The Lord Looks on Your Heart (and Your Actions!). Zechariah 7:5-10.

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7.

What matters more, your actions or the heart behind those actions? Is it really the thought that counts? Sometimes, the action counts for a great deal, does it not? Can the father who never spends time with his children defend his absence by saying “you were always on my mind”? No. Actions matter as much as thoughts. But thoughts and motives do matter.

Jesus spoke often of motives:

“Examine your motives to make sure you are not showing off when you do your good deeds, only to be admired by others; otherwise, you will lose the reward of your heavenly Father” Matthew 6:1 the Passion Translation.

Likewise, Jesus’s half-brother James writes, “you ask [pray] and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” James 4:3.

The Old Testament speaks of motives too.

Following the Babylonian captivity, some of the people came to Zechariah to ask whether they could stop fasting for Jerusalem, now that the city was being rebuilt. God came to the prophet with an answer that pointed out a flaw in their reasoning:

“When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to ME? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” Zechariah 7:5-6.

I imagine the answer from the people would be something like, “But hey, we fasted didn’t we? I mean, we gave up eating? What more do you want?” People would assume that if they are missing meals, then they are following the fasting rules. Such a fast sounds like a good, legitimate fast. So what is the problem?

The problem is the state of their hearts. Fasting is described as “afflicting ourselves,” Ezra 8:21.  If you are not taking on a humble, worshipful heart, you are only fasting on the outside and your heart is not in it.

The indictment continued:

“Execute true judgment and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother, and oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor. Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart” Zechariah 7:9-10.

(Doesn’t that sound reminiscent of the words of Jesus some 500 years later? “Whoever looks on a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart?” Matthew 5:28.)

So are motives more important than actions? No. God simply addresses motives because His people so often manage to obey “on the outside” while having disobedient hearts. As Jesus told the hypocrites, their act of obsessive tithing was good, but they were neglecting matters of the heart, such as justice, mercy, and faith:

“These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” Matthew 23:23.

In other words, God is interested in our actions AND our motives.

I think of singing in church. How easy is it to sing every note perfectly while your mind wanders, completely un-worshipful? I am guilty of that. I get caught up thinking about harmony parts and can miss the worship. And of course, that is missing the whole point. Worship should be all about the heart.

Sing well. But sing to God.

Fast well. But fast with a heart of worship.

Serve and help people with justice and mercy—and do it “as unto God rather than men” Colossians 3:23.

Dear God, teach us to serve You well, to work hard like Martha. And remind us to have our hearts in the right place and worship well, like her sister Mary. May we serve You with our outward actions while also honoring You with worshipful, humble hearts.

AΩ.

Pictured: “Manhattanhenge” the twice-yearly occurrence when the sun sets between the buildings of Manhattan.

Learn More About Heaven and its People by Reading the Old Testament Prophets. Zechariah 6:1-8.

When God created the universe, He made so much more than this planet and the plant, animal, and human life on it. In addition to the observable, material universe—stars, planets, and things we can see, God filled His creation with an even more-real dimension of life that those of us in the material world cannot see.

The heavenly or invisible realm of the universe is filled with more life and more beauty than the material world in which we dwell.

Imagine heaven. It is not just more beautiful than earth. It is filled with angels of so many types and ranks, cherubim and seraphim, archangels, heavenly elders, and beasts and figures of all kinds, such as the worship-leading “Living Creatures” with multiple wings and the faces of lions, oxen, men, and eagles, Revelation 4:6-8.

In addition to all the spiritual beings, God created a throne for Himself, surrounded by twenty-four additional thrones (Revelation 4:4), a sea of crystal, streets of gold. None of it is easy to imagine; all of it is beyond our comprehension. For “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him,” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

(Never let the weakness of your own imagination convince you that heaven is not one million times better than earth. Would God give us oceans, Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyons, and Redwoods on earth, then send us to Heaven to play harps on a cloud for eternity? No way.)

God exists in a very real heavenly realm. It is not invisible because it is not real. It is invisible because it is dangerous. God keeps that world invisible to protect us. We are not ready to see it and would find it both terrifying and tantalizing. If you experienced it now, the rest of your life on earth would be filled with longing and homesickness to return.

