New Thoughts (5/10/04-5/15/04)
Intimacy, submission, obedience, power. There's a definite sequence and order to this. It had taken Zacharias some time to get to this point. Intimacy requires time. When he had first met Gabriel, that intimacy was not established, so submission and obedience were not his immediate response. He served God, he prayed to God, but his reaction to the news declared that he was not intimate with God.
An interesting side-thought here: Isn't it interesting to note that even then it was the women who were more in tune with what was happening? We complain of it today in the church, not that we men actually do much to change it. We just complain and then we feel better. But, is it just possible that this is part of God's design? He uses the men, more often than not, to move events forward, but it is the women who understand more immediately. It is the women who have long established intimacy with Him. The men, today as then, must be drawn along after.
Back to Zacharias. He had had nine months or so, now, to become intimate with God. Lack of speech limited how much he could share with others, even his wife. The clear move of God upon him gave sufficient cause to put this time of silence to good purpose, and clearly he did so. It was the intimacy that he had developed that allowed him to fully submit himself to God's declared plan, and his submission was shown in obedience. He was facing, in his own way, the crisis of the cross. The world, as represented by friends and family in this scene, said the child should be named after the father - tradition! But God had said to name him John. It would be uncomfortable. It would raise questions in their minds. It would not make sense to them, and they would inevitably try to make it make sense. That Elizabeth had said it first only added to the challenge. A woman had made this statement! Was she taking advantage of her husband's malady? The attention of the worldly was upon him. The expectation of the worldly was clear, that he would assert himself and countermand her nonsense. The implications of that were also clear. If he agreed, the world would judge that his wife had the power in this household, a shameful thing. But, God had named this child already. In submission to his God, Zacharias defied the expectations of the world, and wrote in bold simplicity, "His name is John."
Intimacy. He had now had many months to commune with his God in solitude. This malady, it occurs to me, would likely have disqualified him for Temple service, yet it could not stop a righteous man from pursuing his devotion to the Lord. So, the Temple was not there to distract, there was only he and God. None other could hear his thoughts, and like no other time, Zacharias could also hear God's thoughts.
Submission. With this increased closeness to the Lord, it was easier to accept even more fully His right to rule. Submission is easy when we both understand the command and agree with it. It becomes harder when we understand but don't really quite agree. It becomes almost impossible when we don't understand, but relationship to the commander can give us the strength to do so. There are people in history who have that clear leadership quality in them, of whom it is said their men would follow them anywhere. In some, it was simple charisma, a charming way with words that lulled men in. In most, however, it was far more. It was the developed and established relationship they had with those who followed - with all who followed.
This is God's model. This is what He seeks amongst His people - all His people. He seeks to be on such intimate terms with each one of us that we can cheerfully submit ourselves to His command and direction even when we disagree, even when we don't understand. It is only in that intimacy that we can truly begin to grasp the wonder of Him. We can know great wisdom and knowledge and yet disagree with it vehemently. We can know the weakness of our own position and yet defend it with great energy. But, in intimate relationship with God, we know Him - not His attributes, Him. We become familiar with our Sovereign Lord, and in this case familiarity breeds not contempt, but confidence. We are confident in Him. He has proven Himself to us so often that no doubt can creep in any longer. If He says 'Do,' we can do with confidence, even if we don't see the point.
Obedience. Active submission. The two are inseparable. There is that which has the outward appearance of obedience, yet is nothing more than smoldering rebellion, active resignation. This powerless form recognizes that it must do what it would not, but hungrily waits for the moment when it can force its own way. Consider a child cleaning his or her room. Likely, this is not done out of any natural desire of the child. Likely, there is the demand of a parent behind the deed, and likely, the child is not complying with this demand out of love for the parent. Far more likely that the child complies because it sees no other option. This is not obedience, then. It is rebellion gone underground.
Obedience is a different thing. Obedience may know that there are options besides obeying, and it may not know of any. To obedience, it wouldn't matter. Options or not, obedience will choose to follow the one submitted to. Why? Because there is a bond of trust, a mutual knowledge of one another involved in that relationship.
