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May God bless you as you study His Word.
Here, we continue our study in Genesis.
12:10Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12When the Egyptians see you, they will say, `This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."14When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.
17But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say, `She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" 20Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.
Here, Abram stumbled. He suffered from a lack of faith, which lead to deceit, which lead to putting his wife's safety in jeopardy. Our faith in the promises of God is an important foundation that can keep us from falling in many ways. But when our faith falters, the trap door is open for further sin.
It often happens, nearly always, that after great acts of obedience, after great displays of faith, after great spiritual victories, comes testing. We see many examples of this in the Bible: after Joseph resisted great temptation, he was thrown in jail (see Gen. 39); after David slew Goliath, he was pursued in jealousy by Saul (I Sam. 17ff); after Hezekiah restored the temple, he was attacked by Assyria (II Chron. 31:20-32:1); Christ Himself, after He was baptised in the Jordan, was led into the wilderness to be tempted (Matt. 3:13-4:11). So also, in these verses, after Abram finally in obedience arrived in Canaan, "there was a famine in the land." Abram's testing was particularly difficult because the famine occurred in the (so-called) promised land.
At times, it is as difficult to stay in the promised land, as it is to enter it. We expect, since we are in obedience to God, that life will go smoothly. But God allows the testings of affliction and the temptings of the evil one so that we may be strengthened in our character, and so that we may not grow too fond of this fallen world. He desires that we look to Him for our peace, not to the world. We, in our weakness, do not understand this. "[W]henever our expectation is frustrated, and things do not succeed according to our wishes, our flesh soon harps on this string, `God has deceived me.'"[Footnote #1] During these times, when we ought to turn to the Lord for guidance, we turn to the world and our own wisdom and strength. We are fickle: we trust in God for our eternal well-being, but, when things get a little tough, we do not trust in Him to provide our immediate needs.
So, Abram, that builder of altars, did not turn to God for guidance and providence through the famine, but looked to verdant and fertile Egypt. Abram, at this point, lacked the faith to believe that, despite external circumstances, he really was where God wanted him. Being from Ur, an extremely fertile area itself, Abram was not used to famine; being from Ur, an idol worshiping land, Abram was not used to a life of faith. We all must often choose between the flourishing life in the world and the rough life of faith. Abram stumbled in his faith because he pursued relief from trials the way the world would, depending on other men to deliver him.
"What?!" (you might say), "Abram, this great man of faith, stumbles in faith?" Yes, Abram is well known as a great man of faith, but he is a great man of faith because (by the Spirit of God) he overcame his weaknesses to become a great man of faith. Abram was a man, made of flesh and blood, with flaws and failings, called by God, trying to obey and be true to this calling. However, sometimes in his weakness, he went astray. The Bible is honest about its heroes. The true Word of God relates their failings as well as their triumphs. This is for our benefit. If Abram can overcome his weaknesses, so can we; if God can work in his life, so He can in ours; if Abram can stumble in his faith, and yet become known as a great man of faith, so can we. There is hope even for us.
Abram chose to go to "down to Egypt." This is the first mention of Egypt in the Bible. Egypt, of course, was very prominent in the history of the Jews. Egypt, here and throughout the Bible, symbolizes the threat of the world to the people of God, and the destruction that occurs when the people of God trust in the world. As God warned through Isaiah: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD" (Isaiah 31:1).
Abram's lack of faith in God's providence during the famine led to further sin. Abram feared that, because of his wife's beauty, the Egyptians may kill him to get her. So, he planned to deceive them and pretend that Sarai was his sister. Abram compounded his sin by enjoining Sarai in it. Moreover, Abram's motive for lying was not only to save himself, but also that he would be "treated well for her sake" (v. 13). This statement possibly suggests that Abram planned on getting some sort of dowry for Sarai. In any case, his lie demonstrated, as all lies, selfishness and a lack of trust in God.
"The Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman." Many have problems with this statement, Sarai being so old at the time (she was older than seventy). However, her beauty in the eyes of the Egyptians can be attributed to the following facts: she was fair-skinned; lives were longer at that time; and, having had no children, she maintained her youthful vigor. These things, combined with the fact that God had apparently blessed her with great natural beauty, made her "beautiful" in the sight of the Egyptians.
Her beauty was described to Pharoah, and Pharoah, believing that she was not married, took her into his harem, paying Abram a large dowry of "sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels." Despite this, Abram continued in his deceit and further compounded his sin by accepting the dowry. Material rewards are not necessarily indicative of God's approval. "Lest riches should be accounted evil in themselves, God sometimes gives them to the righteous; and lest they should be considered as the chief good, he frequently bestows them on the wicked."[Footnote #2]
All this deceit put in severe jeopardy the promise of God to Abram. How could Abram become the "father of many nations" when his wife was in Pharoah's harem? So, the Lord intervened and "inflicted serious diseases on Pharoah and his household." In this, God proved that He was in control of the situation all the time. God brought a plague upon the household of one of the mightiest men in the world to spare a member of his concubine. Therefore, from the beginning, Abram had no reason to fear the Egyptians (or the famine, for that matter). If God miraculously intervened to save Sarai from a perilous situation in Abram's sin, how much more would He have provided for Abram if he had just stayed in the promised land and weathered the famine there? In this passage, God demonstrated His faithfulness, honoring His promises by miraculously intervening on the behalf of someone who had gone astray.
Ironically, the only one who was listening to God in this episode was Pharoah. Pharoah somehow realized that the plague was sent on Sarai's behalf by the true and living God, and so, he did not touch Sarai. What followed was one of the most shameful things that can happen to a child of God: being justly rebuked by the ungodly. What a terrible feeling! We are supposed to be light to the world, but so often we give the world just cause to rebuke us.
13:1So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.3From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.
When the people of God stumble, the Lord so often leads them back to where they first met Him. He does this as if to say, "I give you a fresh start." Our God is the God of grace, mercy, and fresh starts. He is ever-forgiving toward the repentant, ever-welcoming to the returning prodigal, ever-forgetting of the sins we leave behind.
Abram returned from Egypt a rich man. From a worldly point of view, Abram's journey was a complete success: "Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold." But I am certain that Abram did not consider his journey a success. We have all felt the dejected feeling of failing our God. I believe Abram's mood is reflected by the fact that he "went from place to place", wandering around in his dejection, "until he came to Bethel...where his tent had been earlier and where he had first built an altar." When Abram reached Bethel, when he reached "the house of God" (which is what Bethel means), he must have sat down and remembered his first meeting with God in the promised land, desiring to have the same feeling of excitement and fire that he had then. And so, "there Abram called on the name of the Lord."
The journey to Egypt was just so much lost time for Abram, lost time in the service of God. There was no altar, no worship in Egypt. But in Bethel, in "the house of God", Abram was restored and revived. His subsequent actions were the fruit that proved his refound faith.
5Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7And quarrelling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.8So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarrelling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. 9Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, towards Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out towards the east. The two men parted company: 12Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.
Both Abram and Lot returned to Canaan wealthy. Wealth, contrary to many people's belief, does not solve all of one's problems, and quite often brings more grief than joy. The burden of wealth often brings strife between men, as it did here. It often turns friend against friend, brother against brother, husband against wife. Worse yet, the weight of wealth makes it hard to raise one's head and hands toward God.
Now, wealth, in itself, is not evil or dangerous, but it is "the love of money" that is "a root of all kinds of evil" (I Tim. 6:10). Abram and Lot display respectively the correct and incorrect attitudes toward wealth, and the consequences that follow these attitudes. Abram proves that one can be rich and be godly, be rich and have faith, be rich and serve the Lord, be rich and still live as a pilgrim on this earth. On the other hand, Lot's end (later, in Gen. 18) is an example of the misery that the love of money can cause.
As a result of the wealth of Abram and Lot, "quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot." This certainly was not a very good testimony to the heathen "Canaanites and Perizzites", who (apparently) themselves were able to live at peace in the land. We must be careful of the impression we make before the ungodly. Do not allow the love of the things of the world embroil you in strife and ruin your witness before those who do not know God.
To his credit, Abram did not allow the quarreling to go on. He most likely foresaw the possibility of the herdsmen's quarrels leading to strife between Lot and himself. Through his foresight, his desire to end the strife, and his unselfishness, Abram was able to bring about peace. Abram's behavior here is a lesson for all of us on being a peacemaker. He shows great wisdom in saying: "Is not the land before you? Let's part company." He avoids conflict by making the difficult decision of parting ways with his nephew and long-time companion.
Moreover, Abram let Lot choose first, even though Abram had every right to choose first. After all, Abram was the older man and he had the promise of God. Despite this, Abram went out of his way to keep the peace and allowed Lot to choose first. In this, Abram trusted in God to direct him to the land in which He wanted him to live. So we see, since Abram's rededication to God (see 13:4), he had regained his faith in the promise of God. Given the great promise of God to him, Abram could afford to be unselfish and to be a peacemaker, because he was "fully persuaded that God had power to do what He promised" (Rom. 4:21). In the same way, we also, who have the great promises of God, can afford to be unselfish and to be at peace with men. Given our inheritance in heaven, we have no reason to contend with men over the things of this dying world.
Lot took full advantage of his choice. He "looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, towards Zoar" (13:10). Lot, unlike Abram, made his choice by sight (as he "looked up and saw") rather than by faith. Our fallen eyes cannot be trusted. Lot, enamored with the things of the world, chose to dwell in a place "like the land of Egypt." Abram's sojourn to Egypt had its effect on Lot: Lot's heart was still in Egypt and he desired to live in a place just like it. Lot did not foresee, however, what effect the wickedness of the inhabitants of Zoar would have on his life. Lot should have considered that "the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD" (13:13). As we will see later, Lot's choice brought him a life of misery and, in fact, nearly killed him.
13:14The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring for ever. 16I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."18So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.
God responded to Abram's act of faith and unselfishness by reiterating His promise. It is significant that the Lord appeared to Abram "after Lot had parted from him." God had originally told Abram: "Leave your country, your people and your father's household..." (Gen. 12:1). As we have seen, Abram went to edge of his country and settled in Haran until the death of his father, instead of going immediately to Canaan. Then, he took Lot with him to Canaan. So, Abram tarried in leaving his country and his father's household and, by bringing Lot to Canaan with him, did not leave his people. Finally, after all this time, Abram in these verses is in full obedience to the command of God. This is why the Lord appeared to him at this time.
God was wise in telling Abram to leave his people. Abram would have been spared much trouble if he had not brought Lot. We have just seen the quarrels between Abram's and Lot's herdsmen. In the next chapter, Lot will get kidnapped by marauding kings; and later, Lot will get involved in Sodom. These troubles were due to Lot's love of the world and his choice to live among the evil. God wanted Abram to leave his people so as to be separated from their worldly lifestyle.
Significantly, God tells Abram: "Lift up your eyes..." This is reminiscent of when "Lot looked up" and chose his land (v. 10). Whereas, Lot looked up and found his land by sight, Abram looks up by faith under the direction of God. The land that Abram looked at was not as lush and fertile as the land Lot saw, but Abram's land was given by God. It is much better to live by the will of God in the desert, than to live in the lushest riches away from the Lord.
All the land that Abram set his eyes on "north and south, east and west" was given by God to him and his offspring "for ever". The land of Israel belongs to the Jews: it was given to them by God. In this century, we have seen a confirmation of this fact, for the Jews have returned to their land. The return of the nation of Israel to their land in this century is the greatest fulfillment of Biblical prophecy since the time of Christ.
Abram was also told by God that his offspring would be as numerous as the "dust of the earth." To believe this took great faith on Abram's part. At the time, Abram was past seventy-five, had a barren wife, and could count the members of his family on one hand and still have plenty of fingers left over. But, as we know, this prophecy was fulfilled. The fulfillment of this prophecy could only be attributed to the work of God. True faith demands belief in what is unseen, for "faith is being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1).
Abram was told to "walk through the length and breadth of the land" that God was giving him. This foreshadows the time when Joshua entered the promised land and God told him: "I will give you every place where you set your foot" (Josh. 1:3). This is symbolic of the fact that we must ourselves appropriate the gifts of God. The most important example of this is that God through His Son has given us eternal life; yet, we, through faith in His Son, must appropriate for ourselves this gift of God.
The chapter ends with Abram moving to Hebron and, again, building "an altar to the LORD." Abram responds visibly to the promises of God with worship.
