America in Prophecy: Or, Is It? Part 1

 January 31, 2021                       NOTES NOT EDITED
America in Prophecy—Or, Is It?  Part 1
Acts 17:24; Psalm 9, esp. vss 16-20

 SIS: The decline of America as a world power is a major step toward the coming End of the World, and Christians, especially in America should step up efforts to win the lost.

America has indeed been a glorious example of God’s Providence upon a people, second only to Israel.  **SUN RISING OVER D.C.***  Reagan:  ***shining city on a hill***  Also said, **Am. is great because America is good****.  Many of our Founders spoke of the “manifest destiny” of America referring to a special touch of God’s Providence they felt fell upon this new experiment in nation-building.  Yet Benjamin Franklin upon existing the Constitutional Convention after signing that great document was approached by a lady.  She asked him, “Sir, what have you given us.”  Franklin replied, “a Republic.”  Then, he added what is a prophetic statement, “if you can keep it.” The average age of a democracy or republic throughout history has only been about 200 years.  We are 50 years past that and the signs of our decline are in our face. 

Mark Hitchcock, to whom I am much indebted for what I know and preach about the Last Days, travels all over the world preaching on Bible prophesy.  He is also an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.  His knowledge of Bible prophecy is broad and deep.  He has remarked on several occasion that most often asked question from an audience in regard to Bible prophecy is some version of, “What about America in Bible prophecy.”  He even remarked that in a recent meeting in Canada the first question that came up was, “Where is America in Bible prophecy?”  He was in Canada and they wanted to know about America! 

It is hard for many people in the U.S. to accept but the reality is this:  the Bible has nothing to say about America directly or indirectly as a major nation on the historical scene during the Last Days of human history.

Now, there are certainly many other nations, and cities mentioned but not the United States or any US city.  Israel and Jerusalem are mentioned many times in Bible prophecy. In fact, Israel is at the very center of God’s story of mankind.  Babylon in Iraq is mentioned.  Ezekiel 38 lists other Last Days Nations.  Some are mentioned by their current name, others are mentioned as ancient territories settled by the different tribes of the sons of Noah.  Before I give you a list of those nations, lets get a BRIEF OVERVIEW of the timeline of God’s redemptive story.  

The End Times Clock started ticking with the Ascension of Christ as we entered the “Church Age.” In 1948 Israel became a nation again, the key element in Last Days theology.  The next event on the Last Days Time-Line has always been the “Rapture” quickly followed by a Seven Year Tribulation, with two great battles serving as bookends.  Ezekiel 38 tells of the Battle of Gog and Magog.  Revelation 16 speaks of the final battle, Armageddon.  This will be the Second Coming of Christ and the beginning of the 1000 year reign on earth called the Millennium.  Satan, who has been bound for 1000 years, will be released and a brief battle will utterly conquer him and consign him to final judgement.  The Great White Throne Judgement will take place and saints will live forever in heaven while those who rejected Christ will suffer forever in hell.  Today, our study lands in the region of the Rapture—the next great event on the Last Days Time-line. [SLIDE] 

Now, let’s go back to review the National Actors in the final scenes of human history.  Here’s a slide point out these actors.  Ezekiel 38 lists the nations as: Gog of Magog, or Russia (or Rosh); Mechech, or Central Asia; Tubal, or Turkey, Southern Russia; Persia, or Iran; Cush, or Sudan and Ethiopia, Put, or Libya; Gomer, or Turkey; Many peoples with you, or other Islamic nations. This is the battle at the beginning of the seven year tribulation. A revived Roman Empire including Western Nations, China and India come into play at the end of the seven years of tribulation at the Battle of Armageddon. 

The Bible also lists Israel and the cities of Jerusalem and Babylon as major Actors on the Last Days Stage . . . but, no America.  

Today, I obviously cannot cover all the aspects of the Last Days prophecies in detail.  We will be studying Bible prophecy for the next several weeks, and then I hope we can get into a verse by verse study of Daniel when society opens up more in the Spring, Lord willing.

This morning I want to briefly survey what I call “POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS of America in Prophecy,” which like “Possible Sightings of UFO’s or Big Foot,” the arguments for the USA in prophecy are less than convincing. What I want to spend a little more time on PROBABLE REASONS for the silence of prophecy in regard to America, and then close with PRACTICAL REPSONSES to prophetic teaching. 

1.  POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS of America In Prophecy

❶The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel  Recall from your Bible history
that Israel consisted of ten tribes of the sons of Jacob.  After the death of King Solomon, they were later divided into a Northern Kingdom of Ten Tribes and a Southern Kingdom of Two Tribes:  Judah and Benjamin, referred to as Judah.  In 722 B.C. the Northern Kingdom (referred to as Israel) were conquered and carried off by the Assyrians.  They never reconstituted as a nation in Israel again.  Judah, the Southern Kingdom, would be carried off into captivity in Babylon through three stages beginning in 605 B.C. and ending 70 years later. (Note: there are other ways to calculate the 70 years of Babylonia Captivity).  We know that Judah, the Southern Nation, did return rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple and dwelling in the land.  So, some groups refer to the Northern Kingdom as the Ten “Lost” Tribes of Israel.  Cults like the World-wide Church of God and Herbert W. Armstrong and the Mormon Church use this idea of “Ten Lost Tribes” to build their false doctrines. The Ten Northern Tribes were conquered, but they were not lost.  Anna, in the story of Jesus as an infant in the Temple is of the northern tribe, Asher (Lk. 2:36).  In Rev. 7:4 we see representative from each of the Twelve Tribes in heaven.  This theory is just one of the many, very suspect, sightings of America in prophecy.

I will mention some other “possible sightings.”  ❷Some see America as the “tall and smooth-skinned people” (Isa. 18:2) from a land of “buzzing insect wings.”  They feel this refers to American helicopters and airplanes.  It actually tells us in Isaiah 18:1 that this is Cush, the region of Sudan and Ethiopia. ❸Daniel 7 mentions an a “lion with eagle’s wings” in the prophecy of the Four Beasts. America’s national symbol is an eagle, so people read that back into the passage. This actually refers to the Babylonia King of the Exile, Nebuchadnezzar. ❹Some see the USA in the reference to “merchants of Tarshish” (or “young lions” in some translations) in Ezekiel 3:13. The thinking goes like this:  Tarshish refers to the general region of Spain; Columbus was from Spain; Columbus found America, so Tarshish refers to America.  This type of reasoning is dubious at best. ❺Some people see a possible sighting of America in regard to Babylon in Revelation 17-18.  First of all, Babylon is a city, not a nation.  Second, of the 300 times Babylon is mentioned in the Bible it overwhelmingly refers to the ancient city in what is Iraq today. ❻A similar attempt is made to equate America with the “persecuted woman” of Revelation 12.  Like other “possible sightings” of America in Bible prophecy, this fails scholarly scrutiny. Other fanciful interpretation trying to find America in Last Days prophecy pop up all the time.  None are credible. 

So, the summation of the matter in regard to “possible sightings” of America in Biblical prophecy is this:  there is no credible interpretation of any text that directly or indirectly refers to America.  America, as the superpower we are today, simply does not exist in the final stages of the ending of the world as we know it, which is right around the corner.  This is very troubling, and shocking, for many people to hear—but it is the cold, hard fact of the matter.

 

So, where did America, the dominant superpower today, disappear to and how does it happen so suddenly.

Gray Areas: Preaching Truth in the Marketplace

 

January 24, 2019                                  NOTES NOT EDITED
The Gray Area:  Truth in the Marketplace
1Corinthians 8:1-13

SIS--In a culture drowning in a sea of relativity, believers have the privilege to present the grace of God to a lost world based upon the eternal truth of the Word of God.

Let me begin our study today with one reminder:  It’s never wrong to do right and it is never right to do wrong.  There are issues that are clearly “black and white.”  We don’t need to seek further guidance in these areas, just greater obedience.  For example: “should a Christian give at least ten percent regularly to the church.  The answer is black and white. Yes! Or, should a Christian oppose abortion?  The answer is black and white.  Absolutely.  Abortion is murder.

Other issues appear “gray,” and not black and white.  Like, should a Christian play the Lottery? Should a Christian listen to non-Christian music--even if it is good, 70's rock and roll like Led Zepellin or Lynyrd Skynyrd?  Should Christians go to an R-rated movie--or any movie for that matter. Can a good Christian support the Democrat Party—or Republican Party?  These are just a sampling of ethical questions followers of Christ face.

Some people call these morally problematic issues, "gray areas."  Paul dealt with such a gray area in Corinth in the 1st century:  can a believer eat meat that had been used in a pagan sacrifice? 

The matter we want to address today is, how do we navigate through those issues that the Bible does not directly address? How do we, as Christians, engage the marketplace today where living in the “gray area” of relativity has become the norm. How do we supply biblical, rational, personally satisfying answers to the troubling issues of our day?

Today, we will examine how we push “gray areas” into the Light of gospel truth while seeking to move others closer to meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's read how Paul dealt with this matter and how we can deal with such "problem areas" today. Paul will show us, as he did the Corinthians, that we can come to a godly conclusion in this matter.  There are FOUR IMPORTANT ASPECTS we must consider.  First, the general PROBLEM of “gray areas” in life; second, we must consider the POWER of Love; third, we must consider the importance of the PERSON of Christ; and fourth, we must consider the PRIVILEGE of offering grace.  Mentally note these considerations as we read.

