2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Friends,
You will remember that yesterday I mentioned that the Lord keeps leading me to Scriptures having to do with David. That very well could be due to the lack of interest I had in this famous Jewish king as I was growing up and before I came to faith. It certainly didn’t bring enthusiasm for this story to me when I had only read the accounts of him in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. It was only when I saw the transformation brought about in David’s inner self through the renewal of his mind by the Holy Spirit as demonstrated in the Psalms and in Isaiah that I began to see the foolishness in my initial attitude. God was working on renewing my mind, something badly needed. Today, we continue looking at the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. You will see the crucial role that the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of those commissioned to do God’s will.
IS 11: 1-2, “The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new King will arise from among David’s descendants. The Spirit of the Lord will give Him wisdom and the knowledge and the skill to rule His people. He will know the Lord’s will and have reverence for Him…” One issue that bears repeating because of its importance is our need to listen for what the Lord tells us through the Holy Spirit. If you stop and think about it, David had to have done this in order to be used by God the way he was to carry out the Lord’s purposes. No one, any more then David did, knows what all the long-term ramifications are of carrying out an assignment given us by God. Our limited human perception often clouds the importance of even the most seemingly small commands that God might give us. This points out the need to be willing to obey God even when we can’t see how important what we are asked to do is at the time. To David, the immediate job was to be a leader for Israel. That is the level upon which his human perception allowed him to operate. And yet, his obedience to God outfitted him to be a part of a royal line into which God would eventually bring His own Son.
God gifted Ezekiel with the qualities he would need to be a great prophet at a very difficult time in Israel’s history, when it’s southern kingdom, Judah, was in Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel was not only outfitted to act, speak, write, but he was also imbued with enormous courage of faith. That is because God knew that Ezekiel, like Isaiah, would have to deliver a very unpopular message to people who didn’t want to hear it. When you read EZK 2:1-4, you will see the Holy Spirit was once again on the job when Ezekiel is called to be a prophet. [Ezekiel speaking] “When I saw the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence, I fell face down on the ground. Then, I heard a voice saying, ‘Mortal Man, stand up. I want to talk to you.’ While the voice was speaking God’s Spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. And I head the voice continue, ‘Mortal Man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They have rebelled and turned against Me….I am sending you to tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them.’ “
Not much is known about the prophet, Joel. But, his prophecies of what is still in our future align with those of other prophetic writers speaking of the end times. He conveys the people’s need to repent and the blessings that will come to those who are faithful. Joel 2: 28-29 speaks of the time after the unfaithful are removed from the scene in the Tribulation and what God will do with the faithful who survive. [God speaking] “I will pour out My Spirit on everyone: your sons and daughters will proclaim My message; your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. At that time I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, both men and women.” This remarkable prophecy points out the truth of ZECH 13: 8-9, “And I will test the third that survives and will purify them as silver is purified by fire. I will test them as gold is tested. Then they will pray to me, and I will answer them. I will tell them that they are My people, and they will confess that I am their God.” That is why I keep citing RO 11: 25 as a reminder that in no way has our Lord given up on the Jews, in spite of the two-thirds who will be lost. There is always that one-third, the faithful remnant, who will choose to be obedient to God and who will inherit the Kingdom and life eternal. What hope that gives me!
PRAYER: O Lord, throughout the OT You show us the presence of the Holy Spirit. Your consistent presence in the history of mankind is such eloquent proof of the love you have for those whom You have created. You tell us through Paul in RO 8: 28 that in all things You work for the good of those who love you, those You have called according to Your purpose. When faced with the reality of Your Spirit’s presence throughout our history, there is no way we can deny it! In humble adoration we thank You for your consistency, righteousness, love for us, Your Word, Your Son to die on the cross for us, and our faith in Him. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will finally conclude the “Learning About God” series of messages with one about the Holy Spirit in the NT. God is amazing in the many ways He reveals Himself to us. All we need to do is to put our trust in Him and to obey. He takes care of the rest. I hope you feel as blessed about knowing this as I do. In the meanwhile, please know that God loves you and so do Peter and I.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn