Tag: feature

Christianity And CULTURE

By Stephen Campbell

Multitudes gathered to hear John the Baptist when he began preaching at the Jordan River (Lk. 3:7-14). When the crowds desired to repent, he said they should prove the reality of their desire by sharing with the poor. To tax collectors who asked what they should do, he told them about honesty; and when soldiers asked, he spoke about gentleness and contentment. Each group of people lived within a set of experiences that not only defined who they were but also created unique challenges. In the same way, as Christians we do not merely exist in the world but we participate in a particular set of activities based on where we live and who we are. Since we are God’s people, we can bring His beauty into our surroundings; yet that same environment often resists our testimony for Him.

Understanding Culture
The atmosphere we live in is often called our “culture.” This term encompasses the values, preferences and behaviors that collectively characterize a country, region or society of people. Many details of our culture are simply an inescapable part of who we are. Things that are considered polite, proper, funny, rude, interesting or important are all impressed upon us as we live in our own societies. For example, some nationalities or ethnic groups are emotionally expressive while those from other regions tend to be more stoic or reserved; and there is a large number of such characteristics that vary from one culture to another.

Many cultural norms, or typical behaviors, simply reflect basic ideas about life and are well suited for expressing Christian beliefs. In a society that values hard work, Christians can work as unto the Lord. In a culture that appreciates creativity, Christians can write poetry or produce art that glorifies God. In our families, our school and work lives, and our personal attitudes, we Christians can display the beauty of Christ as we participate in our culture.

Culture can also influence the different ways Christians live out their faith. These differences can still be God-honoring even though they may seem unusual to other cultures. An enthusiastic style of Christian singing may seem improper to a believer who has grown up in a more reserved culture – just as the expressive believer might view classical-style hymns as cold and lifeless. Yet both individuals may well be singing to the Lord in a pure, selfless expression of worship. In some cultures, men and women sit separately in Christian meetings, while in others the entire family sits together. These cultural traditions are not detriments but merely facts about who we are and where we live.

Similar features of culture are illustrated by godly people in the Scriptures. When Joseph was made a ruler in Egypt, he lived according to Egyptian cultural norms. He accepted the honor that was appropriate to his position and worked to improve the prosperity of the country (Gen. 41:42-45, 47:20-26). His language and appearance were so thoroughly Egyptian that he was not at first recognizable to his family; and he also followed the conventional separation between Egyptians and Hebrews when it was fitting to do so (42:7-8,23, 43:32-34, 46:33-34).

Similarly, when Daniel and his friends were taken to Babylon they excelled at learning its literature and knowledge, and they desired the good of the king (Dan. 1:20, 4:19). Later, under Persian rule, Mordecai followed cultural regulations against public mourning in the king’s courtyard (Est. 4:1-2). In the New Testament Paul circumcised Timothy in order to remove a potential cause of offense to others even though circumcision had been publicly declared unnecessary for Christians (Acts 15:5,10-11, 16:3).

In these situations, God’s people not only lived within their culture but beautified it. They conducted themselves honorably, not merely out of respect for local customs but out of reverence for their Lord. Paul said, “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man” (Acts 24:16 ESV). Godly people enrich their culture by their righteous integrity.

Yet the analysis of culture also contains a warning because culture often makes demands that go outside of the bounds of godliness. Daniel refused to eat the king’s food because that would dishonor God (Dan. 1:8). Mordecai refused to bow before the king’s nobleman, even though that was both rule and custom (Est. 3:2). In Paul’s time Gentile believers were to shun the rampant sexual immorality that was acceptable in their cultures (Acts 15:20; 1 Th. 4:3-4).

The Discerning Christian
These facts reveal that Christians must use careful discernment about culture. It would be wrong to disengage from our culture, both because it is not the scriptural way and because it is not really even possible to do so. Yet it would also be wrong to believe that every aspect of our culture can be “Christianized,” because many aspects are directly opposed to God’s ways.

This assessment reveals the challenge of the Lord’s instruction to be in the world but not of the world (Jn. 17:6-18). For centuries, Christian gatherings have wrestled with the application of this precept. Some respond with the error of isolationism, which leads to a set of moral codes that demand something which God’s grace does not. Others err by assimilation, adopting present-day cultural attitudes because they view the Word of God as a relic of its own culture that must therefore be reinterpreted when times change.*

The discerning Christian sees a more biblical response than both of these errors. That discernment requires dependence on God and His Word, and therefore this approach to life is challenging, not simplistic. By the Holy Spirit’s guidance, however, the relationship between culture and faith can be lived out in ways that honor God among believers and unbelievers alike.

Guiding Principles
It is true that we are all products of our culture, yet culture takes a back seat to Christianity. Peter wrote about the “brotherhood” of believers (1 Pet. 2:17, 5:9), using a unique word to portray the Christian union as a bond that surpasses aspects of culture like gender, ethnicity, nationality or custom. Christianity must be our foremost characteristic! The writer of this article is a white American man, and all those characteristics exert a cultural influence on daily life. But I should not primarily consider myself a white Christian or an American Christian, interpreting principles of Christianity through the lens of those cultural facts.

Therefore, a related point is that we cannot allow culture to dictate how to apply Christian principles. Culture must defer to historical Christianity, which Jude 3 describes as “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” In Jude’s time, unbelievers had infiltrated the Church and used the grace of God as an excuse for sins like greed and rebellion. Relying on the historical, God-given principles of Christianity will establish us in the truth, so even if greed and immorality become normal in a culture, we will still recognize those sins for what they are.

Another danger develops when culture becomes so entwined with faith that we consider our traditions to be actual Christian principles. For example, Peter had to be divinely instructed to share the gospel with Gentiles. He and others had thought they should not even keep company with non-Jews (Acts 10:28, 11:3). Such restrictions had been aspects of the Jewish oral tradition and are contained in writings of the Jewish rabbis – but they are not in the Old Testament Scriptures. Moreover, the Lord Jesus had already told His disciples that all nations would receive the gospel (Lk. 24:47). The separation which they thought God wanted was only a cultural tradition, one which exceeded God’s Word as well as Christ’s own verbal instructions.

The lessons of Acts 10:1-11:18 are weighty. Because culture is the atmosphere in which we live, it is easy to believe that the ways we practice Christianity are the correct ways, when in fact our culture has sometimes colored our perspective. In Peter’s case, culture went beyond Scripture. In other cases, culture and Scripture might coexist for us personally, but they might clash strongly elsewhere. Some Christians have certain views about alcohol, tobacco, coffee, clothing, music and so on; and these have become connected with scriptural reasons in the minds of believers in that culture. Yet Christians in other cultures may be far more tolerant or far more restrictive about the same issues, and they will also have scriptural explanations for their views.

Culture is not universal, and although the Word of God does not yield to culture, there is often more than one way to live out the same truth. The discerning Christian seeks to distinguish essentials from preferences. What roles should women take in the Church? What is the significance of the head covering? What kinds of jewelry are appropriate? What leisure activities are acceptable? Some of these matters are addressed very precisely in the Bible and are therefore not questions of culture. Other points are addressed indirectly, and still others are not mentioned at all; in those cases, we seek godly principles that satisfy scriptural standards and our own Christian consciences.

Sometimes believers in different areas reach different conclusions, yet we must always be careful when criticizing other believers since we naturally tend to agree with those most like our own cultures. This caused difficulties in the early Church among some who distributed funds for widows and among others who simply shared a meal together (Acts 6:1; Gal. 2:11-13). We will be prone to the same errors if we evaluate the non-essential preferences of others based on our own experiences. If a subject is not addressed explicitly in the Bible, we should try to appreciate the liberty that is in Christ, who taught us that defilement is not caused by external matters but by what arises in the heart (Mk. 7:14-23).

A further principle is that all cultures can come to God where they are. The council of apostles and elders in Acts 15 affirmed this truth. Whereas some insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised – that is, become like Jews – in order to be saved, the council was guided by the Holy Spirit to declare only that believing Gentiles should live pure lives, mentioning four essential points but nothing more (15:5,28-29). In both foreign missionary work and neighborhood evangelism, the temptation is to tell new believers, “This is the way you do it,” providing them with our own styles of music and other lifestyle choices. If we trust God, He will guide them into the most suitable expressions of the truth. He does not ask us to make people into proselytes who simply act like we do (Mt. 23:15).

Because all people can call on the name of the Lord where they are, it is important for Christians to be active participants in their culture. This does not mean we should adopt the ungodly aspects of the rest of the world. But if we are living like the salt of the earth and light of the world (Mt. 5:13-16), we should actively and intentionally bring the beauty of Christ into the school groups, community activities and neighborhood events around us.

Reviewing Implications
People in various regions are united by their culture; yet barriers of age, language, ethnic background, income and similar issues drive wedges between them. In the Church, we should act with purpose to show that these factors do not hinder our oneness or influence our understanding of God’s eternal Word. Instead, let us testify of the Lord faithfully, using culture as a vehicle for Christ-centered living while overcoming its influences – not conforming ourselves to the spirit of the times but proving God’s good and perfect will (Rom. 12:2).

Partiality and Acceptance “And a voice spoke to [Peter] again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ This was done three times … Then he said to them, ‘You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean’ … Then Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him … And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission [forgiveness] of sins.’” —Acts 10:15-16,28,34-35,42-43 NKJV

ENDNOTE
* In the middle of the 20th century, a man named H. Richard Niebuhr described five ways Christians have historically viewed culture, including the opposing perspectives mentioned here. His book Christ And Culture, published in 1951, additionally identified some believers who separate faith and culture; some who consider it a paradox that Christians inhabit the realms of both faith and culture; and some who believe culture should be transformed by the Christian faith. The “paradox” view is most similar to the position taken in this article.

CULTURE: Opinion, Prejudice And Perception

By Roger Penney

Culture consists of many things, history and religion among them. It affects our perceptions; therefore opinions and prejudices are often those of our particular social or religious group and its traditions. We tend to be driven very strongly by the thinking of other people, influenced by our parents and family, and then our society.

In 1904 Gustave LeBon published a book he called The Crowd. This was decades before Adolf Hitler worked out his techniques of control by mass rallies, news, entertainment and schools. LeBon saw a crowd as a very strong influence. Being a Christian often involves rejecting the influence of the crowd and other sources to stand alone and think for oneself, according to His Word and like many prophets of old.

When it comes to truth we find that we are up against practices held by our culture such as worshiping celebrities and the following of their beliefs. This is not new. The love for and loyalty towards those whom history records as great men is well documented. The love for Caesar by his soldiers is well known, as was that for Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin and a host of lesser tyrants.

Standing For What?
What is less well known is the courage and determination of brave men and women who defied popular culture to do what was right and pleasing in the sight of God. In England the anti-slavery movement was led by men and women like Wilberforce, Clarkson, Thornton and Moore. In the United States other brave persons defied popular opinion, which saw black slaves as lesser beings, and formed what became known as the “Underground Railroad.” This was a network of safe houses stretching from the slave-owning south to the north or to Canada to help escaping slaves, both men and women, from the plantations to freedom.

The slave owners and traders in Britain and America published misinformation about the lot of the slaves, giving the impression that the slaves were better off in a civilized country than in the alleged barbarianism from which they were “saved.” The clergy was told that to take people from Africa to Europe or America was to open them up to conversion to Christianity. Millions believed these lies.

The Quaker movement took up a campaign, beginning in the seventeenth century, to tell the truth about the abominable trade in human flesh and to stop it. Members of the “Society of Friends” were forbidden to own or trade in slaves. If anyone did they were put out of the movement. George Fox, its founder, even set before the governor of Barbados the question, in effect, “How would you like to be a slave?”

In Britain, Wilberforce saw a bill passed in Parliament outlawing the slave trade in 1807. It took another 27 years for slavery to be banned in the then extensive British Empire. The massive task had been to change the opinion of the rich and powerful, and that of the slavers themselves. In this they had a mighty ally: the Word of God.

Exodus 21:16 says, “And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death”(KJV). This was an effective incentive in a society which generally believed the Bible to be the Word of God. Not only seen as being real, they also saw God as One who knew and judged the thoughts, words and deeds of men. To realize that you have been disobeying God in a matter so serious that the death penalty was prescribed by Holy Writ must have had a profound effect on the slave traders and others who profited from the abominable trade.

The events in Britain encouraged the persons responsible for the semi-secret Underground Railroad and much of the public opinion in the United States finally turned against slavery. Abraham Lincoln was then able to carry out a pledge made when a young man, having caught his first sight of slavery, to “hit that thing.”

This may encourage us not to lose heart as we see the English-speaking world losing its Christian basis. Indeed, the cultural values are worsening, subtly undermined by those who regard Christianity as outmoded and disproved. “Surely the fear of God is not in this place” (Gen. 20:11).

Depending And Thinking On What?
Scripture warns us that things will be “as the days of Noah were” (Mt. 24:37). We are also warned of the rise of the Empire of Rome and its resurgence in the last days. During the first Roman Empire the lower classes were controlled by the Emperor and the Senate of Rome by two powerful means. First, corn was given to citizens eking out an existence on the edge of starvation. This was to keep them from rebelling and venturing from the vast slum into respectable areas of the city. Second, in this desolate place filled with gangs and violence, the people were given games so they would not “think too much.” There was chariot racing in the Circus Maximus as well as gladiator fighting and beast hunts, with plenty of blood and suffering, in the Colosseum. The citizens were entertained and their leisure hours taken up so they would not rise up against the government. The Emperor and Senate could go on in peace, running the empire and getting rich on the proceeds.

So what has changed? Nothing much at all. The ethics of big business and politicians are often highly questionable and the lower classes have benefits and television. The young listen to mind numbing entertainment and music on their smartphones and other devices while they wander aimlessly with nothing better to do through the wasteland of this world.

Culturally accepted practices have changed in the past through the work of God. But in today’s world we may wonder, “What can a believer do?” I would like to share one example with you.

Presenting What?
Recently a Christian drop-in center opened on London’s High Street. People come in for tea and a chat. It is a brilliant idea where once we thought the only place for gospel preaching was in a mission hall on a Sunday morning or evening. I am not suggesting that we all open drop-in centers as we must, like the couple whose vision it was, pray much about these things. But in the midst of a hostile society we can still get the Word of the gospel to the people. God will lead us if we ask.

There are “giants in the land” (see Numbers 13), giants of atheism, evolution, greed, false religion, selfishness and hatred toward God and His Son. Does it matter? The psalmist wrote: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us” (Ps. 2:1-3). Take courage! Man’s action against the Lord Jesus Christ and in disobedience to God’s Word is futile.

We have a commission to fulfill but we have to put our own house in order first. If there are serious rifts among us and if we are unsure what to believe, then we only have ourselves to blame. Paul’s words to the Philippian church are particularly relevant today: “Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind … Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:2-5). We may see this as an ideal that is not possible on this side of heaven. But the Holy Spirit would not have inspired Paul to write this had it been unattainable. Once we are reaching toward what honors God and are showing that Christians really do love one another, then and only then can we begin to influence the world around us. “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another” (Jn. 13:35).

What if the world will not listen? Well, that is the world’s problem! At least they will have heard and the Lord will be able to say to us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Mt. 25:21). Do not let us think that there is a revival just around the corner. It may not be so. People will still reject the message we bring – rejecting the Word of God and God Himself, a dreadful thing to do!

Ezekiel was told that he was a watchman and had to sound a warning that danger was approaching. To sound the warning was to discharge his own responsibility, whether the people listened or not (Ezek. 3:4-7,10-11, 33:1-11). Do we owe it to the people around us? We who know the Word of God are to speak it to this generation while living the Word before them.

We can surely see what God is doing, what He has planned to do and has prophesied accordingly. “I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is: and I will give it to Him” (Ezek. 21:27).

What The Fear Of The LORD Does For Us

By Roger Penney

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” —Proverbs 1:7 KJV

The more we learn, the more we grow; and the more we grow, the more we learn. This applies to the Christian life for the more we learn about God and His plans for us as seen in His Word, the more we are in awe of Him, respect Him and fear Him. This healthy and godly fear has a very profound effect on our lives for good, saving us from foolish behavior that leads to danger. Not to fear God is folly. It is a sign of ignorance and leads to prejudice, disobedience, unbelief and anarchy.

Fear As A Process
When the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we fear the wrath of God and turn to Him in repentance. As we grow spiritually we learn more of this healthy fear which persuades us to walk in His paths. This is a learning process. “Gather the people together,” God commanded Moses, “… that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law” (Dt. 31:12). God instructed Moses to explain the importance of this to succeeding generations. The effect of one generation’s living in godly fear would be a very powerful influence: “And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (v.13).

Knowing that God is love we may wonder why we should fear Him. It is natural to question difficult matters. Clear teaching by elders and more experienced Christians can be helpful for our understanding. For this purpose the writer to the Hebrews drew an analogy between the heavenly and the fleshly, and the spiritual and the natural. He wrote: “We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:9-10).

Through the weakness of our flesh and the subtlety of Satan we are prone to mislead ourselves. To fear God and submit to correction is wise. To do so is clearly for our good even when we are not fully aware what that “good” is in God’s eyes. Only God knows the future and the dangers surrounding us.

Fear With Trembling
The word “reverence” as used by the writer of Hebrews is one aspect of fear. In the Dictionary of New Testament Words, W. E. Vine explains that the original term has a variety of meanings in English, such as respect, deference and regard. In the Old Testament we find the word for reverence also translated “fear,” with related words of “trembling” and “terror.” Such a connection is perfectly proper.

We may come face to face with God in a variety of ways. My own experience as a young man was of being in grave danger one day through my own folly. Later a dear, elderly Christian lady to whom I used to give a ride to the assembly meetings, asked me if I had been in danger at a certain time. It came as a severe shock that God would move this dear old lady to pray at any time of the day or night for me or for any of His dear saints. I was truly filled with fear that God was watching me so closely. This experience has never left my thoughts for very long.

We see this aspect of fear displayed when the apostle John had his vision of the risen Lord about to judge His churches, Israel and the world. John wrote, presumably with fear and trembling: “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17). Moses too, when God called to Him out of the burning bush, “hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God” (Ex. 3:6).

We can perceive some of the emotions felt by the participants in these graphic accounts of God’s people. This is one of the wonders of the Bible: It is written not only so we may simply go by the words; but we also see emotions and sense the feelings of those portrayed.

Godly Fear And Obedience
At this point we can observe how godly fear may motivate obedience in the most trying situations. Abraham was “the friend of God” (Jas. 2:23), yet God put him through some very serious and challenging trials and testings. One example of this is when God instructed him to take Isaac, his only son, to Mount Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. When the Angel of the Lord stayed his hand and directed him to the ram caught in a thicket, He said to Abraham, “For now I know that thou fearest God” (Gen. 22:12).

In this story of Abraham and Isaac we see the discipline and testing which God will put us through that we might grow to be like His Son, the Lord Jesus. As we grow we are given more responsibility, and then we are tested. We go on knowing that true wisdom is to follow God’s directions – walking by faith and not by sight, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). So we come to a clearer understanding of the awesome and terrifying greatness of God’s power, justice, judgment and righteousness.

