Aber 2010 Dale Ralph Davis' Conference Addresses 3 & 4

(Jeremiah by Rembrandt)

Some more notes on DRD's preaching at Aber:

Address Three: "The Yoke is no Joke" (Jeremiah 27-29)

I. There is a decree that controls politics

Yahweh had decreed that many nations, including his own people would have to submit to the king of Babylon. The God of Israel is no tin pot tribal deity. He is not the little god of Israel, but the God of little Israel.. His will determines the rise and fall of nations. Jeremiah was to send yokes to the leaders of the nations as a vivid illustration of this principle, Jeremiah 27:1-6. Mighty Babylon  itself was also subject to his decree, Jeremiah 27:7. God's mighty sovereignty does not depend upon his people.

i.  Particular sovereignty

It is for us to acknowledge Yahweh's will in every situation. Whether the political context is favourable or not, we must submit to God's programme and wear the yoke that he places around our necks. Needed lesson for the church in UK.

ii.  Sobering sovereignty

Jeremiah 27:7, "until the time of his land comes". Babylon will fall. No such thing as America's "manifest destiny". The is USA not the chosen race, neither is the UK. The time will come when Yahweh will sovereignly judge this nation.

II. There is a dilemma involves truth

Hananiah took the yoke of Jeremiah's neck and broke it prophesying that within two years the yoke of Babylon would be broken and the captives of Judah would return to their own land, Jeremiah 28:1-4, 10-11. This flatly contradicted what Jeremiah said in chapter 27. Here is the dilemma: who to believe? Jeremiah refuted Hananiah's claims, citing the the message of the former prophets, Jeremiah 28:6-9, also he pronounced the word of Yahweh against the false prophet, foretelling his death, Jeremiah 28:12-16. Unlike Hananiah's words, Jeremiah's prophecy was fulfilled, Jeremiah 28:17. When the voices of false teachers (like Oral Roberts etc) contradict the teaching of your church, the dilemma must resolved by appealing to Scripture, Isaiah 8:20.

III. The prescription that governs life

i. Future hope

According to Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, the captivity would be over in 70 years, Jeremiah 29:10. The people were encouraged to pray in the light of his promise, Jeremiah 29:11-14.

ii. Immediate challenge

The exiles were called to be faithful in a difficult situation that was not of their choosing, Jeremiah 29:6-7. So with us when we find ourselves in hard times that we cannot escape. Example of Christian woman who suffered a mental collapse, yet who faithfully served the Lord, ministering to other patients in the asylum. In the UK we would not choose to live in a climate that is increasingly hostile to the gospel. But we must be faithful to the Lord.

Our sovereign God always speaks the truth and he charges us to be faithful in our exile.

Address Four: "Jerusalem Burning" (Jeremiah 37-39)

I. You can resist the Word of the Lord and yet have a keen interest in it

Zedekiah expressed an interest in the Word of the Lord, Jeremiah 37:3, but failed to act upon it, Jeremiah 37:7-10. Jeremiah persisted in his message despite being imprisoned, Jeremiah 37:16-17. But still Zedekiah failed to listen. Indecisive king like a boneless chicken. Being interested in the Bible isn't enough. We have to receive the Word in faith and act upon it - see also Felix, Acts 24:24-27.

II. You can resist the Word though you have reason to believe it

What Jeremiah said regarding the king of Babylon beseiging Jerusalem came to pass, Jeremiah 37:19. But still he failed to believe. People do not persist in unbelief becasue of lack of evidence for the truth. Eyewitness testimony of the Gospels to the person and work of Christ. Like Zedekiah people refuse to belive despite the evidence set before them.

III. You can resist the Word by submitting to fear

People sometimes suggest that faith is the cowards way out - mere escapism from harsh reality. But in Zedekiah's case it was fear that kept him from faith. In fear he allowed Jeremiah to be lowered into a dungeon, Jeremiah 38:1-6. Zedekiah permitted Ebed-Melech to resue the prophet, but once again, fear kept him from obeying the Word, Jeremiah 38:17-19. He refused Jeremiah's words of reassurance and warning, Jeremiah 38:20-23. If only the king had had the courage to listen and act on what Jeremiah told him. Look what happened to him, Jeremiah 39:4-7. Jesus warns those who are too fearful to believe, Luke 12:4-5.

