Merritt Song: #529 Under His Wings Title: Discourager of Hesitancy
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:9, For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught with parables like Lazarus and the rich man; this is a parable. A king had most beautiful maidens in his court. He liked beauty, because in his heart, he had an ugly character. A prince from a distant land heard of the court ladies and came to ask permission to marry one. The king turned deep red; everyone feared he would demand death of the foreign prince. Said the ruthless king, “Your request is granted. Tomorrow you wed one of the fairest damsels of our court.”
He waved his hand and prince was hurried away to be fitted for wedding clothes. Prince was confused, “When am I to see the ladies to choose among them?” An attendant, a big, husky man brought out of its sheath a very sharp sword, “I am the Discourager of Hesitancy. When the king makes known his wishes, I am appointed to make sure you obey the king’s will.” The prince did not say another word. Tailors worked all night till everything was ready. Prince again asked when he could meet the ladies.
Discourager of Hesitancy said, “Please observe quality of this sword.” Pulling a hair from his own head, he dropped it on edge of his sword and it cut asunder. Prince gulped and followed to the ceremony. As soon as he entered, they tied a large scarf over his face. Prince’s impulse was snatch the scarf. Discourager of Hesitancy said, “I am here.” Prince left the scarf on his face. A priest began the marriage service. Prince heard rustle of skirts. Priest asked him to take a lady’s hand by his side. Prince felt a hand so soft, so delightful. Priest asked the lady would she wed this man; answer came in the sweetest voice, “I do.” Her touch, her tone enchanted Prince. All ladies of that court were beautiful, so his bride must be beautiful! Discourager stood right behind him, so prince said, “I do.”
Priest pronounced them man and wife. Prince heard a rustle, scarf was removed, and he turned to gaze at his bride. To his utter amazement, there was no one there! “Where is my wife?” gasped the prince. The king rose from his throne. “She is here,” and the king led him through a curtain to forty ladies all dressed in gowns fit for a bride standing in line. Waving his hand, the king said, “There is your bride! If you take away an unmarried lady of our court, your execution will be instant! Now step up and take your bride.” The prince in a daze walked slowly along the line of ladies. Nothing could he see to indicate his bride. Dresses all similar, all blushed, all had charming hands. Not one spoke a word nor lifted a finger for a sign. Orders given them had been very strict. “Why your delay?” roared the king. “If I had married one so fair, I would claim her!” The bewildered prince walked again down the line. This time a slight change in two ladies. One gently smiled. Another just as beautiful, slightly frowned.
“Now,” said the prince to himself, “I am sure it is one of these two ladies, but which? Would a woman smile when she saw her husband? Then again if a woman saw her husband come toward her, but not recognize her, would she frown because he failed to claim her? The one who married me did not see my face under the scarf. Would she smile to finally see my face? But if I wedded the one who frowned, would she be sad I can’t recognize her?”
“Now, hear me!’ demanded the king. “In ten seconds, if you do not take the lady we have given you, your bride will become your widow!” Discourager of Hesitancy came forward. Now the prince could not hesitate; he took one of the two ladies. Loud bells rang, people cheered. He had taken his lawful bride! Now WHICH did the prince choose, one who smiled or one who frowned?
How many people grew up believing God smiles on you? Or frowns because of your sin? If you don’t obey, is there wrath over your head? Is it wrong to question God’s will? Could one mistake stand between you and eternal death? Is eternal destiny in the hands of someone who holds all the cards out to trick you?
SONG: NOT GUILTY
Psalm 7:11, Young’s Literal Translation: God is a righteous judge, and He is NOT angry at all times. Clarke’s Bible Commentary found Vulgate version, God is a Judge righteous, strong, and patient; will He be angry every day? Septuagint: Strong and longsuffering; not bringing forth His anger every day. Syriac: God is the Judge of righteousness; He is not angry every day. Aethiopic: God is a just Judge, strong, longsuffering; He will not bring forth tribulation daily. Genevan by Barker, the king's printer, 1615: God judgeth the righteous and him that despised God every day. He doth continually call the wicked to repentance, by signs of His judgments. Clarke’s Commentary traced Psalm 7:11 through original versions to find the true reading which is, "God is NOT angry every day." That is the literal translation!
A police officer was writing a report in his car in Prince George at 1 a.m. when he saw a male and female moose crossing an intersection. He saw a car coming, put on his siren, went to make sure the other driver was aware of the two moose. This provoked the Bull Moose; it charged the police car, ran into the front grill and bumper, stomped onto the hood and smashed the windshield on its way onto the roof. As Moose stomped the roof, one hoof shattered the driver’s side window and hit the officer. Police say the moose then walked down trunk of the vehicle before making its getaway with the female moose. The officer had a bruised shoulder but didn’t need medical attention and finished his shift before heading home. Said the RCMP, "Both the culprit and accomplice departed the area on hoof." You don’t want to get in the way of an angry moose!