So, Lord, help us by Your Spirit to respond to Your promises with worship. Bring them to mind, cause us to meditate upon them, guide us to appropriate them. Help us to follow Abram's example and be peacemakers, living (as it were) in tents as pilgrims on this earth, not clinging to the things of the world. Finally, keep us strong in faith so that we would stay within Your will, trusting in Your providence (not looking to the world) in times of famine. In the name of Jesus, we pray these things, Amen.
This article continues an on-going, verse-by-verse series on the exhortations in Romans 12.
18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18).
Paul continues the thought that he began in the previous verse concerning living at peace in the midst of a fallen world. In the previous verse, he exhorted: "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody" (Rom. 12:17). Paul sums this idea up here, when he says: "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
Peace and Christianity go together. Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). When Christ was born, the angels said, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests"(Luke 2:14). Christ came to earth to bring peace between God and man, so good Christians should strive to "live at peace with everyone."
Paul does acknowledge that this cannot always be done in this fallen world. He says: "If it is possible..." Paul is conceding that a failure at peace is not necessarily the fault of the Christian. There are times when it is not possible to keep peace because to do so would be inconsistent with following God's commands. For example, we should not, for the sake of peace, sacrifice purity. James tells us that "wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving" (James 3:17). So, if keeping peace requires that we explicitly approve of someone else's sin, we should choose purity over peace. We should keep the peace as long as it is consistent with God's higher laws, without compromising purity and truth.
There are times when peace is not kept because the other party is just not willing to live at peace. Sometimes, our service for God, in itself, can inadvertantly cause dispute and unrest. Witnessing for Christ can ruffle feathers. Living for Christ can cause resentment. Love for God can bring strife. At such times, peace may fail. When it does, though, let the failure be on the part of those, who for some reason, are offended by Christ.
These are the exceptions. In general, you and peace should be constant companions, as Paul says, "as far as it depends on you." You are to "seek peace and pursue it" (I Peter 3:11). This means going out of your way to keep the peace. It means swallowing your pride and letting someone else have the last word. It means conceding your rights, at times, as Abraham did in avoiding conflict with Lot (see Gen. 13:8-9). It means planning ahead in order to avoid contention. It means controlling your temper, putting off arguments, waiting until you cool off before dealing with controversy, and not dwelling upon wrongs done to you.
Unfortunately, many Christians are argumentative, disputing everything. Christians, for some reason, find cause to bicker over every aspect of Christian doctrine, heatedly stating their earthly opinions about heavenly things. It seems that they would rather argue the fine points of theology than to edify each other and bring each other into a deeper knowledge of God. Christians, as well, are notorious these days for arguing politics, forcefully declaring how they feel the nation should be run. Why do we (citizens of heaven, cf. Phil. 3:20) get so heated up about the affairs of men? Sadly, Christians at large are not at peace with others, largely by our own fault. And failure at peace will usually be to the detriment of the believer, because strife leads to persecution.
So, in the midst of our spiritual battle, we are to do our best to live at peace. We are to peacably wage our spiritual warfare. Indeed, it is largely through peace that we can win the spiritual war.
So, Father, give us by Your Spirit the strength and discipline to live at peace with everyone. We thank You for the peace that You have made with us through Your Son. May we go to the same lengths to seek peace and pursue it. May we be worthy representatives of the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray these things, Amen.
This is the first article in a series that will cover Paul's Epistle to the Philippians.
To many, Paul's Epistle to the Philippians is one of the most beloved books of the Bible. Certainly, it contains many words of encouragement for the believer and many verses that are valuable to commit to memory:
...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil. 1:6).
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil. 1:21).
I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:14).
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil. 3:20-21).
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil. 4:4).
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (Phil. 4:8).
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:13).
The main theme of this epistle is joy through suffering. Paul not only wrote on this theme, but demonstrated it. He wrote this letter, which is full of rejoicing, while in captivity under a Roman guard. Paul exhibited through his life that his joy was not dependent upon outward circumstances, but upon his relationship to Christ. Paul, in this epistle, is telling us that we too can have such an unshakable joy.
In addition to this main theme, there are other threads of thought that are present throughout the epistle. Paul speaks much on humility, unity with other believers, and salvation through faith alone (having no confidence in the flesh). Paul also refers implicitly and explicitly a number of times to the possibility of his own death. In addition, since this epistle is basically a thank-you note to the Philippians for their financial support, Paul alludes here and there to their generosity in sharing in his ministry.
May the Lord bless you as you study this letter and may this epistle be valuable as you apply what you learn to your own life.
1Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins the letter following the format of letters of that time. The letter is from "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus", and to "all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons."
Though the letter was undoubtedly written by Paul, he includes Timothy as co-sender of the letter. There are various reasons for this. First, Timothy was with Paul in Rome at the time, most likely attending to his needs. Also, the Philippians knew Timothy, for he visited them with Paul (see Acts 19:21,22; 20:3-6). Moreover, Paul planned to send Timothy to Philippi soon, presumably for the edification of the church there, and also so that Paul may receive news about how the church is doing (see Phil. 2:19,22).
Paul identifies himself and Timothy, not as apostles (as he does in other epistles, in which he emphasizes his authority to write to the recipients of his letters), but as "servants of Christ Jesus." Of the two titles--servant and apostle--servant is by far the more important one. Indeed, one cannot be an apostle of Christ without being a servant of Christ. The word translated "servant" here could also be translated "slave". This would be an appropriate translation, for (as Paul says elsewhere), we were "bought at a price", we are not our own (see I Cor. 6:19-20). We have all been purchased by Christ, we belong to a loving Master, whom we should gladly serve and be proud to be called His slave. To the world, servanthood is not an honorable thing. But here, Paul proudly takes the title of "servant of Christ Jesus." This is a noble title for the Christian, for our greatness comes in our service and our humility.
Paul is writing "to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi." The word "saint" denotes those who are set apart from this world for the service and worship of God. The Biblical usage of this word is different than the present common usage of it. Paul is not addressing his letter to all of the extraordinarily holy, canonized people in Philippi, but to all those who are committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul, by addressing them as "saints", is identifying a trait that we should all have. We should all view ourselves as being set apart from this world for the service and worship of God. We should consider ourselves pilgrims in this world, not tangled up in it, but living in it lightly. John tells us: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever" (1 John 2:15-17).
Paul is not speaking to just "saints", but to "saints in Christ Jesus." There are those who are set apart from this world, but not to Christ. In fact, the first person that Paul converted in Philippi, Lydia, was a "saint" (strictly speaking) before she met Paul, but she was not a saint "in Christ Jesus." When Paul met her, she was worshiping God by the river outside Philippi, so certainly, physically and spiritually, she was set apart from those of the world; however, she was not, at that time, "in Christ Jesus." The fact that this letter is written to "saints in Christ Jesus" is important contextual information, for only "saints in Christ Jesus" are able to experience the joy in the midst of suffering of which Paul speaks. By the way, a good test of whether you are "in Christ Jesus" is that when others look at you, they see Christ, because you are "in" Christ.
More specifically, this letter was addressed to the saints "at Philippi." Philippi at the time was a Roman colony in the province of Macedonia. The site of Philippi is modern day northeastern Greece (south of Bulgaria). Paul first visited there on his second missionary journey when, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from going to Bithynia (Acts 16:7), he saw in a vision a man from Macedonia "standing and begging him, `Come over to Macedonia and help us'" (Acts 16:9). Paul, "concluding that God had called [him] to preach the gospel" in Macedonia (Acts 16:10), immediately set out to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Upon arriving in Philippi, Paul and his companions sought a place to pray outside the city on the Gangites River (which empties into the Strymon River in modern day Greece). They found some women who worshiped God (Acts 16:14) and, from them, brought a business woman ("a dealer in purple cloth", Acts 16:14) named Lydia to a belief in Christ. After she was baptized, she welcomed the whole missionary team into her home. Later, a demon possessed fortune teller was hassling Paul. When Paul exorcised the spirit, the owner of the fortune teller (for she was a slave girl) brought Paul and Silas before the local magistrates for ruining their source of income. Paul and Silas were "severely flogged" (Acts 16:23) and thrown in prison. Rather than being dejected and wondering at the ways of God (who led them to Philippi), they sang praises through the night "and the other prisoners were listening to them" (Acts 16:25). Then, there was an earthquake that caused the prison doors to open and loosed the prisoner's chains. The jailer, upon finding the door open and assuming the prisoners had escaped, was about to commit suicide because he thought he would be held accountable for the escaping prisoners. The prisoners, however, did not escape. Paul stopped the jailer from committing suicide and brought him and his family to a belief in Christ. The next day, Paul and Silas were released from prison.
Paul, in his address that starts this epistle, includes a special mention of the "overseers and deacons" for the church at Philippi. They are probably mentioned specifically because of their role in leading the church in contributing to Paul's ministry. The immediate reason that Paul is writing to Philippi is to thank them for their gift that Epaphroditus (a Philippian) brought to him.
After addressing the letter, Paul blesses the Philippians by saying: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." In this blessing, Paul combines the traditional Greek ("grace") and Hebrew ("peace") greetings. By doing so, Paul unites west and east, Gentile and Jew under the blessing of "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." "Grace" is God's favor (undeserved by us) in our day to day lives; "peace" is the result of God's grace: a feeling of contentment, satisfaction and fulfillment in one's life as a consequence of being reconciled to the Lord of the universe.
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Paul pays quite a compliment to the Philippians with his kind words here about their support of his own ministry and their faithfulness to God. He first says, "I thank my God every time I remember you." Implicit in this statement is Paul's spirit of prayer. We can envision Paul here sending up a prayer of thanks under his breath "every time" the Holy Spirit brought the Philippians into his remembrance. We should have the same spirit of prayer at all times, "praying continually" (I Thess. 5:17), sending prayers of praise and petition as the Holy Spirit brings people and situations into our remembrance.
Specifically, Paul prays with "joy" for the Philippians because of their "partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." The Philippians supported Paul in his ministry literally from the "first day" of their knowing Christ. Lydia invited Paul's whole missionary team (probably including Timothy, Silas and Luke) into her home the first day she and her family were baptized (see Acts 16:15). The Philippians demonstrated the truth of their commitment to the Gospel of Christ by their efforts to support the work of the Gospel "from the first day."
Their support was seen as "partnership" in Paul's work. What a privilege! To be a partner in the great work of Paul! Not all of us can go out and be on the front lines (so to speak) in the spiritual battle, as Paul was. However, those of us behind the lines can join in the active work of the ministry by support in prayer and finances. Never think of your giving to the ministry of the Gospel as just a tax write-off. You are a partner, standing alongside the saint who is planting churches in Mexico, or bringing Bibles into Russia, or praying with a hardened criminal in prison.
Implicit in Paul's prayer is thanksgiving to God for the Philippians' perseverence, for they were partners "from the first day until now." It is a rare thing to be faithful from the beginning, and to persevere to the end. We are normally slow to begin, fickle in the middle, wavering and dying out at the end. Paul was well acquainted with those who did not persevere. In another "prison" epistle, he tells Timothy of "Demas" who "loved this world" and deserted him (II Tim. 4:10), and "everyone in the province of Asia" deserting him (II Tim. 1:15). We may go through spiritual highs and lows, but it is important that we not let our emotional feelings prevent us from persevering. When our will is flagging, it is time to get on our knees and ask the Lord, by His Spirit, to restore fervency to our hearts so that we, like the Philippians, may persevere.
Seeing the truth of their commitment and their perseverence, Paul is "confident...that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." At times, even those who persevere feel as if their work is going nowhere. We all at times hit physical roadblocks and spiritual walls. The enemy demoralizes us by telling us that our service is useless and fruitless and so we get discouraged. We think of quitting, but we must remember that, for those who are committed to the service of God and who persevere, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." We must remember that our service is God's work: He "began" it; He guides and directs it; He chooses the path that it takes; He is the one who "will carry it on to completion."
If we hit a road block, it is by God's will. God often uses such road blocks; He works through us even when we do not realize it. If anyone could be seen to have hit a road block, Paul had. He was in prison when he wrote these words. Paul did not view his imprisonment as the end of his service, but rather as God carrying on His work to completion. And why would God not carry His "good work" in us on to completion? Does God get tired and give up? Are there obstacles that are too great for God to overcome? Does He change His mind? Of course not.
