Yes, a social media post is a “step” we ought to give careful thought to. Like it or not, it has become a medium that shapes culture in this tech-driven, crowd-sourced day in which we live.

I’ve been too guilty of not applying thought to my life in this category. And I’ve had to go back in apology to people that I have unintentionally offended in a thoughtless effort to be funny or to come off as “internet cool”. I’d just rather not regularly do that. It is very foolish to just post away without prayerful thought. 

This part of Proverbs follows up with a reminder of the good that can come if we will “give thought” to our steps. Look at the next verse:

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,

but a fool is reckless and careless.

Proverbs 14:16

Careful thought turns away evil. To not do so is reckless endangerment. This is pretty clear. Let’s think Christianly about what we say and do!

Want to know how to start to do that? Here is a list to get us thinking the right way from Philippians 4:8-9:

• Think on the truth God reveals in His Word. Fact check your thoughts and words against proven facts and God’s Word.
• Think on what will honor God. Will God be pleased with this?
• Think on what God reveals as justice among us. Does this devalue people made in God’s image?
• Think on purity. Does this reflect holiness?
• Think on what is lovely in our Creator’s world. Will this draw attention to the God Who rules us?
• Think on what is commended as good by God. Is the standard ultimately God or man?
• Think on what is excellent. The low road leads to less than the best outcome many times.
• Think on what promotes the praise of God. Can I honestly praise God with what I am about to say or do?
• Do what you have learned as a disciple of Jesus. Did Jesus call me to this?

All of these things are promised to bring God’s peace to the believer. Oh, that we would be good thinkers first!

Worship keeps the soul forever young.

They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

to declare that the LORD is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psalm 92:14-15

A lifetime spent worshiping God, always ready to declare His goodness and praise His power, is a life well spent. The worship of the Lord bears fruit into old age. It keeps us lively and graceful. It makes the heart always going, even as our bodies lose their youth. The older the soul, the dearer the praise, the deeper the love, and the more spiritual energy there can be experienced.

I have seen this truth since I was a kid. When I was in elementary school my parents used to team up with another group of families in our church to lead a church service in an assisted living. That was the mid 70’s and we still called them “old folk’s homes”. We would literally go from room to room, take folks by the arm or wheel them into a chapel area and have what was the liveliest worship of the week on Friday nights. People would sing hymns with gusto and shout out their “Amens”. I would watch tired eyes suddenly light up when singing praise and responding to the powerful Word of God as it was preached. Men and women, some with bodies bent and twisted with disease and age, would share testimonies of the faithfulness of God in their lives. In many ways that experience still flavors my expectations of good Christian ministry to this day.

Again, I saw this during my ministry training years. In Bible college, Joni and I used to share rotation in leading Sunday afternoon worship services at the assisted living high rise just down the street from the urban downtown church that trained me in ministry. And again, the most interactive and sometimes the most moving worship of my week happened, even as I stumbled through learning to lead singing and preaching a 15 minute sermon. I was witness to the truth that the soul stays eternally young in Jesus.

So Lord,

As I am now closer to being an aged saint than a busy prime time player, deepen my appreciation for praise! Keep me green and full of spiritual sap! I want to declare Your upright goodness and faithful love. I want the gospel to enliven me and others, to flow out of these old bones in a river of praise!

Amen

the book bigger than my situation

Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

2 Kings 22:10

This was no ordinary book. This was the Book of the Law kept in the temple, and Judah had effectively buried it by generational idolatry. It took a new, young, good-hearted king to even have the Law found again. Josiah had sent a crew to begin repairs on the temple and its treasuries. And after generations of neglect, the greatest treasure was brought back to the king... the Pentateuch. The holy scriptures would grab the attention of the king and spark renewal during Josiah’s reign.

Josiah listened carefully to the reading of the entire Pentateuch. Imagine that... Shaphan started in Genesis and finished with Deuteronomy. And the result of this marathon book reading was that Josiah immediately realized that God’s people had missed the blessings of the covenant by their willful disobedience. He tore his royal clothes and wept in repentance, realizing that the curses of the Law were already upon a sinful and neglectful nation. God’s truth can show us our sin and can lead us to a proper reaction of repentance.

Personally, I see this as a reminder to anchor in the Bible for perspective, instruction, rebuke, and renewal. I have fought complacency on this a lot during the mixed set of disruptions that have made up the last 10 months. It began with a pandemic, was muddled by social unrest that was repugnant and disturbing to witness, and now churns in the drama of political instability. All of this daily turns my attention from careful, thoughtful, attentive reading of God’s Word and prayer. It should drive me to do this, but I confess, I have struggled with it distracting me from it. Like the example of Josiah, I need to hear out what God says, repent where I am complacent, and accept whatever God is doing right now in my world.

equal protection under God’s law

You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 24:22

This call to equal treatment under the law is repeated numerous times in the Pentateuch. It the case here in Leviticus 24, the end of this chapter lays out two instances where Israel must apply the death penalty fairly: cases of blasphemy (Leviticus 24:10-16) and cases of murder (Leviticus 24:17-23).

God foresaw that Israel might be tempted to be biased when it came to the treatment of immigrants. In the crime of blasphemy, it might be easy to give in to suspicion of differences and treat immigrants with contempt. Or it might be easy to lean towards laxness and not treat their blasphemy as seriously. But God was clear: Proven blasphemy would be punished equally for both the natural born Israelite and the sojourning immigrant.

The same was true for any phase of legal understanding in the nation. The same rules governed both the Jew and the Gentile living among God’s people. God’s Law was meant to be seriously followed by all people in the nation. Immigrants enjoyed the same protections and were also responsible for the same behaviors. God’s justice had spoken in His revealed Word.

Just as in the Old Testament God offered Gentiles the blessings of the Law if they also submitted to its consequences, so now the grace of Jesus Christ is offered to the entire world. All people everywhere are invited to come to Jesus Who is the hope of the world, to receive abundant and eternal life! And they all must submit to Christ’s lordship. Nobody gets a pass on that reality. Nobody gets better treatment. All take Jesus’ easy yoke and follow Him.

And Christians that are serious about following a Lord Who loves ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE will also notice and seek to promote His saving grace to the world. They will not harbor favoritism, give in to fear of strangers, allow the mistreatment of sojourning immigrants, or participate in the injustice denying legal recourse to people that are made in God’s image.

three ways to get out of cultural conflict

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

1 Thessalonians 5:15

Christians are commanded to be peace-promoting in every situation of conflict. We do not do evil when evil is done to us. We don’t take matters into our own hands. We are not revenge oriented. We aren’t name callers. We aren’t haters. No person can simultaneously be reconciled to God in Jesus and actively seek conflict with another person in their life. Grace turns Christian hearts toward the peace of Christ. Jesus brings peace everywhere among us and calls us to always seek the best for everybody.

How is this even possible in an age of constant digital self-expression that invites judgment of others? Every opinion, every idea, nearly every outrageous claim possible is on our social-media feeds by breakfast just begging for our evaluation and judgment! And now it is the case that news media will offer up that evaluation about social media for us if we will not do it. Partisanship now flavors everything we read, we see, we hear, or we seek to be entertained by. And this is only increasing. It has not abated at all over the last decade. A cacophony of cultural conflict awaits us every day.

There are three applications I draw from this one instruction to help me to immediately apply the truth of scripture to the task of managing this cultural chaos.

1) Don’t be vengeful. Don’t hit reply with smart revenge in mind. And don’t let other believers do this either. Lovingly point them to this passage as a gauge for our behavior and remind us all not to repay evil with another evil. This has been done to me, carefully, by friends and brothers and it has helped me grow. Just scroll on and pray. 

2) Seek to say what is good to build up believers. This is seeking God’s sanctifying work with one another in the Body of Christ. There is only one sure way that I KNOW I will speak good and that is to invite my brothers and sisters to look to Jesus in the gospel, and to God’s Word for growth. This will take us beyond our strong sinful tendency to be quick for revenge.

3) Seek to declare the gospel by word and deed to everyone. Those outside the Christian faith need to see us changed by and modeling the love of God in Christ. They WILL NOT EVER be changed for eternity or redeemed by our political opinions! NEVER! It is idolatry to keep acting like my opinions will change people. Share the good news of the redeeming work of Christ, of repentance and faith in the gospel... and live it out.

resurrection marvel

But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Luke 24:12

No matter how grim things look, no matter how bad situations may get, we must remember: Jesus has conquered death for us. His resurrection power lives in Christians! No dark day can triumph over us. Death yields to everlasting life. Sin is forgiven. Judgment was taken by grace for all who believe and our Lord Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the grave! No dark day casts a shadow over this living hope.

