Sitting with Slavery

There’s nothing quite like storytelling—whether written or pictorial—to give us cause to think deeply. Something about being confronted with the depiction of an event sears it into our brains by making us feel the emotions it involves. This was my experience while watching the first episode of The Long Song on PBS’s Masterpiece. A miniseries based on a novel about the end of slavery in Jamaica, the show conveys the horrible reality of slavery and racism with unexaggerated frankness.

Human beings literally being treated as animals, demeaned, grieved, abused in every possible way and the utter blindness among slave owners to the fact that there was anything at all wrong with this way of life—watching it was disturbing to the core. The episode wasn’t the first dramatization of slavery I had viewed, but it hit the hardest.

As with many other uncomfortable images, my first instinct was to try to block them out and think of something more pleasant, but something inside me made me stop and feel the discomfort for a while. Many times when I see fictional scenes that are disturbing, I can rationalize my way out of the unsettling feelings by thinking, “It’s just a story; that didn’t really happen.” But with The Long Song I couldn’t do that. Even though the particular people portrayed might be fictional, the situations that were dramatized would have been the real-life experience of countless human beings who found themselves enslaved and enslaving.

And I couldn’t help but wonder, with queasy stomach, if my slave-owning ancestors had thought of and talked to and touched the human beings they enslaved in the ways the characters in The Long Song did. This is a question I will likely never know the answer to, and if I did and the answer was “yes,” there would be absolutely nothing I could do to change it, just as there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the fact that some of my great-great-(etc.)-grandparents in Virginia bought and sold human beings as if they were animals. So why bother to think about it?

I think sitting in the discomfort for a moment is important for several reasons, but before we get into those, it seems important to mention what those reasons do not include. Letting ourselves feel uneasy or uncomfortable just for the sake of feeling uncomfortable is not what I have in mind. Neither is doing so for the sake of manufacturing some sort of guilt for sins we did not personally commit (for more on that, see my earlier post on apologies). But our resistance to feelings-for-feelings’-sake and to misplaced shame should not cause us to swing to the polar opposite side, refusing to acknowledge the pain of past wrongs and to take stock of our own lives to keep watch that we do not engage in sinful mindsets or behaviors ourselves.

Ignoring the brutal realities of slavery and the racist worldview that allowed it to thrive is a dangerous precedent just as forgetting any other part of history is. It is common to hear talk about remembering the Holocaust so that we make sure it never happens again, but somehow there seems to be reluctance among many to take the same attitude toward race-based slavery, as if the root of prejudice and thinking others to be beneath us is not within our fallen hearts.

Feeling the weight of the wrongs committed against enslaved people also helps us reckon with the fact that people are complicated. No one does only good or only bad. We all have the capacity for good and evil within us, and this is as true of the people of history as it is of people today. Even the most esteemed people of the past should not be treated as infallible; neither should one form of sin keep us from recognizing the good elements of someone’s life.[i] When we’re studying history, we should keep this perspective, acknowledging the good and the evil that people did as what they are and celebrating the good while repudiating the bad—even when those things coexist within a single historical figure’s life. (For more on this, see another previous post.)

As Christians, thinking on the dark period of transatlantic slavery is also instructive in our spiritual growth because it shows us how easy it is to be horribly, terribly wrong when it comes to our interpretation and application of Scripture. A whole society of God-fearing, Bible-reading people misinterpreted one passage in Genesis and thus saw nothing wrong with subjecting other people to slavery just because of their ancestry. Even worse, they thought it was by God’s direction that Africans be enslaved.[ii] This should cause us to have great humility when it comes to handling God’s Word. We must take great care that we do not abuse Scripture, forcing it to fit into our own agenda.

Yet another reason we shouldn’t shy away from truly feeling disturbed at the brutal realities of slavery is so that we don’t become hardened to evil or calloused to those who suffer because of it. Allowing ourselves to feel discomfort rather than quickly turning away helps us strengthen our muscles of empathy and compassion whereby we are able to enter into the suffering of others and show them the love of Christ by walking alongside them.

So the next time we encounter depictions or factual accounts of the horrors of slavery, let’s not be quite so quick to brush them aside. Instead, let’s sit a moment and allow the emotions to serve as an impetus to engage our minds. Think on what keeps us from falling into the same sins our forebears did, on the complex reality of human character and behavior, on the vital importance of rightly understanding the Word of God, and on how we can better serve others by feeling their pain with them. This doesn’t mean dwelling on the darkness all the time, but rather using the weight of the darkness to drive us toward spiritual growth. Sitting with slavery isn’t pleasant, but it can increase maturity if only we let it.    