“About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him. However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.” (1 Cor 8:1–13)

BACKGROUND:  In Paul’s day, people believed evil spirits would try to invade humans by attaching themselves to the food offered in pagan ritual. The only way to remove these demons was to sacrifice the meat to a god.  Then the meat was eaten in pagan rituals and the excess sold in the market. So, meat offered to idols involved, the actual sacrifice, the religious meal in the temple, and the left-over meat sold in the market, which is where Paul engages the issue.

The actual sacrifice is clearly in the “black” area, as is participating in the religious meal in the pagan temple. No gray area in those regards.

In reality, there was no way to avoid this meat in the marketplace for the most part. This created a huge moral dilemma for Christians in the first century.

As we address the issue of “gray areas” first consider the

1.  The problem of Gray Areas, itself (vv 1-3)

A primary understanding in regard to “gray areas of ethics” is this:  While gray areas may exist within communities, they should never exist in the heart of individuals. We must resolve them.

1 About food offered to idols:  We know that “we all have knowledge.”  Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. 2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it.  3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

What is a "gray area."  A gray area may be defined as "an area, situation, etc., lacking clearly defined characteristics."

Are there “gray areas” in theology?  Yes, and Paul tells us why this is.  We think we “know” more than we actually “know.”  In verse 1 Paul is being “sarcastic” in his response to the Corinthians. He is not praising their “so-called” knowledge, but actually pointing out it is not sufficient.  The Good News Bible catches this nuance.  “All of us have knowledge”, as they say” (verse 1).  This “so-called” knowledge arises out of a person’s prideful, sinful nature.  It is disconnected from a relationship with Jesus Christ, the true source of all knowledge and truth (Jn. 14:6).  Notice again verse 2:

The Corinthians had a false idea of what “true knowledge” meant.  They saw it a “having superior information.” Paul corrects them saying, you do not know as you ought to know” (2b). Paul defines true knowledge by saying, “But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him” (v3).   True knowledge does not arise out of gaining information, but undergoing a transformation.  True knowledge arises out of a relationship with God, that is being “known by Him”  “So-called knowledge” creates “gray areas” because it arises out of human intellect and opinion detached from faith, and how ever spectacular that intellect may be, falls short of the true knowledge that comes from actually knowing the,“Logos” (Jn. 1:1) or foundation of all knowledge, Christ.  The great Christian scholar, Anselm, referred to this relationship between faith and intellect as, “Faith seeking understanding.” Intellect unhinged from faith creates “gray areas” at best, and plunges man into ethical “blackness” at worse.  True knowledge must be founded in a relationship with God in Christ, “being known by God.” Paul is pointing out that “gray areas” in our knowledge arise out of a faulty relationship with God through His Word, not a lack of intellect or information.

Paul is addressing believers who already “knew” that Christians believed there was no True God but Yahweh.  Look at verse 4:

“About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.””

Often, our lives slip into “gray areas” and we need to be reminded where the True Light of Truth can be found.  This brings us to Paul’s second consideration in regard to pushing gray areas into the white light of truth

2. The Centrality of the PERSON of Jesus Christ.

  Verses 5-6 tell us:  “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—as there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him.”

Circle that word, “yet,” (KJV, “but”).  This is the grammatical equivalent of slamming on the breaks of a car.  It is a sharp interruption in the syntax of the sentence (NIGTC).  It is like putting what follows in bold letters, underlining it, and highlighting it in bright yellow.

Paul is saying to us today, “yes, people have all kinds of views and all kinds of arguments for what they believe in, BUT the only thing that matters is, Jesus Christ.”  In essence Paul is stating, “There is not gray area in regard to Christ.  His Perfect Light eliminates any question of what is right or wrong, good or bad.  Our goal in speaking with people in the marketplace, whether at the grocery store or social media, it to “get them to Christ!”  IT DOES ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD TO WIN AN ARGUMENT BUT LOSE A SOUL.  Truth matters, but it matters for a reason.

People speak today as if “Truth” is established by who has the best argument.  Or, still yet, others believe that there is no “real, absolute truth” and everything is “gray.”  Paul holds up a big STOP SIGN and says, “Not so!”  In Christ there is no “darkness” (no gray) at all.  1John1:5 explains it this way,

“Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.”

A person can know everything there is to know about the Bible and any other subject under heaven, BUT still fall short of true knowledge which is based upon a relationship with God through Christ.  Paul goes on to discuss further the importance of the Person of Christ as a “model” for marketplace engagement.  We follow not only the words of Christ, but the example of Christ’s life.

Notice the absolute nature of the language used in describing Jesus Christ:   one God, the Father. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him.”

