|
God of the Unexpected!
I was talking to a close friend while meditating on a topic for my next article, and as we continued our conversation about God’s faithful and unsuspecting nature, this topic came to mind. The book of Matthew records the genealogy of Christ the Messiah, and notes such names as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. These men, by all accounts, are considered the best of their time. They are not honorary members, but notable greats. Any writer worth his salt would agree that Biblical history would not exist without their presence and contributions. In the book of Matthew 2: 1-2 the writer states, "When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men [astrologers] from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east at its rising and have come to worship Him." In reading these verses and researching the ancestry of Jesus, we discover that Bethlehem was the place of his birth. If we had asked the great theologians of that day where the Messiah would be born, there is no way any of them would have chosen Bethlehem, which was considered a lowly place, with little significance. They would argue that there is no way a godly king, let alone the king of the Jews, would have been born in such a place. Bethlehem may have been insignificant to the theologians of that time, but God had another agenda. He takes the foolish things of this world to confound (dumbfound, confuse) the wise (those who think they have all the answers). In verse 2, the writer declares that after the birth of the Messiah, wise men, known for their expertise in the science of astronomy, saw His star in the east and went to worship Him. In order to understand why it was unheard of for people from the east (especially astrologers known for their star-gazing) to go anywhere in close proximity to the Jewish nation, one must understand that stargazing was a form of idol worship. It was a practice condemned under the Mosaic Law as an act of divination according to the writer of Deuteronomy 18:9-15. The Jewish people frowned upon people who worshipped the stars. God denounced the practice and promised to raise up a leader (prophet) of whom the people would listen. So why would people who practice idol worship be interested in worshipping a righteous king? Why would they even care about his birth, or go to a place where they were frowned upon. Why? So that the scripture would be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. Another reason why the unexpected occur is because God doesn’t do things that man consider "normal." He originates outside of our time and is not motivated by our thoughts or ideas. For as the heaven is higher than the earth, so are his ways above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. No unsuspecting Jew would have guessed that Eastern astrologers would be caught dead in Bethlehem, nor would their "King" originate from such a place. As I think back on the scriptures, I can recall many instances where God performed acts that were totally unexpected. If I had to mention one thing that stands out in my mind concerning God, it would be His act of "grace." It totally amazes me how someone (who has every reason to destroy us) can love us, let alone let us off the hook. According to the scriptures, "While we were yet sinners (not concerned about God, lacking the desire to love, consumed with idolatry, completely full of ourselves, esteeming the creature more than the Creator), God loved us." If I asked any normal person what would have been their response to these acts of unrighteousness, their response would be, " I would destroy them; totally wipe them out! If they don’t love me, why should I show them any love? Let the punishment fit the crime, destroy all of them!" As humans, we occupy fleshly bodies and have carnal thoughts. Our love is conditional and our kindness has limits. We will allow a little latitude, but not for long. After a short while, we, "ain’t taking no more." We want revenge because we believe in an "eye-for-an-eye." If someone hurts or wrongs us, then we will hurt them in return. That’s "karma." Only God, who is unsuspecting, can extend the unexpected. In the book of John, the writer declares that because of God’s unconditional love, He sent Jesus into the world. "Although the world was made by him, they did not recognize him. He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own] and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him." In verse 14 of the same scripture, the writer states, " the Word (Christ) was made flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled among us; and we beheld its glory, such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace and truth. As only a begotten son possess. This grace, dear people was unmerited, undeserved, and allow me to add, unexpected. It was God’s favor extended to us. We didn’t deserve it. He could have destroyed us; we gave him every reason to do so. Anyone else would have just wiped us off the face of the earth, but not God. He does the unexpected. Unexpected, you better believe it! God is the only one who tells us that all things are possible in a world void of hope. He, alone, can declare peace to a raging storm and command grave clothes to loose a man, who has been dead for days. When I read about the devastation occurring in our homes; how children and parents are destroying one another, I wonder if there is any hope. Many psychologists would agree, in its present state, there appears to be little hope for reconciliation. In the book of Malachi, the scripture declares that in this world where there is a tremendous amount of hatred and disrespect among parents and children, God has a plan of restoration for his people. God sees the devastation but his answer is "I will turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children." God is not interested nor is concerned what the Dr. Phil’s of this society thinks, he is the God of the unexpected. If He desires peace, guess what America? We will be a peaceful nation!! He continually contends that there is nothing to hard for him to accomplish. God has a plan and a purpose for his creation. He performs the totally unexpected. David didn’t have a problem believing in the unexpected. Even as a teenager, David fearlessly, and unsuspectingly, took on Goliath. When the villagers wanted him to be quiet for fear of Goliath, he didn’t falter. David declared that God was with him when he slew the lion and the bear and God would be with him again. After all, he was a man after God’s own heart. Goliath was no big deal. So, there was David, with a sling and a stone to kill this mighty giant. Unexpected, you better know it!!!! But David killed Goliath and cut off his head. Speaking on the subject of " Getting "Ahead" in life David would answer by encouraging us to seek the heart of God and to trust fearlessly in Him; that’s how he obtained the head of the Philistine. I could think of many accounts where God performed the unexpected, but there are far too many. So, in conclusion, I would like to thank God for being full of surprises. My prayer is that we accept Him for who he truly is: The God of the Unexpected! And cease trying to make Him predictable. By Travestine J. Wright |