Exposition by Max A Forsythe
The
Reformer's Fire
Exposition by Max A Forsythe
One of my neighboring teachers left a cartoon on my desk this last week. The theme of the cartoon was the utopian dream of mankind. Bert was the character in this cartoon and he advertises his dream of utopia in his front yard simply and succinctly: "We'll do everything my way!" Such is the common fallacy of all utopian nightmares. As far back as Plato's dream of a perfect "Republic" to Aristophanes "Birds" where everyone is perfect and society's every need is attended to. However, there is always a bite to these dreams. In the "Birds" two early feminists are discussing the perfection of their state and one asks the other, who will do all of the work? The perfect answer is "the slaves, of course". Whether the utopian master would be a Napoleon or a Hitler, Stalin or Mao, the final result is always the same, some are more equal than others. We see this in our own country where the corporate and political elite would have two sets of rules, one for themselves and another for those who are truthfully paying the bills for all of their unnecessary frills.
Once, when I had some idle time, I outlined my own version of utopia. It was to be a science fiction piece. Of course, I knew where this thing was headed and I coined a new phrase to describe the horrible place being planned: "Aipotu"! That is simply "utopia" backwards, because if history teaches us anything, it is the fact that all the social planners and those who would create a New Deal, a Great Society or take us into a New World Order - will get it all wrong. Even the Puritans who set about establishing a "Theocracy" in colonial Massachusetts had to abandon the principles of communism after the first year. If they hadn't they wouldn't have survived!
Now, I have always found the writings of the Utopians to be tedious at best and a nightmare at worst. In fact, if you or I had to live in any of the twentieth century versions of utopian cultures, we would be dead, slave labor or depressed with the heavy burden of supporting the cultural dream. Why is that? Well James Montgomery Boice observes in his summary of the minor prophets that "the prophets' reiterated message of coming judgment is oppressive, so that any serious attempt to understand and apply it often leaves a person depressed. ... I feel it ... in the greater part of the Book of Zephaniah." And what is it that is depressing - that people are people are people, no matter what century or continent they inhabit. Like a popular song phrase of some years ago, "I did it my way!" I guess that is why I never got beyond the outline form for my aipotuian pipe dream! Since every human endeavor is plagued with the imputed sin inherited from Adam, the consequences of doing things our way always lead to a sin filled cultural disaster.
Even the nation of Israel who had been given the wisdom of the law and the insights of God's revealed principles, even the elect of the Old Covenant imitated their surrounding neighbors, hoping thereby to effect their own glory! Every time, in every generation - the Creator God had to send His prophets to call the people back to embrace His law, His grace and the promise of His coming to them in Christ and again at the end of the age. So any depression or oppression that we might feel from the work of the prophets should be laid at its source - the the sinful wiles and ways of a fallen human race. Even our own culture has finally come face to face with the true depths of depravity.
The first reaction was questioning: how can these children of ours, these pristine little creatures who most people think are born with a blank moral tablet in their minds, how can they learn so quickly, so efficiently to sink to the total depravity of taking joy in murder and mayhem? The second reaction was downright judgemental: how dare they do this in spite of everything our culture has given them in the "near perfection of American educational theory and practice"? The reaction nationwide has been swift and certain. Wherever our wayward waifs have emulated the wickedness reflected in Colorado, administrative types have sported a sudden predilection for discipline unknown and unrealized since the fifties.
Some students were wondering why friends and acquaintances could be suspended or expelled for just threatening violence. I simply observed that too many students had chosen to be bad a week after several proved to be even worse. Even the patience of worldly, secular, humanist administrators has been pushed to a limit that must prove the failure of their own attempts to create a utopia where the students would have so much fun learning, that they would have to be chased out of school at the end of the day to catch their bus ride home!
Well have and do the prophets comprehend and illuminate the total depravity of mankind. And were they to simply record the sorry state of humans and leave it at that, who would read the Bible? However, there is always the hint of the greater glory of our Creator God in heaven! The depravity of mankind is not the end of the matter, all of the prophets saw through the righteous judgment of God to comprehend the incredible mercy and grace that is always promised. Yes, Israel and Judah must fall and be taken captive because of their sin, but our God is a mighty God who will not leave them forever in their true condition. The people of Zion will be redeemed. First historically and then finally at the end of the age.
Even as we know that Judah was restored in the midst of a wild and woolly world, so too is their hope for revival and reformation in our once fair land. Another election may purify our White House from the hopeless perfidy for which it is now known. Even the cultural despisers of Christian values may come to the conclusion that religion is a necessary "good" in the midst of our cultural wars? We have only to look where the hearts and minds of the citizens of Colorado turned in the depths of their sorrow. Of course, we may not be completely ready for a great awakening yet, but as the Hollywood crowd leads us further and further into the dark night of "Disnal" depravity, there is some hope that there is enough common sense left in the land to finally allow some Christian philosophical competition to where the Media utopians would take us.
The essential question in this decade as it is in every decade, where is your heart? Any real revival must begin with each of you, especially our young people. I won't call you by name, but I would invite our children to listen carefully to what Zephaniah says in verses nine to thirteen. As James Montgomery Boice outlines it, there are three ways here in these verses by which you may know if you are one of God's spiritual children being born again.