IV. Though many resist the Word there will be a faithful remnant

Ebed-Melech supported Jeremiah. Onesiphorous stood with Paul, 2 Timothy 1:16-18. Even in the darkest times there will be a godly remnant. William Still's aunt stood by him when his preaching on hell was disturbing the church. Will you stand with those who are battling for the truth and identify yourself with God's suffering people? Christ will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. "Nevertheless, there shall be always a Church on earth to worship God according to His will." (WCF XXV:V).

Just as seeing a T-Rex skeleton at the British Museum cannot give you much of an idea of what it would be like to confront a living and breathing dinosaur, so these brief notes can only give you the bare bones of DRD's ministry.  You just had to be there. Davis' preaching style is not as polished as you might have thought from simply reading his commentaries. He's a preacher and there was a healthy element of rough hewn spontaneity in his delivery. Sometimes the application could have been a little more pointed, but the messages were characterised by a good mix of insightful exegesis, well thought-out structure, bags of engaging illustrations (few of which are included in these notes) and plenty of relevance to the current situation. A good model of "big chunk" preaching that in some cases handled several chapters of Jeremiah at at time without skimming over the surface of the text. Made me think about trying to do a series on Isaiah or Jeremiah some day.

More reportage on the evening meetings to follow.

You can order CD or DVD recordings of these addresses from the Evangelical Movement of Wales.

Aber 2010 Dale Ralph Davis' Conference Addresses 1 & 2

Having appreciated DRD's excellent commentaries on the Old Testament historical books (see here), I was looking forward to hearing him preach at this year's Aber Conference. His commentaries are characterised by careful exposition of the biblical text, God-centred theology, thoughtful application, lively illustrations and a great sense of fun. His preaching was no different. In four addresses he introduced us to the book of Jeremiah under the heading, "The True Word for Tough Times". Here is the gist of what he had to say in the first two messages:

Address One: "The Astounding Word" (Jeremiah 1)

We can sometimes take the Word of God for granted. It is a bit like a shut off valve on a toilet. It is only when the pan begins to overflow that we realise what a valuable thing the shut off valve is. When faced with tough times like the days of Jeremiah the prophet we really begin to appreciate just how astonishing is God's Word.

I. The Word of God is astonishing because it is relentless (Jeremiah 1:1-3)

a) It came in religious times

The reign of reforming king Josiah.

b) It came in hostile times

The reign of wicked king Jehoiakim who consigned Jeremiah's prophecy to the flames (Jeremiah 36).

c) It came in nervous times

The reign of Zedekiah, the "yo-yo king" - Jeremiah 38.

d) It came in disastrous times

Jerusalem falls (Jeremiah 39).

The opening verses of the prophecy show that whatever the religious or political climate, the Word of God just keeps on coming. That gives us hope for today and encourages us to preach the Word in season and out of season.

II. The Word of God is astonishing because it is so fragile (Jeremiah 1:4-8)

Jeremiah is but a youth. Who will listen to God's Word through such a whippersnapper? Yahweh often chooses to use unusual people to do great things for him. Abraham, the father of God's covenant people could not have children with Sarah. Jacob was a conniving twister. Jephthah was a reject. But Yahweh chose these people and used them for his glory. Before he was even born God had set apart Jeremiah, the fragile poet to be his mouthpiece in tough times, Jeremiah 1:5. So with all believers, we have been chosen by God and sanctified for his service, Romans 8:28-29. This principle also might help to explain why pastors are such a strange bunch of men.

III. The Word of God is astonishing because it is so dominating (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

It is the Word of God that destroys or builds the nations. That may seem ludicrous given the fragility of those who proclaim it, but it is the case. Yahweh watches over his Word to fulfil it, Jeremiah 1:12. His purposes are invincible.

IV. The Word of God is astonishing because it is so fanatical (Jeremiah 1:11-19)

Yahweh will send the Babylonians to chastise his people because of their rebellion against him. The one true and living God will brook no rivals. He demands the undivided devotion of his covenant people, Deuteronomy 6:4-5. So with Jesus, Matthew 10:37-39.

We need to repent from our idolatry and go to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness. Yahweh requires our all and will rest content with nothing less.

Address Two: "Is this Man a Believer?" (Jeremiah 15:10-21)

Jeremiah's message of judgement for Judah was getting him down. Chapters 2-10 of his prophecy are all doom and gloom. Chapters 11-20 reveal the prophet's conflict. At this stage the man is at crisis point.

