The meaning of Joseph is ‘increase’. Joseph’s brothers hated him. They wanted him dead. Joseph suffered much because of them. Yet, he forgave them freely. How was he able to do that? What is the secret of Joseph in displaying such grace and mercy? His secret is found in his theology. Because he knew God intimately, he behaved like God. This is Joseph’s basic doctrine: “you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good” (Gen 50:20). Lesson: if we believe like Joseph, we can also forgive and love like Joseph and God will use us for His glory!
The Bible Story of Joseph is found the Book of Genesis, chapters 37 to 50. It is one of heroic redemption and forgiveness. Joseph was the most loved son of his father, Israel, who gave him a robe of many colors, a symbol of leadership. Lesson: parents, it is not good to have favorites! When Joseph reported having dreams of his brothers bowing before him, their jealousy grew into action. They sold him into slavery to a traveling caravan of Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. In Egypt, the Lord’s constant presence with Joseph enables him to find favor with Potiphar and later, with the keeper of the prison. With God’s help, Joseph correctly interprets the dreams of two prisoners, predicting that one of them will be reinstated but the other put to death. Joseph then interprets the dreams of Pharaoh, which anticipate seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh recognizes Joseph’s God-given ability and promotes him to be to the chief administrator of Egypt. Shortage of food in Canaan forces Jacob to send his sons to buy grains from the Egyptians. Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother, remains at home as Jacob fears losing him, as he did Joseph. When Joseph finally encounters his brothers again, he conceals his identity. He accuses them of being spies and tells them to return with Benjamin or he will not sell them grain. The ongoing famine forces Jacob to reluctantly send his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin, and they are unexpectedly invited to dine at Joseph’s house. Joseph tests the character of his brothers by placing a silver cup in the sack of Benjamin and falsely accusing him of theft. When Judah offers to stay in place of Benjamin, Joseph knows that his character has changed and reveals to them that he is their brother. Joseph says that they need not feel guilty for betraying him as it was God’s plan for him to be in Egypt to preserve their family. He told them to bring their father and his entire household into Egypt to live in the province of Goshen because there were five more years of famine left. Joseph supplied them with Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver, and more donkeys for the journey. Jacob is joyously reunited with his beloved son Joseph. This is an interesting note: Joseph became prime minister at 30. (David became king at 30. Jesus started His public ministry at 30). Joseph died when he was 110. For 80 years he was a great leader in Egypt. But with all his success, Joseph did not regarded Egypt as his own country. He told his family to carry his bones to the Promised Land. That was faith (Heb 11:22)! More than 400 years later, during the exodus, the Jews carried his bones and buried them in the Promised Land.
Joseph is about 40 years when Jacob came to Egypt. He was about 57 years old when his father died (Gen 47:28). He is now at the peak of his power and success in Egypt. After Jacob dies and is buried, Joseph’s brothers felt guilty and afraid. They knew that they planted evil. They must now harvest evil. Without their father, they assumed that Joseph would now seek revenge and punish them. But Jospeh’s words toward his brothers are words of mercy and love. Before he revealed himself to his brothers, they lived in torment, in unconfessed sin. This always makes men guilty and angry. They hate Christians who speak the truth. It affects their relationships with others. Joseph’s brothers’ sin affected their relationship with their father. Lesson: Sin must be confessed and repented of. The only solution is the mercy of Jesus!
This is a reminder of the power of love released when the Kingdom of God is active among men. “When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice; But when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh” (PV 29:2; AMP). Here we see the reason why Joseph was a great man. Joseph was great not because of his dreams, his intelligence or his hard work. It is because of his godly character, the man he has become thru all the trials of life. His brothers wanted to kill him. Eventually they sold him. What effect do you think that action will have upon a 17-year-old boy? Potiphar’s wife lied that he wanted to rape her. Before Joseph was 30 many people betrayed him and tried to destroy his character. But thru it all, Joseph trusted and loved God. He gave his two sons Hebrew names: Manasah (God has helped me to forget the suffering in my father’s house) and Ephraim (God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction). Joseph had a relationship with God even before the trials came. Joseph knew that God would make him fruitful no matter what happens to him. God allowed him to suffer until he could be able to forgive and freely love his selfish brothers. He could not be promoted until Love won his heart. A proof that Joseph truly forgave them is that he encouraged them not to fear him. Joseph did not see himself in the place of God. He knew that vengeance belongs to God and not to man. Lesson: True forgiveness releases the victim from fear of punishment and comes from a humble and loving heart.
How to forgive others? Joseph saw his brothers as an instrument of God! Joseph does not even want his brothers to grieve over their sin. He encourages them because he loves them, and he has forgiven them. Lesson: if you have suffered and you still want others to suffer, you are bitter. You have not forgiven. I am not saying that the pain is not real. But like Joseph, look unto God and see everything as God sees. Joseph focused on the plan of God and left vengeance to God. He realized that God has a purpose for his life and trusted God to fulfill that. Joseph’s life is a proof of the sovereignty and grace of God for those who live faithfully and righteously. Despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph remained faithful to God and trusted God to deliver him from trials. His story shows how God’s plan may not be obvious to our limited perspective but indeed “all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Lessons: Your God given dreams may disturb others. Nothing stops God’s plan for you. Prosperity is not just material wealth. It is being in God’s plan. God’s presence with you means prosperity. Joseph was called prosperous even as a slave (Gen 39:2-6). Obedience and Truth always defeat rebellion and lies. God will test and discipline you. Forgiveness and giving others a second chance is proof of love. It is worth it. Trust God during trials, knowing that God will deliver us! He will display His Justice, love, mercy and grace!
Finally, you look for a mentor, look for one who knows God, who is responsible, faithful, kind and one who fears God! Joseph is the only person in the Old Testament who has no record of guilt. He is a type of Christ! He was a man who knew God and was in touch with God. He has surely learned about God from his father, Jacob. Joseph’s relationship with God started when he was a child, long before his trials came. Joseph found favor with God and with man (with the community). He was faithful in his responsibilities. He had the fear for God. When Potiphar’s wife tempted him, he said that adultery is a sin against God and not only against man. He knew how to say no to sin. But his greatest moral quality manifested as love and forgiveness. He could have sold his brothers into slavery or kill them. But he forgave them and spoke kindly to them. He did not allow his suffering to make him bitter. He kept his heart pure. Joseph became Pharoah’s mentor. He did not corrupt Pharoah with bitterness. Joseph suffered a lot, but when he died at 110, he was the greatest man in the world at that time. This is truly amazing! This is true greatness! Worship the Lord!
THE FALL AND RISE OF SAMSON (Jdg 14:10-18; 16:1-31)
Samson was a judge in Isreal for 20 years. The judges were military leaders in times of crises empowered by the Holy Spirit. Samson is one of the most difficult men to understand. He is a strange man, physically strong but spiritually immature. His name means ‘Sun Child’. Samson was a miracle child, born to a woman who had been barren. God’s angel told his parents about the boy’s purpose in life. Their son would be a lifetime Nazirite, from his mother’s womb. In Hebrew, the word ‘Nazarite’ means ‘separated’ unto God. He had the greatest potential to be a Man of God, but he failed in many ways. He recovered his testimony at the end of his life. He is among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Praise the Lord!
In the Old Testament, any person who wanted to serve God better, even if he was not a Levite, he could do so, by taking a Nazarite vow. The vow is a decision, an action for those who desire to yield themselves to God completely. The Nazirite vow (Nu 6:1-21), has 5 features: It is voluntary, can be done by either men or women, has a specific time frame, has specific requirements and restrictions, and at the end, a sacrifice is offered. During the time of the vow the person does not drink alcoholic wine, does not cut his (her) hair and he doesn’t go close to a dead body, not even if his parents die. In the New Testament, there is a command that is similar with this vow. Apostle Paul says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1,2). Selah!
Samson had godly parents. They thought him the Word of God and told him about the command of the angel that he is a life-time Nazirite. He cannot cut off his hair. When he became an adult, the Holy Spirit gave him supernatural strength. For example, he killed a lion with his bare hands. He killed 1000 Philistines only with a donkey jawbone. God gave this supernatural strength to him to fight the Philistines. The condition of keeping this strength was submission to God’s will. Willing and unrepentant sin could take the strength away. Samson knew that! But he was careless with his life. The great Physical strength of Samson hid a great weakness of character. He did not take seriously his calling as a Nazirite. For most of his life, he was not a spiritual man. That is the sad part of his story!
Samson was led by the lust of his eyes. He ‘saw a Philistine woman’ and told his parents that he wants to marry her. The parents were not happy. The Philistines were the oppressors, the enemies. At their wedding day, he gave ‘a feast’ that surely provided alcohol. This was against his vow as a Nazirite. Possibly drunk, he gave the Philistine guests a riddle. He said that if they can solve it, he will give each of them a new set of clothes. They went to his bride and asked her to find the answer from Samson. They said to her: “Entice your husband, that he may explain the riddle to us, or else we will burn you and your father’s house with fire. Have you invited us in order to take what is ours? Is that not so?” 16 Then Samson’s wife wept on him, and said, “You only hate me! You do not love me! You have posed a riddle to the sons of my people, but you have not explained it to me.” And he said to her, “Look, I have not explained it to my father or my mother; so, should I explain it to you?” 17 Now she had wept on him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it happened on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed him so much. Then she explained the riddle to the sons of her people” (Judg 14:15-17). Samson told her the secret answer because she nagged him, wept, and made his life miserable. She then told her people, the Philistines, who mocked Samson for being so foolish. He got angry and left his own wedding feast! His father-in-law gave his wife to his best man at the wedding.
Sometime later, Samson goes to a prostitute who was living in the Philistines city of Gaza. This is also against the vow of the Nazirite. He was almost captured by the Philistines. He escaped by carrying the gate of the city. “Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver” (Jdg 16:4,5). He now loves another Philistine woman called Delilah. The lords of the Philistines offer her 1100 pieces of silver, to find the secret of his strength. The promised bribe was great. It about 100 days’ worth of wages. For example, Abraham paid only 400 shekels of silver to buy the cave at Machpelah, as a burial place for Sarah (Gen 23:16). It is possible that Delilah was infatuated with Samson, that is why they had to bribe her to betray him. She loved money more. Delilah started nagging him to find out the secret of his strength. “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued” (Jdg 16:6). Both his wife and Delilah used enticement and nagging. To entice is a form of manipulation. It is temptation. To entice it means to attract someone to a place or activity offering pleasure, something he likes, arousing hope or desire. Sexual lust weakens the victim against temptation. Selah!
Samson did not see the danger coming. Sexual attraction can make a man blind to reality. She persisted in her nagging. His soul is vexed to death. He tells her his secret as a Nazirite. Delilah puts him to sleep on her knees and cuts off his hair. The Philistines captured him and removed his eyes. They bind Samson with chains, and he became a grinder in prison. He repents. God used Samson to bring down the Philistine temple killing 3000 Philistine rulers because they were mocking God. They gave glory to Dagon for helping them arrest Samson. His family people carry his body. He is buried in his father’s tomb. Samson made many mistakes in life, but he died in faith! Thank God!
Delilah is never called a Philistine. Her name is Hebrew, meaning Weak or Poor. Compared to Samson, she was weak and poor. It is possible that she was a Philistine woman because 1) Samson was attracted to their women, 2), She had dealings with the Philistine rulers, and they would probably not come seeking out an Israelite girl for help, 3). She betrayed the Israelite hero to his enemies. The best way to describe Delilah is that she was charming, seductive, and a woman who led the man of God to his downfall.
LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF SAMSON
*God is sovereign! His will must be done! He uses even sinful people for His own purposes. Samson’s life is a combination of God’s sovereign will and human weakness. With all his sins, God used Samson to defeat the Philistines.
*This is a story of Grace. “Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20). Samson finished the race well. He is called a man of Faith being in the same group with King David! (Heb 11:32). Grace has the last word!
*The doctrine of election is manifested in Samson’s life. He was chosen before the foundation of the world. Samson said that without God’s anointing he will be ‘like any other man’. Backsliders lose power and become like ‘ordinary men’. But like the prodigal son, a backslider will always come back to God before he dies. God can never lose any of His children.
*Character is greater than gifts. Samson had many weaknesses: He did not listen to his parents’ advice. He had a hot temper. He had a desire for vengeance. He did not submit God’s gift of supernatural strength to the authority and leading of the Holy Spirit. No one can deceive God! Sin is something that we all struggle with. Sinful acts can leave our lives in ruins. These are great warnings for us all!
*Avoid ungodly people. “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1Cor 15:33).
*Examine yourself! Samson had great potential to be a spiritual hero. But he wasted most of his strength thru sin, especially sexual sin. Sin makes a man spiritually weak. Sin blinds us! Sin binds us! Sin grinds us! Confront your sins before the devil takes advantage of them!
*Walk worthy of the calling of God! (Eph 4:1).
*We should not become over-familiar with the unbelievers. “Do not be unequally bound together with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2Cor 6:14; AMP). Do not become emotionally and physically intimate with fornicators. “I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate with [sexually] immoral people” (1Cor 5:9; AMP). Seducing spirits will tempt you to submit to them. They attack as sexual sins, or as love for money. Be careful! “Flee fornication!” (1Cor 6:18). Flee the Love for money! Be content! Run, Samson, run!
*Compromise is dangerous. A compromise is a situation when you accept something slightly different from what you really want, because of circumstances or because you want to please men. If believers compromise their beliefs, they damage their reputation and testimony. Never allow anyone to manipulate you to wound your conscience. This is considered the most painful scripture in the Bible. “And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So, he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him” (Jdg 16:20). The Lord has turned aside, has gone away from him. The supernatural strength of Samson was not in his hair. It was in his dedication of his life to God. His hair was only a symbol of it.
*Beware of the danger of doubt! Samson did not believe that if he disobeys, God will punish him. He finally had faith just before he died.
*Our wisdom, beauty and strength come from communion with God. Moses didn’t know that his face was shining from his encounter with God. Samson did not know that God’s anointing has left him. The strong man was ignorant that he has become weak. Samson did all the mighty acts only because God’s anointing was on him. People who carry the anointing of the Holy Spirit are fearless and do great exploits! But they can be ignorant of their spiritual status!
*Samson prayed before he died! He was a man of faith and prayer!
*Beware of the danger of pride and false security. Because God is patient, men commit sin and think all is well. Be careful! When we sleep, the enemy is not sleeping. Samson stopped fearing God. His eyes were the gates for his sin. After the enemies have removed his eyes, he repented of his sin. Jesus said: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matt 5:28,29). The best way to keep your eyes is to look away from sinful things!
*How much do we open to people? Question: Are there some things the husband should not tell his wife? The answer is both yes and no. It depends. When two believers get married, they keep the unity of the Spirit by telling one another everything. They have no secrets. But if a believer is married to an unbeliever, the believer needs wisdom. The unbeliever is a slave to the devil who can use him (her) to attack the believer. Both Samson’s wife and Delilah betrayed him. Adultery and betrayal for money are the greatest sins against marriage and love! The wife should be on her husband’s side. The husband should be on his wife’s side. God calls both husbands and wives to Loyalty!
*Samson is a type of Christ. By his death, he killed more enemies than when he was alive. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14,15). Samson prayed with total faith that he would end his race in victory! With all his failures and sins, without eyes, Samson finally used his strength for God’s purpose. His name outlives Delilah’s name. She got the money, but Samson got his name among the heroes of faith! Glory!
*Finally, stay faithful to God and to His Word. Walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. For as long as you live, it is never too late to repent and go back to your first love. You have no excuse to stay in sin! You must finish well! Worship the Lord!!!
Nagging means to always find fault, to criticize, or to complain. It is to irritate another by constant urging him to do something. Nagging is persistent persuasion, more repetitive than aggressive. It is emotional harassment! It is a very common sin manifested in families. Nagging is an effective weapon the devil uses to tempt the Christians to backslide. Beware of its existence and power. How can you tell you might be nagging? If you’ve said the same thing 100 times, 100 different ways, and yet it doesn’t seem to be enough, that is nagging. Often those who nag are stubborn. They fight hard and strong, quick to voice their opinions. They have a strong need to be heard. They sincerely believe that their words are somehow benefiting the other person. Most people who nag don’t even realize they’re doing it. They think they are just trying to help others.
Nagging is a negative and controlling behavior and is a common sin in many marriages. For example, a nagging wife feels helpless; she wants her husband to stop smoking. She has a strong desire to control him. She behaves as if she is his mother. She is over-concerned with her husband’s behavior. She forgets that only God can change a man. Constant nagging can make the husband withdraw emotionally from her. The truth is that most women don’t like to nag unless they feel overwhelmed, unheard, overworked or being taken for granted. Nagging is not only a weakness of the women. Research has found that an equal number of men and women nag. For example, the nagging wife falsely assumes that she can change her husband’s behavior. She can say to him: ‘you don’t give me enough attention, or money. You don’t care about the children…’ The husband may say: ‘the house is always dirty. You always look unkept …’ They both forget that only God can truly change another’s heart. Most of the time, the wives nag because they feel ignored and not appreciated. Men nag because they are frustrated with their finances and businesses. They come home tired, become impatient with their wives and nag them.
“Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife” (PV 21:19; NIV). How does a wife become a nagging woman? During the period of dating, the wife seems nice and helpful. But something happened to her. Little by little, she becomes angry and starts losing her temper. She may apologize later but the episode repeats itself. She is trying to get his attention to solve a problem. If she is ignored, it becomes worse. The best thing a husband can do is to talk to her and give her his attention. Help her solve her problem. The earlier the better. Never disrespect her! Try to solve her problem with patience, love, and wisdom. “A quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof” (PV 19:13; NIV). The wife says: ‘you don’t love me’. This nagging plus tears is an effective weapon with men. Men do not like to see crying women around them. (For example, Samson’s wife and his lover, Delilah, both conquered him with nagging and tears!) “A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike; 16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand” (PV 27:15,16). The weapon of nagging is a worldly weapon. Don’t use it! A mature marriage is free from nagging. Selah!
Nagging may also be a product of ungratefulness. A wife may never be satisfied with what the husband provides for her. Even if he helps with the house chores, washes her car, takes the family on vacations, she is never happy with him. She continues to nag him. A husband is never satisfied with his wife. No matter how much she takes care of the children, cleans the house, tries to keep herself fashionable, helps with the finances, he is never happy. He continues to nag her. This nagging may work in some offices. The boss nags his employees so that they work better. But nagging never helps families. Often, these homes are wrecked by the shameful sin of nagging! Nagging is unpleasant for both the wife and the husband! It tends to wear them down instead of building them up. It is spiritual poison to marriages and families. It’s a sin against love and indicates trouble in the relationship. It is more common than adultery as a reason for divorce. Selah!
Many parents struggle greatly with nagging their kids. Nagging can develop an inferiority complex in the child, and they may carry that into their adult lives. Nagging focuses on what a person is NOT DOING! It has a negative focus. It overlooks the positive. Nagging points out all the things that are wrong with the child and implies that he (or she) is not worthy because he has not done certain tasks. The child may feel angry towards the parent for nagging, which may result in drawing back emotionally. After some time, the child simply stops listening. The more you nag, the less he will hear you. Also, children are naturally born naggers. They too nag their parents to have their way!
The primary effect of nagging is resentment on both sides of the relationship. Resentment is a buildup of negative emotions such as anger, frustration, and disappointment. Resentment is a chronic, strong and painful feeling of bitterness when one has offended you. Resentment lasts for years. It is like the strong roots of a tree, very hard to uproot. It doesn’t have actual physical weight, but it feels very heavy on your soul. The nagger feels resentment for “always having to” nag the other person to “get everything done.” The person being nagged feels resentment for never being left alone to do as he sees fit. The person who nags never feels that the other person takes responsibility, but he never gives him responsibility. Meanwhile the person being nagged never feels truly independent, because he is never being given the chance to act independently and responsibly. It is a vicious circle. Forgiveness for Christ’ sake is the only way to be free from resentment.
Nagging is twin to grumbling. It affects prayers. Jesus said: “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matt 6:7). A religious unbeliever thinks that God needs persuasion to answer. He tells himself: ‘if I pray 5 prayers, God may ignore me. But if I pray 100 prayers, God will answer me’. For them, prayer is manipulation. They think that God does not understand. Therefore, they need to mechanically repeat the prayer, nagging God! They clearly do not know God!
How to stop nagging? Nagging is sin. It destroys the peace, love and romance in a marriage. Repent! Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Learn to listen to yourself. Control your emotions and your tongue. Pray before you talk. Choose the right words, the right tone, the right time, and the right attitude. Do not repeat a complaint more than 2 times. This is wisdom: accept things that you cannot change. Be an encourager!
“Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb 2:1-4).
This is a reminder that we have an enemy who hates us. The devil wants you to be ignorant of God’s love for you! The real danger is that if we neglect so great a salvation, we will drift away from our first love. To Give heed it means to pay closer attention, to be cautious about, to be on guard, to beware of danger ahead, careful not to take unnecessary risks. It also means to listen and to follow!!! The command applies to the ears and to the feet. If we do not listen to God’s Word and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit, we become spiritually lazy, or passive. From that position of weakness, the strong currents of the powers of darkness will carry us away from Christ’s love. It is like falling asleep in a boat that is not tied down to the shore. The river will eventually carry the boat away by its gentle currents. By the time we wake up, we see that we are in a different area we never planned to go before. The gentle river has now become fast and rough, and we wake up in a strange place of danger. To neglect it means to be careless, to fail to give attention or to respect the things that are your responsibility to keep and protect. Neglect is worse than ignoring. You can ignore to clean your house. That is not sinful. But child neglect is sinful. For a doctor to neglect his patients, that is criminal. To neglect God’s Word is like holding a treasure in your hand, but your fingers are not tight on it. The gold falls from your hand, and you are not aware that you have lost it. It means that you failed to value the revelation of God’s Word that you have received in the past! Because of your negligence, you are now becoming poorer. Neglecting the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit is a sign of drifting from your first love! Selah!
These are some of the common situations that can lead to the sin of neglect of God’s Word. These are like strong currents of a river:
*The anxiety of life, the cares of this world. They prevent God’s Word from taking roots and producing fruits in your spirit. “The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mk 4:19). These produce weakness of the mind and of the body. You become spiritually weak and discouraged. As our Lord was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, drops of blood falling from His brow. But the disciples became so grieved that they fell asleep. “Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:40,41). Medical science has proven that the brain shuts down during times of great stress. To watch and to pray takes a lot of energy. This spiritual warfare is done only by the power of the Holy Spirit. But if you ignore watching and praying, you will fall asleep spiritually and you will drift away from the safety of truth. Selah!
*Pleasures of life. It’s easy to forget God and His Love when you seek only for pleasures. To always look for fun is the world’s mentality. “The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure” (Ecc 7:4; AMP). Seeking the pleasures of life can become an idol. “Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play” (1Cor 10:7). Seek God and His Kingdom! Let God chose what pleasures and the level of pleasures you may have in this life. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33).
*Overfamiliarity with God and the Bible. To be overfamiliar with someone means to be extremely close, or intimate. You feel that you know that person too well. You have seen him and heard him so many times that the person now becomes boring to you. Other similar words with overfamiliarity are ‘being bold, forward, presumptuous, or disrespectful’. To be overfamiliar with God is always a sin. Its root is pride and Presumption. Presumption means to take someone for granted, to jump to conclusions without knowing the whole truth. It means to disrespect. God punishes it. “The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die” (Deut 18:20). It is true that we are one with Christ. But we must still fear God! No one knows God totally. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable” (Ps 145:3). Whatever we know about God is what God has revealed to us, in Christ, by the Holy Spirit. That is all! Love always honors the Lover!
*Getting older. As we grow older, we change. The body gets weaker. The mind starts forgetting things. People close to us die. We become lonely. The strength we had as young people is replaced by a gradual weakness of body and mind. The zeal to study God’s Word, to pray or to serve God is less. We feel we know everything, and we don’t need to learn new things. To love others requires too much sacrifice. We give up on ourselves. Reading the Bible, praying, attending church services becomes routine and boring. “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore” (Ecc 12:1;NLT). Old men may experience apathy, a lack of mental energy, emotion, passion, or excitement. To some old people, Love becomes burdensome. This apathy may lead to depression and to drifting away from the truth. The cure is to come back to your First Love!!!
“From Jesus Christ, the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who [always] loves us and who [has once for all] freed us [or washed us] from our sins by His own blood (His sacrificial death); and formed us into a kingdom [as His subjects], priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:5, 6; AMP).
This is an amazing praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. John recognizes the greatness of our Lord. He “always loves us”. That verb is in the present tense, not past tense. It is true that 2000 years ago, because Jesus loved us, He died for us. But here we are told that Jesus loves us right now! He loves us now, and forever! His love is relentless. This Agape Love is relentless (strong, persistent, and without interruptions). It is pouring continually like rain from heaven. It never stops. It is the engine of our strength to love Jesus and other people. Everything in the life of believers ought to be based upon the Faith in the Love of Jesus. It is the most wonderful thing, to know in our hearts that though we were born sinners, and we still sin even today, yet He loves us! What a difference it makes when you experience the eternal love of God in your very soul right now! Do you feel His amazing Love right now?
John dedicates the book of Revelation to Him who loves us and, in addition, has freed us from our sins with His blood. In Greek, the word ‘freed’ means to loosen, to release and wash a prisoner. By His Blood, King Jesus breaks the chains of evil habits in our lives. He sets us free from sinful addictions that we have allowed to bind us. Those who have struggled with alcoholism know its terrible grip. We are all sinfully dependent people, shackled by sin one way or another: greed, selfishness, anger, quarrelling, lustful passions, cowardice and pride. Fear of man is an addictive strong bondage. “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe” (PV29:25). Cowardice is more than weakness of character. It is a sin! Cowards are in the same company with unbelievers, adulterers, liars, idol worshippers and the witches. If it is not confessed and repented of, cowardice blocks the way to heaven (Rev 21:8). God’s Word commands us to stand and always confess the truth. “If anyone sins after he hears a public adjuration (solemn command to testify) when he is a witness, whether he has seen or [otherwise] known [something]—if he fails to report it, then he will bear his guilt and be held responsible” (Lev 5:1; AMP). Because you fear offending a criminal, even after you heard the Judge placing a curse upon his sin, and you keep quiet in the court, that is sinful cowardice. Perjury means willfully lying under oath in the court. Perjury is an attack against truth and justice. (In Nigeria, it is punished with up to 14 years imprisonment). Spiritually, giving false witness or keeping quiet about another’s sin, grieves the Holy Spirit and wounds your conscience. These are bondages only the Blood of Jesus can break. Repent! Be free!
Here we see that Jesus is the One who has freed us from these bad habits by the sacrifice of His own life. But more than that, Jesus has made us a Kingdom of priests to serve our God. We are free to worship! A priest stands before God on behalf of men. Sinners feel separated from God. By their evil thoughts, they cut themselves off from a holy God. They need to repent. They are to be brought near God by the priests. That is the work of believers today. We are to exercise the ministry of reconciliation in the name of Jesus. We are to help lost people realize that God is longing to draw them to Himself. For this work Jesus has made us a kingdom of priests. Do you ever think of yourself as a priest? Or as a king? Or as a citizen of God’s Kingdom? This is your destiny and ministry, to serve God forever!
NO QUARRELS IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. 2 I implore Euodia, and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Phil 4:1-3).
Apostle Paul addresses the Christians in Philippi as ‘beloved and longed-for’. He truly loves them. He tells them to stand fast in the Lord. The word means to stand firm, to persevere against opposition. He is calling the brethren to behave as citizens of heaven. There is no quarrel in heaven! They must settle their differences. Euodia and Syntyche, two Christian women in the church, were quarreling. Euodia means ‘Sweet Fragrance’ and Syntyche means ‘Fortunate’. They were possibly part of the first group of women that started the church (Acts 16:13). Each woman worked hard in the church. There were once sisters in Christ and ‘fellow workers’ with Paul. But now, they separated themselves and each tried to gather followers, dividing the Church. Paul reminds everyone that the Church belongs to Christ who died so that our names are in the Book of Life. Study the way Paul is talking. He has a pastor’s heart, a father’s loving heart. He loves the Lord, and he loves the brethren. Note that he does not command the two women to settle for his sake, to protect his reputation as a pastor. He does not tell the women to settle even for their own sakes. No! He ‘implores’ them, he begs them, to stop the quarrel for Christ’ sake!!! Apostle Paul is truly a humble man who honors God! To settle people who quarrel in the Church is difficult to do, as delicate as doing brain surgery. Paul applies Love, divine wisdom, humility, and great discernment. The unity of the Spirit is essential for the growth of God’s Kingdom thru the Church.
We see the ideal relationship between a pastor who displays agape love and his congregation. This is a reminder that the Body of Christ is One! If one member suffers, all suffer. We all must be peacemakers. The unity in the Church is not based on social status, age, level of education, race or tribe affiliation. The Spirit is one! The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is One! We are together as co-laborers with God and with one another. We labor in the Gospel. The power of the Church depends on two major factors: The preaching of the Gospel and the agape Love between the brethren. The pastor preaches the Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. Preaching false doctrines weakens the Church. Quarreling grieves the Holy Spirit. It is not only the pastor who preaches. All believers must do their part to preach the Gospel to others. The Church expands as each believer tells others about Jesus, shares his testimony and lives a successful Christian life. Preaching the Gospel is done not only by mouth, but by actions. Our attending church services encourages the pastor and encourages others. Praying, helping your pastor in any way you can, is also a way to preach the Gospel. May we stand strong and honor God always!
Jesus said that division destroys relationships and families. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is coming to an end” (Mk 3:24-26). Love is a glue. It binds people together (Col 3:12-15). The Body of Christ is made of many, but it is one. The Holy Spirit is one! The evil spirits are many. One of the works of the flesh is contention, a hot argument that divides people (Gal 5:20). Apostle Paul says that we should avoid people who quarrel and divide the Body of Christ: “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Rom 16:17). They invent and ‘manufacture’ stumbling blocks to make others fall. We should avoid them! It means that these are religious unbelievers, false brethren who crept into the church to divide the Body. Selah!
LEAH – THE UNLOVED WIFE (Genesis 29) Leah was the first wife of Jacob, later called Israel. She lived almost 4000 years ago. Her name means ‘weak eyes’, possibly means poor vision. She stands for weakness of flesh and strength of the Spirit. Leah was the mother of six of Jacob’s sons and the ancestor of these tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Judah was the ancestor of King David and, in the lineage of Jesus (Matt 1:1-16).
This is the story: After Jacob had deceived his father, Isaac, and deprived his brother, Esau, of his birthright and blessing, he fled from the wrath of Esau and took refuge in the household of his uncle Laban. There he immediately fell in love with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel and worked for Laban seven years to win her hand in marriage. On the night of the wedding feast, Laban deceived him by sending Leah to his tent. According to the Eastern’s tradition, the bride was veiled, and Jacob was surely drunk. In the morning, Jacob discovered that he slept with Leah and not with Rachel. Laban compelled Jacob to work another seven years for Rachel. Here you see that Love is not cheap. For many years, Jacob did not love Leah. But God consoled her by giving her the gift of motherhood. God gave her six sons and a daughter, Dinah, before allowing Rachel to become pregnant. Rachel had two sons, Jospeh and Benjamin. She died young. She was buried along the road. Leah lived until her old age. She died before the family went to Egypt. She was buried in the cave of family grave at Machpelah in Hebron. This was great honor. Before his death in Egypt, Jacob told Joseph to carry his corpse to the Promised Land and bury him alongside Leah, in Hebron. Jacob said: “There I buried Leah” (Gen 49:31). He was buried next to Leah, alongside Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebeccah. Leah was a godly woman, much more suitable for him as a wife than the worldly-minded Rachel. Though not loved, she was faithful to her husband until the end!
It took many years before finally Jacob learned to love and respect Leah, who remained faithful and loving to him. This speaks of true endurance as a woman of God. For example, when coming back to the Promised Land, Jacob was told that his older brother Esau was coming towards him with 400 men. Jacob was afraid. He divided his children and his people. He put the two maidservants and their children in front. That was the most dangerous place in case of an attack. Then he put Leah and her children next to the maidservants. Finally, he placed his beloved wife Rachel and her son Joseph, at the rear, which was the safest place (Gen 33:1,2). These arrangements prove that even at this time, Leah was treated just a little better than the servants.
God always protects the weak, the victims of human’s oppression. In the Old Testament, God’s word commands that in case of polygamy, men should not discriminate the children of the unloved wife. “If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children, both the loved and the unloved, and if the firstborn son is of her who is unloved, 16 then it shall be, on the day he bequeaths his possessions to his sons, that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn. 17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his” (Deut 21:15-17). All children should be treated well!
Jacob obeyed God’s command. Just before his death, Jacob blessed his sons. In particular, his son Judah, meaning “Praise”, which is the fourth son of Leah, receives the highest blessing. He becomes the leader of his brothers. This is prophetic. Judah is the direct ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ. Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. This is according to what Jacob prophesied: “Judah, you are the one whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. 9 “Judah, a lion’s cub; With the prey, my son, you have gone high up [the mountain]. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion, And like a lion—who dares rouse him? 10 “The scepter [of royalty] shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh [the Messiah, the Peaceful One] comes, And to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:8-10; AMP). Hallelujah!
LESSONS FROM LEAH: *This is a story of Grace! God truly cares for those unloved and rejected by men. God comforts and compensate the lowly, in His way, His own time. Through their troubles and afflictions, they learn to look to Him for happiness, help and success. Leah was emotionally rejected by her father, her sister and her husband. Like David, Leah could have said: “Although my father and my mother have abandoned me, Yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child]” (Ps 27:10; AMP). When Jesus came to the earth, He was rejected by men! He died on the Cross! But God raised Him from the dead and gave Him a name above every other name! Jesus knows how it feels to be rejected! Trust Him to vindicate you! God often chooses to work thru those who are rejected, unloved and marginalized. Rachel captured Jacob’s heart. But Leah captured God’s heart! Leah’s life is a story of endurance, strength, perseverance and faith!
*God is sovereign in every matter. He demotes and He promotes as He wishes. Nobody stops God from doing His own will. “The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave]. 7 “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low, and He lifts up. 8 “He raises up the poor from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles and inherit a seat of honor and glory; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the land on them” (1Sam 2:6-8; AMP). Amen!
*To be a parent is a blessing from God. God rewards obedience, faithfulness and labor of love. Children are God’s reward. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed but shall speak with their enemies in the gate” (Ps 127:3-5). Leah suffered in her marriage. For many years, she was lonely and unloved by her husband. But God blessed Leah with the gift of motherhood. Her son Levi is the ancestor of Aaron, the head of priests to serve God in the temple and of Moses, the greatest leader of Isreal. “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren” (Gen 29:31). At last, Leah’s descendants became greater than the descendants of Rachel (Joseph and Benjamin). Her son Judah is the ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Lord!
*Leah learned contentment. That makes her a mature woman of God. To be content it means to be satisfied with God and with yourself. It is the knowledge that things are OK exactly as they are, right now. It is a spiritual secret that few people learn about. Some call it ‘the deep knowledge of enough’. It is one of the highest achievements of human well-being. Contentment is more powerful than happiness. Seeking happiness in this life leads to anxiety and depression. Contentment is peace, joy, and the courage to live well. Apostle Paul credited the secret of contentment as one of his greatest achievements. “Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” (Phil 4:11-13; AMP). May God grant us the grace to experience contentment in life! Amen!
*Only God changes a man. An unloved wife is so grieved that only God can help her. Leah was ignorant about how men think. She thought that just by sleeping with him, her husband will love her. She was wrong. A man can be sexually attracted to a woman even if he does not love her. Later, Leah tried to win her husband’s love by having children. But even after having many sons, Jacob still did not love her. Marriage certificate, sex, or having children does not make a man love his wife. “Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes, And under four it cannot bear up: 22 Under a servant when he reigns, Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food, 23 Under an unloved woman when she gets married, And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress” (PV30:21-23; AMP).
