Pastor Goforth

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Four – In the History Books – Judges to the Kings – part 2

April 28th, 2016
This is a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

Session Four: In the History Books

Judges, The Kings

So we talked about Joshua, Rahab, and the Commander of the Army of God.

Then we talked about Gideon and God’s patience with him as he was trying to place his faith but struggling with confidence.

in the Judges period

Chapter 13 introduces us to Samson. A man named Manoah, from Dan, was husband to a woman without children.

13:3 The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and said ‘you are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son … see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink that you do not eat anything unclean … you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

V6 a man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome (yare’ inspiring fear)

And she tells him everything he said …

I LOVE this … then Manoah prayed

Lord I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy

V9 the angel of God came again to the woman … but her husband … was not with her

She ran and got her husband …

They asked God in v12 how to order their son’s life.

V13 the Angel of the Lord confirmed what he had told the woman. A Nazirite

V15 stay and eat with us …

V16 I will not eat any of your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to The Lord

(did not realize it was the Angel of the Lord)

V17 What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?

V18 why do you ask my name … it is WONDERFUL – piliy/paliy = secret, wonderful – Oh my goodness … it is the same word as to us a child is born a son is given and his name shall be called WONDERFUL Counselor, Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

Matthew Henry says Angels often gave their names in scripture like Michael, Gabriel, but this Angel has a name “too Wonderful” … it was a SECRET … that would be Revealed in Jesus Christ

And The Lord did an Amazing thing – Yahweh Yehovah … did an amazing thing

Samson was to be a man with singular devotion to the Lord, and to God’s strength, so no wine, no vanity, no rich foods … his strength his focus was to be on God …

V20 and the Angel of the Lord went UP in the flame … and they fell on their faces on the ground …

They knew that he was the Angel of the Lord

What do we do with the Revelation of Jesus? In John 9 what did the Blind man do, proscyneo, fall on our faces and worship him, listen to his voice, be convinced of his direction, and follow …

God doesn’t reveal himself to kill us, as Manoah thought, but to include us in his plan.

Samson was born and grew and the Lord blessed … And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him …

Samson was called and empowered by God. it was affirmed by Jesus and he was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Over and Over it says “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him …”

Of course, Samson is most famous for being strong and for having long hair that was cut by Delilah. After Delilah cut his hair, we know that he lost his strength. But his strength was not in his hair. His strength was in the Spirit of the Lord; and the Spirit of the Lord was with him in his obedience to the commands of God.

He was commanded before birth, to never cut his hair, never eat anything unclean, never take fermented drink. And one of the saddest verses in scripture is Judges 16:20 … He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

But praise the Lord he doesn’t leave us as we are, if our heart is toward him.

So even then in his captivity, bound in bronze shackles, his eyes gouged out, there is a beautiful simple verse, 16:22 but the hair on his had began to grow again after it had been shaved. The moment the hair started to grow he had a chance to obey God by not cutting it.

Oh we may go into the far country of rebellion, but we can come to ourselves in the pig pen. We can return. It wasn’t the hair that strengthened him, but it was obedience to the commands of God.

And so Samson prayed v28 O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes

What is RIGHT about his prayer?

It is focused on God. “Sovereign Lord” – God is on the throne and in charge, including of my life … God I know you are the boss not me.

“Remember Me” – Lord turn your face toward me. Lord don’t forget me in my justified judgment.

“Please” – there is no demand, but a petition, a request to a ruling God, if it please him. “Strengthen me” – my strength is in you not in me, not in my hair, not in my muscles, my strength is in you

Psalm 84:5 (NIV84)

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

So, the Final Judge then was Samuel. His mother Hannah was barren and married to Elkanah, who was married to two women but deeply loved Hannah. Hannah prayed to the Lord for a son and promised to give him to the Lord if the Lord would give to her. God answered her prayer and gave her a son. She weaned him and brought him to the priest Eli and left him there. She looked after him, probably visited him often, but gave him to the Lord. In response, the Lord gave her 3 more sons and 3 more daughters.

So 1 Samuel 3 … v1 says in those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions

Why? Because the people, the priests, were not obeying God so God wasn’t speaking to them.

The Lamp of God had not yet gone out – like Eli’s eyes were growing dim, so the ability to see God was growing dim … but that was about to change

Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle “where the ark was” … Like Joshua who stayed in the Tent of Meeting while he was servant to Moses, so Samuel stayed close to the Lord. Whether this means he was in the Holy of Holies or just in the Tabernacle which was where God’s Ark was … most likely the latter. He was close to the Lord

Then the Lord Called Samuel – no one comes to God unless God calls him. Yes I believe we have the ability to hear God and respond to him, but it is HIS Gracious choice to call us into relationship with him and to reveal his work as he invites us to join him.

He ran to Eli – thinking it was Eli who called “Here I am; you called me” v5 – “I did not call … lie down”

V6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel” – Oh don’t forget he knows your name. Remember when God spoke to Hagar she was shocked that God knew her … “He knows my name, he knows my ev’ry thought …” and he went to Eli again, “Here I am …” “I did not call you”

V7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him”

V8 the Lord called a third time … “Here I am; you called me” THEN Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.”

How do we respond to the voice of God? v9 “if he calls you, say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening’”

V10 … The Lord came and stood there, calling “Samuel, Samuel” – The Lord doesn’t call to us from an unreachable place. Yes the Father lives in unapproachable light, but Jesus is God WITH US and he can be experienced by us. His kindness doesn’t CALL us to Repentance, Romans 2:4 says it LEADS us to Repentance … The Lord is a Shepherd, not an owner … he is there … and so he CAME and STOOD – yatsab = to present oneself – Calling – qara’= to shout, to call, to name, appoint, summon, proclaim, announce

Unique thing here that doesn’t always happen is that Samuel’s call to KNOW God came WITH his Call to Ministry … and it is NOT a Good word that God gives the Boy … how old, not sure but young, he slept on the floor, he served in little outfits made by his mother.

V11 – Behold – See – Samuel had never seen, understood the Lord … but that was about to change … The word of the Lord is often like this … it is like the word in Revelation that is sweet to the mouth but sour to the stomach. It is a wonderful thing to hear the Lord’s word, but proclaiming it, receiving it, can be so hard. This judgment against Eli is spelled out in chapter two by an unnamed prophet.

V15 says that this guilt cannot be atoned for … I do not think that this means that an individual cannot be saved after sin. I believe it means that some actions could cause us to lose a place or a blessing. Just like the generation of Israel that came out of Egypt lost out on the Promised Land, it didn’t mean that they LOST God … he stayed with them, even in the wandering, wilderness, judgment, but they lost the promised earthly gift.

Then Eli calls v16 and asked v17 what God said … hearing the word of the Lord is easier than delivering it … take my word for it.

But Samuel told him and v18 “he is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes”

V19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground

Isaiah 55:11 (NIV84)

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

V20 Israel recognized that Samuel as a prophet of the Lord … and v21 he revealed himself to Samuel through his word

Samuel led the people through God’s word as the last Judge.

But the people wanted a King.

We often would rather be led by people than led by God. We can fight against people, but don’t want to fight with God.

We can complain to people, but not to God … people are easier rather than strive against God and his word.

Saul was the man chosen then by God. He was good, handsome, humble, but he took his eyes off God. Just as Israel was and did.

Saul, against the Amalakites looked at the treasures and he wanted them. He wanted to show himself strong. God wanted quiet obedience and to destroy those things, but Saul wanted a lavish elaborate display … even calling it worship … but God said To Obey is Better than Sacrifice. You can’t disobey and call it worship.

So David was anointed to be King.

David, as much as any in Scripture, is a type of Christ … Just in the Story of Goliath we see it.
1. He fought a battle with Goliath on Behalf of the whole Nation (1 Sam 17)
– Jesus fought our battle with Sin (Rom 5:19)
1. He was Israel’s Representative (1 Sam 17)
– Jesus is ours (Rom 5:18-19)
1. Sent By His Father (1 Sam 17)
– So Christ (1 Jn 4:14)
1. Rejected by his Brothers (1 Sam 17)
– So was Christ (John 7:5)
1. His Victory was Israel’s Victory (1 Sam 17)
– Christ’s Victory is Our Victory (Rom 5:19)
1. David Then was in Exile before he became King (1 Sam 22:1-2)
– Christ has ascended to the Father but will Reign in person after the Tribulation (Col 2:15; Rev 11:15)
1. Gathered the Troubled (distress, discontented, indebted, disoriented) (1 Sam 22:1-2)
– Jesus says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden – they were harassed and helpless (Mt 11:28 – Mt 9:36)
1. He Rewarded those who worked in building his Kingdom (1 Chron 11&12)
– There will be crowns for us at the Marriage of the Lamb (Rev 22:12)

Oh Our enemy is Too Big for us to fight alone

He is Loud and Powerful

He has Large forces behind him … Goliath even had four brothers at home (2 Sam 21:16-22; 1 Chronicles 20:5-8)

Comes a Simple Shepherd to Defeat Him

With a Small Stone he defeats him and cuts off his head … Jesus will crush the head of the serpent …

So, a great man, a King Forever … promised seed will come through him.

But I want us to see The Angel of the Lord in a terrible episode in his life.

2 Samuel 23 talks about David’s Mighty Men, his Thirty Special Fighting Men.

But in 2 Samuel 24 David orders a census of his Army. It results in the judgment of God. What’s the big deal? Is this a sin? Obviously it is a sin … let’s read it

2 Samuel 24:1-4

1 Chronicles 21

So … why was this a big deal? Matthew Henry lists many possible reasons
- He didn’t count those under 20 (1 Chr 27:23-24 so it wasn’t legal)
- He did not require them to pay the temple tax Exo 30:12 as a ransom for their souls
- Or perhaps he DID but kept the money for himself instead of giving to God
- God had not ordered it
- This was counting God’s people who were to be innumerable
- But the WORST was Pride
He was not numbering his sheep so he could care for them. He was numbering them to brag about what he had. God used satan to cause David to do this, which says that the issue in his heart was already there.

The glory of Israel was not in her numbers, not even recounting how they had been blessed, but their glory was in the Lord Alone

So, David sought to offend God by drawing attention to their number. We don’t have to prove the blessing of God, but LIVE IN it.

