The Wine of the Covenant: Not Just Any Wine

What is the role of wine in Scripture? It is mentioned 237 times in 44 books, so it must be important. The first time wine is mentioned is in Genesis 9:21 where we are told that Noah planted a vineyard, drank of the wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. We are not told the circumstances of the drunkenness—was it a deliberate attempt to get sloshed by overindulging or merely an underestimation of the potency of the wine produced by a cleansed earth? All we know for sure is the wine was pretty potent stuff. 

 Fast forward to the story of Melchizedek in Genesis 14. Melchizedek was the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High (14:18), and as God’s representative, he brought out bread and wine to Abraham, along with a blessing from God Himself. Melchizedek was the priestly prototype of the Messianic priesthood. His gifts signaled shalom and foreshadowed the coming of God’s kingdom to earth. 

Fast forward again to Moses, the lawgiver. Through Moses, God covenanted with the entire nation as he laid out the laws for proper worship. These laws included specific rites and rituals that were to be carried out in detail. Unblemished animals, and the first fruits of grain, wine and oil, and the first fleece of the sheep were the signs and symbols of the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy 18:4). Notice that the Israelites were not allowed to bring just any grain or any wine. The grain had to be the first fruits and the very best, and the wine had to be a product “of the winepress” and their “best wine” (Numbers 18:12, 27-30). Not only did the wine of the covenant have to be a product of the winepress, but it had to be “strong drink” (Numbers 28:7). According to Jewish tradition at that time, well-aged or strong drink meant a minimum of 1-2 years of fermentation. The wine of the covenant was strong stuff. 

When the Israelite territory became too large for people to travel to Jerusalem carrying all these animals, grain, wine, and oil, God told them they could take money instead: “bind up the money in your hand and go to the place the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire — oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves. and you shall eat there before the Lord your God and rejoice, you and your household” (Deuteronomy 14:25-26). The fact that this potent wine was considered a good gift from God to his people is also attested to in Psalm 104:14-15. “You cause the grass to grow for livestock and plants for men to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” Solomon said, “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress” (Proverbs 31:6). And “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10).

Conversely, a consequence of disobedience brought God’s curse: “And joy and gladness are taken away from the fruitful field, and in the vineyards no songs are sung, no cheers are raised; no treader treads out wine in the presses; I have put an end to the shouting” (Isaiah 16:10). And Isaiah 24:6-7 says, “Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left. The wine mourns and the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. There is an outcry in the street for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.” 

Fast forward several centuries to examine the actual practices of Israel and Judah. The number one reason that both Israel and Judah were brought into captivity was their failure to keep the covenant. God called them “whores.” What were their crimes? They showed their disdain for God in the way they worshipped. God says in Amos 5:21-23, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look on them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of the your harps I will not listen.” Isaiah 1:13-15, 21-23a gives a similar list of offenses: Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations — I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; the have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood… …How the faithful city has become a whore, she who was full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your best wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves.” 

One of the things we notice in this passage from Isaiah is that God considers watered down wine to be worthless, an unconscionable insult, and an evasion of his holy requirements. Their “best wine” belonged to God. He is not fooled by their chicanery, especially since they use their best wine for getting drunk (Isaiah 5:11, Amos 4:1) and for drink offerings to other gods (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25). This is important because it was not only a problem for the Israelites, but continues to be a problem in the church today. We need to start asking, “Why is the potency of this drink so important to God?” Why would he care if it was watered down? 

Isaiah is the one who begins to answer this question for us. In Isaiah chapter 5, we encounter a love song written like a folk ballad in which God calls Israel his vineyard (5:7). He describes how he tenderly cared for it, placing it on a fertile hill, clearing it of stones, planting it with choice vines, building a watchtower, and hewing out a wine vat. But it yielded “wild grapes” which in the Hebrew literally means “stinking things.” In other words, no wine. Under the New Covenant, the church is the vineyard, and Jesus is the vine. The church is called to abide in the vine. Someone may object and say that the vineyard and the wine are merely metaphors and we should not take them so literally. However, Jesus took it very literally because of what it represented — the blood of the covenant, his own precious blood. 

On the very first day of Jesus’ ministry on earth, he turned approximately 150 gallons of water into well-aged wine and gave it to people who had already been drinking for a few days. This was not some random miracle that Jesus did to make his mama happy. This miracle was appointed by the Father. This was Jesus announcement that The Kingdom of God had come to earth and the well-aged wine was the proof of that. Everybody knew that the “best wine” belonged to God! Yet here was God giving his best wine to a young couple to bless their marriage. Wine was the symbol of wealth and prosperity and all the good things associated with the Kingdom of God. 

