New Thoughts: (04/02/14-04/08/14)
I must admit that as I have been working through this passage, I have questioned why I did not include verse 6 in the preceding study. It does read as a concluding of that topic. Certainly, it points back to what was being said. However, it also points forward. That opening phrase, eis touto, has this sense to it: Towards the goal just mentioned. Of course, we must discern what goal was mentioned. If the intent is to build on the point that the unrepentant will eventually give account to the Judge (1Pe 4:5), whether they are alive or dead at His return, then how does what follows build on that point? Because they will be judged, the gospel was preached to them so that they shall live in the spirit? That would seem to suggest a universal salvation, which would make all this present suffering and trial seem wholly unnecessary and cruel.
I think we must look farther back. I would suggest the most immediate object for this backward look is 1Peter 4:1, with its talk of Christ suffering in the flesh, and our resolve to stand firm when we must likewise suffer. Then, what we find Peter saying here is that the death of a believer does not invalidate faith. Yes, the reprobate will face the Judge dead or alive. So, too, the believer will face his Redeemer dead or alive. Death, as Paul noted is lost its sting (1Co 15:55). It has been made a temporary condition. Those who have passed on before us are gone from this world, it is true, but they are not gone completely. They have gone on, not away. And with that in mind, we see how Peter is building his case going into verse 7. Yes, they died. But, then, the end of allthings is at hand.
All this being said I am comfortable with keeping verse 6 more closely coupled to what follows than what has preceded. It starts a cascade of dependent clauses. Because we must arm ourselves with the purpose of Christ, those who have died were likewise armed. They are not lost. They have won through! Because their death was not their end, we can have confidence to stand, even knowing the end of everything is at hand. For even that is but our introduction into that heavenly city we seek. Because we know that outcome and because our King has made the outcome certain, we have reason to live like His citizens in what remains of our time in this life. This is why we do not go back to past form. Rather, we see a new form of living. And from there, Peter lays out in brief what that new form of living looks like.
I could stop there and leave the passage to complete the thought without me. But I won’t. Let us instead examine things more closely. Let me once more mention the introductory clause, “for this purpose”, eis touto. As I said, it requires us to consider the purpose that has been laid out. But, it also informs us that Peter is building upon that premise. It is intended to raise our interest level in considering what is to follow. It is good that we should be paying close attention to the line of Peter’s thought when he throws out that idea that the gospel was preached ‘even to those who are dead’. It is so easy to go astray with that phrase! Surely, when we read it, we must stop and ask just what Peter is getting at. Jesus preached to the dead? Is he talking about those three days between crucifixion and resurrection? Is that what Jesus was doing? Maybe there’s a case for purgatory after all, then.
The Living Bible apparently decided this is what Peter had in mind, writing, “That is why the Good News was preached even to those who were dead — killed by the flood.” Now, it is obvious that no mention of the flood is made here. True, it was brought up obliquely with the mention of Noah (1Pe 3:20-21), but to carry that forward into this present statement, even though it is in relatively close proximity, seems to me to assume too much.
Other translations, like the BBE, seem inclined to connect us back to 1Peter 4:5, with its mention of the reprobate facing judgment, or at least that is the impression I am left with. “For this was the reason why the good news of Jesus was given even to the dead, so that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but might be living before God in the spirit.” I simply cannot find the sense of that reading, if it connects back to verse 5. If they are to face judgment, then the implication is that they shall receive their just punishment, not that they will be saved at the last moment, and every being lives happily ever after. That sounds nice in its fairytale way, but it also sounds wholly unjust. And then, how shall we call our God a God of Justice? It cannot stand.
The Good Word translation seems to draw nearer the point. “After all, the Good News was told to people like that, although they are now dead.” But, even here, we have that sense of ‘people like that’, as though it is pointing back to the reprobate and not the believers. In the sense that those hearing this letter, like ourselves, used to be ‘people like that’, but hearing the Gospel has led us into this new life, I could almost buy it. But, it still leaves me thinking about them, rather than us, which seems counter to Peter’s intent here. He is clearly moving into us territory. If he has pointed us backward to remember what we were, it is only with the intent of contrasting it with what we now are.
Considering the overall development of Peter’s writing, I concur with the NET about the meaning of this statement. The suffering these believers had faced had not stopped with reviling words. It had not been limited to social stigma. Some had indeed been put to death for no better cause than being Christians. Now, so far as I can discern from the historical background, such fatal persecutions were not yet a common factor in the life of the Church. There were places where it was happening, but it had not become the standard practice of the empire. That is not, however, to say it wasn’t happening at all. It doesn’t need the official backing of the state for reviling to move on to persecution and even to murder. So, yes it is entirely probable that these dear Christians had friends and acquaintances who had died for their faith. Being relatively young in the faith, such events could produce real turmoil. Face it! If such things transpired in our own communities, it would almost certainly produce turmoil. Some among us would not stand firm. Most of us, I suspect, would at least have some hard questions for God. We just don’t expect it. Perhaps we should.
But, Peter’s point is this: Yes, they died, but their faith was not shown false, nor was their death evidence that God had not accepted them after all. Yes, they suffered while they lived in faith. Yes, you do, too. Be not surprised, Peter will say shortly (1Pe 4:12). This is not some strange thing. It is but sharing in the suffering of Christ, so rejoice. Rejoice to have been found worthy. This later development should surely inform our understanding of Peter’s intent here. This is where he is going, and what we read in verse 6 is but a first step on that journey. Yes, they suffered judgment in this life. They died. It’s hard to imagine a sterner judgment in this life. But, note: It was ‘in this life’. It was, as Peter says, ‘as men’, or ‘according to the ways of man’. That is to say men judged them deserving of this punishment. God, on the other hand, has determined that they shall live, and so they do! The live ‘in the spirit’ because that is God’s will. Are fallen men really to be supposed capable of preventing the will of God from unfolding? If so, I dare say your god is too small. Our God is not. His will isdone. His promises are certain, because He isall-knowing, all-wise and all-powerful. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Ro 8:35). “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:39). “I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My father has given them to Me, and He is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand, and I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:28-30). We have every reason for confidence.