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[i] It should be noted that here I am talking about our evaluation as humans of other humans in the context of historical study, not the judgment of humans by God. Even one sin, not to mention the sinful nature that we are all born with and that taints every action, is enough to condemn a person before the holy God, and only through Jesus’ sacrifice can a person be in right standing before God.

[ii] For more about this, see The Gospel & Racial Reconciliation (2016), series editors Russell Moore and Andrew T. Walker.

Trusting God When Obedience Makes Things Worse

Many people are familiar with the account of the Exodus, i.e. God’s deliverance of the Israelite people from slavery in Egypt, but often our summaries of it hit only “the highlights,” jumping from the burning bush to the plagues to the parting of the Red Sea. Having fled to the wilderness after killing an Egyptian, Moses encounters God at the burning bush and receives the command to return to Egypt, confront Pharaoh, and demand that the Israelites be released from their 400-year-long slavery. No big deal, right? Moses obeys but only after arguing with God about his lack of qualifications for such a prominent role, and he finally gathers up his family to head back to Egypt.

The next highlight we typically jump to is the ten plagues that God sends upon the Egyptians as Pharaoh repeatedly (and predictably, thanks to God’s giving a Moses a heads-up that this would happen) refuses to listen to God’s command as spoken through Moses and his brother Aaron. Eventually, after the first Passover, when God provided a way of salvation for the Hebrews from the angel of death who was to kill every firstborn son, Pharaoh finally let the Israelites leave but not without having yet another change of heart and pursuing them to the Red Sea, where God parted the waters to let the Israelites pass through safely before flooding the Egyptian army.

But in between the burning bush and the plagues is Exodus chapter 5, and it contains an important lesson if we pause long enough to look. When chapter 5 occurs, Moses has just returned to Egypt, and he and Aaron make their first visit to Pharaoh to request a several-day reprieve for the Israelites so they may travel to the wilderness to offer sacrifices to God. At the time, Pharaoh has the Israelites performing the particularly grueling task of making bricks from straw that was provided to them, and he sees the brothers’ request as a ploy to get his slaves out of doing their forced labor for a few days. In response, he not only denies the request, but he orders that the Israelites be forced to gather their own straw for the bricks. And on top of that he demands that they meet the same daily quota as when the straw was provided.

Understandably, the Israelites were furious and took out their anger on Moses and Aaron: “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us” (Exodus 5:21, ESV). Moses had returned to bring deliverance to his people and instead found that his actions—actions taken in obedience to God—had brought greater hardship upon them. What was up with that? Obedience is supposed to bring blessing, right?

Moses did what we would expect any human to do in his situation. He had done what God told him to do, and now the people he was trying to help were turning on him, so he turned right around and questioned God about it. “Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, ‘O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all’” (Exodus 5: 22-23, ESV). I don’t know about you, but that sounds like exactly what I would say if I had done what God told me to do and had found the opposite effect from what I was expecting.

Today, we have the benefit of knowing what would happen next, how God would keep His promise and rescue the Israelites from bondage, but I think it’s important that we don’t immediately jump in our minds to the end of the story and instead sit a moment with Moses at the end of chapter 5. He had been obedient. He had taken great personal risk and gone through tremendous upheaval to do what God told him to do. And here he was faced with a reality that looked nothing like what God had promised. There was no deliverance; instead, there was increased abuse. It would have been easy for him at that point to give up, turn his back on God, and say, “Well there’s no point in continuing now. I was obviously wrong to believe things would actually get better.” But in taking his doubts and frustrations to God, he kept his heart open to hear God’s reply.

Right after Moses confronts God with “you have not delivered your people at all” (5:23), God replies with a striking first word: “Now.” He says, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land” (Exodus 6:1, ESV). It wasn’t that God hadn’t delivered on His promise. It was just that God hadn’t completed the delivery of His promise yet. God had told Moses back at the burning bush (Exodus 3) that Pharaoh would refuse to let the Hebrews go at first. On the way to Egypt (Exodus 4), He gave Moses a heads-up about the final plague—the killing of Pharaoh’s firstborn son. But God never promised immediacy or revealed the exact timeline for these events to occur. He never promised that things wouldn’t get worse before they got better, and Moses had to trust that the pieces God had told him would happen would still happen even though they hadn’t happened yet.

