What happened to Israel?

In this post, originally published at growingatvalley.blogspot.com, I look at Romans 9-10 and Paul's lament for Israel.

Romans 9-10

Paul begins Romans 10 with this lament, "Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved" (Romans 10:1). In Genesis 17, though, God establishes His covenant with Abram. So what happened to Israel? The Old Testament is rife with examples of Israel's disobedience to God, but would their inability to observe the Law really keep them out of heaven?

The problem is that in a post-resurrection world, obedience to the Law isn't enough to get us into heaven in the first place. John the Baptist warns about the danger of complacent confidence in birthright salvation (Matthew 3: 7-10), too, but even that isn't the real issue at hand. Sin is the real issue. So great is the gulf between man and God, so stark the contrast between our wretched sin state and God's perfect holiness, that reconciliation is only possible through the atoning blood of Jesus (John 14:6, Romans 10: 9-10).

Our own efforts and works will always fall far short of what is required of us. That is why we cannot keep the law, why we cannot construct our own road to heaven. In Jesus, though, the work has been done that we could never do; the price has been paid that we could never pay (Matthew 5:17, Romans 10:6, 2 Cor 1:20). What an encouraging thought, that when we stand before the holy Judge--as we all will--sentence will be passed not according to our own righteousness but according to Jesus'.

If you want eternal life with God, you can have it. Hear the Gospel, repent of your sin, and put your trust in Jesus.

Matthew 8-10

As I wrote yesterday, I am reprinting a series of blog posts I wrote for my church's read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year blog, growingatvalley.blogspot.com. This post, originally published on January 28, 2013, examines Matthew 8-10 and the importance of hearing--and believing--the Gospel.

Matthew 8-10

Jesus' encounter with the centurion at Capernaum (Matthew 8: 5-13) is a short but revealing exchange. I am struck in particular by Jesus' frank commendation of the centurion's faith. "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith ... Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would" (Matthew 8:10, 13). What encouraging words! Jesus could be equally blunt when it came to the consequences of ignoring the Gospel message, though. When he sends out the twelve, he instructs them, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town" (Matthew 10: 14-15).

Jesus does not immediately elaborate as to what exactly that might entail, but he refers elsewhere to the "darkness" and "the blazing furnace," both of which will involve much "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12, 13:42). Chances are good you don't want to spend eternity in darkness or in a blazing furnace; I know I don't. If you believe what Jesus teaches, though, then the alternative is a life--indeed, an eternity--of following him.

How can you have that? As Jesus tells the parable of the sower and then explains it to his disciples (Matthew 13: 3-9 and 18-23, respectively), it becomes clear that it all begins with hearing the Gospel. And once we have heard, we have the delight and the duty to proclaim (Matthew 5:14-16, 13: 44-46, 28: 18-20). How else will others come to believe if no one tells them of the Good News (Romans 10: 15-19)? It is such joy to follow Jesus; how can we keep that to ourselves?

May we boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ that all may hear, understand, and believe.

Isaiah 18-22 and the consequences of sin

I periodically vow to resume posting here more frequently ... you can see how well I've done in the past. That said, though, I do value writing in this space, and I mean to do more of it. So to start off, I am going to reprint a series of posts I wrote recently for my church's blog, Growing At Valley. The church is doing a read-the-Bible-in-a-year program, and every day someone writes a post about the assigned reading. There are twelve writers participating, and every twelfth week each person must post daily for the entire week. If you're interested in reading along with the church, please visit the church website at http://www.valleycommunityco.org/#/resources/blogs to see the reading plan and other information about the church's online resources.

The first post I wrote was about Isaiah 18-22 and the consequences of sin. I will not reprint the entire Bible text here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself (both on its own merit and because my post will then make more sense). One place you can read the Bible online is www.biblegateway.com; I use the New International Version translation. And without further ado:

Isaiah 18-22

Sin has consequences. It's easy to overlook--or choose to ignore--the ramifications of our rebellion against God, but this will neither delay nor prevent them. Many passages of Scripture speak to God's patience, mercy, and forgiveness, and these are indeed wonderful traits for which God deserves praise and glory. But in the absence of judgment, grace is cheap. It is only against the backdrop of sin and the destruction it engenders that grace takes on any meaning at all. God, who is perfect in holiness, cannot allow sin to dwell in His presence (the brief audiences He grants Satan in Job 1-2 are exceptions that prove the rule). Unfortunately for us, we are sinful creatures to a one (Romans 3:23). As a result, if you fast-forward to the end of time, only two outcomes are possible: Either our sin is paid for and we get to spend eternity with God, or we remain unredeemed and we are consigned to an eternity apart from God.

The terror of this reality is that it's inescapable (renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens famously compared Christianity to a "cosmic North Korea"). In Chapters 18-22, Isaiah issues a clarion call to Cush, Egypt, Babylon, and other cities that destruction is nigh. These prophecies against ancient cities are a temporal reminder of what awaits us all if we do not have an intercessor. It doesn't matter to whom else we turn for redemption; if it is not God, then we will someday find ourselves cowering as Isaiah's words are realized. "Beware, the Lord is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, you mighty man" (Isaiah 22:17).

The beauty, however, is that we do have a Savior, God's own Son (Matthew 3:17). If we turn from our sin and put our trust in Jesus, we can wrap ourselves in his imputed righteousness and so be restored to relationship with God. A firm grasp of what would otherwise be in store for us--and why we would receive such a fate--will only serve to deepen our awe at this "free gift" God has given us (Revelation 22:17). Perhaps the greatest lesson we can take away from Isaiah is what God has saved us from. By deepening our understanding of the destruction that will be visited upon those who choose to reject God, we deepen our understanding of the vast dimensions of God's mercy and grace and of His limitless worthiness of our worship.

