Portraits of Faith - Simeon & Anna

This is the ninth and final post in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

diorama of a hurricane

My last two people to consider are Simeon and Anna. I’m looking at them together because they are examples of the same faith.

Simeon
Luke 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33  And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
34  And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Just and devout, and the Holy Ghost was upon him. I would be happy if someone described me this way! But that’s not all, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Right away his faith is expressed. He was a man who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, the Messiah.

He believed the promise of the coming Christ, and he waited patiently for him to come. In addition, since he no doubt knew the promises, he knew the 70 weeks of Daniel was fulfilled and the time for Christ to come was upon them. Not only that, it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. How cool is this! And so by faith he waited for Christ.

One day the Spirit told him to go into the temple, and there he saw Joseph and Mary with their baby. Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Amen. This child is the Christ, the consolation of Israel, the very one spoken of by Jacob way back in Genesis 49:18, I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.


Anna
Luke 2:36  And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
37  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna. A widow. A prophetess. Who spent all her time in the temple, fasting and praying. She also came in while Joseph and Mary were in the temple and recognized this child! This is amazing! This infant didn’t look different than any other infant, there was no glow, no halo, and yet Anna recognized him right away – “This child is the Christ, the One we have been waiting for!!”

Anna and Simeon were helped by the Holy Spirit, and even though it wasn’t as dramatic in the rest of the life of Jesus, there seems to be a principle here – hungry hearts recognize and welcome Jesus.

She spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. It seems Simeon and Anna weren’t the only ones looking for redemption, waiting for the consolation of Israel. There were many waiting for Christ. They had faith to wait for Christ.

What can I learn about faith from them?

And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:11-12)

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.  
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:35-39)

Yes. I want to be among them who believe to the saving of the soul. How do I do that? Believe in Jesus and patiently wait for him. Maranatha!

Portraits of Faith - The Shepherds

This is the eighth in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

The Shepherds

Luke 2:8  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
  9  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Makes you want to bust out singing:

The First Noel, the Angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

This is like Christmas in a snow globe!

How blessed were these men, going about their everyday job, when an angel shows up! An angel? A whole host of them! And what a message these heavenly messengers bring - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! We would have arranged a press conference with media outlets all over the world, or gone straight to the political powers of the world, but God makes the official birth announcement to a bunch of nobodies, in the middle of the night, while everyone important was asleep. We don’t even know the name of a single one of these guys. And yet they get the birth announcement from an angel, and then they are treated to an angelic chorus:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

You may be thinking, that’s great and all, but where’s the faith? Right here,

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Let us now go and see this thing - They had faith to seek the Lord. They were told Christ had been born in Bethlehem and they went looking for him. Actually, they came with haste. They didn’t waste any time atall.

And they found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Ever wonder how they did that? I said not, Seek ye me in vain for ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Amen.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. – They believed, they sought, they found, and then they made known abroad the saying which was told them.

What kind of faith did the shepherds have? Faith to seek Christ; and by that faith they found him!

Now let us all, with gladsome cheer,

Follow the shepherds, and draw near

To see this wondrous gift of God,

Who hath his own dear Son bestowed.

from Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her (From Heaven Above To Earth I come)

Martin Luther, 1534 (Translation by Catherine Winkworth, 1855)

Sung to a tune from 1539, also written by Luther

Portraits of Faith - Mary

This is the seventh in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

Mary is a central figure in the Christmas story. (You see how nothing gets past me?) I will look at her faith like a hymn with three stanzas. All of this is from Luke 1.

Mary and the Angel Gabriel
26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37  For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Wow! Wow!! Wow!!!

Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women – First, she sees an angel and then he says this? No wonder . . .

when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be - This speaks of her humility.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS – You are going to conceive and bear a son. The angel goes on to say as clear as words can make it, "This son of yours will be called the Son of the Highest; he will be the Messiah." The hope of generations is about to be fulfilled and Mary will be his mother!

