THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REFLECTED

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”  (John 8:12a). But, in another place, He declared, “You are the light of the world.” (Matt.5:14a). This is what it means to be a disciple—a Christ-follower. “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. “ (John 8:12b).

Our light is a reflected light. Think in terms of the light of our sun and moon. The sun is the source of light. The moon does not generate its own light, but reflects the light of the sun. Thus, the Son of God is the source of any light we have, but we are designed to radiate His glory to the world.

Jesus is in heaven. If He is to be seen on earth, it will be through His church. The glory of God that was manifested in His human body on earth is now meant to be revealed in His spiritual body—the church.

Our world is a dark place. The night of sin has fallen upon the planet. Yet, that makes the need for light all the greater, and causes our light in contrast to be so bright—just like a full moon in a clear sky.

Maintain fellowship with the Lord. Spend time in His presence. In a lunar eclipse, the shadow of earth comes between the moon and sun, and the light of the moon is obscured. If we are not careful, this world can have that effect on us.

In your showing of good works and the sharing of Gospel words, let your light shine today!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REJECTED

So many reject the Light because of an obstinate darkness.

“The Pharisees therefore said to Him, ‘You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Where is Your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.’” (John 8:13-19).

The darkness of unbelief is a stubborn thing.

 “And He said to them, ‘You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭8:23-24‬)

 At last, these who spurned the Light and sought the darkness committed the sin for which there is no forgiveness. ‘Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” (John‬ ‭8:48‬)

Christ offered Himself as their King, and they would cry, “We have no king but Caesar!” (19:15).  Jesus demonstrated the credibility of His claims by the miracles He performed, but they attributed it to the power of Satan.  Their obstinate darkness would take them into outer darkness.  That is how Jesus described hell—a dark pit of torment where the light of life is shut off—a second death; a place where the light of love is shut out—away from God’s gracious presence.

I beg you—don’t reject the Light of the World!

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD RECEIVED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬).

Consider the context of John 8:12.  

As the Kingdom of God is defined by light, the kingdom of Satan is dominated by darkness.  The previous verses (v.1-11) tell the story of a woman caught in the act of adultery, but the light of Christ shone upon her and changed her life forever.  The dominion of sin was overthrown. Jesus also exposed the self-righteous in His light, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (v.7‬). They all had to drop their rocks. The only One sinless who could have condemned her, chose to forgive her (v.11) and called her to a life of walking in the light.

In the next chapter, we read of a man blind from birth (9:1ff).  The Kingdom of God is defined by life, while the kingdom of Satan is dominated by death. That is the spiritual condition of all in this world by virtue of their physical birth who need a spiritual birth to open their eyes to the light of truth and life (see John 1:4-13).  We dwell in a shadowland of sin, spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. When the blind man received Christ, he became a new person.  Christ can break the bondage of darkness in your life and bring you into new life in Him!  It is the dawn of a new day.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph.‭5:8‬).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD REVEALED

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

The purpose of light is to reveal—to shine out and to show up a thing.  This revelation is the outshining of God’s very glory.

Christ shines out the person of God.  When He claims to be the Light, He claims to be God.  Is He a liar, lunatic, or Lord?  Those are the only options.  He is either a deceiver, delusional, or Deity.  John was an eyewitness to His glory revealed on the Mountain of Transfiguration and testified, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John‬ ‭1:14‬).  Paul saw that Light and said Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” (Col.1:15). Hebrews 1:3 speaks of, “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person….”

Christ shows up the path to God.  The Lord had just attended the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2). This feast celebrated the pilgrimage of the Jews through the wilderness. You may recall the glory cloud—a pillar of cloud that directed them by day and a pillar of fire by night. This glory cloud rested above the tabernacle. When it moved, they moved. As the glory cloud led the Israelites through the wilderness, so Christ is the Light of the world to guide us to God and in the path of His will day by day until we reach the eternal light of glory.

“For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor.4:6).

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John‬ ‭8:12‬‬)

Seven times, in John’s Gospel, Jesus identified Himself with metaphors in which He connected Himself with Yahweh, “I AM.”  The one we will consider this week is Jesus claim, “I am the light of the world.”

Light means life. Without it, living things would die. The plants would shrivel and decay, and with that animals and humans would perish.

Jesus uses that to illustrate that He as the Light of the World gives life to the world. He is the source and sustainer of life—real life, eternal life. We cannot have it apart from Him.

Without that light we stumble in the darkness—lost and headed into the Abyss, and a doom that is the deepest darkness of utter despair. Yet, today the Light of the World beckons us to come to Him, and by following that Light we find eternal life.

There shines the Beacon of Hope. Do you see it?  Have you come?  There is a way out of the darkness!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table? BREAD OF LIFE: Come to the Table

“Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John‬ ‭6:27‬)

I have heard this story several times, and now share it with you:

Years ago, in the Midwest, there lived an ungodly German farmer named Klein.  His house was across from a Lutheran church, yet he wouldn’t cross the road to attend.  But one day, he heard some Bible school children singing, “Jesus died for all mankind.”  He thought they were singing, “Jesus died for old man Klein.”  The thought that Jesus died for him personally melted his icy heart and he gave his life to Christ.

Jesus is the Bread for the world, but I want you to now He is Bread for you.  Jesus died for the sins of the world, but specifically, He died for Betsy, John, Susie, James—put your name in there.  The table is set. Eternal life is as simple as reaching out a hand of faith and receiving Christ.  There is no goodness you must attain and no works you must do, for this is God’s work: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John‬ ‭6:29‬‬)

Will you come to the table?

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Security of Life

The focus in John 6:37 is preservation.  “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

God’s seal of approval has been placed on Christ and we are accepted in Him, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (27‬)

If I come to Him, I will never be cast out and never thirst (v.35-37), yet to die in sin is to be cast out and suffer everlasting thirst in unquenchable fire.   Now, I must truly believe in Him. Many just fake it, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.” (v.36)‬. Such frauds will be exposed in the end (see Matt.7:21-23).

So how are we to understand this?  How are we to be sure?You may say, “Pastor I thought you were talking about the assurance of salvation; I’m not being more assured, but becoming more anxious. What am I supposed to do?”

Let’s dive back into our text.  The first century audience had the same question, “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’” (v.28).  Look at Jesus’ answer, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (v.29).

Jesus is the Bread.  He promises eternal life if we receive Him.  Do you believe Him?  That is how we receive Him. Reach out a hand of faith—feeble and trembling though it may be—and take it!  Trust Him!

How many will Jesus lose who come to Him?  “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”(v.39).   Jesus loses NONE!  He gives us everlasting life , “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.40).  All who truly come to Him will be raised to Heaven!  Everlasting means lasting forever. You cannot have it and lose it. If you lose it, you never had it, for that would not be everlasting!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus as the Sustainer of Life

Read John 6:48-58.

The focus here is provision.  As the Jews fed daily on the manna and it sustained them, so Jesus is to be the nourishment of our soul. Only as we feed on Him can we have satisfaction, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (v.27).

Consider the context of this teaching.  In chapter 6, thousands gathered to hear Jesus.  They become hungry, and all the food they could find was five loaves of bread and a couple of fish (v.9).  Then Jesus performs a miracle and multiplies the loaves and fish till all are fed and twelve baskets of leftovers are collected—one for each disciple!

The crowd went wild and wanted to crown Jesus as king (v.14-15).  Instead, Jesus walked away. Why?  He had not come to be a celebrity.  He had not come to be a Bread King for people who only cared about their physical life and had no concern for their soul (v.26).

Most people labor for the food that perishes—for the material things of this world. Jesus asked, “For what does it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). You can cram all this world offers into that hole in your soul, and nothing will satisfy you, for it is a God-shaped hole only He can fill.  Augustine said, “Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.”

Taking in Jesus day by day—abiding in Him as our very life—not only is our source of satisfaction, but of strength.  His life produces power and productivity, just as bread sustains our physical life.  Look to Him, lean on Him today; Jesus is your life!

THE BREAD OF LIFE: Jesus As The Source of Life

Read John 6:27-47.

Jesus identifies Himself as the Bread of Life. The focus in these verses is predestination.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. ...No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (v.37, 39, 44‬)

Let us not avoid a doctrine clearly taught in Scripture because some have taken this doctrine to extremes.  Some emphasize the freewill of man to the neglect of God’s sovereignty, while others stress predestination to the neglect of human responsibility. We must choose both, for both are taught in Scripture—and in this text for one.  They are not contradictory, but complementary—two sides of the same coin of salvation.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ...All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ...Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.’” (v.35, 37, 47‬). God calls, but I must come. God speaks, but I must believe.

You may argue, “I can’t reconcile the two ideas.”  The great Baptist Pastor of the 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, was asked how to reconcile these and he answered, “I never try to reconcile friends.”