On the very last day of his earthly ministry, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant.” There are some today who try to make a case that it is unclear what was in Jesus cup. It is only unclear if you don’t know the Mosaic law. We know Jesus had well-aged wine in his cup because He obeyed the law of God as given to Moses in regard to the feasts. Unlike the unfaithful Israelites and Jews whose wine was worthless because it was watered down, Jesus’ wine was potent stuff and fulfilled the whole law of God. 

Certain groups, predominantly American Evangelicals, also want to make a case that the “fruit of the vine” can be anything that is made from a grape. But Jesus specifically said “this fruit of the vine” (Matt. 26:27-29). The context in which Jesus spoke of “this fruit of the vine” is the context of this drink being his blood of the covenant. This is not just any fruit of the vine, it is the covenant drink offering. Matthew records it for us with great clarity: “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (26:27-29). First of all, the word this is a demonstrative pronoun used by Matthew which means this—what you see here in this cup. Secondly, we know what wine Jesus will drink with us in his Father’s Kingdom because Isaiah tells us: “On this mountain the Lord of Hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well-refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all the nations. He will swallow up death forever and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces and the reproach of his people he will take away from the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:6-8). This is the “fruit of the vine,” — the “well-aged wine,” “aged wine well-refined,” that Jesus foretold he would drink again with us in his Father’s Kingdom! (Matt. 26:29). The well-aged wine of the Mosaic covenant and the well-aged wine of the New Earth are united in the cup of Jesus. 

Finally, by saying “fruit of the vine” instead of simply “wine,” Jesus alludes to the fruit that made his sacrifice necessary: the fruit in the Garden of Eden. One bite of the wrong fruit put the entire human race on a trajectory towards hell. Taking the wrong fruit has damnable consequences. So when Jesus says to drink, “this fruit of the vine,” we had better take it seriously. We had better drink exactly what he told us to drink. 

Another thing that people get confused about is what Jesus said in instituting the Supper. He did NOT say, “Drink you all of it.” He said, “Drink this - all of you.” He did not give people a choice. He did not ask what people preferred. The Apostolic churches did not water down their wine, nor did Paul suggest such a thing even when folks were getting drunk! (I Cor. 11). In fact, Paul strongly disapproves of the whole idea of abstinence in his letter to the Colossians, saying that this kind of asceticism has the appearance of wisdom but it does nothing to curb the lusts of the flesh. The only cure for sin is the power of the Spirit of God dwelling in us, and to live like abstinence is the answer is to live like a pagan, according to Paul. 

Why is all of this so important? Because wine is the sign of God’s Kingdom. It is the sign and seal of the covenant. The first and last thing Jesus did in his earthly ministry was gift wine to his people. Well-aged wine. One wonders if this is some kind of test. It seems to be a test of obedience, and the church has failed this test over and over again throughout history. Only a couple hundred years after the establishment of the New Covenant, Justin Martyr reports that some churches were already watering down the wine. Again. There is so much blessing in the sacrament taken in faith by the believer, that Satan will move heaven and earth to keep us from taking it. In John 6:22-59, Jesus says 10 times over that those who feed on him and drink his blood receive eternal life. Do we believe believe that? Satan does! 

Fast forward one more time to the Temperance Movement. Thomas Welch was the man who came along and said something along the lines of, “Did God really say that the wine of the covenant must be fermented? Did God really say that wine is God’s good gift to mankind? Well, I tell you that wine is demon drink, and it does not need to be well-aged.” Can you hear the hiss of the snake? Thomas Welch invented a way to abort the natural process and prevent the wine from fermenting. Thomas Welch produced an impotent counterfeit. He did not produce unfermented “wine;” his invention desecrated the holy sacrament by stripping it of every God-mandated requirement. He removed the potency, the bitter taste that was meant to remind us of the bitterness of our bondage to sin, and he spoke lies in place of truth. When we examine Thomas Welch and his ideas through the filter of Scripture, what do we see? Isaiah 5:20 says “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Thomas Welch is guilty on all counts! Yet within American Evangelicalism, Thomas Welch is regarded as some kind of Christian folk hero. The United Methodist Church in particular, but also many Baptist churches, the PCUSA, and some churches in the Christian Reformed denomination follow the example of Thomas Welch over the example of Jesus Christ. Biblical illiteracy plays a significant role in the propagation of this practice and the practice of dispensing with weekly communion. When was the last time you were invited to a study on Leviticus? When major portions of Scripture are ignored, the church is easily derailed. 

