BEING A JUDAH IN A JOSEPH WORLD

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BEING A JUDAH IN A JOSEPH WORLD

My brother and I received a call to ministry at a young age. I remember once speaking with him about what we envisioned for our lives in ministry. We both discussed our hopes and dreams (e.g., playing music in front of hundreds and even thousands of people, preaching before large crowds and seeing God move mightily through the work to which he called us, and living within the context of a successful occupation). We both agreed that we desired to be used of God tremendously and we would go anywhere the Lord sent us; we were willing to do anything, but it became clear that it was not acceptable to us to do so unseen.

Paul teaches that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance or irrevocable (Rom 11:29). Nonetheless, human nature holds a propensity to forget or even neglect such truth, especially when one’s call from the Lord goes unseen. Christians should take care in approaching tasks to which God has called them, for his plans are higher than the plans of humankind and his ways are unsearchable (Isa 55:8-9). The narrative in the final third of Genesis presents an often unseen and (assuredly) misunderstood focus, for the primary character, Joseph, does not hold the most important role. The aim here is for believers to perceive and understand their own task and calling as 1) for the glory of God alone rather than self and 2) meaningful despite the possibility of being unseen, rewarded, or praised.

To properly comprehend Genesis 45, background of the book to such a point must be conveyed. Mindful of the fact that Joseph seemingly satiates the final fourteen chapters of the book of Genesis (chapters 37-50), a reader could straightforwardly miss the point of the story, which is precisely what occurs when believers make feeble attempts to turn the Bible into compartmentalized individual stories with the aim of moralistic therapeutic deism. One, for example, might interpret the story of Daniel refusing to eat anything but fruits and vegetables as a comprehensive approach to diet rather than a purpose for a specific time and a specific people and then proceed to imitate Daniel’s diet with a belief that it is the only appropriate diet for the people of God when such a viewpoint would be a gross misinterpretation. In the book of Genesis, Joseph takes considerable space because he is a tool to preserve the chosen seed, which ultimately would be Jesus.

The Apostle Paul referred to Adam as a type of the one to come (Rom 5:14). The doctrine of original sin infers that through Adam, the human race has been infected with the disease of sin; we are, therefore, sinners by nature. Just as humankind is dead in sin through Adam, so also are we, the church, made alive through Jesus Christ. Adam then was a type of what was to come, but the abundantly apparent truth is that Jesus is better than original sin. The gospel centers around Christ and his fulfillment of the law and of the covenant God made with his people. From the beginning of the Bible, God told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal” (Gen 3:15). This tells of the miraculous virgin birth that was to come, for Jesus had to be born of the Holy Spirit so as not to be conceived in sin. From the beginning of time, a promised seed was established to save God’s people in the covenant, and while Satan continued to try to thwart the line of seed, God continued it. Cain killed Abel, but the covenant continued because then Seth was born. Then in Genesis 5, there is a genealogy of ten generations from Seth to Noah so that the promised seed is preserved. Seth and Noah are both promised seeds but not the ultimate promised seed; they would preserve the promised seed that is to come. Noah has three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and while the world is judged in a flood, they preserved the seed. Shem then preserves the seed later through Zerah who has a son named Abraham, the next link in the seed of promise. The problem, however, is that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, is beyond childbearing years so Abraham tries to manipulate the situation by having a child with his servant and Ishmael is born. However, Ishmael is not the promised seed and eventually Isaac is born and then Jacob and Esau. Esau, the older, would seem to be the promised seed, but it is, in fact, Jacob, the younger. Jacob then has twelve sons. We might think Jacob’s son, Joseph, is the promised seed, but the promised seed is Judah; Joseph merely preserves the seed. From Judah’s line eventually comes Jesse who bears a great son named David who is again a promised seed but not the ultimate promised seed. The covenant is then renewed with David in that his lineage will sit on the throne forever. Even David’s son, Solomon, is not the promised seed, but eventually through David’s line, the ultimate Savior of the world was born of a virgin to save his people in the covenant.[1]

Thus, Joseph is merely a tool for the Lord to use in preserving the life of Judah, for without Joseph’s high position in the land of Egypt, his brothers might have perished in famine. Christians should understand that God’s plans involve the entirety of his people and there is no job or calling too small or insignificant for him. The primary character of the story (at least in relation to the covenant of the Lord)—the protagonist if you will—then is Judah, for Judah preserves the promised seed in Jesus Christ. Therefore, after nine chapters of focusing on Joseph, the account is brought to chapter 45 of Genesis.

Genesis 45:4-8

⁴ So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.[2]

The narrative of Genesis crests at the point of 45:4-8 and obliges one to recognize four imperatives.

