God as Teacher

February 3, 1991

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Introduction

This past Wednesday in prayer meeting we looked again at the life of Enoch, the man who walked with God. When we think of the great saints, both biblical and ancient, as well as those in our own past, we tend to stand in awe a bit, and think they were or are a breed apart. We think that they were gifted with a special goodness or sweeter nature or something that lifted them above the everyday grit and grime we live in.

But that simply is not the case. We all have the same possibility to walk with God and be taught of him. No one is "born holy!" Genuine holiness is something which we receive and which we see developed as we cooperate with God. It is not something which springs full blown from an all night of prayer or a spellbinding experience in a retreat somewhere, as valid as that may well be.

Here in this closing verse of Psalm 16 we see:

I. THE UNFOLDING PATHWAY OF LIFE.

When we walk with God the journey is important, and not just the destinations and goals.

  1. We tend to think of success in life (in most areas) as arrivals, of goals, of achievement. [As: I got the job I wanted; I earned the degree, I made the dollar amount— I have the home— NOW I am "living."]

    And God does have "milestones" along the way. There are definite experiences of grace: forgiving, cleansing, infilling, that are scriptural and necessary. God does talk in terms of destinations and levels of attainment that He has in mind for His children (even if God's destinations and attainments are not what His children may think at the time "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love Him.")

  2. But Eternal Life is also an unfolding reality that has already begun! We miss a great deal, perhaps MOST of what LIFE is all about if we don't enjoy the Presence of God as we journey along the way! The journey is fun when you love the company!

    [Journeys in little pre-war cars filled with cousins up to Petoskey for the summer . . . six hours at least- - singing, playing "Alphabet"— watching for landmarks and for deer . . . I think of the gentleness of my Aunt Pearl and her patience along the journey.]

    But the text also says that when it comes to learning about life we need, and we HAVE a teacher (a Teacher:)

II. THE PUPIL-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP

"Thou wilt show me the path of life..."

  1. Holiness, Christian life and living, are not really self- taught. We think we discover new truth. We think we find secrets of God's grace. But really we do not discover this "WAY" by our own adventuresome ingenuity alone; we are always mentored!

    Some of us have had human mentor-teachers— and all of us have been helped along the way by preaching and teaching and testimonies and gospel singing and the like from fellow humans who have been God's instruments in teaching.

  2. But ALL of us who grow in grace have GOD for a Teacher. How is God seen as TEACHER? What are the qualities of a master- teacher that we can see in God?

    [Some of you Education professors could talk more intelligently about these "teacher qualities" we see in God; but we all know that teaching means facts and lessons and assignments and the like. And yet we know that a real teacher teaches much, much more than just facts!]

    There is SELF-REVELATION! Somehow a gifted teacher "connects" the facts with life and living. He or she encourages us to face the facts as he or she has faced them. Unconsciously, perhaps, we find ourselves thinking like our beloved teacher! GOOD TEACHERS TEACH THEMSELVES WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT! (Unfortunately, probably so do bad teachers! I hated algebra when during the war (WW II) I had a teacher who didn't understand it that tried to teach it!)

    There is some also some kind of DISCIPLINED LOVE! (We somehow remember the "tough" teachers— the ones who demanded something from us! WHY?) There must have been a higher level of respect there.

    And God will never let us "get by" with less than what we CAN be and do!

But our text closes with a thrilling thought:

III. A NEVER-ENDING WALK

"At thy right hand there are pleasures for ever more."

  1. Earthly relationships do come to an end; they change. Many of my teachers are no longer here. We move on, we change disciplines; we go beyond the level of what one teacher can tell us. We graduate. Mentors become onlookers and colleagues. Hopefully, they also become fast friends.
  2. But this greatest teacher-pupil relationship only grows better and more productive.

    We can infer from verses such as this that human beings are destined for unimaginable growth throughout the ages! Whatever this means, your greatest potential, and mine, as human beings, comes from this single fact: We shall be in God's Presence, walking with Him, being shown this pathway of life, throughout eternity.

    Here Teacher and pupil not only become fast friends, they have entered into a relationship that literally will never end.

Conclusion

Which brings us back to Enoch, this man who walked with God (as it says in Genesis 5:24.) When we learn to walk with God wonderful things happen.

We learn to please God by our faith and obedience. The most satisfying thing in all the world, bar none, is to have a witness that God is pleased with you. (I would to God I could have that "feeling" once in a while!) But listen to what Hebrews 11:5,6 says:

By faith Enoch was translated so as not to see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had a testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Wesley's translation.)

Prayer: Be our Teacher, O Lord! Help us to learn from You the Pathway of Life; and help us to stay near You, in Your Presence forevermore, so that we can come to please You and to BE LIKE YOU.

Amen!

492 Jesus Loves Even Me