Elijah vs. Jesus

My wife and I are teaching children's Sunday School today, and in the course of planning, I got to thinking.  Elijah was one of the greatest Old Testament prophets and miracle workers.  At his word, the heavens withheld their rain for 3 1/2 years.  He provided a miraculous supply of bread and oil for a widow and raised her son to life, called down fire from heaven, and became one of only two people in history to never die when he was taken away by chariots of fire.

And yet this great prophet and miracle worker does not even hold a candle to Jesus Christ.  John the Baptist, whom Jesus said fulfilled the promise of the second coming of Elijah's spirit and power, said of Jesus, "He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."  Clearly someone greater than Elijah was here.

Here are five reasons why Jesus is greater than Elijah:

1) Elijah's faith wavered.  Jesus remained faithful.
Despite all that he had seen God do, when Elijah's life was threatened by Jezebel, "he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life." (1 Kings 19:3)  Jesus, on the other hand, never wavered in His commitment to Calvary and His Father's will, and thus the author of Hebrews writes, "Christ is faithful over God's house as a son." (Hebrews 3:6)

2) Elijah had to pray to God to affect the weather.  Jesus simply said, "Be still," and the storm stopped.
Most of Elijah's miracles actually involve him praying and asking God to act.  James says that "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain." (James 5:17)  But Jesus didn't ask for anybody's permission; He simply said, "Be still," and the storm ceased.  Thus He proved that He is the God of Psalm 89:9-- "Who is mighty as You are, O Lord?  You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them."

3) Elijah raised a widow's son from the dead.  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Elijah is one of the few people in the Bible through whom God raised the dead.  But even though the miracle was spectacular, it is obvious from the account in 1 Kings that it was God who raised the dead, not Elijah.  Elijah pleaded with God, and God answered his prayer.  Jesus, on the other hand, declared about Himself saying, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," (John 11:25), and then backed up this claim by commanding life into the decaying corpse of Lazarus with a simple, "Come forth."

4) Elijah was taken to heaven with fire.  Jesus will come from heaven with fire.
Elijah was taken up into heaven by "chariots of fire and horses of fire." (2 Kings 2:11)  Lest we be too enamored by this spectacle, though, 2 Thessalonians tells us of a greater heavenly fire: a coming day "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God... when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marveled at among all who have believed."  The glory of Jesus' heavenly fire will brilliantly outshine Elijah's, as much as the sun outshines a flickering match.

5) Elijah never died.  Jesus conquered death.
Elijah is one of only two people in the Bible, along with Enoch, to never taste death.  Yet the honor that Jesus has and will receive is infinitely greater, for Jesus is now "crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)  And Jesus did not just taste death for everyone; "He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death."  Elijah the sinner never died, thanks to Jesus tasting death for Him, and now Jesus has definitively conquered Satan and eliminated the power of death for all time for all who trust in Him.

Elijah is surely worthy of much honor among the great saints of the faith.  But Jesus is surely worthy of much more.  He is a greater miracle worker, greater life-giver, greater sin-conquerer, greater grave-overcomer, greater Savior.

It's okay to pray for joy

Is it okay to pray for joy, or is that a selfish prayer?  Asking for God to make you happy, even happy in Him, seems sort of "off" somehow.  Though I freely label myself as a "Christian hedonist," it's still something I feel funny praying for sometimes.  But the Holy Spirit gave me a clear answer today when I was reading Psalm 85-86.  Here are 3 examples from the Psalms of praying for joy, all of them with God-centered motivation.

Psalm 51:12-- "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You."
Apparently there is a direct connection between deeply feeling the joy of knowing God's great salvation, and being a good evangelist.  Here, David's prayer for joy is directly connected to his desire that God's salvation would be felt more deeply by him and extended to others.

Psalm 85:6-7,9-- "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?  Show us Your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us Your salvation... Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
The main connection to draw here is between "Your people rejoice in You" and "that glory may dwell in our land."  The glory of God is put on brightest display when His people rejoice, delight in, and treasure Him above all else.  Therefore, our desire for joy is (or should be) deeply caught up in our desire for God to be glorified, because those desires are biblically synonymous.

