Plundered Treasure

When the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D. they took the temple treasures back to the Italian peninsula as plunder and paraded them through the streets of Rome. A ‘portrait’ of their triumphal procession with the looted temple treasures is set in stone relief in the Arch of Titus, which stands as warning to us even to this day.

The arch of Titus demonstrates a timeless truth; Satan and the world are at war with the one true God and cannot bear His presence on the earth. Satan and the world seek to destroy God’s temple and plunder her treasures and parade them in triumph.

One of the greatest treasures of the church has been her hymns. For nearly 2000 years the rich hymnody of the church has been the golden lamp stand of the church, shining forth the light of the great doctrines of our faith. These hymns were also a fragrant incense that comforted troubled souls in times of trial. For millennia the church has used this precious treasure to sing ‘the faith’ into the hearts of worshipers. Not so anymore.

Rome and her false gods of ‘culture’ and ‘relevance’ have again laid siege to Jerusalem, to the church of Jesus Christ. In these dark days, too many churches have already fallen. Too many have surrendered to Rome and have had their treasure taken as plunder. Gone are the great hymns. Shallow and meaningless tunes have taken their place. These are songs that do not shine the light of the great truths of scripture nor can they reassure a troubled soul with the comforting words of the Gospel. These songs do not tell us of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ, they do not tell us of His triumphs and His victories. They speak nonsense, they mean nothing, they’re designed not to offend the Roman ear, lest the siege begin anew.

Thankfully I have a hymnal that wasn’t stolen by the Romans. I secretly pull it out every morning and let the light of these great treasures shine into my heart as I clumsily sing these ancient tunes. What comfort they bring me! What doctrine they teach me! What light they shine forth in these dark days!

Let me share just a little of this precious treasure with you. Compare this to ugly trinkets that are sung in your church. Let your heart be warmed by the light and fire of these great doctrinal truths! Let your soul be comforted by the soothing words of the Gospel that is so richly woven into these verses. Taste and see that the LORD is good!

Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor;
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is our one redeemer.

What God did in his Law demand
And none to him could render
Caused wrath and woe on every hand
For man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not those pure desires
The spirit of the Law requires,
And lost is our condition.

It was a false, misleading dream
That God his Law had given
That sinners could themselves redeem
And by their works gain heaven.
The Law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to light
That lurks within our nature.

From sin our flesh could not abstain
Sin held its sway unceasing;
The task was useless and in vain,
Our guilt was e’er increasing
None can remove sin’s poisoned dart
Or purify our guileful heart
So deep is our corruption.

Yet as the Law must be fulfilled
Or we must die despairing,
Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,
Our human nature sharing.
He has for us the Law obeyed
And Thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
Which over us impended.

Since Christ has full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian there-fore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Your death is now my life indeed,
For you have paid my ransom.

Let me not doubt, but truly see
Your word cannot be broken;
Your call rings out, “Come unto Me!”
No falsehood have you spoken.
Baptized into your precious name,
My faith cannot be put to shame,
And I shall never perish.

The law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes us conscience-stricken;
But then the Gospel enters in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ and live;
The Law no peace can ever give,
No comfort and no blessing.

Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone
And rests in him unceasing;
And by its fruits true faith is known,
With love and hope increasing.
For faith alone can justify;
Works serve our neighbor and supply
The proof that faith is living.

All blessing, honor, thanks and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God who saved us by his grace;
All glory to his merit.
O triune God in heaven above,
You have revealed your saving love;
Your blessed name we hallow.

Comments

[Steve]

Consider an alternative view of the destruction of the temple.

Jesus stated that the temple would be complete destroyed (Mark 13). The destruction of the temple is God's statement that the need to animal sacrifices is no longer needed since Christ is the final perfect sacrifice. This is consistant with the tearing of the vail of the Holy of Holies (Mark 15:58).

God has used "evil" nations , such as Assyria, as part for his purposes.

[Steven G.]

Steve, what does this have to do with the post? In case you missed it, Chris is using the plundering of Temple as an analogy for the "plundering" that is happening today with the removal of doctrinally focused hymns. I would add that this same "plundering" happens in the sermons that a lot of Evangelicals are preaching.

[Steve]

The "plundering of the temple" is a God created event. A better view is how the Pharisees plundered the grace of God by creating their own theology of works and beliefs that was based on man's efforts and to in God's grace.

[Steven G.]

I am not going to argue with that (the Pharisees' plundering of God's grace). In fact that is what most of popular Christian music and preaching teaches.

[Steve]

The danger of the teachings of the "Phariees" in the Christian church is more danagerous that that of culture in the Church. The first replaces the work of Christ with the work of man while looking like the real thing. The second rejects the gospel with another "religion". We can more easily see the second coming than the first.