• Lesson 10 in the BaptistWay Press Connect360 unit “Pure Joy” focuses on Philippians 3:12-16.

In the previous section, Philippians 3:1-11, the Apostle Paul spoke about his past. He identified specific aspects of his devotion to the Law as a Jew: circumcised on the eighth day, a strict adherence to the Old Testament Torah, and even a passion to persecute followers of Jesus. He called himself a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). However, in his assessment, Paul considered these as losses or garbage because they were detrimental to him coming to an awareness and acceptance of Jesus. In contrast, Paul concluded what is most valuable is a developmental relationship with Jesus. He went so far as to suggest that he longs to participate in persecution and death for his faith.

As we transition into verse 12, we see that Paul humbly acknowledged he had yet to attain the fullness of his desire—a goal he strove for and hoped eventually to attain as a follower of Christ. He was still in the process of transformation. Paul espoused a view of voluntary self-sacrifice and surrender to Christ as Lord. He spoke of being a “living sacrifice” in Romans 12:1 and being “crucified with Christ” in Galatians 2:20. Such metaphors emphasized Paul’s determination; while still physically alive, Paul wanted to put to “death” the things of this world (his failures and successes, his opinions and perspectives, his ideals and dreams, etc.), and submit himself fully to the leadership of Christ over him, in him and through him.

‘Press on’ and ‘take hold’

Thus, Paul explained to the Philippians he was going to “press on” toward a life fully consecrated to Jesus. He used the Greek verb, dioko, which literally means “to push, drive, or set in motion.” Oftentimes, this term is used in association with being persecuted. So, in a beautiful play on words, Paul identified with those persecuted as followers of Christ, but he did so in such a way simultaneously to illustrate a mental picture of someone pushing himself/herself toward the finish line of a race. Paul pressed into (not cowered away from) the challenges and obstacles that come with being a passionate follower of Jesus.

Similarly, the last half of verse 12 does not translate smoothly into English. The NIV reads, “…to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Paul concluded that Jesus took hold of his life. Whereas Paul lived his earlier life following the Torah and striving to merit God’s favor by obedience (Philippians 3:1-11), Jesus “took hold” of Paul on the Damascus Road, transforming his purpose from persecuting Christ to serving him (Acts 9). Jesus took hold of Paul’s life and turned him completely into a new person. As Paul reflected back on this pivotal moment in his past, he chose to continue to press into the opportunity to be transformed each day. Paul willingly and voluntarily longed to “take hold” of the opportunities he had to know Jesus and to become more like him (Philippians 3:10).

Pressing into faith is not just something we do when we first come to accept Jesus and commit ourselves to follow him; opportunities come our way throughout our lifetimes. How we respond to transformational moments will determine the impact they have on the development of our character. Paul wanted his faith to grow and he saw the hardship of life as the “adrenaline” that pushed him to greater Christ-likeness. We, too, should strive to press on in faith so we can know Christ and become more like him.

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for BaptistWay Press.

To learn more about BaptistWay Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.    

The Scripture text for this lesson is the last of Isaiah’s “servant songs.” Isaiah 53 is not only the most famous of the servant songs; it also is one of the most famous passages in all of Isaiah.

Immense scholarly debates surround the original meaning of this text. To whom does it refer? The prophet? The nation of Israel? A future messianic figure? Someone or something else? What precisely were the original circumstances that gave rise to this servant song? How was it understood by following generations of Jewish readers after the return from exile?

The scholarly literature on these issues is impossible to engage properly and summarize in this article, so, to quote Old Testament scholar Mark Gignilliat, “I will ask the reader’s indulgence if I sidestep many of these issues and simply read this text as the church has done since its inception, namely, as an enduring witness to Jesus Christ and his work.”

The Suffering Servant

The passage is full of evocative and even disturbing language about an unidentified “suffering servant.” This servant endures horrific pain and rejection from his people. But it is important for us to understand not simply that the servant suffers, but why he suffers.

The servant is not suffering for his own sins. Rather, he is suffering for others’ sins. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed… the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all… for the transgression of my people he was punished… though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” (53:5-6, 8-9).

And this is no accident—this is the will of God himself (53:10). God is the one orchestrating this affair. But this is not an act of wanton cruelty on God’s part. God is doing this for redemptive purposes (53:11-12).

