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Amos 1:3, Proverbs 24:17-18

The Balm of Gilead

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 28, 2023

Amos begins his prophecy by condemning the nations that surround Israel. There are 8 oracles announcing the imminent action of God against the enemies of God’s people. He begins by promising punishment on Damascus. Amos 1:3 says, “Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron.” There will be seven more oracles against different nations and each time the prophecy begins with the same refrain. It’s almost like a song. The literal Hebrew rendering of this chorus would be, “for three sins and for four…” But this idiom probably means “again and again.” 1:3 says, “The people of Damascus have sinned again and again, and I will not turn back my anger.” Verse 6 says, “The people of Gaza have sinned again and again, and I will not turn back my anger.” Verse 9 says the same thing about Tyre, and then comes Edom, Ammon, and Moab. Each passage begins with the exact same phrase.

If Amos were a popular singer, he would have received a rousing round of applause. The Jews would delight in their enemies meeting with God’s judgment. Everyone was in favor of God judging their evil neighbors, Damascus. However, God didn’t restrict His judgment on Israel’s enemies as we’ll see. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was especially alienated from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The next chorus would have aroused an even greater response from the northern Kingdom. “The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not turn back my anger.” The crowd would have exploded with cheers! Then, however, dead silence would fall as Amos, sang the last verse in 2:6. “The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not turn back my anger.” But Amos 1:3 focuses on the particular sins of Damascus. “Special mention is made of the crimes committed against the people of Gilead. The Aramean state of Syria, whose capital was Damascus, was located east of Gilead, and many of the battles between the kings of Israel and the kings of Syria took place in Gilead.”[1] I’ve often wondered if the song, “There is a balm in Gilead” found its source in the fact that Gilead felt the brunt of God’s judgment for their sins.

In all the modern revenge movies, we just love to see people get what they deserve! Right?  It’s not that way with God. He does not take pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, rather, he delights in forgiving sinners! There is a “balm” in Gilead. That “balm” is forgiveness. It’s a rare ointment, however. We all like our revenge or enjoy seeing the failure of our enemies. God does not like us rejoicing over the fall of others. He deeply dislikes us playing God.  Using the similar Hebrew phrase about “turning away His anger, God tells us in Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.” The force of this proverb includes the idea that joy at the fall of others turns God’s attention from them to you. This is what Amos was telling Israel. In fact, God used one of the most wicked of these surrounding nations as his instrument of Judgment on Israel. An extra-biblical account of the excessive brutality of the Assyrians was recorded in the account of the King of Assyria. He said, “I burnt many captives from them. I captured many troops alive; I cut off of some their arms [and] hands; I cut off of others their noses, ears, and extremities. I gouged out the eyes of many troops. I made a pile of the living [and] one of the heads. I hung their heads on trees around the city. I burnt their adolescent boys [and] girls.”[2] How can I rejoice at such carnage even if poured out on my enemy? May the Balm of Gilead pour out over my heart and soul.

[1] Smith, Gary V. 1998. Amos. Mentor Commentaries. Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.

[2] Smith, Gary V. 1998. Amos. Mentor Commentaries. Fearn, Ross-shire, Great Britain: Mentor.

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Joel 1:5, Isaiah 22:12-13

Eat, Drink and be Merry!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 27, 2023

Joel warns the nation that God is about to bring a sweeping disaster upon them as a judgment for their spiritual adultery. Having recently experienced a devastating locust plague the nation was well aware of that concept. But the “locusts” that were to come now were not literal locusts, but the army of Assyria. The soldiers would devour everything before them like a locust plague. With that in mind, Joel calls the people to do three things. Joel 1:5 says, “Awake, you drunkards, and weep, and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.” They are to wake, weep, and wail.

The call to wake up is to come from their inebriated state and open their eyes to reality. It’s a call to sober up! Many commentators put Joel’s prophecy during the evil reign of Athaliah in Judah. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel who reigned over Israel in the north. She instituted all the vile practices of Baal worship she had learned from her mother. Patterson observed, “The ready availability of wine in the northern kingdom during the eighth century is illustrated in the Samaria Ostraca, many of which deal with receipts for wine. It is likely Judah was no different. Whatever the precise emphasis on wine here, God’s people are pictured as pursuing their own pleasure, oblivious to the great danger to which their spiritual lethargy had exposed them.”[1] Just as the locust plague was used by Joel to impress upon the nation the depth of the destruction to come, the drunkenness associated with the sweet wines of the day was used to illustrate the blind stupor of the entire nation concerning God. The wealth and abundance of life can sometimes blind us to the real world. We should not let the pleasures of the world distract us from the reality of our mortal nature.