God hides your heavenly future so you can live a full life here. You will have plenty of time to experience heaven during your eternal life … in heaven!

We will see it all one day. Hang onto that. Until then–

Read the books of the Old Testament prophets for their pictures unlocking the mysteries of heaven.

Consider Zechariah. In chapter one, an angel reveals to Zechariah horses that are sent to do reconnaissance on the world. Like reporters, the horses patrol the earth and report back. Unlike reporters[1], the horses report that “the whole earth is calm and quiet” Zechariah 1:11.

(Are there animals in heaven, you ask? There are horses, we know that much. My opinion is there are probably more animals in heaven than on earth.)

A few chapters later, the prophet encounters a different set of horses. These are not quiet patrols on some secret recon mission.

“I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?” The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.” When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

“Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north” Zechariah 6:1-8.

What is going on in this passage? This time the notes in my study Bible were not as helpful as I would have liked. So I turned again to the ENDURING WORD BIBLE COMMENTARY. The commentary first noted that some believe the two mountains to be Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives. Describing the mountains as bronze indicates this is a vision of judgment. Next, consider the colors of the horses: “In the usual scriptural symbolism, RED speaks of war, BLACK of famine and death, WHITE of victory, and DAPPLED [spotted] of pestilence.”[2]

This vision of horses is a vision of God’s judgment on sin. Does judgment make you uncomfortable?

Stop focusing on the judgment and look at the sin.

God judges the school shooter.

God judges the pedophile who destroys innocent children and never gets caught.

God judges the warmonger whose greed brings hate and grief to untold millions of people.

Even a cursory reading of the Bible indicates how incredibly, amazingly patient God is. He does not judge lightly. He “takes NO pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11) but He does judge.

And when judgment comes to the wicked, it brings to the innocent peace. It brings God peace. Consider verse 8:

“Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north” Zechariah 6:8.

The commentary explains, “God’s Spirit is at rest when His enemies and the enemies of His people are judged.”

Or, as the New American Standard translates this verse, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath.”

Judgment of the guilty brings peace to the holy, both God and His people.

Dear God, improve our imagination of how amazing life in heaven will be. Give us more insight into that very real world that you nevertheless prevent us from seeing. Give us a sense of the life and the many different amazing, remarkable beings we will one day encounter in heaven. And help us understand their roles, even when the role is one of judgment. Give us insight about the critical nature of your wrath, how important it is and how much peace it can bring to the innocent. Finally, remind us not to exercise judgment ourselves, but to “leave room for the wrath of God” Romans 12:19.

AΩ.

[1] The Whole Earth is Calm and Quiet. Zechariah 1:8-11. – Household Words:

[2] Enduring Word Bible Commentary Zechariah Chapter 6

No Written Records? Close the Deal and Slap the Children: Ezra 6:1-2. 

Imagine a world without writing. People simply talk. They make promises. They shake hands. When the matter is really important, they employ rituals to ensure that everyone remembers. In pre-literate England, the sale of real estate included an elaborate ritual: go to town and round up a couple of little boys, then go to the property location and hand over a bit of symbolic dirt. Then commence to whipping the boys. Why? Because if you whip them severely enough, you can be sure the children will remember the sale decades later. Is that crazy or what? (Check out the article footnoted here–[1])

As soon as people began building cities, the complexities of commerce required them to create better records. How do you prove you paid for something? You need a written receipt. How do you prove a marriage? With a written marriage license. How do you prove the terms of a contract? You need a written language that can spell out the exchange of promises. What is each party going to gain? What is each party going to give up? What are the terms of the deal?

Written language led to written records of births, deaths, conquests, new boundaries, ownership—soon every kind of fact imaginable was being written and filed away. After the Hebrews were released from captivity in Babylon, they traveled 900 miles home to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the temple. And they faced opposition. The local governor challenged them: “Who are you to build this temple?” Ezra 5:3. The governor wrote to the Persian King Darius and Darius handed the problem over to his librarians and record keepers.

