Daniel & the Life of Faith

A few thoughts on the Book of Daniel that emerged from reflecting early this morning ...

Every person who has been baptized into Christ has been born again by God's grace. Christians, therefore, exist in what may be called a state of grace or a state of salvation. Because we believe the testimony of God's Spirit through Scripture and his witness to our spirit, we know we are his.

Yet every person who is, by grace, in Christ also knows that Satan has not put a "Do Not Disturb" sign around us. Rather he has hung a Bull's Eye on us in order to destroy us. Christians know more than their critics that living a godly, holy and Spirit-filled life is a struggle. Paul even compared it to warfare! So we look for resources to live a life of faithfulness before God.

The stories in the book of Daniel were written precisely to help God's people face the assaults that come from a hostile and pagan world - the attacks of the Enemy. From the book of Daniel we learn two important truths about discipleship: we must have a strong sense of identity and we must have integrity.

Daniel does have a strong sense of identity. He knew that he belonged to God. In chapter one he refused to "defile himself" which meant he did not allow himself to be put under obligation to a pagan king (1.8). In chapter nine Daniel prays to Yahweh, this prayer reveals his deep roots in the story of Israel with God. Daniel knew if he was not only to survive in a worldly, pagan environment he needed a strong sense of "who he was and whose he was" - identity. His identity was rooted in and derived from the God of heaven.

Daniel also had a strong sense of integrity. His integrity was that of faith. From reading the book of Daniel we see this young man was a student of Scripture and a prayer warrior. Twice this man of God is indebted to Jeremiah (2.36-38, cf. Jer 27.6-7; and 9.2-3, cf Jer 29.10) and frequently uses language from Ezekiel. Daniel's faith had integrity. He knew he would not be able to live faithfully without constant feeding upon Story of God in Scripture. When he needed insight or strength, Daniel had God's word imprinted on his heart due to his habit of meditating upon it.

Daniel's integrity is also seen in his prayer life. Few characters in the Bible are said to have prayed as often as Daniel. He prays in ch. 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12. The reason Daniel was put in the dungeon with wild lions was because of his commitment to prayer.

Daniel, who was kidnapped from his homeland as a youth, was taken to a strange land, a land of a different language, different values, and different religion. It would have been easy for him to throw in the towel on living as a resident alien for Yahweh - but he didn't. We live in a world very similar to the world of the book of Daniel. We are exiles in a foreign land. But if we have a strong sense of identity, we are God's people and have integrity to spend time to be nourished by Scripture and prayer, I believe we will live lives full of faith for God our King.

Do you know who you are? Do you have integrity before God? - the questions of the Book of Daniel.

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Paul the Jew, His Nazirite Vow and Restorationist Response to It

The episode recorded by Luke in Acts 21.17-26 is one of his most fascinating vignettes. It certainly is a “bump” in any patternistic hermeneutic. The thought of Paul (James and the Jerusalem church does not usually bother anyone but perhaps would if we actually understood it) actually taking a vow, offering a sacrifice in the temple {with instruments} and undergoing purification causes no little stress! That the text is meddlesome is evident by the way Stone-Campbell restorationists have wrestled with the text. I think our reactions to this passage in Acts also sheds light on our attitude toward the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in general and the Jewish context of the first century church in particular.

I have not found a discussion of Acts 21 in Alexander Campbell’s writings. If someone has a reference please let me know. In his Acts of the Apostles Campbell offers only the briefest of notes and mostly of a translation nature. His most extensive comment is whether or not Paul was arrested during or after the period of the vow (Acts, p.144).

Robert Milligan and J. W. McGarvey seem to have provided the grist for most restoration thought on Acts 21 in the late 19th and going into the 20th centuries. I will summarize Milligan first. Milligan published his Analysis of the New Testament in 1874. Volume one covers only the Gospels and Acts (I do not know if volume 2 was ever published).

