Postures tell a true tale. As a teacher I knew which students have done their homework based on the posture they assumed as they entered my classroom. A great salesman knows who is open, closed, eager to please or looking to be won over. Your posture reveals a great deal about your attitude and esteem.
Genesis 18
1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre,] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”They said, “Do as you have said.”
I imagine Abraham knew these were God’s messengers, his posture makes it clear. He ran to them; he asked them to wait so that he could minister to their needs.
V6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.
He hastened, he ran, he took advantage of every moment, desiring to return to them
V 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
It was clear here who He was; this was a promise from God, Himself.
They went on to Sodom and met Lot and he reacted the same way to these heavenly visitors. There, they told the only righteous (justified by faith in God) person, Lot, that the city would be destroyed.
Gen 19
16 And while he (Lot) lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
Thier posture could have cost them their lives, except for God's great mercy. Lot lingered, while Abraham hastened. This reveals their heart attitudes before God. If you know the end of the Lot story, then it's apparent how his posture plays out quite sadly.
He resisted God’s command to go to the mountain and God being merciful let him go to a city instead
V 24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
She turned and revealed though she was one with Lot, she was also one with that city and her fate was the same as the city’s.
When Peter met Jesus and he was instructed by the Lord to let out his nets, and though he was skeptical he did so. In Luke 5:9, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Though his words were wrong (Leave me alone), his posture was correct (on his knees). When he realized he was in the presence of true godliness he bowed down and recognized his own wretched state.
Luke 5
11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Think of the posture they must have held as they made the decision to forsake their lives for following a man who’d already told them He was homeless.
Romans 8
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
It’s not like we have to know or understand how to go on with God, but we need the right posture.
Job yearned for the chance to justify himself before God; until he got the chance
Job 40
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 “ Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
Job 42
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
Job’s posture clearly changed after he’d been face to face with the true and living God; some of us may be waiting for the same event to change our posture
Ecc 1
12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “ As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “ This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!
17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
I believe Solomon is hating this truth because he is seeing it from a temporal man’s view instead of an eternal God’s view. His posture focused him upon this temporal condition.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 makes this clear:
9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
God has set our minds with the possibility of eternity for the purpose of seeking Him and posturing ourselves as creatures created by the only True God
2 Chronicles 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
Psalm 34
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
I Thes 3
3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you— 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
His posture before the Lord is gratitude; not looking at His present suffering, but on His Lord and on the fruit the Lord gave him
I Thes 4:
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know Go
Posture matters most importantly; not in self-control, which is human strength, but in humility committing your choices to God’s way and God’s power!
Jesus Posture while on earth:
Romans 15
8Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
Phil 2
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
He was in the position of a servant; relinquishing in time His equality with God.
How do we “fix”, or acquire the appropriate posture before such an amazing God?
Hebrews 4
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Genesis 18
1 Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre,] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”They said, “Do as you have said.”
I imagine Abraham knew these were God’s messengers, his posture makes it clear. He ran to them; he asked them to wait so that he could minister to their needs.
V6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.
He hastened, he ran, he took advantage of every moment, desiring to return to them
V 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
It was clear here who He was; this was a promise from God, Himself.
They went on to Sodom and met Lot and he reacted the same way to these heavenly visitors. There, they told the only righteous (justified by faith in God) person, Lot, that the city would be destroyed.
Gen 19
16 And while he (Lot) lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
Thier posture could have cost them their lives, except for God's great mercy. Lot lingered, while Abraham hastened. This reveals their heart attitudes before God. If you know the end of the Lot story, then it's apparent how his posture plays out quite sadly.
He resisted God’s command to go to the mountain and God being merciful let him go to a city instead
V 24Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
She turned and revealed though she was one with Lot, she was also one with that city and her fate was the same as the city’s.
When Peter met Jesus and he was instructed by the Lord to let out his nets, and though he was skeptical he did so. In Luke 5:9, When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
Though his words were wrong (Leave me alone), his posture was correct (on his knees). When he realized he was in the presence of true godliness he bowed down and recognized his own wretched state.
Luke 5
11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
Think of the posture they must have held as they made the decision to forsake their lives for following a man who’d already told them He was homeless.
Romans 8
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
It’s not like we have to know or understand how to go on with God, but we need the right posture.
Job yearned for the chance to justify himself before God; until he got the chance
Job 40
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 “ Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
Job 42
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
Job’s posture clearly changed after he’d been face to face with the true and living God; some of us may be waiting for the same event to change our posture
Ecc 1
12 Then I turned myself to consider wisdom and madness and folly; For what can the man do who succeeds the king?— Only what he has already done. 13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness. 14 The wise man’s eyes are in his head, But the fool walks in darkness. Yet I myself perceived That the same event happens to them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “ As it happens to the fool, It also happens to me, And why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart, “ This also is vanity.” 16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!
17 Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.
I believe Solomon is hating this truth because he is seeing it from a temporal man’s view instead of an eternal God’s view. His posture focused him upon this temporal condition.
Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 makes this clear:
9 What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
God has set our minds with the possibility of eternity for the purpose of seeking Him and posturing ourselves as creatures created by the only True God
2 Chronicles 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land
Psalm 34
2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
I Thes 3
3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain. 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you— 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,
His posture before the Lord is gratitude; not looking at His present suffering, but on His Lord and on the fruit the Lord gave him
I Thes 4:
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know Go
Posture matters most importantly; not in self-control, which is human strength, but in humility committing your choices to God’s way and God’s power!
Jesus Posture while on earth:
Romans 15
8Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
Phil 2
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
He was in the position of a servant; relinquishing in time His equality with God.
How do we “fix”, or acquire the appropriate posture before such an amazing God?
Hebrews 4
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Comments
Post a Comment