I have read Solomon's prayer in I Kings 8 many times over the years and I always think it is odd that he asks for forgiveness before the people of Israel sin instead of asking for God to protect his people from the temptation to sin. However, in reading and meditating on it this week, I've come away astounded by this beautiful expression of the kingly love Solomon has for his people. In his wisdom, he seems to understand that God's people WILL sin against God. In verse 46 Solomon says, "WHEN they sin against You - for there is no one who does not sin" (My caps). The whole prayer is founded on the covenant love, grace and mercy of God for His people.
As God's people, we are blessed to live after Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection. 1 John 2:1 tells us that if we sin, we have Jesus, the Righteous One, who speaks to the Father in our defense. Verse 2 proclaims, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins". But in Solomon's time, they had no such atoning sacrifice, so it makes sense that Solomon would pray for his people's sins to be forgiven before they were commited.
In light of this truth, Solomon's prayer suddenly becomes one of the most tender expressions of a loving high priestly prayer. How touching that Solomon prays in detail concerning every possible sin his people could commit - asking God over and over to hear from heaven and forgive their sin. As Solomon stands to bless the whole assembly of Israel, I hear his voice ring loud and clear:
"May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways and to keep the
commands. . . And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before
the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night." (verses 57-59)
This sounds so "fatherly" - so much like a parent's heart. It is as though Solomon gathers up the words of his prayer in his hands and tenderly relinquishes them over to The Father for Him to hold near to His heart always.
Sometimes I think my prayers might seem a bit odd to God, just like I have thought of Solomon's prayer for so many years. Not any more - I'm trusting that the Holy Spirit will take my odd prayers and tenderly relinquish them over to my loving Father for Him to hold near to His heart and make them beautiful expressions of my love for Him.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May 15-22
Usually I find myself trying to decide what one thing to focus on in a week of readings, but this week I had no such luck. As I read through our passage, nothing really just leaped off of the page at me. These past few days Amy's blog about God's wrath has really resonated with me. It is so easy, especially in our culture, to not fear God. With that in mind, some of the terminology of the Psalms perplexed me. In these prose we read of a God whose love reaches to the heavens. In the same excerpt, God is "resplendent with light" while pronouncing judgment from heaven. (Psalm 76) A God who defends his cause while bringing salvation. (Psalm 74) With the same breath, God delivers love and casts judgment. A God who hates, yet overwhelmingly loves. My brain has turned in circles over this apparent contradiction. As I read through the Old Testament stories, it does not seem like a God of love leaps off the pages. Yet David pores his sole out about a God who is to be feared, and a God who loves abundantly.
This conundrum got me thinking about a story told by Dan Kimball in the book They Like Jesus but not the Church. Kimball recounts a time when he was talking with religious leaders of different faiths. As they mused over how to get to God, Kimball said, what if I told you there was a God who would come to you? They all admitted they would love to meet this God. Kimball replied, let me introduce you to Jesus. This is the drama I see unfolding through the Psalms.
Often, we separate God into the Old and New Testament but nothing could be farther from the truth. As David said, "Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (Psalm 68:20) Earlier, in Psalm 62 David asserted, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard; that you,O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." This God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. The God that abhors sin, but is passionately in love with the sinner. A God that meets us where we are. David saw this truth, his relationship with God transcended the law.
In Psalm 40:6 David poetically wrote, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require." He knew this relationship was so much more than mere sacrifice. Yes it is absolutely of utmost importance to fear God, but this love of God that David portrays is beautiful. It is hard for me to understand, but it is evident. David knew the salvation that God offered. Although God took David's first born son as punishment for his sin, David still declared a loving God.
We serve a God who is just, and merciful. Declares judgment yet lovingly offers grace. A God who defends his namesake, yet welcomes us back when we smear the very same name. A God who comes in fire, yet speaks in the wind. A God who wins battles and clothes sparrows. We serve the I AM.
This conundrum got me thinking about a story told by Dan Kimball in the book They Like Jesus but not the Church. Kimball recounts a time when he was talking with religious leaders of different faiths. As they mused over how to get to God, Kimball said, what if I told you there was a God who would come to you? They all admitted they would love to meet this God. Kimball replied, let me introduce you to Jesus. This is the drama I see unfolding through the Psalms.
