“…shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness;” 1 Peter 5:2 (LSB)
I think that possibly every child runs into a school teacher who has had it with children. When I say this, I don’t mean the teacher that has had a rough week, or even a rough year. I mean that teacher that no longer loves teaching, and has moved beyond the loss of love to an actual disdain for students that borders on hatred. In the children’s book Matilda, this person is portrayed in the character known as Agatha Trunchbull, whom the children fearfully refer to as “The Trunchbull.” I wonder if Roald Dahl went to my high school…
I think it is tragic when a teacher reaches this stage, where what was (I assume) once a love for teaching has become drudgery and buying time until retirement. But this danger is not one that only school teachers face; pastors can fall into the same trap and patterns of ministry. No longer loving people or ministry, just buying time until retirement or Jesus returns, but mostly retirement.
As he writes to the church that is scattered abroad, Peter warns pastors, as a fellow pastor, that there is a danger of overseeing the church in such a way that one feels that they do so “under compulsion.” The calling of God has been overshadowed by a sense of duty, which has devolved into buying time until retirement. Slowly pastoral duties are left off for someone else to do, or not done at all. Small ways of serving others are replaced with complaints and a bitter heart. The pastor who reaches this stage can sometimes be heard reliving the “good old days” when people really cared about things, and how now “nobody” has a passion anymore.
The vision has died in many of these churches because it has died in the heart of its leader. No longer can the disenfranchised pastor see the crowds of people as an opportunity to proclaim Christ. Instead, the oceans of humanity are seen as a trial to be endured. The traffic, the graffiti, the constant cries of those needing help. It seems never-ending, and the burnout grows each day. There is no “eagerness” anymore. Instead, some hang on, knowing they need a few more years to reach their retirement funding goals, or maybe because they don’t have retirement funds, and so they keep pastoring in order to provide for their daily needs. The ministry has become a job, and the paycheck is the motivation as much as anything.
I write this to both young and old in ministry. Be careful. If you find yourself in ministry for the money (no matter how little or much you receive), then it’s time to leave. It would be better to serve as a volunteer while working a secular job than to serve God for financial gain. By this, I don’t mean that being supported financially is wrong–because motivation is the heart of the issue here. Peter is warning about the motivation. Do we serve King Jesus willingly, even through the hard times, long hours, and dry years, or do we put up with the Church because we think we can’t do anything else, or do we find that the path of least resistance means to stay in ministry until something easier or better comes along?
I hope that no one reading this finds themselves in this place. If you are there, take some time for prayer, seek wise counsel from a good friend who can point you to God and help you as you examine your heart and motivations, and then see where God leads. You might find that the Lord brings a refreshing breeze back to your life and ministry that will once again restore you to a place of renewed usefulness in the Lord’s house.
“Then Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel.”1 Chronicles 21:1 (LSB)
A few quick thoughts I had as I read the above words:
1. When Satan wanted to attack a group (in this case, Israel) he went t after their leader.
2. Satanic attack often comes in the form of temptations. For David it was pride.
3. Satan didn’t cause David to act. He simply presented an opportunity to trip himself up. David was completely guilty for his actions.
4. Although not stated in the above verse, the consequences of David’s actions don’t only hurt him, but affect a large group of those who depend upon his faithful leadership.
If you’re a Christian leader of any kind, be wary. Our enemy is looking for someone to devour. Don’t let it be you or those entrusted to your care.
I remember as a child scoffing as my parents said that the swat I was about to receive on my bottom was harder for them than it was for me. “Harder for you?!” I would think. How could that be true? But as a parent about to dole out discipline to my own children years later, I understood. My discipline was not meant to bring retribution but was instead aimed at true discipline, or teaching. Of course, my children didn’t always understand this, even when I explained it to them. The sting of discipline can sometimes get in the way of the communication process.
Right now our world awakes to the daily reality of multiple wars raging all over the world. For those in the war zones, the painful reality is both shockingly real and surreal. It is easy for us in the peaceful parts of the world to make judgment calls on who is right and wrong in these upheavals, like a person sitting in their living room watching a sports match and choosing sides. But in war, is there a winner?
In my Bible reading this morning through the Old Testament prophet of Ezekiel, I was struck by the words of the Lord through this man of God. His words were of judgment, but not toward His own people Israel. Earlier in the book, the Lord has doled out his discipline on His wayward people, and it has been harsh. The events that took place against God’s people were brutal, even barbaric. That isn’t to say that it wasn’t well deserved. God had sent wave after wave of His servants, the prophets, to bring God’s warning of impending judgment, only to be met with laughter, disgust, and further open wickedness. When the bowl of the wrath of God was full, He acted just as He had promised.
In bringing punishment to His people, the Lord used the enemies of Israel, some of whom they had treaties with, others who rejoiced in its fall and took advantage of their weakened state. Having completed the punishment against His people, the Lord turned to those who struck out against His people. Remember, God didn’t implant jealousy and hatred into the hearts of these people. They already hated Israel. He simply allowed the hatred, greed, and jealousy to have its result–the plundering of Israel.
In Ezekiel 25, the Lord turns His attention to the nations that took advantage of Israel in her weakness. Although God was angry with His people, like a father who loves His children even while he is disciplining them, so too our God loves His people Israel, even as He brings judgment on them for their open rebellion. He never forsook them, and His wrath cannot be interpreted as a separation from them as His own. In case there was any doubt about that, this chapter (and the next several) describes God’s judgment not on Israel, but upon the people that attacked God’s precious people Israel. In chapter 25, God speaks His judgment against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia.
In God’s words of judgment to these nations, there is an important lesson to consider, especially in light of the war in Israel going on right now between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is this: Israel may be disobedient, rebellious, and hard-hearted in its attitude toward God and righteousness, and God will punish. But He will never forsake His people. And for those that point and laugh, and say that Israel is no different than any other nation, and that her punishment is proof of God’s rejection of Israel, I say you need to read your Bible, and specifically the way God dealt with those in Ezekiel 25.
First, look at what God says to Ammon, “And the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them and say to the sons of Ammon, ‘Hear the word of Lord Yahweh! Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,” (Ezekiel 25:1–3, LSB)
God took offense against Ammon for its mockery when His holy temple was profaned. “Aha!” is an interjection, and the Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible connects this word to the Greek word euge, which means, “Good!” We can picture the rejoicing and dancing in the streets of many Muslims in the Middle East when the planes struck the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.
For their hatred of God’s people, the Lord promised to give over their land to nomads and to turn their capital into a pasture for their camels. The Lord further elaborated on their joy over Israel’s demise: “‘For thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and were glad with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out My hand against you, and I will give you for plunder to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus you will know that I am Yahweh.”” (Ezekiel 25:6–7, LSB)
Instead of coming to Israel’s aid, the Ammonites celebrated. Instead of mourning, they rejoiced. And for their hard hearts and wicked scorn, God would destroy them.
The next nation that the Lord addressed was the people of Moab. Both the Ammonites and the Moabites were distant relatives of the Jewish people. They traced their lineage back to Abraham’s nephew Lot, who bore children by his daughters, and these children were named Ben-Ammi and Moab (Gen 19:30-38). This means that their mockery and scorn were doubly offensive since they were distantly related. But the animosity they showed had no compassion or love mixed with it.
To the Moabites, the Lord said, “‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’ therefore, behold, I am going to open the flank of Moab by its cities, by its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim, and I will give it for a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the sons of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations.” (Ezekiel 25:8–10, LSB)
Where the Ammonites rejoiced in the defilement of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Moabites declared that the House of Judah (and this the lineage of David) where nothing special, like everyone else. I have heard some Christians denounce Israel, saying they aren’t anything special to God anymore. They say that many Jews are rebellious, and wicked, and they hate Christians. Much of this is true for many Jewish people. And it is no worse than what they were being punished for in Ezekiel’s day. And yet, God still stands by them in covenant love, even though He was unwilling to overlook their sins against Him.
Do we really want to be on the side of these rebellious nations that sided against God’s people? Do we really want to equate Israel with all the other nations of the world as if it is not exceptional and special in God’s eyes still? I don’t need to justify or excuse Israel’s sins to stand by them as God’s people. As a matter of fact, God’s prophets spoke hard and true words to them, and so should we. We should not compromise to call the Jewish people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. But we must not follow in the footsteps of the pagan nations and point at Israel as rejected both by God and men.
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” (Psalm 122:6, LSB)
Remembering back to your childhood days, you probably remember a common practice by kids that don’t want to listen to other children–they stick their fingers in their ears, and sometimes shout, “I’m not listening…I’M NOT LISTENING! LA LA LA LA LA.” But here is the thing, the child with his or her fingers in her ear may not be listening, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t being spoken to by someone else. The fingers in the ear trick works for the stubborn child, but it doesn’t negate the message.
The prophet Jeremiah had repeatedly spoken out words of warning and calls for repentance, all of which went unheeded. He had suffered abuse and ridicule, and yet he continued to faithfully declare everything that the Lord God told him, even at great personal cost.
In chapter 36, Jeremiah received words from God that he dictated to his faithful assistant. The words were threatening the wrath of God, and Jeremiah’s hope was that the warning might affect the hearts of the people and that they might turn from their sins and return to the Lord in humble submission and obedience. Jeremiah, who was imprisoned and unable to go himself, took the completed scroll with the Words of God written in them, and he handed them to his assistant Baruch with these instructions:
““So you shall go and read from the scroll, which you have written at my dictation, the words of Yahweh in the hearing of the people in the house of Yahweh on a fast day. And also you shall read them in the hearing of all the people of Judah who come from their cities. “Perhaps their supplication will come before Yahweh, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that Yahweh has spoken against this people.”” (Jeremiah 36:6–7, LSB)
Baruch took the scroll first to the elders of Judah, and when they heard the words written from the mouth of God through Jeremiah, they were struck with terror at what the scroll said. Clearly, God was angry and they needed to have these words read before the king. As the leader of God’s people in Judah, surely he would do what is best and right. But instead of an open heart that was willing to listen, King Jehoiakim figuratively did what a 1st-grade child might do on the playground–he plugged up his ears and refused to listen. Except, the king was no child, and his actions went far beyond those of a child in his offense against the King of Heaven:
“Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king as well as in the hearing of all the officials who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier before him. And it happened that when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not in dread, nor did they tear their garments.” (Jeremiah 36:21–24, LSB)
No wonder wickedness ruled in the land with such a wicked king upon the throne! Instead of listening with a broken and contrite heart, Jehoiakim literally cut the scroll that contained the Word of God and tossed it into the fire, piece by piece. He refused to listen and made sure that nobody else was bothered by the message from God either.
Today, rulers all over the world, politicians, people of wealth, power, and influence sit in places where they have a great responsibility. God’s Word is not hidden from our world. He has given us His complete revelation in the written Word of God, the Bible, and in His Son Jesus Christ. Our institutions of Higher Learning treat the Bible as classical literature, our judges and officials swear upon a copy of the Word of God, and in many of our halls of government the Words of God are inscribed in the stone and marble upon the walls. We have no excuse.
And the common man has no excuse either. Ministries like Gideons International according to their own accounts, “have taken more than 2 billion Scriptures in more than 95 languages to 200 countries, territories, and possessions across the globe.” You can find a Gideons Bible in many hotel rooms to this day.
But are they listening? Is the world listening to the warnings clearly written in the Word of God? Some politicians and leaders, including religious leaders, are doing what Jehoiakim did–they are cutting out the parts of the Bible they don’t like. They don’t like hearing about sin (especially those sins they indulge in themselves), and they don’t like feeling the conviction that comes when God’s Word and Spirit press upon their hearts and tells them that they have committed these sins not only against men but worse, against the holy Creator God!
You cannot muzzle God. People have tried throughout history. Communism and other godless regimes have sought to confiscate and destroy Bibles, but they cannot. They have tried to silence God’s servants, imposing sanctions, imprisoning, torturing, and murdering them. But they have found out that they cannot silence God! They plug their ears, but the Words are still spoken and they are still true. The rebellious heart may not want to hear them, and they may stifle the sound for their own conscience, but it will be to their own detriment. God cannot and will not be silenced.
The question is not whether they (the rulers, leaders, celebrities, politicians, and the “power brokers” of this world) have refused to hear God. The question is whether YOU have done this. Have you plugged your ears to the warnings that God has sent in the Bible? Have you ignored the reality that if you would simply listen, these warnings are filled with the mercy and grace of God offered to you? If God didn’t care, why would He warn? If He did want you to turn from your sin, why would He mobilize an army of His servants to take His message all over the world? God cares, the question is, are you listening?
Always Reforming 