Joab even purposely left out Benjamin and Levi because it was offensive to him.

V7 this was evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel

M.Henry “If God’s dearest children do amiss, they must expect to smart for it.”

– David was a man after God’s own heart, so it is not that he didn’t sin, but his heart was soft and he responded to correction

V8 David said to God “I have sinned greatly … done a foolish thing”

God then proclaims 3 options for discipline
- 3 years of famine
- 3 months swept away by the sword of enemies
- 3 days of the Sword of the Lord – a plaque – the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel
Decide …

What do you think? What would be The Results of Each?

Discuss

V13 – I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord. For his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men

We are safer in the hands of an angry God than ungodly men

V14 – The Lord sent a plaque – 70,000 died

Angel sent to destroy Jerusalem

V15 The Lord was grieved … Don’t ever think for a minute that God delights in Judgment or discipline. No! He Delights in Showing Mercy and Compassion

Micah 7:18–19 (NIV84)

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

And God says Enough! Withdraw your hand

The Angel of the Lord was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite

Oh my, the Sword of God drawn by Jesus … If he is WITH you it is a beautiful thing … if he is against you, what a dreadful thing it is.

Remember Joshua asked Jesus, while overlooking Jericho, when he saw this man with sword drawn “are you for us or against us” and the reply “neither … I am Commander of the Army of God”

Remember Abraham Lincoln said he wasn’t near as concerned whether God was with them but whether they were with God.

Revelation 19:11–21 (NIV84)

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” ¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

How dreadful for those on Earth, but how glorious for those of us riding with him. His robe dipped in blood will have washed our sins away, but his robe will be dipped in the blood of those who stood against him.

Then David, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

Repentance and sorrow is where healing begins.

V17 “was it not I … I am the one who sinned … they are but sheep … let your hand fall on me, but not remain on your people”

David understood that he deserved it, but also that he could TRUST GOD

Job said “even if he slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15)

V18 The Angel of the Lord said “go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah

This is on Mt Moriah … what happened there? Abraham tied down Isaac, offering him to God. There a Ram was in the thicket and there the blood of the substituting ram was received in place of Isaac.

So here,

V20 Araunah and his 4 sons saw The Angel of the Lord and HID

V22 Let me have your site, threshing floor, to build an altar … sell it to me for full price

Remember God appeared to Gideon on the threshing floor too. What is it about the Threshing Floor? The Threshing floor was a place of “winnowing”, the place where true and false are separated, where fruitful and fruitless are separated, so it is where we meet God and Truth reveals itself.

V23 – Take it Lord King …” Think he was scared?

God’s glory on display, sword drawn … “O King, if you can make it stop … do it … I will give you the oxen, wood, wheat … make it stop.”

But David replies … NO

V24 – “No … full price … I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that which costs me nothing”

V25 – Built an altar, sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Oh Listen our sin has to be addressed but so does our fellowship with God which is broken. And then he CALLED on the Lord. And the Lord answered him with Fire from Heaven on the altar.

V27 – The Angel put his sword back into its sheath

Then David makes a decision …

22:1 – The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel

So, Abraham’s altar, David’s altar, and then the Altar of Solomon’s Temple were on this place. Perhaps too this was the same place on which Christ was crucified, as the Temple of Solomon was torn down and then a temple was built later on a different site. But it was the same mountain range

And so Christ, because God’s Sword was against us, did not come to Condemn us (John 3:17) but to save us because (Jn3:18) we were condemned already. So, Jesus emptied himself of glory, like the King took off his Regal Robes, and took up the nature of a servant as David donned Sackcloth.

Though he had not sinned … He who knew no sin (2 Cor 5:21) became sin for us. So like David, he said “Let your hand fall on me” and like Paul told Philemon “If Onesimus owes you anything, charge it to me.” So Christ took up our iniquities, that God’s wrath might not remain on us.

And so on that hill, they didn’t know it, but at the sight of Abraham’s Altar, and David’s Altar and the Altar of Solomon’s temple, they erected an altar where Jesus would not offer anything that cost him nothing. And God did not offer something that cost him nothing, but he gave his one and only son, Jesus, that whoever believes in him will have everlasting life. Jesus was beaten, bruised, stripped bare, nailed to a cross and raised up. And again the blood flowed on Mt Moriah and where the blood flows, forgiveness flows. And again God was pleased for a propitiation, an atoning sacrifice to be offered. Then the Lord Jesus said “It is Finished”, it is “enough” and God put away his wrath and he answered with an earthquake and the veil was torn and the separation between God and man was removed, so that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Oh the blood of Jesus

Oh the blood of Jesus

Oh the blood of Jesus

It washes white as snow
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Three – In the History – Judges to the Kings – part one

April 28th, 2016
This is Chapter three of a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

Session Three: In The History Books part two

Joshua, Judges, The Kings

So, this is not and could not be exhaustive, but let’s see a few instances and make broad strokes to see Christ in the Old Testament

What is a Theophany? A Manifestation of God that can be experienced by the humans senses

What is a Christophany? A Theophany that is personified in the 2^nd Person of the Trinity. Scripture seems to say, though that ALL Theophanies are Christophanies as Jesus is the revelation of God. And scripture says that no man HAS or CAN ever see God … So ..

What is a Type of Christ in the Old Testament? A method of biblical interpretation where an element found in the Old Testament prefigures or displays Christ in character, action, pointing to his coming, character, and completion of the picture shown. They can be Historical, Legal, or Prophetic.

So we dealt with the Law last time

But in the Exodus … I see a type in The Red Sea

The Red Sea – was opened and man crossed. Both God’s People and those pursuing

But God’s people crossed on dry ground and were saved

Those pursuing, were swallowed up and died

The ground was dry for God’s people but the depths said to bog down the wheels of the Pharaoh’s army.

So too Jesus

1 Corinthians 1:23–25 (NIV84)

²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Matthew 21:44 (NIV84)

⁴⁴ He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

So they were Led by Christ, The Angel of the Lord who inhabited the pillar of cloud and the pillar of Fire … they were led even when they wandered in the wilderness because they were unwilling to believe …

So … a new generation rises, all over the age of 20 besides Caleb and Joshua die off, and they are ready to enter The Promised Land.

They send out Spies to see Jericho, the first city they have been told to take.

The spies meet a woman of questionable occupation a woman named Rahab. I would venture that she would have known most everyone. And she would have been a woman of discretion. She also is said to have had her house IN the Wall, so it was easy to get in and out.

Whenever God brings someone into your realm of influence, you can be sure that he has been working already.

Notice her knowledge and faith Joshua 2:9 “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og … 11 when we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below

Did she already have faith? Yes … She just didn’t know what to do and was waiting to be shown.

V12 … swear to me … that you will show kindness to my family … give me a sure sign …

So what was the sign?

Joshua 2:17–21 (NIV84)

¹⁷ The men said to her, “This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us ¹⁸ unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. ¹⁹ If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. ²⁰ But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear.” ²¹ “Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

So … they left … we will come back to her in just a minute …

So Chapter 3 they get ready to go across the Jordan into The Promised Land

V5 consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you

V8 Tell the priests … ‘when you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

V13 as soon as the priests … set foot in the Jordan, it’s waters … will be cut off and stand up

V15 Jordan was at flood stage … could have been a mile across …

… Yet as soon the priests … reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing, it piled up in a heap

So … it is with our faith … Faith in action is the key. I may KNOW that he says he will forgive … I may know that he says he will save … but it is not until I STEP IN … confess him as Lord, believe in my heart and THEN … the flow of God’s wrath is stacked up …

They stacked up 12 stones in the middle where they crossed to remember what God had done.

As you read through there notice how many times it says “The Lord said to Joshua” “The Lord Said” … etc

So … We are Looking for Christ in the Old Testament … and we see him …

Read with me …

Joshua 5:13–15 (NIV84)

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” ¹⁵ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Joshua saw a MAN standing in Front of him … Drawn Sword …

“Are you for us or against us?”

Answer: None of the Above … What was Joshua doing? Was he Marching with his people when this manifestation took place or was he alone? I have always just pictured him with his people. But perhaps more likely is that He had gone to scout out, to look over the city. And while he was looking this way, then he looks that way and now there is a man there who wasn’t there before.

“Are you For us?”

Wrong Question. Abraham Lincoln was asked if God was for the Union or for The Confederacy. Lincoln is reported as saying “I’m not near as concerned whether or not God is with us as whether we are WITH GOD.”

Joshua fell face down to the ground and worshiped him … what message does my Lord have?

Remember that a simple angel/messenger wouldn’t receive worship. This Angel received Worship because this is God … this is The Angel of the Lord … the 2^nd person of the Trinity

The Commander of the Lord’s army replied ‘take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy.’

The Word Holy means “apartness, set apart for a sacred purpose” … God says “I’m about to do something altogether set apart … you have never seen this before” That’s what Joshua told the people the Lord will do amazing things

What else transpired we don’t know, don’t need to know … God revealed that HE was in charge, that HE was the commander … that he was leading if Joshua would follow, he had everything he needed …

So with God’s instructions they go to Jericho and march in silence around the city one time each day for six days. On the seventh day they march around seven times with the priests blowing their horns. On the seventh time they blow a long blast, and all the people SHOUT, and the wall of the city will collapse.

6:20 So on the seventh day on the seventh time … the people shouted a war cry and the wall collapsed and they took the city.

Can you see with your mind the demolition? Like a building coming down from an implosion. Dust is everywhere … but as the dust clears … There stands ONE SECTION of the Wall. That one piece of wall stood pointing to Rahab’s hope, Israel’s hope, GOD ALONE … The Word of God

She didn’t have much too stand on, she didn’t have a Bible, a Manger, a Cross. But she had the story of the crossing of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Amalakites. She had the word of God’s spies and it was enough. She obeyed their word. She hung a SCARLET CORD … Oh aren’t you glad it wasn’t just any color cord. It was a scarlet cord. Since Genesis 3 it is the Scarlet Cord. It is pointing us to the Blood of Jesus.

Oh some of us need to take the message of the Scarlet Cord into some dark houses … Oh don’t you know … Joshua had told them that Rahab was going to be the only one saved.