As our understanding grows we are challenged to put what we have learned into practice. Indeed we cannot learn unless we already possess a willingness of mind. “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine” (Jn. 7:17). True wisdom is found when we find the courage and have the motivation to put God’s will for us into practice. Often we fail in this, but God is gracious and patiently bears with us, granting us repentance and more opportunities to serve Him.

The question is: “Whom do we fear – God or the world?” Certainly “the fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov. 29:25). Isaiah gave us sound advice when he wrote: “Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Isa. 8:13).

Fear Of The Lord And The World
We have thought about the fear of the Lord mainly in the Christian context. There is a much wider field to observe how this can work to the benefit of the world. Also, the lack of the fear of the Lord works to the detriment of the world, ultimately to the very destruction of this world system over which Satan rules.

The whole world lies in the wicked one (see 1 John 5:19). This being so, it is more likely that the inhabitants of this world and world system will hate God rather than fear Him. The Lord Jesus said to His brethren, “The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil” (Jn. 7:7). Abraham saw this after the sordid incident when he denied that Sarah was his wife. He excused himself, saying, “Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake” (Gen. 20:11). We can see from the Bible account of the time of Abraham that the Middle East was in an anarchic and lawless state. Frequent wars between the nations are well documented in Scripture and secular accounts.

We may argue with conviction that the fear of the Lord makes for a settled and peaceful society. The lack of it leads to disruption, anarchy and lawlessness – precisely the world situation at this present time, with only the expectation that conditions will get worse. The personification of wisdom warned that “the fear of the Lord is to hate evil.” He then went on to declare, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice” (Prov. 8:13,15). Here we see again that wisdom is associated with the fear of the Lord.

Showing how the fear of God can be corrective in a society, we see that Nehemiah rebuked the nobles and others for taking usury from the people and otherwise exploiting them. When the people complained to him of the injustice by the rich and powerful, he recorded: “And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them … Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God … but so did not I, because of the fear of God” (Neh. 5:6-9,15).

Clearly what was required was a strong governor and popular support for just legislation, with the law being strictly enforced. Lawlessness will flourish, but when people are motivated by the fear of the Lord, things may change. The fear of the Lord is a powerful corrective against anarchy and prevents evil from flourishing – whether in our hearts, gatherings or nations.

The Fear Of The LORD

By A. M. Behnam

What Does It Mean?
The “fear of the Lord” means a deep reverence of God that leads to hatred of evil and to the practice of unwavering obedience to Him. It is a result of an appreciation of His greatness, of His omnipotence [all powerful] and omniscience [all knowing], as well as of His love that surpasses human comprehension.

It is not being frightened of Him and wishing to hide from Him, as Adam when he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. That fear was a torturing fear – one that led Adam to try to hide from God, so when God called him, he said to the LORD God: “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Gen. 3:10 KJV, italics mine). There is a fear, or rather a fright, that makes a person want to hide from God, hoping that God will not see him. This fear will lead people in a coming day to say to the mountains, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16).

The fear of the Lord is always associated with love to the Lord, a love that makes obedience a joy and not a burden. This love casts away the wrong kind of fear (1 Jn. 4:18). Promised Blessings Of The Fear Of The Lord
The fear of the Lord has many precious results for the believer. We will refer to a few of them.

Wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10). “And unto man He [God] said, Behold the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Stability and Treasure: “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure” (Isa. 33:6). Intimate Knowledge: “The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant” (Ps. 25:14 NASB). Consider the examples of Joseph and Daniel. Confidence and Protection: “In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have refuge” (Prov. 14:26). Mercy from the Lord: “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children” (Ps. 103:17 KJV).

Its Effect In Daily Life
The fear of the Lord affects our behavior in every aspect of our lives. For example, it will make us say the truth without adding, exaggerating or modifying. It will prevent us from saying or hinting anything that touches the reputation of another who may have hurt our feelings. The fear of the Lord delivers us from the fear of man, selfishness, pride, immorality … and the list goes on and on.

Three Remarkable Examples
1. Abraham has been called the father of the faithful. We read: “By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:8-10).

After that, Abraham went through a severe trial of his faith when God called and said to him, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen. 22:2). Abraham went as he was told. He built an altar and laid the wood in order before he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood. “And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham … lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou has not withheld thy son from Me” (vv.10-12). Abraham knew that obedience to God is the safest and most blessed way – this is the fear of God. Because he was strong in faith he knew the LORD would fulfill His promise that in Isaac would his “seed be called” (21:12).

2. Joseph demonstrated his fear of the LORD both when he was a slave in his master’s house and when he was an influential ruler in Egypt. In the first instance the fear of the LORD gave him victory over the temptation by his master’s wife, who tried to seduce him to commit adultery with her. His answer was “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (See Genesis 39:7-9).

Later, when he became a ruler in Egypt and his brothers, except Benjamin, came to buy wheat, they did not recognize him, but he recognized them. In their defense against the accusation of being spies they mentioned that they had a younger brother at home. Joseph, whose heart was yearning to see his brother Benjamin, told them that he would believe them only if they brought their younger brother. He decided to let one of them go back with the wheat they bought and to bring their youngest brother. The other ten would be kept in prison until the youngest brother was brought to Egypt, or else they would be considered as spies. “And he put them all together into ward [prison] three days. And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do and live; for I fear God” (Gen. 42:17-18). He then decided to keep only one in prison and let the other ten go home, because he had the fear of the LORD. The fear of the LORD delivered him from being harsh even to those who did not show any mercy to him.

3. Nehemiah. Please read Nehemiah 5:14-19. It was Nehemiah’s privilege by the Persian Emperor’s authority to have financial rewards (called “bread of the governor”) in addition to “forty shekels of silver,” like the rulers that were before him. But Nehemiah did not do that “because of the fear of God” (v.15). The fear of the Lord protects us from the love of money and makes us more sensitive to the needs of others.

Abraham, Joseph, Nehemiah and innumerable other children of God testify to the fact that the safest and most blessed road is the fear of the Lord! “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in His commandments” (Ps. 112:1).

Creation in Psalms

Part 2: The Everlasting God Is My Creator

By David Anderson

Psalm 90: God Eternal; Man Transient 
God as Creator is closely linked to His eternality. Moses composed this prayer for Israel to lament their wilderness wanderings after God’s judgment came upon them (compare verses 7-9 with numbers 14:20-35). As Moses contemplated the long years ahead for that generation of the nation, he was comforted by the fact that the Lord (v.1, Adonai means “the Sovereign, the Owner”) has authority over every generation.

But the ultimate answer to the nation’s wanderings and homelessness was that He had been the saints’ dwelling place [“refuge,” SEPTUAGINT] from the very beginning of time (Dt. 33:27). Unlike us, God is not limited by the time and space He created. From eternity to eternity He is God (v.2, El means “the Mighty one”), who had revealed Himself to Moses as the everlasting I AM (Ex. 3:14). However, Moses can only trace back to the first days of creation. God precedes the birth of the mountains on day three of creation (Gen. 1:9-10) as He also, of course, pre-dates day one!

Perhaps Psalm 90:3 alludes to Genesis 3:19 and is filled out in verses 7-12 where God’s wrath regarding man’s sins has determined his expected lifespan. Yes, man is soon swept [flooded] away – his life no more than a passing dream or grass that quickly grows and soon withers (vv.5-6). Biblically, a thousand years is a very long time on man’s timescale (see revelation 20:2-4), but it merely registers with God as a day or a night watch (v.4, 2 Pet. 3:8). What is our lifespan (v.10) compared to God’s eternality? To God, time is nothing (v.2) – He lives in eternity (Isa. 57:15)! Moses recognized man’s transience: “the years of our life … are soon gone, and we fly away” (v.10 ESV). In these days when men increasingly think that they are in control of the length of their lives, we do well to pray, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (v.12).

Psalm 102: The One Who Abides Forever And Is “The Same” 
The psalmist’s own experience of human frailty sharpened his sense of God’s eternality. verses 1-11 elaborate on his distress (see title of the psalm). Just when his life was ebbing away (v.11), he turned from self-occupation to his God and exclaimed, “But You, O LORD, are enthroned for ever; You are remembered throughout all generations” (v.12). His cry became more intense as death drew ever nearer: “[God] has broken my strength in midcourse; He has shortened my days. ‘O my God,’ I say, ‘take me not away in the midst of my days’” (vv.23-24). Mid-sentence, the psalmist changed to addressing God as Creator: “You whose years endure throughout all generations” (v.24)! He now saw his own transience from the perspective of God’s overall plan for the entire creation (see vv.25-27).

