Behold the Man

This, there, is good...wait. Needs work.

Behold God's Servant

Isaiah 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

I can remember the first time I heard Isaiah 53. I probably had heard it many time before, but this was the first time I actually heard it. I attended a  Bible conference at King’s Addition Baptist Church in South Shore, Kentucky and before the preaching began, we had the preliminary announcements, prayer requests, and stood for the singing of hymns (it’s near impossible to sit and sing, in my opinion) and  remained standing for the reading of the Word. The pastor had us turn to Isaiah 53. I didn’t even turn, I just listened and as he read, I couldn’t believe what I heard. I was astonished. Never before had I perceived such a vivid description of the blessed Lord Jesus. Around 25 years have passed, and I still haven’t gotten over the stunning picture of Jesus in Isaiah's prophecy.

After we sat down, I grabbed my Bible, found the passage and read it for myself over and again (sorry to whomever was preaching!) and could hardly contain my wonder over the Old Testament containing descriptions of Jesus. Isaiah prophesied from 739–681 BC, so that means around 700 years prior to the time of Jesus. The physical prophecies are profound, but what amazed me was the spiritual insight into the cross. Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the Son of Man from the perspective of the people, but  he also tells us what transpired between the Father and the Son. Isaiah 53 is one of the great texts on the atonement and what Christ accomplished at Calvary.

The passage of Isaiah 53 actually starts in Isaiah 52:13 and gives  a good example of why you should not assume the chapters in your Bible complete a thought. In novels, each chapter is its completes section. It may be a cliffhanger, but usually it ends a scene. This isn't always the case in our Bibles. The chapters in our Bibles, as they are now, were added in the 1500’s to help us find passages in the Bible. You can think of chapter and verses like addresses. Imagine how difficult a task to find this section of Isaiah without verse numbers or chapters! I’m very thankful for that innovation, but we have to remember it’s not a perfect system and sometimes the chapter ends or starts in the middle of a thought, like we have here. The context shows us where our passage begins. Notice in 52:13, it starts with the word “behold”. Isaiah says “behold” to get our attention. Hey, listen up. Jehovah's servant (the Messiah, Isaiah 42:1), will come and deal with man wisely (Isaiah 11:2) and in His great success will be highly exalted. Isaiah describes a glorious, holy, man who has come to do the work of God. Surely, such a man would be honored by all, which making the next verse we’ll study next week so shocking.

Sinning to become mature?

From What is Sin, by J. Gresham Machen

"Sowing wild oats is thought to be rather a good way of transcending childish innocence and of attaining strong and mature manhood. Do you know how that lie can best be shown to be the lie that it is? Well, my friends, I think it is by the example of Jesus Christ. Do you despise innocence? Do you think that it is weak and childish not to have personal experience of evil? Do you think that if you do not obtain such experience of evil you must forever be a child? If you have any such feeling, I just bid you contemplate Jesus of Nazareth. Does He make upon you any impression of immaturity or childishness? Was He lacking in some experience that is necessary to the highest manhood? Can you patronize Him as though He were but a child, whereas you with your boasted experience of evil are a full-grown man? If that is the way you think of Jesus, even unbelievers, if they are at all thoughtful, will correct you. No, Jesus makes upon all thoughtful persons the impression of complete maturity and tremendous strength. With unblinking eyes He contemplates the evil of the human heart. "He knew what was in man" (John 2:25), says the Gospel according to John. Yet He never had those experiences of sin which fools think to be necessary if innocence is to be transcended and the highest manhood to be attained. From His spotless purity and His all-conquering strength, that ancient lie that experience of evil is necessary if man is to attain the highest good recoils naked and ashamed. That was the lie that the tempter brought to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Man was told to seek discernment in Satan's way and not in God's. Had man resisted the temptation what heights of knowledge and strength would have been his!

He sought to attain knowledge, and lost the knowledge of good; he sought to attain power, and lost his own soul; he sought to become as God, and when God came to him in the garden he hid himself in shameful fear."

A Picture of a Dad

Around Father's Day, I always notice how our society portrays dads -- aloof, absent, uninvolved, or selfish. Selfish, self-centered men whose lives, if they have any guiding principle at all, are governed by sports, hobbies, or pleasure. The Bible paints a very different picture of what it means to be a dad.  There are a multitude of passages that give us a picture of what a Dad should be, so  don't take your idea of fatherhood from the media, but from God's Word.

A father needs to correct and instruct his children. Far too many men have abdicated the role of discipline to the mother. By doing so, they have forsaken one of the primary duties that God has given them over their children. The responsibility of discipline and correction lays at the feet of the father. In Proverbs 3:12, Solomon tells us how God corrects his children, then reminds us how it is similar to a Dad correcting his children, "For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." The dad in proverbs corrects the son he loves. The proverb says the father has delight in his son – he loves him, and because he loves him, he corrects him when he is not walking in the right path.

Paul uses similar language when he describes his own ministry in 1Thessalonias 2:11. "As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children." Paul acted like a father should. He exhorted them, or urged them on to do the right thing. Fathers need to correct their children when they do wrong, but also exhort them to do right. Nothing is more frustrating for a child than to always be told what not to do, but never instructed on what they need to do. Paul also comforted them, or gave them heart to press on in their work. Dad needs to show the right way, but work in the heart of the child to want to do the right thing. Bengel said, "Exhortation leads one to do a thing willingly; consolation, to do it joyfully." Paul charged  the church or appealed to their solemn responsibility to God to walk worthy. The father has the duty, but also the responsibility to raise his children and his authority comes from God. It doesn't come from being bigger and stronger  or having a deeper voice. The authority to lead, teach, instruct, and correct is given by God.

Don’t let this go to your head. Where some men would rather go play and leave the children to mom, other men become overbearing dictators and see their children as little serfs. Psalm 103:13 says, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him." Dad, you need to have compassion on your children. Remember their frame. You want them to grow up to be strong men and godly women, but they are not there yet. Have compassion, take interest, get involved, love them and lead them. They may not like it and you may not to get to be their buddy, but you are their Dad, and they would much rather have you be their father than for you to be their buddy.

Wise Words from John Brown

The more I read John Brown's Exposition Of The Epistle Of Paul The Apostle To The Galatians, the more I love this commentary. He doesn't skip over any difficulties and digs deep, but it's so full of practical wisdom, especially in the introduction of different sections. For example, in Galatians 5, dealing with churches in danger of leaving the faith. They have not apostatized, but they are on the edge looking over. How do you deal with people in such a state? I'll quote Brown at length as an example of his wise insight in dealing with other men.

"The paths of error and vice are downward paths ; but the descent is sometimes so very gradual, especially at first, that it is often no easy matter to convince those who have entered them that they have left the level ground of truth and duty. To use another figure, the divergence from the straight road is often so very small that he who has abandoned it may easily for a time persuade himself that he is still prosecuting it. The lines of direction seem to be almost parallel ; yet at every step he takes they are diverging, and by and by it will become abundantly apparent, even to the individual himself, that the path he now treads and the path he formerly trode are different paths. It is quite possible he may still think that the path he has chosen is the preferable one ; but he can no longer indulge the delusive notion that he has not altered his course. 

Many a man has begun with doubting or denying some particular doctrine of revelation which seems beset with peculiar difficulties, such as the doctrine of original sin, and has ended with denying the Divine authority of the Bible altogether. Many a man has begun with venturing on what he was afraid was wrong, or at any rate was by no means quite sure was right, who has ended with disregarding all religious and moral obligations. Had these men understood the tendency of the first step, they might perhaps not have taken the second. Had they contemplated the termination of their career they might probably never have commenced it."

Error is dangerous. It's nothing to joke around about and many a man has shipwrecked his soul by listening to and courting falsehood. You can see the trajectory. Paul knew that if the Galatian churches kept listening, they would end up in apostasy. He wants to warn them because he can see where this is headed. So how does he deal with the situation?

"Nothing is more unfair than to charge a man with holding principles which he disavows, however justly deducible from his professed opinions. Such a mode of reasoning, however common, is obviously uncandid, and has a much greater tendency to irritate than to convince. To charge a man with crimes of which he knows he is not guilty, though the faults he has committed may naturally lead to the perpetration of these crimes, is certainly not the most likely way of reforming him. But it is a matter of the last importance that the tendency of a false principle, and of a criminal action, should be distinctly and fully laid before the mind of him who has adopted the one, or committed the other; and that he should be faithfully and affectionately warned against holding an opinion or indulging a practice the moral characters of which are very different from what he apprehends them to be, and which will in the ordinary course of things sink him in depths of error and guilt, from which at present he would perhaps recoil with terror. It is most unfortunate when a person just about to commence the downward road of apostasy falls in with a well meaning, it may be, but most mistaken friend, who flatters him in the opinion he has formed that there is nothing very dangerous or wrong in the course he is taking, who says "peace, peace," to him while there is no peace. A true friend will in these circumstances not thus help forward the delusion ; but, at the hazard of displeasing him whom he wishes to save, he will honestly, but at the same time kindly, tell him the truth, and, leading him to the brink of the precipice, bid him ponder ere he goes farther in the path which terminates so fearfully. "

You cannot charge someone of a crime they have not committed just because they are on a path that very well could lead to that destruction. Paul was rough with the Galatians, but he did not accuse them of something they had not yet done wrong, while at the same time, warns them of the consequences if they continue on in they legalistic path. Paul makes great points, but he is also dealing with human beings. You can't just be "bold for the truth" and stomp all over people you disagree with and falsely accuse and portray the in the worst possible light, and then think that you will be able to influence them to listen to you and give you a fair hearing. That's being foolish. Be strong. Be resolute. Never compromise, but have some wisdom in your dealing with people.

Never Quit

No Spin

Proverbs 18: 17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

If you are like me, you are a 6’2’ Baptist preacher writing a column for the Free Press. But you also might be like me and listen to political radio from time to time. I hear political pundits talk about “setting the narrative” or “getting ahead of the story” which is a nice way of saying whoever spills the beans first gets to twist the truth to favor their side and put their opponent on the defensive. Anytime you have a controversy between people, whoever gets their side of the story out first has the advantage. To borrow a thought from William Buckley, if someone comes to you and says I’m a scoundrel because they saw me push an old lady to the ground, you might get righteously angry. But if you ask me, you might find out that I pushed her out of the way of an oncoming logging truck speeding down the street. The man who spoke first gave the facts, but colored the context. Speaking of context, I will  address the run of the mill, everyday sort of slander. I still believe this principle applies to criminal charges, but if someone is accused of breaking the law, then you must get the authorities involved. Then, the authorities and the press need to apply this principle.

When entangled in controversy, you need to do everything in your power to accurately represent your opponent. I know you want to be right and win the day, but be right in a truthful and honorable way. If you have to lie to make your enemy look worse than he is, that is a good indication that your case is weak-sauce. It’s like the preacher who dropped his outline coming out of the pulpit and someone picked up the paper and saw in the margins, “weak point -- bang pulpit here.” You need to check your motives. Are you fighting for truth or fighting for yourself and looking for revenge by vanquishing your enemy by any means necessary?

It’s foolish to believe the accuser is right without even asking the accused. The Bible even tells us to not rush to judgment with men who have a proven record of godliness  (1 Timothy 5:19). The goal is sincerely and seriously hearing the accusation and getting to the truth. While you listen, you need to hold a few things in your mind at once. The accuser may be telling you the truth. They may be telling you part of the truth and leaving out key information. They may be telling you what they remember, filtered through a whole lot of emotions and a whole lot of distortion. Or they could be a dirty, filthy, liar. If you listen to the accuser and make a judgment without investigation, you are committing sin. Get the facts before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.

The Truth Hurts

The Galatian churches had changed. They were no longer believing the same doctrine they had once confessed and now they are angry at Paul for calling them out on their move. How mean! Paul had preached the gospel to these people, and they had believed with their whole heart, so much so that they were persecuted for the sake of the gospel (Galatians 3:4). Some smooth talkers came to town and in no time at all, the churches had abandoned what they once believed for this different teaching.

The truth did not change. Paul had not changed. The gospel had not changed. The Galatian churches changed. Once, they loved Paul so much that they would have given him their own eyeballs, if it were possible so he could be relieved of his physical ailments. Now, they look at him with suspicion and anger for the very same reasons they loved him a short time prior. "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" (Galatians 4:16). The false teachers knew the same thing that Paul did – once someone becomes embittered against another person, it rarely matters how tight the argument or how logical the premise, the emotion of disliking the person will overpower reasoned thought. They couldn't defeat Paul's gospel, so they resorted to destroying Paul in the eyes of the Christians. Now anything Paul said is soured because of their prejudice against him.

The truth hurts when it hits a sore spot. It’s easy to hear truth that confirms what we already believe. We love flattery, especially about what we think and believe. When confronted with truth that proves us wrong, we get defensive because we feel that it attacks our identity and feel it a personal slight. Some neurological studies have shown that the brain interprets being proven wrong and being under physical attack in a similar way. The truth really does hurt when we are proven wrong. When truth goes against us, our depraved human nature would rather kill the messenger rather than admit wrong. "Paul, that old fashioned fundamentalist. Paul, majoring on the minors. Paul, always harping about something, standing in the way of progress. There goes Paul, making a big deal out of doctrine again, thinking he’s always right."  When told that we are wrong, the first reaction is to disagree and to defend ourselves, which makes sense. Just because someone says you are wrong, doesn't mean  you are, but no one is right about everything. Rather than dealing with the truth, the easiest way to handle this prickly situation is to get angry at the person rebuking you and then start finding things wrong with him. Make the man the enemy, then you don’t have to listen to him anymore. When the truth hurts, we need to repent instead of making excuses and making enemies.  Proverbs 9:8 says, "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." Wisdom views correction as mercy.

They like me, the really like me!

Men who crave popularity will shy away from the very thing that will make them useful. Men who are admired and followed are usually men who stand firm in what they believe and fight for what is right. Often this makes a man hated in his time and admired in history, or loved from afar and despised close to home. Everyone loves the prophets when they are dead and gone, even the Pharisees. But a prophet at home cannot be tolerated. Everyone loves hard and bold preaching from the visitor at a Bible conference, but not so much when they hear it too often from their own pastor who actually knows their sins.

Men who love and crave applause will fold like a cheap tent when it hurts book sales, conference tickets, and seminary dollars. Faithfulness is costly from a worldly perspective but yields great rewards. Applause is costly from a spiritual perspective, and those who seek it will loose in the end.

John Brown wrote about the temptation to be swayed by popularity in his Exposition of the Epistle to the Galatians .

"The change which took place in the estimate formed by the Galatians of the apostle at different times suggests important instruction to the ministers of religion in every age. It teaches them not to be unduly elated by popular applause ; and not to be unduly depressed when it is withheld or withdrawn. It is a minister's duty to use every proper means to stand well in the estimation of those to whom he ministers, and it argues not magnanimity, but stupidity and ingratitude, to be insensible to the pleasure which the successful use of these means is calculated to excite. But he is a fool who makes the attainment of what is usually called popularity a leading object — he is worse than a fool who, in order to secure or retain it, conceals or modifies, in the slightest degree, his conscientious convictions, either as to faith or duty. The present approbation of conscience, and the anticipated approbation of his Lord, these are the objects the Christian minister should continually keep in view. When popularity is gained along with these, it is really valuable, for it insures the probability of usefulness ; but the hosannas of the crowd are dearly purchased at the expense of one pang of conscience — one frown of the Saviour. It is obviously, however, equally the interest of ministers and people that a cordial attachment should subsist between them, and that on both sides everything should be avoided that has a tendency to diminish and alienate mutual affection. It is very difficult for a minister to do his duty in a right spirit to a people when he has reason to think they have little or no attachment to him, and it is all but impossible for a people to derive spiritual advantage from a minister whom they do not respect and love. Happy is that Christian society when the minister loves his people, and the people love their minister " for the truth's sake," and when they manifest their mutual affection, not by warm protestations, but by his honestly and affectionately performing every pastoral duty, and by their " walking in all Christian commandments and ordinances blameless."