Note the parallel made between God and Jesus.  Jesus is God.  His Truth is God’s Truth because He is God.  This is Paul’s way of establishing the ABSOLUTE, FINAL, AND COMPLETE truth found in the Word of God.  John establishes the relationship between Jesus and the Word of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jn1:1

The written Word of God is authenticated by the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ. They are TRUE, and ABSOLUTELY true.  Any attempt to dispel the “gray” of a situation apart from searching the written Word of God by way of a relationship with the Living Word of God will always lead to error and darkness.  “Gray areas” develop when human opinions masquerade as God’s pronouncements. 

When faced with ethical “gray areas” our appeal must be to Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word of God.  The PERSON of Christ is a preeminent consideration in all ethical matters.

Now with a solid understanding of what causes and cures the “gray areas” of life, lets’ go back and pick up another very important consideration for how a Christian should engage others in the marketplace of ideas.  Consider

3.  The POWER of Love.

“¹About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.”

Knowledge puffs up—love builds up.  There are many divisive issues—important issues—we are faced with today.  Some, are literally life and death issues, like the prospect of “death panels” if our government pushes us into socialized medicine.  We already see the seeds of these “death panels” in regard to the life-saving Covid vaccines. When healthcare becomes scarce, health services must be rationed.  Someone else decides who will live and who will die.

In Hitler’s Germany there was actually a mathematical formula that determined who was “essential” to society, and who was not.  You can imagine where the Jewish people landed in regard to that equation.  History shows us clearly, and sadly, how important discussions of right and wrong are in society.

So, what we need to understand is that this study of how to push “gray areas” into the Light of God’s Truth is extremely important—even to the extent of being matters of life and death.

Our text tells us, “in order to understand and to navigate the divisive and even explosive discussions in the marketplace, we must have something more than “superior knowledge.”  We need a “superior love!”  Some people are thrilled to have a “superior” knowledge of the Bible, and are not bashful about letting others know; but, knowledge lead to pride, Paul says, and we know that “pride goes before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).

Knowledge is important, but love is more important. Years ago, somebody wise (I don’t even remember who) told me, “Nobody cares what you KNOW until they KNOW that you CARE!”

In forty-three years of ministry I’ve never seen someone “argued” into a relationship with Jesus Christ!  I am not saying that knowledge is not important, but only repeating what Paul is saying, “knowledge is not MOST important.”

When we engage people in the marketplace, what’s in our heart is eternally more powerful than what is in our head!

Let’s come around now to a practical application of the Biblical teaching on “resolving gray areas in the marketplace.”  Consider,

4.  The PRIVILEGE of presenting Grace.

Verse 7 Paul states, “not everyone has THIS knowledge.” Understanding Paul’s teaching in regard to “how we resolve gray areas of life,” verse 7 is key.  It begs the questions, “who” are the “everyones,” and what knowledge does “this” knowledge refer to?

In verse 1 Paul says, “we all [everyone] has knowledge.” This cannot be a knowledge of Christ leading to salvation, because clearly not everyone is saved.  I would translate verse 1 as, “everyone has an opinion.” We all possess “information.”  In verse 1 there is no article, such as “the, or this” before knowledge. It is just, general knowledge. Some scholars refer to it as “head knowledge.”

In verse 7 the Word of God puts a specific identifier before knowledge referring to it as “this knowledge” which grammatically points back to what the text just discussed:  the PERSON of Jesus Christ.  Paul is saying, “Everyone does not have a relationship with Christ, even if they have some general knowledge about Him.”

Some scholars believe that this “everyone” refers to “weak Christians.” This interpretation creates a problem in explaining how a person can be a “Christian” and not know that there is no God but Christ! This interpretation is further complicated by the fact that vs 7 also says, “they habitually practice idolatry.” The words in the CSB translated, “so used to,” or the NASB, “being accustomed,” refer to a habit, or on-going practice.  It is hard to see how any “true” believer could “habitually” participate in a pagan ritual.  It is probably wise to just assume such a habitually pagan person is not a Christian.

This is where the idea of grace comes in.  Regardless of whether Paul is referring to “extremely confused believers,” or actual “non-believers” we have the PRIVILEGE of presenting the grace of God with them bringing them further into the Light of Truth.  As I’ve said before, “our goal of engaging in the marketplace is not to win arguments, but win souls.” We have the privilege of sharing the same gift of grace we have received with others.

Grace means, the unmerited favor of God.  It refers to the “free gift of salvation” provided by the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.  We who have received grace have the privilege of presenting it to others. 

Everything in what Paul says in verses 8-12 should be seen as contrasting our “right to express our knowledge with the privilege of showing God’s grace.”  Keep that in mind as we read these verses:

“8 Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. 9 But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? 11 Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruined by your knowledge. 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.”

Paul clearly tells us: “the issue is not the food people put in their mouths” but the content of “what is in their hearts.” We must not get bogged down in “straining gnats and swallowing camels” (as Jesus said, Mt. 23:24).  When engaging with others in the marketplace the goal is not get them to experience our superior knowledge, to experience the “grace of God that leads to salvation.” 

The problem of living in a “gray area” is vividly described in two terms used in verse 9 and verse 11.  In verse 9, the word translated, “stumbling block” refers to a major hindrance, usually in reference to a fall.  Asserting our knowledge without presenting God’s grace, “hinders” the person’s relationship with Christ.  The second word used in verse 11, is “destroyed, ruined.” It is as bad as it sounds.  It means destroyed, from the word, appolumi, which is related to the name given the Devil in Rev. 9:11, Apollyon, or The Destroyer. 

Follow Paul’s line of thinking in regard to showing our knowledge instead of presenting God’s grace.  It is a hindrance, it is destructive and to further show how bad this is Paul calls it, in verse 12, “sinning against Christ.”  The work of Christ was not to correct man’s worldly thinking but to change one’s eternal trajectory! 

Gray areas of life obscure what is essential, what is eternal.  Gray areas are a type of “theological limbo” where what is incidental, “eating food that had been offered to idols,” obscures what is essential, “establishing and maintaining a walk in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.”

As we summarize what Paul has taught in regard to “gray areas” of life, let us understand clearly that the entire purpose of a believer’s life is to present the saving grace of God in Christ to those we encounter in the marketplace.

Let me conclude by showing that Paul completely elucidates, brings into the light of truth, the gray area.  Look at verse 13:

“Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.”

After considering what causes the problem of gray areas, and considering the centrality and importance of the person and work of Christ, and considering the power and preeminence of love, and finally considering the privilege of presenting the saving grace to others, he declares:  “I just give up any activity that would be a possible hindrance to others coming to know Christ.” (v13, paraphrased)

So, when people say to me, “I have a right to drink wine [OR INSERT ANY ACTIVITY],” my reply is simply, “Yes, and I have the privilege to present the grace of God to others by removing that activity that could become a hindrance.”

Engage people in the marketplace by pushing gray areas into the Light of the Truth in a spirit of grace and love.

 

Crazy Love

 

January 17, 2021                      NOTES NOT EDITED
Crazy Love
2Samuel 6:12-23

SIS—“Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness. 

In English “crazy” means, “senseless; impractical; totally unsound, such as a crazy scheme.” Informally, the English word means, “intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited, as in, crazy about baseball.”

However you define it, “crazy,” definitely refers to something “out of the ordinary.”  I want to talk about a “crazy love” for God this morning as I see an example in our text in 2Samuel 6.  David’s response to the return of the Ark of the Covenant qualifies as “crazy love.”  It is a bit impractical, seemingly unsound (at least in the world’s eyes), and definitely intensely enthusiastic and passionately excited.  I think when we examine this text together we will see that “crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

The longer I live, the less I am satisfied with simply “going to church”—even a great church like ours.  As I contemplate the immensity of God, I can’t help but recognize my own cosmic insignificance.  A great theologian once wrote, “No one is ever truly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God” (Sproul).

This is the point of our text.  The Ark of the Covenant was the most significant artifact in the life of the nation of Israel.  It was a gold-plated chest standing as the crown jewel of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple.  It sat alone, veiled behind a curtain in the Holy of Holies---the innermost section of the Holy Sanctuary.  In this Most Holy Place, a priest could only enter once a year, after a strict protocol assuring his righteousness before God.  Should any part of the ritual of Yom Kippur be violated, the High Priest would be struck dead.  And, nobody could go in to get him.  So, they would tie bells to his priestly garment and a rope to his foot.  If the bells stopped ringing, they would pull his dead body out.

The lid of the sacred Ark of the Covenant was place where the very Presence of God resided—God’s awesome holiness rested between two golden cherubim on the lid of the Ark, called the Mercy Seat 

It is impossible for me, or any human, to explain the power and holiness that the Ark of the Covenant represented to the people of Israel.  It was this awesome sense of the Presence of Almighty God that led to David’s “crazy” behavior when the Ark of the Covenant returned from the house of Abinadab where it had been parked for two decades.  While David’s behavior seemed crazy to some of those in the crowd that day, it becomes clear from our text that “crazy love is the only sane response to the awesome majesty and absolute holiness of Almighty God.”

Let’s read this text together:  2Samuel 6:12-23.

Our text provides us a glimpse into why “crazy love” is the only sane response to the immense majesty and absolute holiness of God.  There are three realizations that develop this theme of crazy love: It acknowledges the Imcomprehensible MAJESTY of Almighty God; it acknowledges the Absolute HOLINESS of Almighty God; and it acknowledges the Inevitable SCORN the world has for those that radically, passionately and publicly display love to Almighty God.

In order to fully appreciate our text, let’s briefly scan the history of the Ark of the Covenant, and it’s place in Jewish life.

The Ark was commissioned, along with the Tabernacle, by Yahweh as His people “exited” bondage in Egypt and entered the Wilderness on the way to the Promised land.  The Ark was instrumental in the Conquest of the Land of Canaan by Joshua.  The most important battle, the Battle of Jericho, was accomplished by the Israelites simply by blowing horns while marching around the wall carrying the Ark.  In time, the Ark would be captured by the pagan Philistines (1Sam. 4).  It was carried off to the Philistine capital of Ashdod, but the Philistines discovered they would have been better off not messing with it. The morning after the Ark was placed in the temple of the pagan temple of Dagon, the Philistines found their idol face down.  The set Dagon back up, but the next morning they found the idol decapitated.  A few days later the people of Ashdod were struck with a plague.  They moved the ark to another city in Gath (Goliath’s hometown), but every where the Ark went, the people were struck with plagues.  After seven months, the Philistines decided to send the Ark back to Israel, along with gifts of gold.  For over 70 years (some estimated as long as 100 years) the Ark had been cared for at the home of a man named, Abinadab.  That is where we pick up our story today.  The Ark’s journeys are not yet finished. As it was being moved from Abinadab’s house to Jerusalem, Uzzah, Abinadab’s son reached out to steady it on the cart and was summarily struck dead by God. This shocked everyone and for a brief time the Ark rested at the home of Obed-edom.  In Jerusalem David made a tent for the Ark.  The Ark would then be moved into the First Temple (Solomon’s).  During the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, no mention of the Ark is made in the inventory of Temple items carried away.  Many theories have been advanced in regard to the Ark being hidden away somewhere beneath the Temple Mount.  The ancient Ethiopian church claims they have the Ark.  The Rebuilt Temple (Second Temple) makes no mention of the Ark being in the rebuilt Holy of Holies.  The same is true for the Temple at the time of Herod (Jesus).  The Holy of Holies was an empty room. 

So where is this Holiest of Holy Artifacts?  A fabrication so holy that it decapitated a pagan god and brought plagues upon pagan people who brought it disrespect?  Did it crumble into the dust of history, forgotten by God and man?  As I said, it disappeared at the time of the Babylonians. The Ethiopian Church says they have the Ark which is sequestered in a tent guarded by a monk called, “The Keeper of the Ark.”  This claim has thus been impossible to verify, for no one but the monk is allowed into the tent (copied). Contrary to the popularity of Indiana Jones, nobody has ever located this Sacred Chest. 

Archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer, who has conducted research on the Temple Mount and inside the Dome of the Rock claims to have found the spot on the Mount where the Holy of Holies was located during the First Temple period. In the precise center of that spot is a section of bedrock cut out in dimensions that may match those of the Ark as reported in Exodus. This section of the mount, incidentally, is the one from which the creation of the world began, according to midrash (T. Kedoshim, 10). Based on his findings, Ritmeyer has postulated that the Ark may be buried deep inside the Temple Mount. However, it is unlikely that any excavation will ever be allowed on the Mount by the Muslim or Israeli authorities (copied).

It is important to trace the history of the Ark to understand how significant it was—and, I believe still is—to the Jewish people.  It is in this context that David expresses what can only be described as “Crazy Love” when the Ark arrives in Jerusalem.  Now, let’s examine more closely just what “Crazy Love” really entails.

1.  First, Crazy Love acknowledges the Incomprehensible
     MAJESTY of Almighty God

Now, when it comes to describing God’s majesty, words simply are not adequate.  The word, “incomprehensible” is one attempt.  You can add, “unfathomable, impenetrable, inexplicable, inconceivable, stunning, or perplexing” and you will still not capture the essence of God’s majestic glory.  You could add, “immense, vast, enormous, immeasurable, incalculable, or colossal,” and still come up short in trying to describe God’s majesty. 

In fact, even if you could collect everything that exists in the cosmos (or ever has existed or ever will exist) and you presented this before men you would not have fully described God’s majesty.  It always brings me back to “incomprehensible, or immense.”  

The fault of people, all people including those who have been saved, can be directly correlated to a faulty or incomplete view of God.  If we truly comprehended the awesome majesty of God even for one second, it would radically alter our worship and service to Him.  We get just the ever so slight glimpse of God’s majesty in the powerful Presence of God associated with the Ark of the Covenant.  Go back a to verse 5 and see at how the Ark of God so impressed people:

⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,  lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,  and cymbals. 

Then, look at verses 12-15 

¹² It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.  ¹³ When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.  ¹⁴ David was dancing  with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.  ¹⁵ He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. 

When the Ark of the Covenant representing God’s majesty and power came upon the scene, an almost riotous celebration erupted.  David, the stately King of Israel, could not contain himself.  He threw off all but his undergarments and danced in the street. He cast off the royal robes of a king and danced as a commoner.

The people recognized the awesome, incomprehensible majesty of God and they could not contain themselves.  David’s view of God, and the people of Israel, was such that they could not contain themselves in His Presence.

