THE LORD SPOKE (July 17)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Nehemiah 11-12

Is there an echo in this chapter? Look at what they were dealing with in Nehemiah's day.

• Neh. 12:27 - "songs of thanksgiving" (doesn't sound like praise choruses to me)
• Neh. 12:27,36 - "music of cymbals, harps, and lyres...prescribed by David" (500 years previously - all they need is an organ too!)
• Neh. 12:28,31 - "singers...[in] two large choirs" (all old guys!)
• Neh. 12:36 - "Ezra led the procession" (probably at least in his 60's by now)

What is the value of tradition?

1. It is an acceptable and time-proven means of expressing truth, values, and personal faith.
2. It is a way to honor those who went before us, recognizing that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them.
3. It provides a practical memory aid to connect us to the past and tie us to our heritage.
4. It strengthens resistance to change-for-change-sake or to poorly thought out innovation.

What are the potential dangers of tradition?

1. It can easily become a religion in itself and detract from a proper relation to God.
2. It runs the risk of failing to communicate to the new generation.
3. For some it will result in living in the past.
4. Resistance to change can be a very deep rut and hard to break out of.

How can these dangers be avoided?

1. You need to distinguish carefully and frequently between what is biblical injunction and what is tradition. Tradition is ok but we should never let it become Bible.
2. For the younger generation use the tradition to teach. Tell them what it means. Explain where it came from.
3. Be honest about the past; living in the "good ol' days" wasn't always so good.
4. Nurture a continual willingness to re-think, to re-evaluate, and to re-orient yourself.

Some people have an "if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it" mentality. Others think, "if it ain't broke, break it". The truth is somewhere in the middle. After all, Nehemiah led new people to return to an old city and he led old people to build a new wall. Both found room to rejoice when it was done.


New Testament: II Timothy 2

If Matthew 28:18-20 is the Great Commission, II Timothy 2:2 is the Great Transmission. Four generations in the transmission of God’s truth are laid out here:

1. Paul to
2. Timothy to
3. reliable men (qualified to teach) to
4. others.

That chain is the secret (if it’s any secret at all) to God’s plan for expanding His kingdom. It’s a plan that will work. It has not only stood the test of time (you’re here right now because of it!), it has the stamp of God’s approval. Why is it so workable?

1. It’s edifying. It builds brick by brick, layer by layer. It also builds up each individual along the way. Because the structure is so inter-twined it has additional strength to hold together.
2. It’s effective. Starting from ground level, it’s a blueprint for successfully bringing together an impressive structure. It’s a plan that will work.
3. It’s exponential. It begins with one and passes on to just one - at least, to just one at a time. But soon it becomes plural and before long begins to multiply.
4. It’s energizing. To see the effect of such growth is innervating. It encourages the soul and infuses fresh determination and vigor into the process because we see how it can work. The task is less daunting.
5. It’s easy. Everyone can work with one. That’s not hard. The next step is working with one at a time, i.e. not retiring after the first one.

The chain has remained unbroken for 2000 years, right down to you. Will it carry on after you? Will the transmission of God’s truth through you continue to the next generation(s) because you have been active in keeping the chain unbroken?

THE LORD SPOKE (February 04)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Exodus 31-32

He should have at least hesitated. You’d think that, as a spiritual leader, Aaron would have tried to dissuade them. Not a word of that is mentioned. When the crowd whined about “this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt”, Aaron was a little too quick to offer a suggestion (Ex. 32:1-2).

And what a wicked suggestion. “Give me your gold and I’ll make you an idol.” His plural term “gods” may have been nothing more that the common plural reference to God (Elohim) but, still, everything he did was in flagrant violation of the second commandment just given. And what right did he have to call a festival to Jehovah (Ex. 32:5) without a word from Jehovah?

And then there was his stupid explanation to Moses, “they gave me their gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf” (Ex. 32:24). It’s utterly amazing that God had any use for Aaron thereafter.

But He did. It’s just an amazing example of God’s grace! It makes you wish we had more details of the story here. Did Aaron repent and confess his sin. He surely must have, for God told Moses that He would punish those who sinned and He did just that (Ex. 32:34-35). We have to conclude that Aaron repented off-stage and experienced God’s marvelous, amazing grace.

How is it with you? Is there some sin for which you’ve been forgiven and experienced the cleansing, liberating mercy of God? Or is there some current sin in your life that you need to confess right now in order to be loosed from that horrid bondage? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I Jn. 1:9)

Come, every soul by sin oppressed;
There’s mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.