Not only that but her whole family … but Only those who were IN THE HOUSE. It isn’t enough to HEAR ABOUT the Scarlet Cord, we have to believe IN the Cord and come into the house.

And so Rahab came out with God’s people and numbered herself among God’s people.

And Matthew 1:5-6 tells us that she married Salmon, a Jew, and they had a son named Boaz, who married Ruth, a Moabite converted to Judaism, and their son was Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named … DAVID who became KING …

Oh the power of the Scarlet Cord. Oh the Power of Faith in Action

Faith in a Scarlet Cord

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

Judges 2:1–3 (NIV84)

¹ The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, ² and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? ³ Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.”

Notice the instruction not to intermarry, not to make treaties was about THIS LAND at THIS TIME … and it was about creating partnerships with people who didn’t worship God. That was point. God wanted in Israel, a unique people protected from false gods.

Judges 2:4–5 (NIV84)

⁴ When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, ⁵ and they called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

The problem here and going forward is that they failed to follow God’s word completely. And so v7 says they served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders

But then v10 says

Judges 2:10 (NIV84)

¹⁰ After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

We must pass along to the next generation The Reality, Presence, Word, of the Lord if we want them to follow it.

The Angel of the Lord to Gideon

Before God showed up in Power for Deliverance, there had to be a Preacher to proclaim their sin and call to repentance.
These words are the same as to Joshua in Chapter 2.

A prophet, who, we don’t know.

Judges 6:8–10 (NIV84)

⁸ he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ⁹ I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”

So … then The Angel of the Lord appears again …

Gideon is threshing Wheat in a winepress. Why in a winepress? For fear … Marauders were coming in and stealing/ruining their crops every time they harvested. They were killing their livestock. It was like they were stripped by Locusts …

So v7 the Israelites cried to the Lord for help

And God, Jesus, came and sat down beside Gideon who was just trying to beat out some wheat for his family

Judges 6:11–14 (NIV84)

¹¹ The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. ¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” ¹³ “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” ¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

His message
- The Lord is With You – You are Not alone
- Mighty Warrior – You are more than you think you are
V13 but sir – IF … then why has this all happened? Where are all his wonders … the Lord has abandoned us …

He calls him SIR … so he didn’t realize yet this was The LORD … so he calls him adoni, sir …Go … in the strength you have … and save … I am sending you

If I am saying that you can … then you can …

V15 But Lord … how can I save Israel? … my clan is the weakest … I am the least in my family

Sound familiar? God doesn’t often call the confident and the composed, the powerful and poised … I can just see him looking around in the winepress and saying “do you see what I’m doing”?

Answer … v16 – I will be with you … and you will strike down …

V17 IF now I have found favor … give me a sign … don’t go away until I come back

The Lord said “I will wait …”

Oh the wonderful patience of the Lord with our unbelief … Difference is He knew just like with Moses … he WANTED to believe … Rahab WANTED to believe … God will give a sign to the one who wants to believe …

He placed an offering before the Lord … notice he brought bread WITHOUT Yeast … Yeast in offerings would have been considered sin … so he came prepared to faithfully worship … he brought unleavened bread.

V21 – interesting that the Lord had a staff? The Lord is my Shepherd

He touched the offering with his staff and fire came from the rock and consumed the meat and bread. And then he disappeared …

And THEN He realized who this was …

V22 then Gideon realized that it was the Angel of the Lord and exclaimed … now remember earlier he had called him Adoni (Lord) but it was in a casual sense. Now he says “Ah Sovereign Lord” which is Adoni Yahovih (yeh-ho-vee) This was a variation on Yehovah … that they would say so as not to take the actual pronunciation in vain.

This is GOD … I have seen him FACE TO FACE

But God came back …

V23 the Lord Said to him, ‘peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.’

Doesn’t that sound just like Jesus “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Do you hear the voice of Jesus every time The Angel of the Lord Speaks?

V24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace.’’

Oh but Gideon had a family worship problem … His father had an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole

We can’t build an altar to God on the old altars we have had to Idols …

TEAR IT DOWN … CUT DOWN the Pole …

Build a PROPER Altar on top of it …

Matthew Henry suggests that he probably had to put an inscription on this one so everyone would know who this altar was for and there would be no mistake.

When you tear down the old objects of worship in your life, make sure that the new one to God is clear to all clear to you as well.

This word for proper or “in due order” – ma’arakah = battleline, army, fight – Oh we wrestle not against flesh and blood but rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms … so put on the full armor of God … so that you may be able to stand your ground

V27 Gideon obeyed him … he did it at night rather than in the daytime

Ok so he’s not there yet … better obedience I guess at night than no obedience at all … So practice it at night if you aren’t ready but do it …

Men in town want to kill him and I love his father, Joash, his response

V31 If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.

Tells me perhaps he wasn’t really sold on being a worshiper of Baal but he did what everyone did.

So then Gideon was given the nickname of “Baal-fighter” “Jerub-Baal”

V34 we are introduced to the 3^rd Person of the Trinity … Then The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet,

Notice, the Holy Spirit was GIVEN for instances of work, for empowerment, but wasn’t Forever in the lives of God’s people before Pentecost. David is the only one who it says “the spirit of the Lord never left him.”

Notice also that I don’t think Gideon made a willful decision to sound the Alarm, but God’s Spirit did it through him. I think he blew it and went … wait what? What did I do.

But the men went out to meet him

And well … Gideon is ever in need of encouragement

V36 if you will save Israel by MY hand, as you have promised …

V37 – place a wool fleece … dew only on the fleece … ground is dry, then I will know you will save Israel by my hand, as you said

He keeps saying he knows God said it … but he needs to be sure

So it HAPPENED … a bowlful of dew

V39 – do not be angry with me … just one more … fleece dry and the ground covered with dew. 40 That night God did so …

Then we get the whole whittling down of numbers so that God can be glorified from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300

V7 The Lord said to Gideon ‘with the three hundred men … I will save you … who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others

I never noticed that before … they were left with 9700 or was it 32,000 left over trumpets, swords, food.

Finally God knows Gideon’s heart and he gives him one more encouragement and lets him in on a conversation …

Judges 7:13–15 (NIV84)

¹³ Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” ¹⁴ His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” ¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”

Now we are READY …

They shined the Light, Blew Trumpets, Shouted … and the army woke up and killed each other …

The end of the story is actually sad They tried to make him King in v23

He said no … but asked for a donation from the spoils, earrings, and garments and he created an Ephod … a Sacred Garment, meant as a memorial but eventually it became and object of worship.

He didn’t train up the next generation and as soon as he died … they worshipped the false gods again, 40 years later.

We will wrap up there tonight and pick up next week …
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter Two – In the Law

April 28th, 2016

This is Chapter two of a New Study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Nights. I’d love to hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ In the Old Testament
Session Two: In the Law

Defining a Couple Terms

Last week in my excitement for our new study, I sort of jumped right into our looking for Christ in the Old Testament, and while we referred to a couple of things, we didn’t really define them.

There are three words that we need to define. All Three are Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament. The words are Theophany, Christophany, and Christ Type or Typology http://www.gotquestions.com says: “A theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible that is tangible to the human senses. In its most restrictive sense, it is a visible appearance of God in the Old Testament period, often, but not always, in human form.”

So, if a Theophany is a manifestation of God in the Bible either actual physical or perceived physical, is unclear and actually unimportant. What IS important is that a Theophany is something that CAN be perceived with the Human Senses, not just a dream, a vision, or our inner self or spirit.
It is God manifesting himself in a way that people could receive with their senses.
Genesis 2:15-16 – “took man … put him in the garden … commanded him”
Genesis 3:8 – “heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden …”
The Lord made garments. The Lord spoke to Noah. The Lord Appeared to Abram in Genesis 12:7, to Isaac in Genesis 26, to Jacob in Genesis 35 …
And on and on …

So what is a Christophany? Then this more specifically is an appearance of the 2nd Person of the Trinity to man in a sensory perceptible fashion, before his Incarnation at Bethlehem.

So, that begs the question is a Theophany different from a Christophany or is it possible that these are different? Are some of the Theophanies, Christ-centric, and others Father-centric?

Notice this distinction made about the Father and Son by Paul to Timothy
1 Timothy 6:12–16 (NIV84)
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
What does it say about the Father … He lives in unapproachable light, who no one HAS seen or CAN see … “lives” = dwells or builds his tent in “a” = without “psoseimi” = to approach … together “aprositos” – God sets his tent up in an unapproachable zip code … and NO ONE HAS seen him and no one CAN see him.
When did Paul write this? In the middle of the 1st Century … no one HAD seen him or CAN see him YET … in History … Including the Old Testament …
John said the same thing in the last decade of the 1st Century when he wrote his Gospel
John 1:18 (NIV84)
18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

The Only one who has seen God is the one at his right hand and that is Jesus and Jesus reveals God to us … He did in the his Incarnation … but he has ALWAYS been the Revelation of God, the Word of God … the Articulation of God …
So,
http://www.gotquestions.com says
“While there are no indisputable Christophanies in the Old Testament, every theophany wherein God takes on human form foreshadows the incarnation, where God took the form of a man to live among us as Emmanuel, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23)

So, I believe EVERY Theophany in the Old Testament is a Christophany … it is JESUS … so let your heart run, and dance, and be encouraged by these pictures of Christ active in Creation for ALL of Creation.

