I'm fully convinced of Murphy's Law, at least the common version, “Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.” I am also convinced Murphy was an optimist. Have you been in a bad place or situation and to try to find some hope in those circumstances, you said or thought to yourself, “Well things are so bad now, they can't possibly get any worse!”? Well, what happened? They probably got worse.
What do you do when it seems like it can't get any worse, but it does. This has happened before, from the beginning of our history. Let me point out two times when believers faced some really bad times only to hear worse news. One in the New and one in the Old Testament.
We start with the New. It is found in Revelation 2:8-11.
| 2:8 | “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: |
| 2:9 | ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. |
| 2:10 | ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. |
| 2:11 | ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ |
In chapters 2-3 of Revelation, Jesus Christ, our Lord, through John, the apostle, addresses seven messages or letters to seven churches located in what is now the country of Turkey. They dealt with issues these churches were facing in John's day and they are, at the same time, also prophetic in the larger context of the book of Revelation of the character of the various eras in the history of the church, representing the church from its inception on the Day of Pentecost to the day when our Lord calls His bride home, that is the rapture.
In each of these seven letters our Lord follows a general pattern: First, He describes Himself and then makes a declaration about the particular church. Next, He usually points out a problem He finds in the church followed with a warning or encouragement. Finally, He ends with an exhortation and a promise for those in the church. Not all of these elements are found in every letter, and the order in which they are found sometimes varies. The church, the assembly of believers found in the ancient city of Smyrna was the second of these seven letters.
In this message, the Lord describes Himself as “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.” This description is appropriate for the believers in this church, for they were undergoing persecution. Some probably would die for their faith. The one who was speaking to them had died and had overcome death. They could trust Him, for He had gone before them.
About this church, our Lord states that He knew they were undergoing tribulation, enduring poverty and being slandered by others. This church was a poor church. They were not well off financially. Yet notice that the Lord declares that they were rich! Quite a bit different from the last church, Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22), who regarded themselves to be wealthy, but which our Lord declares is poor. Wealth is not to be measured in monetary or physical terms but in the treasures that endure past the grave.
It seems clear from the context that much of their persecution was from the Jewish community. Historically we know that Smyrna had a very strong Jewish community. The Jewish authorities, in their opposition to the growing Christian movement, would typically bring accusations before the Roman authorities against believers. They would be accused of all sorts of things but particularly that they were rebellious and seditious against the Roman Emperor. Since Christianity was at this time not a legally recognized religion by Rome and because believers refused to offer incense to the Roman Emperor as a god, Rome usually responded by arresting and prosecuting believers. The great persecutions by Rome against believers had already begun and would continue on and off for hundreds of years. The Jewish authorities had brought false accusations, and this church was suffering for it.
Those who brought the false accusations called themselves Jews. But they were not, our Lord says. Instead, they were a synagogue of Satan. While we might gain the impression that there was satanic worship taking place here, this was not the case. These were Jews, at least outwardly. What we must remember at this point is that not all the descendants of Abraham are the chosen people. The apostle Paul writing in Romans 9:6-8, states:
| 9:6 | But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; |
| 9:7 | nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” |
| 9:8 | That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants |
John, the author of the Revelation, also writes in 1 John 2:22:
| Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. |
Although these people were Jewish, they were Jews only because they were the physical descendants of Abraham. Although they physically met the requirements, they did not meet them spiritually. They had denied Jesus as their Messiah, and they were antichrists. They opposed our Lord and therefore had become a tool of the enemy. They were a synagogue of Satan.
Our Lord does not point out any issue that needed to be corrected in the church found in Smyrna. He does this most of these seven letters. They are one of the two churches in which He does not point out a problem. Does this mean there were no problems in this church? I strongly doubt it for there are no perfect churches, except one right now. Which church is the only perfect church? The only perfect church is the ‘Church of Those Who Sleep in Christ,’ that is, those who have died and whose spirits have gone to be with Him. Are you looking for the perfect church! Are you sure you wish to join the only perfect church right now! There undoubtedly were issues our Lord could have pointed out in this church, but He chose in His mercy not to do so. What they needed more than anything else at this point was encouragement, and this is what our Lord does (sort of).
And this is how our Lord deals with us. Does He point out every problem in our lives that needs to be corrected? No. Often He does nothing but encourages us because this is what we need the most at that time. And it is an excellent example for us to follow in dealing with people. As a teacher, when I taught jr. high or high school, I, more than once, had to talk to a child who would come almost in tears over some problem they were facing from their classmates. What they needed at that time was encouragement, not a lecture about how they needed to change their behavior, even though they did need to make many changes. There would be time for correction, but right then, they needed a hug/encouragement. Give what is needed at the time it is most needed.
However, our Lord’s encouragement for these believers is not what we would expect or even really want. If you were facing some very hard times, financially, emotionally, socially and/or even physically, and our Lord were to come to you with a message, what would you want Him to tell you? I would want Him to say, “I know what you are going through, but do not worry; things are going to get better!” But this is not what our Lord tells them. He says, “I know what you are going through, but do not worry; things will get far worse!” How is that for comfort! Actually, He does say things will get better. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” In the short run, it would turn ugly. In the long run, they are victorious.
I sometimes think that we, as believers, often give false encouragement to others facing trials. We’ll tell them it will get better, when in reality, God intends more suffering in the present. We may not know about the short run, but we do know about the long haul. We have read ahead. We know the outcome. We win! It does not matter what the score is right now in the game. It is not over yet. No matter how many points behind we might be right now, we could be further behind tomorrow! But we are assured that, when the buzzer sounds, the whistle blown, the last shot is made, the last pass thrown, the last chapter read, we win! Now that is encouragement!