Power. Because our submission is to the One whose wisdom is perfect, because our obedience is to the One whose knowledge is complete, there is great power in it. The power comes to us not because of some wily incantation we have learned, indeed, not because of anything in us. Truth be told, the power does not come to us at all, we come to the power. Because we are aligned with the purpose of God, we are co-laborers with Him in what He is doing. It is His power doing His will in pursuit of His purpose. We, in submitting obediently to His sweet voice in our hearts, have lent ourselves to His efforts. He is gracious to allow us our part in His doings, and because we are with Him, we participate in His power, in His impossibilities.
This is what we see in Zacharias at the last. As soon as he obeyed, actively, willingly obeyed, he regained his voice, and oh! What he was given to say! Zacharias had options available to him. Nobody was standing there, forcing his hand as he wrote his message. He could as easily have written, 'his name is Zach,' but he didn't. He didn't because he didn't want to. Pure and simple. He preferred obedience to the God who is.
It is important, also, to notice his response to regained voice. The first thing out of his mouth is praise! What a powerful word, that! To praise is to bless. It is to give thanks for what God has done, to declare who He is. Praise is also the power of consecration, which is something we don't often think of. Praise is as much prayer as it is song. We praise Him in giving Him thanks, we praise Him also by bringing to His notice the objects of our praise, for in bringing them to His notice, we seek His blessing, His praises, upon the object, and His blessing of praise will consecrate that object for His own holy use. What a powerful gift He has given us in praise!
Do you know, God also praises us? When we read of God's blessings, these are words of praise over His children. When we experience God's blessings, we experience His words of praise over us. There is this distinction with God, though: when God speaks, He acts. His word goes forth, and it accomplishes. His word is ever active. This is why we experience less an audible voice of praise from Him than the manifest blessings that are the result of His praises. Know this, as well: When God blesses, when His words of praise manifest themselves in the blessings He bestows, He is most assuredly consecrating us for His own holy purposes!
Wow! God, what an awesome thing You have brought to my attention here! To know that You sing Your own praises over me. Yes, I can imagine this. I see it in the songs of praise You sang over Job. I see it in Your words regarding David, and especially regarding Your Son. Yet, I also see that Your praises can be a fearsome thing, if I lose sight of You. Lord, don't allow anything to pull me away from intimacy with You. It is my survival! This is so clear to me in this moment. It is my survival. Indeed, increase that intimacy we have. Show me how I can draw closer to You, and let it be that I pursue the course You show.
Holy One, I would bring this other matter before You. You know the offer that has been made to me. You know that my heart would be pleased to pursue that offer. Yet, I know that it cannot be done with integrity, as things stand today, and You have established this much in me, that I will not breach my word. Indeed, unless You show me a way that this can be, I will not pursue that course, yet I would that You chose to make a way. It has been such a time of refreshing to be at this place, with a brother, near to home. If it to be but for a time, then so be it. I choose Your ways. Yet, if Your way can lead me to something more permanent in this place, lead on. I leave it in Your gracious hands, and submit myself wholly to Your answer.
We love to hear Jesus' words about answered prayer. We love the idea that whatever we pray for, He will give us. We tend to forget, however, the precondition of this state of affairs. It is a promise made only to those who are already in the place of intimate, submitted obedience. It is precisely because we are so in tune with what God is doing, so wholly in accord with His plan, and so focused on working alongside Him, that such a promise can be made. God is too wise to give such a powerful promise to children! One need only listen to the prayers of their own children to know that this promise, while it may seem to promise anything we want, is in reality promising His action on anything we are seeking in pursuit of His wants. The child will pray for the divine ability to pass some test that they haven't been bothered to study for. However strong their faith may be, God is hardly obligated to give that child his or her desire.
This promise is not for children, it's for sons! Sons have the image of their father. Sons not only look like their father, indeed, they might not look like him at all, but they resemble him in character. They have certain traits, certain habits, a certain moral quality that is their inheritance. The sons of God, as we have seen in previous studies, are those who not only call Him "Abba, Father," but also behave as He would in the situations of daily life. Theirs is no situational ethics. Theirs is righteousness in action, righteousness shown in submissive obedience to a holy law, built upon an understanding of that law's intent which comes from times of intimate communion with God.
