Wait On The Lord
Isaiah 40:28-31
This morning I want to bring you a message out of one of the most encouraging passages in Scripture.
You will recognize this passage because it has been used in greeting cards, inspirational posters, encouraging and comforting notes from friends and may even have been a source of strength for you in the midst of a trial in your life.
The passage is nestled in one of the brightest and richest books in the Bible, the record of the prophecies of Isaiah.
Isaiah had the distinct privilege of presiding over the reign of four kings and was instrumental in bringing his country back to the Lord.
The greatest distinction of Isaiah's prophecies is his clear and powerful predictions of a suffering Messiah.
It was the book of Isaiah that the Holy Spirit used to bring the Ethiopian Eunuch to Christ as Luke records in the Book of Acts.
I have followed Philip's example and have turned to this book to prove to many an adherent of Judaism that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
Today I want to focus your attention on just the last few verses of Isaiah 40 and notice how powerfully relevant the Scripture is.
When I read this book that was penned over 2,700 years ago, I am struck by the fact that it fits my needs today as if Isaiah has been watching a reality show of my life and was guided by the Holy Spirit to write these words for me.
Let us read our text this morning:
READ
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
PRAY
The first thing you may notice about the passage we have just read is that it appears to be answering a question of the heart.
It is phrased so that it addresses an attitude of despair that has crept into your life.
If you read the previous verse you will see that attitude that was prevalent in Israel.
Isaiah 40:27 ¶ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
They had been so immersed in the trials of the day and so overwhelmed by the difficulties of life that they had begun to allow doubt to creep into their conversations and more importantly, into their hearts.
The despairing attitude that God addresses has perhaps influenced you in your life as well.
My trouble is my own and God is either unaware or unconcerned.
Verses 28 and 29 are meant to dispel that attitude of helplessness immediately with a reminder of the character of God.
> We are not dealing here with a god who was fashioned by the potter's hands or the carpenter’s chisel.
This is the Everlasting Creator of the Universe.
> He is not a man that runs out of energy or interest.
He finds great pleasure in reaching out to the faint and making them powerful.
He reaches out to those who have no might at all and infuses into them the strength they need for the day.
Then we get to verse 30 where God addresses yet another wrong attitude.
The first one was an attitude of DESPAIR, and the second an attitude of PRIDE.
It may seem they are polar opposites, but in reality they are not far separated.
As a matter of fact they are inseparable.
One produces the other and they alternate in a spiraling display of self sufficiency.
Think about it:
Despair comes from the idea that we face our trials alone.
Pride is the audacity of thinking that we can or must face our trials alone.
Just as Verses 28 and 29 dispel the attitude of despair, verse 30 dispels the attitude of self sufficient pride.
Isaiah 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
It is not because you are passed your prime that you cannot handle the pressures of the day; it is because you are human.
The human body was not built to handle the pressures and trials of this life alone.
What made you think you could?
What made you think you had to face your trials alone?
Pride has way of bringing us to our knees, doesn't it?
Now we get to the promise that makes sense of everything - "the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
God promises to renew the strength of the faint.
God promises to give us wings as eagles to soar over these problems with the serenity of a bird.
God promises to give us the endurance to run this race day after day and year after year with our eyes on the prize and with a spring in our step.
God promises to give us the power to walk on through the trials and tribulations of this life without a sign of fainting.
But wait!
Did I leave something out?
These promises are not for every helpless man or woman.
These promises are not for every faint and weary person.
These promises are not for every lady or man who reaches the end of their rope.
These promises are not for everyone who despairs, nor for everyone that finds their pride a shallow well of strength.
These promises of renewed strength, serenity, endurance and power are for those who wait on the LORD.
The promises in this passage are conditional.
We must wait on the LORD.
This is our mandate.
This is the imperative of the text.
We must wait on the LORD.
We have already seen the motivation for obeying this clear command of Scripture.
1. We must wait on the LORD because despair is a sin.
2. We must wait on the LORD because pride is a sin.
3. We must wait on the LORD because He can and will help us.
Now let us see how we can wait on the LORD:
The Scripture is replete with this idea of waiting on the LORD.
In our study through the Psalms on Thursday night we have seen it again and again.
Eighteen times the Psalmist asks God "how long?"
Twenty-eight times He says, "wait."
To give you an idea of this theme, I recall to your memory the life of Christ, so powerfully forecasted by the prophet Isaiah:
When the disciples were caught in the storm on Galilee, Jesus tarried until the "fourth watch," sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. He could easily have rescued them at 9 p.m., and all could have enjoyed a good night's sleep; yet He waited.
Remember the time Jairus begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter who was at the point of death. Jesus started in that direction but paused to deal with the woman who touched the hem of His garment. He arrived at Jairus' house after the child had passed away.
Similarly, when our Lord heard that His friend Lazarus was sick, He tarried two more days in the place where He was, and Lazarus died.
Those involved in the trials could not see why Jesus did not move on their schedule.
It seems Jesus was on a different schedule than everyone else.
From the few New Testament stories I have just mentioned, we derive some of our greatest encouragement.
Each time Jesus was teaching those involved to Place themselves in His care and Pace themselves by His timetable.
What we are talking about this morning is surrender in no uncertain terms.
You must trust Him completely and obey Him while you wait.
God has carefully thought out what the very best overall timing is in your life, and His desire is to receive the greatest glory from your life, but it has to be by His schedule.
I want to encourage you this morning to place yourselves in His hands.
I want to encourage you to pace yourselves according to his timetable.
Surrender to it.
Remember, "The delays of God are not meant to discourage our faith, but to develop it,"
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Even in coming to Christ for salvation of our soul, we must place ourselves in His care with no strings attached.
Many have come to Him and have offered to go into a relationship as partners.
God doesn't work that way.
He cannot partner up with sinfulness.
He demands complete surrender:
A Recognition of sinfulness,
A Repentence of heart and
A Reliance on Him alone for salvation.
Will you Wait On The LORD?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Little In Thine Own Sight
Little In Thine Own Sight
I Samuel 15:10-17
Our text this morning is from the words of Samuel the Prophet to King Saul.
Saul is one of those characters in the Scriptures, whose primary benefit to us now is a series of bad examples.
One of those lessons is on the subject of humility.
The Bible is very clear concerning God's thoughts about humility and pride.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Obviously, God has a distinct aversion to pride and self sufficiency, while He is inexplicably drawn by His Holy nature to lift up the humble and the lowly.
It seems that in God's system of leadership, the greatest leader is one who serves and remains entirely dependant on God for promotion.
Saul had, in his life a history of prideful actions that were motivated by his desire to be seen as "kingly" rather than as God's servant.
In our text we will pick up shortly after Saul has disobeyed God's explicit command to utterly destroy the Amalekites.
God had been completely clear concerning this command, and Samuel had delivered it personally to King Saul.
Then Saul had saved the king of the Amalekites and the choicest of the livestock and the spoils.
Let us read now beginning with Verse 10:
READ
PRAY
This morning, I want to draw your attention to the last verse of our text and bring you a challenge from the words of Samuel to Saul:
1Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
A great change had taken place in the heart of Saul.
There was a time when Saul was so honored that God would use him in the capacity of king that he couldn't believe Samuel's announcement to that end.
1Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
Now we find Saul so self confident, so headstrong that he feels he can go against God's very orders and make his own judgment call in the field because, after all, he is king!
Samuel's rebuke caught my eye as I was studying for our teaching portion of the service and God moved me to bring this challenge to you this morning:
EVERY PERSON MUST BECOME LITTLE IN HIS OWN SIGHT.
It seems the world system is geared to defeat this principle.
For some reason, the most popular principle in educating children is to boost their confidence!
If we aren't careful we will raise a generation of confident idiots.
Proverbs 30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
Our children don't need to be set up on an unrealistic pedestal.
They need to learn to be humble so that God can set them up.
Our kids don't need to learn to love themselves, they need to learn that the only thing lovely about themselves is that God made them and that God finds value in them.
This is realistic.
This is foundational to a successful life as an adult.
We must become little in our own sight if we are ever to be used by God to do something great for Him.
Let us look to our text for some powerful motivation to become little in our own sight.
1.) Because Humility is the way to promotion in God's service. (V.17)
1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
2.) Because Pride leads to disobedience and rebellion. (V.8,9)
Psalm 119:21 ¶ Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Proverbs 16:18 ¶ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
3.) Because Pride leads to justification of sin. (V.13-15)
Verse 13 - Redefining God's command
Verse 15 - Blaming others for personal failures
The motivations to become little in our own sight are clear from Saul's own testimony as recorded in our text.
Now let us look for some practical instruction.
How can we become little in our own sight?
1.) By submitting to ALL of God's commands. (V.22,23)
2.) By admitting full personal responsibility for our sins. [(unlike Saul)V.24-26]
3.) By allowing others to see your contrition. [(unlike Saul)V.27-30]
Do you have a problem with pride?
If so, it is time to lower your opinion of yourself.
It is time to become little in your own sight, so that God may become greater.
John the Baptist was such a great example when he said,
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
This is what needs to happen in our lives.
It is only when we decrease that Jesus can increase.
One of the greatest limiters to ministry is pride.
It is only when I recognize that God doesn't need me, but that I need Him, that He will use me to do great things for Him.
Even when we come to Him for salvation, we come with a small opinion of ourselves.
We recognize that we are powerless to save ourselves, we can't even help.
We can only accept His free gift of salvation and submit to His provision of a Saviour in Jesus Christ.
Have you submitted to Jesus?
Won't you kneel before Him today?
I Samuel 15:10-17
Our text this morning is from the words of Samuel the Prophet to King Saul.
Saul is one of those characters in the Scriptures, whose primary benefit to us now is a series of bad examples.
One of those lessons is on the subject of humility.
