Elusive Truth

As I read the 1/25/18 op editorial (Nashville Tennessean) by Keltner Locke justifying why the Presbyterian Church (USA) had sanctioned homosexual marriage, I nearly burned out my mental keyboard and memory files accumulating Scriptures to counter his claims. Then, in paragraph five he wrote, and I quote, “...faithful Christians reasonably can disagree about the import of some Bible passages.” end quote.

This exposed the futility of arguing “my” Scriptures, and those of the authors of the “Nashville Statement,” against “his” Scriptures. In fact the vulnerable underbelly of his entire argument is exposed.

If, as he stated, some Scriptures are “more important,” or more authoritative than others, the linchpin of the debate is, “Who gets to define which Scripture is more authoritative or important than others?”

If it is each individual who decides, we will arrive at the current impasse. Literarily, that choice should be left to the Author. Then, logically that conclusion brings us the unpleasant realization that if God did say some things that are true, or important, and other things that are less than true, or false, then He is disqualified from being God. God is good, all the time. If He is not good, He is not God. A good God cannot say something that is false.

Either everything He says is true, or nothing is. If what God says can and does change, then what “leads to salvation, today” can just as easily change tomorrow to something else which will bring salvation. But in actuality, we will all be lost for all eternity.

If the Author can change from saying one thing is true, to it is now false, He is not God at all. He is but a fallible god, and not a god at all but a deceiver: the Deceiver. A good God cannot change. All Scripture is true, all the time.

This is to neither defend nor define God. God does not need defending and He cannot be defined. This is to describe God. It is to help us to understand what He says in the Bible. If He is immutable, unchangeable, then we approach the Word with the presupposition that all is equally authoritative, and has value for us.

God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.   God is good.

Wise Men Revisited Again

Would you believe that the Wise Men will not leave me alone? We had a Sunday School lesson recently and the topic came up again. This is even more enchanting that what we saw before. It seems that the orign of the wise men has re-arisen. (Is that a word? I found it on Google.)

Let’s dive into ancient Persia again. As we saw last time, Cyrus was prophesied by Isaiah in 43:1and 44:28. Daniel was studying Isaiah and besides finding the 70 year prophesy, he probably also discovered this naming of the deliverer. Can you imagine the ecstacy that rolled over Daniel when he saw that? And now, ala Paul Harvey, we come to the rest of the story.

Daniel 6 records the conspiracy by 120 satraps and two commissioners to have Daniel killed. Side thought: Have you noticed that Satan does not have an extensive play book? Most of his “conspiracies” involve having someone killed, usually the ones who follow the Lord. (Abel, Joseph, David, Elijah, need I go on?) Well 122 of Darius’ “loyal subjects” concoct a plan to eliminate Daniel from his position as Dairus’ top man.  You know the story, and instead of a den of lions having a snack on the prophet, they get a multi-course meal on 122 traitors, and their families. That must have been some big “den.”

I do not think that we are stretching the story to infer that the 122 replacements may have come from Daniel’s recommendations. Is it logical for Darius to trust the same crowd who tried to sabotage him for replacements? A little more speculation, but verse 1 may indicate that this was a financial board. “...three commissioners (of whom Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer loss.” How could the king “suffer loss?” By having dishonest advisors.

Since Daniel was the only one whom he could trust, Darius could have asked Daniel if he knew anyone with financial expertise and some astrologers, and and astronomers. And did Daniel know some guys. The Jewish nation was known for financial expertise, and I think that it is not a stretch to place 122 Jewish experts in this position. Please allow me a little more speculation. Could this be the first edition of the “wise men?”

Here is a little supporting evidence. Mordecai was a highly placed person in the reign of Ahasuerus, and it is not surprising that Haman and his minions would wish to kill them and steal all of their money. (Same game plan as Daniel.) There are some questions about this slice of time, but it seems like Cyrus as king from 539-530 BC. Esther is dated at about 515 BC. Here is the logic. Haman promised the king 10,000 talents of gold for the privilege of killing all the Jews.

That is equivalent to 150,000 YEARS of wages. Here is the question: How could the enslaved Jews accumulate that much money in at most 25 years. Take the years times $40,000 in current average wages and we get, $6 billion dollars. Either these advisors were blessed by God, they were cheating the king, or they were the bankers and could accumulate that in a booming economy. I think Mordecai was one of Daniel’s “wise men”. Why else would Haman want to take their money and usurp their positions?

