Watts on Time

In my recent studies it has been interesting to observe that modern science adds light to the doctrine of the eternality of God. According to physicists time can only exist with objects. It is not a steady or self-sufficient quality. That means time had a beginning since objects had a beginning—the big bang, as some report. Further, time is relative to objects. In a black hole, where objects and light are absorbed into the smallest mass, ten minutes can be the equivalent of several centuries on the earth. This, of course, gives new and practical insight to 2 Peter 3:8 which says, 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Isaac Watts in his hymn “O God, Our Help In Ages Past” lays out the practical truths of this doctrine:

1. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.

2. Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

3. Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.

4. A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.

5. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

6. O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.

As the fifth stanza of this hymn reads, time needs to be relatavized in view of eternity. Time is almost as a dream that dies at the opening day. Our life is short, as a "vapor waiting to pass." We needs to number our days, as such. This is done by faith and wisdom. This helps us to understand that "this too will pass" when life seems unbearable. We need to live from an eternal perspective. But for us today it is done a little more by fact since science has given us tremendous insight into the relativity of time and makes eternity take on more depth to our finite minds.

Stephen Hawking and the "mind of God"

Tonight I watched a TV show on the great physicist, Stephen Hawking. I watched with fascination as his theories surrounding black holes and infinity were debated and discussed. It was quite interesting…in fact is was so interesting my wife and daughter, who carry little to nothing about theoretical physics became enamored with the television program. The fact that this man with a giant mind exists in such a crippled body makes his story quite compelling for anyone, though.

Hawking’s life pursuit has been to understand “the mind of God.” Hawking does not approach this as a believer or from any theological angle. God for Hawking is a synonym for ultimate reality. He simply wants to know the answers that explain why we are and how life began. He believes physics can solve or provide meaningful answers to this or these questions.

From all of this he has wanted to find the theory that unifies everything—he wants the theory that will unify the big picture of Einstein’s relativity with the small picture of subatomic particles (I think those were the two poles he wanted to match?)

What is amazing to me about Hawking was the singularity with which he seeks to understand the universe. For example, in 2003 when Hawking was taken to the hospital and nearly died with complications from his own disease his mind continued to work on the problems related to physics and the universe. During this time he had a "vision" (not of the spiritual sort but bordering on a scientific or secualr mysticism) which further expanded his understanding of black holes and his theories relating to them. Against odds he escaped death and went back to work on covering further ground with his life pursuit of understanding “the mind of God.” Due to his disease his work is very tedious and extremely slow. Yet he unceasingly plows on driven by this pursuit.

As we all watched this I was inspired. Three ways…

1) I want to know “the mind of God.” Fortunately for the Christian the “mind of God” is revealed in the witness of the Bible through Jesus Christ. This we call revelation. Yet, it is not ink on paper, but it is God Himself that we encounter in His Word through study, prayer, experience, and the providential working of the Holy Spirit. This work requires the greatest level of seeking and humility. The singularity of Hawking should inspire spiritual leaders who seek to know and communicate the reality of God to others.

2) I think Hawking in seeking to bring together the bigger and smaller realities are worthy model for the spiritual leader to pursue. He seeks a grand and unifying vision or theory of all things. This should be the task of the spiritual leader…to take the things of heaven and eternity and connect them to all of the realities of this earth. We need to unify as much as we reasonably can the realms of eternity and the realms of creation.

3) Further, I was inspired by the rigor of testing and debate which takes place in physics. Though theology and the life of faith are very different subjects or realms of knowledge than physics, I think that these should be tested in the very rigor of life and reality to see if our understanding of God and the Christian life be proven true or false. But this requires an increasing spiritual maturity.

Isaac was overshadowed by his father and his sons. Yet his life is of central significance to the covenant. Over a hundred times the Bible refers to the covenant of “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6, Deuteronomy 1:8) And it is in chapter 26 that we have the only chapter in the Bible exclusively devoted to Isaac. Outside this chapter there is not much about him. Isaac definitely takes a minor role in the historical narrative of Genesis. But in chapter 26 of Genesis we have a collection of snapshots from his life that lend significant insight into this man’s character and walk of faith. What we see is that his faith triumphed over his own faults and the faults of those who opposed him so that he would find God's greatest blessings for himself and those around him. We see a foretaste of how God is reconciling the world to himself. (2 Corinthians 5:19) Further, he gives us key lessons in establishing credibility with those who distrust us. As Solomon writes...”When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7)

Our narrative begins…

Now there was a famine in the land—besides the earlier famine of Abraham’s time—and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. 2 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” 6 So Isaac stayed in Gerar. (Genesis 26:1-6)

What is of first importance to see is that the first six verses is that Isaac's story takes place in the larger affirmation of God's covenant purposes first established with Abraham. (Genesis 12, 15, 17) God is the hero and the main actor of this story. This is perhaps the first time Isaac has heard the first hand call of God directly spoken in this matter. And as he hears this call it comes with a severe test. For the land that he was called experiences a famine. Though the details are somewhat different it is a test that is similar to what his father experienced in Genesis 12. It seems the observation which needs to be made is that God places Isaac in this test to show to Isaac that the covenant promise will be fulfilled by his God’s own faithfulness and not that of Isaac’s. Though the covenant comes through Isaac, it only comes from God.

