When my mother was diagnosed with ALS 6 years ago, it only took a few months for me to consider whether or not the disease was genetic. Early signs pointed to “yes,” as her half-brother died of a similar neurological disease. The science on the relationship between genetics and ALS was questionable six years ago, so […]
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Psalms 136:1-26 (KJV)1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 10 To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: 11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: 12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. 16 To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. 17 To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: 20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: 21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever. 23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: 24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Can anyone tell me the name of this sermon? That’s right. His mercy endureth forever. Note the text does not say His LOVE endureth forever. There is absolutely no place in the Bible that says His LOVE endureth forever. The Bible does tell us that:
1 John 4:7-10 (KJV) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 God’s MERCY Endures Forever. This particular phrase is found 43 times in the Scripture. God is love, that is, that is a main part of His character. But the Bible doesn’t say His LOVE endures forever. God does not love SIN. God does not love DISOBEDIENCE. God does not love those who do WICKEDLY. God does not love those who are PRIDEFUL, who DO INIQUITY. Write these verses down:
Psalms 5:4-5 (KJV)4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psalms 11:5-7 (KJV) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
Proverbs 6:16-19 (KJV) These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Hosea 9:15 (KJV) All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.
God’s LOVE does not endure wickedness, and no true love can endure wickedness. Wickedness and evil bring sinful activity and sickness. The wages of sin is death, and God Who is life does not love death. God never will love sin, nor will He endorse the sinner who rejects Him.
But His mercy endures forever.
This phrase is found in this Psalm more than anywhere else in Scripture, but this is not the only place it is found.
King David did a foolish thing.
The enemy had captured the Ark of God, but King David and his men recovered it. David wanted to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem, back to the Tabernacle where it belonged. We are told in
1 Chronicles 13:5 (KJV) “So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.”
Now God had decreed that when the Ark was to be carried. The Ark was to be carried by Levites of the family of Kohath (Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9). There were loops on the sides of the Ark, and specific poles were to be used to carry the Ark. Why did God decree a certain way to carry the Ark? We can dissect His commands and come up with some pretty good points.
If God assigns you a job to do, you need to do your job, not somebody else’s. Mind your own business. Do your job to the glory of God. The King should be the King, the Levites the Levites, the Committee the Committee, the Teacher to teach, the Preacher to preach. When you live your life fulfilling God’s purpose in God’s way you’ll be happy and safe!
If God tells you to do something a certain way, you are to do it the way God tells you. Jesus said
John 14:15 (ESV) If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John 14:23 (ESV) …. If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Obedience is the doorway to God’s love. His mercy endures forever – but His love if you obey. The Bible is clear:
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
God is God, and tells us what to do. He expects our obedience! But David has a better way. Put the Ark on a NEW cart. Let’s dance and sing in front of it, and sacrifice animals, and have a party. Let’s glorify our God so that everyone hears!
If you don’t obey God in the small things you’re not glorifying Him.
If you’re not doing what God said you are not satisfying the LORD.
As they are going along with the Ark on the cart have a PENTECOSTAL good time the cart hits a bump in the road.
1 Chronicles 13:9-11 (KJV) And when they came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God. 11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza (where Uzza was broken) to this day.
God’s mercy endureth forever.
You might say along with King David “Well how is this merciful? Uzza was killed for a breach, for touching the Ark with his hands”. God’s mercy endures forever. God could have killed every one of them, including the King who foolishly decided to put the Ark on a new cart. You might say “well what’s wrong with that?” I’ll tell you what’s wrong.
God has a standard. God is very clear. God expects obedience.
Suddenly everything gets quiet. The party’s over. They carry the Ark to the home of Obededom for three months. And the whole time the ark was at OB’s house “the LORD blessed the house of Obededom and ALL that he had”. God’s mercy endures forever.
After a few months King David decides to bring the Ark into Jerusalem the RIGHT way, with the RIGHT people carrying God’s RIGHTeous Ark with the RIGHT equipment. No more carts! King David sang a song that day praising our God. A portion of this song was:
1 Chronicles 16:25-36 (KJV) 25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the people are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place. 28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth. 32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein. 33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because he cometh to judge the earth. 34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. 36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.
It is the mercy of God that overlooks our little foolishnesses. If God were to give us what we deserve this planet would be gone. But His mercy endureth forever. God is so good!
2 It Is God’s Enduring Mercy That Created And Sustains The Universe. We read:
Psalms 136:1-9 (KJV)1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 2 O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. 5 To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6 To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7 To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 8 The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 9 The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
In the first four verses of our text we are reminded that our thanks should go to the LORD יְהֹוָה. He is YAHWEH, the Eternal I AM. Our LORD is good, and His mercy is the outpouring of His goodness. He is God of gods, and Lord of lords. The world follows after little g gods. Too many people worship false gods and idols. But our God is merciful. He created our world, and sustains it.
Can you imagine how many offenses are committed against God every single second of every single day? We get our noses out of joint over just the silliest things – but His mercy endureth forever. People dabble in sexual sin. If we don’t commit it, we watch it on television. We commit adultery with our eyes. When people say “well, I was born that way” what we are implying is that God is psychotic or schizophrenic. God is neither of those. What God says, He means. God alone is Creator. God the Father designed creation. God the Son is the Word Who spoke it into existence. God the Holy Spirit moved upon the face of the waters.
He alone does great wonders. For His mercy endureth forever.
God established the earth, and all that is in it. He stretched out the earth above the waters. At one time man’s wickedness grew until the Lord flooded the earth – but His mercy endureth forever. He had Noah make an Ark, and through that Ark God saved the world. Those He saved were sinners. Noah got off the Ark and got drunk and naked. But God’s mercy endureth forever. God promised never to flood the earth again, and gave us a rainbow to symbolize His mercy.
The rainbow is not a symbol of sexual perversion.
This is a TRADEMARK violation, a COPYRIGHT theft.
The rainbow is a symbol of God’s mercy.
His mercy endureth forever.
God established the earth, setting the sun, the moon, and the stars to give us light. His mercy endureth forever. The Bible tells us that
1 John 1:5 (ESV) This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
God has been accused and misused by His creation. He has been mocked. He has been parodied. People have told lies about God, and rejected His Word. They have slandered His Son and His Son’s Church, and in many places the Church has been hijacked by those who have no love for Him. But His mercy endures forever. And God waits. He waits because
2 Peter 3:8-10 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed
There will come a day when God will destroy and remake all He has made. But today – this day – He waits. He waits as His Church, His Covenant people, share the Gospel of salvation. The Gospel is that His mercy endureth forever. God waits for the sinner. But judgment day will one day come. Are you resting in His mercy?
3 It Is God’s Mercy That Established A Covenant With His People. God keeps His promises. We read:
Psalms 136:10-15 (KJV) To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: 11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: 12 With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. 13 To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: 14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
It is God’s mercy that caused Him to approach an ancient Chaldean named Abram. Nothing that Abram did drove God to reach out to him. But His mercy endureth forever. It is His mercy that caused God to promise Abram that he would become Abraham, that the great father would become the father of many nations. God’s mercy endures forever.