For Milligan there are three possible explanations of Paul’s behavior in Jerusalem in Acts 21. First we can simply affirm that Paul acted ignorantly. In spite of having written Galatians he still was not aware that the Law of Moses was no longer binding. The second possible interpretive move for Milligan is that Paul’s action falls in the same category as Peter’s in Galatians 2. He acted out of fear of his Jewish brethren and thus not wholeheartedly. The third possible interpretation is that Paul was simply bowing to Jewish weakness and prejudice. (See Milligan, Analysis, p. 392). Milligan shows no interest in the fact that the Jerusalem church under the leadership of James, and Luke the writer, have no apparent qualms with this course of action.

Milligan’s interpretation is picked up by B. W. Johnson in his People’s Notes on the New Testament, Vol 1. In Johnson’s Notes God gradually lead the church into understanding that the Old Testament had been done away with, “God taught the church lesson by lesson, but up to this time that at Jerusalem had not yet learned that they were freed from the obligation to keep the law of Moses” (Vol 1, p. 511). Johnson suggests, in line with Milligan, that Paul took James advice for the sake of “peace and unity” (p. 512). But in Johnson’s own view “we cannot be certain that the advice was just, or that Paul did just right to comply” (ibid). Johnson follows this up by quoting “Pres. Milligan” (without giving the source but it is his Analysis quoted above) and opts for his third suggestion as the “best.” This was Jewish prejudice and “even Paul evidently at this time thought of the sacrifices as, like circumcision, a matter of indifference.” It was the next generation, Johnson states, that grasped the real truth of the matter.

J. W. McGarvey has the most extensive discussion on the episode and does so twice in his Original Commentary on Acts (pp. 258-261) and in his New Commentary (vol 2: 204-209). McGarvey confesses that Acts 21 “to be the most difficult passage in Acts to fully understand, and to reconcile with the teaching of Paul on the subject of the Mosaic law” (Acts, 258).

McGarvey argues that Paul had repudiated the obligation of the law but not the innocence of observing it as cultural ideal. Colossians 2.14, along with Ephesians and Hebrews (which Paul wrote according to McGarvey) clearly indicate that the repudiation of the “authority of the law” as obligatory on Christians.

Holy days and food was one thing, for McGarvy, but sacrifices were another. It is clear that James and the Jerusalem church thought continued sacrifice was “innocent” and approved the course of the four men and Paul himself (p. 259). Similarly to Milligan, McGarvey postulates that perhaps Paul simply made a mistake like Peter in Antioch. But “Peter finally discovered that he was wrong in that matter, and Paul at length discovered that he was wrong in his connection with the offerings of these Nazarites” (p. 260). Other than supposing that Paul went on to write Hebrews no proof is offered for Paul’s recognition of his error in Jerusalem. In the final analysis, McGarvey, says that the actions by Paul in Acts 21 “was inconsistent with the truth as finally developed by the apostles, but not with so much of it as was then understood by Paul” (ibid).

McGarvey does not alter his conclusions much in his New Commentary. He concludes his discussion in his New Commentary saying,

“That which renders this proceeding a more striking exhibition of Paul’s present attitude toward the law is the fact that in it he participated in the offerings of sacrifices, which seems to be inconsistent with his repeated declaration of the all-sufficiency of the blood of Christ as an atonement of sin. I think it must be admitted that subsequent to the writing of the epistle to the Ephesians and more especially to the Hebrews, he could not have consistently have done this …” (Vol 2., p. 208).

F. L. Rowe and John A. Klingman take up McGarvey’s views in work entitled The Bible in Questions and Answers (1924). I was not even aware of this book until I discovered it in a used bookstore in Milwaukee of all places. Rowe and Klingman reproduce a whole paragraph from McGarvey (without a citation btw).

So far most of the interpreters have concluded that Paul was simply ignorant, fearful or suffered from vestiges of Jewish prejudice and likely a combination of all three. E. G. Sewell was asked about Paul’s strange behavior too. For Sewell Acts 21 was simply “a case of human weakness, like Peter.” It was absolutely “certain [Paul] was not acting under inspiration” at the time he had this lapse in judgment. Sewell tells his solicitor that “it was almost impossible to convince the first Jewish Christians that they were to entirely lay aside the customs of the law.” As such “the action of Paul was not an act of the Spirit of God in contradiction to itself, but simply a specimen of Jewish prejudice and weakness.” (Sewell’s article is easily available in Questions Answered by Lipscomb and Sewell, edited by M. C. Kurfees, pp. 389-390).