These ideas have been the source of debate among theologians for 2000 years of church history, and so we won’t solve the puzzle today.  The issue is that God is God and we are not.  We are not omniscient.  “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deut.29:29)

Here’s what is revealed—Salvation is of the Lord.  The Bible portrays us as spiritually blind.  The Spirit must open our eyes to see.  We are scripturally deaf—and God must enable us to hear.  We are dead in sin, and God must give us life.  Lost sheep cannot find their way home, but the Good Shepherd seeks them.  Jesus came down for us, when we could not go where He was.  He is the Bread from Heaven.

Bread is made when living grain is cut down, crushed, and the flour thrust into an oven.  So, Jesus suffered for our salvation.  But God doesn’t cram the bread down my throat.  I must receive it.  Have you?

THE BREAD OF LIFE

“I am the bread of life.” (‭‭John‬ ‭6:48‬‬)

Jesus uses seven metaphorical, “I am,” statements that are recorded in John’s Gospel to describe Himself. That Jesus would identify Himself as, “I am,” shows His intention to connect Himself with the great I AM of the Old Testament—that Jesus and Yahweh—Father and Son—are one. Jesus is fully God, and this fits John’s purpose in presenting Christ’s deity. In these final seven weeks of 2019, with God’s help, we will examine each of these, “I am,” expressions. The first is His claim, “I am the bread of life.”

Ponce DeLeon traversed Florida in 1512 searching for the fountain of youth.  That search, though fruitless, was neither new nor novel.  Engraved in the human heart is a desire to live forever. It is the deep hunger of our soul. In answer to that hunger we hear Jesus claim in John 6:51, “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’”

As bread feeds our body and sustains our physical life, so Jesus feeds our soul and sustains our spiritual life.  When we, by faith, receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we feed on this Living Bread. This is eternal life. Then, it is our privilege to have a feast on Him, day after day. Is Jesus your Bread of Life?

IS THERE STUBBORN REJECTION OR SCRIPTURAL RECEPTION?

“‘But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:11-14‬‬)

If you were to ask me about how many responded to the sermon last Sunday, I would tell you, “100% !  Everyone responded. Some said, ‘Yes,’ and some said, ‘No,’ but all responded.” Each time you walk out of the meeting house doors, you leave better or worse—closer to God or farther away.

Notice in these verses how the rejection of the Word became more pronounced. Truth makes a heart healthy or hard.

Arteriosclerosis is a physical malady where the arteries that carry the life-giving flow of blood become hard and clogged by cholesterol.  The result can be stroke, heart-attack, even death.  It is all the more deadly because the development of the disease is slow, gradual, almost imperceptible.

Spiritual arteriosclerosis is the hardening of our heart against the Word and the Lord. Likewise, the sinister, subtle nature of it can be deadly to the state of our soul. There is a way back to God. Repentance can be the surgical scalpel to open our heart and begin restoring our health.

What you have just read will be helpful or hurtful, depending on your response. Don’t shrug your shoulders, stop your ears, and stiffen your neck against the Word, as these did in Zechariah’s day.

IS THERE PROFESSED FAITH OR PRACTICAL FRUIT?

“Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.”’”
(Zechariah‬ ‭7:8-10‬‬)

Outwardly, we come to worship, and profess our faith, but far too often, inwardly, our hearts are far from God.  Our hearts have not been prepared for encountering God.

These verses in Zechariah connect the two. Justice, mercy and compassion are essential heart preparations for worship.  If we are not in a right relationship with people we aren’t in a right relationship with God. Jesus told us when we bring our gift to the altar and remember our brother has ought against us, we must first go to them, and attempt reconciliation, before our worship will be acceptable.  John said that if we can’t love our brother whom we can see, how can we claim to love a God we cannot see?

The fact is that where bitterness, anger, and an unforgiving spirit are manifest, God will not manifest His presence.  Yet, it is not enough to seek to remove these relational cancers. We must actively pursue justice, mercy, and compassion.

IS THERE SELF-CENTEREDNESS OR GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS?

“Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, ‘Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?”’” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:4-7‬‬)

What they were doing was worthless.  It wasn’t worship, for it was not directed to God.  They were trying to earn points with Him.  That isn’t love.

The attitude in marriage would be, “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.”  We expect a quid pro quo. That’s a contractual partnership, not a covenant relationship!

With the Lord, it may be expressed this way, “Well God, I went to church today!  How many points do I get for that?”

God’s answer is, “Zero!”  Worship isn’t about us; it’s about God!  Yet, so much of our worship is about our preferences, our style of music, and how many spiritual goose bumps we get.

A man was leaving the church, complaining about the music.  “I didn’t like the hymns you chose today.”  The pastor simply said, “That’s okay; we weren’t singing them for you.”

The late William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God.”  Let us seek to offer that kind of worship!

IS THERE EMPTY RITUAL OR EXCITING REALITY?

“Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, ‘Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?’” (‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7:1-3‬‬)

Since the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple 70 years before, the people had a time of weeping and fasting for the judgment they had experienced.  Now, God in His grace, had returned them to the land.  The pressure was off and they wanted to focus their attention elsewhere.

How often we have been guilty of the same!  Difficulties drove us to God, but when they eased, our hearts turned from God.  Remember that sunny September 11, 2001, when the skies turned black from the smoke of jet fuel and ash as the twin towers were brought down by terrorists? Remember that first weekend as churches were filled?  How quickly we have forgotten!

Think about the implications of their questions: they were going through the motions of worship but were bored with it all.  It is like a mother waking a kid on Sunday morning and telling them it’s time to get ready for church.  “Aw, Mom, do I have to?”

Has the fire gone out of your relationship with God?  If it has, should you weep and fast—seeking the Lord—and the rekindling of that flame you once had?  Yes—and urgently!

THE STATE OF YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH

“Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah‬ ‭7:12‬‬)

Each year, I have a physical.  At my age you get poked and prodded—not something I look forward to—but, very important.  The doctor will examine me to determine the state of my physical health.

As we head into the final months of 2019, what is the state of your spiritual health?  It is an opportune time for us to take an examination.

Not only are we to be concerned about our spiritual health, but the health of the church—the body of Christ.  A healthy church has five focal points: worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and ministry.  These are the vital signs we must evaluate.

This week we are going to get under the X-ray of the Word of God.  The place to begin is in the area of worship—so crucial to spiritual health.  If we aren’t healthy here, we won’t be anywhere for this is the matter of the heart.  As you can see in the passage in Zechariah, the people had spiritual heart trouble.

Have you checked your pulse lately?  Does your heart beat with a passion for love for God?  Or, is there a hardening of the arteries—clogged with concern for the things of the world?

YAHWEH OUR MASTER

“Hear, all you peoples! Listen, O earth, and all that is in it! Let the Lord GOD be a witness against you, The Lord from His holy temple.” (Micah‬ ‭1:2‬‬)

As we conclude our study of the names of God found in the Old Testament, we consider the Hebrew word Adonai. In the English translation it is differentiated from Yahweh by being rendered with lower case, “Lord,” in contrast to, “LORD,” all in the upper case or as in the passage here, GOD (Yahweh), rather than God (Elohim).

Adon is the singular form and can refer to men and angels, as lords and princes. Adonai is the plural, literally, “Lords,” and most Bible scholars think it points to the manifold majesty of God, but I believe is also suggestive of God’s Triune being.

It is a name used hundreds of times in the Old Testament and points to God’s sovereign reign. He is the Master, Owner, and Ruler of all as the name suggests. Adonai is also seen in conjunction with Yahweh as in the text in Micah 1:2. In this passage, Yahweh, is translated GOD—all in capital letters. The Great I AM is Lord of all.

We should be reminded today that God is sovereign over all things. Nothing happens but by His permission and He has decreed that the end result will be for His glorious purposes. It is comforting to know in a world that often appears out of control that the Lord is firmly in control.

We can fall in brokenness and submission upon the Rock of God’s will and receive His grace, or we can resist and have that Rock of His will fall on us and break us in His judgment. In this we have a choice, but in God accomplishing what He has decreed there is no choice.

Paul assures us in Philippians 2:9-11 that someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. The holy angels of heaven will bow, the saints and sinners of men will bow, and even the demons of hell will bow. But, the only ones who will be saved then are those who confess He is Lord now.

YAHWEH IS PRESENT

“All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.” (Ezek.48:35)

The prophet had witnessed the glory of God depart from the Temple—a temple that would be destroyed.

“Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. And the cherubim lifted their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels were beside them; and they stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.” (10:18-19‬).

Ichabod—the Hebrew word meant, the glory is departed (see 1 Sam.4:21-22).

Now, at the end of Ezekiel’s visions, he sees a future day—a day that we await. In the final verse of the prophecy, we see Jerusalem when Christ returns, and the glory of God is manifest again.  The Hebrew term is, “Yahweh Shammah,” the LORD is there.  Yahweh is present with His people.

