Matthew 24:14 "Signposts of the End of the Age #2" - "The gospel will be preached in the whole world“

 

I invite you to stand with me once again on the mountain peak of Scripture as we survey the prophetic landscape provided for us in the words of our Lord Jesus Himself. In Matthew 24:1-13 Jesus informs us that the signposts of the end of the age must be seen for what they are. They are signposts.  They are advance warnings, just like a traffic sign that says, “Stop ahead - 1 km“. It points us to and prepares us for the stop. It is not the actual stop.  

In this regard Jesus urges His disciples not to be deceived by any announcements that claim to be His second coming (24:4). Any such claims about His appearing anywhere in the earth, and any setting of dates of His return must be firmly rejected.  There have been many such in our history[1].  

Of this you may be sure. When Jesus comes, everyone will know it!  It will be a visible return with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30). Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced him! (Rev. 1:7). It will be the most stunning, shocking and unexpected event in the entire history of this world.  All who have not made peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ - will mourn (24:30). But God’s people, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and here called the elect will be gathered from the “four winds- the corners of the world” (24:31).  Isaiah prophesies: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return… everlasting joy  shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing  shall flee away.”  (Isaiah 51:11)

And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed.  These things must be. They are part and consequence of living in a fallen world, in which men constantly betray one another and hate each other.   One author has counted three hundred wars in the last 300 years of Europe’s history[2]  alone!  Africa’s wars have been countless.[3]

Similarly, earthquakes and natural disasters have been with us in this entire end time period. Volcano Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD destroying Pompeii.  

On November  1^st, 1755   60 000 people   died in Lisbon, Portugal  when a gigantic earthquake,  with its epicenter   200  kilometers  off the coast  of Portugal, caused structural damage to buildings, followed by a  devastating Tsunami.  

Over 100 000 people perished in an earthquake in China in 2008!  

2020 has been the year of a word wide pestilence called Covid.  The World-o-meter[4] monitoring Covid related deaths, tells us that there are now over 94 million reported worldwide Covid cases, with as of yesterday,  over  2 million deaths.

 Now with respect to these events Jesus says emphatically, “see to it that you are not alarmed… such things must happen…, but the end is still to come… these are the beginning of birth-pains.”  These signs speak of the end, but they are not the end.  They are signposts, they are the beginning.  

Why does He say that? 

The danger is for us to become obsessed   with the signposts, when we need  to  keep our eyes focused on the great Sign – the Lord  Jesus Christ (Matt. 12:38-42; 24:30). Obsession with signposts lower our spiritual temperatures and make us careless in maintaining our love for and the expectation of our coming King. Mere religion and love of pomp and ceremony has the same effect. It dulls the spirit. The parables in Chapter 25 will teach us this.  Spiritual carelessness increases. Our love will grow cold.  Jesus’ warning in 24:12 is much more serious and profound than we would imagine. He says, “because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold .” 

Let me put it to you like this: When does the love of a marriage grow cold?  It is when partners focus on the things that are not central to their marriage. This includes focusing excessively on children, work, friends, sport etc. When does one’s love for Christ grow cold?  When one focuses on secondary, religious issues, and not Christ Himself. Many people look for signs, wonders, miracles, worship experiences.  When you do that   you can easily lose your focus on Jesus and His work (the Sign of Jonah).

So also Jesus calls His disciples to persevere in the light of inevitable persecutions and hardships and distractions. His disciples must endure to the end (24:13). We endure by constantly looking to the Lord Jesus.  “Many will fall away…” (24:10). To fall away means to fall away from Christ.

Against this background Jesus now makes His next important declaration in verse 14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.” 

 World  Evangelism/ Missions As A Substantial Signpost  Of Christ’s Coming.

The concluding events of the world’s history are going to be preceded by the preaching of the gospel to all the nations of the world. This is an important signpost. This is what we must consider now.

We need to begin with  the Big Picture.  From God’s perspective, the world in its present state will ultimately be destroyed and recreated.[5] But what is God waiting for? God is waiting for the day in which all His elect people (past, present and future generations from our perspective) have been born and born again. When the last of God’s elect people, the living stones, that  make up  God’s  spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:4,5) is  brought in, the end  will come. The spiritual temple, consisting of true worshippers from all times,  will be complete.  Christ will return.

Presently, He governs  and maintains this world for the sake of His elect people, chosen from every nation throughout the entire span of human history. The word ‘elect’ (Gr.  eklektous -  literally those who are called out, from which we also derive the word ekklesia – church)  is used three times in Chapter 24.[6]

 But where does this all begin? How does it progress? And where does it end?

1. It all begins  with the Abrahamic covenant (Gen.12:1-3; 17: 1-27). God calls out Abraham and promises him that he will become the father of many nations.  Rom. 4:11  showsthat Abraham will be the father of all that believe among the nations. The children of Abraham are men and women of true faith.

2. Israel is called out  to become  God's people. Israel enjoys a special status before God as a people called for His own glory. But note that Israel is chosen to bless the peoples of the earth through making her God known to the nations (Gen.28:14). Israel was God’s chosen evangelistic tool to make His glory known among the nations.

3.  A Messiah is called to make this possible.  The promise of a Messiah given to  Israel (and specifically the house of David) runs through the entire OT. He will be the Redeemer of believing Jews and also gentiles.  

4.  Christ’s death on the cross is effective for all His elect Sheep (Jn. 10).  In this  respect you will note that Jesus came firstly to seek the lost sheep of Israel (Jn. 10:15). But then He says in Jn. 10:16, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen (i.e. not from the Jews, but from the gentiles). I must bring them also “.  

5.  THE GOSPEL SPREADS TO THE NATIONS:  Pentecost (Acts 2) – the outpouring of the Spirit upon all God’s chosen peoples as predicted by Joel 2:28-32.   As  Jewish  men and women  gather in Jerusalem  at the feast of Pentecost  from  many countries in which they were dispersed  (Acts 2:9 -11),  many of them are converted (3000 in one day – Acts 2:41). They take  the gospel back to the countries (the nations)  where they live.

6. The spread of the gospel after Pentecost is in accordance with Jesus word in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8:  Jerusalem – Judea- Samaria – to the ends of the earth. The apostle to the gentiles, Paul accomplishes a major work in this regard (Acts 13-28)

7. The spread of the apostolic gospel from AD 100 to the furthest corners of the world in our day! 

Ø  From  AD 100 – 313 [7] (the death of  the apostle John to  the emperor Constantine) the gospel continues to penetrate  the  world, mainly around the Mediterranean basin, and North Africa), despite severe persecutions (24:9). This is remarkable especially in the light of the fact that no less than 174 000 martyrs were buried in the catacombs of St. Sebastian in Rome.

Ø  From AD  313- 800 (Constantine to Charlemagne) the gospel continued to spread into Europe  by  missionaries such as Ulfilas (missionary to the Goths-  translated the Bible into Gothic in ca. 350 AD); Patrick (b. 400 AD in  Britain, the missionary  to the Irish); Columba (b. 543 AD) from Ireland  planted churches in Scotland; Augustine  of Canterbury (b. +/- 530 AD)  from Rome  –  founder of the  church in England); Willibrord (b. 658 AD) in Britain, missionary to the Frisians and Franks); Boniface (b. 672 AD  in Britain,  missionary  to the Germans)

Ø  From AD 800 - 1517 (Charlemagne to Luther). In this time Norway, Iceland and Greenland are evangelized. The eastern Slavs turn to Christ. The Crusades originally intended to curb the spread of Islam prove to be both, a hindrance and a help to the gospel.  Sadly many countries in the East and in North Africa are lost to the gospel   at this time under the advance of Islam.

Ø  From AD 1517 – 1792 (Reformation - French Revolution)  the heart of the gospel is rediscovered by Luther, Calvin, Zwingli etc. igniting Europe and sending   many Protestant missionaries into the world.  (e.g  the Moravians) 

Ø  From AD 1792 to the present -  The golden age of  Protestant missions. Many unreached people groups are   reached with the gospel e.g.  William Carey (1761 -1834) – India; Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) – Burma;  Robert Moffat (1795-1883) – South Africa; Johan Heinrich Schmelen (1777), Namibia. 