“And a search was made in the house of the scrolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a scroll, and therein was a record” Ezra 6:1-2. 

That record explained that the previous king, King Cyrus, had made a decree authorizing the Hebrews to rebuild “the house of God at Jerusalem” Ezra 6:3.

Once he saw the records, King Darius issued a decree, directing the complaining governor not only to allow the restoration of the temple, but also to pay for the project, both in currency and in livestock, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, and to assist the priests in offering sacrifices “and pray for the life of the king and of his sons” Ezra 6:6-10.

This is the power of the written word. Written records grease the wheels of commerce, and sometimes they protect God’s people. Does the Bible ever seem overly long to you? Do the genealogies or the descriptions of the temple and all its contents seem far too detailed and about as interesting as watching paint dry? If so, perhaps you have never imagined a world without writing, without written records, written genealogies, written surveys and blueprints, written catalogues of wars, battles, soldiers lost, prisoners taken, chariots destroyed.

Our world turns on written details. The Word of God does too.

God, give us patience. Make us patient readers of your word. Give us insight so we can better understand what we are reading. Illuminate our minds with a passion for the written word and excitement that we have your word available. May we never take it for granted!

Dance like no one is watching. Email like it will be read aloud in court.

AΩ.

[1] https://www.pbselderlaw.com/livery-of-seisin

Reading Prophecy? There is Help Available! Zechariah 5:1-4.

Bible stories come in a variety of genres. The easiest to read are the parables crafted by the Master Teacher, fables illustrating spiritual truths: the Prodigal Son, the Farmer Planting Seed, the Pearl of Great Price, the Lost Coin, the Ten Virgins. Slightly more difficult to read are the historical records of actual events, such as Noah and the flood, Moses and Pharaoh, David and Goliath, Jesus being arrested, Paul being shipwrecked.

Finally, there are the most difficult Bible stories. These are the dreams and visions of the prophets (think Daniel and Revelation), symbol-heavy accounts that sometimes correspond directly to heavenly realities or future events—but sometimes do not. The dreams and visions of the prophets might best be read as symbol-laden records of the future. Yet the symbolism is so obscure and the dreamlike imagery so surreal, it is difficult to determine exactly what the dreams or visions are predicting. The combination of dream-imagery and dream-logic can leave readers shaking their heads.

Nevertheless, the underlying scriptural message of prophetic passages remains clear:

God is in control, God will judge evil, and God will redeem those who put their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

Moreover, there is a great deal of help available when you read prophetic passages. There is no need to flounder in the face of opaque symbolism.

An angel came to the prophet Zechariah and showed him a series of visions. One of them involved a huge flying scroll.

“I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones’” Zechariah 5:1-4.

Wait, what? A flying scroll? Yes. The prophet sees a flying scroll and the angel says it is the curse that will banish every thief and everyone who swears falsely. But what does stealing and lying have to do with a flying scroll?

The answer will be found in two of the keys to reading scripture. First:

Look at the notes.

Depending on the Bible translation and the publisher, you will often find many useful notes at the bottom of the page or in the margins. This is particularly true of study Bibles. The one I read today explains: “The judgment of the flying scroll was levied against those who violated God’s law, specifically by stealing and lying.”

Further answers can be found in the second key to reading scripture:

Look the verse up in a Bible commentary.

(Commentaries are resources that teach, explain, and “comment on” every verse in the Bible.)

I simply typed “Zechariah 5 and 6” into the online search bar and found a helpful commentary. The Enduring Word Bible Commentary explains that by emphasizing stealing and the taking of a false oath, the scroll image appears to have invoked the ten commandments. Stealing is one of the second five commands—those that concern our relationship with our fellow man. And a false oath is one of the first five commands—those that concern our relationship with God Himself. So God is not merely going to punish thieves and liars, but presumably all those who violate His law. And again—that is consistent with the underlying message of all prophetic passages as stated above:

God is in control, God will judge evil, and God will redeem those who put their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

But until that time, 1) look at the notes in your Bible, and 2) look things up when you need a little help!

AΩ.

Lord, Teach Us to Fast. Ezra 8:21,23.