- John H. Stockton


New Testament: Mark 7

“Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those still living.”
- Jaroslav Pelikan

We have many traditions - some good, some not so good, and some very bad. In most cases, these practices originally were born of a desire to honor God but somehow they have gotten lost in traditionalism. In the words of Isaiah: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)

And Jesus adds: You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.... You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (Mark 7:8-9)

You may not think of yourself as wrapped up in traditions. After all, it’s Tevya and the Jewish people that sing that song the best. But consider the following traditions that are quite common in many of our churches:

• Sunday School (the Church didn’t do this for the first 18 centuries of its existence)
• communion once a month (every evidence seems to point to a weekly observance)
• for that matter, how about Sunday observance itself (there’s no NT command to do so and only scant evidence to support it)
• standing throughout the song service while using songs on PowerPoint (or before that, singing from a hymnal and always skipping stanza three)
• prayer meeting on Wednesday night
• the Ladies’ Missionary Society (in the book of Acts it was the men who led this)
• robes for the choir and white robes for baptism candidates
• a Christmas tree in the foyer and a nativity scene on the front lawn, complete with wise men at the manger
• bunnies laying chocolate eggs on the church lawn

Okay, not everyone does all of the above. Some of those practices are perfectly good ones and came about for all the right reasons. Some are keepers!

But we better be sure we’re still doing them for the right reasons. Otherwise, we will fall into the trap of dead traditionalism. How about getting creative and starting some new traditions?

THE LORD SPOKE (January 15)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Genesis 36-37

He probably should have been spanked. Jacob did rebuke him (Gen. 37:10) but Joseph would have done well to keep his dreams to himself or, at least, to be more discrete in how he recounted them to others. His not-so-innocent story-telling bordered on brashness and got him in trouble.

Not that his brothers were justified in what they did. The whole problem had started back in Paddan Aram with Jacob’s polygamous philandering. It was a recipe for disaster from the start. How God over-ruled the entire affair is just one spectacle of His amazing grace. His ability to work with shattered lives and to fashion a masterpiece out of earthy clay is part of why I love Him so.

One of the interesting character sketches throughout this story is Reuben. Jacob’s firstborn came from Leah, the unloved bride. She was the sisty ugler, the shocking surprise at sunrise, the attached “benefit” on the marriage contract with Laban. Under the circumstances, Reuben probably never got full coddling rights usually associated with a firstborn. With four sets of siblings in way-too-quick succession, primogeniture didn’t count for much for him.

He didn’t do so well in the big brother role in the affair with Dinah (Gen. 34). He’s not even mentioned there. Early on he made a very bad choice (Gen. 35:22) and his arrogant incest cost him his birthright (Gen. 49:3-4; I Chron. 5:1). It also cost him a natural leadership role that should have gone along with being the oldest boy in the family. Twice we have record of him attempting to do well but ultimately failing.

First, he tried to rescue Joseph’s life by suggesting to his brothers that they throw him into the pit rather than kill him, intending to come back himself and take Joseph home to his father. The brothers listened only so long as it suited their purposes but didn’t share Reuben’s intent and he was too slow or too weak to pull it off.

The second instance also involves Joseph, by now down in Egypt and requiring the twelfth brother to be brought to him. Reuben offers his own sons as security but his offer is turned down by aged Jacob. By then effective leadership had passed from Reuben to Judah (Gen. 37:26-27; 43:3-5 ,8-10; 44:18f; 46:28; 49:8-12). This was, of course, according to God’s plan for it was His design that...

The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. (Gen. 49:10)

In spite of Jacob’s, or Reuben’s, or our own miserable failings, God’s purposes will be fulfilled, often in ways quite surprising to us. Take great comfort in knowing that He is always in perfect control of all things.


New Testament: Matthew 15

“Tradition!” shouts Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof in answer to many questions, from why he wears a hat to why he kept Shabbat. It’s still the answer to many questions, and not just those of Jewish people.

We all have traditions and, for the most part, they’re good things. They’re what tie us together as a family through multiple generations. They’re what remind us of the past and keep us conscious of our history and linked to our heritage. They’re often good object lessons to teach useful things to our children. They’re what give expression to our colorful ethnic differences the world over.

But, they can also be a stumbling block that keeps us too long on the same trail. They can hinder positive progress. They can pull us in wrong directions. They can reinforce wrong patterns of thinking. They can become so ingrained in our thinking that, by constant repetition, they take the place of truth.

Such was the case in Matthew’s day. Jesus was critical of people that “break the command of God for the sake of [their] traditions” (Mat. 15:3). You don’t have to be Jewish to fit that category. They never cornered the market on this problem. What about some of our Christmas and Easter traditions that detract miserably from the Truth that is to be remembered on those occasions. Really now! Bunnies laying chocolate eggs on the church lawn??

How sad! Jesus likens such practices to noxious weeds that need to be jerked out of the ground (Mat. 15:13). They “nullify the Word of God” (vs. 6). Does that offend you? It did the Pharisees (vs. 12). Jesus called them hypocrites (vs. 7) because they used lots of pretty God-words but didn’t have a place for Him in their hearts. Their “teachings are but rules taught by men” (vs. 9).

So, examine your traditions! Make sure you have a reason for what you do and make sure that reason will stay standing when you stand before the Throne.