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Israel at War: Prophecy Fulfilled?

Gog & Magog (Part 02)

We continue to explore the fascinating and vital topic of end-times prophecy. One of the major themes is that Israel will be ‘at war’ during the last days. We have a few wars to choose from including Psalm 83, Armageddon and Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39. In Part 01, we learned that this conflict was instigated by an enemy from the ‘north quarter’ and in the ‘latter days.’ The identity of Gog has traditionally been Russia but another strong contender is modern-day Turkey. 

To read Part 01, click here:

http://majdali.blogspot.com/2024/02/israel-at-war-prophecy-fulfilled-gog.html

Other major points about this prophecy include (all references are from Ezekiel):

Israel the People shall be living in the land of Israel at the time of the invasion: After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel … (38:8 KJV). Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?  (38:14 KJV). The remarkable thing is that Ezekiel was writing from exile when most of his people no longer lived in the land. In faith, he saw that one day the Israelites would return, not as Israel and Judah but as one nation (see Ezekiel 37). ‘Upon the people that are gathered out of the nations’ (38:12 KJV) shows that this re-gathered Israel will not just return from the Babylonian captivity, but from the global Diaspora it has endured since the time of the destruction of the second temple in AD 70. Today, Jewish migrants to modern Israel come from over one hundred different nations.

The Gog coalition does not invade willingly: ‘I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out…’ (38:4 NKJV). During the Cold War, the old Soviet Union did not rub its hands with glee in great anticipation of invading Israel. Besides, this tiny nation had the distinction of being one of the top six military powers in the world with an undeclared nuclear arsenal. Israel’s Operation Samson, for example, means that a successful Arab-Iranian invasion of Israel, which effectively means the end of the Jewish state, will be met with lightning-fast nuclear retribution on the major cities of the Middle East (may it never be). What this prophecy says is that God will put a hook in Gog’s jaw and lead him out. You do not put hooks in domestic animals, which could cause great pain and infection. Hooks are reserved for those animals that are slated for destruction. So God will drag Gog into a knee-jerk, spontaneous invasion that will lead to his demise.

The Gog Confederacy is highly armed: ‘And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords’ (38:4 KJV). Probably no area of the world is arming more rapidly than Asia: East Asia, South Asia, China, Russia and the Middle East. While other regions are demilitarising, this continent is not. It would not be an exaggeration to call some areas an arsenal. 

References to horses could be symbolic but remember that horses can be used in steep and mountainous areas where mechanised forces cannot reach. Horseback warfare occurred even in the twentieth century. In October 1917, the Australian Light Horsemen captured the city of Beersheba from the Ottoman Turks. This was the end of four hundred years of Turkish rule in Palestine and paved the way to the British Mandate (1917-1948). As the name implies, they had this stunning victory on horseback. In any case, the Arab Muslim world and Russia have enjoyed great cooperation for many decades. Israel has no lack of enemies from this part of the world and the possibility of long-term peace is dim. As Joseph de Courcy says, ‘The Arabs do not—and never will—accept Israel’s right to exist.’ 

The Invasion Force will be as numerous as a cloud that covers the land: ‘You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land’ (38:16 NKJV). Gog, in concert with its allies, will be so numerous as to cause a blackout. Gog will be a massive and well-aimed bowling ball with Israel as the sole pin in the alley.

The allies of Gog might be recent and present-day antagonists of Israel: ‘Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet. 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you’ (38:5-6 NKJV). Persia is clearly Iran. Historically known as Persia until 1935, it was kind to the Jews like in the days of Cyrus the Great, or murderously hostile like in the time of Haman in the days of Queen Esther. In the twentieth century during the era of the Shah, there were strong and friendly bilateral ties. However after the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Israel obtained a new and major enemy. Ethiopia as ‘Cush’ may also mean Sudan or possibly Eritrea. Libya is Phut, Gomer may mean the people north of the Black Sea, and Beth Togarmah can be in the Caucasus Mountains. Some commentators suggest Turkey could enter into the fray. Turkey, once a secular western-leaning Muslim majority country which until recent years had strong bilateral relations with Israel. Yet its current leadership has caused a major tilt towards Islamism. Add to that the probable future European Union rejection of Turkey’s European Union membership application, would change the balance of power in the Middle East.

What is the purpose of this invasion: ‘To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?’ (38:12-13 KJV). What is the motive for this massive and unprovoked invasion? The apparent reason is spoils. What spoils could Israel have? First, it has a technologically advanced market economy, its own hi-tech Silicon Valley, and a large per-capita income. Then ‘livestock and goods’ could refer to its successful agricultural sector. Next, the Dead Sea has forty-five billion tons of sodium, chlorine, sulphur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and bromide. To top it all up, Israel was considered to be ‘resource-poor’ until recently when some amazing news came: natural gas was discovered off the coast of Israel. According to Israel Today Magazine: 

The natural gas field in the Levant Basin (the western Mediterranean) is estimated to hold 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas, making it the largest natural gas resource ever found. The area is also believed to contain at least 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil. 

Israel, as the land bridge to Africa and Eurasia, plus its proximity to Middle Eastern oil fields which contain seventy per cent of the world’s proven oil reserves, could make it a strategic toehold. ‘Sheba and Dedan’ could refer to modern Saudi Arabia, and ‘merchants of Tarshish’ maybe Lebanon, whose forebears, the Phoenicians, were the great ancient maritime people. The text implies that Israel will be in peace (or, at least, security); if so, its resources will no longer be soaked up by the military. Thus, a ‘peaceful Israel’ is a ‘prosperous Israel,’ thus creating more spoils.

To be continued (The third and final part will be in our May edition).

These three articles come from our book At the Door: Key Nations, Last Days and the Coming King, published by Teach All Nations. 