What then is a TYPE of Christ? A theophany is Christ actually interacting with man in a perceptible fashion. A TYPE according to http://www.Theopedia.com:
“Typology is a method of biblical interpretation whereby an element found in the Old Testament is seen to prefigure one found in the New Testament. The initial one is called the type and the fulfillment is designated the antitype. Either type or antitype may be a person, thing, or event, but often the type is messianic and frequently related to the idea of salvation.”
“Typological interpretation is specifically the interpretation of the Old Testament based on the fundamental theological unity of the two Testaments whereby something in the Old shadows, prefigures, adumbrates something in the New. Hence, what is interpreted in the Old is not foreign or peculiar or hidden, but arises naturally out of the text due to the relationship of the two Testaments. ^ [1]^”
Then there are really three kinds of types: Historical, Legal, and Prophetic types
Historical
Adam – by one man sin and death came to the world; Jesus by One man Life Came
Moses – Led God’s people from Slavery in Promise – as would the Messiah
Noah – provided a way in the ark, to all who enter in
Abraham – Father of blessed People
Isaac – Substitutionary Sacrifice
Joseph – from hated to heralded, from prison, to the palace, surrendered to evil men to savior of all men.
David – was God’s anointed for a time before he was truly seen as King
Esther – saved her people though God didn’t appear to be there — isn’t even mentioned in the book about her
Elisha – raised the dead and fed hungry

Legal Types
Sacrifices
Offerings
Rituals
Pointed to the Cross
Prophetic
The Seed of the Woman – Genesis 3:15
Prophesies of the Prophets like Isaiah’s Suffering Servant
Zechariah’s Visions

Now … we COULD say that all of these similarities are incidental, analogical, interesting but not intentional. Or, we could believe that God always was telling a story. HIS Story is always being told in History, and so he shaped History to tell HIS Story. If so, then we can conclude that God intentionally told his story through types, even when we did not understand them while they were happening.

So … the picture of Christ in the Law is Exhaustive … and I will tell you up front that we aren’t going to cover it all … but let’s see a few of them and see Jesus with us … God with us …

Exodus 3
Now Moses had been protected in a little ark crafted by his mother when the Pharaoh was killing every little boy in Egypt. Hmm I seem to remember someone being protected when the King was trying to kill every little boy. But anyway, he was taken into and grew up in Pharaoh’s house. But while his people were slaves, he was a prince. He knew who he was and one day he killed an Egyptian who was beating a slave. That act of Righteous indignation put in him danger of being killed so in Exodus 2:15, Moses fled to live in Midian … south of Canaan, the region of Sinai, East of Egypt. North of the Red Sea. He met and married Zipporah and became a shepherd with his Father in law, Jethro.
READ Exodus 3:1-9

The Angel of the Lord – That is JESUS … appeared In the flames of fire within the bush. Though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. Please note this … God did not NEED the Wood of the Bush as FUEL … He was his OWN Fuel. He USED the Bush as a Vehicle to Display his Fire … but he did not NEED the Bush FOR Fire … God uses us but he does not NEED us. If we will not be used, he can use someone else or he can use an inanimate object if necessary.
God Called from within the Bush … This “angel” wasn’t a simple Messenger, this was GOD in the person of the 2nd person of the Trinity
The Place where you are standing is Holy Ground
Take off your sandals – this “Angel” received worship … Angels do not receive Worship if they are but messengers. But this Messenger was GOD himself. Read Isaiah 48:12-18 — The Lord is both mentioned as being The Lord and being Sent BY the Lord both Saving and being Sent to Save … that is Jesus … Sent and yet God … Saving and Savior
I Am the God of Abraham … Isaac … Jacob … i.e. I know you, I know your family, I am the one who has made promises and will keep promises
I have seen the misery of my people … I have heard them crying
I am concerned about their suffering
So I have come down to rescue them …

That is what happened when Jesus came. It may have seemed like God was not aware. It may have seemed like God was silent. It had been 400 years since God has spoken to them in both cases …

When Zechariah was informed of the birth of John the Baptist he prophesied
Luke 1:68–72 (NIV84)
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

V9 The cry has reached me … I have seen … So now, go, I am sending you

Moses struggled with confidence … Who am I. He asked v13 Suppose they ask me who you are … what shall I tell them … tell them I AM WHO I AM (will be what I will be) you say I AM has sent me …

Jesus said “hayah asher hayah” I AM WHO I AM
Say this … “I Am has sent me to you” – Hayah
Say this to the people I AM has sent me – yhwh (Yahweh or Yehovah) This will be my name forever
The Angel of the Lord took ownership of this name …
So, how radical it was when Jesus said … John 8:58 “before Abraham was, I Am”

And then continuing in Chapter 4 of Exodus God gives Moses signs to give to the people and he turns his staff into a snake and he turns his hand to leprosy, diseased flesh, and returns it … and he gives further instructions and Moses questions his own ability to speak and begs God to send someone else. So God tells him that his brother Aaron, who IS a great speaker, is already on the way. When God calls he has already made provision for your weakness … trust him …

If you read further in the chapter you see “The Lord” speaking multiple times, just realize that this is Jesus … and they came to the people of Israel in Egypt and 4:31 says
Exodus 4:31 (NIV84)
31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
Oh there is a sermon there …
1) When they Heard (Proclamation)
2) They Believed and Bowed (faith and repentance)
3) They Worshipped (Commitment and Consecration)
That’s a free outline for you preachers …

We couldn’t begin to cover all the times God Speaks … it is 301x in the NIV alone … more than 60x in Exodus alone …

Oh there are plenty of types of Christ …
The Priests were a type of Christ … mediator and Intercessor between God and Man
The Altar – the Vehicle by which sin is atoned
The Sacrifice – Holy, Pure, Innocent, Completely given to God and laid on the mercy seat
The Law itself – showed our inadequacy but provided a way for us to be in relationship with God
The Passover Lamb itself a Type… what a beautiful picture
– The Passover Lamb was a “male without defect” … so was Christ … like us in every way yet without sin …
… In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken. This fact was also prophesized for the Messiah, whose bones were not to be broken. It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. But Jesus’ legs were not broken.

We often miss the symbolism of Christ’s sacrifice simply because we don’t know the details of the Passover.
The Lamb
Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel.
Five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day, as the lamb of God. It was called the “Triumphal Entry” but really it was the entry of the lamb of sacrifice.
ON the Passover day, the priest would blow the shophar (ram’s horn) at 3:00 p.m. – the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel.
On Good Friday at 3:00, when Jesus was being crucified, He said, “It is finished”
– at the moment that, the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place.
Jews would bring a grain sacrifice of first fruits at sunset on Friday, and at that time, Jesus was being buried or planted and his resurrection would be the first fruits of all who would follow him and also receive resurrection from the dead

In the Passover, there were Four Cups that were drank as each cup was filled four times during the meal
The CUPS
The 1st Cup was the Cup of Sanctification at the beginning of the meal – they prayed and blessed what was to come and set themselves apart
The 2nd Cup
the cup was filled again and they would dip their finger in it 10 times and drop a drop on the plate to symbolize the 10 plaques in Egypt before their Exodus
The 3rd Cup was the Cup of Redemption and Blessing Anticipating the coming of God’s forgiveness and blessing through the Passover Lamb
Finally 4th there was the Cup of Praise – During this time they read from The Psalms … particularly the Hallal Psalms … that is the Great Psalms of Praise
It was tradition to read from Psalms 113-116

The Bread was without yeast … i.e without sin … Spring Cleaning comes from the cleaning of the house before the Passover and getting rid of every bit of yeast in the house
The bread for the Passover was 3 Pieces of matzah unified as the Bread of Affliction. The middle piece, the Afikomen … was taken out and broken in half, wrapped in a cloth, hidden away. During the meal the children would search and bring it back and it would be given to all to eat.
And so Christ, the center of the triune God, Singular, yet three, was broken, wrapped in a cloth, hidden away, brought back and received by all who would eat.
Can’t you see Jesus carrying out the Passover meal … and when he picks up the “Afikomen” the bread of affliction that is broken, buried, and brought back to be shared by all … he says “This is my Body which is Broken for You” …

And then at the conclusion of the meal when it is time for the 3rd Cup, the Cup of Redemption, he says “This is my blood which is a covenant with you” … do this in remembrance of me
Because it says when we do … you proclaim the Lord till he comes
We remember him to proclaim him

Let’s look at two more pictures of Christ in the Law … just two … one is a Christophany the other a Type
The Pillar of Fire and the Pillar of Cloud
So … after all the plaques after the Passover … the Egyptians “freed” them and they left for the Land of Promise
But v17 of Chapter 13 in Exodus says
Exodus 13:17–18 (NIV84)
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.
And here is The Lord again …

Exodus 13:21–22 (NIV84)

21 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Day or Night, you can follow the Lord because HE is our Light

Then chapter 14 says that the LORD directed them into a tight spot … between Migdol and the Sea … They were almost to Mt Horeb (Sinai) the place that God said they were going to worship him … but God took them on a detour … Ever known God to take you on a detour? Has God ever put you in dire straits, in harms way? In this case God doesn’t even hide what he is doing to Moses … he tells him what he is about to do to Pharaoh … This was about Judgment on wicked Pharaoh and about showing God’s people just what he could do …
4:9-10 what Happened? They pursued Israel, caught them … and the Israelites were terrified and cried out … “what have you done to us?”
What Did Moses say?
Exodus 14:13–14 (NIV84)
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
And The Lord said “why are you crying … MOVE ONE … Raise your staff … divide the water … I will gain glory”
V19 Then the Angel of God … withdrew and went behind them … between the armies … throughout the night … darkness to one side, and light to the other … all night east wind blew and the waters divided … why all night? I don’t know but doesn’t God know how to tell a story, doesn’t he know how to build a scene?

