I love how the bible weaves together the central message of Jesus. A book written over 1500 years by different authors with various styles still all point to the Messiah, to Jesus. It is absolutely amazing!
Recently, I read this verse in the book of Joshua:
The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah. (Joshua 19:9)
When I saw this verse, my mind went immediately to the second chapter of Luke. These verses are separated over a thousand years, yet come together in a surprising way. In the book of Luke, a man named Simeon is mentioned.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God… (Luke 2:25-28a)
Jesus was from the tribe of Judah (as recorded in Matthew chapter 1 as well as Luke chapter 3). Therefore, this man named Simeon also received his inheritance from the tribe of Judah this day in the temple! The tribe of Judah had more than enough land to share. In the same way, Jesus is never depleted as He gives to us. The tribe of Simeon received physical land on earth. The man Simeon received a spiritual inheritance of heaven. The land from Judah served the Simeonites for generations. The gift of life from Jesus lasts for eternity!
We must be like Simeon and follow the Spirit’s leading to come to the Messiah. We will receive a heavenly inheritance that will never fade away! This can only lead us to marvel at the gift of salvation for us, just as Simeon did as he held Jesus in his arms.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32)
Praise be to Jesus, the Messiah from the tribe of Judah who gives generously the gift of salvation to all nations! The tribe of Simeon dwelled with the tribe of Judah. We can dwell with Jesus for all of eternity. Glory be to His Name!
The entrance of Jesus into this world was beginning of His entrance into all the mess of our lives. He left the perfection in heaver in order to subject Himself to our shame, loneliness, dysfunction, poverty, prejudice, tragedy so that He could join us in our suffering. He bore all the effects of the curse in our lives from the moment He was born until He died on the cross. He entered the pain of Christmas so that we may find life because of Christmas.
There is a stark contrast between the birth of John and the birth of Jesus. People came to celebrate with Zechariah and Elizabeth, friends were all around.
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. (Luke 1:57-58)
However, Mary and Joseph were alone.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (Luke 2:6-7)
How lonely that must have been, no friends or family to celebrate. I cannot even imagine the trepidation in a young mother’s heart, and she had to face this new journey all by herself, no mother or aunts to guide and encourage her. How defeating it would be for Joseph to put his son in a feeding trough. It was painful and discouraging time when it should have been one of rejoicing.
God knew they needed encouragement, especially Mary. He knew the rumors, rejection, shame she had experienced. Even Joseph had questioned her integrity.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:18-19)
An angelic visitation through a dream stopped Joseph from sending Mary away. Others would have assumed the worst of Mary and believed she had a tainted reputation. Yet, God defended His precious Mary to Joseph. They obeyed the Lord. However, their obedience did not lead to family parties and celebrations. Instead, their obedience led them to a city, filled with strangers, with no place to stay, and having to place a newborn in a manger.
God knew these faithful, obedient yet lonely followers needed some encouragement.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
Don’t glance over these verses. See them afresh from the viewpoint of a lonely couple, brand-new parents, who needed an encouraging word. They are alone. Their newborn son is asleep in a feeding trough. Suddenly, they hear a voice of a loud, boisterous crowd. A group of shepherds burst onto the scene. They are so excited; Mary and Joseph can hardly catch the story between all of them talking. Finally, one shepherd recounts the glorious events. Mary and Joseph realize that angels from heaven were sent to give the birth announcement of their son! Imagine their hearts filling with joy as they realize that God saw them exactly where they were! The Lord knew they needed encouragement so He sent the shepherds with the good news. Mary and Joseph were not forgotten.
How healing these words would have been for Mary who had already suffered in her hometown. Mary had probably heard terrible reports spread about her concerning the circumstances around her pregnancy. Here in Bethlehem, God allows good news to circulate.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18)
God sees our lonely, distressed hearts. The Lord will not leave us. He will send forth a word to comfort and encourage us. God sees you and me, right where we are. He knows what we are going through. Even in the most unlikely ways, the Lord will find a way to send forth a message of hope for us to hold onto, just like Mary did.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
Treasure the encouraging moments in the heart. They are a source of strength for difficult times in the future. For now, know that God sees us and will encourage us.
God is with us even if others have abandoned us completely. His heart is full of love. The proof of His love was lying in a manger, Emmanuel, God with us. He left the glories of heaven to be close to each one us. Take to heart His encouragement today.
My grandmother would never leave the house if the laundry machine was still washing. Decades earlier, her washing machine leaked when she ran to the store. From that day on, she decided to never leave the house until the wash was done. She would never trust a laundry machine again.
