Can you imagine a professional football game without a referee? Or a cricket match without an umpire? Or even the House of Commons without The Speaker to keep the politicians in order? Job some time into his crisis is feeling that God is so far away. He needs help from someone who understands him and can articulate his cause more effectively than he can to God. In effect, he is crying out for a mediator between himself and God. Job 9:33 states: If only there was someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together… Job is speaking here about:
1. The necessity of a mediator(Job 9:32-33)
Job is absolutely clear that such a person is necessary. They are needed to represent God to humanity and humanity to God. After all, God is all knowing, all powerful and eternal; the Creator and Sustainer of the universe; and Job, the representative human being is sinful, fallible, limited in knowledge and power, and in his present context in a place of incredible weakness and vulnerability. Job’s friends are convinced that he must have done something seriously wrong to be in such a difficult place.
By contrast, despite his occasional emotional wobbles and self-doubt, Job is convinced that he has lived a blameless life. Job 9:21a states: Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; yet his suffering continues with no end in sight. He has no comprehension of any bigger picture. He simply feels very hard done by with no means of rectifying his situation.
In his lowest moments he accuses God of injustice because of the obvious unfairness of life in this world. I despise my own life. 22 It is all the same; that is why I say, “He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” (Job 9:21b-22). In the Old Testament era these concerns continued without any resolution, though there were pointers to the coming of a person who would address them, for example, Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
It is, though, in the New Testament that we see God’s clear answer to this plea. There was only one person who walked this earth who could qualify for this role to represent God to us and us to God. I Timothy 2:5-6a states: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.
2. The work of a mediator
What is this individual to do? Fans or players of particular sports could probably recite quite easily the main tasks a referee or umpire was required to perform. In terms of the responsibilities of this mediator, Job is not looking for someone who by brute force compels parties to accept his rulings on matters. He is looking for a genuine individual who can represent the concerns of each party to the other.
A ‘middle-man’ literally; in Job’s day there were community leaders who performed some of these roles. They would hear a case presented by two individuals, and after time for reflection would issue a binding judgement on both parties. God was so powerful and majestic that Job felt inadequate to articulate his concerns directly to Him. What was Jesus like to those who came humbly to Him to ask for His divine assistance in their time of need?
Matthew 11:27-30:27 ‘All things have been committed to Me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.’
This was Jesus’ mandate from God the Father, a work being continued in people’s lives through the work of the blessed Holy Spirit. Do you trust Him to represent your concerns to God the Father? There is no better choice.
3. The benefits of such a mediator (Job 9:33-35)
If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, 34 someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that His terror would frighten me no more. 35 Then I would speak up without fear of Him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot (Job 9:33-35).
Job wanted a mediator to take away God’s rod from me. That is, not just to remove the problem he is experiencing, but also the apparent disciplinary consequences of God’s actions. There were times when Job felt emotionally and mentally overwhelmed with what he was going through and felt afraid of God – so that His terror would frighten me no more. What difference would this mediator make if they would intervene on his behalf? Then I would speak up without fear of Him… Job wanted to come directly into God’s presence without being afraid.
The wonderful truth we can experience as Christians is something Job desired for his times of prayer. The author of the book of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:19-22 states: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
When we come through the one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, we can come with an assurance that God will hear our prayers and will in His time answer them. Have you put your faith in Jesus? If not then why not do that today? You will be making the best decision of your life when you entrust your life to Him as your Lord and Saviour.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me’
Bildad, one of Job’s friends, had been speaking in the words recorded in the previous chapter (Job 8). He had a very simplistic approach to understanding how God worked in the world and how our behaviour impacts the course of our lives. Bildad’s view was that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. For this man, if you really are a good person then you will be blessed with reasonable health and material prosperity.
If everything goes wrong in life, as had happened to his friend Job, then although he, Bildad, couldn’t identify it, Job must have been guilty of some serious hidden sin for God to punish him like this with the loss of his children, his businesses and finally his health. It is difficult to read the words of Bildad and not feel Job’s pain. I would like to think that every reader of this message would be horrified by Bildad’s line of reasoning. Certainly the unknown author of the book of Job does!
However, the false prosperity gospel held by some people in every age is a twisting of biblical truth to use Bible language to convey a message that is completely untrue. God does honour those that honour Him, but we may live an exemplary life like Job and still see a business fail; still experience the searing pain of the death of one or more of our children or struggle to come to terms with the diagnosis of a serious health condition. Throughout his life Job although imperfect pleased God. In the latter stages of this book of Job this analysis is confirmed.
Here in Job chapters nine to ten the patriarch attempts to present a different perspective in his response to the charges of Bildad. In Job 9:2 he asks this question: But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? Job has no quarrel with Bildad’s main thesis that God always does what is right. He is equally convinced that God will not reject someone who has led an exemplary life free from sin and wrongdoing.
The problem we face, and which Job faced before us, is that none of us are perfect. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When we point the index (or first) finger at another person, there are three other fingers that point back at us. Does this object lesson not teach us a simple point? Be very careful how we judge the choices of words or actions of other people. Other people make judgements about us and I assume each of us would want others to pass judgement fairly on what we say and so.
Job here imagines a courtroom where he could present his case before the jury. But he stops to consider that it is God with whom he is pictured as debating. Job 9:1-4 is a response to Bildad’s message. It states: Then Job replied:2 ‘Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? 3 Though they wished to dispute with Him, they could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4 His wisdom is profound, His power is vast. Who has resisted Him and come out unscathed?
Simply claiming that we are better than some other people may be stating the obvious truth, but it would not get us very far in a court of law. Job knew that he had to be honest before God and trust Him to work out his future pathway through life. God would later honour him for taking that stance.