The servant is suffering for the sins of the nation; he is enduring the divine punishment that otherwise would fall on others. But God does not torture the servant to death then cast him aside. No, God will vindicate the servant and reward him for his faithful sacrifice. “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. … Therefore I will give him a portion among the great” (53:11-12).

New Testament Use of Isaiah 53

Space precludes listing and exploring every reference and allusion to Isaiah 53 in the New Testament, so we must focus on a few key examples.

In Acts 8:26-40, when Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch is reading from Isaiah 53 and does not understand it. Philip explains that Isaiah 53—and indeed the rest of the Scriptures—point to Jesus. Jesus is the figure in Isaiah 53, and upon hearing this teaching, the Ethiopian eunuch believes and is baptized.

In 1 Peter 2:21-25, Peter describes Christ’s death on the cross for our sins. And in so doing, Peter makes numerous references to Isaiah 53 (1 Peter 2:22—Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:23—Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:24—Isaiah 53:4, 5, 11; 1 Peter 2:25—Isaiah 53:6).

There are many other references in the New Testament that make it clear: Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah 53. Jesus bore the penalty for our sins in our place, suffering, dying and rising to reconcile us to God. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

Problems with Penal Substitution?

The biblical interpretation I have presented thus far is consistent with the doctrine known as “penal substitutionary atonement.” For many evangelicals, this model of the atonement is the central model for understanding of how Christ’s death saves us. However, many other Christians find penal substitution problematic or even abhorrent, preferring other models instead.

Consider some of the concerns many Christians have expressed regarding penal substitution.

“Why doesn’t God just forgive us? Why does he demand a sacrifice?” God is perfectly just; he cannot and will not look at sin and simply “let it go.” If God did,  he would not be righteous. Penal substitution is how God grants forgiveness while maintaining his justice. The cross is how God avoids picking between his mercy and his wrath.

“Doesn’t penal substitution support abuse?” Some misuse penal substitution to argue that victims of abuse should simply submit to abuse “like Jesus did,” but this is a wicked twisting of the doctrine. Jesus willingly laid down his life; he was not a powerless victim taken against his will. Christians absolutely may flee abuse and seek protection from harm (Acts 9:23-25).

“Doesn’t penal substitution ‘break’ the Trinity?” Many presentations of this doctrine depict Jesus as intervening between humanity and the angry Father, but this is incorrect. The cross is the plan all three persons of the Trinity hatched from eternity past. The Father sends the Son as a sacrifice, and the Son willingly goes with the Spirit at his side. The outworking of the cross involves all three persons of the Trinity working in harmony, not against each other.

While the depth of the cross’s meaning cannot be exhausted by any single model of the atonement, penal substitution has a legitimate place in Christian belief. And Isaiah 53 may be the strongest biblical text in its support.

Joshua Sharp is a writer and Bible teacher living in Waco. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. 

Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now

By Brenda Salter McNeil (Brazos Press)

Becoming Brave is part Bible study, part memoir and part call to advocating for justice.

Brenda Salter McNeil is associate professor of reconciliation studies at Seattle Pacific University, director of the reconciliation studies program, and associate pastor of preaching and reconciliation at Quest Church in Seattle. From this brief resumé, it is clear McNeil has been engaged in reconciliation work for some time.

Her focus took a turn during a flight. McNeil was reading Dear White Christians by Jennifer Harvey, who asserted reconciliation tends to stop short of justice by simply celebrating diversity and inclusion as an end goal. When McNeil read her name included in a list of leaders “culpable in perpetuating this paradigm,” she “sensed that something was calling me forth” to go beyond reconciliation to advocating for justice.

McNeil frames her journey from reconciler to justice advocate with the story of Esther. Starting with Queen Vashti, she gives attention an often overlooked yet significant person in the story. McNeil imagines the queen’s thought process leading her to refuse to appear before King Xerxes. Such calculations make people like Queen Vashti beacons of courage for others living between a rock and a hard place.

McNeil’s advocacy for justice goes beyond race. She also advocates for justice across gender and sexuality. Noting that she previously “avoided speaking about sexuality for fear” of being labeled “too liberal,” she now “will no longer keep silent about the truth that all people are created in the image of God and, therefore, all people are worthy of love, protection, equality, dignity, and respect.”

As McNeil expects, some readers will conclude she has gone too far in her journey, that justice overtakes biblical convictions. Whether that actually is the case for McNeil, there is value in learning from the experiences and the arc of someone else’s story, even if one doesn’t arrive at the same conclusions.

Eric Black, executive director, publisher and editor

Baptist Standard

• The Explore the Bible Lesson for Nov. 8 focuses on Isaiah 49:1-13.

The riches of Isaiah are difficult to exhaust. There is a reason this prophetic book is one of the most frequently cited Old Testament books in the New Testament. Just one distinctive feature is Isaiah’s four “servant songs.”

Four distinct passages in Isaiah, called “songs” for their poetic language, are about an unidentified “servant of the Lord” (42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-7; 52:13-53:12). Much ink has been spilled in attempts to identify this “servant.” Is it the prophet himself? Is it the nation of Israel? Is it some future messianic figure? Christians traditionally have understood the “servant” from the servant songs to be Jesus Christ.

Our passage today, Isaiah 49:1-13, begins with one of these “servant songs.” Who is this servant? What role does he play in God’s work? What is the connection between the servant and the rest of our passage?

The Servant of the Lord

Verses 1-6 describe the servant of the Lord. The passage particularly emphasizes the prenatal calling of the servant. “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name… he who formed me in the womb to be his servant” (49:1, 5).

This servant’s purpose is to “regather” Israel, to go out and reconstitute the people of God and bring them back to the Lord in repentance and reconciliation (49:5-6). But that’s not all—the servant also will be “a light for the Gentiles, that [God’s] salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (49:6).

Intense debate surrounds the identity of this servant. On one hand, Isaiah seems to identify the servant as Israel (49:3). Yet in multiple other places, Isaiah clearly distinguishes between Israel and the servant (49:5-6).

In the NIV Application Commentary on Isaiah, John Oswalt notes that “the language is far too sweeping to be applied to any ordinary human,” so the servant likely is not the prophet Isaiah himself, either (p. 547). Instead, Oswalt argues the servant “will be ‘Israel’ as Israel was meant to be” (p. 547).

And who is this servant? As Christians, we believe him to be Jesus Christ. Jesus himself personifies the “true Israel” in the New Testament (Matthew 2:13-15; cf. Hosea 11:1). Jesus himself, as a faithful Jew, perfectly embodies the ideals of Israel while also reconstituting the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 10:1-4) and being “a light for the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23).

“Despised and abhorred by the nation…”

Although the servant song ends at verse 6, verse 7 makes a reference back to the servant and highlights another characteristic of the servant—being “despised and abhorred by the nation,” with “the nation” being Israel.

The latter two servant songs (Isaiah 50:4-7; 52:13-53:12) put an even greater emphasis on the servant suffering and being rejected by his own people. However, God will not abandon his servant; God will vindicate him (49:7; 50:7; 53:12). After Christ’s suffering on the cross, God vindicated him by raising him from the dead and seating him at the right hand of the Father.

Suffering and rejection is a central element of Christ’s own Messiahship. Christ suffers and dies, despite being innocent of any wrongdoing, in order to make atonement for the sins of Israel and the sins of the whole world (Luke 22:36-38; Acts 8:32-35; 1 Peter 2:19–25).

The Restoration of Israel

The latter part of today’s passage (Isaiah 49:8-13) focuses upon the salvation and restoration of Israel. Even though the people of God are exiled in Babylon and dispersed throughout the world, God has not abandoned them and will not leave them behind.

God will regather his people, breaking them out of captivity and bringing them home. This promise of salvation (49:8-12) leads into a rapturous eruption of praise and joy: “Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones” (49:13).

But how will this prophecy be fulfilled? The New Testament asserts this prophecy is being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Writing to the (predominantly Gentile) church at Corinth, Paul cites Isaiah 49:8 to describe the salvation granted to all people in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Paul’s inclusion of Gentiles in the promise of Isaiah 49:8 recalls Isaiah 49:6.

However, in pointing out Gentiles’ inclusion in God’s promises to Israel, we must be careful not to lapse into a kind of harsh supersessionist theology in which Gentiles simply replace Israel. Such theology is the stuff of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.

