Feigning Piety

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:07:27 -0500

"I will not ask and I will not put the Lord to the test." (Isaiah 7:12)

The words sound good. So righteous. So pious. So noble.

They belong to Ahaz, the young king of Judah (8th century B.C.) Ahaz is in the midst of a political storm. Assyria is a threat to the north. The kings of Israel (the northern kingdom) and Aram have approached him to join an alliance against Assyria. If he refuses to join them, they threaten to topple his kingdom and set up a puppet king who will do their bidding.

Isaiah, the prophet, has promised Ahaz that God will shield him from the two "smoking firebrands." He has assured him that the kingdom will stand if he, Ahaz, resists the temptation to take matters into his own hands and puts his faith in God.

Isaiah even offers the guarantee of a sign: "Ask of the Lord anything you want, Ahaz. Ask for a sign in the highest heavens or even in the depths of Sheol. The Lord wants you to know beyond all doubt that He is faithful to you. All he wants is for you to be faithful to Him."

That's when Ahaz replies that he will not test God in that way, that he will not ask for a sign.

So noble. So pious. So righteous.

The truth is that Ahaz does not want assurances from God. Ahaz does not want a demonstration of God's faithfulness. Ahaz does not want to "risk" faith when he has already decided what he will do.

Why place your faith in the unseen God when you can trust your own abilities, your own plans, your own agenda?

Ahaz has already plotted to join the king of Assyria against the kings of Israel and Aram. (II Kings 16) Ahaz already knows what he wants and what he will do.

We might think that Ahaz is a fool. Why any one of us- when given the option of trusting God or trusting ourselves- would trust God...wouldn't we?

Well...wouldn't we?

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For resources related to the season of the church year or the Revised Common Lectionary go here.

For a series of questions for personal reflection/small group discussion on the RCL texts for the week go here.

The Hope of Others

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 11:36:29 -0500

I love the 16th Psalm. I love it for its boldness. I say "boldness" because the Psalmist begins by putting God in a bind. In effect he says, "God I take refuge in you so you have little choice but to keep me safe!"

Once you see that the whole Psalm opens up to you. If God is obligated to keep safe those who take refuge in Him, then life can be lived in confidence and fear can be held at bay.

"God...I don't know what to tell you but I've crawled into your pocket and do not intend to move. What can you do but look after me now?"

The Psalmist goes on to praise "the saints." (vs. 3) My paraphrase of that verse is something like this: "Lord, I look around me and see your saints and they all shine like the sun! I am delighted by them because I see that even in my doubt I can rest in their faith; even as I sink into despair I am lifted up by their hope."

When I was going through a hard time I was comforted by the prayers of friends.

This morning my agent, "Irv", sent me a prayer she picked up from Beliefnet.org. The prayer is by Vienna Cobb Anderson and it about says it all...

Prayer for Friendship

You have blessed us, O God,
with the gift of friendship,
the bonding of persons
in a circle of love.
We thank you for such a blessing:
for friends who love us,
who share our sorrows,
who laugh with us in celebration,
who bear our pain,
who need us as we need them,
who weep as we weep,
who hold us when words fail,
and who give us the freedom
to be ourselves.
Bless our friends with health,
wholeness, life, and love.
Amen.

James 24:7 - Faith

Feigning Piety

The Hope of Others