God is Listening
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A fault in the vault?!
If you walk down Threadneedle Street in the centre of London you come across a world famous building that has 8ft thick walls, as much space underground as Tower 42 (formerly the Natwest tower) has above ground. It is the Bank of England. The Bank holds one of the largest reserves of Gold Bullion in the world that under-girds the British economy. Without knowing it, every British citizen benefits from this store of gold bullion (and other currency from the sale of bullion) in our standard of living and stability. It is a rich treasure that has real value to our every day lives, often without us knowing it.
Over recent weeks, we have been considering the gold bullion, the rich treasure that is at the heart of the Christian faith; the nature and character of God from whom and through whom all things were are created and held together, and through whom we have a hope of a future. We have been considering the God who is, who was and who is to come, the God who is unlike anyone else, set apart, different, blazing in his purity and perfection. We have been confronted with the God who defines truth and the reality of everything that is, the God that is mysteriously 3 persons in one; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We have been considering the God who is love, patient, pure love that seeks justice and righteousness.
As you consider this God, I wonder what you think and feel.
In the 1930's, whilst excavating at the bank of England, a lead coffin was discovered measuring 7ft 6 inches. It bore the inscription
“Mr William Daniel Jenkins. Died 24 March 1798, aged 31”
Records show that William Jenkins was a former clerk at the bank who had been 6ft 7.5 inches tall – half an inch taller that Peter Crouch (the robotic Liverpool striker),a giant in the Eighteenth Century. When Jenkins died after 9 years of ‘decline’ his friends feared that his body might be stolen. Surgeons had for some time offered huge sums of money to purchase his body after he had died to disect and discover the secret of his huge height. Being aware of this, Jenkins had asked permission from the Directors to be buried in the Bank of England's garden, a matter of feet from the gold vaults. The request was granted. Hence the giant skeleton amongst the Gold Bullion!1
At times, as we have been digging our way through the treasure and gold at the heart of the Christian faith, we may have felt like we have discovered a giant skeleton in the treasure, something which makes us feel very uncomfortable. Despite the fact that we have been considering the love of God, as well as the justice and judgement and despite the fact we have been thinking about God being a relational God, we may feel we have discovered something difficult.
The more we look at the eternal nature of God, the more we look at the creative power of God, the more we look at the holiness of God. The more we consider the absolute nature of God and reflect on the mysteries of God being three in one. Even the more we gaze on the God who is love; the greater God is to us, the more terrible we seem to be to ourselves. The more distant God feels, the more unapproachable he seems. It is like a great chasm that just gets bigger and bigger, as though we are standing gazing across the grand canyon, unable to reach the other side, feeling distant.
Considering the God who listens can also be hard to believe and mind blowing. How can a God like that listen to us? We are so insignificant, weak and sinful. Why would he ever listen to someone like me? It certainly doesn’t feel like he does. But God is listening.
The Bible is full of examples.
God is listening…to me?
Buried deep in the old testament are a number of important stories aout God listening to his people. Here are a couple
Abraham’s conversation with God - Genesis 18:16-33 is a remarkable record of the LORD having a conversation with Abraham. The LORD has seen the immorality and evil that is taking a hold in Sodom, and he hates it. Sodom has turned into a moral cesspool bubbling away threatening to take a hold and overflow to other areas. God must act before it infects everyone. So the LORD sends two messengers to find out what is going on and fills Abraham in on what he has been doing. So Abraham bravely begins to barter, without forgetting his place, seeking to change the LORD's mind by pleading for the innocent in Sodom.
'Abraham approached him and said, "Will you destroy both innocent and guilty alike? Suppose you find fifty innocent people there within the city - will you still destroy it, and not spare it for their sakes?... And the Lord replied, "If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake."' Genesis 18:23-26
A little later on in the Old Testament we have an even more remarkable account.
Moses pleads with God - A few weeks ago we were considering God giving the law to Moses (See God is like no-one else). At the most crucial point in the process, Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai with the Lord whilst the people are still in the desert, getting impatient.
Exodus 32:7-14 records the Lord's response to what he sees. He is ready to turn his back on the Israelites, destroy them all and run with a new plan of a great nation through the line of Moses2. Moses however pleads with the Lord -
"Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you are planning against your people!" Exodus 32:12
His appeal changes the Lord’s mind (or at least the Lord relents!).