I would chuckle at my grandfather waiting impatiently for the wash cycle to end so we could go places. Yet, I have to admit, I am often like my grandma. I do not know if I can really trust what is left behind. My obsession does not include washing machines. Instead, I show my lack of trust in the Lord to handle situations if I have to leave them behind. Surely, the God of the universe needs my help in “fixing” circumstances or “helping” people.
God does not need our assistance. If He tells us to go or to do something, we have to trust He is able to take us where He wants us to be as well as take care of who or what we leave behind. The shepherds are a great example of a group of people who trusted God to take care of what they had to leave.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. (Luke 2:8-17)
When the shepherds went to Bethlehem, they had to trust God to care for their sheep. They left the most helpless animal behind in order to do what God had told them to do. The shepherds had to trust the Lord to protect the sheep when they left the sheep behind. The sheep were their livelihood. Each sheep represented a paycheck. The shepherds had to trust God that He was their provision when they left their sheep behind. Their work as shepherds was to be with sheep. They had to trust God with their reputation and what others would say when they left their sheep behind.
The Lord will watch over whatever or whoever we leave behind to follow His will. What have we been called to do? How often have we talked ourselves out of obedience because of what we had to leave behind? It is not easy to leave but we must trust God, for not only where we are going but also for what we are leaving behind.
When we leave things behind, God will provide for us. We can be assured that when we follow His plan, the Lord will take care of our needs. I heard Tony Evans once say, “Where God guides, He provides.” When we step out in faith in the place He leads us, God will take care of us in amazing ways! We must obey His will, despite who or what cannot come with us. We show our faith by believing and acting upon the truth that God alone is our provision.
When we leave people behind, God will defend us. Others may critique what we do, but God will have the final say. I watched a documentary of Hudson Taylor. He was criticized for his mission work and methods in China. He left behind the traditional methods of reaching people, even the traditional ways of dress for an Englishman. He cut his hair like a Chinese man and wore the native dress. It was scandalous at the time and many spoke against him. However, his ministry grew into one that still sends out missionaries today, hundreds of years after he began his work!
The shepherds left the sheep behind and encountered Jesus! Because they did, other lives were impacted as well.
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:8-18)
What or who is God telling us to leave behind? We must leave! When we do, we will encounter Jesus! Then, we will experience God’s miracle in and through our lives and others will be changed!
We see angels discussed often in the Bible. An angel guards the way to the Garden of Eden. An angel blocked the path of Balaam’s donkey. An angel came to Elijah and fed him. An angel closed the mouth of the lions for Daniel. An angel came to Zechariah to let him know that he and Elizabeth would have a baby in their advanced years. An angel came to Mary to announce that she would give birth to Jesus. An angel came to Cornelius and told him his prayers had been answered and to send for Peter. An angel freed Peter from prison. An angel struck Herod down and he died. An angel strengthened Paul when on a storm-tossed sea. And there are many other angel accounts in Scriptures.
Angels have done the bidding of the Lord throughout history. Usually, we see one angel on these different assignments. Notable exceptions are when the angels went up and down the ladder at Bethel before Jacob. Also, a group of angels showed up to praise God after one angel delivered the message about the birth of Jesus.
However, there was a time when two angels were placed on assignment. We see the account of these two angels in the book of Genesis. These two angels were sent to Sodom and Gomorrah, the evil cities the Lord had determined to destroy. Yet, when I read this passage, I wondered why God sent two angels. One would have definitely been enough for the job. Why were two angels placed on this assignment? I believe the answer to this question reveals the heart of a loving and merciful God.
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” (Genesis 19:1-2)
Lot was Abraham’s nephew. Abraham had asked the Lord to spare these cities if ten righteous people were found. Sadly, there were not ten. God, in His mercy, still chose to rescue Lot and his family. The two angels, who had form of men, came into Sodom and were welcomed into Lot’s house. That night, the angels warn Lot of what is to come.
The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” (Genesis 19:12b-13)
Lot had a wife and two daughters. His girls were betrothed to two men in the city. Lot tried to convince them to leave, but they thought Lot was foolish. Lot knew the cities would be destroyed; he believed the message of the angels. The next morning, the time had come for Sodom and Gomorrah to be annihilated.
With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished. (Genesis 19:15)
The angels exhort Lot to leave immediately with his family. However, Lot does not move quickly.
When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. (Genesis 19:16)
Here is the reason I believe God sent two angels to Sodom and Gomorrah. Only one angel was needed to destroy the cities, however, two angels were needed to grasp the hands of four people who were hesitating to leave the area. One angel took the hands of two people, the other angel grasped the hands of the remaining two. Together, the two angels pulled four people out of the cities marked for destruction. How merciful is our God!