Here, the rendering of the Complete Jewish Bible is helpful: “although physically they would receive the judgment common to all humanity”. Being a Christian does not mean we somehow escape the grave entirely. It does not mean we can stand amidst a barrage of bullets knowing that bullets cannot harm us. No. We are mortal yet. We are mortal, yet we are immortal. It is not this flesh in this life that persists. The perishing must be put off and the immortal taken on. The Great Exchange, as C. S. Lewis phrased it, has taken place in that our sins have been exchanged for His righteousness. But, there is that other exchange ahead, when our temporary condition is exchanged for the eternal perfection of Christ’s work in us.
Glory be to the Father! And, to the Son Who has wrought so great a change in us! His name be exalted forever, and thanks be ever on our lips. Great things He has done for us, and we are glad. Come what may, we are safely in His hands, and though mountains may fall and the seas rise, yet we know this: I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine. His banner over me is His own love for me, and I shall not be greatly shaken, nor even moved. In His hands I am secured and the end of my story is set fast in His own decrees. Amen and amen!
Moving into verse 7, Peter informs us that the end of all things is at hand. This could be taken as simply a shift of thought, the beginning of a new piece of business. Certainly the tenor of things changes, with Peter moving into practical application or implication. On the other hand, it is not a disconnected thought. It develops quite reasonably from what has preceded. These whom you are aware of died for their faith, and those who persecute you now will die in their sins. The reality is that we all die, with possible exception for those present for the last trumpet call.
Notice that Peter, having noted the approaching end, moves to a ‘therefore’. This may serve to sum up what has been said thus far, but it is also setting the foundation for what proceeds. That seems to happen a lot through this section. There is a progression much more like Paul’s linear, logical style of argument than Peter’s generally more circular style. This, therefore that. That, and so, thus. It builds. So, we have the death of the unbeliever leading to judgment as an introduction to the point that the believer was given the gospel in order that their earthly punishment would not reflect their eternal condition. They live. To this add that we shall all join them soon enough. Death comes for us all. Death is not the question.
The question is what follows. Will death bring final judgment, or will death bring life? Has the gospel been heard so as to lead to obedient faith or hasn’t it? If it has been heard effectively, then the behaviors to which Peter next turns will characterize what remains of your earthly term. This need not lead us to suppose personal perfection in these character traits. But, we see them and set them as our goal. Knowing that our days are fleeting and their terminus known only to God just gives us the greater incentive to strive toward that goal. “For this purpose.” That clause permeates this whole passage. We have a goal towards which we aim, and daily our determination and effort towards reaching that goal becomes more central to our being.
Considering that end Peter speaks of, we are facing the word telos. This does not mean that it all passes from existence. It is not directly concerned with death, although it would be hard to disconnect it from that thought, given the repeated mention of our time in the flesh and how it is but temporary. But, the term speaks more to the goal, another pervading theme for this letter. Suffering is certainly the dominant note, but there is a seventh note of purpose. It’s not pointless suffering. It’s not suffering proving the error of our faith. It’s to a purpose. It’s driving towards a goal. There is a plan. The plan is God’s, and the plan is unfolding exactly as it should. The goal is at hand. Don’t give up now!
Much as I dislike sports analogies, the aptness is too great to ignore in this case. One considers the drive of a football game, the offensive team striving repeatedly to move the ball nearer the goal. Play after play they inch nearer. Play after play the defense becomes more determined to stop the drive. But, the offense is persevering, gaining ground. Now, they are mere yards away from the goal. The end is near. Four downs remain to determine whether the effort shall have been worth it or not. The defense is at its uttermost to see this drive fail. What will the offense do? The end is at hand. Will they pull up fresh reserves of strength and skill to win through, or will they decide it’s too hard – there’s no chance they’ll break through against so stiff a defense?
In a football game, one hopes the answer is obvious. In war, which that game cannot help but model, it may be somewhat less obvious. It’s not just pride and paycheck on the line. It’s life and limb. A commander may well determine that as hard as it’s been to get this far and as great the loss of life, the butcher’s bill involved in winning through to the next goal is just too high. Better to turn aside and preserve what forces remain. There will be other opportunities.
In this matter of Christianity, the stakes are higher still. It’s not merely life and limb on the line, it’s eternity. All of life has been an unfolding of God’s plan. All of life going forward continues to be an unfolding of God’s plan. His plan will reach its end, its goal. On one level, we must ask, will I? On another level, knowing it is all in His more than capable hands, the answer is certain enough as to make the question unnecessary. Perhaps it is better we should ask the question Peter proceeds to answer: Given the goal, what should I be doing now? What does persevering faith look like?
The first point he gives us is enough to keep us occupied for a good long while. Be of sound judgment and sober spirit. Now, while we have seen Peter looking at the past life with its propensity towards drink (1Pe 4:3), that’s not the immediate point of contrast. It’s wider in scope. The sober spirit is a curbing of the passions. If the life we once led was given over to ‘excess of dissipation’, to passions given free rein, this new life has a firm grip on the reins. Passions may persist. Passions will persist. The temptation does not simply depart from us never to trouble us again. We are transformed, but we are not transformed into automatons devoid of human feeling. But, we have the reins in hand. Passions persist, but they do not control. We may not attain to the firm control of every thought and imagination. I dare say we will not. It is beyond our capacity and ever shall be. But, we can hold the line against the dictates of imagination. We can curb the passions and submit our every act to sound judgment.
Oh, we shall fail of even that much, it is true. We have our days, don’t we? Some of us have our weeks. But, the goal is there. We can see it. We know where we’re heading, and even though passions may get the best of us on occasion, sound judgment prevails. We hear the trumpets of war again, and are reminded. We have not armed ourselves as we ought (1Pe 4:1). It’s time to remember that we’re still at war. We shall ever be at war, and one of our most persistent enemies is our own past self, the old man of the flesh, still seeking to push passion over sound judgment.
So, then: No more running riot. No more living for the pursuit of fleshly pleasures. There are greater things. We have been called to higher pursuits. That is not to say we take no pleasure in pleasure. Not at all! No, but our pleasures have changed, haven’t they? Slowly but surely, we are learning of this God Who loves us. Slowly but surely, we are coming to appreciate what it is He loves, and our desire, so far as it lies within our power, is to do that which He loves, for He has poured out His love into our lives, and what He has poured in is ours to overflowing. It must be expressed.
I noted that Peter tends towards a more circular presentation of his point. By way of example, let me remind you of this point from nearer the beginning of this letter. “So gird your minds for action. Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope fully on the grace which will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1Pe 1:13). Notice how the same thoughts and even the same images are here. Gird your minds. Arm yourselves with the same purpose (1Pe 4:1). Keep sober in spirit. Be of sound judgment and sober spirit. We have, then, something of a recapitulation here. But, Peter doesn’t stop with repeating the point already made. That would be wasting words. He is building a case, not just talking in circles. And so, having reminded us of this need for seriousness, he next gives us a more immediate goal for that maturity of character: For the purpose of prayer.
This is one of those rare occasions where I actually rather like the NRSV. “Be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.” To be sure, it takes discipline to develop a sound prayer life. This is one of the greater challenges I face at present. Study? No problem. I love doing it and it has become so engrained a habit as to come quite naturally. Worship and praise? Certainly! Not as I ought, no doubt, but it bursts forth in due course. Every shower, it seems, is accompanied by paeans to my God. No doubt, I exaggerate, but that is the feeling I have towards the flow of my days. But, prayer? So easy to do something else. It winds up tucked into such spare moments as I have not managed to clutter up with sundry distractions. This is not as it should be. This is not, I fear, evidence of that sound judgment and sober spirit that Peter calls for. It is evidence of something quite the contrary, a certain frivolity of spirit that still persists. That in itself is cause for prayer!
I need not suppose that God is calling me to be some dour caricature of a Puritan, looking at life as so serious a matter that even to laugh might be construed a sin. No. God calls us to rejoice in Him. I think of the instructions for feast days, where mourning was completely forbidden. You are here to praise your God and enjoy Him forever. How, then, shall you go about so stern of face, so downcast of soul? How, then, shall you go through your days as though heavy burdened by the onerous duties of being a servant of the Most High? May it never be! No, He has loved us with an everlasting love, and He has so worked and willed in us that we can and do love Him. He has granted us to know Him, to love Him and enjoy Him forever. Together with the angels, we shall find ourselves singing, “Amen! Praise and glory and honor and power are Yours forever and ever! Worthy is the Lamb!” And, it shall not be an attempt to fit in. It shall be the most natural outpouring of our most earnest opinion.
[04/05/14] Now, if I zoom out for a moment so as to consider the full scope of Peter’s letter , I would see that alongside the message that suffering is to be expected and even accepted, there is this countervailing message about our arms. Those arms are ours by the grace of God. They are given to us to supply our need by a God who knows our needs. And this same God, having provided so fully and so graciously, calls us to persevere. In the face of slanderous accusations, persevere in doing what is good. In the face of constant temptation, persevere in taking the righteous course. In the face of doubts and the looming threat of death, persevere in seeking God’s kingdom. Persevere in prayer. And, persevere in love.
These two are the more specific commands given us in this passage. Pray and love. Neither of these, clearly, is a one-time matter. It’s not a call to get sober-minded now so you can pray, and maybe later you can get silly again. No. It’s a life-defining matter. This is to be our habit: a habit of sound judgment and sober-mindedness; a habit of prayer; a habit of loving one another.
It may be reading too much into the passage, but I am thinking that the close proximity of these two commands ought to tell us something. Notice that. We go straight from the purpose of prayer in verse 7 to fervently loving one another in verse 8. It seems that Peter, at least, had these two ideas connected in his mind. Expand the thought a bit to encompass the reason Peter gives for loving: Because love covers a multitude of sins. Now, that is an admittedly curious statement which needs some exploration in its own right. But, take the thread that is presented. Pray and love, because love covers… Certainly, one aspect of our prayer must be that of repentance. We are ever in need of God’s forgiveness because no matter how hard we try to abide by His law, it remains beyond us to do so as we ought. We look at the condensed Law as Jesus presented it, and we can’t handle the one simple command to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. I don’t know that we could even honestly claim to love Him with most, but all is certainly not an accurate description. I have other loves. There are far too many things that I allow to crowd Him out in the course of a day.
So, there is that first aspect of prayer in recognizing that we yet need His forgiveness. But, as our hearts and minds are turned more in the direction of His will in prayer, we turn outward, and see others in our Christian family that need not only God’s forgiveness but our own. We pray, then, not only that He would forgive them (which smacks of presumed capacity to judge accurately on our part), but that He would assist us in forgiving them, for unforgiveness is a terrible poison in our systems. But, even in this much we have not yet really brought love to bear in our prayer life. All of this, if we are not terribly careful, remains self-centered and self-concerned. Though I pray for them and to Him, it’s really all about me. Love, though, must turn my prayers outward. Love sees what my fellow believer is going through and seeks their comfort. Love sees not so much the sin of my brother, but what that sin is doing to him, and prays that God would help him to be freed of that sin once for all. Love sees the lost and wants nothing so much as to see them found. Love sees the reprobate and cannot be satisfied with the truth that his punishment will glorify God. Love, being God’s own love, desires that the reprobate might yet be saved.
It is in this sense that love is to inform our prayers. Without love, our prayer life will ever be self-centered, because we are still fallen creatures and entirely too into ourselves. Without love, our prayers will be chores dutifully done, but done only because they must be. With love, we are more aware of the needs around us. We know real concern for the well-being of those in our sphere. With love, we will surely follow the Apostolic advice to take action where we may. But, we know too well the limitations on our abilities, and where our abilities fall short, there is prayer. Truly, even where our abilities may suffice, there is prayer. But, it is love that directs us outward, away from our own needs and hurts.
Take that back into the situation Peter is addressing. You are surrounded by hurtful unbelievers. You are bombarded with temptations to toss aside this newfound faith and just go back to your old ways. You are not just being ridiculed. Your livelihood and possibly even your life is being threatened. It is perfectly natural to turn inward under these circumstances. Human nature will lead you to toss up mental and emotional walls against the pain. But, God’s prescription is love. Don’t turn inward, because however strong the walls you might erect, they really only serve to weaken you. No! Turn first upward and then outward. Keep your eyes on God, and your prayers directed His way. Take upon yourself once more those weapons He has provided so that you may fight the vengeful desire of the flesh and instead bear His love into the situation. Leave justice in His more than capable hands. Leave your own defense in His hands. Speak the Truth in love. Pray for those lost souls. Pray forgiveness. Pray comfort into their hurts. Pray that these who appear as enemies become friends and coreligionists.