Let us run to the empty tomb with Peter, and peering at its echoing emptiness marvel that Christ the Lord is risen in power over all that would defeat us. His life, death, and resurrection happened with as much reality as our latest breath, or the day we had yesterday! Jesus died, was buried, and rose again the third day so that we might be brought to peace with God and have life in His name. This is a wonderful way to worship! This is the miraculous marvel of our completed atonement. This is the means for us to have a whole new life in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Marvel at it! Be amazed! Wonder in the miracle of your salvation rather than wallow in the darkness of our days! 

Lord,

I have had quite enough of this dreary world’s outlook on current conditions. I look not to the ways of this world or the institutions of humanity for my hope. I care not for a political solution, for a medical solution, for a societal solution when Jesus, You are the only light of the world! You are sovereign over all human activity. All the other potential solutions are faltering and failing without You. I look to You, Lord Jesus, for my salvation, for my life, for my perspective on how to live by following You, and for the eternal life I have forever with You!

Amen

Why God does what He does

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.

Ezekiel 39:25

God suffers from no lack of motivation, neither are His actions prompted by anything less than holiness. He always does the right thing. He does so when He judges sin. He does so when He restores sinners. God’s justice, judgment, mercy, and grace are always firmly rooted in His unique holiness. This makes Him motivated completely differently than I am!

I must always apply the Word of God carefully to my motives. I must let the Spirit of God use the Word of God to examine my heart. I must deal with the reality that sin in me fatally corrupts even what I think are my best intentions and I must submit every thought and action captive to the redeeming Lordship of Jesus Christ! Truly loving God must be purged of my own motivation to love Him so I can get the life that I want. Loving neighbor can also be selfishly motivated if I do it so I can get the attention of those who are watching me. Sin gives me the desire to help others only so they can notice that I cared so much! I cannot say that I am motivated like God. He is jealous for His holy name. I am fixated on my own reputation way too much.

Lord,

You do what You do because You are holy, true, righteous, all-knowing, and all powerful. I am none of these, yet sin deceives me to act like I am in sovereign control of my own world. Keep me focused on worshiping You, my holy, loving, restoring God! Forgive my attempts at being focused only on me while lying to you and the world that I love You! I know mercy and restored life only because of what You have done for me, Lord Jesus! I did not earn it. I cannot do anything of merit to keep it. You have done it all for Your name’s sake. And I will humbly live in confession, repentance, and faith in Your power to save today.

Amen

the difference between a bad end and a good end

Every prudent man acts with knowledge,

but a fool flaunts his folly.

Proverbs 13:16

This is a call to stay the course and a warning to avoid self-navigation. What do I mean by “stay the course”? I mean to say that I will always need the constant, steady wisdom of God’s Word to direct my thinking. I need God’s Word to speak into my life. And I have such constant access to it that I am really the one who will be at fault if that doesn’t happen. It is a glorious thing to open my Bible, and no matter where I read, to instantly have God’s truth speak to me. I can find it everywhere I go. Technology gives me instant access to eternal truth. Scripture memory has put God’s truth in my mind and there are times where the Holy Spirit brings scriptural knowledge immediately to me, flashing like a dashboard warning light, or confirming a course of action that feels like God putting His reassuring arm over my shoulder.

It is what this proverb warns against that gets my attention most powerfully though. If I run past the warning light or swat down a scriptural insight in favor of my own desire, I am left with a personal intention heavily corrupted by my own selfishness and sin. And I must believe that what God says here is true of me in my uninformed state of mind: I will flaunt folly like a fool when I am left to myself! I don’t want “fool” engraved on my tombstone.

Lord,

I thank You for the wisdom of Your Word. And I pray that it might always be the first input of every day I have left to serve You this earth. May Your knowledge keep me humbly trusting You. Jesus, You have saved me from the foolish path of faithlessness and sinful pride. Keep me tenderly leaning on that grace, humbly aware of Your truth so that Your wisdom will lead me on until You lead me home.

Amen

a faithful perspective

but I will not remove from him my steadfast love

or be false to my faithfulness.

