The one who knows much says little;
an understanding person remains calm – Proverbs 17:27
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength – Isaiah 40:31 (detail)
Exodus 14:14
But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of Yahweh which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14 Yahweh will fight for you, and you will keep silent.”
Exodus 14:31
31 Then Israel saw the great hand which Yahweh had used against the Egyptians; and the people feared Yahweh, and they believed in Yahweh and in His servant Moses.
We like to think we’re in control of things but the further one goes in life, you begin to realize, the more you know, the more you do not know and that there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes that you are willing to admit.
You’ve probably had those times, to borrow the script from the Wide World of Sports, the “Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.” Probably both times you may have attributed it to fate, karma, luck, foolishness, your great instinct, your inattention, or a number of other justifications that altogether have no real solid basis because you’re just grabbing a few corresponding thoughts that seem to make sense.
My college statistics teacher warned as a parting thought, “If you learn anything from this course, just remember that correlation does NOT correspond to causation.” In other words, just because your mind matches a couple of coincidences that in itself does not validate the truth of your insight.
That doesn’t mean it that there was not a correlation, meaning a real cause to render the effect, but alone, it does not stand up as supportable evidence, it nothing that lends itself to being repeated if those two conditions existed in the same relationship again.
In regards the passage from Exodus and Pharaoh succumbing to the plagues inflicted by God, the Israelites were quite convinced that they had nothing to do with their good fortune. When good fortune happens to us, how willing are we able to let go of the idea that it was our superior attributes that allowed such blessings on our lives?
At this moment, to keep you grounded and in order to make you aware of the stark reality, what we consider good fortune or bad fortune is not the result of the breaking of a fortune cookie. Whether your experience is pleasant or not, a child of God in the world affected by brokenness, we look to God who is sovereign for the true meaning of all things. In fact, Christ warned us, by the world’s standards, anyone who picks up his cross and follow Christ is going to suffer persecution in addition to the common misfortunes of human life. But not to leave you in a spiritual dumpster, your true identity is one who is merely a sojourner in the life because you are part of God’s eternal kingdom and God’s royal family. Unless we forget this powerful truth for those facing tribulation:
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
… but God…
I was going to just present verse 10 to make a point, but read all of Psalm 46:
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains shake into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its lofty pride. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be shaken;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations roar, the kingdoms shake;
He gives His voice, the earth melts.
7 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of Yahweh,
Who has appointed desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts up the spear;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 Yahweh of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
If you read this Psalm out of context, you may believe it is merely poetry, but the Bible has throughout history been a steady and reliable source of knowledge about God and his infinite and unchanging nature. In the psalm are several descriptions of the character of God, the sovereign nature of God, and also prophetic declarations of the relationship of the world among all the earth.
Going back to Exodus 14, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of Yahweh which He will accomplish for you today…” this was during a time when the Israelites were just liberated from slavery and a 400-year hiatus in Egypt where they became very oppressed slaves. One of the purposes of the 40 year period of desert wandering was to retrain the people to understand who God was and how God wanted the people to learn that God is a trustworthy provider, just like He provides the 7 curses against the Egyptians, forcing them, as Moses and Aaron oft demanded, to “Let My People go!”
With all the miraculous provisions, including Moses’ leadership, food and water, the security of His presence in the desert, the destruction of the Egyptian army and a promise of God giving over the strongly appearing enemies in the Promised Land, the scouts, who were leading individuals of each tribe, balked (except for Joshua and Caleb), because they refused to trust God, God determined to let the unbelieving generation die in the desert so that their children would grow in faith and take the Promised Land when instructed, with God’s promise that He will deliver the victories, as was the case had they went forth in the beginning.
The damage was done, however. The unbelieving generation, shocked by God’s judgment of denying their entry because of their unbelief, attempted to attack upon their own initiative in effort to claim the Promised Land, but were promptly rebuffed by the inhabitants. God will not be trifled with after he had spoon fed them with His power to sustain. Despite God’s repeated deliverances, the stiff necked people, chose self-centered unbelief instead of God-centered gratitude and obedience.
So many times, God sets the expectation of His deliverance before his people. In Malachi 3:10, God even instructs the unbelievers Israelites to test Him and see:
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and empty out for you a blessing until it is beyond enough. – Malachi 3:10
The victories that Israel had over their enemies were illustrations of God fighting the battles for the Israelites. The battle of Jericho is a famous one, the reduction of Gideon’s army to make it look so obviously underwhelming to know that God’s hand was at work, Jonathan and his shield bearer attacking an Philistine army at night and sending them into utter chaos, as well as the defense of Jerusalem against the Assyrians and King Sennacherib when over night, one angel destroyed a siege army of 185,000. There are many other accounts recorded in the Bible.
God makes no secret that He is sovereign of all nations, not only Israel. Again, it often takes silencing our busy minds to recognize the hand of God in human events.
As a believer in Christ, as we mature in our faith, this reality becomes more and more understood and accepted. No matter what the circumstances, one learns to trust the sovereign will of God and seeks to see God’s purposes in all circumstances, good, bad, and that which is seemingly indifferent. Often times, we need to look at God’s will and how God works all things good for the benefit of believers and to God’s glory.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28. An eternal perspective is a blessing to a believer. Even though the benefits may not occur immediately, or even within our lifetime, we trust God in His objectives and the result is peace, particularly in light of our eventual resurrected glory into God’s kingdom which approaches every day, a day closer for those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Often times we need to silence our busy, worried, and anxious minds to see God’s glory or and purposes in a situation. It’s important to read the Scripture daily to begin that journey to grow your faith.
And why should you read and study the Scriptures and focus on the Bible? Because it is the purest form of instructions and revelations from God and of God. You would do right to search for instructions and commands which come from your Lord and Master, anything less, or prioritizing God’s instructions for your life habitually below any other set of orders does not bode well for your desire to follow God.
Regardless of your proclivities for idolatry, first and foremost, you need to live by the Gospel, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in his work for Salvation. Know that all unsaved are condemned by God’s Law awaiting God’s justice and eternal judgement in a place we know as hell where unsaved souls live in torment for eternity. This is why God in Love sent His Son, to be a sinless man, so that He could take our sin upon Himself and suffer the punishment we deserve – to take our punishment in our stead.
Do you dare trifle with your seeking to be obedient to God? There is no trifling around as a follower of Christ any more than you would knowingly neglect the rules of necessary employment. There is no good outcome in a leisurely or indifferent attitude when it comes to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a believer, you are a new creation, being transformed since your Justification. Fully sanctified in regards to your Salvation and yet growing in the Spirit, growing in your walk with God. In this way will you learn to be silent and begin to see the workings of God in and around you.
Let me leave you with a passage related to the transformation and reconciliation of each believer to God and the gracious gift God offers to you through His Son. Quiet your soul and meditate on this.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their transgressions against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. – 2 Corinthians 5:17:21
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel from the late Pastor John MacArthur, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
ACT LIKE MEN a short talk given by John MacArthur (click on the link)
All quoted excerpts have footnotes removed, usually from Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), sometimes from New International Version (NIV), on rare occasion the Amplified Bible (AMP).
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8-24-2024