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? – One minor problem, “I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with a man and have no man to be with now. How shall this be?” Zacharias had a similar question, “Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.” Is she about to lose her speech as well?

the angel answered and said unto her – rather than rebuke her, Gabriel explains to her how this will work. Why did Zacharias receive a rebuke and Mary an explanation? Zacharias demanded proof and gives the reason for his doubt. He had prayed for this blessing and was now skeptical. Mary on the other hand only wanted to know how in her case it would be possible to conceive. After all, Zacharias and Elisabeth were going to conceive in the time honored way. And so the angel explains: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Amen. She will remain a virgin and yet by the power of God conceive a son. Mary, a young virgin, will give birth to a son. These words and promises are astounding! A virgin will conceive and give birth to the Messiah, who is the Son of God!

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible – the angel offers encouragement for her faith - With God, nothing shall be impossible. Amen!

Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word
Here is Mary’s faith. And what great faith it is! She has faith to receive a work she cannot do herself. But we need to understand, she not only believes the words of the angel, in faith she offers herself to God for Him to do His work and will through her. And as she believes for grace to conceive, she believes for grace to enable her to handle the (social) consequences of being pregnant before being married.

Mary and Elisabeth
Verses 39-45 describe Mary’s visit to Elisabeth. Two women of great faith hanging out for nearly three months. And, not surprisingly, there is excitement and prophecy (see my last post). But it wasn’t all prayer and prophesying. In fact, it was mostly mundane stuff, cooking, cleaning, and being pregnant. But, there was that wonderful prophetic word:
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

In my early years in the faith, I was among saints who were so afraid of being considered Catholic that they either ignored Mary or made sure to declare she was really nothing special. None of that for me. I don’t worship her, but she is indeed The Blessed Virgin Mary! Blessed is she that believed. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Mary sings to the Lord
In 46-56 we find the song of Mary. It says, And Mary said, but I’m convinced this is a song. And what a song! I encourage you to read it all.

Mary believed. She had faith to receive a great work from God; she had faith to offer herself as a handmaid of the Lord; she had faith for the consequences; and in faith she sang a song of praise to God her Savior. Indeed, Blessed is she that believed!


My soul doth magnify the Lord
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
For he that is mighty hath done great things
And holy is his name

My soul doth magnify the Lord
My soul doth magnify the Lord
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour
For he that is mighty hath done great things
And holy is his name

Portraits of Faith - Elisabeth

This is the sixth in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

diorama of . . . not exactly sure!

Elisabeth

I noticed something in these portraits of faith that I think is staggering – Joseph saw an angel, Zacharias saw an angel, Mary saw an angel; Elisabeth did not; she is the only one of the inner circle who had no divine visitation. Let’s get to her story, which all takes place in Luke 1.

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Elisabeth was the daughter of a priest. She appears to have been named after Aaron’s wife, Elisheba, which in the Greek is written Elisabeth. She was righteous, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But, they had no children, which she herself calls a reproach (v 25).
“For the ancient Israelites, fulfilling the first commandment given by God in the Bible—“Be fruitful and multiply”—was thus a need urgently felt.”* Consequently, marriage was the norm and childbearing was the expectation and hope of every married couple.
And to make it worse, they were now well stricken in years. So old that the hope of having children had died. If they were unable to have children when they were young and in the prime of life, it was an impossibility now. When I looked at Zacharias I suggested that the failure to have children, the unanswered prayer, had resulted in discouragement. The question, as we consider Elisabeth, is, did she share his despondency?

21  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.
22  And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.
23  And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Elisabeth was not with Zacharias in the temple when the angel appeared to him. But surely he told her about it when he got home. Or, wrote it down! At the very least he had to explain his inability to talk. I believe the evidence demonstrates that he told her about the angel and the promise of a son. After all, when the baby was born, she wanted to name him John (see v 60).

24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
But did she have faith? It doesn’t say this, but I am absolutely convinced that when Zacharias explained what had happened to him in the temple and the promise of the angel her heart was filled with faith. By faith she took steps to get pregnant and praised the Lord when she conceived. And God’s commentary on this as told to Mary, And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.

