Selah2020: Pause and Reflect

[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during November 2020]

In 1 Kings we read that “King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea”. “The king had a fleet of trading ships at sea along with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years it returned carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and peacocks.” In this way his maritime adventures brought great wealth to Solomon.

Jehoshaphat, a later king of Judah who is described as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord, also built a fleet of trading ships. He had intended to replicate the success of Solomon’s ventures but this second fleet was wrecked at Ezion Geber before it had got very far.

Why is it that some ventures succeed and others fail? Both were initiated by godly men so those who wish to learn from these events must look elsewhere. Perhaps it was the destination – Solomon’s cargoes came from Ophir, often identified with an area to the east of India. Jehoshaphat’s fleet was intended to go to Tarshish, in southern Spain. (You will recall that Jonah tried the same, with no greater success.) Surely it was not realistic to send ships based at a Red Sea port to southern Spain before the days of the Suez Canal, especially when Joppa offered a more direct route.
Are there times when we let our ambitions override God-given common sense?

The Biblical accounts tell us that it was in fact the kings’ choice of partner which was key to the success or failure of their respective ventures. Solomon’s sailors worked with those of Hiram, a man who at least recognised and respected the Lord, the God of Israel, whereas Jehoshaphat chose Ahaziah, a man whose ways are described as wicked. Jehoshaphat was told “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made” [2 Chronicles 20 v37].

Is there a lesson here? You may not be planning to go down to the sea in ships, or even to venture outside your own front door right now. As we have seen so dramatically this year:

“The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm for ever, the purposes of his heart through all generations” [Psalm 33].

Are His plans your plans too?

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[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during November 2020]

The Biblical book of Hebrews opens with these words:

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed Heir of all things. [AKJV]

There is some debate about who was the author of this book, and several different theories have been propounded. Although both Peter and Luke have been suggested, the most common argument seems to be that they are the words of the apostle Paul, despite the book differing from the structure of his other epistles.

Perhaps it is a transcript of a sermon that he delivered in person and therefore it omits the personal greetings that Paul usually included. Alternatively, perhaps the text that we have is incomplete and one day, as with the Dead Sea Scrolls, someone will come across the missing information. Either way, God has deemed that it is not necessary for us to know and for nearly two thousand years Christians have accepted these words as having been inspired by the Holy Spirit.

As examples of the ‘diverse’ ways in which God speaks we might consider two people whose birthdays fall on this date. William Hogarth (b. 1697) became a leading English painter during the 18th century. He produced several series of paintings with moral themes, in which he often quoted Biblical passages and brought them to the attention of his contemporaries. Unfortunately his familiarity with the Bible does not appear to have had any lasting impact on his personal life.

Martin Luther (b. 1483) also became very familiar with the Bible. Through his studies, he came to believe that salvation is the free gift of God through faith in Christ as redeemer. He quoted verses that upset the established church and led to the Reformation which started the formation of the protestant church. He wrote the hymn that we know as

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing”

Is our familiarity with the Bible just a guide to a moral life or do we see more than that? Are we willing to hear God speaking to us through the records of His dealings with His people and the life of His Son?

“God’s truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.”

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[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 08/Nov/2020]

One of my favourite Old Testament passages is the description of the River of Life flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47 v 1-12). The river flowed out from the temple towards the East. After 1,000 cubits (around a quarter of a mile) it was ankle deep; after another 1,000 cubits it was knee deep; after another 1,000 cubits it was up to the waist and finally after another 1,000 cubits it was deep enough to swim in –a great river no-one could cross.

Centuries after this prophecy Jesus said: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7 v 38,39).

I do not like cold water and when on holiday with David I watch him jump straight into the pool, while I lower myself into it very slowly. Getting from ankle deep to knee deep is not too bad, but it takes me much longer to get up to my waist and the hard-est part of all is getting the water past my heart and up to my neck. Yet all the time I am hesitating and shivering, I am unable to enjoy the pool. It is only once I am in it up to my neck that I can start to swim and get warm.

All too often we are like that with the Holy Spirit, content to get our feet wet, perhaps even wade in up to our waists, but too frightened to let him take control of our hearts and our lives. I have often held back through fear, but I do know that on those occasions when I have been able to take a leap of faith and trust God, I have never regretted it.

Psalm 34 v 8 says “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

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[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during November 2020]

What can be said about the 5th November which has not been said so many times already? This date, in English culture at least, has become linked with the name Guy and it is probably inevitable that our attention will be focussed on those who carry that name^[1].

Leaving aside the fictional French food fanatic, Guy de Michelin, we might think of Guy de Maupassant, the 19th century French writer of very popular short stories. His writings made him rich and he was also known for his quotations, one of which was “It is the lives we encounter that make life worth living.” Can we, as members of a church congregation, echo that thought? Especially at a time of separation, it is our friendships and fellowship that help us to encourage each other. Ultimately, of course, it is the life of Christ that makes our lives worth living.

Thomas Guy was born into humble circumstances in London in 1644. In due course he became a bookseller, initially importing Bibles from Holland and later producing Bibles under contract to the University of Oxford. Did his familiarity with the Bible extend to valuing its contents or was it for him just a commercial opportunity? To what extent do we recognise any value in the Bible as God’s word or is it just one of those books on a shelf somewhere?

Later Thomas Guy became a benefactor of St Thomas’s Hospital and then a founder of Guy’s Hospital. What motivated his generosity? Maybe he had read the sermon on the mount where Jesus said:

“ let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” [Matthew 5:16]

‘Good works’ will not get us into heaven; rather, it is our confidence about heaven that encourages us to do good works whilst we wait.

This coming weekend includes the time of national remembrance, when we think of those who have given their lives in the service of their country. One of those was Guy Gibson, leader of the RAF Dambusters squadron during World War II. He was later killed in action.

Are you in active service on the Lord’s side? Do your good works say more about you than about Him? How will you be remembered?

[1] See also Whose Guy are You?, November 2018

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[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during November 2020]

In the seafaring world there is a rite known as ‘crossing the line’. It is a form of initiation for mariners who cross the equator for the first time; they are presented to King Neptune who then accords them the status of fully-fledged seafarers. Its origins are lost in time but it is believed to date back to at least the Phoenician sea traders, maybe as long ago as 2500BC. I recall one such ceremony in the late 1950s, when King Neptune came aboard to oversee the festivities, which included the inductees engaging in balloon fights whilst balanced on a greasy pole suspended over the ship’s swimming pool.

In modern parlance, ‘crossing the line’ has acquired a more serious meaning. It is often used for an action that goes beyond the limits of prevailing social expectations. However, if enough people cross the line frequently enough then the lines will move. Similarly, people involved in treaty negotiations often claim to have certain fixed objectives, variously called red lines or lines in the sand, from which they are unwilling to retreat. The trouble with lines in the sand is that the tide comes in and the lines disappear.

In Exodus 19 we read of how God instructed Moses to set a boundary around the base of Mt Sinai. God was about to deliver the Ten Commandments and He needed to impress upon the people the sanctity of the occasion. There were severe consequences for any man or beast who crossed that line.

There is another meaning for crossing the line. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews alluded to it when he said: “let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us”. In a sporting context, crossing the line means that the immediate effort of the race is over, the runner can relax and be thankful for what has been achieved. That writer likened the Christian life to a race but we should be encouraged that is not a sprint where the only winner is the one who crosses the line first; rather is more like a marathon where all those who finish the course are winners and the only losers are those who don’t try.

We have not crossed the finishing line yet. What have you got lined up for the rest of the day?

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