    

Adoniram Judson

William Carey

Robert Moffat

Johan Heinrich Schmelen  

The work is not yet done. Every people group has not yet been reached.  The 10/40 window remains a  major challenge, as Islam  holds many people groups captive. Now, it is clear that all this  gospel work would not be done in a matter of a few weeks, months or even years. This work would range over many centuries and even millenia. But surely we may  say this:  If this  goal  of global witness  is   a signpost  for the second  coming,  then  we may conclude  that  the days  in which we are now living are significant.  That finds  us not far from the other signs that must follow.  We will consider that next time.

8. Revelation 7: The assembled multitudes in heaven from every nation:  The result of  the preaching  of the gospel  is that  we find this great picture  of the assembled multitudes gathered  before the throne and in front of the Lamb  in heaven  - the fulfillment of the Abrahamic  promise: Rev 7 :9-10.  This is the final picture in our biblical photo album. This is what we look forward to!

 Conclusion

As we  try to understand  what  Jesus says here and as we try to understand the prophetic time table of the world,  it would be  reasonable to say  that  we live  in the time of  Matthew  24:4- 14.  More specifically we can say that we are not very far from the fulfillment of v.14. The conclusion of world missions will usher in the end of the age. … “And then the end will come“. 

It is wonderful to note that there is a great note of divine authority and certainty in these words spoken by Jesus: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world. “  

But the cost  will be  real. Jesus says in Matthew 24:9: "You will be hated by all the nations because of my name."  We have seen this in church history. We  see some of that today, and it seems  to increase.

Take note of the prophetic time table, and take heart. 

These things must be. Do not be alarmed. Keep your focus on Jesus.  Persevere in Him. And all shall be well! Very well! Heaven is waiting. 

Amen.

 

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_messiah_claimants

[2] William Hendriksen : Matthew , p.  852 . This commentary was written in  1973.  Since then  a further number of  wars  have been fought in Europe  e.g. Yugoslavia

[3] See:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Africa

[4] https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ As of today (16/01/2021 ) 280  people  have died of Covid in Namibia. 30 are in a critical  state.

[5]  E.g. 2 Peter  3:8-13 ; Revelation 21

[6] Matthew 24:22,24,31)

[7]  For this research: see William Hendriksen,  Gospel of Matthew  p.  858 ;   AH Newman: A Manual of Church History , p.

MATTHEW 24:1-13 #1 "Signposts of the End of the Age"

 

In Matthew 23 Jesus had been teaching in the temple. In fact, He had just   spoken His last words in the temple. He would never return there after His final warning (the “7 woes”) to the religious leaders of Israel, who would be instrumental in crucifying Him.  

It was Tuesday, a few days before Jesus was to offer Himself as the ultimate Passover lamb.  At the closing of that chapter Jesus says in 23:38, “See your house (i.e. your dynasty and your temple) is left to you desolate“.

And now we read these opening words of Matthew 24: “Jesus left the temple and was walking away…” (24:1) and as He was doing so, the disciples drew His attention to the magnificent temple building.  In response He repeated   what He had said in 23:38: “Truly I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another  that will not be thrown down” (24:2).

When Jesus walked out of the temple on that day, the glory of God in Christ, had literally departed from it.  There is a remarkable and similar description of the glory of the Lord departing from the temple under Ezekiel’s ministry. “The glory of the LORD went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it“(Ezek.  11:23). That mountain, east of the temple, was the Mount of Olives, where Jesus now sat. Utterly remarkable and not coincidental at all!

That desolation began to manifest, three days after He had said this, and after Jesus had died on the cross. Here was the first visible sign of the abandonment of that temple. The great curtain, separating the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was   torn apart. By Christ’s ultimate sacrifice God showed that the old temple order, focussed on animal sacrifices and the work of the priests was done. The true High priest had come. He was both, the offeror and the offering.  The temple had become spiritually obsolete through the cross.

But more would happen.37 years later, in   AD 70, in the reign of the Roman emperor Vespasian, and at the hand of his general Titus, he  destroyed   Jerusalem and the temple. 

