Text: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act” (Ps 37:5).

Context, Context, Context: This is a psalm of David, part of what is called the Wisdom Literature in Scripture. The issue in Psalm 37 is a sensitive one: why do the wicked so often prosper in this life? Why do the godly often suffer profoundly?

What David pens should encourage all who have grappled with these existential questions. Why? Because one of the most obvious realities is that we find ourselves in a broken world. People are messy. Marriages suffer; friendships are tested; lies fill each day’s headlines; murderers go free; children are trafficked, and on and on it goes. If you want news of spiritual darkness, you do not have to look long or very far. Just turn on your favorite podcast, radio, news channel, etc. It’s all there—a litany of sad stories of cruel things done by people to other people. We are indeed a fallen creation, just as Scripture teaches.

But what about those who are trying to be good, those who are trying to live as salt and light in a morally rotten and darkening world? What does God have to say about that type of person’s character and about his affections/inclinations of his heart? That’s where Psalm 37 is so helpful.

A similar address is Proverbs 16:3. There we read, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

Encouragement: What we discover in Psalm 37:5 and Proverbs 16:3 is the matter of patient endurance in a godly direction. In the psalm, David writes that the godly person must first commit his way to God. Commitment is covenantal language. It is like marriage language where we commit to our wife or husband, promising to be faithful. Second, we see an emphasis on enduring faith in the goodness of God. The reality is, from our perspective, God seems to delay. We might say, God “drags his feet.” We are often prone to impetuousness and impatience. But God is not like that. God will act, according to Psalm 37. David reminds us, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him . . .” (Ps 37:7a). To summarize, then, two things: commit and patiently endure in the faith (and that faith is in the complete goodness of God).

Introduction: What does it mean to test the spirits to see whether they are from God? The passage comes from the apostle John’s first epistle:

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (1 Jn 4:1-6)

Discussion: The issue revolves around the locus of rightful authority. Who is the true God? Are we to worship a Caesar? Should we worship a fickle mythical god like Zeus or Poseidon? Are we to offer a pinch of incense to Domitian, Nero, or any political tyrant or charismatic leader? Who’s the legitimate authority? The answer should be obvious: God. Not an idol, but God alone. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). The issue is the locus of rightful authority. Those who oppose Christ’s lordship are by definition anti-christs, i.e., opposed to God’s revelation. They are, to use the apostle John’s words, “from the world” and “speak from the world” and “the world listens to them.” What John means by that is the world system. There’s always a god of the system. If there’s no transcendent God above the system, then the system is the idol-god.

Encouragement: There is a high calling for followers of Christ. It involves testing the spirits to see whether they are from God. That means we are called to be a wise, discerning people, people who discern the reality from the appearances, the heart of the matter and not the facades.

I was reading in Micah. Specifically, I was in chapter 5. Micah prophesied to Israel and Judah from the time just before the fall of Samaria through the time of Hezekiah of Judah (c. 740s B.C.). He was a contemporary of Isaih and Hosea. Michah’s themes were judgment and forgiveness. The Lord was and is the Judge, but is also believers’ Shepherd-King. And what does He do? Gathers, protects, and forgives His flock. Why? Because He is faithful to His covenantal nature. 

    Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops;
    siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
    on the cheek.
      But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
  Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
  And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:1-5a, ESV)

The progression of the recurring plot is all here: 1) Judgment is to fall upon the flock because the sheep have strayed; 2) but out of a seemingly insignificant tribe (Bethlehem), a ruler is promised “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2b); and 3) He will “shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD” (Micah 5:4). 

Just as David was a type of this in the 900s B.C., a shepherd-boy who became king and ruler, so the covenantal promise is fulfilled ultimately in Christ, the Good Shepherd, who leads His people “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps 23:3). And He bore the judgment the flock deserves.

All of the Bible points to Jesus. All of it. One coherent story. And God is the Hero.  

Introduction: I was discussing land with a peer from work recently. He was telling me about the family farm he grew up on, and of the possibility that some of his relatives may continue selling off the property that he was reared upon, and of his deep desire to retain the property. His memories are tied to that land. He drove his grandpa’s tractor on that land. He tended cattle on that land. He hunted that land and grew crops on that land, etc. He loves it.

I think many of us can relate to his feelings. He values the land and hates to think that some new guy will come in and make a financial offer the family can’t refuse. Or can they? It can get muddy and quite involved rather quickly because values come into conflict. Should temporary financial gain be the overriding factor? Should nostalgia and family memories get involved? If so, to what degree? The questions could, of course, continue.

Context, Context, Context:  In Proverbs 2, Solomon is imparting wisdom to his son. Wisdom is not just information; it is deeper than that. Folks can often get lots of information, but knowing how to sift, sort, and mine wisdom from information is a skill that must be cultivated.

Text: “if you seek it [wisdom] like silver and search for it [wisdom] as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God” (Pr 2:4-5).

Encouragement: In Mt 13:44, Jesus is teaching, and he says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He’s teaching of the supreme value of this hidden treasure, the kingdom of heaven. In other words, it’s recognizing the distinction between the temporal and the eternal. So often our appetites are for junk when treasure is available. It’d be like settling for plastic-wrapped donuts from the QuikTrip when a fine cut of beef is available. Wisdom is called for, in order to know how to discern kitsch from jewels. (And yes, I hope my peer’s family keeps their property. We don’t need another strip mall.)

Question: What is a wise criterion by which to evaluate leadership?

Possible responses:

• Mission accomplishment
• Retention of quality workforce
• Job satisfaction
• Growth
• Pride in the organization
• Sense of self-worth/value experienced by team members
• Truth
• Transparency

Context, Context, Context: In the prophetic Book of Hosea, we have the words of Hosea speaking a parable of warning to his culture in the 700s B.C. when the culture has largely fallen into false religion, shepherds for sale, and morally rotten leadership.

Text: “My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore” (Hosea 4:12).

One thing I love about Scripture is that it tells it like it is. The Bible does not sugarcoat things. It uses imagery, metaphors, and analogies, in addition to narratives, poetry, gospels, and apocalyptic literary genres to reveal the truth about God, about us, and about the only means of salvation: Christ.

The context in verse 12 above concerns how idolatrous people fall under false shepherds, shepherds for sale, and lies. Hosea illustrates ways that the people use a “walking staff” that gives them oracles. And what do those oracles do? They lead the people astray. And the people “play the whore.” They allow themselves to be pimped. That’s strong language, you say? Yes, it is. And it comes straight from Scripture. So, don’t shoot the messenger.

Teaching/encouragement: The point from Hosea as God’s prophet is straightforward: a wise criterion by which leadership is to be evaluated is tied to the quality of transparency and truth of its leadership. This is why Jesus is called the Good Shepherd in Scripture. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He leads His sheep to green pastures. He guards against the wolves. He exposes the darkness. He equips His sheep. He exposes the false. He invites investigation. He is transparent. His work is done in the light.

Introduction: This coming Sunday as the saints gather at Christ Covenant Church (3cs-canton.org) I am going to teach from Ecclesiastes 5 on “The posture of the Christian.” The word posture has its roots in Latin and is rooted in the idea of “position” or “station.” We might think of it as the disposition or pose of the mind/soul towards God.

Why It Matters: Why should this matter to us? Well, in short, because all of us have to deal with the God question. How you and I respond to the reality of God has consequences. Do we respond in repentance and faith in Christ or do we harden ourselves and suppress the truth of God in our unrighteousness?

Text: “If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them” (Eccl. 5:8).

Context, Context, Context: Solomon is here writing a book of wisdom with the overarching theme of contrasting worldviews–namely, secularism (life under the sun) vs. theism (life under God). Solomon is a master teacher. How so? Well, he teaches by way of contrasts–this vs. that; light vs. dark; fulfillment vs. futility, etc.

Teaching: In Eccl. 5:8, what we have is wisdom regarding the reality of human fallenness. To use a military analogy, it’s having an accurate sight picture. It’s seeing things as they are, not how ​we might wish they are. It’s coherence. It’s using terms that accurately correspond to the way reality is. A is A, in other words. A is not non-A.

Solomon teaches here that we should “not be amazed at the matter” of human oppression or “the violation of justice and righteousness.” Why? Because this is a fallen world. The world is composed of sinners; therefore, expect them to act like sinners. To use a homely expression, “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” That’s good country wisdom. How so? Well, it reminds us of what Solomon teaches–namely, that this world is fallen.

Since this world is so fallen, how will Christians position themselves? What is to be our posture? Are we to hide the light of truth under a basket? Jesus had some rather strong words about that posture. Should we try to force belief upon people as some worldviews do, i.e., convert or die? No. Christianity alone rests upon the loving, clear declaration of truth and leaving it up to the individual how he will respond.

We don’t force belief; we simply present the truth and back it up with evidence. Others will do as they will. Hell’s doors are locked from the inside, you see. The people who hate God choose their destiny. Heaven would be hell for the one who hates God, in other words. Hell’s “doors,” so to speak, are therefore locked from the inside. Why? Because the denizens hate God, refuse God, and reject God.

Encouragement: The posture of the Christian, therefore, is one of submission to the truth of God in the midst of a fallen world, wherein we labor to be salt and light in a world of moral rot and darkness. Why? To preserve, to be the light in the darkness, to call out corruption in prayerful hope that cleanness will be brought instead. But that cleanness is not something we manufacture; it is the gift of God. And God uses the posture of Christians to bear witness to that cleanness. 

BLUF: The High Call of Shepherding Well

Context, Context, Context: The passage under discussion is Ezekiel 34. In it, God rebukes false shepherds. And He does it with severity. Why? Because souls matter. Profoundly. Therefore, the stewardship of souls by shepherds is scrutinized by God Himself. God will judge the shepherds.

Text: Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. (Ez 34:7-10)

Questions for Reflection:

• What does the above passage teach us about the high calling of shepherding souls well?
• What does the above passage teach us about the standard to which God holds the shepherds of souls?
• How will genuine shepherds be distinguished from false ones?

Encouragement: I love watching the next generations of chaplains and shepherds coming into our force. I see their alacrity, their enthusiasm, their heart for Soldiers and Families. It’s the same way I feel about men called into civilian ministry. I rejoice that God continues to call men to shepherd well. However, I’ve also seen more than a few men who are like those in the passage from Ezekiel, men who care not for the sheep but only for self. That is spiritual cancer; be not fooled. But God sees, and God will do what is right. Sometimes sad things just have to have time to play themselves out so that the charlatans are revealed. The tragedy is that souls are damaged in the interim. Lord, make us faithful shepherds.