Every Sunday morning my father doled out an allowance to me of $3.50. I then put two quarters into an envelope for the offering plate. The envelopes (similar to the one pictured) were pre-printed with boxes to check off. As a child, I could not check all the boxes, but they reminded me of the habits the church was encouraging. My envelope would look like this:  

√         Present

√         Bible Brought

__       Bible Read Daily

__       Lesson Studied

√         Giving

√         Worship Attendance

__       Ministry

__       Outreach

There was not a box for fasting. In fact, fasting was only ever mentioned at church as a sort of historical curiosity. Moses fasted for forty days. Jesus fasted for forty days. We talked about that during Sunday school. Maybe we even charted it in pictures on a flannel-graph board. But no one ever suggested that fasting was something I would do.

Until Bart Glatt began talking about it with members of the youth group. One Tuesday night, this man I respected began talking about fasting like it was the most natural thing in the world. Fasting? What?

Long story short, I discovered that fasting is a normal part of the Christian life. It will never be as common as “Bible Read Daily” or “Worship Attendance,” but it ought to come up now and then.

When the Jews were released from Babylonian captivity, Ezra led several thousand from Babylon back to Jerusalem. This four-month journey was a walk of over 900 miles through dangerous terrain. I don’t know anyone who has completed such a difficult trip.

“Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance … So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us” Ezra 8:21,23.

Ezra knew God wanted the Jews to return to Israel. He also knew that God promised to protect His people. But Ezra did not take God’s promises for granted. God wants to bless us—He enjoys blessing His children—but God often delivers His blessings through prayer and fasting. Given the seriousness of the occasion, and the risks attendant upon bringing 2,000 families across 900 miles of desert wasteland, Ezra led the people not only in prayer but also in fasting. Several months later, they reached Jerusalem safe and sound.

But is fasting really a thing? Well, the Bible record includes many more than just Moses and Jesus. Elijah fasted 40 days running from Jezebel. Daniel fasted several times. Esther called the Jews to a three-day fast. David fasted to mourn the deaths of Saul, Abner, and his unborn child. Nehemiah fasted over the broken walls of Jerusalem. The city of Ninevah fasted in repentance after the preaching of Jonah.

But that’s Old Testament stuff, right?

No. The Bible speaks of fasting throughout both the Old and New Testaments. 

Jesus did not say “IF you fast,” but “WHEN you fast….”  Jesus ASSUMED His followers would fast.

“When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious … you are fasting…” Matthew 6:16-18.

Here are some New Testament examples of fasting: Anna the Prophetess “served God night and day with fasting and prayers” Luke 2:37. The disciples fasted. Paul fasted after his Damascus Road conversion. And Paul and Barnabas fasted before choosing church leaders.

Notice that fasting is not just for matters of life and death. We also fast for revival and missions, or spiritual growth, or matters of church life, such as choosing a pastor.

Presently, I fast one meal a week. I would not call the issue I am praying about a matter of life and death. But it matters to me. I have a prayer need that I want to see God answer. And scripture has convinced me that God will respond to fasting.

Do you have a prayer need or a person you are praying for? If you are discouraged in your prayers or simply looking for some way to “strengthen your claim” before the Lord, consider adding fasting to your spiritual regimen.

Dear God, as the disciples said, “Lord teach us to pray.” But also, Lord teach us to fast.

AΩ.

The King’s Heart. Ezra 1:1.

Sometimes I am impatient in prayer. Sometimes I wonder why it seems to take so long for God to answer, or whether He is listening at all. But God is listening. God is sovereign. God is in control and seated on His throne. And sometimes—in His mercy—He encourages me with signs that He does indeed hear my prayers and answer them. Do you need encouragement in prayer today? Let me tell you a story of how powerful God is.

After Daniel and the rest of the Jewish nation had spent 75 years as captives in Babylon, Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered Babylon and immediately began returning Hebrews to their homeland, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecy from years before:

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the world of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it in writing also saying, … ‘The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem … Who is there among you of all his people? His God be with him, let him go up to Jerusalem … and build the house of the Lord’” Ezra 1:1-3.