Darby renders verse 27: “Thou art the Same,” 1 “a name of God meaning ‘The existing one, who does not change’” (JND footnote). Hebrews 1:10-12 applies verses 25-27 directly to Christ, the Son, as one of the proof-texts of His essential deity. The whole psalm is messianic and gives an insight into the Lord’s prayers in Gethsemane.2 The title together with verses 1-11 and 23 express the extremity of His grief. Verse 10 gives the reason: “because of Your indignation and anger.” His prayer in verse 24 is interrupted by the Father’s ready response, reminding Him, “thou art the Same” (vv.24-27 JND). Darby comments, “The Christ, the despised and rejected Jesus, is Jehovah the Creator … This contrast of the extreme humiliation and isolation of Christ, and His divine nature [that is, as the Creator], is incomparably striking.” 3

Psalm 104: Celebration Of The Creator And All His Works 
The psalmist’s own personal celebration arose from his consideration of God manifest [displayed] in His many acts at creation and in His ongoing involvement with it. In musing over the Genesis account of creation, the psalmist composed poetry by which his soul could bless the LorD. The praise exhibits a striking, if general, correspondence to the days of the creation week:

  • Verses 1-4 introduce the Creator in all His divine majesty and awesome power.
  • Verse 2 mentions light, which came on day one (Gen. 1:3-5). The verse then extends light to include the formation of the starry universe, created on day four (Gen. 1:16).
  • Verses 3-4 explain how God operates in the heavens He formed on day two (Gen. 1:6-8).
  • Verse 5 introduces the earth, which is the focus of the remainder of the psalm and indicates God’s special interest in it.
  • Verses 6-9 recall how the Creator separated the land from the seas on day three (Gen. 1:9-10) so the earth could be inhabited.
  • Verses 10-18 laud the provision of water for the earth to allow vegetation, plants and trees to spring forth so there is food and drink for all creatures, including man. This also commenced on day three (Gen. 1:11-13).
  • Verses 19-23 recall, as happened on day four, the divine appointment and design of the sun and the moon to govern the seasons, days and nights, and years (Gen. 1:14-19).
  • Verses 24-26 rejoice in the profusion of creatures on the land and in the seas, which were created on days five and six (Gen. 1:20-25). The description is prefaced by a special note of praise: “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom have You made them all” (v.24 ESV).
  • Verses 27-30 give poetic voice to Genesis 1:29-31, extolling the dependence of all creatures, terrestrial and aquatic, upon the Creator for life and death, sustenance and safety. (This theme is taken up again in Psalm 107 with the appropriate response of verse 31: “Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works [including the storms of vv.23-30] to the children of men!”)
  • Psalm 104:31-35 provides a fitting finale of glory and praise from the psalmist (and from us also!) to the Creator, and these verses correspond to day seven, the Sabbath (Gen. 2:1-3).

Psalm 139:13-18: God Made Me! 
For David, life in essence was “God and me.” In verses 1-6 the all-knowing God knew and saw everything in David’s life. Verses 7-12 tell us the everywhere-present God was always there with David, through all of life and even in death (compare Psalm 23:4). And verses 19-24 teach the all righteousness of God. But in verses 13-18 David confessed that his God, the all-powerful one, is the Creator who personally made him as an individual!

Verse 13 declares, “You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

  • The design and begetting of a human life (of you and me) is God’s work alone, even though (your and my) parents were used of Him in this process! God is intimately involved with every human being from the very start of his or her existence. Conception, the formation of the fetus of a baby and its ultimate birth are profound mysteries which science does not and cannot explain – either the “How?” or the “Why?” – even with a knowledge of DNA!
  • “Formed my inward parts” is literally “possessed my kidneys.” “Possessed” implies that God is Lord. The NIV reads: “You created my inmost being.” “kidneys” in Scripture represents the seat of our desires and longings, our moral compass, our inner motives and the things which God tests (see Jeremiah 17:10). God is “Lord” of these.
  • “Knitted” means “intricately woven together” as a complex unity. “Your hands have fashioned and made me … like clay … You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews” (Job 10:8-9,11 ESV).
  • “In my mother’s womb” means that a fetus [unborn baby] is a real person from conception!

No wonder David said in verse 14, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.”

  • “Fearfully” means “I am to be in awe of [hold in reverence]” the specialness of my body.
  • “Wonderfully” [marvelously] is a comment upon the complexity of the human anatomy. Each person is made differently – is unique!

David continues in verse 15: “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.”

  • “My frame” means “my skeleton.”
  • “In secret … in the depths of the earth” is a Hebrew expression for the deepest concealment and intimacy of the process of procreation.
  • “Intricately woven” is “embroidered” (similar in meaning to verse 13), showing that each part of the human anatomy is curiously fashioned by God. This “fashioning” is the secret behind what we now know is the human genome [all the genetic information contained in our DNA].

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance” (v.16) confirms that the embryo is designed and known by God. In Hebrew, “unformed substance [body]” is “embryo.” The human embryo medically is the first eight weeks after conception. “Unformed” means “unperfect” (KJV) – giving the idea of not fully developed, yet possessing life from God. Fundamentally, my life and your life are sacred because they come from God!

“In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (v.16 ESV). How blessed to understand that God has His special plan for the exact number of days for your life and mine (and also for the life of every other person) from conception to death (or to the Lord’s coming)! So, like David, we confess, “How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with You” (vv.17-18).Christ’s By Creation And Redemption!

LORD, we are Thine: our God Thou art; 
Fashioned and made we were, as clay; 
These curious frames, in every part, 
Thy wisdom, power, and love display; 
Each breath we draw, each pulse that beats, 
Each organ formed by skill divine, 
Each precious sense aloud repeats 
Great GOD, that we are only Thine. 

LORD, we are Thine: in Thee we live, 
Supported by Thy tender care: 
Thou dost each hourly mercy give – 
Thine earth we tread, we breathe Thine air; 
Raiment and food Thy hands supply, 
Thy sun’s bright rays around us shine; 
Guarded by Thine all-seeing eye, 
We own that we are wholly Thine.		LORD, we are Thine: bought by Thy blood – 
Once the poor guilty slaves of sin; 
Thou hast redeemed us unto God, 
And made Thy Spirit dwell within; 
Our sinful wanderings Thou hast borne 
With love and patience all divine: 
As brands, then, from the burning torn, 
We own that we are wholly Thine. 

LORD, we are Thine: Thy claims we own – 
Ourselves to Thee would humbly give; 
Reign Thou within our hearts alone, 
And let us to Thy glory live; 
Here may we each Thy mind display, 
In all Thy gracious image shine; 
So shall we hail that looked-for day, 
When Thou shalt own that we are Thine.4

SECTION NOTES 
1. In the old Testament, “The Same” is sometimes translated “I am HE” – see Deuteronomy 32:39 (JND) footnote, with its references. 
2. Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-41 and Luke 22:41-44. 
3. J. N. Darby, Synopsis of the Bible, (Kingston on Thames, London, Stow Hill Bible and Tract Depot, 1943), vol. II, page 161. 
4. “LORD We are Thine,” James G. Deck (1802-84), as printed in Hymns of Light and Love, (Bath, Echoes of Service).

Creation in Psalms

Part 1: Creation In The First Book Of Psalms

By David Anderson

Psalm 8: Establishing The Creator’s Praise
Psalms worship and glorify God based upon who He is, therefore they often celebrate the fact that He is the sole Creator of all things. The godly Israelite found help “from the LORD who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2 ESV). Some psalms also celebrate the creatorial power that will introduce the glorious rule of Messiah, such as Psalm 72. But Psalm 8 provides the basis for all the creation themes found in the five books of Psalms.

Primarily, it celebrates both the glory of creation and man’s (Adam’s!) position in it. Its theme is global praise, so the opening and closing phrases of the psalm are identical: “Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!” (vv.1,9 JND). But verse 1 finishes with “who hast set Thy majesty above the heavens.” “Majesty” suggests the visible presence of Jehovah (1 Chr. 29:11; Ps. 45:3, 93:1), which will be displayed in the physical kingdom of our Lord (2 Pet. 1:16-19). Viewed prophetically, Psalm 8 anticipates the climax of this present creation – the universal reign of Christ as the Son of Man. Where Adam failed in administration and stewardship, Christ will succeed when He is set over all the works of God’s hand – not only in this terrestrial creation where Adam failed, but also over the astronomical and heavenly creation (compare with Ephesians 1:10,22). Meanwhile, Psalm 8:3 reminds us to take account of the order God has established throughout His creation so praise of the Creator will issue from our lips, as it is appropriate from saints of every dispensation!

Psalm 19: The Incessant Creation Hymn 
Look up into the skies, especially at night, and what do you see? Verse 1 says that you will see undeniable evidence of the work of the Creator’s hands in the beauty and splendor of the heavens. no one can ever deny the sky’s unfailing witness for it “day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (v.2 ESV). That is true even though “there is no speech, and there are no words, yet their voice is heard” (v.3 JND). The message is universal – there never has been, nor ever will be, a single member of the human race who was not confronted with the everlasting gospel of creation. “Their measuring line* goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (v.4 ESV), yet mankind continues in obstinate denial of the Creator (see Romans 1:19-23).

In verses 4-6 the sun is suddenly brought into focus: “In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” If the vastness of the galaxies seen in the night skies points to the power and greatness of the Creator, the poetic language of verses 4-6 witnesses to His nature and character. In His goodness He sustains every part of His world through the existence of the sun.

He is its Source and the world’s great, impartial Blesser (compare verse 6 with Matthew 5:45)! Psalm 96:11-13 affirms that on a future day the rejoicing of the heavens and the earth will testify of the LORD as the coming Judge of those people who have not responded to creation’s testimony. Meanwhile, God has left another, fuller witness of Himself alongside creation – His written Word (Ps. 19:7-13).

Psalm 24: Creation – It’s All His! 
The LORD is the king of Glory, who has moral, official and personal rights to claim the kingdom. But more fundamentally, He has creatorial rights to it (vv.1-2). Creation belongs to Him, the Sovereign one. The earth with all its fullness and populations were designed to give satisfaction and bring glory to their Creator. This will actually happen during the millennium when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14; Isa. 11:9). God’s ownership of creation is mentioned or implied in other psalms (examples: 2:8, 50:10-11, 60:7-8, 108:8-9, 89:11- 12, 100:3) and in repeated descriptions of the LORD as the Maker of heaven, earth and sea (such as: 95:5, 96:5, 115:15, 124:8, 134:3, 146:6).