The first way to know is if you "call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord." What this means is quite simply where is the focus of your heart. Do you pray, do you seek, do you look for Christ? My grandmother's life was turned around, when at age eight, an aunt was dying and on her last visit, grandma was challenged to seek the face of the Lord. Very soon after that, grandma chose Psalm 17: 15 as her life verse:
"As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake."
Have you given your heart to God? John Calvin was known for a phrase that went something like this: "My heart I give to you Lord, promptly and sincerely." May that response be each of yours as well.
The second way to know you belong to the Lord is if you are "meek and humble people [who] trust in the name of the Lord." Now this is more difficult and flies directly in the face of the false teachings of our public high priests known as guidance counselors. The Lord does not count it any good if you have strong sense of personal well being and esteem! No indeed, the psychological madness which passes for wisdom is focused on the very part of the human character which needs to be broken through wise training. Every human is born self-focused, the mind is gravely deceiving in this matter, and if we would allow it, every single person would insist on self-indulgence to the point of destruction. Drugs, alcohol and every type of sensuous pleasure would be fair game if we were not taught in the Lord, that not everything is good for us. We cannot have everything we want, because there are things that not only kill the body but the soul as well.
Thus, we all need to learn a good dose of reality, humility and being born again through the power of the Holy Spirit. You cannot be your own little god, demanding all of the attention of parents, teachers and adults. I once had a severe troublemaker in my classes who couldn't go more than ten minutes without claiming the attention of the whole class. He was so self focused that he truly believed that everyone should be made to pay attention to him, no matter what else was going on! Well did he realize that potential one day when he took a hostage at gun point and got the attention of eight armed policemen. Providentially, he was given enough common sense to realize that he must humble himself by putting down the gun and letting himself be taken away in the utter humility of handcuffs, to be charged and then put out of his indulgent home into a more realistic institution.
Where is your heart today young people? Are you humble enough to admit the greater wisdom of your parents, your teachers, your elders and especially that of God Himself?
The third way of knowing if you belong to the Lord is if you "do no unrighteousness and speak no lies". What this phrase means is living in obedience to God. Did you know, that there are even adults who belong to Christ's church who have not this qualification? Of course, all of us are sinners and continue to fall short of the greater glory of our God and King. But, there is great comfort in learning the essential lessons of behavior while you are young. When I was growing up, the local session controlled not only the church, but along with leaders in the other congregation and like minded men - the school district, the village and the township. Things were so organized that it was extremely difficult for young people to get into trouble even if they wanted to! Some did manage by extraordinary efforts, but punishment was swift and certain if one was caught breaking the laws. Of course the laws of God were taught to the whole community and all of the local families of any importance supported the teachings of our God and King.
Now, unfortunately - there are too many choices in our culture, you only have to wander a block or so to find people willing and ready to break every single commandment of our God and King and they are not punished. Indeed, they will sue in court is anyone so much as tells them that the wishes and desires of their minds are wicked. C.S. Lewis, who wrote the wonderful Tales of Narnia observed in the fifties that as the world got worse and worse, those who chose to obey the God of heaven would shine out like jewels in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. Unfortunately, he proved to be prophetic in this matter. And you do not have to be very good to look good in comparison to those around anymore. In fact, the standards of behavior have fallen so low, that far too many people take comfort in a very minimal showing when it comes to God's moral law.
Yes the commandments are given lip service in much of the Christian community, but far too many people are ignoring the lesser regulations for God's community of believers. Time was, fifty years ago when every woman's earrings were clip-ons. The reason for that was an Old Covenantal prohibition for piercing and tattooing the skin. Hats were also very much in fashion because they were worn to church because of a New Covenantal instruction to cover their heads. Well, too many World War Two sailors and soldiers came home with tattoos and in the sixties, the piercing of skin began harmlessly enough for female earrings.
Anymore when one of my students asks me to look at their piercing or tattoo, I immediately close my eyes because things have gotten very pagan and gross in the last three to five years. There is even an organization of "Christian" tattooists now! Fancy that? In some public schools those who do not favor every outlandish fashion are as noticeable as the Amish community in my area.
Well has C.S. Lewis' observation come about. But, young people - we want you to go beyond the outward appearances only that were too common in the fifties and sixties. We want you to take obedience to God seriously so that you may glorify Him not only in your appearance and behavior like your parents and grandparents, but also in your hearts as they have done.
Now, if those three tests have been met, then you are ready for the joy of salvation celebrated in verses fourteen and fifteen: "
Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; ..."
This is the great reward that the Lord gives to those who belong to Him. He comes into your heart bearing salvation. He has taken away your sins in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has cast out Satan and all his minions. The Lord God of all the universe is in the midst of His very own church. This is what we hope you sense in the middle of every worship - the abiding presence of the Lord our God.
Worship is a foretaste of glory, it is a hint of heaven. Yes, in a few minutes we shall go out of church, back into the world where things are not always what they should be, but we have the Great Day of the Lord to anticipate. Just as the ancient Judeans were brought again from their sufferings and reestablished on Zion's holy hill, so too is the greater more wondrous coming of Jesus Christ at the end of the age. This is the great news that is ours today - if you will have it? "
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: '
Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.'"May your hearts be prepared for that great and glorious day. Amen.
Resources Used:
Baker, David W. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries:Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.
Boice, James M. The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary.
Places Preached:
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America)
Box 13926 -- Columbus, OH 43213
Zph 03b 02 May 99
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