“Just a note: if you haven’t read my previous post, then read that one first!

I wanted to provide some application for my previous post “Elijah: Man of Death and Resurrection”. Elijah represented Israel. He is a picture on legs of what God was doing with the nation of Israel as a whole. I think that maybe all the prophets in Scripture are pictures of Israel, or of Israel’s king. (Ezekiel really demonstrated this relationship). So since Elijah was a picture of Israel’s deadness because of their sins and idolatry, he was also a living testimony of God’s recreating and resurrecting them. So how does this apply to us?

Well, it’s important to know what Scripture is trying to teach us, and not just try to come up with little morals that we can apply to our day-to-day lives. The point of 1 Kings 17 when Elijah is fed by the ravens is not just that if we are ever in dire straights, God will provide for us. God has indeed promised to provide for us, and 1 Kings is a good reminder of that, but there is a bigger picture going on too. And in order to see the bigger picture, we must know how to read our Bibles. For example, learning what certain numbers mean in Scripture (like I mentioned below), offer us hints as to the big picture. And it is from these hints that we can accurately apply God’s word to our lives.

Since Elijah is so obviously a shadow of Jesus Christ, we can look to Elijah’s role, and to Jesus Christ’s role as prophet, for one of our applications. (I’m sure there are others, but this is the one I can see). As our Prophet, Jesus Christ represents us (the new Israel) in our sins and idolatry. And He becomes THE picture of death and resurrection, just like Elijah demonstrated for the nation of Israel. Furthermore, being in Christ and in His death and resurrection, I know that He takes each and every one of my daily deaths, and will bring them to fruitful resurrection. So we die daily…in hope…of resurrection and recreation! Now that is GOOD NEWS that I can hang my hat on TODAY!”

I have been studying 1 Kings lately, and have discovered some interesting things. I thought I would share some of those findings with you! The first is about Elijah, and after studying him more, I am so glad we named our first son after him. One of the things I noticed about Elijah is that he is a walking picture of death and resurrection, which means that he himself is a shadow of Christ. Nowhere do we get a better picture of this than in 1 Kings 17 + 18.

First, we see Elijah pronouncing drought upon Israel (death), and then three years later (in chapter 18) Elijah prays, and it rains (resurrection). By the way, most of the time in Scripture, when you read the number 3, you can think “death and resurrection”, as seen in Christ being in the grave for 3 days, and resurrecting on the third. Then, after Elijah announces drought, he goes to the brook Cherith where the ravens provide food for him. While there, the brook dries up that he was drinking from (death), so God tells him to go stay with a widow and God will provide sustenance for him there (resurrection). So Elijah finds the widow, who is making preparations for a last meal with her son before they die of starvation (death), but Elijah causes the pot of oil and the bowl of flour to not be exhausted (resurrection). Then, the son of the woman becomes sick and dies (death). Elijah stretches himself upon the boy THREE times, and comes back to life (obvious resurrection).

Going now into chapter 18 where we have the story of Elijah having a competition with the prophets of Baal. The prophets of Baal call upon their god to send fire three distinct times, verses 26, 28, and 29 (death). Then its Elijah’s turn. He rebuilds the altar of the Lord which had been torn down using twelve stones (this is a picture of Israel being rebuilt). Then, he has them pour four pitchers of water on the altar THREE times. This altar is a picture of Israel being dead in their sins and idolatry. 4 pitchers of water three times equals twelve, the same number of the tribes of Israel. In verse 37, Elijah prays, “Answer me, O Lord, answer men, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, AND THAT YOU HAVE TURNED THEIR HEART BACK AGAIN.”. This is an obvious picture of Israel being recreated (I’ll explain more in a little bit). Fire falls from heaven and consumes the sacrifice and altar (resurrection). God has restored fellowship with His people. Then, Elijah goes to the top of Mt. Carmel, where he crouches down. He sends his servant SEVEN times to go look toward the sea to see if there are any rain clouds coming. On the SEVENTH time, he finally sees a cloud, and then heavy showers fall upon Israel after THREE years of drought (resurrection). Most of the time in Scripture when you see the number 7, it refers to recreation. This is yet another picture of Israel being recreated.

Prov. 22:6

Too often this verse is taken to mean something like:

Spank my child like a perfectionist machine.. Make him eat all his vegetables and organics.. Make him comb his hair and sit in church quietly..   Discipline him in reformed manners and ways and when he’s old he won’t depart.  Put him through a really hard classical Christian education.  That’ll do it.