Now jump forward in time about 535 or so years and a remnant of Daniel’s group is still watching the skies. Remember, Daniel told them about his prophesies, and I am confident that they had been following the rise and fall of Alexander the Great, and the four successor kingdoms. They could also count the years until the Messiah would be cut off, and allowing for Him to grow and mature, they may have been as excited as Daniel was when he heard that Cyrus would be the next king.

How about a piece de resistance? Well, maybe just another supporting consideration. As we mentioned, the wise men were looking for Christ. And, after making an arduous journey accross the 500 to 1000 miles, they offered Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. There are probably several typological meanings, but one thing is crystal clear. These were expensive gifts. The givers must have been relatively wealthy to present somewhere in the range of $1 to $2 million dollars. (There are several estimates out there, depending upon whether the writer wanted to diminish the value or enhance it.)

And this caravan made the trip with no profit motive in mind. They were not selling the cargo, nor were they buying something to take back to sell in their markets. It seems that they were independently wealthy and were able to embark on such a trip. Recall that it was not a straight flight between Susa and Jerusalem. To avoid the worst of the desert, they would have swung up through the fertile cresecent. So a relatively rich group, spent a boatload (technical term) of money to go see this baby, gave Him another significant amount of money in tribute, and eschewed any profit for their trip.

The earlier posts proposed an explanation as to why they would, first even know about the King of the Jews, and second, be watching for His coming.* ** Perhaps the reason was that they had been the direct descendants of Daniel’s original 122. None of this is conclusive in itself, but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence piled up here.

And one last thing. Note, that they end of their journey took them another way out of Israel. They were “warned of God” in a dream and went another way. Some Old Testament characters had dreams, but did not understand them. Pharaoh had to turn to Joseph. Nebuchadnezzar and Belteshazzar had dreams and visions, but had no clue as to what they meant. They needed a “wise man,” Daniel in this case, to explain them.

So how could these “pagan” officials interpret God’s message? Granted, God could have given them a supernatural understand instantaneously, or perhaps they were used to hearing from God and knew exactly what He said. God’s normal mode of operations is to be as “natural” as possible. Abraham and Isaac got a “bail out” when they lied about their wives, but here it seems that only the supernatural would work. And the leaders had a clue when their families and herds were affected. (We can wonder why Abe and Ike did not learn from those lessons. But I digress.)

Doug Oldham was not there to sing, but I would imagine that “The King is Coming” coursed through the heads and iPods of the wise men on their trip.. God’s plan is intricate, specific, and timely. God is working a miracle in that world and in ours.

When we couple Daniel 9 with the New Testament, we know that He is coming soon. God’s plan is never late. He is in total control from Nebuchadnezzar taking them to Babylon, to the Medes and Persians overthrowing Babylon. Next Cyrus sent them back to Israel, and Haman made another attempt to murder them all. I think he was going after the ones over in Israel as well. Then the Baby came and died. He left and is coming back.

I’m in for the count. “Even so, Come Lord Jesus.”


https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=esther+&qs_version=NASB

*Sunday, December 17 2017 Wise Men Seek Him http://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2017/12/wise-men-seek-him.html

**Friday, December 22, 2017 Wise Men Revisited http://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2017/12/wise-men-revisited.html

Joseph Again

We have just finished our tour through the Bible and are back at Genesis and Joseph. We will do a quick over. Consider Chapter 37, and the first thing we encounter is a plot to kill Joseph. I noted before that Satan’s game plan is basically a “one trick pony.” All he can think of is “kill them all.” Joseph escapes with the help of Reuben, who seemingly was the only one of the 10 who had a conscience. So Joseph goes down to Egypt, and we immediately encounter an interesting episode.

We have previously considered Pothiphar’s wife’s seduction. I noticed something this time through. When Joseph left his coat and ran, this vixen concocted an unbelievable story. She called the household servants (point of emphasis) and accused Joseph with attacking her, and “when I screamed” he ran outside. (Point of emphasis) Potiphar, and most of his servants, one would surmise, was no dummy.

If she had screamed, does it seem odd that none of the servants heard it, but then a few minutes (assumed) later, she “called” them and they all came? If she, “raised my voice and screamed,” (repeated three times) is it conceivable that no one heard her? Defense attorney Jim, resting my case.