Often, we separate God into the Old and New Testament but nothing could be farther from the truth. As David said, "Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (Psalm 68:20) Earlier, in Psalm 62 David asserted, "One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard; that you,O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." This God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever. The God that abhors sin, but is passionately in love with the sinner. A God that meets us where we are. David saw this truth, his relationship with God transcended the law.
In Psalm 40:6 David poetically wrote, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require." He knew this relationship was so much more than mere sacrifice. Yes it is absolutely of utmost importance to fear God, but this love of God that David portrays is beautiful. It is hard for me to understand, but it is evident. David knew the salvation that God offered. Although God took David's first born son as punishment for his sin, David still declared a loving God.
We serve a God who is just, and merciful. Declares judgment yet lovingly offers grace. A God who defends his namesake, yet welcomes us back when we smear the very same name. A God who comes in fire, yet speaks in the wind. A God who wins battles and clothes sparrows. We serve the I AM.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Orientation, Disorientation, and New Orientation
When Aaron and I were in Bethlehem, we had the privilege of being in a Bible study over the Book of Psalms with some great Old Testament scholars. It was there that I first heard about the pattern found in Psalms - orientation, disorientation, and new orientation. I immediately connected to it because I felt I was in the orientation stage but that I was slipping into disorientation (or the pit) with the news that my mom's cancer had come back and spread; and that short of a miracle...my mother would inevitably die young (52 yrs) leaving her husband and 10 children (with the 2 youngest still being only 8 & 14 yrs old).
Working through some of the Psalms in our Bible study with this new perspective about the stages that the psalmist went through helped prepare me for the pit that I was falling into. I realized that it was ok to be in the pit (me or others that I know), that I didn't have to "put on a happy face", and that I could be real with God when I am in the pit. It also gave me the firm expectation that God would bring me out of the disorientation to a new orientation. I knew though from reading the Psalms that this new orientation would have to be attained by going through the pit but that it would be worth the pain. And that when I came out of the pit, I wouldn't want to go back to the way things were if it meant giving up the peace and understanding that would come from being in the pit.
Of course, I wish I could skip the disorientation (my mom dying) part and just go straight from orientation to new orientation but, it was only after I watched my mom die this past Christmas that I gained a new hope in Christ's resurrection and an understanding about death that I did not even have in my orientation stage when things were all good. I was definitely fully in the pit facing my mom's death but God was (and still is) pulling me out.
Before my mom died, I was afraid of death my entire life, but now I am not which is a miracle. I now have fully experienced God's peace that passes all understanding and God's grace that sustains me through the unthinkable. It was through my mom's death that God's promise to me was fulfilled - the promise that He would not give me something that I could not bear. I didn't think I could ever face a loved one dying. I thought I would fall to pieces but I clung to the hope He would give me strength and courage right when I needed it (maybe not even a moment before). And it is only now after my mom's death can I confidently say "He kept His promise!" And because of all of this, I am certain that He will keep His promises to me in the future.
I am so thankful that I had this Biblical pattern laid out before me of God being faithful to His servants to bring them out of the pit and that I could put my faith in this unchanging characteristic of God that was revealed to me in His Word the Psalms. It helped knowing that while the pit absolutely and totally sucks - God was not going to leave me there!
So cry out to God while your in the pit, share with Him how horrible it is, but then tell Him to get you out of there, and after that, trust and thank Him that He will!
I found this article that talks about praying the psalms and it summarizes this pattern very well. I don't know if this is considered "cheating" =) for my post but it explains it better than I could have and really helps me to understand this concept.
Anyway, here it is...
"Walter Brueggemann, Ph.D., for example, has developed a way to bring the psalms into our own personal lives. In his book entitled Praying the Psalms (Saint Mary's Press) he suggests that the psalms reflect two very basic movements in everyone's life. One is the move into the "pit". It happens when our world collapses around us and we feel that there is no way out of the deep hole into which we have sunk. The other move is out of the pit into a welcome place. We suddenly understand what has happened and who has brought us up out of the pit.
Brueggemann further suggests that human beings regularly find themselves in one of three places: a place of orientation, in which everything makes sense in our lives; a place of disorientation, in which we feel we have sunk into the pit; and a place of new orientation, in which we realize that God has lifted us out of the pit and we are in a new place full of gratitude and awareness about our lives and our God. Using these three "places," Brueggemann suggests that life has a rhythm as we move from one place to the next. He believes that that psalms match those places and the surprisingly painful and joyful moves we make. In short, there are psalms of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation. Recognizing that different psalms match these three places in our lives can help us identify psalms that fit our personal lives. Let me explain.
Psalms of orientation reflect the ordinariness of life. Most of us spend a large part of our lives in this place. Things are settled and life makes sense for the most part. We have a sense of confidence in the regularity of life and God's creation. A number of psalms express this outlook, articulating a confidence that the world is orderly due to God's wisdom built into the world at the time of Creation. We find in these psalms a sense that good people prosper and the wicked are punished. They express the conviction that God is the one who guarantees life and protects it. Psalm 33 is typical of these psalms of orientation, It is a song about a world made secure by God's justice; everything about the world reveals God's faithfulness.
But life rarely stays so orderly and coherent; at times it can be brutal and irrational. We can watch our world collapse without warning, and we are pulled down into what seems a dark pit. In this pace of disorientation hangs a great sense of abandonment. The psalmist moans, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps 22:1). Our usual response to this rupture of our equilibrium is denial. We want to believe that things are really OK, but even if we know they are not, we certainly do not want anyone else to know. Our denial forces us to cover up. We put on a happy face, and our isolation grows more intense.
A number of psalms give voice to experiences of abandonment in this broken and terrifying place long before the time of Christ. These psalms of lament, which are the most numerous in the Book of Psalms, are audacious affirmations of faith. They bring this harsh brokenness to God, resisting the temptation to deny reality. Those who prayed these laments were confident that God would understand their negative language. When we are in a time of disorientation, praying these psalms challenges our desire to keep up a good front and helps us bring to speech those feelings we might otherwise keep hidden. In one typical lament the psalmist cries out four time, "How long?" and insists that God answer this prayer. (See Ps 13:1-3).
The language of the lament psalms can seem scandalous. How can faithful people speak to God that way? Often we want to make excuses for such outspokenness. We may even be uncomfortable with these prayers. Yet they are the collective prayers of a people in pain. They are not magical, however; praying these psalms will not make everything better. But unless they are spoken, we run the risk of trivializing our relationship with God. The language of the lament calls upon God by name and expects a response. It takes a great faith to be so candid.
Every one of the lament psalms except Psalm 88 concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving. It would be simplistic to suppose that once the lament had been prayed the person's complaint was immediately answered and life was restored. We do not know how many weeks, months, or even years passed before the psalmist could utter those words of thanks signaling the end of the lament. But concluding with a prayer of thanksgiving reflects our faith that God will rescue us and bring us up from the depths.
God does hear our prayer, and when this happens, it is always a surprise: the surprise of grace. Then change in circumstances cannot be explained by logic or inevitability. It comes only from the goodness of God. The move to a new place in our lives, a "new orientation," as Dr. Brueggemann calls it, is accompanied by the language of joyful gratitude. We are fully conscious of this moves as a gift. The psalms of new orientation are filled with amazement, awe, and gratitude. They narrate how God has rescued the individual in a decisive way. Psalm 30 is a good example. The psalmist tells the story of sinking into the pit (see vv. 8-10) and being raised out of it (see vv. 11-12).
This period of new orientation is not simply a return to normal where everything is coherent again. The rhythm of life expressed in the psalms is not circular. New orientation is another stage in our journey of faith. The experience of the pit has changed us, and the experience of God's grace has transformed our life. We cannot go back again. We now know something about life and God's way of fidelity that cannot permit a return to an earlier faith. The psalms are not only personal prayers; they are above all "pilgrimage" prayers. Life becomes coherent once again, and the pilgrimages goes on. But we must learn not to forget, which is why we need to pray the psalms daily.