No, the New Testament is clear that God has expanded Israel, not replaced it. Paul warns Gentile believers to not be haughty or prideful about being “grafted in” to Israel (Romans 11:17-24). Our salvation is an enormous privilege, not a ground for boasting—let alone ground for ethnic hatred and genocide! The mercy of God humbles all who would receive it.

Joshua Sharp is a writer and Bible teacher living in Waco. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary.

• Lesson 9 in the BaptistWay Press Connect360 unit “Pure Joy” focuses on Philippians 3:1-11.

Verse 10 is a powerful and challenging verse to all believers. We want to know Christ and to know the power of his resurrection. That’s a pretty easy desire because it is clean, and we don’t have to get our hands dirty. The second part is much more difficult for Christians if they truly are honest. Do believers really have the heart to participate in the sufferings of Christ? This was Paul’s desire! He knew what Christ had gone through, the shame, humiliation, physical pain and betrayal, but still Paul wanted to share in the suffering of Christ. Paul understood identifying with Christ in this way would deepen his faith in ways he never dreamed possible. Going through sufferings as Christ did would teach him to depend on God and not on self. Seeing suffering through the eyes of Christ would forever change the way he loved and ministered to everyone he met. Paul wanted to share in that suffering even to the point of death, and that takes a great faith not many believers today possess.

In verse 11, Paul wrote about the final outcome of dying in Christ—the resurrection from the dead. Just as Christ rose from the dead, we too as Christians will rise—a spiritual resurrection when we spend eternity with God. Everything God has done through his Son Jesus Christ was to provide a way for us to spend an eternity with him and this is only possible through the resurrection in Christ.

It’s messy. Be patient.

I think too many times as Christians, we live whitewashed Christianity. We coat the outside of our lives with a thin coat of white paint so people can’t see what’s underneath. We are afraid if the world sees the real us, they will turn away and run. Churches are not made for perfect people; they are made for people that God is making perfect. Becoming like Christ is at times a messy process, but we need to be patient with God and ourselves. Over time, we can look back at what God has done and see the miracles he alone has brought about in our lives, and we can share those with other believers. God is calling you to live an authentic life. It may get messy, but it will be full of blessings.

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for BaptistWay Press.

To learn more about BaptistWay Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.   

Idolatry

By Stephen E. Fowl (Baylor University Press)

Stephen E. Fowl is professor of theology and dean of Loyola College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Maryland. Idolatry is his scholarly examination of what lies behind a Christian’s turning away from the one true God and toward a myriad of lesser things. It is not a light read.

Fowl’s interest in idolatry arose over several years of teaching Introduction to Theology. Though the majority of students identify as Roman Catholic, he admits “they have very little direct exposure to the Bible.” He noticed they tend to take the first five books of the Bible at face value and then react strongly when they get to the prophets.

The prophets frequently condemn Israel and Judah for their idolatry. The students in Fowl’s class struggle to understand how people who had seen and experienced God’s miracles could turn to idolatry. Fowl explains turning to idols is a subtle and incremental process “of seemingly benign or even prudent decisions” that “allows us to keep God in view, in our peripheral vision.”

Old Testament prophets were not particularly successful in turning their audiences away from idolatry. Fowl believes contemporary audiences are no different than their forebears on that score. As a result, he believes it is better to learn what draws a moth to a flame than to call it back after it already is blindly on its way to destruction.

To steer clear of the destructive flame, Fowl seeks to “locate, identify, unlearn, and repent of the habits and dispositions that lead to idolatry before they do so.”

One step leading to idolatry is the separating of ourselves from the production of the things we consume. The more alienated we become from the production of our food, clothing and other possessions, the more apt we become to forget God and to fail to “delight in God’s goodness.”

Another step that becomes a habit is wanting more than what God offers—greed. Greed moves beyond the boundaries of God-ordered desire. Thanksgiving is a way to move back within the boundaries.

Fear also can turn a Christian to idolatry, spurring suspicion, preemption and accumulation in an attempt to gain security ourselves, rather than trusting in God for our security. Countervailing virtues to the effects of fear are hospitality, peacemaking and generosity, which are three expressions of love.