Following the exhortation for those who have ears to hear, our Lord promises, in addition to the crown of life, those who overcome (i.e., believers) would not be hurt by the second death. The first death is physical death. The second death is the eternal separation of the body, soul and/or spirit from God. It is suffering hell for all eternity. Believers will not face this; unbelievers will.
But what lessons are we to learn from the letter to this church? There are many things, of course, but one stands out; we must continually bear in mind that regardless of the score right now, we will win the game. You see, the game is fixed. We win! Forget the oddsmakers. Forget the opponents who jeer and laugh. Forget Murphy! Even if things get worse, and they often do, in the final analysis, we will overcome. And those who overcome, overcome how? By faith, knowing that despite the circumstances He is in control! Trusting Him that He works all things together for good. Relying upon Him for the strength to take one more step forward.
This announcement, “Things are bad now I know, and they are just going to get worse before it’s all over!” was not something that God had just revealed to some believers in the New Testament; we find it earlier in the Old. So, let's back up a few years historically and biblically to some 600 years before the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The year is 609 BC; Jehoiakim is on the throne of David in Jerusalem. Jehoiakim, was quite different from his father, Josiah, who trusted God and tried to reform the nation; Jehoiakim went the other direction. He murdered prophets, he tried to destroy the Word of God. He was so bad, God told him, he would never have a descendant sit upon David's throne. And the nation, the people of Judah had followed spiritually in his footsteps. Times were bad. Government was oppressive and unjust. Violent crime was rampant. Law was ignored.
Trying to live righteously in this society at this time was hard especially for one of God's prophets. Habakkuk was concerned to say the least. So he did what any God-fearing prophet would do; he brought it before God. He prayed long and hard, “God, when will fix this? When will you do something?” Habakkuk 1:2-4 states:
| 1:2 | How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. |
| 1:3 | Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. |
| 1:4 | Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted. |
God answered him, but not an answer Habakkuk liked at all! God's answer is found in the next seven verses. Habakkuk 1:5-11
| 1:5 | “Look among the nations! Observe
Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told. |
| 1:6 | “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs. |
| 1:7 | “They are dreaded and feared;
Their justice and authority originate with themselves. |
| 1:8 | “Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour. |
| 1:9 | “All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. |
| 1:10 | “They mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it. |
| 1:11 | “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on.
But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god.” |
God's answer was not good news. Habakkuk was saying to God, “It’s really bad down here! Things just can't get worse. Do something!” God said, “I am, and oh yes it can get worse! I am going to allow an extremely violent and destructive nation to conquer and enslave your nation. They will punish the sin of Judah's people!” This was not something Habakkuk wanted to hear! At all! It did not fit with his idea of God. He could not grasp it. So he answers God with a question. Verses 1:12-2:1:
| 1:12 | Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct. |
| 1:13 | Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? |
| 1:14 | Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
Like creeping things without a ruler over them? |
| 1:15 | The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook,
Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. |
| 1:16 | Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. |
| 1:17 | Will they therefore empty their net
And continually slay nations without sparing? |
| 2:1 | I will stand on my guard post
And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved. |
Now, Habakkuk realized that he was talking to God, the creator and sovereign God over all the earth. He knew God was absolutely righteous and demanded righteousness and justice from all upon the earth. So he responds, “But, But..., God, yes we deserve judgement, but how can you use them, they are far worse than we are, to judge us. That makes no sense to me. I don't understand.” Knowing he might just have overstepped the bounds of propriety in questioning God, he says, “I'm just going to stay here and wait until He reproves me!”
And God does, He tells Habakkuk, in chapter 2:1-20 this. “I am not reading this, but this is a summary. Habakkuk, write this vision down, the one of Babylon coming to destroy and enslave the nation, so everyone can read it! It will happen. It might not happen immediately but it's coming. Wait for it!” He explains that He will judge all unrighteousness be it Judah's or Babylon's. The righteous person, no matter what happens, lives by faith. Babylon, too, will face judgement. He ends with verse 20 which says:
| “But the Lord is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth be silent before Him.” |
Which is a formal way of saying, “I have spoken; it's decided, and that's the end of the discussion! Be quite!”
As a child, when your parents said to you, “That's the end of this discussion,” you might have carried out a bit longer, but what do you say when God says that to you? Nothing! You shut up. And if you're like Habakkuk you bow in worship of Him. The last chapter of this book, chapter 3 is that worship. Habakkuk says “I hear you and understand, but please have mercy in your judgment! He describes a vision of God coming in devasting power to judge. then he closes with these words, Habakkuk 3:16-19:
| 3:16 | I heard and my inward parts trembled,
At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us. |
| 3:17 | Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, |
| 3:18 | Yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. |
| 3:19 | The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. |
God, our God, allows bad things to happen. It is part of gift of free will He has given us. We must live with the consequences of our actions and with the consequences of the actions of others. Bad things happen. And just when we think things cannot get any worse, they get worse. Not all the believers in Sardis would be spared. Many would be tortured and die. Habakkuk and other believers in his day would see the coming of war and destruction. They would face starvation and death. But no matter what comes, the righteous person would live by faith, trusting God to give them the strength to face whatever they may face.
God does promise deliverance and victory, but not immediately. We are not in life for the short term; the long haul is what matters. And we are confident, no matter what the score is now, no matter how far behind we might be, no matter how hopeless the immediate circumstances seem, we win. Hebrews 12:1-3 says:
| Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. |