The psalms are prayers of praise that were spoken by individuals and by groups. They were sung in formal worship centers, such as the Temple in Jerusalem, though far more often in the private sanctuary of individual hearts. The psalmist sings: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits" (Ps 103:2), then goes on to enumerate at least five of those benefits. Here we find a clue as to why the psalms remained the prayer of a faithful community. We sing praise in order to remember because we so easily and quickly forget. These prayers remind us what it means to praise God, that is, to not forget all God's benefits.
When we pray the psalms we find in them the eloquence and honesty of a people who trusted that God was there in times of coherence, despair, and gracious gift. But we also bring to the psalms our own similar experiences. We might express them in different and imaginative ways, but these ancient prayers still mirror our life struggles, and the pilgrimage of faith goes on.
PSALM SUGGESTIONS
Psalms of Orientation Psalm 1 Psalm 111
These psalms reflect a confident Psalm 8 Psalm 112
belief that the world is well Psalm 14 Psalm 119
ordered, reliable, and life- Psalm 33 Psalm 131
giving to the person of faith. Psalm 37 Psalm 133
Psalm 104 Psalm 145
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalms of Disorientation Psalm 13 Psalm 79
These Psalms reflect the Psalm 22 Psalm 81
brokenness of life when it is no Psalm 32 Psalm 86
longer orderly but savage. Psalm 35 Psalm 88
Spoken out of the depths, Psalm 50 Psalm 130
they are still bold acts of Psalm 51 Psalm 137
faith. Psalm 73 Psalm 143
Psalm 74
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalms of New Orientation Psalm 23 Psalm 100
The pit is not the end of life; Psalm 27 Psalm 103
There is more. New orientation Psalm 30 Psalm 113
Psalms reflect the surprise of Psalm 34 Psalm 117
New possibilities that are Psalm 40 Psalm 124
Experienced as pure gift from Psalm 65 Psalm 135
God. They are full of thanks. Psalm 66 Psalm 138
William J. Parker, C.Ss.R, Psalm 91 Psalm 150"
Working through some of the Psalms in our Bible study with this new perspective about the stages that the psalmist went through helped prepare me for the pit that I was falling into. I realized that it was ok to be in the pit (me or others that I know), that I didn't have to "put on a happy face", and that I could be real with God when I am in the pit. It also gave me the firm expectation that God would bring me out of the disorientation to a new orientation. I knew though from reading the Psalms that this new orientation would have to be attained by going through the pit but that it would be worth the pain. And that when I came out of the pit, I wouldn't want to go back to the way things were if it meant giving up the peace and understanding that would come from being in the pit.
Of course, I wish I could skip the disorientation (my mom dying) part and just go straight from orientation to new orientation but, it was only after I watched my mom die this past Christmas that I gained a new hope in Christ's resurrection and an understanding about death that I did not even have in my orientation stage when things were all good. I was definitely fully in the pit facing my mom's death but God was (and still is) pulling me out.
Before my mom died, I was afraid of death my entire life, but now I am not which is a miracle. I now have fully experienced God's peace that passes all understanding and God's grace that sustains me through the unthinkable. It was through my mom's death that God's promise to me was fulfilled - the promise that He would not give me something that I could not bear. I didn't think I could ever face a loved one dying. I thought I would fall to pieces but I clung to the hope He would give me strength and courage right when I needed it (maybe not even a moment before). And it is only now after my mom's death can I confidently say "He kept His promise!" And because of all of this, I am certain that He will keep His promises to me in the future.
I am so thankful that I had this Biblical pattern laid out before me of God being faithful to His servants to bring them out of the pit and that I could put my faith in this unchanging characteristic of God that was revealed to me in His Word the Psalms. It helped knowing that while the pit absolutely and totally sucks - God was not going to leave me there!
So cry out to God while your in the pit, share with Him how horrible it is, but then tell Him to get you out of there, and after that, trust and thank Him that He will!
I found this article that talks about praying the psalms and it summarizes this pattern very well. I don't know if this is considered "cheating" =) for my post but it explains it better than I could have and really helps me to understand this concept.
Anyway, here it is...