*Praising God changes lives! Leah’s hopes to find love thru her children are dashed at the beginning. But once she has Judah (Praise), she changed her focus, from hoping in her husband, to looking unto God. She now decided to praise God! From this moment on, she is free. She is a different woman. She can now thank God for what she already has and not for what she misses. Her words change from a piteous “woe is me” tone to “what good fortune!” and “how happy and blessed I am!” (Gen 30:11-12; NIV). While Jacob may have “settled for” Leah, Leah herself doesn’t settle. She grows spiritually. She let go of her idols of marriage, children, and family, and set her sights on higher things than her circumstances. She chooses to praise God! It is then that God demonstrates how He faithfully loves her and blesses her! Stop looking for validation from men. Go to God. He will be enough for you. Jacob’s infatuation with Rachel was “love at first sight”. It is more of liking than loving. But Jacob’s willingness to labor seven years for her demonstrates feelings deeper than flattery or casual interest. Deep down, most women long to captivate a lover this way, to be pursued and cherished by a committed heart. We’re made to yearn for belonging and completion. The best place is standing before God. You are safe there! God has a special place for the rejected. God has big plans for little people. Leah is a symbol of what God can do with the rejected, who chose to praise Him, no matter the circumstances!
*We don’t know Leah’s feelings when her father told her to go into the tent deceiving Jacob that she is Rachel. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and now he will have a taste of his own medicine. At that time, women had little to say about any matter. The men were the total rulers of their homes. We can imagine that it was not easy for Leah to surrender her body as a young virgin woman, to a man who was possibly drunk, and calling her Rachel. In her mind she may have thought: Will this marriage work? Can a marriage with a foundation of sin, of deceit ever be happy? What will her sister say about this? Will Jacob ever love her? Will God give her children? Will people ever respect her? Will God bless her? She did not know at that time that God allowed this deception so that He will take the glory at last.
*Ignorantly, because of her broken heart, she loads the children with her emotional burden. The first three sons knew that their mother was looking for love thru them. It is not good to use children to find love in marriage. Only God can do that!
*God does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart (1Sam 16:7). God does not appreciate physical beauty. He rewards faith, humility and submission to His will. Leah tried to compare herself with her sister beautiful Rachel. Comparison leads to disappointment, jealousy, anger, bitterness, and depression. Be grateful for who God made you to be! We all hunger for significance in this world. Significance means to be seen as important, worthy of attention and respect, to be loved and appreciated by others. Sometimes, there is a delay in significance. That delay is painful. God gives you dreams of greatness. For a long time, the dreams seem dead. Initially, the beautiful Rachel was the star. Her husband loved her openly. Leah became jealous of her sister. But later, after Leah became a mother, and Rachel was still barren, the tables turned. It was Rachel that became jealous on Leah. The tables have been turned! “Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!” 2 And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Gen 30:1, 2). It was then that Leah discovered that her significance is in God. This is what God wanted Leah to discover. That God is enough for her! Jesus said: “My grace is enough!” (2Cor 12:9). For now, you may be sad. God’s dreams for you are not yet fulfilled. You may even have to wait until you go to heaven before you can see the majesty of God’s Love for you. Remember this. God’s promises are worth waiting for!!!
*Leah tried to please her husband, to win his heart. But no man will accept and love you unconditionally. Only God can do that. Apostle Paul was a servant of God and not a man pleaser. “You can see that I am not trying to please you by sweet talk and flattery; no, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please men, I could not be Christ’s servant” (Gal 1:10; AMP).
*Jesus understands women. Even if the husband or the father does not understand you, Jesus understands you. This Jesus redeems sinners like Mary Magdalene, who was once possessed by demons. Jesus saved and honored the sinful woman who washed His feet with her tears. Jesus saved and honored the woman with the issue of Blood and the woman accused of adultery. Jesus loves women! Jesus loves sinners. He died for them. He saved them. He loved them. Like Leah, after having Judah, she declared: From now on, this time, I will praise the Lord! Say it: This time, and forever, I will praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
*Leah was a woman of God. She left behind a great legacy. People did not forget her. Her memory was not forgotten by future generation. When Boaz married Ruth, the witnesses prayed for his bride: “The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel… ” (Ru 4:11). Leah had Levi: Aaron and the priesthood came from Levi. The greatest leader in the Old Testament, Moses, came from Levi. The Law, the Ten commandments, the worship at the temple, all came from Leah. Also, from her son Judah, King David was born and later, Jesus Christ! God cares for the lonely, the rejected. Leah did not know how great a legacy she leaves behind. It is only in heaven that she discovered how special she was to God, and even to her husband, to the nation of Isreal and to the Church of Christ. She finally saw that God has honored her. Try to imagine how Leah felt in heaven when she heard the name of her son, Judah, connected with Jesus, the King of kings, seated on His throne. “But one of the twenty-four Elders said to me, “Stop crying, for look! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, and proved himself worthy to open the scroll and to break its seven seals” (Rev 5:5; AMP). To God be all the glory! FROM NOW ON I WILL PRAISE THE LORD!!! Worship the Lord!!!
This is the sad story of a mother’s agape love. We see a mother’s response to tragedy. Let us meet a woman of God. Her name is Rizpah! She is a hero of faith! She lived about 3000 years ago. Her life is like a star shining bright in the dark sky. She lost both of her sons because of men’s politics. During her pain, she finds the strength to go to God to receive mercy and justice in her time of need. She is an inspiration for all, especially for the mothers (2 Samuel 21:1-14).
Who is Rizpah? She was a Canaanite woman, maybe an Amorite. She must have worshipped idols. Like Ruth in Bethlehem, she was a foreigner in the land of Isreal who became a worshipper of Jehovah. The name Rizpah means ‘hot stone or burning coal’. From her name we see that she was a woman of passion, love and courage. She was ‘the concubine’ of King Saul, the first king of Isreal. She had two sons for him, Armoni and Mephibosheth (not to be confused with the son of Jonathan who had the same name). After King Saul was killed in the battle with the Philisties, she became a widow. After the death of Saul, Abner, who was the commander of the army of Isreal, installed Ishbosheth, the surviving son of Saul, as king in Isreal. Then Abner had an affair with Rizpah. Some said that he raped her. This is a reminder of the insecure status of women in general and widows in particular in ancient times. King Ishbosheth got angry and rebuked Abner. He saw that through this connection, Abner wanted to become king himself. It was a practice in the ancient kingdoms to lay claim to the throne by having sexual relations with the former king’s wives or concubines. When rebuked for his affair with Rizpah, Abner gets angry and betrays Ishbosheth. He crosses over to David and promises to surrender the army of Isreal to him. David receives him well and sends him away in peace. But Joab, the commander of the armies in Judah, and uncle to King David, deceitfully kills Abner on his way back. David mourns Abner and places a curse upon Joab for killing a man whom he has sent away in peace (2Sam 3:1-39). Soon, King Ishbosheth is killed (2Sam 4:6).
This quarrel between Abner and Ishbosheth indirectly benefits King David. The incident led to the downfall of the house of Saul and the rise of David as king of a united Kingdom of Israel. The death of Abner makes Rizpah ‘a widow’ for the second time. Rizpah is caught in a net of political intrigues in the palace. At that time, women had no rights. They were victims of powerful men. Rizpah is called a concubine to King Saul. A concubine is a woman who lives and has sex with a man she is not married to and has a lower social rank than his wife or wives. (In Nigeria a concubine is a woman who lives with a married man who has not paid her traditional ‘bride price’).
After King David becomes the King of united Isreal, for three years, there was a drought and a great famine in the land. “David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites” (2Sam 21:1). The Gibeonites were not Jews. They were Canaanites, Amorites. They deceived Joshua when he tried to conquer the land saying that they were living far away. Joshua made a covenant of peace with them. He promised to protect them against their enemies. Later, Joshua discovered that the Gibeonites deceived him, but he could not kill them because of the covenant already made with them (Joshua 9). God is the Witness of all covenants done in His name and punishes the breaking of covenants because He is the Primary Covenant Keeper! Selah!
God reveals to King David that King Saul, in his foolish zeal for Isreal, has killed many Gibeonites. Therefore, he broke the covenant of peace made with them. To punish the breaking of the covenant, God has sent the famine in the land by withdrawing the rain for three years. David asked the Gibeonites what satisfaction they demanded. They answered that nothing would compensate for the wrong Saul had done to them but the death of seven of Saul’s descendants. They applied God’s Law: “Life for life” (Deut 19:21). They showed no mercy. David does not pray about this request for human sacrifice. He simply agrees to their demand. He arrests the two sons of Rizpah and the five of the sons of Merab, Saul’s eldest daughter. He surrenders them to the Gibeonites who execute them and hang their bodies before the Lord at the sanctuary at Gibeah. This was a human sacrifice to atone for the bloodshed in the past. But even with all this tragedy, the famine continued. It means that God did not accept the sacrifice. Just imagine Rizpah’s pain, to know that her sons died for nothing. She could not fight the political powers. She could not fight David, who was God’s appointed king in the land. She could not fight the Gibeonites who were Amorites like her. She could not fight the Law of God who said: Life for life. All she could do is to be a mother who pleads for mercy from Jehovah, the God of Isreal, under whose wings she has taken refuge.
As the men are hanging there, two mothers grieve the loss of their sons. Merab was King Saul’s oldest daughter. Long ago, Saul promised her to David as a wife. But Saul deceived David and gave her as a wife to Ariel. Merab has now lost her five sons. She weeps but she stays in her house. But Rizpah, comes to the place her sons died. She took a sackcloth and spread it for herself on a rock. She stays there from the beginning of harvest until the late rains. For five months, from April to October, she kept vigil, not allowing the birds to eat them by day nor the wild beasts to devour them by night. Rizpah watched the exposed suspended bodies of her two sons. What she could have done as a mother when her sons were alive, to protect and care for them, she is now doing it to them in their death. This is Love!
King David was informed about Rizpah’s act of devotion. He was touched by the love of this mother who even after her sons died, she continued to take care of them. David was reminded that human life is precious and must be honored. He suddenly remembered that the bones of King Saul and his covenant friend Jonathan were buried in an unknown grave. After Isreal lost the battle, the Philisties displayed the bodies of Saul and Jonathan on their streets as trophies to Chemosh their idol. The people of Jabesh-Gilead stole the bodies from the Philisties and buried them in their land, under a tree and fasted for seven days (1 Chr10:11, 12). Inspired by Rizpah’s example of honoring the memory of the dead, King David brings the bones of Saul and Jonathan and buries them properly in Saul’s family tomb in Zelah, his hometown. King David then brings down the seven bodies of the men who were hanging for five months at Gibeah and buries them honorably in Saul’s tomb also. After doing all these things, God sends the rains and the famine is over. “After that, God was moved by prayer for the land” (2Sam 21:14; AMP). God was not moved by killing men, but He was moved by the living sacrifice of Rizpah, bu her intercession. She prayed silently for mercy and justice from God. Her love for her children inspired King David to seek peace with God without shedding more blood.
WHAT ARE THE LESSONS FOR US?
*Rizpah never spoke a word in the Bible. But her actions speak louder than words. She was a loving mother. Men in power all failed her. But she prayed to Jehovah, the God of judgment and mercy. God heard her cry and vindicated her. Rizpah fought for the vindication of her sons’ memories. She was an intercessor. She laid down her life for her children. The truth is that her sons were not guilty of murder. They died innocently. They were killed for the sins of their father, King Saul. By ordering their death, King David broke God’s Law that says: “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deut 24:16). Her sons were left hanging as a curse. “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut 21:22,23). David decided that Rizpah’s sons were criminals. That is why they were hanged. But even if they were criminals, their bodies should not have been left exposed for five months. That alone defiled the land and brought more curses on the people. Rizpah was not afraid or ashamed of the curse placed upon her sons. She could not prevent the death of her sons. But she chooses to identify with them even after they died. The curse from her sons’ memory was removed. King David gave them a proper burial. And God answered the prayers of the people for the land. The rains came and the famine ended. Rizpah teaches us true love for family, faith in God, courage and faithfulness.
*Rizpah knew that abandoning a corpse, not being buried in the ground, was God’s curse on the rebellious, on the wicked. God said: “Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away” (Deut 28:26). She decided to stand in the gap and turn the curse into a blessing. Because of her sacrificial love, even Merab’s five sons benefitted from her intercession. At the conclusion of this Bible account of Rizpah’s sad experience, God brings rain to dry land. The larger purpose of this human sacrifice was Israel’s survival as a nation. The kingdom of Israel moves on with Rizpah as one of its survivors and heroes of faith.
*We must respect human life. Man was created in the image of God. Even in death, we must honor that image. We must bury the dead with peace and love. It is not a matter of expensive ceremonies. But a burial ceremony must be conducted in God’s presence with prayer, praise, and preaching God’s Word. (In Nigeria, most Christian families observe a ceremony called ‘service of songs’ and they also conduct a funeral service during the burial proper. That is good!). Also, this is a reminder that abortion is a sin. Ask for mercy in case you have committed it!
*God cares for the broken hearted. “The LORD is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin)” (Ps 34:18; AMP). There is a rainbow after the flood. By God’s grace we can survive even after huge losses and major failures in life. Vengeance belongs to God! “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Rom 12:19). Selah!
*Rizpah’s love is a symbol of the Cross of Christ. When Jesus was crucified, the disciples ran away because of fear. It was only John and the women who stayed with Jesus as He was dying on the Cross. Mary, the mother of Jesus, heard her Son saying to her from the cross: “Mother, behold your son” (Jn 19:26). The awful sight of Jesus on the cross was Mary’s final vision of the son of God she bore by the Holy Spirit. Rizpah also had a painful view of her sons’ defiled bodies, exposed to the elements. The Cross was a tragedy humanly speaking. But the death of Jesus on the Cross paid for the sins of sinners. Jesus became a curse that we be blessed. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) (Gal 3:13). “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor 5:21). The death of Christ was necessary to pay for the sins of many sinners. The curse of sin was cancelled and in Christ, we are now the righteousness of God. This is the mystery of the Gospel, Christ crucified and resurrected. There is always hope in Christ! Hallelujah!
*Rizpah is a woman of God who can take her place among the great heroes of faith in the Bible. We are told that by faith, people gained victory in impossible situations. “Through faith (they) subdued kingdoms… 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Heb 11:33-35). Rizpah wanted to reverse the curse upon her children. Only God could do that. For five months she patiently and faithfully waited by her dead sons’ bodies, knocking at God’s door of mercy. Humanly speaking, this was an impossible task. No human being could have encouraged her to continue in this desperate search for mercy. Like the woman with the issue of blood, she held on God’s garment, and did not give up until God moved on her behalf. By faith, she ‘received her dead sons raised to life again’. She could not save them from death, but by her action, she redeemed their memory. They were killed as sinners in Israel. Because of their mother’s holy love, they gained honor in death. By her faith and love, she left a legacy of godliness connected to the memory of her children and to all who shall be inspired by the love of a mother. By her faith and love, by her powerful silence, she calls to account all rulers of the world, who have the power to kill or keep alive! She proved that “Love is as strong as death… Its flames or fire a most vehement flame… Many waters cannot quench Love, not can floods of sin drown it” (SS 8:6,7). In the social ranks of Israel, Rizpah, a foreigner, was only a concubine to a wicked king. But by faith in Jehovah God, her adopted God, trusting in His mercy, she rose to the heights of being a mother in Israel, on the same level with Deborah, Hannah, Esther and Ruth. Amazing Grace!!! Worship the Lord!
Jesus commands the believers to love even the enemies. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:43-48).
These are the eternal words of our King. Jesus makes a clear difference between the way the Pharisees understood the law and the way the Law of God must be interpreted. The religious leaders said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy”. First, we must say that there is no place in the Old Testament where you find these exact words. The Pharisees invented that law. Possibly, they were inspired to say this because in the Old Testament, God commanded His people to kill the Canaanites and take over the Promised Land (Deut 20:16-18). Why did God say that? God is the owner of the whole world. He gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent of their sins. He told Abraham that the sins of the Amorites are not yet complete; their cup of wickedness is not yet full (Gen 15:13-16). God could have killed them with a plague. But God chose Isreal to kill the Canaanites and to take over their land.
Some of the Psalms have strong words to curse Isreal’s enemies. These are called ‘imprecatory’ Psalms. For example, read what David prayed to God about his enemies: “Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents” (Ps 69:22-25). Reading these words, you can imagine why the Pharisees said that they should hate their enemies. But if you read these psalms, David prayed to God not because he was wicked, or because of selfish ambition, but he asked God to vindicate him when his enemies wanted to kill him. David refused to kill King Saul even when Saul was in his power. This psalm is not an invitation to personal hatred against human enemies. It is the appeal of an oppressed person that God should help him. David trusts God for justice and vindication. He wants the glory of God to be revealed in his life! Amen!
In the Book of Matthew, chapter 23, our Lord speaks curses upon the religious leaders, the hypocrites. Reading those lines is painful. The word ‘woe’ is a curse word, mixed with grief and sadness. The religious leaders did not know God. They mispresented God. They were proud and wicked. They led the people astray. Here we clearly see that God (Jesus) cares for the people, that they should know God. There is a greater condemnation upon the religious leaders and teachers of God’s Word who are considered shepherds to God’s flock! These are the very people who plotted the arrest and the death of the Son of God! Selah!
The Pharisees said that a Jew should love and help only another Jew. Every other person should be considered an enemy to be hated and even killed. The Jews hated all the Gentiles and called them ‘dogs’. The problem with their interpretation is that they did not understand the purpose of God’s Law. God commanded that the Canaanites should be killed as an act of divine justice. It was not because of personal hatred against them as individuals. But the Pharisees used God’s divine justice to apply it to their personal relationships with people. Any man they did not like, even if that man was a neighbor, they hated him. They justified their hatred, lack of love and wickedness by saying that it is God’s Law. Hatred of people is always wrong. You can hate the devil, sin and evil in evil men. But you should not hate people!!!