Psalm 86:4-5-- "Gladden the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.  For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You."
This has got to be one of the most overtly hedonistic prayers in the Bible.  "Gladden the soul of Your servant," the Psalmist prays.  In other words: "Make me happy, God!"  And the foundation for His prayer: the character of God.  God is good, forgiving, and loving-- and this is the ground for both the Psalmist's request and His expectation.  Because God is all of these things, there is hope and reason for joy, even in the darkest of times.

And finally, not needing any explanation, are the precious words of our Savior from John 16: "Until now you have asked nothing in my name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

As Watchmen For The Morning

This is a poem I wrote this morning, while meditating on Psalm 30 and Psalm 130.  It may or not become a song at some point-- I haven't figured that out yet.

Psalm 30:5-- "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

Psalm 130:6-- "My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."

More than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for joy to come

More than watchmen for the morning

Though weeping tarry long

Out of the depths, the miry pit

My soul waits for my God

In His unfailing word I hope

And wait for joy to come

More than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for steadfast love

With God is plentiful redemption

So I will wait for joy to come

His promise is my power

His grace, my only plea

So armed with faith's assurance

I know joy will come to me

My sackcloth turned to gladness

My mourning into song

As watchmen for the morning

I rejoice to see the dawn

He has marked me with forgiveness

Forgotten my iniquity

My soul will sing Your praises

For joy has come to me

As the watchmen for the morning

I will see the final day

The dawning of Your glory

When every tear is wiped away

The Lamb will be the glory

And Christ will be our light

For joy comes on that morning,

The end of weeping's night

Soul, arm yourself with power

To believe God's word is true

Though night is long, 'tis nearly o'er

And joy will come to you.

Through-the-Bible Thoughts

Every day that I have the privilege to be in God's Word is a blessing beyond description, but what I take away from the Word is different each day.  Some days are full of rich, deep, beautiful truth, and other days are more about the discipline of dryness-- pursuing God because of who He is, not because of what He gives me.  Today, though, was a particularly fruitful day with my Through-the-Bible reading.  Here is some of what the Holy Spirit was teaching me and reminding me of:

Psalm 34:2- "My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad."

This is a description of "humble boasting"-- a deliberate bragging that points away from oneself.  It's the same thing that God commanded in Jeremiah 9-- "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the might man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth."  Or like what Paul said in Galatians 6-- "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."  What we are to boast about really has nothing to do with us; it's about openly celebrating the character of God and the omnipotent mercy that has been shown to sinners like us.  I want to become, in this sense, a more boastful person.

Acts 20:24- "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

Oh, how I want this passion!  I don't want to waste my life by considering it valuable, but I want to say with Paul that the most valuable truth that I must commit myself to is "the gospel of the grace of God."  Sometimes I think I've touched that passion, and other times I realize that I have not even scratched the surface of what it means to be so self-forgetful and consumed with the cause of Christ.  I'm not there, but oh how I want to be there!

Acts 20:26-27- "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

This is what Paul said to the elders of the Ephesian church after spending three years with them.  God has been continually reminding me of this verse, and of the passage in Ezekiel 3 which Paul is referencing, in relation to my own three-year ministry at Center Presbyterian Church.  I'll be leaving when I graduate in May, and when I go, will I be able to say this?  I have been given the task to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, to declare the whole counsel of God in Bible study and youth group; will I complete my task?  The stakes are dangerously high; if I shrink from teaching difficult or unpopular truth and thus leave them in their sin, God will hold me accountable for their souls.  This is a frightening and sobering prospect, and it drives me to be blood-earnest with them, especially with the youth group kids.  When I leave, I want to be able to say with all seriousness that the kids understand, "I am innocent of the blood of all of you."  Will those words make sense in my ministry?  I pray they will.

The Sinner's Hiding Place

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered...

You are a hiding place for me;

You preserve me from trouble;

You surround me with shouts of deliverance.

~Psalm 32:1,7

How precious is the Gospel!  The knowledge of God's costly grace, freely given to us, is blessing and joy and comfort beyond measure.  Blessed is the one whose sin has been covered-- but covered by what, and by whom?  Verse 7 gives the answer-- we are covered by God Himself, who becomes for us a hiding place from the ravages of sin and wrath.  The hymn "Hiding Place" grasps this sweet truth:

You know the vileness of my heart

So prone to act the rebel's part

And when You veil Your lovely face

How can I find a hiding place?

Lord Jesus, shine and then I can

Feel sweetness in salvation's plan

And as a sinner plead for grace

To Christ, the sinner's hiding place

"Christ, the sinner's hiding place."  What a precious, precious phrase!