As followers of Jesus we know that God took action to bridge the gap between us and Him. Romans 3:23, cited above, is true, but in the person of Jesus we have someone who modelled for us how to live, before dying as a substitute for sinners on the cross outside the city wall in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. How can I be right before God, the question with which we began this brief reflection, is answered in many Bible passages including John 3:16-17: For 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
I cannot be good enough in what I do to earn God’s favour, but thank God He sent Jesus to die in my place. Jesus was perfectly good and the one person who could die in our place and offer a sacrifice sufficient for us to be saved. This is the greatest good news in history. Have you received God’s gift of salvation? It is simple enough for a little child to receive it, but so amazing that a person of extraordinary intellect can struggle to grasp the extent of the amazing love of God towards us.
Our song for reflection today is ‘The power of the cross’
Do you ever stop and think about the significance or insignificance of your life? Some people appear to have the time and opportunity to consider their legacy. For the vast majority of us, though, our lives are often so full of activities that we rarely stop and reflect too deeply about the significance of the choices we are making and their impact upon other people around us. However, due to the recent Covid-19 virus pandemic many people have had to make significant adjustments to the way they were living.
For a number it meant they had much more time on their hands to think and to talk with close family members or to reflect on their own about the direction of their lives going forward. There is no doubt our society and many of us as members will be permanently changed by our recent experiences. Although it is easy to focus on what we may have lost, there are also things we have gained, both individually and collectively. However, like Job in his crisis situation, we in the midst of a virus pandemic have a chance to look at the question raised in Job chapter seven. What tentative or preliminary conclusions did Job reach?
1. The futility of life (Job 7:1-5)
Job’s immediate context was bad enough to make any one of us feel tempted to sink into deep despair. The language he uses to articulate his frustration, pictures a workman longing for his shift to end because he has lost interest in the work being done; or as a soldier wanting his term of service completed so he can return home to his family. But when he does get home his mind is so active he cannot sleep and in a state of over-tiredness he feels so weary. However, he is not at home but sitting outside on waste ground looking a right mess with sores and scabs (Job 7:5). We all have wake up calls about priorities of what really matters in life. The question is this – am I open to think seriously about what my life should be like in terms of my priorities? Do I give too much time to trivialities and neglect things that are much more important – like my relationships with close family members or supremely my relationship with God?
2. The brevity of life (Job 7:6-10) Our time in this life passes alarmingly quickly. ‘My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,and they come to an end without hope.7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(Job 7:6-7a) When you start in Primary School and someone tells you how long you will spend in schools before you have the choice to leave it will inevitably seem like an eternity! The young adult leaving school excited about the possibilities of employment and earning a salary can think they have years to enjoy life. But how quickly the years go by; Henry Twells (1823-1900) wrote this poem, attached to a clock case in the North Transept of Chester Cathedral in England:
When as a child I laughed and wept, Time crept. When as a youth I waxed more bold, Time strolled. When I became a full grown man, Time RAN. When older still I daily grew, Time FLEW. Soon I shall find, in passing on, Time gone. O Christ! wilt Thou have saved me then?
Amen.
No-one on their deathbed has ever wished they had spent some extra hours in the office, but too many have regretted not sorting our broken relationships with family members or fractured friendships; others had always planned to get their lives sorted out with God, but never got round to it. Now is the time, now is the opportunity. Seize the moment and do what needs to be done and end your life in the future having lived without regrets.
3. Addressing our biggest questions (Job 7:11-21)
What is mankind that You make so much of them,that You give them so much attention… (Job 7:17).
Psalm 8 in the Old Testament addresses the same question, but from a standpoint of praise to God for the wonder of His creation and of the place of humanity within it. Job chapter seven looks at the same subject from a much darker starting point. Job is feeling as if God had abandoned him. Or that God was punishing him for some unknown sin. The ‘why am I here’ question was understood in this moment as – is there any point me being here much longer? My life is pointless.
Of course Job will come though this difficult time, because we know how the story ends. But he needed to take the necessary time to adjust to his ‘new normal’. We too have taken time to come to terms with our lock down restrictions. But are there other things or relationships with other people to which we ought to turn our attention? One thing we can never recover when lost is our time. It is gone forever. Take time to ask God to direct your mind today so that your choices in the coming months and years are ones that are pleasing to Him.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Will your anchor hold in the storms of life’
We have probably all had those dreadful dreams we call nightmares when life takes a decided turn for the worst. Although they may only last a relatively short time in the night, they feel like they have gone on for ‘ever’. What a relief to wake up and open our eyes and say thank you God that wasn’t real!
Unfortunately, there are people who wake up and have to face the dreadful reality that this person has died. Or that their job loss was confirmed in the letter send to them. Or that person who had bullied you in the school playground has been placed in some of the same classes as you in High School. The potential list of causes for concern is very long and we feel them more acutely during the lock down period we face following the spread of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.
For Job as an older man all the things he has worked for have gone. His financial security bound up in the possession of lots of domesticated animals all gone; his large family that had grown up. They were now adults so maybe Job was expecting a bit of help, or more help, with his business as he got older? What a tragedy they had all died in the terrible storm. Then to make matters worse, his health declined quite markedly and it is all becoming too much to take in. How many of us have also had these darker moments when we were struggling to come to terms with circumstances outside our control? Maybe someone reading this message is in that place today? How did Job react when he and his friends started to speak about what was going on in his life?
In Job three the chapter neatly divides into two halves. They are Job 3:1-10 and Job 3:11-26. In the former section the word ‘may’ is very prominent, and in the latter it is ‘why?
1. The speech or song of lament (Job 3:1-10)
The author of such a song is not wishing he was dead necessarily, but he is certainly wondering about the point of his life if this painful reality is all he has to look forward to in the coming years. For some of us who have had to be shielding in recent months and are only now starting to venture out, if we are in the later years of life, may have wondered what is the point of being alive if all I can do is sit around in the house, as one day so easily merges into the next one. In our calmer moments in our minds we know it won’t be for ever.
However, there are other times in our hearts or emotions that it feels like ‘forever’. We are human beings not machines. Therefore, there are days when we are really struggling to cope with all that life seems to deposit on our pathway. God didn’t condemn Job for the days when he couldn’t cope and said things that he wouldn’t have said in calmer moments. Neither will He condemn us in our struggles. In such times as these, reading Bible passages like Romans chapter eight might be the encouragement we need. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38a,39).
2. Why? (Job 3:11-26
There are fundamentally three ‘why’ questions here. Job 3:11: Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Job 3:16: Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? Job 3:20: “Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter?
His questions are about the beginning and the end of life. The first two relate to the most vulnerable months of life when a child is growing in its mother’s womb. God, why did I survive those vulnerable years to enter childhood and then adulthood if I have nothing better than this to look forward to? Then, the third question relates to the later years of life as an older man. In effect, saying: ‘God why are you keeping me alive in this mess? Might it not be better if I ended my life?
The effective answer to the first question, taking the book of Job as a whole, is don’t be overwhelmed God has a future for you. The best years of your life are still to be revealed and if they are not on earth they certainly will be in heaven. Grasping this truth, I hope will give us the assurance of God’s undeserved love to us in our good times as well as the tough. The last question is in effect: why am I still here? Why am I still alive?
In broad terms, the answer must be because God still has work for you and me to do. Do you need to be reminded of this truth today? Therefore, we can with real assurance go forward in confidence in God, knowing that He goes with us each step of the way. This does not mean our problems have gone, far from it, we may have to live with them for the rest of our lives.
When this is the case, it is worth turning to the assurance God gave Paul in II Corinthians 12:8-10: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Amen.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘How firm a foundation’
Pointers for Prayer
We praise God for the ongoing efforts of our health care workers to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 virus in our communities. We pray also for other countries too seeking to overcome this disease
We pray for those teaching in our schools, colleges and universities, seeking to prepare for the next academic year at a time when the future is so unclear, together with young people and their families attempting to juggle work and family life alongside supporting their children in their school work.
We pray for employers and employees in so many workplaces with deep concerns how their work might take place safely in the coming months. We also remember those now out of work and young people seeking to gain their first jobs that each might find a place of work that fits their gifts and experience.
We continue to pray for the families that have been bereaved, in particular, most recently the Nyguist and Marshall families and ask for God’s strength and comfort in their time of sorrow.
We continue to remember those who are unwell and pray for God’s healing and restoration of health and strength, together with others keeping going in pain and discomfort as they await medical tests or an operation in hospital.
We pray for those struggling with continuing isolation in their homes or residential homes and older members of the church in particular who are finding the strains of recent months particularly difficult.
We pray too for the missionary families we are associated with and in particular pray for Helen and Wit in Northern Thailand as they join us by zoom for morning worship this Sunday 28 June 2020
We pray for ourselves and our families and our own specific needs; also that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence in prayer.
The words in the title for this second reflection from the book of Job come from the book of Ecclesiastes many centuries later. These words are so easy to say and they contain a truth almost everyone would accept in principle. There is: A time to be silent and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7b). I know myself that I have made the wrong call on probably many occasions over the years, speaking too soon when I should have listened more, waiting to hear the other person say what was really on their heart rather than just the introductory words testing out whether I was really willing to listen to them.
By speaking too soon it took much longer to find out the real issue of concern. However, it can work the other way too. How many of us have stayed silent and not intervened when another party to a conversation uttered a completely inappropriate remark. In the last two weeks the silence of many to speak out on racial injustice has been highlighted. But we all know there are many social contexts private and public where Christian voices needed to be heard more clearly. No wonder the words of James 1:5 in the New Testament are so applicable.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Are any readers of this message struggling even today over whether to speak or keep silent in the midst of a difficult situation? We need to be honest with ourselves that sometimes there is no clear cut choice before us either way whether to speak or be silent. But it is likely in the majority of contexts that we have a fair idea of how we ought to respond.
Job has lost his children, his businesses and last of all his good health and is pictured sitting silently amongst the ashes (Job 2:8). Over the course of the next week he has company sitting with him; the vast majority of that time is one of complete silence. When life’s circumstances are so tough words can seem so inadequate to express the aches of our hearts to give a comfort that is beyond our ability to administer.
At such times it is absolutely okay to be silent sitting with someone or some people on a pastoral visit. Your presence can convey the fact that you cared enough to be there. However, there was one person who spoke to Job. Job 2:9 states: His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ Unless we have experienced a major tragedy in our personal lives, it is incredibly difficult to ‘stand in the shoes’ of another person who has. Job broke his silence to respond. Job 2:10-11: He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
Notice that he didn’t charge her with being a foolish woman, he knew her too well over many years to think that. On the contrary, she shared his pain in their losses and words came out from a heart full of anguish. Graciously and quietly he asked her to join him in trusting God for their future, in the midst of their confusion. They had no answers to the torrent of questions that flowed through their minds as they sat together in the silence. But it is okay in such settings to be silent, then and now, there will be a place for words in the future – sometimes people simply need to know we care enough to be there for them, sometimes physically, at other times on the end of a phone and regularly to be praying for them
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Through the love of God our Saviour’
The book of Job describes events that took place thousands of years ago in an age so different to our own. Yet the issues that the participants were considering and the struggles they endured are in essence no different to living in the present day. This book is full of many questions but fewer answers. It reflects the balance of life in each generation that although we do have some answers as to ‘why’ things happen when they do, we will never have satisfactory answers to all our questions about the meaning and purpose of life.
If fact what is more salutary is that it is more than likely that we don’t even know all the questions we might wish to propose as we explore the purpose or meaning of our lives today!
What do we see in this chapter?