A key point here is that it was God Himself who "began a good work" in us. Paul had first-hand experience of this, as did the Philippians. God, of course, "began a good work" in Paul's life. Paul was bent on destroying Christianity when God supernaturally intervened in his life and turned him into the greatest adherent of Christianity the world has ever known. God also "began a good work" in the lives of the Philippians. Paul was not even planning on going to Macedonia (the district that contains Philippi). He and his fellow missionaries tried to go to Bithynia, but, we are told, "the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them" (Acts 16:7). Then God sent Paul a vision "of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, `Come over to Macedonia and help us'" (Acts 16:9). We are told of the first convert in Philippi, Lydia, that "the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message" (Acts 16:14). We also see God beginning a good work in the conversion of the Philippian jailer. God sent an earthquake that opened the prison doors and shook loose the chains of the prisoners. Then God restrained the prisoners from fleeing. This intervention of God led the jailer to ask Paul and Silas: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30).
Also, think of your own conversion. Think of the preparation of your heart and mind for it. Think of the events that led to your giving your life to Christ. Was it not also the work of God? So, if He "began a good work in you", why would He not also "carry it on to completion"? We, as Paul, should be "confident of this." We must realize, as David: "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me" (Ps. 138:8). May this realization give you comfort as you serve Him, and cause you all the more to persevere.
And we are to persevere. Our work will not be done "until the day of Christ Jesus." There is no retirement on earth for us. Our work will not be completed until the day of Christ Jesus. And it is the "day of Christ Jesus" that we all look toward in our service. That is where our sights are, that is where our hearts are: His day, the day He will come to rule and reign.
Paul wanted the Philippians to know that his imprisonment was the work of God (indeed, it was "God's grace"!), and that his imprisonment was not a waste of the Philippian's gift. Paul tells the Philippians: "For whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me." Paul's circumstance did not lessen their gift or God's grace to them due to their giving.
Our circumstances do not imply the absence of God's grace. Paul was in prison, but he was able to tell the Philippians that they "share in God's grace" with him. Paul had a painful "thorn in [his] flesh" (II Cor. 12:7), but the Lord told him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12:9). No, troublesome circumstances do not imply the absence of God's grace; on the contrary, the depth of one's suffering is often an indicator that God will use the sufferer greatly, so that His power may be made perfect.
Indeed, the grace of God is demonstrated in a powerful way through those who suffer. The ability to be at peace (as Paul was), even in the direst circumstances, is a powerful testimony to the world of the grace of God. To be able to shout, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Phil. 4:4)--to be able to shout this while in chains--displays concretely the power and truth of the gospel. Rather than being weakened, the words of Paul are strengthened by his adverse circumstance. We should all strive to have such an attitude in our suffering. God can use powerfully those who suffer, more powerfully than He can use those who live in comfort. Was not Stephen used more powerfully than Joseph of Arimathea? Were not the martyrs used more powerfully than the secret Christians on the sidelines? Are not the hands of an invalid whose body has been ravaged by disease--are not his hands raised in praise to God a more powerful testimony than even the most fervent worship of the healthy man?
And make no mistake: you will suffer. We will all find ourselves, at some point, in a prison of some sort, our faith being tested. We will all have the opportunity to test these words of Paul and to rejoice in midst of suffering. May we all live up to the task.
Yes Lord, give us the ability and the grace to rejoice through our suffering. May we realize that our joy does not come from the comfort of our lives, but from the resting in Your salvation. By Your Spirit, give us Your peace that Paul so effectively displayed. We ask these things in the name of our Lord, who suffered more than all of us, Amen.
As we continue our topical study concerning man's knowledge of God, in this article we will discuss those who reject this knowledge.
"...[W]hat may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse" (Rom. 1:19-20)
"The fool says in his heart, `There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1)
Despite the overwhelming evidence for an intelligent Creator, some choose to claim that there is no God. Such people are commonly called atheists. The word atheist is derived from Greek roots: a, meaning "without"; theos, meaning God. Given this, I would expand the definition of atheist to include anyone who lives without a relationship with the True and Living God. Falling under this definition, there are four categories of atheists: (1) those who openly deny the fact that God exists (dogmatic atheists); (2) those who have an incorrect view of God (conceptual atheists); (3) those who maintain that we cannot know God, and so maintain ignorance concerning the knowledge of God (agnostics); (4) those who, though sometimes acknowleging the existence of God, live their lives as if there is no God (practical atheists). In this article, we will discuss each of these categories.
When most people think of atheism, they think of dogmatic atheism. A dogmatic atheist is one who openly and unequivocally denies the existence of God. Dogmatic atheism is atheism in its purest form: denying all agency of God, attributing none of His great works to Him; denying the evidence of an intelligent God, exalting chance as the all-powerful creator; denying evidence of a first cause of the universe, tacitly affirming that all came from nothing; denying an absolute morality, affirming their own right to decide what is right and wrong; denying accountability to God, choosing to be accountable to only their own whims; denying the soul and the spirit, claiming the body is all; denying existence after death, believing that life in this world is all; denying purpose, living for this world; denying all hope, embracing the present; denying Christ, choosing death. As such, the dogmatic atheist is a master of denial.
Dogmatic atheists claim allegiance to reason, yet they ignore the overwhelming evidence that the universe had a beginning, and that it shall have an end. They deny the proofs of God, but offer no logical alternatives. They deny that the effect was caused, that the design was designed, claiming only that all is here because it came about. They embrace the absurd notion that the human soul and mind created itself from primordial gunk. "Such unproved theories would not be tolerated in any field of investigation other than that wherein the darkness of the natural mind is demonstrated in its inability to receive the things of God."[Footnote #3]
The prevailing philosophy of dogmatic atheists is materialism. The belief of materialists is that all is matter and there is nothing that cannot be explained in terms a physical properties and forces. And so, according to materialists, our thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc. are all physical properties, mere firings of nerves. We have no soul; our ability to reason, rather than elevating man above other life forms, is merely an extension of animal instincts.
Materialism, however, goes against evidence and logic. We have self-awareness, self-consciousness, a sense that our soul is separate from our body. We have free will, a conscience, and imagination. We appreciate and enjoy art and music. We can theorize on science, religion and philosophy. These things cannot be explained materialistically. In fact, the philosophers who espouse materialism, disprove their own theory by being able to philosophize!
For some reason, materialism has been embraced by the scientific community. The scientists who reject materialism must remain "in the closet" (so to speak), or face the possibility of being ostracized by their peers. By embracing materialism, scientists have made a human philosophy the basis of their scientific enquiry. In doing so, they have cast aside impartiality and have sought to explain the world in terms of this philosophy, rather than view their scientific data objectively.