It is because the elements of the sacrament have always been so abused and desecrated that the Belgic Confession solemnly warns us: “Therefore, we reject all mixtures and damnable inventions which men have added unto and blended with the Sacraments, as profanations of them, and affirm that we ought to rest satisfied with the ordinance which Christ and his Apostles have taught us, and that we must speak of them in the same manner as they have spoken” (Article XXXV). It further differentiates between the true and false church: “The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. …As for the false church, it assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God; it does not want to subject itself to the yoke of Christ; it does not administer the sacraments as Christ commanded in his Word, it rather adds to them or subtracts from them as it pleases; it bases itself on humans, more than on Jesus Christ; it persecutes those who live holy lives according to the Word of God and who rebuke it for its faults, greed, and idolatry” (Article XXIX). 

The wine of the covenant was not just any wine and it was never unfermented. Not in the Old Testament, not in the New Testament, and not in the age to come. Cain, Nadab, and Abihu suffered the wrath of God when they failed to bring him exactly what he asked for. Has God relaxed his standards of worship for American Evangelicals? Doubtful. Every week we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Do our tables reflect that?

Behold the Lamb of God

 Lambs have played a major role in the lives of God's people ever since the fall. When Adam and Eve sinned, their guilt and shame drove them to cover themselves with fig leaves. But fig leaves couldn't cover sin, so instead God clothes them with garments of skin. I'm sure you've all seen the pictures of Adam and Eve leaving the Garden clothed in their cute little matching outfits specially tailored by God. But more than likely, they were covered with lambskins still wet with blood from freshly slain lambs. God wasn't making a fashion statement here; he was making a promise -- to cover them in the blood of the true Lamb. This is why Abel became a shepherd -- so he could make the requisite sacrifices for sin. 

Throughout the Old Testament we see allusions to the ultimate Lamb of God -- particularly in the Passover Feast. Many lambs were required for this feast and by the time of Jesus' ministry, it is estimated that 250,000 lambs would be needed for up to 5 million people. Isaiah also prophesied that one day a Savior would come who would be led like a lamb to the slaughter, and those who cherished the word of God were looking for this. 

How does a lamb fit into the Christmas story? What was the first Christmas really like? Was the manger really a dirty, smelly place with livestock milling around? Were the shepherds a bunch of lowlifes throwing back a few beers around a campfire? Was there a grumpy old innkeeper? Luke's rendition of the first Christmas is really sketchy, giving few details and creating more questions than answers. But let's look at the first Christmas as it was recorded by the historians of that day, starting with the importance of Bethlehem.

Did you know that the lambs that were slaughtered at Passover were all born in Bethlehem? The fields outside of Bethlehem, particularly the area known as Bethlehem Ephrathah were used by the temple priests and Levitical shepherd for keeping the flocks to be used as Passover sacrifices. Levitical shepherds were highly educated men who were trained by the priests in the law of Moses and in the prophets so they would understand exactly what was required for the yearly sacrifices. It was their job to inspect the lambs when they were born and to protect those lambs until the time of slaughter. If a lamb was without defect, it was put in a special flock designated for slaughter after one year. David was one of these shepherd and it explains his level of education, the fact that he meditated on the law of God day and night, and the fact that he was willing to risk his own life to save the lives of these special sheep. 

There was a tower in these fields called Migdal Eder which is Hebrew for "tower of the flock" where shepherds could go to get a bird's eye view over a large area to watch for predators. Beneath this tower was a cave which was kept very clean because it was used when a ewe was ready to give birth. Cleanliness was essential to keep these lambs from getting infected or injured. Inside the cave was a manger carved out of limestone, and around the manger were posts that held swaddling strips from the temple, so that when the lambs were born, they could be immediately swaddled and laid in the stone manger until they were calm enough to be thoroughly examined by these specialized shepherds. 

Micah 4:8 mentions this tower: "And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem." Based on that prophecy, prominent Jewish writers and historians concluded in the Midrash (ancient Jewish commentaries) that from all the places in Israel, it would be Migdal Eder where the arrival of the Messiah would be declared first. 

How does Micah's prophecy square with what we read in Luke 2?