Regardless, God was just moving Joseph on to his “next assignment,” so that he would be ready when Pharaoh had a dream and did not understand it. Remember Joseph was pretty proficient in dreams with his brothers. We will jump past the details to the point where Joseph was elevated to Number Two honcho in all of Egypt. (Did they have honchos back then?)

We commented on how Mr. And Mrs Potiphar must have felt, seeing Joseph riding by in Pharaoh’s number two chariot. And Joseph did not retaliate. I just figured out why. Besides Joseph being a really nice guy, I think that we can infer that he was too busy for such petty concerns as “payback.” He had to save a boatload of lives.  He was like a new football coach. They all “hit the ground” running. Joseph was past pettiness.

And we see by his monologues, later in the book, that he did not blame his brothers for sending him to Egypt in the first place. To put it succinctly, he had a God perspective, and anything anyone did to forward that was fine with him. I like Joseph. He is my favorite character in this part of the Bible. I have given up on a “favorite.” They are all so powerful and compelling that we can just read through the Scriptures and learn from them all.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to find Mr. And Mrs. P in heaven? That would be Joseph’s best payback.


https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+37-41&version=NASB

Who Pastors a Young Pastor?

1 Corinthians 16:10-11 has an interesting instruction from Paul.
If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear from you, because he is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am. 11 Therefore, no one should look down on him. Send him on his way in peace so he can come to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.

This is eerily reminiscent of 1 Timothy 4:12:
Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

“Moody Bible Commentary” dates these books about 10 years apart. (1 Corinthians about AD 55 and 1 Timothy between AD 63 and 66.) This would tell us that the 1 Corinthians Timothy was even younger than when Paul counseled him in 1 Tim. This brought to mind some incidents with young pastors who have been “looked down on,” or “despised.”

Without going into details, I recently heard stories of several young pastors who were, to all appearances, abused by their churches. I personally have been in a church where the pastor was “not a good fit” for the congregation, and it damaged the church and its outreach. To copy a Supreme Court justice about pornography, “I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it.”

“A good fit” may be hard to define, but the results are evident for all to see. When those visible manifestations are absent, we are left wondering what definition the instigators had in mind. I am hesitant to accuse church leaders of bad faith, but they need to be very careful that they are not abusing their authority when dealing with pastors. This is especially true of “young” pastors or those in positions less than Senior Pastor.

Paul was not going to tolerate any abuse of the pastors he sent to work with “his” churches. 1 Corinthians is a case in point. Memorizing chapter 16 started out pretty dull and mundane, then it opened up. Have I suggested that everyone who reads my “stuff” engage in some Bible Memory plan? Over a year ago, a friend of mine challenged me to do so AND to text him my verse every week. Nothing keeps you on task like getting a text from a friend with “his” verse on it. There were a lot of Sunday afternoon cram sessions for a while.

The best way to memorize is to have a set time to read, reread, and read again the passage. After about three times through, then begin to say, out loud, the words. Some people also suggest writing them out for yourself. I am working on chapters 15 and 16 and am nearing the end. I am going to read them onto a CD and play them while I am in the car. This will polish and refresh the entire passage.

An aside: I have read that the Pharisees and other leaders in Bible times learned the entire Pentateuch. And some even memorized the entire Old Testament. Ever notice how Paul, and Peter, and James, well, all of the New Testament writers could quote verses to make their points? They did not have concordances, so unless they were very fast readers, they had to have these verses at their “fingertips” by memory. I think that Jesus, Himself, memorized the Old Testament. One advantage He had, possibly, is that His “forgetter” was not as efficient as mine. (What were we discussing?) But I digress.

Paul was an old Watchdog guarding his younger assistants. They would include Titus, Timothy, Apollos, possibly Aquillia and Priscilla. I found this list* of people called, “co-workers.” Aquila (Rom 16:3), Urbanus (Rom 16:9), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), Clement (Phil 4:3), Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus (Col 4:10-11), Philemon (Phlm 1), and even Luke (Phlm 24). Others were Archippus (Phlm 2),  Epaphras (Phlm 23), and Andronicus and Junia (Rom 16:7), Tychicus (Col 4:7). I doubt if this is exhaustive, but it reveals Paul’s heart for training and equipping additional laborers in the vineyard as Jesus put it.

