Category Archives: Courage / Fear

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Money / Finances / Wealth, Share the Good News

What Did Yeshua Tell His Disciples Before Sending Them Out?

What did Yeshua tell His disciples before sending them out? Some of this is directed specifically at the 12, and not everyone, and some of it applies to all of us still today.

Matthew 10:1-15

The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service

      1Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

      2Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

      5These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support. 11“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. 12“As you enter the house, give it your greeting. 13“If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. 14“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. 15“Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Clearly Yeshua has authority over unclean spirits and healing the sick. Take note these are two different afflictions. The are mentioned separately. In this scripture, He gave authority over this to the twelve, not to all followers for all times.

Yeshua instructed the twelve to only go to the lost sheep of Israel and not to the Gentiles. We receive instruction further on in the Bible where we are told to go to all the nations, so for us, we know to go to everyone (Matthew 28:19). Yeshua went first to the lost sheep of Israel. When the message was rejected there, he went out to others (Matthew 22:1-14).

There was clear instruction to give freely what you have received from God freely. They were not supposed to charge for healing and casting out demons. They were instructed not to acquire wealth on this mission. However there is also a note that they should not bring extra provisions as the “worker is worthy of his support”. There was an expectation that the people being brought the good news would support them as messengers from Yahweh.  This one is interesting to split how to apply today generally vs. specifically to the twelve. I think it is clear those with healing power are not to charge others for it and make money off it. It also seems reasonable to accept basic support from those to whom you are preaching the message of the gospel. Of course, we know from elsewhere in scripture that Paul did not accept money to support him (at least not in Corinth) while on his missionary journeys (1 Corinthians 9:8-14). Paul reinforces that the LORD said that one who proclaims the gospel can make their living from doing so, but also chose not to personally because he thought it would hinder the gospel, perhaps specific to the situation in Corinth. I think this applies to us today as well as to the twelve. However, the emphasis is that they should not get wealthy by healing. It also implies to me that there is an expectation that one who preaches the gospel is not accumulating great wealth by doing so, but simply making a living… and some may choose even to “self fund” by having a day job as similar to Paul.

Lastly, we see that where the messengers are not received, they are to move on. This applies still to us today. We are not to simply stay at one place trying to force people to convert. Generally speaking we are to shake the dust from our sandals and move on to the next village, which may receive us. Many can get consumed trying to force a single “conversion” of someone. However, their efforts may be more effective if they moved on to others who are prepared to receive the message. Of course, if Yahweh directs you to stay in one tough situation where the message is directed, then do so.

Please do not overlook the faith and courage that was required of the twelve as they went out and took nothing extra and trusted in the instructions of the LORD to guide and in the people who received them to provide. Imagine yourself in that position to get a better feeling for what they experienced.

Prayerfully reflect on the instructions Yeshua gave His disciples before sending them out and write down some key ways in which it affects you in your life. Ask the Father to help you in how to apply it to your life today.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Loving / Kind, Murder, Protector / Deliverer, Revenge, Selfishness, Strong in Our Weakness, Submitted / Servant

Having Faith Does Not Mean You Will Never Face Fear or Feel Overwhelmed

Just because Elijah served Yahweh and did so in a powerful way as a prophet, does not mean he never experienced fear or felt overwhelmed. Faith does not always cancel out fear or makes us feel like we can handle everything that comes at us.

The Father had just done mighty miracles through Elijah on Mount Carmel as documented in 1 Kings 18. During these events, he executed the 450 prophets of Baal, a false god whom Jezebel favored. This was after he hid for three years from the king during a drought brought on by Yahweh due to the wickedness of Ahab.  He had a tough couple years, and it seemed it was going to continue.

1 Kings 19:1-8

Elijah Flees from Jezebel

      1Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

I find it interesting that Ahab would not kill Elijah, but would allow Jezebel to do so. Perhaps killing a prophet of Yahweh was one step to far even for him. We see the same in the beginning of 1 Kings 18, where it documents that Jezebel was killing the prophets of Yahweh, not Ahab. We also see Jezebel send the message saying “…so may the gods do to me…”. She was clearly lost in idols and false gods and zealous to destroy the things of the one true God.

So after all that Elijah has been through, having been part of the wonderous miracle of Yahweh on Mount Carmel, now he is filled with fear again and on the run. He is worn out and has had enough. He comes before the Father and asks to die. Our loving Father meets him in that place and provides for him and cares for him to revive and strengthen him. Don’t miss that it appears that these meals provided by Yahweh seem to have carried Elijah over the next 40 days on his journey to Mount Horeb. Supernatural to be sure.