Psalm 29: God’s Voice And Creation 
verses 3-9 describe the various physical effects that His voice has on His creation as the reason for all, including the heavenly beings [or, “sons of the mighty one,” v.1 RV], to ascribe glory to Him and to worship Him (vv. 1-2). Verse 3 interprets His voice as thunder, “the God of glory thunders” (ESV), emphasizing the Creator’s power (consider “and God said” in Genesis 1) – as suggested by the repeating of its being “over the waters.” The Creator’s voice is heard seven times in verses 3-9. However, where there is no fear of Him, He has and will preside over His creation in judgment. “The LORD sat as king at the Flood; yea, the LORD sitteth as king for ever” (v.10 RV; see Psalm 18:7-15).

Psalm 33: God’s Word And Creation 
Psalm 33 also celebrates the power of the LORD’s word. Verses 1-5 call the saints (“the righteous,” ESV) to praise Him because His word is “upright” (v.4). It has such moral power that “the earth is full of [His] steadfast love” (v.5). He made the world and has obligated Himself to it. other psalms delight in “the steadfast [creatorial] love of the LORD” towards His creation – especially the compassion of the Savior-God towards the forgotten needy and disadvantaged of mankind (see Psalm 65:5-13, 103:13-17, 111:2-5, 145:9,14-17, 146:6-9, 147:8-9).

Secondly, Psalm 33 calls on “the righteous” to praise the LORD because His word is all-powerful as well as upright. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (v.6). He simply used His word to bring the creation into existence (consider Hebrews 11:3). What He commands is immediately accomplished and what He says stands fast (vv.6-9). The expressions “By the word of His mouth” and “by the breath of His mouth” (v.6) underline and interpret the “God said … and it was so” statements in Genesis 1. The truth Psalm 33:6 states is echoed in Isaiah 40:26: “He … brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing” (see Psalm 147:4-5).

Verse 7 gives an interesting insight into Genesis 1:9-10. God is so great and powerful that He gathered the waters of the seas together as a heap [literally, “a wineskin” or “bottle”]. The depths of waters were placed in storehouses or treasuries to be there for His own use, such as at the Flood. according to Psalm 33:9, “He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” But Hebrews 1:3 also says that the Creator (God’s Son) continually upholds the entire creation by the word of His power. This echoes a truth that runs, if in other words, throughout the Psalms in the sense that He is in total control of His creation – even over the greatest of land or sea creatures (consider Psalm 74:14, 89:10). He also controls the environment, climate and weather so His creatures have the resources to sustain them through life on earth (see Psalm 36:6, 104:27-29, 107:23-31,35-38, 135:5-7, 136:4- 9, 145:15-17, 147:15-18).

Because of the omnipotence [all-powerful character] of the word of the LORD, Psalm 33:8 calls everyone to fear Him. This introduces the third motivation for praise in this psalm (vv.10,12). The LORD, whose omnipotent voice brought all into being, properly assesses everything mankind does by His omniscient [all-knowing] eye. He individually constituted every person and therefore understands each one of them through and through (vv.13-15; see Psalm 14:2-3). As a result, they have no power against Him (vv.16-17). His eye, which assesses the hearts of the nations, also watches over those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love (vv.18-19). So the psalmist implies that His love is equal to His power. Yes, the Creator is also the Sovereign, the Judge, the Savior and the Consummator or Finisher!

Psalm 36: How Excellent Is Thy Lovingkindness! 
Like Psalm 33:5, Psalm 36:5-7 celebrates the steadfast creatorial love of the LORD. In verses 5-6 David uses the grandeur of creation for similes of the moral greatness of God. His mercy (NKJV) is as immeasurable as the skies; His faithfulness is as high as the clouds; His righteousness is as immovable as the mountains; and His judgments are as unfathomable as the depths. Contemplating these make David exclaim, “O LORD, You preserve man and beast” (v.6). This thought of the Creator’s benevolence causes David to burst into praise in verse 7: “How excellent [“precious,” ESV] is Thy lovingkindness, o God!” (KJV). David addresses “God” rather than “LORD” because all peoples, not just the covenant nation, depend on their Creator and should also discover Him to be their Protector. Not only is there loving protection, but also fullness of supply, lasting satisfaction, joy, life and light (vv.7-9). In verse 8 “the river of Your delights [“pleasures,” NKJV]” (ESV) calls to mind the river coming out of Eden (Gen. 2:10-14) and anticipates the millennial river scene of Ezekiel 47 (compare with Psalm 46:4; Joel 3:18; revelation 22:1). The Creator-God continues to provide of His goodness for all of mankind throughout their entire history (see 1 Timothy 4:10). David dwells on the greatness and goodness of God in conscious contrast to the arrogance and inventiveness of the wicked (vv.1-4). At the end He prays for that steadfast love [“lovingkindness” NKJV] to continue to those who know Him and His righteousness to the upright of heart that they do not fall victim to the arrogant rejecters of God (vv.10-12).

SECTION NOTE 
* Or “voice” (ESV footnote). JND footnote explains: “[line,] that is, the ‘extent’ of their testimony.”

Psalms Of CREATION

The Psalms are the poetry book of God. These ancient gems express many aspects of the feelings and desires of the heart of mankind toward the Almighty, including comfort, guidance and praise. The Psalms that especially focus on our great God’s creative works may instill in us the tremendous awe that we ought to feel toward Him for His wonderful creation. Let’s look at these Psalms!

By Tom Steere

Psalm 8: The Awesomeness Of His Glory. 
On the fourth day of creation God set the sun, moon and stars in the sky for signs, seasons, days and years; and to give light upon the earth (Gen. 1:14-19). Our modern, artificial lighting keeps many of us from seeing the full splendor of the night sky, especially around cities. But once we experience the glory of the star-lit sky, the words of the psalmist immediately hit home and we agree as he asks, “What is man?” (Ps. 8:4 KJV). Furthermore, the more we explore the heavens with our telescopes and probes, the more wonders we discover. These views of the glory of the heavens are glimpses of His glory, which is far above the heavens. Hebrews 2:6-9 interprets this psalm for us: The full sight of God’s glory is seen in Jesus (Eph. 4:10; Heb. 1:1-2, 2:6-9).

In the inscription “To the Chief Musician upon Gittith” we recognize Jesus Himself, for Gittith comes from the same root word as “wine press.” Jesus alone endured being trodden down under the wrath of God against sin as He suffered on the cross. Therefore He alone has the authority to tread the wine press of God’s vengeance against unrepentant man, which He will do in a coming day (Isa. 63:3). He was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death and is now exalted and given a name above every name (Phil. 2:5-11). “How excellent is Thy name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:9), says David. Truly, quiet reflection on the glory of the heavens should cause us to glorify Him who is “made higher than the heavens” (Heb. 7:26). What are we in comparison to His majesty and glory? The Lord applied this psalm at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem: if those children had not praised Him, the stones would have immediately cried out (Mt. 21:15-16; Lk. 19:40). He is Lord of all!

Psalm 19: The Awesomeness Of His Witness 
While Psalm 8 is a psalm for the nighttime, Psalm 19 is one for daybreak – when the sun outshines all other stars as it flashes over the horizon. The shining heavens provide a tent for the true light of the world – the Sun of righteousness (Mal. 4:2). The Lord Jesus Christ will one day be, like the blazing sun, a Bridegroom coming in His strength. The sun’s rising, day after day, reminds us of the coming of Him from whom nothing is hidden. “Their line” – that is the message that the heavens proclaim by their orderly and unstoppable motion, beauty and expansiveness – reaches even to the end of the world, showing us that God desires for all people everywhere to see His glory. This line may even include a message written in the constellations.*

God has His witnesses in every place, so man is without excuse. His first witness is creation: “There is no speech nor language where [its] voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:3). The second witness is the law (v.7), converting, or causing repentance in, the soul. God’s third witness in this psalm is preaching: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight” (v.14). Romans 10 contains these three witnesses as well, in the order of preaching first, then creation and finally the law. Preaching the good tidings of salvation by grace through faith is God’s most efficient witness. The law may bring conviction and repentance, and creation may bring wonder and awe, but gospel preaching brings these all together for it is the power of God unto salvation (rom. 1:16). Preaching may be weak and despised in the world’s sight, but we promote it since that is how multitudes have been saved.

Psalm 29: The Awesomeness Of His Power 
While Psalms 8 and 19 present the quietness of the evening and morning, Psalm 29 displays power –as lightning flashes and thunder peals making us shudder to our very bones. Oh, that we would let the terror of the Lord give us God’s own concern for the souls of men (a preacher once said that true ministers are sons of thunder – as were the disciples James and John)! The voice of God in Christ Jesus is full of majesty, such that even the jealous people of Nazareth marveled at the gracious words that came from His mouth (Lk. 4:22)! We have God’s works and words joined in Psalm 29.

Who are the mighty ones in the first verse if not His worshipers who worship the Father in spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24)? He called the people “gods” to whom the Word of God came (10:35) – so let’s use God’s powerful, majestic Word as He uses His voice to stir the many waters of the nations! His voice can break the cedars of pride and bring to a sinner new life, like the skipping of a newborn calf. His Word divides the flames of judgment so they cannot consume a place that has already been burned. The Lord quenched those flames for us by bearing the fire of God’s wrath in His own body. Can we not use God’s Holy Word to shake up hard-hearted men “in the wilderness,” that the wilderness can be holy (the meaning of kadesh)? His voice gives life to those who truly hear His message and receive Him, but the stiff-necked will be like the forests laid bare. oh, to be in that temple of the new Jerusalem where all will be glory! The Lord will give strength to His people – strength to accomplish His will in bringing many sons unto glory.