When such a one prays, their prayers will be prayers of faith. When such a one prays, their prayers will be prayers of obedience. The prayer of faith doesn't hold out its spiritual debit card and seek an infusion of some sort. The prayer of faith is less concerned with material things that pass with the using. It is concerned with what concerns God. It has a kingdom focus. When the prayer of faith goes forth, it goes forth with kingdom purpose. Such a prayer is prayed in obedience to the purpose and command of God, and He will surely hear it, and hearing He will surely act.
It's an old theme, but, how often have we thought our prayers unanswered simply because the answer was not the one expected? How often do our prayers degrade into attempts to tell God what He should do? Listen! There's nothing wrong with expressing our desires to Him. Absolutely nothing! There's nothing wrong with talking to Him about things that may not have any direct bearing on His plans as we understand them. It's an intimate relationship He has established! He is pleased to hear our hearts, wants to share our thoughts. Again, there's nothing wrong here. What becomes wrong is when we begin to insist that He is somehow obligated to answer in one accord with our desire. Nonsense! He is not obligated to do any such thing! Have we still not grasped the meaning of grace? Do we mistake our God for some spirit being that the right incantations can constrain to our will? Never! He is in control. It is we who are constrained to do His will, not by any bonds, not by any spell, but by simple love.
Knowing our Father, and in love with Him whom we know, we know His desire to bless us, to give us good things. How, then, should we insist that He give us what is not good? Knowing His perfection of knowledge, and knowing our own to be limited, how can we insist that He adjust His plans to accommodate us?
Lord, in no way would I seek to bind You to my will in what I have prayed, nor in any action I have taken. True, I have knocked upon a door. However, it is Your will that I would see done. If it is Your plan and purpose to open this door, gladly will I walk through. If it is not, than by no means allow it to open, God. We've been here before, You and I. I know I must test the waters in such matters, seek out the path You have laid out for me when the way is unclear. I know, also, the joys of waiting for Your answer, Your timing. If this is it, then I pursue the path You provide. If not, I remain on the path You set before me. So long as You keep me in Your will, centered on Your plan, eyes on Your kingdom, it is well with my soul!
God blesses by interfering. What a wonderful way to put it. He speaks His praises to us in this interference. He declares His delight in us by so working upon the events of our lives that we delight in Him, and we are made such as we can delight Him the more. His active praises in our lives change the course of our lives. See it in the story that has been followed here. Zacharias had not planned for muteness, had not really planned to play the prophet's role, either. God planned that. He planned it, and He interfered in Zacharias' life to bring it about. Mary was not intent on pursuing some dream of bearing the child of God. Bearing the child of Joseph, perhaps, but not of God. She did not intend to arrive at her wedding day pregnant, did not have some deep seated desire to stress Joseph out, test him to see if he'd be true to her even through this. She was not planning to bear the Redeemer, but God interfered in her life that she might do exactly that.
When He interferes in our lives, He interferes in praise and blessing. He interferes that we might be consecrated to His holy use, by His holy prayer over us. He celebrates who we are, every bit as much as we celebrate who He is when we praise Him. Intimacy is a two way street. Love requires reciprocation, cannot long endure in the face of rejection. We love Him because He first loved us. Our love continues because we are constantly aware of His continuing love for us. It seems only reasonable that in this relationship between lovers, what one thrills to do for the other, the other also thrills to do for the one. If we delight in God, is it surprising to think that He delights in us? If we sing His praises, is it shocking to consider that He sings ours? "Have you considered my servant, Job? Who is like him?" "Have you seen this son of mine, Jeff? Look how he's grown! Do you think he has My eyes?"
You know, God's first word over us is blessing and praise. It is that first word of praise which has caused our being in the first place. It is His word which has brought life in us. Likewise, my first words should ever be in praise of Him who made me. Every day should begin with a rejoicing in the presence of my Father, in declaring the goodness He has shown me, in a rededication of my love for Him.