Time passes, but God never forgets His promise. You can rest in the promise of God because His mercy endureth forever. When the time was right Isaac was born, then Jacob, then his children. And God allowed Joseph to be imprisoned in Egypt, betrayed by his brothers. Someone once asked me “Is God like a great Experimenter, moving people around to see what they will do?” I told him absolutely not. Everything God does has a purpose. His mercy endureth forever.
When the firstborn baby of every unbeliever in Egypt died, this was God’s mercy. God could have destroyed Egypt like He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. He could have in a blink turned all to ash, and the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx and all that Egypt is today could have been totally eradicated. But no, God took the firstborn with the Death Angel. He broke Pharaoh’s will, and Israel was released from Egypt. God brought Israel through the Red Sea, and Israel that He knew would be hard headed.
It was easy for God to get Israel physically out of Egypt, but it would take 40 years of wandering and dying before God could get Israel spiritually out of Egypt. But his mercy endureth forever.
Psalms 136:16 (KJV) To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Israel tried God. They wanted bread, God gave them MANNA, a perfect food. But the people complained:
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
God sent serpents among the people to bite them, for whatever you sow, you shall reap. He is Lord, and He will be glorified in the congregation of His people. But His mercy endureth forever. He did not wipe out Israel, though the first generation died in the wilderness. And God does not wipe US out, we who are His Children by faith in Christ. His mercy endureth forever. But there are times I wonder why He doesn’t destroy me.
Our God is a covenant keeping God. God protects His Children by faith.
Psalms 136:17-22 (KJV) To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 18 And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: 19 Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: 20 And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: 21 And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: 22 Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Kings rose up to overthrow Israel, and some were allowed to do so. But God cherished His Israel. His Israel at times had extremely wicked Kings on David’s Throne. But His mercy endureth forever. God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. God made a promise to David. God made a promise that came out of His mercy.
God promised that Christ would come through Israel. The Bible says:
Galatians 4:4-7 (KJV) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
God keeps His promises. His mercy endureth forever. The Lord
Psalms 136:23 (KJV)Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
knows that we are dust. He knows that we are weak. He knows that we fail. But He has promised in Christ to never leave nor forsake us. We can leave Him. We can be faithless. But His mercy endureth forever.
Psalms 136:24 (KJV) And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
God is our Protector. He will see us through whatever may come tomorrow, for His mercy endureth forever. God gave Himself for us on the Cross. Will He not now take care of us? Yes, He will. God will feed us. God will care for us.
Psalm 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
No Child of His will be abandoned. So let us close our service by praising Him. Let us sing praises to His Name!
Psalm 136:26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Praise Him in your trials. Praise Him in your pain. Praise Him no matter what you are going through. God is merciful. He is faithful. His mercy endureth forever.
May God touch your hearts with His Word.
Isaiah 6:1-7 (KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
A Compound Name of God is where two of His names are combined. We have studied several Compound Names:
El Olam (The Everlasting God)
Yahweh Qadash (God the Holy)
Yahweh Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
El Roi (The God Who Sees Me)
Tonight we’re looking at the most frequently used Compound Name of God. This is the Name of God Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts. Some people are confused by the Hebrew Word Sabaoth, thinking this is the same as Sabbath. That’s not true. The Sabbath is a day set aside to God to rest and honor Him. We worship the Sabbath on The Lord’s Day, the Day Jesus rose from the grave. Sabaoth does not equate to Sabbath. Sabaoth means “To Rule The Multitudes”. God is both Yahweh – Eternal, Almighty, Self Existent and God is “The Ruler of the Multitudes”. God controls the hosts of Heaven. God controls the armies of the world.
God Is The LORD of Hosts
The word Sabaoth is found two times in the New Testament. James spoke of those who defrauded their hired laborers, saying:
James 5:4 Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
God as the Lord of Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts hears the cries of the oppressed. The Lord of Sabaoth watches those who do evil, and if repentance does not come He will come and address the evil with tribulation. God will not bless wrongdoing! The Lord of Sabaoth punished Israel for their wrong doing. In the second use of “Sabaoth” in the New Testament the Apostle Paul referred to the dispersion of Israel during the time of Isaiah. Quoting two texts – Isaiah 6:13 and Isaiah 1:9 – he wrote under inspiration of God:
Romans 9:27-29 (KJV) {Isaiah} also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as {Isaiah} said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
Israel disobeyed God in the time of Isaiah and the Babylonian and Assyrian Empires over ran them. Israel was as the sand of the sea and the stars of the sky, as God promised Abraham (Genesis 22:17), but Yahweh Sabaoth will not bless evil. Oh Beloved, never believe that God is a Respecter of Persons!
Romans 2:9-11 (ESV) There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.
The LORD of Hosts watches what every person does. Israel in Isaiah’s time was suffering because they stopped loving Yahweh Sabaoth, the LORD of Hosts and began to do the wrong. But the same Lord of Sabaoth – the LORD of Hosts – is merciful. He would not wipe out Israel. He blessed the remnant who believed, and protected them.
(Romans 9:29) Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed
We had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrah!
God was not the LORD of Hosts for the Sodomites and the sexual perverted.
But He is the LORD of Hosts for those who believe in Him.
There are several truths we can see about our God as Isaiah writes in this most frightening time of Israel’s history.
1 The LORD of Hosts IS. We read:
Isaiah 6:1 (KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord
Who was King Uzziah? He was the best King that Israel had since the reign of Solomon. The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 26 that he became king when he was but 16 years old. He reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. The was the best King because the Bible says “he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD”. He honored Yahweh.
2 Chronicles 26:5 {Uzziah} sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
Everything the man did prospered because he trusted himself to the LORD of Hosts.
But when Uzziah was older and at the end of his reign he allowed pride to take him. The Bible says:
2 Chronicles 26:16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
Uzziah sinned against his Lord. God sent leprosy on him, and last days of his life this legend of a man stayed in hiding. As the forces of Babylon lined up to destroy Judah, at that most crucial moment, Uzziah died as all people die. Who will help us now? Who will we turn to?
In this Presidential election we are watching two mud slinging opponents telling us that if we choose one or the other then we choose destruction. Nothing ever changes. Fifty years from now both Clinton and Trump will be dust, their souls in the hands of a never ending Yahweh. But the LORD of Hosts will live onward. I love the way that Pastor John Piper said it:
“God was the Living God when this universe banged into existence. He was the Living God when Socrates drank his poison. He was the Living God when William Bradford governed Plymouth Colony. He was the Living God in 1966 when Thomas Altizer proclaimed Him dead and Time Magazine put it on the front cover. And He will be living ten trillion ages from now when all the puny potshots against His reality will have sunk into oblivion like bb’s at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.”
The LORD of Hosts is ETERNAL. The LORD of Hosts is EVERLASTING. Our God is YAHWEH SABAOTH, and He is always there for us.
In the 2016 Olympics at Rio De Janeiro we are hearing about all of the medals won, but nothing of the great stories of faith going on in the background. Eric Metaxas reported in the August 22nd, 2016 Breakpoint:
In the women’s 10,000 meters race, Almaz Ayana, from Ethiopia, obliterated the previous world record by 14 seconds. Responding to unfounded rumors about cheating, Almaz retorted, “My doping is my training and my doping is Jesus. Nothing otherwise —I am crystal clear.”
American swimmer Simone Manuel set an Olympic record in the 100-meter freestyle, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold as a swimmer, the first African-American woman to win a medal in an individual swimming event, and the first American to win the 100-meter since 1984. After the race she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks, “All I can say is all glory to God.”
Simone Biles, acknowledged to be the world’s greatest female gymnast—and perhaps the best ever. But what’s truly inspiring is her story—adopted at age 6 by her grandparents because of her mother’s battle with addiction. Now reconciled with her mom, Simone draws strength from her relationship with God and her faith.
Katie Ledecky, who may become the greatest woman swimmer of all time—and who won the 800-meter freestyle by an amazing 11 seconds—says her faith in Christ “is part of who I am.”
2 The LORD of Hosts IS ON HIS THRONE.
Isaiah 6:1 (KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up …
There is chaos in Jerusalem and the enemy is at the gate. What do we see in Heaven? Are angels running about in a panic? Has God stepped away to
plow a field, or
shine His shoes, or
cut grass and do a little hedge trimming, or better yet
to play golf and take a vacation while Jerusalem quakes?
No, dear Ones. Any time you look into Heaven you see order, and peace. But what you see most of all is The LORD of Hosts enthroned, high and lifted up. God is in control. People think that they are in control, and God allows us all freedom within bounds. Yet God is always Sovereign. God made this world, this universe, and everything in it. In time the Scripture says:
Romans 14:11 (ESV) … As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Our God is Sovereign. He is on the Throne forever. We can call on Him in time of need, and He can make the difference. The first place this name of God “The LORD of Hosts” is found in Scripture is in 1 Samuel 1. The Book starts out telling the story of a man named Elkanah, a man that had two wives. Let me say quickly that the Bible does not endorse one man having two wives. God made man and woman, and put them together for life according to Jesus (Mark 10:6 from the beginning of creation God made them male and female).
Elkanah was not following God’s design, and it brought trouble to his home.
When you do not follow God’s design you will bring trouble to your home.
When you do not follow God’s design you will bring trouble to your home.
When you do not follow God’s design you will bring trouble to your home.
Elkanah’s wife Peninnah had children, but his wife Hannah did not. The Bible tells us that every time the husband left the home Peninnah would mock Hannah because she was childless. Hannah was so bullied by Peninnah that she couldn’t eat or sleep. There was nothing Hannah could do to fix her situation. Elkanah loved her more than Peninnah, but it wasn’t enough. The bullying wouldn’t stop.
So Hannah prayed.
1 Samuel 1:10-11 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. [11] And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of Hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
Hannah directed her prayer to the LORD of Hosts. Hannah was in a helpless and hopeless situation. She can pine away through depression, or she can call upon the LORD of Hosts Who is on His Throne. Hannah would have a baby, the Prophet Samuel, one of the greatest Prophets that Israel ever knew. God is in control. God fights for His people.
The second time the LORD of Hosts is mentioned is when a young shepherd boy stands before a giant named Goliath. The boy named David, armed with only a sling and five smooth stones goes up against a Goliath who was 9 feet 6 inches tall, and his armor alone weighed 125 pounds. What gave David the courage to face such an opponent. Listen to what David said:
1 Samuel 17:45-46 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. [46] This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
David went from Shepherd to King because the Bible says in 2 Samuel 5:10 “the LORD God of Hosts was with him”. God’s people can call on Him, for our God is the LORD of Hosts. He fights for His own.
Psalms 24:9-10 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. [10] Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Zechariah 4:6-7 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. [7] Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
What battles are you fighting? God is on His Throne. Take your troubles to the LORD of Hosts, YAHWEH SABAOTH. He is able. You can thrash around in the thorny patch of your dilemma and all you’ll do is get more scratched up. Or you can be still and cry out to Yahweh Sabaoth. He is there, and He fights for His people.
3 The LORD of Hosts Is Everywhere, And HOLY. Again we read:
Isaiah 6:1-3 (KJV) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Though the Lord of Hosts is enthroned in Heaven, He is nonetheless everywhere. There is no place where He is not. The Bible says that He is high and lifted up, and His TRAIN filled the Temple. The “Train” is the robe of God, the King’s Robe, and it filled all of Heaven. But it does not stop there. The whole earth is full of His glory. Our glorious Savior and Protector is everywhere.
Psalms 113:4-6 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! [5] Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, [6] who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
God loves and looks after His people. God is everywhere. He is not far from us. The Apostle Paul said “in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). When we love Him and are His, He will protect us. The Lord of Hosts stands against those who are unrighteous and unholy. The Angels cried “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts!”. He will bless them that bless Him, but stands against those who stand against Him and His own. We are told in Amos:
Amos 9:2-5 (ESV) If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. [3] If they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search them out and take them; and if they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them. [4] And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword, and it shall kill them; and I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.” [5] The Lord GOD of hosts, he who touches the earth and it melts, and all who dwell in it mourn, and all of it rises like the Nile, and sinks again, like the Nile of Egypt;
Oh how protected are the people of God. But oh how dangerous it is to range far from Him in our hearts! God is everywhere watching us, and stands ready to save whosoever will believe in Him.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 (ESV) Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? [24] Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.
God is everywhere. But God is also thrice holy. The Angels that flew before the Throne of the LORD of Hosts covered their faces and covered their feet. These Angels had never known sin, but to be in His Presence they covered their faces from His holiness. They not only wiped their feet before entering His Throne-room, they COVERED their feet. God is Holy. He is Righteous. He is set apart, totally without sin. When Isaiah saw into the Throne-room of the Lord of Hosts what did he do?
Isaiah 6:5 (KJV) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.
He cried out to God! He recognized his sinfulness, and repented, crying out to the Lord of Hosts. The Bible tells us that when Isaiah cried out that:
Isaiah 6:6-7 (KJV) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
This is a beautiful picture of the Cross of Christ. Our Lord Jesus died on that Cross for us, being offered up for our sins. He is our Passover. He offered up Himself (Hebrews 7:27).
Colossians 1:20-23 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. [21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled [22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: [23] If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
An Angel went to the altar of God and took a burning coal, symbolic of the glory of God, and touched Isaiah’s lips. When we confess with our mouths Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that He has risen from the grave, we are saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (see Romans 10:9-10). When that coal touched Isaiah’s lips his iniquity is taken away, and his sin was purged.
The LORD of Hosts is never far from you if you have received Christ as Savior. Jesus has promised:
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
The Lord of Hosts is holy. The Lord of Hosts is everywhere. The Lord of Hosts will fight for you, but you must be His. Give yourselves to Him. Trust Him. Love Him. Live for Him, and in Him. For one day you, too, will be with Him in His glorious Heaven.
A little girl who lived her whole life in the city had opportunity to go to the country on a vacation. One starlit night, she and her mother stood gazing up into the beautiful night sky devoid of the lights of the city. After a while the child said “Mama, if heaven is so pretty on the wrong side, I wonder what it looks like on the right side!” If you know Him one day you will see.
Today we’ll start a new series of study through the Book of Hebrews. This series is called “Better Than”, which is a key thought found throughout the Book of Hebrews. The Writer (who I believe was the Apostle Paul) was writing to Israel. The Israelite thought they were saved because they kept the Law, because they were “chosen”, because they were descended from Abraham. In fact, they are just like many people today.
