The Carpenter's Apprentice Archives

Most of us would like to live through Abram’s experience and have the Divine Presence come before us to be the Surety for the covenant given. Then we would know - or would we?

The scripture makes it clear that witnessing the Presence of the Almighty is no guarantee that one will acknowledge Him. The Israelites heard His voice from the mountain and were so terrified they didn’t want to hear it again. In spite of what they knew, they reveled in disobedience and idolatry as the very Law of their covenant was being given.

At the same time, we have examples of tremendous faith by those who have seen no confirming sign. In fact, it is their faith that provides the opportunity for confirming signs and wonders to be given. Without any physical evidence, these faithful saints knew their God and King.

How does one know? We should get a clue from Abraham and all the rest - by faith. Ephesians 2 tells us that faith is a gift. It is not something we create or grow. It is something God grants us and we exercise. As we exercise our faith God grants it growth. Flabby faith is not a pretty picture!

Now, let’s look at a few "I know" proclamations and see what we can glean about the knowledge that God imparts through faith.

A great place to start is with Jethro’s response on hearing all that God had done to deliver Israel from Egypt, "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people." (Ex. 18:11)

We don’t stand in the physical presence of Moses and the delivered multitude, but apart from that, we have the same assurance that Jethro did that these things are true. Does that cause us to join in his exaltation of God or do we just consider those mighty deeds as interesting tidbits of history. Our response is dictated by the presence or absence of faith.

How about another Gentile, Rahab as she encountered the spies: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you." Where did she get that knowledge? It is obvious that not all her neighbors were aware of what God was doing. Again, it is God’s gift of faith, active in her that provides affirmation to the recon group. More than that, her faith saves her physically, and spiritually.

Remember the story of Naaman, another Gentile? In spite of his position and power, he took the advice of a captured Israelite servant girl. After some hesitation, he follows Elisha’s instruction and is healed of leprosy. Then, "When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, ‘Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.’" (2 Kings 5:15)

The text makes it clear that Naaman wants to keep up appearances by bowing down to pagan idols when he returns, but there is no doubt that he knows the God of Israel is the only God and he asks for pardon for his premeditated idolatry. Even more incredibly, Elisha tells him to go in peace! One would expect a rebuke here but there is none. Is there some lesson we need to learn here?

When I challenged you to think about "I know" passages, you probably first thought about a couple from Paul: one is an acknowledgment of his condition, the other an expression of his confidence in God. Let’s look at them briefly.

Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." Why is it that we have such a difficult time agreeing with Paul in this matter?

How diligently we labor to convince God, others, and ourselves that we have some redeeming value. Let’s be clear. There is absolutely nothing about us that would cause God to extend mercy to us. Our salvation is completely a matter of His grace. Our obedience to Him is the hallmark of our salvation, not the means by which it is attained.

Even when we are at our very best, we need to be acutely aware that our spiritual sacrifice is as "filthy rags" before our Holy God Only the righteousness of Christ makes our putrid offering acceptable. Praise God for that grace!

Paul’s other statement is a testimony to the power of music to plant scripture in our memory: 2 Tim. 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."

We’ve all probably experienced the singing of those verses which detail what we don’t know and felt the confident exuberance as we join in the chorus, "But I know whom, I have believed...."

This passage is in direct contrast to Paul’s other "I know" statement. He knows that outside of Christ he is capable of no good thing. At the same time, He is resolute in the trustworthiness of God. We would be remiss if we failed to note that this expression of confidence comes while he is imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He doesn’t question his tribulation; he glories in it. May our confidence in God attain to such levels.

Moving on, the most prolific of the "I know" characters is David. While there are many passages which tell us what he knows, here are three where he specifically uses those words.

"...This I know, that God is for me." (Psalm 56:9b) What a thought! Those of us raised on hellfire and brimstone can really appreciate a statement like that. What a faith builder it is to know that God is for us. He isn’t looking for ways to trip us up. He doesn’t sit around just watching to see if we mess up so He can send us to hell. What else can we say? "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Marvelous grace!

"I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor." (Psalm 140:12) Here, David expresses confidence in God’s justice in spite of its timing. It is so easy for us to question God because we want justice now (the justice we seek for those who have wronged us, not the justice others seek for our slights). Thanks be to God that through Christ He provides justice for those wronged while supplying mercy for our offenses.

One final affirmation from David and we’ll move on: "I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me." (Psalm 119:75) Whatever is happening in David’s life, he does not question God’s purpose because he knows that God acts in righteousness. As a result of that knowledge, he sees even tribulation as evidence of God faithfulness to him. Do we know God that well?

It amazes me that in spite of verses like this one, people tend to see tribulation as an indication of God punishing them in some way. Job and his friends had this problem. Job knew he was blameless, He couldn’t understand why he was being punished.. His friends challenged his innocence. The conclusion of the three principal challengers was that Job had to be guilty. God settles the issue by a lesson in His sovereignty.

In the midst of the exchanges between Job and his friends we find my favorite, "I know" passage, Job 19:25-27a: "And as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another."