Am I extrapolating this too far? I don’t think so. Look at the end of verse 11. “...I am expecting him with the brothers.” Paul seems to have had a group of men into whom he poured his life. So, to churches, dealing with young pastors: How would Paul evaluate your treatment of his charges? They were his friends and he seemed to love them as sons. He even called Timothy, his son.

Ministry is a two-way street. The pastor ministers to the little flock given to him. And the church, as a body, ministers to the pastor. This exchange, when fully and Scripturally implemented, would reduce or even eliminate “burn out” among pastors. Shame on us for not following the Scripture.

What is the answer to our question, “Who pastors the pastors?” As our old friend Pogo quipped, “We have found the enemy, and he is us.” We can substitute “the slacker” for enemy. Get busy and help churches heal. Amen.



* http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Pauline_Associates.htm

With No Apologies to the Cocoon

In Ruminations on a Funeral we explored 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. Now we want to take a little side trail (or rabbit trail) and think about this a little differently and in some different contexts.

1 Corinthians 15:53 describes what happens both now, at death, and in the future when Jesus will come back and get “those who remain.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15)
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
As we stand before an open coffin, we view the first step in this process. Here are more details.

In order for us to put on incorruption, we must put off corruption. And to put on immortality, we have to give up mortality. That is the picture in the coffin. I have noticed that some viewers reach out and touch the body, like a last caress. Others, myself included, do not. I know that it will not matter to Grandad, or whoever, and I do not need to be reminded that “he” is not there. He is gone. (I will use the generic personal, Grandad.)

And there is some sorrow involved. This “cutting” the ties of earth includes our personal attachments to Grandad. He has put off the mortal and corruptible. And he has a much better body waiting. Both the living and the dead, (those who sleep) will all be changed when the Lord comes back. (1 Corinthians 15:51) But those who have gone on before have severed ties with “those who remain.” There is nothing wrong with mourning this loss.

Jesus, in fact mourned Lazarus in John 11. I do not think that Jesus was mourning because Lazarus had died, because He would raise His friend from the dead in a couple of minutes. Jesus mourned that Lazarus, and all of mankind, had to suffer such a separation from the body and family. This was not how creation was to end. (We will not discuss the dichotomy of what could have been versus what was, or God’s how sovereignty is involved in all of this.) Man chose to sever the relationship with God by disobeying and this is the inevitable consequence. So all must die, because of sin. That is a “tear worthy” thought.

It hurts to lose a loved one. That is not debatable nor should it be denied or condemned. We recognize that in order for change to occur, some things have to change. Corruptible does not mix with incorruptible. Mortal does not coexist with immortality. We give up the lesser, in exchange for the greater.

An illustration occurred to me. A caterpillar spins a cocoon about its worm body and undergoes a metamorphosis. The cocoon is a snug, supporting structure, but in order to emerge as a butterfly the former worm has to “cut a few strings.” If the cocoon retains its integrity, the butterfly will die.

Our lives here are like that, both in death, and even in events of our lives. We have to cut some strings to leave, what Shakespear called, “this mortal coil,” and move on to our new home. Those who are left suffer bereavement from separation. Other events in our lives often require that we cut some ties or strings to existing people, places, and things.

And like our butterfly, and Grandad, what lies beyond far exceeds what is left behind. Does the butterfly mourn for its decimated cocoon? It fulfilled a crucial role in its development, but once it is airborne, I doubt that its erstwhile home is mourned or even remembered. We are a “little” higher order than our Lepidoptera friend, but the cutting of strings is just as critical in our development as it was to him. Our memories can retain the connections, but a physical retention would cripple us just as surely as some uncut strands of the cocoon would doom the butterfly.

Changing circumstances usually call for a “cutting” of former ties in order to progress to another, often higher plane. With the promise of God sustaining us, we revel in the opportunity to watch Him “weave” a new home for us in the execution of His perfect will.

I would posit the proposition that the butterfly does not regret his “loss.” Speaking anthropomorphically, he never gives it a second thought. He engaged the change, in fact participated in it, and enthusiastically flew into the future. Grandad did the same. So can we as we follow the Lord’s leading. With, and in, this confidence, we face the future.

Bid the cocoon, “Goodbye.”

