Promises Fulfilled After Loss

by Shannon Tillman | Nov 6, 2023 | Bible Study

God gave me this word for all of us who have heard His promise to us yet seem to be living in only loss and heartache, not even close to the word He had spoken over our lives. God led me to Joshua 24 which took me on a journey of reminding my own heart to hold onto hope when all seems lost.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. (Joshua 24:1)

Joshua gathered the entire nation of Israel at Shechem. The nation of Israel had been freed from Egypt over four decades earlier. Due to sin, they wandered in the wilderness for over forty years. Then for seven years they fought to conquer the land. It was after this time when the land had been settled that Joshua gathered the people before God.

Hundreds of years before, Shechem was the place of significant events in the lives of the early patriarchs of Israel. The city of Shechem is a place of promise and devastation. We first discover Shechem with Abram, the father of the Jewish people. Abram had been called by God to leave the land of Ur and come to the land of the Canaanites. He had been promised to become a father of nations, even though at the time Abram had no children. Once Abram came to the land, God renewed His promise to Abram.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:6-7)

Shechem was the place of a future promise. Abram, whose name was later changed by God to become Abraham, was promised that one day his children would have all the land. In response to this amazing promise, Abram built the first altar to God in the Promised Land at Shechem. Twenty-five years later, Abraham had a son named Isaac. Abraham held the first baby of promise, born in the land of promise, which one day become a nation of the promise.

Isaac had a son named Jacob, who grew up and had twelve sons and one daughter. Jacob was the first to buy usable property in the land. (Abraham had bought a burial site for Sarah.)

After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel. (Genesis 33:18-20)

This purchased piece of property seemed to be the beginning of answers to the promise given to Abraham. They were starting to own pieces of the land. Once again, an altar is built at Shechem. Jacob’s name had been changed by God to Israel. Here he builds an altar to the God of Israel which seems to even further indicate the closer fulfillment to the promise.

However, it was here at Shechem that devastation came upon the family. Jacob’s daughter is raped by a man named Shechem. In response, two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, killed all the men of the town and took captive all the women, children, and animals. The place of promise turns to a place of defilement which led to evil attacks, to utter loss, and to eventually overwhelming fear.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.” (Genesis 34:30)

The altar Jacob had built on this land, before all the terrible events of his daughter, had been called “El Elohe Israel”. God, the Supreme or Mighty One of Israel, now seems to be unfaithful as the enemy had now violated his house and his sons had retaliated by killing even the innocent with the guilty in such terrible and wicked violence. The place of promise is now defiled. Even now the name Shechem, which had been attached to the place of altars built by Abram and Jacob in the land, becomes a painful reminder of the name of the man who raped Dinah.

Jacob moved away from Shechem but this city would play a part in another crime against one of his children. This time it would be upon his son, Joseph. The ten older brothers of Joseph hated him due to Jacob’s favoritism. The older brothers had gone to Shechem for their sheep. Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”
He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”
“They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’” (Genesis 37:15-17)

When Joseph arrived in Dothan, the brothers decided to get rid of Joseph and sold him to slave dealers who later sold him in Egypt. The last city that Joseph experienced freedom was in Shechem. It would not be for many years that Joseph would regain his freedom and rule in Egypt.

Through a series of events, his family leaves the Promised Land and come down under the care of Joseph in Egypt and stay for the next 400 years. The family had become a multitude by this time. God delivered the people through Moses, they escaped Egypt, wandered in the wilderness due to sin, and then conquered the Promised Land under Joshua. It was here, at Shechem, that Joshua had the people renew their covenant with the Lord.

Joshua brought the people to the place where the promise had been given to Abram, that his descendants would possess the land. They could look around and see that the promise had been fulfilled. They were the fulfillment of that promise, hundreds of years later. The pain, turmoil, attacks, loss, enslavement, and sin did not have the final say in Jacob’s family. El Elohe proved faithful and true.

It was here at Shechem that Joshua renewed the covenant between God and the people.

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. (Genesis 24:25)

Joshua reminded the people of hundreds of years of history from Abram to the time of conquering the Promised Land.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago…I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob… 5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you…but I gave them into your hands (Genesis 24: part of verses, 2-5, 11)

A multitude stood where Abram stood alone. A multitude was set free from bondage where Dinah had been taken captive and abused. A multitude conquered the people of the land where Jacob had feared retaliation and attack. A multitude knew that Joseph who was sold into slavery became the leader of Egypt which set into motion the growth of the nation. When Joseph was on his death bed, he made them promise that his bones would be returned to his last place of freedom before he was forced into slavery.

And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants. (Genesis 24:32)

Everything promised at Shechem, invested at Shechem, lost as Shechem, stolen at Shechem, is restored at Shechem. God is faithful to His promises.