Every time a celebrity dies the newspapers and television media put out opinions and cartoons and articles that say that they think that this person went to Heaven. A certain Business Magnate went to Heaven because of all the good he did on this earth through his corporations and philanthropy. A certain Musician went to Heaven because of all the good her music did while on the earth. A certain Comedian or a certain Warrior or a certain Actor all went to Heaven when they died because of acts that they performed on this earth. A young person dies and someone writes “Heaven gained another angel”. Dearly Beloved, angels are angels and humans are humans.
The tiny acts we do on this earth do not earn the admiration of an Immense God. God owns “a thousand cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). God is everywhere. “The Heavens and the highest Heavens cannot contain Him” (2 Chronicles 2:6). God knows everything we do, and even knows our hearts. “I the lord search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10).
I can be a Law Abiding Citizen, a Taxpayer, a Respected member in the community. But if I go up to the Baymont Inn to get a room several things must be true.
What will get me into God’s Kingdom? What payment can I bring to a place where the Street is:
Revelation 21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
There is no work that I can do to get into a place like that. I have stayed in hotels where they supplied robes and fruit baskets, but at a cost I could not sustain for even a week. None of those places had a street of Gold, or a gateway of Pearl. Never have I been in a place where “The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone”. Never have I been in a place where God was it’s Manager.
The only way you can get in such a place is if the Manager allows you in. What has the Manager of Heaven said? We must have Jesus. We must see Jesus.
Hebrews 1:1-9 (KJV) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
1 God Spoke To Us Through His Prophets Because He Loves Us. Our God Not An Impersonal God. The first word in our Hebrew text is “GOD”. God is a PERSON. The text says “GOD, WHO”. Animals are not WHO, they are IT. We may personalize them, but they are not persons. A Force of Power is not a WHO, it is an IT. God is not animal, vegetable, or mineral. God is not force of power.
God is a WHO Who speaks to us.
God Has Spoken To Us From The Beginning.
He has been speaking to us from the very beginning. God has spoken to us through select people that He has raised up. We read:
Hebrews 1:1 (KJV) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
The Bible tells us that God has been speaking to us from the beginning. From the very first words of the Bible which read …
Genesis 1:1 (KJV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God has been speaking to us. The text tells us that God spoke “in sundry times and in diverse manners”. That’s Old English for “in many times and in many ways”. God raised up people that He called “Prophets”, and He sent word through these Prophets in many different ways. These Prophets were:
Businessmen
Traders
Shepherds
Fishermen
Soldiers
Physicians
Preachers
Kings
These Prophets had many messages but one central truth they kept repeating. God created our world and made us to walk with Him but we wandered from His side.
We need a Savior.
In the Garden of Eden God promised that “the seed of the woman” would “crush the head of the Serpent”. God gave the animal sacrifices through the Prophet Moses – a Lamb without spot or blemish was to be slain for sin. Every sacrifice given, every Feast and Holy Day pointed to the coming of Something Better. The Prophet Balaam was moved of God to say …
Numbers 24:17 (NASB) I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel …
There would be a Better King rise up, a King from God Who would establish a Righteous Kingdom. Who was this Star of Jacob, this Scepter of Israel? No one knew, but the Prophets continued to speak. God reprimanded the Shepherds who destroyed and scattered His people, and promised through the Prophet Jeremiah that …
Jeremiah 23:5 (ESV) Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
A Righteous Branch was coming. How would He come? His birth would be singular, a birth like no other. The Prophet Isaiah said:
Isaiah 7:14 (ESV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
A Virgin would bear a Child, but this Child would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us”. God was speaking through His Prophets, telling humanity that a Savior was coming. This Savior would do something unprecedented. Though He would rule and reign as a Righteous Branch of David, the Prophet Isaiah saw this Savior first suffering. The Prophet said:
Isaiah 50:6 (ESV) I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.
This Suffering Savior would come. God would be with us. He would do wonderful things that only God could do. He would bring the dead to life, the leper to health, the cripple to his feet. The Suffering Savior would cause the blind to see and the deaf to hear. This Suffering Savior would walk on water. This Suffering Savior – with no pillow to call His own – would calm the storm. This Suffering Savior would do all these things, but greater still, He would suffer for our sins. He would make payment for us. The Prophet Isaiah said:
Isaiah 53:2-11 (KJV) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
God spoke to us by His Prophets. He foretold the Coming of a Savior. He foretold the Coming of Immanuel, God with us. He foretold the Coming of Jesus Christ.
2 God Is Speaking To Us Now Through Christ His Son. The Old Testament declares that God would some day come to us. The New Testament tells us that God has come to us through Christ. God …
Hebrews 1:2 (KJV) … Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, …
Who is Jesus Christ? He is the HEIR OF ALL THINGS. Jesus owns everything in Heaven and in earth. If you expect to get into God’s Heaven then you must know the Heir. He is the only One Who can give you entrance to Heaven. Saint Peter does not stand at the Gateway to Heaven, but Christ does. You enter God’s Presence only through Christ. The Father has declared:
This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am WELL PLEASED. HEAR HIM! (Matthew 17:5)
Jesus is the Word of God. John wrote:
John 1:1-4 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus is the Light of the world.
Jesus is the Living Water.
Jesus is the Heir of Heaven.
Jesus is Creator God.
Yes, that’s right. He IS the Creator. God the Father ….
Hebrews 1:2-3 (KJV) … Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
When God said “Let There Be Light” He spoke this to Christ Who made the Light. Jesus is the Light of the World who made the Light of the World. God made the world through Christ. When God separated the atmosphere from the earth He did so through Christ. How can this be?
Because Christ is Creator God. The Bible says:
Hebrews 1:3 (KJV) … Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
There are three things said here of Jesus Christ.
You cannot know the Father if you do not know Jesus. You cannot see the Father unless you see Jesus. Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father.
John 14:6 Jesus said …. I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
There is no other door but Him. He is the Brightness of God’s glory.
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
No sinner from Adam onward can look on the perfect Holy God and live. When Isaiah caught just a glimpse into Heaven he despaired, saying in Isaiah 6:5:
“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
How foolish it is that people think they shall gain Heaven without going through Christ! A sinner cannot stand before a Holy God. When Moses was in the Mount of Sinai God placed him in the cleft of the rock, and covered him with His hand, for God said
Exodus 33:20 no man can see me and live …
God is immense, and pure, and holy. No one can see God. But God can see God. And God the Father is seen of God the Son. And God the Son is the express image of His Person. We see God through Christ. We know what we can know of God through Jesus Christ.
FAMILIES Fall Apart Because They Will Not Hear Him.
MARRIAGES are in ruins because we trust FEELING rather than FAITH in Him.
Our COMMUNITIES are crashing.
Our SCHOOL CHILDREN filled not with knowledge but emptiness.
Our NATION trembles under the weight of sin because Christ has been rejected.
God is not the Author of Confusion, but of Peace, and He offers Peace and Stability to all Who will come to Christ by faith.
3 God Is Telling Us There Is But One Savior, And We Need To Heed Him.
Hebrews 1:3-4 (KJV) …. His Son …. when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Jesus Christ is not an Angel, but He made the Angels. But He did not come to this earth to save Angels, nor even to make Angels. Jesus Christ came to this earth to save whosoever believeth in Him.
Christ the Son of God came to make sons of God.
Christ came to change SINNERS into SAINTS.
He BY HIMSELF Purged Our Sins!
He BY HIMSELF Purged Our Sins!
HE – JESUS CHRIST – BY HIMSELF – Purged Our Sins!
How did He purge – blot out – our sins? He did this by Himself. Jesus Christ …
1 Peter 2:23-25 (KJV) Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The High Priest of Israel never sat down in the commission of his duties. Each year on the Day of Atonement a Lamb without blot or blemish was slain. The Blood of the Lamb was taken into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled on the Altar the sins of the people were covered. But this covering – this man made work -was only a temporary covering. The High Priest went into the Holy of Holies trembling, for he was but a sinful man carrying the symbolic blood of an animal. No animal can pay the penalty for man’s sin.
But Christ died for us.
God Incarnate gave Himself for us.
He bore our sins on Calvary’s Cross and then He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High. He sat down, for the work was finished. He sat down on the right hand of God, because this is the place of honor, and God accepted His life’s work.
Hebrews 10:12 (KJV) But THIS MAN, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
There is no other offering for sin. If you are God’s Child and have fallen into sin there is no work you can do to cleanse yourself, no penance, to “fifteen Our Fathers and fifteen Hail Marys”. There is no work you can do to cleanse yourself but reliance on the Work of Christ. The scripture declares:
1 John 1:8-9 (ESV) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The stumbling Saint does not need to work harder. The fallen Soldier does not need to fight more. When sin has tripped us up run, RUN, run RUN to the Arms of the Savior. Let His embrace cover you with His Blood. Let He Who loves you bless you once more. Rest in the arms of Christ.
And Sinner – I say SINNER without Christ, hear what I say. You are damned where you sit. You are damned when you rise.
John 3:16-18 (KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Every day you go without Christ is a day that you reject what God is saying. He speaks to us through His Son. He calls and bids you come. The proof of your coming is your following. The Father said to the Son:
Hebrews 1:8-9 (KJV) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Do not believe you are His if you are not following Him. Do not believe you are His if you love unrighteousness and hate righteousness. Christ the Son of God is God, and His Kingdom is marked by a scepter of righteousness. He and His people love righteousness and hate iniquity. When you come to Christ, come repenting. When you come to Christ, come with empty hands and kneeling heart.
God speaks to us.
What is the mark of His people?
His people HEAR HIM and FOLLOW HIM.
Jesus said:
John 10:26-28 (KJV) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
The brand on the sheep is that God speaks through Christ and we who are His HEAR.
The brand on the condemned is the unhearing ear, the disobedient heart.
If you die with that brand on your soul you will be lost forever!
Please hear Him.
Please come to Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior!
May God touch your hearts with His Word.
I like this. Great writing
Vintage Dilbert
August 23, 1993
One day I stopped to think about growing apples. I was munching a delicious, juicy apple and took a big bite. As a result I got an apple seed into my mouth. I spat it out into my hand, with the intention of throwing it away. But instead I looked at the apple seed. Really looked. It was dark brown, almost black. It’s shape reminded me of a candle flame. A little dark brown candle flame…
I realized I was holding an apple tree in the palm of my hand. A little seed with the potential to become a beautiful big tree; a tree that could grow thousands of apples in its lifetime. Thousands of apples, each containing several seeds, each capable of growing a new tree which again could produce thousands of apples. Why then the world wasn’t filled with apple trees?
It is…
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Trust in the LORD Jesus-Yeshua Christ with all Thine HEART Trust and Obey When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Refrain Trust and […]
Luke 15:1-7 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. [2] And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. [3] And he spake this parable unto them, saying, [4] What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? [5] And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. [7] I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
In verse 1 we see that two kinds of people came to hear Jesus. They are called publicans and sinners. Those who were “Publicans” were people who worked with the public. These were people who were tax collectors for the Romans. The Jewish people didn’t like these Tax Collectors because Rome had conquered Israel, and the Jewish people didn’t feel that they ought to pay these Romans for anything. They hated the Tax Collectors! But alongside of the Tax Collectors are another group of people called merely “Sinners”. Now the Bible says that we are all sinners. The Scripture tells us that:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:12 …. death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
We are all sinners who need the Savior. These Tax Collectors and “Sinners” drew near to Jesus so they could hear Him. Jesus loves everyone, and wants to save everyone. But you must come near to Him, to hear Him, to listen to what He has to say. Jesus said a lot of wonderful things. Jesus said that if you would draw near to Him and hear Him, and do what He said that your life would be blessed. Jesus said:
Luke 11:28 (NIV) … “Blessed … are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
Matthew 7:24 (NLT) “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
The Tax Collectors and the “Sinners” drew near to Jesus to hear what He had to say. But standing not far away was two other groups of people. These people were sinners just like everyone else are sinners, but they didn’t think they were sinners. These two groups of people are called “Pharisees and scribes” in verse number 2. Who are these people?
The Pharisees were those who thought that the things they did made them right with God. They were religious people, but they did not like Jesus nor even feel that they needed Jesus. Pharisees are people who think that they are right with God because:
If you are giving money because you are doing it for Jesus this is a good thing. If you’re giving money to make God love you this is not a good thing. You can’t buy God!
God wants a RELATIONSHIP with you. God wants you to HEAR AND DO what He says because He loves you.
The Bible tells us that there were also people named “Scribes”. These were people who knew the Bible because they wrote it’s words down over and over again. They knew the Bible, but didn’t know the Lord Who wrote the Bible.
It’s good to know what the Bible says, but you need to understand WHO wrote the Bible. The God Who loves you wrote the Bible. These Scribes and Pharisees did not know God, nor did they want to know God. The Bible says that Jesus is the Son of God. Several times in the Bible God the Father said:
This Is My Beloved Son .. Hear Him!
(Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God the Father sent Jesus to this earth so that sinners like us could be made whole. God does not want us wandering and wallowing in sin. God wants us with Him, loving Him as He loves us. He wants us in Christ loving one another. The Bible tells us that (say this with me if you know it):
John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God wants us to have LIFE. He wants us to have a GREAT LIFE. He wants us to have a LOVING LIFE. God wants us to have ETERNAL LIFE. He doesn’t want us to just exist. He wants us to LIVE being blessed by Him.
Luke 15:1-2 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to HEAR him. [2] And the Pharisees and scribes MURMURED
The Sinners and the Tax Collectors drew near to Jesus to hear Him. But what did the Scribes and Pharisees do? The Bible says they murmured. They complained. Why did they complain? Jesus was right there. They could hear Jesus just as the Tax Collectors and sinners did. But they complained because Jesus was talking to the Tax Collectors and sinners. They were saying:
Luke 15:2 …. This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
That word “receiveth” is the Greek PROSDEKOMAI (prosdecomai pronounced pros-dekh’-om-ahee), which means “to embrace, to bring into a place of intimacy or hospitality, to accept as an equal”.
These so called religious people were offended because Jesus was reaching out to Tax Collectors and “sinners”. The Pharisees and Scribes hated that. They thought that they were perfect before God because of the so called good things they did. Yet if they were right with God they would have listened to Jesus. If they were right with God they would have drawn near to Jesus.
God the Father sent Jesus to this world for every person, and Jesus calls out to every person. The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 5:15 {Jesus} DIED FOR ALL, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Jesus came for all people. He said (John 10:10) “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Jesus Christ came to this earth to bring as many as He could into God’s Kingdom. Jesus came looking for sheep. Jesus is the Great Shepherd.
These Scribes and Pharisees start heckling Jesus about the people who were coming to Him. So Jesus told them a story. I love the way that Jesus told stories, because it makes what He says so much easier to understand. Jesus said:
Luke 15:3 {Jesus} spake this parable {a story} unto them, saying, [4] What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? [5] And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Jesus said “If you had 99 sheep but one got away, wouldn’t you go find it?” When Jesus came to this earth He didn’t just come to the rich, to the privileged, to the well off. He didn’t just come to the well dressed Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes. We are told in
1 John 2:2 (ESV) {Jesus} is the propitiation {the satisfactory payment} for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Jesus is the Great Shepherd Who came looking for whosoever will. He is the Shepherd Who looked for the one that was lost. Jesus came seeking those who would admit they needed a Shepherd, someone who would admit that they were sinners in need of a Savior. He came offering, and those who drew near to hear Him would be embraced.
I want you to notice a few things about this story Jesus told.
The Lost Sheep left the PROSPERITY of Christ’s Pasture and the PROTECTION of the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd found the Sheep when it cried out to be saved. God hears your cries. God hears your calling, and will come to you if you call out to Him.
Jesus loves to pick up the weary Lamb, the broken Sheep. He
rejoices over one sinner who comes home. The Scribes and Pharisees were so busy finding fault and murmuring that they could not be blessed. But the Tax Collectors and so called “Sinners” drew near to Jesus to hear Him. And they loved what they heard!Luke 15:6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
The Shepherd finding the Lost Sheep carries the Sheep all the way home. When He gets home He celebrates with His friends and neighbors saying:
Rejoice with Me. I have found MY SHEEP which was lost.
Do you know that there is a party in Heaven every time someone comes and receives the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. That’s what Jesus said. He said:
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Everyone needs to come to Jesus, to hear Him, to receive Him as the Good Shepherd. Jesus lay His life down for the Sheep. Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd, and He said that His flock would be whoever came to Him. He said:
John 10:14-16 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. [15] As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
Those who belong to Jesus follow Him as the Good Shepherd. He laid His life down for us. And we who are His hear His Voice, and are united as One People following One Shepherd.
Yea
rs ago men were working a coal mine when the roof caved in, trapping about two dozen men. Tons of dirt filled the exit, and there was no way that they could dig it out. They were certain they were going to die. Then one old miner remembered that the shaft they were in connected with an older, little used shaft. He suggested that then men find their way out that way. They went to the shaft and started in. As they traveled the shaft got lower and lower. Finally they all had to get on their hands and knees. They kept going. Finally the old miner in the lead yelled out “I see the light!”. That made everyone move faster. They drew near to the light, and came out of a bad, lost place, and back into the world of the living.
There are times when my life seems dark. When it looks darkest, I look up for my Jesus, My Great Shepherd. I am His Child, His Little One, His Sheep. I found Him not by giving up to the darkness, not by laying down, but by getting on my hands and knees and calling out for Him. He brought His light to me – and will bring His light to you – if you’ll only call on Him. Remember that the Pharisees murmured,
This Man receiveth sinners and eats with them.
Jesus Christ will not turn you away. Ever! He calls out to whosoever will. Let Him pick you up and bring you into His flock today! All of Heaven will cheer when you come to Him!
May God touch your hearts with His Word.
Psalm 119 has the distinction of being the longest chapter in all of the Bible. Composed of 176 verses it is larger in size than 14 Old Testament Books and 17 New Testament Books. It’s 176 verses are broken up into 22 stanzas, one stanza for every letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. The Fourteenth Stanza begins with the Hebrew letter NUN (pronounced “noon”), which looks like what you see on the left. Nun looks kind of like a burning candle. Psalm 105 emphasizes the light of the believer. Let’s read together:
Read Together Psalms 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,
and a light unto my path.
1 Why Do I Need A Lamp And A Light? Frank and I were out walking today (I need to get fit) on Riverwalk when we saw a lady slumped over in her car. Concerned we went and knocked on her window. She roused up, and opened the window, telling us she had a headache and was resting. I apologized for disturbing her, but noted we were concerned. Then we asked if we could pray for her. She replied “I’d really like that”. Praying for her, the Lord seemed to comfort her, and we continued on our walk.
Darkness and Distress comes to every life. We all suffer.
The Prophet Job, a man who was perfect and righteous, who feared the Lord and turned away from evil (Job 1:1) said:
Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.
Our Lord Jesus cried from the Cross of Calvary …
Psalms 22:1 …. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? …
and the Prophet Jeremiah discouraged cried out …
Lamentations 3:19-20 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. {20} My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Trials come on us all. Do they have a purpose? Yes, they do.
Adrian Rogers gave the following illustration. “I read about a man who had a very fine dog who loved the water. One day the dog was playing in the lake and the man decided to leave. He called the dog, but the dog wouldn’t come. He called him several times; he wouldn’t come. It was a well-trained dog, but he just would not come. The man finally threw a stick out in the water. When the dog saw it, he swam over, got the stick, and came back and laid it at his master’s feet. It just may be that God has given you a burden because He can’t get your attention. He wants you to come and lay it at your Master’s feet.”
When the trials come and the darkness seems to close in it is God’s Word that gives us light in the midst of darkness. It is His Word that gives us light and hope. God saved us by His Word, and feeds us by His Word. God saved you for His glory. He took clay vessels that were without honor, and through the offering of His own Dear Son He caused us to be born again. For this reason the Apostle said:
2 Corinthians 4:5-7 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. {6} For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. {7} But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We who believe and have called upon the Name of Jesus are saved from eternal damnation – not because we are worthy – but because He is worthy. We who have called on the Name of Jesus exist to glorify God. You exist for God’s glory!
God made us in His image and in His likeness. We were made to live for Him, to glorify Him. When trials come they are the darkness that drives us to the Light of His Word. You, dear Christian, are earthen vessels, jars of clay. When a potter makes a jar of clay he takes the clay through several processes. First he kneads the clay, pressing and pressuring all air out of it. Second he forms the clay by forcing it into the shape that he wants it to be. Third the clay must be air dried until it becomes what is called green ware Once it is air dried, the potter must kiln fire the green ware until it hardens into the unglazed pot. Lastly glaze is put on the pot, and it is placed into the kiln once more. At each stage the useless clay is placed under tribulation, but tribulation is not meaningless or fruitless, but it draws the clay toward the goal of being a work of art. Dear Christian, you are God’s work of art! “O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou art our Potter, and we are all the work of Thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8) The trial has purpose. The Apostle Paul said:
Romans 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: {2} By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. {3} And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; {4} And patience, experience; and experience, hope: {5} And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
We glory in tribulations for we know that they have purpose.
2 Darkness Drives Us To The Lamp Of God’s Word.
Psalms 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
A lamp is a tool that has absolutely no purpose in the daylight. If you’re walking in the light of the day it would be foolish to carry a lit lamp or a burning flashlight. It’s redundant. The wrong time to look for a flashlight – or a book of matches and a candle – is when the lights are out!