A desire to know also can be a step toward idolatry. Desiring novelty, an unbounded curiosity and the thought of possessing knowledge become ends in themselves and divide the Christian’s attention. The antidote is a singular focus on God.

Fowl concludes with an examination of whiteness as an expression of idolatry in the United States today. While an apropos topic, it seems disjointed from the preceding chapters. Even so, the strong negative reactions of some in the United States to calls for racial justice may itself serve as confirmation of Fowl’s thesis.

Eric Black, executive director/editor/publisher
Baptist Standard. 

The Politics of Ministry: Navigating Power Dynamics and Negotiating Interests

By Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman and Donald C. Guthrie (InterVarsity Press)

Many despise the manipulative, coercive, unjust, conflictual and divisive bent all too common in church politics. The authors respond that “practicing leadership requires people to shun unethical and unbiblical gamesmanship.” But avoiding the give and take—and even disagreements—of politics is to forego benefits to ministry of such negotiation.

“Politics is the art of getting things done with others.” It involves relationships, power, influence, interests, ethics and the interplay of stakeholders in negotiation. “Interests are priority preferences … that fuel people’s emotions, motivations, and actions.”

As much as ministry is about spiritual leadership of people, people’s interests must be identified, recognized, understood and engaged. Four chapters are devoted to interests, and for good reason. Any resistance a leader faces will be due to a perceived threat to interests. Much profit can be gained by reading nothing more than these four chapters. A good companion to this section is Marshall Shelley’s Ministering to Problem People in Your Church: What to Do With Well-Intentioned Dragons.

The last half of The Politics of Ministry ties together power and interests. When a person or a group sees either an opportunity to realize interests or a need to defend them, they bring what power they have to the service of their interests. At this point, negotiation takes place, either formally or informally. The authors describe a four-cell grid of negotiation based on the degree to which the power and interests of the parties involved overlap. The fourth cell involves the most challenge and receives its own chapter well worth reading.

The book is full of actual examples of the dynamics at play in ministry politics. The fullest example is the case study at the end, which the authors admit presents only one party’s view on a set of negotiations.

The Politics of Ministry is written to four audiences: those already involved in Christian ministry, people hurt or confused by ministry, those just starting in ministry, and the larger context of politics.

The book is intended to be imminently practical and therefore reads like a textbook. As a result, the profit may be lost by those who lose interest.

Eric Black, executive director, publisher and editor
Baptist Standard

• Lesson 8 in the BaptistWay Press Connect360 unit “Pure Joy” focuses on Philippians 2:19-30.

Paul knew he would not be able to go to Philippi any time soon, so he would be sending Timothy as his emissary until he himself could come. During this time, Paul was in Rome either in prison or under house arrest awaiting trial, and he was unsure of when the trial would take place or what the result of the trial would be. His hope was to send Timothy and through that visit, receive word on how the church was doing. Ever hopeful, Paul was certain when word made its way back to his prison cell in Rome, it would be positive and lift his spirit even in his depressing situation.

Paul had great confidence in young Timothy, because he had invested so much time in his life, had seen Timothy grow spiritually, and Paul had seen him grow as a servant leader as well. Paul’s words of praise were high when he said, “I have no one else like him.” Paul knows Timothy is an exceptional young man who will take on the needs of the church in the same manner Paul would. Timothy was unselfish and willing to take care of the needs of others even before his own. Finally, Paul’s highest praise comes out by calling Timothy his son who has proven himself working side-by-side with him as they spread the gospel. Paul knew the church would welcome Timothy even more if Paul looked on him as his son, as family, as one who would carry on the family business with the same passion and caring the father has done over the years.

Leading by example

Paul strongly believed in leading by example, he wanted people to see him working hard, making money and providing the funds that were needed for his ministry to move forward. Paul felt that taking money from any church in which he was ministering would change his ministry to them and somehow weaken what he did. Paul never wanted to feel he owed anyone anything. He wanted to openly and freely preach the gospel of Christ without the constraint of finances hanging over his head. However, Paul did accept financial gifts from churches if he was not physically present and ministering to them at the time, because he felt this allowed those churches to share in his ministry to others.

During his ministry Paul made sure he was not a burden on other people. He felt if he did not work and earn his own way, somehow that would take away from his ability to be able to minister to those God had sent him to preach the gospel. “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:34-35).

Compiled by Stan Granberry, marketing coordinator for BaptistWay Press.

To learn more about BaptistWay Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.   

• The Explore the Bible Lesson for Nov. 1 focuses on Isaiah 46:3-13.

As noted in earlier lessons, Isaiah 40-55 is addressed to the Judeans living in exile in Babylon as God prepares to bring them home to Jerusalem. In 539 B.C., the Persian king Cyrus would conquer Babylon, and in 538 Cyrus would issue an edict allowing Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple. These chapters of Isaiah speak of Cyrus’s actions.

One of the key themes of Isaiah 40-55 is monotheism; there is only one God, the Lord of Israel. He is creator and sovereign Lord over all the universe, and there is none like him. The other “gods” are not simply inferior; they really are not gods at all.

This monotheistic emphasis was meant to encourage the Jews living in Babylon so they could stand strong and remain faithful to God even in the midst of Babylon’s rank polytheism and idolatry. The first couple verses of the chapter we will cover in this lesson, Isaiah 46, deliberately name and condemn the Babylonian gods “Bel” and “Nebo” (46:1-2).

The Remnant of Israel

In the beginning of this passage, God promises to sustain and rescue the exiled Judeans. Specifically, he refers to the people as “you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born” (46:3).

God promises, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (46:4). The language here of birth, carrying and old age evokes familial intimacy, nurturing love and the longevity of God’s faithfulness to his people. But I want us to focus on the language of “the remnant.”

This concept of a “faithful remnant” shows up in numerous biblical passages. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah despairs that all of Israel has abandoned God for idolatry; only Elijah remains, and they are trying to kill him (19:14). But God responds, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (19:18)

Even though the Israelites rebel against God and fail to uphold their covenants with him, God remains faithful. A key way God expresses his faithfulness is by preserving a remnant for himself even in times of great apostasy. The Apostle Paul uses this idea to explain how God still can be faithful to Israel even if many ethnic Israelites have rejected Jesus (Romans 11:1-12).

Even after mass apostasy among Israel, leading to catastrophe and God’s seeming abandonment in the exile, God remains faithful and has preserved a remnant (Isaih 46:3-4).

The Idiocy of Idolatry

Speaking through the prophet, God asks: “With whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” (46:5). The answer is, as always, “No one.”

Isaiah proceeds to again satirize the idolatrous practices of the Babylonians. He describes idolaters pouring out gold and silver so a metalsmith can craft an image. Even though these people bow down before their idol, it is powerless. The people must carry it around; it cannot move on its own. And unlike God, this idol does not hear prayers and cannot save (46:6-7).

The irony is thick. The idolaters’ behavior is like a bad joke. It would be funny, were it not so tragic and sinful. Humanity’s idols cannot even hope to compare with the God of Israel. And today, we humans still make idols, even if they are not specially crafted metal images.

The Absolute Sovereignty of God

But God’s not done yet. No, God heightens the contrast between himself and idols by highlighting his absolute sovereignty over creation in verses 8-11. God calls his rebellious people to remember his mighty acts from the past, acts by which God gave evidence of his power over the world (46:8-9).

Then, in verse 10, God flatly states his absolute knowledge and sovereignty in unequivocal terms: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”

God knows the future in exhaustive detail with infallible certainty, and he can do whatever he wishes to do. It is impossible to surprise or outsmart God. There is no one who can overpower God. If God decides to do something, nothing can stop him. The only constraint upon God is God’s own nature and character. God cannot be constrained “from the outside.”

God next gives a few brief examples of his sovereignty before he restates it, saying, “What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do” (46:11). The idols of Babylon are powerless and utterly ignorant. God is utterly sovereign and knows all things without fail.

Salvation Promised

Our text today concludes with a promise of salvation (46:12-13). God says, “I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel” (46:13). While God in history did indeed bring the Israelites out of exile and back to Jerusalem, much of the splendor, glory, and prosperity promised by Isaiah and other prophets did not seem to come to pass.

It is only in Jesus Christ that all prophecies of Scripture find their true and final fulfillment (2 Corinthians 1:20). And in Jesus Christ, the boundaries of “Israel” have expanded far beyond any one ethnicity or culture. All who place their faith in Jesus Christ are part of “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) and inherit God’s promises of salvation.