As the famine strikes Isaac goes to Garar. Gerar means “sojourning” or “place of lodging.” It appears to be a rich pastoral land that is located on the southern edge of the promise land. When God wants to extend our faith and stretch our character He puts us at a place that that provides optimum safety and optimum challenges. It is like Gerar, a place of sojourn and a place of safe pasture. Isaac will experience both of these. He will grow abundantly and be challenged abundantly. Let’s look at the challenge first. There he experiences the same kind of fear that his father Abraham experienced. When he travelled there the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebecca, because she is beautiful.” Genesis 26:7

What? Again? Strange as it may seem, the same old sin of deception raises its ugly head. If nothing else proves it, this does—Isaac is a son of his father. Frightened concerning his own safety, Isaac succumbs to the temptation to pass off his wife as his sister just as his dad did to Sarah. In doing this he was willing to risk Rebecca’s purity as the price for his personal protection. We are given a window into the imperfect faith and incomplete faith of Isaac. Though he follows the leading of God to go to Gerar, he still lacks complete confidence in God. He doesn’t take with the seriousness that he needs to the covenant promise of God in vv.2-5 where God says his descendants will become numerous. This promise can only happen through the wife God chose for him, Rebecca. But Gerar is, again, that place of providing the optimum conditions of growth and testing.

Isaac’s deception is then uncovered by Abimilech. The story continues, 8 When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9 So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac goes on to explain his sin. Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” 11Then Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Isaac is in a foreign area and he has lost trust with the ruling leader of the area. This would appear to spell trouble for Isaac who is in a place of dependence upon the ruling authorities in this area. But God’s favor remains on Isaac. Look at the favor Abimilech places on Isaac. 11 So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Apparently though Abimilech had lost some trust with Isaac he believed that God was with him. This is why he ordered his protection. With God’s protection upon Isaac we see what happens next…12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. 13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. 14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. 15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. 16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

What occurs next is where Isaac’s story really gets interesting and his character begins to be revealed. Forced to move he settles in the valley of Gerar. (v.17) It is important to notice that he is so hated by his neighbors that he has to move his abundance of servants and cattle to a place where there is no water. What a hardship this must have been. He reopens the wells that had been previously dug by Abraham and later filled in. (v.18) He gave the wells the same name as his father had given them. This shows Isaac is reclaiming the land that was given to his father. He is the rightful possessor of it. But look at what happens. 19 Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. 20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. This is interesting to notice that though Isaac is the rightful possessor of this land by the decree of God he is being bullied around, first by Abimilech and now by these local herdsman. Now see what happens again. 21 Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.

It happens again. Wow! Why does this happen. God has promised him this land so why is he being bullied around? I believe it was for the testing and growth of Isaac’s faith. Under this incredible hardship he was tested and needed to learn to focus on the promise God had given him. Gerar was the place for growth and testing. But after we have passed the test then we get the reward. Look at what happen next. 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.” Isaac is now brought to a place of rest. But what happens next is even more wonderful. 23 From there he went up to Beersheba. 24 That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” 25 Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

Why Isaac went back to Beersheba, his home town, at this point I do not know. But he is now allowed to go back to his hometown after being a season in Gerar. And upon arriving at the very finish line of this trial he is given the greatest reward of all. The Lord appeared to him and spoke.

John Calvin says of this experience…In the tranquil enjoyment of the
well, he acknowledges the favor which God had showed him: but forasmuch as one word of God weighs more with the faithful than the accumulated mass of all good things, we cannot doubt that Isaac received this oracle more joyfully than if a thousand rivers of nectar had flowed unto him: and truly Moses designedly commemorates in lofty terms this act of favor, that the Lord encouraged him by his own word, (Genesis 26:24;) whence we may learn, in ascribing proper honor to each of the other gifts of God, still always to give the palm to that proof of his paternal love which he grants us in his word. Food, clothing, health, peace, and other advantages, afford us a taste of the Divine goodness; but when he addresses us familiarly, and expressly declares himself to be our Father, then indeed it is
that he thoroughly refreshes us to satiety.

And if that were not enough look at what occurs next…

26 Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. 27 Isaac asked them, “Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?” 28 They answered, “We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, ‘There ought to be a sworn agreement between us’—between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.” 30 Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. 31 Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace.