The Bible is very clear concerning God's thoughts about humility and pride.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Obviously, God has a distinct aversion to pride and self sufficiency, while He is inexplicably drawn by His Holy nature to lift up the humble and the lowly.
It seems that in God's system of leadership, the greatest leader is one who serves and remains entirely dependant on God for promotion.
Saul had, in his life a history of prideful actions that were motivated by his desire to be seen as "kingly" rather than as God's servant.
In our text we will pick up shortly after Saul has disobeyed God's explicit command to utterly destroy the Amalekites.
God had been completely clear concerning this command, and Samuel had delivered it personally to King Saul.
Then Saul had saved the king of the Amalekites and the choicest of the livestock and the spoils.
Let us read now beginning with Verse 10:
READ
PRAY
This morning, I want to draw your attention to the last verse of our text and bring you a challenge from the words of Samuel to Saul:
1Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
A great change had taken place in the heart of Saul.
There was a time when Saul was so honored that God would use him in the capacity of king that he couldn't believe Samuel's announcement to that end.
1Samuel 9:21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
Now we find Saul so self confident, so headstrong that he feels he can go against God's very orders and make his own judgment call in the field because, after all, he is king!
Samuel's rebuke caught my eye as I was studying for our teaching portion of the service and God moved me to bring this challenge to you this morning:
EVERY PERSON MUST BECOME LITTLE IN HIS OWN SIGHT.
It seems the world system is geared to defeat this principle.
For some reason, the most popular principle in educating children is to boost their confidence!
If we aren't careful we will raise a generation of confident idiots.
Proverbs 30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
Our children don't need to be set up on an unrealistic pedestal.
They need to learn to be humble so that God can set them up.
Our kids don't need to learn to love themselves, they need to learn that the only thing lovely about themselves is that God made them and that God finds value in them.
This is realistic.
This is foundational to a successful life as an adult.
We must become little in our own sight if we are ever to be used by God to do something great for Him.
Let us look to our text for some powerful motivation to become little in our own sight.
1.) Because Humility is the way to promotion in God's service. (V.17)
1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
2.) Because Pride leads to disobedience and rebellion. (V.8,9)
Psalm 119:21 ¶ Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
Proverbs 16:18 ¶ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
3.) Because Pride leads to justification of sin. (V.13-15)
Verse 13 - Redefining God's command
Verse 15 - Blaming others for personal failures
The motivations to become little in our own sight are clear from Saul's own testimony as recorded in our text.
Now let us look for some practical instruction.
How can we become little in our own sight?
1.) By submitting to ALL of God's commands. (V.22,23)
2.) By admitting full personal responsibility for our sins. [(unlike Saul)V.24-26]
3.) By allowing others to see your contrition. [(unlike Saul)V.27-30]
Do you have a problem with pride?
If so, it is time to lower your opinion of yourself.
It is time to become little in your own sight, so that God may become greater.
John the Baptist was such a great example when he said,
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
This is what needs to happen in our lives.
It is only when we decrease that Jesus can increase.
One of the greatest limiters to ministry is pride.
It is only when I recognize that God doesn't need me, but that I need Him, that He will use me to do great things for Him.
Even when we come to Him for salvation, we come with a small opinion of ourselves.
We recognize that we are powerless to save ourselves, we can't even help.
We can only accept His free gift of salvation and submit to His provision of a Saviour in Jesus Christ.
Have you submitted to Jesus?
Won't you kneel before Him today?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Two Metaphors
Two Metaphors, One Lesson
Ezekiel 19:1-14
We left chapter 18 with the clear and powerful truth that each of us is responsible for our own actions.
We are not tied inexplicably to the sins of our father or mother.
We have a just and holy God, Whose desire was expressed most significantly in the last verse:
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
God wants us to live under the blessings of righteousness rather than the penalties of sin.
Our prophet Ezekiel is God's man sent to Judah and Israel with what has been at times a severe message of judgment.
However, we have seen at the edge of each dark cloud of judgment a silver lining of hope and bright rays of mercy and love from Heaven.
This morning we will be reading chapter 19, in which there are two intriguing metaphors to communicate God's predictions concerning the nation of Judah.
READ TEXT
Ezekiel 19:1 ¶ Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 ¶ Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
PRAY
On the face of it, the passage we have just read may seem a little dark.
However, upon closer examination and deeper study, we learn how relevant and powerful God's word for His people really was.
Remember that the prophecy we have just read was given to the people before any of it took place.
It was a prediction and a warning of coming events.
Let's take a look:
Right away, we are given notice that the theme of the passage is a lamentation - that is a sad statement, a mournful cry if you will.
Particularly, the sadness is regarding the leadership, the princes, of the nation.
Then, the first metaphor is laid out for us:
The nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem in particular is the lioness in Verse 2.
Notice what is said of her in that verse.
The first thing is that she is laying down among the lions.
What does this mean?
Judah had become comfortable among the worldly nations and was learning the ways of the world and even raising the next generation according to the standards and customs of the world.