One thing that never occurred to Milligan, McGarvey, Rowe or Sewell is that they may have misunderstood Luke and Paul rather than the other way around. Another question that never seems to have been raised is why Luke, the inspired writer, would not have indicated that Paul and the Jerusalem church were in error. But when Acts is actually read in its entirety Paul’s actions and those of the Jerusalem church seem quite consistent with the narrative - this is not the first vow Paul makes, cf. 18.18. Another question that seems not to have been raised is when is an “apostolic” example actually approved? Clearly James approved of it. Clearly Paul also approved of it. And it would seem that Luke approved of it … three inspired men have approved it. Just when is the early church a source for "pattern?" Is it only pattern when it behaves in a way you already believe? This seems to have been normal procedure for James and the Jerusalem church.

Yet we have routinely called Paul and Jerusalem church mistaken? They were simply prejudiced or ignorant! Another question that seems to have escaped notice is “What if the prejudice is not Jewish but Gentile in this case?” The only mistake seems, in my opinion, is the application of a false presupposition and judging the Lord’s brother and an apostle on the basis of a restoration hermeneutic. What happens when our theory of hermeneutics conflicts with the actual biblical text??

At any rate this is most interesting to me how this particular episode in Acts is excised from our theology.

Blessings,
Bobby Valentine

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Fiddler, Tradition, & God's Word

Tradition. It is something each one of us values and shares. We have national traditions and we have family traditions. It is a national tradition to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and cookouts. It is a national tradition, for many, to place flowers on the graves of soldiers on Memorial Day. With these traditions we pass on certain values to our children that we want them to have. We want them to value freedom and recognize the cost of it. And these are worthy values.

In our families we have traditions. We have traditions around Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. We might cook a turkey a certain way, do certain things on vacation, enjoy certain pastimes - all traditional. And there is nothing wrong, per se, with these traditions in the least.

In the church we have lots of traditions. Tradition in church, like family and nation, can be good. Tradition can give us a sense of continuity and identity - good values in themselves. But tradition can also be unhealthy in each of these areas when we become blind to the fact that we do indeed have tradition. Sometimes we might even mistake our tradition as the will of God and demand conformity to our way of doing things.

Traditions are nothing more than the invention of some human through the years. Each arose out of a real life need. Examples. Why do churches across the land have service at 11 am? It is pure tradition rooted in the 19th century. Farmers milked the cows and then would go to the Gathering for worship. What about songbooks? did the church of God at Corinth have any? What about a "church building?" - did the church of God at Corinth have one? What about tiny crackers and tiny cups for communion? What about "Sunday School?" According to historian Earl West, there were no Churches of Christ with Sunday Schools prior to the first decade of the 20th century. What about exclusive congregational singing? Vacation Bible Schools? etc. All of these are traditions. There is nothing wrong with any of these traditions in and of themselves. But we must always recognize the difference between the Word of God and even a good tradition. Everyone must obey God's Word but nobody has to obey a single one of our traditions! As Jesus said,

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules invented by men" (Matthew 15.8-9)

May we always value our heritage but seek wisdom to recognize that tradition is not the Word of God. May we grant freedom and love in the area of tradition.

Enjoy the video of Tevye from one of the Valentine favorites: Fiddler on the Roof.

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Sabbath: Bridge Between the Commandments (Deut 5.12-15)

Introductory Thoughts

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

The Sabbath is the center of the Ten Words as they are known in Deuteronomy. It forms a bridge from the first half to the second half of the our covenant responsibilities to God and to our fellow creatures. The Sabbath word connects love for God with our love for our neighbor. In other words it deals with our relationship with our Redeemer and our responsibility to our neighbor. Thus it forms the gracious center of the Decalogue.