Mary was probably near the end of her pregnancy when they arrived in Bethlehem. They more than likely stayed with relatives while they awaited the birth of the baby. They knew that when the time came to deliver, they would have to leave the comfort of the guest room because it would have been a disgrace to bring uncleanness into the home of a host. There are indications that Joseph knew in advance where he would take his bride to deliver the child. It was the cave under the tower of the flock. It was clean, it was protected, and they would have everything they needed for a safe delivery. When Jesus was born, he was swaddled in the temple cloths and laid in the very manger used for all the lambs that were designated for slaughter. 

When the angels appeared to the shepherd in the field, they announced this holy birth saying, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." The shepherds were aware that this was the birth they had been waiting for. Then the angel said, "This shall be a sign: you will find the bay wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." The shepherds did not miss the significance of this. There was only one place this could have happened: in the tower of the flock -- Migdal Eder -- just like Micah had prophesied. This is why they ran with such haste: they knew exactly where they were going and who they would find. God chose to reveal his greatest treasure to those who had sacrificed so much. This select group of godly shepherds, because of their profession, would not have been allowed to participate in any ceremony or worship at the temple. Yet they were the first to behold and worship the Lamb of God. 

These shepherds, whose testimony would never be accepted in a court of law were the first to proclaim the good news, according to Luke. Those who paid attention to the shepherds remembered their words and three decades lated John the Baptist announced, "Look! The Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!" 

So this Christmas, as you go through advent, as you ponder these things, as you explain to your children the meaning of the first Christmas, be sure to tell them that before Jesus ever took his first breath and made his first cry, he was already marked for slaughter. He was born in the place where all sacrificial lambs were born, and he died in the place where all sacrificial lambs were slaughtered. This Christmas, behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

Why Some Christians Refuse to Mask Up and Social Distance

My Spiritual Journey Through the COVID Crisis

It has been my observation that within certain circles, Christians who do not wear masks or practice social distancing have been publicly shamed and accused of not caring, not putting others above themselves, or just being whiners. The point of this blog is to give solid biblical and historical reasons for our objections so we can put an end to all the straw man arguments, public shaming, and finger pointing that has been going on.  

The year 2020 has seen the simultaneous global assault of twin pandemics: the coronavirus which attacks the body and social distancing/masking mandates which assault the soul. Eventually, there will be a vaccine for the first, but it will be second that disconnects us and destroys us like a slow growing cancer. 

THE CASE FROM HISTORY

In order to get our bearings in dealing with any crisis, we have to know the facts about our history. There is nothing new under the sun. We are not living in unprecedented times. Anyone who has ever cracked a Bible will tell you that. People have been sick before. Pandemics have killed millions. This is nothing new. Wearing masks to fight disease is nothing new either. It has been going on since the beginning of recorded time. 

The Stone Age. Ever since the stone age, people have been wearing masks to fight disease. When infectious diseases began to make their way through a population, human beings were aware that some invisible deadly force was at work. Of course back then they did not know about microorganisms, so they attributed the illnesses to “disease demons”. There is evidence that the areas of China, Japan, Africa, and North America practiced this from the Stone Age. It was believed that putting an organic mask over the nose and mouth and breathing into it  would summon supernatural deities who would then inhabit the mask and fight off disease demons. 

Age of Egyptian Pharaohs. This would have been the practice of the Egyptians during the time the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. This is how they dealt with diseases, and the idol-worshipping Israelites would have been very accustomed to participating in these pagan practices. In addition, each god of the Egyptians during the time of the Old Testament Pharaohs had its own special mask. The Pharaohs and those of the nobility would wear the masks to summon the gods. Part of the reason God sent the specific plagues he did on Egypt was to disabuse the Israelites of the idea that these gods had this kind of power. Every plague was aimed at a particular god. (Exodus 12:12) Every plague showed God’s superior power.  

The Exodus. When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, he had his work cut out for him in getting them to abandon all their superstitious beliefs. At Mount Sinai, God gave Moses his own set of instructions for how to handle infectious diseases in the community. You can read all about it in Leviticus 13-15. His instructions were simple: Isolate the sick persons for 14 days and wash, wash, wash! Bathe your body and wash your clothes with water. That’s it! Sound familiar? God wanted his people to know that it is not other gods who would protect them from disease, but only God Himself! He even told them that if they followed his instructions, they would not have the diseases they saw in Egypt (Exodus 15:26). There is a whole psalm (91) dedicated to this idea. Unlike the pagan nations around them, God’s people did not wear masks. (There was another important reason that God did not want the Israelites wearing masks and it is addressed below under The Case From Creation.) 

The Ministry of Jesus. When Jesus did his ministry, he was constantly in the presence of infected people. In fact, they were pressing in on him so much that when he once asked who touched him, Peter thought he was joking! Jesus never donned a mask to treat these infected people nor did he keep them six feet away. He never told his disciples to mask up either. In fact, he did the exact opposite. He got right up to the lepers and touched them! By doing this, he was showing Christians how to react to the sick among us—not with fear or loathing or  suspicion or keeping our distance—but with compassion and healing touch. He taught us to lay hands on them and to take care of them, not desert them in their hour of need. Jesus even said, “If you seek to save your life, you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake you will find it.” If we lose our lives because we are following his example, we will be rewarded. 

During every single global pandemic since Christ came, Christians have always been the ones to stay behind and care for the sick and dying so their unbelieving neighbors could flee to safety. It was a witness to the world that we were willing to lay down our lives for our friends so they could have more time to come to faith. Some of these Christians died. But they died following the example of Christ.

First Century Christianity. When Christianity began to spread throughout the world during the first century, one of the first things to happen was the toppling of idol gods. As Christianity took over, people also began to look at disease differently. Christians understood the strong association between masks and demon worship.  Voodoo, totem poles, medicine men and masks eventually disappeared in Christianized societies. 

1683 A.D. Through March, 2020. It wasn’t until 1683, when a Dutch scientist by the name of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovered microorganisms, that the scientific community validated God’s method of dealing with infectious disease. Ever since the discovery of microorganisms, the medical protocol for dealing with infectious disease was wash your hands and isolate the sick person. This has been the consensus of every civilized society, including the United States—until March of 2020. 

THE CASE FROM CURRENT EVENTS

The atheistic communist government of China that brought us the coronavirus also brought back the mask and social distancing protocol (which was probably the ultimate goal all along). The Chinese have been using masks for centuries to demoralize and dehumanize their own people and they know how easy it is to make fearful people submit to anything. The Chinese already own our media, our big tech companies, our sports clubs, our politicians, and many of our doctors. Drug reps give HUGE financial benefits to doctors for prescribing drugs that can only be obtained in China. (No doubt someone will point out that surgeons wear masks during surgery. That is not because they believe they will prevent their patients from catching a virus. It has less to do with their patients than with their patients' lawyers. They are just covering their assets.) The only thing China doesn’t control is the church. The best way to accomplish that is to destroy the fellowship of believers. 

Christian Fellowship vs. Social Distancing. The purpose of Christian fellowship is to bring people together in an atmosphere of trust, creating connection with warmth, hospitality and mutual affection. "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10). The purpose of social distancing is to keep people apart. Social distancing and masking create an atmosphere of mistrust, fear and guilt. Because of fear and guilt, some Christians don’t even come to church at all any more, preferring to worship in isolation at home. Others come to church in masks and sit in isolated little groups. Both groups worship in virtual isolation. 

It's the law!  Here is the problem: The state is demanding that we keep our distance not only from sick people but from healthy people. Jesus has given us the opposite example—Christians are not to be afraid to walk among the sick, not to be afraid to touch them, not to desert them or ostracize them in their hour of need, but to minister to them in faith. The state encourages us to put our trust in masks for protection. Scripture calls us to put our trust in God—see Psalm 91. The state says that only a few can gather at a time, but Scripture warns us not to neglect the gathering of saints. When the state tells us to do the exact opposite of what Jesus modeled for us, we are to follow Jesus’ example regardless of the consequences. Today, some Christians not only stay away from the sick, they keep their distance from the healthy as well. They walk around wearing masks, suspicious of every person they meet or fearful that they, though healthy, could unwittingly commit negligent homicide. Where are the Christians who are willing to rise above this? Where are the ones who are willing to follow the example of Jesus? The result of following the state mandates is that churches have lost far more members to social distancing  than they have to the coronavirus. 

It’s Such A Little Thing To Ask. I have heard the argument that we should practice social distancing and mask up “because it is such a little thing to ask.” Is it? In some churches they have given up choir, they have given up sitting shoulder to shoulder as they sing and recite the creeds, they have given up passing the collection plate, they have given up eating real bread and drinking real wine, they have given up their potlucks and  picnics, they have given up passing the peace of Christ with a warm handshake, they have given up extending the right hand of fellowship to newcomers, and they have failed to embrace each other at funerals. In extreme cases, church members have been banned from entering their own church buildings if they refuse to mask up, and they have been publicly shamed and blamed for creating division in the church. This is not a little thing! 