The second and third things are similar, weep and wail. He calls the people to “weep.” The weeping is associated with the reality that with the locust plague all the ingredients for their “sweet wine” will be gone.  They were to weep over the loss of their abundance, but they were to mourn over the coming judgment. Julian of Eclanum was a 5th-century Pelagian, yet his aberrant theology did not prevent him from seeing this passage correctly. He wrote, “The patience of the eternal judge has been conquered by the shamelessness and obstinacy of sinners. He has decreed to subject you to the flogging that you deserve and to remove those chief instruments of your delights, which you were abusing. Of course, although the progression of this destitution reaches even the ordinary people and those without wealth, even the very commencement of it will torment you. You, then, whom instruction in justice has taught nothing, begin at least to experience the goads of fear, and shed some tears for your vices, which you did not give to your duties. All of you who never felt pain over your wounded innocence, weep at last for your destitute drunkenness.”[2] Isaiah tells of the coming judgment of God upon a people who refuse to face reality but double down on their drunkenness. Isaiah 22:12-13 says, “And in that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine.” Then Isaiah quotes the frequently repeated motto in every culture. It might be worded a bit differently, but the philosophy is the same. The Miller beer commercial captures the idea for us, “Go for all the gusto you can, for you only go around once in life.” Isaiah puts it this way, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

[1] Patterson, Richard D., and Andrew E. Hill. 2008. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 10: Minor Prophets, Hosea–Malachi. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

[2] Julian of Eclanum. 2021. Commentaries on Job, Hosea, Joel, and Amos. Edited by Thomas P. Scheck, Gerald L. Bray, Michael Glerup, and Thomas C. Oden. Translated by Thomas P. Scheck. Ancient Christian Texts. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.

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Hosea 1:3-5

Baal Worship in America

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 26, 2023

There were two people in the Bible named Gomer. Genesis 10:2 tells us that Japheth, the son of Noah, had a son named Gomer. This is repeated in 1 Chronicles. Then, there is a woman, the daughter of Diblaim, whom we meet in the book of Hosea. She was the prostitute that Hosea was told to marry. Hosea 1:3-5 tells us, “So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.  And the Lord said to him, ‘Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day, I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.’” Gomer was to have three children, but Jezreel is the only one that is certainly the son of Hosea. It appears from the wording of the text that the other children were not from Hosea himself but were from her adulterous affairs. Most commentators believe Hosea was well aware of what was going on. Smith says, “He understood how Gomer’s adultery represented the behavior of the people in the nation of Israel, God’s covenant partner. They were guilty of ‘the vilest adultery’ (1:2). By their unfaithful worship of Baal and participation in the sexual activities in that fertility cult, they defiled themselves and rejected their own God. In God’s eyes, the nation’s syncretism of the worship of Baal and Yahweh was not a minor problem of little significance; it was an affront to the exclusive covenant commitment God desires of those whom he loves.”[1]

Pastor Jim Erb writes, “Baal being a fertility god had worship that involved sex orgies. They worshiped an idol which was in the shape of an enlarged male sex organ, an Asherah. Temple prostitutes supported the temple worship of Baal. Its worship was filled with perversion, homosexuality, immorality, and sexual promiscuity. Could this possibly be the spirit behind much promiscuity, perversion, homosexuality, and pornography in America today? Baal goes after children. Child sacrifice was part of his deal. Children were sacrificed to a god called Molech in the Old Testament. However, they were also sacrificed to Baal. Could this possibly be the spirit behind abortions and child abuse that runs rampant in the USA? Something to think about!”[2] The indoctrination of our children in America today to sex as early as kindergarten may also have a connection with this.