The Sabbath Word is the only word that is significantly different here in the Deuteronomy than the parallel passage than in Exodus 20. Those differences should not be slighted or passed over in silence but taken in light of the purpose of these respective books.

From even a casual reading of the Ten Words it becomes apparent that God spends more time (and space) on the Sabbath than any of the other words. In this section God gives one explanation as to WHY Israel is to keep this wondrous word. At its root the Sabbath is the most humanitarian and gracious of all God’s commandments. It is vitally important to see the Hebrew perspective on the Sabbath to understand Jesus’ attitude toward it. The Sabbath is the ground of the Second Commandment, the outline of Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ ministry and many other important themes in Scripture. Sabbath should bring, if our minds are shaped by the Story of God, images of grace and love in our mind.

In Exodus the Sabbath is based on creation. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. In Deuteronomy, however, there is no reference to creation at all, instead the Sabbath is rooted and grounded in the mighty redemptive act of Yahweh of rescuing Israel from slavery . . . this is the Hebrew Bible Gospel. According to Deuteronomy we accomplish two things by honoring the Sabbath: 1) we “remember” the work of God in redeeming us; 2)we provide rest for the slaves, aliens and even animals in our care. . . . and ourselves. Redemption and Community!

What this Word Expects from Us

This Word wants those in the believing community to:

1) on a regular basis set aside our normal routine and work activities to gain respite and refreshment. This gives us freedom to relax from the daily grind;

2) that time we take out on a routine basis is set aside in God’s honor, to worship and to simply enjoy what he has done. This is an important aspect of “rest” in Deuteronomy;

3) on that day we are to recall the creating and redeeming work of God. In short we are to remember grace and love;

4) We show grace to others in gratitude for the rest and salvation that Yahweh has granted to the believing community. Toil is not our lot in life . . . the Sabbath reminds us of that.

We in Churches of Christ have had drilled into our heads that the First Day is the Lord’s Day, not the Sabbath. The First Day is Resurrection Day, this is true, but we have, perhaps, allowed a shallow understanding of what the Sabbath was all about to rob us of the grace in this word from God. I have said before, and I will say it again, it is methodologically wrong to read Paul’s debates with legalists and Jesus’ debates with Pharisees back into the Hebrew Bible. Pharisees did not exist in Moses’ day and there were no legalists in his day either . . . this is very important to remember.

The Sabbath is a gift from God to man. Jesus said that God made the Sabbath for man. The Lord’s blessing of a Sabbath is a provision to rise above mere existence. It was meant to bless us . . . not condemn us. Perversion turned it into something it was never intended to be.

As a gift of grace the primary character of the Sabbath is rest and joy. Rest from work and toil. It places in the cycle of life a provision for freedom from tyranny and the oppression of unrelenting labors. It places a check on our own driveness and increased pressure of unceasing demand to get ahead. It calls us to trust in the God who redeems.

Sabbath Eschatology

The Sabbath looks backwards to the grace of God in the Exodus . . . the single greatest miracle in history until the Incarnation of the Word. In breaking from our slavery to work (and dependence upon self), we will be reminded of God’s breaking you free . . . without your working contribution and the greater bondage to sin.

The Sabbath looks forward to our promised Rest with God. This theme is vital our understanding our promise of heaven. The writer of Hebrews states, that we Christians still honor the Sabbath, our goal is the real Sabbath . . . resting in God’s Presence (Hebrews 4).

The Year of Jubilee is an extension of the Sabbath. And this provides the food for thinking about heavenly rest in Hebrews 4. There is an old rabbinic legend that says,

“At on time when God was giving the Torah to Israel, He said to them:
‘My Children! If you accept the Torah and observe my mitvot [i.e. commands] I will give you for all eternity a thing most precious that I have in my possession.’
‘And what,’ asked Israel, ‘ is that precious thing which Thou wilt give us if we obey Thy Torah?’
‘The world to come!’
‘Show us in this world an example of the world to come,’ asked Israel.
‘The Sabbath,’ said the LORD, ‘is the example of the world to come.’”
(Quoted in Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath, p. 73)

"The World to come . . ." I think the Hebrews’ Preacher would nod in approval.