"Walter Brueggemann, Ph.D., for example, has developed a way to bring the psalms into our own personal lives. In his book entitled Praying the Psalms (Saint Mary's Press) he suggests that the psalms reflect two very basic movements in everyone's life. One is the move into the "pit". It happens when our world collapses around us and we feel that there is no way out of the deep hole into which we have sunk. The other move is out of the pit into a welcome place. We suddenly understand what has happened and who has brought us up out of the pit.
Brueggemann further suggests that human beings regularly find themselves in one of three places: a place of orientation, in which everything makes sense in our lives; a place of disorientation, in which we feel we have sunk into the pit; and a place of new orientation, in which we realize that God has lifted us out of the pit and we are in a new place full of gratitude and awareness about our lives and our God. Using these three "places," Brueggemann suggests that life has a rhythm as we move from one place to the next. He believes that that psalms match those places and the surprisingly painful and joyful moves we make. In short, there are psalms of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation. Recognizing that different psalms match these three places in our lives can help us identify psalms that fit our personal lives. Let me explain.
Psalms of orientation reflect the ordinariness of life. Most of us spend a large part of our lives in this place. Things are settled and life makes sense for the most part. We have a sense of confidence in the regularity of life and God's creation. A number of psalms express this outlook, articulating a confidence that the world is orderly due to God's wisdom built into the world at the time of Creation. We find in these psalms a sense that good people prosper and the wicked are punished. They express the conviction that God is the one who guarantees life and protects it. Psalm 33 is typical of these psalms of orientation, It is a song about a world made secure by God's justice; everything about the world reveals God's faithfulness.
But life rarely stays so orderly and coherent; at times it can be brutal and irrational. We can watch our world collapse without warning, and we are pulled down into what seems a dark pit. In this pace of disorientation hangs a great sense of abandonment. The psalmist moans, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Ps 22:1). Our usual response to this rupture of our equilibrium is denial. We want to believe that things are really OK, but even if we know they are not, we certainly do not want anyone else to know. Our denial forces us to cover up. We put on a happy face, and our isolation grows more intense.
A number of psalms give voice to experiences of abandonment in this broken and terrifying place long before the time of Christ. These psalms of lament, which are the most numerous in the Book of Psalms, are audacious affirmations of faith. They bring this harsh brokenness to God, resisting the temptation to deny reality. Those who prayed these laments were confident that God would understand their negative language. When we are in a time of disorientation, praying these psalms challenges our desire to keep up a good front and helps us bring to speech those feelings we might otherwise keep hidden. In one typical lament the psalmist cries out four time, "How long?" and insists that God answer this prayer. (See Ps 13:1-3).
The language of the lament psalms can seem scandalous. How can faithful people speak to God that way? Often we want to make excuses for such outspokenness. We may even be uncomfortable with these prayers. Yet they are the collective prayers of a people in pain. They are not magical, however; praying these psalms will not make everything better. But unless they are spoken, we run the risk of trivializing our relationship with God. The language of the lament calls upon God by name and expects a response. It takes a great faith to be so candid.
Every one of the lament psalms except Psalm 88 concludes with a prayer of thanksgiving. It would be simplistic to suppose that once the lament had been prayed the person's complaint was immediately answered and life was restored. We do not know how many weeks, months, or even years passed before the psalmist could utter those words of thanks signaling the end of the lament. But concluding with a prayer of thanksgiving reflects our faith that God will rescue us and bring us up from the depths.
God does hear our prayer, and when this happens, it is always a surprise: the surprise of grace. Then change in circumstances cannot be explained by logic or inevitability. It comes only from the goodness of God. The move to a new place in our lives, a "new orientation," as Dr. Brueggemann calls it, is accompanied by the language of joyful gratitude. We are fully conscious of this moves as a gift. The psalms of new orientation are filled with amazement, awe, and gratitude. They narrate how God has rescued the individual in a decisive way. Psalm 30 is a good example. The psalmist tells the story of sinking into the pit (see vv. 8-10) and being raised out of it (see vv. 11-12).
