Finding Direction By Shadows

The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.— Proverbs 15:31 (NKJV)

The sun of my life has passed its zenith. When I was a child, the long shadows were cast before me, now they fall behind me. As I look back upon the lengthening shades of my past, I see many points that bring regret. There were foolish choices, bad judgments, failures, and misunderstandings. I caused pain to good people, often to people who loved me. I took wrong turns, stumbled and fell upon wrong roads. Many of those failures brought suffering, though not as much, by God's grace, as I deserved. Sometimes I tried to do good things, and they turned out well. Sometimes they did not.

All of us have experienced checks in our lives. We have experienced physical difficulties, failed relationships, material losses, financial setbacks, rejections, and disappointments. We have had dreams and plans that failed to come to pass. We achieved some great success and found it much emptier and less satisfying that we expected. We may think of ourselves as having been rebuked but to be rebuked has a negative connotation. Another translation says, The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise (ESV). Sometimes it feels as if God has rebuked us, but He has merely given us a course correction, a push, or perhaps a violent shove. If we were about to be hit by a bus and someone shoved us out of the way, we would likely not take offense.

Wisdom — not wealth, prestige, or power — is the key to life. Wisdom is one of the few things in life of genuine and lasting value. We should do whatever is necessary to acquire it. James say, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." It is also true that "in much wisdom is much sorrow". Like all great treasures, wisdom is not always easily carried.

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas (Acts 16:6-8 ESV). Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Dr. Luke were on a missionary journey. These were sincere, devoted servants of Christ. Paul and Luke wrote the majority of the New Testament. They were traveling through Asia Minor, visiting existing churches and speaking words of encouragement. They wanted to take a particular direction, but something seemed to hinder them. They were unable to speak about Christ anywhere in the region. Perhaps the Anointing that empowered their ministy had been revoked, or they were consistently denied opportunites. Either way, they must have questioned their course. They may have wondered if they had missed God, if He was no longer pleased with them, if He had in some way rejected them. They may have wisely kept their own council, but the thoughts would have been present for each.

Day after fruitless day they traveled on, hearing nothing except the negative and being constantly rebuked. "Don't go there! No! No preaching here." Yet, because they were wise, they did not take these corrections personally or allow themselves to become offended or resentful. They expressed no bitterness. They simply accepted the reproof and moved on in a direction they were allowed to go. If God will not speak to you positively, allow Him to speak to you negatively. Sometimes the best thing is to know what not to do.

Following this dictum, the party found its way to a port city on the Aegean Sea called Troas. Still not knowing where to go or what to do, Paul lay down to sleep. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” So it was that out of rebukes and reproofs that the Gospel crossed over into Europe.

Sympathy for the Devil?

Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, despise authority, and blaspheme glorious beings. Yet Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the devil in a debate about the body of Moses, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” – Jude 8-9

Respect, let alone sympathy, for the devil would seem to be an odd attitude to have, especially for a mighty archangel. However, reading the whole book of Jude, or the very similar book of Second Peter, I realize that post-modernism is hardly modern, that deconstructionists and relativists were hanging around outside the gates of Eden.

The denigration of authority is founded upon the rejection of absolute truth. When the American colonies rebelled, they, conversely, did so on the basis of absolute truth. As our friend Van has pointed out, this is a difference between the nature of the American Revolution and the French Revolution and goes a long way in explaining the different outcomes. The Declaration of Independence does not reject authority as much as it appeals to the Highest Authority, to Truth itself.

What Jude points out is that it is better, in the absence of complete knowledge, to give at least a nod to limited authority and leave the “rebuking” up to God. Michael knew what his job was, and he intended to do it. The devil opposed him. The archangel, not knowing what the devil’s job might be, respected the fact that Satan is sometimes given a limited amount of power to accomplish the Lord’s hidden purposes – I almost said ‘occult purposes’, which is, I think, technically correct but kind of scary.

In the second chapter of Second Thessalonians, Paul describes what many interpret as an anti-christ figure. The Apostle calls him “the man of lawlessness”. By definition the one who rejects the Law – that is, the revelation of God’s absolute nature as Truth, sets himself up as god. But then who decides who decides? Thus we have lawlessness, anarchy, and chaos.

Walt accused me yesterday of sounding like a revolutionary, and I am often accused of being revolting. But my rebellion should be only against the denial of the Absolute by the relative. Even in this, I must emulate Michael for I do not know but what the adversary’s hindrance serves God’s greater good. Consider the experience of Paul in the book of Acts:

They went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16:6-9)

And so, the gospel came to Europe.

Though Luke writes that the Spirit hindered Paul from going one place or another, it is quite likely that the missionaries encountered obstructions and difficulties that led them to conclude that God was sending them in a different direction.

There are times when we encounter obstacles we must overcome. Sometimes God calls us to struggle against apparent failures and break through dead ends. Yet, wisdom suggests we remain respectful or at least circumspect toward what opposes us if we are to truly walk in God’s will. A locked door may need to be kicked in, but it should be the Lord’s boot.