5 Smooth Stones

of the records to most readers. Yet not when perspective is taken into account. The other records reveal the events from man’s perspective, and this is the record from God’s perspective. They are not contradictory, they are simply from two di ff erent perspectives, one is man’s and the other is God’s. The events are true, and are accurate in their telling, yet the answer to “why” is contained in this section from God’s perspective and through the fi gure of speech in Hebrew called Idiom; God takes on Himself human a tt ributes and says that He killed Saul, literally meaning that Saul’s sins had removed him from God’s protection, and Saul died in this state. Like the stones in the brook that David took to defeat the giant, the Word of God is also pure and tried: Psalms 12:6 “The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Puri fi ed seven times.” Bringing this understanding of perspective to the discussion of as cension gift ministries, it is important to keep perspective clear in light of timing, commissioning, function and application. The book of Jeremiah con tains a wonderful example of this. Jeremiah 1:4 “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sancti fi ed you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then said I: "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth." 7 But the Lord said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord.” Here the Lord is calling Jeremiah into his commission as a prophet. From Jeremiah’s perspective, he is just now being called, from God’s perspective he was called and ordained before he was even conceived. So was Jeremiah a prophet before the Lord called him in verse 5? The answer is, in heaven he was, on earth he was not yet. Perspective is important to timing. John the baptizer likewise was special in his calling, in that he was also called before he was conceived, yet it is clear his commissioning came much later. Luke 1:15 “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be fi lled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

200