2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
Yesterday, we looked at the negative consequences of not keeping eyes focused on the Banner Who is our Jehovah Nissi to the Amalekites and Edomites. These two nations were examples of God’s sworn enemies. There were also negative consequences to God’s own people, the Jews, whom we know God has punished with two dyasporas (scattering, temporary loss of nationhood, and captivity) in their history. While all of this is helpful, we also need to personalize this issue of not keeping our eyes focused on God, so that we can relate to its crucial message. That is the subject of today’s message.
Paul discusses this issue from the point of view of the conflict between human nature and the Spirit in GA 5: 16-21. “What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law. What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate themselves into parties or groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now, as I have before; those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.” Notice that the word, Law, is capitalized in (18). This is significant, because it refers to the 613 laws that became a curse to the Jews, because none of them could keep them all. This is opposed to God’s laws, which by His grace any believer can choose to keep. This is a Law versus grace issue all the way. Remember, RO 6: 14, “Sin must not be your master; for you do not live under Law, but under God’s grace.”
When looking at the issue of keeping our eyes on Jehovah Nissi while we deal with the challenges of our lives, some recent stories from the news in 2000 and 2001 demonstrate the principles that Paul wrote about in 60 AD. Today’s most popular idols are materialism and thirst for power. There are still some people who have separated themselves into covens practicing witchcraft or into political action groups that support beliefs that go against clear-cut teachings of God. Drunkenness and sexual immorality still pervades our society, even reaching to some clergy and into the White House itself. I am not here to judge these people, only to learn what not to do from them. Jesus Christ is the only One with the right to judge, and judge with fairness He will! Satan has sway over terrorists, liars, and people guilty of treason. We can’t pretend that such people as Timothy McVeigh or Islama bin Ladin don’t exist. When the adversary tempts us and causes us to be exposed to hatred and evil, we must remember that Jehovah Nissi is like the bronze snake on Moses’s metal standard in NU 21: 4-9. His banner is held high for us to gaze upon it and be healed! We must stay in God’s word, so that when hate groups like the Klu Klux Klan and the Neo-Nazis try to lure us into membership, we will have the discernment to recognize them for what they are and reject them.
Amidst the story of the war between the Israelites and the Amalekites, Moses writes in DT 25: 18, “They had no fear of God, and so they attacked you from the rear when you were tired and exhausted.” The point here is that we are most likely to get sucked into Satan’s temptations when we are vulnerable. What keeps us from being vulnerable is keeping our eyes on Jehovah Nissi. RO 8: 34 gives insight into how Jehovah Nissi works for us. “Who then, will condemn them [God’s chosen people]? Not Christ Jesus, Who died, or rather, Who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with Him for us!” Jehovah Nissi pulls out all the stops for us. RO 8: 26-27, “In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit Himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God Who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with His will.” If we were to refuse to make keeping our eyes on Jehovah Nissi a priority, we would deny ourselves all this help that is available to us.
Christ spoke to the Pharisees about the difference between free men and slaves in JN 8: 34-36. “I am telling you the truth: everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave does not belong to a family permanently, but a son belongs there forever. If the Son sets you free, then you will be really free.” Despite the fact that living “in Christ” is often a difficult path through a “narrow gate” [MT 7: 13-14], it is real freedom granted to us by God’s most excellent grace. We are God’s adopted children, not slaves to sin. RO 8: 15, “For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Abba! My Abba!’” Be encouraged that our Father in heaven loves each and every one of us. He commands us to seek Him out, most especially when we are being tempted to sinfulness.
PRAYER: O Lord, without You we are weak, sinful, and useless. Without You, we have no gifts that will allow us to thwart the adversary’s attempts to pull us into sin and spiritual death. Only You offer us salvation through the death of Your Son on the cross, making it possible for us to choose real freedom from sins ravaging force in our lives. We live in a society where terrorism like the bombing of the USS Cole and the Murrow building in Oklahoma City happens. Some of the most prominent public officials and members of the clergy commit sexual immorality. Couples living together and bearing children outside the institution of marriage is commonplace. It’s even accepted in some circles. Hate groups and militias exist often in our own backyards. Materialism, excessive greed, mean-spirited business management plans, and lack of pride in workmanship abounds, bringing suffering and the breakdown of family units. All of this evil is a part of today’s society, Dearest Jehovah Nissi. You offer us hope, equip us to reject this evil, and encourage us to faithfulness by Your presence in our lives. We offer You humble prayers of thanksgiving for letting us know the ways You, Your Son, and the Holy Spirit are there to help us. You deserve nothing less than our adoration, worship, praise, loyalty, trust, obedience, and honor for being the Force that You are in our lives if we will only keep our eyes on You. We dedicate ourselves to this today. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will continue looking at ways we interact with Jehovah Nissi. This spiritual warfare we must face is very personal. It is personal to us, because we feel the pain of it and must depend on God to give us the weapons and discernment to fight to victory. It is personal to God, because He loves us enough to be our greatest Source of encouragement, guidance, and power. A day never goes by that He doesn’t want us to remember He is our Jehovah Nissi, God Who is our Banner. He stands by lifting high His ensign to remind us that we can fight to victory against the temptations and evil that beset us. That is because His love for us is so profound. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn