Influence, For God’s Sake

Missionary Spectacle Series

Wearing my missionary-spectacles, I can say that the wisdom literature of the Bible which comprises of  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs had a powerful influence in the nations in the context of its day. If we can vouch for the influence the wisdom literature has in our lives today, we can imagine how much more it would have been in days, when books were few and precious.  Only the wealthy and influential people had access to books. The biblical wisdom literature was like gospel tracts reaching out to the unreached. I am going to point out to three significant persons in this regard.

Influential Singing

Have we admired David the shepherd boy turned powerful king for his rich inclusive style of Psalms? I always admire him as a world Christian, that is, a person who loves the world as Christ loves. I cannot include all of his psalms that reveal his concern for the nations of the world for paucity of space here. Only when we read his songs with missionary spectacles can we justify his world view!  However I wish to highlight a few, here.  We glean about his love for nations in the historical books of the Kings and Chronicles too. After being delivered from Saul he sings, “I will praise you… among the nations…” (2 Sam 22:50). We read about his gospel hymn in 1 Chronicles 16:8-31, inviting the nations to join in praising Yahweh.  The book of Psalms has much more to offer. His song in Psalm 2:8 says, “Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance.”  Have we prayed for nations? David tells about all families of the nation bowing before God (22:7). Similar thoughts are found in 66:1-4, 86:9, 96:7, 98:2, 117:1, 145:11,12, 148:7-11 and so on. In Psalm 67, specifically he answers the question: Why God blesses his people? It reflects the blessing of God to Abraham that all nations are to be blessed.

What should be our influence today in a nation like India where the gospel was given to us in the first century AD by Apostle Thomas? What is the content of the songs we compose these days? Are they influential enough to bring nations to Christ?

Influential Wisdom

Like his dad, Solomon, who became the next king influenced through his writing. Above all, his wisdom was like a powerful magnet.  Rulers of all the earth came to hear his wisdom in his palace in his kingdom (1 Kings 4:31-34) including Queen of Sheba, who came from the area of today’s Iran and Saudi Arabia. Her amazing testimony has lots of spiritual insights (1 Kings 10:3-9).  Also adding to the influence of Solomon, was the temple that he built which had an evangelistic intent. All people of God could pray, even the gentiles, in the temple, and towards it.  Solomon also prays that all peoples of the earth might know that the Lord is God and there is none other (1 Kings 8:60). Unlike the patriarchs, who were sent to nations, nations came to Solomon and his kingdom. His influence was a combination of his wisdom and writing.

I started to write with an evangelistic intent in a time when doors of ministry were shut off for me. Today through blog evangelism, sitting in my place (this comes from a train travel!) I have reached out to many nations, which I will never be able to go to,  in my life time. What could be your area of influence? Use your God-given wisdom for His glory!

Influential Life Style

With my missionary spectacles, I am seeing Job as a powerful missionary in a gentile context. The story happened in the land of Uz, which appears to have been in the Arabian Desert (Job 1:1). Job’s life and testimony stands tall in the patriarchal era. His faith and commitment in the worst adversity of his life should have brought his friends and people to the true God. The writing of the book could have happened between Solomon’s reign and the exile. Job coming from a non-Abrahamic tradition was a representative of the nations who had the knowledge of the true God. He was a recipient of God’s revelation and redemption. This was a reward to his life of integrity. Have our lifestyles influenced people in the land of our living? No wonder, Job’s biography is a gospel tract of all times.

For God’s sake, I would love to influence and persuade people to the knowledge of our Saviour. How about you?  May this New Year be such a purpose-packed one!  And do not forget to wear your missionary-spectacles whenever you read the Bible 😊

Note: I am indebted to Dr Frampton Fox for his teaching at HBI, Chennai on this subject and for his book, "Down to Earth" (Mission Educational Books, Chennai, 1998)