Our Father knows what He asks of us. He knows what we experience for Him. He is able to sustain us and help us in any situation. Let us always turn to Him for our strength and courage and endurance.

I am reminded of Isaiah 40:29-31.

      29He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

      30Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

      31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

And I am also reminded of how the LORD was with Joshua. The book of Joshua refers to God’s instruction for him to be strong and courageous four times in chapter 1 alone.

Do not think the LORD is not with you because you may feel scared. Do not think the LORD is with you because you are tired. Wait on the LORD and He will provide strength and endurance.

As a parting side note, that may make some uncomfortable… Yahweh gives every appearance with being pleased and supportive of the execution of the prophets of Baal. He did not consider it murder. They were misleading the people to follow after false gods and away from Him. In a way, it was like a war for the people of Israel.  Yet, Jezebel will not fair well in her pursuit to murder Elijah. It goes without saying, however, that we need be very careful in trying to apply such observations in our lives today. I do not recommend anyone take it upon themselves to kill others unless it is in self defense and you are fearing for your life or someone else’s.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Idols / False Gods, Miracles, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

The Faith of a Prophet – Elijah on Mount Caramel

The record of Elijah challenging the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel is a classic contrast of those who put their faith in false gods and those who put their faith in Yahweh. You see ultimately both side by side, played out in front of the people of Israel.

Those who trust in Baal are humiliated as Baal and all false gods have no power. By stark contrast, however, we see Yahweh deliver in spectacular fashion. He does not do so for Elijah’s glory, but for His own.

1 Kings 18:20-46

God or Baal on Mount Carmel

      20So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 22Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23“Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24“Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people said, “That is a good idea.”

      25So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” 26Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” 28So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

      30Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” 32So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34And he said, “Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water.

Elijah’s Prayer

      36At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 40Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

      41Now Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.” 42So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. 44It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’” 45In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46Then the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.

If we dig a little deeper we quickly see the depth of Elijah’s faith. He went to a wicked king who blamed him for the drought, rather than accepting that it was the king’s own sin that brought it on. He comes before the people of Israel to confront 450 priests of Baal. He is clearly outnumbered. He has such strong faith that he intentionally lets them go first and then makes his own challenge seemingly more difficult by pouring water over everything. Reflect for a moment on the strength of his faith.

Elijah was focused on Yahweh, not himself. He did not do this for his own glory, but for Yahweh. In the end, Elijah’s faith and courage to stand firmly and openly for the LORD brought glory to God and led many people back to Him.

Reflect personally on where in our lives we can make a public stand for our Father, for His glory and to bring others back to Him. It likely will not always be as dramatic as Elijah on Mount Carmel, but there are many opportunities where we can stand up for the LORD or remain quiet and fade into the background, avoiding putting the focus on Him. Ask our Father to help you stand firmly for Him and for His glory!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, Interceding for Others, Provider

David’s Mighty Men

The deeds of David’s mighty men are recorded in part in scripture. We certainly get the idea that they were very impressive fighters and brave and bold. They were fiercely loyal to David. I think it was surely a gift from the LORD to give David these loyal and brave companions. We each may consider praying the LORD send mighty and brave companions for us and help us to be mighty and brave. We may or may not have to do physical battle, but we certainly need to face spiritual battles and many challenges in the world if we are to stand apart from the world while remaining in it.

I pray that the LORD would raise up more men like these that would be mighty in spirit and stand with YHWH and his chosen leaders through difficult times. I pray that I would be one like them and that I would find others in my life who also would be like these.

2 Samuel 23:8-39

His Mighty Men

      8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains, he was called Adino the Eznite, because of eight hundred slain by him at one time; 9and after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there to battle and the men of Israel had withdrawn. 10He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword, and the LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to strip the slain.

      11Now after him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered into a troop where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot, defended it and struck the Philistines; and the LORD brought about a great victory.

      13Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam, while the troop of the Philistines was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” 16So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; 17and he said, “Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

      18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the thirty. And he swung his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name as well as the three. 19He was most honored of the thirty, therefore he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the three.

      20Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day. 21He killed an Egyptian, an impressive man. Now the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a club and snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and had a name as well as the three mighty men. 23He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the three. And David appointed him over his guard.