Suddenly after 75 years, God’s people were going to be freed. What kind of conquering king does that? Not only did Cyrus free the Jews, he returned all the treasures of the temple which had been ‘appropriated’ by Nebuchadnezzar:

“And Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem … all the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred” Ezra 1:7,11.

Cyrus set the Jews free—and returned to them over 5,000 gold and silver treasures to take back to the temple which they would now be rebuilding. Who does that? What kind of a conqueror releases a labor force, and sends them home laden with gold and silver? Cyrus did not even worship God. But God is sovereign, remember? As the skeptic Ben Franklin put it, “the Lord governs in the affairs of men.” God is in control. And God was in control of the pagan king from Persia named Cyrus.

In fact, God had plans for King Cyrus before he was even born. And God stated those plans not only through Jeremiah, but also through the prophet Isaiah more than a century before Cyrus’s birth. And God even went so far as to name King Cyrus. Long before the captivity even began, God actually provided the name of the Persian king who would one day free the Jews from Babylonian captivity.

“It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd! And he will perform all My desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid’” Isaiah 44:28.

God continues to speak of Cyrus in chapter 45, explaining that God has chosen the king though he is not a believer:

“I have also called you by your name, I have given you a title of honor though you have not known Me … He will build My city and will let My exiles go free” Isaiah 45:4,13.

Isn’t that amazing? What pagan king would set people free after losing soldiers in the battle to capture the land of Babylon? And who would send them on their way with treasure?

Cyrus surely knew this prophecy. His wise men and counselors would have shown it to him, a lengthy and detailed history of Cyrus’s reign written before that reign began. The prophecy in Isaiah is remarkable.

But a detailed prophecy from a God in whom he does not believe cannot explain the king’s generous decision.

What does explain that decision?

The sovereignty of God. God was in control and God’s will was going to be done in the life of King Cyrus and in the life of God’s people. God can change hearts and He can change minds.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes” Proverbs 21:1.

Do you need God to answer prayers for you? Do you need Him to change hearts? Whether yours or someone else’s? He can do it! Be encouraged. Don’t give up in prayer. The same God who can move a pagan king to show mercy to thousands of exiles and send them away loaded with treasure can change the hearts and minds around you. Trust Him. Keep praying. And let Him begin by changing your heart and mind.

“The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes” Proverbs 21:1.

God, we praise you. Be glorified in us. Teach us how to pray. Change our hearts and give us humility, worship, and greater faith!

AΩ.

Lullaby and Goodnight: What’s Your Bedtime Routine? Micah 2:1.

My childhood music minister Gerald B. Ray died at 92 recently and I was pleased to be able to attend the service celebrating his extraordinary life. His daughter Kristy shared that her father was in the habit of reciting the 23rd Psalm each night as he went to sleep. While he was in hospice care, Kristy would sometimes quote the beloved passage with her father.

One evening the effects of a recent stroke rendered him unable to speak the words and Kristy began to say them alone. And then she made a mistake. Though the retired choir director could not correct her verbally, Kristy reported that he furrowed his brow in a manner familiar to all of us who ever sang for Gerald. He certainly heard and noted the error. Kristy stopped.

“I’m sorry, Dad! I’m so sorry. I promise, I’ll get it right tomorrow. I’ll go home and memorize it, Dad!”

We all laughed at her story. Gerald’s standards were impeccably high and he made everyone around him better. Kristy went on to say that a few days later Gerald was able to speak again, and they enjoyed reciting the psalm together many more times.

After hearing this story, I was struck by how intentional Gerald was about his bedtime routine. Following the death of his wife, Trevelyn, Gerald had lived alone nearly twenty years. Yet he was not alone, of course. Jesus was with him and he worshipped him in the sunset years of a private retirement just as he had during the extremely public years he spent under a gigantic spotlight as one of the nation’s most high-profile church music directors.

How do you prepare for bed?

What do you think about as you drift off to sleep?

Do you have good thoughts or bad thoughts?

Are you intentional about it, or do your thoughts simply wander to whatever random thing happens to be on your mind at that moment?