At that time a million Jews were killed.  Never again has there been a temple built since then. All that Jerusalem has left of the temple is what is now called the “Wailing wall”.   God really did make an end of this rebellious city.   

God had spoken many times to Jerusalem through His servants the prophets, calling the Jews to abandon their false worship.  In  Isaiah 65:2,3  God had spoken through His servant Isaiah, “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—  a people who continually provoke me to my very face…”.  The last words  in 23:37, before  Jesus left the temple  testify to this fact, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” 

So, when Jesus pronounces the destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem, He is not having a temper tantrum. He is the Saviour, whose  long suffering patience with Jerusalem  has now come to an end, and it  would be a terrible end for  the temple  and Jerusalem in AD 70. But remember  that  this judgement in AD 70  is  only  a signpost of the  far greater end to which  Jesus’  Sermon on the Mount of Olives  points in Chapter  25:31-46, where Jesus speaks of that  final Judgement, when  God will make that great distinction among  mankind, and when He  will   destroy all His enemies in  the eternal fire[1] .

 JESUS  ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES

V. 3 Having left the temple, we now find Jesus we now find Jesus sitting on the Mount of Olives.  The Mount of Olives would have provided a spectacular view over the Kidron valley towards Jerusalem and the temple. The words of Jesus are still ringing in the disciples ears. In the distance they see the magnificent temple with its magnificent columns and terraced   courts. It is hard for them to accept that all this earthly glory is going to perish! But, remember, the real glory of the temple had already departed! Please note however that, whilst Jesus had left the temple, He did not leave His disciples, nor His people!  His disciples were going to become the seed of the church.   

And now they are asking Him these  2 questions: 

(i)           When will these things be?

(ii)          What will be  the sign of your coming and the end of the  ages?

Jesus reply  in  24: 4-13

(i)             Jesus does not answer the question of ‘when’ directly. He will give them an answer only in v.36, after He has laid the crucial foundations for His teaching on the end times, and even then He does not give them a direct answer to their question. He will tell them in 24:36-51 that it is not for them to know the time or hour of His return. We will cover that ground more thoroughly when we get there.

In the meantime we can say this:  Live in the constant expectation of His sudden appearing. The parables that follow in Matthew 25 will all illustrate that His return will be sudden and unannounced. Therefore, in the light of such facts the question we should be asking is this, “How can I remain faithful?“  The answer is, “Keep looking to Jesus. Expect Him  to come soon”. Do you see the wisdom in this?  No one would be helped by knowing the exact time of His return. If the Lord Jesus  had said, “I will be back in 2500 years”, the disciples and those that followed  (and we)  might  become  discouraged, slack and careless. 

(ii)               He answers the second question (what will be the sign?)   in  24:4-35.   Again, He does not give a direct answer. He starts with a warning to watch out against deceit.

There are  four aspects    to this  question. Today we will only be able to  deal with the first aspect:

a. The beginning of birth pains   4: 1-13

b. The gospel preached to all nations 4:14

c. The great tribulation 4:15-28

d. The second coming 4: 29-35

A.           The beginning of birth pains

Key phrases:  “See that no one  leads you astray”  - “do not be alarmed.”

Jesus gives a whole  range  of ‘signs’, but His main concern in v.4 is  that we must avoid being deceived into  thinking that   the  appearance of new Christs  or  new Messiahs would be THE SIGN of His  coming. He also warned His disciples  that  rumours of  wars, famines  and  earthquakes, persecutions,  apostasy from the faith,  the presence of many false prophets   would not be THE   definitive signs of His coming. Jesus   warned them explicitly. He says, “do not be alarmed”,when these things happen (v.6). He says that all these things are only the beginning of birth- pains. These mark the beginning of the end times, and not the end  itself.

Why must we take careful note of this?  Because many people are  tempted to be more preoccupied with the signs, than about the life of faith which they are called  to live NOW.  People  hang  with admiration on the lips  of the preacher  who speaks authoritatively  about the   signs of the times, showing his audience  that this terrible battle or that missile falling on Jewish soil, or that  earthquake,  or this famine,  or the relentless  persecution of Christians  is the infallible sign of Christ’s  imminent return. Jesus says, “That is a wrong focus.  Don’t be deceived ! Don’t be alarmed.”