We get the idea that the hope of the nation, its youth and upcoming leadership, has been squandered on the ways of the world.
What kind of men will come from this sort of compromise?
Can we allow our children to sit in the seat of the scornful, watch their parents strive to be like the world and be nourished by the entertainment venues of a worldly system and expect them to not be affected by this?
Verse 3 shows us what kind of leader this compromise produced.
The lioness's whelp grew into a violent young man who had a penchant for hurting people.
Verse 4 reveals that the prince of Judah, Jehoahaz, had gained a reputation in his short reign for being violent and threatening.
The King of Egypt, Pharaoh Nechoh, sent his armies in to capture Jehoahaz and take him to Egypt.
2Kings 23:33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
King Jehoahaz died in chains in a foreign land because he wouldn't be the kind of leader that God wanted him to be.
As we see in the next verse of our text, Judah produced another ruler.
Unfortunately, as Verse 6 shows, Jehoiachim's first order of business was to look at the leadership of the nations around him and learn from their wicked ways.
He also became a menace and grew only in his ability to oppress his own people.
Verse 7 reveals a leader who was bent on destruction and produced nothing but desolation during his oppressive regime.
All the land was filled with his roaring.
He ruled for 11 years before the world could stand him no longer.
We see in Verse 8 that all the nations came together to take Jehoiachim in a trap.
In Verse 9 they put this troublesome king in chains and threw him into a dungeon in Babylon, never to bother his own country again.
From this first metaphor we learn an important lesson:
Compromise in child rearing produces leadership failures.
Now we get into the second metaphor in our text.
The nation is now likened to a vine.
Remember that the picture of Israel as a vine always emphasizes the personal relationship that God has with his people.
In Verse 10 we see the great advantage that God had given His nation.
She was planted by the waters, most likely this is in reference to the well watered lands of Canaan.
She did grow strong at first, and as shown in Verse 11, she produced the means by which a king could rule her faithfully.
Such is the blessing of God upon a nation that He loves and upon a people that He loves.
God puts us in an advantaged position today:
> with the water of the word in such close proximity and within our grasp,
> with the person of the Holy Spirit as our advisor, teacher, comforter, leader and guide,
> and with all the blessings of this church age in which we live.
We can grow into a people that produces powerful leaders that will point many to God.
The nation of God's choosing in the Old Testament, however, did not maintain that close relationship with God that was necessary to flourish as a vine.
God was not pleased with His people and Verse 12 shows that in His fury God Himself plucked her out of the ground and cast her down.
This was the final prediction that Babylon would come and ravage the kingdom of Israel.
Suddenly, what was full of potential was fruitless and dry.
Suddenly, what used to have such a plethora of leadership capability was devoid of any leadership at all.
Verse 13 predicts the carrying away of the Jewish nation into Babylon, which did take place in 586 BC.
To a nation that had once enjoyed the blessings of a close relationship with God, Babylon was indeed a dry and thirsty ground.
When we turn away from our abiding relationship with Him, we turn from the refreshing nourishment of the True Vine to a wilderness that is dry and barren.
Verse 14 wraps up the prophecy with a specific prediction that one of the rulers from Jerusalem, this is Zedekiah, would be the instrument of disaster that God would use to drag a nation into captivity.
While this passage may seem sad, and a lamentation it is, it is clear that we can take from it a positive lesson:
Compromise in our personal relationship with God produces enslavement, barrenness and destruction.
The two metaphors of this chapter remind us of the price of compromise in our family and in our personal walk with God.
Let us determine that we will not compromise.
> We will not raise our children in the ways and customs of this world.
> We will not be dragged away from an abiding relationship with God.
If you are here today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, let me challenge you to enter into a relationship that has all the potential of this life and eternity.
Then you can enjoy the blessings of a life without compromise.
Ezekiel 19:1-14
We left chapter 18 with the clear and powerful truth that each of us is responsible for our own actions.
We are not tied inexplicably to the sins of our father or mother.
We have a just and holy God, Whose desire was expressed most significantly in the last verse:
Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
God wants us to live under the blessings of righteousness rather than the penalties of sin.
Our prophet Ezekiel is God's man sent to Judah and Israel with what has been at times a severe message of judgment.
However, we have seen at the edge of each dark cloud of judgment a silver lining of hope and bright rays of mercy and love from Heaven.
This morning we will be reading chapter 19, in which there are two intriguing metaphors to communicate God's predictions concerning the nation of Judah.
READ TEXT
Ezekiel 19:1 ¶ Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
7 And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
10 ¶ Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
PRAY
On the face of it, the passage we have just read may seem a little dark.
However, upon closer examination and deeper study, we learn how relevant and powerful God's word for His people really was.
Remember that the prophecy we have just read was given to the people before any of it took place.
It was a prediction and a warning of coming events.
Let's take a look:
Right away, we are given notice that the theme of the passage is a lamentation - that is a sad statement, a mournful cry if you will.
Particularly, the sadness is regarding the leadership, the princes, of the nation.
