Culture

The word "culture" has several definitions. The first: "Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. It encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, what we believe is right or wrong...the way of life". In other words, the culture of a group of people reflects the content of their souls - their minds, their wills, and their emotions. We have certainly seen how our culture has changed radically in the last few generations. Many would say that this cultural change has not been for the better. There is also a biological meaning to the word culture which is also interesting: "cells, tissues or organisms grown in a medium either for scientific purposes or to get the substances these living things produce". In a culture of this kind, something grows, multiplies, and produces. Like the biological definition, I think the things that make up our culture in our society have found a medium in which they can grow, multiply, and produce a substance within our lives. Our culture becomes a living thing, in a way. In 1995, the Chicago Tribune reported the following: "...Pope John Paul II condemned a growing and widespread "culture of death" in which moral crimes ...are viewed as individual rights." Over twenty years ago, the Pope made this remark, which was considered shocking at the time, about what he saw as an alarming and growing trend in our culture, which was a disregard for life. Our current times have certainly verified the Pope's comment and concern. Violence of all kinds has increased and become more bizarre. I live near a major city where reports of violence and murder has become a daily occurence, even against innocent people just walking down the street, or waiting for a train. Has our culture indeed become a "culture of death"? If so, how and why did that happen, and what can be done? In this week's Sabbath reading titled Tzav, or "Command!", the prophet Jeremiah wrote the Word of the LORD about a culture gone wild. The Sabbath reading related to the topic of giving offerings to the LORD. The commands given to the people concerning offerings were given in Leviticus Chapters 6-8, which are also part of this week's reading. In the reading from Jeremiah, the offering had been turned from a holy expression of worship and obedience into a horrible abomination before the LORD. What had been meant to be, through the obedience of God's people, a prophetic picture and promise of the sacrifice and atonement of Christ, became an act of disobediance instead, and a profane doctrine of devils. The offerings commanded by God gave His people an opportunity to express their obedience to the commands of God. This obedience was to their benefit and blessing in every way. However, as Israel offered their sacrifices and offerings to idols instead (Jer. 7:17-19), the LORD spoke to Jeremiah: "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices, but this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you." (Jer. 7:22-23). The LORD's commands were not for His benefit, but the obedience to them benefitted His people. The Lord said the same in 1 Sam. 15:22-23, and Hosea 6:6. The Lord was establishing a culture, or way of life, among His people of obedience to His voice. The LORD continued: "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward...they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers...This nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished (abad - perish, destroy, die, be exterminated, kill, put to death) and has been cut off (karat - cut down, destroy, to cut off a body part, behead, to permit to perish) from their mouth." (v. 24-28). As we can see, the first consequence of the disobedience of God's people was a death by murder- the murder of the truth according to the meanings of the Hebrew words used in the verse, and haven't we seen this very thing in our time also? Truth has become difficult to find in our culture. Because of this death consequence of the culture of disobedience, the LORD warned that many would die. First, the people of God killed their own children, offering them by fire at a place called Tophet ("place of fire"; contempt, spitting, smiting, to strike, kill), also called the Valley of Hinnom (meaning "lamentation"), as an abominable sacrifice to their idols. We see a form of this abomination in our own culture today. We have made the killing of children a choice, a protected liberty. The physical place where they burned their children was referred to later as Gehenna, and Jesus used it as an analogy to describe the eternal and abominable burning of Hell (Mk. 9:42-50). God did not command their children to be destroyed there, but they sent their children there by their own choice. This is what grows in the culture of disobedience - death. The LORD told His people through Jeremiah that as a result of their disobedience, that valley would become too full of dead bodies to bury: "...for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away." (v. 32-33). From the place of that valley, the deaths will multiply and spread to their cities, and then to the whole land (v. 34). In the culture, or medium, of disobedience to God, death was the product that was grown and multiplied: "Then death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain..." (Jer. 8:3). The Sabbath reading from Jeremiah concludes: "Thus says the LORD: 'Even the carcasses of men shall fall as refuse on the open field...and no one shall gather them...Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment/justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the LORD." (Jer. 9:22-24). The LORD also said that the disobedience of His people had grown so pervasive that He knew they would not listen to His warning by the words of Jeremiah (Jer. 7:27). This is a grim message from God for His people, but there is a remedy to the culture of disobedience that we, His people, have chosen. It is not too late to change our culture of disobedience and death. God waits patiently and rejoices and glories in the return and restoration of His people, and has provided the way of return. Psalm 85 says: "LORD, You have been favorable to Your land...You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin...Restore us, O God of our salvation...Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation. I will hear what the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly...that glory may dwell in our land...Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give what is good; and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway." (Ps. 85). In this psalm, as His people ask for forgiveness, restoration, and salvation, the LORD begins a revival work in them and in their land. Truth is restored, and mercy, righteousness and peace are established. The psalmist is determined to listen to the voice of the LORD, and follow the path of righteousness that His footsteps has established. The culture of the land is changed. As Jesus urged His Church to repent, He promised that He is right outside the door knocking. If anyone hears His voice, and opens the door, "I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20). Second Chronicles 7:14 assures us that if His people will repent, pray, humble themselves, and turn from their wickedness, God will hear, and heal their land. WE have the remedy in our hands, and in our mouths to the culture of death. Since we started with the Pope's warning in 1995, we can end with his declaration of truth spoken against the culture of death. The truth that he declared was called "Evangelium Vitae", or the Gospel of Life. He based his declaration on the following said by Jesus: "The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (Jn. 10:10). Jesus came to "cancel" the culture of death with the way of LIFE in Him. He came to restore not just life, but abundant life. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." (Jn. 14:6). Life and restoration cannot come any other way. This is the blessing that God has provided through His Son, and our Salvation. Let us return to the way of obedience and life. Why would we choose anything else? If you would like to be part of the culture of life, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to cancel the power of death. Forgive me, Father, when I have refused to hear Your voice, and have chosen my own way. Fill me with Your Spirit to guide me and remind me of the paths of righteousness, and the way of obedience to You. As I turn back to you, LORD, heal my land, and restore it to Your peace. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN."