Proper, Passionate Praise

"'This is the one I esteem; he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.'"
Isaiah 66:2b

God-centric worship should be one of the foremost pursuits of believers' lives. Proper, passionate praise (of the Lord) should frame the sum of our existence. In every way imaginable our whole being should cry out to adore God, and honor Him with all that is within us. But so often the desire to submit reverence to the Lord gets overridden by selfish ambitions and worldly aspirations. The more we pull away from relational connectivity to God the weaker our will to worship becomes. And this reality underscores the textual undercurrent in the book of Isaiah. The last three blog postings have enumerated the sad state of Israel's disobedience at the time Isaiah was recorded. In short, the Hebrew people were consumed with idolatry, carnality, and spiritual debauchery. So the Lord did not hold back in letting His covenantal followers know just how far they had strayed from living in a way that brought glory to His great name, which is why so much of Isaiah's content is sternly direct and candid. 

But this last writing in Isaiah focuses on its closing chapter, which is a fascinating one, in that it blends two themes: judgment and hope. The judgment in Isaiah 66 is God's clarion reckoning of a peoples' unwillingness to repent of wrongdoing and maintain an abomination-plagued destination. The hope in Isaiah 66, conversely, is an inspirational motivator because it postulates that with God's aid mankind can relinquish haughtiness and exhibit humbleness. In fact, Isaiah 66:2 spells out a brief, but beneficial, statement to this effect. In the latter half of this verse the Lord said that He esteems those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and tremble at His word. 

Isn't it interesting that God did not lay down a vast list of qualifications to be an obedient soul in Isaiah 66:2? For example, God did not say,  "He who is the most generous giver is the one who I will esteem." Nor did God say,  'He who is the most effective communicator of Scripture is the one who I will esteem." And why did God exclude such utterances? Because these aspects (giving and teaching) are external markers, and external markers do not always have a corresponding stimulus internally for humanity. To this end, some who give generously may merely be giving to be appreciated publicly. And some who teach the Word of God well may be doing so to garner wonderment for their spiritual skill-set. Thus we discover that external markers of worship can have false internal motives.

In all honesty, there are moments when the Holy Spirit forces me to weigh my internal incentives against my external activity. And when I do I am driven to admit the discrepancy, at times, between the two elements. I recognize the tendency I have to practice an empty praise. I try to yield to the Lord an abundant worship, but do so some days with an artificial will. But as articulated in Isaiah 66:2, our praise does not have to be elaborate, fanciful, or colorful. But it should be sincere and humble. Unfortunately, mankind has a hankering for the ornate and lofty. We tend to be drawn to bright lights and big stages. And while such elements have their place they can be dangerous simply for the fact that "grand worship" does not always equate to "great worship". For instance, I could be surrounded by three thousand boisterous, energetic praiseful people singing at the top of their lungs to the Lord. But if my heart is more fixated on the style, sound, or structure of the adoration, rather than the subject of the adoration (God), then I am not engaging in proper, passionate praise. 

How many modern-day believers fall into this temptation? Week in and week out Christians attend formal, corporate services but how many of them walk away from such services with critiques of the worship service leadership? Spoken words, and unspoken thoughts, like, "The message was too long today", or, "The music was too upbeat today" emit from far too many. But do we see the danger of this logic? When the fault of a worship service's impact is placed squarely on the shoulders of its leaders it deflects from the larger issue at play: the personal participation and position of the worshippers. Is it really the sole responsibility of the music minister, or the pastor, or a Sunday school teacher, to draw out a favorable response from me regarding my affection for God? No. I should come ready to wholeheartedly praise God. In fact, my weeklong celebration of the Lord (quiet time, prayer, service, etc.) should be so transparent, so genuine, that I should seek ways to give in service to God. In other words, the time of corporate worship should be more about what I can give, rather than what I can take. 

So may Isaiah 66:2 rekindle a fire within us to be consecrated in nature, contrite in spirit, and convicted by God's Word. May the followers of God tremble in reverent, respectful fear that the Lord could be so gracious, and good, to a people characterized by spiritual arguments about, and assaults on, the sovereignty and sanctity of God. In short, let the worshippers, the humble and honorable worshippers, arise and give glory to the amazing and wondrous God. 

The Captivation of Our Creator’s Compassion

“Yet it was the LORD’S will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”
Isaiah 53:10

The past few blog postings have focused on assorted verses in the book of Isaiah. And what has probably become apparent in reviewing the Scriptural account of Isaiah is that God was so repulsed by the spiritual philandering of His covenantal people, Israel, that He blasted them with reprimand-laced words. But there is another prominent theme that resounds in this biblical narrative. Beyond the rebuke of Israel's unfaithful fellowship, there is an equally, if not overshadowing, attempt to restore the Hebrew nation back into right standing with God. To put it another way, there are phrases that emphasize the shame of man conveyed throughout Isaiah, and there are phrases that accentuate the splendor of God. And one such way that the splendor of God is articulated is by foreshadowing the work and will of Jesus Christ in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, a text that triumphantly trumpets the forgiveness of God. 

Forgiveness is an easy concept to comprehend for humanity, but oh so difficult to practice. We are inclined to retain the memories of the emotional wounds that others inflict upon us, and do not easily relinquish them. And so we develop, or maintain, grudges and burn relational bridges in cold-hearted fashion. A few years ago I faced a personal crisis that centered on forgiving a pastor, and friend. I won’t spell out all the exhaustive details, but the gist of the matter was that a minister I once worked alongside jettisoned me from his staff with unfounded cause. Furthermore, he handled my dismissal in a fashion that was contrary to the biblical tenets of resolving conflict. Months went by and I could not escape feelings of anger and bitterness associated with the person, as well as the event. It caused me profound pain, and I was struggling to let it go. 

Shortly thereafter, I had lunch with my wife and mother one day, and I relayed all the internal turmoil I was sensing. I recall my Mom stated firmly, in love, that I needed to find a way to release the agony and forgive the pastor. If Christ had forgiven me for my numerous transgressions how could I ever be justified in not forgiving the missteps of another? That night I decided to write a letter to the minister. In the process of developing it I found myself unloading the burden and blame that I had been shackled to for all those months. I admitted there were mistakes committed by both parties, but the ultimate takeaway in the dispatch was that though we no longer worked together we were still brothers in Christ - and the pastor would always be my brother. Upon finishing the letter I realized that by forming words of compassion and putting them on paper I had forgiven the minister, and I was unfastened from the torment of anger and bitterness that had bound me up for far too long.           

When you consider the overall tenor and arc of Isaiah it is incredible to grasp the depth of God’s compassion. The actions of the Israelites were replete with spiritual adultery, corruption, idolatry, greed, and placation to pagan nations. In virtually every way imaginable the people called by God had abandoned a relationship with the Lord. But God loved Israel, and humanity for that matter, too much to let them stay in a state of eternal despair and doom. So He set forth a singular plan of redemption involving His one and only begotten Son, Jesus. And this plan was previewed in Isaiah 52-53, in a passage often referred to as “The Suffering Servant”. The imagery is candid and evocative, as it outlines the degree to which Christ would have to endure anguish in order rescue mankind. 

Isaiah 53:10 states that it was the Lord’s will to crush Jesus to make Him a guilt offering for the world. And what a spiritual legacy Jesus would leave behind, in that His pain would provide the solitary way for humanity’s eternal prosperity. But the consideration that God would institute salvation solely through Jesus at the cost of Christ’s misery and mortification is a humbling thought. Jesus donned the human form and was tortured, mocked, and murdered for our sake. He did not fight back. He did not turn away from His course. He embraced the cross so that we could embrace consecration. 

Jesus’ sorrow paved the road to our salvation. His blood brought about an eternal blessing. His flogging directed us to God’s forgiveness for the sum of our transgressions. Christ’s death led to our deliverance, and His resurrection led to our redemption. Only a majestic, merciful God could orchestrate, and carry out, such a divine plan. The atonement made possible in Christ welcomes believers into the family of God. It was the will of God to crush Jesus so that mankind could be carried into heaven (through Jesus’ atonement). And thus we find that the captivation of our Creator’s compassion continues to astound. To Christ (Son), and our Creator (Father), and our Counselor (Holy Spirit), be the glory forever and ever.    

The Greatness of God’s Guidance

“This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’”
Isaiah 48:17

Words -  how often do we dispense them without really considering the impact they can have on others? For example, some parents routinely expel profane words within earshot of attentive children. Youth and adults often advertise unhealthy thoughts, lifestyles, and words in various social media forums (i.e. Facebook and Twitter)  Gossip-filled words are exchanged amongst peers without contemplation of the negative ripple effects that can ensue from manipulative, unfounded, and harmful phrases. Art forms, such as music and movies, promoting destructive words and expressions are audibly, or visually, ingested by people of all ages on a daily basis. All in all, humanity has a tendency to ignore, or downplay, the power and influence of spoken, or written, words. 

I remember well the first time I perceived the weight of words. One day, when I was in elementary school, a teacher encouraged me to participate in a district-wide essay contest dealing with the importance of resisting illegal drug use. Up until this point in my life, I did not view myself as one who possessed any talent in the area of writing so, needless-to-say, I entered the contest with my expectation level low as to how my essay would fair against the rest of the entries. But rather than forego the effort, I poured much energy into my submission, and enjoyed becoming immersed in the research and creativity aspects of the project. Several weeks after the contest deadline had passed I found out that I had been awarded first place for my grade. I was surprised, and overwhelmed, to say the least. My elementary school held a special presentation to commemorate the event, and a plaque bearing my name was placed in the school’s trophy case. But it was not the award, or the momentary recognition, that captivated me about this experience; it was the realization that words have meaning, and can influence others in good ways, or bad. And we, as God’s believers, should employ words with the utmost intentions.

Isaiah 48:17 makes a compelling case for the greatness of divine words, which yield vital guidance from God Himself. This verse, nestled in the middle of a rebuke on Israel by the Lord, highlights the relevancy and spiritual benefits of abiding by God’s Word. In this passage the Lord conveys that He can teach what is best for His believers, provided they are willing to adhere to His direction. In short, the Lord’s instruction is the ultimate antidote to the fallacies and wrongful tendencies of the human condition. God’s inspired text is a means the Lord uses to educate us not only how to live principled and meaningful lives, but also how to live well (by God's standards, not the world's standards). Therefore, mankind should not forsake the Bible or ignore certain parts that are falsely labeled as trivial, irrelevant, or outdated. Left to our own vices, mankind falls and fails. But should we choose to embrace and exercise the edification of God then we can find ourselves on a path of spiritual prosperity and peace.

To put it another way, Isaiah 48:17 portrays a God of greatness, goodness, and grace. It underscores the value of adopting the Lord’s bountiful wisdom. God knows what is  optimal for us, and He knows what is right for us. Humanity desperately needs His holy help, and we need His moral light. In every way imaginable we are hopeless and lost without the Lord’s intervention and instruction. But the fact that God is willing to impart His love and law to us, a wicked and rebellious bunch, testifies to the indescribable preeminence of God. He is ready to show us what is critical for us to apprehend and accomplish. In return, we need to  long for it, and obey it with all that is within us. 

The more I read Scripture the more I am amazed by how much application and aptness God’s Word has for my life, and the lives of my family members. And I now understand that the salvation I received through Christ does not permit me to be satisfied by spiritual sinfulness, slothfulness, or silence. Redemption is not a blessing that warrants idleness; it longs to shine, and it longs to sound. So may my heart be resolute in this one desire: to utilize my days on earth in a way that amplifies my affiliation with Jesus. Of course, this sentiment was recorded, in a way, by David in Psalm 19:14: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” In summary, let us take up God’s message and allow its life-altering words to transform us from selfish individuals to sanctified (set-apart from the world) servants of God.             

The Glory and Grandeur of God

“I am the LORD; that is my name. I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
Isaiah 42:8

What attracts mankind to spiritual apathy, or disloyalty? What draws us to seek comfort, or hope, in earthly relics? What falsely assures us that worldly possessions will provide lasting satisfaction, or security? The negative impact of idolatry has long been a concern of God, so-much-so that the Lord specifically warned His covenantal followers not to entertain the development, and devotion, of false deities (Exodus 20:4). But Israel, and thereby Judah when the unified tribes split apart as a kingdom, eventually became consumed with the adoration of virtually everything under the sun, that is except for their Maker: God Almighty. And thus we find numerous passages in the Old Testament dealing with the matter of spiritual purity. The book of Isaiah, in particular, lays out a powerful rebuke for Israel and Judah’s religious rebellion. But in reading through the stirring, and stinging, words it quickly becomes apparent that God’s reproach, and warning, is applicable for every generation of believer.