I. Balancing on a paradox

Jeremiah was opposed and ridiculed. The people of his own town, Anathoth sought to take his life. He was forbidden to attend both wedding and funerals and was not allowed to get married (Jeremiah 16). This only made him feel all the more isolated and despondent. He was not even allowed to pray for the people, they were beyond that, Jeremiah 11:14. Yet despite all this Jeremiah found joy in Yahweh's Word, (Jeremiah 15:16). This is the paradox of the Christian life. We find joy in suffering and the resurrection power of Jesus is made manifest in his afflicted people, Philippians 3:10.

II. Stepping over the line

In Jeremiah 15:18 the prophet expresses his grief to the Lord. It is not wrong to ask "Why?" as does Jeremiah in 18a, but it is wrong to accuse God of being deceitful as in 18b. Anguish must not crowd out reverence. We may bemoan Yahweh's mysteries, "How long, O Lord?", but not deny his character.

III. Coming under an ultimatum

Yahweh summons his despondent servant to return to him, Jeremiah 15:19. He was not to turn towards the people and alter his message to suit them, but return to the Lord so that once again he might be the mouthpiece of his God. Sometimes the Lord speaks to us sharply and directly to shock us out of our sin and bring us back to him. See also Jesus' dealing with Peter in John 21.

IV. Resting in fresh assurance

What we need is not a new Word from the Lord, but to have his old Word freshly applied. So with the prophet, Jeremiah 15:20-21 cf. 1:17-19. Example of Pat Candy whose daughter was killed in a tragic accident. er grief Revelation 21:4 spoke to her with fresh power. Also when Martyn Lloyd-Jones was depressed he found strength in Titus 1:2. Spurgeon was feeling low when cholera hit London, but he received assurance through Psalm 91:9-10. We don't need a new book on every problem facing the church, but to pay heed to the good old truths of the Bible.

You can order CD or DVD recordings of these addresses from the Evangelical Movement of Wales.

Did Jephthah really sacrifice his daughter?

In my report of Joel Beeke's morning addresses at the recent Aberystwyth Conference, I mentioned that the preacher used Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11:34-40) as an example of "contagious submission" to the Lord. As I said in the report, I profited greatly from Beeke's messages. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Joel Beeke as a godly man and able minister of the gospel. But I disagree with his view that Jephthah did not really sacrifice his daughter as a burnt offering. This is not a matter of huge importance and I don't want to carp on about it, but a comment was left asking me why I differ from Beeke on this point, so here goes.

Let me say right now that this is one of the most troubling passages in the turbulent book of Judges and so we must proceed with some caution. On the face of it, the textual evidence seems to be stacked against Beeke's view. Compare Judges 11:30-31 with Judges 11:39. We are told that Jephthah fulfilled his vow. He offered to the Lord as a burnt offering the first thing to meet him when he returned from battle - his daughter. But the preacher offered seven reasons why in his opinion Jephthah did not really consign his only daughter to the flames. I will take them one by one and offer a response in blue type.

1. Jephthah was not a rash man. He negotiated with the elders of Gilead before becoming their leader (Judges 11:1-11).

But normally level headed people sometimes act impulsively. Just because Jephthah was a tough negotiator does not mean that he was incapable of making a rash vow on the brink of a make-or-break battle. Indeed, wasn't the vow itself a misguided attempt to bargain with the Lord?

2. He was familiar with Scripture and so would have known that sacrificing ones children was contrary to the law of the Lord.

The judge was certainly in command of biblical history as Judges 11:12-28 shows. No doubt he was aware of the prohibitions on human sacrifice in the Pentateuch. But this is the period of the Judges, when "everyone did what was right on his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Presumably Samson, the very next judge, would have been aware of the laws against intermarrying with pagan women, but that didn't stop him, Judges 14:1-3.

3. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah.

True, Judges 11:29, but once more, the Spirit of the Lord also came upon Samson before he married a Philistine wife (Judges 13:25) and after (Judges 14:6, 19). It seems that the Spirit of God clothed the judges with power to kill lions, lead armies and fight battles, but his coming upon a person did not necessarily have a powerful sanctifying effect.

4. Judges 11:31 could be read to mean that Jephthah left two options open. He vowed that whatever came out of his house to meet him (this seems to indicate purposeful human action), would either "surely be the LORD’s, or [Beeke's translation] I will offer it up as a burnt offering" (Judges 11:31). In other words a human being would be dedicated to the LORD in some way, while an animal would be sacrificed on the altar.

Beeke posits that we read the Hebrew prefix waw as "or" rather than "and" in this verse. That seems like an unlikely reading as in the majority of cases waw when used in this way usually means "and". For what it's worth, none of the more serious English Bible translations (AV, NKJV, NIV, ESV) render the text as Beeke suggests.