Psalm 65: The Awesomeness Of His Grace 
Psalm 65 comes as a soft rain after the tempest has passed. What grace is given to a soul made right before Him! This gentle rain of grace produces praise to God – praise that is willing to wait on His moving. If all of nature is attentive to His moving, how much more then should we be?

What is praise to God? It is a sacrifice that He provides (Jer. 33:11; Heb. 13:15). “I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, says the LORD; and I will heal him” (Isa. 57:19). Therefore no flesh should glory in His presence when we offer praise to Him. He creates our praise and, in turn, we are satisfied: “a man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled” (Prov. 18:20). Our source is the Word of God for we live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Lk. 4:4). and our praise must align with His Word. our blessings come, as this psalm indicates, in being part of the house of God. There we approach unto Him being satisfied with praise (Ps. 65:4). The watering of the earth and the corn prepared speak of God’s Word and of His Christ – so we should speak accordingly, in grace (Eph. 5:26; Jn. 12:24).

Psalm 104: The Awesomeness Of His Wisdom 
In this psalm all nature brings its tribute of praise to swell the anthem of redemption, for all of creation is waiting for the redemption of those who claim Him as redeemer. no one here sees Him now, but He is clothed with honor and majesty. Since He dons [wears] light itself He could say, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). He is the true light of the world (Jn. 1:9). He gives “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

The language of the psalmist may appear metaphorical, but how can one separate the Divine Governor of all heavenly bodies from their movements as if they were on their own? By Him all things consist or hold together, and He appeals to our rational natures for recognition. Sadly, the earth, the nation of Israel and even His own people did not receive Him (Jn. 1:11). But today we can receive Him, honor Him, sing of Him, sing psalms to Him, meditate on Him and bless Him – Hallelujah! How lacking we are if we only recognize Him as a disinterested Creator who has left the scene for everything to find its own way. So it is if we believe this universe is merely a product of physical forces without acknowledging His power and direction.

His rejoicing is “in the habitable part of His earth” (Prov. 8:31). Therefore the waters of the deluge of Noah’s day could not remain over the land. In fact the mountains ascended as the waters descended through the valleys, and those waters can never completely cover the earth again (Ps. 104:8-9). But there’s more! The earth and all living creatures are dependent upon heaven from which the distilled rainwaters come. Water from heaven is infinitely better than water from under the earth for groundwater is full of salts and minerals which eventually choke life. So also are the broken cisterns of religion that men make for themselves. The heavenly waters give drink to every beast – even rebellious mankind whom the Lord desires to tame and dwell among (Job 11:12; Ps. 68:18). His desire is toward man, and the whole creation is for the service of man (Ps. 104:14). Man is thus His crowning creature and the master over all other creatures.

To back up this goodness of God to man, the psalmist recounts other goodness found in nature: the fruitful trees, the moon and sun in their operation, the earth full of God’s riches including the animals, birds and innumerable sea creatures, as well as mankind. All are filled with good (Ps. 104:16-28). Truly His works are many and varied! He rejoices in them as seen in that the resources of nature do not grow or exist for themselves, but they minister to the needs of the creatures (Ps. 104:24,31).

We naturally labor in the daytime, unlike the other creatures. Man’s toil is often tedious and tiresome because of sin (Gen. 3:23), but satisfaction in the results of our toil is also God’s gift to man (Eccl. 3:13). In contrast, God’s spiritual gift is that of eternal life through His work alone – a work done in the day (Jn. 9:4)! now, we who trust Him are to walk in the light of His Word (1 Jn. 1:7).

All this emphasizes His full mastery of things. Every one of His works is full of His wisdom (Ps. 104:24). In a future day, if He decides to re-create the now-extinct plants and animals, they will then be created anew (Ps. 104:30).

Psalm 139: The Awesomeness Of His Understanding 
With all that has gone before, this psalm reminds us that He knows absolutely everything there is to know about us. There is no hiding, no muffling of our voices, no escaping from His Spirit; He possesses our lives. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3)? His thoughts of life and not death are toward everyone. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come into life. our very bodies, formed miraculously in the womb, attest to God’s being for us – not against us. all His thoughts towards us are precious. How great is the sum of them! If all the possible books were written concerning His wonderful works for man, the world could not contain them.

Alas, man has made himself God’s enemy and uses His name in vain. Do we feel for that name – are we not grieved when we hear our precious Savior’s name used as a curse? Perfect hatred would be toward sin and not the sinner for we are but dust ourselves and are capable of such sin. Oh, search us, O God, and drive from us any wicked thing. Lead us in the way everlasting, and we will be in awe of Your glory, witness, power, grace, wisdom and understanding!

END NOTE 
* Seiss, Joseph, The Gospel in the Stars, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1972.

Peter, What Have You Done?

By Hank Blok

Peter? Peter! Where are you? What have you done?
Hearing these inquiries, what is your first impression? Is it, “Oh, what has he done wrong now?” Or is it, “Oh, I have to find Peter so I can thank him for being so nice”? Unfortunately, we often think the worst and, especially when we consider the disciple Peter, isn’t that just what we do think? We almost immediately remember several of Peter’s faux pas [blunders] that required the Lord’s attention. While that may be true, please note that each one provides a wonderful teaching opportunity.

Peter Sank 
Just about everyone knows about Peter’s taking his eyes off the Lord Jesus and sinking into the boisterous waters of the Sea of Galilee (Mt. 14:22-33). The incident has always impressed me and caused a deeper respect for this disciple. Yes, he required the Lord’s intervention to save him from drowning, but let’s look at the positive things that this situation can teach us.

The Facts

  1. Of all the disciples in the boat, only Peter went out to meet the Lord to be closer to Him.
  2. He is the only person (other than the Lord) who truly walked on water (that wasn’t frozen).
  3. When he sank he taught us the perfect prayer for our needs: “Lord, save me!”
  4. Having prayed, he proved that the Lord Jesus does save those who call on Him.

The Lessons

  1. There are times when we may take the opportunity to get out of our comfort zone, stand up and publicly show our love for Christ.
  2. There is no record of Peter ever referring to his experience of walking on the water. Rather than boast of what he did, Peter spoke about the glories and majesty of his Lord (2 Pet. 1:16-18).
  3. When sinking, Peter called out, “Lord, save me.” No doubt he looked up to the Lord. What an example! When in need, the best thing to do immediately is to look up and call on Him.
  4. Through this incident Peter provides a good scenario for a gospel message. It also helps the believer who takes his eyes off the Lord and starts to sink into the waters of trouble and despondency. In our own personal experiences, rescue may not come as quickly as in this instance. Yet the Lord knows, hears and is always there for us – available to help. Sometimes we might even have to sink a little deeper to learn that we cannot do things on our own … but He has promised that nothing can come between Him and His child (Rom. 8:35-39).

Peter Fell 
Many would consider Peter to be one who “acts without thinking.” He meant well in all of his actions but sometimes he showed that he didn’t really know himself. We see this in one of his misguided claims: “Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee” (Mt. 26:33-35 KJV). He still had to learn an important lesson: “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mt. 26:41). And as we all know, on the night the Lord Jesus was betrayed by Judas, Peter denied his precious Master on three separate occasions – even cursing and swearing – saying, “I know not this man of whom ye speak” (Mk. 14:71). What can we learn from this most unfortunate event?The Facts

  1. The Lord knew Peter’s character as well as his heart and what was going to unfold. Before this event even happened He could say, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk. 22:32).
  2. Although Peter thought he could be different and never deny his Lord, he failed miserably.
  3. When this favored disciple realized what he had done, beholding his Lord as He looked upon Peter, he went out and wept bitterly.
  4. The one who denied his Lord was later used to bring many of his Jewish brethren unto salvation (Acts 2:41). He was also able to strengthen his fellow disciples by providing direction in the Church (Acts 1:15-26) and comfort to the weary (Acts 5:15-16).

The Lessons

  1. Nothing takes the Lord by surprise – He knows “the end from the beginning” (Isa. 46:10). But He might let us fail that we may come to know what we are really like. Our Great High Priest did not pray that Peter would be kept from the trial, but that he would come through it with a stronger faith and commitment. Similarly the Lord Jesus may let us fail at some trial or temptation so we too might learn from it and come out if it as a stronger, more compassionate Christian. Take note of this: We never see Peter deny his Lord again and, in fact, he was allowed to die as he claimed he would – as a witness for the One who loved him and gave Himself for him.
  2. We never really know what wrong we are capable of doing. After all, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it” (Jer. 17:9)? It is important to realize that in the very point we feel we can never fall, that may be exactly where the tempter may cause us to stumble!
  3. When we need it, how good it is to have a bad conscience – whatever triggers it. In Peter’s case it was the Lord’s look. When David sinned it took the intervention of the prophet Nathan to point out his trespasses and bring about a work in his soul (See 2 Samuel 12:1-7). It is only when we truly realize what we have done, and the consequence of it, that the conscience can touch our hearts unto repentance and corrective action: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Cor. 7:10).
  4. The Lord Jesus does not throw away or disown people who have failed him. He deals with them (1 Cor. 15:5; Jn. 21:15-17) and can change them into useful vessels to His honor. 