All this does not mean that these events  mentioned here  in vv.  4-12  have  no significance. They do! But they are not THE sign. They are only signposts along the way. We must not overreact. These are only the beginning of birth pains.  The baby is on its way, but it is not yet born.   A  pregnancy is a signpost. The birth is THE sign. When I travel and see a sign post saying,  “1 kilometre to rest stop”, this means that the  reality lies 1 kilometer ahead.  In the same way  these signposts  are an indication that the world is  heading towards an end, but they are not THE sign.  Don’t get lost in the sign posts. Focus  on living godly lives whilst waiting for His unexpected coming.

As you pursue Jesus’ teaching  you will  note   that there are  greater  signposts yet to follow, such as the  great tribulation  of  vv. 15-28. Of this  great tribulation  which precedes  the coming of Christ, AD 70 was another signpost. The church  since AD 70 has  experienced many  great tribulations.  

But there is more to follow.  After that (following Christ’s teaching here)  there is the sign  of the skies  (v. 29) when “the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light ; when the stars  will fall from heaven and  the powers of the heavens will be shaken.“

 Following that  there will be THE SIGN: “At that time  “the SIGN” of the Son of man will appear in the sky.  Jesus is  THE SIGN ! v.30 

John,  in the Revelation says concerning that day,  “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.“ (Revelation 1:7).The second coming  is a visible  SIGN when Christ shall be seen by all - even those who have died.  It will be a momentous event!

But remember  (and we shall  see this later  when we get to v.36)  that  His appearing will be sudden. If this is so,  we must ask, "how then shall we live  in the light of this knowledge?"

1. We must take note of the signposts  but we must not  be unduly alarmed by the signposts. An unnecessary  pre-occupation with end time speculation   easily leads  to a coldness  in our love for Christ Himself. Don’t be preoccupied  by signposts. Take note of them. Let them   remind you concerning  that  which is ahead.  But don’t grow overawed and panicky  by  wars and earthquakes  and rumours of Christ’s appearing. Make sure that you persevere by  looking to Christ. Be always waiting  for  THE SIGN – Jesus  who will gather His elect  from the four winds  , from one end to the heavens  to the other (v.31.). 

2.  Our duty is to endure  or persevere. Therefore He advises us  … “ the one  who endures to the end  will be saved.”  What is it that you need to do now? You need perseverance!  Perseverance in what?  Perseverance in godliness in  this life, while  you live NOW.  A reading of  2 Peter  1: 3-15 provides  us with essential focus on living now. You will do well to read this portion of Scripture  now. 

3. Give up on end time speculation. Focus on your life in Christ  now.  Have your lamps filled with oil and your wicks trimmed now  (cf. 25:1-13). Don’t think that you are spiritual when you read all the latest books on prophecy   while your life remains a sinful mess. Your duty is to look  to Christ and persevere in His strength NOW. Stay faithful to Jesus NOW.

That is why v. 13 is important : “He  who stands firm  to the end will be saved.” 

 

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[1] Rev 19:20 ; 20:10,14,15;  21: 8

PSALM 115 : TO GOD BE THE GLORY! A Good New Year's Resolution

 OUTLINE:

1.      115:1-3  Foundational statements

a.      A foundational conviction (1)

b.      A foundational  contradiction (2)

c.       A foundational confession (3)

2.       115:4-8 Idolatry obscures the glory of God

a.      The glory  of idols  are a mere reflection of human hands (4)

b.      The glory of idols literally  lacks proper sense (5-7)

c.       The glory  of idols is in reality a misplaced trust and identity (8)

3.       115:9-11   A call to  trust in God 

a.      Those who trust Him find Him to be their help and shield (9-11)

b.       The assumed result of this is that God gets the glory. 

4.      115:12-18 The God who  is  trusted  will  bless His people

a.      All who fear the LORD will be blessed (12,13)

b.      They will experience increase (14)

c.       God’s blessing His people results in them blessing and praising Him. This is nothing less than giving glory to God -  the reason for which we exist. 