God in His mercy met Moses at his point of doubt and graciously reminded him of the long-standing relationship He had had with the Hebrew people through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He speaks to Moses in the past tense (“I appeared […] I also established my covenant”), in the present tense (“I am the LORD”), and in the future tense (“I will bring you out […] I will deliver you […] I will redeem you”), impressing upon him the power and faithfulness of God throughout time and showing him that he was just one small piece in an overarching chronicle of God’s relationship with mankind (Exodus 6:2-8). With this reminder Moses’ faith is bolstered, and he chooses to continue walking in obedience to God, even though the Israelites were not convinced (Exodus 6:9). He chooses to trust God and take Him at His word.

We know from 2 Timothy 3:16 that every part of Scripture is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” and I can’t help but think that Exodus 5 and 6 are included in the Bible to help us grow in our faith—to challenge us to remember God’s faithfulness to keep His promises even when it seems like He’s forgotten about them and to encourage us during times when our obedience seems to make things worse rather than better. God’s plan will never fail. His faithfulness will never falter. Our job is to remain steadfast in obedience—regardless of what backlash we receive—to reflect the goodness, glory, and faithfulness of God to a watching world.

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Leila Coblentz. Used with permission.

Grieving Well: A Conversation with Tish Crook

I met Tish Crook several years ago through church, and for the past few years we have served together in our church’s Resource Center where she now serves as the inaugural Resource Center Director for the Mallard Creek Campus. Although trained as an electrical engineer, Tish recently changed careers from working in the telecommunications industry to becoming a Funeral Director alongside her sister in their family business, Harrisburg Funeral & Cremation. Tish’s family ministered to my own as we mourned the loss of my grandfather four years ago, and her caring heart continues to be an encouragement to many.

Tish has a passion for helping others to grieve well, and in today’s post she shares her heart on this issue. Last year brought a lot of loss—in a variety of forms—to many, and while we are ready to close the chapter of 2020, it’s important that we not close up our grief with it and instead move forward through grief to reach healing. Today I invite you to join Tish and me as we discuss the importance of the process of grief.    

Olivia: Why is grieving important? What is the harm in avoiding the process of grief?

Tish: Grieving is important because it helps your body process physically, mentally, and spiritually the emotional pain of a loss or death. Avoiding the grief process can have impacts on your physical, mental, and spiritual health. The impacts of avoiding grief affect people differently. Some people withdraw emotions, which negatively impacts current relationships or hinders connecting in new relationships. Some people develop anxiety or fear of others they love passing away. Others start to question their faith in God, especially if the loss is unexpected, violent, or unexplained. 

I have personally avoided the grieving process. When my grandmother passed away in 2014, I took on a role of caring for others in my family, making sure my parents had food, and scheduling every moment of the day until the pain of losing my grandmother had been numbed and buried in my list of to-dos. Unfortunately, through the years that followed, I would get massive bouts of anxiety at the slightest medical issue with another family member. I would drop everything to take care of them, at times exhibiting self-sacrificing behaviors trying to make sure I thought of every possible way to help them or the situation. It left me physically exhausted, more anxious and stressed, and realizing I had a trust issue with God.  So in 2019, five years after losing my grandmother, I went through the grieving process to heal and restore my physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Olivia: Should grieving look the same for everyone?

Tish: Grieving is different from person to person. It has to do with how they grew up, their cultural practices, and their willingness to go through the process. Grief requires you to go through emotions that are painful and uncomfortable. 

Olivia: How does being a Christian inform the way you serve grieving families?

Tish: As Christians, we are called to serve others. Just like Jesus, we serve sinners, saints, and everyone in between. All the families we serve know we are Christian. We state it on our website, and scripture is on the walls at our funeral home. Our goal is to be the light of Jesus Christ no matter what the beliefs are of the families. We give the same compassion and care to each family and let them know before they leave that we are praying for them. With Christian families, we can openly pray, repeat God’s truths, and point them to Jesus as their strength and peace during the grieving process. For non-Christian families, we make sure we let the Holy Spirit guide our words and actions. Again, we want to be the light of Christ, and that can only be seen when we are letting the Holy Spirit guide us.

Olivia: What are some resources you would suggest for those wanting to grieve well?

Tish: First I would suggest reaching out to your pastor. They may be able to guide you to church resources. Some churches have bereavement and counseling ministries that can help.

Second, I would suggest chatting with a trusted friend or family member. Sometimes, talking through your feelings with someone that you feel safe being vulnerable with is enough to help someone move forward.

I went through a program called GriefShare (www.griefshare.org). It helped me tremendously. It had people that shared their grief experience. It was great to hear people articulate the feelings that I was going through but didn’t have the words to label them.

Lastly, I would suggest seeking the help of a professional counselor or therapist if you feel stuck or are really struggling to process the loss. A couple of books that I would recommend are Grieving with Hope: Finding Comfort as You Journey through Loss by Kathy Leonard and Sam Hodges and What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts) by Nancy Guthrie.