1.The picture presented (Job 1:1-8)
(a)On earth (Job 1:1-5) The focus is on one man and his family. He is portrayed in glowing terms. In Job 1:1 the author says this of Job: This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. It speaks of the character of the man. This was the sort of person ‘everyone’ would like to have for a neighbour! He was undoubtedly a ‘good person’ by anyone’s definition of good. It also speaks of him as a family man who was so fortunate to have ten adult children. In the Patriarchal era wealth was measured in terms of the number of animals you possessed. The numbers given here are huge. This man was incredibly wealthy but with lawfully acquired wealth. There is no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour contributing to his acquisition of this privileged position.
Job was also very committed in his faith and was constantly seeking God’s assistance to ensure that his children followed in his footsteps in the faith. It appears that all is going wonderfully well. There is absolutely no sign of anything going wrong. However, none of us can safely assume that nothing will change in our lives. We must never take the good times for granted. How many of us on 1 January 2020 were expecting a pandemic and lock down to be our experience this year? We never know in life what might happen next. Only God knows the answer.
(b)In heaven (Job 1:6-8) There is a momentary glimpse of heavenly beings conversing with God the Father in heaven. The details of what happened next need not concern us and appear to be a description of ordinary life for the heavenly beings. However, events take a new turn with God’s interjection concerning a man on earth that lived a God-honouring life. Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’ What a commendation from the highest authority in the universe! If it was you or me whose life was under discussion –what words would be appropriate to describe us in a sentence or two?
What could go wrong when God was happy with the way someone was living? A few months ago in 2020 before the Covid-19 virus pandemic spread across the globe, who could have predicted the changes necessary in order to fight this deadly invisible enemy in our midst.
2. The problem posed (Job 1:9)
Job 1:9-10 states: 9 ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’ Satan replied. 10 ‘Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. In essence, the accuser is declaring that Job is incredibly fortunate to experience his comfortable life style. The vast majority of people in the world had far less wealth and property than he had. Therefore, it was claimed, that if Job lost his home comforts and his income streams and if family members were to contract a serious disease or even die then it would be another matter. It is a big issue of trust.
We believe in a good God and in a heavenly Father who cares for His children. The big question here, though, is how do we cope when our circumstances are less secure? For example, how do we handle the uncertainty in the labour market or the future prospects for our business? Or how do we come to terms with failing health or relationship breakdowns within our family circle? Do we trust God to work for our good when we cannot see any visible evidence of it? It is easy to have theoretical answers, but when we are going through extremely difficult times the questions are very real.
3. The challenge thrown down (Job 1:11-22)
But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.’ The question could easily be asked in our age in a materialistic culture where people are so often valued by the things they possess more than by the person they are. The challenge concerning Job was an attempt to strike at his integrity. In essence, it is being alleged that Job is only a ‘fair-weather believer in God’! If his life circumstances are difficult then he will surely turn his back on God. Without going any further into this story it is good to stop and reflect on our own lives and to ask the question to ourselves: How willing am I to trust God with my future, regardless of the blessings or challenges that come my way?
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Blessed be Your name’
Morning worship online has moved to start at 10am and JAM at 11:15am on the Zoom platform.
You may want to use some of the Engage Worship resources for daily worship during this week.
The Messy Church At Home information is now available.
We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm on Sunday 7 June 2020. This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Please join in and, if you don’t already do so, would you let your fellowship know about this and put it on your social media. Click here to access.
JAM Kids’ focus:
Here is the new video series from Out of the Box for JAM Kids age group.
JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme at 11:15am on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com
Call to worship: Micah 6:6-8 & Galatians 3:28
With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
We are grateful to Gary Torbet for selecting the songs for worship for this service
Our opening song of praise and worship is: ‘Blessing and honour and glory and power’
We continue to worship the Lord in our second song of praise and worship: ‘O Lord the clouds are gathering
Opening prayer
Thank you Lord that once more we can enter Your holy presence in the wonderful and precious name of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. We rejoice that You are the sovereign Lord over all Your creation and that one day the whole universe will be completely renewed and restored to be the world You intended humanity to experience alongside the rest of the creatures with which we share this amazing planet. Thank you Lord that ultimately Your will is going to be done on earth as it currently is in heaven.
We thank You for the glimpse in John’s vision of heaven in Revelation 7 that all Your people of every nation will be present to praise.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
11 All the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’
What an incredible day it will be we will all be together in Your eternal presence.
We are conscious, heavenly Father that each day of our lives we need to come before You to confess our sins and ask afresh for your forgiveness. Lord today as we are so conscious that we live in a world of racial injustice where discrimination and prejudice have been present far too often, we come to ask Your forgiveness not just for any attitudes, words or actions we may have had that have been prejudiced against people of a different racial background, but also for any times when we were silent and failed to speak up when we ought to have done.
Lord Jesus, by Your Holy Spirit give us wisdom and Your clear guidance so that we may consistently both individually and collectively make everyone welcome in our midst. Help us now in our praises and as we sit under Your Word to hear You speak to us today, for Jesus’ names sake, Amen.
Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.
Children’s Talk: “Love your neighbour as yourself” “You are the light of the world” – Gary Torbet
In the video I am about to show you, it is Leona Lewis, the X Factor winner from 2006 (can’t believe that!!). What had happened to her and her Dad when they visited a store in London, was she had been targeted by the store manager for picking things up. The store manager though had failed to say this to any other white customers, which enraged Leona.
This is how the incident make Leona feel;
Leona Lewis; “Speaking out” Using from 05;30 – 10;02
So it was not just the obvious racist behaviour of the store manager, this was bad enough! What also hurt Leona and her Dad as well was that there were other people there – who could have and should have intervened, spoken out and challenged the racist behaviour but instead turned aside, they ignored the injustice of the racist behaviour towards Leona and her Dad.