For the Israelites at that time, and for bible scholars today, Jezreel connotes war, destruction, and bloodshed much like Chornobyl elicits thoughts of nuclear disasters today. It was in the Valley of Jezreel that the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines. It was here that Jehu killed Joram, and Jezebel and wiped out the Omri dynasty for Baal worship. Deborah and Gideon also fought bloody battles there during the period of the Judges. God used Jehu to judge the Baal worship under Ahab and Jezebel, but in this passage, he promises to use another Kingdom to bring judgment on Jehu for similar crimes of idolatry. It didn’t take long for Jehu’s kingdom to fall to the same sexual perversions and practices as were promoted by Jezebel. An occupation with sexual perversions of any kind is associated with Baal worship. The trend in our country is going that way. Today’s world has turned secular. With its turn away from Christianity came all the vileness of Baal worship. It’s promoted in the media, in our schools at a frighteningly early time, and all aspects of society. Adrian Rogers said, “Secularism today in America and the world has taken over the arts. It has taken over the sciences. It has taken over philosophy. It has taken over education. And, our days are so much like the days of Noah. There’s only one acceptable bigotry in the world today. Do you know what it is? It is you can still be bigoted against a Bible-believing Christian. A Bible-believing Christian today is the whipping boy of modern society.”[3]

[1] Smith, Gary V. 2001. Hosea, Amos, Micah. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

[2] https://www.sharonherald.com/community/is-baal-worship-going-on-in-usa-and-we-don-t-even-know-it/article_075b30c3-e8a8-5633-9a53-cd2b9a247835.html

[3] Rogers, Adrian. 2017. “The Days of Noah.” In Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive, Mt 24:35–39. Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust.

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Daniel 1:5-7

The Seductions of Babylon

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 25, 2023

When foreign immigrants came to America, it didn’t take long for them to become “American.” They learned the English language, adopted the American dress styles, they bought into everything in the American culture. The Jews would never do that. Wherever they were taken, they held on to their rituals, traditions, and religion. When Daniel and his friends were taken as captives to Babylon, they were tempted with all the best Babylon had to offer. The Babylonians wanted the young Israelites to become like them. They seduced them with the best food. This passage begins, “The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank.” Their food came from the Kings table. It wasn’t ordinary fare. In many countries, you will find “re-education” camps for those entering a country to indoctrinate the newcomers to the right understanding of history and language and all things. The next verse talks about re-education. It says, “They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.” As we’ll see the young Israelites could not be seduced by food or converted to the pagan Babylonian ways of life.

Then another major step that Ashpenaz took in indoctrinating the children of Israel into the Babylonian culture was to change their names. The passage continues, “Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.” Their Jewish names made them Jewish. Their new names made them Babylonians. According to Richison, “By giving these four young men these names, Ashpenaz hoped to eradicate Hebrew culture and inculcate Chaldean culture into their thinking. The names indicate that they were subject to the Chaldean gods. This was simply a brainwashing technique.” But these young men were seeped deeply in their own culture and the teachings of Moses, the writings, and the prophets. They knew their bible well. “Studies in Chaldean culture did not daunt the convictions of the four Judean believers. The content of Chaldean culture contradicted those convictions, but they were able to stand on their beliefs. These young men were able to study the Chaldean culture with academic excellence.” Richison concludes, “There is a great difference between God’s viewpoint on life and the viewpoint of the world. The viewpoint of God transcends the viewpoint of the world because the source is from eternity rather than time, from all-knowledge rather than special knowledge.”[1]

It has been widely recognized that the Institutes of higher learning in the United States have become more interested in indoctrinating students with the far-left liberal agenda than preparing them for a lifelong career. One of the more conservative reformed colleges in the country, Calvin, has now accepted LGBTQ professors on its faculty. If you do not have a pro-gay agenda, you will be ostracized and “cancelled” in our society. This seems to be worldwide. It seems that every show we attempt to watch on TV will have a gay couple presented as not only acceptable but applaudable. Even Downton Abbey has a gay gentleman that receives the approval of other characters. Then Anne with an E promoted the gay young man who received approval and praise from other gays and Anne herself in the show. There is no escaping the gay agenda. Those that do not approve of this lifestyle are framed as bigoted and hateful in such a way that no one wants to identify with them. But what’s worse, this trend has not been satisfied with working at the college and university level but has taken a turn to brainwash our high schoolers and even the elementary level. According to one source from Wisconsin, “State universities indoctrinate future teachers in controversial transgender, racial, and political theories—and instruct them to teach these principles to children beginning in preschool, a new report has found.”[2] Wisconsin is not the only state. The national trend with teacher’s unions is to support and affirm the gay lifestyle of students. Babylon is still seducing our children!

