Here Comes the King's Messengers (Building the Kingdom) - Part 3

Introduction

I thought I wouldn't spend too much time on the King's messengers. But I feel that it would be a shame to brush over the prophets too quickly. They are doing the King's business after all. Everyone one of them received their orders from the King. They know Him and they are a tremendous help for us as we study the Kingdom. I'll try to be brief, but I hope to capture something important from each one.

Hannah's boy, Samuel is first in a line of God's professional prophets. God used Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and even Balaam to give us messages that are arguably, if not indisputably, prophetic. But the professional prophets are a rather special group, because they were raised up during a time when the children of Israel were set on following earthly rulers. The priesthood had generally failed to keep the people close to God, and the kings (yet to come until Samuel grows up) are going to fail in that respect too. So with the priesthood failing to do God's business, the LORD raised up messengers.

The King sees far ahead, friends. He knows the beginning and the end of all things. He wasn't surprised when the priests and earthly kings failed to lead. The Messiah is sufficient to be Prophet, Priest, and King. He does all things well (Mark 7:37).

Samuel, Nathan, Shemaiah, & Ahijah

Nathan is the only one of these four prophets to deliver information that pertains directly to the Messiah, who was to come. But Samuel, Shemaiah, and Ahijah delivered messages to the earthly kings of Judah and Israel that are worth our consideration.

Samuel had the privilege of anointing the first two earthly kings of the Jews, Saul and David. He grew up in service to God at Shiloh, witnessing the scandalous moral and liturgical abuses of the sons of Eli, the High Priest. Samuel prophesied the death of the sons of Eli and the cutting-off of Eli's lineage from the priesthood (1Sa 3:11-14). He witnessed the spiritual failure of the priesthood. Samuel also delivered a message for all believers concerning God's requirement of obedience before sacrifice (1Sa 15:22).

Nathan succeeded Samuel as God's messenger to the kings of the Jews. He served as the prophet to David, whereas Samuel delivered prophetic messages chiefly to Saul. Nathan was sent to rebuke David for the 'secret' sins of adultery and murder. In response to David's wish to build the LORD a house, Nathan had the privilege of recording God's eternal covenant with David's progeny.  Nathan tells us that the Messiah will be a king in the line of David (2Sa 7:12) with an everlasting kingdom (2Sa 7:13), not only David's 'son' but God's son (2Sa 7:14a). We're also told that the Messiah will be chastened with the rod and stripes of men when guilt is laid upon him (2Sa 7:14b).

Although God refers to David as a man after His own heart, the earthly kings were failures. The tribes of Israel were divided into two kingdoms after the death of David's son and successor, Solomon. Rehoboam, David's grandson, ruled Judah and Benjamin in the south. Jeroboam ruled the other ten tribes as Israel in the north.

Shemaiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom. He had the unenviable task of telling David's grandson, Rehoboam, not to try to reunite the kingdom after God divided it (1Ki 12:22-24). Shemaiah also informed Rehoboam that God was going to use the king of Egypt to punish Judah for idolatry (2Ch 12:15).

Ahijah prophesied to Jeroboam, king of the ten northern tribes. He told Jeroboam of God's plan to take ten tribes away from Solomon (1Ki 11:29-39). When Jeroboam had failed to uphold the name of the LORD as king, Ahijah warned him of God's fierce judgment (1Ki 14:5-16).

What do we learn from Samuel, Nathan, Shemaiah, and Ahijah? We learn that God requires obedience before sacrifice. We're told that the Messiah will be a king in the line of David and His kingdom will be established forever. He'll be the son of God and rule the LORD's house from the LORD's throne (1Ch 17:14). These men teach us that God establishes kingdoms and judges rulers.

The Psalmist

The book of Psalms is chock full of prophecy about the Messiah. Each chapter of Psalms is a hymn of praise. Seventy-three of the songs were written by King David. The authorship thirty-nine of them is not known. The remaining thirty-eight are attributed to various individuals. We'll use the designation of Psalmist to refer to any and all of the authors of prophetic psalms. In the interest of brevity, we'll deal only with the most messianically rich psalms.

Psalm 2 picks up the theme of the Messiah. The song is only twelve verses long, but it speaks of the Son of God who is despised by the kings of the earth. It tells of His judgment of the kingdoms from Zion. He owns the earth and calls wise men to worship and trust in Him.