I pray this conversation has encouraged you to work through whatever grief you are facing this year, to know you are not alone, to reach out to those around you for support, and to persevere to a place of healing. If you live in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area and need the services that Tish and her family provide through their business/ministry, I would highly recommend contacting them. You can find out more at their website: www.harrisburgfc.com 

Praying for America: Is It Worth It? (2021 Edition)

This past week I have been intentionally limiting my consumption of news and social media to spend time with my fiancé during the last week of his visit before we are once again separated by thousands of miles, so I do not find myself able to offer informed commentary on the events occurring in the nation’s capital city. However, I have seen enough to know that America is still in turmoil and that the foundations of state and federal constitutional governments and the rule of law are under assault.

So instead of offering political commentary or even moral commentary on current events, I’m going to share this post, originally written in 2016, as an encouragement to all of us to double down in prayer for our nation during this time when it can seem like it’s easier to throw up our hands and say, “Well, this is the beginning of the end.” It may be, or it may be the end of the beginning. And either way, our responsibility is still the same. Will you join me in prayer during these uncertain days?

I’m guessing the title of this post might have raised a few eyebrows, especially from the most patriotic among us. How could you even ask that question?! some might be thinking. Of course it’s worth it!

Yes, I agree that it is. But sometimes it’s really, really hard. 

Perhaps I should start at the beginning…

There are those that hold to the idea that America was a “Christian nation” at the time of its founding and has since slipped away to the point of its no longer being one. (In case you were wondering, I am not one of those people, but that’s a topic for another post…) Those who profess this view are usually the most outspoken about praying for America, with the goal of returning the country to its [supposed] former Christian glory. Citing 2 Chronicles 7:14, they often seem to promote prayer as a bargaining chip with which they can secure God’s favor and healing for the nation.

This type of talk has always left me with an unsettled feeling (and not just because of the questionable application of the 2 Chronicles verse), for it tends to present the assumption that if only we would increase our morality we would deserve God’s blessings and He would necessarily pour them out on us. Of course, to be fair, the element of genuine repentance is not always absent from such calls to prayer, but even it is often portrayed as a means to the end of God’s favor.

After some time of observing this perspective exhibited, I began to think about the justice of God. Knowing that America is not God’s chosen nation (again, a topic for another post), I began to feel it rather arrogant of any Americans to assume that we were due any special consideration from God at all. When you look at all the ways America has spat in the face of God and has lived directly counter to His Law, not just in the past few decades but over the whole course of our history as a nation—and even through our colonial history, it becomes a wonder that God has been as merciful and gracious to us as He has.

Also knowing that there is no Scriptural guarantee that America will continue to exist for any particular length of time and that there is a Scriptural guarantee that things will only continue to get more wicked and lawless as time goes on, it should not be alarming or surprising to us that immorality is as rampant as it is. It was as I began to ponder these things that I began to ask the question, “Is it worth it?” We know things are supposed to get worse before Christ returns, so what good will praying for things to get better do? And how can we be so daring as to ask the almighty, righteous God of all space and time to continue to be merciful to a nation so broken and belligerent as ours?

But then I heard J.D. Greear preach at the Southern Baptist Convention in 2015. His sermon was about judging and how misconstrued that term often is in our society. In describing the true meaning of the word, he gave a litmus test to show whether or not we are truly judging someone. One of the tests was whether or not we brush off a person (or nation of people) as hopeless, as beyond saving. If we do this, then we are judging them. And judging people is not our job; it’s God’s.

Ouch. In hearing this message, the Holy Spirit convicted me that in this way I was guilty of judging my fellow human beings in many instances. Even in my approach to thinking about America, I was guilty of this. As I looked at all the evil in our nation, cynicism rose up, and I began to think it not even worth asking God to spare us one more time.

But who am I to decide when God’s judgment will or should be poured out?

Yes, things are going to get worse and worse, but that does not mean that God will not relent for a time. The Bible is full of examples of God’s postponing or relenting from judgment because someone cried out to Him on behalf of the people. And that is totally His prerogative. Who am I to try to dictate God’s timeline?

And who am I to identify someone as beyond saving? I, whom God would have been totally justified in condemning, have been forgiven and pardoned instead. So if God saw fit to have mercy on me, then why would He not be willing to have mercy on this nation?

As I came to recognize, assigning condemnation to others not only is sinning against them but also is usurping the authority of Almighty God and is failing to ascribe to Him the characteristics with which He describes Himself: “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6, ESV). Heaven forbid that we presume such an assault on the character of God. After all, it is this very character that is the basis from which we can cry out to God for mercy in the first place. He is merciful because of Who He is, not because of who we are or what we have done.

So to answer the question of the title: yes. Praying for America is most definitely worth it because we know that our God is merciful even as He is just. And while we cannot be sure of what His answer will be, we can—and should—still plead wholeheartedly for our nation, asking that God will awaken hearts and minds to the Truth of His Gospel.

Let us pray, then, for the Church in America, that God will drive us out of our complacency and apathy to fulfill our calling of making disciples. Let us pray that God will be merciful to us and to those who are His enemies as we once were. Let us pray that His kindness will draw them to repentance (Romans 2:4) and that they will experience the abundant joy that is ours in Christ Jesus. Let us pray for God to do a mighty work in this country, not only for our good, but ultimately for His glory.

An Unusual Reminder to Encounter and Embrace Differences

Where I live now, the grass stays green pretty much year-round. Aside from eleven years of my life when I lived in Memphis, Tennessee, this has always been the case. In Memphis, the only grass you’ll find is Bermuda grass, which has the unfortunate characteristic of turning brown in winter, making Memphis winters especially dreary—the grass is brown; the trees are brown; even the roads are brown rather than black.

So when my dad posted a picture of our yard on social media a few weeks ago, our Memphis friends were amazed. How was our grass so green?! See, for many of them, brown Bermuda grass in winter is all they’ve ever known. Fescue grass that stays green all year is a novelty—something they hadn’t even known to think of.

I don’t say this to belittle them or their experience in any way. I had the exact (yet opposite) experience when we moved to Memphis—Brown grass? What is this? Green grass (and black roads) were all I’d ever known. But their reactions got me thinking. It’s been less than ten years since I left Memphis, but I’ve already become so reaccustomed to green grass, curvy roads, rolling hills, etc. that I’ve started to forget that everywhere is not like here. 

My family moved to the Memphis area from southwestern Virginia when I was ten years old. At ten, I was old enough to be well aware that this new home of ours was different—very different. And I loved learning about the things—big and small—that made west Tennessee distinct from the East Coast states I had known. Experiencing the differences in culture, topography, food, language, and accent that existed even between two areas of the same country helped me grow in many ways.

Learning that not everyone does things the way I do, says things the way I do, or experiences things the way I do helped me widen my perspective, deepen my awareness, heighten my curiosity, and broaden my capacity for showing empathy. This has aided me tremendously in years since as I have interacted with people from various places and backgrounds (and as I prepare to move to the other side of the globe).

So why do I share all of this with you in the last week of 2020? Because I’d like to encourage you as we head into a new year to think outside the box and not assume that everything in your current experience would be the same in any other place. This might seem obvious to some of you. After all, most people already know that everywhere is not like home. But it’s when you find those things you didn’t even know to think about that your horizons truly start to broaden.

When you learn that some people eat biscuits instead of rolls (not to mention that not everyone means the same thing when they say “biscuit”), that some cultures have groom-centered weddings rather than bride-centered ones, that people in most places think putting ice in drinks is weird, that engagements don’t happen the same way in every culture, that there are other kinds of dressing than the kind made with cornbread, that not everyone knows that restaurants can have drive-thru service, that people from some regions actually like unsweet tea (or sweet tea), that some cultures think shorts are immodest but low-cut shirts aren’t and others think the opposite, that some places have sirens to warn of tornados and others don’t, that to some people “iced coffee” is synonymous with “Frappuccino,” that not everyone knows what a bridal shower/baby shower is, etc., etc.—that’s when the real growth happens.

Simply put, there are things out there in the world that you don’t know you’re missing—just like I and my Memphis friends didn’t know there were different kinds of grass that behaved differently in winter—and the only way you’ll know is if you encounter them yourself or cultivate a curiosity that leads you to ask someone who has. Travel is of course one of the best ways to encounter different environments. International travel will give you the biggest exposure to differences, but travel within the same country or even the same state will, in many cases, provide just as much interaction with new things. If you are unable to travel, don’t worry—hope is not lost! Books, photos, and videos from the library or the internet can help you in your quest to grow through knowing more about the beautiful variety of God’s world and the people that inhabit it.

And another resource—perhaps the best one of all—is the people you know whom God has brought into your life. Whom do you know that has traveled abroad? Whom do you know that has grown up in a different environment than yours? Who has moved around a lot? Who has a different family size than yours? Who lives in a different climate? Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about their experience or about their physical environment, past or present. I’d like to encourage you: before year’s end, try to think of one person you could talk to who would help you expand your understanding of life outside your own bubble.