Did Jesus take our place before an angry God to appease God’s wrath? That’d mean Jesus died to save us from God. Does Christianity push threat of hellfire? Instead of crucifixion being seen as Roman injustice, there was shift to believe God demanded death of Jesus to quench His wrath thus church violence in dark ages. MODERN churches teach God’s wrath. If Jesus died on the cross to appease His Father’s anger then Jesus and Father have different opinions about us; that pits God against each other! John 14:10, Believe you not that I am in the Father, and Father in Me? Words I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwells in Me, He does the works.
Does it make sense that rage is so blind a man punches himself in the nose to get back at someone else! If God were angry with us, why would He die for us? 1Thessalonians 1:10, And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1Thessalonians 5:9, For God did NOT appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s wrath is important to our picture of God’s character. Jesus’ death was “atonement” for sin in God’s righteousness, not anger. God’s justice and love, even wrath and forgiveness, do not work against each other. God is not divided in His character or in His work. God’s wrath is not absence of His love. God made man out of loving creativity, not to satisfy any need He has. Man rejected God’s love and turned to our own will. Since God is life, to reject God is to reject our own life, oppose our own existence. That is what sin is, death. Since God loves us, He is opposed to all that destroys children He loves.
SONG: LEST I FORGET
Some people feel God is angry with them. God’s wrath is against sin; He is not angry with you! God doesn’t have petty need to have His honor satisfied. Does God need death of Christ in order to love us? Without Christ, we are unable to love God. Does His sense of justice stand in way of loving us until Someone is punished? It is we that need justice to be satisfied. We need penalty of the law fulfilled for us. Jesus gives Himself in order to fix OUR problem. God needs nothing in order to love us. He needs no satisfaction.
Many people believe Christ stood in for us as object of God’s cruel anger, so the Father would not brutalize us. I heard it said God poured wrath on Jesus at the cross, and afterwards His wrath was appeased. This brings a picture of God being angry, having to get it out of His system! As if Christ was willing scapegoat who took God's wrath. Hebrews 2:14, Because God's children are human beings made of flesh and blood, the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had power of death. Jesus did not die to appease God, but to defeat the devil and break power of death.
Before Jesus became sin on our behalf, Satan had no power over Him because only sin gives Satan foothold. Satan could not harm Jesus in the wilderness, only tempt Him. If Jesus yielded to temptation, Satan could have destroyed Him. That is not God demanding a burnt offering! Isaiah 1:11, “The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to Me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and fat of fattened animals; I have NO pleasure in blood of bulls, lambs and goats.” Although sacrifices never took away sins, it was with this photo God showed plan of salvation. Instead of demanding sacrifice from us, God turned it around and sacrificed Himself for us!
God never uses force to bring sinners to repentance. Since God never forces anyone to obey against their will, then He does the only thing He can do -He gives up those who reject Him. God's wrath is to give up unbelievers, allow them to follow their own course and consequences of their own choices. 2Peter 2:9, The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto Day of Judgment to be punished. Judgment is reaping what they sowed.
Revelation 19:15, And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. This verse is a SYMBOL of the last days. Revelation 14:10, He will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in presence of holy angels and of the Lamb. You do NOT literally drink a cup of wrath; it’s symbol of how one day sin is completely destroyed so God’s people can be safe.
SONG: THE PRAYER
Think of a drug addict trying to kick the habit, hospitalized due to pain trying to get the drug out of the system. Now is God trying to punish them for sin? No. The devil causes pain, trying to keep them on drugs! If they shoot up again, pain leaves for awhile. The devil will never let you go without a fight so it is painful.
In our struggle to make sense of suffering we must never excuse suffering. Jesus came to end suffering, death and sin. Often in effort to comfort, people suggest God caused suffering. God is not author of evil or suffering, as shown in book of Job, but God still works despite suffering. A strong faith is NOT one that never questions. Some people leave church when they suffer tragedy because they feel there’s no room for their doubt and honest pain in church. Faith doesn’t mean you won’t struggle, hurt or doubt. Church isn’t for people who have it all together but to find support, understanding, compassion. Prophet Habakkuk asked, Does God care? Is God fair? Is God there? Do you ever feel that way about God? God helped the prophet through his struggles with doubt.
What was Jesus’ motive at the cross? Payback, revenge, getting satisfaction had nothing to do with it! God is not some distant, detached dictator with demands! Jesus did not come to have His honor vindicated, or satisfy thirst for revenge. A God who must be appeased comes from paganism. The gods who would send rain only after a still-beating heart was ripped out of a virgin are Satan, not Jesus.
Atonement is God rescuing us from darkness. The barrier is our sin–not God’s anger. At stake is not just a doctrine, but very nature of God. False view of an angry, condemning, punishing God is Satan. Jesus did not come “to bear wrath of His Father,” He came to bear sin of His children! There is a world of difference. Christ died not “to pacify and reconcile God” but to pacify and reconcile us! It is humans who murdered their own loving, divine, gracious, life-giving Messiah.
Hebrews 9:22, The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. So Jesus’ blood is not to appease, but to cleanse. Jesus did not die to appease wrath of God. Jesus is God. God did not go to the cross because of wrath, but because of His great and everlasting Love.
SONG: LOVE OF GOD