Merry Christmas!

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'

"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'

"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." (Luke 2:1-20)

Of politics and prayer

On Election Day 2008, Pastor Don Willeman sent out the following email to the congregation of Christ Redeemer Church in Hanover, NH. It's the best and most succinct writing on the topic I've ever encountered, and it is just as relevant today as it was four years ago, so I reprint it in its entirety here. And may I add my own personal encouragement for you all to vote today.

"What a long ride it has been been to this day!  After what has seemed like an eternity of campaign ads and and endless stream of lawn signs, it is easy to lose perspective and become cynical, or just plain tired.

In the hype of this election day, it is easy for us to become disoriented--to lose sight of what is truly weighty. I offer the following words to help us keep our eyes fixed on that which is ultimately important, and so give us the much needed gospel ballast for engaging one another, even on the matters pertinent to our democratic republic.

The first thing that we must remember is that the most important election is not the choice we make today. Human rulers come and go.  Rather the most important election is the choice that God has made to call us to Himself in Christ. In Scripture we are called 'chosen of God, holy and beloved' (Colossians 3:12). This means that for us as Christians we are in a unique position for being a blessing to our friends and neighbors, if indeed we are drawing on the resources inherent in the gospel.  The gospel is that God reached out to us in grace. And so, we are able to do the same.

While fulfilling our duties as citizens of this world, of which voting is certainly one of them, we need not fall prey to the temptation of looking to politics as a place of salvation (i.e., a place in which we find our ultimate hope, our ultimate/eternal significance and security). Every election cycle I see this tendency expressing itself on the right and on the left. 'If we can only get our guy in the White House, then all will be well.'  But as Jesus said to one of the most powerful politicians of His time, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up..., but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm' (John 18:36). 

This, of course, is not a license for us to neglect our responsibilities as members of the kingdom of this world. Rather, it actually allows us to engage the realm of human politics in a totally different way---in a much more helpful and redemptive manner.  It keeps us from having to look to the realm of politics with a sense of desperation.  For the Christian there is never any need for desperation. (Besides, desperate people tend to do dumb and often dangerous things.) Rather, the gospel, as it shapes our view of politics, liberates us so that we can hold our grip on the voting lever loosely, as opposed to idolatrously. As Christians at the end of the day we are called to represent a kingdom not of this world, with resources not of this world. And so we have infinite resources, with no need to fear or act foolishly. We are free to sacrifice, in very practical ways, our personal peace and affluence for the common good (even eternal good) of our friends and neighbors. In this way, the kingdom of God grows just as well under Solomon as it does under Caesar. 

This bring us to our duty of prayer. 

The Gospel of John records for us Jesus' words to his disciples: 'You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.' As is evident even from this verse, in the broader context Jesus is talking about prayer and its central role in our responsibility in this world.  In another place He says, 'If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples' (John 15:7-8). God has elected you to bring blessing to this world by your faithful perseverance in prayer."

Literature in the news

The 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Mo Yan of China on Thursday. My feelings about the prize committee notwithstanding (my annual rants are here and here; apparently I let it go in 2010), I was stumped yet again by this year's selection. It seems to me that the Academy is moving steadily away from the mainstream. There used to be a time when the Nobel Prize winner was someone people actually read. T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Jean-Paul Sartre were all Nobel laureates. Even as recently as 2005, Harold Pinter was honored. But overall, the laureates seem to be people familiar only to those who have spent time in the ivory tower.


In my eyes, the Nobel Prize in Literature is beginning to suffer from a legitimacy crisis. There was no Pulitzer Prize awarded in fiction this year, and with that meaningful omission came the opportunity for the Nobel committee to reassert itself as the dominant voice in the world of literary prizes. That's not to say that the Pulitzer and the Nobel are in direct competition, but award committees have an opportunity to influence the direction of the global conversation. With no Pulitzer in fiction this year, there was a relative vacuum that the Nobel committee could have used to solidify its leadership.

I don't mean to take anything away from Mo Yan; I'm sure he's an extremely talented author. And it goes without saying that popularity does not necessarily equate with quality or significance. But there are a lot of equally talented, less obscure writers out there, any one of whom would have been a deserving recipient and probably would have quieted the chorus of "Who?" that erupted when the announcement was made (Cormac McCarthy for one). Instead, the Nobel committee once again made an obscure, ivory tower choice, further reducing its own relevance on the world stage.

Dartmouth still on top

The recently-released U.S. News & World Report 2013 college rankings once again crowns Dartmouth top in the country for "Strong Commitment to Teaching" (and tied for tenth place overall). This designation, which Dartmouth has now won four years running, recognizes the faculty's emphasis on teaching undergrads without sacrificing the scholarship and research that in many cases is what drew students to Dartmouth in the first place.

I'm proud and pleased, if not surprised, to hear that Dartmouth took top honors in this field again. At Dartmouth, when you hear someone talk about "TA'ing" a class, they are in most cases simply glorified grading assistants for the professor and homework resources for the students. Student TAs would hold office hours once or twice a week, but absolutely all of the classroom instruction was done by professors. Which is not to say that TAs aren't a useful resource; they are. But their utility is maximized by the fact that they supplement, not supplant, the faculty themselves.

In general, I'm skeptical of the criteria U.S. News & World Report uses to compile these lists (a brief glance at their website showed that they have replaced these details, which they used to publish, with vague platitudes. No doubt they're afraid people will make fun of their system). Nevertheless, it's gratifying to see Dartmouth receive some well-deserve recognition. Keep up the good work!