An example of this is the promulgation of the theory of atheistic evolution. Evolution is a theory that is not supported by evidence, but it is the best theory that the materialist can devise.[Footnote #4] The only explanation for the prevalent acceptance of the theory of evolution among scientists is the prevalent belief in materialism among scientists. They assume first that there is no God, and devise scientific theories with this mistaken assumption as their basis. Who says that evolutionists have no faith? Belief in evolution, and materialistic philosophy for that matter, takes great faith. "Through the operation of physical forces this fire-mist goes to work, forms itself into worlds and sets them in the harmony of the heavens, just as if directed by an omniscient mind. For our own world, as probably for many others, it provides the conditions suited to living beings, originates life in the many forms which swim in the waters, fly in the air, roam in forest and field. A wonderful ascent is this, but a mere starting compared with the culmination. In the process of evolution this fire-mist mounts to the grade of man and invests itself with the high powers of personality. Now it legislates in the wisdom of Moses, sings in the psalmody of David, reasons in the philosophy of Plato, frames the heavens in the science of Newton, preaches in the power of Paul, and crowns all human life and achievement with the divine life of the Christ. All this is in the assumption of naturalistic evolution."[Footnote #5]
Atheism goes against the basic fiber of man's intuition. Atheism goes against the universal testimony of mankind, the innate testimony of one's own conscience, and the natural testimony of all of creation. As David stated, "The fool says in his heart, `There is no God'" (Ps. 14:1). The "fool" spoken of here abuses his God-given intelligence and reasoning abilities, and uses them to rationalize that there is no God.
Atheism is not natural. One must "become" an atheist. All have an innate knowledge of God. Children readily embrace a belief in God, because a belief in God is rational and natural, especially to the innocent. Even atheists have an innate knowledge of God, but they have suppressed it, for "they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God." (Rom. 1:28). They suppress their knowledge of God because they want to ignore God's moral absolute: they do not want to be accountable to God for their actions.
Given my definition of "atheist" as one who is "without God" (that is, without the True and Living God), I include those who have a wrong concept of God in the category of atheist. This form of atheism is far more prevalent than dogmatic atheism. Far more people have a radically wrong concept of God than deny His existence altogether. Certainly, all of us (myself included) fall short in our knowledge of God and thus, we all, to some extent, have a wrong concept of God. However, there are those whose concept of God is wildly wrong and patently contrary to the way He has revealed Himself. These I would term conceptual atheists. More precisely, I would define a conceptual atheist as one who denies that God is a single, all-powerful, all-knowing, self-conscious God (God is not merely a "force"), the Creator and Lord of the universe.
Paul describes conceptual atheists: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (Rom. 1:21-23). In essence, conceptual atheists, though knowing God through His revelation to them, choose not to worship Him, but choose rather to devise a God that agrees with their lifestyle. They minimize God and recreate Him in their own image. They say, "I want God to be how I choose."
One of the most common forms of conceptual atheism is pantheism. The philosophy of pantheism says that all is God and God is all. Pantheism is idolatry taken to extremes, for everything is God. Today, we see forms of pantheism in Hinduism, New Age thought and various Native American religions. Pantheism flies in the face of reason and observable evidence. Pantheism breaks down all distinctions and claims that all is one, all is God. However, we have an awareness of being separate and distinct from one another. Also, we certainly are separate and distinct from animals, rocks and plants. Pantheism denies that God is a self-conscious, intelligent being, rather He is a phenomenon that encompasses everything. Since God is everything, there is no distinction between good and evil, in fact, there is no good or evil for all is one. This, of course, is absurd. Pantheism simply is an attempt by men to skirt accountability to God for their sin by making God a participant in sin (since God is all). Essentially, "all is God" is just another way of saying there is no God.
There are many other forms of conceptual atheism. Many religions redefine God into many gods (polytheism), as Paul said, they "exchange the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (Rom. 1:23). By making man-made images into "gods", man limits God so as not to be limited by Him. This is common to all forms of atheism: man seeks through atheism to avoid being accountable to God.
Agnosticism is the belief that man cannot know whether God exists or not, and so, agnostics choose to remain ignorant. Because they believe that God cannot or does not reveal Himself, they use their agnosticism as an excuse not to seek Him. In my opinion, agnosticism is not a logical position. If there is a God who created the heavens and the earth, certainly He is able to make Himself known to His creation. In fact, it would be strange if God went to the trouble to create us, and then chose not to reveal Himself to us. And, as we have seen in previous articles in this series, He has revealed Himself to us. Agnostics choose to remain ignorant concerning God and choose to ignore God's manifestation of Himself to us. "It were, indeed, a strange defence for man to pretend that he has no ears to hear the truth, while dumb creatures have voices loud enough to declare it; to allege that he is unable to see that which creatures without eyes demonstrate; to excuse himself on the ground of weakness of mind, while all creatures without reason are able to teach."[Footnote #6] By their purposeful ignorance, agnostics slight their God-given intelligence and ability to reason.
Paul spoke directly to the agnostics of his day in Athens. They had erected an altar with the inscription: "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" (Acts 17:23). He concluded his address to them by stating: "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30-31). God used to "overlook" agnostical ignorance, but now He has revealed Himself through the clear revelation of Jesus Christ. Claiming, as agnostics do, that God cannot be known is just another way to try to dodge accountability to God. However, God has made it clear, by "raising [Christ] from the dead", that He exists and that the world is accountable to Him.