[1] Richison, Grant. 2006. Verse by Verse through the Book of Daniel. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems.

[2] https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/08/16/public-school-teachers-told-to-indoctrinate-kids-as-young-as-three-in-radical-lgbt-theory/

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Ezekiel 1:4, Various

The Rider on the Storm

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 24, 2023

Ezekiel says that in his vision the heavens were opened and he saw visions of God. He said, “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.” The first thing I noticed was the thought of God coming into this world on a “Storm.” Back in the ’60s, Jim Morrison and the rock group, the Doors, sang “Rider on the Storm.” The lyrics made little sense to me then and other than one observation it is about the same now. He sings, “Riders on the storm, Riders on the storm, into this house, we’re born, into this world, we’re thrown, Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan. Riders on the storm.” That’s just a bunch of nonsense to me except for the refrain, “Rider on the Storm.” Jim Morrison is setting a mood by using a biblical image of God’s activity in our world. William Cowper wrote a marvelous little poem using this same imagery. He writes about God, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea. And rides upon the storm.”

In the Door’s song, it appears that we all are the riders on the storm. Because we’re just thrown into the world with no help at all, “Into this world we’re thrown” and we are on our own. Nobody will throw us a bone! I guess there are times in our lives when we feel like we’ve been left to ride out the storms of life on our own, but the Bible teaches us that God is the one that rides the storms of life. The Bible uses Storms as pictures of the power and might of God. Psalm 29 is one example of that. Picking and choosing from its verses we read, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;  The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;  The Lord sits enthroned over the flood…” The storm is like a mighty stallion breaking into our lives at times. It appears to be completely out of control, but there is always a rider in control. As the disciples found in the boat as they found themselves pounded by the storm on the Sea of Galilee, there was someone who could tame all storms. He controls the storm like an expert rider controls his steed. This Psalm lets us know that “the Lord sits enthroned” over the storm.

Cowper ended his poem that way. He wrote, “Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.” As the disciples in the boat with Jesus learned, He makes the winds and the waves obey. With just one quick word, Jesus tells the storm to be still, and it becomes still. The disciples marveled at Jesus’ authority over the storm. I find that comforting during stormy times in my life. Faith in Christ is never misplaced. If He can calm the storms of the sea with one word, He can calm the storms of life as well. In Romans 10:11, according to the New American Standard Version of 1995, “whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Most translations say believers will not be put to shame or ashamed. Regardless of the translation, we can be assured that God will always honor our faith in Jesus.

 

 

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Lamentations 3:1, Various

The Devastation of Sin

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 23, 2023

For thousands of years, the Jews have lived as foreigners in the world. They have had no homeland and even the land they are attempting to claim in the 21st century is in constant conflict with its neighbors. She is always at war. I find Jeremiah’s cry in the book of Lamentations significant for every generation of the Jews, not just those going into exile in Babylon at the time of his writing this bible book. Lamentations 1:3 seems to capture the entire history of the Israelites, “Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress.” Israel’s chosen status and her subsequent failure in their call to be God’s people left her aliens in the world. Not even God pitied her. The depth of her despair is seen in her early history where she hangs up her musical instruments and cannot sing songs of Zion while a slave in Babylon. David wrote songs about his great love for God and God’s instructions for holy living. Psalm 119 is one of the longer songs that praised God’s laws and David’s passion to live by them. That Psalm has 22 divisions. Each one with 8 verses and each verse begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet to show the completeness of his love. This is repeated for the entire Hebrew alphabet.  Lamentations has a similar pattern. Ironside observes, “In Ps. 119 we have twenty-two divisions of eight verses each, similarly arranged, as even the ordinary English Bible shows. There, every letter of the alphabet (which represents the whole compass of man’s speech) is used in the praise of the perfect law of the Lord. In Lamentations, every letter is required to express the sorrows following upon the neglect and breaking of that law.”[1]

