Questioning God

Today, I was thinking about the difference between "could have" and "should have".  Have you ever thought about this?  It's very subtle.  The phrase "could have" implies that a choice is involved and that two or more options were available.  For instance, if I said that "Last night at the restaurant, you could have had the steak."  My statement implies that you had options for dinner last night.  You could have had steak but instead you chose pizza. 

The phrase "should have" however is quite different.  It includes a moral clause indicating that a question of moral consequences or values is at stake.  If I said, "Last night on the way to the restaurant, you should have driven slower."  This statement implies that you were driving to fast.  You should have slowed down.  By it, I imply that you have a moral obligation to drive at a speed that is safe.  It is probable that you put myself and others in danger because of the speed of your driving.  Maybe you also drove through a construction zone or a neighborhood.  Thus, you might have risked possible injury to a worker or a child. 

The point is that "should have" entails a moral obligation that "could have" does not.  This distinction is important when we consider people in the Scriptures who questioned God.  In the book of Job, we are told that Job questioned God.  He did not understand why God allowed him to lose his family, servants, property.  He could not see what God might be attempting to do through such a tragedy.  Yet, Scripture teaches us that "in all of this he did not sin" (Job 1:22).  Thus, in principle, it also teaches us that we can question why God would allow certain things to happen or even why He chose to do specific things within our life or anothers.

This is because Job's statements were "could have" statements.  Job often spoke of God's infinite power, wisdom, and strength.  Thus, God "could have" done something different but instead He did not.  Job simply acknowledged this fact and stated to God that he did not understand.  God was capable of handling things differently but did not do so.

Another example of this occurs in John 11 in the story of the raising of Lazarus.  Both Martha and Mary state that "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (Jn 11:21, 32).  Thus, they acknowledge that Jesus could have done something differently.  Martha alone continues by stating that "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you" (Jn 11:22).

In both accounts, neither sinned.  Each questioned why God did not do something.  Each stated or implied that He could have done something.  Yet, neither sinned.  I think that this is key.  There is a fine line between bringing questions to God and questioning God.

When we bring our questions to God, we acknowledge that we do not understand.  We state that we are frustrated, angry, heart-broken, confused.  However, we acknowledge the power that He does possess and can use.  In both of these accounts, God restored life.  In Job, God restored a man back to a place of physical health and provided for him a new family and new possessions.  In John, Jesus, God's Son, raised Lazarus from the dead and thus restored the physical life of a dead man. 

Stating that God "could have" done something is not sinful.  However, stating that God "should have" done something is sinful.  This is because in doing so we take a stance of moral authority over God and claim to know what God "should have" done in a particular situation.  We claim to be in a position of moral superiority to God and state to Him what He should do.

Therefore, questioning God is a matter of our perspective.  When difficulties come, we need to ask ourselves whether or not we will remain true to God, placing our faith in His Son and in Him, or if we will choose to question Him and His motives.  Stating that God "should have" done something is always sinful. 

As difficulties come, bring your questions to God.  Pour out your heart before Him.  Let Him know that what has happened hurts and has left you confused and wounded.  Then remember the examples found in Scripture of Job, Mary, and Martha.  State emphatically that God is God and that He alone knows what is best in a given situation.  Job's unwillingness to do this eventually brought a rebuke from God (Job 38-39).  We can choose to be different.

Choose today to remember the difference between "could have" and "should have" statements.  It will make a difference in your attitude and faithfulness toward your Creator.  Make sure that your questions to God are not questioning God.

Joshua

Transfigured - Do You Get It?

This morning I want us to consider the account of the Transfiguration. This will be a Bible Study. So, open your Bibles to the book of Mark and let's jump in. Our passage is found in Mark 9:1-8 where it says,

And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."

Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. (NASB)

First of all, we need to ask ourselves, "What is the purpose of this story?" Why is in the Bible? Many are familiar with it but rarely stop to ponder why its in the Bible. The answer, I believe is given in the very next verse, verse 9, where it says that Jesus "gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen". Certainly, this at first, may seem very odd. However, Jesus often told His disciples these kinds of things because He did not want others to know that He was the Messiah. It is referred to by scholars as the "Messianic Secret". Jesus had to get to the cross and He had to die via crucifixion. If He did not, He would not have been the perfect sacrifice for all sin and thus His mission would have been ruined. Therefore, He says in verse 9 to wait until He has risen from the dead to tell anyone what had happened - including the other disciples.

