Category: The Nation Israel

The Great LORD God #4

Friday, September 7, 2012

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22 KJV).

As King David of old praised his LORD God, so do we!

David rightly understood that his God, the God of Israel, was incomparable, Someone who could do and did “great things and terrible [so wonderful that they caused terror!]” (verse 23). David knew that God was forming the nation Israel, a special people separate from the Gentile (non-Jewish) world. God had “redeemed to [Himself] [Israel] from Egypt, from the nations and their gods” (verse 23). The nations’ “gods” were nothing but idols of wood and stone, but Israel’s God, JEHOVAH, was supreme, and David in today’s Scripture praised the great LORD God because He was the great LORD God.

But God, long after David had passed away, would do something else, something just as “great and terrible [awesome]” as forming the nation Israel. Now that God has revealed the mystery program through the Apostle Paul’s ministry, we better understand God’s will than David did. Not only would God redeem a people, Israel, from the pagan Gentiles, He would redeem a second group of people from the pagan Gentiles—us, the Church the Body of Christ—who would do in the heavenly places what Israel would do on earth.

God has two “peculiar” people in His Word: the nation Israel (His earthly people) and the Church the Body of Christ (His heavenly people). “…[T]ell the children of Israel;… if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine”(Exodus 19:3,5). Regarding us, the Body of Christ: “…[T]he great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:13b,14).

Who could devise such an unfathomable plan for the earth and the heaven? We join David in saying, “Only the great LORD God….”

The Great LORD God #3

Thursday, September 6, 2012

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22 KJV).

As King David of old praised his LORD God, so do we!

Today, in the form of the Holy Bible, we have the complete revelation from God. David, however, had a limited understanding of God’s plan for creation. Throughout the “Old Testament,” the Four Gospels, and the early Acts (pre-Acts chapter 9), God was revealing the prophetic program, “that which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Essentially, that program involved God establishing an earthly kingdom through the nation Israel (herein lies the Davidic Covenant spoken of in the context of today’s Scripture; verses 12-16).

However, God was also withholding some information, deliberately keeping it secret. Then, He revealed that information to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1-11). God the Holy Ghost subsequently moved Paul to write that information in his epistles, Romans through Philemon. This is the mystery program, “that which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (Romans 16:25,26a).

David in today’s Scripture thanks and praises the LORD for His mighty works, how He has “[made Himself] a name” by forming the nation Israel (verse 23). But David had no idea that God had another mighty work in mind—He was just keeping it secret until Paul’s ministry! The great LORD God would do something even greater than what David understood: He would form another agency, the Church the Body of Christ, which would accomplish in the heavenly places what Israel would achieve on earth.

Saints, David rejoiced after only hearing about what God was doing with Israel on earth; he had no knowledge of us, the Church the Body of Christ, or what God would do with us in the heavenly places. We should praise the great LORD God even more than David did, for we now have the Holy Bible, the complete revelation of God’s will… for the earth… and the heaven….

The Great LORD God #2

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22 KJV).

As King David of old praised his LORD God, so do we!

The prophet Nathan has just relayed God’s Word to King David, the Davidic Covenant (verses 12-16), God’s promise to make one of David’s descendants an everlasting King of Israel. Today’s Scripture is a portion of a prayer that David offers to the LORD, thanking and praising Him for what He has done for him and Israel thus far, and what He will do for them in the future (verses 18-29).

David, once a lowly shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16:11), is now the mighty king of Israel. Moreover, his “house” (royal lineage) will transcend the eons of eternity: Jesus Christ, David’s descendant, will establish His earthly kingdom at His Second Coming, and He will reign over Israel forever (Luke 1:31-33).

Israel, once a group of about 75 people (Exodus 1:5), left Egypt being at least two million strong: when viewed from a distance, the Jews “covered the face of the earth [horizon]” (Numbers 22:5)! In David’s day, about 500 years after departing Egypt, they have multiplied even further.

Notice the verse following today’s Scripture: “And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?” (verse 23).

Moses told Israel: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people” (Deuteronomy 7:6,7).

Lowly David, weak Israel, made mighty by the great LORD God.

The Great LORD God

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22 KJV).

As King David of old praised his LORD God, we should more!

In the context of today’s Scripture, God has spoken to the prophet Nathan, and Nathan is to repeat God’s message to King David (verses 5,17). Essentially, God will establish an everlasting royal bloodline using King David. God’s Word to David is: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowls, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (verses 12,13).

While certain portions of this “Davidic Covenant” describe David’s son Solomon, other parts foretell of Jesus Christ, who is also a descendant of David. David does not understand all of the ramifications of this promise, but in today’s Scripture he praises God for the limited information God has revealed to him. How much more should we praise God, since we now have further revelation than David had!

This promise to David is actually the establishment of the bloodline through which Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah-King, will eventually be born (about 1,000 years later). Luke 1:31-33 explains: “JESUS… shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

The great LORD God who made this promise to David over 3,000 years, will finally fulfill it, after our Dispensation of Grace, and after the seven-year Tribulation. At Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, He will establish God’s kingdom on the earth: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9).

And thus will begin the everlasting, earthly reign of the great LORD God!

Many Coming and Going

Saturday, September 1, 2012

“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31 KJV).

Today’s Scripture testifies that ministry work in the Lord, although joyous and rewarding, can be extremely time-consuming, demanding, and exhausting.

The book of Mark focuses on Jesus Christ as God’s Servant, what He did (that is, the miracles He performed). In the context of today’s Scripture, the Lord Jesus and His apostles have preached, performed miracles, and travelled to such an extent that they have not even had time to eat! The Lord knows He and His apostles need a “lunch break,” so He invites them to come with Him into a “desert” (lonely, private) place to rest. “And they departed into a desert place by ship privately” (verse 32). Jesus Christ and His apostles need rest, so they attempt to quietly sail away! Will they escape?

Nevertheless, “And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him” (verse 33). The people see Jesus and His apostles floating away, so they run ahead of them, and meet Him and His apostles on the other side of the shore! Jesus and His apostles will get no rest.

“And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd [cf. Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6]: and he began to teach them many things” (verse 34). “And when the day was far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:” (verse 35). Now, it is nearing evening, Jesus is still teaching, and He and His apostles still have not eaten! (Here, Jesus feeds the 5,000 with the two fishes and five loaves of bread; verses 36-44.)

Saints, ministry is very strenuous, but let us not grow weary. Yes, we do take time to rest, but may we never permanently rest! 🙂

A Miraculous Escape

Thursday, August 30, 2012

“Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5 KJV).

Evil King Herod has imprisoned the Apostle Peter, but the saints are praying to God for him, and those prayers will be answered!

It is nighttime. Peter is firmly imprisoned: guards are protecting the prison doors, and he is sleeping between two Roman soldiers, bound with two chains (verse 6). The Lord must intervene, or Herod will soon execute Peter!

As the angel of the Lord appears, he illuminates the prison, and strikes Peter on his side. Waking Peter, he commands, “Arise up quickly,” and Peter’s chains instantly and literally fall away (verse 7)! Can you just imagine this? It was not some “miracle” (sham) of a televangelist or magician; it really happened. But there is more!

The angel instructs Peter, “Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals,” which Peter does, and then the angel commands Peter, “Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me,” and Peter obeys (verse 8). “And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision” (verse 9). Peter is so overcome that he believes this is a dream!

They pass the first and the second ward, and come to the iron gate that leads to the city—“which opened to them of his own accord” (verse 10)—and soon Peter is freed from prison and the angel has immediately vanished. Imagine that: God’s Word says the gate opened by itself! “And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews” (verse 11). Amazing!

Brethren, while we should not be expecting these miraculous demonstrations in this the Dispensation of Grace, we can study them in the Scriptures and appreciate how God performed them for His “signs and wonders” people, Israel, in her program (John 4:48; 1 Corinthians 1:22). Saints, praise the amazing God we serve!

The Gift to Be Refused

Sunday, August 26, 2012

“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:8 KJV).

Today’s Scripture describes one gift that you should never accept!

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 repeats today’s Scripture: “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest [distort] judgment [justice]; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just [fair, right] shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

We can compare that to Proverbs 15:27: “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.”

In the Mosaic Law, and later in Proverbs, God told the nation Israel not to accept “gifts.” What are these “gifts?” (Hint: Today’s politicians and clergy would do well if they refused them.) By examining these verses, we see that the Bible defines the term “gift.” This “gift” “blindeth the wise:” it pollutes the judgment of even the wisest person. Furthermore, it “perverteth the words of the righteous;” that is, it causes even the saint of God to fall into the trap of lying, and maybe far worse to cover up the deception. This is no ordinary “gift.” It is, in fact, a bribe, a gift of money or other incentive given to one in authority in order for this official to act in the giver’s favor!

Notice above how Deuteronomy 16:18-20 cautioned Israel’s leaders, that they rule fairly and honestly, refusing bribes. Sadly, centuries later, two of Israel’s judges (rulers), Samuel’s sons, “turned aside after lucre [money], and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:2). Interestingly, their shameful actions were influential in Israel’s apostate decision to have a king rule over them instead

Let our decision-making be influenced by the King James Bible rightly divided, and not by the gift to be refused.