Good morning, Father! You have given me another day to stand amidst Your creation, and I thank You. Looking out my window, Lord, in this house You have blessed us with, I see the variety of the trees, I hear the voices of many birds, voices familiar, yet not quite known. What joy You have given me with this! Each day, a whole new vista appears from Your hand. How shall I not thank You? Each day, my eyes behold anew the work of Your hands, and each day, You bring me to this place, looking not only upon Your works, but upon Your words, seeing in them, also new vistas day by day. What wonders have been mine to behold as You have chosen to show me! Yet, Lord, I know I have too often heard and gone on. In this, I must seek Your forgiveness, must seek to strive the more to hear with understanding, to hear and having heard, to act. May it be so in me, my God! May it be so! My desire is for You alone, yet my desire is a distracted thing. My mind, further evidence of Your creativity, has this habit of thinking about more than one thing at a time, and it is hard, Lord, to bring its whole attention to You. Yet, may You find me attentive - hanging on Your words to me. May you find me submitted and obedient - instantly moving to satisfy the word You speak. Oh! That my love for You would be so evident in me, Lord, that even the unbelievers must take note, that even the skeptics might know that here is one who has been with God!
Effective hearing: this is the real lesson of this particular passage. We are dealing with a crowd of folks who were not in the place of intimacy with the Father. They were not aware of His plans and purposes. They had been taken by surprise in this action. But, they heard what He was saying now. Once the shock was over, they heard. This word indicates not simply hearing, but understanding. I can hear the birds outside this house, but I cannot understand the message in their voices. Those around the scene of John's birth heard his father's prophecy and understood that this was important. They did not fully and completely understand what the import was, but they knew it was important.
Even in this, they heard effectually. Effectual hearing may not always lead to instant action, it may not always include full understanding. Sometimes, the most we can do with what we have heard is tuck it away for more thought. Mary was wont to do this. As she heard what God was saying in regards to her son, His Son, she did not fully comprehend the import of the messages, but she stored them up in her mind. This is not to say it was filed and forgotten. No, it was taken in, memorized, and placed in that part of the memory where one could take it out and contemplate it, examine it from every angle, think long and hard on the significance of it. Eventually, understanding would come.
With prophecy, can there be any other approach? Surely, any prophecy we see in Scripture is enigmatic at least in part. After all, prophecy is God's speech to man. He stoops down that we might understand Him, yet His ways remain far and away above our own, and His thoughts, though framed in words we can understand, remain distinctly 'not our thoughts.' A God we could wholly comprehend, after all would be no god at all. The prophet spoke words even he did not fully comprehend, described visions that he himself could not really explain. It would take the course of history to make the message completely comprehensible. Yet, there were seeds in the message that one could grab hold of. The general drift of the message was ever plain, even if the details were inscrutable. The wise heard the whole message, and took what was heard into meditation. They heeded God's instructions and meditated on what had been declared day and night. They stored up His message, knowing that in that message was sound advice and good counsel, knowing that in that message, He was declaring His purpose, and the wise man would seek to align himself with that purpose and serve.
All of this is wrapped up in the two words that are given to describe the reaction of these people. They heard - akousantes. They heard and understood that what they had heard required a taking action. They understood that what they had heard, even if they did not fully comprehend it, was God's declaration of His purpose, was to be obeyed. They also understood that it would need God's inward communication to wholly lay hold of what He had said. Thus, they not only heard, but they stored up - ethento. They took in this holy message, and stored it up in reserve. They sought to put the message in place amongst what they already knew of God, of Messiah, of life. It is interesting that this same word has the sense of submission. Strong's gives it the sense of placing oneself in a passive posture. Thayer's makes it perhaps more evident in giving the meaning of bowing at the knee. This image is understood, I think, by all. It is the recognition of authority, and submission of obedience to that authority.