God will reveal Himself to all who seek Him. Christ said: "Seek and you will find" (Matt. 7:7). The agnostic, however, chooses not to seek Him. "Agnosticism is better expressed by the phrase, `I will not believe,' than by the phrase, `I cannot believe'"[Footnote #7]
The fourth type of atheism is practical atheism. A practical atheist is a man who, though he may acknowledge the existence of God, does not live his life as though God exists. Paul described practical atheists in his letter to Titus: "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him" (Titus 1:16). Unfortunately, we all slip into practical atheism, to some extent, at one time or another. "All sin is founded in a secret atheism."[Footnote #8] How could we sin if the knowledge of God were strong in our mind? If we had a strong sense that God is watching us and that we are accountable for our actions, we would be much less prone to sin. We do sin, though, and with each sin, we slight God, just as an atheist. "We deny His sovereignty when we violate His laws; we disgrace His holiness when we cast our filth before His face; we disparage His wisdom when we set up another rule as the guide of our actions than that law He hath fixed; we slight His sufficiency when we prefer a satisfaction in sin before a happiness in Him alone; and His goodness, when we judge it not strong enough to attract us to Him."[Footnote #9]
Although we all at times exhibit practical atheism, I would not label all sinners as practical atheists. There are those who choose to live their lives largely ignoring the existence of God. These I would term practical atheists. Many practical atheists claim a belief in God, many even attend church, but they do not worship God from the heart. "A sense of God in the heart would burst out in the life; where there is no reverence of God in the life, it is easily concluded there is less in the heart."[Footnote #10]
In a sense, practical atheism is a purer form of atheism than dogmatic atheism. "A practical denial of God is worse than a verbal, because deeds have usually more of deliberation than words; words may be the fruit of passion, but a set of evil actions are the fruit and evidence of a predominant evil principle in the heart."[Footnote #11] Ironically, practical atheists do much more harm to the church than dogmatic atheists, because of the hypocrisy of many practical atheists. "The wound religion receives from hypocrites is far more dangerous and incurable than that inflicted on it by the open and scandalous sinner. For religion is never brought into question by the enormous vices of an infamous person; all see and all abhor his sin. But when a man shall have his mouth full of piety and his hands full of wickedness, when he shall speak Scripture and live devilism, profess strictly and walk loosely, this lays a grievous stumbling-block in the way of others; and tempts them to think that all religion is but mockery, and that the professors of it are but hypocrites."[Footnote #12]
Practical atheists are, so to speak, trying to have their cake and eat it too. They think that their acknowledgement of God is enough. They give their minds to God, but not their hearts, not their lives. They acknowledge the existence of God but do not serve Him. They acknowledge Him as Creator, but not as Lord. This is a dangerous form of atheism because many practical atheists have convinced themselves that they are pleasing God by their intellectual acknowledgement, and so they think that they will escape judgment. However, many will be devastated when they find that, on judgment day, Christ says to them: "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers" (Matt. 7:23).
Atheism has dire results, for the atheist himself and also for society. First and foremost, the atheist himself will be judged and faces eternal punishment. He may live his life feeling that he is not accountable to God for his actions, but eventually he will be brought before God in judgment. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). The atheist may deny God in this world, but he will not in the next, smarting under eternal punishment.
The atheist tries his best to suppress thoughts of eternal punishment. This is to his own detriment, even in this world. "If he fear no future punishment, he can never expect any future reward."[Footnote #13] Because he acknowledges only this life, the atheist has no hope for the next. What a dark prospect if our only hope is found in this world! Also, life without an intelligent Creator is a purposeless existence. The absence of a first cause implies an absence of a purpose. What ultimate purpose could a life hold if it ends in the grave?
Another dire result of atheism to the atheist himself is a slavery to sin and the desires of the flesh. The atheist, in rejecting God, throws off the easy yoke of Christ for heavy burden of a life of sin. The atheist convinces himself that he is free because he does not obey God or the dictates of his conscience. In doing so, he binds himself with the chains of sin.
Moreover, the atheist can never be satisfied. His life will never be fulfilling because the things of the world cannot satisfy. As Solomon put it: "All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing" (Eccl. 1:8). Christ, however, stated: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35).
Atheism run rampant can infect society. We are beginning to see its effects in our society. Since, God is the author of moral law, when it is perceived that there is no God, morality naturally suffers. When men disregard accountability to God, conscience is ignored, crime increases, ethics die. We see today that, largely, litigation has replaced ethics as the correcting force in society. We do what we can get away with. Anything the lawyers say can win in court is, for us, ethical. A seventeenth century writer foresaw the type of society that a Godless environment would lead to: "A city of atheists would be a heap of confusion; there could be no ground of any commerce, when all the sacred bands of it in the consciences of men were snapt asunder, which are torn to pieces and utterly destroyed by denying the existence of God."[Footnote #14] He also foresaw the results when situational ethics rule, rather than God's absolute law: "[I]f the foundation be demolished, the whole superstructure must tumble down: a man might be a thief, a murderer, an adulterer, and could not in a strict sense be an offender."[Footnote #15] And so, today, because God's law is not heeded, we see murder accepted through abortion, and adultery approved of, even honored, among men.
The problem today is that there are too many so-called "seekers" who, like Pilate, ask the question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38), and then do not wait around for the answer from the one who can give them the answer. They ask, "What is truth?", but they do not desire to hear the real answer. They ask, "What is truth?", but they are not seeking the truth, rather, they are seeking a philosophy of life that will accomodate their lifestyle.
So then, let us answer the question, "What is truth?": "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ...He was buried, ...He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and "God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Heed this and seek no further.
Lord, may we accept the salvation that You offer us freely. May we listen to the truth and live our lives by it. Give us, by Your Spirit, a stronger faith in You, so that we might be light to those who are truly seeking the truth. We thank You for Your clear revelation of Yourself that You have given us through Your Word and through Your Son, in whose name we pray these things, Amen.
Psalm 13
A psalm of David.
1How long, O LORD? Will You forget me for ever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me.
Psalm 13 is yet another psalm concerning David in the midst of trouble. Given the amount of trouble that David had in his life, he was a perfect person to write the psalms. The wide variety of feelings he experienced during his many troubles was documented in the psalms such that, no matter what the nature of our trouble is, we can find a psalm that speaks to it.
In this psalm, David struggles with waiting on the Lord's deliverance. In the first section of the psalm, David verbalizes his faltering faith in a complaint to God (v. 1-2); then he offers up a prayer concerning his situation (v. 3-4); finally, David's prayer is answered and his faith restored (v. 5-6).
David's Complaint
David begins this psalm by expressing his despair in waiting for the Lord's deliverance. Four times he asks the Lord, "How long?" It is difficult for even the best of God's children to wait upon the Lord, especially in times of trouble. Abraham found it difficult, Job found it difficult, and here David despairs in waiting on the Lord. "The Lord's children in their resolution for faith and patience, set to themselves a shorter period usually than the Lord doth, for making them have their perfect work."[Footnote #16] We have our time schedule for when the Lord should get things done, but God rarely follows it. His timing, unlike ours, is perfect. As we look back on the times that we have had to wait upon the Lord, invariably, in hindsight we realize that God's timing was, indeed, much better than ours.