39  And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40  And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45  And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
I asked, Did Elisabeth have faith? The answer is supplied abundantly here – YES.
What a wonderful and amazing passage! The babe in her womb leaped at hearing the voice of Mary and Elisabeth herself was filled with the Holy Ghost.
She spake out with a loud voice – it seems that prophecy was uttered in a loud voice.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb – she knew the babe Mary carried.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? – has she faith? Yes. She knew that the babe in Mary’s womb was the Lord Christ.
And blessed is she that believed – she blesses Mary for believing but she also believed. Mary believed that she, a virgin, could have a son; Elisabeth believed that God could give her, an old woman past childbearing years, a son. The power of God is on full display here and these women are walking in faith!

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. 
Mary seems to have remained with her until just before the delivery.

57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 
Just as the angel said. What she said of Mary can be said of her, “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John.
These neighbors and cousins seem rather pushy/bossy to me, trying to name her baby and arguing with her about her chosen name! But Elisabeth was full of faith and stood her ground, Not so; but he shall be called John.

Elisabeth was a woman who believed God. She believed the most amazing things without the assistance of an angel or a star. All she had was Zacharias’ report of his angelic visitor and the promises spoken to him - she laid hold of them and pressed on! She had faith to receive grace to conceive, faith to recognize Christ, and faith to rejoice in God's grace.

This is a testimony to pay attention to and emulate!

Faith is the victory!

Faith is the victory!

Oh, glorious victory

That overcomes the world.

(Faith Is the Victory, John H. Yates, 1891)

* Women in Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible, article by Susan Ackerman

Portraits of Faith - Zacharias

This is the fifth in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

diorama of a desert

Zacharias 
Here is a little tidbit to begin with - more space is devoted to Zacharias than any other person in these chapters. I find that interesting. All of this is from Luke 1.

1:5-7 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Zacharias and Elisabeth are introduced - he was a priest and she was the daughter of a priest; they were righteous, which is explained as walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless, or as Tyndale translated it, no man could find fault with them.
Sadly, they had no child, which was a keenly felt source of reproach among the Jews. And to make it worse, they were now well stricken in years (and both had gone far in their days ~Wycliffe). They were old. How old? So old that the hope of having children had died. If they were unable to have children when they were young and in the prime of life, it was an impossibility now.

1:8-10 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
“We are informed in the Talmud, that it was the custom of the priests to divide the different functions of the sacerdotal office among themselves by lot: and, in this case, the decision of the lot was, that Zacharias should at that time burn the incense before the Lord, in the holy place.” (Adam Clarke)

“Incense was burnt twice a day in the temple, in the morning and in the evening. The incense was itself an emblem of the prayers and praises of the people of God.  While, therefore, the priest is performing the rite, the people are employed in the thing signified. Happy the people who attend to the spirit as well as the letter of every divine institution!” (Adam Clarke)

1:11-12 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
I have learned that supernatural experiences in the temple were not uncommon, nevertheless seeing an angel always resulted in fear.

1:13-17  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Zacharias is afraid but the angel comes with great news! Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. This is wonderful and amazing and awesome!
And it gets even better: He, your son, the answer to your prayer, will be the forerunner of Messiah! Yes, the time is fulfilled, Christ is about to appear, and your son will prepare the people for him. Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think...

1:18  And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
What??? This is great news and Zacharias is stumbling over it.

1:19-20 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
Here’s the problem – Zacharias didn’t believe. As a result he was struck dumb, unable to speak until the boy is born. Why didn’t Zacharias believe this announcement? We are not told, but I’m persuaded it was discouragement. They had prayed with faith and expectation for years and nothing. That’s discouraging. Now, "I am old, and my wife hath gone far in her days (Wycliffe). This can’t happen, it is a physical impossibility." How sad, discouragement has robbed this righteous man of faith in the power of God. This still happens. Discouragement keeps us from believing God, and we slowly stop praying about it at all.

Now to be sure, the angel is asking Zacharias to believe a lot – “Hey, old man, your old lady is gonna have a baby.” But in the angelic worldview, God said it and that settles it, so he doesn’t take kindly to this unbelief and as a result Zacharias will be unable to speak.

And now for “the rest of the story.” Yeah, it doesn’t end here. I believe Zacharias, when he was smitten by the angel, repented of his unbelief and believed the word and promise of the Lord. I think we have three proofs of this repentance in the rest of the chapter.

1:21-24 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, [that’s Elisabeth’s story!]
He finished his week of ministry and went home. I believe he told Elisabeth what happened, and then in faith, well, they were married! And Elisabeth conceived! Oh his faith is soaring now! That’s first.

Second,
1:57-63 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
Elisabeth not only conceives, she goes full term and delivers a baby, a boy, just as the angel announced. When it is time to give this boy a name, Zacharias goes with John. He was indeed a righteous man, and when he stumbled, he repented, believed, and obeyed.

And third,
1:64,67  And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God... And was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
He prophesied. Yes, his mouth was opened and he prophesied, which can only be done by faith. (His prophecy, 68-80, is one of the most powerful sections in the whole New Testament. Sadly, we are not looking at this today.)

Zacharias walked in obedience and righteousness but became discouraged and lost faith; but to his credit, once rebuked he repented and believed again and in that faith knew his wife, had a baby, named him John, and prophesied of the salvation of God. Oh the grace of God!

What does this diorama of Zacharias teach me about faith? Pray. And if discouragement creeps in and faith and prayer falter, repent and believe the Lord again, and pray until God answers my prayer!

Only believe, only believe;

All things are possible, only believe.  

(Only Believe, Paul Rader, 1921)

Portraits of faith - Chief Priests and Scribes

This is the fourth in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of Faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

diorama of the jungle

Chief Priests and Scribes

Matthew 2:3-6
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.  
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,  
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel

This is all that is said about the chief priests and scribes. I don’t see anything about faith. And that’s the point.

We know they heard the story of the wise men – Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. This could hardly not include them. They heard the wise men were looking for the king of Israel and that his birth had been announced by a star.

When Herod asked them where Christ was to be born, they were ready with the answer, Bethlehem. And it was the right answer - they knew the Scriptures and the hope of Israel.

So, they heard the report of Christ being born. They told Herod where to look. And that’s the last we read of them. The wise men go on to Bethlehem to worship Christ the King. Herod seeks to have Christ murdered. They do nothing. Absolutely nothing. They just go on like nothing has happened. What is this? Unbelief. 

They did not believe the report that Christ had been born. How sad is this? How this must have grieved the heart of the Father – His own people can tell where Christ was to be born, but the report of his birth moves them not an inch. Oh how unbelief hardens the heart!

Take heed, Jeff, lest you think this could not be you.


Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  
To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. Hebrews 3:12-13, 15  

Portraits of faith - Herod

This is the third in my series Portraits of Faith in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this Dioramas of faith but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

Diorama of a hurricane

Herod – faith without repentance
Matthew 2:3  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

7  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

16  Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

This is interesting. Herod believed the wise men that Christ had been born. He believed the chief priests and scribes that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. He had faith, yet this faith had no affect on him - he was not moved to obedience as Joseph; he was not moved to worship as the wise men. What’s going on? How can he have faith but receive no blessing from God? This is powerful: Herod had faith without repentance.

He loved his position as king, he loved wielding power, he loved indulging his passions. Joseph was minded to divorce Mary, but when the angel said, “Marry the girl, she shall give birth to Christ”, he changed his mind and said, Yes. The wise men were living a fine life in the east, but when they saw the star they left their fine life and came to worship Christ, the King of Israel. Yet when Herod heard of Christ, rather than bow to the King, he sought to slay Him so he might continue as sovereign; rather than turn from his iniquity, he sought to kill Him so he might continue in his sin. He believed but to no avail because he refused to repent.

This is why the Bible everywhere speaks of turning to the Lord.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Be converted sounds passive, like it is something that happens to you or is done for you, but this word is actually an imperative, just like repent: Repent and turn. As in 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9 ...in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad... how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Their faith toward God was that they turned to God and away from their idols, that they might serve God and wait for his Son from heaven (see v 10).

What does Herod teach me about faith? If I would have faith that avails with God, that secures His blessings and grace, it must be accompanied by repentance, a turning from self and sin. In other words, if I continue in my sin my faith is in vain.


Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more. (first & last stanza of Depth of Mercy, Charles Wesley)

Portraits of Faith - the wise men

This is the second in my series, Portraits of Faith, in which I look at the faith of all those folks in the Christmas story as recorded in Matthew 1 & 2  and Luke 1 & 2. I wanted to call this, Dioramas of Faith, but I was concerned that folks might not remember what a diorama was!

The Wise Men – faith to obey
Matthew 2:1-2  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

How did the wise men or magi know to expect Christ? I looked at this here  (and the star here )

As I said then, I’m persuaded these magi knew the ancient prophecy in Numbers 24:17

 I will point to him, but not now; I bless him, but he draws not near: 
 a star shall rise out of Jacob, a man shall spring out of Israel; and shall 
 crush the princes of Moab, and shall spoil all the sons of Seth. (LXX)

But I have to be honest, the Scriptures are silent on this – it doesn’t explain how they knew to expect Christ. I conclude it doesn’t matter how they knew Christ was coming and would be announced by a star, the facts are: they did know and when they saw the star they immediately set off to find and worship him. They believed he was coming, they believed the star announced he had just been born, and as a direct result of this belief they went to worship him. They had faith to obey.

As I said in my last post, “When you believe you obey: obedience springs from faith. Faith and obedience are like Siamese twins – you never see one without the other. If I say I believe but I don't obey, then I do not have saving, sanctifying faith; I do not have the faith that pleases God. Throughout the entire Bible, whenever someone believed the Lord it affected what they did; and whenever folks did not obey they were charged with unbelief (Hebrews 3:17-19).” Rather than sharing the testimony of Israel in the wilderness, I did not believe nor did I obey, I would prefer my testimony to be:

Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey. (Trust and Obey, by John H. Sammis)

___________________________________

The composer of the music for this hymn, Daniel B. Towner, provided the following account of the birth of this song:

“[In 1886] Mr. Moody was conducting a series of meetings in Brockton, Massachusetts, and I had the pleasure of singing for him there. One night a young man rose in a testimony meeting and said, ‘I am not quite sure—but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.’ I just jotted that sentence down, and sent it with a little story to the Rev. J. H. Sammis, a Presbyterian minister. He wrote the hymn, and the tune was born.”

Portraits of faith - Joseph

In my advent series, The Christmas Story in Matthew 1 & 2, I mentioned the faith of Joseph and Mary. As I pondered this, I realized all those folks in Matthew 1 & 2 (as well as in Luke 1 & 2) teach us many things about faith that would be worth looking into.

I wanted to call this Dioramas of faith but I was concerned that some people might not remember what a diorama was!

Instead I am calling this Portraits of faith. I will look at the characters in these four chapters, in the order they appear, and see what I can learn about faith. It follows then that I will begin with Joseph.

Joseph - faith to obey

First up is Joseph and his encounters with angels. All these are found in Matthew 1 & 2

1:20, 24  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost . . . Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

2:13-14  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

2:19-21  But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

2:22-23  But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

OK, we see that Joseph had a lot of dreams, but how does this illustrate faith? I don’t see faith mentioned one time. Well, clearly Joseph believed what the angels told him; he believed this to be the word of the Lord to him and for his situation. And what does this say about Joseph's faith? Each time he had a visit from an angel, he believed what he was told to do was from God, and he did it. Every time. Immediately. Joseph had faith to obey. 

As I pointed out in my Advent series, “When you believe you obey: obedience springs from faith. Faith and obedience are like Siamese twins – you never see one without the other.” If I say I believe but I don't obey, then I do not have saving, sanctifying faith; I do not have the faith that pleases God. Throughout the entire Bible, whenever someone believed the Lord it affected what they did; and whenever folks did not obey they were charged with unbelief (Hebrews 3:17-19). Rather than singing the song of Israel in the wilderness, "I don't believe and won't obey", I would prefer my song to be:

I'll say yes, Lord, yes
To Your will and to Your way
I'll say yes, Lord, yes
I will trust You and obey
When the Spirit speaks to me
With my whole heart I'll agree
And my answer will be
Yes, Lord, yes  (Lynn Edward Keesecker, 1983)