Nothing is more overwhelming than to simply examine the “majesty” of God’s creation.  From the immensity of the cosmos to the intricacy of the quantum world of the atom, God’s majesty is on display.  This is why the Psalmist declared:  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Man simply does not have the capacity to grasp the “Immensity” of the Work of God’s hands.  Scientists roughly estimate that the universe contains 100 billion galaxies, each a million-trillion miles wide! The number of stars is estimated to be over a billion-trillion. Travelling at the speed of light (186,000 m/s) we could circle the earth seven times in one second.  Travelling at the speed of light it would take over 28 billion years to reach the edge . . . and science tells us the edge is always expanding.  If our visible universe is so absolutely “incomprehensible,” how could we ever believe we could comprehend the God Who created it.

And think of the incomprehensible power of Almighty God.  According to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, E-mc², just the energy contained in one grain of salt would power an average household for nearly half a year!  Consider also the incomprehensible majesty of God’s wisdom. 

George Church and Sri Kosuri, a bioengineer and geneticist at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have successfully stored 5.5 petabits of data — around 700 terabytes — in a single gram of DNA, smashing the previous DNA data density record by a thousand times.

That is roughly the equivalent of 1400 times the information available on a typical, full computer hard-drive on 1 gram of DNA!

The Ark of the Covenant represented the real presence of Almighty God—a God of absolutely “incomprehensible majesty!”  How is it possible that anybody experiencing God’s Incomprehensible Majesty could do anything but express “Crazy Love!”

Now, contrast that with how most church services go.  It’s a little depressing.  We seem to settle for so little.  We seem to be so content for just a hor d’oeuvre when God wants to give us a full course meal 

When you consider God’s Incomprehensible Majesty, would you not agree we need a little more “crazy love” expressed for God in our lives and in our worship?   Second, Crazy Love acknowledges

2. the absolute HOLINESS of God (6:6-11)

It is possible for a person to be awed by the incomprehensible majesty of Almighty God, but not fully acknowledge the absolute holiness of God.  This is a grievous error.  This is an eternally fatal mistake.

One of the hardest stories in all the Bible is found in 6-11:

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah,  and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,  and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,  [Perez Uzzah] as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

For many people it might seem like God “over-reacted” a little bit in this situation.  Uzzah meant well.  He was sincere.  He actually did a good thing to keep the Ark of the Covenant from crashing to the ground, didn’t he?  How could God punish him by striking him dead?

This story underscores the seriousness of understanding the “holiness” of God.  This text highlights the “carelessness” of mankind in regard to disobedience and sin.  People tend to have an “entitlement” mentality when it comes to God.  Many people seem to think that since God is All-loving, He has to give them a pass on their sin.  There is a common saying from Latin that has become a part of our daily communication.  The Roman historian, Seneca The Younger said, “Errare humanum est” meaning, “to err is simply human.” Later the phrase, “ignocere divinum est,” or “to forgive is divine,” came into common usage. In other words, “sin is not big deal.”

This is a quaint statement oft-repeated, but full of grievous error.  It represents a cavalier attitude toward sin and a careless attitude in regard to the holiness of God.  This passage highlights the danger of a careless attitude in regard to our responsibility to a Holy God 

David was careless.  The Ark should never have been placed upon the ox cart.  The Law of God was very specific in regard to the Ark’s transportation  (Exodus 25:12-14):

¹² Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ¹³ Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.

There is no mention of using an “ox cart for convenience.” 

Uzzah was careless.  There was a strict admonition that nobody but a ritually clean priest in the performance of his duties could touch the Ark—under penalty of death.  No loopholes.  No amendments.  God said the penalty for violating this command would be death.  We need to be reminded often that the “penalty for disobeying God is death—physical and eternal.  Romans 6:23 says,

“The wages of sin is death”—all the years of inflation have not changed the wages of sin one iota.

Uzzah was careless in regard to God’s holiness.  He decided that God did not mean what He said.  He disobeyed a direct order of God and paid for it with His life.

Those who presume upon God’s goodness thinking God will “overlook” their sin have a rude awakening coming.  Likewise, those who believe that God’s “love” somehow trumps His “holiness” are in for a rude awakening.

This passage provides a “short course on the holiness of God.”  In verse 5 we see that holiness is the true foundation for “real happiness.”  In verses 6-7, and 13, bestows upon us a serious responsibility. Verses 10-12 show us that holy living brings tremendous blessings to our families.  In verse 17-19, we learn that holiness facilitates true fellowship with both man and God.  This entire passage is a short course on the holiness of God and the extreme importance God places upon holy living.

Make no mistake about it:  carelessness in regard to your responsibility to a Holy God has devastating consequences—often eternal consequences.  The Bible says 

^{Hebrews 10:    26} For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.