Instead, I think we must read the verse like this:

Give ‘em the good life.  Show ‘em heaven.  Show them tenderness.  Yes, bring the sting of spanking regularly and consistently.  Hold them to a higher standard.  Expect strict manners but in a spirit of humility from the heart.  Shepherd them through a robust Christian education.  Teach them to embrace hard things.  How?  By example.

But, train them up in the way they should go…  Laughter.  Family fun.  Prayer with them.  Stories.  Feasting.  Play.  Time with dad.  Time with mom.  Dates.  Discussing movies watched together.  Vacations.  Teaching them diligently from the Word to understand Him and the world.

They will not depart from a home like this.

And if God requires that church officers have these kind of children-faithful and believing (from the heart, we can deduce) then it is possible.  Not just possible but commanded and blessed by His grace.

We need help.. And God will give it.  Ask.  believe.  Obey.

James calls the law the perfect law of liberty. Obedience makes for freedom.

And so, instead of the simple message that we need to exert ourselves in greater diligence we get lost trying to step-toe around what we really need to hear.

Teaching children for instance.. As a man with five children I know how hard it is to teach them something sometimes. Instead of doing the harder thing, the more loving thing of giving each child the attention they need I am tempted to a herd mentality. I am tempted to a zone-defense reactionism instead of being a more pro-active father. For example, I might think that my son will learn how to memorize Scripture or learn to sing if he just comes along for the ride as I teach all my children as a group. But no, nothing can replace the individual attention that each child needs. Group devotions are wonderful but not as a replacement for personal interaction with a child.

I need to work harder. I think we all need to work harder. Sometimes the answer is more simple than we want it to be.

And as we do this from being clothed in God’s grace ourselves, we will discover that our exertion is duty, love, and yes, grace to us and to the child.

“Life is bigger
It’s bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up

That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I’m
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up

Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I’ve said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream”

I have always found this song chilling. It is well-written, poetic and very sad. Regardless of his particular aim, the song seems plain that it is a memoir of failed parenting in my mind. It stands as a great warning to those parents that lose their children’s religion.

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream…

May our children’s dreams be shaped by the reality of our love for them, not of father hunger.

The goal of church discipline is restorative not punitive. Hence, Christ Church is eager to receive back into her fold those sheep who have wandered. When, in the unanimous opinion of the elders, the one under discipline has repented, he will be publicly restored-a confession of his repentance will be read to the congregation on the Lord’s Day and the elders shall formally announce the end of the discipline and restoration of fellowship.

Members of Christ Church may appeal the actions of the Session to the presbytery and/or council of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. Any appeals to presbytery will be conducted in accordance with the Constitution of the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches.

The elders shall establish the specific procedures for all formal discipline on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate to the circumstances and individuals involved. However, at minimum these procedures should include a clear and timely warning of the individual that he is in the process of formal discipline, two or three visits or communications involving two or three witnesses, and clear records and/or minutes of the entire proceedings kept by the elders.

When the elders determine that a hearing is necessary, they will establish the specific procedures for each trial on a case-by-case basis, as appropriate to the circumstances and individuals involved. However, at minimum these procedures should include informing the accused in writing of the specific charges, the time, place, and date of the trial, and ample time for the accused to prepare a defense.

The heads of households will be informed of the hearing at the first opportunity. At the hearing, one of the elders will present a solemn charge from the Scriptures on the responsibilities of those present, the evidence against the accused will be presented, and the accused will have time to make a reasonable defense, including the right to question any witnesses.

At a separate meeting of the elders, a vote will be taken on each of the charges. The elders will declare their verdict to the congregation on an appointed Lord’s Day, following an appropriate exhortation. The accused will be given a written copy of the verdict.

The elders will establish an official file containing all the records pertaining to the hearing, including all pertinent correspondence, transcripts, and minutes. If he requests it, the accused will be given one copy of this file at the expense of the church.

The only persons who may undergo formal church discipline are baptized members of member households. Un-baptized members of member households and Christians who attend Christ Church regularly (but are non-members) are subject to pastoral admonishment but may not be put out of the church. Nevertheless, a non-member who is divisive, heretical, scandalous, or factious may be barred from the Lord’s Supper and rejected after proper admonition (1 Tim. 3:10). If another church has disciplined one of its members, and that person subsequently comes to Christ Church, then the Session will honor the discipline of the other church, unless after due consultation with the person concerned and after all appropriate information is considered, the Session unanimously rejects such disciplinary actions as out of accord with the government of Christ.