An article I wrote for Epistole, the VCF newsletter, on the theme of "Playing God"-
“I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” Isaiah 42:8
Our God is a jealous God. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” Exodus 20: 4-5. 22 times in the Old Testament our Lord God is described as being jealous [1]. Interestingly, Paul translates the Lord’s jealousy into his own in his letter to the Corinthians- “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Cor.11: 1-2.
Some people are uncomfortable connecting God with the attribute of jealousy, since jealousy seems to bring with it a negative, selfish connotation. However there is a subtle but very crucial difference to be drawn between jealousy and envy. Envy is coveting something that does not rightfully belong to you. Jealousy desires to possess something that rightfully belongs to you. Our God can never be envious because there is nothing in this world that does not belong to Him. To think that our God can actually covet something is absurd. He is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing.
But Scripture reveals that God is a jealous God, and that He is jealous for His people and for His glory. He is rightfully jealous for His people, for He created them to worship and glorify Him; but they have strayed away and given their worship to other images made by hands. And He is rightfully jealous for His glory, for all glory belongs to Him- He is the source of all glory, the Glorious One who was present even before the worlds were framed in time, the One will live for all eternity. And more than that, He is the Creator God, the one who has brought into existence all that we see in our world. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created”. Rev 4:11. As a popular Christian song goes, “For You alone deserve all glory; for You alone deserve all praise.” A jar, no matter how beautiful, cannot claim any glory for itself- it cannot only point to the skill of the potter. The created can never claim any glory for itself, but can only reflect it back to the Creator.
God alone deserves all glory and worship and praise. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Rev 5:12. John Piper writes, “God is passionately committed to his fame. God's ultimate goal is that his name be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth.” [2] He also writes, “God’s ultimate goal therefore is to be preserve and display His infinite and awesome greatness and worth, that is, His glory.” [3] How then do we play God? We play God by being ultimately committed to displaying our own glory and seeking praise for ourselves.
It seems simple enough, but is it fair and right to say that all praise of man is evil and undesirable? We know from experience that there is some praise that is definitely good and desirable. A child, when he is praised for doing something right, is motivated and encouraged to continue to do so. A sportsman, when praised for the fitness and skill that he has achieved, is motivated to work even harder to improve himself. God Himself praises His servants- “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter now into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:21. Praise is a very powerful motivating factor in the human mind and heart; everyone likes to be praised and appreciated to various degrees. But there are men who would live their entire lives for the sake of gaining others’ praise. So how do we make sense of all this and put the praise of man in its rightful place? How do we see it from God’s perspective?
The apostle Paul gives us an excellent clue. “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Cor 4:7. In essence what he is saying is- “why do you think yourself worthy of praise when all you have, you have received from someone else?” He writes in 1 Cor 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Again in 2 Cor 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
If there was anyone in the New Testament (aside from Jesus of course) whom we would have little hesitation in praising, it would be Paul. He was what others have called a “sermon-machine”, giving us mind-blowing theology in Romans and solid practical advice on Christian living in his numerous epistles. This guy was a Christian superman, going on long arduous journeys, enduring great episodes of suffering and preaching the Gospel in power. Credentials wise, Paul had enough to garner the praise of most men in his day, and he himself recognized this. “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Phil 3: 4-6. A curriculum vitae that any Jew would love to have.
But Paul recognized one crucial fact, and that fact is going to tie this all together for us. He recognized that though what he had done might be very praiseworthy indeed, but the power to do all those things did not come from Him, but from God. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God”. And that is the difference between the way a Christian and an atheist handles praise. An atheist, having no God to ascribe any glory to, would claim the glory for himself, or perhaps share it with some others. But a Christian recognizes that he could not have done anything on his own, that the power and gifts to do those things came from God, and hence gives all the glory back to God. He is merely a steward of the gifts and abilities that God has given him, appointed to use them for His glory.
Hence we know this, that whenever we slip into thinking that we ourselves are worthy of praise, we are playing God. Because God alone in this whole universe is worthy of praise. And if we really think into the heart of matter, we find that there is nothing that we can praise that cannot be traced back to God. We can praise a beautiful sunset, or spectacular mountains. Who made them? God. We can praise someone for having great abilities and talents. Who gave them those things? God! We can praise a jar, or a painting, for being beautiful, and then praise their human makers. But who gave the human makers the skill to do those things? God! We can praise someone for his hard work and diligence; who gave him the strength? God! In fact, who gives us life and lips that we can even praise and enjoy anything? God! He alone is worthy of glory and praise.