Even today, Christ is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. He promised, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (John‬ ‭14:16-18‬)

Wherever you go today, God is Yahweh Shammah. Whatever you may face, you do not face it alone, for God is there. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Heb.13:5b). God is with us, and someday soon we will see Him face to face, and abide in the fullness of His glory forever!

YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  (Jer.33:16)

Jesus said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.  Who among us could qualify?

Those were some of the most scrupulously religious people who ever lived. They read and memorized the Scriptures. They prayed three times a day and fasted twice a week. They paid tithes even of the herbs of their field. They would not even eat an egg that had been laid on the Sabbath Day!  The Pharisees were exceptional in religion, and yet lacking in righteousness.

The righteousness God demands is His righteousness. Heaven is a sinless place and God demands utter holiness. I am in trouble and so are you should we try to measure up.
 
The bad news is we all fall far short (Rom.3:23).  The penalty is death—the second death in hell (Rom.6:23a). By trying to keep God’s moral law, we merely show ourselves condemned.

The good news is that when we call on the name of the Lord, His righteousness is deposited into our account! Eternal life is a gift (Rom.6:23b).  Our sins are blotted out by the atoning blood of Christ and we are placed in right standing before God, possessing the very perfection of the Son of God, received by faith in Him and His finished work.  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:21‬)

Yahweh Tsidkenu! The LORD our Righteousness!

YAHWEH OF HOSTS

“Then Elijah said, ‘As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today.’” (1 Kings 18:15)

Yahweh Sabaoth, translated, “LORD of hosts,” is one of the most frequent names of God that we find in the Old Testament, being used about two hundred and fifty times.  It means that He is the Lord God of spiritual armies—Yahweh who rules over the angelic hosts.  These supernatural beings of incredible might and splendor are creations of the Lord.  Their allegiance is to Him and they move at His command.

In a number of ways, the angels are different than humans, yet in one way they are the same—they were created with free will, and with the capacity to obey God came the possibility to disobey.  As hard as it is to imagine, one-third of these heavenly beings follow Satan in his rebellion against God. The twelfth chapter of Revelation gives an overview of this cosmic clash as it  describes war in heaven.

 The outcome of the war is never in doubt.  Satan has no hope of vanquishing God. Yahweh sends forth His holy hosts of angel warriors, and the Devil is cast out. Satan still makes trouble for the church today, and will stir up one final war against Christ on earth, but at last he and his demonic army will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

In the text today, we find Elijah, the man of God standing alone against the power of the malevolent monarchs, King Ahab and his consort, the wicked Jezebel. Yet, he is fearless, for he knows he is not alone. His trust is in the LORD of Hosts.

Today, we also have angels watching over us. All about, unseen, are these mighty ones, ready to minister to the saints. Yet, we do not worship them and trust in them, but in their Maker and Commander, Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts!

YAHWEH OUR PEACE

“So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The- LORD - Is -Peace.” (Judges 6:24a)

God raised Gideon up to overthrow the Midianites that were oppressing Israel.  He felt inadequate—troubled and anxious—but, God gave him peace in his heart.  Thus, he memorializes that experience in constructing an altar and naming it Yahweh Shalom—the LORD our Peace.  It is a truth we ought treasure in our hearts today that leads us to worship that name!

Are you troubled today?  I think of the angelic announcement to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy….Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Lk.2:10a, 14).

God does not give peace apart from Himself. He gives Himself as our peace, “For He Himself is our peace,” (Eph.2:14).  Through Jesus we have “peace with God” (Rom.5:1) and in that reconciled relationship live in “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [that] will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:7).

Here is the promise of Christ, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John‬ ‭14:27‬).  I pray, “Now the God of peace be with you all.  Amen.” (Rom.15:33).

YAHWEH OUR SANCTIFIER

“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you.” (Leviticus‬ ‭20:7-8‬)

God is holy and we are commanded to be holy.  Yet, an outward standard alone is insufficient to accomplish this.  Paul acknowledged that frustration in Romans 7.

“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ... For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ... But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans‬ ‭7:14-15, 18, 23-24‬)

How many of us can testify to this wretched state—having a desire to keep God’s demand, and yet losing battle after battle to temptation.  It makes you want to give up.

Which is exactly where God wants us—as Luther sang,

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God's own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.

You have to give up to go up!  God never demands something from us without equipping us to do it.  He is our Sanctifier, Yahweh M’Kaddesh. The answer to Paul’s, “Who will deliver me?” is given in the next verse, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom.7:25) and the Apostle will go on to explain this spiritual power in chapter eight.

We have no excuse “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-4‬)