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Patience: Key to the Promises of God Part 03

‘Patience: Why You Need It; How To Get It’

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise – Hebrews 10:36.

Patience matters. It is a Biblical virtue, part of the fruit of the Spirit, and indispensable for surviving and thriving in the last days. Most importantly, along with faith, it is a key to obtaining the promises of God. 

This is our third and final part of the series on patience. Part One was an introduction to this subject with an amplified definition and description. To access Part One, click this link. http://majdali.blogspot.com/2023/09/patience-key-to-unlocking-blessings-of.html

Part 02 spoke about the patience of Job; he is a great case study of patient endurance and experiencing the mercy and compassion of God during trials. For Part 02, click this link:

http://majdali.blogspot.com/2024/02/patience-key-to-promises-of-god-part-02.html

In Part Three, we focus on the practical side: the benefits of patience and why you need it. Also on how to harness patience in your life.

Benefits of Patience

Promotion and enlargement: Everyone likes the notion of ‘getting ahead,’ making progress, reaching and exceeding goals, winning the race and obtaining the prize. The reason many fail to reach their goals is because they do not know or are not prepared to pay the price of achievement. David learned a key secret: if you are going to be enlarged in personal capacity or opportunity, you must pass the stress test. Psalm 4:1: ‘Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.’ (also Psalm 18:18-19; 118:5). Patiently endure the trying times and you will graduate to the next level.

Fruitfulness for God: God looks for much fruitfulness from those who are redeemed in Christ. It is no mystery how to be fruitful: abide in the vine (John 15:1-14). But remember that the journey is often longer than we imagine. You don’t just plant the seed in the morning and expect a harvest that evening – you have to patiently wait. In explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us in Luke 8:15: But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Patiently keep God’s Word in your heart and you will have a bumper crop.

Reigning with Christ: Much of the patient endurance we must exhibit is in relation to the coming of the Lord (James 5:7-8), either His parousia which is His second coming; a visible, personal, bodily return. Or it could be His spiritual visitation in revival or renewal (Acts 3:19). If, in the walk of faith, we suffer for Christ, we will also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12). Twice in the Book of Revelation it calls us ‘kings and priests’ to God (1:6; 5:10).

Promises of God: This is the prime benefit of patience – you will see with your eyes the fulfilment of the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12, 15; 10:36). Fruitfulness comes to the mature who are willing to wait. 

How to Be Patient

This list is by no means comprehensive but it provides a good start. 

Fruit of the Spirit: Remember that patience is one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), though it may be translated as long-suffering or endurance. Learn to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and you get the fruit as a bonus.

Submit to God while simultaneously resisting the devil – who will flee from you (James 4:6-10). God will give you ‘more grace’ and in it will be all the patience you need.

Rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) and especially in times of trial (Romans 5:3; James 1:2-4). It is possible to rejoice in trouble when you have the fullness of the Spirit and ‘more grace.’ Trouble leads to patience, which leads to experience of approved character, which leads to hope, and hope does not shame us (Romans 5:3-5). If you choose the way of joy and rejoicing, God will work in the heavens while you are celebrating on earth. 

While this is not a Bible verse, it is consistent with Biblical living. It is the British war-time slogan: Keep calm and carry on. Patience is developed in the crucible of life’s challenges. Keep going – in grace and patience – and you will see the glory of God.

Finally, we end this article with an excerpt from The Word for Today quarterly devotional that serves as a parable on patience:

‘and let us run with patience the race that is set before us — Hebrews 12:1ff

SUCCESS: Just beyond the splat:

The story is about a traveller who met a leadership expert along the road and asked him, ‘Where’s the road to success?’ The expert didn’t speak but instead pointed to a place off in the far distance. The man, thrilled at the prospect of quick and easy success, rushed off in the direction indicated. Splat! Down he went! He limped back, bruised and stunned. Assuming he must have misinterpreted the message, he repeated his question, and again the expert pointed silently in the same direction. So the traveller took off once more. This time the splat was deafening. Crawling back bloodied, broken and angry, he shouted at the expert, ‘I asked you which way is success! I followed the directions you indicated, and all I got was splattered! No more pointing—talk!’ 

Finally, the expert opened his mouth and spoke. ‘Success is that way. It’s just a little beyond the splat.’ 

The fact is, all of us have experienced ‘the splat’. There’s no way to avoid it. But it’s what we do after the splat that makes all the difference. And perseverance always wins. The Bible says: and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’

The Word for Today 29 May 2021. Courtesy of Vision Christian Media vision.org.au

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Israel at War: Prophecy Fulfilled? Gog & Magog

Ezekiel 38:2 (KJV)

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

2 Peter 1:19 (KJV)

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary of Ezekiel 38 

… this prophecy, it is most probable, had its accomplishment some time after the return of the people of Israel out of their captivity … If the sacred history of the Old Testament had reached as far as the prophecy, we should have been better able to understand these chapters, but, for want of that key, we are locked out of the meaning of them.

Introducing Gog and Magog

With war in the Middle East raging and potential apocalyptical scenarios remaining a possibility, it is prudent to explore the vital subject of Bible prophecy. It is a light that shines in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). A significant part of the last day’s prophecy focuses on Israel at war. We already looked at Psalm 2 and Psalm 83 for insight; now we are looking at TheBook of Ezekiel to one of the most famous and fascinating of all prophecies: Gog and Magog.

This remarkable prophetic passage, found in Ezekiel 38 and 39, after the famous Valley of Dry Bones in Chapter 37, speaks about a massive latter-day coalition attack of Israel from the North. This invasion is so overwhelming and unexpected that the only way the nation survives is through divine intervention. It is a remarkable prophecy for its details, description, and final destiny.