Why Animals Fear Man

Saturday, August 18, 2012

“And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered” (Genesis 9:2 KJV).

Today’s Scripture explains why animals flee from and/or attack encroaching humans.

In the beginning humans and animals lived together harmoniously. Actually, God brought to Adam all the fowls of the air and all the beasts of the field so that he could name them (Genesis 2:19,20)—yes, that would include dinosaurs! Humans and animals were originally herbivores, meaning their diets consisted strictly of plants (herbs, nuts/seeds, fruits, vegetables, et cetera), not flesh (Genesis 1:29,30).

But, once Adam sinned, the diet of man and animals changed. Here, in today’s Scripture, Noah and his family have survived the Great Flood, and they are now exiting the ark. God’s instructions are: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1). This is basically what God told Adam and Eve some 1,600 years earlier (Genesis 1:28), but now God adds a stipulation: Noah can eat flesh.

The LORD tells Noah in Genesis 9:3: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Mankind can now eat any creature: he has to first catch or trap it! But, to make it fair, God instilled within animals the mechanism to flee from us humans, and to attack us when we invade their habitats. Here is one example of where science disagrees with the Bible: scientists (wrongly) classify man as a “higher evolved animal,” whereas God’s Word differentiates between humans and animals.

Today, we do not observe Israel’s kosher food laws (Colossians 2:16). We can eat any animal we choose: “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4,5). You can eat any and every animal, but first you must catch it! 🙂

God Looks and Notices the Tyrants and Crooks

Friday, August 17, 2012

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

In faith, we join the psalmist and inquire, “The wicked are reigning, so where are You, LORD?”

Psalm 10, which should be read in its entirety, discusses a Jewish believer’s attitude toward the wicked, who seem to go unpunished. God appears to be “standing afar off,” to be “hiding himself in times of trouble,” while the prideful wicked “persecute the poor” (verse 2), “bless [approve] the covetous” (verse 3), ignore God (verse 4), boast of their indestructibility (verses 5,6), curse, deceive, and commit fraud (verse 7), secretly “murder the innocent” (verse 8), and ensnare and oppress the poor (verses 8-10).

The wicked actually say in their heart, “God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it”—they believe they will never be punished (verse 11). Oh, what a faulty assumption!!! The believing Jew responds, “Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble…. Thou hast seen it: for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite [avenge] it with thy hand… Break thou the arm of the wicked and evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none” (verses 12,14,15).

Once God retaliates, the psalmist concludes, “that the man of the earth may no more oppress” (verse 18). Psalm 10 is actually describing the antichrist, who will tyrannically rule Israel and the nations by persecuting and murdering God’s people (the “little flock,” the believing remnant of Israel; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9,10; Revelation 13:1-18). To these Jews, it will seem like the antichrist is going unpunished (that God is “hiding”): not so, for God’s wrath will consume the antichrist after the seven years have expired (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Today, crimes are downplayed and/or denied by authorities that God ordained to execute justice. Does God’s wrath consume them? No… not yet, anyway. In due time, God punishes our persecutors (either at Calvary’s cross if they are believers, or hell and the lake of fire if they are unbelievers). Remember, the adage, “God never sleeps,” is always true!

The Promised Land Seen Only From Afar

Thursday, August 16, 2012

“And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession” (Deuteronomy 32:49 KJV).

Moses did see the Promised Land, but he never did enter it. Why?

The LORD continues telling Moses: “And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people: because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the water of Meribah-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel” (verses 50-52).

Numbers 20:1-13 explains why God disallowed Moses and Aaron from entering the Promised Land. They were to be spiritual examples to Israel, but when Israel complained for lack of water, Moses and Aaron grew upset. When God instructed Moses to speak to the rock to provide water for Israel (verse 8), Moses in an unbelieving fit of rage struck the rock twice (verses 10,11).

Verse 12 amplifies: “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

By verse 28, Aaron is dead, and about two years later, we find the context of today’s Scripture, where Moses will now stand on Mount Nebo to see the Promised Land from a high vantage point, but he cannot enter, and will die shortly, just before Joshua leads them in. (Prophetically, Moses and Aaron will be resurrected and they will enter the Promised Land someday!; Revelation 20:6)

Why this “strict” punishment? The rock symbolized Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), and unbelieving Moses disrespected Jesus Christ by striking Him when God had said to speak to Him.