Isaiah, principally chapters 40 through 48, outlines God’s disgust for His chosen people allowing themselves to get caught up in the manufacture, and worship, of handmade idols. And woven into the verses of the great prophet’s God-commissioned declarations is a clarion cry for integrity of spirit, and soul. While there are so many fascinating thoughts embedded within Isaiah 40-48 let me focus on one central verse - Isaiah 42:8. In Isaiah 42:8, God candidly states that He will not share His glory with anyone, or anything, else. The underlying implication is that idolatry not only displeases the Lord, but it frustrates Him as well. God has no equal in majesty or might. Who, or what, on earth can He be compared to in regard to strength and scholarship? The Lord’s divinity is so holy, so pure, and so awe-inspiring, that there really are no words, or material symbols, that could ever capture the totality of His awesomeness. And this, in part, is why God levels with Judah that He is unwilling to share His praise.  

It’s sad to consider that idols, which are embellished trinkets, cannot convict, and cannot express themselves. They gather dust. And perhaps that is the reason they lure, and appeal, to so many, in that idols cannot honestly assess the state of mankind's heart, or harken us to fundamentally change. In other words, idols cannot shed light on our sins, or compel us to walk in a life of obedience. In short, they offer no spiritual benefit. But God reigns supreme and longs to impart His vision, wisdom, and love to us. He communicates. He calls. But so often we render closed hearts and closed ears. Instead, we turn to inanimate objects and ludicrous philosophies for solace when the Creator of the universe is willing, and aptly able, to guide us.

Let me veer away from this line of thinking momentarily. Over seven years ago, my wife and I embarked upon one of the greatest experiences of our lives: parenthood. We had waited five years after we were wed before we decided to start expanding our family. And so when we learned that our collective desire to raise a child was being fulfilled it was nothing short of incredible. But we soon found ourselves facing a momentary dilemma: choosing the name for our child. I confess I never really considered the weight, or significance, of names until my wife and I were forced to select a name for a youngling, a youngling who would obviously be under our care and protection. Now faced with an awesome privilege, we carefully evaluated dozens, better yet hundreds, of names. In time, we discovered that our firstborn would be a son, which helped narrow down our candidate list. And to us the name of our son would not just be a point of reference but it would be a mark of character, a mark my wife and I would diligently seek to cultivate and craft in our child. Long story short, we named our son “Jayden Elias Orr”. Jayden derives from the Hebrew language and means “God has heard.” Elias derives from the Greek, transcribed from the Hebrew, and means “the Lord is God”. This motivation to instill banners of upstanding, moral dispositions through names carried itself out in all three of our children, and their names were meticulously, and prayerfully, determined.        

Bringing this personal anecdote back to Isaiah 42:8, how can we overlook the name, and thereby position, of God? He has no beginning and no end. He is unrivaled in rank and reign. And this ongoing disinclination to revere His name roils God. Mankind has continually struggled to relinquish control of our lives. Clearly, we are a disobedient lot, and often advance an entitlement mindset. We tend to believe that we are captains of our fate, and pilots of our paths. But God beckons us to be cognizant of His sovereignty and governance. He is in control, not us. And idolatry only highlights our propensity to reject God’s leadership for pseudo-leadership, or self-leadership. Judah preferred powerless fabrications to the everlasting Lord. They bowed at the altars of money, gold, fame, and success without hesitation. But little did they realize that such things offer no redeeming value. They were merely transitory treasures, which lacked eternally atoning qualities. And this solemn Scriptural lesson provides a present-day warning to believers. Isaiah 42:8 calls us to awaken, or reawaken, the need to yield our lives to God alone. He is the trustworthy God. The triumphant God. The true God. And He will not give His glory, or grandeur, to another.  

The Treasure of Time

"'The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,' Hezekiah replied. For he thought, 'Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime.'"