To David's credit, implicit in the question, "how long?", is the fact that God will eventually deliver him. David knew, in faith, that God would be there for him, he just didn't know when. We remember David's reign and his triumphs as king, but we often forget how long he waited to be king and how much affliction he experienced while he was waiting. As mentioned previously in these pages, trouble is no stranger to the child of God. "Trouble outward and inward, of body and spirit, fightings without, and terrors within, vexations from heaven fall upon a child of God at one time, and continue for a time long enough."[Footnote #17] "Such is the school, where the saints are often disciplined for usefulness and even for glory."[Footnote #18] Peter tells us: "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you" (I Peter 4:12).
David, in his trial, was near his faith's end, but instead of disparaging God before men for His tarrying, David turned to God with his complaint. It is good to bring everything to God, even our complaints. Job, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and David (to name a few) certainly did. Often as we vent our anger with God to Him, He will speak to our hearts and bring us to a prayerful disposition. This the Lord does with David here (as we shall see).
David's four questions in vv. 1 and 2 reflect four aspects of his situation. The first question, "Will you forget me forever?", reflects how the situation seemed to David in his despair. God, of course, had not forgotten His anointed king David, but it seemed to David as if He had. David's second "how long?" more accurately describes the situation with respect to God: "How long will You hide Your face from me?" God had stopped acting visibly in David's situation and manifesting Himself to David. This is what David meant by God's "hiding His face." David's third "how long?" describes the situation as it affected David: "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?" David's question: "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?" is more clearly translated (as in KJV): "How long must I take counsel in my soul?" David was tired of coming up with his own plans and solutions to his problems. In fleeing Saul, David sought refuge in caves (I Sam. 22:1), with the Moabites (I Sam. 22:3), in desert hills (I Sam. 23:14), even with the Philistines (I Sam. 27:1). David knew that his own plans were getting him nowhere. He wanted to hear daily from the Lord. Finally, David's fourth "how long?" describes David's situation with respect to his foes: "How long will my enemy triumph over me?"
David's Prayer
David complained, but then he prayed. When we do not understand the workings of God, it is best that we turn to Him for the answer. It is a comfort in the midst of our despair to be able to turn to God in prayer. In fact, one benefit of trials is that they always bring us closer to God. "It is better to be praying in the whale's belly than asleep in the ship."[Footnote #19] Note that, even though David had a complaint against God, he still addressed Him as "LORD, my God." He is still our Lord in times of trouble.
Notice that David, in these verses, had four requests, which corresponded to his four complaints (his four "how longs"). Corresponding to "how long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?", David prayed that God would "Look on [him]". David was praying that God would work in the situation, even if God's work was unseen by David. God often "looks on" and acts through a situation when we are not aware of His actions. Later, we look back and realize that, indeed, God was working through the situation, even though we thought that He had forgotten us.
Corresponding to his complaint "how long will You hide Your face from me?", David prayed that God would "answer" his prayer. David was asking for a renewed awareness of God's presence, so that his faith would be strengthened and he may persevere through his trial.
Corresponding to "how long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?", David prayed that God would "give light to [his] eyes". David was asking for some understanding as to why he was forced to endure affliction. We can endure our afflictions more easily if we know why we are enduring them. David's need for understanding was great, for he prayed, "Give light...or I will sleep in death." David was agonizing over the fact that he did not understand the reason for his affliction. Interestingly, David did not ask to be delivered from his affliction, just that he may understand it.
Corresponding to his complaint "how long will my enemy triumph over me?", David did not even make a request, but rather pointed out to God that his "enemy will say `I have overcome him'" and his foes "will rejoice when [he] falls." David knew that God is a righteous and just God, and that God does not desire that the wicked triumph. So David, rather than making an explicit request concerning his enemies, simply pointed out to God that the wicked are about to triumph. David, appropriately, was appealing to an attribute of God: His righteousness. It is always necessary to make requests to God that are consistent with His character.
David is Answered
5But I trust in Your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in Your salvation.
6I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to
me.
Here we see that David's prayer was answered, even though he was not delivered from his affliction. Rather, he received from God the "light" that he asked for in verse 3. This exemplifies the purpose of prayer: not that we would change God's mind, but that we would understand it.
David received by the Holy Spirit a renewed faith. He said, "But" (that is, in spite of the external circumstances) "I trust in Your unfailing love." Nothing immediate to his troubling situation caused David's change of heart, only his remembrance of God's work in the past, God's "unfailing love." Remembrance of God's work in the past also caused David to "rejoice in [the Lord's] salvation." David rejoiced in the Lord's salvation, even before it had physically come, because he knew that salvation is from the Lord.
Finally, David resolved to worship the Lord, even in his affliction, by saying: "I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me." Notice the change of heart that David had experienced, from the beginning to the end of this psalm. The first few verses were complaints to God, the last verse, a resolution to worship the Lord. This is the work of faith, a faith strengthened by a remembrance of God's past work. God has never failed us, why would He start now? We would do well, in times of trouble, to reflect on God's past goodness. Experience is a great aid to perseverance. To be able to rejoice through affliction is a valuable thing. In the end, David's faith conquered his despair. If we live by faith, we can get through many a trial.
So, Father, help us to live by faith. Help us to count on Your unfailing love, and not to be fooled by external circumstances. Help us to remember Your faithfulness in the past to get us through troubles of the present. Help us, by Your Spirit, to be able to sing praises to You through affliction. In the name of Your Son, who was no stranger to affliction, we pray these things, Amen.
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1. Calvin, A Commentary on Genesis, Vol. I, pg. 357.
2. William Secker, cited in Spurgeon, A Treasury of David, Vol. I; pg. 41.
3. Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, pg. 157.
4. For an excellent treatment on the lack of evidential support for the theory of evolution, read Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson (InterVarsity Press, 1991).
5. Miley, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, pg. 128.
6. Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Vol. I, pg. 62.
7. Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. I, pg. 166.
8. Charnock, Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God, Vol. I, pg. 93.
9. Ibid., pg. 93.
10. Ibid., pg. 92.
11. Ibid., pg. 92.
12. Ezekiel Hopkins, cited in A Puritan Golden Treasury, ed. by I. D. E. Thomas, pg. 151.
13. Charnock, op. cit., pg. 79.
14. Ibid., pg. 78.
15. Ibid.
16. David Dickson, A Commentary on the Psalms, pg. 55.
17. Ibid.
18. Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms, pg. 188.
19. Ibid.