Psalm 22 is a powerhouse of suffering and faith. It doesn't mention the Messiah specifically, but it speaks of a kingdom established by God and the worship of people from all kindreds and nations. The kingdom and worship spring forth out of affliction. This psalm presents a picture of a faithful servant who faces death at the hands of scoffers while trusting in God's deliverance. This goes beyond David's suffering or claims to greatness. It is a picture of something much bigger. It is David's vision of the Messiah's suffering and vindication.

Psalm 40 is a rather extraordinary because it is a study in contrasts. It starts out as an account of redemption followed by praise. The psalm takes a rather strange turn in verse 6 when it says that the LORD does not require sacrifice or burnt offerings. Those things were the center of Jewish worship in David's time. Verses 7 and 8 says "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." It goes on to speak of the righteousness, faith, and praise of the one who is expected to come. The psalm takes a reverse turn again in verse 12 as it speaks of one who has sinned and is in need of redemption. The song concludes with, "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." The one needing redemption is the author of the psalm, King David. The one bringing redemption is the author of life, the Messiah. One king needs salvation and the other is mighty to save, because He is God.

Psalm 45, written by an unknown author, dovetails nicely with Psalm 21, written by David. Psalm 21 sets forth a king like the one from Hannah's prayer (1Sa 2). Psalm 45 marks the Messiah out as a king who is eternal and far above humanity. He is a man of war, truth, meekness and righteousness. He is God and His throne and scepter are eternal. He is anointed because He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. He is a bridegroom and His people will praise Him forever.

Psalm 69 paints a picture of a man who endures great suffering. This is all about the Messiah, and it shows Him bearing the sins of the world. Where does it say that? Read carefully. His suffering is compared to an overwhelming flood, and it comes at the hands of a multitude who wrongfully hate Him. He bears the earthly shame of those who wait on God and seek Him. The hatred of men toward God is on Him. He is God's servant and finds no pity or comfort among men. He trusts in God to raise Him from the tomb. His sacrifice will far surpasses any sacrifice of oxen or bulls. This is a song of the Savior!

Psalm 72 describes the King's kingdom. This psalm was written by David's lesser son, Solomon. One might think that Solomon aspired to have a kingdom like this for himself, and he probably did. But the king of this kingdom is able to "redeem their soul(s) from deceit and violence". Solomon was wise enough to know that God is the judge and redeemer of men's souls (Ecc 12). It's going to be a kingdom like no other, friends!

To be continued...

Prepare to meet the King (Building the Kingdom) - Part 2

Introduction

Theology is the study of God. The God of the Holy Bible makes bold claims concerning truth. He demands to be regarded as the one true God, Creator of heaven and earth. He says that He is eternal, without beginning or end, and He says that man is created by Him with a living soul. The God of the Bible, who revealed himself through the Jews, claims sovereign kingship over the universe.

Now you, friend, are either willing to learn from the Holy Bible, or not. If you are not, and many are unwilling, then you might as well stop reading this. There isn't anything for you here.

If you are willing to learn then you ought to be prepared to study. Churches and Christians are in a sad condition today, because they don't study. Many don't know God and they are far from Him. Too many know a little about Him, but the condition of America in 2007 clearly demonstrates that those that know Him are of a small minority.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2Ti 2:15)

That quote brings us back to our purpose in this series of articles. We're examining a ridiculous and widespread heresy movement operating under the name of the Emergent church. Their theology is based on a postmodernist view of the Bible. One of the tenets of postmodern thinking is that all truth is relative.  Therefore the Emergers want us to read the Bible with the attitude that it's only as true as you or I want it to be.

Emergers think that they can help God establish His Kingdom through their "good works". The following is a quote from a prominent Emergent web site.

"Above all, we became convinced that living into the Kingdom meant doing it together, as friends. Thus, we committed ourselves to lives of reconciliation and friendship, no matter our theological or historical differences. As time passed, others joined the friendship, and the friendship began generating things like books, events, websites, blogs, and cohorts." -- Emergent Village

God says the Bible is truth. I trust in that fact, friends, because it I've had many opportunities to test the Word against it's enemies. The Bible stands while the enemies fall every time. So let's see what the Bible says about God's Kingdom.

God's Kingdom, according to God

The grand theme of the Bible is Man's relation to God. Let's acknowledge that the Emergers have one thing right from the beginning, God is going to establish a kingdom on the Earth. Although we don't find any mention of God's King until we get to the book of 1st Samuel, every book of the Bible tells us something about the Kingdom. The King introduces himself in the book of Matthew, but we need to prepare to meet Him.