This storing up of the words and events around John's birth is indeed just such a submission of obedience. It is a recognition of the authenticity of what they had witnessed, and the Authority behind what they had witnessed. Clearly, God's hand was active in what they had seen. Clearly, God's voice was speaking in what they had heard. What could one do, other than to try with all his faculties to comprehend what it was God was planning by all this? What could one do, other than to meditate on His message until He should see fit to bring full understanding? In these events was the purpose, the counsel of God Almighty. In these events was God's explanation of the present as well as the near future, perhaps the far future, as well. In these events, God was establishing a course to be followed. Those who hear with understanding, who hear effectually, will do all they can to ensure that their own footsteps pursue that course and no other.
We may at times hear as these folks heard - knowing the message is important, but not entirely clear on what it means. This will happen to us. There will be those times we hear God saying something, hear what He is saying, but don't quite get it. Those who accompanied the family in this scene give us an example of at least part of our proper reaction in those moments. Store the words up. Commit them to memory, record them somehow, that we may think upon them continually. God's instruction regarding the Law was to write it upon your hands and upon your foreheads, to keep it constantly before your eyes so that you could be constantly aware of it, thinking upon it, and applying it. It's the same idea. Especially when the intent of the message is unclear, it is incumbent upon us to think upon that message until understanding comes.
There is another thing that would be wise to do in such a situation, and that is to ask ourselves why it is we didn't get it. This is not a question of condemnation, it's a question of self-checking. There may be any number of reasons why the message wasn't clearly comprehensible to us. It may simply be that God's thoughts are above our own, and will take some time to digest. The answer that should cause concern, though, is that we didn't get it because we hadn't been paying attention - like the question that comes one's way when the teacher sees that one is daydreaming. If it is because we were taken unawares by His voice, no longer in tune with His plans, we must recognize this as a wakeup call. We must repent of our sleepiness, or laziness, and seek Him out more energetically. It's the call that says to the church, "I hate it when you are lukewarm! Would that you would either cool completely, and stop pretending to be My people, or catch the fire of your younger days, and live like My people. I cannot stand it when you say you are Mine, but you act like the Devil."
If our hearing has gone bad, it's an early warning sign that our fire is fading. It's an early warning that our attention has been drifting, the world has been calling us, and though we may not yet be answering that call, it has been drowning out the voice of the Spirit in us. It's a call to wake up, be attentive, regain the intensity we had at the start, and become one with God's purpose again.
What we have heard, then, should be the stuff of our meditations. We should dwell upon what God has been saying to us. This is true of the things we read in Scripture. This is true of the things we hear from the pulpit, at least it had better be. If that which comes from the pulpit is not for us the dwell upon, it is only because the pulpit is no longer used for God's glory, in which case we should flee the place in which it sits. Abomination has come in. What we have heard internally, at the prompting of God, should also be the stuff of our meditations. However, we must apply the test of Scripture before accepting that those internal promptings are God's doing. Take every thought and imagination captive!
What does that mean? I think we can say that it means we must judge our own thoughts and imaginings by His revealed Word. We must, then, be intimate enough with Him, familiar enough with Him, to know not just the words He has said, but the meaning of those words. If we have not meditated long on His revealed Word, we will have no foundation, no basis by which to validate such thoughts and imaginings as come to us. We dare not trust our own thoughts except when we are in intimate communion with the Trinity.
There comes a time, though, when meditation must cease, and action take over. We can hear. We can hear with understanding. We can file all we hear away, and think upon it constantly. Yet, if after all this we do nothing with what has been heard, if we don't obey the command we have comprehended, it's all been useless. Indeed, we are doubly condemned, for there can be no doubt that we knew what we should do, and there can be no doubt that we did not do it. This is the definition of effectual hearing: that one not only hears and understands, but also takes action upon what has been heard - a doer of the Word.
Many were taken by surprise when Zacharias regained his voice. One may wonder, and the wording is not absolutely clear on the matter, whether it was the events of the day that caused people to become so curious, or whether it was the words of Zacharias' prophecy. The events were certainly surprising enough. However, I'm not sure the reaction would have been that great if Zacharias had simply regained his voice. There would have been mild curiosity still, but if he had not had something worth hearing to say at that moment, that's all that would have come of it - mild curiosity. The events, I think, just gave proper setting to the words that would come, and those words, heard more attentively because of the setting, were what made clear that God was on the move.
