History Lessons

‘Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died…Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt’- Exodus1:8(NIV).

Genesis ends as the curtain is drawn on the life of Joseph after his great exploits in Egypt. And in Exodus we are introduced to a new generation and ‘a new king, who did not know about Joseph’..

And here we find the root of this Pharaoh’s subsequent misbehaviour to the God and the people of Joseph. His lack of knowledge of history was his undoing. Yet he had no excuse for not knowing about Joseph  because if he had researched, he could have known Joseph from the archives of Egypt. He could easily have discovered that far from being a threat, Joseph and his people had been a blessing to Egypt. So because he did not get acquainted with Joseph, he misbehaved.

Perhaps some of the misbehaviours in our day can be traced to a new generation that does not know about their ‘Josephs’ or their history. In the present world intelligent men are concluding that Christianity is backward and a threat to progressive thinking and advancement. Yet if only they understood history they would realise that much of the foundation of true science and civilisation has come because men believed in the God of the Bible. If only modern men understood how we arrived here they would not be as arrogant as to believe that the way forward is to kick out God. If this new Pharaoh had understood the role of Joseph and his people in developing Egypt into what it was in his day, he would not have been so quick to conclude that the way forward was to eliminate the Jews. Most people’s knowledge of history is what the modern so-called experts are interpreting it to be. Yet in the last half a century there has been a rise of a form of pseudo-history among intellectuals that seeks to rewrite instead of recite history. Satan knows how powerful history can be, so he tries to keep men from their history.

Now, the above is not as disturbing as the fact that we have this same problem in the Church. Today in the Church I am astonished at the lack of knowledge of our history. Our bookshelves are filled with glossy motivational books and ‘quick digest’ teachings from our newest Christian ‘superstar’. And so few know about or bother with the voices of our fathers from the past. We have forgotten the admonition of Bildad:

‘Ask for the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, for we were born yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not instruct you and tell you?’ Job 8:8-10 (NIV).

Perhaps some of the shallowness in our churches today can be traced to our not seeking out what the former generations and their fathers learnt and allowing their voices to instruct us. These are voices ‘that still speak, even though they are dead’, because the truths they have found are still relevant to our day. The kind of spiritual diet of the average Christian in terms of his reading leaves much to be desired and can sometimes be very alarming. Let me say it here: Not all books are good books, even when they are called Christian books. We need to be discerning in what we read. So pray before you buy or read anything. And know your Bible more than any other book.

In the past it used to be that believers had a link with the fathers of former generations by singing their hymns, reading their thoughts and histories, and by hearing of them from the pulpit. But we have a fast-paced generation that thinks that the latest is the greatest. We are no longer listening to their voices and their hymns are no longer sung. True, God does new things in each new generation (and there are some good books from our time), but it is not so as to discard what he has given us in former generations. God’s work in the Church is cumulative – he builds on what he has done before. So we lose something if we completely disconnect ourselves from the voices from the past. For example the average believer has not read any book that was written a generation before him. We need a balanced diet if we are going to be healthy and this will include acquainting ourselves with our fathers.

In conclusion let me point out again that if you had the choice of only one book to read then read the Bible. And in all your reading give it priority, for only that is the Word of God and is enough to build you up. But God uses others also to build us up, so it is edifying to read good books. So where can one start if we want to learn from past generations? Let me suggest that you start with biographies of the lives of men and women who served God faithfully in other generations (missionary biographies are some of the best); then return to the old great hymns – learn, sing and meditate on them. Finally look for the classics and devotional writings from the past. You can begin with people like A. W. Tozer, Andrew Murray, and Festo Kivengere who lived last century and then progress to those further back in history.

Massah and Meribah

‘Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did’ – Psalm 95:7-9 (NIV2010)

In our journey with God there are seasons when it looks like God has abandoned us but we dare not accept that lie because he has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5 – NIV).

This was the lie the children of Israel embraced when they got to Rephidim. ‘They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink’ (Exodus 17:1 NIV). I don’t know for how long this lack of water went on, but to be in the middle of the desert without water can be a tough situation. So when the Israelites could not take it any longer, they began to quarrel with Moses. God eventually provided water but they had failed God’s test of them by their testing of God. Rephidim could have been a place of glory of proving through trust that their God is faithful, but it became a place to be remembered with shame because they tested God by their unbelief.

‘Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”’ (Ex.17:7 NLT). Massah and Meribah was the place where Israel tested their God and quarrelled with Him.

To put God to the test is to accept the lie that God has abandoned you. ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ is the language of testing God. When we accept the lie that God has left us, that he is no longer looking after us, then we will begin to grumble and complain. And then we will cast off hope and also his restraints. Most misbehaviour has its roots in unbelief. When we accept the lie that God has left us, we will begin to turn from God. We will misbehave just as the Israelites did. They were almost ready to stone Moses. This was their God-sent deliverer who was given to take them into their promised land. If we are not careful in the midst of abandoning trust and restraint we will also abandon the people (or place) that God has given to take us into his destiny for us. Don’t abandon your post because of the test you are facing. Don’t abandon God-sent relationships because of the test. Don’t abandon the vision because of the test.

Just because we have unanswered questions about why God is not doing what we expect him to do, does not mean we should conclude he has left us. Just because there are troubles does not mean I am not on the right track on my journey to God’s destiny. The Bible says: ‘At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim’ (Ex. 17:1 NLT). They were in Rephidim at the Lord’s command. They were in God’s will and God was with them. Just because there are troubles does not mean we are not in God’s will or that he is not with us. Even when some things don’t make sense, don’t cast off those things that you know to be true.