Do Not Miss Your Call for a Distraction

The narrative here emphasizes a character who does not fill the majority of the text but is the point of the story: namely Judah (i.e., Joseph was the focus, but Judah was the point, for without the protection of Joseph, the preplanned lineage to the Messiah could not be fulfilled). God’s plan could have included Judah doing spectacular things, performing miracles, and leading tens of thousands of people, but it did not. In fact, God’s plan for Judah was found in the background with Joseph in the foreground.

Christians should not miss their individual and unique call for distractions; yet, distractions are that which are sought so often. How many times do God’s people find themselves asking:

“Why am I not the one speaking before thousands of people?”

“Why cannot God use me by writing inspirational books that are sold worldwide?”

“Why am I not the one blessed with the talent?”

Perhaps, God’s plan for some believers (or even most) is not set in the spotlight but as a part of the backdrop without praises and accolades, as it was for Judah. Judah, however, held arguably a greater responsibility in God’s plan than did Joseph, for through the lineage of Judah would come Jesus Christ. Thus, Joseph’s purpose in the narrative is merely to preserve Judah. Certainly, Joseph was able to be in a position of authority but solely for God’s plan to preserve the chosen seed. While their purposes are no more or less significant, they are disparate but a part of the orchestration God designed. Believer, do not spend substantial time in your feelings of inadequacy, for you serve a purpose, and God’s purpose is always greater than your own whether it seems and feels like it externally or not. Do not miss your call for a distraction because God’s plan for your life is superior to your own.

Do Not Mistake Visibility for Purpose

Visibility does not equate to certainty. Joseph holds prominence in the narrative of Genesis; Judah did not. Nonetheless, they both fulfill purposes unique to their individual lives and callings. It may be easy to believe the lie that because one does not hold prominence in life (e.g., importance, financial standing, position, or influence), such a person is not fulfilling their purpose to which the Lord has called him or her. Joseph makes clear that he came to his authoritative position because of God’s plan, not his own or that of his brothers’ when he clarifies, “…it was not you who sent me here, but God” (v. 8a).

“Not you…but God expresses the fact of Providence…in a typically sweeping biblical idiom.”^[3] God is provident—it is who he is in his character (i.e., God cannot be anything but provident).[4] God’s provident plan in the Genesis narrative is to provide for Judah and his family through Joseph’s position of power. Essentially second to none other than Pharaoh, Joseph refers to himself as a “father to Pharaoh,” (v. 8b), virtually the king’s advisor.[5] Joseph, however, did not have such a plan for himself in mind when his brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy (Gen 37). In fact, Joseph has such a stark realization of God’s providence, that toward the end of Genesis, he attests, “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20).

Unquestionably, God’s plan for the life of Joseph was placing him in a position of authority (a visible position), but that is often not God’s plan for his children. In fact, by most observations, God’s plan is not for his people to be in a visible position or role but rather to serve him regardless of visibility, power, money, or applause. God’s people must realize the joy that comes from serving God simply for the sake of the call and nothing else (i.e., without the applause of men or the accolades of position). If God is truly the source of strength and motivation for service, one should not find discouragement in the circumstances of the call. Moreover, the assurance of God’s call is not found in making sense. How often does God’s call make sense in Scripture? Moses, strike the rock and water will come. Abraham, go to a land I will show you. Noah, build a boat despite not even knowing what rain is. Do not allow human sensibilities to control your choices of direction. Simply obey and trust. That is what Joseph does and how the life of Judah is preserved in Genesis. Joseph’s purpose is inarguably visible. Judah’s, however, is not, but Judah’s purpose is vital to the eternal plan of God. Visibility does not equate to purpose. Trust and obey.

God Makes the Insignificant Significant

Insignificance is irrelevant in the kingdom and economy of God, for truly, no one and no one’s purpose is insignificant. God can use whomever he desires in whatever way he desires. He can even use a donkey (Num 22).[6] Therefore, any role to which God calls his people should not be diminished in importance or ignored out of feelings of inadequacy or insignificance. Judah’s role might seem insignificant in Genesis, but it is truly perhaps the most significant role in the account of Joseph. Judah perhaps did not comprehend his function as a chosen seed, but God takes his insignificance and makes it significant.