From here to the end of the passage, Peter is largely amplifying on these twin points of prayer and love. If these two commands are central to your life, what will that life look like? But, allow me to observe these foundational principles a bit more fully before we proceed. After a fashion, we might see this as a call to a new way of life. Certainly Peter is putting this in contrast to the old way. This is how you used to run. Now, go this way. Is that ever a picture of repentance! Turn and go the other way. That way lies death. Life is back this way. But, it’s more than just a call. It truly is a command. This must be your life now: Pray and love. Get serious about your faith. Without these two things effectively defining your life, your faith is but a mental exercise. It’s like learning the rules of algebra but never finding cause to apply them to anything you face. It’s like knowing all the important dates in history but failing to grasp why they are important or what that might have to do with life today.
So, get serious. Pray. Pray not only for the myriad needs and wants. Pray as we were taught. Pray that God’s will might proceed unhindered in the earth. Pray that the world would be transformed. Pray with the groaning of creation, that the sons of God might be revealed, the root and stem of sin be ripped whole from the fabric of existence, and the full shalom of God be the eternal state. Pray to know what you ought to be doing today, that your actions might serve His purposes. Pray (looking forward again) that what you say and what you do might indeed be as God supplies and as God’s supply.
Pray outward. And, having prayed, act. Act outward. What is that, but to love? Love and care for each other. This applies particularly within the family of Christ. I do not for a moment suppose that we must limit it to that scope. Even the Gentiles, Christ reminded us, love and care for their family, and indeed, the Scriptures are clear that if we do not care for our own families, we are more benighted than they are. But, our love is to extend to our enemies. Surely that applies to Peter’s words here as much as to love in the abstract. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Do you suppose that stops at the doors of the church? Do you suppose that restricted to the family of God? I don’t see that He set any such limit on the command. But, there is a sense clearly given in Scripture that we give His family priority. We can say foremost to the family of God, but not exclusively.
So we have this direction given to both prayer and love: Use what God has given you! What is prayer, after all, but directing the brain God gave us back towards His purposes? What is love but the expression of His gracious care and mercy towards us? What are all these activities Peter will list but the working out of love for God and man in our daily lives? And all of this, I see, is built upon that predicate in verse 7: The end of all things is at hand. Even death cannot keep you from His kingdom, so what’s all the concern? Why shouldn’t you love even these reviling unbelievers around you, and do so extravagantly? Why shouldn’t you give your all for Him? You’re not doing anything by that except using what He provides. It’s not like it’s your strength getting the job done, or your incredible capacity for love being expressed. What, after all, do you have that He did not give? Nothing.
It’s not for boasting, and no cause for boasting that we are called and commanded to act this way. It’s advertising, if you’ll forgive the comparison. But, what is an ambassador, after all, other than an advertisement for the nation he represents. Here is what we are like in the kingdom. Here is what our King is like. If they only had our example as ambassadors by which to assess the glories of the kingdom and the King, what would their assessment be? That ought in itself to drive us back to prayer!
In light of this, and in light of certain developments on the home front of late, I feel a strong need to address the matter (yet again) of prophecy in our day. There are many out there who declare themselves prophets. There are schools for prophetic training. There are channels, be it via television or internet, that have no further purpose in their existence than to give these prophets a platform. If anything, it’s become more prevalent in our day because internet video is a cheap enterprise. Anybody can play.
But, if one is tuned in to all this prophetic chatter, where is the opportunity to test? Is it enough to say I am familiar with this man, that there are a lot of folks out there who put stock in him? No. That is not the measure we are told to use. Indeed, the instructions Paul gave insist that we limit our prophetic intake, because what is heard needs to be assessed. Assessed by what? Well, it seems pretty clear that the only proper measure is the revealed word of God. If it doesn’t fit, then it really ought not to suffice for us that the message be rejected. The messenger as well ought properly to be rejected as a charlatan falsely laying claim to speaking for God.
Let it be admitted that there are plenty who would debate the reality of any prophetic gift in our day. And, for those who are certain there is, a standard line of argument is found in saying that God doesn’t change, ergo if He used prophets in the past, He uses them today. Fair enough. But, if God doesn’t change, then we ought to be looking at the pattern set by those prophets of old as one means of assessing the modern prophet. We must surely recognize that the prophets He validated were a small minority of those claiming the title, which ought to give us pause; particularly when assessing prophets coming in over the airwaves.
So, then: What’s the model? A typical theological understanding of the prophetic role would set forth the prophet as the covenant prosecutor. He is as a lawyer sent by God, not as one enforcing the terms of covenant, but as one bringing charges against those who have violated its terms as well as bringing comfort to those abiding by its terms. This two-fold aspect is seen constantly. To those who have set aside the covenant, there are stern warnings of dire punishments to come. Most often, these are delivered with an urging of repentance. Unless you change course, this is coming. But, I need to stress this point: Those messages are directed at the ones who are in willful violation of the covenant.
This is not to say that the warnings are restricted to Israel as the one nation to sign covenant with God. Clearly not! All mankind are under covenant with God whether they acknowledge it or not, for they are all His creation. It is a different covenant, but it is just as binding, and where they have violated the terms, the prosecutor comes with words of warning. Here are the terms, and here are your actions. According to your actions, the terms dictate that this must result. If you don’t like the result, change the actions.
But, here’s the thing: The message of these same prophets to the people of the covenant is a different message. It is a message of hope. It is a message of reassurance. Oh, yes. Hard times will come. The punishment to come upon these reprobates may indeed sweep you up in its repercussions. You may have a season of sorrow. Let it take the strength of Peter’s letter here. You may even die. What of it? The kingdom remains certain on the other side. God is not letting you go. Darkness falls, but comes the dawn. The bright Morning Star shall rise up. Your life is in His hands.
You see, the prophetic message, as we see it repeatedly in Scripture, always has this twofold aspect. For them, warning to repent. For us, cause for confidence. What I do not see is a call to go stock up so as to survive the coming calamity. There are specific instructions given to specific men on occasion – Noah comes to mind. But, I do not see a general instruction given for the whole covenant community to go build up reserves against the coming judgment so they can thumb their noses at the trials, as it were. Indeed, if we look at the judgment that came upon Jerusalem via Babylon, the instruction was to go turn yourselves in. It wasn’t to flee. It wasn’t to stock up against the siege. It was give up. Isn’t that something? Go into exile. Yes, you who have been faithful (inasmuch as any have been faithful).