This period of new orientation is not simply a return to normal where everything is coherent again. The rhythm of life expressed in the psalms is not circular. New orientation is another stage in our journey of faith. The experience of the pit has changed us, and the experience of God's grace has transformed our life. We cannot go back again. We now know something about life and God's way of fidelity that cannot permit a return to an earlier faith. The psalms are not only personal prayers; they are above all "pilgrimage" prayers. Life becomes coherent once again, and the pilgrimages goes on. But we must learn not to forget, which is why we need to pray the psalms daily.
The psalms are prayers of praise that were spoken by individuals and by groups. They were sung in formal worship centers, such as the Temple in Jerusalem, though far more often in the private sanctuary of individual hearts. The psalmist sings: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits" (Ps 103:2), then goes on to enumerate at least five of those benefits. Here we find a clue as to why the psalms remained the prayer of a faithful community. We sing praise in order to remember because we so easily and quickly forget. These prayers remind us what it means to praise God, that is, to not forget all God's benefits.
When we pray the psalms we find in them the eloquence and honesty of a people who trusted that God was there in times of coherence, despair, and gracious gift. But we also bring to the psalms our own similar experiences. We might express them in different and imaginative ways, but these ancient prayers still mirror our life struggles, and the pilgrimage of faith goes on.
PSALM SUGGESTIONS
Psalms of Orientation Psalm 1 Psalm 111
These psalms reflect a confident Psalm 8 Psalm 112
belief that the world is well Psalm 14 Psalm 119
ordered, reliable, and life- Psalm 33 Psalm 131
giving to the person of faith. Psalm 37 Psalm 133
Psalm 104 Psalm 145
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalms of Disorientation Psalm 13 Psalm 79
These Psalms reflect the Psalm 22 Psalm 81
brokenness of life when it is no Psalm 32 Psalm 86
longer orderly but savage. Psalm 35 Psalm 88
Spoken out of the depths, Psalm 50 Psalm 130
they are still bold acts of Psalm 51 Psalm 137
faith. Psalm 73 Psalm 143
Psalm 74
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Psalms of New Orientation Psalm 23 Psalm 100
The pit is not the end of life; Psalm 27 Psalm 103
There is more. New orientation Psalm 30 Psalm 113
Psalms reflect the surprise of Psalm 34 Psalm 117
New possibilities that are Psalm 40 Psalm 124
Experienced as pure gift from Psalm 65 Psalm 135
God. They are full of thanks. Psalm 66 Psalm 138
William J. Parker, C.Ss.R, Psalm 91 Psalm 150"
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
In View of All This: Part 2
I have concluded that God both loves and hates sinners. My cultural aversion to “hate” did not make this easy for me to accept. With tears over scripture I faced my fear. It seems to me that if we try to separate the sin from a sinner in an extreme sense, we end up with the idea that Jesus died for sin. I believe Jesus died for sinners. The love and hatred for sinners is perfectly balanced on the cross. He hated sinners enough to die for them. He loved sinners enough to die for them. I can conceive of a parent mourning a wayward child feeling both extreme hatred and extreme love. I can imagine a spouse hurt by betrayal- feeling both hatred and love. These human contexts help me understand a glimpse of God’s nature.
I believe God offers the free gift of his unconditional love to all. The work of the cross is the culmination of this unconditional love. However, I believe fellowship with God is conditional- dependent on our response of acceptance of the free gift. Sinners are defined by their sin because they have not embraced the righteousness Jesus offers. Sinners stand in opposition to God. They are hated by God, yet they are loved unconditionally. Some focus only on the hate. A terrorist may believe his hate is holy. Is he laying his life down in order to save the object of his hate? This is the example of Christ.
So, my mind asked- Why is God allowed to hate while we are commanded not to hate our enemies? Is this a double standard? Is this hypocrisy? I believe it is a loving double standard. I think that humans are probably not capable of loving and hating in perfect balance. Perhaps loving the person and hating the sin is a better way for humans to relate to each other. However, God does not need the maxim because he is holy. Our hate of a human does not generally spurn us on to greater works of love. There are many actions left only to God’s sovereignty. We are to judge, but we are to leave judgment to Him. Vengeance is His and He will repay. Hate is not for us to dispense- but God in his mercy has hated and loved his believers into a relationship with him.
