Thursday, June 22, 2006
God's Ways and Thoughts
Funeral Service for George David Welsh
June 20, 2006
Introduction
Isaiah 55 was chosen because it was a favorite of Mr. Welsh, especially verses 8-9. Mr. Welsh was known for wrestling with God's Word each Sunday. In keeping with his spirit, let's wrestle with this text. We will use the translation version he would have used - the King James Version.
Text
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
How are G's thoughts not our thoughts?
1. God offers something of great value at no cost:
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
If any of the grandchildren had come to their grandfather with the great idea of starting a business and not charging clients for the product, I doubt he would have thought the idea too smart.
Not just a matter of not staying in business, but the idea of offering something of great value for free tends to lower the value in the eyes of the recipient and encourages them to be lazy.
God does have a great marketing pitch:
2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Some people might delight in fatness, but closer to our understanding is delicious healthy food. Let your soul delight in the best of food. Consider your ways. You work hard to earn money to spend on what you know doesn’t satisfy. However good a meal might seem, you are hungry the next day and often feeling bad after effects.
2. Binds himself through a covenant to an untrustworthy people.
3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
If grandchild came to grandfather saying, “I’ve been given a great opportunity. All I need to do is sign a contract that commits me for life to some partners. They are known to go back on the word every now and then, but I think it is worth the risk.”
How would grandfather respond?
3. Makes grandiose promises.
5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
This promise is made to a conquered people sent into exile. Nations from all over are coming to come to these humbled people because of the glory God will bestow on them. I think they would have trouble seeing that.
4. Offers forgiveness to the wicked.
6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
This is what prompts the remark that God’s ways and not our ways. It sounds good in the abstract, but not in real experience. We want vindication.
5. Mysterious power of the spoken word.
10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, bt it shall accomplish that which I please, & it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
As an engineer, Mr. Welsh would have appreciated learning how things work. But the mechanics of how the Word of God goes forth and gives life to dead souls and transforms hearts of stone into hearts of flesh;
how it accomplishes everything that God so wills, raising up empires and bringing them down, controlling the very words spoken by every individual so as to fulfill his purposes…
surely, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways and thoughts higher than ours.
6. The wondrous hope he gives.
12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Here now your credulity will be tested. When we picture people we know who have entered into heaven, we tend to imagine them with the same demeanor as we knew them. However you remember George Welsh, what you must realize now is that he is filled with joy inexpressible. He has gone out of his exile on earth into his home with joy! He is beaming! He is laughing and dancing! And he has not a care in the world because he is no longer in this world. His Lord has led him forth with peace.
And even then, you know that this text is not a mere description of heaven; rather it describes the new earth that will be created at the return of Jesus Christ. At that time George Welsh and all others whose hope is in the Lord will be transformed with new bodies that will never know age or sickness or pain.
Surely God’s ways and thoughts are higher than the heavens.
But there is one more strange way of God. Indeed, it is the most mysterious of all. It is how God offers such rich food; how he can fulfill his covenant and forgive the wicked; how his word is fulfilled and his hope offered to us is secured.
7. He offered his Son as the Suffering Servant.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).
Who could have thought of this? That our joy and peace would come through the suffering of the Son of God? That our rich food would be purchased by the blood of the Son of God who became man that he might shed that blood? That God’s covenant with us would be sealed by his Son’s sacrifice? That all that would be required of us is to receive this gift?
Not only are God’s ways and thoughts higher than the heavens, but so is his love and mercy.
June 20, 2006
Introduction
Isaiah 55 was chosen because it was a favorite of Mr. Welsh, especially verses 8-9. Mr. Welsh was known for wrestling with God's Word each Sunday. In keeping with his spirit, let's wrestle with this text. We will use the translation version he would have used - the King James Version.
Text
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
How are G's thoughts not our thoughts?
1. God offers something of great value at no cost:
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
If any of the grandchildren had come to their grandfather with the great idea of starting a business and not charging clients for the product, I doubt he would have thought the idea too smart.
Not just a matter of not staying in business, but the idea of offering something of great value for free tends to lower the value in the eyes of the recipient and encourages them to be lazy.
God does have a great marketing pitch:
2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Some people might delight in fatness, but closer to our understanding is delicious healthy food. Let your soul delight in the best of food. Consider your ways. You work hard to earn money to spend on what you know doesn’t satisfy. However good a meal might seem, you are hungry the next day and often feeling bad after effects.
2. Binds himself through a covenant to an untrustworthy people.
3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
If grandchild came to grandfather saying, “I’ve been given a great opportunity. All I need to do is sign a contract that commits me for life to some partners. They are known to go back on the word every now and then, but I think it is worth the risk.”
How would grandfather respond?
3. Makes grandiose promises.
5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
This promise is made to a conquered people sent into exile. Nations from all over are coming to come to these humbled people because of the glory God will bestow on them. I think they would have trouble seeing that.
4. Offers forgiveness to the wicked.
6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
This is what prompts the remark that God’s ways and not our ways. It sounds good in the abstract, but not in real experience. We want vindication.
5. Mysterious power of the spoken word.
10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, bt it shall accomplish that which I please, & it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
As an engineer, Mr. Welsh would have appreciated learning how things work. But the mechanics of how the Word of God goes forth and gives life to dead souls and transforms hearts of stone into hearts of flesh;
how it accomplishes everything that God so wills, raising up empires and bringing them down, controlling the very words spoken by every individual so as to fulfill his purposes…
surely, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways and thoughts higher than ours.
6. The wondrous hope he gives.
12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Here now your credulity will be tested. When we picture people we know who have entered into heaven, we tend to imagine them with the same demeanor as we knew them. However you remember George Welsh, what you must realize now is that he is filled with joy inexpressible. He has gone out of his exile on earth into his home with joy! He is beaming! He is laughing and dancing! And he has not a care in the world because he is no longer in this world. His Lord has led him forth with peace.
And even then, you know that this text is not a mere description of heaven; rather it describes the new earth that will be created at the return of Jesus Christ. At that time George Welsh and all others whose hope is in the Lord will be transformed with new bodies that will never know age or sickness or pain.
Surely God’s ways and thoughts are higher than the heavens.
But there is one more strange way of God. Indeed, it is the most mysterious of all. It is how God offers such rich food; how he can fulfill his covenant and forgive the wicked; how his word is fulfilled and his hope offered to us is secured.
7. He offered his Son as the Suffering Servant.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).
Who could have thought of this? That our joy and peace would come through the suffering of the Son of God? That our rich food would be purchased by the blood of the Son of God who became man that he might shed that blood? That God’s covenant with us would be sealed by his Son’s sacrifice? That all that would be required of us is to receive this gift?
Not only are God’s ways and thoughts higher than the heavens, but so is his love and mercy.