It has been said that God does not call the qualified but qualifies the called. The chronicle of Joseph agrees with such a truth. Believers, therefore, should obey and trust the Lord in life’s directions and challenges whether external qualifications seem to align or not (e.g., seminary and training, talent, influence, etc.), for it is not by the power of humankind that God’s plan is executed but by God alone. In fact, without God, all endeavors are futile and hopeless. Solomon writes, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Ps 127:1). God’s people must realize that he alone is the source of all sustenance and provision. Nothing good or provisional exists apart from God, and the only reason his people live is because of his sovereign purposes. Scientifically, food sustains humankind, but if God decides it will not, then it will not—food is only sustainable because God says it is. Judah’s job in the Biblical narrative seems unimportant, but it could be argued as the most important in the account of Joseph. Trust and obey, for God makes the seemingly insignificant to be significant.

In a World That Demands Josephs, Strive to Be a Judah

It is difficult to be a Judah in a world full of Josephs and those who desire to be a Joseph, it could be contended that Judahs are what the world needs more than Josephs. Believers should seek God, trust him, and obey in going where he leads. As the prophet Isaiah demonstrates, the cry of God’s people should be, “Here I am! Send me” (Is 6:8). Disregard the tributes, honors, and awards; rather, embrace the call God offers you. Do not recoil or hesitate at the thought of serving God without humankind’s praises, for the pleasure of God is far greater than the applause of men. Judah held a miraculous and great purpose, although it is not realized till centuries later with the coming of the Messiah. If the Bible is viewed as individual stories with moral lessons rather than a metanarrative, it could be easy to miss the point of the story and mistake Joseph to be the primary character. A proper understanding of God’s plan, however, yields a comprehension of Judah’s part. If God calls one to preach before thousands of people, wonderful, but if God’s plan involves serving him without complaint and without visibility, how many will balk at the leading? If life is for the glory of God alone, for believers to worship him in spirit and truth, many Christians must accept their call to be a Judah rather than a Joseph. Worship is service, and service is employed with no thought of return but for the pleasure and glory of the Lord.

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[1] Jonathan Michael Jones, “Using the Psalms to Develop Corporate Prayer in the First Baptist Church of Slaton, TX” (DWS thesis Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, 2018), 101-102.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Bible.

^[3] Derek Kidner, Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 1, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1967), 218.

[4] Christians often seemingly allude to God’s providence in times of miraculous provision. While such instances are assuredly provident, God is also provident in times of difficulty (e.g., when a loved one passes, when sickness arises, and when finances are not met). God is provident irrespective of human circumstances.

[5] Kidner, 218.

[6] This statement alludes to Balaam’s donkey.

THE GODLY LAMENT

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THE GODLY LAMENT

The Apostle Paul instructs believers not to complain about anything (Phil 2:14-16). Nevertheless, an entire book, Lamentations, is devoted to the people of God complaining and for just reasons. Although no author is mentioned in the book, Lamentations is often attributed to the Prophet Jeremiah considering the dire struggles he encountered in captivity. Lamentations subsists in the context of God’s chosen people being disciplined for their own sin and rebellion.[1] It appeared as if God had abandoned the people of the promise when the reality was that his own people had abandoned him, for God does not move; people move.

Lamentations 3:19-26 highlights the characteristics of a Godly form of lament so while complaining for the sake of complaining and with a focus on self is wrong, a lament rooted in a desire for justice and with a focus on the Lord’s goodness is not only allowed but right. Here, a model of prayer (and indeed Christian worship) is expended by a man on behalf of God’s people.

Lamentations 3:19-26

¹⁹ Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
²⁰ My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
²¹ But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

²² The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
²⁶ It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.[2]

In this prayer, several elements exist, which cause it to be a Godly and upright lament and surely the model God’s people should employ in lamenting.

The Prayer (vv. 19-20)

The lament here first offers a complaint or a prayer. The specific request is for the Lord to remember the servant’s affliction, for he is in distress (v. 20).[3] Christian prayer should be honest with God. He already knows the troubles of humanity because God the Son has certainly faced them (Heb 4:15). Thus, when believers pray, the conversation is mediated to the Father by the Son who already understands struggles, grief, and pain. Not only then does God already know what people face, but he empathizes with human weakness. Christians pray, therefore, on a twofold basis: 1) God already knows and 2) God already understands.

God already knows that with which people struggle. Human weakness is no surprise to God. Therefore, it is not only acceptable to be honest with God in prayer, but it is right. Jeremiah was honest with God in Lamentations. After 18 verses of complaining about his situation, he asks the Lord to remember his afflictions. God can handle honesty. The Bible is replete with honest cries to God for healing and deliverance, and he loves acting in such a manner. Since God already knows, it is right to communicate those laments to the Almighty.