What the prophetic word surely ought not to do for those who are held within the hands of the covenant keeping God is stir up fear and anxiousness. Be not anxious for tomorrow! Today has trouble enough of its own (Mt 6:34). Don’t be anxious about what you’re going to eat or wear. Life is about more than food and clothing (Mt 6:25). Your Father knows that you need these things (Lk 12:30). What to do instead? Seek for His kingdom, knowing that these things shall be added to you. Don’t be afraid, for the Father has gladly chosen to give you the kingdom (Lk 12:31-32). For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Php 1:21). For this reason I suffer these things but am no ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day (2Ti 1:12).
What, then, are we to do with these prophesies? Well, as I said, the first step is to test. Do they accord with the model Scripture gives us? Do they concur with the message Scripture gives us? Is the record of the prophet known? Has he laid out his prophetic call? Is his track-record that of a true prophet (no errors allowed)? Let us suppose that having done all this, the prophesy rings true. How, then, shall we respond? I would suggest we could hardly hope to do better than heeding the words of the Prophet Himself. “Be ever alert, praying that you shall have the strength to escape all that is about to take place and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk 21:36). And notice what preceded that. “That day will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth” (Lk 21:35). No amount of stockpiling is going to suffice for that day, nor will it be necessary for the elect. For, He has prepared a table.
In short, death may come. Those who point out that the elect are swept up together with the reprobate in these times of judgment are not incorrect in saying so. But, what of it? Though we die, yet we shall live forever. Death may come, and indeed it will come. That brings us back around to Peter’s point. The question isn’t whether you will live or die in this life. The question is: What then? The great hope, the only hope, is that you may live in the spirit according to the will of God (verse 6). Let us take it a step further. If you shall live according to His will then, let us live in the spirit and according to His will now. If He reigns forever, then surely He reigns now. Far better, that being the case, that we who call ourselves His servants live like our King is here. Therein lies our answer with or without prophecy. Our King is here. He has instructed us. What are the instructions? Pray and love.
[04/06/14] Before I move on, I do want to look more closely at the latter clause of verse 8. “Love covers a multitude of sins.” This is given as a reason for remaining fervent in our love for one another. But, what exactly is Peter getting at? Whose sins are thus covered? Are we to understand this as covering the sins of the one who loves, or the one who is loved? Perhaps both? The saying is taken from Proverbs 10:12, where we have this couplet. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.” This would seem to indicate the outward effect is in view. Hatred, one might suggest, flows from an inward strife and expresses it outwardly. The end result is that hatred acts rather like leaven, spreading its corrupting influence. Love, on the other hand, covers the transgression that could have caused hatred.
James appears to take up this meaning when he also puts that proverb to use. “Know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas 5:20). We can also see some parallel to this idea when Paul writes that love, ‘does not take into account a wrong suffered’ (1Co 13:5). It bears and endures (1Co 13:7). Take it a step further, and tie into the point he makes to the church in Rome. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Ro 12:18). See, if hatred stirs up strife, love stirs up peace. That would complete the parallelism implied in our original couplet. That covering over of sins is akin to refusing to take offense, which is the implication of love not taking wrongs into account. This would appear to provide a reasonable understanding of Scripture’s commentary on the matter.
Curiously, the Living Bible appears to go the other way. “Love makes up for many of your faults.” Really? That would seem to promote a horrible motivation for action. It’s an attempt to work off our own penalty, to expiate our own guilt, the which we can never do. Nor is there cause for it, given that our Savior has already paid our penalty in full. To serve to promote the shalom of God, though: That is a work worthy of the servant. It is an expression of His love and therefore a most fitting activity for His representative.
Now, the term we have translated as covers can be taken as ‘to hide’. Wuest chooses that meaning in his translation. Love hides sins. From whom does it hide them? It certainly does not hide them from God, for there is no hiding from Him. Does it hide them from the congregation, then? Perhaps. If, as James says, you have turned that one from his sins then there is no cause to make those sins more public than they already are. That is in keeping with the instruction we have for church discipline. First go in private. If that resolves the matter, you’re done. If not, then bring in an elder or two, and only if the sinner is particularly obstinate in his course do you bring it before the church. Even then, we must note, it is done in hope of restoration, not in vengeance. So, then, to hide the past sins of one who has truly repented is a good and proper thing. To set a veil around the past that the future may proceed in righteousness and peace is a saintly work.
One might also accept that this hiding or covering aspect of love applies to the one who loves. If we are busy loving the one who has wronged us, there can be no root of hatred can there? Is it even possible to hate the one you love? Oh, you can get frustrated with them certainly. You may even get downright angry with them and have loud fellowship with them, as my old pastor was wont to say. But, as Paul writes, love never fails. It will prevail over hatred whenever the two are in conflict. That is not to say that our efforts in loving the one who has wronged us are guaranteed to overpower any hatred he might have towards us. It may. It may not. That is neither the point nor the purpose, and the response ought have no impact on our pursuit of the right course.
This brings us right back around to Peter’s general argument. Whatever is coming against you, continue in doing what is right. If they malign you for your actions, don’t let this dissuade you. If they make fun of you, libel you, chase you out of polite society or even drag you before the magistrate with all manner of false accusations; let none of this alter your good behavior. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Ro 12:21). That overcoming may not come in the now. But that is no cause to give up and give in. Persevere! Pray and love. Perhaps your persistence will be just the thing that opens their ears to the Gospel.
This seems particularly apropos for the news this week that the CEO of Mozilla was harried out of office for maintaining his right to believe in the Scriptural definition of marriage. It is apropos as we see the owners of Hobby Lobby bringing their case before the Supreme Court, and some of those justices apparently belittling their religious stance as somehow inconsistent because there are other matters of insurance they have not rejected. If I recall correctly, the comparison was between female contraception and Viagra for males. Let’s see. One terminates life. The other is equivalent how? Does it even promote what is necessarily sin? If husband makes use of it with wife, this is evil how exactly? But, my point is more to say that here is exactly the same sort of pressures being applied today in America as were being applied in Asia Minor as Peter wrote, and for much the same reason. Your insistence on right living has exposed our insistence on sinning. It has pierced through the veil we have drawn over our own sins, lest we acknowledge our guilt before God. We don’t like that. Therefore we don’t like you, and we shall make you pay for your effrontery.