Joshua Sharp is a writer and Bible teacher living in Waco. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary. 

Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed For the Good Life

By Jonathan T. Pennington (Brazos Press)

Don’t be put off by the title. Some readers may expect a liberal look at Jesus of Nazareth as just a great teacher and moral philosopher. Have no fear: Jonathan Pennington, associate professor of New Testament interpretation at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is thoroughly biblical, evangelical and orthodox. Other readers may anticipate the kind of incomprehensible gobbledygook a boring professor attempted to force-feed them in a college Philosophy 101 class. On the contrary, this book is accessible, down-to-earth and even—more often than not—fun.

Pennington makes the compelling case that Jesus was a true philosopher in the ancient classical sense—not to be confused with a philosopher in the modern sense. Much of modern philosophy falls into one of two categories, the author observes. Some schools of thought offer a thoroughly useless abstract and depersonalized examination of deep questions that provide no meaningful answers. Others peddle self-help platitudes drawn from the shallow well of pop psychology.

Jesus the Great Philosopher examines the teachings of Jesus in light of competing and complementary ancient philosophies, particularly the Western philosophical traditions that shaped the Greco-Roman culture. Pennington explores how Jesus challenged his disciples to consider Life’s Big Questions—what is good, what is right, what is beautiful, and where to find lasting happiness and hope. And he points out how Jesus did it in ways that were both thoroughly grounded in day-to-day life and that pointed to transcendent truth in the kingdom of God.

Read this book and get acquainted with Jesus the great philosopher who taught his followers the kind of whole-life wisdom that leads to flourishing—not only in the sweet by and by, but also for the living of these days.

Ken Camp, managing editor

Baptist Standard. 

Desperately Seeking Asylum: Testimonies of Trauma, Courage, and Love

By Helen T. Boursier (Rowman & Littlefield)

Helen T. Boursier is a passionate advocate for women and children seeking asylum in the United States. While a pastor of a Presbyterian church plant north of San Antonio, she also served as a volunteer chaplain for asylum seekers being held in a for-profit immigrant detention facility.

Part of her ministry included “art as spiritual care,” and she includes some examples of art by immigrants throughout Part 1. Boursier’s ministry grew to include caring for immigrant families’ practical concerns and eventually to advocacy more broadly.

Desperately Seeking Asylum comes from her experience with thousands of immigrants. It is a thorough examination of the situation along the U.S.-Mexico border from 2014 to 2019. Though some policies have changed since then, the content still holds relevance for ongoing efforts to address immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The book’s arc begins with why people seek asylum in the United States, details the tangled mess of immigration policy and practice, and concludes with practical and hopeful chapters for those wanting to become involved in seeking justice for immigrants and asylum seekers.

Part 1 details a breakdown in justice leading people to seek asylum in the United States. Pulling from immigrant testimonies, Boursier describes a hopeless situation in a Central America overrun with gangs and government corruption. The suffering is enough to lead thousands to risk more suffering while traveling north. After being detained at the U.S.-Mexico border, they were detained in facilities they named hielera (cooler)—for the frigid air inside—and perrera (dog kennel)—for their similarity to a dog pound.

Part 2 outlines U.S. government attempts to address immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border. Boursier explains the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement and its relation to the Trump administration’s policies during 2018 and 2019. She also lays out changes in those policies and the struggle immigrants experience navigating them, what she considers a further breakdown in justice.

Part 3 describes Boursier’s own response, which is rooted in a theology of hospitality, love of neighbor and solidarity. She admits to her own new experiences, such as learning who her elected officials were and communicating with them for the first time. Her description of the breadth of advocacy for immigrants and asylum seekers is as thorough as the other sections of the book.

Boursier calls readers to be involved personally in seeking justice for immigrants and those seeking asylum. She points to the many ways to engage in hospitality, love of neighbor and solidarity for, toward and with men, women and children not all that unlike us.

Eric Black, executive director/editor/publisher
Baptist Standard 

The Explore the Bible Lesson for Oct. 25 focuses on Isaiah 40:18-31.