God also already understands humanity’s struggles because Jesus himself faced them but without sin. Jeremiah, after lamenting, turns his prayer for God for the answer. The complaint is offered; now the focus is on God, for he is the one who is requested to remember (i.e., the prophet is in affliction and bids the Lord to come to his rescue). It is right for God’s people to offer their complaints to the Lord, but a moment must arrive when it is realized that Jesus is the answer. For relationship struggles, Jesus is the answer; for financial struggles, Jesus is the answer; when a job is lost, Jesus is the answer; when sickness hits, Jesus is the answer; and when it seems there is no answer, Jesus is the answer so it is right to be honest in prayer because Jesus knows and he is the irrefutable answer.

The Pivot (v. 21)

After an expression of sorrow and complaint, the author then pivots. Mindful of God’s unfailing faithfulness, he says, “But this I call to mind”—likely the “lovely words of consolation that follow, in which case Jeremiah’s ‘hope’ is inspired by the Lord’s mercies.”^[4] A Godly complaint does not focus on the lament (for such is self-focused) but the God who is the answer to all problems and still worthy to be served and praised regardless of circumstances. Thus, the pivot comes with a comprehension of the Lord’s mercies. The Prophet is soon to recall the countless mercies of his God who has been faithful to his people so he pivots with an understanding of the matchless hope he possesses. A Godly lament, therefore, includes not only an honest complaint but more a confession of the Lord’s mercies and goodness. Otherwise, it is merely a complaint, which is the antithesis of Godliness.

The Patience of the Lord (vv. 22-23)

The author first focuses on the patience of the Lord with an affirmation that his love and mercy are unending (v. 21). Even in humankind’s failure, God’s mercies are new every morning (v. 22). God is patient: slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Ps 34:6, 86:15, 103:8, 145:8). The most patient being in all the universe is the Almighty God, and he loves to forgive. He is good by nature (even to those who have eternally rejected him). While even God’s patience is capable of ending (for individuals), the Lord is longsuffering and steadfast; therefore, seeing the end of God’s patience is rare. If God’s people would consider how good he has been to them individually, the patience of the Lord would be evident in manifold ways. How many times has God protected his people from harm? How many times has God responded to his people in faithfulness, though they have been unfaithful? Throughout church history, how many times has God’s covenant been manifested among the people of God, though they remain rebellious? God’s patience in matchless, and the people of God should rejoice that their Maker is not only the God of one more chance but the God of another chance and another and another and another. Where would the church be if not for the patience of God?

The Provision of the Lord (v. 24)

The provision of the Lord is then recounted. The writer understands that God is the source of all strength and sustenance, for he declares boldly that the Lord is his portion; thus, his hope lies in God (v. 24). God’s people must see the Lord as the provider. Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). The provision of the Lord, therefore, does not depend on what God gives but on him alone (i.e., life’s sustaining elements are irrelevant and refuse without God, for he is the one who gives and makes sustainable elements sustainable and nourishing). Even in a time a great distress, the author laments but turns his focus to hope in the Lord because he knows that even if food is given, even if protection is offered, and even if difficulties are ameliorated, it is worthless without God, for irrespective of realization, he alone is the provision people seek, and the author here places his hope not in government and not in leaders but in God alone.

The Promise of the Lord (vv. 25-26)

The lamenter then confesses the promise of the Lord—indeed a promise given to his chosen people from before time. The goodness of the Lord is mentioned but with a caveat: namely waiting on and seeking the Lord (v. 25). To those who falsely claim they have never experienced the goodness of the Lord, wait on him; to those who claim to have never seen God’s goodness, wait on him, for he is not finished, which is why a Godly lament requires patience. Trials that are faced with hastiness are faced in a Godless manner and misunderstood, for those who would encounter trials in such a way may see only the trial itself and not the redeeming qualities thereof. The promise of the Lord transcends generations, for the bride of Christ has been grafted into the family of God and Abraham’s blessing (Rom 11:17-24); the promise of God transcends difficulties, for there exists a reward greater than the present sufferings of this life (Rom 8:18); and the promise of God never fails, for no power subsists that may separate God’s people from his love (Rom 8:38-39), of which there is none greater. Praise God for his overarching promise of redemption and his countless blessing toward his people!

Approached with God at the Center, Lament Is Right

Strains and exertions are assuredly a part of human life even according to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:33) and especially for the one who desires to live a Godly life (2 Tim 3:12). Nonetheless, believers are commanded to do everything with complaint (Phil 2:14-16).[5] How then does one rightfully lament (i.e., in a Godly manner)? As presented here in Lamentations by the Prophet Jeremmiah, a Godly lament is dependent upon its focus (i.e., on the Lord, his purpose, his goodness, and his mercy rather than the situation from which stems the complaint). A grumble solely focused on the circumstances of self does not conform to the model presented in Lamentations. Had an injustice occurred? Yes. Was there reason to lament? Yes. Does the lament offer a reason for rescue that is based upon the discomfort of people? No. Rather, the lament indeed offers a cry from the depths of despair, but it does not stop there and instead shifts to a focus on the Almighty and his mercy. Such a lament is an illustration of a Godly lament. Lament should be employed as a legitimate and common part of Christian worship,[6] but there is a right and wrong way to lament. Lamentations 3 proposes a right way to lament, which believers should seek to exemplify in worship and in prayer.