Isn’t it amazing that we so often major on other people’s mistakes rather than their positives. When we think of Peter we too quickly think of these two incidents, and yet there are so many wonderful things that can be attributed to this dear man. Among other things, he was:

  • The first chosen to be a disciple (Mt. 4:18, Mk. 3:14-16) and one of the three closest to the Lord (Mt. 17:1);
  • The one who answered a question with the fundamental statement, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16);
  • The one who received the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mt. 16:19);
  • The first to walk on the water (Mt. 14:29) and, later, the one to jump out of the boat to be close to the resurrected Christ (Jn. 21:7);
  • The first evangelist with the message of the gospel of Christ (Acts 2:14-41);
  • The main spokesman of the Church to the salvation of the Jews (Gal. 2:7-8); and
  • He wrote two of the books of the Bible.

Having examined these events, it is easy to see that there were some very wonderful outcomes from Peter’s historical (maybe not so negative) events. They provide lessons as to the character of man – you and me included – and of the grace of God. 

Thinking About Present Failures 
Do you know a spiritual leader or elder, a person of special faith, or a child of God (including even yourself) who has failed in his or her spiritual walk? It may be time to really analyze the whole situation with a positive attitude and not look only at the negatives of the error. The following questions should be asked with a humble spirit:

  • What can we learn through this failure?
  • What can be done to provide a Christ-honoring outcome from these situations?
  • What conclusions do we need to apply in our own lives?

Furthermore, as the Lord prayed for Peter (Lk. 22:32) we should be praying for those who serve Him in a special leadership and pastoral role (and for ourselves) that the Lord would keep them (and us) personally faithful. Even if there is a sinking or falling, we can pray for restoration and a spiritual work within the soul that would again allow enablement to visible, profitable service (Lk. 22:32).

And finally, remember that Peter became very productive for the Lord even though he wasn’t perfect and even failed again, requiring a godly rebuke (Gal. 2:11-14). Oh, that the Lord would work through us to the blessing of others while being open to godly correction when we need it.

Peter’s Fall And Restoration

By Kevin Quartell

One of the most striking names of God in the Old Testament is the “God of Jacob” (Gen. 49:24). As we read about Jacob in the book of Genesis we might well marvel at the patience of God. How slow Jacob was to learn the lessons God was seeking to teach him – to learn to cease from relying upon himself and to rely wholly upon His God. Yet, in amazing grace, God never gave Jacob up. He continued working as a Master Potter shaping the stubborn and resisting clay until at last, at the end of Jacob’s life, we see the divine workmanship shine. In those closing scenes he is found as a blesser, a worshiper and a prophet (Gen. 47-49). Isn’t it comforting to know that in a similar way our Father will never give us up until He has formed us to be like His blessed Son (Rom. 8:29)?

The New Testament equivalent of the “God of Jacob” might be the “God of all grace,” which is found in Peter’s first epistle (5:10). Peter himself had need, like Jacob and each of us, to learn of this grace and of the God of all grace in the circumstances through which he passed. Like Jacob, he also had to learn to stop trusting in himself and to lean completely upon his blessed Lord. Have we learned that lesson?

Let’s briefly consider Peter’s denial of the Lord and his subsequent restoration as given to us in the Gospels. Our intention is not to pick on Peter but to shine the light into our own hearts and ask if we have learned the lessons Peter had to learn. Perhaps even more importantly, we want to see the dealings of the Lord Jesus with Peter and learn more of His heart of love and grace that warns, rebukes and restores His failing disciple. As the writer to the Hebrews assures us, our blessed Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). His love as displayed in Peter’s life is just the same as seen in His ways with us today. 

Peter Warned 
Peter had walked with the Lord for the three and one-half years of His public ministry. His brother Andrew had first introduced him to the Lord (Jn. 1:40-43), and a short time later the Lord Jesus called Peter to leave everything in order to follow Him (Lk. 5:1-11). What a wonderful experience that must have been! We have the four Gospel accounts of how the Lord “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38 KJV), delivering men from the physical effects of sin and, more importantly, from sin’s spiritual effects. Peter, along with James and John, was privileged to be with the Lord when He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Lk. 8:41-56). Also, he and the two brothers were alone with the Lord when He took them up into the mount and was transfigured before them (Mt. 17:1-8). For a few moments they saw His glory shining forth! Peter witnessed all this, and we know even on certain occasions he was given power by the Lord to heal and to preach. Yet, despite all this, Peter proved through sad circumstances how little he knew either himself or his gracious Lord. 

It was at the end of those wonderful years of our Lord’s public ministry, on that very night in which He was betrayed by another disciple, that He gave Peter a special warning: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you [literally “you all” – in other words, all the disciples], that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee [Peter], that thy faith fail not” (Lk. 22:31). How solemn were the words of the Lord Jesus. The fact that the Lord twice used his natural name, Simon, should have alerted Peter to listen closely. It is comforting to know that in all the pathway of our life every test and trial is fully seen and known by Him, even before we encounter it! And it is a great comfort to know that He prays for us.

Yet we may ask, “Why did He not pray that Peter would be kept from this test? Why did He pray instead that Peter’s faith would not fail in the midst of the test?” Is it not because our blessed Lord, fully knowing Peter’s heart, knew that he needed to be sifted – that the chaff of self confidence would be beaten out and the true wheat, the reality of God’s work in Peter’s heart, might shine out more brightly? Peter’s response to the Lord’s words show that this was in fact the case. 

Slow To Believe 
In his gospel, Mark tells us how strong Peter’s reaction was: “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (14:29). All others might leave the Lord, but he never would. The Lord then plainly tells Peter that he was going to deny Him: “This day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice” (Mk. 14:30). These are the words of the One who is the Truth, the One who is the God who cannot lie (Ti. 1:2) and the One who knows us better than we know ourselves. However, so often like us, Peter did not believe what the Lord was saying about him. Peter repeats more vehemently, “If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any wise” (Mk. 14:31). How many of us, in a similar way, have been slow to believe the Lord’s words? Consider these two examples:

  1. “Without Me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5) – in other words, nothing for the Lord. If we have not yet learned the helplessness in ourselves to do anything good and right for the Lord, we will not be able to appreciate the other side of the truth, which is in our next verse.
  2. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13). Peter was a true believer and His love and devotedness for the Lord were very real, yet he still had to learn these lessons. He also had to prove that those who do not learn of themselves from the Lord’s own Word in His presence must learn it through grievous failure away from Him.

Sleeping, Not Praying 
We read next that the Lord and the disciples arrived in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26:36-41). The Lord took Peter, James and John with Him farther than the others and expressed to them the sorrows He felt pressing on His holy soul. He knew all that had been prophesied in Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 and many other Scriptures was about to have its fulfillment. Well may we rejoice in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20)!

The Lord warned the disciples to “watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation” (Mt. 26:41). He did not ask them to pray for Him, but for themselves. Three times the Lord went to pray to the Father and, as the perfect, dependent Man, He committed to Him all that was about to happen. After each prayer the Lord returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. Perhaps if Peter had only followed the example of His blessed Master he would have been spared from his fall. May we learn from His example and be men and women of prayer, committing all our circumstances into the hand of our God and Father. Unlike our Lord, we do not know what a day may hold. But that should make us realize all the more our need and dependence, causing us to turn to Him in prayer!

The Denial 
After the Lord’s third prayer in the garden, He was betrayed by Judas, arrested and eventually taken to the high priest Caiaphas’ house, where He was questioned. There, as the Lord had told him, Peter denied three times that he knew the Lord Jesus:

  1. To the maid who kept the door (Jn. 18:17),
  2. As he stood with the servants and officers around a fire of coals (Jn. 18:25), and
  3. When he was questioned by the kinsman of the servant of the high priest, whose ear he had cut off (Jn. 18:26-27). 

Would Peter ever have thought he would deny his Lord before a young servant girl, the maid who was keeping the door? Yet we expose our own self-confidence when we think that we are prepared for any situation that we may face. May a greater sense of our own weakness drive us to the Lord to find in Him everything that we need in order to face every circumstance here!

The Look 
“And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter” (Lk. 22:61).

We considered Peter’s denial. Now we desire to consider how the Lord restored His failing disciple and learn, too, how He restores us when we fail. We read in 1 John 2:1 that the Lord Jesus is called our Advocate: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins.” As our great High Priest the Lord Jesus intercedes for us to sustain us in the midst of the trials and temptations that we endure. However, when we sin He is there in heaven as our Advocate so we might be restored to fellowship with the Father.

If we sin we do not lose our salvation. Our verse in 1 John tells us that the Lord Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation means that God is satisfied. Through the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross God has been once-for-all satisfied as to our sins. If we sin now as believers it is a family matter, as disobedient children towards our Father. That is why the Spirit tells us that the Lord is our Advocate with the Father rather than with God. We can never lose this relationship, but our fellowship with the Father and with the Lord Jesus Himself is interrupted when we sin.

As our Advocate, the Lord restores us. Here with Peter we see an example of how the Lord works in restoration: a prayer, then a look. The Lord had prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail in the testing. Then after Peter’s denials the Lord looked at him and brought conviction of his sin. Peter went out and wept.

How does the Lord bring conviction in our conscience today? He uses His Word. One example in the Word of God is the washing of the disciples feet in John 13. The Lord said of the disciples (except Judas) that they were already “clean every whit” (v.13), they did not need an all over cleansing again, but they did need to have their feet washed. Similarly as believers, the Lord washes us with the water of the Word (Eph. 5:26). He applies His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit that we might be brought to see that in some point, thought, word or deed we came short of His glory. This is another important reason for daily reading and meditating on the Word of God.

Peter’s Restoration 
“He restoreth my soul” (Ps. 23:3). This verse should be a great comfort to us. The Scriptures do not teach that if we fail we need to restore ourselves, clean ourselves up, brush off the dirt and then present ourselves to the Lord. No, Heis the One who restores our souls. If we are conscious of having failed in something we should immediately turn to the Lord Jesus. We came to Him just as we were as sinners to be saved. If we fail as believers we need to come to Him just as we are as sinning saints and let Him restore our souls. He is the Savior and the Restorer!

From the records in the Gospels it appears that the Lord Jesus spoke with Peter alone before He met with all the disciples in the upper room (Lk. 24:34). We have no record of what happened in that meeting but we believe that one lesson we can learn is how much the Lord loves each one of His own. Do we sometimes fail? Does this change the attitude of the Lord Jesus towards us? Does He cast us away? Did He cast away Jacob or Peter? No, by God’s grace we can say that He loves us still and His desire is to restore us to communion with Himself and the Father. If we resist, He may have to chasten [correct] us, but even that comes from a heart that loves us with an everlasting love!

Peter’s Heart Searched 
We have seen that Peter’s restoration began with the prayer of the Lord for him even before he failed. It continued with the look of conviction followed by the Lord’s own personal meeting with Peter on the Resurrection morning. The last step in Peter’s restoration, what C.H. Mackintosh has well described as a “restoration of heart,” took place beside the Sea of Galilee. There the Lord began to probe Peter’s heart: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these?” (Jn. 21:15). Peter had boasted as much in saying that even if all others denied Him, he would go to death with the Lord. Peter replied, “Yea Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” Now he does not claim to love the Lord more than the others. Three times Peter had denied the Lord, and three times the Lord Jesus questioned Peter as to whether he loved Him. The depths of his heart must be searched out and the root of self-confidence which caused the sin be fully exposed.

The Lord desires the same for us that we would not simply repeat the same failure again and again. Whatever the root may be in our hearts, the Lord desires to expose it to us that we might be delivered from it. The Scripture records that Peter was grieved when the Lord had asked him the question a third time. His reply, “Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee” shows that the root of self-confidence in Peter’s heart had been reached. He says as it were, “Lord, You know everything, and even if the love in my heart is so small that no one else can see it, You know that I love You.” Simon Peter had been humbled and, rather than trusting any more in his own estimate of his love for the Lord, he was resting in the knowledge of the Lord’s own estimate. 

Fruitful For The Lord 
“O Lord, Thou has searched me and known me” (Ps. 139:1). What was the result for Peter? Humbled and broken before the Lord, leaning on the Lord and not on himself, Peter was able on the Day of Pentecost to preach the first Christian gospel message and see 3,000 people become saved. 

We may truly say that the Lord, the God of Jacob, had worked in a marvelous way in Peter’s life. And beloved reader, He is working in your life and mine today, in His wondrous grace, to teach us not to lean upon ourselves but to lean upon Him – to cease from confidence in ourselves and to place all confidence in Him. May we learn the lesson for His glory and our blessing!

The Impact The Lord Had On Peter

By Colin Salter

Peter was not looking to meet the Lord Jesus Christ, but the Lord was looking to meet Peter. This Galilean fisherman was happy enough simply fishing for his living (Mt. 4:18) – something he had been brought up doing. He did not know that God had a different, greater purpose for him. Just as truth is still truth even when we don’t think it is, Peter needed to learn that God’s plans are always the best!

I’ll Lead And You Follow 
“Come, follow Me, Jesus said [to Peter and Andrew], and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt. 4:19 NIV). Verses 19, 20, 22 and 25 all use the word “follow.” A follower is somebody who pays attention to what someone else is doing or saying. Accepting the master’s leadership, they may all then become companions, taking the same direction through life. On that one day in Capernaum, Peter’s life began to be changed. The Carpenter from Nazareth would shape the new fisher-of-men, remaking Peter into one of God’s men. To get the most out of life, let God have His way continually: “At once they left their nets and followed Him” (Mt. 4:20).

Transformed And Then Sent 
Notice how Peter introduces himself in his letters: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:1), and “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1). It was Jesus who had “designated apostles” (Lk. 6:13-14) – the word meaning a person sent forth or commissioned for a clearly defined job. Our Lord Jesus used His three-plus years of ministry to transform Peter from a man of the world into a man of the Word. Peter was born anew (1 Pet. 1:3) and he encouraged others to be born again (1 Pet. 1:23). He treasured his Bible as the “word of the Lord” (1 Pet. 1:24-2:2), and the teaching our Lord Jesus invested into Peter’s life produced Christian fruitfulness in the fisherman. Then through Peter’s teaching, the Lord was reproducing this in many others.

What God wants us to know and do is found in His Word. Read it, learn it and do it always!

Sent To Serve 
The word “servant” in 2 Peter 1:1 is actually the word “slave” – the lowest of servants. Peter was not boastful about being an apostle. Rather, he saw himself as an average shepherd (1 Pet. 5:1-4) accountable to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. By influencing as many people as he could for the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter was storing treasure in heaven.

We need to have our hearts and eyes fixed on the eternal rather than the things of this earthly life. Christian priorities in life show how sincere we really are. The British preacher C.H. Spurgeon thought that many believers were like shop windows – attractive and bright outside but empty on the inside. Spurgeon felt that such individuals were pretending to be what in reality they were not.1

The Most Moving Experience Of All 
Peter wrote: “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory saying, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain” (2 Pet. 1:16-18). The word “majesty” (Greek: megaleiotetos) means the highest divine honor. Peter’s eyes therefore feasted on the highest divine honor of the Lord Jesus!

Sharing his heart, Peter recalled our Lord’s transfiguration (Gk. metamorphoo – from which we get our English word “metamorphosis,” meaning “a major change that makes someone or something very different”2). Along with James and John, Peter saw the glory of God radiate through our Lord Jesus. It was a highpoint in their learning from God about Himself. The man they were following, Jesus, was none else but God! The Lord Jesus did not change here, but He did give a special revelation about Himself, causing these three witnesses to be determined to follow Him.

Seeing Is Believing 
Three transfiguration accounts are in the New Testament: Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36, while John adds his witness of the Lord’s glory in John 1:14 and 1 John 1:1-3. Seeing the glorious Lord Jesus Christ transformed Peter. Having heard the Father say, “This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” (Mk. 9:7), Peter could not flee from the throb of God’s heartbeat, so to speak. It was like a rhythmic African drum: “I am pleased, well-pleased, oh so pleased with My Son. I am pleased with My Son, only Son, beloved Son. I am pleased, well-pleased with My one and only Son.” Peter walked accordingly the rest of his life. It took him through his many highs and lows, for he knew God loved him and was his Savior – and he knew his Savior pleased God and was God. 

Life Lessons That Challenged Peter 
Peter learned by watching and listening to the Lord Jesus. Today we can learn from reading these six narratives found in the Gospels and Acts:

Seeing Jesus walking on water Peter climbed over the boat’s side and began to walk towards Him. Taking his eyes away from the Lord, Peter began to sink. But the Lord’s strong hand rescued him (Mt. 14:22-33). We must keep our attention firmly focused on our Lord Jesus.

Challenged by Jesus to say who they thought He was, Peter declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:13-20). God disclosed to Peter deep spiritual truths about salvation and the Savior. Let us keep our testimony about the Lord Jesus pure, remaining useful in God’s service.

Immediately after this high point came a really depressing experience – Peter rebuked his Lord who was teaching about going to the cross (Mt. 16:21-28). The fisherman needed to learn there was “strength of weakness” which God would use to defeat sin and Satan. Fighting with force is the world’s way, not the Word’s way.

As the crucifixion drew near, Peter refused to believe the Lord Jesus when He said, “You will all fall away on account of Me” (Mt. 26:31-35). He had too much confidence in his own ability, causing him to disrespect even the word of the Lord Jesus. Matthew 26:69-75 records how Peter distanced himself from his close Friend and Teacher by denying Him. All Christians must be careful here.

After the resurrection the Lord Jesus talked to Peter about this incident. The lesson was about repentance and love; and the Lord desired to restore His servant. Peter, who had bitterly cried immediately after denying the Christ (Mt. 26:75), was challenged over his love for the Lord Jesus. The link between those three denials and these three questions (Jn. 21:15-19) is deliberate. For believers, failure does not lead to automatic disqualification for with our Lord there is always a way back. Peter could still look forward to glorifying God (Jn. 21:19). In spite of so many disastrous failures in my past, I thank God that I can look ahead, seeing myself joining millions of others in giving worthy praise to the impressively majestic, Almighty, Creator God in His heaven (Rev. 4-5).

Peter, the first preacher recorded in the Church (Acts 2:14-41), spoke in the power of the Holy Spirit about what God had done and was doing. Verses 22-24 are key: “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”

Peter spoke from his personal experience with the Lord Jesus – what he had seen and heard. I’m sure he had given these events much thought and probably had long discussions about them with the other disciples. Now he wanted others to “Repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). As his own life had been turned right around, so he wanted others to be converted as well. 

Perhaps some in the crowd were looking to meet Jesus while others had seen and heard but not yet trusted Him. Peter saw his job to be winning as many as possible to the Christian faith – born into saving faith through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is our God-given task too (Mt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:7-8).

Life Changing For You? 
In these six examples we can see something of the deep and lasting impact of the Lord Jesus on Peter’s life. It was life changing! We must regularly check our own lives to make sure we keep on “keeping on” – following our Lord Jesus closely, going in the right direction. His purpose must always be ours, every moment of every day!

END NOTES: 
1. C.H. Spurgeon, Majesty in Misery, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth) p.109, sermon preached February 12, 1882. 
2. Macmillan School Dictionary (Oxford) 2004.