Then, in verse 31 the Word reinforces the warning in regard to carelessness about God’s holiness:  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

People who truly come to understand that an absolutely holy God, has made provisions to deal with our sin so that we would not have to pay the penalty of eternal death, tend to be “crazy about loving God.”

Crazy Love develops when one understands the incomprehensible majesty of God, and the absolute holiness of God.   There is another realization that surfaces in reading this text in regard to “Crazy Love.”

3.  Crazy Love endures the inevitable SCORN of the world.

The prospect of the Ark being returned to Jerusalem, the City of God, caused joyous pandemonium as we read earlier.  In particular, David went a little crazy when he realized the Ark was coming home to Jerusalem which would forever seal that City as the City of God.

The Ark had been captured by the Philistines years earlier as I pointed out a few minutes ago.  For over 70 years, the Ark had been in the residence of a man called, Abinadab.  When Saul was King, he simply left it there.  Now, under David the Philistines were no longer a threat, and David wanted to return the Ark to Jerusalem, his headquarters.  I’ve mentioned the joyous celebration that was taking place over the return of the Ark, but I’m not sure we totally grasp how “crazy” this made the children of Israel—especially David. 

But, not everybody was into the celebration.  Look at verse 16:

⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,  Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.  Then in verse 20 we read what happened when David got home:  ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,  Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”

Let me pause a minute on those two words, “expose himself.”  Michal meant this as a derogatory remark, but I think there is an application we can make in regard to a positive aspect of our worship of Almighty God.  In order for us to truly worship God we have to “expose ourselves,” that is, we must become a little bit “vulnerable” to God before others.  Many people are too uptight to even raise hands, let alone “dance in a sheer linen ephod.” 

The word “expose” literally means to “take off, like removing a garment.”  But, there is a spiritual application here also.  To expose oneself can mean to “make oneself vulnerable.”

Worship is a matter of vulnerability—of being completely open to God; of even looking a bit “crazy” to others.  This is not something I’ve seen in many worship meetings in the U.S.  I did see it when I was a member of a church in Hawaii.  I did see this type of complete openness to God when I was ministering in a slum in Guatemala.  But, I don’t see a lot of “exposing of ourselves” in our worship services today.  

In his book, “Crazy Love,”  Francis Chan says:  “I hope [this book] affirms your desire for ‘more God’—even if you are surrounded by people who feel they have ‘enough God.’”

The fact is many people are like David’s wife, Michal.  They are offended by the openness that some people display in worship.  Michal represents one of the “enough God” type of people and David represents the “more God” type of people.  I currently find myself acting like an “enough God” person when a deeply desire to be a “more God” kind of person.  But, like many, I have inhibitions!  I don’t want people making fun of me or calling me a “Jesus Freak” or a “religious fanatic.”

Funny how being a “fanatic” is great when it has to do with NASCAR, football, or other past times—but fanaticism is out of bounds when it comes to Jesus.  We don’t want anybody to think we are “crazy in love” with Jesus.

It is interesting that when people were attacking Paul he referred to being “crazy in love” with Jesus (2Cor. 5:12):

¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit (NLT)

David’s wife, Michal (who had been given to David by her father Saul when he was king) objected to David’s “foolish” (some translate this word, vulgar) activity of dancing in the streets like a commoner for all to see wearing only a thin linen ephod.  King’s did not usually dance in the street.  It was considered, undignified.

I’m afraid that the pendulum has swung too far the other way in regard to most modern worship:  I think we are too dignified.   I can guarantee you that if you decide to practice “crazy love” in your relationship with Jesus two things are going to happen:  1) God is going to immensely bless your life and bless others through your life, and 2) religious people are going to criticize you.

It’s inevitable:  living a life of crazy love for Jesus and the world will give you its scorn and condemnation—especially those who are religious.  Here’s something else even more troubling:  if you catch fire with a “Crazy Love” for Jesus, the first to scorn you will likely be those in the church.

Throughout the Bible, God’s leaders (those who accepted the call to be the foot soldiers for God) have endured scorn from others.  Each time, scorn resulted in punishment.  In our passage today, Michal scorned David, and would never bear a child because of it (v23).  In Genesis, Miriam scorned Moses and Aaron.  She was struck with leprosy. Some youth scorned and made fun of Elisha the prophet.  A bear came out of the woods and ate them (*****).  Being “crazy in love” with Jesus will bring you the scorn of the world.  You need to trust that God will take care of the scorners on your behalf—you just keep dancing in the streets for Him!

I wish I had more time to really get into this message on “Crazy Love.”  There is so much I’d like to say.  Fortunately, Francis Chan has already said much of what needs to be said in that regard.  I’ve made available copies of his book in the back.  It would be a great read if you aren’t afraid of getting your “religious feelings hurt” a little bit.

Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

Let’s go crazy together.