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[1] It should be noted that although God is patient and understanding, he does not let rebellion go unpunished.

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Bible.

[3] Lamentations 3 begins by a drastic complaint of longsuffering, and although the third chapter is set in the context of the entire Israelite community, the writer (likely Jeremiah) makes his grievance personal, as he feels abandoned along with the rest of God’s chosen people.

^[4] J. G. S. S. Thomson, “Lamentations,” in Job–Malachi, ed. Carl F. H. Henry, vol. 2, The Biblical Expositor (A. J. Holman Company, 1960), 219.

[5] Such a command comes from the Apostle Paul who certainly had sufficient reason to complain if anyone ever did.

[6] Lament is too often not utilized, although it is certainly Biblical and right.

RIGHTEOUS MOURNING OVER EVIL

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AMOS 8:4-7—RIGHTEOUS MOURNING OVER EVIL

News about the assassination of Charlie Kirk recently have fostered numerous responses of anger, confusion, and surprisingly even celebration by those who would reveal the evil in their own hearts. Whether or not one agrees with someone’s opinions and expressions, murder should never be a response and certainly should never be celebrated. The Prophet Amos spoke to the people of Israel in vivid visions and warnings, perhaps nowhere less than Amos 8. The Prophet begins the chapter by referencing visions of summer fruit (v. 2).[1] Through the prophet, God charges Israel with social injustice, commercial dishonesty, and indifference to holy days. Here, a sharp warning is given to God’s people regarding injustice, for God is just so anything that does not exhibit his own heart is evil.

Amos 8:4-7

English Standard Version

⁴ Hear this, you who trample on the needy
    and bring the poor of the land to an end,
⁵ saying, “When will the new moon be over,
    that we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
    that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great
    and deal deceitfully with false balances,
⁶ that we may buy the poor for silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals
    and sell the chaff of the wheat?”

⁷ The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.[2]

Amos, although prophesying often to the nations surrounding Israel, spends most of his ministry prophesying to the nation of Isreal herself. “The vision could not be simpler. In contrast to the plumb-line [Amos 7:7-9], where Amos had to sort out what was central from what was peripheral—wall, hand, etc., what Yahweh showed here was identical to what Amos saw: a basket of summer fruit.”^[3] According to the maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite (Ps. 89:14), God is just; no matter how unjust circumstances may seem and in a realization of God’s complete knowledge and the ignorance of humankind, it is impossible for God to act in any way that contradicts justice (i.e., God is righteous no matter what).

The Prophet Amos here offers the Lord’s complaint against the nation of Israel for their injustice. As such, since righteousness requires justice, justice is a part of the character of God, and the Lord demands his people to exercise justice, a presentation of requirements for righteousness is realized.

Righteousness Requires Justice (v. 4)

Righteousness first requires justice. Justice is inarguably the primary focus of the text here in Amos. Two imperatives exist in the text here. First, injustice is not separated from but is the antithesis of humility. The Apostle Peter indicates that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5). Scripture teaches that God hates pride (Prov 8:13, 16:16-19). Pride does not exist in the character of God, for he is humble. Ironically, God is the only one who may rightfully be filled with pride. Surely, God is self-centered and demands worship (because he may rightfully do so), but his own atoning sacrifice on the cross to purchase a people who utterly rejected him suggests that God is humble. So too should his redeemed people be. Pride is the antithesis of righteousness, for it is the opposite of humility and, thus, the opposite of godliness. God is righteous so godliness requires justice and, therefore, humility.

Second, righteousness requires justice because God’s just heart is for the needy (Ps 72:12-13, 140:12, Prov 14:21). Throughout Scripture (and especially the Psalms), it is revealed that God holds a deep affection for the poor and needy. Even Jesus teaches that the poor and meek are blessed (Matt 5:3-5). Amos points to Israel’s lack of righteousness—lack of godliness—by referencing their own injustice—specifically trampling upon the needy and discarding the poor (i.e., those for whom God has a heart and loves). If godliness is to be poured from his people’s lives, justice is demanded. Anything else is worldly and demonic.