Social distancing is completely incompatible with Christian fellowship. Rather than recognize that, some churches have willingly given up everything that made their corporate worship meaningful, everything that connected them and brought them together as a unified body. Grace has been replaced by law enforcement. This is not going to get better; it is going to get worse. As I write this, France and England are banning public worship all together. 

It’s Only Temporary. I have also heard the argument from many that this is only temporary and therefore we should just go along with it because things will return to normal soon. This implies that if this were a permanent thing, then of course we would not agree to it. My response is that if something is wrong in the long term, it is wrong in the short term. If it is wrong, it is wrong. Period. Every single decision we make, no matter how small or how temporary has eternal consequences. Every single decision we make either brings us closer to the Promised Land or takes us back toward bondage in Egypt. If we would not agree to social distancing and wearing masks in church for the rest of our lives, we shouldn’t be doing it now. 

I Am Willing To Suffer For the Sake of Others. This sounds very noble. However, not all suffering is righteous. Not all suffering brings glory to God or expands the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their public displays of “suffering” while fasting, and there is nothing that says “virtue signaling” like plastering a mask across your face. How does keeping our distance from healthy people and refusing to let grandparents see their grandchildren glorify God? How does refusing to sit next to people in your church glorify God? How does acting like we are terrified of physical illness glorify God? How does it show that we have no fear of death? How does it set us apart from the world? We should be willing to suffer for the sake of others by risking our own lives: We should be willing to shake the hand of everyone and embrace the lonely and socially isolated whether they are healthy or sick. That is the kind of suffering that reaps eternal reward. 

THE CASE FROM CREATION

As I mentioned above, there is a case from creation that we also need to look at. According to the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 12:18-25, God created and designed the human body and arranged all the parts the way he did for a particular reason. Some parts were designed to be hidden and some parts were designed to be exposed. We once had dinner with a Baptist pastor and his wife, and during the course of the dinner we got to talking about how God amazingly designed the human body and the pastor said, “Only God would think of putting the playground in the middle of the sewer system!” It sounds funny at first because we would never build a park or school playground in a sewer. But on further reflection, we understand that God wanted certain parts of our bodies to be more protected so he placed them where they would be completely covered and protected. The same thing is true about the parts of the body that he wants us to keep uncovered. He put our oxygen-receiving and food-receiving organs on our face so we would never cover up our faces. A close reading of the passage in I Corinthians reveals God’s motive for designing our faces the way he did. Here is what we find:

I Corinthians 12:18 But as it is God arranged the members of the body, each one of them, as he chose... 22-24 ...the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. 

The English word "presentable" does not do justice to the idea behind Paul's words. We tend to think of it as "able to be presented" rather than "arranged or designed to be presented." The explanation given by the Greek word below gives us a better understanding.

euschemon: comely (translated presentable in ESV)

Usage: comely, attractive, seemly, of honorable position

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says this:

2158/eusxmon ("comely") focuses on the outward manifestation of godliness as being winsome (encouraging) to others which attracts attention in a positive way. (See I Cor. 12:24)

(Paul is merely using the body as an analogy here--not as a theological discourse on anatomy. But he uses this analogy because people are so familiar with it that he doesn't even have to name the parts of the body that should be covered or not covered. Everybody instinctively knows which parts are meant to be hidden and which parts are meant to be presented.)

From this we gather that God has arranged the body in a particular way which gives obvious prominence to the face. The face has the most honorable position on the body. The reason given is that it focuses on the "outward manifestation of godliness." This means that the face is the part of the body where God's image is most prominently displayed. It is the part that "attracts attention in a positive way." It is an encouragement to others--which brings glory to God. The Jews believed that seeing a human face was like seeing the face of God himself (Gen. 33:10). 

But how do we know this is what God thinks? We know this because God has stated it more clearly in the Old Testament. In Exodus 28, God describes the clothes that the priests will wear while performing their duties. Two things stand out: God makes sure they are wearing linen undergarments to "cover their nakedness." These garments covered them from their hips to their thighs. Ritual nakedness was practiced in other ancient religions and this set Israel apart. Secondly, God dressed the priests in a way that brought attention to their face. Exodus 28:40 says, "For Aaron's sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and for beauty." In pagan nations, the priests would wear masks with ugly demon-like faces on them. So once again, God was setting Israel apart. 