Ruminations on a Funeral

1 Corinthians 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I will substitute “corruptible” because that is the way I memorized it years ago. Handel, you know.)
“For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility...” oh wait. Let’s go back and look at the context of our passage. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of Christ in particular. Paul turns to the focus of his inquiry in verse 50 and beyond.

Creation shows us that animal, fish, bird, and human flesh are all different. So it is not surprising that our natural body is different from a spiritual body. Verse 50 addresses this:
50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the corruptible inherit the incorruptible.

If we are planning to go into space, we would make sure that we had a space suit that is compatible with the new environment into which we venture. Paul also notes that if we are heading for the “kingdom of God,” we had better have a kingdom suit. His beloved phrase follows:
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 

(“Sleep” is a euphemism for dying.) So we will not all die, but some change will happen, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye....” We will not exegete the prophetic aspects of this, except to note that the change will be into the state, or body required to enter the kingdom. He continues with an explanation of our new “suit.”
53 For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

We learn more about this new body. “Incorruptible” means that it will not decay, or age, or even deteriorate. Immortality is a popular theme in “comic book” movies. Only this immortality will never be involved in any type of conflict. All sin will also be banished, eliminated, so that our new bodies will enjoy a perfect home, forever. And the immortality aspect means that the enemy, death, which was activated in Genesis 3, will be defeated completely and eternally.

Paul then concludes by giving us a perspective of what this means. “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (Needs an exclamation point, or two!!) Isaiah 25:8 seems to be the passage he references. (Read that passage. This is not an exact quotation, which gives us a glimpse into how extensive his understanding of the Old Testament was.) Then Paul taunts this enemy.

55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 
The “sting of death” is derived from Hosea 13:14 (And he did this without the aid of a concordance or “The Moody Bible Commentary.”) Death is no longer the victor, and in fact it does not even have a sting.

More explanation follows:
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 
At first glimpse, it seems to be reversed: The sting of sin is death, sounds more like the way I think. That is the penalty imposed in Genesis 2 and executed a chapter later. We think that we die because of sin and that is the punishment. If that were the case, we would all be without hope. We sinned. We will die. End of story.

But Paul, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit identifies the sting of death being sin. Help me understand. Death is never a “good thing,” because it separates the soul from the body. Life, as represented by our bodies, is a gift from God. (Genesis 2:7) God “ breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

God’s original intent was for life to be eternal. But that was not in effect yet as He closed the access to the tree of life in Genesis 3:22 so that man would not eat from it and “live forever” as a sinful and sin-controlled creature. Death ruled all mankind from then until the cross. At that point Jesus paid the penalty for sin. He took the sting. He also fulfilled the prophetic roll of the two lambs God sacrificed to cover the sins of Adam and Eve. If someone does not accept that substitution, death is permanent and horrific. But for those of us who have accepted His atonement for us, death becomes a portal into the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Death is harmless, impotent, when we have no sin. The only way we can have no sin, is for Christ’s perfection to be imputed to us. That was done when we accepted His offer of salvation. “In Christ Alone,” the Getty classic* worded it this way: “Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me.”

Sin is the sting, and its power comes from the law. The law points out that we can never reach an agreement or settlement with God. We can never achieve the perfection or pay the price that the law requires. We are completely without hope–until verse 57: “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our Lord Jesus Christ has defeated death and paid the ransom to release us forever. (Needs an “Amen” and “Hallelujah!” Listen to Getty again.)

As we viewed the body of a dear departed loved one, this verse coursed through my mind. We saw a literal fulfillment of this verse. The corruptible body had yielded possession of the soul. That soul is now with Jesus, waiting for the trumpet call (v. 51) when this saint will join those of us who “remain” in receiving our incorruptible, immortal, kingdom suits. (No space suit for me. I am not stopping in space. I have a non-stop ticket all the way. Here comes another “Hallelujah!”)

Our final thought is an encouragement to abound in the work of the Lord. It is not to earn the reward, but to show our appreciation of, and love for the One Who has effected this change. “...be steadfast, immovable, always abounding...” to share this stupendous news with others.




50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the corruptible inherit the incorruptible. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this corruptible will have put on the incorruptible, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.