The personification of the destroyed Jerusalem as a woman bereaved of her husband and children has been the subject of some interesting artwork, painting as well as sculpture. Ryken tells of one of the more famous pieces. He writes, “She sits among the ruins, slumped slightly to one side. Her elbow rests on the arm of her throne, supporting her chin. Her gaze is turned downward in a resolute frown. Her aspect reveals that she has endured great suffering, a grief too deep for words, perhaps even for tears. Though the crown on her head gives her a regal air, she is despondent. The queen who answers to this description was carved into stone by William Westmore Story (1819–1895). Story’s sculpture establishes an imposing presence in the galleries of Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The inscription at the base of the woman’s throne identifies her as ‘Jerusalem in Her Desolation.’ The queenly city William Story carved into stone is Jerusalem personified, the Jerusalem that barely survived the tragic events described at the end of the book of Jeremiah. She had already experienced all the indignities and indecencies of the Babylonian assault. After a long siege, the city finally fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 587 b.c., and her citizens were deported to Babylon. Story’s sculpture depicts the aftermath—a city still numb with grief. The crumbled bits of mortar around her suggest a city in ruins. Yet the most significant detail is the tiny serpent slithering near the queen’s feet. The serpent stands for sin, showing that Jerusalem’s desolation was the result of her disobedience.”[2]

It’s hard to imagine that all of man’s toils, troubles, and trials are the result of taking a bite of one apple. All pain and hardships in life have their roots deeply embedded in sin. Adam and Eve started it, but we’ve all participated in perpetuating it. Like the Israelites in captivity, sin always leaves its impact. One web blogger says, “As we make our way through this life we have endless opportunities to encounter sin. Sometimes this is our own sin and sometimes this is the sin of others. Sometimes this sin is pre-meditated and carefully constructed to bring the greatest devastation. Other times this sin is inadvertent, negligent, thoughtless, based on omission rather than commission. Of course, the motive behind the sin does little to lessen its pain and impact. No matter where the sin comes from, no matter the intention or lack of intention behind it, we encounter sin and are harmed by it. What we find as we examine sin and its consequences are that sin leaves a trail behind it. Sin isn’t here for a moment and then gone. No, sin is so evil that it leaves its lingering scent behind.”[3] Only in Jesus Christ can we find salvation. Jesus’ first words when He began His ministry were, “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” What is the good news? “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Then in Romans 6:23, we read, that the devastation of sin is death, but “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

[1] Ironside, H. A. 1906. Notes on the Prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah. Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.

[2] Ryken, Philip Graham. 2001. Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[3] https://www.challies.com/articles/the-utter-devastation-of-sin/

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Jeremiah 7:20, Various

Our Curse Bearer!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 22, 2023

Because of his people’s rebellion, God will pour out his judgment on “this place.” Jeremiah 7:20 says, “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, my anger, and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.’” Some argue that “this place” refers to either the Temple where the Israelites had corrupted the worship of the one true God or the land of Israel that had been given to the Jews as their dwelling place upon the earth. But “this place” in the context used by Jeremiah refers to the physical realm as a whole, all the earth. When man sinned, God cursed the ground. He said that because of man the ground from which man was taken shall be cursed. Man’s sin brought a curse upon the whole creation. God’s curse upon the created order is also mentioned by Hosea. Hosea 4:3, also speaks of God’s justice being poured out on the created order. It reads, “Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away.” The creation was made for man and now that creation would suffer for man’s sins. Calvin said, “Strictly speaking, God does not punish animals and trees; this happens because of mankind, so that this spectacle may fill men with fear.”[1]

Filled with fear! The most frightening aspect of this verse is the phrase, “and it shall not be quenched.” God’s anger and wrath shall be poured out on earth and upon man forever and ever. This has been used by some of the more ancient commentators to support the theme of eternal torment. John Donne, writes, “God threatens that for their grievous sins he will multiply lives upon them and make them immortal for immortal torments. They shall be ‘a generation of his wrath’; for they shall die in this world in his displeasure and receive a new birth, a new generation in the world to come with a new capacity for new miseries; they shall die in the next world every minute, deprived of the sight of God and every minute receive a new generation, a new birth, a new ability to experience real and sensible torments.”[2] This has filled every generation with fear.