2 Kings 20:19

Last week we studied the formidable faith of Hezekiah. How when faced with Assyria’s might and well-armed military Hezekiah entrusted the lives of Judah to the Lord by waiting and praying. He could have tried to run away from the battle, or rushed into it. But Hezekiah did neither. He hunkered down both physically and spiritually and sought God’s direction in the urgent matter. In short, he displayed an incredible sense of spiritual integrity and valor. But this week we consider a negative act on the part of Hezekiah, which occurred after the Assyrian encounter in 2 Kings 19.   

Hezekiah was no stranger to adversity, as was amply magnified in his dilemma with the Assyrian army when he was roughly thirty-nine years old. But some time later Hezekiah became ill, so-much-so that he was on the verge of death. The prophet Isaiah was commanded by God to meet with the king and tell him to get his affairs in order, thus indicating Hezekiah's sickness would be fatal. Hezekiah was so distraught by the news that he turned away and called out to God, reminding the Lord how faithfully he had served Him in his tenure as king. Overcome with emotion and brokenness, he wept. Hezekiah's sadness deeply moved God. Isaiah had not even left the premises when God informed the prophet to return to Hezekiah and give him another message. The Lord would heal Hezekiah and allow him to live an additional fifteen years. 

Momentary sidebar here...there is something to be said for God's merciful nature, and His responsiveness to the human condition. He knows the depth of our pain and longs to rectify it. He bears our worry and our strife. He hears our petitions and observes the degree to which we ache. May we be grateful that our God is so personal. So attentive. So genuine. So concerned. His relational blessings reign down on us. Every day. Every moment. 

But here is where the narrative in 2 Kings 20 gets particularly interesting. The biblical writer notes that envoys from Babylon were sent to give Hezekiah letters, as well as a gift, because the king of Babylon had learned of Hezekiah's dire condition. Hezekiah did something rather curious: he showed the foreign dignitaries the bulk of Judah's wealth. The text does not state that this was something the Babylonian representatives requested. Apparently, Hezekiah, in a state of arrogance, recklessly flaunted the treasures of the kingdom. One would hope to read that Hezekiah praised God for his physical recovery, or publicly commended the Lord for a renewed appreciation for life. But there is no indication that Hezekiah gave credit where credit was clearly due. Scripture offers no interaction between Hezekiah and the Babylonian guests regarding the goodness of God. There was only boasting of earthly possessions.  

And what we effectively read after this event is that Hezekiah spent the majority of his remaining time advancing his name, and thereby his worldly legacy. There is no chronicle of Hezekiah doing anything to honor God in those final fifteen years. In fact, 2 Kings 20 alludes to the fact that Hezekiah worked for human accomplishments, including a project to redirect a water source to Jerusalem. It was as if Hezekiah's sunset days were consumed with self-pleasure and personal accolades. Thus the lesson here is clear: honoring God should be our central aim, not prideful milestones or ambitions. Hezekiah relinquished humility and became fixated on status. Fame and fortune were the chief desires of his life towards the end, leaving little room to cherish, or perhaps appreciate, the lovingkindness of God. Hezekiah was once a banner of consecrated character, but eventually he became corrupted with greed and power. 

Let me weave in a personal story here for a moment. Several years ago my wife and I attended a one day financial workshop focused on sound planning and budgeting strategies, which we were severely lacking at that phase in our marriage. The seminar blessed us and equipped us with very useful information that has aided us to this day. But there was a point in the presentation that caught me offguard (in a good way), as it challenged my preconceived notions of money. The speaker said that money is amoral, but how humanity chooses to view it, and utilize it, will either be moral or immoral. In the hands of a generous person, money is a tool to help others (i.e. family, friends, and strangers). But in the hands of a miserly person, money is hoarded and will not be shared with those in need. 

In that context it is apparent to me that time is amoral too. But how mankind chooses to view it and utilize it will either be moral or immoral. To a wise person, time is an opening to worship God and honor Him through service to others. But to a fool, time is an opportunity to exercise laziness, engage in wicked behavior, or enjoy recreational activity at the exclusion of assisting others. We see here that Hezekiah was in the latter category just prior to his death. The king, once bursting with a formidable faith, closed the chapter of his existence in pride. He missed out on some precious opportunities, opportunities to perform glorious labor for the Lord. Instead, he sought to oversee exploits for his own benefit. Like us, Hezekiah was given the treasure of time. But, like so many of us, he did not know what a privilege he had until it was too late.