Then, the first metaphor is laid out for us:
The nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem in particular is the lioness in Verse 2.
Notice what is said of her in that verse.
The first thing is that she is laying down among the lions.
What does this mean?
Judah had become comfortable among the worldly nations and was learning the ways of the world and even raising the next generation according to the standards and customs of the world.
We get the idea that the hope of the nation, its youth and upcoming leadership, has been squandered on the ways of the world.
What kind of men will come from this sort of compromise?
Can we allow our children to sit in the seat of the scornful, watch their parents strive to be like the world and be nourished by the entertainment venues of a worldly system and expect them to not be affected by this?
Verse 3 shows us what kind of leader this compromise produced.
The lioness's whelp grew into a violent young man who had a penchant for hurting people.
Verse 4 reveals that the prince of Judah, Jehoahaz, had gained a reputation in his short reign for being violent and threatening.
The King of Egypt, Pharaoh Nechoh, sent his armies in to capture Jehoahaz and take him to Egypt.
2Kings 23:33 And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
King Jehoahaz died in chains in a foreign land because he wouldn't be the kind of leader that God wanted him to be.
As we see in the next verse of our text, Judah produced another ruler.
Unfortunately, as Verse 6 shows, Jehoiachim's first order of business was to look at the leadership of the nations around him and learn from their wicked ways.
He also became a menace and grew only in his ability to oppress his own people.
Verse 7 reveals a leader who was bent on destruction and produced nothing but desolation during his oppressive regime.
All the land was filled with his roaring.
He ruled for 11 years before the world could stand him no longer.
We see in Verse 8 that all the nations came together to take Jehoiachim in a trap.
In Verse 9 they put this troublesome king in chains and threw him into a dungeon in Babylon, never to bother his own country again.
From this first metaphor we learn an important lesson:
Compromise in child rearing produces leadership failures.
Now we get into the second metaphor in our text.
The nation is now likened to a vine.
Remember that the picture of Israel as a vine always emphasizes the personal relationship that God has with his people.
In Verse 10 we see the great advantage that God had given His nation.
She was planted by the waters, most likely this is in reference to the well watered lands of Canaan.
She did grow strong at first, and as shown in Verse 11, she produced the means by which a king could rule her faithfully.
Such is the blessing of God upon a nation that He loves and upon a people that He loves.
God puts us in an advantaged position today:
> with the water of the word in such close proximity and within our grasp,
> with the person of the Holy Spirit as our advisor, teacher, comforter, leader and guide,
> and with all the blessings of this church age in which we live.
We can grow into a people that produces powerful leaders that will point many to God.
The nation of God's choosing in the Old Testament, however, did not maintain that close relationship with God that was necessary to flourish as a vine.
God was not pleased with His people and Verse 12 shows that in His fury God Himself plucked her out of the ground and cast her down.
This was the final prediction that Babylon would come and ravage the kingdom of Israel.
Suddenly, what was full of potential was fruitless and dry.
Suddenly, what used to have such a plethora of leadership capability was devoid of any leadership at all.
Verse 13 predicts the carrying away of the Jewish nation into Babylon, which did take place in 586 BC.
To a nation that had once enjoyed the blessings of a close relationship with God, Babylon was indeed a dry and thirsty ground.
When we turn away from our abiding relationship with Him, we turn from the refreshing nourishment of the True Vine to a wilderness that is dry and barren.
Verse 14 wraps up the prophecy with a specific prediction that one of the rulers from Jerusalem, this is Zedekiah, would be the instrument of disaster that God would use to drag a nation into captivity.
While this passage may seem sad, and a lamentation it is, it is clear that we can take from it a positive lesson:
Compromise in our personal relationship with God produces enslavement, barrenness and destruction.
The two metaphors of this chapter remind us of the price of compromise in our family and in our personal walk with God.
Let us determine that we will not compromise.
> We will not raise our children in the ways and customs of this world.
> We will not be dragged away from an abiding relationship with God.
If you are here today and you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, let me challenge you to enter into a relationship that has all the potential of this life and eternity.
Then you can enjoy the blessings of a life without compromise.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The Star Spangled Banner
It was late August of the year 1814, and our young and fragile collection of states was once again in a vicious conflict with the overwhelming military powers of Great Britain. The war of 1812 was coming to a sad end. Although America had been set on a firm foundation by the leadership of George Washington some 30 years previous, she was fragile and inexperienced. This became e
vident in an horrific fashion as Great Britain overran Washington and burned down the Capitol and the Whitehouse in which then President Madison had been living. With Washington in flames, President Madison in hiding and the American troops on the run, the moral of our young country was seemingly shattered.Great Britain then amassed its intimidating Naval fleet for one last crushing blow against the colonists with the intention of closing the deal and gaining back control of their colonies. The target was the town of Baltimore in early September. With the smoke of Washington on the horizon, Baltimore felt the menacing gaze of the British war machine. The town of Baltimore was guarded in part by Fort McHenry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead. Armistead and the nearly 1,000 men under his command watched the growing strength of the British Army and Navy in the early weeks of September.
