I was given a grand piano. It only cost me the lunch that I bought for the men who helped me get it home. A local church wanted the piano removed because its soundboard was cracked and it would no longer stay in tune.
Over the next several months this grand piano resided in my garage as I slowly worked on it and gave it a new life as a bookcase. Another free lunch for the men who helped me move the piano bookcase to my office was all it took to give the old piano new life. It now resides next to my lamp–that was once a clarinet.
While this repurposing is not uncommon, it is not the original purpose for which the instrument was created. The same is true for us. Many have lost the purpose for which God created us...a creative relationship with the creator. Instead of returning to God to regain that purpose and make beautiful music together, many settle for something less re-creating them selves in some other creative purpose.
The point is that God created us with purpose, but sin keeps us from living out that purpose and instead seeks to recreate us into something else that what was intended. We are drawn to live for our own selfish ends. Only when we turn back to God and seek Him can we begin to live with the purpose for which we were created.
We look at Psalm 8:1-6 and 14:1-7. These two Psalms are attributed to King David. Psalm 8 praises God for what he has done in creating the world andplacing humanity over it as his stewards. Psalm 14 details how the godless reject the good Godly principles and laws that God has detailed for us, and instead seek to oppress those who do.
- What’s the most interesting repurpose project you’ve seen?
- What was the intrinsic worth of a grand piano, it's original purpose?
- For whatever the reason, when the piano was no longer able to make music and was repurposed was that a good thing or a bad thing?
- The word music is derived from a Greek word indicating art of the muses (referring to the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, derived from an ancient word meaning think, who were the protectors of the arts). Was the piano still making music? Was this music the same music as it was originally intended to do?
While changing a piano into a bookcase is a cool idea, the value of the piano was its original purpose – making music. While changing humans into kings, celebrities, politicians, billionaires and other "popular" people is a cool idea, our original purpose was the active management of God's creation.
Psalm 8:1-6
1 Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty.
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have established a stronghold on account of your adversaries in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars, which you set in place,4 what is a human being that you remember him,a son of man that you look after him?5 You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor.6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
However, God says that humanity was made by God for the purpose of the active management of God's creation. While humanity often chooses to live and indulge their "ungovernable nature" our purpose was to "govern" the rest of creation.
Pause that think about that for a moment. God created all. God gave humanity the principles by which to govern. Humanity is to govern according to those rules and principles and yet they completely ignore the "laws of the universe" in favor of the wishful thinking of human nature. How astonishing it is to learn that God views humanity differently from all other creation and grants special rulership as part of our praise to God.
How does God’s creation inspire you to worship Him?
In verse 1 David says "Lord, our Lord." The first Lord is YHWH, God's personal "contractual name" which he revealed to Moses at the burning bush. The second Lord is adon acknowledging YHWH as the highest authority. There is no author (authority) who is superior to YHWH. The word used for magnificent was Addir and indicates something superior to something else. When combined with name the meaning of verse 1 is YHWH is the highest authority and no one, or thing, is superior to YHWH. His character and reputation are superior to all else, any where.
Verse 2 describes "from the mouths of infants and nursing babies". Two of the smallest and most vulnerable in society are those who have finished the weaning process and those who are still nursing. Verse 2 tells us that strength (oz in Hebrew) comes from the weakness of these two sources (what mother doesn't have superhuman strength when her babies are threatened?). Matthew 21:16 notes that praise comes from this source (what mother isn't proud of her offspring?). The vigor (another word for strength) both possessed and induced by infants and sucklings is here contrasted with the one who stands against God.
The cries of these young children results in someone checking to see what is wrong.
Sometimes whole communities band together to seek to help. And while the adversaries of God may band together to stand against God, the limited number of individuals that humans could muster can in NO WAY stand against the unlimited number that God can produce. What human can make a star that is 5 billion times the volume of the Sun? This is the size of the largest known star in the universe see above.
David contrasted God's creation with human beings, emphasizing humanity’s seeming inconsequence when compared to ALL else. Yet God created humans in the image of God (the spiritual part of humanity that has been given power to share in God's rule or administration of the Earth's resources and creatures) and we have been given the responsibilities of caring for God's creation.
The phrase little less than God emphasizes humanity’s authority over the rest of God’s creation. The word used here is elohim, a plural form of eloah in Hebrew, allah in Arabic. Bible translators are divided over how the term translated as God (elohim) should be rendered. Some translate it as “the angels” or “heavenly beings,” while others translate it as “God.” When used for God it carries the sense that He is unique among the elohim; none can compare with Him. The bottom line is that no matter how you define it, humanity was created to be a part of the family of God (be that angels, heavenly beings, space aliens, or any other created spiritual being, even demons. With that concept in mind we then all become one big family and of which even demons are a part, though one day they will receive the ultimate "go to your room" punishment.)
As His stewards, humans express the authority God has given them as they live out the purpose which God gave them—to exercise beneficial dominion over His creation. As His stewards, God has placed His creation under humanity’s authority and dominion over creation. But every family has a "black sheep" and even God's family has trouble makers as the next passage shows.
Psalm 14:1-3
1 The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.3 All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.
“The fool” mentioned by David in this psalm is not merely someone acting like a buffoon. The Jewish people would have understood a fool to be someone acting senseless in an ethical or moral sense. This isn’t a person who’s acting like a clown; he is draped in immorality. This includes the “good” people who sit on a church pew each week. We can put on a good front and look respectable, but sin is more than just an outward expression. The fool’s behavior is a reflection of what he has said “in his heart.”