Have you ever caught yourself planning evil as you drift off? Maybe a way to get revenge? Or maybe a cutting comment that will make you feel better?

“Woe to them that devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning light, they carry it out” Micah 2:1.

“Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place. He comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope” Micah 1:3-4.

God punishes evil: God will melt the mountains and split the valleys, melting the earth till it runs downhill like water in a flood. Yet, we lie in bed imagining harsh things to say, or clever words we want to put in an email, or perhaps some secret, passive way to get back at our neighbor for some perceived injustice. But do we sleep well pondering such thoughts? Is never-ending drama and strife the path to a good night’s sleep and the good health that should follow?

Instead, turn your attention to God. Give him a few minutes of your time. Confess sins, attitudes, and grudges. Ask him for peace. Spend a minute rehearsing memorized scripture, such as the 23rd Psalm. What could do more for your state of mind at the end of the day?

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep. For you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” Psalm 4:8.

Dear God, teach us to give you our time and attention, particularly as each day begins and ends. Meet us there. Commune with us. Make us better, more honest worshippers.

AΩ.

Beware: False Teachers are Everywhere. Ezekiel 13:1-14.

This morning I came across some crazy ideas online. There was the guy arguing that Christians do not sin. Another said the Apostle Paul was a deceiver who ruined the faith. A preacher argued James (brother of Jesus and author of the Book of James) did not understand the gospel, and that his book contains errors. Then there was a woman wearing a clerical collar who announced that Jesus sinned when he told Martha that Mary was right to listen at his feet. This would-be influencer says Jesus should have told everyone to pitch in and help Martha. She then went on to say that she would be holding Jesus accountable for this error when she meets him in heaven. (Wait, what?)

I suppose for every truth in the Bible there is someone out there who will argue it is false. But God has little patience for false teachers.

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophecy against the prophets of Israel that prophecy out of their own hearts, ‘Hear ye the word of the Lord, Thus saith the Lord God, WOE UNTO THE FOOLISH PROPHETS, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! … Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, the Lord saith it, though I have not? … Because ye have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you” Ezekiel 13:1-8.

Ezekiel explains these false prophets have built a wall out of their lies. But God will destroy that wall and the false teachers with it.

“Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, I will even rend [the wall of lies] with a stormy wind in my fury, and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it … it shall fall and you shall be consumed in the midst thereof, and ye shall know that I am the Lord” Ezekiel 13:13-14.

In a world swimming in lies, how do you discern truth from falsehood?

Two tips: 1) Study the word. They say FBI and Secret Service agents responsible for fighting counterfeit currency do not spend as much time studying the counterfeits as studying the real thing. The way to recognize the false is to be more familiar with the true. We need to learn the Bible so well that we are not taken in and deceived by lies. Some lies are obvious and rather easy to reject. But others are subtle and will appeal to you just enough that they lure you in. But solid knowledge of scripture will protect you.

2) Second, pray for God’s discernment. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. We live in a world filled with many loud, deceptive voices. There are lies everywhere. Be humble enough to realize you do not know everything—and ask God to guide you. Seriously! Pray for wisdom.

Pray that you will “rightly divide the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15. The Bible is a huge text and can be extraordinarily challenging. It is not a children’s book and certainly not an easy read. It is fascinating at times, but it can also be difficult and perplexing. It will require all your reading skill and all your education. And even then, it will also require the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to help you every day!  “The Spirit of Truth will … guide you into all truth” John 16:13.

AΩ.

On Modern Art. Ezekiel 41:1-12.

Image: The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali, 1931.

I attended law school at the University of Houston, a campus littered with abstract modern art, much of it consisting of odd-shaped works in iron. One day while walking across the campus with a student whom I knew to be a lover of modern poetry, we came across one of these quirky red abstractions. This one looked like a chair, if it were crafted in a Dr. Seuss book, all of it completely absurd. Daniel spoke up in his clipped, rapid-fire speech.

“I hate modern art. Despise it. Ridiculous.”

“But you love modern poetry.”

“Totally different. Poetry uses beautiful language to lament the absurdities of modern life.”