But God promised a remedy for both the created order and for the children of Adam. Isaiah 11:1-3 says, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.”  Nick Batzig, of Ligonier Ministries, writes, “In the Gospel, God promised to redeem–not just His believing people, but also the whole of the cosmos. The promise of redemption is the promise to all those who have trusted in Jesus, the second Adam, that they will live forever with Him in the New Heavens and the New Earth. When He sweat a great drop of blood in the Garden, the blood of the Second Adam fell into the cursed ground. When He hung on the tree, with a crown of thorns on his head, He shed His blood into the ground. The writer of Hebrews draws out this parallel between the blood of Abel (which cried out to God from the ground for judgment on Cain) and the blood of Jesus ‘speaking better things than that of Abel.’ Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy. There is a sense in which we can say that Jesus’ blood–being poured out into the cursed ground–also secures the new creation. There are depths here–depths that ought to make us fall on our knees, confess our sin and worship the God who sent His eternal Son to become the sin-bearing, curse-removing Second Adam!”[3]

[1] Calvin, John. 2000. Jeremiah and Lamentations. Crossway Classic Commentaries. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[2] Tyler, J. Jeffery, and Timothy George, eds. 2018. Jeremiah, Lamentations: Old Testament. Vol. XI. Reformation Commentary on Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press.

[3] https://feedingonchrist.org/the-curse-reversed/

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Isaiah 1:3, Psalms 69:20-21, 51:17

A Broken Heart

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
April 21, 2023

In the Israeli agricultural society, everyone knew their animals well. The ox and the donkey were known as loyal animals and were “loyal and faithful animals.”[1] So, Isaiah compares the fickle Israelites to these animals. He writes, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” These are just dumb animals but at least they are loyal. I like the way Ortlund describes this situation, “God’s children make animals look intelligent. Oxen and donkeys are stupid. Even as animals, they’re dense. But they know enough to go find their master. After all, he feeds them. But we are often unmoved by God’s love. We wander from one false master to another—hungry, empty, frustrated, wondering why God seems unreal. But the name ‘Israel’ declares that God still longs to bless us (cf. Genesis 32:22–29; 35:9–12). The words ‘my people’ show how closely God identifies with us. What madness is this, that we treat God our generous Father as a problem to work around, while we get on with the real business of life! The prophet is saying, ‘That’s stupid.’ And it breaks God’s heart.”[2]

During the creation account, we see that God only has to speak to bring things into existence. The whole creation obeys his word. He says “let there be light” and light appears. He says “let the plants appear on the dry ground” and they appear. He says “let the planets appear” and we have them in their particular orbits. He “let there be animals on the earth” and they appear. The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the land all respond to His voice with obedience. But not mankind! We are the highest of his created order. God shared himself with us by creating us in His image. All the created order is pronounced good except man. We have been pronounced, “very good.” Briley adds to this thought, “It is a great irony that human beings are the creatures with whom God desires the most personal, intimate relationship, yet we alone consistently fail to honor and respond to him.”[3]

God had acted completely out of his love for mankind. He created us out of his love. This is so obvious to me. He filled the world with color and gave us eyes to see. He filled the world with flowers and fragrances and gave us noses to experience them. He filled the world with foods to eat and made us with taste buds to enjoy them all. He put us in bodies and made us male and female and blessed us with the command to multiply and fill the earth. But we look around us and complain about what we see. We dislike some odors, we don’t like some foods, and we are unhappy with limits being placed on our physical pleasures. We blame God for there being any kind of unhappiness or pain or sorrow in the world. We ignore the blessings and focus on the pains and then blame God. Although death came in response to our rebellion as promised by God originally, we blame God for all suffering in the world. Again, out of His great love for us, God sent his son into the world to save the rebellious. He came dealing with the pain and healing the sick and raising the dead and his most precious creation, mankind, hung him on a cross. God took upon himself the suffering we experienced to demonstrate that love for us while we were yet sinners. Our rebellion, like that of a beloved child, broke God’s heart. Psalm 69:20-21 speaks for Messiah. This is the greatest expression of God’s love for mankind and it was scorned and rejected. “They have broken my heart by saying evil things about me. It has left me helpless. I looked for pity, but I didn’t find any. I looked for someone to comfort me, but I didn’t find anyone. They put bitter spices in my food. They gave me vinegar when I was thirsty.” The Psalmist also tells us what God desires from us. Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

[1] Friesen, Ivan D. 2009. Isaiah. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA; Waterloo, ON: Herald Press.

[2] Ortlund, Raymond C., Jr., and R. Kent Hughes. 2005. Isaiah: God Saves Sinners. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[3] Briley, Terry R. 2000–. Isaiah. The College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

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