However, the purpose of this account to Peter, James, and John was not to simply show them something before He was killed but to reveal something important before He was killed. In Mark 8, we read several accounts of confusion among the disciples. They are confused about the Man, the Message, and the Mission. They had been confused about whom He Himself was until Peter finally made the Good Confession (Mk 8:27-30). They had been confused about His teachings (Mk 8:15-21). They were even still confused about His reason for coming because even when He told them that He was going to die, He was rebuked by Peter (Mk 8:31-33). Yet, with all of this confusion, the time of His death was growing closer. In fact, in just 2 Chapters in Mark 11 we read of the Triumphal Entry, the first day of His final week often referred to as the Passion Week.

Therefore, time was short. His closest men had to "get the picture". The Transfiguration is a wake-up call to the spiritually blind disciples who should have figured these things out by now. You can almost sense the frustration in Jesus' words leading up to this account and you hear audibly God's insistence in His voice when He says "Listen to Him!" (Mk 9:7). So, from this we can conclude that the purpose of the Transfiguration was to prove once and for all that Jesus was God. He was the Promised Messiah. He was the Anointed One, the Son of David, the Son of God.

So, our next question should logically be "So, how did God go about revealing His Son in the most powerful way possible?" This is a fascinating thing to me. There is a real dichotomy here. God wanted to use any means necessary to demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ but He will not simply say it. He cannot impede upon the disciples Free Will to decide. If He force feeds this to them, they will have to accept Him. God wants them to accept Him by faith yet He will go to any extreme to teach them exactly who Jesus is.

So, let's examine the evidence. First, let's think where they go. Jesus takes them up on a mountain. To a Jew, God was up so a mountain is closer to God than the ground is. Jews ascended mountains in order to meet God. We read a lot of accounts of this in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself went up on a mountain to pray. Jews also learn via symbols, not bulleted point outlines and acronyms. This is a difference between Eastern and our Western ways of learning. Eastern people describe God symbolically (i.e. Rock, Mountain, Fortress, Living Water) and therefore taught one another through symbols. God uses strong symbols to teach the disciples about Jesus. Therefore, the mere fact that they were taken up on a mountain was supposed to tell them something (i.e. We are going to go close to God)

Second, let's think about what they see. Jesus is changed physically. Thus, there is an unveiling of who He really is. He's not the physical "body" you have come to know (This is probably why there is no mention of His outward appearance in the NT). He is in fact Someone Spiritual. He is a Spirit. He is God. His clothing is bright white - a symbol of purity. He is a pure and holy Spiritual being.

He also meets 2 men: Moses and Elijah. Why these 2? I believe it was because they represent both the Law and the Prophets. Jews describe what we call the OT as the "Law and the Prophets". Jesus called Scripture by this name too. Thus, Moses represents the Law because it was given to Him. Elijah represents the ultimate prophet.

Side note: What event did each of these men experience on top of a mountain? For Moses, He both received the 10 Commandments (Exo 20) and was shown God's glory (Exo 33). Elijah destroyed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah in order to bring the hearts of Gods people back to Himself (1 Ki 18). These two incredible accounts both happened on a mountain.

Let's continue. They also see Jesus speaking to these men as if He already knows them. Certainly an indication of Jesus' Eternal nature (something only God has) and an evidence for the afterlife (which is probably why the disciples begin discussing the resurrection on their descent down the mountain). It is at this point that Peter, who always seems to place his foot in his mouth, speaks up and not knowing what to say offers to build 3 tabernacles. All are frightened. This intensifies as God approaches. God comes to them in a cloud - an OT allusion to the cloud that led Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

Third, let's think about what they hear. They heard the very voice of God saying audibly, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!" In Mark 1:11 God has said audibly "You are My Beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." Now, His words contain the emphatic phrase "Listen to Him!" In other words, "Wake-up and smell the roses. Don’t you get it? What else do I need to do to convince you?" God's frustration echoes Jesus' frustrations previously stated by Jesus.

The disciples now have been given as near conclusive proof of who Jesus is as is possible. They have seen Him transfigured, seen Him speak to Moses and Elijah, and heard the very voice of God Himself.

The question, we need to ask ourselves is "Do we get it?" Are we so hard-headed that we say we know who Jesus is but in reality deny Him by our words, actions, or lifestyle? You and I must live life in the reality that Jesus is the Christ, the risen Son of God. If you have rejected Him to this point, what is it going to take for you to accept Him? What more does God need to do? If you have accepted Him, what's it going to take for you to live life like you truly know Him? I think God says to each of us this morning…

Do you get it?

Joshua