Redeemer in Command

It is good for the child of God to realise we never are at the mercy of our enemies but our awesome heavenly Father.  An overwhelming trial or situation never puts us beyond God's help and perfect peace.  When the ground shakes under our feet or we start to lose our balance, we instinctively grasp at a handrail or something we know to be solid and can bear weight to stay upright.  Trials test us to see if we will run to and reach for the Rock of our salvation in our desperate state or give place to despair in unbelief.

Many times in the history of the nation of Israel their enemies had the upper hand.  Due to sin, idolatry or for God's good purposes not explained to us, Israel was oppressed and the people lived in fear.  The book of Judges has a repetitive theme of people doing what was right in their own eyes, forsaking God and His statutes, and then falling into the hands of their enemies to chasten them back to the LORD.  When they cried out to God in due time He raised up a deliverer from among His people to deliver them.  Even in God's punishment by the hand of heathen people He retained all rule--even over their enemies.

Consider the words of Deborah the prophetess in Judges 4:6-7:  "Then she sent and called for Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; ⁷ and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand'?"  There is no question Sisera thought he had the upper hand over Israel with his 900 chariots of iron, but it was God who would deploy this enemy of Israel to his own destruction.  The NIV says God would "lure" Sisera.  Sisera proudly imagined himself to be the apex predator, but he was like a fish with a hook through the jaw by the God of Israel.  It wasn't long before his army was completely destroyed and he was dead in Jael's tent, head pinned to the ground with a tent stake driven through his temple.

In His wisdom God used Sisera to chasten His people back to faith and obedience to God, and in due time brought Sisera's brutal, oppressive ways to an end.  This same principle applies in the spiritual realm as well, for Satan cannot overcome God's wisdom and ways.  One day he will be destroyed forever, and we ought to rejoice in our Saviour more than his demise.  We do well to believe and proclaim what Paul did in Romans 8:28:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  Oppressive enemies are not good; nagging illness, lack of sleep and severe conditions are not pleasant.  Spiritual attacks are terrible in themselves, but all these are easily redeemed by our awesome God who causes them to accomplish His good purposes for His people He loves and keeps as the apple of His eye.  Praise the LORD for His grace and faithfulness to us always.

Time of War and Peace

Wise Solomon observed in Ecclesiastes 3:8 there is "...a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."  With spiritual insight we see love and hate, while seemingly opposites, can exist at the same time and even compliment one another.  Due to active love of God within us, a child of God chooses to hate sin and every evil way.  Even in the midst of conflict, the one who trusts God can experience perfect peace by faith in Jesus Christ.  But the point Solomon made is spelled out in Ecclesiastes 3:1:  "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...".  God has good purposes and plans He accomplishes in every season of life, and we can have confidence He knows what He is doing.

It may seem strange to think in this wonderful world created by God there would be a time for hate and war.  Yet this is not at all odd when we realise and acknowledge we live in a world of sin where people are always at war with God:  hating Him, slandering and opposing Him, filled with malice and bigoted against Him.  Because God is righteous, He cannot and will not make peace or be united with sin He hates.  Sin is altogether contrary to Him and destroys life He created to be good, separating souls eternally from His presence.  Jesus died on the cross and rose form the grave to defeat sin and death, and one day God will also wage war upon and destroy all sinners as the righteous Judge and KING OF KINGS that He is.

Judges 3:1-4 explains reasons why God allowed the children of Israel to experience conflict and warfare, and relates to the born-again children of God today:  "Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan ² (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³ namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."  The generation that entered the promised land was commanded to destroy the inhabitants of the land and take possession of their inheritance by lot.  After that generation passed away, their children had only known peace and prosperity.  God did not wipe out the enemies of Israel, yet allowed them to remain for several reasons:  to test them, to see if they would obey His commands.

The Law of Moses contained many promises of victory and peace to those who feared God and kept His commands as in Leviticus 26:6-9:  "I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. ⁷ You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. ⁸ Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. ⁹ 'For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you."  Conversely, if God's people did not keep His commands, He would give them over to their enemies and would flee in terror when no one pursued them.  If they would then confess their iniquity and transgressions in humility before God, accepting the punishment of their iniquity for hating His judgments, God would remember the covenant made with their fathers and deliver them.

God allowed His people to experience long seasons of war and conflict so they might learn--not primarily how to use a sword, spear, bow, shield or tactics--but to depend on their LORD God for victory, knowing peace is found only by faith and obedience to Him.  This is also one reason God allows believers to experience trials, illness, oppression and enemies during our season on earth.  God's will is we would learn to fight the good fight of faith, choosing to seek and trust Jesus rather than looking to ourselves or others for an escape.  When we face enemies stronger than ourselves, God watches to see if we will keep trusting and obeying Him.  God uses battles that overwhelm us to teach us of His faithfulness and mighty deliverance so we might live for His glory and praise long after the battle is done.

People Whose God is the LORD

In Psalm 1, David says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, does not stand in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful.  He is blessed who delights in the law of the LORD and meditates in it day and night.  Such a one is compared to a tree planted by rivers of water that brings fruit in due season, whose leaf does not wither and whatsoever he does will prosper because of His God.  The idols of the heathen were believed to bring prosperity, good fortune and luck, yet all they could provide was false hope.  The living, almighty God of Israel is the One who gives abundant life and supplies all our needs--in this life and that which is to come.

The blessings contained in the Law of Moses primarily concerned life on earth, the "here and now."  David sang in Psalm 144:9-15:  "I will sing a new song to You, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, ¹⁰ the One who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant from the deadly sword. ¹¹ Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood--¹² that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars, sculptured in palace style; ¹³ that our barns may be full, supplying all kinds of produce; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; ¹⁴ that our oxen may be well-laden; that there be no breaking in or going out; that there be no outcry in our streets. ¹⁵ Happy are the people who are in such a state; happy are the people whose God is the LORD!"

David's prayer was a good one, that the marital unions of the people would be fruitful to produce godly children.  Blessed and happy are the people whose God is the LORD, who provides salvation and all we need for life and godliness.  Whilst God's people are never guaranteed children, an over-abundance of food and reserves, or everyone will have an ox for their stable (or car in their garage!), God is faithful to provide for all we need--including deliverance and salvation.  What He gives us is more than money could ever buy, for He causes us to be spiritually fruitful by the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Rather than our lives being marked by the works of the flesh, our lives can produce the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, self-control and on.

By faith in Jesus Christ, every sinner has the opportunity for salvation, to become one of God's people.  There is one LORD over all other gods, spirits, people and creating things, and happy are the people who know and serve Him as God.  As God's servant Habakkuk said well of God his strength in Habakkuk 3:17-18:  "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."  Whether or not we seem prosperous today, we can rejoice in the LORD who is the God our our salvation.  He is our Life, and our future is safe and glorious in His presence.

Watch Yourself!

"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.¹⁴ Let all that you do be done with love."

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

When we read exhortations to "watch" in the scripture, our minds might go to the role of the watchman who vigilantly kept watch over a city to sound the alarm at the sign of an approaching enemy.  This watchman on duty was primarily serving the common good, like a shepherd who was on guard to protect sheep from wolves and thieves.  In context, this exhortation to "watch" is better viewed as primarily personal.  Rather than keeping watch for the protection of others to warn them of approaching dangers, this call is to first keep watch over ourselves that we are doing what Paul commands ourselves:  stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong and see all that we do be done with love.

Examining our own hearts, ensuring we stand in the faith of Jesus Christ and doing all in love ourselves will result in better watchmen of the the flock or city.  If we leave this personal calling and responsibility undone, we will be like the one Jesus spoke of who had the log in their own eye and could not see clearly to remove a speck from their brother's eye.  It is fine to be on guard against external threats or even on falsehoods worming their way into the church, but the ones that creep into our own hearts and minds due to pride, hypocrisy and self-righteousness are the most destructive.  King Saul's problem was not the Philistines that couched in garrisons but his own proud and rebellious heart.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, He makes us to be brave and be strong because of our new identify in Him.

In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul previously gave a wonderful description of love that ought to guide our thinking, decisions and conduct.  By steadfast faith in Jesus, we ought to see we walk according to God's unfailing love shown in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7:  "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  By God's grace let us see we are brave and strong to live like this, and as we follow Jesus we will see clearly to follow Him closely, delighting in Him and doing His will.