GLEANINGS — October 12, A.D. 2014                                                                                                              Called to Confront

"The thing that David had done displeased the LORD." So we read in 2 Samuel 11, after David arranged the death of Uriah his faithful subject and soldier, then took Uriah's wife for his own. What we read next is that "the LORD sent Nathan to David." Nathan confronted David, using a parable to expose the heinous nature of the king's sin. This confrontation probably was not a pleasant experience for Nathan.

In 2 Chronicles 24 we read that the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah, like many prophets before him, confronted the people for their idolatry, crying out "thus says God: 'Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.'" So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. That was definitely not a pleasant experience for that brave prophet (but Jesus commends him, see Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51)!

Turning to Daniel 5, where do we find that man who had been given over to hungry lions in consequence of his bold witness? Having survived the jaws of those beasts, he again is  engaged in confrontation! With God leading by way of a mysterious hand that writes down on the palace wall a mighty Babylonian king's imminent doom, Daniel addresses that king this way: "...you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified." Confrontation indeed!

Mark 6 provides the reason for the imprisonment of John the baptizer by Herod: "For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." In other words, John had confronted Herod.

"I don't like CONFRONTATION!" So most of us, understandably, cry out. And there is confrontation of a self-righteous or arrogantly motivated nature which is ungodly and obnoxious. But at John 16:8 the Lord Jesus promised that the work of the Holy Spirit would be one of confrontation. That divine work is to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.  

Are God's people therefore "off the hook" because this is God's work? Not if we are working with Him, and faithfully testifying to the Truth, proclaiming the Gospel, discipling the nations. No matter how you slice it, the Biblical Gospel is only good news to those who have been confronted by their guilt and desire a way of deliverance from its penalty. A message that fails to warn the lost of the coming wrath of God and only assures them of God's love for them just as they are is a false Gospel. 

To be sure, we are instructed to "...give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God." (1 Corinthians 10:32). That pertains to our walk and our demeanor. But the preaching of the cross is offensive to the natural mind (Galatians 5:11). The Lord Jesus is a "stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." (Isaiah 8:14, Romans 9:33, 1 Peter 2:8)

Those who faithfully, humbly, and Biblically CONFRONT might have the joy of the angels (Luke 15:10), seeing a sinner repent like Nathan did. They might suffer persection (even to death, like Zechariah the son of Jehoida did). But unlike those who proclaim "peace, peace when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) they all will have the support of an invisible Hand like Daniel did.