*https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=in+christ+alone+lyrics&view=detail&mid=CA46C3129C7364E5CE21CA46C3129C7364E5CE21&FORM=VIRE

Restart

As we finish the “old year” and embark on a new one we are struck again with one key component in creation. That is the concept of “starting over.” We read in Genesis 1 that the sun, moon, and stars were established to be time keepers. (V. 14)
“Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;”

It is not specifically stated, but by marking the day and night, they also present a repeat of the previous day. Notice the specifics: “signs, seasons, days, and years.” The earth rotates to produce a new day every 24 hours. The moon orbits the planet every 27.322 days. Notice the interrelated timing mechanisms? Then the earth rotates around the sun, passing through four seasons, repeatedly. This takes 365.25 days. And the monthly changes, denoted by the moon, are incorporated into the calendar as Jewish festivals.

Days, signs, seasons, and years are all part of the “restarting” process. We start every day, new. We start every week, new. We start every month new. We start every season, new. We start every year, new. The concept of the second chance (and more) is integral to God’s plan for man. This also is reflected in theological terms.

A-dahm and Eve got a second chance after disobeying the specific command of God. The God of the second chance manifests His tolerance and forgiveness in life after life. The children of Israel refused to enter the land, then, 40 years later got a second chance. Samson got a second chance when his hair grew back. Jonah got a second chance after his little swim. Elijah had a “second word” when sleeping under a broom tree. Time after time, we read, “The Word of the Lord came to XXX a second time.”

The New Testament is also replete with second chances. Saul, later Paul, refused his first encounter and was stopped by a vision. Peter was given a second chance. All of the disciples ran away except John. In reality, all of us have multiple opportunities to start over.

The God of the second chance previewed this in creation. What a blessing. As we begin the next circuit of the sun, we can resolve to be more careful to hopefully avoid the need for a replay. But, God’s mercy is never exhausted.

Happy New Year. Have a good restart.

Swaddling Clothes

Most of our best ideas come from someone else. (Mine, anyway.) I shamelessly borrow good ideas and readily confess. I am in good company. I heard a great sermon by Haddon Robinson on the Ecclesiastes. He said that the Song was written by the Preacher for us to share with others.
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

I was visiting with my friend, Bill, this morning, and he told me about a Christmas sermon that he had heard. So I am at least number 3 in handing it down. It was another example of “little things” in the Bible being very important, if we only listen long enough.

Luke 2:7 and 2:12 mention this minor detail. “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Verse 7 reports that she wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes. Other translations have changed the wording and this increases the likelihood that we will overlook it.

Just what are swaddling clothes? You may have heard that they referred to burial clothes which are wrapped around a body before interment. Thereby they prefigure Jesus’ death and burial. (GotQuestions.org is a good site to begin a search on Biblical questions. It is not always the last word, and I have found a few deficiencies, but nothing glaring.) GQ noted that the word used for “swaddling clothes” in Luke is never used for burial purposes anywhere else in the New Testament. Probably an inaccurate interpretation.

But it was used, and still is used, to describe the wrapping of a baby. One, it mimics the close confinement of the womb, and is comforting to the newborn. It also restrains arm and leg movement that might tend to turn the child off his back. It essentially immobilizes the baby, as it would an adult if he were so bound. And the significance is...?

Bill’s pastor provided a fresh insight, for both of us. And maybe for you as well. When God came down to become a man, He was “swaddled” or constrained by the human body He infused. He went from being omnipresent, everywhere simultaneously, to being confined into one tiny bundle of humanity. And to further represent His voluntary relinquishing of an attribute of deity, He was confined even as a baby. His total submission and loss of power was pictured.

Philippians 2:8 explains this:
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
He didn’t just humble Himself to become a man. But as a man, He humbled Himself to the most humiliating and confining condition of death on a cross. “He could have called ten thousand angels,” the old song goes. (Matthew 26:53) But He resisted the display of power and authority.

He gave a slight nod to His submission when testifying before Pilate in John 19:11:
Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
I have to admit that I believe that Pilate was a little slow. If I had heard such a chilling pronouncement, I would be heading for high country. To his credit, he made some efforts to release Jesus, but in the end Pilate feared the Jews more than he feared “the above.”

The “swaddling” of Jesus was total and complete. God, incarnate, yielded all power and authority to control even his own body. The swaddling clothes did, indeed, presage a wonderful truth. But it was not the macabre picture of a corpse. But of a living, vibrant sacrifice voluntarily submitting to the sacrificial offering. And we know what happened three days later.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!