nearing the cross, step by step

The Word for today:
Psalm 68:1-18




[Note: Today, Stand in the Rain will take the opportunity to reply to a specific question we were asked--in order to explain the important scriptural principle of progressive revelation.]

Q. Psalm 63:11 says, "But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouth's of liars will be silenced." But James chapter 5:12 tells us not to swear an oath at all--just state what you mean so as to not diminish what you are saying: "Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." - - - Please help us out here.

A. Wow. That's an all-encompassing question. So, first we must lay down some general principles:

1. The Bible doesn't contradict itself if verses are taken in their context. But oftentimes the context isn't just a paragraph or two, or even the whole book in which the verse is found. Sometimes, "the context" is the entire Bible! The context needed to answer your question is an example of this principle. That's why your question is all-encompassing.

2. The Bible progressively reveals truth, as it leads us nearer and nearer to its heart--the cross. Ultimate truth, held in God's mind, has never changed. But God reveals truth in stages, in order to be understood. One piece of the truth had to be revealed in order for the next piece to be understood, in order for the next piece, in order for the next piece. (In the New Testament, for example, God reveals "mysteries." (1) They are not mysteries now, because they've been revealed. But at the time they were mysteries, because they were not revealed in the Old Testament.

So truth is on it's way, but not all at once.

I now know a lot of things I did not know as a child, and I act differently because of what I now know. But that does not mean that I, as a man, am in contradiction to that child. As I grew up my understanding grew up, and now I know better. Paul speaks of progressive understanding in the last part of 1 Corinthians 13:
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Now, back to the specific question--
Q. Psalm 63:11 says, "But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouth's of liars will be silenced." But James 5:12 tells us not to swear an oath at all--just state what you mean so as to not diminish what you are saying: "Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned." - - - Please help us out here.

A. Let's follow the idea of "swearing" (an oath, not profanity) through scripture, and we will sense the progressive unveiling of truth. Let's look at Deuteronomy, one of the earliest books in the Bible:
Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.
Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you. (Deuteronomy 6:13-14)

These verses show us a picture of Israel when it was being established as a monotheistic nation (believing in one God) in contrast to the polytheistic (many-god) nations all around them.
The issue in these verses is not the swearing of oaths, though that is mentioned. The issue being developed is that there is but one God and his name is "Jehovah" (2). God's intention here--first things first--is to get them to direct their religious practices, such as oath-taking, towards the one true God. Later on he will work on the religious practices themselves.

God does not mind showing us these "baby pictures" of Israel as they grow up. They weren't where they were ultimately going, but they were learning to walk, so to speak.

We see this same willingness of the Bible to factually depict relationships. David's life and his growing relationship with God are recorded truthfully, 'warts and all.' Certainly, not everything in his life conforms to God's ultimate truths.

One of the wonderful things to be seen in David's relationship with the LORD is that God understands that as we learn to walk we will sometimes fall down. God's concern isn't primarily with the falling, but with the getting up! David fell in Psalm 51, but he gets up and his soul is following hard after God in Psalm 63. God, through the cross of Christ, will forgive and forever forget the sin. But in his Father's heart, he will forever cherish--and replay--the memory of that child picking himself up and ever more passionately following hard after God's heart.

David in Psalm 63:11 is acting on the truth he's been given in the writings of Moses. He is not contradicting the Bible he had. Remember that the "Bible" David had consisted of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth--and some of the Psalms that were written in his journal! That's all.

When Jesus comes along, he furthers our understanding about many things, including oaths:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.' But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Then James (as you so aptly noted in your question) quotes his half-brother Jesus in this regard (3). So on the issue of oath-taking, that is where we stand today.

David lived in the age of law; which was preparing the world for the age of the Holy Spirit in which we now live; which is preparing the world for the age of glory to come.

Until then, we are undergoing development, too, learning to walk in the Spirit (4). As we do, we fall, we get up, and we keep on following.
Someday, it wouldn't surprise me if God shows some of the "home movies" of when we learned to walk in the Spirit--just as we've been shown the learning process of the children of Israel in scripture.

It was necessary to draw from a lot of the Bible to answer this excellent question--which illustrates that the context of any Bible verse is the whole Bible.

That's why we "stand in the rain"--all the way from Genesis to Revelation.


(1) Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; 15:51; Ephesian 3:9; Colossians 1:26; et al.; (2) "Jehovah," also pronounced "Yahweh," is rendered "LORD" (all capitals) in most English Bibles; (3) James 5:12; (4) Romans 8:1,4; 2 Corinthians 12:18; Galatians 5:16, 25.