God knows, and I know in glimpses, the deep vileness of my heart.  I know who I am and what I deserve, and I am grateful that God daily reminds me of this in His Word.  And even more, I am so thankful that as a sinner I can plead for grace to Christ, the sinner's hiding place.

The Promise and Power of Missions

Today I was reading Psalm 22 for my Through-the-Bible reading plan (yeah, I know, I'm a couple days behind).  Verses 27-28 jumped out at me.

All the ends of the earth shall remember

and turn to the LORD,

and all the families of the nations

shall worship before You.

For kingship belongs to the LORD,

and He rules over the nations.

This passage is a promise for missions, and power to back it up.  "Missions" is the work of the church in bringing the Gospel to unreached people.  The reason we can have confidence in doing this is promises like this one in Psalm 22.  The promise is that all the ends of the earth shall turn to the LORD and worship before Him.

But what if the promise fails?  What if people don't turn?  What if Christians don't go?  This flood of questions and doubts can threaten to undermine missionary zeal, unless the promise of missions in verse 27 is accompanied by the power of missions in verse 28.

We can be absolutely confident that all the ends of the earth will turn to the LORD, that "a great multitude that no one could number from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" will one day stand before the throne, because "kingship belongs to the LORD."  God is sovereign over the nations, He is sovereign over the flow of history, He is sovereign over the darkened hearts of men, He is sovereign over salvation, He is sovereign over missions.  The same God who spoke omnipotently into darkness and said, "Let there be light," still speaks with the same omnipotence into blinded, darkened hearts around the globe, saying "Let there be light" (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).  The mission will not fail, because kingship and sovereignty and wisdom and power belong to the Lord.  We can therefore obey His summons and go with confidence, knowing that there is power to back up this glorious promise.

Joy Is Coming

This will be Tuesday's Daily Verse, but I wanted to share my thoughts earlier here.

"Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."  ~Psalm 30:5

What a difference would it make, in the midst of sorrow or depression or discouragement, if you knew joy was coming?  And not some esoteric 'happy feeling'; no, the kind of joy that turns "mourning into dancing" and "clothes me with gladness."  Could knowing that joy is coming make a difference to you today?

Well guess what?  Joy IS coming.  We have a guarantee from our God.  Hear the promise of Isaiah: "And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."  There is a day coming, we have been told, when the old order of things will pass away and God will make all things new.  And for those of us who have been ransomed by the Lord, this blood-bought promise is ours in Christ, who came to give us "the oil of gladness instead of mourning."  So take off the sackcloth of sorrow and anticipate the dawn of everlasting joy, when God will wipe every tear from the faces of those who trust Him.

Joy is coming.  Will you be ready when it gets here?

Wondrous Sovereign of the Sea

Today in my Through-the-Bible reading, I read about Jesus calming the storm.  Matthew 8:26-27- "And He said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?'  Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  And then men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him?'"

Jonathan Edwards answers their question in his phenomenal sermon, "The Diverse Excellencies of Christ:" "By His walking on the sea in a storm, when the waves were raised, He showed Himself to be the God spoken of in Job 9:8, that treadeth 'on the waves of the sea.'  By His stilling the storm and calming the rage of the sea by His powerful command, saying 'Peace, be sill,' He showed that He has the command of the universe, and that He is that God who brings things to pass by the word of His power; who speaks and it is done, who commands and it stands fast."

The disciples were amazed and afraid, because as good Jewish men, they knew their Old Testaments.  They knew Psalm 65:6-7, which speaks of "the One who by His strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples."  They knew Psalm 89:9- "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them."  They knew Psalm 107:29- "He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed."  They knew who this One in the boat with them must be-- Yahweh Himself, the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

Fleeting vs. Lasting Treasure

In my Through-the-Bible readings, I came to Psalm 17 today.  Psalm 17 is a lament of David, crying for vindication against the unjust accusations of the wicked.  At the very end of the Psalm, David contrasts the hope of the wicked with the hope of the righteous:

Deliver me... from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their children.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness.