 1.      115:1-3  Foundational statements

a.      A foundational conviction: “Not to us O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (v.1). The Psalmist is clearly concerned for God's (YAHWEH’s) glory. He believes that God is glorious[1]. God is weighty. God is incomparably glorious. In Exodus 15, the song of Moses, says this: “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?  God, as He is revealed to Moses is the uncreated, eternal, self- existent Being, who is overwhelming in His glory.[2] This was the experience of the shepherds who were present after Jesus was born in Bethlehem.[3] This was Paul’s experience on the Damascus road. God’s glory knocked Paul from his horse and God’s glory blinded him.[4] God’s glory threw John to the ground on the island of Patmos.[5]  The glory of God is not discerned by mere human beings. If God chose to not manifest His glory then nobody would know of His existence. But the Bible contains long lists of witness to His glory[6]. In particular we now think of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to whom the glory of God had appeared. Through these patriarchs He had adopted the tiny, insignificant nation of Israel as His own possession. He has done this to no other nation or people. In Psalm 147:19,20 we read, “He declares his word to Jacob,  His statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules.” So, here the Psalmist asks God to give glory to Himself- to reveal Himself for who He is,  and that for the sake of His steadfast love (Hebr.hesed)  and  faithfulness (Hebr.olam), and this for the following reason… 

b.      A foundational contradiction (v.2): “Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” The nations contradict the Psalmists conviction. They clearly believe that God is not glorious. In their eyes God is not weighty. The Psalmist observes that the surrounding nations were mocking the house of Israel, and in particular they were blaspheming Israel's glorious God! The nations were saying, "Where is their God?" We can't see Him? We can't see Him helping you!"  This kind of thing is frequently found in the Old Testament historical narratives, when the nations fail to see God for who He is. For instance…

·         2 Chronicles 32:10ff (particularly v.14): Sennacherib here mocks king Hezekiah of Israel and the God of Israel. He thought little of God.

·         1 Samuel 17:45 – 47:  David and Goliath: The attack here was not only made on God's people, but on their God.  Goliath underestimated God, for he had not seen the glory of the God of David.This the fundamental inclination of the fallen people of this world. By nature we think little of God.  But the truth is this … 

c.       A foundational confession (v.3): “Our God is in the heavens; he does all he pleases”. Despite that which people may think of YAHWEH, who at this stage seems to be silent on the world stage, the Psalmist says that He remains the sovereign God whose rule is not usurped by men, and  whose plans are  not thwarted by men. He does what He pleases – not in a random, quick tempered fashion, but always in keeping with His essential nature…  steadfast love and faithfulness. “The LORD is  merciful and gracious, slow  to anger and abounding in steadfast love…” (Psalm 103:8). God never becomes the victim of circumstance. He is never forced into a situation where He must do something to get out of a sticky situation.  He is not trapped or cornered or coerced by anybody. Even at the one point in history where He did what in one sense was the hardest thing for God to do, i.e. “not spare his own Son” (Rom. 8:32), God was free and doing what pleased Him. Paul says that the self-sacrifice of Jesus in death was “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:2). And on his way to the cross, Jesus said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (Jn. 10:18). He died sovereignly and “for the joy that is set before him,” (Hebr. 12:2). When Jesus appeared trapped, He was totally in charge doing precisely what He pleased.  He died and rose to glorify His Father in justifying the ungodly, like you and me.

2.      115:4-8 Idolatry obscures the glory of God

These verses teach us some more about the thought begun in verse 2. Not only will the nations of this world mock God, but they will do everything in their power to substitute Him. People cannot get the thought of a God that rules in the heavens out of their minds, and so they will find a  substitute for God. These substitutes are called idols.  Please note how utterly stupid that quest becomes:

a.      The glory of idols  are a mere reflection of human hands (v.4)

b.      The glory of idols literally lacks proper sense (vv.5-7). They cannot speak, see, hear, feel, or walk.

c.       The glory of idols is in reality a misplaced trust and identity. You become what you worship (v.8)

How absurd that men bow down to these things created by themselves. And the effect is that it obscures the glory of God so that man cannot see “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor.4:6). "Those who make idols, will become like them" (v. 8), and eternity will be spent with wherever our choice lies. This is a very serious matter, and one which we must constantly keep before our eyes and examine ourselves.