If I am that person for you, I’d be happy to talk. For many people, I’m the only person they know who is marrying an Arab and/or moving to the Middle East, so I have had multiple conversations with different friends and acquaintances who have questions about all sorts of things relating to those experiences. Since our very first date, my fiancé and I have held to this two-fold principle: don’t assume anything and don’t think any question is stupid. I’ve asked him things like, “Do you have taco seasoning over there?” or “Would you get in trouble if you just go down the street and pick up trash?” Sometimes the answers are not what I would have expected; that’s why it’s important to just go ahead and ask instead of assuming. So if you have questions about something I can speak to, you can ask whatever they are with the complete assurance that I won’t think you’re stupid for asking. 

It's always a great time to learn something new. And as we face a new year, let’s determine to expand our understanding of the world outside our neighborhood. Let’s open ourselves to the possibilities that await when we encounter people and places different from what we already know. Speaking from experience, I’d say when we look back a year from now, we’ll find that our lives have become all the richer as a result. 

Glorying in the Greatest Gradual Reveal of All

A few months ago, in another post, we used a passage from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to lead us into considering how God’s withholding from us knowledge of how everything in our lives is going to play out is actually a blessing, despite our feelings to the contrary. We saw how a gradual reveal is evidence of His mercy and grace in our lives. Today, I’d like to revisit that idea but with a twist. I’d like to draw your minds to ponder a gradual reveal more dramatic and astounding than any other in the history of mankind—the gradual reveal of Christmas.

For followers of Jesus, the account of His birth is familiar, often to the point of becoming dull or cliché. The nativity scenes, the carols, the bumper stickers reminding us of the true reason for Christmas—all of these can lead us to look at this historical event as an isolated incident disconnected from the context of the rest of human history. In some Christian circles, there is rightly an effort to connect Christmas to Easter, showing how the cradle leads to the cross, but even this perspective falls short of capturing the full majesty of the arrival of Christ.

If we only look at Jesus in the New Testament, as someone who bursts on the scene in Bethlehem during the governorship of Quirinius, we miss the drama and the full weight of His coming. But He didn’t just appear out of nowhere. His coming was expected, even if not exactly expected in the way it happened.

We needed a Savior; that was obvious. Humans had been lying, killing, cheating, stealing, blaspheming, and otherwise sinning since nearly the beginning of time—since the Fall (Eve’s and Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden) to be exact. And God had known we would need saving and had a plan all worked out even before our first parents rebelled. He could have just sent the Savior all of a sudden one day. He had every right to simply say, “Surprise! After a few millennia, I have some news—you need rescuing, and here’s your rescuer.” But He didn’t do that.

Instead, He employed the gradual reveal. He started immediately after the need for a Savior became apparent to His human creatures. In Genesis 3:15, we see the first promise from God regarding Jesus—only at the time they didn’t know it was Jesus whom God was promising. They only knew there would be a descendant who would crush their mortal enemy. The specific who, the when, the where, and the how were left undisclosed.

For the next few thousand years, over the course of history covered by the Old Testament, pieces of God’s plan and of the Savior’s identity were slowly revealed. Other events happened that provided foreshadowing of Jesus’s substitutionary and sacrificial death (think the ram sacrificed in Isaac’s place in Genesis 22, the Passover in Exodus 12, the bronze serpent in Numbers 21, etc.).

Poems were written that foretold characteristics of the Savior and specifics of His time on Earth (see the 23 Messianic references in the Psalms).[i] Prophecies also revealed pieces of the unfolding plan, such as the fact that Jesus would come as a baby (see Isaiah 9:6), would be born in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2), and would be born to a virgin mother (see Isaiah 7:14). Fifteen other prophecies in the book of Isaiah alone disclose pieces of information about the coming Savior.[ii]

These prophecies/promises not only helped authenticate Jesus as the person He says He is—that He is from God, is God’s Son, and even is God Himself—but they also served to build the anticipation of Jesus’ coming so that now, looking back, we can doubly marvel at His advent. Marvelous for its own sake as being the arrival of the God-Man Savior, Christmas is also marvelous for being the culmination of thousands of years of anticipation that had been building through God’s masterful gradual reveal. When we look at the season through this lens, we begin to feel the full weight of the drama of Christmas.

We begin to understand the overwhelming wonder that Simeon must have felt as he, who had understood the promises and had been waiting his whole life to see them fulfilled, realized that God was allowing him to witness their coming to fruition before his very eyes and to hold the very One who had been foretold for millennia (see Luke 2:22-35).