These are amazing accounts of God being the listening God. But, surely these are extraordinary conversations with extraordinary people. At face value it looks like it. Just look at Isaiah.
“Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem – your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen any more.” Isaiah 59:1-2
This fits far better and makes much more sense of the facts doesn’t it? I can understand that God is more awesome than I could ever believe. I can see clearly that I am way more deficient that I would ever let on. And when I come to church, I hear of God’s grace and how it is real. I enjoy being with God’s people. I even feel affected by what we have been thinking about. I sometimes even go home with this warm feeling inside but by the middle of the week, reality sets in. I feel as distant as ever – because I know what I am really like. I am not Abraham. I am not Moses. A face vlue glance seems to make sense doesn't it?
So what does this mean? Throughout this series we have sought to apply God’s word about himself to our experience of him. And this week is no different. God doesn't anticipate we lust look at face value.
So what is going on?
Promise, obedience and a listening God.
In the books of 1 & 2 Chronicles, we have a record of the state of the Kingdom of David and of his son Solomon at the close of the second millenium BC and the start of the first millenium BC. God has seen his promises to Abraham of a great nation living in the promised land who are a blessing to the world fulfilled ultimately in David's kingdom. But when David looks from his spectacular palace at his firmly established Kingdom he sees the prosperity of his land and his nation but he also sees only a temporary place of worship for the God he loves - a mobile tent and to house the ark of the covenant, the sign of God's presence with his people. So David, the King after God’s heart is dismayed and wants to do something about it, so he proposes to built a beautiful temple.
God has other plans and says no -
“This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a temple to live in. I have never lived in a temple from the day I brought you Israelites out of Egypt until now. My home has always been a tent, moving from one place to another…” 1 Chronicles 17:4-5
He then goes on to reiterate to David the covenant promises he made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
So when King Solomon, David’s son takes the throne, he takes it upon himself to build a mighty temple to the God of Israel. And after the ark is brought to the temple at the service of dedication, Solomon prays with the words we can read in 2 Chronicles 6:13-21 (and following).
It is worth noticing a few things.
God has fulfilled him promises - 2 Chronicles 6:14-17 - Throughout this great prayer, Solomon is building up to asking God to hear his people, to listen to their requests and prayers. He is asking that the temple would be a place where the people worship God, but it would also be a place where the God of heaven listens to his people. It is significant to notice therefore that this request is made in the context of God being a God who keeps his promises - specifically the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God promised to make for himself a people who were his special possession, who would live in a promised land, who would be great in number and would be blessed by God. Solomon knows these promises and holds them very dearly. Just a quick flick through the rest of the chapter sees these promises coming up time and time again (see for example v25, 27, 31, 33, 38).
Solomon knows that the character and name of God, the absolute, holy God means that when he makes a promise, he will keep it. This is very important for us when we consider why God might listen to us, as we shall see later.
God expects obedience - 2 Chronicles 6:14-17 - From the same verses of this prayer, we see that God not only makes promises but he expects obedience in return.
“You keep your promises and show unfailing love to all who obey you and are eager to do your will.” 6:14
“If your descendants guard their behaviour and obey my law as you have done, they will always reign over Israel.” 6:16
Despite asking God to hear and listen from heaven, Solomon acknowledges that for God to listen to his people is dependant both upon the promises he has made, but also upon the obedience of those who expect to be listened to. The pattern still repeats itself. For God to listen, obedience is required.
God cannot be contained - 2 Chronicles 6:18-21 - Does this mean, if we are obedient that we can demand a hearing from God? Solomon does not appear to think so. The next section of the prayer starts with an acknowledgement of exactly the problem that we have found ourselves with – the giant skeleton in the gold vault. But it does not faze him.
“But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built.” 6:18
Yes, God is the God of the highest heavens who cannot be contained; Holy, Absolute, Loving, Trinity. Nothing can contain him, no building, or person. But despite this, with the promises and obedience in mind, Solomon continues to ask God to hear.
Hear us God - 2 Chronicles 6:18-21 - He humbly asks God to hear - he asks for himself and he asks for his people because he knows he worships a mighty God from heaven, who listens.
