Psalm 1:4&5 ” The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”
In Part 1 I made a statement ” we are all ungodly, therefore we are sinners.” Some might take offense to this statement. I would reply by saying, your concept of God’s holiness is not correct. Scripturally God’s holiness is likened to an all consuming fire and His holiness is so great that no natural eye can look upon Him without perishing. Personally I liken God’s holiness to the center of a bonfire, the portion of the fire that is so pure and so hot that we call it “white hot.” There is no way I would stand next to such heat without some protective gear. My son in law is a fireman/paramedic and he has shown me the protective gear they use when entering a burning house, it’s literally their life saver. So for us, without salvation, which is defined as the Holy Spirit abiding within via faith in Jesus Christ, we have no protection from the Holiness of God. As fire is to wood so is holiness to sin, the two cannot coexist. Therefore we must be saved, or “born again.” This is a term Jesus used to explain the action of the Holy Spirit upon a repentant soul. In John 3:7 he says, ” do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again.” It is simply a heart broken over it’s own sin crying out to God for a second chance. In so doing, finds God’s love and forgiveness and the aid of the Holy Spirit. There still remains a sin nature, but now there is a new nature within borne by the Holy Spirit, and its desire is to please the Lord. This new nature is nurtured and strengthened through times of Bible study and prayer, and as a child matures to adult, so too this spirit nature matures.
What does it mean to be like “chaff?” Prior to machinery the only way to release the seed from the sheath was to beat it, or grind it between heavy stones. Then since the seed was heavier than the remains, it was all tossed into the air with the seed falling down, but the “chaff” the wind would blow away. Therefore in context, ” the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” The implication is as the chaff is blown away. The ungodly in the presence of God shall not stand (be established) but be removed from his presence. A statement that deeply grieves the heart of God and is beyond words to describe.
The Bible receives criticism for statements like this and therefore God himself is criticized. For the creation to criticize the creator is like the painting to find fault with the painter. The painter has authority over his painting, just as the Creator has authority over his creation. Yet to even question God and his will for us is to totally miss the meaning of the Cross. The Cross speaks to us of our need to repent, but it SHOUTS to us of the love that put Him there so that forgiveness could be offered, and communion with God could be reestablished… To miss this KEY POINT is to miss it all, and fail to understand how the Cross answered God’s dilemma of a Holy God earnestly desiring to have fellowship with His creation.
So we can choose to be offended at the scriptures, or we can be grateful that God is demonstrating his love to us by teaching us right from wrong; like any good parent that loves their child. Problems only arise because we want to do it our way, and then blame God for being in tolerate? If we would but remember this saying – I, sin and pride all share one letter in common, the letter ” I.” There is always a choice, my way or God’s. God’s way draws me closer to Him, my way, I, sin and pride, separates me from Him, which will bring injury to ourselves and others.
Father God,
Thank you, though this be a hard study it is no less filled with your love and care for me. Help me to listen and heed your teachings. You say in Proverbs that the wise man or woman heeds correction, but the foolish reject it. Let me be wise and give you a heart that listens. I do not need to understand it all, I just need to understand the Cross – that says it all. Thank you and Amen.
Dios lo Bendiga – Arthur