Tag Destiny

“The Sea was No More”

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  One of my favorite places to be is the ocean.  I love the roar of the waves and the feel of the sand.  I love catching waves with a boogie board or just bodysurfing.  Being in the ocean is my “happy place.”  But will it be that for me in heaven?  Will it be like that, only better, or will it be something completely different?

The Bible doesn’t provide us with a lot of specifics about what the afterlife will be like, but the Apostle John’s vision in Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”  Once upon a time, that last phrase – “the sea was no more” – bothered me a little bit.  How could one of my favorite things on earth not exist in heaven?

Two thoughts have gotten me over that, and I’m no longer bothered by it.

Chaos

First, that “the sea was no more” may not be literal.  What does that mean?  While the sea was part of God’s original creation and declared “very good”, later it is described as a source of chaos and evil, where Leviathan lives and the serpent emerges.  In ancient times, the sea was seen as chaotic and dangerous.  It was something to be feared and avoided.  In Canaan and other ancient societies, many believed there were gods over the sea and when the sea became stormy and unruly, it meant those gods needed to be appeased.  Therefore, when we see Moses parting the sea, or see Jesus calming the sea in a storm, or even walking on the sea, we are seeing God’s power over not only the chaos and disorder of the literal and the figurative sea, but also His power over the supposed Canaanite gods.  In that pantheon, Baal was the storm god and Asherah, the goddess of the sea, was his consort.  So, if “the sea was no more” is meant figuratively, John’s vision tells us that in heaven the sea will no longer be a fearful and dangerous symbol of chaos and death.  Whatever ‘gods’ we imagine rule the sea will be conquered.  The chaos that the sea symbolizes will not exist at all: the entire world will be ordered according to God’s perfect will and mankind’s work to make the whole earth like Eden.  “The sea was no more” is a good thing.

The second thought is that if God says a perfect world has no literal sea, I need to trust Him.  I don’t get to choose what’s in heaven and what isn’t, but God does and is infinitely more qualified to make that decision!  While the images of heaven we get in the Bible are obscure and difficult to understand, they do make it clear that heaven will be more amazing and glorious than anything we could imagine, or that we could achieve ourselves.  “The sea was no more” is a good thing again.

So, whatever your favorite things are here on earth, God has something much better in mind.  It will be the “very good” world He intended from the beginning, no matter what our expectations of it are or what we’d wish it to be.  It will the perfect “happy place” for all of God’s people.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

God’s Justice is Good

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Many of the Bible’s Psalms are beautiful songs of praise, but some are harder to read, including what are called “imprecatory” Psalms.  To “imprecate” is to curse, and in the case of these Psalms, the writers curse the enemies of the writer and of God.  Psalm 58, written by David, uses some very harsh language, such as “O God, break the teeth in their mouths” (in vs. 6) or “Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun.” (vs. 8).  These harsh phrases may be hard to read, but they’re part of the Bible and worth taking some time to understand.

These curses have a context, and for the imprecations in Psalm 58, the context is injustice due to bad worldly judges.  Verses 1 and 2 say:

“Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
            Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
            your hands deal out violence on earth.”

Every day in the news we can easily find injustices to complain about, just as David did, and in many of our hearts, we feel some of the emotions David must have felt.  Much of what passes as news today might be categorized as imprecatory.  David’s curses continue in verses 3 through 8, including the phrases quoted above, but in verse 9, after writing of how wicked and dangerous his enemies are, David notes how quickly God (not David) can sweep them away if He chooses:

“Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
            whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!”

This image is not chosen at random, but to make a specific point.  Dry thorns catch fire very quickly, and so when God judges, the unjust judges will be swept away “Sooner than your pots can feel the heat”. Not sooner than the food in your pot cooks, or sooner than the water in your pot boils, but much sooner than that.  A watched pot never boils, they say, but here the result is immediate.

The Psalm closes in vs. 11 with relief that ultimately, there will be true and complete justice, and:

“Mankind will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
            surely there is a God who judges on earth.’”

God’s justice is good because when God judges, He judges rightly, unlike the imperfect, or corrupt, judges of the world from the beginning of the Psalm.  If the things on the news we complain about are truly unjust, God will take care of them “Sooner than your pots can feel the heat.”  Also, when people pursue right actions instead of injustice, God will reward them “Sooner than your pots can feel the heat.”  Judgment by God is good news because He is fully just.  Without such a perfect judge, we only have imperfect judges to judge the imperfections and evils of the world.

Another part of the context is that when David prays in vs. 7 – “Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted” – he is not vowing to take vengeance himself, but being honest about his frustration and trusting that God will take care of everything when the time comes.  On verse 7 John Calvin commented: “Let us not cease to pray, even after the arrows of our enemies have been fitted to the string, and destruction might seem inevitable.”

Therefore, trust God to take vengeance on evil, even when it seems powerful and triumphant.  Each and every sin will be borne by either the sinner or on the cross.  None will be ignored, and in God’s time, all will be resolved “Sooner than your pots can feel the heat.”  Until then, justice is delayed while God calls His people back to Himself with an offer of patient grace and mercy.

Listen to His call, not only to return to Him, but to patiently trust Him to deal out perfect justice.

Does God Like Us?

Todd R 1 Comment

Loving someone and liking someone are not the same thing.  Christians think and talk often about the love of God and how He loves His people.  Love is about sacrificing our own interests for the best interest of another, and the incarnation and the cross show what love is in a way nothing else can.  When we think of God’s attributes, love is often near the top of the list.  God loves His people.

But does God like His people?

If I like someone it means I enjoy being with them.  Their presence and fellowship make me feel good.  I think they’re a worthwhile person and it’s easy to give them my time and attention.  I don’t get tired of them easily and need some time away.  Christians don’t talk about whether God likes them as much as they talk about God’s love.  Sometimes we may instead feel that He just puts up with us.  He doesn’t actually like us, even if His love for us is infinite.  Maybe we even feel He wants to keep us at a distance because He resents all the times we’ve failed Him.  But this isn’t how we should feel.

Consider Psalm 149:4, which says:

“For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
            he adorns the humble with salvation.”

This verse says that God “takes pleasure” in us.  He wants to be with us, and He wants to see us succeed.  He gets pleasure from our praise and our enjoyment of Him.  It also says He gives His people “salvation.”  Salvation means many things, but it includes the restoration of the saved person’s relationship with God.  The restoration of a relationship He wants to have and was willing to die for!  If He didn’t want us around – if He didn’t like us – He wouldn’t offer us salvation.

Consider also Zephaniah 3:17, which continues the idea:

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
            a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
            he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.”

In context, this verse seems to be pointing to either: the condition of God’s people post-exile, after the coming of Jesus, or in eternity in heaven.  My interpretation is that Zephaniah was talking about something that will be partially realized after Jesus’ first coming and fully realized after His second.  It’s one of those “now, not yet” ideas.  So, what is he saying?  He is saying that God is with us and that He will save us, but there’s more.  The second half of the verse sounds like God is celebrating the people that He has saved.  He “will rejoice” and He “will exult” with “loud singing.”  Have you ever pictured God as singing because He has so much joy?  That seems to be what Zephaniah is describing!  When God saves His people, they bring Him so much joy that He sings!

One last verse to consider is Ephesians 2:10, which says:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

I quote this verse a lot, but today’s focus is on the word “workmanship.”  This word is a translation of the Greek “poiema” from which we derive our English word poem.  In sanctifying us – steadily in this world, and perfectly in the next – God is making something out of us.  He is not making something useless or ugly, but something poetic, and He is pouring all He is into it, like an artist would into a piece of art.  We aren’t a dispassionate work, but a passionate one.  One He cares deeply about.  One that He wants to get right.  To get perfect.  God is not indiscriminately cranking out widgets that are indistinguishable from one another.  Each creation of His is a poem, a work of art!  As Veggie Tales used to say: “God made you special, and He loves you very much.”  We are each an individual “poiema” that He takes pleasure in having created and in continuing to create.

So, not only does God love us, but He also likes us!  He doesn’t just tolerate us until we become perfect, and He doesn’t wait to fully love us until we think we deserve it.  Instead, He wants to be by our side every step of the way from our current, imperfect selves until the day He completes His work in us.  And He enjoys it!  He “takes pleasure in His people,” now and forever.

Do you believe this?  Do you feel not only loved, but liked, by God?  If not, consider again these verses and ask God to comfort you in the fact that He wants to be with you, at all times and no matter what.  He will “rejoice over you with gladness” and “exult over you with loud singing.”  We are His beloved work of art.  His “poiema.”

Amen!

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You

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Have you ever watched a movie that was much worse than what the trailer for it led you to expect?  Were scenes taken out of context, giving you the wrong impression?  Was every good scene from the movie already in the trailer, leaving you disappointed?

Every now and then, God gives us a preview of heaven, reminders of His steadfast love for us in our present time that strengthen our hope and empower us to live for Him.  When we seek God, He gives a glimpse of the blessings in store for us.  He may answer with an encouraging word, a compassionate friend, a moment of mental clarity, or some surprise blessing.  David describes something like this in Psalm 36:7-9 –

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
            The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
            and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
            in your light do we see light.”

David wrote these verses in the present tense, meaning we can take refuge with God right now, and experience the abundance of His love.  Commenting on the middle verse, James Montgomery Boice says the Hebrew word translated as delights “is the plural of the word Eden and undoubtedly looks backward to the joys of our first parents before the fall.”[1]  By referencing the past paradise of Eden, David also hints of future paradise where we will have eternal life.

Paradise was real and will be real again, and we know the movie will be far better than the trailer could possibly show us.  God does not give wrong impressions and He does not disappoint.

Take refuge in Him.

[1] From “March 28.” James Montgomery Boice and Marion Clark. Come to the Waters: Daily Bible Devotions for Spiritual Refreshment.  (2017).

Glory Days Have Not Passed You By

Todd R 1 Comment

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes, and chapter 7 in particular is full of practical wisdom, such as:

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. – Ecclesiastes 7:9-10

People commonly refer to the “glory days” of their past.  When they were an athlete.  When they were younger.  Before they had responsibilities.  Before they experienced a loss of a loved one, job/career, home, or anything they held valuable.  Before the Covid-19 pandemic.  Somehow the past looks better.

In these verses, Solomon, who lived a life where he gained and lost far more than nearly anyone else ever will, categorically says this is foolish. He’s not doing this to criticize, but to keep others from repeating his own mistakes. To advise against anger for the wrong reasons about things that can’t be changed or fixed.

God’s mercies are new every morning, and with the path we’ve taken before today, He has prepared us for the day ahead in a way no other path could. Strive for what is ahead – your true “glory days” in Him! Start from here and listen for Him. Perfection lies ahead.

“Give us each day our daily bread” – Luke 11:3