Now I had a professor in College that told us that the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire weren’t really God. He said it was a Basin of Coals carried by the People and it was a symbol of God’s presence … Now when he said that in my Old Testament Survey … Before I could get my little indignant, young preacher hand in the air … he then read from v24 … “The Lord Looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving”

And I asked the professor, “the Lord looked down from the symbol of his presence?” I think I just got a look …
It was no SYMBOL … it was JESUS …
Jesus Before them …
Jesus Behind them …
Jesus With them … and
Jesus FOR them …

The Pillar of Fire and Pillar of Cloud … Like the Bush … Were God Himself in the Person of Christ, revealing himself to them … Remember no one can see The Father … no One has seen the Father
Numbers 14:14 says – they have already heard that you, O Lord, are with these people and that you, O Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night

This pillar had been the visible presentation of God with them. It came over the Tent of Meeting when Moses would go in and speak with God (2nd Person of Trinity) face to face
It was evidence of God’s compassion that caused him to give them his presence with them …
Nehemiah 9:19 (NIV84)
19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take.
They were alone, without knowledge, guidance, or protection, and God provided all by his presence with them …
Psalm 99:7 says it was the vehicle by which God spoke to them giving them the Law

The Cloud would come over the Tent of Meeting and God would speak to Moses
Exodus 33:7–11 (NIV84)
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
From the Cloud he summoned Miriam and Aaron to speak to them … it says the cloud stood at the entrance and he summoned them …
The Cloud enveloped Mt Sinai in Exodus 24:15-18 … God’s glory settled there for 6 days … and it looked like a Consuming Fire … Deuteronomy 4:24 says that the Lord is an All Consuming Fire …
Hebrews 12:28–29 (NIV84)
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”
And So the Cloud was on Sinai and Moses said in 33:18 “Now show me your glory” …
Oh be careful what you ask … Moses had seen him “face to face” but obviously God wasn’t really showing him all … and Moses knew it and he wanted more. I hear people say “I want MORE of God” … More is a dreadful thing be careful …
Exodus 33:19–23 (NIV84)
19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
I can’t imagine what it is Like when the LORD says his own name … what that majesty is like … how the ground will shake … the earth tremble …

Exodus 34:4–8 (NIV84)
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.
… Well I’m sure he did … Moses bowed down to the ground at ONCE and WORSHIPED …

You know … we have the ISAIAH 53 picture of Christ as the Suffering Servant … because that’s what he was on this earth … Perhaps we have a hard time imagining the Revelation 19 Jesus who is riding a white horse with a sword coming from his mouth … you want to see that picture in the Old Testament?
Exodus 19:16–20 (NIV84)
16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up

Well … I need to finish … but let me give you one other TYPE of Christ … that is a picture of Christ …

John 1:14 says about Jesus … The Word became Flesh and made his dwelling among us …
Literally it means the Word “tabernacled” among us. What was John talking about? The people knew what the Tabernacle was.
Exodus 26 gave the instructions for building it. It was to be exactly by the pattern that God had. God doesn’t need a designer to tell him how to do it … he had a pattern.
It was the Dwelling Place of God among the People …
– 10 Linen curtains over a frame 45x15x15 feet … It was called The Tabernacle
– 11 Goat Hair Curtains covered that and were called The Tent … the Extra Curtain covered the opening in front and back to ensure that it wasn’t open and visible to those outside
– Over that with a covering of Ram Skins dyed Red
– Over that a covering of sea cow (dugong – like a manatee)
It was placed not outside the people, but they would camp AROUND it … it was in the center of the people.

This was God’s Stamp of Approval … these are MY People, uniquely related to me
This showed God’s Choice … they were his because he chose them. Jesus told his disciples you didn’t choose me but I have chosen you. Repeatedly in the Old Testament God says “I have chosen you”

If this is a TYPE … a PICTURE of Christ … What is the Picture?
The Tabernacle was a Picture of God’s Provision for relationship with and forgiveness for his people.
Did you see it in the Covering?
Four Coverings … Linen, Goat’s Hair, Ram’s Skin Dyed Red, and Sea Cow …
– Linen – made from flaxseed it was a symbol of purity and righteousness. In this instruction it was woven with thread dyed Blue, Purple, and Scarlet. Blue was a color worn by Priests. Purple was worn by Kings, and Scarlet was worn by the wealthy and the warrior.
Jesus Christ came and Tabernacled Among us as our High Priest, our King, our Wealthy Warrior, and our Righteousness.
– Goat’s Hair … Black Goat’s Hair would have been what they used … Leviticus 16 gives instruction for the “scapegoat” … You know what that is right, the innocent guy who gets stuck with the consequences for someone else’s actions … After the High Priest had offered the sacrifice for the sins, he selected a live goat and takes it by the head and sprinkles blood from the sacrifice on the head of the goat. He confesses the sins of his people over the goat and sends the goat out into the wilderness carrying the sins of the people on his innocent head away from the people.
Jesus tabernacle among us to be our scapegoat and carry away the effect of our sin

– Ram’s skin dyed Red … do I really need to explain this one? Abraham had been told to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He was told to take him to the top of the mountain and put him to the knife. He made the altar, he laid his son down, raised his knife and the Lord stopped his hand and there in the thicket, the thorn bush, was a RAM, caught in its branches. And the ram then became the sacrifice. The Ram’s blood was shed in place of Isaac.
Jesus our Righteous Linen, our Scapegoat, our Substitutionary Sacrifice … and

– A Smooth Sea Animal for the Outer Covering … pretty strange huh? Where did they come up with THAT? They are in the middle of the desert and they’ve got to come up this SMOOTH material made from a sea animal’s skin. I think of an Old Man named Nicodemus and Jesus said “you must be born again” … you must be NEW, you must be transformed into a soft smooth new born creation. HOW? How do we come up with a sea cow? How can we be a new creation, fresh smooth, clean, Holy …

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Left Heaven and came to earth and Tabernacled among us, so that, in the middle of the desert we can be made new. Anyone that is in Christ is a New Creation, yes in the middle of the desert, in Christ we are born again, we are smooth as a newborn baby, forgiven because of the Sacrifice of our Ram, Christ Jesus, our sins taken away from us by our scapegoat and now we stand in the Righteousness of Christ because of Royal, Priestly, Warrior Jesus Christ who tabernacled among us.
A picture … yes a picture of Christ making us a fresh, new, clean creation. He came from some place else, Heaven, to us in the wilderness, to make us new.

Oh Doesn’t God know how to tell HIS Story?

Oh there is so much more of Christ our Lord in the Law and the period of law giving … even a funny story in Numbers 22 about a funny little prophet from a pagan country named Balaam who tried to deceive God’s people … Oh there is nothing like when people who don’t know God try to mess with God … ask Sceva’s seven sons who messed with a demon and found themselves beaten, stripped and bloody in the book of Acts … so imagine coming against God’s People. If you come against God’s people you have to face God FIRST …
So Balaam … said he’d get an answer from God and he sure did … And Jesus, the Angel of the Lord stood in his way … Balaam didn’t even see him … but his donkey saw him and the donkey wouldn’t move. Poor girl, Balaam beat her, probably with a switch, but Jesus had a drawn sword and she didn’t move. She finally just laid down. And Numbers 22:28 says the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said … ‘what have I done to you to make you beat me these three times’ … Balaam said you have made a fool of me if I had a sword I would kill you … to which she replied “am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden … Have I been in the habit of doing this to you” Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the Angel of the Lord … Sword drawn and he bowed down … and then God told him what he was doing …

Well I guess if God can speak through a donkey maybe you have seen something tonight through this preacher …

Let’s pray …
A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament – Chapter One – In The Beginnings

April 28th, 2016

This is a new study I developed at Faith Baptist Church on Wednesday Night. Let me hear what you think.

A Picture of Christ in the Old Testament

Session One: In the Beginnings

Genesis 1:1 says In the Beginning

John so beautifully tells us that “in the beginning was the Word” – logos¬ – John 1:1

The first to use this word for a force in life was a philosopher from Ephesus, Heraclitus, about 500 BC. He described the divine reason or plan which coordinates a changing universe as “the logos”. It is literally “a word uttered by a human voice, the embodiment of a concept or idea”. It can mean “word, account, principle, plan, formula, measure, proportion, or reckoning”

Heraclitus says “no man steps in the same river twice” … He was often called “the Obscure” because his concepts were hard to understand. He was also called “the weeping philosopher”. Maybe it was because it is hard to put this life together. He understood that life and this world always change. He said “ever newer waters flow on those in the same rivers”. Plato quotes him as saying “all entities move, nothing remains still”. Elsewhere he says “we both step and do not step in the same rivers. We are and are not.” Sounds like a fly fisherman to me …  he also sounds a bit confused. I can understand why he was always crying. Without Christ you can’t understand this life. And so without Christ you cannot understand the Old Testament.

Heraclitus in Ephesus introduces a concept that was picked up by Socrates, Plato, Stoics, and on. Then 600 years later, in Ephesus, the Apostle John, an old man, says “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” So that’s where we start with Jesus, in the Beginning. While the river ever changes … Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Genesis 1:1 – In the Beginning God

That statement is not just God the Father. That is Father, Son, and Spirit. Standing when time began is a God who Is. The Uncreated Creator God, in his Triune Glory … always existed.

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth

I believe that Father is the Purpose of God on the Throne; and the Action, Creating, happened by the Word of God. Jesus, speaking, “God said ‘Let there be …’ and there was …” And you see the Spirit of God v3 “hovering over the water” How? I can only speculate, but John tells us in John 1:3 through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”

So, there is Jesus … The Word of God … Speaking the world into existence, according to the Purpose of God, by the Power of the Spirit

Genesis 1:26 – So God created light, water, sky, seas, vegetation, planets and stars, sea creatures, birds, land animals … and it was all good …

Then God said …” v26 “let US make man in OUR own image … 27 So God created man in his own image … male and female”

There is the Trinity, there is Jesus, as we are created in his image, in their image, the image of God. “Us” is not the Heavenly hosts’ image, it was God’s Image, and that is wonderful

Psalm 8 (NIV84)

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. 1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Oh how majestic that while Jesus spoke all things into existence “amar” … yet there in the middle of day six … He stopped and stooped to the dust and “created” “bara” (shaped / formed) 1:27 and “created” yatsar (squeeze into shape) and he FORMED MAN … from the dust.

That was Jesus … The same hands that would bled for us on the cross, got dirty as he “squeezed and formed” us into shape from the dirt

But man couldn’t just follow the rules could we?

Genesis 2:17 “but of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”

Then God makes Eve and together they live and work. Until the day satan questions the word and goodness of God and Eve eats of the tree and gives to Adam and he eats

Genesis 3:7 then their eyes opened and they knew they were naked

They then made an attempt to cover themselves … clothes never mattered till sin entered. Clothes are evidence that we are naked without God’s Righteousness to cover us, and our covering is always insufficient.

So God comes to find them hiding … they make a weak human finger pointing confession …

And God pronounces judgment first on satan … God’s desire is to banish sin first and deal with sin. If we will let him deal with sin, he will deal with us graciously as we respond in faith, even when there are consequences.