How can a Christian replace the sinful selfish hatred in his heart with the Love of God? Jesus commanded us to do three things: Bless, do good and pray for others! He commanded us to “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you”. You replace hatred with loving words. Love has a language. You bless people with your words. Saying to someone: “God bless you!” even when you don’t feel like it, is a powerful manifestation of Agape Love. Love is never rude. Love never curses a human being. Another way to show Love to others is by doing good to them. Righteousness means ‘be good and do good’ for Christ’ sake. You do good by greeting, shaking hands, hugging, helping others, and by giving gifts without waiting for appreciation from men. Doing good is a great form of evangelism. Many sinners came to Christ because Christians chose to help them especially in their time of need. Doing good never fails. Please examine your motives: You don’t do good because you want to convert the person. You don’t do good because you are religious, but because love is your nature as a child of God and a citizen of God’s Kingdom. You trust God to bless your ministry and life. No matter what people say to you, God blesses righteous deeds. Finally, choose to pray for people, even for those you dislike and persecute you. Prayer is a responsibility and a mighty blessing. The greatest example of prayer for the wicked was heard on the Cross. Jesus said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Lk 23:34). When Steven was dying as a martyr, he prayed for the men who were stoning him. “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Ac 7:60). This is Agape Love praying! May prayer and worship never cease from our lips! Amen!
There is a great difference between loving and liking a person. To like someone is more natural. There are attitudes you observe in a person that connects with you. Love is different. Love is spiritual. You love because God loves you. You extend Love to others, even to the unlovely, because God loves you and He has saved your soul. Like is instant. It is effortless. Love is deep. It takes time and effort to develop. You may have to go to battle to win and protect love. When you like someone, you must agree with that one. His negative ideas may provoke you. But you can love someone unconditionally, even when you don’t totally agree with him. To like someone, you must stay close to that one. Love endures even if the person is far away. The closer you get to someone, the less you may like the person. But love, increases as you get closer to that person. You like only friends. You love both friends and enemies!
Please note: Only Agape love can love even the enemies. Why? This is because if you love someone, you see him thru the eyes of Christ. You see him the way God sees him. You know that he is a victim of the devil, and he is blind to God’s way of salvation. If Agape Love is in your heart, you can help another even if you dislike him. How do you do that? Treat another person like you like him, even if you don’t. Don’t complain again about your enemies. If you don’t have enemies, how can you love your enemies? The Law of Love is stronger than the law of sin, hatred and death. There is always grace available to treat others with kindness and love. They may not deserve kindness, but kindness is your attitude to all. You don’t pay evil with evil. You don’t react with evil when you are provoked. That is the way of the world. You don’t react. You chose to act. With wisdom, peace, love and respect.
Why do we need to behave well, to show love and kindness to all? It’s a visible proof that God is your father, and that you are a citizen of His Kingdom. God sends rain and sunshine to all men. It is not only the Christian farmer that enjoys rain on his field. That rain goes to the wicked too. We must treat others with respect, kindness and love because we are God’s children, Christ’ ambassadors and citizens of His Kingdom. Love is the atmosphere of the Kingdom of God. As God never fails, as love never fails, so the Christians who walk in love will never fail to fulfill God’s purposes for their lives. This love is the engine of revival in the church and outside the church! May God help us!
The story of Ruth is a story of Love, Grace, Loss and Redemption. It is a story of tragedy and triumph, pointing to Christ, crucified and resurrected. As we all know, life is not easy. We may find ourselves at a place of crossroads in life. There are times when painful things happen to us. This pain changes us for life. We need to make choices. For better or for worse, our choices will lead us on. We can choose a path, but we cannot choose the consequences of that decision. In the story of Naomi and her daughters-in-Law, we see the power of choices. They became widows, not by their own will. But after the pain of loss came, their choices determined their paths in life and their eternal destinies. Ruth is a true friend to Naomi. She married Boaz and had a son who is the grandfather of King David. Orpah chose to forsake her first Love for God and for Naomi. These are decisions made by their free will. Amid this family drama, we see the invisible but ever-present God, His sovereignty, Love, Power, and Grace, which are the determining factors in every believer’s life. Worship the Lord!
This story happened during the time of the Judges. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Jdg 21:25). This is a revelation of the authority of a king who maintains order in his domain. It is a reminder of the total power and the authority of King Jesus in His Kingdom. The citizens of God’s Kingdom do not do ‘what is right in their own eyes’, but they obey God’s Law.
This is the story: Elimelech and his wife were residents of Bethlehem, also called Ephrath. The name Elimelech means ‘My God is King’. There was famine in the land. The meaning of Bethlehem is ‘house of bread’. But now, there was no bread in the house. God has promised to punish His people with famine when they rebel against Him. This famine was a form of chastisement. Elimelech was supposed to stay in Bethlehem and repent for his sins. But he too decided to do “what is right in his own eyes”. He chose to exile himself and his family to Moab, the neighboring pagan country. The distance between Bethlehem and Moab is about 60 miles. On foot, it can be covered in about 10 days. Elimelech left his country with the intention to return. But it was not for him to decide his future. His life was never the same again. Elimelech, My God is King, lived like he had no King. Elimelech and Naomi took their two grown sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and settled in Moab. Mahlon means weakly and Chilion means wasting. God commanded His people not to live among pagans because they will be tempted to forsake Him and worship other gods. The Moabites were ancient enemies to Isreal. It was the King of Moab who hired the false prophet Balaam to curse God’s people. It was the Moabite women who drew the Israelite men into sexual immorality and the worship of idols (Nu 22-25). Elimelech took great risk taking his family to Moab. He went on a road that led to nowhere. Like the prodigal son, things looked good at the beginning, but then, tragedy strikes! Elimelech dies and is buried there. Naomi was left with her two sons. They marry Moabite women. After ten years, Naomi’s two sons died too. Double tragedy! Lesson: many Christians chose to live in places of prosperity, ignoring the effects that culture will have upon their godly values. Do you choose prosperity and comfort over God’s will?
In Moab, Elimelech and his family kept their religion. They still worshipped Jehovah God. They did not worship Chemosh, one of the gods of the Moabites. That is good. But Elimelech knew that his two sons will eventually marry pagan Moabite women. He disobeyed God’s clear command that God’s people should not marry pagans (Deut 7:2-4). After Elimelech dies, his sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. They live with Naomi. The five of them live together in Moab for ten years. I think it was a happy home. Naomi and her sons preached thru words and actions about Jehovah God. For ten years both Orpah and Ruth had many opportunities to experience God’s love in action. The only sad part of the story is that both Orpah and Ruth did not have children. Then, their husbands died. Naomi is now left without a husband, and without sons. These are three childless poor widows. At that time, widows were among the lowest in society. Without husbands or sons to take care of them, just to survive, widows had to become beggars or prostitutes. This is a triple tragedy. Suddenly, Naomi hears that God’s grace and mercy has been revealed in Judah. There is prosperity in Bethlehem! She could have stayed in Moab, but she decided to come back home, to partake from God’s blessings. This is a walk of faith. Her two daughters-in-law decided to follow her to Bethlehem. Lesson: God is a God of both Judgement and Mercy. God disciplines His children, to humble and to bless them!
Along the way, Naomi discourages the two women from following her. Naomi knows that these Moabite women will suffer discrimination in Bethlehem. That was her home, but it was never their home. Naomi’s only hope is to live by the pity of her male relatives. She could glean in the fields, if she had the strength. That option was not available in Moab. But to carry two Moabite women was a burden too heavy for her. These two women were a reminder of her backsliding. Naomi was like a young Christian woman who had a baby outside marriage. Her baby is a reminder of her sin. No wonder Naomi wanted them to go back. Her life in Bethlehem will be hard. These foreign women will make it harder for her. That is what she thought… Until Ruth chose to trust Jehovah God whose grace is greater than any sin!
Naomi tells them that she is too old to have more sons to marry them. They should go back to their parents, to their people (and to their gods). “Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her” (Ru 1:14). In Hebrew, the word ‘clung’ also means to join, to cling, to have and to hold. It is the same word used for the relationship between husband and wife. “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Just as the friendship between David and Jonathan, the relationship between Naomi and Ruth is a platonic and covenantal relationship. It is spiritual, deep, pure, without any sexual component. God blessed it. Both women gained from it. And God took all the glory!
The name Ruth means ‘Friend’. She is more than a daughter-in-law to Naomi. She is her only friend and her only hope. Ruth is a symbol of Christ. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (PV 18:24). This is the covenant of friendship Ruth made with Naomi: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me” (Ru 1:16, 17). By saying these words, Ruth committed her life, body and soul, to Naomi and Naomi’s God. She calls God ‘The Lord’ (Jehovah). She promises to serve Naomi unto death. She will be buried in Naomi’s land, Bethlehem. Ruth invokes a curse upon herself. If she will break this pledge, may Jehovah God punish her. In the ancient world, this was the greatest form of love and sacrifice. What is Naomi’s reaction to this mighty proof or agape Love? Nothing! Naomi said nothing! She did not immediately appreciate Ruth’s sacrificial love. She did not encourage her in her chosen path. “When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her” (Ru 1:18). Lesson: Bitter people do not encourage Love. Agape Love doesn’t need men’s encouragement. It is sustained purely by the Grace of God!
Ruth stays with Naomi. Despite Naomi’s counsel, she chooses to follow her to Bethlehem. Naomi did not promise to give Ruth money or another husband. The only reason why Ruth followed her is because she fell in love with Naomi’s God. Ruth had faith that Jehovah, her new God, will take care of her in a foreign land. God rewards her faith. She will marry a wealthy man in Bethlehem called Boaz, who was from the family of Elimelech. In this way, she keeps her status as Naomi’s daughter-in-law. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of King David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Glory to God!
Unlike Ruth, Orpah choses to return to her own people. Her name is derived from the Hebrew word ‘neck’. She is ‘stiff-necked’ because of her turning-back from following her mother-in-law. She weeps and lovingly kisses Naomi goodbye. Why did Orpah go back? Jesus said that the Word of God is a good seed. The ground where the seed is planted makes the difference. Orpah’s heart was a stony heart. She was a temporary fleshly believer. She heard the Word of God, she felt the love of God, but she did not radically change in character. The change she experienced was superficial. It did not pass the test of time. She was a hearer and not a doer of God’s Word. She accepted God’s Word with joy. But the Word did not penetrate her hearts. It did not produce roots and fruits. When the trials came, the Word ‘withered away’ (Matt 13:5,6,20, 21). Orpah went back to Moab because she had no faith like Ruth that God can grant her a miracle marriage. Ruth was faithful to her first love for God! Orpah chose the forsake her first love for God! The choices they made separated them eternally. Selah!
Study Orpah and Ruth, side by side. One will be forgotten, and the other one will fulfill destiny. Why, do these women make different choices? Both had grown up in Moab and turned from paganism to their husbands’ faith. Both lived with an adoring mother-in-law. Both knew of the love of Yahweh, the one True God. Both enjoyed material wealth and prosperous marriages out of the abundance of God’s blessings and love. Both had husbands who taught them well, and who showed them God’s love in marriage. Both had husbands who stayed with them despite the lack of children. Both were aware of the power and authority of Jehovah God who gave them free will. Everyone has a choice to receive God’s free gift of saving grace or to turn back. Orpah’s faith in God depended on things, on prosperity. Ruth’s faith in God depended on God Himself. One faith will fail in times of trial! Ruth’s faith in God stood the test of time! Selah!
Jesus said that He must be our first Love, above all others. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). To be a disciple of Jesus, we must die to self, to our own plans for life and adopt God’s plan. This holy transaction is necessary to be truly saved. Fleshly life must die for eternal life to germinate and become fruitful in your soul. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot).
LESSONS FOR US:
*This is a story of Grace! Grace is the unmerited, free, spontaneous, God generated favor and love towards men. The source of Love and Grace is found in Christ alone. All dealings between God and men are the result of His Love and Grace! God alone takes all glory!
*The fulness of God’s Grace is manifested in His Son, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2Cor 8:9). The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ manifests as reversal of situations: the weak become strong, the sick ones are healed and the poor become rich. Glory to God!
*God’s Grace and His sovereign will shine thru this story. God’s eyes have been on Ruth before the foundation of the world. God’s elective Grace calls and redeems the most unlikely people, calling them from any land. He lifts the humble and sits them with princes!
*Sin makes people weak and sick. God’s grace and strength is revealed in man’s weakness. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more!
*God cares about all people, men, women, and children, and all nationalities. There is no unimportant person in God’s sight.
*God uses little things to accomplish great things, according to His plan and purpose. God uses unlikely people to accomplish His purpose.
*God has a positioned helpers to help us at the right time, the right place.
*For as long as we breathe, even in the worst circumstances, there is hope!
*The past should not hold you back. God can change things in a second. Trust Him for that miracle!
*Obeying God, doing the right things, is not easy. It is a sacrifice. But God rewards obedience and righteousness.
*Character is who you are even when nobody is watching. When Ruth pledged her life to Naomi, she did not know that millions would read her words and be inspired by them.
*This is the story of the Cross. Jesus was crucified in weakness and rose thru God’s Grace and Power!
*Covenantal relationships are possible in Christ alone. Like precious stones, they are special, but rare to find. Agape love is a gift from God. It is greater than all natural limitations and differences. A true friend helps you fulfill your destiny. This relationship must be protected from enemies, especially the religious backsliders.
*Trust God to make your dreams come true. Trust God for miracles, to bring water in the desert. Trust God to grant you the revelation and the manifestation of everlasting unfailing agape Love. Trust God to change water into wine in your marriages!
*This is similar story with the friendship between David and Jonathan. God is the Original Covenant Maker and Keeper. God blesses covenantal relationships and marriages. Faithfulness to the covenant brings blessings not only to the parents, but to their descendants.
*Leave a legacy! Leave a good name behind as inheritance to your descendants.
*Orpah left and disappeared from the Bible. Ruth gained a name and a status among the great women of faith. A chapter in the Bible is named after her. Out of her seed the Lord Jesus Christ came as Man on earth. Lesson: Grace has the last Word! Worship the Lord!
“Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Phil 3:17-21).
There are only two realms or two destinations: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. Therefore, there are two types of people: the citizens of heaven (who belong to the Kingdom of God) and the enemies of the Cross of Christ (the unrepentant unbelievers who go to hell). The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of the Kingdom of God. The devil, also called ‘the god of the belly’ is the king of this world. His followers go with him to hell. Salvation is by Grace, thru faith in Christ crucified and resurrected. Once the sinner truly repents and surrenders his life to Christ, the miracle of conversion happens. He becomes a child of God, born again by the Holy Spirit. He immediately becomes a citizen of heaven!!!
For example, naturally, if you want to become a citizen of a great country like America, you must fulfill some conditions before you apply. They may approve your application or not. Most people get residency first, before getting citizenship. A resident is someone who has established a residence in a country. Residence is usually for a limited time, to work or to study in that country. A resident is no longer a tourist, but a legal alien. A resident can freely travel in and out of that country, but he can be denied re-entry if he has not fulfilled some conditions, like living a certain amount of time there, working and having an accommodation in that country. A citizen is different. He belongs to that state. Unlike residents, the citizens have full rights, privileges and responsibilities defined by that country’s laws. For example, the citizens have the right to vote, to participate in politics, receive education, health, legal assistance and protection. The citizens can pass their citizenship to their children. They can receive a passport. Citizenship is a for lifetime. The citizens do not have to fulfill any conditions to retain their citizenship like living or working in that country.
But the citizenship of heaven is different. It’s a birth-right gift, given to all those who are saved. Once their eyes open to the new reality of eternal life, they immediately recognize they now have a new King and totally submit to Him. Rebellion against the King is punished. This citizenship is right now, at this present moment: “our citizenship IS in heaven”. It is not ‘it will be in heaven’. Spiritually, we are now sited as kings in the heavenly places. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-6). We are right now raised and seated together with Christ in the heavenly places. When King Jesus comes again, He will change our humble weak bodies with spiritual bodies, like His own. He has the power to change everything to be the way He wants it to be. Even now, King Jesus has the power ‘to subdue all things to Himself’. To subdue it means to totally defeat an enemy, to bring him under His control by the power of His will. By faith, we believe that our bodies must submit to the will of Christ. Lessons: All sickness must leave, at the name of Jesus! As a citizen of heaven, you have the right to claim all God’s Promises in Christ. No more anxiety about your standing before God in prayer. You have the assurance of salvation manifesting as confidence in prayer! Amen!
This is a glimpse of what is and what is not in heaven: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away… 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev 21:4,8). We must live to please Jesus Christ, our God and King. We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth. As citizens we have rights and privileges. The greatest privilege is having direct access to His presence, before the Throne of Mercy and Grace. In His name, we exercise authority in prayer. We are His ambassadors and Key-Holders in His Kingdom. When we were sinners, we lived under the Law. Now, we live under a greater Law. It is the Law of Love and Liberty manifested under King Grace. Praise the Lord!
“I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]… But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love Me or each other as you did at first!” (Rev 2:4; AMP; NLT).
The Resurrected Christ tells John that the Church in Ephesus has abandoned her first love she had for Him. Jesus speaks intimately, as a Bridegroom speaks to His future Bride. This letter was written about 95AD. Just a generation after the Cross, the Church behaves like an adulterous wife!!! The believers were still attending church, but they also serve idols. It is the same old story of unfaithfulness that we see in the Old Testament. “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown… 12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the Lord. 13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jer 2:2;12, 13). Have you ever felt the pain of Christ?
Jesus sees three commendable things about the church at Ephesus. First, they were committed workers. They witnessed; they labored; they ministered to human needs. Second, their doctrine was right, and their faith was well defined and defended. They did not run after every theological wind of doctrine. Third, they persevered in their work despite much discouragement. They refused to quit. They were determined disciples, faithfully working and not deviating from the truth. They got a grade of A+ in religious studies. But despite all these good things, there is something seriously wrong with them. Jesus warns them that if they don’t repent, He will remove their lampstand (their light). What is the meaning of that? It doesn’t mean that the individuals in the church will go to hell. But it means that the church at Ephesus would lose its ability to shine the light of truth. They would become a church with no spiritual influence on the community around them. Love shines like the stars in the night. Without Love, the light of truth will quench. Agape Love is the only power that can sustain Truth! Sadly, many churches are in this situation. The Christians still meet every Sunday, doing religious things, but they have no spiritual impact. They don’t see any change in people’s lives. This warning does not apply to the Church at large. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the Living Church. But the light of truth can quench in a local assembly because they don’t walk in the revelation of agape love!!!
What causes this condition? Our Lord puts it in one brief phrase: “You have left the love you had for Me at first…” First Love is the love you felt for Jesus when you became born again. It is that wonderful sense of discovery that He loves you and has freed you from your sins. Your heart worshiped Him with thanksgiving. Watch a couple who are in love. They have eyes and ears only for each other. Talk to them, and they do not even listen to you. It is the same with a Christian when he first comes to Christ. The baby Christian is filled with gratitude. He is amazed that God forgave all his sins. He can hardly believe it. The love of Christ seems almost too much to him. He is drunk with love…
But there is a danger… The devil will tempt you! Apostle Paul warned the believers against the devil’s corruption of the first Love: “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” (2Cor 11:3; NLT). With time, that sweet Love can be left behind, can be forsaken. To forsake it means to abandon someone who is helpless and in need, having no desire to go back to him. To forsake Love is to betray Love. The Lover becomes the enemy. After being in love with Jesus, gradually, there comes a shift of focus. Your vision changes. You get busy with other things. What you do for Christ alone begins to be less important. You become selfish. Gradually, your position in the church, your social status, the longing for man’s approval, and the lust for fame and wealth, begin to take priority. You go on doing the same things in the church but not with the same motive. Little by little, you drift away from the pure passion of your first love for Jesus. Every institution can drift and change for the worse! Selah!
We live in what the Bible calls ‘the last days.’ Christians forsake their Love for God and for one another. They grieve the Holy Spirit. They choose religious entertainment (2Tim 3:1-5). The comedians replace the worshippers in the churches. This ungodly attitude is like a virus that spreads its poison, corrupting churches and families. We are commanded to go forsake those who forsake Jesus, the First Love. These are some symptoms of backsliding: you lose your joy and your zeal for God! The Christian life becomes a boring routine. You begin to feel that you know everything. Church activities become mechanical. When you lose the wonder of Jesus’ love, you also find your love for others fading. You become bitter, critical, complaining, rude. You become proud in your thinking. You only think about yourself now. Losing your first Love is the beginning of your downfall. It leads to spiritual blindness, to the loss of vision and spiritual impact. People do not listen to you anymore. You now waste your life. The solution? Remember, Repent and Recover all! Go back to Jesus! Humble yourself! Ask for mercy! Pay the price for spiritual intimacy with Jesus!
These are facts from the history of the church: Ephesus was once a great city. God invested much in the church at Ephesus. Apostle Paul was a pastor in Ephesus and introduced the brethren to the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Ac 19:1-7). The letter to the Ephesians was written to them. Apostle John was once the Bishop of that Church. It is interesting to know that the church in Ephesus is now dead. It means that the brethren ignored the warning of Jesus. They refused to repent. The light of that church went off. Ephesus is in present-day Turkey which is 99% Muslim now. It is an archeological site. People go to see the ruins of a once great Christian center in the Early church. Selah!
Facts about Agape First Love:
*Love is patient (1 Cor 13:4). Trials and hardship do not quench Love. “So, Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her” (Gen 29:20). Lesson: Be patient when waiting for God to lovingly answer your prayer!
*Agape Love sees God everywhere. David worshipped God always. He saw God in all things. For David, the sun is like a bridegroom happily going to his wedding day. “He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race” (Ps 19:4, 5). Lesson: Humble yourself! Guard your love for Jesus and for others!
*Love is grateful to God. The sinful woman who was forgiven by King Grace showed her gratitude by worshipping Jesus at His feet. Jesus said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Lk 7:44-47). Lesson: Love forgives!
*Agape Love is generous. Mary of Bethany gave God the most expensive gift she had. “A woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table” (Matt 26:7). Lesson: be generous towards God and man!
*Agape Love obeys God’s Word. Love makes us to sit at the feet of Jesus, to listen to His Word. This is how Mary of Bethany showed her love to Jesus. “And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Lk 10:39). Lesson: Love God’s Word!
*Agape Love is faithful beyond death! David and Jonathan; Ruth and Naomi’s relationships, are covenant relationships before God! Worship the Lord!!!
Today, we shall study a very special love story. The relationship between David and Jonathan is a beautiful picture of agape love. Rubies are rare to find; so true friends manifesting agape love are not common. We are commanded to seek perfection, to desire spiritual maturity. Listen to the great Apostle Paul: “Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you” (2Cor 13:11; NLT). The relationship between David and Jonathan is a wonderful case study of mature spiritual love between two sinners saved by grace. It is a platonic and covenantal relationship of Agape Love.
PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP
A platonic relationship is one in which two people share a close bond of love and friendship but do not have a sexual relationship. This concept originates in the ideas of the ancient philosopher Plato, from whose name the term is derived. This term applies to both opposite-sex and same-sex friendships. Both Platonic love and Romantic love are deep friendships. The difference is that platonic love does not have physical or sexual intimacy. In a platonic relationship two people are close friends, honest with one another, accept, encourage, respect and understand each other. They sincerely care for one another. They help in good times and bad times. They do not manipulate one another. They generally have the same interests. This type of friendship is rare but very special. The relationship is purely spiritual and not physical. A mentorship bond can be a profound platonic relationship. The mentor provides guidance, advice, and support, while the mentee learns and grows. This relationship is rooted in mutual respect, trust, and shared goals without romantic undertones. Activities are not the only area you can connect with someone. Having deep spiritual discussions is an excellent way to build a platonic relationship.
COVENANTAL RELATIONSHIP
The word ‘covenant’ comes from the Latin word ‘con venire’ meaning ‘coming together’. It is defined as a formal, solemn, binding promise and agreement between countries or people. It is a pledge to remain lifelong friends. Marriage is a covenantal relationship for life. For example, Abimelech and Isaac, Joshua and the Gibeonites, made covenants to live in peace with each other (Gen 26:28-31; Josh 9:15). God is the Witness of the covenant. The covenant could not be broken. If broken, there shall be consequences. God Himself is the Covenant Maker and Keeper. If God has said it, He will do it! Period!!! “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Nu 23:19). Covenants between people are bilateral. The covenant God makes with men is unilateral. God initiated, determined the elements, and confirmed His covenant with humanity. People are recipients, not contributors; they are called to accept it as offered, keep it as demanded, and receive the results that God, by oath, assures will not be withheld. Lesson: For Christ’ sake, we must keep our promises and pledges!
Jonathan, son of King Saul, and David, a shepherd who would become king, formed a deep bond of friendship unto death. They pledged to help each other’s descendants. Despite his father’s hatred for David, Jonathan stood by his friend, even risking his own life to save him. Their friendship was marked by mutual respect, loyalty, understanding, sacrifice and selflessness, all key aspects of true love. Jonathan’s willingness to give up his right to the throne for David shows a selfless love that puts the other person’s needs above one’s own. In the covenant agreement between these two men, Jonathan will be second in command in David’s future reign, and David will protect Jonathan’s family when he will be king. This story reminds us that true love is not limited to romantic relationships. A Christian marriage is a covenant relationship unto death, for Christ’ sake. Lesson: Ideally, the husband and wife should be not only lovers, but true friends to one another. May God help us!
Some said that the relationship between David and Jonathan was homosexual. This interpretation is wrong for at least three reasons:
1-The word ‘love’ here is not connected with romance or sexual attraction. It is the same word that is used to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. ”The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1Sam 18:1).
2-When Jonathan died, David lamented and said: “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me; Your love to me was wonderful, Surpassing the love of women” (2Sam 1:26). It seems that David was talking about Jonathan’s sisters. King Saul promised to give David his daughter in marriage if he killed Goliath. But he deceived David. He promised his daughter Merab, but he suddenly gave her to another man. David married Saul’s younger daughter, Michal, but she was not a spiritual woman. But David’s relationship with Jonathan was true, pure, and unconditional from beginning to the end.
3-The Bible clearly denounces homosexuality as sin. “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Lev 20:13). David was a man after God’s heart. He could not have lived in a homosexual relationship for so many years and God will keep silent!
A friend is one you love, trust, who knows you well, who helps you, guides you, prays for you, but is not a member of your family. David and Jonathan were good friends to the end of their lives. This is an example of true Biblical friendship. It involves spirituality, sacrifice, submission, loyalty, respect, and emotional attachment. Jonathan was spiritually sensitive. He saw that David shall be the next king. He was not jealous like his father. He submitted to God’s will. Jonathan gave David his robe, sword and armor as a gift. This is a sign of submission to the anointing he recognized on David. We do not know if at that time Jonathan knew that David was anointed as the new king of Israel. But we assume that he knew that God has rejected his father as king. Here we see that jealousy and selfishness have no place in a true friendship. By giving David his robe Jonathan gave David his position. By giving David his sword, he gave up his protection. He recognizes David as his protector, his king. In other words, he said: ‘If David did not come to save me, Goliath could have killed me. I owe my very life to David. He is my savior…’ David and Jonathan wept together when they had to part ways. They were honest with their emotions. They were real men, real friends. Do you have such a friend?
LESSONS:
*True agape love is greater than the natural limitations. Jonathan was older than David in age. David was a shepherd; Jonathan was a prince. Jonathan had his own armor; David had a harp and a slingshot. Jonathan grew up in the palace and was trained in the art of war; David grew up in the “little town of Bethlehem” and was trained to tend sheep. Jonathan was the oldest son and in line to inherit the throne; David was the youngest of eight boys and anointed the next king in place of Jonathan. Jonathan was of the tribe of Benjamin, David of the tribe of Judah. Despite their differences, Jonathan and David were the best friends the world has ever known.
*True agape love blooms when people have common interests. Both David and Jonathan were men of faith, and brave soldiers protecting God’s people. David killed Goliath. But Jonathan was a war hero too. Before this famous battle with Goliath, Jonathan, alone and his armor bearer, killed 20 Philistines causing confusion and panic in the enemy camp, allowing Saul’s soldiers to defeat them (1 Sam 14:1-23).
*Agape love friendship is a gift from God. As God helps a man to find a wife, so also God helps us to find good spiritual friends. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (PV 17:17). “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (PV 18:24). Apostle Paul was a friend to Timothy and others. He invested his life in them. “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. 8 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1Thess 2:7,8). Jonathan stayed faithful to David until he died. David stayed faithful to Jonathan even after Joathan died. He took care of his son. Mephibosheth was like his son.
*A true friend helps you to find strength in God. “Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that” (1 Sam 23:16, 17). Look for that spiritual quality in friends. “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray” (PV12:26). Choose friends who help you find strength in God. The value of a friend is beyond rubies. ‘Be slow in choosing a friend. Be slower in changing a friend’ (Benjamin Franklin). A true friend will tell you the truth in times of prosperity and help you with his heart and hand when you face difficulties. True friends will push you closer to God!
*Friendship and agape love must be jealously protected. It is possible to forsake your first love (Rev 2:4). That is a danger you must be aware of. The devil will try to damage your friendship or your marriage. The only sad spot in this beautiful story is when Jonathan chooses to leave David in the wilderness, and goes back to the palace, to his father, King Saul. When you read about David’s mighty men of valor, you read of Eleazer, Shammah, Benaiah… but you do not read of Jonathan, the son of Saul. He should have stayed with David. But Jonathan went back to the palace. He joined his father in the battle against the Philistines. He was in the wrong battle, following the wrong king. He died there… he is the prince who never became king. David wept and said: “The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (2Sam 1:19). And David took the fallen crown and became the new king, according to God’s will. Selah!
*In the Bible, a friend is one who knows your soul! A friend is not just a person who you share hobbies with. A friend is someone who knows the real you, who understands what goes on inside you. The Hebrew word for Friend (‘sod’) is similar with the word translated ‘secrets’. A friend is someone who knows your secrets. Lesson: You need to learn how to open your heart to God, to your spouse and to godly friends. “I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!” (2Cor 6:13). That means to be vulnerable, honest, transparent. This lifestyle is not easy. But you cannot become successful as a Christian without being a friend to God, to Jesus, and to others. Even in a marriage, sex is not what makes husband and wife best friends. Revelation of God’s Word is!!!
*The greatest Lover and Friend is Jesus! A true friend loves his neighbor as himself. Jonathan and David loved one another. Their story is inspiring. But the greatest Love of all is the Love of Jesus. Jesus is that faithful Friend not only unto death, but unto eternity. Agape Love is a command. Love manifests as obedience to God’s commands. Before He went to the Cross, Jesus said to His disciples: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another” (Jn 15:9-17). Jesus died to make us friends with God! Oh, how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!
Today, most people do not know what true friendship is. They are friends only on social media. They talk to one another on Facebook, but they do not know each other personally. Also, most people tend to put all their hopes only in romantic relationships, like marriage. The story of David and Jonathan expands our vision of what agape love can be. David loved Jonathan so much that he openly wept when Jonathan died. It was more than a relationship of convenience. Love was involved. This is strange for us today but in that culture, it was common. May we desire to love more, to love better! Great friendship requires commitment and involves risk. Commitment will be tested. As a friend you need to make sacrifices. Can you go out of your comfort zone and help your friend when he is in need? In all great friendships you need God. Great friendships reflect the great agape love of God! Worship the Lord!
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Phil 2:12-16).
This is an excellent description of a child of God. A saint is one who is not complaining or disputing. He is blameless, harmless, and without moral fault. Immediately after declaring the majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ, His death on behalf of sinners and His exaltation above all as King of kings, Apostle Paul presents to us the application of the doctrine. He calls the Christians “my beloved”. He is talking to the believers, whom he loves in Christ. He commands them to start “working out their salvation with fear and trembling”. This is the doctrine: salvation is by Grace alone, thru faith alone, by God’s Word alone, in Christ alone and to the glory of God alone. We don’t do religious works to go to heaven. Good deeds can’t save our souls. We don’t ‘WORK FOR’ eternal life, but we ‘WORK OUT’ this spiritual invisible reality of salvation. In other words, we must produce visible fruits of the Holy Spirit. We must behave as Christians. To be a child of God is the greatest privilege known to man. But privilege has responsibility. As Christians, we must behave responsibly. Agape Love demands that from us!
Another word for “working out our salvation” is “sanctification”. Salvation itself, the act of Justification is free. It is invisible. Jesus paid for it with His Blood. But immediately the sinner is justified by faith, he starts the process of sanctification. This process is done by obeying the truth and under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Christian must humble himself and cooperate with the God’s Word and with the Holy Spirit. Some Christians are faster than others. That is why some manifests fruits of the Holy Spirit earlier than others. This process is done with ‘fear and trembling’. What is the meaning of that? First, we must fear God. It is true that this fear is not the fear of a slave. But even as a believer, we must fear and tremble before the majesty of the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. This fear of God manifests as wisdom, which is defined as practical application of the knowledge of God’s Word. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (PV 9:10). The second meaning is that we must fear sin, the world and the devil. This fear is not the fear of a coward. But we must be realistic and keep in mind that our present enemy is our former master. He has succeeded in making our perfect ancestor, Adam, fall into sin. He is a champion of seduction, deception, manipulation, intimidation, and flattery. As doctors fear viruses and take precautions not to be infected when treating their patients, we need to have a healthy respect and fear of falling into sin. We reject pride, the point of entry of many sins that make the Christians fall.
God works inside our souls, ‘to will and to do’ for His good pleasure. The Holy Spirit energizes the mind, the emotions and the will so that we cooperate with God’s greater Will in the process of sanctification. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification… “(1Thess 4:3). The Bible reveals that the first two sins that manifest in a Christian are complaining and disputing. Complaining is also translated as grumbling or murmuring. To complain means to be angry and tell someone that something is wrong, that you are not satisfied with it. It is a sin against Agape Love. When you complain, you query God’s Love to you, you grieve the Holy Spirit, and you start backsliding. If you love God and your neighbor, you will never complain about anything. The second sin is ‘disputing’. To dispute it also means to be angry. You disagree with others; you argue, you quarrel with yourself or with others. This is a sin against faith. It produces a double-minded attitude which is called doubt. In the history of God’s people, they never stopped complaining and arguing. Both these sins are the beginning of rebellion against God, which is wickedness, or witchcraft. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1Sam 15:23). God’s people complained about many things: hunger, thirst, Manna (food given by God), God’s ways and strategy as He led them thru the desert. God punished them for the sin of complaining. Many died in the desert because of their stubbornness and rebellion.
Even today, the story repeats itself. There is a strong tendency to complain against God’s ways and His leading in our lives. We forget that God’s primary motive to save us is to be like Jesus, to build in us strong spiritual character. God is not directly interested to make us happy or wealthy on earth. God wants us to become like Jesus. We do not know the way to the eternal Promised Land, which is heaven itself. Jesus is the Way. We must love Him and trust Him even when we do not understand the process. Love makes us ‘blameless and harmless’, children of light in this dark and wicked world. The word blameless means to be innocent of wrongdoing. It means that none can criticize you in your speech or actions. To be harmless means to be pure in your secret heart, to be innocent in your motives. Jesus said that sinful thoughts are equal with sinful actions. For example, if a man looks with sexual lust towards a woman, he has committed adultery with her in his heart. A covetous man is a thief. A child of God is pure, clean, innocent not only in his actions but in his very soul.