Shechem means “back” or “shoulder” in Hebrew. The ultimate promise of redemption spoken in the Garden of Eden when man first fell into sin was given to mankind. Jesus bore on His back the lashes for our sin. Jesus bore on His shoulder the cross that He carried. And when He bore the fullness of our sin, the “Back” of the father was turned on Him. The Promise died. The innocent was violated. The enemy of fear was unleashed on His followers. Freedom was lost, hope was gone. Then, three days later, Jesus triumphed over the grave. The place of loss and pain became the place of eternal hope and life. The grave of Joseph proved God faithful over the hundreds of years in Egypt, the wilderness and fighting in the Promised Land. The empty grave of Jesus proves God faithful for eternity.

His promise is guaranteed! He will take every heart ache, every loss, every violation and work it for a greater good for even more people.

And Joshua…took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” (Joshua 24:26-27)

The stone was to serve as a witness of the covenant between God and His people. We also have a stone of remembrance of our covenant. Our stone was rolled away from an empty grave! Praise be to El Elohim! He is mighty to save.

Hold onto your promise. God is faithful. He has seen the ways the enemy has violated you, harmed you, sold you into slavery, defiled, and devastated you. It is not the end! The promise will be fulfilled. You will stand in your Shechem and declare the victory of God!

Reclining Chair or the Rugged Cross?

by Shannon Tillman | Oct 30, 2023 | Bible Study

I am writing this as I sit on a reclining chair.  I am wearing a pair of soft sweatpants with a cozy, oversized t-shirt.  I am in complete comfort.  To be honest, I am dreading having to get up in a little while to change my laundry over.  I would like to just take a nap.

In our comfort, we often forget or minimize the calling of the cross.  Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We have been crucified with Christ. We are to live like Christ because our flesh, our sin nature, is dead.  Christ Himself lives through us.  How are we to live that way?  If we go to the cross, we see what a cross-life looks like practically on earth.

Picture the cross from the viewpoint of Jesus.  It is from His position on the cross, we discover our position of living from the cross.  Look at the crowds surrounding the cross.  See the people around Him and you will see how to minister to those around you as well.

1. Forgave the crowd

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. (Luke 23: 32-34)

Jesus forgave everyone.  He is experiencing the greatest injustice in history as well as suffering horrifically on a cross as the wrath of God was poured out on Him on our behalf.  Yet, He forgave all of those who did this to Him.  We are to forgive ALL.  It does not matter what they have done or not done.  The cross first and foremost represents forgiveness.  To live the cross life, we must forgive others.

2. Formed a new family

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (John 19:25-27)

Jesus did not abandon His mother. Instead, He gave her to the care of a disciple named John. We, too, are to form new family relations. This is not a novel concept. It is discussed in the Old Testament. We find it in Psalm 68:6:

God sets the lonely in families…

The cross-life means no one is left out. Purposeful action is taken to ensure that everyone has a place, everyone knows they are loved, everyone has meaningful relationships and connections. We are to diligently seek out those on the outskirts and provide a safe place for them to be cared for.

3. Found the lost

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

Even in the last moments of Jesus, He was still reaching others with eternal life. This thief would have been a horrific criminal to receive the death sentence of crucifixion. Yet, even this thief is offered the gift of salvation. We are to seek those who are lost, who do not know Jesus, and let them know that they, too, can be with Him forever. The cross forgives all their sin, no matter what they have done.

4. Forsaken by God

About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46)

Jesus is quoting the first part of Psalm 22. This psalm begins with loss but ends with triumph.

Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn:  He has done it!  (Psalm 22:30-31)

When quoting the first part of the psalm in this time meant you were referring to the entire psalm. Jesus knew the time of being forsaken was not the final word. There are times we will feel forsaken, have unanswered questions, ask God “why”. Even in these times, we must keep an eternal perspective just as Jesus did on the cross. The present might seem like loss and pain, but God has promised to work it for good and for us to experience victory with Him.

5. Felt needs

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. (John 19:28-29)

The cross-life is not about being superhuman. We need to express our needs and have our needs met so that we can accomplish what God is doing. Jesus needed something to drink so that He could then in turn declare the victory of God!

6. Finished God’s purpose

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

Jesus did not accomplish a few things, but all the things that God had ordained for Him to do. The cry of “It is finished” is a testimony of completing it all. The work was done on earth. Jesus saved mankind. He finished His purpose. The cross-life calls us to finish what we were created to do as well.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:20)

7. Focused on the Father

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46)

To His dying breath, Jesus was focused on the Father. He trusted the Father and committed Himself to the Lord. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us. We are to be in the same relationship with the Father, trusting and committing ourselves to Him daily in every situation.