You need the Living Word of God in your life. There are a number of people who call themselves “Christian” but really are not Christian at all. If you are a Christian then the Word is a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path. The Word of God is both WRITTEN and BEGOTTEN. The WRITTEN Word is this Bible. The BEGOTTEN Word is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Of Him John wrote:
John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. {14} And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
When Israel was founded the Lord wrote His Word on Tablets of Stone and Animal Skins
When the Church was founded the Lord HIMSELF became the Living Word
Israel carried the Word in the Ark of the Covenant
We – His Church – have the Word in our hearts, and are carried by The Word made flesh
The Word Who is God took on Himself humanity. He came to this earth with the express purpose of glorifying God by saving creatures like us. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. He grew up in Nazareth, a small and nondescript town. At around thirty years old Jesus went out and began to bring glory to God by healing people.
By His Word Jesus healed the epileptic (Matthew 9:8).
By His Word Jesus healed the cripple (Mark 2:12).
By His Word Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead (Luke 7:16).
By His Word Jesus healed the woman afflicted eighteen years (Luke 13:13).
By His Word the leper was cured of this terrible disease (Luke 17:15).
By His Word the blind were made to see.
By His Word Christ raises the spiritually dead.
And By His Word we are adopted into His Family.
The Scripture declares that Light can only come through faith in His Word. Without Him we are in darkness. With Him we are saved.
Romans 3:23-28 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: {25} Whom God hath set forth to be a {satisfactory covering for sin} through faith in his blood … {26} To declare … his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. {27} Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. {28} Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Light comes when we focus on His Word. Israel came out Egypt by following God as a Pillar of Fire. We follow His Word. We cherish His Word.
His Word is A LAMP. Not our opinions. Not what we think, but what He has said and continues to say. His Word is SINGULARLY A LIGHT unto our path. We follow what He says. His Word is first in our lives. We say with the saints of old:
2 Samuel 22:29-34 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. {30} For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. {31} As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. {32} For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? {33} God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. {34} He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
What a glory it is to be in Christ, to know that we will rule and reign with Him one day! Glory unto God in the highest! Glory that He would give us such a precious gift!
3 Those Who Are Christ’s Must Not Out Run His Light.
Psalms 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
God’s Word is a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path. Stay in step with Christ. Stay in step with the Word of God. The Prodigal Son found himself eating the slop of the hogs because he left the blessing of his Father’s lighted home. Jesus bids us to remember that He is the light. He said …
John 8:12 … I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Why do people fail? Why do people get discouraged, depressed, and sometimes – Lord forbid – commit suicide? Because they have not formed a habit of staying in the light. They get off the path where the Word is! They try to lead Jesus rather than be led of Jesus. We are saved by focus on Christ. We are blessed by focus on Christ.
Jesus said “he that followeth Me SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS”. If you’re born again by faith in Christ, stay on the path with Christ. You were saved by believing what Jesus said:
John 14:6 .. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
You believed that Jesus was the only Way to God and the only Way to life. You trusted His claims, and believed that He suffered, died, and rose again for you. Your faith brought you into the Light. You need to stay in the Light.
You cannot be saved by trusting in Jesus, and then expect to keep on being blessed by trusting in you!
Jesus said:
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
We are not made for darkness. We are made for the Light. We are made for His light. Listen Beloved: the Lord has said His Word is a lamp unto my feet. He didn’t say “my opinion” or “my feelings” or “what I want to do” or anything else! His Word is a Lamp unto my feet. Jesus said “I am the Light of the world”. He alone must be followed. His Word alone must be read and adhered to. Your prayers flow up to God through Jesus Christ our Mediator:
Hebrews 12:24 …. Jesus the mediator of the new covenant …
If you are born again you will only live a victorious life by walking with the Word. You will only see victory over the darkness by trusting in His Word. You must stay on the path of faith in the Word.
You must remember that God’s Word is the lamp unto our feet, and the light unto our path.
Stay with the Word when your days are bright.
Stay in His Word when darkness falls as night.
Stay on the Path, in prayer draw near
Focus on the Word, not on fear.
Charles Stanley’s grandfather told him, “obey God and leave all the consequences to Him”.
That’s very good advise. God is in control of all things. Obey God. Heed His Word. Obey His Spirit. Trust that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), and let God take care of the rest. He knows what is best (Isaiah 55:8-9). Climb when God tells you to climb. Rest when He tells you to rest. Stop depending on yourself – cut the rope, and depend on God! May God touch your hearts with His Word!
For the last several weeks we have studied the various Names of God in the Scripture. Why does God give us so many Names related to Him? His Names reflect His unchanging character. C.H. Spurgeon stated:
“Let us meditate upon the Lord’s holy name, that we may trust Him the better and rejoice the more readily. He is in character holy, just, true, gracious, faithful and unchanging. Is not such a God to be trusted? He is all-wise, almighty, and everywhere present; can we not cheerfully rely upon Him? Yes, we will do so at once, and do so without reserve.”
The name of God we are examining tonight is Yahweh Shammah which means “The Lord is There”. It is found in the last verse of the last chapter of Ezekiel. Let’s read it together.
Ezekiel 48:35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
What is the context of this Name of God? Yahweh Shammah (יְהֹוָה שָׁמָה) is the last word of promise written to a broken nation called Israel. The nation was founded by God. The nation was blessed by God. Yet Israel rejected the Lord.
Israel loved the land more than the Lord Who gave them the land.
Israel loved the Temple more than the Lord Who gave them the Temple.
Israel loved their own pleasure than they did the Lord Who made them.
Israel like America loved stuff but not the Sovereign God.
When Israel became like the lost world around it the Lord promised to pour out wrath on this nation. God saved Israel for His Name’s Sake:
Ezekiel 20:9-11 But I wrought for my name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. [10] Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. [11] And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
God is holy, and calls to Himself a people Who will love and respect Him. God punishes sin among His Children. God called Israel out of Egypt and established them in the Promised Land for His Name’s Sake, but Israel continued to rebel again Him. So God promises to destroy His people. His people have rejected Him, so He will destroy. But God said:
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
God does not wish to destroy Israel, but He will if she will not return to Him. God is There – but He will not be where sin and rebellion is. God tells Israel:
Ezekiel 36:22-23 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but FOR MINE HOLY NAME’S SAKE, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. [23] And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
God expects His Name to be honored by His people, particularly in the midst of the unbelieving world. People need to see in Israel and in the Church that God is There. This is the emphasis. When we come to the last chapter of Ezekiel we see that God promises His people that once He restores them that He will build a Holy City, a New Jerusalem. The name of that city will be God is There, Yahweh Shammah.
1 We Cease To Be The People Of God When God Is NOT There. God from the very beginning of creation put Himself in the lives of His people. God created Eden perfect and holy, without thorns or thistles. There was no rain in Eden, but a mist came up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground (Genesis 2:6). There were no tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms nor floods. Everything was clockwork perfect. Eden was perfect. It was only after Eden was complete did the Lord form Adam of the dust of the ground.
Genesis 2:7-8 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [8] And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
What made Eden perfect? What made it Paradise? It is Paradise because God is There. God came into the Garden daily to walk with Adam. God told Adam he could have any fruit of the Garden but the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17). Why was this Tree forbidden? Because God is There. If you want to know right from wrong it does not need to come from YOUR heart, O man, but from God’s Heart. God knows. He knows. God is There. He is in the Garden. He made it perfect, and whole, and pure, and holy. God is There. We do not need to be gods – little “g” creatures making up our own rules. We were made by God to follow God. God is There. When Adam did what he was not supposed to do God did not change. God is STILL There. But the Bible tells us that:
Genesis 3:7-8 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. [8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Several things happened in the Garden of Eden when Man brought sin into that which was perfect.
What made Eden an Eden was not that it was perfect, without thorns and thistles, without death and killing. What made Eden an Eden was that prior to the Fall of Adam
God is There.
God walked with man, and man with God. God talked to man, and man to God. God and Man were in perfect union, loving one another. God was not an absentee Landlord. God was in Man’s midst until man turned from God.
When God came to Abram and called him out of ancient Babylon He told him:
Genesis 12:1 (NASB) Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
God did not tell Abram to go by himself. He said “I will go with you. I will be the God Who is there”.
Many years later when Joseph (you remember Joseph, Jacob’s son who had the coat of many colors) was betrayed by his brothers and sold into Egyptian slavery Joseph kept the faith. Imprisoned unjustly Joseph relied not on his circumstances but on Yahweh Shammah, the God Who is There. When Joseph’s brother’s stood in front of him and he – as co-regent of the King could have killed them – what directed Joseph to have mercy and not avenge? Yahweh Shammah, the God Who Is There. Joseph said:
Genesis 50:19-21 (KJV) …. Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
God is there, He is with His people.
When God raised up Moses and brought His people out of Egypt 400 years later God p;romised to lead His people to the land of Canaan.
Moses spoke to the God Who is There, Jehovah Shammah.
Exodus 33:13-17 (KJV) Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. [14] And {God} said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. [15] And {Moses} said unto {God}, If Thy Presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. [16] For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. [17] And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
God is in the midst of His people. It is not the music that makes the Church, but that Yahweh Shammah, God is There. It is not the Programs that makes the Church, but that Yahweh Shammah, God is There.
The distinctive characteristic of the Children of God is that:
Psalms 46:5-7 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. [6] The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. [7] The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Our REST is in God.
Our POWER is in God.
Israel saw the Temple and thought “this is magnificent”.
The Temple was NOT magnificent unless the Shekinah Glory of God was there.
The Temple is just a building.
The Church building is just a building.
The Church building is just a building.
The Church building is just a building.
When Solomon built the Temple he declared:
1 Kings 8:27-30 (KJV) But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? 28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: 29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. 30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
The Temple was just a fancy building if there was no Yahweh Shammah. If God’s Glory did not shine from it it was no different than a Publican’s House or a Honkey Tonk.
When Ezekiel wrote these prophecies Israel was in ruins, captured and carried off into captivity. Why? Why were they desolate? Because Israel began to worship without God. The Pharisees had taken over the faith that Abraham and Moses established.
Moses was called to Divine Services through a burning bush. Take off your shoes, for you stand on Holy Ground. Why was the ground Holy? Because of Yahweh Shammah. God is there. He was there in the burning bush. He was there in the pillar of fire by night, and the pillar of cloud by day. He was there in the Tabernacle, and He was there in the Temple. People went to where God was not to see a show but to be with God.
The Church in America has turned into a traveling side show.
We need God in our midst.
We need Yahweh Shammah.
We need His Presence in all that we do.
We don’t need another Program, another Person, another Prop.
We need God in our midst, Yahweh Shammah.
2 When We Come To The New Testament Yahweh Shammah Does A New Thing. God is There. He was with His People in the Old Testament. Israel was broken in Ezekiel’s Day, and was broken when the Gospels are written. Herod has rebuilt the Temple. It is glorious! The Pharisees and Sadducees have taken over the Temple. They are glorious! But the Glory has departed the Temple. The Shekinah Glory is no longer there, for Yahweh Shammah is not there. But God promised that He would be with His Temple.
A young carpenter named Joseph of Nazareth is told that the Mary he is engaged to is with child.
Matthew 1:21-23 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The name “Jesus” means “God Our Savior”. The name “Emmanuel” means “God is with us”. God came to man in a burning bush, a pillar, in many different ways in the Old Testament. God came to walk with man as God. But in the New Testament God became man so that He could walk with us and talk with us.
Jesus Christ both reveals and fulfills Yahweh Shammah.
God is with us in Christ.
We are told in …
Colossians 1:19-22 (KJV) For it pleased the Father that in {Christ} should all fulness dwell; [20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. [21] And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled [22] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
God is there. God is there in Christ. God reconciled us to Himself through Christ. Adam brought sin into the world and put a wall between us and our God. But now Christ reconciles us to God by His Cross. Dying on the Cross as Perfect Man He paid for the sins of all. Rising from the grave as Incarnate God He ever lives to make intercession for us.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
God’s glory – His Shekinah Glory – was returned to the Temple in Christ. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He disturbed their religion. Jesus is a religion disturber. He did not come to put a stamp of approval on ritual. Jesus came as God to be Yahweh Shammah, the God Who Is There. A woman taken in adultery is brought and cast down in front of Jesus. Jesus says:
John 8:7 …. He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
The religious accusers depart. Jesus was left alone with the woman. God is there. God says,
John 8:10 … Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
The woman replies, “No man, Lord”. Then God Who is There says:
John 8:11-12 …. Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. [12] Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
When God is There – Yahweh Shammah – Grace and Truth are there.
Neither do I condemn you is all of God’s Grace.
Go and sin no more is all of God’s Truth.
Where God is There then there is Grace. But where God is there there is also truth. You cannot have Grace without truth. God is Holy, and demands that sin be repented of. But God is gracious, and forgives the repentant sinner.
I am so glad that God is There – Yahweh Shammah – in my life. I am so glad that God is with us, whosoever believeth in Him. Christ the Light of the World – the manifest Yahweh Shammah – draws us out of darkness and into His Light. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
3 God Fulfilled The Promise He Made Through Christ And His Spirit. After Jesus rose from the dead He …
Acts 1:4-5 …. commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. [5] For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Jesus spoke of the “Promise of the Father”. What promise was this? It was the Promise that God made in our focal text:
Ezekiel 48:35 …. the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
God would dwell with His people. God dwelt with His people at times in the Old Testament, but He did not dwell with His people. Before Jesus was crucified He told His people that He was going away, but that He would send the Comforter to His people. Jesus said:
John 14:15-17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. [16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
In the Old Testament God’s people had a Temple. In the New Testament God’s people ARE a Temple. God is There. He is in every believer in Christ. God abides with us FOREVER. God is there. He is there in the good times, and He is there in the bad times. When we gather together He is in our midst. But when we depart this place, He is still in us and with us.
Yahweh Shammah is there to comfort us in our sorrows. He is the God Who is There Who teaches us the things of God. Jesus said:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [8] And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: [9] Of sin, because they believe not on me; [10] Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; [11] Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. [12] I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. [13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Jesus is Yahweh Shammah, the Incarnate God Who is There. The Holy Spirit is Yahweh Shammah, the Indwelling God Who Is There. God is There. He is with us. He will abide with us if we love Him.
May God touch your hearts with His Word.
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