David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 13:26-41

“Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. ²⁷ For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. ²⁸ And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days  he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. ³² And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, ³³ this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,

“‘You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you.’

³⁴ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,

“‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’

³⁵ Therefore he says also in another psalm,

“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’

³⁶ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, ³⁷ but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. ³⁸ Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰ Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about:

⁴¹ “‘Look, you scoffers,
    be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
    a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”

How seriously do you take warning signs? Does it depend? WARNING: CHILDREN AT PLAY is one kind. But WARNING: ROUGH ROAD AHEAD? Which do you consider more carefully? WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE or WARNING: SLIPPERY WHEN WET. What about those Advisory Speed on Exit Ramp signs? I found out the hard (and expensive) way about that one several years ago. A local police officer was stationed at the end of the off-ramp and I had not slowed down. He wasn’t slow either, to turn on his lights and pull me over. I was cited for my failure to observe the exit ramp speed warning (which also happened to be the speed limit on the feeder road).

The closing words of this passage are striking. They are a warning not to be a scoffer. God is up to something more grand and glorious than you could ever imagine. Paul will use the word Υπερεκπερισσοῦ (hyperekperissou) to describe this work of God when he writes to the Ephesian Christians. The word means exceedingly more abundantly. When he writes to the Corinthians he will put it this way (quoting from Isaiah 64), “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

We’re warned in Psalm 1 about this in the positive way: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1). There is a progression here. Walking, standing, and then sitting is a progression of time spent in the company of such folks. But there is a progression also in terms of being wicked, or a sinner, or worst of all, a scoffer. 

Scoffing cuts us off from God’s truth, so we cannot acknowledge our sin. It belittles God’s word which dishonors him. And it also distances us from God’s grace. A scoffer is someone who displays a contemptuous or mocking attitude towards God, often accompanied by derisive remarks or scornful behavior. Scoffers will belittle or dismiss God’s word and promises – or even disavow his very existence. They remove themselves from God’s redemptive promises.

But God remains faithful through all of this. He never reneges on a promise. He never fails to come through. And as amazing as his promises seem, they are true and trustworthy.

I’m wondering where I might be tempted to scoff at God’s word and promises. Judging from my own personal spiritual inventory it has to do with the grace of God, his promise to hear my prayers, and his unwavering love for me. Sometimes it’s just so hard to believe. That’s why I’m so thankful that God has said, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). God is no scoffer.