Christians have always taught their daughters about modesty. When we teach them how to dress, we tell them not to wear clothes that draw attention to the parts of the body that are supposed to be covered, but to dress in a way that draws attention to their face. We do this because that is how God himself would dress a woman. In Ezekiel 16:9-13, God is talking to Israel about how he rescued her and brought her up from infancy and washed her and dressed her. He covers her nakedness by robing her in fine linen and silk. He draws attention to her face by adorning her with a necklace, a nose ring and earrings. He also draws attention to her hands by putting bracelets on her wrist, and he puts beautiful leather sandals on her feet. He does it all for the sake of beauty and glory. 

There is no question that God means for our reproductive organs to be covered, and for our faces to shine with the reflection of his glory. If people think it is a sin to walk around naked from the waist down, then it is just as much a sin to cover the face. 

The kind of discomfort that comes from wearing a mask--difficulty breathing, facial rashes and acne, mouth infections that dentists are reporting, as well as the dehumanizing psychological effects people experience--are the natural consequences of not doing what God requires. We live in a society that mandates masks and condones wearing thongs on a public beach. Should we be conforming to that?

Throughout the history of the world, masks have never been associated with anything good. When Christians participate in behavior that has forever been associated with pagan rituals, secret societies, cults, and criminal behavior, God is not glorified. Our clothing is an outward expression of who we belong to and what we believe. (I would not wear a T-shirt that says, "My body, my choice.") When we cover our faces, even if our masks don't have the faces of false gods painted on them, we cover the reflection of God's face. Even slimy reprobates like Mark Zuckerberg understand the importance of the human face. He has made billions because he knows that the mere image of a human face is enough to give us the illusion of human connection. Can you imagine going on FaceBook if all you ever saw was pictures of elbows and knees and big toes?

CONCLUSION

We are living in an age where misinformation abounds. Everybody has an agenda. I can't trust the government, I can't trust the media, I can't trust Google or FaceBook, I can't trust some of the people in my church, and most of all, I can't trust myself. There is only one person that I can trust unwaveringly and that is Jesus Christ. I have no choice but to look at his example and follow it. He never kept anyone six feet away. He walked among the sick and actually touched and embraced the most contagious. So did his disciples. He taught us not to fear illness and death, but to risk our very lives doing what he did. I won't lie--I questioned him every morning about whether this was the right thing to do in these circumstances.  And every morning, he took my face in his hands and said, "Look at Me. Fix your eyes on Me. Shut out all the other voices and listen to Me. I do what I see the Father doing. You follow my example." 

I haven't worn a mask since March of 2020. I've gone to Price Choppers and Walmarts, beauty salons, Quik Trips, Dollar General, liquor stores, and restaurants, and no one has ever thrown me out or even questioned me. We have had people to our house two or three times a week over the course of the summer and we shook hands and hugged everyone who came and shared our food and had great fellowship. Our home was four acres of normal in a world gone crazy.

What would you do if Jesus walked up to the door of your church on Sunday morning? Would you tell him to either cover his face or go home? Would you refuse to shake his hand? Would you tell him to keep his distance? Would you tell him to stay in his designated pew while you passed the peace? If he wanted to break the bread at communion, would you tell him that you don’t eat anything that has been touched by human hands? 

“Whatsoever you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.” 

Speaking of the least of these, it makes me almost physically ill to see children wearing masks at our local schools. To treat these little ones in such a demeaning, dehumanizing way is a sin. The psychological and spiritual effects of this will affect them for a long time to come. 

I can no longer attend events where I am given the choice of violating my conscience or staying away. I have to stay away. I refuse to treat my brothers and sisters in Christ in a way that is anything short of true Christian fellowship. If I am at an event with you, you can expect a smile, a warm handshake or a hug. You might even get the first bite of my donut. 

The Question We Are Afraid to Ask

I bet everybody has certain questions on their minds right now in regard to the coronavirus crisis. What started it? Why did this happen? How long will it last? How many people will die? Will the economy recover? The entire world is at war with a teensy weensy little virus. No atomic bombs necessary! Did it come from the horseshoe bat? Who put it in the bat?

But the question people really want the answer to is the one they are afraid to ask: Did God send this virus? Is he judging the world because we have all turned away from him? We are afraid to ask these questions in part because we don't want to hear the answer and in part because anybody who brings God into the discussion is branded as a fanatic or religious weirdo. 

There are people who don't believe in God at all so they will be content with whatever science tells them. And among those who do profess a belief in God, there are those who do not believe he takes a personal interest in the world or they think that he would never do this kind of thing to humanity. But all you have to do is read the Bible to be disabused of that idea. God destroyed the whole world with a flood. God brought the ten plagues on the land of Egypt. And do I even have to mention the Apocalypse in Revelation? 