So, in judgment on satan / the serpent we have the 1st promise of Jesus coming

Genesis 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman and your offspring and her offspring” the word “zerah” literally means “sowing seed” … This is an interesting statement. Criswell says that Jewish Theologians have struggled with this for 1000s of years. Why? Because women do not have “seed”, men have “seed”. So God, who means every word in scripture, says the “seed of the woman”. Why? Because the virgin will be with child and bear a son and his name will be called Immanuel (God with us) Isaiah 7:14

So, in Genesis 3:15 – we are promised God with us, Immanuel. But not only that but he will bruise the head of the serpent .. .Not the Tail … but the head … the place he can do damage, the sting, the bite, the venom is crushed by Christ.

Wow there is Jesus in the 1st three chapters of Genesis

Well we move quickly forward THE Ark

Genesis 6:5 (NIV84)

5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

And so the Lord was going to start again so he found the only blameless man on earth, Noah … Noah preached repentance and the coming of Judgment. Jesus came preaching repentance “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

Noah built an ark, that was the only salvation for those who would come in. So, if anyone is IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17) and there is NO OTHER NAME by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12) … and There is no condemnation for those IN CHRIST (Romans 8:1)

So Noah created an ark that COULD save ANY, but ONLY SAVED those who entered in. Jesus Came … the only Righteous one called us to repent and then provided a way for ANY who would COME IN, and they could be saved from God’s coming Judgment.

Going forward to Genesis 12 … God comes to a man living in Ur of the Chaldeans … A long way from the Land of Promise … and says

Genesis 12:1–3 (NIV84)

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

There it is … in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed – v3

V4 So Abram Went – oh the simplicity of Faith … Abram WENT … he said “OK” he didn’t ask to understand it all … he went as the Lord had told him

And that simple act resulted in the birth of Isaac, and Jacob, and his 12 Sons … And a people and a King, David, and a woman Mary, and her Seed was a Baby, Immanuel, Jesus, in her by the Spirit, not by the seed of her husband … and the world has been blessed. And there is 2000 years in a paragraph …

And so one night in my bed, I received Christ by faith, and all that God has is mine, though I haven’t received it all yet … but it will come in time.

So a few pages forward to Genesis 14 … Abraham wins a battle and then Melchizedek enters … The King of Salem, carrying bread and wine. His name means “King of Righteousness”. His title was King of Salem (Peace) and he was a priest of God. And he blesses Abraham and receives tithes from Him and he seemed to have no parents … Though of course he did.

So Jesus … seemingly came from nowhere … truly he had no parents genetically on this earth, nor in reality. Hebrews 7 tells us he also is a priest not by the law, but by his life. He was not a Levite but a Judahite … He was a priest but also a King. He brings us Peace with God

Romans 5:1 (NIV84)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

He is the King of Righteousness, and having battled sin … he comes to us with Bread and Wine … his Body broken, his blood spilled

Then Genesis 16 … “The Angel of the Lord” appears to Hagar … we will see that this person is always Jesus … he is always the manifestation of God to Us

16:13 – “you are the God who sees me”

Then Genesis 18:1 “The Lord appeared to him by the Oaks of Mamre” … then we see 3 men … is this the Trinity? No … I believe it is JESUS, the Lord, and 2 Angels because we see the 2 Angels in chapter 19 in Sodom. They come, though only in this passage, as 3 together. This is serious 1) Isaac is announced 2) judgment is announced on Sodom/Gomorrah

The Lord asks v17 “shall I hide this thing from Abraham” … What a close relationship Abraham has with God … one James calls a friend of God

So Isaac is born and then as a teen in Genesis 22

God tells Abraham to Sacrifice his Son … Not for Sin … but he just asks him to give it back to him.

V7 “Dad, we have fire, wood, where is the Lamb?”

V8 God himself will provide the Lamb

He then bound his son on Mt Moriah to the altar, raised his knife … but God stopped him … wait … WHO stopped him … 22:11 – The Angel of the Lord called out to him … BY NAME …

Oh it is Jesus who calls out to us by name, and offers that we don’t HAVE TO DIE …

V13 there in a thicket he saw a ram caught … he took and sacrificed. And Abraham called the place “The Lord has Provided”

So, then Isaac long promised finally came. So Christ long promised finally came

Isaac was willing to offer himself. So Christ …as Isaac was led like a lamb to slaughter Isaiah 53 says of Christ also led like a lamb to the slaughter.

Isaac had two sons … you can read the story. But Jacob, the younger, was estranged from his brother Esau … And on his way home after a long time away in Genesis 32

V24 a man wrestled with him till daybreak

V25 the man touched his hip and dislocated it.

V26 I will not let you go unless you bless me (make me happy)

The man asks “what is your name” – Jacob = supplanter.

Your name will be “Israel” = strives with God

He spent his life striving with everyone for happiness until he wrestled with Christ and found his peace, God’s happiness.

And he never walked the same again. Christ blessed him there and he named the place Peniel because he saw God face to face and lived.

V31 the sun rose on him as he passed Penuel LIMPING because of his hip

Jacob had 12 sons, his favorite was Joseph

Joseph was most loved by his father.. So Jesus was the beloved ONLY son of God.. Joseph was hated by his family and turned over to Gentile people. So Jesus was given over to the Romans by his own who hated him.

Joseph suffered unjustly but then became ruler of all

So Jesus, suffered death on the cross but has been given a name, LORD. Then all things will be under his feet and now he is at the right had of the father in heaven.

Joseph saved the region from death by famine

Jesus saved the world from death to sin

Joseph forgave his brothers

Jesus forgave his executioners and all who will come to him

So Let me take you back to Genesis 3:21

After the consequences of sin pronounced v21 says:

the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them …

The same hands that had squeezed them into shape from dirt, brought them garments. They had clothed themselves but inadequately.

What kind of clothes did the Lord bring? Animal Skins.

Where did they come from? Dead Animals.

Who killed the Animals? Jesus.

He who formed them now came … I believe with hands still stained by the blood of sacrifice … He offers them clothes.

Romans 13:14 clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9:22 (NIV84)

22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

They could have stayed with their own clothes … but I believe by Faith they received Christ

The Lord who had dirty hands to make us … Had blood stained hands to clothe them.

One day those same hands were stained again to clothe us in God’s righteousness at the Cross. Those hands forgave and offered us cleansing and to bring us to the family of God … can you see his hands reaching out?

IN the Beginning was Jesus, The Word
God is Revealing What are you Doing?

April 19th, 2016

So God is here, God is At work … God is always here, Always at work. I guess the question is, will he choose to reveal himself to us, and if he does, what will we do with the revelation?

God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus 3 as The Angel of The Lord … pre-incarnate Jesus … through this bush on fire, but not being consumed
v2 – though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up
v3 – Moses SAW – are we paying attention?
v3 – Moses THOUGHT – I will go over and see …
v4 – He had gone – Action

How many times have we noticed God at work or wondered if God might be at work. We see something and we are considering, “is this God, should I check it out”. “I really should check that out … TOMORROW”. And tomorrow never comes. A friend of mine used to say “I’ll do that on the 12th … the 12th of never.” Well it’s “1/2 past never” and “1/4 till when”. Are we going to see what God is doing and investigate how, when, we can be involved.

Notice, it wasn’t until Moses came over to investigate that God spoke. If his revelation doesn’t have our interest then why would he bother to speak?
So Moses investigates … God speaks “Moses! Moses!”
Moses answers … I know that’s a simple thing, but sometimes God speaks and we RUN or we pretend we don’t hear, but Moses answers.
Moses responds “HERE I am.”
Not to overplay the simple … but this statement of being I think was deep
HERE I am –> In Exile
HERE –> seeking to know what you are doing
HERE –> in confusion about who I am or what I am
HERE –> near to you, far from home
HERE I am

And God says
v5 “Don’t come closer … take off your sandals”
Such a humbling thing here. I personally can relate to this because I am a “shoe wearing guy.” Taking off my shoes is a humbling thing.
We need to see that before Moses could draw near there had to be humility. Humility and Brokenness come before Intimacy. I know that Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and receive mercy and grace. But that confidence is based on the completed work of Christ at the Cross.
But approaching the Work and Revelation of God is a bit different. When God reveals himself, that he is at work, he is inviting us to JOIN him. So, we have to be careful, because we often storm into his presence with our plans and big ideas. Or maybe that is just me. I know I am guilty. I am an idea guy. I get a sense of God’s move and my mind races and I come racing into God’s Throne room with a plan for him. Instead we need to humble ourselves, take off our running shoes, and recognize that God is not wanting to do something, but hoping that I will come up with a plan. God is not hoping that I have an idea so he can bless it or better yet so he can DO it for me. Be certain that God HAS a plan. So we need to humble ourselves and say “speak Lord, your servant is listening.” If you have ideas, ask God, “is this your plan or mine?” Then SCRAP YOUR PLANS and embrace his.
Pray: “God reveal yourself to me”
v6 God says “I am the God of your father … of Abraham … Isaac … Jacob …
i.e. I have been here, I have been working, I can and will continue.
Then God begins to reveal his plan vv7-10
v7 I have seen … I have heard … I am concerned …
It had been 400 years but God wasn’t oblivious, he wasn’t lazy, 400 years is a snap of a finger to him, he had a plan
v8 I have come down to rescue … bring them out
v9 the cry has reached me … I have seen
v10 So, Now Go, I am sending you …

So, then back to the Revelation of God in the Bush. It burned but was not consumed, because God was IN it. God did not need the Bush for fuel, but it was simply a container as he displayed his revelation. God does not NEED us, or our abilities, but if we surrender he uses us.
Moses was worried about his ability … but he needed to look the Bush. Moses goes on to give lots of excuses, and statements of inability, but Look at the Bush. The same God who does that can use me. God didn’t need his ability, but his availability.
As you enter the realm of God’s work this week …
See — God is at work, pay attention to what he is revealing, what he is doing
Think — God wants me to come over there
Draw Near in Humility — take off your running shoes
Listen for HIS Plans — Scrap Yours
Join him and Watch in Wonder at what he does through you.
If you had only known what would bring you peace

April 4th, 2016

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem standing on the mount of olives
Luke 19:41-44 “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

if you’d only known what would bring you peace …

What would bring peace is a faith in a who not a what?