Concluding Thoughts

Regularly setting apart time for the Lord inhibits the human inclination to justify oneself by job or work. The Sabbath is a concrete symbol of God’s saving grace that redeems human life rather than humans saving themselves by work and effort. The Sabbath is a regular time to STOP striving, to STOP trying to keep up with the Jones’, to STOP trying to gain approval by our success. The Sabbath is a chance to GIVE love, time and rest . . . in the name of him who grants us gracious rest.

The Sabbath is the great equalizer, for that day is a fore taste of the Kingdom when all – great or small – are reckoned to be exactly the same and equal. There are no masters and slaves on that day . . . only Family!

There are many texts in the Hebrew Bible related to the Sabbath, find them and relish the images God puts in your mind’s eye. The Sabbath is that picture of the way a community redeemed by the blood will live both in relation to God and to each other. So I encourage us all to cultivate the spiritual discipline of taking a sabbath rest ... the Bridge Between the Commandments to Love our God and Our Fellow Creatures.

Revised Update 1/09/12

This morning I had two emails asking if I could recommend a book or two on the Sabbath day. I will recommend three in descending.

1) The first book I would read on the Sabbath is Abraham J. Heschel's The Sabbath. Heschel was a very insightful Jewish biblical scholar. His small classic on the Sabbath simply changed the way I understood what this day was all about. Read this before anything.

2) Anything by Marva J. Dawn will challenge you and bless your heart and your mind. Keeping the Sabbath Wholly is no exception. She makes a nice compliment to Heschel.

3) Wayne Muller writes in a way that reminds me of Henri J. M. Nouwen and is a feast for the heart. His Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest I have found to be a wonderful guide to spiritual thinking.

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Rage Against the Storm: Jeremiah, Prayer & Honest Faith (Jer 20.7-18)

Meet Jeremiah

Over the years Jeremiah has become one of my favorite places in the Story to meditate, ruminate and munch scripture. He is one of the few biblical characters I've ever taken the time to read a novel about, Thom Lemmons wonderful Jeremiah: He Who Wept. (See How Jeremiah Was Made) Last night I was up laaatttteeeee as I skimmed Jeremiah and settled on chapter 20 for some lectio divina time. I have written down some reflections that emerged in that period with God's word. Here they are ...

After 20 years of full time ministry in Churches of Christ the life of Jeremiah is more meaningful to me than ever before. There have been plenty of rumors and whisperings, complaints about kids, about the wife(s), about divorce, about facebook, sermons are to long, sermons are to short, you're in the ministerial alliance, you're not in the ministerial alliance, illustrations are not real enough, illustrations are too real, you are to scholarly, you preach from the Old Testament, you don't preach what I grew up with, you meddle with my life, being fired ... anyone in ministry long enough has dealt with all of these complaints and sometimes the sheer pettiness of it all. Jeremiah dealt with it all too.

Jeremiah is frequently called the "weeping prophet." He was just a kid when the Lord called him to the ministry (1.6). We read "Before I was formed in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (1.5). His ministry is characterized by uprooting and tearing down (1.10). God said "today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the kings ... and the people of the land (1.18). Jeremiah lives in a terrible time and his ministry will be full of misery and heartache. God did give a message that he did not always like to share. It sounded unpatriotic. It sounded unreasonable.

After preaching for approximately 25 years in Jer 20, five more than I have been currently, the people of God hate the Preacher more than ever! He has been jailed, nearly beaten to death in response to his sermons, he has been destitute, cold and hungry. The people of God believe Jeremiah is actually a false prophet who has betrayed the nation of Judah and had formed an alliance with her arch enemy - Babylon. A message had been sent throughout the land that the "madman who acts like a prophet" is to "be put into stocks and neck-irons" - Jeremiah was that madman (29.26-27, NIV). Twenty five years has taken its toll on Jeremiah. He is tired of being God's man. It hurt too much - both physically and emotionally. He is worn out and just wants out!!

