2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
This morning, the Lord has put it on my heart to take up the subject of incomplete obedience. We continue examining citations that deal with Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my Banner, Who wants us to keep our eyes focused on Him at all times. In RO 8: 17 we are told that, “Since we are God’s children, we will posses the blessings He keeps for His people, and we will also possess with Christ what God has kept for Him; for if we share Christ’s suffering, we will also share His glory.” Such a legacy for our faithfulness leaves us with no excuse for lack of obedience. Yet, we still find ourselves giving in to the temptations of the flesh from time to time. Through Paul, God encourages us in EPH 6: 10, “Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of His mighty power.” What Jehovah Nissi is telling us here is that He has equipped us, so we should continue fighting the good spiritual warfare fight that we have been commanded to pursue.
Further light is shed on God’s will in 2 COR 2: 14-15. “But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost.” The language that Paul uses in this last citation is borrowed from the Roman triumphal processions where prisoners taken were paraded down the streets, and incense bearers would march along both sides with the fragrance permeating the scene. The message that is so important to us in this passage is that we should offer thanks to God Who always leads us to triumph in Christ. If we should ever be prisoners to anything or bondservants to anyone, let it be to righteousness and to Christ!
We already know that incomplete obedience has its consequences. An example of this comes in the Lord’s response to the people’s complaining and accepting the lies of ten of the twelve spies that were sent from Kadesh-Barnea into Canaan to report on conditions there. NU 14: 29-30 is an angry Lord’s response, “You will die and your corpses will be scattered across this wilderness. Because you have complained against Me, none of you over twenty years of age will enter that land [the Promised Land]. I promised to let you live there, but not one of you will, except Caleb and Joshua.” The latter where the two spies who told the truth, even through the people didn’t believe them. NU 14: 39-45 showed the lack of understanding of this lesson that the people exhibited. “When Moses told the Israelites what the Lord had said, they mourned bitterly. Early the next morning they started out to invade the hill country, saying, ‘Now we are ready to go to the place which the Lord told us about. We admit that we have sinned.’ But Moses said, ‘Then why are you disobeying the Lord now? You will not succeed! Do not go. The Lord is not with you, and your enemies will defeat you. When you face the Amalekites and the Canaanites, you will die in battle; the Lord will not be with you, because you have refused to follow Him.’ Yet they still dared to go up into the hill country, even through neither the Lord’s Covenant Box nor Moses left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived there attacked and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hormah.”
Later in DT 20: 3-4 the point of this lesson, our need to be led by Jehovah Nissi and do His will, is repeated in a passage concerning going to war. [Moses speaking] “Men of Israel, listen! Today you are going into battle. Do not be afraid of your enemies or lose courage or panic. The Lord your God is going with you, and He will give you victory.” As far back as DT 20: 16-18, the Israelites were commanded to kill all their enemies and given a reason for doing this. “But when you capture cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, kill everyone. Completely destroy all the people; the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the Lord order you to do. Kill them, so that they will not make you sin against the Lord by teaching you to do all the disgusting things that they do in the worship of their gods.” Anyone who has read the book of Joshua knows that this order was not carried out completely, delaying for a time the Jewish occupation of what was to become Israel [JS 7: 1-26]. Remember that God’s will for Jewish victory over these peoples is stated as far back as GN 15: 18-21 when He clearly delineated the boundaries that the Promised Land should occupy. When looking at these compared to today’s boundaries for Israel, incomplete obedience to God is bared for all believers to see!
The message Jehovah Nissi has for us is clear. JN 15: 5-6, “I am the Vine, and you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without Me. Whoever does not remain in Me is thrown out like a branch and dries up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.” EPH 3: 20-21, “To Him Who by means of His power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of; to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.” Victory in Christ is for the faithful; be encouraged to live righteously.
PRAYER: O Lord, by looking back on the lessons of history, we are commanded by You to learn by them. I do not know why this should be so hard for us, but it has been. Repeatedly, You offer us the comforting reminder that if we will make our agendas the same as Yours, we will be victorious against our enemies. Yet, we still greet You with incomplete obedience. In humility we confess that sin and ask for Your forgiveness for it. Worrying, lying, complaining, attempts at deception, refusal to obey Your commands completely are all signs of imperfect and weak faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, we reject these things and dedicate ourselves to following Your leadership in our lives. If we believe the truth and consistency of every word in the Scriptures, something we claim to do, then we should never find a reason not to completely carry out Your commands again. You have given us comforting promises of victory, Dear Jehovah Nissi; You have done this out of Your righteousness and love for us. You have made the consequences of unfaithfulness clear to us. We acknowledge that and Your supreme right to be the Lord of our lives. We humbly offer You our worship, adoration, trust, obedience, loyalty, honor, glory, praise, and thanks. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will begin looking at citations in which God is referred to as Jehovah Mekaddishkem, the Lord Who sanctifies Us. To my way of thinking offering us sanctification is the quintessential demonstration of His love, patience, and compassion. That He offers this to us when we do not deserve it is even more compelling. Today and every day, we are surrounded by His love, protection, provision, compassion, patience, guidance, and leadership. We need never feel abandoned, impotent, or alone when we recognize His presence in our lives. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn