Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 141

Lessons from their lives: Talk 7

Samuel – God’s response to the state of the nation

 

Welcome to talk 7 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we are looking at Samuel. I think that those of us who love the word of God are increasingly concerned at the way in which modern society pays little attention to the things that God has clearly declared in his word.  And the situation is not helped by church leaders who fail to take a stand for biblical truth, apparently afraid to call sin sin, but who rather prefer to interpret the Scriptures to conform to the current trends of worldly thinking. It’s as if we’re living in the days prophesied by Amos when he said:

 

‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11

 

It was just the same in the days of Eli the priest when Samuel was called by God to denounce the sins of the people. In 1 Samuel 3:1 we read:

 

In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

 

Does this mean that God was communicating less because the people simply were not listening?

 

Before we look at 1 Samuel 3 which describes the call of Samuel, let’s first examine the context in which the chapter is set. I am going to suggest that there were four main factors that illustrate the state of the nation and which may be contributing factors to the state of our nation today.

 

The state of the nation

 

1. There was very little earnest pleading with God.

 

1 Samuel 1:12-15

As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.’ ‘Not so, my Lord,’ Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.

Hannah had no children, so she was pouring out her soul before the Lord. This was so unusual that the priest thought she was drunk. In that godless generation that was more likely!

 

 

 

1. The priesthood had become professionalised and had no regard for the Lord.

 

1 Samuel 2:12

Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.

 

1. As a result, God’s sacrificial offering was being despised

 

1 Samuel 2:17

This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.

 

Their sin is described here in verses 13-16. When making an offering, the worshipper had to give the priest the fat, the breast and the shoulder. The fat was then burnt to the Lord. Hophni and Phineas were taking by force what belonged to the offerer and insulted God by demanding their portion before his was burnt on the altar. In other words they used what was intended as a sacrifice for the sins of the people as a source of profit for themselves.

 

1. There was sexual immorality among the priesthood.

 

1 Samuel 2:22

Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

 

In other words, the whole nation was being affected by the failure of those who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders.

 

God’s answer to the need

 

Thank God he had an answer – a woman called Hannah.

I see Hannah as a picture of the Lord’s people, pleading for blessing.

She is unfruitful – she has no children – but earnestly seeks God who answers her prayer and Samuel is born.

 

Now, if you can, please have your Bible open at 1 Samuel 3. You will notice that, by the end of the chapter, things have changed very much for the better. I’m going to suggest that, if Hannah is a picture of God’s people pleading for blessing, Samuel may be seen as a picture of a renewed and revived church which hears what God is saying and declares it fearlessly to the nation.

 

1. Samuel was the product of the prayers of God’s people as a result of their unfruitfulness.

Cf. the Pentecostal Movement/Charismatic Renewal.

 

1. Samuel lived in the presence of the Lord

 

1 Samuel 2:26

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with people.

 

1. Samuel was called at a time when the vision of the established priesthood was dim.

 

2. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.

 

Note: the lamp of God had not yet gone out (3)

 

1. Samuel heard and obeyed the voice of God.

 

4. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’
5. And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
6. Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ ‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’
7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8. A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’ Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy.
9. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’

 

Note:

Samuel was available. Here I am…

Samuel learned to recognise God’s voice v 7.

Samuel listened to God v 10

 

 

1. Samuel was willing to declare an unpopular message
2. And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.
3. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end.
4. For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons uttered blasphemies against God, and he failed to restrain them.
5. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” ’
6. Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
7. but Eli called him and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ ‘
8. What was it he said to you?’ Eli asked. ‘Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.’
9. So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, ‘He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.’

 

1. God upheld Samuel’s prophetic words

 

19. The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

 

G . Samuel was destined to be God’s instrument for the restoration of blessing to the nation.

 

20. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
21. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the Lord.

4:1 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

 

Finally, it was Samuel who brought in the kingdom of David

 

Could we be the generation that sees the arrival of the kingdom of great David’s greater Son?

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 140

Lessons from their lives Talk 6: Gideon (Part 3) – Raising up an army

Welcome to talk 6 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’ve reached the final section of our talks on Gideon. So far we’ve seen how when God’s people were in defeat because they had disobeyed the Lord, when they turned back to him God raised up a leader. Last time we saw three things that were essential in preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God.

Today we’re in Judges 7. Our subject is Raising up an army and we’ll be considering the men and methods God uses in bringing his people into victory. To save time, rather than reading the whole chapter, here’s a quick summary:

 

God tells Gideon that he has too many people in his army. He doesn’t want Israel to boast that her own strength has saved her. He tells Gideon to send away everyone who is fearful and 22,000 leave, reducing the army to 10,000.

 

But God says it’s still too many! The men are to be taken down to the water and selected according to the way they drink – more of this later. As a result Gideon is left with just 300 men.

 

During the night God tells Gideon, if he’s afraid, to go down to the Midianite camp and listen to what they’re saying. Gideon arrives just as a man is telling his friend his dream in which a round loaf tumbled into the Midianite camp and overturned it. His friend interprets the dream as meaning that God has given Gideon victory over the Midianites.

 

This encourages Gideon and he prepares to attack. He divides his men into three companies of 100 men. Each man is given a trumpet and an empty jar with a torch inside. Following Gideon’s lead they go to the edge of the enemy’s camp and simultaneously smash the jars and shout, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon’. The Midianites flee and the Israelites are victorious.

 

So, what can we learn from this story about the men and methods God uses in bringing his people into victory? It’s very clear that doing things God’s way is the only guarantee of success.

 

The Men God chooses

 

Those who are courageous

 

3 Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back

 

It’s not surprising that people were afraid. The enemy was very powerful:

 

12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

 

But there’s a difference between being afraid and trembling with fear.

Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acting despite your fear.

It’s clear from verse 10 that even Gideon was fearful

but the assurance of God’s presence is the antidote to fear

6:11 The Lord is with you mighty warrior.

 

How often does God remind us of what he has told us many times?

Cf. Hebrews 13:5-6

5 … be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

 

Fear can be incapacitating! But we don’t have to let it. The Lord is with us.

 

Now let’s look at vv 5-7.

 

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.”

6 Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place.”

 

To be honest, the precise details are not quite clear here, but the NLT summarises as follows:

When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him,

“Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water

in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs.

In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.”

 

So the men are separated into two groups:

 

1. those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs
2. those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream

 

Now this may have just been God’s way of reducing the army to the size he wanted, but it’s also possible that the way they drank revealed something about their character. One way of interpreting this is as follows:

 

GROUP A

Why did God choose these?

Have you ever noticed how a dog drinks? With its eyes always open for the enemy. This suggests to me that God uses

those who are disciplined.

 

GROUP B

Why did God reject these?

Drinking water is a legitimate exercise. Indeed, it’s essential! But it’s not something we should bow down to. There are many legitimate things in our lives, less essential than water, that can, if we’re not careful, become a barrier to our service for the Lord if we let them become the controlling motivation for our actions. This suggests to me that God uses

those who do not bow down to the legitimate. They are totally dedicated to the task.

 

So God uses those who are courageous and disciplined and totally dedicated.

 

The methods God uses

 

He wants us to rely totally on him

 

2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her

 

He continually encourages and guides us

 

9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.

10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah

11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.”

 

He even uses the enemy to bring about his purposes

 

13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

14 His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.“

 

He has a unique solution for every situation

 

16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

 

He has a right moment for everything

 

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

18 When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.'”

19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands.

20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

 

He expects us to know our place and to follow the leaders he has appointed

 

17 “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.

 

21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

 

He works with us

 

22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled…

 

 

He guarantees us victory

25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders (AV princes), Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.

 

The princes were taken

Satan will be destroyed

Jesus has already won the victory!

 

 

 

 

 

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 139

Lessons from their lives Talk 5: Gideon (Part 2) – Preparing for Victory

 

Welcome to talk 5 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re continuing with Gideon. Looking at Judges 6, we saw last time that God’s people were:

 

1. On the defensive
2. In hiding
3. Engaged in unproductive activity
4. Sowing much and reaping little
5. Impoverished
6. Experiencing no miracles

 

We saw that the apparent cause of the problem was the Midianites but that the real cause was that they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. They had not listened to him. However, when they cried to the Lord, he raised up a leader. We noted that Gideon:

• Was just like the rest – in hiding
• Had very little faith
• Was aware of his own inadequacy
• Needed lots of reassurance

 

In response to this, God:

1. revealed himself to Gideon
2. reassured him of his presence
3. told him to go and promised him success
4. confirmed his word supernaturally

 

We now turn to verses 25-40 which I have called:

 

Preparing for Victory

In this passage we discover three keys to preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God

 

Destroying your idols (vv25-31)

 

In this section God tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build a proper kind of altar to the Lord. Gideon does so secretly by night as he’s afraid of what his family and men of the town might do to him. Indeed when they discover what’s happened, the men of the town want to put him to death, but his father speaks up for him and says:

 

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? …If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar (v31).

An idol may be defined as anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Please bear this in mind as we consider:

 

• The extent of their idolatry
• How to overcome idolatry

 

The extent of their idolatry (25-30)

 

25 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

 

They had built an altar to their idol. An altar is a place of sacrifice.

 

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

 

They were devoted to it. Gideon was afraid of them.

 

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him?

 

They were prepared to defend their idol.

 

How to overcome idolatry (25-26)

 

1. Count the cost of destroying it – Gideon was afraid, but he did it! In doing so he risked his life.
2. Make a clean break with it – tear it down! (v25). But you may need to work at it. It would have taken Gideon some time to cut it down.
3. If you need to, get other people to help you. Gideon took 10 men (v27).
4. Make a fresh start working for God. Build a proper kind of altar to the Lord (v26)

 

This implies work and sacrifice!

The Power of the Spirit (vv33-35)

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

 

The enemy regroups – he always will when we start destroying idols

 

But the Spirit comes upon Gideon (Heb: clothed). Cf. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

And Gideon blows a trumpet

There is an audible evidence when the Spirit comes upon us

(cf. tongues – testimony – praise – proclamation)  

 

Finding the Will of God (vv36-40)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised

37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew–a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.”

40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

 

Gideon’s doubt (36)

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised… (Was it doubt or was it fear?! Fear often causes doubt).

 

God’s patience (38, 40)

 

A word about ‘fleeces’

The Spirit came upon Gideon.

He indwells us as Christians. Should we need ‘fleeces’?

 

The will of God is revealed:

• In his Word
• Through circumstances
• By peace in our hearts (Col.3:15)
• By direct revelation (Philip, Cornelius etc.)
• By our total surrender (Romans 12:1-2)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 139

Lessons from their lives Talk 5: Gideon (Part 2) – Preparing for Victory

Welcome to talk 5 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re continuing with Gideon. Looking at Judges 6, we saw last time that God’s people were:

1. On the defensive
2. In hiding
3. Engaged in unproductive activity
4. Sowing much and reaping little
5. Impoverished
6. Experiencing no miracles

We saw that the apparent cause of the problem was the Midianites but that the real cause was that they had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. They had not listened to him. However, when they cried to the Lord, he raised up a leader. We noted that Gideon:

• Was just like the rest – in hiding
• Had very little faith
• Was aware of his own inadequacy
• Needed lots of reassurance

In response to this, God:

1. revealed himself to Gideon
2. reassured him of his presence
3. told him to go and promised him success
4. confirmed his word supernaturally

We now turn to verses 25-40 which I have called:

Preparing for Victory

In this passage we discover three keys to preparing for victory:

• Destroying your idols
• The power of the Spirit
• Finding the will of God

Destroying your idols (vv25-31)

In this section God tells Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build a proper kind of altar to the Lord. Gideon does so secretly by night as he’s afraid of what his family and men of the town might do to him. Indeed when they discover what’s happened, the men of the town want to put him to death, but his father speaks up for him and says:

Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? …If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar (v31).

An idol may be defined as anything that takes the place of God in our lives. Please bear this in mind as we consider:

• The extent of their idolatry
• How to overcome idolatry

 The extent of their idolatry (25-30)

25 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

They had built an altar to their idol. An altar is a place of sacrifice.

27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

They were devoted to it. Gideon was afraid of them.

31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him?

They were prepared to defend their idol.

How to overcome idolatry (25-26)

1. Count the cost of destroying it – Gideon was afraid, but he did it! In doing so he risked his life.
2. Make a clean break with it – tear it down! (v25). But you may need to work at it. It would have taken Gideon some time to cut it down.
3. If you need to, get other people to help you. Gideon took 10 men (v27).
4. Make a fresh start working for God. Build a proper kind of altar to the Lord (v26)

 This implies work and sacrifice!

The Power of the Spirit (vv33-35)

33 Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

 The enemy regroups – he always will when we start destroying idols

But the Spirit comes upon Gideon (Heb: clothed). Cf. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8

And Gideon blows a trumpet

There is an audible evidence when the Spirit comes upon us

(cf. tongues – testimony – praise – proclamation)  

Finding the Will of God (vv36-40)

36 Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised

37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew–a bowlful of water.

39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.”

40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Gideon’s doubt (36)

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised… (Was it doubt or was it fear?! Fear often causes doubt).

God’s patience (38, 40)

A word about ‘fleeces’

The Spirit came upon Gideon.

He indwells us as Christians. Should we need ‘fleeces’?

The will of God is revealed:

• In his Word
• Through circumstances
• By peace in our hearts (Col.3:15)
• By direct revelation (Philip, Cornelius etc.)
• By our total surrender (Romans 12:1-2)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 138

Lessons from their lives talk 4: Gideon

 

Welcome to Talk 4 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today we’re talking about Gideon. In fact I have so much material on Gideon that it will take three talks to cover the subject. But it’s an important one. God used Gideon to lead his people from a place of defeat to a place of victory, and there are so many lessons we can learn from his story that are very relevant to our situation today.

There are times in our Christian experience when it seems that everything is against us. Nothing seems to go right. Such occasions are opportunities for us to rise up in faith. But if we’re not careful, instead of doing so, we slide into defeat. The Book of Judges tells us of one such occasion. We’ll be looking at chapters 6-7. We will see how God uses a most unlikely person to lead his people into victory. Although our enemy is spiritual rather than physical, there are many lessons we can learn from the story of Gideon. We’ll take two talks to cover the subject which I’ve divided into four sections:

1. God’s people in defeat
2. God raises up a leader
3. Preparing for victory
4. Raising up an army

We’ll deal with the first two headings today and then take two further talks to deal with #3 and #4. So today we’ll start with God’s people in defeat and we’ll begin by reading Judges 6:1-6 which give us a graphic picture of the symptoms of defeat.

1. God’s People in Defeat (6:1-10)

 

a) The symptoms of defeat (1-6)

 

1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.

3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.

4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.

5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

 

In this passage we see that God’s people were:

 

1. On the defensive (v2) – prepared shelters for themselves
2. In hiding (v2) – mountain clefts, caves and strongholds
3. Engaged in unproductive activity (v3-4) Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites…ruined the crops
4. Sowing much and reaping little (cf. Haggai 1:6)
5. Impoverished (v6) Midian so impoverished the Israelites – What a tragedy in the light of Deuteronomy 28:1-14  where God promises his people victory over their enemies and prosperity if only they will obey him
6. Experiencing no miracles happening (v13) – Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about?

b) The cause of their defeat

 

• The Apparent Cause – the Midianites

v.2 the power of Midian was so oppressive

v.6 Midian… impoverished the Israelites

 

• The Real Cause – themselves

v.1 the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD

v.10 you have not listened to me

 

It’s easy to blame the enemy, or other people,

but God doesn’t want us to be in bondage to anyone. If we are, it’s our fault!

 

c) The remedy for defeat

 

• They cried to the Lord (vv 6-8)

6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.

 

• God sends a prophet

7 When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian,

8 he sent them a prophet

 

The prophet reminded them of what God had done for them in the past

and told them what they were doing wrong (8-10)

But he did not only send a prophet. He raised up a leader.  

 

2.  God raises up a leader (6:11-24)

 

a) The Leader God chose

 

• Just like the rest – in hiding

 

v.11 Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

 

• Had very little faith

 

12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

 

• Aware of his own inadequacy

 

v.15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

 

Humility is appropriate, but we mustn’t limit God.

 

• Needed lots of reassurance

 

v.17 If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me

Cf. v.36 – if you will save Israel by my hand 

 

b) God’s Answer

 

• He revealed himself to Gideon

 

v.12 – the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon

the angel was the Lord himself Cf. vv. 14 & 16

 

• He reassured him of his presence

 

v.12 – “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

Both apparently untrue!

The Lord did not appear to be with Israel.

Gideon did not feel like a mighty warrior!

But God sees us as we are IN HIM

Note the plurals in v.13

“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”

 

But note the singular in v. 12 and v. 16.

“The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together (AV as one man)

To be a leader it must be enough to know that God is with ME

 

• He told him to go and promised him success (vv.14+16)

 

14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

 

• He confirmed his word

In v.17 Gideon asks for a sign. He hadn’t seen any miracles (13)

So God grants him the sign he asks for:

 

17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”

 

When Gideon comes back and presents his offering to the angel,

the angel touches it with the tip of his staff and fire flares up and consumes

the offering. Then the angel disappears (21).

 

22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”

23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

 

Note:

The sign followed a sacrifice (17-21)

The supernatural manifestation of God’s presence had departed (21)

but God was still with him (23)

How foolish Gideon’s fear was (22-23)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 137

Lessons from their lives Talk 3: Joshua

Welcome to talk 3 in our series Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Joshua. We’re looking particularly at Joshua 1 where we read that Moses has died and that God commissions Joshua to lead his people into Canaan, the land that God had promised them.

Very often, traditionally, for us as God’s people today, the Promised Land has been taken to symbolise Heaven and the River Jordan is seen as symbolising death. But I’m not sure that’s the best way of understanding it. There were many battles for the Israelites in the land of Canaan and there certainly won’t be battles for us in Heaven! It’s probably better to see the Israelites crossing the Jordan as a picture of our conversion and the Promised Land as a symbol of the Christian life. Today, however, I’m taking it to stand for the place of blessing that God wants to bring us to as the church today. For that to happen we will need the right kind of leaders and the right kind of followers.

As we look at Joshua we will see:

• The kind of people God chooses as leaders
• The responsibility of God’s people to support their leaders
• The certain promises God makes in these circumstances.

So let’s begin by reading Joshua 1.

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them – to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates – all the Hittite country – to the Great Sea on the west. 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” 10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.'” 12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers 15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” 16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”

The kind of people God chooses as leaders

As we look other OT passages we learn about the training and experience Joshua had that prepared him to lead the nation, and, even more importantly, we learn about his character.

1. Joshua’s Experience

He had a good training

On at least three occasions Joshua is described as Moses’ assistant.

In Exodus 24, when Moses goes up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone on which God wrote the Ten Commandments, Joshua accompanies him as his assistant.

In Numbers 11:28 we’re told that Joshua had been Moses’ assistant since youth.

And again in Joshua 1:1 he is described as Moses’ assistant.

He gained experience in leadership

He was the leader of his tribe before he became the leader of the whole nation. In Numbers 13:8 he is described as the ruler of the tribe of Ephraim. (Incidentally, here he is referred to as Hoshea, meaning salvation, but verse 16 tells us that Moses gave him the name Joshua meaning YAHWEH is salvation). More of this later.

2. Joshua’s Character

He was totally committed to the Lord’s service

Exodus 33

7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

He was loyal to his leader

Numbers 11

25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again. 26 However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” 29 But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”

He was a man of faith and courage

Numbers 14

6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” 10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.

Joshua had faith to believe that despite the opposition the Lord would give them the land. He had courage not only to go in and take on the enemy, but also to stand against the majority who were of a different opinion.

He was a man of the Spirit

In Numbers 27 Moses asks the Lord to appoint a man as his successor who will be a leader and shepherd for the nation. In verse 18 God says, Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.

So Joshua was chosen by God because:

• He was totally committed to the Lord’s service
• He was loyal to his leader
• He was a man of faith and courage
• He was a man of the Spirit. He had also gained experience in leadership as the leader of his tribe and had learned from Moses as his assistant.

Now back to Joshua 1 where we learn something about:

The responsibility of God’s people to support their leaders

If we are to move to the place of blessing that God longs to bring us to, we are clearly going to need more than the right kind of leaders. We need the right kind of followers. Please note, we can’t all be leaders! You can’t have a leader without followers. If we were all leaders there would be no followers, so actually no one would be a leader! So what kind of followers do we need?

1. People who are willing to follow
2. 16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

v 17 …Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you.

2. People who will pray for their leaders

v 17 …may the Lord your God be with you

3. People who will encourage their leaders

v18 …be strong and courageous

4. People who will cooperate with leadership and help each other

Look at verses 12-15.

12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, 13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers 15 until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

The certain promises God makes in these circumstances

Joshua 1:5-8

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

1. Power (v 5 – no-one will be able to stand against you)
2. Presence (v 5 – I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you)
3. Prosperity (v 8 – You will be prosperous and successful)

The condition? COURAGE TO OBEY THE BOOK! (7-8)

• Meditate on it
• Speak it
• Do what it says

To be successful as a leader Joshua had to learn total dependency on the Lord. Perhaps that’s why his name was changed from Hoshea to Joshua. Salvation is not in ourselves. It is the Lord who is our salvation.

 

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 136

Lessons from their lives Talk 2: The Call of Moses      

 

Welcome to talk 2 in our series Lessons from their lives.

Last time, Abraham. Today, Moses.

The passage we’ll be considering is Exodus 2:23 – 4:17

 

We’ll start at Exodus 2:23

23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.

24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

 

1. God cares

 

God sees

God cares

     about our nation today

     about his world

     about us – his covenant people (Cf. v 24)

 

2. God reveals himself

 

Whenever God decides to move in a nation or in a situation

he looks for people he can use.

 

Here in the story he reveals himself to Moses – the burning bush

 

1. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
3. So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.’
4. When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”
5. Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

 

He has revealed himself to us – in the person of Jesus

 

3. He reveals his purpose

6. Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
7. The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
8. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey–the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
9. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

God tells Moses 4 things:

1. who he is

6.Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,

the God of  Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

2. of his concern for his people

I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.

3. that he has come down to deliver them

So I have come down to rescue them (8)

4. that he will bless them

to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey (8)

What a picture of the Gospel this is!

The eternally self-existent God

Is concerned about people

And has come down (in the person of Jesus)

To deliver us and bless us and bring us to his heavenly country!

 

4. He commissions his servant

SO NOW GO! I’M SENDING YOU!

And immediately Moses began to make excuses!

1. Who am I? (v11) I’m not worthy/suitable/capable

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

 God’s response: I will be with you

2. What shall I tell them? (v 13) I don’t know what to say

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God’s response: Tell them what I’ve told you. (cf vv7-10 with 16-18)

Tell them:

                Who I am

                I’m concerned about them

                I’ve come down to deliver them

                I will bless them

 3. They won’t believe me (4:1)

1. “Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’”
2. The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.”
3. And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
4. But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand—
5. “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.””

 God’s response: What is that in your hand? (4:2) I’ll give you miracles.

Anything with God’s blessing on it will do! Deauville Walker’s camera

4. I’m no good at talking (4:10) I haven’t got the right natural ability          

“But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.””

God’s response: I made you…   I will help you ..

Please send someone else to do it (13)          The Lord’s anger…. (14)

14. Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you.
15. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.
16. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.
17. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it.

I’ll give you the natural help you think you need (Aaron)

But don’t forget my miracle-working power!

Concerned about the state of the world?

God still sees

God still cares

He has revealed himself in the person of Jesus who came down to deliver us and take us to heaven

To make this possible for all people he is looking for people he can send

To all our excuses he has an answer:

• I will be with you
• Just tell them what I’ve told you
• I’ll give you supernatural power to confirm the message

Great Bible Truths Episode 135

Lessons from their lives Talk 1: Abraham

Welcome to the first talk in a new series where we’ll be looking at Bible characters and seeing what lessons we can learn from certain aspects of their lives. Of course, the Bible itself sets a clear precedent for doing this. 1 Corinthians 10:11 teaches us that the things that happened to God’s people in the past were written down as examples for our instruction. So we can learn from their lives. We learn from their experience.

Today our subject is Abraham. We remember him mainly for the fact that, although his wife Sarah was barren, God promised to bless him, to make of him a great nation, and that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and it was ‘credited to him as righteousness’. It’s through Abraham’s greatest descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ, that God’s blessing of salvation has become available to all the world, to all who will believe. So Abraham became not only the physical father of the Jewish nation but the spiritual father of all those, whether Jew or Gentile, who believe as he believed.

So in the New Testament it’s Abraham’s faith that’s remembered most of all. But that does not mean that Abraham was never afraid. In fact he had a very real tendency to fear! But surely faith is the opposite of fear. How can a man of faith be fearful? That’s what we’ll be looking at today, and we’ll learn from the example of Abraham how it’s possible to have faith despite your fears.

We’ll start in Genesis 15:1 where God says:

Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (NIV)

Why did God say, Do not be afraid? Because he knew that Abraham had a tendency to fear. And in fact most of God’s people have the same problem! That’s why again and again in the Bible we read that God says, Do not be afraid.

In this talk we’re going to look at:

• Abraham’s tendency to fear
• God’s response to it
• Abraham’s response to God

and seek to learn how all this applies to us.

1. Abraham’s Tendency to Fear

As we’ve already seen, Abraham was an obedient servant of God to whom God had promised great blessings. In Genesis 12:1-3 we read that God said to Abraham:

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

And verse 4 tells us that Abraham left, as the LORD had told him.

BUT this did not prevent him being afraid

Look at Genesis 12:10-13 where Abraham goes to live in Egypt because of a famine. As they’re about to enter Egypt, he says to his wife Sarai:

I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.

And in chapter 20 when Abraham is living temporarily in Gerar, he makes the same request, this time with potentially disastrous consequences. The fear that he might be killed so that others might take Sarah as his wife was clearly on ongoing weakness.

But despite this tendency to fear Abraham was capable of behaving very bravely

In Genesis 14:11-16 we read how four kings had formed an alliance and had seized Abraham’s nephew Lot and carried him off with all his possessions. When Abraham heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out his men and went after them. He attacked them at night, routed them, and recovered all Lot’s possessions and brought him back together with the women and the other people who were with him.

So in chapter 14 Abraham has acted bravely and won a great victory. Why then is God telling him in chapter 15 not to be afraid? At first sight there are two possible reasons for Abraham’s fear:

(a) the four kings taking revenge over Lot’s rescue?

or

(b) that he would never have his own son to be his heir

This is made clear at the beginning of chapter 15.

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

2 But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”

5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Note:

The fear that the four kings might take revenge is the fear that something bad might happen.

The fear that he would never have his own son to be his heir is the fear that something good might not happen.

We can fear these things even when God has spoken to us! (12:1ff)

What have you been afraid of?

2. God’s Response to Abraham’s fear

1. He spoke to Abraham (15:1)

After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward’

How comforting the Word of God is to us when we’re afraid (Fred Durrant)

2. He promised to be Abraham’s shield

In response to the fear that something bad might happen

God himself would be Abraham’s protection. I am your shield.

But not only Abraham’s! He is the shield for Abraham’s descendants too!

Deut. 33:29 Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper…

Cf. Psalms 3:3, 18:35, 28:7, 33:20, 84:11, 115:9, 10, 11, 119:114, 144:2, Prov. 30:5.

But note especially Psalm 91

Note especially Verse 4 which says His faithfulness will be your shield.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge–

10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

So God spoke to Abraham, he promised to be his shield. And thirdly:

3. He promised to be Abraham’s very great reward

In response to the fear that something good might not happen, God promised him many blessings:

• a son (v4)
• multitudes of descendants (v5)
• a land (vv 7,18)

BUT what really mattered was that GOD himself was Abraham’s very great reward. I am your … reward.

God himself is our reward:

in heaven – yes

but we have the Holy Spirit as a foretaste now – in prayer, communion, fellowship with him

3. Abraham’s Response to God

He believed! (v 6) – and it was credited to him as righteousness (cf. Rom. 4:3)

All who believe are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.

Romans 4:16-17, Galatians 3:9, 29.

God is OUR shield and OUR reward.

The shield of faith (Eph 6:16) will extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one!

But didn’t Ps. 91:4 say that God’s faithfulness is our shield?

Yes. Perhaps Eph 6:16 should be translated faithfulness.

But what is the source of our faith? God’s faithfulness!

Our faith is our response to God’s faithfulness.

The Word of God is a record of God’s faithfulness.

That’s why faith comes by hearing it (Romans 10:17).

Conclusion

Perhaps at times we are all rather like Abraham.

Sometimes we are capable of great courage, yet most of us have a tendency to fear.

Perhaps that’s why God says so often in his word, FEAR NOT

But he knows about our fear.

He promises to be our shield and very great reward.

He is faithful to his promises

And his faithfulness is the source of our faith.

Take your eyes off your faith and fix them on God’s faithfulness.

He himself is our reward. To have Jesus is enough!

In him all God’s promises find their fulfilment (2 Cor. 1:20)

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 134

The Promises of God Talk 15

Responding to God’s Promises

Welcome to the final talk in our series on the promises of God. I want to talk today about how we should respond to God’s promises, but first a summary of what we’ve been saying so far. Among the many things we have learned is that God’s wonderful promises are fulfilled in Christ and the salvation which he purchased for us by his death on the cross and which will be completed when he comes again. In understanding God’s promises we need to hold in tension both the present and future aspects of their fulfilment. It’s what is sometimes called the already/not yet of the kingdom of God.

For example, if we have accepted Christ as our Saviour, we have already received the promise of salvation, but there’s a sense in which our salvation is not yet complete until Jesus comes again. Our salvation is already/not yet. If you listen again or look back over some of our earlier talks, you will see that this is true of our righteousness, our sonship, and even our eternal life. We saw how there is both a present and a future dimension to each of these promises. We have them now, but we will have them completely when Jesus returns.

On the other hand, there are some promises which are guaranteed but which have yet to be fulfilled. These include the return of Christ, our final victory over death, and the wonderful inheritance we’ll receive as fellow-heirs with Christ. Meanwhile the gift of the Holy Spirit is made available to us as a foretaste of our inheritance and through the supernatural gifts of the Spirit we have tasted of the powers of the age to come.

For example, we experience healing through the work of the Spirit now, but the final fulfilment of God’s promises of healing will only be ours when we receive new bodies when Jesus comes again. And the same principle applies to answers to prayer too. If we’re praying according to God’s will our prayers will be answered – even if in some cases we may have to wait until Jesus returns before we see it!

So with all that in mind, let’s ask how we should respond to the promises God has made? How do we receive them? Did you notice that I didn’t use the word ‘claim’? Why not? It’s popular terminology in Christian vocabulary. But is it biblical? You may be surprised to know that nowhere does the Bible talk about claiming God’s promises! So can it be the right terminology to use when we talk about how we should respond to God’s promises?

Now I imagine that many of my listeners have been ‘claiming promises’ throughout their Christian lives, but if you’re one of them, please don’t switch off – at least until you’ve heard my reasons for saying this. I’m going to give you three reasons why I believe that claiming promises isn’t really biblical  before suggesting what the Bible actually teaches about how we should respond to God’s wonderful promises.

Why claiming is inappropriate

My three reasons for saying that the word ‘claim’ is not the best way to describe how we should respond to God’s promises are as follows:

• Because the Bible talks nowhere about claiming God’s promises
• Because God is faithful
• Because God is our Father

Because the Bible talks nowhere about claiming God’s promises

Quite simply, of the seventy New Testament references to the word ‘promise’ (epaggelia), not one is used in conjunction with the verb ‘to claim’. Words that are used are believe, have, receive, obtain, wait and inherit. More about these later.

Because God is faithful

God’s promises are reliable. In Hebrews we’re told to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (10:23, cf. 11:11). Our hope is firm and secure (6:19), an anchor for the soul, because God’s purpose is unchanging (6:17).

So it seems to me quite unfitting that Christians are encouraged to ‘claim’ what God has promised. The appropriate response to a promise from someone who is totally reliable is surely a simple and implicit trust that he will do what he has said, not an insistence on one’s rights on the grounds that he has said it! God’s promises are obtained through patience (6:12)!

Because God is our Father

As we have already seen, the promise of sonship is one of the promises that we have already received. We are already God’s children. He is already our Father. And this is why I find difficulty with the idea of ‘claiming’ God’s promises. Let me give you a personal illustration. I enjoyed throughout my life a very warm and close relationship with my earthly father while he was alive. Ι knew from him nothing but love, even if in my younger days that love was sometimes tempered with discipline. I count myself privileged to be his son and, because he was the kind of father he was, I not only loved him but I trusted him and respected him.

Such was my relationship with him that I knew that, if he promised me something which was in his power to perform, he would certainly do it. To claim such a promise by saying, Father, I insist that you give me what you have promised me.  Give it to me now. Ι demand it as my right, would have been to doubt his love, impugn his integrity and question his faithfulness. But because Ι trusted him and respected him I would not have dreamed of talking to him like that! So maybe, if we feel the need to ‘claim’ God’s promises we have not yet fully understood how much our Father loves us.

So how should we respond to God’s promises?

Perhaps the best way to answer this question is to consider the words the Bible itself actually uses in connection with this. If the word ‘claim’ is never used, what words are used?  As we said earlier, words that are used are believe, have, receive, obtain, wait and inherit. Let’s now look at how these words are used in the New Testament and see how we can apply them to our lives.

Believing God’s promises

The Greek word is pisteuo. There are numerous examples of the use of this word in the New Testament. We’ll mention just a few examples where it’s used in connection with God’s promises.

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 16:17-18

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.

John 14:12

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

So the promises of answered prayer and the power to perform signs and wonders are made to those who believe. But it’s important to understand that this is no mere academic belief. Pisteuo is used in the New Testament to refer to a confident trust which is based on a relationship with God who is always faithful. Consider the following verses:

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does (Psalm 145:13 NIV).

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11).

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

We have faith (pisteuo) that God will keep his promises because we know that God is faithful (pistos). And because God is faithful, if he has promised us something, there’s a sense in which we already have it.

Having God’s promises

Paul uses this word in 2 Corinthians 7:1:

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

The promises referred to are cited in the previous chapter (vv. 16-18):

I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people (v.16, cf. Leviticus 26:12)

and

I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty (v. 18, cf. 2 Samuel 7:14).

These promises, like all God’s promises, are fulfilled in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20), and it’s because we now ‘have’ them that Paul encourages us to act upon them by living holy lives. Because of Christ, God does live with you, he says you are his people, he is your Father and you are his sons and daughters. So live accordingly, be holy.

So the promises referred to here are not be claimed because we already ‘have’ them. There is nothing further that could possibly be done to bring them to pass, for they are fulfilled in Christ. Rather, accepting that this is so,  we must live as what we are, God’s chosen people.

Receiving God’s promises

This word is used particularly in connection with receiving the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:33 Peter tells us that Christ received from the Father the promise of the Spirit and he told the congregation at Pentecost to repent and be baptized and they will receive the gift of the Spirit for the promise is to you... (Acts 2:38-39). As we saw in a previous talk, the promise of the Spirit was made in Joel 2:28, and in Acts 2 at Pentecost the promise was fulfilled. The promise was now a gift – a gift available to all who repent and believe, and a gift that had to be received by faith (Galatians 3:2, 14). (For more on this please listen to the podcast dated 28/12/2018).

Obtaining God’s promises

In Hebrews 6:15 we’re told that Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise that God would bless him and multiply him. But please notice that Abraham did not obtain the promise by claiming it. He patiently waited for it. But that brings us to the next word connected with the word promise – wait.

Waiting (with patience) and inheriting God’s promises

Hebrews 10:35-38 tells us:

35. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
37. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38. but my righteous one shall live by faith…”

And 2 Peter 3:12-13 says:

12. waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…
13. But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

And Hebrews 6:12 tells us to be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Cf. Hebrews 11:9).

These verses clearly indicate that for the fulfilment of some of God’s promises, including our wonderful inheritance, we may have to wait until Jesus comes again. Meanwhile we are to live by faith and do the will of God.

So, to summarise, how should we respond to God’s promises?

We should:

Believe all of them because God is faithful

Recognise that we already have some of them and live accordingly

– e.g. salvation, sonship, God’s presence with us

Receive those that are available to us now

– e.g. Forgiveness, the Holy Spirit

Wait patiently in faith for those that have yet to be fulfilled

– e.g. prayers that are not answered immediately (including healing), the return of Christ, a wonderful inheritance, new heavens and a new earth.

Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 133

The Promises of God Talk 14

Promises of Answered Prayer

In the New Testament there are many passages where Jesus promises that God will answer prayer and, if like me you’ve been a Christian for some time you will probably have seen many wonderful answers to prayer. But, if we’re honest, we have to admit that there have also been many prayers that have not been answered – at least in the way we would like them to be. Someone once said that God always answers prayer. Sometimes he says Yes. Sometimes he says No. And sometimes he says, Wait. And although that’s undoubtedly true, we often find it difficult to understand why he appears to be saying No or why he is making us wait. There are no easy answers, but in this talk I’m going to look at some of the promises Jesus made with regard to prayer.

As we shall see, there are three keys that will unlock them:

1. Relationship with God
2. Faith in God
3. Authority from God

1. Relationship with God

Let’s start in Matthew 7 where Jesus says:

7. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
9. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10. Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
10. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11, Cf. Luke 11:9-10)

Notice who this promise is made to. Those who are sons (v9). Those who know God as their Father (v11). In other words, those who have been born again (See Talk 7). Our confidence that God will answer prayer springs from the fact that we are his children. It springs from our relationship with him. And that relationship must develop into an ongoing intimacy. Notice what Jesus says in John 15:

7. If you abide (remain) in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 
15. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have 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 abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
17. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

 

I suggest you take time to read the whole passage, starting at verse1. The guarantee of answered prayer springs from an ongoing relationship with Christ in which we know his commands and understand what the Father is doing. It doesn’t mean that we can ask for whatever we want and God will give it to us. It means that if we’re really in close relationship with him, because we love him we will only want what he wants! We will only ask for what we know to be his will. And that’s why we know that he will answer our prayers. As John tells us in his first epistle:

 

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him  (1 John 5:14-15).

 

So the first key to answered prayer is relationship with God. The next two keys both spring from it.

2. Faith in God

There are several New Testament passages where faith is rewarded with answered prayer, especially with regard to healing – the centurion’s servant, blind Bartimaeus, the paralysed man lowered through the roof, the grateful leper, the woman with a haemorrhage, to mention just a few. But there are also some specific promises. Consider the passage in Matthew 21:19-22.

19. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?”
21. And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
22. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

 And in line with this, in John 14:12-14 Jesus says:

12. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father
13. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

 The same truth is reiterated in the epistles:

James 1:5-8

5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
6. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

1 John 3:21-23

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

Taking all these passages together we see that:

• Mountains can be moved by prayer if we have faith when we pray!
• We can even do greater works than Jesus did!
• However, if we doubt, we will receive nothing.
• We will have faith, confidence before God, if our heart does not condemn us.

By mountains Jesus is probably not referring to literal mountains, but is speaking metaphorically about major obstacles in our lives and the life of the church. There have been many suggestions as to what Jesus meant by greater works, but in my view he is simply telling us that there is absolutely no limit to what can be accomplished by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus was going to send when he returned to the Father. And finally, it seems clear that if our heart condemns us – if we have a guilty conscience – we are not likely to have faith that God will answer our prayers. As we saw in the first part of this talk, our confidence that God will answer prayer springs from our relationship with him.

3. Authority from God

There are several verses in the New Testament which speak about praying in the name of Jesus. For example:

John 14:13-14

13…Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 16:23-24

23. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
24. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

But the name of Jesus isn’t a magic formula. In New Testament times to do something in someone’s name meant to do it with their authority. It certainly doesn’t mean that to get our prayers answered all we have to do is say in Jesus’ name at the end of them! So to pray in Jesus’ name means to pray with his authority. Now at first sight the passages we’ve just quoted may seem to indicate that Jesus has already given us that authority. Some have even suggested that God has given Christians a blank cheque, signed by Jesus, and all we have to do is fill in whatever amount we like. But in the light of verses we’ve already looked at, can this possibly be right? We’re told to pray according to his will, not ours.

So what does it mean to pray with Jesus’ authority? This takes us back to the first point in this talk – our relationship with God. If there’s an ongoing intimacy with Jesus, if we’re abiding in him, we will know what he wants, we will want what he wants, and so when we pray we will be praying in his will and we’ll be praying in faith.

To help us understand this better, let’s consider the secret of Jesus’ authority while he was here on earth. He lived in constant intimacy with his Father. He was always submitted to his Father’s will. Consider the following verses from John’s gospel:

John 5:19

I tell you the truth. The Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does

John 7:16

My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me

John 12:49

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say.

The secret of Jesus’ authority was that he was always submitted to his Father’s authority. The Roman centurion understood this when he said:

8. …“Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:8-9).

The centurion only had authority because he was under authority. And he seems to have understood that this was true of Jesus too. Authority results from submission. If we truly submit ourselves to God we’ll be able to resist the devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7) and if we’ll see our prayers answered because they’ll be in line with his will.

So the keys to answered prayer are:

• relationship with God
• faith in God
• authority from God.

When we’re living in intimate fellowship with God we will have faith and confidence to pray with Jesus’ authority. It’s then that we shall receive whatever we ask him for, because what we pray for will be directly in line with his will.