In the above quote Matthew Henry, famous for the commentary that bears his name,  writing in 1712, was totally at a loss as to ascribing a date in history for the fulfilment of this prophecy. He was offering only an educated guess. One option that did not occur to him is that the prophecy could have a future end-time fulfilment. Even one hundred and fifty years ago, scholars would have probably come up with the same conclusion as Henry. Yet the earthshaking changes that have happened in the geopolitical world since the end of World War II mean that today, virtually all the major ingredients for the fulfilment of this prophecy are already in the cupboard, waiting to be mixed, baked and served.

Definition: ‘Gog’ means ‘rooftop’ and maybe even mountain. ‘Magog’ simply means ‘from Gog,’ so Gog and Magog refer to ‘Gog from the land of Gog.’ Gog represents anti-God and antichrist forces which are violent in their antagonism to the Word of God and the people of God. But which nation or nations represent Gog today? Let us look at this prophecy more closely. 

Gog & Magog Step By Step

1. WHEN: It will be in the latter days: Ezekiel 38:8: ‘After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land’ (NKJV). This seems to be clear enough: the invasion will happen in the latter days (verse 16) or years (verse 2), probably the end of this age. But the big question is ‘when’ in the last days? Here are the options:

  1. Before the Great Tribulation?
  2. In the middle of the Tribulation?
  3. At the end of the Tribulation, namely ‘Armageddon?’
  4. After the Millennium (Revelation 20:8)?

Remember that as you look at the details of this prophecy, almost all the components are present today. As such, it could very well have a pre-tribulation fulfilment, as affirmed by some Hebrew Christian scholars like Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Lance Lambert. The fact that there is no mention of the Messiah in this passage lends credence to this view.

The Million Dollar Question: Who is Gog?

2. The enemy will come from ‘the north quarter’: ‘Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters (38:6 KJV); ‘And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts (38:15 KJV); (God) will cause thee (Gog) to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel (39:2 KJV). 

Can we correctly identify Gog? The most popular choice is Russia, arguing from modern translations that the text says Gog comes from the ‘far north.’ What can be more ‘north’ of Israel than Russia? Before 1991, the overwhelming consensus for the identity of Gog was the Soviet Union, which was a tailor-made villain for an Ezekiel-like invasion. The USSR could theoretically invade Israel without a coalition of far-flung nations (remembering it was itself an empire encompassing fifteen nations along with the Warsaw Pact alliance).

Is Russia Gog?

Today the Russian Federation is the successor state of the once-powerful Soviet Union. With the current frostiness in relations between Russia and the Western world, including NATO and the European Union, ‘Russia = Gog’ continues to be the most favoured interpretation. But is this correct? The key to solving this mystery is the place names used, like Mesech, Tubal, and the House of Togarmah.

It is beyond the scope of this article to explore the Biblical place names in-depth. But there is a credible school of thought that says that all the main players in Last days prophecy are all from the Middle East, not Europe. Even if there is a revived Roman Empire in the end times, remember that the Empire had two spears of power: Rome in Europe and Constantinople which is both in Europe and the Middle East. Rome East outlasted Rome West by a thousand years (1453 v. 476 AD).

Furthermore, in the original Hebrew of Ezekiel 38:6, it does not say ‘far north.’ The Hebrew phrase is tsapone (north) yereka (translated part, quarter, side). Hence the KJV translates this as Gog comes from the ‘north quarters,’ not the far north. The point is that there is room to include other countries as candidates for Gog besides Russia.

Note: Russian Christians greatly dislike the interpretation of Russia being Gog. They have been an (Orthodox) Christian country for over a thousand years. Since 1991 churches have grown, both Orthodox and Evangelical. They nominate another northern power: China … and China, they add, is still communist.

So if Russia is not Gog, who is? A viable option is a nation also North of Israel and the current state of its relationship is rock-bottom: Turkey. The place names of Ezekiel 38 could very well be in Asia Minor. Turkey is one of the most important nations in the world due to its strategic location, history, heritage, its de facto Turkic highway and commonwealth from Central Asia to the Balkans in Europe. Whether Turkey is Gog or not, it is very important to ‘watch Turkey.’

To be continued.

(From our book At the Door: Key Nations, Last Days and the Coming King, published by Teach All Nations)

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Patience: Key to the Promises of God Part 02 ‘The Patience of Job’


That you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises – Hebrews 6:12

In our changing, trying times, the one thing we need above all else is divine patience; it can help you plough through the obstacles and keep going unto victory. More than that, it is a key to receiving the promises of God. Abraham had it, and so did Job – what about you?

In Part One we defined and described what is Biblical patience, based in part from James 5:7-11. You can read it for yourself at http://majdali.blogspot.com/2023/09/patience-key-to-unlocking-blessings-of.html

The paragon of patience was the patriarch Job. Few people have suffered as much as this man. He was exceedingly blessed by God and then tragedy hit on many fronts: in one calendar day, he lost his flocks, workers, and children. If that weren’t enough, he lost his health. His wife told him to let go of his integrity: just curse God and die. Fortunately for him and us, he did not listen to her. 

And there’s more: three friends came to ‘comfort’ him in such a manner that they made the situation much worse – bad enough that God rebuked them in the end. Then a young man named Elihu rebukes the older Job as having justified himself and not God. Yet, outspoken Elihu does not get divinely rebuked at all.

Finally, mercifully, God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind. He does not tell Job why He allowed all that suffering but because He is God, Sovereign of the universe, we are called to trust Him even when it makes no sense to the natural mind.

How did Job respond to God’s lengthy message? He returned to the fear of the Lord, committed himself to obedience, and repented in dust and ashes. In addition, he also prayed for his friends (42:10). 

What was the result of Job’s patience? In one word: restoration. His net worth was restored: The Lord caused his friends and extended family to come visit and they were compelled to give him money and jewels. His lost livestock was replaced by double the amount than before. 

