Being an Interpreter

In my two previous talks this week, I have pointed out two important ways in which a patriot can discharge his obligation to the nation in which God has placed him. The first was by recognizing spiritual realities, and particularly, the realities of righteousness and sin. The second is by being a grain of salt, in that particular situation in which God has placed us. Being a disinfectant agent, holding back corruption and making that particular little piece of the earth somehow flavorful and acceptable to God. All that is involved, as I have said, in being a grain of salt.

In my talk today I am going to develop another aspect of this theme and I call it “Being an Interpreter.”  Now you may not immediately understand what I have in mind, and so to explain I am going to read a passage from the book of Job chapter 33 verses 14–26. And you will see that in this passage it speaks about a man who can serve as an interpreter. And it says, he is one out of a thousand. This is what Job says:  

“For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed. Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction. That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain: So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.”  

The theme there is that God speaks to men in certain ways, often through some tragedy, some disaster, some crisis. And man cannot understand unless there is someone there to help him understand what God is trying to say to him. And so the passage continues now as follows:  

“If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: [that’s God’s uprightness], then He [that’s God] is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom, [or an atonement]. His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth. He shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.”  

You see, there is a man who desperately needs to hear from God. God is dealing with this man. Maybe through sickness, through an illness that has brought him to the verge of death, to the gates of death, as it says. But this man cannot understand what God is saying to him, through the pressures, through the problems, through the disasters. It may be some other kind of disaster. It may be bereavement, it may be financial distress. We do not need to limit it to just one kind of crisis, but in this crisis, God is trying to speak to a man, but the man does not know how to hear from God. And so what that man needs is an interpreter. Someone who can interpret for him what God is saying to him through his circumstances. And it says that such a person is very rare, “one among a thousand.”

You see, an interpreter has to understand two languages. In this case he has to understand God’s language the way God speaks, but he has to understand man’s language so that he can communicate to man what God is trying to say. I preached many times myself, through an interpreter, I realize what it means. See, God speaks but man does not understand God’s language. And so man needs an interpreter. And I believe one of the functions of a true Christian patriot, in his nation, in his society, in his community, is to be an interpreter. When disaster strikes, when problems arise, when a man is under tremendous pressure, and he needs to know what God is saying to him, then it’s the function of a Christian in that setting, in that situation, to be able to interpret to Him. To say, “Well, God is warning you—turn back from your wicked ways, humble yourself, repent, seek God. God will forgive you. God will heal you. God will restore you. God will restore your family. But you have got to turn and you have got to meet God’s conditions.” And the interpreter is able to explain to such a person what are the conditions that God requires him to meet.

God not only speaks to individuals, through times of crisis and pressure and disaster, but He also speaks to whole communities and nations in many ways. Some ways are through climate and through weather. For instance, there is an example of this in the prophet Amos. Amos chapter 4 verses 6–9, gives an example of God speaking, but Israel not being able to hear what God is saying. God says to His people:  

“‘I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the LORD. ‘I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another.  One field had rain; another had none and dried up. People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the LORD. ‘Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the LORD.”  

You see, the essence of the message is, God was speaking to His people, warning them of their sinfulness, their pride, their carnality, bringing disasters upon them—what we would call natural disasters. But they could not hear, they did not realize that God was speaking to them. Again in the Prophet Haggai chapter 1 verses 5–7:  

“Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’ This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways.’”  

How does that strike you? Earning wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it? Isn’t that a description of inflation? Is that not exactly what inflation is? Can it be God is speaking to people today through inflation—saying, “Give thought to your ways. Check on the way you are behaving. Turn around, face up to Me. Meet My conditions and I’ll change the situation.”  Then in Haggai 2:17, the Lord says:  

“‘I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,’ declares the LORD.”  

See, such things are very often God speaking to people. But the people need an interpreter to explain God’s message and show them what is required.

In the spring of 1981, there was a prolonged and serious drought in South Dakota, around the area of Rapid City. There had been about two years of drought. There was agricultural disaster, economic disaster. People didn’t know what to do. And a young minister had the thought that God was speaking to the people of that state, and that it was his responsibility and the responsibility of the other ministers to interpret what God was saying to those people. So he met with some of the other ministers and they called a public meeting in Rapid City to pray for rain. They held it in a public auditorium on May the 10th. The whole of that community met, led by the ministers, to pray for rain. Within the next few months, more than 16 inches of rain fell in that area, which was more than the average annual rain fall. Also, a plague of grasshoppers, which threatened the area, was destroyed because of the timing of the rain.

You see, there was one man in that city who was an interpreter. He did not just wring his hands, he did not complain. He said, “God is speaking to us. We need to give heed to what God is saying.”

I believe that is the responsibility of a Christian patriot; to see when God is dealing with a nation, or a community, through what we would call natural disasters, or through inflation, or through maybe some kind of rapid spread of disease. Some contagious disease that affects an area—to see this is God’s hand, this is God’s judgment. And if we’ll repent and turn back to God, He will lift His judgment.

I believe that we need interpreters like that in this nation and other nations. I believe we need them in our media. I would, though, that men and women in the media would be interpreters for God instead of just reporting news without any moral or spiritual overtones to them. So there’s another way we can serve as patriots in our nation. We can be interpreters when God speaks.

Well, our time is up for today but before I close, I want to make a special request of you. This week we are asking our listeners across the nation to express their appreciation of this radio ministry by sending us a special Thanksgiving offering. I am sure you understand that this ministry is kept on the air by the offerings of people just like yourself, people who have been helped and blessed by its message. By sending us your offering at this time you will do three important things.

1. First, you will be expressing your appreciation for help that you yourself have received through this ministry.
2. Second, you will enable us to bring the same kind of help to someone else who needs it as much as you do, that may not be in a position to support us financially.
3. Third, you will encourage and strengthen me, personally.

So, please take time to say, “Thank you” at Thanksgiving.