The transition from Isaiah 39 to Isaiah 40 marks one of the most important shifts in the entire book. While chapters 1-39 address the prophet’s own contemporaries and the threat of the Assyrian empire, chapters 40-66 jump hundreds of years into the future and address later generations of Israelites who are in exile (40-55) and then those who have returned (56-66).

Chapter 39 ends with Isaiah warning King Hezekiah that future generations will be conquered and dragged into exile by the Babylonian empire. Isaiah’s prophecy would come true in the 500s B.C. Babylon would deport a first group of Judeans in 597 before sacking Jerusalem and taking even more into exile in 587/586.

Addressed to the Judeans exiled in Babylon, Isaiah 40 begins to offer promises of hope and restoration. Israel’s punishment is over, the prophet says, and God will soon take them back home.

But another key theme of Isaiah 40 (and indeed the rest of chapters 40-55) is the uniqueness of God. These chapters in Isaiah contain some of the most robust and explicit monotheism of the entire Bible, meant to contrast sharply with the polytheism of Babylon and to assert God’s unrivaled power.

The Folly of Idols

Our passage begins with a pair of rhetorical questions from the prophet: “With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him?” (40:18) The implied answers are “no one,” and “none.” There is no one and nothing that can compare with the Lord.

Isaiah proceeds to offer a description of idolatrous practices. He describes how idols are made and then overlaid with precious metals like gold and silver (40:19). But poor people, Isaiah points out, cannot afford these fancy idols; the poor must settle for pieces of wood that will not rot and must have this wood crafted in such a way that the idol will not fall over (40:20).

The irony of idolatry is plain: these “gods” are no more powerful than the hands that crafted them. Indeed, a poor idol cannot even stand up on its own unless designed properly by a human. What kind of god is this? These “gods” are inferior to God in every conceivable way; any sort of meaningful comparison is laughable.

While it may be tempting for modern Christians to look down our noses and laugh at ancient, “superstitious” idolatry, we have many idols of our own. Just because we do not bow down and pray before physical idols doesn’t mean we don’t put our trust and faith in human-made objects. And such idolatry is just as sinful and laughable now as it was in Isaiah’s day.

The Incomparable God

Isaiah follows this description of idolatry by launching into an elaborate description of God’s power and glory. God is over the heavens and the earth; he himself created them and continues to exercise control over them (40:22).

God is not only in control over nature; he is in control over history and human affairs, as well. Human rulers, no matter how powerful or prestigious, are nothing compared to God. God is the one who raises them up, and he is the one who brings them down. Even the longest human reign is transient next to God’s eternal rule (40:23-24).

Isaiah uses an agricultural metaphor to highlight God’s superiority over human princes. Isaiah compares human princes to fresh, new plants who are reduced to chaff, the useless scraps of grain blown away by the breeze during the threshing process (40:24).

God himself, speaking through the prophet, then asks more rhetorical questions: “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” (40:25) The implied answer again is “no one.” God then asserts his sovereignty over the stars of heaven; God created them and God controls every single one (40:26).

This would have been a powerful message in the ears of Israelites exiled in Babylon. They were surrounded by idols and images of pagan deities. But God asserts his power and authority over any other “god.” These gods do not even exist; they are lifeless mockeries made by human hands. God alone is creator and Lord of the universe.

The Sustaining Power of the Lord

What relevance does God’s power have for the lives of his followers? It was the same for the ancient Israelites as it is for us today: we can trust God for provision and protection. Many of the Israelites living in exile understandably believed they had been forgotten or abandoned by God (40:27). But Isaiah makes clear this is not true at all.

Isaiah reminds God’s people of God’s power (40:28) before explaining how God gives strength to those in need. God grants strength to the weary and power to the weak (40:29). Even strong, strapping young men may grow tired and fall (40:30), but anyone who trusts in the Lord will receive renewed strength (40:31).

Our passage concludes with a beautiful and well-known promise of God’s sustaining power and deliverance: “They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (40:31).

These final lines are the basis of numerous works of Christian art, including hymns. The poetic language beautifully captures the power that belongs to believers. But this power is not meant for triumphalism or the “prosperity gospel.” Rather, this power is best exercised through sacrificial service to others, as exemplified by Jesus Christ (John 13:1-17).

Joshua Sharp is a writer and Bible teacher living in Waco. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Truett Theological Seminary.