His family was restored: Job had another ten children to replace the ones who were killed.

Job’s legacy was patient endurance that caused him to be blessed and restored more than ever. James 5:11 says God also was glorified as a merciful and compassionate to him.

Gems of Job

Like silver and gold tried in the fire, so was patient Job. Once the fire ceased, the silver and gold, now purified, remains and are enhanced. Job’s suffering and the book that bears his name have given us some great gems in the Word of God. These include:

Job 42:5-6: I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

The patience that was forged in the furnace of affliction afforded Job an audience with the Lord, which impacted him and others to our day. No doubt Job was humbled by this experience and such humility is a magnet to ever-increasing grace.

Job 19:25-26: For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

What a great Messianic and eschatological statement! Job speaks of a divine redeemer who is coming to ‘stand at the latter day’ upon the earth. Job believed that if death preceded the redeemer’s appearance, and worms ate his body, he spoke with perfect faith that ‘in his flesh’ – namely, his resurrected body – he would see God. 

This is perhaps the earliest statement affirming the bodily resurrection of all humanity (Daniel 12:2). And as Paul clearly affirms in 1 Corinthians 15, if the dead do not rise, then Christ didn’t rise either (v. 13). Fortunately for us all, Christ did rise as the first fruits of many more to come. As a Biblical principle when you see the first fruits early in the harvest season, it is your guarantee that the resMesst of the harvest fruit is coming. A down payment is a putative assurance that the rest of the money is on the way.

Job 23:10: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Speaking of ‘tried as gold,’ that was Job’s experience in summarized form. This verse tells us that if you want the gold, hold tight, be patient, trust God, and He will do the rest. It is a clarion call to patiently persevere or, as UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill told the nation during the Second World War: Never give up.

In Part 03, we will learn about the benefits of patience and how to acquire it in your life.

—TO BE CONTINUED

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Zeal and Knowledge

The balanced Christian life:

What should believers major in: zeal or knowledge? If you know anything about me, you will know that I see this as a clear example of a false dilemma. That is, it is not to be a case of either/or but both/and. We should seek to have zeal AND we should seek to have knowledge. One without the other just does not cut it for the Christian.

Many believers have plenty of knowledge, but they lack any real zeal for God. Head knowledge alone without passion, and life, and the Spirit is not what God is looking for. But the other error is just as bad. Many believers have plenty of zeal, but they have little sound knowledge or understanding of biblical truth and doctrine. They in fact often play down knowledge altogether.

Cults of course thrive on the latter – members often have zeal and passion and commitment, but they are woefully ignorant of basic Bible teaching. They may be really off on doctrine, and will often be told they should not think for themselves, but just go along with whatever their leader tells them.

I know this from first-hand experience, having been in a cult myself long ago. We sure had lots of zeal, but we sure had a lot of dumb ideas as well. In my four-part article discussing my Christian conversion I wrote about some of these weird things we did and believed. As I wrote:

One, a bad interpretation of Scripture – specifically a passage like 2 Corinthians 5:7 which says “we walk by faith, not by sight” – led to some radical first steps. This text obviously meant we see by faith and walk in the Spirit, and need not worry about mere physical sight. So my first task was to take a hammer or a rock and smash my glasses to bits. That I promptly did, and I spent the next five months or so stumbling around the mountains of New Mexico, even getting lost once or twice.

 

You see I have long had terrible eyesight, so this certainly was jumping in the deep end on day one – a real step of faith indeed. But I was ready to do anything in my newfound faith, and so this seemed reasonable to me at the time.

 

Two, given the hippy/Indian/cult nature of this group, we often got back to nature in more ways than one – including running around with no clothes on, at least on our own land – which got us in trouble with the New Mexico police on more than one occasion, including stints in jail.

 

Related to this, we reminded folks that Galatians 5:16 tells us that we walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. That was our explanation when asked why we walked around shoeless in the ice and snow for example. We had homemade looms and we did weaving which we learned from the Indians, so we made belts and related products, and sold them to outsiders to get a bit of cash.

 

In the winters we would go to fancy ski resorts in the nearby mountains where all these rich skiers and tourists would hang around at. We sold them our weavings, and they were amazed as we walked about barefoot up there in the snow-covered mountains. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/06/27/coming-home-my-testimony-part-2/

And there is more:

Thus our big problem was our way-out beliefs. The truth is, we all need the various giftings God has put in the church, and God has appointed teachers and pastors in the Body of Christ to properly instruct young believers. But we had none of that – no teachers, and certainly no commentaries or theology books or volumes on basic biblical hermeneutics.

 

All we had was the distorted views of our leader. And like so many cults, he made it clear that we were about the only true Christians around. Sure, we kept looking for others who believed like we did – but they were very few and far between indeed. As with all cults, we did not “rightly divide” the Word of God.

 

We took things literally where we shouldn’t have. Our main sticking point was the Second Commandment which warns about not making any graven images. We figured it meant what it said – or what we thought it said. We believed it meant no pictures of any kind – no art, no symbols, no illustrations, no photographs, no drawings, no images – zippo.

 

So if we got a can of beans from the supermarket (not buying it from inside, but claiming it from their trash outside, where we got most of our food), we immediately tore off the wrapping with those ghastly images! Once my parents sent me a nice Bible while I was there, thinking that with my new-found faith I would enjoy it.

 

But of course it had those horrendous images inside of it – maps and other pictures, which I ripped out and threw away immediately. So all images of any kind were taboo, and anyone who thought such images were OK was not a real Christian. So as you can imagine, there were not too many other believers around which we could get along with.

 

So in true cult fashion it was us against everyone else; all because we were misinterpreting Scripture on a pretty basic level. We were twisting Scripture, which is the clear mark of a cult, as is an authoritarian leader who demands full allegiance.