As light is totally different from darkness, and stars are completely different from the night sky, so Christians are different from the worldly people. The world is defined as the humanity that lives like there is no God. All worldly people are crooked and perverse. To be crooked it means to be bent, not straight; dishonest and deceptive. A crooked politician or businessman takes bribes and cheats his naïve clients. But child of God is loving, loving, faithful, blameless, free from bitterness, wickedness and deception. This is our pattern and lifestyle! Amen!
Finally, to be a believer ‘without fault’ means to combine all these attributes into one. A mature Christian is free from complaining and disputing spirits, and he is blameless and harmless, in all he does. This is the ideal testimony based on fruitful Love and mature Faith. It means to be like Jesus! Love produces a blameless character. Faith produces a harmless attitude. This is how the believer becomes a light to the world. The light of God shining thru the words and deeds of believers exposes and convicts the world of sin. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. Amen!” (Jude1:24,25). Praise the Lord!
“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Standstill and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” 15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (Exo 14:13-16)
Lessons at the Red Sea: God’s people did not doubt God’s existence or His power, but they doubted God’s goodness!!! Often, they said: “God will not help me today”. They also doubted Moses. They rebelled against God’s appointed leader. At the Red Sea, the truth is that Israel had good reasons to fear the Egyptians. They were former slaves, not trained as soldiers and without weapons to fight. The Egyptians were soldiers. They were now very angry because many had lost their first-born sons, and they blamed the God of Moses. They wanted to kill Moses and the leaders of the Israelites and bring back the rest of the slaves. The Israelites were not mature believers. They were all trembling with fear wishing to go back to Egypt. Question: Have you believed the lie that God will abandon you when you are in trouble?
Moses was the leader because he knew God better. His faith was stronger. He did not know how they would cross over the sea, but he that God would make a way where there seems to be no way. Why was Moses so confident? He knew God’s character. God is a good Father. God will not abandon His child. Think of your father when you were a child. If you are lost, you said: My Father will not abandon me here. Moses knew God’s promises and His faithfulness over the years. He knew that God fights for those He loves!!! We often allow fear to trample our faith! We think that God loves us more when things are good. When we pass thru trials, we think that God loves us less. That is not true! God’s Love is perfect and does not change! Often, God allows darkness to come before He wants to do something great! We say… If Pharoah stayed at home… if Goliath was not so tall… if Daniel was not thrown into the lions’ den… our lives would be better. But without trials, we could not have witnessed the great victories and testimonies from God. To make you afraid, Satan will show you the Red Sea, the mighty Goliath, or the Lions in the den! But God will show you His Son, Jesus Christ, the Author of our faith! According to the Bible, Moses, his faith and his rod are greater than any army! He split the Red Sea, making a way to Freedom! Trust God!
What are the lessons we learn from the Red Sea story?
The people are afraid. They want to go back to slavery in Egypt. They don’t want to pay the price for freedom. Fear leads to murmuring against God and Moses, and it blinds the eyes to the breakthrough. Moses ignores their murmuring and gives three commands:
*Don’t be afraid! When you look around, you will be afraid. When you look to God, you will not be afraid.
*Stand Still (Stand strong) and expect to see the Salvation of God!
*Go forward! God gives power and miracles only when we trust and obey. You need to stand still before you can go forward.
“The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” (Ps 110:1).
This is a prophetic Messianic Psalm, written by David. In it we find the revelation of Christ, God the Son, King and Priest in His Kingdom. God opened the ears of David to hear words spoken in heaven. God the Father (Jehovah) tells God the Son (Adonai): Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies Your footstool. Adonai is one of God’s names in Hebrew. It means Sovereign Lord, Master of slaves and Controller of the Universe. Jehovah is God’s main name. It means “I am that I am”. Adonai reveals God as the Leader and Master of all. He demands total submission. Think of the high privilege for a mortal man to hear a conversation between the members of the Trinity. Jesus was called ‘The Son of David’ but here David calls Him ‘Adonai, Lord’. Apostle Paul too heard ‘inexpressible’ things spoken in heaven (2Cor 12:4).
Jesus has suffered rejection on earth. He died on the Cross that we might live. On the third day Jesus resurrected from the grave. After 40 days He ascended to heaven. Here, we have a glimpse of The Lord Jesus Christ in His glory in heaven. The wickedness of men cannot touch Him now. God the Father tells Jesus to sit on His throne. That is the position of a King in well-deserved rest and total victory. God tells Jesus not only to sit, but to sit at His right hand. That position is the greatest honor. God tells Jesus to sit while Himself will punish all the sinners on earth. God the Father vows to totally defeat all the rebellious sinners who rejected His Son as King. On earth, they shamed Jesus, killing Him naked on the Cross. Now, the story has changed. They are defeated and disgraced, under the feet of the King of kings. By divine decree, Jesus is seated in a position of glory, power and dominion, while the Father fights all the nations to bring honor to His Son. As for now, all His enemies are not yet under the feet of Jesus, but the victory is sure. All enemies of Jesus will bow or will be broken. The Battle is the Lord’s. No matter how loud the nations rage, God can never lose! The victory is sure! Lesson: In Christ, our victory over sin and enemies is sure! We do spiritual warfare from a position of royal rest, and not from fear! Amen!
“The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!” (Ps 110:2)
The rod of strength of King Jesus goes out of Zion towards all His enemies. Zion is a symbol of the Kingdom of God and the Living Church. King Jesus stretches out His rod or His royal scepter towards the Church. His rod works in two ways: it gathers the elect to the Church so that they worship Him. The same rod goes out of the Church to defeat all its enemies. No matter how high these enemies are, they shall go low and become His footstool. The gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church! Moses used his Shepherd rod to punish and defeat the Egyptians. With his rod, Moses divided the Red Sea. God’s people passed to safety while their enemies drowned in it. Moses used his rod to bring water out of a rock. This is a picture of grace out of hard places. Aaron’s rod bloomed by the power of resurrection (Nu 17:11). Even as the Father fights and defeats the enemies of His Son, the Son Himself is not passive. He fights with the rod of power in the mouth of His servants who preach His Gospel. Lesson: We preach the Gospel of Christ Crucified with courage, authority, freedom, and joy! Amen!
“Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth” (Ps 110:3). We have here a vision of the believers in the Church, the citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. As the rod of preaching of the Gospel goes forth from their mouth, grace is released. The elect gather in the church. These believers are servants and ambassadors of Christ. Like sparkling diamantes, like dew comes on the ground every morning, holiness is mysterious, fresh and beautiful. The preaching of God’s Word has miraculous power, romantic holiness and beauty. The womb of the morning is the resurrection power of the Gospel. Sinners come to Jesus like flies come to the light. This flood of conversions is like a river making glad the city of God. The church is forever young, strong, and eternally beautiful. Resurrection power releases the grace of willingness to volunteer for King Jesus! Many know the doctrine of resurrection. Few apply that power in daily life. Lesson: as servants of God, we walk in victory and supernatural strength.
“The Lord has sworn and will not relent: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 110:4).
This is the most important verse in this Psalm. It reveals Our Lord Jesus Christ as King and Priest. In the Old Testament, there was no King who could be Priest at the same time. King David officiated sometimes as a priest, but he feared God too much to take over that holy office. He was anointed King and not as Priest. Some kings became proud and claimed the priesthood. King Saul tried to offer sacrifices as a priest. He was rebuked by Samuel. This sin was one of the reasons why he lost his crown (1Sam 13). King Uzziah started well. But when he became strong and wealthy, he also became proud. That led to his downfall. He wanted to take over the office of the priest. Azariah the priest led eighty priests to rebuke the king. The King became angry and wanted to punish the priests. Suddenly, God sent leprosy on his forehead. He lived isolated as a leprous until he died (2 Chr 26). The reason why God punished these kings for trying to combine the royal position with the priesthood it is because only Christ is ordained to be King and Priest!
Zechariah had a vision about a man called Joshua who will be king, priest and peacemaker at the same time. This prophetic picture clearly applies to the Lord Jesus Christ, our King and Great High Priest. “Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule on His throne; So, He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zech 6:13).
The King and the Priest have different functions. The King rules over people in the fear of God. The Priest offers sacrifices, and he is an intercessor between God and men. David heard God the Father declaring that God the Son is ‘A Priest Forever, according to the order of Melchizedek’. This divine oath is final. God “will not relent”. God will not change His mind and will not break His Promise. This prophetic declaration does not apply to King David. He was from the tribe of Judah. All the priests in Israel were descendants of Aaron, who was from the tribe of Levi. The words King David heard were prophetic and they clearly apply to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our eternal King, Priest, and Prince of Peace! On earth, priests died and were replaced. But the resurrected Christ can never die. He is our High Priest, Mediator and Intercessor forever. “So also, Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” 6 As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:5,6).
The best pattern of combined offices as King and Priest was revealed in a Man called Melchizedek. His name means King of Righteousness. His reign was unique. His office was exceptional and spiritual. This combined office as King and Priest is the simplest, the most glorious, free from pompous religious rituals and ceremonies. Melchizedek sat on the throne, holding both the scepter and the holy censer in his hands. He was a King and a Father to his people. He ruled them and thought them. Abraham and his army defeated the enemies of the King of Sodom to free his nephew, Lot. God granted him a mighty victory. Coming home, a mysterious figure met him. It was Melchizedek, the King of Salem (Peace), the future city of Jerusalem. He was a priest of Jehovah God, living among pagans. Abraham recognized Him as the Lord Jesus. As a sign of total submission and honor, Abraham gave Him a tithe of all his possessions. Melchizedek accepted the tithe and blessed Abraham in the name of Elyon, the God Most High. The King of Sodom met Abraham first. But King Melchizedek intercepted Abraham. He brought bread and wine to Abraham. This is a type of sharing Holy Communion, being one in the Spirit. But Abraham did not have a spiritual relationship with the King of Sodom. He refused to take money from him saying that he has vowed to God not to take any goods that may be considered a bribe, so that God takes all the glory for all his victories (Gen 14:18-24). Lesson: In Christ it is our greatest privilege to be a royal priesthood! We pay tithes and offerings as a sign of submission and honor to Jesus, our King and Priest. Amen!
“The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore, He shall lift up the head” (Ps 110:5-7). The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal King and Priest, shall, eventually enter the fight and finish it. He will destroy what He has defeated. At this stage, the battle against the rebellious is without mercy. Presidents, rulers and kings shall die. They have rejected Christ as Savior. Therefore, He cannot intercede for them. He is now the Judge of all. All the kingdoms on this earth shall be defeated. “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev 11:15). All nations, democratic, secular, or Islamic shall feel His sovereign power. Pope and priest must fall. “The LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh…” (Gen 6:3).
The death of proud King Herod is just a sample of how King Jesus will judge sinners. His royal robe, the golden throne, the worship of the people and all the pompous ceremony in the open air could not save Herod from the punishment of heaven. The angel did not have to strike twice. One blow was enough. Nobody could stop the worms who ate Herod while he was still breathing, At the same time, the Word of God’s Kingdom grew in power and influence (Ac 12:21-24).Lesson: Give your life to Christ while there is time! You either bow or break!
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:11-16).
By the decree of God the Father, Christ is the eternal King and Priest. He is greater than all. He deserves and demands total submission. His title as King and Priest is eternal. It is uninterrupted. It is not transferable to others. Jesus has no associate, and no rival. All God’s children respect His Person and worship Him. At the end of it all, the victory is clear! For now, King Jesus has no time to go to His palace in heaven to entertain His guests. As a soldier in the field, He will drink from a brook by the wayside. This water of life will refresh Him. His head shall be lifted in glory. This is a picture of total victory over his enemies that should encourage every believer. The battle is the Lord’s. The victory is also the Lord’s! Lesson: In Christ, we are more than overcomers. Amen!
To love others, to help them carry their burdens is to be like Jesus, who was never sick and yet, He carried our sins and sicknesses on His Body on the Cross. “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matt 8:16,17). It is never easy to love or pray for others. The price for Love is greater than you think.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps 103:1-5).
This is a Psalm of David. It is a command to bless God, to praise the Lord Jesus, for our salvation (forgives sins and iniquities) and for the other benefits: healing of the body, acts of loving kindness and mercy to you, good things, and supernatural strength like a young man. For any sinner, salvation is the primary miracle. To have your sins forgiven is the greatest need of all. This is the Gospel: Jesus died and rose again for me. Salvation is by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, by God’s Word alone, and to the glory of God alone. By faith, you are saved and have eternal life. Here we are commanded ‘not to forget all God’s benefits’ that accompany salvation. Trusting God only for your salvation and not trusting God for your daily bread, healing and wellbeing, is called ‘little faith’. You must repent of your ‘little faith’ before you can be granted ‘great faith’. To have great faith it means that you trust God for salvation, healing, and provision.
Read Mark 2:1-12. Here we see Jesus granting a double miracle to a young man who was paralyzed. His four friends carried him on a bed (stretcher) to see Jesus. Because of the crowd, they could not enter the house through the door. They went to the roof and made a space to lower their friend in front of Jesus. They had faith that if Jesus sees the sick man, He will heal him. Jesus “saw their faith”. He first spoke the word of forgiveness of sins. This is the invisible miracle of salvation. Sin was the root of his sickness. Therefore, the man’s soul must be healed before the body can be healed. The Pharisees who were there, spying on everything Jesus was doing, complained openly. They said that only God has the right to forgive sins. They totally rejected the claim of Jesus that He is God’s Son and the King of kings. Despite the opposition of the religious rulers, Jesus confirms His authority as God and King by declaring that the sick man’s sins are forgiven. Then to prove even more that He is God, Jesus heals the man with just a word. The paralyzed man stood on his feet, carried the mat he has been lying on, and in the presence of all people, he walks out thru the door. The door was blocked when he came to this house. The miracle has opened the door for him to have a new life. It seems that the sick man did not have faith to be healed. It was his four friends who had faith in his behalf. But once he was forgiven and healed, his faith in Jesus manifested. To prove his faith, he obeyed the Master’s Word and walked away.
This man received more than he expected. Jesus granted him a double miracle. He forgave his sins, healed his soul and healed his body. The miracle was instant and free of charge. It was done for the glory of God and for the good of man. This miracle of healing shows the Love and the Power of King Jesus towards sinners. Sin paralyzes and kills. Jesus died to give life to the lifeless soul. “While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6; AMP). Glory!
The religious rulers were angry and disappointed. The evil religious spirit active in many churches opposes the supernatural. Reject the religious spirits to make space for the Holy Spirit to take control. Always please God and not men! God rewards faith! Study God’s Word concerning salvation and healing. You need to know God’s promises to have faith to be healed. When a man says: ‘I have faith to be healed’, but he does not know the Word about healing, he is deceiving himself. He is like a farmer who says he trusts God for harvest, but he has not planted any seed in the ground. The Word of God is a seed (Lk 8:11). It must be planted in the heart to produce faith.
The four friends who brought the sick man to Jesus had great faith. King Jesus rewards faith in Him. When the door was blocked by the people, they did not give up. They went to the roof and found an original way to enter. Jesus was pleased by their bold creative faith. They displayed Agape Love towards their sick friend. They carried the burdens of another and fulfilled the Law of Christ (Gal 6:2).
These are some lessons: Jesus Christ is God, the Lord of all and King of kings. Jesus forgives and heals. He rewards faith and obedience. Spiritually, the four friends stand for Love, Faith, Holy Boldness and Intercession. This dynamite combination never fails to produce results. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13:8). The faith that approaches Jesus: determined and desperate faith! The four men are determined to have a miracle of healing. You must know that there is no hope outside Jesus. We are helpless to forgive and heal others. Sin is the cause of all pains and sicknesses. Faith is also corporate. The Bible knows nothing about individualistic Christians. People help people in the Church. Do you have people who can carry you to Jesus? Please note that Jesus surprises us! He always goes deeper than the circumstances. He healed this man’s soul before He healed his body. For Jesus to heal the body and not heal the soul, that is hatred and not love! It is easier to say “your sins are forgiven” because there is no text or Xray to prove that. Jesus heals the body to prove that He has healed the soul. Get that man to Jesus! Parents, pray for your children! Things happen when God’s people truly care! Here we see the Mercy and Power of King Jesus! Forgiveness of sins and miracles always lead people to praise God! “All were amazed and glorified God, saying: We never saw anything like this!” (Mk 2:12). God does miracles even today. He forgives our sins and heals our bodies. Faith 100%! Doubt 0%! Worship the Lord!!!
“The love of Christ controls and compels us, because we have concluded this, that One died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake” (2Cor5:14,15; AMP).
Christ’s love “compels” us. In Greek the word ‘compel’ means: to hold together, to press down (by a crowd), to arrest a prisoner, to afflict, or to stop an action. It means to forcibly compress the energy of the soul into one channel. We are controlled, ruled by Christ’s love for us. Jesus is King Grace and King Agape Love at the same time. His love guides us, presses us down, overmasters us, keeps us focused on only one object, on His will. His Love simplifies and concentrates us. Paul says that the Love of Christ limits his freedom, restraining him from every selfish purpose, directing every act to the good of others. If we die to self, we’ll not desire to ‘live for ourselves’. We’ll be free to share our love and our life. Christ’s Love can’t be manipulated or misused. It is a spiritual fence, directing us to Him who loved us first!
Christ’s Love is holy and jealous of any rival. “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2Cor 11:2). The jealousy of Love keeps it focused on her Beloved. The fleshly love ‘eros’ is always polygamous. Agape Love has only one aim: to please King Jesus! It has constraining power, directing every act to God’s glory and to the good of others. It keeps us in our place of duty, as soldiers are held together under God’s holy covering. “His banner over me is love” (SS 2:4). In life or in death, we are one, together, in Love with Christ and with one another. Love is extremely bold. It is the only force in the universe that looks at the devil face to face and fearlessly rejects his temptations. Glory to God!
Christ’s love ‘compels’ us. Jesus uses a similar word (distressed), when talking about the Cross He was to suffer upon: “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!” (Lk 12:49, 50). Other translations say: “what constraint I am under until it is completed… how it consumes Me until it is finished… I will suffer until it is over… I have a heavy burden until it is accomplished” (Lk 12:50). Love is bitter and sweet, painful and fruitful at the same time. Our Lord says: “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments” (Jn 14:15; AMP). If Christ’s love compels me, then my eyes and ears are for Him alone. No other face or voice will be sweet to me. Love leads to precious obedience. Love has no Plan B. Love is the Kingdom’s royal badge of honor! Love never betrays. Love never fails to please God! Selah!
THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people”… “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 4:23; 24:14).
Many see the Gospel as a limited blessing, only salvation for their souls. The Gospel is the Good News of God. His Son, Jesus Christ, became a Man, lived on earth, and died on behalf of sinners. By God’s grace, and thru faith in Christ crucified and resurrected we become saved. This is all true. But the Gospel is greater than even our personal salvation. It is called The Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus, the King of kings came to establish His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is the realm, rule and reign of God. It is the atmosphere of heaven where God’s authority is accepted by all. This reminds us of the Greatness of the Gospel we preach. The Gospel is more than healing of the body, peace of mind or feeling good in the church. It affects the whole universe. “In the dispensation of the fullness of the times He (God) might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth—in Him” (Eph1:10). The Gospel tells us that all things in the universe shall be brought together in Jesus Christ, the King of God’s Kingdom. Rebellion against the King shall be punished. The Gospel is not only for ‘sinners’, like drunkards, prostitutes, or thieves. It is for all people! God commands all men to repent and surrender to King Jesus! “God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives]” (Ac17;30; AMP). “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17). Selah!
The ultimate purpose of the Gospel is not to make us happy, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make us holy, and obedient to God’s Word. Christ came into this world to establish the realm, rule and reign of God. “When He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Lk17:20,21). The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Israel at that time. They heard Jesus preaching about the Kingdom of God and they knew that He claims to be the Messiah King. They rejected His claim to be the King of kings. They came to ask Him about the Kingdom of God, not in a humble manner, but deceitfully, to see what He will say. They were teaching the people that the Kingdom of God belongs to Israel, and it will come as a military religious kingdom with visible pompous display. Even John the Baptist and the disciples initially believed the teaching of the Pharisees (Matt 11:3; Acts 1:6). But Jesus said that for now, His Kingdom does not come ‘with observation’. It is not visible. It is in the hearts of men who totally surrender to Him, who have faith in Him, their Savior and King. Until Jesus comes again, the Kingdom is invisible, growing mysteriously, like a mustard seed, in the hearts of the believers. Once deeply planted, it cannot be uprooted. The miracle of becoming born again is the foundation of the Kingdom in the hearts of men. The believers produce fruits of repentance, by the Holy Spirit in them, among which, Agape Love is the first. The Kingdom of God is not “eating and drinking”, which are visible actions. It is Agape Love working in the hearts of men, changing them, and changing their circumstances. Because Jesus gave them food to eat, they wanted to make Him King by force. Men are ready ‘to vote’ for Jesus when they want physical food. But Jesus rejected ‘democracy’ in His Kingdom and withdrew from them (Jn 6:15). Jesus told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36; AMP). The devil is the ruler or the prince of this world. Jesus conquered Him by His death on the Cross! Hallelujah!
Even after His resurrection, Jesus was telling them about His Kingdom. The devil fights the revelation. The Kingdom spreads by the preaching of God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are witnesses of our King. One day, Jesus will come back to earth visibly, just the way He ascended (Ac1:1-3;10,11). When He comes again, all eyes will see His majesty. The whole creation shall be delivered from its bondage to corruption. Everything in this universe will be restored to its original glory! “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1Cor 15:24-28). Glory!
Christ has authority over all men, not only over the Christians. While on earth, He commanded: “Follow Me”, and men followed. He has total authority over nature and the invisible realm. The winds and the sea obeyed Him! Before He died Jesus said: “Now judgment is upon this world [the sentence is being passed]. Now the ruler of this world (Satan) will be cast out” (Jn 12:31; AMP). By His death, Jesus defeated and disgraced Satan. “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross” (Col2:15; AMP). He made an “open show” of the devil and his demons, who are now disgraced before the whole universe. By His death, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil to accuse us because of sin and his power to intimidate us thru death. Glory!
“How of the Cross He made a throne
On which He reigns, a glorious King” (Ancient Hymn)
Finally, this is a question of life or death: Are you in this Kingdom? Are you born again? The easiest way to know if you are saved or not is by studying your attitude not to God’s promises, but to God’s commandments. If God’s commandments are burdensome to you, it means you are not born again. If they are your delight, then you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Welcome in! Praise the Lord!
KINGDOM’S POWER AND LOVE IN THE EARLY CHURCH
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34,35). “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1Jn 3:11).
Most believers know that Love is a command. They know the theory of Love. Few know how to practice Love in the church. Most of the time they manifest agape Love in little groups, in house fellowships, or as friends, they visit one another. Often, they mix agape love with philia love. But they do not know how to manifest the pure agape love to those they do not ‘like’ as friends. Even the church leaders are not able to display agape love daily, to all. The result is that the church is more religious than spiritually real. The early church relied upon a twofold witness as the means of reaching and impressing a cynical and unbelieving world: kerygma (preaching) and koinonia (fellowship). In other words, it was the combination of preaching the Word and Loving with agape love. These two actions made the church’s witness extremely powerful and effective. Pagans could easily ignore the preaching as simply another teaching among many, but they found it much more difficult to reject the evidence of koinonia, agape Love among the brethren. The concern of Christians for each other, and the way they shared their lives, left the pagan world craving this new experience called koinonia. This is what a pagan writer said: ‘How these Christians love one another!’ The present-day church has abandoned the true koinonia (agape Love) almost completely, reducing the witness of the church to preaching (kerygma) alone. The lack of agape love has weakened the body from within. It has also weakened the Church’s influence over the unbelievers. That is why the world sees the church as irrelevant these days. May we go back to our first Love, Jesus Christ and love one another as we are commanded. The result will be power to serve God, power to influence the world around us. That is the glory of the Church! May revival come!
“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph 3:20,21; AMP).
Power is the ability to control or influence people and events. The early Christians knew the secret of living by resurrection power, and nothing else will account for the amazing effect they had upon the world of their day. They did not try to borrow power from the world, for they found they had all they could possibly need, available continuously from a risen, triumphant Lord. Resurrection power is available to every true Christian by faith.
“Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]” (Gal 6:2; AMP). The Apostle Paul says that bearing one another’s burdens is the way to fulfill the Law of Christ, or the Law of Agape Love. In other words, a Christian will live a fulfilled life only when he helps others carry their burdens. For that, you need to be close enough to people and to see their struggles, to feel their pains. You are willing to help others not to prove that you are stronger or better, but to be like Jesus. It means people trust you with their secret pains. That is a great privilege. Most people who attend Church are afraid to tell others of their struggles. Many believers fear rejection and suffer in silence. But we are commanded to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. We are to rebuke in love and encourage others. The burdens of life are spiritual or natural, addiction to sins, marriage issues, chronic sicknesses, or financial troubles. Burdens are normal to all. Don’t pretend that all is well. Humble yourself! But only Agape Love is strong enough to help others without asking nothing in return. It builds the Body and gives glory to God in the Church.
To help others with the burdens of life can be done in private counselling. For that, you need to be committed to listen well, to be willing to enter another’s pain, to spend time, energy and money to help the one in need. Some say that only the welfare department should do that. It is not true. This command applies to all Christians. “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:4). Practical Agape Love is felt not only in private conversations, but even in the big assembly. As you greet, shake hands, or hug others, Love is displayed and spread. May God help us!
DAVID AND GOLIATH – STANDING ALONE FOR GOD (1 Samuel 17)
*The battle between David and Goliath is a classic story. It never gets old. This is the first battle King Saul must fight since the anointing of the Holy Spirit left him. Saul knew that God has left him, but he does not even try to repent and seek God. The men of Israel chose Saul to be their king because they wanted him to fight their battles (1Sam 8:19-22). For men, stature and physical strength is important. Saul was taller than the rest. But now, Goliath was taller than Saul. King Saul was not really a coward. Together with his son, Jonathan, he led the armies of Israel in many battles. As a king, he was not interested in administration or worshipping God. Being a soldier is what he loved the most. But without God, Saul became a coward. His rise to fame and his tragic fall is a warning to all men. Lesson: Fear God!
*Goliath was a Philistine ‘champion’. This is a particular type of soldier who fights alone, one to one. He was a giant. His height was about 3 meters and 400 pounds in weight. His heavy armor of 120 pounds was covered with scales looking like a snake. He is a type of Satan. He fights with intimidation and fear. Goliath insulted the army of Israel saying something like this: ‘I am a pagan. I hate your God. You are supposed to trust in your God and come to kill me. Why do you run away? Is your God not able to help you?’ Saul and the people of Israel, saw Goliath as a giant in the battlefield. David saw an enemy of God and of God’s people. He knew God’s Word: “Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death” (Lev 24:16). Based on God’s Word, Goliath will die.
*This is also the first battle that young David fights since the Holy Spirit came on him as the next king of Israel. His victory confirms the fact that God is not impressed by the outward appearance. God rewards faith and godly character. It also shows that the secret of all David’s success in life was the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon him. David loved God and the righteousness of God. Therefore, David became bold in battle. “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion” (PV 28:1). In Israel, the minimum age to join the army was 20 years. David’s three older brothers joined the army under King Saul. David was too young to be a soldier. He had no army uniform and no official training as a soldier. But he had faith in God. His brothers mocked him. King Saul mocked him. Goliath mocked him. But God was with David and David was with God. Lesson: in all situations of life, have faith in God! if God is with you, you will win every battle. Learn to mature as a believer. Draw closer to God and God will draw closer to you! (James 4:8).
*King Saul gave his armor to young David. But David refused it. For David, this temptation was greater than fighting Goliath. It is not easy to reject the gift of your king, to refuse to step into the shoes of a disgraced king. If David used Saul’s armor, Saul would share in the glory of the victory. Lesson: the man of faith does not use carnal methods. By removing the armor David presented himself as a living sacrifice to God. He will fight Goliath without man’s protection. Like Queen Esther, David said: If I perish, I perish! (Esther 4:16). This is the voice of faith and courage! David fought Goliath with the simple weapons of a shepherd: a sling and a stone taken from the riverbed. He won the battle not with sword and spear, but with faith in the name of Jehovah Sabaoth, the God of the armies of heaven. That is why, all the glory goes to God. Lesson: Saul’s armor is the power of the flesh. If the pastor does not preach God’s Word but offers religious entertainment, political speeches or secular stories, he is using Saul’s armor. He cannot kill any Goliath. He cannot defeat the devil. The true armor for any believer is the armor of God: The helmet of salvation- the breastplate of righteousness- the belt of truth- the shoes of the Gospel of peace- the shied of faith – and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God spoken in the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Eph 6:14-17). The battle between David and Goliath is a spiritual battle. David stands for Christ and for all the believers in Christ. Goliath stands for the devil who intimidates all men thru the fear of death. When Jesus died, the last enemy of man, the fear of death, died at the Cross. In Christ we are now free. We can now sing the victory song. We can join Apostle Paul and boldly confront death saying: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 15:54-56). Praise the Lord!
*Both King Saul and Goliath have many things in common. They are both proud, tall, and physically strong. They both despised David. They saw him only as ‘a youth’, without wisdom, strength or experience on the battlefield. They saw David as a loser. Both were wrong. This is a reminder that at the Cross, Jesus proved that the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1Cor 1:25). The world rejects the Gospel of the Kingdom, Christ crucified and resurrected. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe. Faith is the gift and the mystery of God.
*When David was brought before King Saul, we are not sure if Saul remembered him as the former singer in the palace or his armor bearer. Confidently, David tells Saul that as a shepherd, he has the experience to kill ferocious animals. This is not the foolish boasting of a teenager. It was the truth. Because there was no other man who could do it, Saul agrees to let David go and fight the giant. Saul told David: The Lord be with you! This was prophetic. God’s anointing has left Saul and is now on David. Unknowingly, Saul admires the royal mantle on David, the future king. Lesson: faith developed in the past will help you fight the present battles. Enemies change. But Faith never changes. Why? “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever!” (Heb 13:8).
*When going to war, be sure that your motives are right. David was prepared as a fighter, but he also had the right motives for fighting Goliath. God looks at the heart. The state of your heart is more important to God than your words or actions. David did not fight Goliath to gain fame or fortune. David’s main reason to fight Goliath was his holy desire to defend the name and glory of God. David heard Goliath insulting God and God’s people. That was enough for David to volunteer to fight him. David said to the Philistine: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Sam 17:45-47). “So, the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth Your glory” (Ps 102:15). The second reason why David fought Goliath is to help God’s people. Like a shepherd helps his wounded sheep, David stepped forth as the true leader of Israel and defeated their enemy. Lesson: Victory is on the side of him who has God on his side!
*David was willing to stand all alone for God, even when all others draw back. On that battlefield, David was the only one who saw the reality behind the visible. David stood before Goliath. In no man’s land. That is the loneliest place in the world. No man to help you! But David did not worry about himself, whether he would live or die. All he wanted is that God’s name should be honored. To stand alone you must be sure that God is with you. Also, you must be sure of is that the Battle is the Lord’s. David knew that he was God’s servant and anything that happens to David, concerns God. People like Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel all believed that God watches over them. If you know that God is with you, you will not be easily discouraged. Question: Do you fight your problems alone? You stand for God when you study God’s Word, and you go to church even if nobody in your family does it. David killed Goliath and became the hero to inspire many generations! With all his failures, God said David is a man after His heart. David loved to be identified with God. He is a great example to us all, pointing to Jesus Christ, our Savior and King! Worship the Lord!
This is a Psalm of David (Acts 4:25). It reveals the settled sovereign purpose of God to establish His Kingdom on earth and to have His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be King over all. Despite opposition from men and devils, it reveals the eternal reign of Jesus Christ as King in God’s Kingdom. David wrote this Psalm because he experienced something similar in his own life. He too was anointed as king despite the opposition of men. He was rejected by his brothers, by King Saul and by his own son, Absalom. David was about 15 years when he was anointed as king by prophet Samuel. King Saul persecuted him for about 15 years. Eventually, at the age of 30, he became king. David remains the greatest king Israel ever had, a man after God’s heart. God sets kings and God removes kings! “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan 2:20, 21). Psalm 2 is prophetic revealing the coming of Jesus Christ, who is of the lineage of David. The world rejected Jesus. Men killed Him on the Cross. The rulers of this world did not know God’s plan. By His death, Jesus destroyed the power of death, that belonged to the devil. Jesus will come again in power and glory to destroy what He has defeated. At that time, God’s Kingdom will be visible to all! In Psalm 2 we see the empty rage of men against God and His anointed, Jesus Christ; we see God’s reaction to this opposition; we hear the declaration of God’s Son, the King of kings; and we read the final warning of God against all rebellious men on earth!
1-THE EMPTY RAGE OF MEN
The nations ‘rage’ against God and His Kingdom. All men are born sinners. In this fight against God all the people and their kings are in it together. They ‘rage’ against God the Father and God the Son! The word ‘rage’ means a loud confusing noise of a great crowd. God’s Kingdom brings peace, prosperity, healing and freedom. You expect men to happily welcome these blessings. Why do men hate God and His Kingdom? They do not have a good reason. The only explanation is that unbelievers are ruled by the devil, who is the god of this world. Men love the blessings but hate God, the Giver of the blessings. This is a spiritual battle between heaven and hell and is manifested on earth. It is a cosmic conspiracy to break God’s bands of agape Love towards men.
God says of Israel: “I drew them with gentle cords, With bands of love, And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them” (Hos11:4). But they did not appreciate God’s Love for them. The devil uses men to fight God and all that is good. They rejected Jesus as their Savior, Lord and King. “But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us” (Lk 19:14). The men of this world, religious and political, have rejected and killed ‘this Man’ called Jesus. Despite the opposition, God declares that the unbelievers’ fight against Him and His Kingdom is ‘a vain thing’; an empty, worthless thing. It has no value and no victory. Lesson: Religion cannot help. Jesus died to reconcile us to God. Separate yourself from the unbelievers’ losing battle against God, Jesus Christ and His church! To fight God is foolish and dangerous because God always wins!
2-GOD’S REACTION TO THE EMPTY RAGE OF MEN
Totally separate from the noise of men on earth, God sits enthroned in heaven. No man and no devil can remove God from His throne. Watch the quiet royal dignity of God on His throne. This is the truth: either willingly or un-willingly, man must bow to God. Sited on His throne, God initially laughs and mocks the men who in vain fight His choice. He has declared that His Son Jesus Christ is eternally the King of glory! God can never lose. God does not need to stand from His throne to fight the opposition. His breath is enough to quench any battle against Him. By His Word God created all things. By the same Word God can kill any man. Suddenly, God changes from laughing to holy anger. None can withstand His wrath. God shakes the things on earth and burns the chaff. The purpose is to prove that His Kingdom is unshakable. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:28,29). In His anger, God speaks: “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion” (Ps 2:6). Oh, the powerful word ‘yet!’ What God says is final! God’s choice, King David, must be king in Jerusalem, on the holy hill of Zion. Against all odds, as God wished it, King Saul is removed, and David became King in Zion. God has already done what the enemies were planning to prevent. God cannot be taken by surprise. His plans are sovereign and eternal! Amen!
Prophetically, this psalm says that Jesus Christ is God’s choice to be the King in His Kingdom. Jesus did not make King by Himself. Men did not choose Him. God the Father declared His Beloved Son to be King. Spiritually, Zion is a symbol of the Living Church. Christ is the King in His Church. He is the King of God’s Kingdom in the hearts of the believers who come together to worship the Living God. Since the Day of Pentecost when the Church was born, millions have come to worship God and to listen to God’s Word in Zion. “Many people shall come and say: Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law” (Isa 2:3). Jesus “shall see the travail of His soul and be satisfied” (Isa 53:11).
Lesson: Jesus, the Lamb upon His throne, is seated in power and glory and reigns forever in the hearts of all the believers in the Church!