Psalm 89:33

This is a promise that God made specifically to David and his descendants. It celebrates what we think of as the “Davidic Covenant”... that David’s offspring would always rule in Jerusalem, and it is very Messianic, finding its complete fulfillment in the Messiah, the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

This verse follows a section of the psalm detailing that Davidic covenant in song covering verses 29-37. It goes like this: 

• This is a covenant designed by God to last forever (Psalm 89:29). 
• The kingly line of David MUST keep God’s commands and statutes as their part of the covenant (Psalm 89:30). 
• If they forsake God, then God would bring punishment to them, just as He promised to remove Israel from their land if they forsook Him (Psalm 89:31-32).  
• However, God would be true to His Word and keep His promises to keep the line of David despite their sins (Psalm 89:33-35). 
• Even after the discipline of judgment, God will keep David’s line forever (Psalm 89:36-37). 

And all this is beautifully kept with Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as the faithful fulfillment of God’s covenant love.

Psalm 89 is authored by a Bible character, Ethan the Ezrahite, who is only mentioned specifically one other time in scripture, where he is compared to the wisest people ever known in a recap of Solomon’s great wisdom. So evidently he was known to the audience of 1 Kings (written probably early in the exile), as a wise man contemporary with them. Ethan has written Psalm 89 as a worship perspective reminding God’s people in the midst of suffering to lean heavily into the promises of God, to recall the Davidic covenant for encouraging perspective.

Simple application of all this: In hard times, remember that God is faithful! This psalm ultimately looked to the promise of Jesus to frame suffering with faith-filled hope. And Jesus still gives us that vital view in troubled times right now!

Idolatry steals identity.

And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had practiced.

2 Kings 17:7-8

Idolatry ultimately destroys those consumed by it. It beckons those who worship anything other than the Lord with a promise to “fit in” but what it steals is distinctiveness. That is what happened to Israel as described in detail here in 2 Kings 17. Assyria came in, leveled Samaria, killed the finest soldiers, stole away the inhabitants of Israel (that’s the northern ten tribes of Jews living in the Promised Land), and forcibly resettled them to Assyria. Over generations they assimilated fully into the culture and were wiped out. Idolatry gave them ironically what they wanted: to be like other nations. It stole identity and destroyed them.

And it will do so today. History bears this out. Those led captive to Assyria never returned home. Those ten tribes disappeared from history. Assyria resettled Samaria with their own people. What we know of Judaism today is but a remnant of what once was. That is how thoroughly the judgment of God fell on those given to such idolatrous disobedience.

Worship of Jesus makes Christians distinct. And we must guard our hearts from cultural and societal idols that want to replace that distinctive worship and steal our identities! This is why the gospel must never cease to be preached in our gatherings. This is why Jesus is central to our conversation and fellowship. This is why potential idols such as politics, celebrity, and programs must all be placed under the cross of Jesus, never in front of it or beside it! Little children, keep yourselves from idols! (1 John 5:21)

We are all sojourners.

When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:33-34

What is God telling Israel to do with this command and what light does it shed on Christians living in a complex society right now? This is a stern reminder rooted in God’s covenant with His people as the last phrase invokes God’s covenant-keeping name. Loving immigrants as neighbors that were to be loved with the standard “love your neighbor as yourself” is what is being declared here (Leviticus 19:18). Immigrants are neighbors. Neighbors are to be loved like yourself. There was to be no differentiation in care for people who came to live among God’s people peacefully. They were to be welcomed, protected, and given all due process of law.

Why was this the standard? Because Israel’s history had them at one time living as immigrants temporarily in Egypt. Treating foreigners in their own land well reminded the Jews of their own past and all that the Lord had done for them. Treating foreigners well was an act of worship and obedience. And in a sense they were identifying with immigrants and foreigners as people God made and placed in their care.

How does this translate into Christian love today? The New Testament is full of examples and calls to hospitality, literally “stranger-love”. And like Israel out of Egypt, Christians must adopt a sojourner mindset. This world is not our home. We should love all people. We should not fear foreigners or act hatefully toward immigrants. We should love them as Jesus loves them. We should love them as ourselves. We should speak out if they are done wrong, treated inhumanely, or marginalized by unjust treatment. We should share Jesus and our lives with all people generously because here is the truth: we are all equally sojourners here on earth!