 

However there was one very good thing our leader often told us: he said we should always keep praying to know the truth. That we did, and it led to the downfall of the cult. https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/06/27/coming-home-my-testimony-part-3/

Yep, this was cult city: zeal in abundance, but knowledge and understanding in rather short supply. It is not just cults that operate this way however. Think of a text such as Romans 10:1-4 where Paul says this about the Jews:

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

They had the zeal, but without proper knowledge and right understanding, it got them nowhere. They missed out on their long-awaited Messiah because of this – at least in good measure. How many others likewise suffer because of a zeal not corralled by intelligence, understanding and right thinking?

On interest, in my morning reading of Scripture, I came upon this from Exodus 31:1-5:

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.”

For this job – associated with building the tabernacle – God appointed an artisan with both zeal (filled with God’s Spirit) and knowledge. There was no question of just one or the other, but both. Let’s aim to get the biblical balance right. Let’s love and serve God with passion and zeal, but with knowledge and understanding as well.

[1232 words]

The post Zeal and Knowledge appeared first on CultureWatch.

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Description and Prescription

Not everything we read about in Scripture is meant to be copied!

There are various important principles of biblical interpretation. If we keep these in mind, we can avoid a world of trouble – and misunderstanding and misconstruing of the Word of God. Many are fairly basic and straightforward. Some of the key principles are these:

-Study every text in its context
-Compare Scripture with Scripture
-Study difficult passages in the light of those that are more clear

Many more can be mentioned of course, but simply observing there three will help you go a long way in rightly understanding Scripture and avoiding theological error. Another basic principle to keep in mind is the subject of this article.

Not everything described in the Bible is being prescribed. Just because we read about something happening in Scripture does not necessarily mean it is a template for all people for all time. This can be easily illustrated in a humorous fashion.

Some believers seem to seek guidance by closing their eyes, opening their Bible, and putting their finger down on a page, in the hopes that the text pointed to will give them the answer they are looking for. One well-known story makes clear just how foolish this is as a means of determining God’s will:

-A person using this method came up with Matthew 27:5: “Judas went out and hanged himself”.
-A bit troubled, he tried again, and got this: Luke 10:37: “go and do likewise”.
-Being really rattled, he tried one more time, only to get this: John 13:27: “and what thou doest, do quickly”!

The point is obvious. Just because we are told that someone did something in the Bible (like Judas hanging himself) does not mean we should follow suit. While I have written about this matter before, it always is worth revisiting. See this earlier piece for example: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2022/04/24/description-versus-prescription/

Test case: the Patriarchs

Since I am reading again in the Pentateuch, one can find plenty of examples simply by looking at the lives of the Patriarchs. So many things that we see them doing are decidedly NOT something we should emulate and take as an example. 

There are numerous things we could mention. I recently wrote a piece on burial versus cremation. I looked at some Old Testament passages, saying we need to decide what might be the best course. One person said this in a comment:

“I remember that Joseph asked for his bones to be carried back to Canaan Gen 50:25 when they returned to Canaan (nearly 400 years later, Exodus 13:19 ‘Moses took the bones of Joseph with him’), and before that his father, Jacob wanted his body buried with his fathers in Canaan Gen 47:30 so to me it means our bones are important or the place where we are buried is important.”

Yes, quite right: all the Patriarchs wanted to be buried in the same place: a cave of Machpelah. That is certainly descriptive. But whether it is to be prescriptive as well might be another matter. And we know that the Patriarchs also did various other things which we probably should not emulate. For example, they all had multiple wives.

They also heard directly from God, something which we may well not experience – at least not in the same way as they did. Also, they all left their homeland; they all quarrelled with their brothers; they all met their brides at a well.

And then the wives of the three Patriarchs, Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel were all infertile – yet God miraculously opened the wombs of all three. Believers today are not called to follow in their infertility – nor to expect a miraculous healing from it. Also, all three went down in the direction of Egypt, and so on.

But let me mention just one more issue, related to that last point. In at least the case of two of them (Abraham and Isaac), they had beautiful wives, were in a different land, and lied about their wives (saying they were not wives but sisters). In the case of Abraham, this was partly true, as Sarah was his half-sister.

The first case involves Abraham in Egypt. We read about this in Genesis 12:10-20. But he did this again! The second time this happened involved Abimelech. Genesis 20: 1-18 records this story. And Isaac ends up doing much the same as Genesis 26:6-11 discusses.

Once again, what is being described in these passages is not something we must also do. Most of us do not have ravishingly beautiful wives as these men had, and we generally are not travelling in another country where the leaders there want to get to know these women much better. Nor are to lie about it all, even if those other two conditions are met!

Common sense needed

But you get my drift. So much of the narratives portions of Scripture certainly involve lots of descriptive material. But not all of it is meant to be prescriptive. We can even talk about Jesus in this regard. Jesus was circumcised at the end of the eighth day – should we be too?

Jesus never married – should we therefore remain single as well? And Jesus died a horrible death on a cross – should we as well? Sure, we are to live a crucified life, in a spiritual sense. In that and other ways we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

But much of this is just common sense – or hopefully it is. When one son of the Patriarchs, facing sexual temptation, fled out of the room (Joseph in Genesis 39) that is both descriptive and prescriptive. If we ever find ourselves in that sort of situation, we should do exactly the same thing! Get out of there real fast – don’t pray about it or meditate on it!

Many other obvious incidents can be mentioned, such as King Saul consulting the witch of Endor, King David committing adultery and murder, or King Solomon having 1000 wives and concubines, to name but a few. Here were folks that God used for his purposes, yet they all had their flaws – some worse than others.

We of course can emulate such figures when they did that which was right and pleasing to God. But not all that we read about when it comes to various biblical characters is meant to be something we are to do as well. Again, this should be a matter of common sense for us, but sometimes that is lacking in believers. Indeed, I know of one Christian who, appealing to Solomon and others, thinks polygamy is just fine!