3-GOD’S SON DECLARES HIS STAND
Jesus Christ, God’s Beloved Son, stands to declare His relationship with God the Father. Jesus is not an adopted Son like us. He is the only begotten Son of God. Jesus is 100% God and 100% Man. Therefore, Jesus is perfectly entitled and qualified to be King in God’s Kingdom. The fullness of God the Father dwells in Christ, who is the Fountain of all wisdom, power, and authority. Christ died to create the Church. His Blood is stronger than any opposition. “The Gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church where He is King” (Matt 16:18). By His Grace, Christ makes the believers to be kings, priests and co-heirs with Him. We sit on the throne with Him. We are His Ambassadors and Key-holders in His domain. All worship to God must pass thru God the Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord! The Son of God declares that God told Him: “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps 2:8). Jesus is asking God the Father to give Him as a royal gift the very people who are fighting against Him. By His grace and through His Agape love, His enemies will become His servants and worshippers. Those who will not bend, must be broken. Christ is King not just by name. He has the power to subdue all opposition. Christ said: “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matt 28:18; AMP).
4-FINAL WARNING TO THE UNBELIEVERS
This is a grace warning to all who oppose Christ. They are commanded to ‘be wise’! Wisdom means to stop fighting and surrender to Christ. If not, they will surely perish. They will go to hell! All must come to the throne of mercy and grace and kiss the hand of the Son of God. They must accept the truth that their fight can never succeed. The ruler of this world, the devil, is a liar. He gives sinners false hopes. They must forsake the devil’s camp and cross-over to Jesus. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (PV9:10). As for you, child of God, rejoice with trembling in the mercy received. Fear without joy is torment. Joy without holy fear is presumption and foolishness. Both need to be together. Those who resist the Holy Spirit and continue to rebel against Christ shall perish. Those who have faith in Jesus Christ, shall find mercy and they shall live. Choose life!!! Worship the Lord!
The Parable of the wheat and the tares is one of the parables of Jesus. A parable is a simple short story that illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Human beings respond better when they hear simple stories than when they listen to theories, arguments or principles. In the previous Parable of the Sower, we have one Sower, one type of seed (God’s Word), one field and four different types of soils. Here we have one Man who owns a good field. He sows good seed (wheat) in His field. In the night, when his servants are sleeping, another man called ‘his enemy’ came and planted bad seed (tares) in the same good field. Both types of seed germinate at the same time, and they grow together. The servants observed that there are two types of plants. They asked their Master three questions: “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?… Do you want us then to go and gather them up?”. The Master said that an enemy has done that. He also said that they should leave the mixed plants to grow together until the harvest. Judgment shall happen during the harvest. Then the separation shall be total. The tares will be gathered and burnt. The wheat will be deposited in the Owner’s storehouse.
Jesus explains that Kingdom of God, and the church in its visible form is a mixed multitude. This is the mystery of evil in the world. Immediately God planted the good seed called Adam and Eve, the devil came to deposit his lies in their hearts. We have many questions about evil and sin: why did God allowed the devil to enter the Garden of Eden? Why is the devil still permitted to ‘to kill, steal and destroy’? From this parable we see that God allows the devil to tempt and attack even the Christians. But evil does not last forever. There is a final judgment when God, sited on the Great White Throne in heaven, will judge and punish the devil and all who followed him. God is the good man who plants the good seed, the believers. Never forget the great picture of God’s plan and purpose in His creation.
Jesus calls the devil ‘an enemy’. The devil is a liar, the enemy of truth, of righteousness, of peace, of joy and of all good things in life. Here we see that part of the strategy of spiritual warfare is to endure side by side with the wicked people, for a time. The deliverance from oppressors and difficult people is not always instant. This closeness is difficult, but God uses it to shine the light from the true believers on the false believers, who have grace opportunities to repent of sin and give their lives to Christ. The unbelievers are our ‘neighbors’. We must love the unlovely. Agape Love is busy in such a field. This is evangelism one to one. This is a reminder that the devil is wicked. He waited for the Owner to plant the good seeds before he planted his wicked seeds. If the devil planted his evil seed where other evil plants grow, then we can understand that. But, no! He planted his evil seed on the good man’s land and among the good man’s seed. This is a reminder that God is the owner of this earth. The devil plants in God’s field.
The devil planted his seed during the night when the good man’s servants were sleeping. This parable tells us that the devil is a coward. He did not attack the man’s children in the daytime, but in the night, where all good men sleep. This is not a careless sleep but the normal sleep of hardworking men. This parable also tells us that this is a time of grace, when men may still repent. All organizations, companies, families, even the visible Church and the Kingdom of God are all a mixed multitude. Wicked people are our neighbors and colleagues in the offices. They are the people we call brethren and pastors in the church. Finally, we are reminded that there is judgment ahead. Evil does not last forever. Wicked, unrepentant people will surely regret their foolish pride! They will be punished in the Lake of Fire forever! But the righteous in Christ have eternal life. Lessons: Fear God! Repent of Sins! Surrender unconditionally to the Lord Jesus Christ! Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ! Be patient! Be watchful! Pray! Study God’s Word! Worship God! Serve God! Amen!
“Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons” (1Sam 16:1:1). In Hebrew, the word ‘provide’ is ‘rai’. It means to see, to make it appear, to prophesy. It is part of the compound name of God: Jehovah Jireh. Abraham told Isaac: “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Gen 22:8). In the same way, Jehovah Jireh provides a king for Himself. We shall study God’s provision, King David, who is a symbol of King Jesus. Lesson: in God’s Kingdom, men’s choice as their leader or king is rejected by God. Only God chooses the King that can give Him the glory and help humanity! In the Church, all the true leaders are all called by God!
King Saul had great potential. He was tall and handsome. He looked like a king. That is why the people ‘voted’ for him. God agreed with their ‘democratic’ desires. But King Saul’s heart was not good. He openly disobeyed God. Internally, he was not fit to be a king before God and man. Samuel told King Saul: “you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” (1Sam 15:26). Lesson: obedience to God’s Word is the way to success and greatness! Surprisingly, God’s choice as king is a teenager, a shepherd, called David, the son of Jesse, from Bethlehem. God says: “I have provided Myself a king”. Samuel, now an old man, so bold in the past, is weeping for Saul, who was one of his disciples in the school of life. But Saul failed both God and Samuel. When God tells Samuel to go to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons, the prophet becomes afraid, that Saul might kill him. Lesson: Mourning for lost opportunities is natural, but it should only be for a short time. When mourning for man combines with fear of the same man, that leads to depression and cowardice and backsliding. It is worldly sorrow. It is sin. It blocks the anointing to ministry! Repent of it! Selah!
Samuel goes to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse, to find and anoint the new king of Israel. Jesse has eight sons. He presents the first seven. They are all tall and good looking. Samuel was tempted to choose one of them. They reminded him of young king Saul. But God restrains him saying: “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1Sam 16:7). Like Samuel, we all tend to approve men based on their outward gifts. We tend to lean towards physical beauty, eloquent speakers, academic degrees, or social status. We choose charisma over character. This tendency to choose the visible gifts over the invisible spirituality is idolatry. It is rejecting God’s will. Lesson: in choosing our pastors, marriage partners or friends, we must seek God’s face and never be led by the lust of the eyes! Selah!
God rejected all the seven sons of Jesse. Samuel asked if there was any other son. Slowly, Jesse admits that there is still the youngest, David, who is taking care of the sheep. He was not even informed about this ‘interview’. That is when Samuel told everyone: “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here” (1Sam 16:11). Spiritually, many people sit down! They have lost the vision of King Jesus in His Kingdom. They are depressed. Lesson: We are to stand to honor and expect the King to come! We are like the wise virgins! We cannot relax or sleep until we see the King of glory! “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed” (Rev 16:15). Selah!
David came into the room. Behold the King of Israel!!! David came straight from tending the flock; sweating, dressed in dirty clothes, smelling like sheep. He was excited as any teenager can be. “He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him” (1Sam16:12;NLT). God’s command to Samuel was clear: ‘This is the One!’ David looked healthy and physically fit. His beauty came from within, from a kind and humble spirit. David was the 8th son. Number 8 is the number of a new beginning. God’s choice as king for His people has entered the pages of history. Later, the same David said: “Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter” (Ps 24:9; NLT). Lesson: God allows the flesh to manifest and fail before He brings His choice. That is why Ishmael is born before Isaac; Esau is born before Jacob; Herod is born before Jesus! God’s ways are not our ways! Be patient!
King Saul was the first king. He was chosen by people. God approved their choice. Samuel anointed him with oil from a flask. King Saul was a tall handsome man, looking like a king. At the beginning he looked humble and zealous for God. But King Saul disobeyed God’s commands. God removed His Spirit and anointing from him. Lesson: in God’s Kingdom unrepentant rebellion is punished. Samuel anointed David with oil from an animal horn. This ceremony was held in the presence of his father and his brothers. Lesson: Both Saul and David were anointed with the same olive oil and by the same prophet Samuel. The difference was in the containers of oil. In the case of Saul, the oil was poured from a man-made flask (1 Sam10:1). But Samuel poured the oil on David from an animal’s horn (1Sam16:13). That speaks of sacrifice. The bull must be killed to remove the horn. Blood must shed for the oil to flow. This is a symbol of the Cross, strength coming out of death. We are called to be royal priesthood in God’s Kingdom by the power of the Cross! Oh, the Blood of Jesus!!!
Immediately the new king is anointed, the Holy Spirit leaves Saul and goes to David (1Sam16:13). “The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him” (1Sam16:14). Without God’s covering, an evil spirit appointed by God Himself, comes to trouble Saul’s mind. The word ‘distressing’ is also translated as evil, wicked, wild, depressive, ugly, or hurtful spirit. This demon ‘troubled’ Saul. The word means to attack, overwhelm, or terrorize with fear. This demon gave Saul panic attacks that drove him to become mad. His mental decline has started. He is still the king on the throne for some years, but he becomes erratic, paranoic and violent. He suspects everybody around him.
There is a mental health situation called ‘panic attack’. It is a sudden feeling of anxiety or fear when there is no danger around. It lasts about 10 minutes. It manifests as a sudden fear or death; the heartbeat increases; he sweats; feels hot or cold; feels nausea, like sick at the stomach; he feels chest pains. He feels dizzy, fainting, like he has a heart attack, or is going to die. The effect of this attack is that the patient starts to avoid crowded places and people. He becomes lonely. Medically, the patient is given psychotherapy and medication.
His servants advised a cure: Music! A skillful musician who can play the harp to help Saul have some peace of mind. One of the servants recommends young David, who has just been anointed to be the new king in Israel.
David did not seek visibility. He did not really like fame. He was truly a humble man. Study him! After David was anointed as king, what did he do? He went back to take care of the sheep. He did not make noise about it. The anointing with oil as a king did not change his character. David’s ‘contract’ to be the King’s entertainer did not make him proud. When David did ministry in song Saul became refreshed and well. But David still did not become proud. Even after he killed Goliath, he remained humble. Lesson: God uses and blesses humble servants who give Him all the glory! David “served his own generation by the will of God” (Ac 13:36). May this be our portion too!
Listen to what Hannah, Samuel’s mother said: “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king and exalt the horn of His anointed” (1 Sam 2:6-10). Lesson: God is not impressed by man’s outward appearance, titles or fashion sense. God is seeking for true worshippers with a servant’s attitude. God looks for men who want to love Him more than His gifts. Once God finds someone like that, He will anoint that one. David is not ugly. It is not wrong to be handsome, skillful, or talented. But for God, the top of His list in choosing His servants is a desire to know His heart and obey His voice. Lesson: the key to success in ministry and greatness in life is to be humble, faithful, to seek God’s Heart, God’s Kingdom and to be like Jesus!
It is interesting to note that no one in the Bible has the name of David except the greater Son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ. David was a visible example of God to others. People noticed that the Lord was with him. Godliness cannot be hidden. Light shines in the darkness!
King Saul is now rejected by God. He is still on the throne but without God’s covering and anointing. As the Holy Spirit left Saul, He went on young David. King Saul became king in his middle age. God did not train him to be king. But with David, God calls and anoints him as a young man. For many years, before David sits on the throne, God trains him in the wilderness. Lesson: if God calls you to serve Him, He will train you in the school of life! “Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (PV 18:12). King Saul is now attacked by a tormenting spirit. He needed someone who could play the harp well. Music helps him to have some peace. See how a servant introduces young David to King Saul: “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him” (1Sam16:18). David is a good example of a citizen, an ambassador, and a peacemaker in the Kingdom of God. Let us look at each of young David’s qualities:
*He was skillful in playing (the harp). As a shepherd, David lived a lonely life. His harp was his ‘friend’. He learned to play it very well. In some of his Psalms he wrote ‘To the Chief Musician’. It means that the psalms should be played by the master musician, by the music director, and not by the beginners in the art of making beautiful sounds. David’s fingers were sensitive to the touch of the strings. He was a poet and musician at heart. Lesson: we should improve the skill of making music as we worship God.
*He was a mighty man of valor. He had a good character. As a shepherd, he learned how to take care of his sheep. He was a responsible and courageous leader. He took the sheep to green pastures and still water. He treated their sicknesses. He looked for the lost sheep. The shepherd type of leader is the opposite of a proud tyrant. David has a servant’s heart. With humility and patience, he displays agape love towards the weak.
*He was a man of war. David learned how to fight and kill the enemies. He killed the bear and the lion that attacked his flock. It is strange to see that the same sensitive fingers that could play the harp were the ones that can kill the animals. Not long after this, he proved to be a true champion, and a man of faith, by killing the giant called Goliath who insulted Jehovah God!
*He was prudent in speech. This word means to be a good communicator especially when speaking in public. A godly eloquent person speaks clearly, passionately, directly, and moves his listeners. God’s Spirit gave David the gift of speech. He spoke wisely. He did not insult the people. He was respectful. When people heard Jesus speak, they said: “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (Jn 7:46).
*He was handsome. His beauty came mostly from within. It was the beauty of holiness.
*The Lord was with Him. This is the greatest quality in any man. God’s presence is the secret of all godly success in life. People observed that God guides David in his decisions and prospers him. David “was successful in all he did, because the LORD was with him” (1Sam 18:14; Good News Translation). The knowledge on how to host the Holy Spirit thru personal anointing, is the secret of all success in life and ministry. It was the same with Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Esther, the old prophets, Apostles Paul and John. Selah!
“And when He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king: of him He testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART [conforming to My will and purposes], who will do all My will” (Ac 13:22; AMP). King David was the opposite of King Saul who was proud and rebellious. A man after God’s heart is humble and obedient to God’s Word. In words and deeds, he honors and fears God. As a King and Priest, the believer chooses to die to his own will and does God’s Will. He hates idolatry. In his heart, he is a worshipper of God. David prepared to build the temple of God. As believers we love attending the local church and serve God there. When we sin, we quicky repent. God took pleasure in blessing David. Out of his lineage, the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth as a man. This is the greatest honor given to man on earth. May we be like David, people after God’s Heart! Amen!
FINALLY…
Studying the life of King Saul and the lack of fruits of repentance, we can safely say that he was not saved. God gave him a chance in life. He became the first king of Israel. He was handsome. People liked him and followed him. Though initially he looked humble, he was proud and stubborn in his heart. Two times he openly disobeyed God’s Word that came to him thru the man of God. He could not wait patiently for Prophet Samuel to offer the sacrifices. He was not ordained as a priest but took it upon himself to offer the sacrifices. He also disobeyed God’s command and refused to kill the Amalekites, according to God’s Word. God then removed His anointing from Saul. That is how he lost his mental health and peace. God sent an evil spirit to torment him. This evil spirit was God’s judgment because of his stubbornness, pride and disobedience. In His mercy, God sent His servant and ambassador, young man David. The sound of David’s harp would calm Saul’s mind, for a time. David’s music ministry was God’s gift of Kindness to Saul. He was to receive it with thanksgiving and repent of his sins. But Saul refused to repent. “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds” (Rom 2:4-6). To the end of his life Saul rejected David and his music ministry. His daughter, Michal, David’s wife, also rejected David’s music ministry. King Saul died a miserable death and David took over his throne. Lesson: Fear God!
What are then the main qualities of a man (a woman) who is after God’s heart? Being inspired by David we say that such a person must first of all be born again and Spirit-filled. The election of David as King was by grace. God provided Himself with the king of His choice. This man must have total faith in God. He must Love God’s Word. He is grateful to God. He must be in harmony with God’s will. He must be a humble man, deeply sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Like David, when he sins, he truly repents, he gets up and stands again to follow God. He must be a God seeker and a God pleaser. May God help us to pay the price to please Him alone! Amen!
God says: I need someone who will serve Me in any place, no matter how humble. Even though he was anointed to be king, David takes care of his flock and plays the harp to a rejected king. David learned many things in the palace and in the wilderness. Lesson: Learn what you can, when you can, and where you can. God usually uses a man who is already serving Him in a little way. God rewards a man who is willing to wait in humility until God calls him to visibility. When Goliath was insulting the armies of the Living God, it means that he was insulting God! All the men of Israel, including King Saul were drawing back and shaking with fear. But David was angry because someone insults his God. This is a holy anger that produces faith, and boldness. God loves this kind of man. Fear of man is a snare to anointing and promotion. David defended God’s name, reputation and glory!!! David’s brothers mocked him too, but David was too angry to care about that. Even King Saul said ‘you are too young. You are not able to kill Goliath’. But David declared his total trust in God. He refused Saul’s armor and with a stone taken from the river, he killed the giant. He trusted in God alone. He defended God’s glory. He trusted in God’s power and faithfulness to defend him. Goliath had no chance against a man who trusts God! There are so many lessons to learn. Do you trust God to help you defend His glory? To defeat His enemies? To give God all the glory? Don’t you want to be like David, to feel like a young man again? Don’t you want to be a dreamer, a worshipper and a warrior? To sing to Jesus? To dance to Jesus? King Jesus, the greater Son of David, killed death and defeated the devil. May we never lose our wonder… Worship the Lord!
Green Pastures 