We begin to understand the unbridled excitement that Anna must have felt as she was finally able to tell others, who had been watching and waiting along with her, that the Savior had finally come—in the flesh! He was here! God’s plan was revealed! (See Luke 2:36-38)

We begin to understand the exuberant joy that Zechariah must have felt as his long-awaited son was born and as he realized the prophecies he had studied were coming true and that God was using his own family to play a major role in His master plan of salvation (see Luke 1:67-79).

We begin to understand the overflowing rapture that Mary must have felt as she rejoices with her cousin Elizabeth that God has not forgotten His promises to their ancestors and is sending the Savior at last (see Luke 1:54-56).

When we place Christmas in its context of the overarching narrative of the Bible, we become aware of just how significant the coming of Christ is. And on top of praising God the Father for sending God the Son, we can expand our praise to include expressions of gratitude and wonder for the awesome way in which God let His plan unfold. He gave glimpses of Jesus to every generation, and He’s placed us in the 21^st century where our generation can look back and see how all of those glimpses fit together into a master story—a story all the more wonderful because it is true.

So this Christmas, join me in letting your thoughts trace the thread of Jesus from the Garden of Eden to the ark to the mountains of Canaan to Egypt to the wilderness to the tabernacle to the Promised Land to the shepherd-king’s field to the temple to the exile to the fiery furnace to the valley of dry bones to Nazareth to Bethlehem. And let yourself glory in the grace of God that is shown in the greatest gradual reveal of all.

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

.لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا

PC: Jane Morris. Used with permission.

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[i] Psalm 2:7 fulfilled in Matthew 3:17; Psalm 8:2 fulfilled in Matthew 21:15-16; Psalm 8:6 fulfilled in Hebrews 2:8; Psalm 16:10 fulfilled in Matthew 28:7; Psalm 22:1 fulfilled in Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:7-8 fulfilled in Luke 23:35; Psalm 22:16 fulfilled in John 20:27; Psalm 22:18 fulfilled in Matthew 27:35-36; Psalm 34:20 fulfilled John 19:32-33, 36;  Psalm 35:11 fulfilled in Mark 14:57; Psalm 35:19 fulfilled in John 15:25; Psalm 40:7-8 fulfilled in Hebrews 10:7; Psalm 41:9 fulfilled in Luke 22:47; Psalm 45:6 fulfilled in Hebrews 1:8; Psalm 68:18 fulfilled in Acts 1:9-11; Psalm 69:9 fulfilled in John 2:17; Psalm 69:21 fulfilled in Matthew 27:34; Psalm 109:4 fulfilled in Luke 23:34; Psalm 109:8 fulfilled in Acts 1:20; Psalm 110:1 fulfilled in Matthew 22:44; Psalm 110:4 fulfilled in Hebrews 5:6; Psalm 118:22 fulfilled in Matthew 21:42; and Psalm 118:26 fulfilled in Matthew 21:9. Source: Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3^rd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 180.

[ii] Isaiah 9:1-2 fulfilled in Matthew 4:13-16; Isaiah 9:7 fulfilled in Luke 1:32-33; Isaiah 40:3-5 fulfilled in John 1:19-28; Isaiah 50:6 fulfilled in Matthew 26:67; Isaiah 52:13 fulfilled in Philippians 2:9-10; Isaiah 52:14 and 53:2 fulfilled in Mark 15:15-19; Isaiah 53:5 fulfilled in 1 Peter 1:2; Isaiah 53:1, 3 fulfilled in John 12:37-38; Isaiah 53:4-5 fulfilled in Romans 4:25 and 1 Peter 2:24-25; Isaiah 53:6, 8 fulfilled in Romans 5:6, 8 and 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:7-8 fulfilled in Mark 15:4-5, John 10:11, and John 19:30; Isaiah 53:9 fulfilled in Matthew 27:57-60 and John 19:38-42; Isaiah 53:10-11 fulfilled in John 3:16 and Acts 16:31; Isaiah 53:12 fulfilled in Mark 27-28 and Luke 22:37; and Isaiah 61:1-2 fulfilled in Luke 4:18-19. Source: Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3^rd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 207.

The Diligent Search of the Distressed Heart

Life is full of seasons, and sometimes those seasons bring distress and the heaviness of unanswered questions. Sometimes it seems like God is absent or at least inattentive. And if you’re like me, sometimes those thoughts about God are accompanied by feelings of guilt, because you know in your head that God is never absent from His children but your feelings don’t always line up with what you know. It is in situations like these that we can find great encouragement in God’s Word.