Every moment is an opportunity to choose to be comfortable or to take up the cross.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

It may be time to get out of the spiritual recliner of life and position ourselves at the cross. We are not to be in the crowd as spectators looking on, but we are to be seeing people and situations from the perspective of Jesus. What He did there is an example of what He wants us to do daily. The cross-life is Jesus ministering through us to those around us. Let’s get up from the recliner, pick up the cross, and follow Him.

Hiding at the Beach

by Shannon Tillman | Oct 23, 2023 | Bible Study

I was walking along the beach when I saw some fishermen ahead. I did not want to walk in front of their lines so I strolled up the beach behind them. I realized that while the fishermen were near their fishing poles, two young children played further up on the beach. I would have to walk in between the two groups to get by. The children looked young, around two or three years old. As soon as they saw me walk in between the space between their parents and them, I could see the panic come into their eyes. I tried to smile but the fear had already overtaken them, a stranger was closer than their mom and dad. One toddler looked sideways down at the beach, so that he could not see me. I think he figured if he could not see me, then I could not see him. The other toddler had the same idea but employed a bit more of a dramatic approach. He threw himself headlong into the sand to “hide” until I passed by.

Both of those little children felt that they had to take care of themselves. Even though their parents were nearby, neither one cried out for help. They did not think their mom and dad had the situation under control or they would not have come up with their own desperate, even messy, attempts to protect themselves.

I am too often like those toddlers. My heavenly Father is nearby, yet I come up with my own ways and ideas to “handle” the situation. Sometimes, I avoid the circumstances, thinking time will help but instead the situation spirals further out of control. Other times, I “dive in”, trying desperately to fix my circumstances, only to create a bigger mess. It feels so difficult to continue to trust when a painful situation arises that seems to come between God and me and when He does not seem near to me.

We often read the verse “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10a) and think of it as a sweet little verse.  I picture soft green hills, a brilliant blue sky, puffy white clouds which roll on by as I sit and reflect on God.  Yet, if you study the context of this psalm, it is anything but a peaceful scene.

God is our refuge and strength, an every-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, thought the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

That sounds like major turmoil. This entails catastrophic events. It is not a peaceful, green meadow but earthquakes, tsunamis, destruction, death. Further we read of more difficult situations:

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. (Psalm 46:6)

Here is mentioned wars, economic collapse, panic, chaos, instability, complete loss. This is utter calamity! How do we be still when everything around us is falling apart?

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day…The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46: 5, 7)

We must focus on the truth of what God has promised us. He promises us that He is with us, will sustains us, will help us, and will protects us. “But,” you may say, “my world is falling apart!” Yes, it is. I know because mine is, too. However, God is not falling apart. This is not a denial of our reality. This is knowing the reality of our situation but ultimately trusting the reality of who God is and His heart towards us, even when He seems far away.

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire. (Psalm 46:9-10)

God will have the final say. He reigns over the earth. Review the victories of the Bible, remember the past victories in your own life. God will be victorious again. The weapons of the enemy against you shall be destroyed. After all this destruction, all this chaos and confusion, that is when God gives us this command:

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10a)

Be still.  Yes, there is turmoil and things are not as planned, but God is still on His throne.  He is the King.  He rules over your situation.  Do not hide from the difficulties, do not try to attempt to create your own solution, do not stay away from Him in your pain and fear.  Instead, settle down.  The chaos around you does not have to enter you.  Instead, you focus on the truth that God is God over a messy, violent, broken earth.  And His victory in the end is guaranteed.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  (Psalm 46:10)

God will be exalted over every nation- that means over every family, over every economy, over every government, over every system.  God will be exalted in the earth- over every natural disaster and over every loss.  God will be exalted, set up over, reigning over it all.  Whatever situation you are facing, God will be over those circumstances.  That is why you focus on God being God.  His reign in heaven will be evident fully one day on earth.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  (Psalm 46:4)

The dwelling place of God is joyful and refreshing.  God knows the messiness of earth.  That is why He sent His Son to live and then die a horrific death on a cross to open the way for our eternity in heaven.  The trials and tribulations on earth will fade away as we dwell forever in the victory of God over pain, destruction, grief, loss, and death.

While we may not know how our situations will specifically turn out, or when things will change; we do know that in the end we will dwell with God in joy forever.  We do not have to hide from the painful situations or try to fix them ourselves but instead look to our Heavenly Father to care for us, to fight for us, to help us during our difficult time.

In this truth, we can be still and know that He is God.  We do not have to panic, hide, or throw ourselves into the sand.  Instead, we can be at peace to know that God is for us, He is with in every situation, and in the end, victory is guaranteed!  Be still and know that He is God!