Lessons:
1) God’s unconditional promises cannot be hindered despite our foolishness and lack of faith. This is why Christ came in the fullness of time and Israel is reestablished as a nation today. This is the story of the Bible. It is the story of God’s wisdom and faithfulness.
2) God took Isaac on this “sojourn” (Gerar) so Abraham would have a first hand faith and not simply rely on the great exploits of faith that his father demonstrated. God will take us on similar sojourns that will be the optimum places of testing and growth.
3) Isaac shows the pathway to reconciliation. It is patience in the face of adversity and allowing our faith to overcome our fear even in the midst of mistreatment. Abimilech comes to Isaac to make a covenant. Through Isaac’s patience in the face of suffering he could see that the motives of Isaac were pure and that he was strengthened by his faith in God. Isaac was a witness to the power and love of God. This is the way we are to behave toward our enemies and those who oppose us until God wins them over.

Warren Buffet and Economic Wisdom

Last night I watched a fascinating interview with Warren Buffet given by Charlie Rose. Buffet is, of course, one of America's greatest financial investors. Because of that I was interested to see what he would say in light of America's current economic condition. I believe the interview was conducted in November. I will sketch a few highlights that informed my thinking:

1) Buffet had an unshakable belief that the American economy will return and grow. He stated that the same ingredients that have made America great over the last 200 years are still present and that America has gone through these economic cycles before. He highlighted that during 1979 to 1982 recession there was unemployment of 10% and experts were saying that our economy would go to Japan and other places, and all the while a young Bill Gates and his friends were eating pizza and drinking coke in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Who would have been able to predict the boom that would be Microsoft. He also stated that we've been through these cycles for the last 200 years, but the ingredients for growth (our laws, innovation, creativity, openness to harnessing the human potential) still remain.

2) When asked about the growing advance of China and India outpacing America, Buffet said that he was greatful that the pie of economc wealth is increasing and that he thinks it is a good thing that China and India may be coming up with solutions to our own problems. This is not bad. The solutions that they may come up with will be shared in the areas of energy and technology advancement.

3) When asked about the Chineese having a greater GDP by the mid century than America, Buffet said it is possibly going to happen because they have 4 times of population of America. They are bound to grow faster at a percentage level because they are starting at such a lower economic position. This is not a problem. We will benefit from their growth. Furhter it is good that the world economically prospers because you do not want a world where America is perceived to have all the the "goodies." This creates more envy and a greater climate for war. He also acknowledged that the world is going to gain from being able to observe our nation's 200 years of economic development. Chaina and India can go futher than they would by seeing and learning from our mistakes and successes.

3) I was impressed with Buffet's humility. He admitted that his success comes from the way he is wired and the unique opportunities that this society affords. None of us are self-made men. He stated that if he was in a thrid world country where success has to be built on having a strong back, he would be very poor. He couldn't go around in that society and claim his gifts of "capital allocation, capital allocation," because there would be no capital to allocate. He gave the example of the middle weight boxing contenders are not successful by their own effort. They succeed with the people who build the large arenas so 13,000 people can pay to watch the fight and their audeience expands to several million more for those who want to watch the fight on satellite or cable pay-per-view."

Some conlcusions:
1) Be pateient with the economy.
2) Culture is the foundation of economic acheivement.
3) Be humble, know your place and call in life. It is God who ultimately gives success.
4) It is interesting that in the nations where there is the strongest economic growth there are strong and growing representations of evangelical Christian faith, namely China, Inida, and Brazil. Could their economic growth be linked to providing an environment for the gospel to flourish and for missionaries to be sent out from these places?

Dear God, I look at how you have led me in the past, but I struggle to learn the lessons you have for me in the present. What do you want to teach me? What insight do you have for me? What do I need to learn? Are there realities much greater that you want to open up for me than I can understand?

Why am I not more consumed with your eternal realities and seeing the brevity and the fleeting nature of this life, while at the same time seeing it infused with heaven and having the greatest value. These are things that are very difficult for me to see in the way that I should.

God's Jealousy

The training of God is tough. But it is tough because He has an all consuming purpose that he wants us to follow. He has a focus that he wants to create. We need to follow deeply in it. But it is not easy. This reflects the jealousy of God. He only wants that which is for His glory and so he will prune us of all lesser glories. This is God's way toward His servants.

I spelled out your character in detail
To the men and women you gave me.
They were yours in the first place;
Then you gave them to me...(John 17:6)

This expresses what should be the ultimate heart of shepherding when the spiritual leader gets frustrated with the direction of his church. The leader needs to remember that they are simply given to him by God. Any frustration that the leader feels should be that which he senses from the heart of God, and not his personal irritation or impatience.