Jesus says in Mark 12; 31 “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
He also says in Matthew 5; 14 -16 “You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
How can we be a light to others – we can “Love our neighbours” – we can treat everyone whatever race, ethnicity with complete love, dignity and respect. When we have new people coming to church, to welcome them, make them feel special.
But also the lesson from Leona’s story also challenges us not just to welcome, embrace and love everyone, but to speak out when we see injustice. So boys & girls, young people at school, adults in your workplaces, all of us everywhere – Jesus calls us to be the “Light of the world”, and to be people as Natanya read earlier from Micah;
“To do what is right, to love mercy and justice, and to walk humbly before our God.”
Let us ask God to search us, for any hint of prejudice in our hearts, and how we might discriminate against others who are different from us. For us to be the light and the hope of the world by speaking out and stamping out injustice, wherever we see it.
Children’s Song – “You are the light of the world”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI302Av7vSI
Prayers for others
Thank you Lord once more for the privilege of praying for other people:
We come to You Lord to cry out about the repeated injustice of the constant killings of our African brothers and sisters by Islamist terrorists. We pray for the families of the 67 Christians murdered in the last few weeks in the North-East province of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a region in which in excess of seven hundred have been killed in the last three years. We pray that our media in the BBC and other broadcasters will report more fairly and not ignore the increased killing particularly of Black African believers in recent years.
We give thanks that we are Jesus’s hands and feet on earth and can give a voice to the voiceless. We pray for issues of injustice, inequality and poverty whether locally, nationally or globally and ask that God would show each of us how we can partner with Him in bringing justice to these situations; we pray that if there are particular issues of injustice You wish us to address in our local communities that You would guide and direct us to see what needs to be done.
We continue to pray for wisdom for our Governments in Edinburgh and London as we slowly move in the direction of reopening shops and businesses as well as for those owners seeking to make their premises compliant with the new health and safety guidelines. We also remember those in our NHS and Social Care sectors as they seek to help prevent a second upsurge in cases of the Covid-19 virus in our land. We continue to remember those in our schools, colleges and universities trying to plan a programme to allow the maximum educational opportunities for our children and young people in the next school and university year.
In our Baptist Union of Scotland we remember to pray for:
Martin Hodson our General Director – he writes: ‘I give thanks to God for the privilege of serving our family of Baptist churches in Scotland. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord’s wisdom and revelation in order to lead well.’
We also pray for our sister churches in:
Erskine BC – With a number of people on the sheltering list it may take them a while to build up once they are allowed to meet up in church. We pray for guidance for them as they reshape church for the new normal. We pray for them as they look to see how they can continue having an online programme even after regular services start back again.
Falkirk BC – They continue to praise God for the ongoing growth they have been enjoying in the last 18 months, the new leadership structure in the church, and growth & development of our mission, ministries and staff team. Please pray that they won’t be too negatively affected by the coronavirus lockdown and will find creative ways to continue in reaching out during this time of restrictions.
Forres BC – They give thanks that in moving to ‘You Tube services’ because of the Coronavirus lock down, the gospel message is being heard by friends and family of our congregation that are not Christians. We pray that God would help them become a ‘people of prayer’ who rely wholly on His Spirit, that God’s power and might would be displayed in them, for the glory of His name.
Fort William BC – We pray for the elderly people in this congregation who have found the lockdown hard and not being able to meet others. We also pray for those going through cancer treatment at this time in this congregation.
Fraserburgh BC – We thank God for those in our fellowship who are gifted in the use of technology, which has enabled us to have fellowship online. We thank the Lord for the unity that this enforced lockdown has brought to the church. People are phoning each other and caring for one another in various ways. It has been clear to see God’s work during this period of pandemic in terms of bringing the fellowship closer together.
They thank God that, when they can return to face to face worship, they will almost be able to move straight into their newly refurbished sanctuary. They thank God for His presence and superintendent care for them, not only since lockdown but over the past year. We join them in their request to pray for non-members to join the church, for more baptisms and for new people, especially young families, to start coming to FBC.
We pray too for the ongoing work of the Christian Churches in our land that You will help us be the best witnesses we can be in our local communities at this time. We thank you for the other churches in our local community and ask Your blessing on their work as we pray similarly for our own activities this week. In particular we pray for other people with particular needs that are connected to our own congregation:
The Nyguist and Marshall families as they prepare for John’s funeral on Monday and Bill’s funeral on Tuesday of this week.We pray that You would comfort and uphold them and other families recently bereaved at this time.
We continue to remember those waiting for medical appointments and treatment or surgery that has been delayed by the pandemic preparations. We pray that the surgeries of doctors and dentists and hospitals may soon be fully open again to treat those in need. We pray too for wisdom as they see to restore services while complying with the new safety guidelines.
We are aware of other, particularly older members who have ongoing health difficulties and pray for God’s strength for them at this time. We pray for those exhausted with heavy work schedules that you would renew their health and strength, and for those struggling with the limitations of lock down that you would give them Your peace at this time. In particular, we remember … In addition, we bring our own needs to You at this time … in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
Bible Reading
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked.The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
14 ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’15 The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’
21 Peter went down and said to the men, ‘I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?’22 The men replied, ‘We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.’ 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Acts 10:1-23
Before we come to listen to God’s Word let us sing: ‘Far and near hear the call’
The Message
Pre-recorded message
Acts 9:32 -10:16 The Church is for all people
Introduction
The new faith community that began on the Day of Pentecost was composed entirely of Jewish people. Now because people can convert to Judaism and Jewish people moved for a variety of reasons to live in other countries in the known world, it is only stating the obvious to acknowledge that not all Jews looked the same.