This pattern of God’s promise, man’s obedience and a humility before the God of heaven, recognising how gracious he is when he listens to his created beings, is a pattern that runs like a thread throughout the Bible. Abraham's conversation woth God (Gen 18:16-33) has all these elements – as does Moses pleading with God in Exodus 32.
But is this right? Do we have to be obedient to God in order for him to hear our prayers? If that is the case, can we ever pray with confidence? At face value it appears so.
In just the next chapter (2 Chronicles 7:12-16) we have one of the most often quoted verses about prayer from the whole Bible. It is a great verse, but if I'm honest, I don't think it is very often understood.
“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
All the elements are there - 'called by my name' is a reference to the promises of God, 'turn from their wicked ways' is a call to obedience, 'humble themselves' is an acknowledgement that only God is God. And we love it. We quote it and we encourage one another with it - God will act when we pray.
But if I’m honest , infact if we are all honest then it will leave us very troubled. Once again, here is the giant skeleton amongst the Gold Bullion. The problem is, we haven’t and we don’t humble ourselves, we don’t seek his face, we don’t turn from our wicked ways. The bible is littered with peoplewho haven't and we are no different.
But there is hope!
A New Testament Hope
There is hope because of the 'new Israel', the perfect son of God - Jesus.
In John 11 we find Jesus being confronted with the death of his friend Lazarus. Jesus has not arrived in time to heal his sick friend who has subsequently died. The story is famous.
But the detail is important for us. Just look at Jesus words in v 42
“Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me.” John 11v42
In those few words hidden away in the story we learn something life changing for us about Jesus. It is something so life changing that it means when people say to us that God will not hear our prayers because of sin in our lives, or when we believe our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling because we know what we are like we have a reponse and an answer. We can say straight back ‘I know I am like that, but Jesus was not and is not, so when I trust in his perfect life, death and resurrection my prayers are always heard because his prayers are always heard.
Paul's comments about the promises of God add depth to this realisation. He makes clear that the promise of God, we were considering earlier from the Old Testament were about Jesus anyway. Just look at this verse from Galatians.
“God gave the promise to Abraham and his child. And notice that it doesn’t say the promise was to his children, as if it meant many descendants. But the promise was to his child – and that, of course means Christ!” Galatians 3:16
And everyone who has put their trust in Jesus has been 'united with Christ' (Gal 3:27) which means the great news that the promises made to Jesus now apply to us (Gal 3:29).
Jesus obedience works for you and me.
This is fantastic news. Despite God being holy, absolute, creative, three persons and love, becasue the promises of God were made to him and because he was and is perfectly obedient to his Father just is always heard. And if we trust him, we are always heard too!
As the saying goes - It is not what you know, it is who you know. Because of Jesus we can have a confidence in prayer that no amount of straining, trying, faulty attempts at obedience and irrelevant claims to promises can ever earn. We have a God who always listens to us, just as he always heard his Son Jesus.
I am aware that this leaves us with many questions. But let us hear what God through his word is saying to us. Every word we utter, every cry we make to God out of desperation or joy, helplessness, or pain, hurt, anger or happiness. Every word which is uttered by someone who recognises the only reason they should be heard is because of promises made to Jesus and his obedience, every word is heard, listened too and responded too.
There will be times when we don’t like the answer. There will be times when we find it hard to understand the answer. There will be times when we have to wait to see an answer – but he always hears and answers.
As Jesus said - “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me.”
So, let us take heart and pray with faith that God is listening. The giant skeleton in the gold vault is not so big when we consider the saving work of Jesus. And this must always give us reason to hope.
“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
1 More information, and interesting stories about the Bank of England can be found in the education section on their website - http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/museum/index.htm Some of it is very interesting (although, to be honest, other bits are ike reading the FT!)
2 Theologians have different perspectives on what is happening here. Is God really anticipating destroying Israel only to have his mind changed by the presumably more appropriate plea's of Moses(!). Or is he making a point to Moses, or even testing Moses (he could be the Father of a great nation!). What is clear is that God relates to human beings in human terms (anthropomorphism) in order that they see and understand who he is and what he is like, much like talking to a 3 year old in terms they understand to make a point. Either way, God is interesting in interactin with his people and creation. He is a God who listens.