~Psalm 17:14-15

The portion, treasure, and satisfaction of the ungodly is in this life.  At first glance, it doesn't seem like they've got it too bad; in fact, it looks a lot like the American dream.  Treasure, children, abundance.  A four-bedroom house, a two-car garage, and a white picket fence.  These are gifts from God (You fill...), yet their only portion is in this life, and at the end, they leave their abundance to their children.  It's treasure, yes; but it's the kind that moth and rust destroy and thieves steal.  They are satisfied, yes; but with something temporal and less than they were made for.  Even though their children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), they are missing the One who blesses.

Contrast that to the hope of the righteous: they shall behold the very face of God in righteousness, and they will be satisfied with His likeness.  This is a better hope, an enduring satisfaction, and a glorious joy that will overflow for eternity.

This is what Jesus means when He tells us to store up treasure in heaven; we are commanded and invited to forsake earthly treasure for a better and lasting possession.

May we never get caught up with blessings, even the wonderful blessing of children, at the expense of losing sight of the One who blesses.

11 Reasons to Love the Bible in 2009

There is perhaps nothing as valuable in the life of a believer as a steady diet of God's Word.  Throughout Scripture, God holds out indescribably wonderful promises to woo us to His Word-- promises of life and power and salvation and holiness and joy.  Below are 11 reasons to love the Bible in 2009.  I pray that they will inspire you to say with the Psalmist, "I love Your commandments above gold, above fine gold."

Holiness: Psalm 119:11- "I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

Enabling Ministry: 2 Timothy 3:16-17- "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Guidance: Psalm 119:105- "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Understanding and Wisdom: Psalm 119:130- "The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple."

Spiritual Nourishment: Deuteronomy 8:3- "He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Comfort: Psalm 119:50- "This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life."

Joy: John 15:11- "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

Faith: Romans 10:17- "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Salvation: James 1:21- "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Knowing God: 1 Samuel 3:21- "The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His word."

Seeing Jesus: Luke 24:27- "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

With those promises in mind, I am eagerly looking forward to mining the riches of the word of God this coming year.

Profit

Today in my Through-the-Bible reading, I read Malachi, thus finishing the reading plan for this year.  On January 1st, I'll start over with Genesis, Psalms, Matthew, and Acts.

But today, God has me in Malachi, and it's been a stirring read.  The one place that really hit me the most was the end of chapter 3.  Throughout Malachi, God makes accusations against the people, who then insist on their innocence.  God then gives evidence of their wrongdoing.  At the end of chapter 3, the exchange goes like this:

Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD.  But you say, 'How have we spoken against you?'  Y0u have said, 'It is vain to serve God.  What is the profit of our keeping His charge?'

The people question how it profits them to keep walking with God.  The wicked prosper, and they put God to the test and escape, and the arrogant seem to be blessed.  So what good is it to follow God?  Their complain is just like Asaph's complaint in Psalm 73-- "Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.  All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence!"

Here is God's answer to Malachi and Asaph:

Malachi3:16-17,4:1-2  The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed His name.  "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares His son who serves them... For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all the evildoers will be stubble... But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

Psalm 73:25-28 Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to You.  But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.

God's answer to the people in Malachi is the same answer that He gave to Asaph-- a reality-check of the coming end of the wicked, and a reminder that the greatest riches of the righteous lie not in things but in God Himself, and that the most important question is not, "What do you own?" but rather, "Who are you owned by?"

As The Deer For Streams Of Water

One thing I do occasionally is write poetry.  More often than not, the "poetry" turns into a song, but sometimes it stays the way it is, without musical accompaniment.  For the music, you can visit http://brendanbeale.dailyverseonline.org (songs eventually find their way over there).  For the poems, I figure that I'll post them here every once in a while.  The point is not to show off a skill at crafting words; my hope is that you will be encouraged and pointed toward the glory of the Savior in new ways.

Here's a poem I wrote tonight, based on Psalm 42:1-3, Jeremiah 2:13, and John 4:14, called "As The Deer For Streams of Water."

As the deer for streams of water

Pants my heart, O Lord, for Thee

For the ever-flowing river

Living water come to me

Thirsty for a satisfaction

Which evades these cisterns poor

Worldly comforts dry and broken

Drive me to Thy fountain, Lord

Tears have been my only portion

Salty streams from barren heart

Grief and bondage, dust and ashes

Will such idols e'er impart

Yet in Thy river grace abundant

For this chief of sinners gives

Pardon for my earthly lusting;

All my cisterns You forgive

So bring my longing to the Source,

The fountainhead of life divine:

The cross, where multitudinous mercy

Makes Thy glory ever mine