I will be looking at those words in earnest in the next portion of this study. However, in this place, let me say that when prophecy comes, when real prophecy comes, it's going to be uncomfortable. I don't say this because I think real prophecy must be delivery of bad tidings. No, I say this because it is clear to me from Scripture that even when the word of the prophet is for good, it remains a direct communication from One who is Holy. When Isaiah had close encounter with his God, he recognized both God's true holiness, and his own true wretchedness. He knew what he deserved from such a holy God, and it brought a proper fear upon him, not a servile fear, but fear nonetheless. When the prophet speaks, we are brought into that same place - into the relatively immediate presence of a Holy God. We revel in what we like to think of as His presence in our church services, but this is just the merest fringe of His passing, if even that. We get all excited when we hear the prophetic word, either that, or perhaps we become disdainful. How we react depends on many things - the message, the messenger, our own opinions. Few, however, react as to a direct message from a Holy God. This may be because few of the messages are such direct messages, are more the opinions of an excited imagination. Or, it may be that we need to wake up. This, I will say, though: When the true prophet speaks, whether his message is of blessing or of great danger, it will effect us much the same way. The words may bring comfort, but the immediacy of God's presence cannot help but make us uncomfortable. He is Holy. We, however much His work may have progressed in us, remain sinful. We are safe in His presence solely because He sees the end product even in this unfinished stage, and the end product is clothed completely in Christ's own righteousness.
We know this. It is all our confidence before Him. Yet, the eyes of this flesh cannot look upon this flesh in that fashion. We know the end product will come, but we are not equipped to see it in our present selves. When we are brought into such an immediate presence of Perfection, we cannot be comfortable with our work in progress.
When the real word of God comes, when God is truly on the move, people are going to notice. When it's more than our plans and programs, more than our thoughts that are being declared, people are going to notice. It won't matter if their seekers. There will be no need to try and make our churches seeker friendly. Notice what is said in these verses. The message of Zacharias, and the events surrounding it were being talked about all over town, all over the neighboring towns, throughout the region.
When the church pursues its own course, people only notice the failures. The successes get little attention. This is partly because an unholy people are keen to see proof that God is not real, that righteousness is not really required of them after all. So, when a denomination begins accepting homosexuals into the pulpit, this is news. When priests are caught doing things that no child should have to suffer, this is news. But, when the church reaches out to the poor, nobody really wants to know about it. When the church goes out to protest against the ills of a nation - abortion, the general 'anything goes' atmosphere, whatever hot button has attention - people pay them little attention, other than to be annoyed.
But when God moves, people are going to notice, and they're going to have no option left but to recognize that what is happening is not a bunch of people pushing their own opinions, it's something bigger. They will be brought face to face with their Creator, and will have no choice but to recognize their own condition. This is what was happening around the preaching of Jonathon Edwards. It wasn't his charisma. It wasn't his eloquence. It was God doing what He wanted done through a man He had chosen, and even those who had no interest in the things of religion were brought to a recognition that there really is a God in heaven, and He really is Righteous and True. Oh! That we might regain that place in our day! Oh! That we would come into an age where the church stops trying to keep the world happy, where the church stops being a plaything of man, and becomes once more God's toolbox.
When God moves, people notice. Unless He moves, all that we do will be no better than background noise. Unless we remain in Him, with Him, we are powerless, however much we may think of ourselves. The empires of the past learned this lesson the hard way. The empires of the present will doubtless only learn by being destroyed. Power breeds density, and among men, absolute power seems to make men absolutely dense. But even then, when God moves, people notice. His is the power that can break through the densest mind!
Even so, Lord, come and move among us. Let us regain our proper fear and respect for You. Let us remember our real position, our dependence upon Your strength and guidance. Let us, Father, set aside all our nifty plans, all our super-spiritual facades, and seek You out. Let us stand firm in the place where You are. Let us refrain from all actions unless and until You lead us out. Let us, in short, Lord, remember where power is. Let us remember that it is we who serve You, and not You who serves us. Move, oh God, and make Your glory renowned upon the earth!