So as you dally read your Bibles, use some God-given wisdom in deciding what is to be copied and mimicked and what is simply to be read – or at times, warned about and avoided!

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Keep Hope Alive: The Sky Has Not Yet Fallen

We have good reason to remain hopeful:

Some of you will recall a major theme of a book penned back in 1946: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It has to do with his experience as a prisoner in German concentration camps. He argued that those who had a sense of meaning and purpose – and thus hope – were better equipped to survive in these horrific camps.

Yes, hope is crucial. The Christian faith of course is built on hope. We know that as the world grows ever darker, God is still at work. The psalmist could put it this way:

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

The writer to the Hebrews said this: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Paul put it this way: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13). And we have the blessed hope: the promise of Christ’s return (Titus 2:13).

Hope is what keeps us going. But of course it is hope in Christ, not hope in ourselves or in our surroundings. As the popular song states, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” And that is true even in our most difficult and desperate periods.

One key figure in recent times would have had reason to despair and give up hope. But he kept going, despite a shaky start. He went from the Marines to the White House to prison to a remarkable global Christian ministry. I refer to Chuck Colson (1931-2012). Those not familiar with his amazing story will find it discussed here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/04/22/notable-christians-charles-colson/

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The Sky is Not Falling: Living Fearlessly in These Turbulent Times by Colson, Charles (Author) Amazon logo

In this piece I want to quote from something he wrote over a dozen years ago. It is still well worth revisiting. The book is this: The Sky Is Not Falling (Worthy Publishing, 2011). It is a collection of his columns he had penned for Christianity Today over the years. But the Introduction is still of great value, so here I will present most of it. What follows then is what he wrote, almost in its entirety:

On all sides I hear battle-weary Christians talk about abandoning cultural engagement and tending our own backyard instead. Like other leaders in Christian ministries, I know the most effective fundraising is to screech that the sky is falling, but we should resist that temptation. We should inspire hope.

 

The most compelling reason for hope comes from looking beyond any current election at deeper, long-term historical trends. The twentieth century was the age of ideology, of the great “isms”: communism, socialism, nazism, liberalism, humanism, scientism. Everywhere, ideologues nursed visions of creating the ideal society by some utopian scheme. Whether by revolution or racial purity or scientific technology, these True Believers set out to build a modern Tower of Babel, reaching to the heavens (metaphorically, since most were aggressively secular).

 

The attitude was captured in the film Titanic, when a passenger glances proudly at the ship and declares, “Even God himself could not sink it.”

 

Other idols have sunk just as surely, if not as quickly. Nazism was forever disgraced by the horrors of its concentration camps. The Soviet Union crumbled with the Berlin Wall. Around the globe formerly socialist nations have eagerly lined up to establish free economies. Liberalism, while still powerful, has lost its luster: American politicians eschew the label. Even science often seems a Frankenstein’s monster turning on its creators.

 

This was the most significant fact at the end of the twentieth century: all the major ideological constructions had failed, tossed on the ash heap of history. For all were based on the same underlying theme: liberate the individual from the oppression of family, church, and local custom, and he would be autonomous and free. But today it is clear that weakening the marital bonds of family, church, and neighborhood does not lead to freedom but to alienation, loneliness, disorder, and crime – and even to the rise of the totalitarian state.

 

The dream of autonomy has turned into a nightmare of chaos and coercion. Today the tide is turning as Americans grow desperate for the security found in the moral bonds of family and community.

 

The only remaining “ism” is postmodernism, which is not an ideology but a repudiation of all ideologies. Its relativism is the admission that every attempt to construct a comprehensive, utopian worldview has failed. It is a formalized expression of despair.

 

Only one compelling claim to transcendent truth remains, one secure hope: Christianity. The church has stood unshaken through the ebb and flow of two millennia. It has survived both the barbarian invasions of the Middle Ages and the intellectual assaults of the modern era. Its solid walls rise up above the ruins littered across the intellectual landscape.

 

This moment, when the culture at large is facing the bankruptcy of its systems, is the worst possible time for Christians to despair. On the contrary, it is time for us to blow trumpets and fly the flag high. To desert the field of battle now would be historical blindness, betraying our heritage just when we have the greatest opportunity we may ever face. This is the time to make a compelling case that Christianity offers the only rational and realistic hope for both personal redemption and social renewal.

 

This is not a Pollyanna vision of our culture which ignores the depth of our cultural, governmental, economic, and ethical problems or pretends they are not real and serious. They are appallingly real and deadly serious. And if they are not checked, the sky will fall. Our culture will collapse as surely as that of ancient Israel when they turned away from the protective and life-sustaining principles of God. But collapse is far from inevitable because the church has in its purpose, worldview, ethos, and mission everything needed to turn culture around.

He concludes by saying that the church has the answers to the problems that beset us and surround us. His final sentences are these: “Never has it been more important for Christians to remain engaged in the task of cultural renewal—to stay at our posts. And if we are steadfast, we have no reason to fear that shards of the wild blue yonder will come crashing down on our heads.”

Of course if Colson were still around today, he would see that things have indeed gotten so much worse in so many ways – at least here in the West. But for him – and for us – that should be all the more reason to keep hope alive. As long as God sits on the throne (which will forever be the case), there is still hope.

While we work for cultural, social and political change, as part of our calling to be salt and light, there will always be setbacks and disappointments. But we must persevere. Colson certainly did. He could have abandoned all hope while languishing in prison after the Watergate affair.

But he did not. His new-found faith propelled him into full-time service for the Lord, and as a result millions of people around the world have been impacted by the man and his ministry. We need to seek to do the same, by God’s grace. So keep on going. The sky is not falling, and Christ still reigns.