The coming of the Messiah was referred to as a “Mystery” that is something that is hidden. But Jesus came as the revelation of God. Jesus was the unveiling of the love and provision of God. In a world without peace, the arms of God or open wide there’s why does the arms of Christ on the cross as wide open as the empty tomb. John 14.27 Jesus says “peace I leave with you my peace I give you I did not give to you as the world gives do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”

What is the peace that he leaves? Chapter 14 verse 1-3 says “do not let your hearts be troubled and trust in God trust also in me in my fathers house are many rooms if it were not so I would’ve told you I’m going to prepare a place for you …I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am”

What is the peace three things: 1) there is a place there is room for you inGod’s plan in God’s house 2) Jesus has made provision for you 3) Jesus is coming. if you only knew … the peace people need to hear from us is that there is room for them. There is room for them in our lives, room for them in the church, more importantly there is room for them in God’s kingdom through the provision of the work of Christ! The piece that the world needs is that he knows, he cares, and He is coming! The fact that we will be attacked is a reality. The reality is we will experience hardship. Jesus said “I n this world you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world.” It is not going to be easy for us. When we become Christians we do not become invincible superheroes we are just fragile vessels with the hope of glory in us. In our brokenness, God’s glory shines through us.

So, 2 Corinthians 4:6 says that the same God who said “let light shine out of darkness” May the light shine in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus. And sometimes the only way we see his face is when we are not down and have to look up. Then verse seven says we have this treasure -that is the light of God’s glory – in jars of Clay to show that the surpassing power is from God and not us. Then 2 Corinthians 4 goes on to say “we are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed”

If only they knew… We need to weep for those around that do not know. But do not weep without telling them. If we tell them and they will not receive them and weep for them because it is only hidden by their unbelief, by their circumstances that wall them in. Pray for the breaking that will let the light shine. Be willing to be personally broken and vulnerable to allow the light, to shine into their lives. Pray for illumination and revelation to come forth for their transformation.
Practicing Your Faith

January 13th, 2016

Message Delivered for Men of Faith – Breakfast, 9 January, 2016

James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32

Practicing Your Faith

Well, men, as is my case, I ask the coordinator of our meetings, now Troy, what God is saying and then I work forward from there.

Well Last week, Troy emailed me this … the topic is:

PRACTICING – God’s man learns how to apply God’s Word to all areas of life. It is essential to allowing room for accountability within the men’s ministry for the purpose of consistency and obedience to God’s Word (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32)

Now we haven’t read the passage yet, you are perhaps familiar with it “be doers of the word, not hearers” is the way you may remember it … … and remember I didn’t pick this topic … TROY DID … Take it up with him, but remember he is a BIG GUY.

But before we break it down a bit … I sent a note to a couple of people yesterday. One a Pastor and One a Doctor. Let’s listen to their responses

First the Pastor … Here is an email response from Pastor Ken Ansell, a friend of mine from High School, a pastor for about 15 years. We regularly talk, email, tweet, iron sharpening iron. His twitter name is … @hearanddo, So, I thought it would be good to ask Ken what he thought since it is his chosen moniker. So I asked him to give me his personal “musts” and personal “pet peeves” regarding James 1:22-25 …

Not sure this helps and all just very, very quick thoughts:

James 1:22 requires intentionality. Love is the foundation: both love of God and therefore love for people.

Tangibility. Our love, the kingdom, as we practice obedience it will be tangible. So often in our heads we are evangelizing, serving, etc. but not in our hearts or with real action.

John (the Baptist) said some good stuff in Luke 3, the biggest one that I drove the stake and “did” was the 2 coat thing,(John says if we want to SHOW we are God’s people, someone with 2 Coats should give to those who have none) Ken says it’s deeper than 2 coats, and my theology on it has evolved, but I had two coats, and gave one away, still just have the one, might seem silly, but that has changed my life. Being obedient is joy. Disobedience robs us, we always focus on the sin of disobedience but some never know the consistent joy from daily obedience.

People are undeserving, love them anyway, give to the one who asks, Matthew 5:42, stop being judge all the time … Give, do it!

This is tricky but in friendships I have to have no real agenda but love. Yes I want to share Jesus or be a catalysts for spiritual growth, but I have decided to just love and be in a permanent relationship with both non and Christian people. My two new gay friends can really make me want to back out on this but I’m hanging in there I’m not giving up when they have no movement if that makes sense.

Eph. 4:1 (“as a prisoner of the Lord … live a life worthy”) following Jesus is our vocation, I just preach to pay the bills. This gives me perspective.

The golden rule compels me, if I would like someone to bring me a Starbucks, or mow my yard, or pray, or send me an encouraging card, guess what? I have to spontaneously do those things for others.

Well, that probably does not help but my thoughts are free … I had to stop being a theorists and start being a practitioner, stop waiting on others to go with me and just go and do.

Love ya brother, hit it out of the park as always!

The Red Letters have made James 1:22,

So what did he say?

Intentionality

Love

Tangible Action

Obedience is Joy

Disobedience robs us

Stop being a Theorist

Start being a Practitioner

Just DO

So I told you I sent a note to a Pastor and a Doctor … Because we all know that Doctors “Practice Medicine” …

So here is the Response from my brother, Dr. Thomas Goforth, D.O. New York City, About “practicing” as a Doctor:

The practice of medicine is an art as well as a science. As a science we are responsible to practice “evidence based medicine,” doing things because they have evidence to support their effectiveness and safety, e.g. Knowing when is appropriate or not appropriate to give antibiotics, knowing which screening tests to recommend, which blood pressure medications are appropriate given unique medical conditions and demographic predispositions… We have to continually read, keep up with latest evidence, replace old practices with new based on current evolving knowledge of disease processes, safety/harm, side effect profiles, etc. if end points are not shown to improve, or harms outweigh the risks, we have to be willing to abandon previous traditional ways of practice. We are held accountable by standards within the medical community. Now, the is a paradigm shift of reimbursement based on outcomes. I am not only reimbursed based on volume, but based on whether or not my diabetic patients have good numbers, hypertension patients have BP controlled, children have vaccines, over 50y have colonoscopies, etc. we have peer chart reviews…

But medicine is also just as much an art. What works for one patient may not work for another, doses are not uniform in effectiveness… If you just shut up and listen to patients you will often find all the answers you need to diagnose and often even to find the solution. Like ministry, people often aren’t impressed with how smart you are if they don’t sense that you care and listen to them. My art of practice is to talk to each patient about “balance.” I call it the 4 legs of our chair. If all four legs of our chair are firmly on the ground, we will generally feel well. When legs are not in place, we don’t feel well. Our legs are: proper diet, daily physical activity (exercise), proper amount and quality of sleep, and the inner spiritual/emotional life. We generally feel well in proportion to how many legs are firmly on the floor…. Yada yada

So what did he say about Practicing?

Art and Science

Responsible to Practice Knowledge Appropriately

Continually Read to continue to Know

Accountable to Accepted Standards and Peer Reviews

Practicing is an Art … not every situation is the same though standards ARE

Listen

Balance

Yada Yada

Hmmm some pretty great advice from a Pastor and a Doctor … well, what does the Word of God say … do we really want to know?

Troy picked two VERY related passages from the Old Testament and the New … because God does not CHANGE … Let’s read them … I’m going to make some application

Ezekiel 33 begins by telling Ezekiel he is a watchman on the wall.

Gentlemen my job as a Pastor is to be a Watchman on the Wall … What do watchmen do? When they see something wrong, see danger, they SOUND the Alarm. If the people don’t respond, that is on them, but if the Watchmen doesn’t do his job it is on him. So that is what Ezekiel was doing, sounding the Alarm.

Now men, that is MY JOB every week, and people come here because they WANT to hear the message …

Ezekiel 33:30–33 (NIV84) “As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. ³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

V31 they come … sit … listen …

Then … what does it say? They do not put them into practice

With their mouths they express devotion – is that talking about our worship services?

But their hearts are greedy – is our lack of obedience because it will cost us too much?

One who sings love songs

Then God tells Ezekiel what he feels like … and boy can I relate … he feels like someone who sings love songs or plays great music, everyone claps … but no one leaves CHANGED …

So …

James 1:22–25 (NIV84) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Gentlemen … don’t make me into a Pop singer … Oh I’m a musician and I love singing and playing for an audience, but the difference is that I have always wanted to CHANGE the World NOT Entertain the world …

Do not merely listen … WHY because that is the ULTIMATE Deception …

Do what it says … the only way to be truthful with the messages you hear is to DO it. Sometimes that takes great effort, sometimes it is simple, but it will ALWAYS COST you … that’s where we often stumble in the COST.

When you listen but don’t do you are lying to yourself, you are like the guy looks in the mirror knows he doesn’t look right but goes out confident in how good they look.

I saw a lady in the airport in Houston wearing Hot Pink wind shorts, a t-shirt, and cowboy boots … and I thought “she looked at her self this morning and said ‘This looks good’” … LIE … but she was walking confidently … believing the lie.

So how do we become DOERS?

V25 – looks intently into the perfect law

Doing without hearing, without knowing is selfishness, is arrogance. We MUST come and hear, we must read and study, we must KNOW

We won’t know by accident we won’t know without effort. He says don’t “merely listen” or ONLY listen. That is listening as to the radio but not doing. And that starts by Looking Intently parakupto two words – para meaning – beside and kupto which is – to bend stoop down near. Some of us don’t look at the word intently, come along side it, we just remember our favorite passages, our best times and think “that’s who I am” … it is like replacing your mirror with an Olan Mills Picture of yourself at your best. You walk up first thing in the morning and look at the “Mirror” but all you see is your best picture and you walk away and change nothing … We must STOOP Down Beside the Word, and take it in …

– the perfect law that gives freedom – oh the lie we have believe, that if we follow Jesus, if we obey him, if we are doers it is going to lock me up. I hate hearing the term that married men use when they call their wife an “old ball and chain”. Being in a loving relationship with my wife doesn’t bind me, because she loves me with her whole being, and I love her with my whole being then our relationship gives me the greatest freedom.

So the world is full of lies about what freedom is and where we can get it, but I’m going to look intently at God’s word because that’s where freedom lives.