 3.      115:9-11   A call to trust in God 

a.      Those who trust Him find Him to be their help and shield/ protection. Here is the antidote, the vaccination against idolatry. Don’t trust in your man made idols. Don’t trust in your society’s idols. Trust in the Lord. The Psalmist repeats this three times in these verses. He speaks to Israel generally. He speaks to the priests, the ministers (the house of Aaron) specifically. And then He speaks to those who fear the LORD (i.e. all true believers) personally. He has one message to all: “If you trust in the LORD, He will be your help and your shield.”

b.      The assumed result of this is that God gets the glory. 

 4.      115:12-18 The God who is trusted  will  bless His people

a.      All (both the small and the great) who fear the LORD will be blessed (vv. 12,13)

b.      They will experience increase (v.14)

c.       While the heavens are  completely in God’s hands, He has handed the earth over for a  little while  to the  children of men, subject to the ravages of the  fall (e.g. idolatry)  and the law of death (v.15), yet remaining in charge. The absence of His manifested glory must not fool us! This is the greatest  mistake that people make.  

d.      Faithful believers (who live by faith) will trust God and bless Him in this dispensation  in which they live. They will give Him all the glory. This is the actual reason for which believers exist. 

APPLICATION

1.      This Psalm then is a reminder that the glory belongs to God and not to us. By nature we are inclined to glorify ourselves.  This Psalm warns us that our self- glorification easily obscures the glory of God. 

2.      The nations looking at the church see very little of the glory of God reflected in the life of the church, because they see so little of His glorious  Being - particular in terms of His steadfast love and His faithfulness reflected in the church. As a result the church finds itself mocked by the world. Many people see the church as weak, and dispensable. We have just been through a very trying 2020. Not only is there a huge health crisis in the world, but there is a huge faith crisis in the evangelical church. The Barna research group in the USA has revealed that one in three practicing Christians has stopped attending church services in this period.[7] The spiritual temperature seems to be dropping, and there appears to be a growing and disturbing division among many evangelical Christians over the management of the COVID crisis. The glory of God  is diminished by the church, which is called to be the light-bearer. One gets the impression that outsiders, the media  in particular,   are watching  the demise of the church  gleefully, saying “Where is their God?”. It is true of course that much of what is reflected to the world by the so called church is what they see when they look at the malpractices of prominent individuals in the church. Many more outside the church are offended by the lukewarm behaviour of ordinary Christians in the church. This brings God no glory. It simply gives the world ammunition to crucify the Lord of glory over and over again. 

3.      The nations (in context commonly understood to be pagans/unbelievers)   do of course not possess the moral high ground in their judgement of the church and by their  judgement of the absence of God. Their lives are invaded by cheap and senseless substitutes for the God who made them. Their trust is on very shaky ground, and it will prove to be their undoing, when they will have to stand before their Creator in the great judgement day, to give an account of themselves. 

4.      The only way to experience the glory of God is to pursue a life of active trust in God, even when this fallen earth in which we now live causes us to struggle so much. Trust in the LORD!  Remember that it is in God’s nature to help and protect His people. It is in God’s nature to bless and increase His people.  When we are helped by God, He gets the glory and the praise. 

A new year is upon us, and with a new year, come new hopes, and new resolutions.  If you had to ask for one thing of the Lord for this year, what would you ask for?  Would you not perhaps ask something, not for your own sake, but for God’s sake?  Would you not ask that, this year, God would be glorified here among us, and in all the true churches in Windhoek, and in Namibia and indeed in the whole world? Would not the manifestation of the revealed glory of God, which is so easily substituted by our cheap versions  of self-glory,  be the true  cure  for our sick world?

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[1] Hebr. kbud

[2] Exodus 3

[3] Luke 2:9ff

[4] Acts 9

[5] Revelation 1

[6] E.g. 2 Peter 1:16-21

[7] https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/july/new-barna-survey-finds-1-in-3-christians-stopped-attending-online-or-in-person-church-services-during-pandemic