Practically it is very easy for us Christians to fall into this trap of thinking ourselves worthy of praise and glory, even if with our mouths we give glory to God. It can happen in anyone- from the newborn Christian to the seasoned pastor. It is a very subtle slip, but a dangerous one, and let us never forget that it was that same slip that caused Lucifer to fall. How do we prevent ourselves from slipping? We can look out for some danger signs. If ever the thought of “Wow, I’m so good” or anything to that extent crosses our mind, alarm bells should ring. And if in the course of our work or service we find ourselves starting to stray from God and seeking our own glory instead of His, and disobeying His commands as a result, we know something is wrong too.
Eric Liddell, the famous Christian Olympic athlete and missionary to China whose story is documented in the film Chariots of Fire, is an excellent example for us. In the 1924 Paris Olympics he was the favourite for the 100 metre sprint, the traditional blue ribbon event. But the heats for the 100 metre event fell on a Sunday, and Liddell refused to participate because he regarded the Lord’s day as sacred. Instead, he started training for the 400 metres, an event for which he was not the favourite. He went on to win the 400 metres. His words in response to his sister’s questioning of his decision not to run the 100m- “God has created me for a purpose, but He’s also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
As university students we will graduate with a degree in a couple of years’ time, and then the world will open up to us, a world that feeds on the praise and glory of man. Voices will resound around us urging to seek the high-flying job and earn the admiration of many, to be the best in our respective fields, to be famous. But amidst it all there is a still small voice that cries, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” Obey that voice this day and evermore, and we will find the way to life.
References
[1] Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 29:20, 32:16, 32:31, Joshua 24:19, 1 Kings 14:22, Psalm 78:58, 79:5, Ezekiel 16:38, 16:42, 23:25, 36:5, 36:6, 38:19, 39:25, Nahum 1:2, Zephaniah 1:18, 3:8
[2] John Piper, Driving Convictions Behind World Missions and Bethlehem
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/96/110296.html
[3] John Piper, Desiring God
“I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” Isaiah 42:8
Our God is a jealous God. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image- any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” Exodus 20: 4-5. 22 times in the Old Testament our Lord God is described as being jealous [1]. Interestingly, Paul translates the Lord’s jealousy into his own in his letter to the Corinthians- “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly--and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” 2 Cor.11: 1-2.
Some people are uncomfortable connecting God with the attribute of jealousy, since jealousy seems to bring with it a negative, selfish connotation. However there is a subtle but very crucial difference to be drawn between jealousy and envy. Envy is coveting something that does not rightfully belong to you. Jealousy desires to possess something that rightfully belongs to you. Our God can never be envious because there is nothing in this world that does not belong to Him. To think that our God can actually covet something is absurd. He is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing.
But Scripture reveals that God is a jealous God, and that He is jealous for His people and for His glory. He is rightfully jealous for His people, for He created them to worship and glorify Him; but they have strayed away and given their worship to other images made by hands. And He is rightfully jealous for His glory, for all glory belongs to Him- He is the source of all glory, the Glorious One who was present even before the worlds were framed in time, the One will live for all eternity. And more than that, He is the Creator God, the one who has brought into existence all that we see in our world. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created”. Rev 4:11. As a popular Christian song goes, “For You alone deserve all glory; for You alone deserve all praise.” A jar, no matter how beautiful, cannot claim any glory for itself- it cannot only point to the skill of the potter. The created can never claim any glory for itself, but can only reflect it back to the Creator.
God alone deserves all glory and worship and praise. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Rev 5:12. John Piper writes, “God is passionately committed to his fame. God's ultimate goal is that his name be known and praised by all the peoples of the earth.” [2] He also writes, “God’s ultimate goal therefore is to be preserve and display His infinite and awesome greatness and worth, that is, His glory.” [3] How then do we play God? We play God by being ultimately committed to displaying our own glory and seeking praise for ourselves.
It seems simple enough, but is it fair and right to say that all praise of man is evil and undesirable? We know from experience that there is some praise that is definitely good and desirable. A child, when he is praised for doing something right, is motivated and encouraged to continue to do so. A sportsman, when praised for the fitness and skill that he has achieved, is motivated to work even harder to improve himself. God Himself praises His servants- “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter now into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:21. Praise is a very powerful motivating factor in the human mind and heart; everyone likes to be praised and appreciated to various degrees. But there are men who would live their entire lives for the sake of gaining others’ praise. So how do we make sense of all this and put the praise of man in its rightful place? How do we see it from God’s perspective?
The apostle Paul gives us an excellent clue. “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Cor 4:7. In essence what he is saying is- “why do you think yourself worthy of praise when all you have, you have received from someone else?” He writes in 1 Cor 15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Again in 2 Cor 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
If there was anyone in the New Testament (aside from Jesus of course) whom we would have little hesitation in praising, it would be Paul. He was what others have called a “sermon-machine”, giving us mind-blowing theology in Romans and solid practical advice on Christian living in his numerous epistles. This guy was a Christian superman, going on long arduous journeys, enduring great episodes of suffering and preaching the Gospel in power. Credentials wise, Paul had enough to garner the praise of most men in his day, and he himself recognized this. “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Phil 3: 4-6. A curriculum vitae that any Jew would love to have.
But Paul recognized one crucial fact, and that fact is going to tie this all together for us. He recognized that though what he had done might be very praiseworthy indeed, but the power to do all those things did not come from Him, but from God. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God”. And that is the difference between the way a Christian and an atheist handles praise. An atheist, having no God to ascribe any glory to, would claim the glory for himself, or perhaps share it with some others. But a Christian recognizes that he could not have done anything on his own, that the power and gifts to do those things came from God, and hence gives all the glory back to God. He is merely a steward of the gifts and abilities that God has given him, appointed to use them for His glory.
Hence we know this, that whenever we slip into thinking that we ourselves are worthy of praise, we are playing God. Because God alone in this whole universe is worthy of praise. And if we really think into the heart of matter, we find that there is nothing that we can praise that cannot be traced back to God. We can praise a beautiful sunset, or spectacular mountains. Who made them? God. We can praise someone for having great abilities and talents. Who gave them those things? God! We can praise a jar, or a painting, for being beautiful, and then praise their human makers. But who gave the human makers the skill to do those things? God! We can praise someone for his hard work and diligence; who gave him the strength? God! In fact, who gives us life and lips that we can even praise and enjoy anything? God! He alone is worthy of glory and praise.
Practically it is very easy for us Christians to fall into this trap of thinking ourselves worthy of praise and glory, even if with our mouths we give glory to God. It can happen in anyone- from the newborn Christian to the seasoned pastor. It is a very subtle slip, but a dangerous one, and let us never forget that it was that same slip that caused Lucifer to fall. How do we prevent ourselves from slipping? We can look out for some danger signs. If ever the thought of “Wow, I’m so good” or anything to that extent crosses our mind, alarm bells should ring. And if in the course of our work or service we find ourselves starting to stray from God and seeking our own glory instead of His, and disobeying His commands as a result, we know something is wrong too.
Eric Liddell, the famous Christian Olympic athlete and missionary to China whose story is documented in the film Chariots of Fire, is an excellent example for us. In the 1924 Paris Olympics he was the favourite for the 100 metre sprint, the traditional blue ribbon event. But the heats for the 100 metre event fell on a Sunday, and Liddell refused to participate because he regarded the Lord’s day as sacred. Instead, he started training for the 400 metres, an event for which he was not the favourite. He went on to win the 400 metres. His words in response to his sister’s questioning of his decision not to run the 100m- “God has created me for a purpose, but He’s also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.”
As university students we will graduate with a degree in a couple of years’ time, and then the world will open up to us, a world that feeds on the praise and glory of man. Voices will resound around us urging to seek the high-flying job and earn the admiration of many, to be the best in our respective fields, to be famous. But amidst it all there is a still small voice that cries, “I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.” Obey that voice this day and evermore, and we will find the way to life.
References
[1] Exodus 20:5, 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9, 6:15, 29:20, 32:16, 32:31, Joshua 24:19, 1 Kings 14:22, Psalm 78:58, 79:5, Ezekiel 16:38, 16:42, 23:25, 36:5, 36:6, 38:19, 39:25, Nahum 1:2, Zephaniah 1:18, 3:8
[2] John Piper, Driving Convictions Behind World Missions and Bethlehem
http://www.desiringgod.org/library/sermons/96/110296.html
[3] John Piper, Desiring God
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