This is an awesome passage. Scholars tell us that Job is probably the oldest book of the Bible. Here we find a man living prior to Moses and perhaps prior to Abraham who honored God in his prosperity and refused to recant his faith in the midst of tremendous oppression.

He is at a loss to understand why God is punishing him so. His condition has caused him to search his heart and he finds nothing that, in his opinion, warrants such chastisement. Failing to understand his fallen nature and God’s standard of sinless perfection, he challenges God to a showdown. In truth, his pride drives him to confront Almighty God with accusations of inequity.

Job didn’t have the Torah. He knew nothing of the covenant. He had none of the promises which would later be given to God’s people. Yet, amid his frustration he confidently proclaims, "I know that my Redeemer lives...."

We, with all the above and more, seem to struggle in our belief of that incredible fact. We act as though our Redeemer can only save us if we help Him. Job’s confidence arose from the realization that he needed a Redeemer. Until we come to the end of ourselves and realize the futility of trying to be good enough to please God, we are not likely to really understand our need.

As with Job, God finds the way to cut through our pride and self-assurance.

Job concludes his proclamation with a remark that has puzzled scholars. There are several possible interpretations and, as we’ve been learning in Bible 101, we should be careful about hanging our hat on something when those who have spent their lives in diligent study have difficulty with a passage.

Job says that while he is in the flesh, he will see his Redeemer on the earth at the last time. My speculation is that this happened at Christ’s death. Matthew 27 records that at that time, "...the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many." (vs. 52-53)

Now there is a passage that raises a whole lot of questions! Where is the record of those encounters? Why aren’t specific individuals mentioned? How long did they live? What became of them and when? That’s just for starters!

Was Job among them? It is certainly possible and it provides a reasonable explanation of this statement. Is that view correct? You decide.

What do YOU know? I encourage you to start your own ‘I know" list. If you are like me, it will be a lot shorter than your "I don’t know" list, but keeping those things before you is a great foundation for daily walking in faith.

We’ve come quite a way through the process of studying the scripture. How are you doing? If you have been diligent, you have probably already discovered things you never noticed before. You likely have more questions than you did before as well. Good! Without questions, you won’t arrive at answers. Enjoy them!

My personal experience has been that nothing makes Bible study more enjoyable than word studies. Understanding the cultural and historical context is probably of equal value but they are intricately woven into language as well.

Forcing our understanding of the English words on the biblical text may be adequate to grasp the essential truth, but it frequently robs us of the richness of meaning that was communicated to the original audience. Understanding the words as they would have understood them gives us word pictures that make the scripture come alive.

You may be thinking, "I can’t (or won’t) take the time to learn a biblical language, so forget it." Not so fast! Learning the language is a definite advantage, but you don’t have to learn the language to begin gleaning real gems from the text.

You are probably aware that most of the Bible is written in Hebrew and Greek. Aramaic, Chaldee, and other languages were also used but most of us will rely on the Hebrew and Greek translations of those portions of scripture.

We previously talked about things to include in your library. Two word study tools we mentioned were an exhaustive concordance and a good expository dictionary. These provide a great beginning point for word studies. As you study, you will probably find that you want to know more.

Exegesis is the process of tracing a word to its origin. Knowing how it was derived and the different ways it was used can provide rewarding insights into the meaning of a passage. The more tools you have to help you, the more precise your understanding will become. Understanding some basics about biblical languages is critical to diligent study.

For example, Greek is a very expressive language. The verbs are particularly significant because they make it clear who is doing what. They express tense, voice and mood with a clarity that is lost in the English without careful translation.

Pop Quiz: Define tense, voice and mood.

Okay, we’ll hit the basics but your own you own for a refresher on details.

Tense tells us when something happens, but in Greek it more significantly tell us what kind of action is involved. In English we just have past, present and future. Greek tells us more. Action may be continuous in the present, completed with continuing results, past, or future.

Continuous action is indicated by the present and imperfect tenses. The present means continuous present action while the imperfect usually indicates past action.

Completed action is expressed by the perfect and pluperfect tenses which point to action at a specific point in time but which have continuing results. In the perfect tense, the results continue to the present, but the pluperfect indicates continuing results in the past

The past tense in the Greek called the aorist tense. It is also associated with punctiliar action but it makes no statement regarding the duration of an action or its results.

Voice indicates the relationship between the subject and the action. This is the same as English with a notable exception. We are familiar with active and passive voice, but only the Greek has a middle voice. Here the subject both initiates the action and receives the results of the action. (Example: The startled sentry shot himself in the foot.).

Mood tells us how the action relates to reality from the author’s viewpoint. Like English, Greek has the indicative, imperative and subjunctive. Need a refresher course? The indicative makes a declarative statement of fact. The imperative expresses a command or petition. The subjunctive expresses some doubt regarding the outcome of the action. (You’re on your own from here).