This is the world’s consistent judgment: Better you should die for your righteousness than that I should have to think upon the eternal cost of my sin. Better to spend this life blind and stupid, ignoring the eternity that lies ahead than to see eternity looming and be required by that sight to change. You must be shut up lest I be inconvenienced. And yet, it is for precisely this purpose that our Lord has left us here in the world. We need not be rude and offensive in presenting the Gospel. Indeed, we must not be that way. Yet, we will offend. The Gospel is ever an offense to those who wish to continue denying God, because God is to them an offense. I dare say that the feeling is entirely mutual, and that is no good news at all.
OK. I think I can move along now. What does this love look like, Peter? Glad you asked! Let me tell you. Love expresses thus: Be hospitable without complaint (verse 9). Now, doesn’t that seem an odd thing to say? We think about hospitality, and we move naturally to the thought of inviting this person or that over for a meal and conversation. On what basis would we then complain? After all, we are inviting. It can hardly upset us if the invitation is accepted, nor is it any particular hardship if the invitation is not accepted. I think, therefore, that Peter must be thinking about something different than our simple and convenient concept of hospitality.
Consider the hardships that lie behind this letter. Believers are being ostracized. Let me go back to our friend from Mozilla. He is now out of a job because of belief, quite probably because of faith. Given the publicity that has abounded on this matter, he is quite likely unemployable at the levels his skill and experience ought to qualify him to be working. If he was deemed CEO material by the board, one presumes there was a solid basis for that. His technical skills are certainly beyond doubt. But, what becomes of him now? It seems pretty unlikely that he is going to be so impacted by this that he can no longer provide for his family, put food on the table, etc. But, what if it were indeed so? What if the owners of Hobby Lobby lose their case, and must pay the accumulated fines our government has levied upon them? That seems far more likely to deprive of livelihood completely.
Well, in a case like that, what does hospitality look like? If our fellow believer is no longer allowed to earn a living because of his faith, hospitality and the love it represents begin to make demands on us. It befits us to take them in, to see to their provision as our brothers and sisters. That may put a bit of a crimp on our own budget. So be it. Surely there are things we can do without in favor of providing for one who is being persecuted for our mutual faith. This, I think, has more to do with what Peter is addressing. If faith has put a brother in need because society is so dead set against Christianity, you see to his need. And don’t complain. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Who knows but what your time may come, and then what would you have the church do? Go thou and do likewise.
What he has applied to material need, Peter now applies to spiritual. If God’s love in us expresses in hospitality as concerns life in general, it also expresses in how we employ those gifts God has given us for spiritual service. This is a theme we find repeatedly in the epistles. To have the gifts is not the point. We could go back to the book of Acts, and the case of Simon the magician. He sought the gifts of the Spirit, but not for the purpose of the Spirit. He still had that showman’s eye, and sought primarily another means to impress the crowds. Peter corrected him on that occasion. Paul, in his extensive instruction to the Corinthians, makes it exceedingly clear that the gifts in themselves are not the point, but rather the way they are used to reflect the fruits of the Spirit. If love is not involved, he says, the most powerful of prophets is just making noise, and speaking in tongues is no more than babbling incoherently.
The same applies with these less spectacular gifts that Peter addresses. The gifts are not given to show everybody how far you’ve advanced in holiness. They are not given as merit badges. They are given to be put to use ‘in serving one another’. This is the lifeblood of the church, if I may say so. We are called to be a people who value others above ourselves. We are called to serve one another. Whatever it may be that God has given us to do, it is to be done with that outward directed perspective. This is what it means to be good stewards of His grace.
Let’s stop on that word stewards for a moment. It is an interesting term both for what it says in the context of Peter’s letter and for how it is applied in modern language. The term before us is oikonomoi. If one speaks it aloud, one hears the English term that derives from it: economy. Where is the connection? Well, the original term speaks of the house manager. It is a composite word, combining oikos, indicating a family dwelling, and nemo, a verb for parceling out. The oikonomoi, then, was the one who distributed the household’s goods, who managed its affairs. In that culture, he was likely a slave, but a particularly trusted slave. This slave would be treasurer to the household. He would be entrusted with the purchases and sales of the household. If the cook needed to purchase ingredients, the steward provided the coin, and also confirmed that the ingredients purchased were of quality and quantity suited to the price paid. He would ensure that the household stayed on budget. He would see to it that other slaves in the household were pulling their weight, and also that they were being cared for. Think of Jesus’ parable. “Who is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is he whom his master finds so doing when he comes. He will be put in charge of all his master’s possessions” (Mt 24:45-47).
There is the steward. He has proven so trustworthy in his management of the master’s affairs that with the master out of town he is left in charge. This was not some unique arrangement Jesus was using to illustrate His point. It was a very common situation. A businessman needed to travel. A military man might be gone on campaign for years at a time. Somebody had to maintain the house in his absence. Somebody had to keep farmlands producing, see to the selling of the produce, and the procurement of other needs. Somebody had to keep the rest of the staff in line and cared for. Thus the oikonomoi. Whether the master was home or abroad, this one would be running the day to day affairs.
Now, in theological discussions, you will come across the concept of God’s economy. This is something distinct from economics as we generally think about that subject. We are not to suppose that God has some theory of supply and demand, that he either advocates or disputes concepts of deficit spending or trickle-down theory. What is being discussed when we speak of God’s economy is His day to day running of affairs. That is to say that God’s economy describes His general approach to things. It is, for example, God’s economy that faith is primarily spread by the preaching of the Gospel. It is God’s economy that has set in place other common means of grace. This does not preclude Him from undertaking other means, even extraordinary or supernatural means, to achieve the salvation of certain of His elect. He is God. He shall do as He pleases in pursuit of His good and perfect will, and who shall gainsay Him? But, His economy is set forth to help us guide our own course. As we seek to be servants of His kingdom, His economy serves as an instruction manual, a job description if you will.