Then just like Doctor Goforth said

– And continues to do this … this isn’t a one time thing, I was there when my Brother Graduated from Medical School, but he couldn’t stop reading and learning that day or any day.

How do we be people of TRUTH?

People of truth live by truth … By not forgetting what we had heard … but doing

Not DOING is Forgetting … we are called to remember to be DOING – word is poietes – to make. One who makes something, a DOER, a PERFORMER, a POET.

The Poetry, the Performer, the Singer, that we need is NOT the one on the stage, that preacher is only the WARM UP ACT … He is only the Inspiration … What we need is the singer on the street, the doer on the block, the Poet in the Workplace, the one who makes the gospel Real and Relevant in the world … that is YOU.

That’s what our friends have told us ….

Intentionality

Tangible Action not THEORY

Obedience is JOY

Be A Practitioner

Art and Science = that equals Faith, Feeling, and Action

Knowledge

Balance – like Likes on a Chair …

How about Spiritual Legs to Our Chair

leg 1 – Biblical Knowledge

leg 2 – Prayer

leg 3 – Witness

leg 4 – Service

And then

Worship is the chairback we lean on

So how is your Balance?

Did I give you enough answers today? Did I give you a big HOW to?

Could it be that we don’t need Answers as much as we need DOING

If we would spend time doing what we KNOW, we would find more answers

The answers are in the DOING …

That’s all gentlemen … that’s my song … are you going to applaud, are you going to throw tomatoes … or are you going to make a change?

I don’t want to be a Rock Star

I want to be a Watchman on the Wall

You are WARRIORS

Literally Warriors

Rise up like Warriors

Rise up

Nuf said … my guess is some we have some work to do …
Why Can’t I Follow NOW? – John 13:33-38

January 4th, 2016

Jesus was about to die, there is an urgency behind his words in John 13-16. the disciples didn’t understand the urgency because they didn’t know what was ahead; however, I am sure they felt the urgency even though they didn’t understand.

As they say “ours is not to reason why …”

Have you felt God’s urgency in his commands, do this or do that? Yet we have desires, other plans. Did you hear his command? do you sense the urgency? Then do it

Jesus says v33a “I will be with you only a little longer.” that’s a clear word … a disturbing word. Further clarity … v33b “where I am going you CANNOT come.” Still further CLARITY … a Command v34 “love one another” that’s the command. “as i have loved you” that is the comparison, the qualifier. The Purpose v35? “by this (your love) all men will know that you are my disciples.”

yet in spite of the clarity, Peter, like us, like all “children”, is stuck on what he CANNOT do “you cannot come”

Peter v36 says “Lord, where are you going?”

It doesn’t matter because “you cannot come now, but you will follow later”

v37 “Lord why can’t I follow you NOW?”

Oh the tyranny of the NOW. Peter reveals his immaturity in this exchange. He is setting aside the clear instruction, the clear commands, the clear purpose, the clear separation of yes and no, and instead wanting to focus on the unknown and the not now. One of the clearest evidences of immaturity is impatience and impertence.

“Why not now daddy?” “Why not now Lord?”

I’ve said it many times to parents, and also to Christians seeking an answer from God, “no is not a bad word”. No is sometimes the answer of a loving parent and a loving God.

“Why can’t I do this NOW Lord?”

“Because NOW I said NO. Because NOW I have a different purpose. Because NOW you are to LOVE one Another.”

They were to love one another for two reasons: one spoken, and one unspoken. The spoken reason was that the world may know you are mine. Follow me, love like me, as an agent of revelation to a watching world. The Unspoken reason was that their world was about to get shaken. Jesus would be taken, then return, but then leave and they were going to NEED one another. Jesus leaves us behind because somebody needs us. So, look up, look around, this is not about you. This is HIS Story. So if he says “you can’t come.” “You cannot go.” “You stay here.”

1) you don’t know yourself as well as you think you do. Peter said “I will lay down my life” and Jesus says “yeah well, not today you won’t, you aren’t that strong yet.”

2) you don’t know his plans like you think you do. Jesus said “yes you WILL follow me, but LATER, you WILL lay down your life

3) he has a purpose – But TODAY Love, Encourage, Wait

Jesus was urgent in his words. He was sober in his words, so NOT going NOW, must be important.

Trust the Urgency

Trust the Instruction

Wait when he says “wait”.

The “exciting” will come soon enough. His plans are more important than mine and more perfect than mine. His timing is impeccible.

As High as the Heavens are above the earth, so much higher are your thoughts than my thoughts, your ways than my ways Oh Lord

So 14:1 Jesus says “Do not let your hearts be troubled (in the waiting) Trust in God; Trust also in me.”
I Made You … Listen to Me

December 9th, 2015

Two great deceptions we often fall for 1) God doesn’t speak to me, so I don’t need to listen and 2) There isn’t anything for me to do

I have said for years that God doesn’t make “knick-knacks”. You know those things that you picked up somewhere, someone gave you, they have no purpose other than to sit on your shelf, gather dust, and perhaps facilitate a memory. God doesn’t make “knick-knacks”, and he doesn’t buy “knick-knacks”> Yet you were created with intention and love. You were purchased with great price, the precious blood of Jesus.
So, Isaiah calls out to those near Israel and those far away Islands and distant nations, and he uses himself as an example to say “God made me, God made you, so we need to LISTEN to him.” To say “do not imagine for a minute that your position or posture means that you do not have a purpose, so pay attention.”

Isaiah 49:1–7 (NIV84)
1 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” 4 But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” 5 And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength— 6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” 7 This is what the LORD says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

v1 – Listen to me – this is the testimony of a witness and the call of a creator … “Listen … open your ear, open your heart, engage your mind, turn away from other chatter, and listen to me.”
Hear this … this is important
You Islands and you distant nations – this message is for two groups 1) those who are God’s people and have been scattered by invaders and 2) Those within those lands who do not acknowledge yet the Lord
Before I was born, the Lord called me … From my birth, he has made mention
Do you believe that God has always had plans for you and it is for those plans that you were created? Or, do you believe that when you acknowledged and believed THEN he decided “well I have to find something to do with them?” If you have yet to receive him, he still has a plan for you.
v2 For Isaiah he made your mouth, a sharpened sword
Perhaps you have a child with a quick tongue and it drives you crazy … that is from God it just has to be sharpened correctly and taught to be used.
He Hid me polished me, and concealed me
He has not forgotten you, he has hidden you and is preparing you. Sometimes we tend to cry out and say “Lord what are you doing? Why am I in this bag. Look, I’m straight and shiny, sharp, and yet stagnant. Load me up and fire me Lord.” But our Master Archer, says “not yet child, not yet, I have a purpose. Let’s polish a little more, let’s sharpen a little more.”

v3 But your day will come, but better yet, we should say HIS day will come. “you are my servant … in whom i will display my splendor” He is the vine, WE are the branches … we reach out FROM him, we reach out FOR him, we find our fullness in our connection to him.
v4 Here comes an honest statement that shows we don’t understand … i have worked for nothing … spent my strength for nothing … yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand. I am his to use as he desires. He is my portion and reward. He can pay me as and when he desires. Remember our Labor is not in vain in the Lord 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Stand firm let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of hte Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
You will never spend one day, one dollar, one devotion that is for nothing if it is to the Lord and from his direction. Oh it will wear us out at times, but he renews our strength and we will not faint.
v5 Remember the Lord FORMED us … we are ergodynamic. That is our form is designed for our purpose. “Lord, why am I different than they are, than that one?” “My child it is because you are made for a different purpose.” “So Lord, how come I don’t get any honor or credit.”
“Oh child, I see … you ARE honored in my eyes and will be honored in my presence.”
Luke 18:28, Peter says “we have left all we had to follow” vv29-30 “The truth … no one who has left … for the sake of the kingdom … will fail to receive many times as much …”
v5b He is our reward … and our strength … I am your strength
Psalm 73:26 God is my strength and my portion forever
SO
v6 – Since he is my reward, my portion, my strength … It is not a LITTLE thing for me to use you that is a huge thing. But see it as it is written It is a small thiing to serve him … to follow him … to be hid … to be used … to be sharpened … to be polished … to be fired … it is ALL his doing, his purpose
I will make you a light … that was his purpose in different ways but still for all to display his splendor
v7 WHY? He Created, he knows, he redeems, he is the unique one of a kind Holy One. People will see and get up, will see and bow down.
He is faithful, He is Choosing, He has chosen me …
Near or Far
Known or Unknown
Ready or Being Readied

You are His
He has Chosen You
My Kingdom Is From Another Place

October 26th, 2015

John 18:36 My Kingdom is not of this world … my kingdom is from another place

Where is your territory? What do you fight to protect? Do we sometimes fight for things that are of THIS world?

Things of this world

are about me

will not last

may not glorify God

will give temporary returns on investment

So often we are involved in “turf wars” and we want to set up fences and fight. In the southwest, there were cattle herders and sheep herders. Cattle were managed by cowboys on horseback and they grazed. Sheep though would strip a place bald and were fenced in and so territory wars broke out over the sheep and cattle and fences or no fences. The question for us is what are we fighting for? Are we battling for territory or treasures, souls or surface things? Are we fighting for things WE own or things we manage?

Jesus said “My Kingdom is NOT OF this world.”
I think the great challenge for us in ministry is to keep our battles in the right realm and keep our attacks focused on the right enemy. What does Ephesians 6:12 say? We struggle NOT against FLESH and blood … So if we are fighting an enemy with a human face, we are missing the real enemy. Why was Jesus able to face Caiaphus, Herod, and Pilate and remain calm, at peace? It was because his enemy didn’t have a human face. His enemy was not flesh and blood. Our enemy is our own selfish desires, and satan’s desires. My kingdom is not of this world, my battle is not in this realm. If we have our heels dug in, fighting for earthly territory, we are fighting in the wrong plain.

Strive for Souls … battle the real enemy.

Psalm 42:2-11 NIV84

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and 6 my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

We easily are downcast when we have our heart and focus on earthly things

Put Your hope in God.

David closes out Psalm 17 with the correct perspective. After talking about the fleshly one who seems to always have enough, though God’s child might seem to be left out … David says

But as for me, I will behold your face in righteousness, and be satisfied when I wake with your likeness

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