The Bed of Roses

As we look at ch. 20, Jeremiah has just preached a sermon in the temple courts, using a clay jar as an illustration (we know illustrations can get you in trouble). He dramatically throws the jar to the ground declaring this is how God is breaking Judah herself apart (19.10ff). Pashur, a temple officer, did not like the sermon and was deeply offended. He literally had Jeremiah arrested, thrown in jail and beaten - for what amounted to treason (20.2). Jeremiah was released in the morning. In the face of this opposition to his sermon, Jeremiah is strong like a pillar and solid like walls of brass while dealing publicly with critics.

Once the action settles and the prophet is alone with his thoughts, however, he falls apart. Jeremiah had had enough! Listen to his gut wrenching words. Listen to a man who gets brutally honest with God. This is prayer in the raw and his honesty is literally shocking:

O Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming words of violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, 'Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him." (20.7-10)

Some feel Jeremiah's rage against the storm is on the verge of blasphemy. I do not! This is authentic faith. I love the Hebrew Bible's integrity! God has overpowered Jeremiah. Or at least that is how he feels. Jeremiah is saying, like some psalmists, "why don't you leave me alone!" Why do I suffer since I am in your service? The "congregation" mocks him, his so called friends actually are biding their time to see him flub up and then they can revel in it.

Can we hear the burning emotion in this prayer? It is hard to miss. Does God get angry with Jeremiah for accusing him of lying? That is bold! Indeed what is revealed is the depth of authenticity in the relationship between Jeremiah and his Lord. God respects those who are in covenant with him. Yahweh is not threatened nor angered by Jeremiah's outburst. What faith is revealed. How you ask? Because Jeremiah is not afraid, he does not "play it safe," in his prayer. He lays it on the line because his life is on the line. Only a heart supremely confident in trust and faith in the kind of God Yahweh is dares to pray like this. This is prayer from a bed of roses - full of beauty and thorns.

Fire in Our Bones

From the early days of my life 20.9, "his word is like a fire in my bones, has been proof texted in sermons on evangelism. But I never heard a sermon on this verse in its context. Jeremiah's words are hardly positive to him. They are negative. God's Word is an alien, all consuming fire that is beyond the preacher's control and he wants to get rid of it. Jeremiah, after 25 years, is not under the delusion that being a prophet was some glorious easy task. The opposite is true. Being a prophet is the last thing he wants to do. We all must admit there are times in our lives when we have felt like Jeremiah but were perhaps not quite as secure in our relationship with the Lord to verbalize our frustrations as he did. But perhaps it really is necessary to grow into authentic biblical God-honoring faith.

Even with his bold raging against the storm, Jeremiah still has unconquerable faith in Yahweh. He knows that he will be taken care of in the ultimate sense. He has suffered but the God of Israel has been there. Hear more words in his prayer ...

"But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked (20.11-13).

In the midst of his rage, Jeremiah confesses the Lord will eventually make things right. He has put his life in the hands of God and that is a fearful thing to do. Yet according to the Story of God in the Bible that is, ironically, the safest place to be.

As I reflected last night on this brutally honest text I was reminded in my prayer that God has often, and mysteriously, approached his Creation from a position of weakness and powerlessness. From that "power base" he interweaves glory with suffering to bring honor to his name. Israel suffered slavery. Jesus left equality with God to become flesh to suffer alongside us. God used that suffering in Egypt and in the life of Jesus - especially at the Cross - to set the captives free, to set creation free, to conquer death. In Jeremiah's life he became a Suffering Servant because God's people had abandoned him. They deserted him and it would take a man who could get dirty to bring them back. But the truth and fact of the matter is that Jeremiah failed! There was Jesus the Nazarene and the powers declared him, like Jeremiah, a fraud and failure. That is why they killed him. Yet God declared him to be True and the "winner" and opened his tomb. It was through Suffering that victory emerged in the healing of the world ... and made Jeremiah a winner too.