Thank you God that a friend brought this to my attention, and not an enemy that would try to shatter my faith. Thank you for answering when I seek. Thank you for grace as I flounder with human words that try to describe your beautiful enormity.
I believe God offers the free gift of his unconditional love to all. The work of the cross is the culmination of this unconditional love. However, I believe fellowship with God is conditional- dependent on our response of acceptance of the free gift. Sinners are defined by their sin because they have not embraced the righteousness Jesus offers. Sinners stand in opposition to God. They are hated by God, yet they are loved unconditionally. Some focus only on the hate. A terrorist may believe his hate is holy. Is he laying his life down in order to save the object of his hate? This is the example of Christ.
So, my mind asked- Why is God allowed to hate while we are commanded not to hate our enemies? Is this a double standard? Is this hypocrisy? I believe it is a loving double standard. I think that humans are probably not capable of loving and hating in perfect balance. Perhaps loving the person and hating the sin is a better way for humans to relate to each other. However, God does not need the maxim because he is holy. Our hate of a human does not generally spurn us on to greater works of love. There are many actions left only to God’s sovereignty. We are to judge, but we are to leave judgment to Him. Vengeance is His and He will repay. Hate is not for us to dispense- but God in his mercy has hated and loved his believers into a relationship with him.
Thank you God that a friend brought this to my attention, and not an enemy that would try to shatter my faith. Thank you for answering when I seek. Thank you for grace as I flounder with human words that try to describe your beautiful enormity.
God and Hate: Part 1
God is trying to teach me something. I am trying to figure out what and why. I went to a Good News Club training (evangelism for children) with another friend. After the training she commented she would not teach the “gospel in action” because it teaches God loves them, and she felt David Platt, author of “Radical” demonstrated that this teaching is false, because of scripture that states God hates sinners. Now, I have been filled with modern Christianity and cute clichés, so I found the statement unbelievable. I replied, “God hates sin.”
I began to research the “hate issue”- locating verses that used the term “hate” or “abhor”. I compiled a list of verses that showed
1. God hating an individual or group
2. God hating sin
3. Instructions concerning hate
While the list of verses showing examples of God hating sin surpassed those showing God hating an individual, I was honestly surprised that God ever hated anyone. I didn’t know that. I was hurt. I was shocked and confused. I couldn’t imagine hating my child. While almost every reference to God hating a group or individual is in the Old Testament, I did not feel that was enough of a reason to dismiss the apparent contradiction. I felt God wanted me to dig deep- past my pain, past my anger that he was not behaving in ways I thought he should.
On Sunday I led little children in the song, “Jesus loves me this I know…” In the back of my mind, I was thinking about this dilemma.
Then I caught up on my reading for the post. Guess what the reading covered? Two of the verses in Psalms described God hating and individual. Wow. God, you really want me to focus on this- what am I supposed to learn?
I compiled a lot of information on the topic of God hating sinners, both pro and con. I am in the process of sifting through it. I did watch a video clip of David Platt discussing an article referencing his book which states, “While it's a common pulpit truism that "God hates sin but loves the sinner," David Platt argues that God hates sinners.” In the video he agrees with the statement, but also expands it. He says God hates sinners, but he also loves them. He says both came together on the cross.
So, I am asking for more time. I will post a summary of my research soon, but I have submitted the verses I compiled for your perusal:
God Hating an Individual/Group:Psalm 5:5
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
Psalm 5:6
6 You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.
Psalm 11:5
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
Psalm 118:
The Lord hates…19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Hosea 9:15
“Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
“Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
Malachi 1:3
but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Leviticus 20:22-24
22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Leviticus 26:29-31
29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
God hating actions:
Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
Deut. 16:21-22
21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole[a] beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, 22 and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.
Psalm 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Psalm 101:3
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
Psalm 118:
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Isaiah 61:8
“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Ezekiel 35:6
Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
Amos 5:21
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses
Zechariah 8:17
do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
Malachi 2:16
“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God ofIsrael
“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of
Revelation 2:6
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Instructions concerning hate:
Leviticus 19:17
“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Amos 5:15
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts
Matt 5: 42-44
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Deuteronomy 23:6-8
6 Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.
7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)