      24Asahel the brother of Joab was among the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the sons of Benjamin, 30Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash, 31Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers of Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39Uriah the Hittite; thirty-seven in all.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Persecution / Glorifying God, Seeking God, Tribulation, Visions, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Opening the First Six Seals of the Scroll in Revelation

Chapter six in Revelation records what was contained as YHWH revealed to John the first six seals of the scroll. There were seven seals in all. Each one was opened according to YHWH’s timing. Sometimes we must wait to see in His timing what will come next rather than our typical desire to know all that will come, to know how something will end before we start. YHWH does not always let us know the ending before asking us to begin. There are countless examples in scripture including Moses, Gideon, Abraham, and many more.

There is much symbolism to be studied here for each of the elements. Consider taking time to read the commentaries or other study material. They may not all be correct, but they provide some thoughtful insight. Ultimately we must test the Bible against itself. For example, some have concluded that the rider on the white horse is a false messiah, imitating the return of Yeshua before He actually comes. This would not be a surprise, as we have to deal with false prophets and teachers throughout time in every generation… always coming in the guise of an “angel of light”, representing YHWH’s word all the while distorting it.

Those of us who face these times when they come will need courage and strong faith, and we will need to really seek the LORD to help us. We will not be fully protected through these times as you see the section on martyrs mentions more are being added still at this time.

Let us seek to praise and glorify Him no matter what. Yeshua mentions sticking close to YHWH and His ways several times in His message to the seven churches in Asia earlier in Revelation. It is important we do this in adversity.

Revelation 6

The First Seal—Rider on White Horse

      1Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come.” 2I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal—War

      3When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come.” 4And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

The Third Seal—Famine

      5When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal—Death

      7When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal—Martyrs

      9When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

The Sixth Seal—Terror

      12I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; 17for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Family, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

Doing What is Right in YHWH’s Eyes Can Place You in Conflict with Family

1 Comment

Saul was so moved by an evil spirit that he wanted to kill David. When Jonathan stood up for David, justly, Saul tried to make it sound like he wanted to kill David for Jonathan so he could be king after Saul. Truth is that Saul was just making excuses. He was jealous and fearful of David.

Sometimes your own family will come against you when you take a stand for what is righteous or when you confront them in their sin and wrongdoing. Do not expect them to just politely agree with you that they are wrong. They likely will fight and resist. Saul even threw a spear at his son! There are still times when you should take the risk and stand up for what is right and honorable in YHWH’s eyes. Murdering someone is not right, even if “Dad” or the king, in this case Saul, said to do so.

1 Samuel 20:30-42

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

     30Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31“For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.” 32But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 34Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him.

      35Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad was with him. 36He said to his lad, “Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him. 37When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38And Jonathan called after the lad, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master. 39But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” 41When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more. 42Jonathan said to David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’” Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Arrogance, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Mockers, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness

Slaying Giants By YHWH’s Power

When we are operating in YHWH’s will and submitting ourselves to Him in our lives, He will help us slay giants that we could not defeat on our own. This does not mean we have to face physical attack by large men. There could be many intimidating situations we face that He can help us through His power. It is important to remember, however, that this is not a license to go pick fights with giants. We want to be fighting only the battles that YHWH wants us to fight. David was fighting for the name (aka reputation) of YHWH and the nation that followed Him. David was not fighting for personal glory, although that came with the victory.

Another aspect I have found very much worth highlighting is that David recognized where YHWH had been acting in His life already and then applied that to future situations. In his case, YHWH had protected him from lion and bear in protecting sheep and David saw this as a clear pattern in which he had faith YHWH would protect him from the Philistine as well. I have witnessed similarly, certain aspects or patterns of my life in which YHWH has chosen to interact to guide my path or just communicate with me. As I see where He has been active in the past, I have increasing faith He will continue in that way in the future. Of course, it will not be in the same way for everyone, so pay attention to where He has moved in your life in the past.

1 Samuel 17

Goliath’s Challenge

      1Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; and they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines. 3The Philistines stood on the mountain on one side while Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4Then a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. 6He also had bronze greaves on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron; his shield-carrier also walked before him. 8He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel and said to them, “Why do you come out to draw up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and you servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. 9“If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will become your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall become our servants and serve us.” 10Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 11When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

      12Now David was the son of the Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, whose name was Jesse, and he had eight sons. And Jesse was old in the days of Saul, advanced in years among men. 13The three older sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle. And the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and the second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16The Philistine came forward morning and evening for forty days and took his stand.