In the preliminary ground assaults on the city, an especially loved town physician, named Dr. William Beanes, was captured by the British forces and taken out to a prison ship. The broken hearted townspeople hurriedly put together an envoy to go out and procure the release of this non-combatant. Two men comprised this envoy, Colonel John Skinner and Attorney Francis Scott Key. They took with them testimonials of actual British soldiers who had received exemplary care at the hands of Dr. Beanes. On September 7th this small envoy sailed out to the British fleet under a flag of truce. The British commanders agreed to release the good doctor, but not until after the quickly approaching battle. The three Americans had seen too much to allow them to return to the town.
Within the fort, the attitude was grim and steadfast. They held little hope of victory, but, to a man, they were resolutely against surrender. Not completely without honor, the British admiral offered a simple sign by which the tattered American regulars might show their submission. They had but to remove the offensive stars and stripes from their prominent location flying high over the fort.
Upon receipt of this generous offer, Colonel Armistead commissioned a secret task. A woman by the name of Mary Pickersgill was paid the healthy sum of $405.90 to sew a gigantic flag that measured 30 feet in width and 42 feet in length. In the Colonel’s own words, it was of a size that “the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance.”
Late on September 12th the British fleet opened fire on the fort to gain range parameters and set the ships in position. From the deck of the British frigate “Surprise” the three captive Americans watched through looking glasses in anguish and humiliation as the Stars and Stripes were lowered. But then, just as they were about to lower their looking glasses there arose a flag so great they could see it with the naked eye. The Americans had given their answer to the British fleet.
Before dawn on the 13th the guns of 16 British warships began a barrage that lasted for 25 hours. The noise was a deafening roar as, without a single moment of reprieve, the explosions rained down on the fort throughout the day. From their position beyond the range of fire, the three Americans watched with great emotion as their loved ones received the unbearable punishment of the bombings. They could not see how the men were faring or how much damage was being inflicted against their city, but they could, by the light of the sun, see that the flag was still standing. The merciless bombings continued throughout they day and into the night. 
Now it was too dark to see the flag. Only when a bomb prematurely exploded in mid air close to the great flag could they see by the momentary red glare that it still stood. All night the canons roared as the British focused their attention upon the flag itself. “If they will not lower their flag we will lower it for them.” Suddenly, in the dark of the morning, the canons fell silent. The three Americans could not see through the darkness and tell if the fort had finally submitted to the foreign power on her shores. Francis Scott Key stood at the rail of the ship and strained to see as the sun began to give the morning fog a light glow. Then as the mists shifted and the ramparts of the fort became visible the sun lighted upon the shredded remains of the stars and the stripes. The wind revived the old flag and it unfurled in defiance of those who would have it torn down.
On that British ship, Francis Scott Key pulled a letter from his coat pocket and began to scribble the words with which we have all become familiar:
Today there is a battle set in array that far surpasses any during the war of 1812.
The battle I speak of is that one in defense of your testimony.
Like the brave soldiers at Fort McHenry you have a testimony of your convictions and beliefs and loyalties.
You have been granted the privilege and the responsibility to keep the standard of your captain flying high in the face of the barrage of this world.
All too often Christians lower their colors to avoid offence and too often submit to the forces of peer pressure and societal norms.
This afternoon I want to challenge you to take a stand.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Nearly 200 years ago, brave men of Fort McHenry agreed together that regardless of the consequences, they would stand together in defense of liberty and by no means would they allow the colors to be taken down.
Let us now determine that come what may, we will not allow His standard to fall.
We will stand together and fly the colors of our Christian testimony high and consistent for all to see, for certainly there are those who are watching.
They are looking for someone with a cause that is worth living for.
Won’t you decide with me today that you will stand for God and raise your testimony for all to see?
The battle I speak of is that one in defense of your testimony.
Like the brave soldiers at Fort McHenry you have a testimony of your convictions and beliefs and loyalties.
You have been granted the privilege and the responsibility to keep the standard of your captain flying high in the face of the barrage of this world.
All too often Christians lower their colors to avoid offence and too often submit to the forces of peer pressure and societal norms.
This afternoon I want to challenge you to take a stand.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Nearly 200 years ago, brave men of Fort McHenry agreed together that regardless of the consequences, they would stand together in defense of liberty and by no means would they allow the colors to be taken down.
Let us now determine that come what may, we will not allow His standard to fall.
We will stand together and fly the colors of our Christian testimony high and consistent for all to see, for certainly there are those who are watching.
They are looking for someone with a cause that is worth living for.
Won’t you decide with me today that you will stand for God and raise your testimony for all to see?
Above All Nations
Above All Nations
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
The Constitution of the United States was ratified by the states in June 1788. In February of the following year the new nation's Electoral College selected Geo
rge Washington to be its first President. On April 16, 1789 Washington began the journey from his home at Mount Vernon to New York City, then the nation's capital, where he would be inaugurated. Washington was reluctant to leave the serenity of his home and uncertain about his new position. His journal entry for that day noted:
"About 10 o'clock I bade adieu to Mount Vernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express, set out for New York in company with Mr. Thompson, and Colonel Humphries, with the best dispositions to render service to my country in obedience to its call, but with less hope of answering its expectations."
George Washington's humble uncertainties about his abilities to govern were accentuated by his nervous behavior during his inaugural address.
His hands were shaking as he held a paper copy of his speech with one hand and then the other in an attempt to hide his nervousness.
He completed the address with one hand in his pocket to disguise his discomfort and made one awkward attempt at gesturing which was such a dismal failure that he went back to speaking with his hand in his pocket.
History fills out the story to his great credit but the greatest legacy that George Washington left was his firm belief that God was the Prime Mover in governing the affairs of men and that ultimately, every government must answer to Him alone.
On the
day of his inauguration it is said that George Washington made a specific request regarding the bible upon which he would lay his hand and take the presidential oath.
With a clear understanding of the import of his request, the first president of these United States asked that the old bible be opened to the book of Deuteronomy. Is was his desire to lay his hand on chapter 28 while uttering the oath of office.
It is to this passage we turn this morning with the specific goal of finding God's will for our country and our own lives.
READ TEXT
Deuteronomy 28:1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
PRAY
Our text comes from the powerful book of Deuteronomy.
The word Deuteronomy means literally "second law" because it was the second time the law was delivered to God's people in a systematic fashion.
The first time was to a recently delivered nation of Israel at mount Sinai.
As you remember, Israel then wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years while all the adults passed away one by one.
Now the nation of Israel has come back to the border of Canaan and is gathered on the plains of Moab preparing to enter the land.
Moses is nearing his own death and God has told him that he would not enter the promised land himself.
Moses gathers himself together for one last address to the young nation of Israel and redelivers the law in summary to the people.
As he nears then end of his farewell sermons he gets to the material we have read this morning in chapter 28.
He is solidifying the relationship that God wants to have with His nation of Israel.
This is where we can make a valid application to any nation as the principles herein are transferable in their basic truths.
This chapter is easily divided into two parts, the first of which we have just read.
The portion of Chapter 28 that we have read is 14 verses of positive affirmation for a nation that is willing to obey His commands.
Let us quickly review these promises of national blessings.
The primary nature of these promises is that they are conditional.
The first condition of a nation receiving all of the wonderful blessings of verses 1-14 is that that nation listen diligently to the voice of the Lord.
The second condition also reiterated in verse 1 is that a nation do all his commandments.
Verse 9 adds to these conditions walking in His ways.
Verse 14 finalizes the list of conditions with the requirement that the nation of God's affection never serve other gods.
I would like to submit this list of conditions for what it is, a formula for gaining God's blessings upon a nation.
If you want God's blessings on your life you have to:
1.) Listen to the voice of God.
Listening to the voice of God includes reading His word and purposefully positioning yourself under the preaching of the word on a regular basis.
2.) Do His commandments.
This is the one step mentioned the most often in the passage and fulfills the first step.
It matters not how well you listen if you have already made up your mind that you are not going to obey.
3.) Walk in His ways.
God's people do more than just mindlessly and robotically obey His wrote commands.
They have His word written on the hearts and it changes the way they walk.
How does your life reflect God's ways?
4.) Do not go after other gods.
Like the commitment I made to my wife when we married, that I would never go after another woman, so my commitment to my God is exclusive.
Nothing can consume me like my passion for Him.
Nothing can influence me like my desire to please Him.
He is my all, and He is enough.
Now we get to the portion of the chapter that takes up all of 50 verses outweighing the 14 verses of positive affirmation.
While the first 14 verses are about blessings, the last 50 are about cursing.
You may say, " well that is kind of lopsided, I would rather you emphasize the positive and leave the negative alone."
In defense against that thought I have only this, "I didn't write it."
For every one positive verse about blessing in this chapter, there are 3 1/2 negative verses about cursing upon those who do not follow the formula outlined in verses 1-14.
In addition to all of the promised blessings in reverse, there is added many severe and horrific curses to come upon the nation that slips away from Him.
We must understand, God owes us nothing.
When we obey His commands as we ought, we do not deserve the blessing of God, they are not our right. God gives us blessings out of grace.
When we do our duty, He blesses us because He loves us.
When we earn His punishment we do just that, we earn it.
Deuteronomy paints the clearest picture of God, a God Who is Holy and gracious, but first Holy.
It accomplishes what the Law was set out to accomplish, the revealing of our shortcomings.
We fall short of His demands and must have a Divine bridge to enter into a relationship with Him.
God has provided that bridge in the righteousness of His own Son.
Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour?
Deuteronomy 28:1-14
The Constitution of the United States was ratified by the states in June 1788. In February of the following year the new nation's Electoral College selected Geo
rge Washington to be its first President. On April 16, 1789 Washington began the journey from his home at Mount Vernon to New York City, then the nation's capital, where he would be inaugurated. Washington was reluctant to leave the serenity of his home and uncertain about his new position. His journal entry for that day noted:"About 10 o'clock I bade adieu to Mount Vernon, to private life, and to domestic felicity, and with a mind oppressed with more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to express, set out for New York in company with Mr. Thompson, and Colonel Humphries, with the best dispositions to render service to my country in obedience to its call, but with less hope of answering its expectations."
George Washington's humble uncertainties about his abilities to govern were accentuated by his nervous behavior during his inaugural address.
His hands were shaking as he held a paper copy of his speech with one hand and then the other in an attempt to hide his nervousness.
He completed the address with one hand in his pocket to disguise his discomfort and made one awkward attempt at gesturing which was such a dismal failure that he went back to speaking with his hand in his pocket.
History fills out the story to his great credit but the greatest legacy that George Washington left was his firm belief that God was the Prime Mover in governing the affairs of men and that ultimately, every government must answer to Him alone.
On the
day of his inauguration it is said that George Washington made a specific request regarding the bible upon which he would lay his hand and take the presidential oath.With a clear understanding of the import of his request, the first president of these United States asked that the old bible be opened to the book of Deuteronomy. Is was his desire to lay his hand on chapter 28 while uttering the oath of office.
It is to this passage we turn this morning with the specific goal of finding God's will for our country and our own lives.
READ TEXT
Deuteronomy 28:1 ¶ And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
PRAY
Our text comes from the powerful book of Deuteronomy.
The word Deuteronomy means literally "second law" because it was the second time the law was delivered to God's people in a systematic fashion.
The first time was to a recently delivered nation of Israel at mount Sinai.
As you remember, Israel then wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years while all the adults passed away one by one.
Now the nation of Israel has come back to the border of Canaan and is gathered on the plains of Moab preparing to enter the land.
Moses is nearing his own death and God has told him that he would not enter the promised land himself.
Moses gathers himself together for one last address to the young nation of Israel and redelivers the law in summary to the people.
As he nears then end of his farewell sermons he gets to the material we have read this morning in chapter 28.
He is solidifying the relationship that God wants to have with His nation of Israel.
This is where we can make a valid application to any nation as the principles herein are transferable in their basic truths.
This chapter is easily divided into two parts, the first of which we have just read.
The portion of Chapter 28 that we have read is 14 verses of positive affirmation for a nation that is willing to obey His commands.
Let us quickly review these promises of national blessings.
The primary nature of these promises is that they are conditional.
The first condition of a nation receiving all of the wonderful blessings of verses 1-14 is that that nation listen diligently to the voice of the Lord.
The second condition also reiterated in verse 1 is that a nation do all his commandments.
Verse 9 adds to these conditions walking in His ways.
Verse 14 finalizes the list of conditions with the requirement that the nation of God's affection never serve other gods.
I would like to submit this list of conditions for what it is, a formula for gaining God's blessings upon a nation.
If you want God's blessings on your life you have to:
1.) Listen to the voice of God.
Listening to the voice of God includes reading His word and purposefully positioning yourself under the preaching of the word on a regular basis.
2.) Do His commandments.
This is the one step mentioned the most often in the passage and fulfills the first step.
It matters not how well you listen if you have already made up your mind that you are not going to obey.
3.) Walk in His ways.
God's people do more than just mindlessly and robotically obey His wrote commands.
They have His word written on the hearts and it changes the way they walk.
How does your life reflect God's ways?
4.) Do not go after other gods.
Like the commitment I made to my wife when we married, that I would never go after another woman, so my commitment to my God is exclusive.
Nothing can consume me like my passion for Him.
Nothing can influence me like my desire to please Him.
He is my all, and He is enough.
Now we get to the portion of the chapter that takes up all of 50 verses outweighing the 14 verses of positive affirmation.
While the first 14 verses are about blessings, the last 50 are about cursing.
You may say, " well that is kind of lopsided, I would rather you emphasize the positive and leave the negative alone."
In defense against that thought I have only this, "I didn't write it."
For every one positive verse about blessing in this chapter, there are 3 1/2 negative verses about cursing upon those who do not follow the formula outlined in verses 1-14.
In addition to all of the promised blessings in reverse, there is added many severe and horrific curses to come upon the nation that slips away from Him.
We must understand, God owes us nothing.
When we obey His commands as we ought, we do not deserve the blessing of God, they are not our right. God gives us blessings out of grace.
When we do our duty, He blesses us because He loves us.
When we earn His punishment we do just that, we earn it.
Deuteronomy paints the clearest picture of God, a God Who is Holy and gracious, but first Holy.
It accomplishes what the Law was set out to accomplish, the revealing of our shortcomings.
We fall short of His demands and must have a Divine bridge to enter into a relationship with Him.
God has provided that bridge in the righteousness of His own Son.
Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour?
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