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The Glory of God: Light in Our Darkness

Sue Tinworth – Partners in Prayer and Evangelism Deep Darkness For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:2 NKJV Darkness is covering the earth. The nations are being shaken by fear and loss from COVID-19, governmental regulations, income loss, changing … Continue reading →

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Cremation and the Christian

Should believers bury their dead only?

While many believers may never have given this a passing thought, some others might think quite a lot about it, and may even have some concerns about it, especially as they or their loved ones grow older. The issue is this: is it right for a Christian to be cremated upon death? Or is burial the only real option for the believer?

Some general things can first be said. Often for the believer and non-believer alike a main consideration is the price. Cremation is simply much cheaper than a burial. Poorer folks – including poorer Christians – may thus think twice about a burial if they know a much cheaper option is available.

But mere pragmatism alone is not the best way to resolve this matter. “What does Scripture say about this” is the first question the Christian should ask. And on this topic we have some descriptive texts, and perhaps a few prescriptive ones, but in the main, we do not have clear and direct biblical teaching on this.

Yes, burial has always been the norm for believers, but are there hard and fast biblical rules that tell us one way or another? An important and long standing theological and hermeneutical principle has to do with “things indifferent”. The term used is “adiaphora” – this has to do with those things which are neither sanctioned nor prohibited by Scripture. See more on that subject here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2013/11/15/on-adiaphora/

That is, there is some room to move here, and we need not go to the wall over such matters. Certainly, the salvation of the believer is not at risk regardless of which way he proceeds on this. And there are plenty of questions we still have about the resurrection body.

Jesus was recognisable when he came back from the dead, as were some other biblical characters. But let’s say I die at age 100. Will my resurrection body take on the form of that 100-year-old? Or a 50-year-old? Or my current almost 71-year-old? How exactly we will appear in our resurrection body is not exactly clearcut from Scripture.

And plenty of people can be horribly disfigured in their death, say from explosions, fires, and so on. In some cases there may be no real bodily remains left at all to bury. Yet we know that these folks will have a new resurrection body, presumably complete and intact – and recognisable.

Sure, there are plenty of things that happen in life, often by accident, that we don’t go out of our way to emulate or imitate. But just in terms of imagery alone, the biblical notion of falling and rising, of death and resurrection, is nicely captured in being lowered into the earth, awaiting the return of Christ. That picture is not seen so readily in cremation.

Cremation, in terms of religious traditions, is much more routine in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. In those belief systems the body is seen as something to escape from, not celebrate. But in cultures where Judaism, Christianity and Islam dominate, burial is the main option. These faiths do have a much higher view of the human body – especially the Judeo-Christian tradition. Bodily resurrection is certainly crucial in the biblical worldview.

The Biblical data

I already mentioned that we do not have all the much clear and direct biblical material to draw from here. Some Christians have said that burning was a part of God’s judgment when dealing with sinners, and so we should stay away from that.

In Joshua 7 For example we read about the sin of Achan. Verse 25 tells us the fate of the guilty: “And Joshua said, ‘Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.’ And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.”

Some sins are so abhorrent that burning with fire is the punishment meted out. Sexual sin seems to predominate here. In Genesis 38 we read about Judah and Tamar. Verses 24-25 read: “About three months later Judah was told, ‘Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.’ And Judah said, ‘Bring her out, and let her be burned’.”

And in Leviticus 20:14 we read this: “If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you.” But some other Old Testament passages could be seen as a being a bit more ambiguous. In Leviticus 21 we read about priestly holiness. The priest is not to go near dead bodies, thereby making himself unclean (v. 11). A possible case for cremation then? But a sinful daughter of a priest “shall be burned with fire” (v. 9).

Also consider 1 Samuel 31 where we read about the death of Saul. It says “valiant men” from the Israelite town of Jabesh-Gilead burned the bodies of Saul and his sons (vv. 11-13). Were they right to do so? Saul of course was a king of Israel, chosen by God, but he did go off the rails at the end of his reign.

Other rather general texts could be presented here, but the truth is we do not have a direct condemnation of cremation in the Bible. So the short answer to our question is this: burial has always been the traditional Christian way of doing things, based as it is on a high view of the body, and the blessed hope we have of the return of Christ and living forever in resurrection bodies.

I could finish here, but perhaps I can quote just one Christian leader on this. Some years ago Russell Moore penned a piece on why he is no fan of cremation. The entire article is worth looking at, but his closing paragraphs can be offered here:

I suppose I shouldn’t find the heat that comes from the cremation debate all that surprising. It is deeply personal, especially for those of us with loved ones resting now in urns or scattered beneath oak trees or embedded in man-made reefs off the coast. What bothers me as a Christian minister is not so much that some of us are cremated as that the rest of us don’t seem to care.

 

Like the culture around us, we tend to see death and burial as an individual matter. That’s why we make our own personal funeral plans, in the comfort of our living room chairs. And that is why we ask the kind of question we ask about this issue: “What difference does it make, as long as I am resurrected in the end?”

 

Recognizing that cremation is sub-Christian doesn’t mean castigating grieving families as sinners. It doesn’t mean refusing to eat at the dining room table with Aunt Flossie’s urn perched on the mantle overhead. It doesn’t mean labeling the pastor who blesses a cremation service as a priest of Molech.

 

It simply means beginning a conversation about what it means to grieve as Christians and what it means to hope as Christians. It means reminding Christians that the dead in the graveyards behind our churches are “us” too. It means hoping that our Christian burial plots preach the same gospel that our Christian pulpits do.

 

I wish my grandfather hadn’t been cremated. As I preached his funeral, I wished I could join with centuries of Christians in committing his body, intact, to the ground. I hated his cremation, but I didn’t hate it as others do, as those who have no hope. Instead, I thanked a faithful God for a great man’s life.

