Peter Misselbrook's Blog
Apr 2 2020 - 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4 – What God has prepared for those who love him

In the face of the boasts of some at Corinth to possess spiritual wisdom and discernment, Paul reminds them of the wisdom of God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul tells the Corinthians that God’s plans have been hidden from the wise and the powerful of this world. God had a clear plan before time began that would result in a display of glory. We might expect that Paul would say that God’s plan was to bring glory to himself, but he says that God planned glory for us (1 Corinthians 2:7). A couple of verses later he writes,

No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him.

We often end the quote there, but that is to miss the point for Paul concludes, “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (vv 9-10).

The “us” in these words is firstly the apostles who had received that revelation from Christ. The gracious and glorious purposes of God towards the world that he has created have been revealed in Christ and proclaimed by those he first commissioned to preach the good news. But that “us” embraces all of us who have received this message and trusted in Christ. We can see this in the words Paul writes to the Corinthians.

For Paul, the glory of God has been made visible in Jesus Christ; he is “the Lord of glory” (v.8). Paul had seen his glory on the Damascus road and had been blinded by the vision. While the manner of that vision was peculiar to him, Paul affirms that all Christians have seen “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). This is what it means to be a Christian; a Christian is one who has seen the glory of God in Christ and has been drawn to him. We have come to know and love God through the Lord Jesus Christ. These things have been taught to us not by mere rote but have been impressed on our hearts by the Spirit of God – “revealed to us by his Spirit.”

But the most wonderful part of all this, says Paul, is not just that we have seen something of God’s glory in Christ, but that the Spirit of God teaches us that we are to share in that glory. Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). God planned from the beginning not simply that he would display his glory in Christ but that we would share his glory. Think of this as you read these amazing words again:

No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him –
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

Make a point of never again quoting 1 Corinthians 2:9 without including the first part of verse 10. To miss out the phrase, “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” is to miss Paul’s point entirely.

It’s sad when people pretend to have received revelations from God and then declare trivia. It’s like chasing after pennies when God has poured out upon us the riches of his grace in Christ and opened wide the treasury of his purposes in Scripture.

Heavenly Father, I stand amazed at the wonder of your purposes and plans for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. You have revealed to us your mind and heart. Help us not to keep these wonderful things to ourselves but to declare them to a world whose eyes have not seen these things, whose ears have not heard them and whose minds could not imagine them. Help us to declare your love for the world revealed in Jesus Christ.

6go6ckt5b8|00005AC6389D|Blog|Body|886E3E83-DA4E-4B79-961E-AF9612C4F5A4

Apr 2 2019 - Joshua 6:26-7:26 – The sin of Achan

How had the notable victory over Jericho been achieved? The walls had fallen not because of Israel's superior power but because they had obeyed the Lord, even when God's strategy for taking the city had seemed odd and unrealistic – who would have thought that marching round the city, blowing trumpets and yelling would have brought down its walls? God was teaching the Israelites that he would give the land into their hands if they fully trusted and obeyed him.

One of the commands God gave the people through Joshua was that they were not to enrich themselves by taking any of the plunder from the city. Articles of iron, bronze, silver and gold were to be put into the "treasury of the Lord's house" (6:24), the rest of the riches of the city were to be burned. The battle would be won by the Lord and the plunder was to be his.

But the temptation was too great for at least one of the Israelites. Achan, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, saw wonderful riches in the city and he wanted some of them for himself.

It seemed that no one outside of Achan's family knew what he had done. He appeared to have got away with it. But God not only saw his actions, he knew his heart and "his anger burned against Israel" because of that act of covetousness and disobedience.

The next city for capture on Joshua's agenda was Ai. It was much smaller than Jericho so only 3,000 Israelites were sent to capture it. But, instead of taking the city, the Israelite army were defeated and had to flee for their lives.

Joshua was perplexed and dismayed and turned to God with a complaint reminiscent of those continually made by the Israelites against Moses in the wilderness, "Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (7:7). How easily we blame God for disasters we have brought upon ourselves!

God tells Joshua, in effect, to stop his snivelling. Israel has sinned and God has withdrawn his support for their armies. They have just discovered that they are powerless when God is not with them. It is a lesson they will have to learn time and time again throughout their history. Have we learned that this is true also for us?

Lots are cast and the culprit is identified. Achan does not hide what he has done but tells of the clothing, silver and gold he buried in the ground under his tent. Achan, and his family are put to death and all his possessions are destroyed in a valley that from then on will be known as the place of trouble – Achor. Only then, and when they are submissive to God's instruction, are the Israelites able to capture the city of Ai (Joshua 8:1-29).

The story of Achan is deeply troubling but is strikingly similar to the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5. It teaches us that God looks for a people who will be wholly devoted to him.

God has not changed. If we are a people who want to know God's presence with us and his power at work though us for the extension of his kingdom and transformation of our world, devoted obedience to him must come before personal fulfilment and the pursuit of this world's glittering prizes. A divided heart will damage our testimony and rob the church of its power. God cannot be bargained with.

Father God, you did not spare your own Son but gave him up for us. Help us by your Spirit to give up the desire for all things except your presence and your glory that we might serve you with an undivided heart. We know that the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. And gladly we add our "Amen".

6go6ckt5b8|00005AC6389D|Blog|Body|3BCFC060-59CA-4B87-ADB7-35E5F82D6FB4

Peter Misselbrook