Besides, what does "shall surely be the LORD's" mean in this case? Beeke argues that it it means a man or woman would be devoted to the LORD's service in an perpetually unmarried state. Hence Jephthah's daughter bewailed her virginity (Judges 11:38) because as one devoted to the LORD she could never marry. However, there is no evidence from elsewhere in the Old Testament of men or women forswearing marriage to devote themselves to the Lord. Even the high priest was free to marry! Having to live as a virgin with no possibility of marriage or children would have been a heavy blow for an Israelite woman. In this instance it would have meant the end of Jephthah's family line. But as Matthew Henry points out, "had she only been confined to a single life, she need not have desired two months to bewail it in: she had her whole life to to that. Nor needed she to have taken such a sad leave of her companions". The dutiful daughter bewailed her virginity because she was going to die a virgin, not because she was going to have to live as a virgin.

Also Beeke argued that even if we should not read "and" as "or" in this text, the language of "burnt offering" is sometimes used in a figurative sense in the Bible. That may well be so, but there is no indication of this being the case in Judges 11.

5. Jephthah had time to change his mind about literally sacrificing his daughter to the LORD. She was given two months grace (Judges 11:37).

Yes, but still we are told that after the period ended, he "carried out his vow", Judges 11:39.

6. Even if Jephthah did make a rash vow, Leviticus 5:4-6 offered him a get out clause.

That is the case, but we are not told that the judge availed himself of this provision and substituted an animal for his daughter. "She returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed" (Judges 11:39 emphasis added).

7. Jephthah is never reprimanded for his actions in Scripture. He is even mentioned as a hero of the faith in Hebrews 11:32.

Fair enough. But the author of Judges is not prone to editorialise on the faults of the characters covered in his book. Writing in the Deuteronomic tradition, he expects his readers to know right from wrong without him having to point it out in a moralistic fashion. He usually prefers to let the facts speak for themselves. Judges 21:25 is enough to tell us that much that happened in the period of the Judges was profoundly disordered. Even the best of men in that time were deeply flawed and prone to sin.

Womanising Samson also gets a mention in Hebrews 11, not to mention Abraham who could be a little economical with the truth, Jacob the manipulative twister, and David who committed adultery. Inclusion in Hebrews 11 does not give a man or woman a clean bill of spiritual and moral health. The chapter was written to illustrate the faith by which we are justified (Hebrews 10:38-39). As Luther famously pointed out, we are "simultaneously justified and yet sinners". Beeke made a good stab at exonerating Jephthah of the dreadful crime of human sacrifice, but I'm afraid that the text, at least as I understand it does not let him off the hook.

See Dale Ralph Davis' commentary on Judges, (Christian Focus), p. 144 for a defence of the view that Jephthah tragically kept his vow to offer his only daughter as a burnt offering to the LORD. Ironically perhaps, DRD is the main speaker for Aber 2010.

2 Kings, The Power and the Fury

2 Kings, The Power and the Fury, Focus on the Bible,
by Dale Ralph Davis, Christian Focus, 2005, 344pp.

I had heard about the commentaries of Dale Ralph Davis on the historical books of the Old Testament from Joshua to 2 Kings and read some appreciative reviews. But it was only recently that I bought and read one of these books. Here is a commentary with a difference. It is written by a scholar who is abreast of all the critical and interpretive problems of the Old Testament historical texts. But unlike many modern commentaries, this work is a joy to read, shot through as it is with deep theological insight, shafts of quirky humour, lively illustrations and timely application. Davis treats 2 Kings as the Word of God where we can expect to encounter the Lord in all his holiness and grace. His comments on 2 Kings 1 leave us with this thought,

"Of course, you can do what you want with this strange story. You can call it a legend; you can aver that it deals with a primitive level of religion; you can claim that it is morally offensive; or you can face the God of whom it speaks."

You can tell that the commentator is a preacher, not simply an academic! We are taken though 2 Kings in all its power and fury. The Prophets and kings, the heartening reformations and the tragic apostasy are all there as Davis brings the narrative to life. He is sensitive to the thread of Messianic promise that runs though the book and that is visible even at some of the bleakest points of Israel and Judah's checkered history. We are left contemplating God's stubborn determination to redeem his people through "Great David's greater Son". This is no "quiet time" devotional study. This is a commentary that provokes, surprises and challenges us with the uncomfortable truth that the living God cannot be tamed or domesticated. We must meet him on his own terms whether in grace or judgement.

I'll certainly be catching up with the earlier volumes in the series.