The majority lived in the Middle East, but an increasing minority were based in North Africa or Europe. They shared a common set of religious and cultural practices that were taken for granted. The church of Jesus Christ amongst these people was growing, but they had not grasped fully what Jesus had in mind when He spoke these words, before His ascension back to heaven, to His disciples in Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
They had simply blanked out people who were not Jewish.We might be surprised that they hadn’t grasped that, but there have been a number of times when this missionary call has been forgotten by the Christian Church. The Protestant Churches in Scotland in the eighteenth century did not hear such a call until Baptist minister Archibald McLean in his 27 December 1795 sermon reawakened the Scottish Churches to their responsibilities on this subject. What does this passage reveal about God’s vision for His Church?
1. Peter’s crucial first steps (Acts 9:32-43)
How easily we as Christians can forget how familiar we are with coming to church, yet for an unchurched person to come in for the first time is a major step. Those first impressions are vital. Although we must go out of our way to be friendly and welcoming when people come in –we have the responsibility of going out with the gospel to the places where other people may feel at home and which may be unfamiliar to us.
Peter had grown up living in communities that would have been almost exclusively Jewish. Here in Joppa and Lydda the vast majority of people would have been Gentiles. The names of people given in Luke’s brief account confirm this assessment of the situation. Aeneas is a name with Greek origins. Tabitha is a name with Syrian origins and is an Aramaic version of the Greek name Dorcas. There would undoubtedly have been at this stage only Jews in the congregations of the followers of Jesus.
What relevance then, Peter may have thought, has the gospel for the majority of the citizens of these communities? At that time he inevitably had no answers, but to ask the question is to open the window of opportunity to look for a possible solution. The Jews and the Samaritans had similar lifestyles albeit their rivalry tended to obscure that reality.
However, Gentiles with their many gods and different temples and a wide variety of varying cultures must have been a cause of bewilderment to Peter – at first. Acts 1:8, Jesus call to take the gospel to Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, was being fulfilled step by step. Notice with whom Peter lodges in Joppa. Acts 9:43 records:43Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
In Leviticus 11, amongst a whole series of guidelines regarding ritually pure and impure animals, Moses wrote: 24 “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. 25 Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Simon was a Jew working in an occupation that rendered him permanently unclean. It was a smelly occupation skinning the carcases of dead animals and then treating them to produce leather for a variety of goods. Orthodox Jews would have avoided tanners like the plague to prevent ritual impurity.
Peter although still to grasp that the gospel is good news for people of all ethnic backgrounds has already seen that it is available for all Jews –even those that the religious authorities back in Jerusalem would have excluded for being unclean. The Church of Jesus in every generation has struggled to present the gospel equally to all sections of society and the challenge has always been to present an inclusive gospel to which all can be called and invited to embrace as followers of Jesus Christ.
The extraordinary fact of this last section of Acts 9 to Luke’s first readers was not the healing of the bedridden Aeneas or the resurrection from the dead of Tabitha –although both events were most extraordinary – rather it was Peter accepting hospitality from Simon the tanner. This man had offered a place in his home; an unexpected offer and an equally unexpected acceptance by the great apostle.
God was at work in a special way for this to have come about. All of us will have times when we are surprised by God’s actions in the world. Too often we focus on the unexpected sinful and hurtful choices people make rather than on the blessings of the unexpected good and creative and generous choices that people have made, and from which we have benefited. God was opening Peter’s mind to enable him to think ‘outside the box’ in evangelism, but also that Gentiles mattered too! God was directing Peter to widen the circle of people with whom he was associated in order that the good news could influence and transform the lives of people who might otherwise not hear it.
The challenge for us today is to ask ourselves if there are people with whom we might share the gospel, whom we had not previously prayed for or considered how we might show something of God’s live to them in a practical way.
2. Cornelius’ openness in Prayer (Acts 10:1-8)
To whom does God speak?
(a) A Person who desires to be holy (v2a) 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing God took His rightful place in this man’s life despite his limited knowledge of God and an even more limited contact with God’s people, due to the location of his work in this Roman town of Caesarea. This town was like a major American army base abroad with its fast-food restaurants and cinemas –everything in fact that reminded the soldiers of home. In this case the architecture was Roman; the religious temples were like Rome and in fact it was simply Rome in replica –so different in every respect to a Jewish town or village, let alone Jerusalem. Yet Cornelius’ focus was not primarily on what the Roman Emperor wanted him to be like, although he was dedicated to his career and did an excellent job as a soldier.
His focus was on seeking to please God, even though he had little access to the Jewish Bible and would have had real problems getting the time off to attend services at a Jewish place of worship. This was a man who would not be put off seeking God and serving Him. He and his whole family led self-disciplined lives seeking to love God, including planned time for family prayers and personal time alone with God, together with a heart to assist other people around him in practical ways in accordance with their needs. Here was a small group of people waiting to commit their lives to Christ; the only obstacle in their pathway was someone to tell them about Jesus. Do we need God to open our minds to help us make friends or speak to someone from a different cultural or religious background about Jesus? Could we be missing an opportunity already available?
In every country and culture there are people like this- maybe in small numbers in some places, but larger in other countries. Will you pray for an opportunity to introduce someone to Jesus? In a world where secular pressures attempt to squeeze us into a godless mould may we like Cornelius have a passion for godliness; an earnest desire to be God-pleasers through the choices we make.
The apostle Paul put it this way in Romans12:2: 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Are you failing to hear God speaking to us because our life is too cluttered to hear Him speak above all the noise of everything else going on in our lives? God is looking for a people who will give Him their full attention to heed what He has been calling them to do.
(b) A Person who desires to serve (v2b) he gave generously to those in need generous giving is planned giving. As Christians we will not want to give God the loose change we find on the day. Those of us with regular incomes can set aside our tithes, even setting up standing orders and with the simple use of gift aid forms we can make our offerings go even further if we are tax-payers.