 Righteousness Requires Worship (v. 5a)

Amos next focuses on worship and specifically feasts and holy days, which emphasizes the importance of the Lord’s day of worship. For Christians, that day is Sunday. Lord’s Day gatherings should not underestimated. The people of Israel neglected the new moon (every fourth week) and the Sabbath (weekly and founded on God’s acts of creation in Exodus 20:8-11 and redemption in Deuteronomy 5:12) and were admonished for such neglect. Nevertheless, how often does culture consider Lord’s Day gatherings as minimal? For the people of Israel, neglecting God’s commanded feasts and holy days was not optional but required punitive acts from the Almighty. What one generation does in limitation, the next will do in abundance.

God’s people must comprehend the severity of worship: worship is not optional, a luxury, or an element low on the priority scale. God is jealous (Exod 34:14) not of but for his people—specifically his people’s worship (i.e., God’s demands are nothing less than complete abandon and total adoration). Here, God extends the seriousness of such demands to the people of Israel. Israel was chosen as God’s own people but neglected to employ the first of his commands to have no other gods before him. Instead, God’s own people, chosen and bought for his glory, neglected the Lord’s utmost command of worship. If Christians desire to live righteous lives both as individuals and as a people, worship is necessary. Worship is required both on an individual level (lifestyle worship) and as a comprised body (corporate worship). Neither should be forgotten, for neglect of worship indicates neglect of the living God.

 Righteousness Requires Honesty and Integrity (v. 5b-6)

Third, righteousness requires honest and integrity. The Prophet Amos criticizes Israel’s business practices, for God’s people were “boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat” (Amos 8:5b-6). “Such dishonest business practices are against the Lord’s law, and will result in his judgment (Lev 19: 36; Deut 25: 14).”[4] Moreover, selling the sweepings with the wheat emphasizes a specific dishonest practice abominable to the Lord. “By mixing the chaff with the actual kernels of wheat, the estate owners cheat the buyers of their grain. These owners add to the good wheat that which falls the floor and is supposed to be discarded in the wheat threshing process.”[5] How will an outside world looking into the Christian faith believe upon the name of Jesus if his own people act no different from anyone else? What kind of example is observed when God’s people act in dishonesty? Integrity and honesty are required of God’s people for righteousness, for God himself is honest and demands the same of his people.

God Does Not Let Injustice Go (v. 7)

Mark Labberton refers to worship as a dangerous act, for when God’s people truly worship, they hold a heart for justice and desire to trample upon injustice.[6] Malachi submits the day of God’s justice when what has been wrong will be made right.

For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts (Mal 4:1-3).

God’s justice demands consequences for injustice, which is of what Amos warns here. Amos provides a sharp warning to Israel here by referencing the pride of Jacob. The pride of Jacob “may refer to the Lord himself, or to the land of Israel, which is elsewhere called ‘our heritage…the pride of Jacob’ (Ps 47:4).”[7]

Additionally, the Lord’s promise in the context of injustice is that he will never forget. After September 11, 2001, calls for the United States to forgive and forget what happened on the day of those dreadful attacks were made by radical terrorists to which a growing response became, “We will never forgive; we will never forget.” Truly, an injustice had been served to the United States, and people rightfully felt wronged and, thus, upset and angry. When the justice of the Lord is compromised, his anger rightfully burns, and it is a righteous anger. Likewise, God’s people are right in expressing outrage over injustice, but such outrage must not be the endpoint, for the people of God must strive to exercise justice, as God’s instrument. God does not let injustice go. He did not do so for Israel, and he will not do so for his people now. To live in righteousness, the Lord requires his people to employ perpetual justice, for God himself is just. Worship requires righteousness; righteousness requires justice.

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[1] The Hebrew words for “summer fruit” and “end” are similar and skillfully brought together (v. 2) for effect (i.e., the end has come for Israel).

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Bible.

^[3] David A. Hubbard, Joel and Amos: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 25, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 231–232.

[4] R.C. Sproul, ed., ESV Reformation Study Bible (Sanford, FL: Crossway Publishing, 2016), 8651, Kindle.

[5] Sproul, ESV Reformation Study Bible, 8651, Kindle.

A significant Biblical principal is that of commercial and business honesty. The Apostle Paul instructs the Church at Corinth to do all to the glory of God whether eating, drinking, or anything done (1 Cor 10:31-33).

[6] It should be noted that God does not differentiate between disparate types of justice. Justice is justice, just as the gospel is the gospel (i.e., social justice is not different from any other type of justice). Moreover, any time a term is placed before the gospel (e.g., social gospel, etc.), it is a false gospel, for the gospel of Jesus Christ makes no distinction. Said another way, justice is justice with no such distinctions, and the gospel is the gospel in the same manner.

[7] Sproul, ESV Reformation Study Bible, 8651, Kindle.

THE PRAYERFUL PLEA OF THE RIGHTEOUS

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THE PRAYERFUL PLEA OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Any faithful believer will testify to the fact that prayer works. In unfaithfulness, God is faithful, but it is the prayers of the righteous that are accepted by God and are a stalwart part of his plan for his people. Exodus 32 offers the narrative of God’s people creating a golden calf, an idol, and worshiping it. God’s response was anger and seeming propensity to destroy his people who had turned from him. Moses, however, pleaded with God (prayed) causing God to relent. Did God, however, relent because of Moses’ plea, or was it already a part of his plan? A deeper look into the text confirms God’s sovereignty and plan to never abandon his people.

Exodus 32:7-14

⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. ⁸ They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” ⁹ And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

¹¹ But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. ¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” ¹⁴ And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Sin Is Never Accepted by God (vv. 7-10)

The notion that God accepts people as they are is a godless doctrine rooted in godless and selfish thought, for truly, no one is accepted by God as they are; rather, people are loved as they are and loved, in fact, too much for God to allow them to remain where they are.[1] From the Exodus text, it is apparent that sin is never accepted by God. If it were, the Israelites would have been allowed to continue in their godless ways. Rather, God sees his chosen people’s fault and commands Moses let his anger burn against them (v. 10). Here, there subsist three imperatives regarding the sin of people and God’s response:

1)      people are prone to sin,

2)      God is not oblivious to sin, and

3)      sin is a serious matter to God.

Since the Fall, humanity has existed as a perpetually and radically evil race. This is known as the Stain of Adam (i.e., all people have inherited a sinful nature where the issue is not only that people sin but that humans do nothing but sin apart from Christ). The issue is not the sin but the disease that people carry in their nature, which is still present even after conversion. It is a battle between the flesh and the spirit (Gal 5:17). Paul says it well.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me (Rom 7:15-20).[2]

A battle wages within each person between good and evil, and without Christ, that battle is futile and impossible. No person does good apart from Christ including those who do not believe in his power (i.e., any good that is exuded from anyone is of God, for God alone is good and everyone and everything else evil). The falsity that people are good (or even mostly good) by nature is not to be believed, for it is from the pit of hell. For repentance to occur in people’s lives, there must be an acknowledgement of humanity’s radical evil and dire need for Christ.

Moreover, God is not oblivious to sin. In the instance of the golden calf, the Israelites were impatient and began worshipping a false god while Moses was hidden on a mountain with God. It is often when God is not seen that people believe they are also not seen; yet, such a thought could not be more false. When it seems God is not present, he is omnipresent; when it seems God does not know, he is omniscient; when it seems sin is hidden, it is brought to light; and when it seems sin is allowed, it is punished. God sees the sin of his chosen people causing his anger to burn hot against them. God knows and sees everything, and the sin of humanity is never hidden from God.

Additionally, sin is a serious matter to God. In this instance, God desires to destroy the Israelites because of their faithless ways. One may ponder how a people who have been redeemed and rescued by God would ever forget his mercy and goodness, but humanity has a short attention span, which often causes a cycle of comfort àrebellion àconsequence àrepentance and back again. God, however, remains faithful to his people and never abandons them. Even in the narrative of the golden calf, God is ultimately faithful to his people. It should never be thought that God is faithless. Humanity is the only faithless party in covenant with God; yet, he is faithful. Sin, however, is serious to God and must never go uncastigated.

God Does Not Forget the Covenant He Made with His People (vv. 11-13)

As the text continues, Moses implores God not to destroy his chosen people. The key word here is chosen.[3] God is faithful to his promise. Nonetheless, even in expressing his dissatisfaction of his own people, God shows grace. This is a crucial aspect of the narrative “because this is one of the passages people use to argue that sometimes God changes his mind. This is one of the arguments of open theism—the dangerous new doctrine that God does not know the future but is working things out as he goes along.”^[4] Such a perspective may seem logical and valid, but Scripture teaches that “the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret” (1 Sam 15:29). Moreover, “when we study Exodus 32 more carefully, we discover that God’s will is as settled here as it is anywhere else in Scripture.”^[5]

How then is one to interpret the narrative of the golden calf? Phillip Graham Ryken says, “It was never God’s purpose to destroy the Israelites, but only to save them. Even as he threatened wrath, there were hints that he would show mercy.”^[6] It is not as though God forgets his covenant. Even in hearing the cries and groans of his people (Exod 2), God remembers his covenant—not as in first forgetting but rather responding in his time and his sovereignty to the laments of his people whom he loves without hesitation.

Additionally, the covenant promises of God cover the people of God now. As chosen people grafted into his adopted family, God has included Christians as a part of Abraham’s blessing and carried it through to redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection. God’s people now hold a matchless hope. Even in the midst of sinful nature, God redeems his people and imputes Christ’s righteousness to them so that although believers are not yet actually righteous, they are being made as such and, thus, counted as righteous, for the church subsists in the grip of Christ. God will never forget the covenant he has made with his people.

The Prayers of the Righteous Hold Great Power (v. 14)

Scripture teaches that the prayers of a righteous person hold great power (Jas 5:16), but such a promise subsists in the context of confession (i.e., of sin). Scripture also informs that there was none more humble than Moses (Num 12:3). The prayers of Moses then held great power, for Moses consistently met with God (even in his glory). Moses’ appeal to the Lord had a drastic impact, for God relented from destroying his chosen people.

To consider God’s shift in attitude, several foundations must be remembered. It has already been concluded that God does not forget his promises. Additionally, God is unchanging. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8), believers should be certain that the God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament and the God of today and forever—it is a surety, which means that the God who answered the prayers of the righteous in Scripture certainly answers the prayers of the righteous still. The blessing of an unchanging God should cause the hearts of humankind to turn toward him in worship, not questioning.[7]

Second, Christians must realize that God is patient. Although even God’s patience may end, none is more patient that the ever-loving, faithful, and good God. As seen here with the people of Israel, God remembers his covenant and relents, though his own people forgot the covenant and went the way of wickedness. God, however, does not forget his covenant and acts in patience rather than anger.

Third, even in anger, God does not delight in destruction—even the destruction of the wicked (Ezek 33:11). Unquestionably, God has destroyed people and even commanded his own people to destroy entire peoples.[8] Nevertheless, God’s intention is always grace and goodness, for he alone is good (Nah 1:7, Ps 145:9), and all goodness is derived from him. Sinful humanity deserves utter and eternal destruction, but God offers mercy. In the rare cases that God judges by destruction, he is not pleased. God is glorified but not pleased in the destruction of people. God fully intends on offering grace and gives humanity the utmost opportunity to receive it.

Fourth, prayer works. Moses’ prayer might be viewed as an act, which thwarted God’s plan and purpose, but in the Lord’s sovereignty, the prayer of Moses was precisely the opposite (i.e., Moses’ prayer was a part of God’s plan, for his plan was to relent and show grace to his people). The unchanging and uncompromising God intended to give his people grace, though they deserved death. Moses’ prayer, however, played a significant role in God’s plan. Humankind is surely unaware of God’s specific plan, only his commands. Thus, walking in obedience and righteousness surely holds incredible power when God’s people pray. The chief concept, however, is righteousness.

The question of whether God hears everyone’s prayer has been offered on numerous occasions. While God certainly loves and is good to all people (Ps 145:9)—including those in hell—, he does not hear all prayers. Rather than a matter of audibly hearing the cries of the lost, what is meant is he does not respond, for it is only through the mediation of Christ that humanity comes to God in prayer. Therefore, only the prayers of the righteous hold such power, not as a method of persuasion but a part of carrying out God’s sovereign plan.

A Life of Worship Is a Life of Prayer and a Life of Righteousness

It has been said that worship is prayer and prayer is worship. The text here reveals a righteous individual in Moses who pleads with God to save his chosen people. Astonishing to some, it worked. Nonetheless, God’s purpose was never to destroy his own people, for his covenant stands eternally. Even in his people’s sin, God is faithful and good. Sin must never be accepted, but God’s goodness stands forever. Christians should hate sin because God hates sin. To be true worshipers, God’s people should hate what God hates and love what God loves. Moses was a righteous man who pleaded with God as a part of his plan to relent. As worshipers of God, may his people continually pray, seek righteousness, and walk uprightly for his glory.

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[1] Certainly, God does not require one’s perfection before turning to him, for if he did, there would be no need for repentance. God instead transforms believers progressively to become like Christ. John points to obedience as the evidence of love for God (John 14:15).

[2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Bible.

[3] Such a term references and points back to the place where God promises Abraham that he would make a great nation of him and his descendants and make them to be a chosen people for his own glory (Gen 12:2).

^[4] Philip Graham Ryken and R. Kent Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2005), 987.

^[5] Ryken and Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory, 987.

^[6] Ryken and Hughes, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory, 987.

[7] Even the laments and questions of the Bible are framed in an unshakable acknowledgement of God’s faithfulness.

[8] Since humanity deserves eternal death, God’s allowance of living and offering humankind mercy reveals his matchless love.