NOTES ON THE HONORED COST OF DISCIPLESHIP: HEMAN’S ACCUSATION, ABANDONMENT, AND SPIRITUAL APARTHEID IN PREPARATION FOR TRUMP’S AMERICA

SCRIPTURE. “You have put my [familiar] friends far from me; You have made me an abomination to them. I am shut up and I cannot come forth.” – PSALM 88:8, AMPC

KEY TERM: “PUT AWAY.” ‘Rachaq’ [הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ]: From a primitive root meaning, “‘To widen, recede or remove from a place or relation;’ to be cast or driven [away]; made to withdraw and wander [alone]; to be let loose or kept in refrain a good way off; to become far or distant; to banish, as in drive away; to compel to depart; ‘to condemn to exile, or compel to leave one’s country.’”

QUOTATION. “‘Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.’ Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate …

‘Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field.’ For the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the Pearl of Great Price to buy [for] which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the Kingly Rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the Call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.

Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the Gift which must be asked for, the Door at which a man must knock.

‘Such grace is Costly because it calls us to follow, and it is Grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is Costly because it costs a man his life, and it is Grace because it gives a man the only true life.’ It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: ‘Ye were bought at a price’ [1 Cor. 6:20], and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is Grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life.”  – DIETRICH BONHOEFFER, The Cost of Discipleship, 1937; edited

COMMENTARY. “‘Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me’ — I can have no more familiarity or intercourse with my friends than if I were in another world; for Thy Providence hath removed, or rendered them incapable, or disinclined, to be serviceable to me. ‘Thou hast made me an abomination unto them’ — They are not only shy, but weary of me; and I am looked upon by them, not only with contempt, but with abhorrence.

Reader, do not think it strange if thou should be called to encounter such a trial as this, since Heman, who was so famed for wisdom, was thus neglected when the world frowned upon him, and despised as a broken vessel, in which is no pleasure. ‘I am shut up’ — A close prisoner under the arrest of the Divine Wrath; ‘I cannot come forth’ — There being no way of escape open. He therefore lies down and sinks under his troubles, because he sees not any probability of getting out of them. ‘Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction’ —But though I thus give vent to my grief, my troubled spirit receives no relief thereby: nevertheless, ‘I have called daily upon Thee’ — My weeping has not hindered my praying. ‘I have stretched out my hands unto Thee’ —For help and deliverance, though hitherto without effect, for Thou dost not [yet] hear nor answer me.” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

II.  HEMAN THE EZRAHITE

In an excellent and detailed profile of this Hero of the Faith, Christian historian and blogger NATHAN ALBRIGHT has penned an exquisite personal profile of HEMAN, author of Psalm 88, a son of Korah, songwriter, singer and seer (1 Chron. 25:5) who worked closely with King David.

The article, “Personal Profile: Heman the Ezrahite,” was published in his online journal, Edge Induced Cohesion, on February 7, 2011 (edited). Both Mr. Albright and I find this Jewish Sage a compelling illustration of what we all face who choose to stand with Christ, no matter what. What follows is a BULLET POINT REVIEW Mr. Albright’s excellent essay, after that my own application of this Lesson to those of us who Resist the American Antichrist in the decade of the 2020s.

• INTRODUCTION. “If I had to name the one person in the Bible I was most like, Heman the Ezrahite would be on the short list of names.  Heman is one of the most obscure people of the Bible, and is obscure even among the Sons of Korah, but is a person whose qualities deserve to be much better known.  Despite Heman’s obscurity, let us focus on THREE ELEMENTS of Heman that the Bible makes plain so that we may understand him and his role in the Bible better.  The Bible gives us useful insight into three parts of his life: His Background; His Wisdom; and his lengthy Struggle with Depression, and each deserves attention.”

• HEMAN’S ANCESTRY. “What we learn from this ancestry [as a son of the Kohathites and the Prophet Joel] is that Heman was one of the men chosen by David to be over the music service of the Temple, along with other names (like the notable Psalmist Aspah, who was from the line of Gershon in Levi), and that Heman was the grandson of the prophet and judge Samuel.  It was, in part, the mistakes and sins of his father Joel that led Israel to request a king rather than let the rule of the judges continue. Though information about his family history is somewhat sketchy to nonexistent, it is clear that though Heman was a faithful servant of God, some of his deep struggles with depression, which find their way into Psalm 88 (which he wrote) seem related to a difficult childhood.  Despite the sinful example of his father, though, Heman’s own contribution to the Bible is positive, if largely unrecognized.”

• HEMAN’S WISDOM. “In fact, this Heman was recognized as one of the wisest men in Israel during the time of Solomon, though he may not be recognized as such today.  In 1 Kings 4:29-31 Heman is mentioned along with Ethan the Ezrahite as being a man of notable wisdom, though Solomon’s God-given wisdom exceeded it. Nonetheless, to be found as being almost as wise as Solomon is a notable achievement for any man, especially given the fact that his wisdom was notable enough to be listed among the wisest men of Israel.”

• HEMAN’S DEPRESSION. “Let us briefly note Two Notable Aspects of his depression that are worthy of study.  For one, his struggle with depression was a lengthy one, one that he suffered from his youth.  As Heman laments in Psalm 88:14-15: ‘Lord, why do You cast off my soul?  Why do you hide Your face from me?  I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.’ While we do not have enough evidence from the Scriptures to understand exactly what Heman’s sufferings in his youth sprang from, or what terrors he suffered from God (perhaps they were frequent nightmares, a terror I understand well), his struggles were long lasting, and he may be termed as one of the notable Biblical figures to be afflicted with chronic depression. The second aspect of his depression that is particularly notable is something he mentions twice, in Psalm 88:8 and Psalm 88:18 … “You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them … Loved one and friend you have put far away from me; and my acquaintances into darkness.’  This Lament about the loneliness that results from depression (and the fact that most people do not want to be around those who are intensely gloomy) mirrors the insight of Job about the same state in Job 19:13, 19.”

• BIBLICAL VERDICT ON HEMAN. “Despite the fact that Psalm 88 itself shows no resolution, the notable, lengthy and public struggle of Heman with his depression does not mar the fact that Heman is given an exemplary record within Scriptures. His exemplary record, regardless of whether God healed him of his depression, is due to his record for godliness, the honor provided to him by his fellow Levites and by David as a leader of the Levites in the worship of God, and his well-earned reputation as a seer as well as his place among the most prominent wise men in all of Israel during the time of David and Solomon, all combine to make Heman among the most notable Heroes of Faith during the Golden Age of Israel.  Despite his obscurity, Heman’s wisdom, service, and faithfulness to God were not forgotten either by his brethren among the Levites or the people and God whom he served.  ‘Let us therefore remember the faithful example of Heman and recognize that we are not forgotten by God, though we may be best remembered for our struggles in a wicked and corrupt world, as Heman is.’”

DK. I trust you will see here: (1) The necessary, shattering Renunciation of the insidious American Prosperity Gospel that God finds so fully abhorrent to the Biblical Canon and to Christ Himself. (2) And the inestimable Honor and Grace that God bestows on all who courageously and faithfully ‘choose to suffer for the Suffering Servant.’

III.  LAST THOUGHTS: THE COST OF AMERICAN DISCIPLESHIP

To close out our discussion of what it is like to become a Pariah to America’s Apostate Church in the Era of Trump the Antichrist, I turn to JOHN PIPER’S excellent essay on this important subject. This is taken from Part One of his series, “Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer” (Desiring God, April 8, 2008; edited).

THE PROMISE. “The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.” – ROMANS 8:16-17, AMP

Piper accurately summarizes the serious implications of TRUE DISCIPLESHIP for the American Church, so in need of this Doctrinal Correction: “Premise One: All the justified will be glorified. Premise Two: ‘Only those who suffer will be glorified.’ Conclusion: God Almighty will see that you come through your suffering like gold if you are justified.”

THREE TRUTHS ABOUT SUFFERING. We then move into the Application of this deep structure Theology for our encouragement to ‘Persevere under the Trials to Come,’ beloved (James 1:12). As sure they shall under the New Trump Regime inevitably being returned to terrifying, unchecked Political Power.

1. SUFFERING IS UNIVERSAL. “And when I say ‘Universal’ I don’t mean God is included, because He made the Universe. I mean everything but God and unfallen angels, the Universe as we know it, all the galaxies and planet Earth (verse 22). There are Three Verses that say this. ‘For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.’ So there is the term, ‘Whole Creation.’ Groaning, suffering. Verse 21: ‘The creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.’ So there you have ‘Creation enslaved to Corruption.’ So all of Creation is enslaved to Corruption. Third verse, verse 20: ‘For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.’”
2. SUFFERING IS TEMPORARY. “Second observation now that [Paul] makes. ‘It is Historical.’ It spans the sweep of history. It has a Beginning in history and it will have an End at the Coming of the Lord. Verse 18: ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time [that is history as we know it] are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us.’ Verse 20: ‘The Creation was subjected to futility.’ That is [a Mega-Event]. Creation didn’t come into being this way. What we see in those statistics that were up there it didn’t come into being that way. It happened at A Point. It was subjected to Futility. That is history. It is something that happened. Now it will have an End? The Freedom of the glory of the children of God could end someday.”
3. SUFFERING IS JUDICIAL. Thirdly and lastly, ‘it is Judicial.’ And this is the one that is most important, most controversial and I think the most helpful of those three. Universal, Historical and Judicial. Let’s go back to verse 20: ‘The Creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope.’ Now Who did that? Somebody brought this about. ‘Somebody took the Universe and disordered it!’ It is in Disorder. It is in tremendously painful Disorder. Your lives are filled with painful Disorder, disordered relationships, disordered health, disordered workplaces, disordered things that break and nothing seems to work. Life is disordered. The Universe is disordered. Tsunamis are a Disorder. Hurricanes are a Disorder. Cyclones, Disorder, floods, famines, diseases, disordered. Somebody did that? ‘Who was it? Answer: GOD DID THAT!’”

PIPER’S ADMONITION. “‘Oh, Christian, don’t draw the conclusion of prosperity! Don’t draw the conclusion [of] ease. There is a Calvary Road to be walked!’ Some of it will be physical suffering. Some of it will be persecution. Walk it with me and you come out into the ‘Liberty of the children of God’ – and a New Heavens and a New Earth forever. It will be so long and great that ‘this light, momentary affliction of eighty years with great pain will seem to you as nothing.’”

I tell you beloved, as we enter upon the very Last Days prophesied by the Law and the Prophets and the Apostles and the Messiah Himself:  This Word is our very Life and Success for the Perilous Days Ahead.

‘He is Faithful and True, and He will keep all those who truly love Him!’

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/3L3tazE4XJs