      17Then Jesse said to David his son, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves and run to the camp to your brothers. 18“Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them. 19“For Saul and they and all the men of Israel are in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

David Accepts the Challenge

      20So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. 21Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army. 22Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.

      24When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free in Israel.”

      26Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” 27The people answered him in accord with this word, saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who kills him.”

      28Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger burned against David and he said, “Why have you come down? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart; for you have come down in order to see the battle.” 29But David said, “What have I done now? Was it not just a question?” 30Then he turned away from him to another and said the same thing; and the people answered the same thing as before.

David Kills Goliath

      31When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. 32David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.” 38Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. 40He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.

      41Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. 42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. 43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine also said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 46“This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.”

      48Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

      50Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 51Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron. 53The sons of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines and plundered their camps. 54Then David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent.

      55Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56The king said, “You inquire whose son the youth is.” 57So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the Philistine’s head in his hand. 58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

Don’t let the familiarity of the story hide from you the deep faith and boldness of David or the fact that YHWH can help all of us overcome “giants” in our lives. We should strive to live for the glory and honor of YHWH, as David demonstrated in slaying Goliath.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Guide, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God

Obey the LORD, Even When We Are Afraid

Reading earlier in Judges 6, we see a messenger of the LORD visit Gideon and tell him YHWH will defeat Midian through him. Gideon is a bit surprised, to be sure. Now starting in verse 25, we see the LORD gives him a more modest mission to get started. Perhaps this was to build Gideon’s confidence or to test his faith before he was to confront Midian. He was clearly afraid, even though the LORD was speaking to him clearly. We should take a moment to acknowledge that. When YHWH tells us to do something, it does not mean we will not be potentially nervous or anxious about it in part. We choose to overcome that because we trust the LORD and perhaps as our relationship with the LORD continues to grow, we have less and less anxiety or fear over what he asks us to do as we know he will do it through us in his power. It is not dependent solely on us.

Despite being afraid, Gideon carries out the mission in obedience.

Judges 6:25-35

      25Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; 26and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” 27Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

     28When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. 29They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” 30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” 31But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” 32Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar.

Personally, I am amused by Joash’s response to defend his son. But we can take note that even when (or perhaps especially when) we obey YHWH, people will come against us. They like to live in their sin and do not like to be challenged about it.  We must put our trust, our faith, in YHWH and obey him anyway.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Courage / Fear, Fear / Reverence for God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

“Fear” of the Lord Leads to Blessings

The Hebrew root word for “fear” in Psalm 128:1 is ירא which can be translated as fear, but also as reverence, to hold in honor, to be in awe. I think this is interesting to keep in mind as we read about the blessedness of the “fear” of the Lord.

Psalm 128

Blessedness of the Fear of the LORD.

A Song of Ascents.

1How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.

      2When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.

      3Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.

      4Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.

      5The LORD bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

      6Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

Excellent guidance indeed. Holding YHWH in awe and reverence, even fearing him as we may a Father whom we choose to disrespect or rebel against, will help set us on the right path to seeking to know him and obey him. We will be blessed if we pursue his ways rather than our own!

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Loving / Kind, Persecution / Glorifying God

Peter Denies Christ, But He Does Not Remain Defeated

Peter famously denies Christ three times after Christ is taken into custody by the Romans and chief priests. He was bold enough to follow as the led Christ away, and he then found himself in a situation where he felt they would perhaps capture him also. It appears he was bold enough to follow as the led Christ away, but still afraid of the consequences he might face as they recognized him there.

We also may face this  type of situation in our lives. Perhaps it will not literally be the same exact scenario, but we will have opportunities to be bold for Christ in our lives. When we take them, we will face more opposition and perhaps some tense situations.

Of course, YHWH wants us not to deny him at all. He wants us to live boldly for him. We can look at Yeshua’s example in this scenario and see someone who faced pain and death and did not compromise or deny. He is again the perfect standard. Peter fell short. We may do the same at times.

John 18:25-27

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

     25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 26One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

Peter repented. He never again is recorded as denying Christ and even was executed for his faith without denying Christ to save himself. If we stumble in living out our faith, let us take Peter’s example to repent, seek forgiveness, and keep living for Christ. Do not give up because of our own weakness.

Another factor to consider is the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Peter failed before the Spirit was sent to help. One can contrast the boldness of the disciples before and after the Spirit and see a significant difference. When we are struggling, let us remember to ask the Lord to help us in our faith, to fill us with the Spirit.

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.