I want to express my most sincere thanks to those who have given so generously to help our church meet its financial commitments since lock down. However, the difference between the recommended giving of Jews in Bible times and the model recommended by Jesus and the Early Church leaders was this: Under Old Testament law you could tick the boxes and say I have given my dues. Even the issue of which neighbours could be helped if they needed assistance was addressed by the Pharisees, but Jesus challenged this mentality with the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.
The person in need whom we can help is our neighbour. All that I own and possess I have in trust from God. I am willing to make myself and what I have available to God and allow Him to guide me in the use of those precious resources. This is not a form of communism where all the comrades are compulsorily ‘equal’, rather it is a determination to be in control over what I have rather than being controlled or motivated by them. Money and possessions are good and necessary, but never an end in themselves only the means to an appropriate end.
(c) A person who desires to pray (vs2c-8) and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius We could easily miss the significance of what is going on here. The time here is important. 3pm was the time of the evening service in the Jerusalem Temple. It was an hour of prayer set aside by devout Jews. For some Jews who were unable to attend the service in the Temple would set aside the time at home when that was possible.
What is remarkable here is that Cornelius was not a Jew. He was a Gentile and a Roman at that. He wanted to please God and was like many non-Jews of that day who had lost faith in the Roman gods, but knew that there was a God to whom they wished to give allegiance, but wanted to do so without joining the Jewish faith. They were known as ‘God-fearers’; people who attended services in local synagogues on a regular basis and lived honourable lives in a very corrupt and depraved society.
These were the most receptive people when the gospel was carried across the towns and cities of the Roman Empire. There is a spiritual health warning that must be given concerning prayer. Be careful what you ask for – God might grant your request! 4Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
There are many good and commendable things we ask for that appear to be unanswered or simply don’t happen. There are other times when it takes weeks, months or years longer than we had envisaged. In other words God’s response to our prayers can be either ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘not yet’. Here this rather shocked man was informed that God had seen all that he had done and was about to bless him in ways he hadn’t imagined would be possible. God hasn’t changed. However, the blessings we may receive may not be the ones hoped for, but we must trust our heavenly father to know what is best for us.
3. Openness in Attitude (Acts 10:9-16) In another place, Joppa, Peter is praying in his regular daily prayer time. Do we take the big hint here from Luke that the people God is most likely to use in His service are those who spend some time with Him each day? It is not the length of time that is important, rather the setting aside of some time that fits appropriately within your daily schedule. This was a quiet time when most people were sleeping in that hot climate. Peter is using some of that time to spend it with God. What a shock he experienced when this extraordinary vision imprints itself on his mind.
The Jewish law called all these animals unclean and they were not to be eaten. This was a distinctive lifestyle choice that kept Jews and Gentiles separate. Peter is not a vegetarian or a vegan –it is ritual purity that is the issue here! God repeated the message several times to make sure Peter got it! Was it a message about Peter’s dietary choices? No! However, it was a problem for the apostle as he could not grasp what God wanted to say to him.
There was a clear message about food in Acts 10:15: Do not call anything impure that God has made clean, but had Peter not been radical enough by staying in a tanner’s house? The table fellowship issue was clear to all the apostles. Paul put it this way in Romans14:14: 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no foodis unclean in itself. Peter was left with the challenge from God. However, it was only a few minutes before all became clear. While he was still praying there was a knock at the door. Peter thought nothing of it as he was a guest in that home and was largely unknown in the area, so the visitors must have come to see his host.
How did Cornelius’s men know to go to that address? God told them. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. How did Peter know the visitors had come to see him? God told him. 19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”21Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 22The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Why did God go to such extraordinary lengths to ensure this meeting took place and the follow up meetings in Cornelius’s home? Quite simply this was the biggest step forward since the Christian Church began on the Day of Pentecost. People of all races were equally welcomed to join the Christian Church was God’s message. The Church in Antioch (Acts 13:1) modelled that inclusivity in its leadership team too. It is no surprise that this is the local church that pioneers overseas mission. They had a world vision in their home context first. In order for the gospel to be given to people other than Jews God had to ensure that it took place in an appropriate way with the most prominent leader at that time setting the example.
There are times when God opens doors for Christian service that we had not sought nor prayed for or ever thought would be available to us. My we come openly before God for guidance for today, Amen.
Our song before we come to communion is: God of Justice
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus invites all Christian who have committed their lives to follow Him to participate in this act of worship. The apostle Paul wrote these words of Scripture in I Corinthians 11:23-26 to guide our observance of Communion.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Prayer: Choose your own words of prayer to give thanks for the bread and wine that represent the costly gift of His body and blood for us.
Take the bread: Jesus said: ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
Take the wine: Jesus said: This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’
Our closing song is: Let the flame burn brighter
Closing Prayer:
Thank you Lord that you are a God who so loved the world that You gave Your one and only Son to die in our place on the cross, whether we are Jews or one of the other ethnic communities collectively known in the Bible as Gentiles. Thank You for the privilege of the call to follow in Jesus footsteps to make the good news of the gospel known to everyone we can of whatever race in the coming days.
Help us as a church to welcome everyone to our congregation equally whatever their racial background. We pray that no-one may visit our church services and feel less than wholeheartedly welcomed among us. In this new week we pray for the strength we need to live for you in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Benediction: The Grace
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore, Amen
Names matter! If your name is Robert and I call you Michael repeatedly after several meetings, despite you graciously alerting me to my mistake on each occasion, then you could legitimately question how well I was listening to you in our conversations. Names Matter! Or if in conversations the other person never mentioned your name and simply called you ‘boy’ or ‘girl’, or ‘man’ or ‘woman’ – depending on your age or gender – you might view such a practice as being less than friendly. Or even a sign that they had forgotten your name.