So here is my charge to you: When you get to your Rephidim don’t let it become Massah and Meribah. When you get to your place of trial do not let it become your place of doubting God’s presence and of quarrelling with God. Never forget that he has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5). He is there with you; so ask him for the way forward. He will show you and will make a way for you.

Questioning God

‘ Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge’ – Psalm 62:8 (NIV 2010)

In Luke chapter 1 we read of two people questioning God and getting two different reactions from God. Zechariah, the priest who was John the Baptist’s father asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years” (verse 18) and he was chastised with dumbness. But when Mary, our Lord’s mother asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (verse 34), she received encouragement. Both of them seemed to be asking the same kind of question, so why the different reactions from God?

It is not wrong to ask God questions. What is wrong is to question him. This is not a play on words but rather a question of the attitude with which we ask our questions. In the one case, like Mary, we are being naked with God and pouring out our limited understanding and heart’s burden before him. Yet we do it with our eyes on him and our ears open to him – wanting to trust, wanting to hear and follow. This was Mary’s attitude. That was why her immediate response when God gave her further light was ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (verse 38).

But when we question God, we put him in the dock and on trial. We are the Judge and he must answer to us. Our eyes are not on him rather we demand that he conforms to our limited understanding. This was the attitude that God chastised in Zechariah. When we are questioning God our ears are not open to him, we are just venting our unbelief and grumblings.

Please note that the difference has nothing to do with the words we use, but the attitude of our hearts as we bring our questions before God. God is not offended when his servants, in the midst of the pains of life, cry, ‘O Lord, my God why have you forsaken me!’ God wants us to be real with him – to pour out our hearts to him and yet to trust him.

‘ Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge’ – Psalm 62:8

God calls us to pour out our hearts to him in an attitude of trust. God loves it when we run to him instead of running away from him even if we run to him with questions from our heavy hearts. He does not even mind us pouring out our complaints before him, if we do it from an attitude of trust. The Psalms and the Prophets are full of men pouring out their questions to God and receiving his encouragement. So, let us also draw near with our questions, but with a trusting heart.

Making Sense of the Arab Revolts

‘Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told’ – Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)

Our God is the Lord of the nations and in his sovereignty he shakes the nations – pulling down exalted thrones and changing the times so as to prepare a way for his kingdom.

I am sure you have been following the events in North Africa and across the Arab world. Beginning with the ‘successful’ revolt in Tunisia, these popular uprisings are sweeping across the Arab world. What is surprising is not that it is happening (there have been various popular uprisings in the Arab world in the past) but how spontaneous and widespread it is (there have been demonstrations even in Saudi Arabia!) and how it is affecting even the hitherto formidable regimes – from Mubarak’s Egypt to Ghadaffi’s Libya.

The world is worried about the implications to the cost of petroleum products and whether the uprisings will only replace old West-friendly dictators with new unco-operative dictators – like in the revolts in Iran that ushered in Ayatollah Khomeini in the 1970s. But our concerns as the children of Zion should be higher than these. Our concern should be how God’s kingdom can come and his will be done through these events.

The Arab world should be important to anyone who loves Jesus because it is one of the most unevangelised regions of the world with millions without access to the good news. Isn’t it obvious that God is interested in using this time of shaking to make a way for his kingdom in these unreached parts of the world?

Yet we will err if we conclude that things must go one way or the other socio-politically for God’s will to be accomplished. No, God can work out his will in ways beyond our imagination. As we look at the nations and long for God’s glory to come, we must watch to understand what God is up to and not presume that there is only one way in which this will happen. It is not about dictators getting dethroned, or whether democratic governments are elected, or the Islamists not taking over.

In Habakkuk 1:5-6 the prophet was told by God to ‘Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians…’. And indeed it was amazing for Habakkuk to imagine that God could be behind the rise of the evil Babylonians! He did not realise that God could use wicked men to accomplish his purposes. But God does.

For example, in the seventies when Ayatollah Khomeini took over power, many thought that it was bad news for evangelisation in Iran. Today mission leaders can see that Ayatollah Khomeini affected evangelism positively! Evangelist Sammy Tippit who works closely with the Iranian Church has said, “He showed the people what Islam really is, and the people have rejected it. I remember going into Iran for the first time, and people would walk by some of the clerics, and they would literally spit on the ground because they so despised them. People have been turned off in multitudes.” Tippit says people are turning to Christ in miraculous ways in Iran. “In Iran, God is just coming and visiting people in dreams and visions. I mean, every week this is happening. We’re hearing ofmore and more people who are having this take place in their lives and are becoming believers, followers of Jesus.”

So one thing we are called to do in the face of the present events in the Arab world is to pray, ‘Lord in the midst of these uprisings let your kingdom come and let your will be done. Let many come to know your Son’. And as we pray for his kingdom to come we must realise that we don’t know how he will go about it. Just like he used the evil Babylonians in Habakkuk’s day, he could use anything, even radical Islamist groups. So we must be open, watch and pray, ‘Lord let your will be done in the nations – in these events, in the governments that emerge, etc. Show us what you want us to do to co-operate with what you are about’

One of the hindrances to evangelism in this region is the repressive spirit in Islam that does not allow for any enquiry outside of Islam. I believe that as we pray, what has started as a cry for freedom from socio-political oppression can provide an opportunity for an expression of the deeper cry for spiritual freedom. This is one thing we can pray for – that in the midst of questioning authoritarian rule, the millions of youth across the Arab world will begin to ask deeper questions. Let’s pray that many will search for and find the Prince of Peace. Let us also pray for the missionaries and believers in these lands (CAPRO, the mission I work with, has several missionaries in the Arab world). Finally, let us ask the Lord of the harvest to send out many labourers into this region.