The heart is a reference to our core thinking, will, and emotions. We all have foolish natures that push to want things our own way. Because of our foolish sin natures we have lost our way and our purpose. ALL of humanity falls into this category. But because of the example shown by Jesus we can learn to ignore our foolish natures (as Jesus ignored Satan in the desert temptations) and return to our original relationship and purpose with God.
- What are some examples of people expressing "there is no God" by how they live?
- What habitual practices can assist us in regularly overcoming our foolish sinful nature?
At our core is a fool. We could state it as "it is human nature to pursue self-preservation." When our nature is to preserve self above all else it takes looking beyond self to something greater than self to make us "put others first." Babies and infants are but one motivation to "put others first." Developing and pursuing a relationship with God and the wisdom of God is another way.
The fool is the opposite of a wise person who respects the Lord as someone who is superior to the fool's own person. The fool denies the existence of God; he rejects God, treating Him, His reputation and character with contempt. The term for fool (nabal) means “senseless.” It describes someone who has a closed mind in relation to God, godly living, and ethical behavior. He is characterized by immorality and this is expressed in the way he lives and how he treats others. The senseless become the "black sheep" of "God's family" who ultimately get their own desire, the remove of God from their lives and then wonder why life is so hard. The hardness of the fool’s heart is seen in the act of defiance which flows out of the center of his being, “There’s no God” Through his godless behavior and lifestyle, the fool destroys himself and brings grievous harm to others.
Because of our fallen nature even our best deeds are tainted with sin. Who hasn't "tried to help" in order to bring honor to themselves only to "make things worse" because they were not following God's prompting, but merely their own? Isaiah noted, “All our righteous acts are like a polluted garment” (read this as "dirty diaper"). Only those works of believers done through the indwelling Holy Spirit are ultimately acceptable before God, because the works of the Holy Spirit ARE the works of God. The works of our brains are not NECESSARILY the works of God, but are usually the works of our own desires.
The Hebrew term for wise (sakal) refers to one who has insight and understanding, particularly in relation to God and godly living. The wise person seeks God. The term (darash) means “to search for and inquire about.” To seek someone is to look for him or her passionately. It can also be translated as “study.” The wise person respects the power and authority of the Lord which leads to an understanding of and relationship with God and brings about a lifestyle characterized by godly living.
Sin affects all of us and works to destroy God’s purpose for our lives, but there is an alternative. There is a way out. People by our foolish and sinful nature are spiritually separated from God and do not seek Him. In Jesus Christ, God has taken the initiative to seek his foolish creations with the gospel of salvation. Jesus has given His disciples the same role as His ambassadors who are to go into the world to proclaim the need for people to repent of their sins and accept the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ. We are the teachers that our "black sheep" spiritual relatives need to encounter. Our job is NOT to debate them to victory, our job is merely to bring light to their darkness so that they may figure out that there is a better way than "my way."
David shares their outcome with us.
Psalm 14:4-7
4 Will evildoers never understand? They consume my people as they consume bread; they do not call on the Lord.5 Then they will be filled with dread, for God is with those who are righteous.6 You sinners frustrate the plans of the oppressed, but the Lord is his refuge.7 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Because God is ABSOLUTE good, he knows ALL that is good because it is what is. Anything that is NOT of God's direction is NOT good.
Your body knows when an infecting organism is not a part of the body. God knows when actions are not of God because God wrote the directions!
- Little children are reluctant to admit the truth to their parents when they have "broken the rules." Why are humans reluctant to turn to God after we have "broken the rules"?
The word for understand (yada) literally means “to know.” Will evildoers, sinners, every know God? God knows the hearts and actions of the righteous, because they are "of God". The unrighteous are also recognized and rejected because they are foreign to God. Which is why life is so hard....we are trying to live it on our own, with closed minds, closed hearts, and foolish thoughts. It describes a lack of understanding about God. Evildoers will not seek after God; they don’t know God and they have intentionally turned away from Him, choosing NOT to know God, therefore choosing a life of harmful hardships, rather than Godly goodness.
Evildoers seek to consume people with their evil deeds. Instead of seeking God to meet their needs, and receiving from God; evildoers attempt to meet their needs by taking from others. While those who call out to God and recognize their need for God in their lives, God has promised to answer and will help them with living their lives. The fool does not call upon the Lord because he is closed minded and does not believe in his heart that he needs the Lord. God has promised, too, that he will get his desire – a life without God helping or hindering him.
While evildoers may terrorize the people of God for a time, ultimately evildoers will be filled with dread. While the Godly, when they die, die with the knowledge of and relationship with God, the sinner dies with only himself. God is with those who are righteous and live in relationship with him and seek to live according to his standards. The foolish are without God by their own desire.
God is the righteous people’s place of protection and source of security against the attacks of the wicked. This does not mean that bad things will never happen to believers, but it does mean that they can cry out to and seek the Lord in times of trouble. David notes that "He that struggles with God" will have deliverance from Zion (Jerusalem). God's deliverance HAS come from Zion. It was in the form of the crucifixion, burial, resurrection, of Jesus.
While humanity's Godly purpose is often abandoned, WE have the choice: turn back to God and seek Him and begin to live within the Kingdom of God NOW with the purpose for which we were created.
Or we may choose to turn OUR backs upon God and try to "do life" on our own without any godly direction or assistance. Such results are seldom any better than a toddler's who wants to "do it themselves!" For those who choose to “just ignore God”, remember “no choice” is A CHOICE. It means that the act of not choosing is a decision that shapes the future, just as much as any other choice.
The choice about God is always YOUR CHOICE.
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