TheologyWebsite: Ministry Archives

October 09, 2005

Doxa + Logos = Word of Praise

Have you ever had a time when nothing you thought about God seemed sufficient? You read, you pray, you sing, you talk, and whenever your thought turns to God, the only thing that comes forth is an overwhelming sense of thanks and praise. They are wonderful times, and too few in many lives.

Some years ago, on a trip to Israel, about a dozen of us were in an ancient church, and noticed the superb acoustics. So we gathered in the center of the sanctuary and sang the Doxology, a song of praise to God. It was a time we will never forget, listening as our voices blended and echoed in singing the wonder of our God. On another day we went to the border between Judea and Samaria, and sat on a hillside overlooking a huge valley, full of history. It was cloudy and foggy, and a light drizzle was falling. As we sat taking in the scene before us, someone began to play the great Hallelujah Chorus, from Messiah, on a battery-powered tape player. Surely this is one of the greatest songs of praise ever composed, and this, too, was a moment never to be forgotten, as if we were sitting at the throne of God.

Probably most of you have heard of “The Doxology,” and I am certain there are a number of musical pieces going by that name, but did you know there are many “doxologies” in Scripture?

The word comes from two Greek words: “doxa” meaning “praise, honor, glory,” and “logos,” meaning “word.” Put together, a doxology is a song of praise, honor, or glory, in this case to God. There are many in Scripture, and they are some of the most wonderful parts of the Bible. For example, these two verses from Jude are one of my favorites:

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling,
And to make you stand in the presence of His glory,
Blameless, with great joy,
To the only God our Savior,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (24-25)

Or this from Romans:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became his counselor?
Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever.
Amen.” (11:33-36)

And the Psalmist put it this way:

“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory (24:7-10).”

Or this, also from Psalms:

Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in holy array.
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The LORD is over many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful,
The voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"
The LORD sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the LORD sits as King forever.
The LORD will give strength to His people;
The LORD will bless His people with peace” (29:1-11).

And finally, the “last word” from the ultimate Praise Book, which, of course, is the book of Psalms:

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!” (150:1-6).

What an awesome God we serve!

Praise the Lord, all ye nations, exalt Him, all ye peoples! He alone is worthy to be praised! Amen!

Posted by Larry Baden at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2005

God: hard to love?

A while back, I led a group in our church, working through the popular “40 Days of Purpose” study. We read the book, watch the video, and then discuss the material. One week, we were talking about loving God.

One person in our group said, “I have great difficulty with ‘loving’ a being that I cannot see, touch, or really understand.” Around the room there were nods of agreement. This idea -- loving God -- is a central part of Christianity, of course, and yet I suspect it is one of the biggest problems for most people who call themselves Christians.

It’s a good question: How can I love someone I can’t see, touch, or often even have a conversation with (God seems not very talkative at times)? One characteristic we seem to hold in common as human persons is that we really don’t relate well to intangible beings. We really like -- and need -- someone “with skin on.” So how do we solve this problem? If loving is something that requires knowing, and knowing comes from time together, how can we truly love God?

This is not a problem unique to modern western culture. The ancient Israelites had the same struggle in the desert, trying to relate to a God that was totally unlike anything in human experience. This invisible, intangible -- and dangerous -- “something” that demanded their allegiance under pain of death, how were they to love that?

I think part of the problem for us is in our understanding of love. Especially in America we often think of love in a sort of ethereal sense, as an experience with another person with whom we have a close relationship.

However, the biblical idea has little to do with liking, or enjoying, or being attracted to, or any of the many facets of a modern definition of love. The biblical idea is closely tied to one word: obey. To love God is first of all to obey God. And to obey God is, by biblical definition, the first step in coming to love God. The Old Testament is pretty clear on this idea of obedience, and even Jesus -- God “with skin on” -- said, “If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you” (John 14:15 MSG).

But we might understandably say that sounds more like being the subject of a dictatorial ruler. Isn’t love about more than slavish obedience? And the answer, of course, is that it certainly is. However, slavish obedience isn’t really what this is about, and it helps if we look at what God is trying to accomplish.

God is by nature a creator, one who brought into existence a physical world of breathtaking diversity, complexity and beauty. This created world was at first chaotic and unproductive. God is by nature not chaotic and unproductive, and a chaotic and unproductive creation was not his intent. But he wasn’t finished yet. He took some dirt, fashioned a human person, and breathed life into him. Then he cleared some land, planted a garden, and put the man in it. Then he took from the man and fashioned for him a mate, one to complete and complement him and together with him to be a whole.

Now all this is true, but it is incomplete. What I have not mentioned in this very short history is the *reason* God made these two and put them in this special garden.

God gave Adam and Eve two positive instructions. One was to be fruitful and multiply. He intended that they be the first of many, who would spread out over the earth, subduing it and exercising delegated authority from God -- “dominion” -- over the earth. And in conjunction with that, they were to protect and work the garden, which was the first place to come under the dominion of man. The garden, which I believe was intended as a prototype for the rest of the earth, was a special place of God’s presence. Adam was God’s “on-site” manager for the garden, and, had things played out as intended, of the world.

So, in other words, God created us to be his “partners” in the “family business,” whose mission now is to redeem a lost creation, and to reconcile broken relationships. This is the God we are told to obey, the one who is the creator of a world of fabulous complexity and beauty, and the one who then shares it with us. This is a God who intended that we live in true intimacy with him, simply because he loves us.

So then why the emphasis on obedience? Can’t we all just love on each other and just get along? Well, no.

When I was a boy, I was my mother’s delight. I was her ideal little boy. (I know this will come as news to my brothers, but it’s true.) Then I turned twelve, and when I did…. Well, never mind the gory details.

If you had asked my mother, she would have told you she deeply loved me, and that’s true. She would also have told you that she really would have liked for me to be an obedient son, which I was not. If I had been obedient, her life, my life, and the lives of everyone in the house would have been much less hectic. (In later years, my mother looked at me, her oldest son, the delight of her heart, and said, “You made my life pure hell.” She was -- I hasten to point out -- speaking of days long past.)

The reason she wanted obedience, however, had nothing to do with family peace. It had to do with relationship: We could not enjoy each other unless I gave up being a rebel. Every parent reading this knows what I am talking about.

Our relationship with God is not immune to these principles: We cannot live in rebellion and hope to have any relationship that leads to knowledge of God. So once again, the first step in loving God is obedience.

A relationship with God starts with a decision, a choice of will: to choose to act *toward* as much of God as I know. This has nothing about it that feels like what we think of as love, but we are trying to open the door, to build a foundation on which a relationship can grow.

In honesty I might say, “God, I know I should love you, but I don’t. I don’t know how, or even what that means. So I choose to obey you to the greatest extent I know how.” God responds to this by beginning to reveal himself to me, showing me a little more of himself each time I make a choice toward God and not away from him. Over time, there grows a knowing and a loving relationship. I am not aware of a point in time when it starts, but at some point I look, and to my surprise I can say that I love God. It just “sorta snuck up on me.”

Obedience is the key to loving God, to knowing God, to living a life of fulfillment and fruitfulness. We cannot be rebels and live the life for which we were created. If we think we can -- and many of us do -- we are simply fooling ourselves. It just ain’t gonna happen.

So the question now is simple: Are we going to obey God or not? Put another way, how much more of our life are we willing to throw away, with nothing to show for having lived?

Amen.

Posted by Larry Baden at 05:39 PM | Comments (4)


discussion forum study guides ministry news reviews church history new testament theology sermons online quizzes e-texts online internet resources theoweb newsletter quodlibet journal about theoweb foutz.net	October 09, 2005 Doxa + Logos = Word of Praise Have you ever had a time when nothing you thought about God seemed sufficient? You read, you pray, you sing, you talk, and whenever your thought turns to God, the only thing that comes forth is an overwhelming sense of thanks and praise. They are wonderful times, and too few in many lives. Some years ago, on a trip to Israel, about a dozen of us were in an ancient church, and noticed the superb acoustics. So we gathered in the center of the sanctuary and sang the Doxology, a song of praise to God. It was a time we will never forget, listening as our voices blended and echoed in singing the wonder of our God. On another day we went to the border between Judea and Samaria, and sat on a hillside overlooking a huge valley, full of history. It was cloudy and foggy, and a light drizzle was falling. As we sat taking in the scene before us, someone began to play the great Hallelujah Chorus, from Messiah, on a battery-powered tape player. Surely this is one of the greatest songs of praise ever composed, and this, too, was a moment never to be forgotten, as if we were sitting at the throne of God. Probably most of you have heard of “The Doxology,” and I am certain there are a number of musical pieces going by that name, but did you know there are many “doxologies” in Scripture? The word comes from two Greek words: “doxa” meaning “praise, honor, glory,” and “logos,” meaning “word.” Put together, a doxology is a song of praise, honor, or glory, in this case to God. There are many in Scripture, and they are some of the most wonderful parts of the Bible. For example, these two verses from Jude are one of my favorites: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, And to make you stand in the presence of His glory, Blameless, with great joy, To the only God our Savior, Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (24-25) Or this from Romans: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the LORD, or who became his counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.” (11:33-36) And the Psalmist put it this way: “Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory (24:7-10).” Or this, also from Psalms: Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in holy array. The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful, The voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; Yes, the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD hews out flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; The LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, "Glory!" The LORD sat as King at the flood; Yes, the LORD sits as King forever. The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace” (29:1-11). And finally, the “last word” from the ultimate Praise Book, which, of course, is the book of Psalms: Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” (150:1-6). What an awesome God we serve! Praise the Lord, all ye nations, exalt Him, all ye peoples! He alone is worthy to be praised! Amen! Posted by Larry Baden at 02:01 PM \| Comments (0) October 05, 2005 God: hard to love? A while back, I led a group in our church, working through the popular “40 Days of Purpose” study. We read the book, watch the video, and then discuss the material. One week, we were talking about loving God. One person in our group said, “I have great difficulty with ‘loving’ a being that I cannot see, touch, or really understand.” Around the room there were nods of agreement. This idea -- loving God -- is a central part of Christianity, of course, and yet I suspect it is one of the biggest problems for most people who call themselves Christians. It’s a good question: How can I love someone I can’t see, touch, or often even have a conversation with (God seems not very talkative at times)? One characteristic we seem to hold in common as human persons is that we really don’t relate well to intangible beings. We really like -- and need -- someone “with skin on.” So how do we solve this problem? If loving is something that requires knowing, and knowing comes from time together, how can we truly love God? This is not a problem unique to modern western culture. The ancient Israelites had the same struggle in the desert, trying to relate to a God that was totally unlike anything in human experience. This invisible, intangible -- and dangerous -- “something” that demanded their allegiance under pain of death, how were they to love that? I think part of the problem for us is in our understanding of love. Especially in America we often think of love in a sort of ethereal sense, as an experience with another person with whom we have a close relationship. However, the biblical idea has little to do with liking, or enjoying, or being attracted to, or any of the many facets of a modern definition of love. The biblical idea is closely tied to one word: obey. To love God is first of all to obey God. And to obey God is, by biblical definition, the first step in coming to love God. The Old Testament is pretty clear on this idea of obedience, and even Jesus -- God “with skin on” -- said, “If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you” (John 14:15 MSG). But we might understandably say that sounds more like being the subject of a dictatorial ruler. Isn’t love about more than slavish obedience? And the answer, of course, is that it certainly is. However, slavish obedience isn’t really what this is about, and it helps if we look at what God is trying to accomplish. God is by nature a creator, one who brought into existence a physical world of breathtaking diversity, complexity and beauty. This created world was at first chaotic and unproductive. God is by nature not chaotic and unproductive, and a chaotic and unproductive creation was not his intent. But he wasn’t finished yet. He took some dirt, fashioned a human person, and breathed life into him. Then he cleared some land, planted a garden, and put the man in it. Then he took from the man and fashioned for him a mate, one to complete and complement him and together with him to be a whole. Now all this is true, but it is incomplete. What I have not mentioned in this very short history is the reason God made these two and put them in this special garden. God gave Adam and Eve two positive instructions. One was to be fruitful and multiply. He intended that they be the first of many, who would spread out over the earth, subduing it and exercising delegated authority from God -- “dominion” -- over the earth. And in conjunction with that, they were to protect and work the garden, which was the first place to come under the dominion of man. The garden, which I believe was intended as a prototype for the rest of the earth, was a special place of God’s presence. Adam was God’s “on-site” manager for the garden, and, had things played out as intended, of the world. So, in other words, God created us to be his “partners” in the “family business,” whose mission now is to redeem a lost creation, and to reconcile broken relationships. This is the God we are told to obey, the one who is the creator of a world of fabulous complexity and beauty, and the one who then shares it with us. This is a God who intended that we live in true intimacy with him, simply because he loves us. So then why the emphasis on obedience? Can’t we all just love on each other and just get along? Well, no. When I was a boy, I was my mother’s delight. I was her ideal little boy. (I know this will come as news to my brothers, but it’s true.) Then I turned twelve, and when I did…. Well, never mind the gory details. If you had asked my mother, she would have told you she deeply loved me, and that’s true. She would also have told you that she really would have liked for me to be an obedient son, which I was not. If I had been obedient, her life, my life, and the lives of everyone in the house would have been much less hectic. (In later years, my mother looked at me, her oldest son, the delight of her heart, and said, “You made my life pure hell.” She was -- I hasten to point out -- speaking of days long past.) The reason she wanted obedience, however, had nothing to do with family peace. It had to do with relationship: We could not enjoy each other unless I gave up being a rebel. Every parent reading this knows what I am talking about. Our relationship with God is not immune to these principles: We cannot live in rebellion and hope to have any relationship that leads to knowledge of God. So once again, the first step in loving God is obedience. A relationship with God starts with a decision, a choice of will: to choose to act toward as much of God as I know. This has nothing about it that feels like what we think of as love, but we are trying to open the door, to build a foundation on which a relationship can grow. In honesty I might say, “God, I know I should love you, but I don’t. I don’t know how, or even what that means. So I choose to obey you to the greatest extent I know how.” God responds to this by beginning to reveal himself to me, showing me a little more of himself each time I make a choice toward God and not away from him. Over time, there grows a knowing and a loving relationship. I am not aware of a point in time when it starts, but at some point I look, and to my surprise I can say that I love God. It just “sorta snuck up on me.” Obedience is the key to loving God, to knowing God, to living a life of fulfillment and fruitfulness. We cannot be rebels and live the life for which we were created. If we think we can -- and many of us do -- we are simply fooling ourselves. It just ain’t gonna happen. So the question now is simple: Are we going to obey God or not? Put another way, how much more of our life are we willing to throw away, with nothing to show for having lived? Amen. Posted by Larry Baden at 05:39 PM \| Comments (4)
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