When reading Psalm 77 the other day, I was impressed by what a beautiful picture it contains of how we can respond when we are in distress. Before we dig in, take a moment and read the Psalm here.

Right away, it becomes clear that Asaph is in distress. His first words are, “I cry aloud to God,” implying that his inner angst has become so great that it spills out in vocal expression. In verse 2, we see that his distress is constantly with him both “in the day” and “in the night” and that there is no relief: “my soul refuses to be comforted.” Even thinking of God makes him groan (v. 3). Eventually, he becomes silent as his burden grows even greater: “I am so troubled that I cannot speak” (v. 4). In verse 5, Asaph begins to think about the distant past and desires to turn his thoughts to more pleasant things during the difficult night.

At the end of verse 6, comes a turning point: “Then my spirit made a diligent search:” What follows is a series of questions in which we can see Asaph’s confusion and doubt: “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” (vv. 7-9). These questions span the whole gamut of second-guessing God. Asaph assumes the Lord is actively against him and questions whether this rejection will last forever. He questions God’s attributes, wondering if His love is only temporary. He doubts God’s promises, asking if they have an expiration date. He questions whether God is absent-minded, thinking He might be forgetting to be true to His character. Finally, he considers again whether God is actively withholding His blessings out of anger.

Then we come to verse 10. At first, this verse seems to be another turning point, when reading the ESV. It reads, “Then I said, ‘I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.’” However, when looking at the original Hebrew, it seems that other translations are more accurate, such as the NASB that reads, “Then I said, ‘It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed.’” In the Hebrew for this verse, there is a word that denotes grief, sickness, or weakness, so it makes sense to see verse 10 as a continuation of Asaph’s feelings of doubt.[i] He has questioned and seems to come to the conclusion that the answers to his questions are ‘yes, God has forsaken me.’

But Asaph doesn’t stop there. These questions are only the beginning of his “diligent search.” As soon as he acknowledges his feelings that God has abandoned him, he begins to preach to himself the truths he knows about God, anchored in the reality of God’s past actions and His eternal character. Even though his feelings led him to think of all these questions, he refuses to stop short of completing his search. He does not wallow in his doubt. Instead, he makes a conscious decision to “remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (vv. 11-12). He once again turns his attention to the past, but this time his focus is more specific. Rather than generally “consider[ing] the days of old,” Asaph specifically remembers God’s hand in them.

Notice that he moves from just remembering to pondering and meditating. In other words, he first calls God’s actions to mind and then mulls them over, thinking about them deeply and purposefully. His conclusion is the recognition that “Your way, O God, is holy” (v. 13). As he continues to ponder, he asks another question—"What god is great like our God?”—to which the implied answer is, “None!” Asaph focuses on the supreme uniqueness of God and the perfect uprightness of His dealings with mankind.

Verse 11 marks another turning point, as we see Asaph move from talking about God to talking to Him. Perhaps it is meditating on the greatness and holiness of God that causes him to erupt in worship: “You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples” (v. 14). He acknowledges God’s power as well as His grace in revealing Himself not only to the Israelites, but to other peoples too.

For the rest of the Psalm Asaph recounts specific ways in which God’s sovereignty over nature was displayed (vv. 16-18), His tender care was exhibited (v. 20), and His redemptive plan was set in motion (v. 15). In verse 19, Asaph acknowledges that there were times when God was at work yet His “footprints were unseen.” In offering specific praise to God, Asaph reminds himself that the fact he cannot see God moving does not negate the fact that He is.

I hope you’ve seen by now that Psalm 77 not only teaches us about God, but it also provides us with a blueprint for how to care for our souls when suffering from a distressed heart. It shows us that it is okay to question and have moments of doubt, but that we should press through the doubt to the glorious assurance that awaits us on the other side as we discover anew the greatness and kindness and compassion of the God of Heaven. It shows us that we should preach to ourselves the Truth of who God is, reminding ourselves of what we know from experience and from the unfailing Word of God. It shows us that we should think deeply about what God has done and is doing for us, choosing to dwell on that rather than on our current distress.

My prayer is that if you are distressed today, you will find encouragement in Asaph’s psalm and, following his example, will make your own diligent search until you find the peace of God in Jesus Christ that comes from knowing Him, pondering His mighty works, and resting in His love and care for you.  

To read the Arabic translation of this post, click here.

لقراءة الترجمة العربية لهذا المنشور إضغط هنا.

PC: Cyndi Hackett. Used with permission.

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[i] Bible Hub. Strong’s Lexicon: Psalm 77:10. https://biblehub.com/parallel/psalms/77-10.htm. Accessed 27 October 2020.