 

And then I paused in recognition, knowing that one day the wisdom of the embalmers and the power of the cremators will be put to shame by the Wisdom and Power of God in the eastern skies above us. And I expect it will be glorious to see what the voice of Jesus can do to a south Mississippi funeral home’s medium-price urn. https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=20-01-024-v&readcode=&readtherest=true#therest

Whatever direction you end up heading in as to this matter, we need to extend grace to others, especially when they are in a time of grief and bereavement. Indeed, exactly 42 years ago today I married a wonderful Australian woman. For 41 years my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. This year I celebrate it alone.

The last thing I need now (or six months ago when we buried her), would be a big Christian argument over these matters. Think and pray about it, and do what you sense God wants you to do on this.

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Speak, Even If Your Voices Shakes

Away with your lame excuses – we need to speak out:

If you are a Christian you are commanded to share the good news of the gospel. Obviously our words must be backed up by the way we live, but words MUST be used. Paul made this clear in Romans 10:14-15: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

So in one way or another, the Christian is called to speak. We of course speak about the good news of what Jesus Christ did for lost sinners by his death and resurrection. But there are so many other things we can and should be speaking up about as well.

Many of the hot potato issues of the day should be addressed by believers, and in the public square, whether something like abortion or sexual trafficking. As Proverbs 31:8-9 puts it, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Sure, not everyone will be an evangelist speaking to thousands of people in a sporting stadium. Not everyone will write books and articles. Not everyone will set up a blog site. Not everyone will have radio and TV ministries. But we all can speak, even if in much more limited and humble ways.

You all have neighbours presumably. Well, start by speaking to them. And pray for them first. As I have shared before, in my twice daily dog walks, I try to pray for all the neighbours as I pass by their homes. Some of them I end up bumping into and having conversations with. Sometimes that can include sharing biblical truth.

Then there are of course family members, friends, and others that you are uniquely placed to speak to. Most of us to not have any connection to your family, to your friends, to your neighbours. So you have a unique mission field right there that none of us have. God expects you to speak.

Again, timing can be crucial, and hopefully you have prepared the way by prayer and intercession. Not every occasion may be ideal for sharing gospel truth. But if you are open to the possibility, if you have prayed, and if you have asked God to open some doors before you, then there can be many great opportunities to speak up.

I have also shared previously about how my personality is not exactly that of being a people person and loving to interact with others, including strangers. But I am slowly getting better in this regard. Indeed, God threw me into the deep end early on.

When I first arrived in Australia and got a job with the Australian Family Association, I received almost no instructions on what to do. The main thing the boss said was that I should try to get into the media a lot. That was it! So I began by writing letters to the editor, putting out press releases, and so on.

It did not take long before many folks in the media knew that I existed, and soon enough they were contacting me on a regular basis. Within a decade or so I had done thousands of interviews and media appearances. Every area was covered: newspaper, radio, television, and so on.

In many ways I became the go-to guy for all things family related, or on moral, social and cultural issues. The media loves controversy, so I was always the token conservative voice, often pitted against an array of leftist voices. So often I stood before a television camera to have something for the 6 o’clock news, or for some current affairs program.

I did heaps of debates, and I had so many appearances in the public arena. I say all this because as I mentioned, I am not exactly Mr Social Butterfly. I am a rather melancholic and misanthropic person, who actually dislikes controversy and the public spotlight. I much prefer to quietly sit at home with a cat on my lap and a book in my hand.

So I always say that God has a great sense of humour. He could have chosen someone who thrives in public and loves to be with others. He could have chosen someone who was photogenic and telegenic. He could have chosen a young articulate, attractive Australian female for the job.

Instead he chose me – an older, American male with no great camara appeal. That is how God so often works. As is often said, God does not call the qualified, but he qualifies the called. Given that there was little in me that the media would desire, I had to depend on God for any chance of success.

In the eyes of the world, I should have been the last person chosen for such a major media role over so many years. I broke all the rules of who you would want to be a media spokesperson. But of course God does not look at appearances, but looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

He will use those who are willing to be used. He will use those who remain humble before him. He will use those who seek to be obedient. Those are our main qualifications to be Christians in general, and to speak truth in public in particular. Not that I am expert in any of those areas, but…

I am not saying there is not a place for, say, taking courses in public speaking, or for trying to brush up for your next media appearance, and so on. But your main qualification is the call of God. Your main qualification is that God is willing to use you, and there is a needy world out there that really does need to hear what you have to say.

So even if you think you are the last person who God would ever put in the public spotlight, or have a big role in the media, think again. God may well have someone like you in mind. If you think you are already fully qualified for the job, well, spiritually speaking you may not be! If you think you are not up to the task, you might be the very person God is looking for.

We of course have clear biblical examples of this. Just think of two of the most important spokesmen for God in the entire Bible. Both seemed to think they were not qualified for the job. Both may have had natural weaknesses or shortcomings, but God was able to supernaturally overcome and transcend these things as he used these men greatly.

You likely know who I refer to here. The first of course is Moses. Twice we have a biblical record of Moses protesting, saying he lacks the proper qualifications to be God’s spokesperson. And at least once we have God giving him a stern rebuke. The first passage is Exodus 4:10-17. It says this:

But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

And in Exodus 6:10-13 we find this:

So the Lord said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The other familiar character is Jeremiah the prophet. As Jeremiah 1:4-10 states:

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Both these men tried to excuse themselves from speaking for God. But God would have none of it. Many of us may also want to make excuses and claim we are just not up to the task. Well, I have good news for you: NONE of us are up to the task. None of us are qualified. None of us are sufficient in and of ourselves.

But God, in order to bring glory to himself, chooses to use the unqualified, the amateur, the nobody. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,  so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

In my book that is very good news indeed. So go, and speak, even if your voice shakes.

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