It was no different in the ancient world whether in the time of Jesus or a thousand years earlier in the time of the famous King David. In Isaiah 49:13-16a there is remarkable passage in which the people of Israel exiled in Babylon (Iraq) feared that God had forgotten them. They were praying in their times of desperate need and nothing happened. Had they been abandoned?
Isaiah comes back to them with this message from the Lord: Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. 14 But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’ 15 ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
In other words God knows His people and never forgets us, even if other people forget our names and anything else about us. You may think today that you are of no importance. As a child of God by faith in Jesus, your heavenly Father would take a different view. You matter to Him. He knows your name.
Here in Matthew 1:6 it states: David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife The sad story of David’s wicked plan to take the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers Uriah overshadowed the remaining years of his reign (see II Samuel 11-12).
When ordered by the king to sleep with him Bathsheba had no choice in the matter. She was a vulnerable woman, especially so after the murder of her husband. Did she have mixed feelings about the child she was carrying? We will never know, but undoubtedly the loss of the child, only a few weeks old, would have been painful. Her agony of heart at her losses was not just hers. As a direct result of his sin, David, years later, would lose his favourite son Absalom.
His lament recorded in II Samuel 18:33 conveys the agonies he experienced: The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you— O Absalom, my son, my son!
Our focus here is on Bathsheba. What a strange way to refer to her: whose mother had been Uriah’s wife… She was the woman who in the eyes of some people was of no particular significance. What was her actual name? Bathsheba means literally: ‘daughter of Sheba’ or possibly ‘descendant of Sheba’, because Matthew is not including all the people who might be in this genealogy. It is a selective use of names for a particular purpose as Matthew builds up to the revelation of the angel in this same chapter who will privately reveal to Joseph the name of his son. Matthew 1:21 states: She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.’
God was saying here through the inclusion of this woman that she was of value and great worth to Him. Each person matters to God whether you are young or old, rich or poor, or of whatever racial heritage. Bathsheba in human terms was powerless to control so much of her life, but God knows her name, just as He knows yours and mine. You matter to Him. In whatever circumstance you find yourself in the coming week or weeks, remember alongside any petitions you may bring to Him, also to bring Him your praises and offerings of thankfulness, for Jesus’ names sake, Amen.
Our song for reflection is: ‘At the name of Jesus’
Our next Messy Church At Home session is now available on our website, just click on the link below. This time we’ll hear a story about a little man who climbed a tree! We’d love to see any photos of what you have made 🙂
If the inclusion of Tamar was a shock to some early hearers or readers of Matthew’s Gospel, then Matthew 1:5 takes this surprise to a whole new level. The grace of God in welcoming people into His family often can be more generous than we might naturally be comfortable with. We need to ask in our churches are we equally welcoming to people regardless of their age or social class or their race?
To make people genuinely welcome takes effort and is a more radical step to take than mere toleration. It goes much further than making a point of noting with whom we share a time of fellowship after the service. It speaks, for example, about diversity in the range of songs we will choose in worship services that will be accessible to all across the age spectrum; the topics we choose to mention in intercessory prayer are very revealing; do we pray for the wider world in its diverse needs? Do we remember the Christian Church across the globe which in so many places suffers serious persecution and even physical violence simply for owning the name of Jesus? Too many churches pray only for themselves and their needs not even referencing other churches in their own country in their petitions to our heavenly Father.
Here in this verse in this genealogy is a powerful statement of divine inclusion in the people of God as a result of His undeserved love towards us. It may for some readers even be a challenge as to how we view this subversive genealogy! To whom unexpectedly does God say ‘welcome into the people of God’ in Matthew 1:5? The first individual mentioned was a Canaanite woman named Rahab who most probably was the owner or manager of a brothel (Joshua 2:1).
The NIV marginal reading ‘innkeeper’, is a rendering that owes more to the embarrassment of the believing scholars who produced the translation than the Hebrew text. Yet this woman hid the spies sent by Joshua the Israelite leader in the only place in that city where none of the men present wanted to highlight their identity. It was the perfect hiding place for these wanted men. Yet through this unexpected encounter Rahab came to faith in their God and for the rest of her life honoured God and was listed in Hebrews 11:31 as one of the great people of faith. She heard the words of the messengers of the God of Israel, sent by Joshua, and trusted them implicitly; Her words were: Let it be as you say (Joshua 2:21). As a result her life and that of her family were spared when Jericho fell and the Israelites took the land.
If that was not enough controversy for one Bible verse! It goes on… Boaz the father Obed, whose mother was Ruth(Matthew 1:5); there were very real tensions between the Jews and the Moabite people for centuries because the Moabites and the Ammonites were extremely inhospitable to the Israelites in the time of Moses before they entered the Promised Land. The extent of this problem is revealed as late as the book of Nehemiah who was governor in Judah from around 445BC, hundreds of years later (Nehemiah 13:1-3).
Yet we serve a God who treats us not as we deserve, but in His amazing love and mercy He welcomes all who seek to trust and follow Him. All of us are sinners and undeserving of His embrace, but through His amazing grace even the worse of sinners are welcomed into His family when we put our faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Ruth as an individual was an amazing woman in her character and conduct to break down all these barriers and to be not only tolerated but honoured in the Jewish community in Bethlehem. Unlike Rahab, Ruth had led a life of the highest integrity, consistently, and displayed immense courage to take the steps of faith she did as a woman of faith trusting in the God of Israel.
In this genealogy we catch a small glimpse of the future people of God from incredibly diverse backgrounds worshipping and working together as one people of God in the communities in which He has placed us. The challenge comes to us personally and collectively as Christian churches: How welcoming and inclusive are we to people of different ages or racial backgrounds or social class? We ought to be a small glimpse towards what heaven will be like one day. In the light of this challenge we are all naturally invited to pray and ask our heavenly Father what are our next steps to be more like the Church our Father desires to represent Him on earth in this our generation.