Don’t let this brief discussion confuse you. I just want you to see that the language is far more expressive than the English. It is very important to pay attention to these matters in your word study. Let me call your attention to the Analytical Greek Lexicon again. You’ll need to learn the Greek alphabet but that’s a piece of cake. Once you do you will be able to quickly discover the tense, voice and mood of any Greek verb.

Learn to pay careful attention to the words you read. Do you really know their meaning? Are you sure? How could a misunderstanding of a particular word influence your theology? When we realize that many of our closely held beliefs hinge upon the definition of a single word, we begin to appreciate the importance of being clear about the meaning of those terms. Start now improving your skills and enjoy the blessing that will surely come your way.

As we continue developing our skills of interpretation next time, we will look at figurative language and focus on letting scripture interpret scripture.

This story will be familiar to several who receive this newsletter since it is one we shared. Friends had invited us to a special singing service at their little country church one afternoon and we were pleased to join them.

This was no fancy production. Just Christians assembling to praise God in song and enjoy the fellowship of the saints. The little building was packed that afternoon and everyone sang with great enthusiasm. The music ranged from classic gospel numbers from "Heavenly Highway Hymns" to the contemporary sounds of young people who composed their own music.

Number after number was announced and joyful sounds filled the air as we enjoyed one another’s company.

I think it was about 5:30 in the afternoon when yet another song was called out. From the back of the room, in a voice that was clearly intended to be heard by all, a sweet sister in her 90's said, "Good Lord, I’ve already missed Wheel of Fortune!"

Muffled snickers were heard around the room (including my own) as everyone exchanged grinning glances. The final number was sung and we were dismissed. I was glad to have shared in the experience.

Were it not for that honest remark, the day probably would not stand out in my memory at all.

Sharon has safely returned from her trip to El Salvador but it will be next month before I get her report to you. I’ll leave the details to her, but know that the team ministered to the needs of over 2000 people. Thank you for the part you played in making that possible.

There are many things on my mind as I continue to watch events unfold around us. The celebration surrounding July 4^th this year left me feeling more ambivalent than at any time in my life.

I rarely watch the morning show on television, but Sharon was gone and I decided to tune in just to see how people were behaving themselves. I probably shouldn’t have done that.

Almost immediately, I saw an interview with a women who appeared to be in her twenties. She was asked how she felt about all the security measures that were being taken on The Mall in Washington, D.C. She indicated her approval stating, "They need to do everything possible to make sure we are safe."

What a ridiculous and mindless comment! I would have given about anything for some camo-clad officer to have stepped up to her, taken her by the arm and invited her to enter a trailer where she would be stripped for a body cavity search.

The real problem is that her attitude is common today. Let’s throw away our liberty and privacy so government can make us safe. This is not the cloth from which our founders or free men are cut.

Hence, my ambivalence: the masses celebrated our day of liberty by welcoming its violation and further demise - all in the name of personal safety. How very sad, and telling.

You see, this young woman doesn’t understand that she is perceived as a threat. She is not seen as an innocent citizen but as a terrorist who must demonstrate that she is not. That is not the America our founders gave us. God help us to recover our path before it is too late.

Since we last met here, there has been a huge flap over "The Pledge of Allegiance." If you’ve been reading here long you know I love the foundations of liberty we received from our founders, so I don’t want you to misunderstand what follows.

Though dear to the hearts of many, the pledge has become more form than substance. Few know the history of the pledge, but most mindlessly repeat it on command. Were you aware that it was actually written by a socialist in 1892?.

Our founders never said the pledge. In fact, they were less than gracious toward the idea of having words speak for them. They spoke with their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" and they didn’t need words to indicate their allegiance to the principles of liberty on which this country was founded.

Today, we have the words but we are so lacking in allegiance to those principles which they cherished. We’ve sold our soul to the nanny state and we expect her to take care of us.

She robs us blind and abuses us and our children but still we look to her for aid. God help us.

Of course, "we the people" are the reason the abuse continues. We have ignored the sacred trust God placed in us as the rulers of this land. We have despised our birthright and left our duty to others who are enemies of righteousness.

History teaches us that there will be a price for our dereliction of duty. You see the real issue is not that the court banned the pledge, but that they have no legitimate authority to do so in the first place! If you can find where the Constitution gives the federal government authority over public education, please send the citation to me and I’ll post it here.

Knowing that you can’t find that authority, will you do your duty as a ruler in this country and tell your federal servants to get their hands off public education and let parents and local communities decide what is best for them?

Such action is the test of our allegiance "to the flag and to the republic for which is stands" - not words repeated by rote.

I still recite the pledge but my allegiance is explicitly to the ideals embodied in our founding documents, not our federal government right or wrong. Patriotism and nationalism are not the same. I trust you know the difference. Flag waving is no substitute for diligent citizenship.

There is nothing sacred about the pledge but we have given it almost holy status. Reciting the words without "under God" us unthinkable for me. I join others in omitting "indivisible" since it was the clear intent of our founders that any free, independent, and sovereign state could withdraw from the federal union if they thought that was in their best interest.

May our lives as citizens of the heavenly kingdom and rulers in this one, be not only in word, but also in deed.

Till next time ... Jim