In God’s economy, He has given some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11). Why? “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (v12). To the Corinthians, he wrote that these were ‘appointed in the church’ (1Co 12:28), and other gifts as well: miracles, healings, helps, administrations, and even tongues. The key point here is that these things were appointed. One could not simply proclaim himself a prophet or an apostle and it was so. Neither did Paul, or one of the others come through and assign the roles. It is God’s economy, not the pastor’s, not even the apostle’s. Do you see again why the apostles so frequently remind their readers that they are but bondservants of God themselves? Don’t go putting us up on some pedestal. Don’t make us idols. We are but servants just as you are. We are here to serve not to lord.
So, Peter lays it out: Whoever speaks, let him speak as one giving forth the utterances of God. I like that Peter expands the scope so widely on this. This is not just instruction for the pastor, teacher or evangelist. This is general instruction. Whoever is speaking, let his speech be thus guided. Indeed, I think we could take this out beyond the immediate confines of church life, although I would say it is primarily church life that Peter is addressing. But, let us keep it in the house for the moment. You are part of the household of God, and more particularly of a specific local congregation. You have not been set there willy-nilly. God doesn’t do willy-nilly. You were put within this particular congregation at this particular time for a particular purpose. What is it? Have you even asked? Did you think it coincidence? There is no such thing. It is Providence, and make no mistake about it. You have something to give. You have a contribution to make. What is it? I’ll tell you what it is not. It is not a cause for pride and boasting. No. It is an opportunity to serve. It is an opportunity to demonstrate – to God, not to man – that you are indeed a trustworthy steward of that which He has entrusted to you.
Here is the parable of the talents being explained in practical terms. God has given you some gift or gifts. Is it preaching or teaching? Then be certain that you exercise that gift with full awareness of the God for whom you speak. Make sure you are accurate in what you present. While I could hardly advocate prefacing your message with the prophetic, “Thus sayeth the Lord”, you ought to teach in such fashion that those words could accurately be there. But, the same applies to admonishments, to encouragements, and even to casual remarks we may make to one another. God tells us that we will give an accounting for every idle word (Mt 12:36).
What about other functions in the Church? Peter continues. If you serve, do so from that strength God supplies. Trust me, if you’re trying to do it in your own strength no good can come of it. First, you will thoroughly botch the effort. Second, you will rapidly burn yourself out, because apart from God in Christ you can do nothing (Jn 15:5). This is how we arrive at all these futile projects and programs that plague the church. We have a program, but it is ours not His. We have arrived at it by our understanding not His. We endeavor as best we may to implement this magnificent program by which we’re really going to help God get things done finally. And what is the result? We’re tired. We’re likely burned out and downright disgruntled. We’re that much less willing to do the work of the kingdom because we remember how this round went. But, the truth is we weren’t doing the work of the kingdom in the first place. We were doing what seemed good in our own eyes. We may have had the best of intentions, but we were doing things our own way. “Whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies.”
This is the guiding principle that Peter lays down: “So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.” That’s more than just a conceptual target. It is our bedrock. If it is done for God’s glory, it is not simply because we say so. It’s not because we are so careful to say, “Praise God”. If it is done for God’s glory it is necessarily because it is done God’s way and at His command. The servant who does his own thing is no servant.
Here, I am taken by Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians – or is it more a statement as to how he hopes to be seen himself? “Let men see us as servants of Christ, stewards of God’s mysteries. Furthermore, it is required of stewards that they be trustworthy” (1Co 4:1-2). At minimum, this must be the goal of any officer of the Church. As such, being an elder, it is a matter I must needs take to heart. How am I discharging my duties and on what basis? It would be exceedingly easy to serve from a place of pride, a sense of having arrived. In fairness, the demands of eldership are swift to remove such conceits. I dare say that any who serve as elder without feeling just how utterly unworthy they are of the office haven’t noticed what the office entails. But, in teaching the Pauline instruction is more stringent still (and every elder ought be not only prepared to teach but availing themselves of opportunities to do so). The teacher must be a trustworthy steward of God’s mysteries.
Go back to what the steward’s role was. He saw to it that the entire household was provided with what was needed. How would that inform our teaching? Well, it precludes us from selecting our subject or our text based on what happens to intrigue us. We are not granted to teach only that with which we are comfortable or particularly interested. We must teach to the needs. This is something I see our pastor modeling, as he assesses the overall state of the congregation and shapes his sermon series to address that state and bring it higher. But, we who teach in other settings need to have that same awareness. If I teach with terms too complex for those in the class (a tendency I must watch for in myself), what use am I to the students? If they cannot grasp what I am presenting, then what is served other than my pride of language?
The steward was also effectively the chief investor for the household. He saw to sales as well as purchases. He made sure of the accounts and that there would be sufficient in those accounts to not only meet the needs of the household but also to provide against future contingencies. Here we might find a call to mentoring, to preparing the next generation. Our investment is not in the financial health of the church. Although we must have an eye to that matter, it is not our purpose to increase our coffers. No, our investment is in people, in those who will follow after.
From another angle, we might note that we are not in the business of poaching either. We are not intended to grow our congregation by additions from other congregations. That does not require us to turn away those who may come, but if that is our sole means of growth we are not being good stewards of those gifts God gave us. We are turned inward.
Another key lesson from the steward is that we must prove trustworthy. That means, amongst other things, that we must be careful of what we buy into. The steward would certainly be aware of every purchase made, and would be responsible for the quality of what was procured. How does that translate to God’s house? First, in matters of doctrine and theology it requires us to examine carefully what is allowed in. It is not enough to say we have corrected every error post facto, although we would certainly not wish to leave the error unmolested. But, the proper exercise of stewardship would see to it that this error never came in to begin with.
What does that look like in action? Well, I think back to our previous church. We would have all manner of guest preachers and quite often would find them making rather sketchy pronouncements. Yes, our pastor would speak to the problems come the next Sunday. But, the fact of the matter is that these guests should never have been granted the podium. It’s all well and good to sift the messages one hears, and very necessary; particularly in this day and age when everybody with a desire can promulgate their message to the masses. (I am, I suppose, a case in point given that all these studies go up on the web.) But we who are called to act as stewards must vet those we would allow to preach. We cannot be sure of catching every errant belief, but we can be sure that without such proper vetting errant beliefs will be introduced with abandon. It is so very much easier to prevent false doctrines from being pronounced at all than to undo the incorrect beliefs once they have been planted.
There is assuredly a great deal more we could say of this task of stewardship in the leaders of the Church. I would note, though, that Peter is not addressing leaders only, but is writing to all. All of us who belong to Christ are called to this. I rather liked the rendition given by the God’s Word translation. “Each of you as a good manager must use the gift that God has given you to serve others.” Every last one of us has something God has given us for the service of His people. There is none so poor in the kingdom as has nothing to offer. The newest of believers may well have a word of wisdom to impart that we older, wiser believers have need of hearing. The most unschooled of believers may very well be able to speak insights and sense that we have managed to occlude with our educations. This is not to belittle greater wisdom or education in any way. It is merely a caution against pride of achievement. The building up of faith is ever a two-way street, and we must be reminded of that from time to time.
As I dwell on this matter of stewardship, and particularly its application to the role of elder, I am pleased to have found so much in Paul’s letters that inform me as to how an elder ought pray for those in his charge. This has been perhaps the most daunting aspect of the office for me, trying to be purposeful in praying for those to whom I have promised prayer. For the majority, I have no particular knowledge of their particular needs. This is doubtless to my shame, but then, neither have they availed themselves of the opportunity to inform me. So be it. That does not prevent prayer, certainly. It just requires a more general prayer.
It is in that light that I am finding Paul’s letters so beneficial. I had already come to see 1Th 1:2-4 in this light. “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.” Now, in offering up that prayer, there is great demand I would place on myself that what is said may be true of me. But, as to the content? Yes!
In preparing this study several other such prayers and admonitions have caught my eye. In particular, the prayer of Ephesians 1:18-19 captures me. “I pray your hearts be enlightened so as to know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. All of these accord with the working of the strength of His might.” There is the prayer of a steward in God’s house! And as to admonitions fitting for the children of the Most High? One could do far worse than these: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph 6:10). “Whatever you do, even in what you eat and drink, do it to the glory of God” (1Co 10:31).
All of this is clearly echoed in what Peter is saying here, which ought not surprise us. Even if we did not know him to be writing to churches Paul had helped establish; even if we did not suspect that one or more of Paul’s companions was advising Peter on this letter’s content; it ought to strike us as a thing to be expected that he and Paul would share the same shepherd’s heart and the same sense of God’s purpose and will. I’ve commented on it often enough that it is no doubt something of a soapbox of mine, but the idea of distinct Pauline, Petrine and Johannine doctrines ought to offend us. It is Apostolic doctrine. It is doctrine which is God-breathed. How, then, can we suppose three or more separate threads potentially at odds with one another? One may well find each of the apostles having his own particular points for emphasis, his own soapbox. But, to propose they held separate and unique doctrines? No. To say such a thing would be to set Paul under John’s admonition to his charges to not so much as welcome such a one. It would place Peter amongst those Paul declares accursed for bringing a different gospel. But, this is not the case. The Scriptures are One as the God of the Scriptures is One.
Now then: To close out this study, let’s turn to the closing of Peter’s words here. “So that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen!” The phrase ‘forever and ever’ is interesting, isn’t it? The logician in me looks at this and says, if you’ve already covered forever – the infinite span of time – what ‘ever’ is there that could be added to it? In fairness, the Greek does not add so much as repeat. Tous aioonas toon aioonoon. It’s the same two words repeated: The ages. What changes is the case. The first is accusative, focusing “the verbal action’s goal” according to Wheeler’s. The second is genitive, describing the relationship between nouns. A more literal rendering would give us something like, the ages of the ages. You might hear that as saying, ‘for an eternity of eternities’: A double infinity!
And that really starts to get us nearer the purpose of the phrase. The repetition seeks to strengthen the sense. Eternity is enough in itself. By very definition it never ends. But, lest that is not sufficient certainty for you, we’re talking an eternity of eternities! It’s kind of like what Hebrews says of God swearing by Himself so that by two unchangeable things you could have your hope made certain (Heb 6:13-19). Same story here. You have two eternities determining the duration of His reign and His glory. They’re not going anywhere. He’s not going anywhere. Therefore, beloved, whatever may be happening in this life, you’re not going anywhere. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer 31:3).
Oh, beloved! The day comes when all of creation will join in the chorus of praises to our God and King, the Lamb of God! The mountains and the hills will break forth in shouts of joy. The trees of the field will clap their hands (Isa 55:12). Creation groans as it awaits the day when it will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Ro 8:21-20). To what end? To sing the praises of our God. It may seem overly sentimental of me, but when I watch the birds at our feeders, I am struck with the thought that I should be greatly disappointed to find heaven devoid of chickadees. I’m perfectly fine with glorified chickadees, or chickadees relieved of the corruption of this age. But, lo! If they are there, they are there glorifying our God and King. If they are not, then whatever my thoughts in this age, I shall not in fact be disappointed whatsoever, for I, too, shall be wholly preoccupied with praising my God and King.
But, here’s what we might consider the most marvelous gift of all: Brothers and sisters, we have been granted the immeasurable privilege of starting the chorus early! We need not wait until that great and glorious day to proclaim the marvelous goodness of the Lord. We don’t even need to wait for next Sunday. Every day, every moment of the day, we are granted to sing of His majesty. Every moment, we are already citizens of His perpetual realm. Surely, the words of David must echo in our thoughts whenever we are inclined towards sorrow. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? Why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God ! For I shall yet praise Him for the help of His presence. I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance: My God” (Ps 42:5, 11).
Downcast? Oh, we get there often enough, but why? Put your hope in God! Your hope is in God. He has put it there. He has established that hope as a rock-solid certainty. I was reading last night of John Knox asking to hear his ‘first anchor’ read as he lay dying. This was taken by his wife to indicate John 17, our Lord’s High Priestly prayer. For my part, thoughts of my anchor in heaven always draw me back to that aforementioned passage from Hebrew 6:13-19. Having established us on the two-pronged promise of God, our author writes, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil.” That, my friends, is an anchor indeed! One thinks of the tales of how the high priest, on that one day of the year when he could enter the Holy of holies, would go in with a rope tied to his ankle so that his compatriots could pull him out should things go awry. But, our rope is to the exact opposite purpose! Our rope anchors us within the Holy of holies, assuring us that if things go awry, He will reel us in. There is hope made certain. There is rest for my soul, hope for my downcast heart, and confidence sufficient to every trial of life. Sing? How could I not!