The Jews call the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) the Torah. In Genesis we have God creating the heavens and the earth, the first sinful act of Man, the first great judgment, and God choosing a people out of this world to His name.  In Exodus we hear God redeeming His chosen people, judging against false gods, and offering His people a choice between Eagles Wings and the Law. (They chose the Law.) It's worth special mention here that Exodus also shows us God moving into the Tabernacle, close to His people, after they break the Law before they actually get it. In Leviticus we encounter God dealing with sin, laying down rules for worship and service, and establishing holy days. In Numbers we witness God bringing His people to the land He promised to give them, the failure of the people to trust Him, and God judging His people for unbelief. In Deuteronomy we follow God as He prepares His people to enter the land, reviews of the Law, gives conditions for blessing, and announces curses for disobedience. So there is the Torah in a nutshell.

Throughout the Torah, we are given rather vague references to a Redeemer. God paints a shadowbox portrait of someone who will break the curse of sin. Using the simple elements of a seed; a torch and smoking pot; a lamb; a son; a ladder; a lion; blood; bread; light; an ark; a star; a scepter; and the tabernacle; God gives His people a hope of restoration to the relationship that Man had with Him in the beginning.

In a series of books the Jews the call the Neviim, we pick up with Joshua and Judges following after Deuteronomy. The book of Joshua gives us the deliverance of God's people into the land, the casting out of the heathens, the distribution of possessions, and the establishment of cities for refuge. In the book of Judges we find the children of Israel riding a roller-coaster built on continuous cycles of apostasy, disobedience, divine judgment, discipline, and deliverance. The book of Judges closes on the following note;

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25)

God was the king that led them out of Egypt, carried them through the wilderness, and gave them possessions, but they refused to be ruled by Him.

A Shadow of a Kinsman Redeemer

Moving on to the book of Ruth, we find a woman taken out idolatry and brought into the family of God through a Kinsman Redeemer. I want to say much more about the book of Ruth, because it is widely recognized as a gem, which it is. The Kinsman Redeemer is someone worth all of our attention. But our task is to find the King, and we need to get to 1st Samuel for a quick snapshot of Him.

A Glimpse of the Anointed King

The book of 1st Samuel opens with a barren woman going up to Shiloh, to the Tabernacle, to worship God. She has a burden on her heart for a son. She cries out to God and promises that she'll dedicate the boy to the service of God. She leaves Shiloh with a blessing and a hope that God will grant her petition. The LORD gives the woman a son, and she keeps her promise. She brings her weaned son back to the Tabernacle. She leaves him there to serve the LORD, dedicating him with the following prayer.

And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. (1Sa 2:1-10)

This woman, Hannah, tells us about an extraordinary king, the Messiah (anointed). Every king (melek) mentioned in the Bible has been common up to this point. And Israel has not yet had a king. They had God, of course. He is the best king, but they refused to be ruled by Him.

They wanted a king like themselves, and God will grant their petition too.  But we can put every king that Israel will be given after this point, including David, up beside this and none will measure up to it until we meet the Son of David. Even the one uncommon king we passed over, Melchizedek (Genesis 14:8), doesn't compare to the picture that God gives us through Hannah.

The Emerging Arrogance (Building the Kingdom) - Part 1

Let's look at what Emergers are saying about building God's kingdom.

"Our dream is to join in the activity of God in the world wherever we are able, partnering with God as God’s dreams for our world come true. In the process, the world can be healed and changed, and so can we." -- Emergent Village

That seems kind of harmless on the surface. Many Christians probably won't object to that. Some may think it is a poorly constructed way of saying that the Emergers plan to serve God until Christ returns. I submit that is a not so subtle way of saying that they believe they will usher in the kingdom of God through their efforts.

The best way to understand a system of thought is to get to the root of it. When it comes to getting to the root of a crime or conspiracy, the current trend is to 'follow the money'. We need to 'follow the theology' to understand the statements made by these Emergers.

When we look at who is behind Emergent Village we find a fellow by the name of Brian McLaren. This is great, because I happen to remember that name from Phil Perkins' weblog. This is like striking gold, because McLaren is an outspoken Emerger. He is well published and we'll have no trouble finding out what McLaren thinks.

On that note, let's examine a short quote on McLaren's thoughts concerning the correct exegesis of the Holy Bible. The following quote comes from a 'fictional' presentation of McLaren's views of postmodernity and Christianity.

"Our interpretations reveal less about God or the Bible than they do about ourselves. They reveal what we want to defend, what we want to attack, what we want to ignore, what we're unwilling to question..." (A New Kind of Christian, 50)

McLaren essentially says that the reader of the Bible gets to decide what the text means to him or her. McLaren thinks you'll understand the Bible better if you forget about trying to understand God or the Bible itself. His view is that you should just allow it to say whatever you want it to say. McLaren rejects the notion that there is a correct way to understand the Bible.

So the root of Emergent theology is relativism, according to the movement's most prominent speaker, Brian McLaren.

It depends on what your definition of 'is' is.

Now I expect some reader to accuse me of jumping to conclusions here. Relativism is slippery, and McLaren is the Bill Clinton of theology. Some are going to read that quote and think that McLaren is referring to a reasonably orthodox understanding of scripture. Christians are supposed to learn a lot about themselves from the Bible, right?. But that is not what McLaren means, he wants you to reject the notion that you will find absolute truth in the Bible.

Let's look at how McLaren embraces postmodernism and apologizes for having renounced it. The following is from an interview McLaren has on his web site.

Q: I found your piece uncharacteristic. You are normally careful not to use inflammatory language, but you called talk about the “postmodern church” ridiculous. Wasn’t that kind of harsh?
A. I regret using that word. I’m sorry for offending or hurting people.

Q: You put people like me in a really tough situation. On our website, we refer to ourselves as a postmodern church, so now we have been judged by you as ridiculous.
A: Again, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure you have good reasons for using that terminology on your website, and I don’t criticize you at all.

Q: I thought you were all about the postmodern church. Why would you say there aren’t any?
A: I guess I was having a bad day. I think everyone can relate to having a bad day.

Postmodernism requires the rejection of any claims to absolute truth. A postmodernist interpretation requires the reader of the Gospel to think like Pilate.

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
(Joh 18:37-38 KJV)

Postmodernism says Jesus Christ was either ignorant, crazy, or a liar when He speaks about truth.

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
(Joh 14:5-7 KJV)

Postmodernism is the doctrine of the Serpent, friends. "God didn't really tell you the truth. For he knows that when you interpret the Bible the way you want to read it, you'll be as gods and be wise." Brian McLaren is subtle, because his only conviction is that truth is relative. The way of the Emergents is the way of subtlety.

We'll take a look at what the King had to say about the Kingdom in the next post.

The Emergent Confusion

I constantly find myself astonished at the heresies being proclaimed by so-called Christians. I'm beginning to think we could study a different popular heresy every day for the next year and not run out of them. The Emergent Church is the Al-Queda of Christianity. It's an infestation that seems to have the marks of an Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ cult.

A brother by the name of Phil Perkins has been blogging on the Emergent church for some time. I must admit that I had heard the term 'emergent church' many months ago. I didn't pay enough attention then to even find out what the term meant. I first heard of it from a very liberal fellow who claims to be Christian. He is a rather undiscriminating critic of Christianity in general, so I took it as undeserved epithet.

But I ran smack up against an Emergent web site tonight while looking at tools for Bible blogging. I could not believe what they were saying about making God's dreams come true. How arrogant can they be? Gee, aren't you glad that somebody has figured out that God is too puny to make his own dreams come true?

Notice that these people fancy themselves as 'kingdom builders'. Osama and Mahmoud are kingdom builders too. They don't like the current order of things either. Emergers have the notion that they are going to evangelize the world through good works while purposely down-playing the Gospel. Their gospel is a social message. They claim that the Church has alienated the rest of the world by proclaiming the message of sin, righteousness, and judgement. Emergers hope to restore Christianity to its 'authentic' form.

I found that Emergent web site through a blog about a new bible translation, The Books of the Bible. It seems to be a version tailored for Emergers. The following bullet points are very interesting;

• chapter and verse numbers are removed from the text (a chapter-and-verse range is at the bottom of each page)
• individual books are presented with the literary divisions that their authors have indicated
• footnotes, section headings and other supplementary materials have been removed from the text (translators’ notes are available at the back of each book)
• the books of the Bible have been placed in an order that provides more help in understanding, based on literary genre, historical circumstance and theological tradition
• single books that later translations or tradition divided
  into two or more books are made whole again
  (example: Luke-Acts)
• single-column setting that clearly and naturally presents the
  literary forms of the Bible’s books

Ah how refreshing! Yes, nominal Christians aren't reading their Bibles, so we have a few tricks to fool them into thinking it's just another book. Who knew that footnotes, verse numbers, and chapters were hindering Christians all along? This will fix everything that is wrong with the church!

It's late and I need to call it a day. There are so many things wrong with this movement that I can't hope to scratch the surface tonight.