Faith is Sometimes a Thin Cord

Even though Jeremiah knows God will reverse the world's verdict one day ... even the verdict of God's own people ... that still does not take away the loneliness and misery he experienced and felt in the here and now. In verses 14-18, the Prophet sinks even deeper in the abyss of despair. His words can, and will, make your heart hurt - if it is a heart of flesh. These words of prayer show faith hanging on by a very fine thread. They are words of raging against the storm. In my twenty years of preaching, when I have been viciously attacked for some minor infraction (often no infraction at all except somebody's opinion) by the very people I have prayed with, sat with, buried, married, struggled with and the like, I can be honest enough and say that though I never prayed with Jeremiah's boldness I have "wondered out loud" in prayer ... Jeremiah gives no quarter to those who place value on facades in faith. Jeremiah has become Israel personified: He is Wrestling with God! May we become authentic in our faith ...

"Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, "A child is born to you-- a son!" May that man be like the towns the LORD overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing int he morning, a battle cry at noon. For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?" (20.14-18)

Verse 14 is nearly as shocking as verse 7! Our western pious sensitivities are unprepared for the brutal honesty of biblical faith at times. But there Jeremiah gives voice to such pain that we dare not become vain wise men like Job's comfortless comforters after he voiced almost the same curse (cf. Job 3). But Jeremiah also once said, on a prettier day perhaps, "the human heart is deceitful above all things" (17.9). Jeremiah's cry is simply that of hundreds of disciples who have endured Dark Night(s) of the Soul - Why Lord Why?

God's love and protection have been eclipsed by the pain he is experiencing. He sees the evil. He sees the suffering. He sees the pain. The wicked prosper and the righteous are persecuted and maligned - just as he is. He preaches the Word of the Lord and is jailed for treason. He delivers a sermon with powerful illustrations and he is beaten. He serves God and is thrown into a slimy mud pit. He cries out in protest in this prayer! Why, O Lord? Why?

Final Reflections on Rage, Grace & Honest Faith

Jeremiah's prayer ends in misery. There is no reply from heaven. No still small voice. Only dreadful silence! God has heard the prayer of his suffering servant. I believe ... (I surely do believe this because of Jeremiah 8-9, See God's Tears or Mine?) ... that the God of the Universe's eyes welled up with tears for the sake of Jeremiah. Jeremiah did not understand. God did not and does not delight in the pain of Jeremiah. God did not take joy in that any more than in the abuse by the people Jeremiah preached too. But Jeremiah knew his preaching was not going to save his family, his friends, his nation and that was even more suffering than the abuse from his audience. But God did shed tears and he listened to his man rage against the storm. In the venting there was grace.

Can we identify with Jeremiah? Can we pray like he did? I think Martin Luther, who also knew a great deal about suffering had a wise and biblical perspective on Jeremiah. He said it was easy "to condemn this impatience [in Jeremiah] and call attention to the need of patience, these are merely speculative theologians. If you will listen with actual experiences of practical life, you will understand [Jeremiah]. Stories such as this one are too great we should dispute them in only theoretical fashion" (quoted in Theodore Laetsch, Jeremiah, p. 179).

Any disciple who has experienced the tactics of Satan knows how wearing the battle can be. Jeremiah speaks for all of us - thank God for him. Praise God that he opened up in honest prayer. Thank God he gave us a prayer for the kingdom.

God never censures his man because of these bold words. In fact even though the word is not here, you will never find a moment of greater grace in the life of Jeremiah! There are few passages in the Bible where the contrast between humanity and God's magnificent grace is brought in sharper focus than right here. With the storm blowing with all its fury, Jeremiah can only turn to Yahweh and vent - even Rage against the Storm! God is big enough, God is loving enough, God is gracious enough to allow Jeremiah to find healing for his soul by casting his hurts and disillusionment upon him. Just as Jesus has told us too. That is what Jeremiah did.

Then God sent him to preach ... again!

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