Let's assume that God is giving all of us a warning. Even that is an example of his outrageous grace. He could just let us go on in our wanderings and eventually face the reality of hell. But in his mercy, he warns and disciplines us and draws us back to himself. And he has given us an entire book to show us the way back during a national emergency--the book of Joel. 

Joel is only 3 chapters long, but he really nails it. We don't know for sure when it was written but most probably after the Babylonian exile. Judah had already been destroyed by plagues and war and famine. The temple had been destroyed, families had been separated or slain. Swarms of locusts (or armies) decimated every hope of survival. People were living in utter fear and helplessness. 

In chapter 1, Joel describes the utter devastation of the land in horrid detail using the metaphor of four kinds of devouring locusts, and he puts out a call for a holy fast and prayer and lamentation. Joel chapter 2 is my absolute favorite chapter in the Bible because of 2 words: Even now. Verse 12 says, "Even now", declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 

Even now. Even though all this devastation has already taken place. Even though you think it is too late. Even though you think your sins are too great to be forgiven. Even though you are in a foreign place with no hope of ever getting back home. Even now. Even now--all God wants is your heart. See why I love this chapter in Joel? And it gets even better! In verse 25 of chapter 2 God promises to repay them for all the years the locusts have eaten. He will restore everything in his time.

Don't be afraid to ask the hard questions. Sometimes we don't know why we suffer, but when we suffer the first thing we should do is bring God into it. Make sure our priorities are in order. You don't have to worry that God is punishing you for some sin that you don't know about. If he is disciplining you for sin, he will let you know exactly what sin it is so you can repent! He doesn't play guessing games with us when it comes to sin. 

Did God send the coronavirus? Of course he did. That little rascal didn't slip out of his hands and run amuck on its own.  Yet to say that God sent it is outrageous. It's scandalous! ...It's grace. Grace that calls us back to his heart. Grace that leads us home.

Job's Priesthood and God's Greater Purpose

Lesson ten in the Job series.

Did you notice that somewhere during the course of God's speeches, the three friends must have been converted? They must have seen the great compassion God had for Job when he stormed on the stage to deliver Job from the abuses of Elihu.They must have noticed that God had been listening to Job all along. They must have seen how comforted Job was when God answered his prayers. Ponder this for a moment: There is Job--still sitting in dust and ashes, still covered with painful boils and maggots, poor as a church mouse, and all his family are dead. And his friends look at him and they think, "I want what he has!"

What does Job have? He has a God who loves him and hears his cries and pleads his cause and judges his enemies, and now his friends want in on it too no matter what it costs them! They would be willing to trade places with Job to have a God like that. God's plan all along was to convert these kings so they could take the gospel back to their homelands. God is willing make an innocent person suffer unjustly so that others can be saved. It's outrageous! It's scandalous! And it is the Gospel. God did the same to his own Son so that all of us could be saved. And we are all the beneficiaries of God's great compassion and covenantal faithfulness. 

Job obeys God and prays for his three friends and makes sacrifices for them. He has a newly defined role and because he was faithful in little he is given greater responsibility. He has a story to tell the world and he will write it down and pass it on so that anyone who needs comfort can find it in Job.

A lot of people wonder why Elihu is never mentioned again. This is also part of God's judgment. No sacrifice could be made for one who refuses to hear the wisdom and counsel of God. Look at these verses from Proverbs 1:20-33

Wisdom cries aloud in the street,

in the markets she raises her voice;

at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;

at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

"How long O simple one, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

and fools hate knowledge?

If you turn at my reproof,

behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;

I will make my words known to you.

Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

when terror strikes you like a storm,

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you. 

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,

and have their fill of the their own devices.

For the simple are killed by their turning away,

and the complacency of fools destroys them;

but whoever listens to me will dwell secure

and will be at ease, without dread of disaster. 

Psalm 50:16-17 plainly says, "But to the wicked God says, "What right have you to recited my statutes or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline and you cast my words behind you." 

Elihu's fate is the fate of all the wicked who abuse God's people.

Conclusion

You will have to suffer unjustly sometime. Peter tells us we are called to do that. When that happens, God will be enough for you. His grace will be sufficient. You will find God to be your Advocate and Shield and Defender and Rock. You will remember Job and sing the songs of David. More importantly, you will remember the cross. Then you will pick up your own cross and follow Jesus into his death so you can be raised up with him in the resurrection. And who knows? God may make you a source of comfort to others who are suffering.

And now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory 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.