“But that’s not different at all. This sculpture laments the absurdities of modern life with three-dimensional forms instead of words. It’s making a philosophical statement. It’s the same statement as modern poetry—that life is complicated, that things are unclear and unknowable, that life is absurd. Modern art is saying the same thing as modern poetry.”

“You really believe that?”

“Yes. Except that I don’t agree with the statement. Life is not absurd.”

“Of course it is.”

“I disagree. We live in a fallen world of random tragedies and volitional evils. But God is good and there is always hope.”

Modern art turns convention—and often reality—on its head. But in doing so, modern art carefully observes the rules of both convention and reality. Chairs only work one way, and no one defies gravity. Modern, post-modern, and contemporary art, probably the “talkiest” or “preachiest” art in history with its constant satirizing and philosophizing, may make jokes and comments about truth, but it will never escape truth.[1]

In other words, you cannot build a building that does not obey the laws of gravity. Gravity is one of the realities of our world, and artists who work in the medium of building design must obey the laws of gravity. It is true that an artist who paints can paint anything. And an artist who writes novels can write whatever he likes. But an artist who designs a bridge or a castle or the newest luxury sedan must follow dozens and dozens of rules. Consequently, there are many areas of art that do not have the freedom to indulge in “statements” about the absurdities of life. You cannot build an absurdist spaceship; it will not fly. An absurdist building will not stand. An absurdist vehicle will not be street legal, if it moves at all.

I think this restriction on absurdist art is a wonderful thing. Why? Because it is not a law or a matter of government censorship. It is a restriction imposed by reality itself. Reality forces people to build buildings that comply with the real world: they must obey the rules of gravity and they must be able to endure decades of wind and rain and ice and snow.

Buildings and other functional works of art cannot ignore the truth, the reality in which we live. And that truth is this:

life is NOT absurd.

Yes, absurd things happen. Random chance affects everything, Ecclesiastes 9:11. But ours is an ordered world. We serve a God of order and he is sovereign. Even the famous deist Benjamin Franklin told the founders to pray (after weeks of fighting amongst themselves):

“”I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.”

God does govern. And gravity rules. And weather happens. And when supply goes up, demand goes down. And when we punish crime, future crime is deterred. Healthy food and clean water lead to healthier people. Antibiotics stop infections. Medicines cure diseases. Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Experiments can be used to prove hypotheses over and over, in experimental conditions recreated around the world. I could go on and on.

Life is not absurd but ordered. In fact, it is highly ordered.

The Bible is filled with detailed descriptions of the amazing work of hundreds of artists and artisans, from the plans for Noah’s Ark, to the Old Testament Tabernacle, to Solomon’s Temple, to the Palace of David, and more. Though written in prose without the aid of drawings, these verbal blueprints contain an extraordinary amount of information, often including every imaginable measurement of buildings, doors, walls, the thickness of walls, and more, so that artists can easily build scale models today of these structures from thousands of years ago. Here are some examples recorded from a vision given to Ezekiel. (Imagine—this was not an actual temple, but a vison, yet Ezekiel records every measurement.)

While still a captive in Babylon, God brought Ezekiel to Israel, set him on a high hill, and an angel began showing Ezekiel buildings, walls, courtyards, and grounds. As a priest himself, Ezekiel would have immediately recognized this as a temple. As you read a bit of the language, you will recognize it as fairly typical Bible language for the description of a temple. But consider the great detail, not only here, but throughout scripture. Everything that a modern architectural firm or civil engineering firm might include in blueprints, the Bible includes in prose.

“Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. And the breadth of the door was ten cubits, and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side, and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits. Then he went inward and measured the post of the door, two cubits, and the door, six cubits, and the breadth of the door, seven cubits … After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits … The thickness of the wall … was five cubits … The length thereof was ninety cubits” Ezekiel 41:1-12.

Unlike modern art, Biblical art was traditional. The buildings were functional. They had to stand up and endure the heat, the sand, and the occasional snows of Israel. The temples were beautiful of course. (You may have noticed the balanced approach: things are even on the right side and on the left, and the width of the building is exactly one half of the length.) The building was beautiful—but this is a case of form following function. The primary goal is to build a quality building that will last, and the secondary goal is to make that building as beautiful as possible.

In fact, form always follows function, whether you are designing an iPhone, a Tesla, or an 18th-century sailing ship. First we build things that work. Then we use artistic skill to make those things attractive.

So it is in the Bible. The Bible contains numerous, probably hundreds of descriptions of various works of art. Don’t think of it as another boring page about the temple. Instead, read those otherwise boring descriptions as descriptions of works of art.

Look for the beauty, the symmetry, the balance. Think about the fabrics, the leathers, the metals, the colors. Try to imagine the finished product. Read these passages like pages from an art history textbook.

Because you know these places were beautiful. David’s Palace? Solomon’s Temple? It may require some imagination, but you are reading about something incredible. Don’t miss that.

And forget the “talkative” approach of modern art. Generally speaking, Biblical art made fewer statements. And when it did make statements, they were statements of Biblical truth: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” Deuteronomy 6:4.

God is one.

God is sovereign.

God loves you.

These are the “messages” of Biblical art.

AΩ.

[1] Traditional art—the art embodied in paintings and sculptures dating back thousands of years—sought a beautiful representation of reality; jokes and philosophical commentary took a back seat to concerns about beauty and the technical precision of a gifted artisan. Debate swirls about which art is better art, traditional or contemporary. Some admire the technical precision of experts like Michaelangelo, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, or the colorful beauty of Monet, Van Gogh, or Gaugin. Others cheer the raw energy of Jackson Pollack or Mark Rothko, or the social commentary of Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger, and Banksy. I like them all.

Spiritual Leadership. Ezekiel 46:1-10.

How do you learn to follow the Lord?

How do you teach it to your children?

Perhaps the simplest advice I’ve heard is this:

Discipleship is Caught not Taught.

That is, people learn by observing good models. Teach people to follow Christ by following Christ yourself. In front of them. Let them see you reading your Bible. Let your children hear you talking about God and spiritual subjects, not only with them, but with other people. Let them catch you praying in private, in a situation that is clearly not for show, but a sincere, intimate moment between you and God. Demonstrate by your actions that walking with God matters to you. That attending church and participating in worship matters to you. That talking about your faith with other adults matters to you.

DISCIPLESHIP IS CAUGHT NOT TAUGHT. 

In Ezekiel 46, the leader of the people—a political leader, not a priest or prophet—assumes an active role in worship. This prince or king demonstrates before the entire nation his willingness to worship God humbly. The king fulfills his God-given role and sets an example. But the king does not infringe on the duties of a priest which are forbidden to the king; the king respects the boundaries that God put in place.[1]  

“The gate of the inner court … shall be shut the six working days, but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and … the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate … and the priests shall prepare his [the king’s] burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate…. And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the Lord in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish…. And he shall prepare a meat offering … And the prince in the midst of [the people], when they go in, shall go in, and when they go forth, shall go forth” Ezekiel 46:1-10.

No one is busier than the king. Yet, the king shows up weekly for worship, providing numerous animals for sacrifices. The king may be the number-one leader in the nation, a monarch seemingly above question, yet he makes time to worship God. And he does so humbly, never venturing into the duties of the priest which are forbidden to him. By doing what God asks of him—and nothing further—this king demonstrates obedient and humble leadership. He models proper worship, showing the people what humble leadership is all about.

You may never know a king. But I bet you know some fathers. Fathers must model faith and worship before their children. Studies show that no one’s faith has greater potential to positively influence children than the faith of their fathers.[2] Model it!

Discipleship is caught not taught.

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

AΩ.

[1] There are some tasks for the king, and other tasks for the priests. This is a “separation of church and state,” and kings who cross the line (like King Saul who sacrificed animals himself rather than waiting for the priest, 1 Samuel 13:2-14) will be punished.

[2] Consider this excellent, brief article about the faith of fathers: https://nickcady.org/2016/06/20/the-impact-on-kids-of-dads-faith-and-church-attendance/