Whatever difficult situation you or your family may be facing, the Lord already has a plan to send exactly what you need to “yank” the ones in need out of the situation. He is not short on resources or supplies. He does not need extra help. He has already determined what is needed to have a successful rescue plan. He will take us by the hand and save us from the situation even if we do not readily or speedily cooperate. He is so good to us!
Kevin and I walked through a season of loss after loss. I cried out to the Lord and He took me to a surprising place to find comfort.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:9-10)
Even in the perfection of heaven, there are prayers and questions concerning God’s timing. This realization brought great comfort to me. God completely understands our confusion about His decision on when He will answer prayers on earth.
We do not need to feel guilty in our cries of “how long” but we do need to think correctly about God’s character. The martyrs in these verses brought their question confidently before the Lord because they knew and trusted His character. God is sovereign, meaning He reigns over all. God is in charge. He is the Lord. He is the one who rules and reigns. God is holy. He is perfect, there is nothing that taints His character or diminishes His word. The Lord is true, there is nothing false in Him. Thus, He is completely trustworthy. Because the Lord is trustworthy, we can approach Him with our questions and know He will answer us.
Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, (Revelation 6:11a)
Even in heaven, a specific timetable to prayers is not always shared. However, the Lord gives each one of them a gift and encourages them to hold on for a “little longer”. God does not abandon us in our time of waiting, in our time of wandering when the answer to our prayer will finally come. God gives us good things in the meantime and encourages us to wait until the answer does manifest.
God is your comfort and strength in the waiting. He will bring you close. These precious martyred saints were under the altar, near the throne of God. Our pain and loss draw us near to the Lord. He is concerned for us. He understands the hurts of our hearts. God knows all you have been through. Hold on a little longer. The Lord will answer our prayers in His time, His perfect time, His undisclosed time to us and even to heaven, but known by Him. His day of deliverance is coming. Hold on.
I like the basic movie plot of the good guys win and the bad guys lose. I despise dramatic twists and turns that do not end up with the good guys on top. I hate when the movie character I like the best somehow dies saving others. I am not alright with that. I want all the good guys to have the happy ending and all the bad guys to face justice.
I think my good guy/bad guy movie ending struggles with a particular verse in Psalm 37:
…people succeed in their ways,
…they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7b)
What? Wicked schemes succeed? Evil plans prevail? God basically tells us to know that this will happen at times. It is not that the bad guys have a day in their favor, but they actually succeed! The enemy wins! I want to rewrite the script!
Yet, I know that we have all experienced this at times. There have been moments when evil won, the wicked got their way, the demons celebrated. We are left with the questions of why a good God allowed the bad guys to win. It leaves us feeling disappointed, disillusioned, and downcast.
The Lord knew there were times that this would happen in all of our lives. That is why He gave us a five-step process to help us in these times.
Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
(Psalm 37:7-8)
1. Be still
When evil attacks, we want to come up with our own plan of defense. Yet, we are told to be still. Rest. It is time to come before the Lord. Stop rehearsing the enemy’s attacks. Quit complaining and slipping into self-pity. Silence the negativity. Instead, sit before the Lord and focus on who He is. We are not to maneuver in our futile attempts to take care of ourselves. We are to invest our time with the only One who can truly help.
2. Wait patiently
We want things done on our timetable. We want resolutions now. We want the enemy destroyed in this instant. But the Lord tells us to wait. Hold on. His timing is His timing. This can only take place after we have been still before the Lord. It builds our trust in His character. Because we know that God is good, God is for us, and God loves us; we can wait on His timetable to intervene in our difficult situations.
3. Do not fret
Stop worrying for it enlarges the focus on the enemy and minimizes the focus on God. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord. That is why we are to be still and to wait patiently. Worrying will not alleviate our suffering. Instead, it consumes our time and energy rehearsing the “what ifs” of the situation.
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:27)
Worry does not add to life, but takes away. This is part of the enemy’s strategy. He already has attacked us with the situation. If we choose to worry about our circumstances, the enemy knows he can steal even more from us mentally, emotionally, and physically. This keeps us from our source of strength which is staying before the Lord. Worry puts the enemy’s situation before us instead. Stop the worry. We must refocus our minds and emotions on the Lord.
4. Refrain from anger
What happened was wrong. It was unjust. But the anger towards the situation does not change our circumstances. The anger depletes us and does not change the events. God is just. He knows what happened are “wicked schemes”. However, if we continue in our anger, we have the potential of doing evil ourselves and hurting others. The anger builds and often comes out in different ways, and sometimes erupts on others who are not even involved. Then the enemy receives more out of the situation than the original wrong because we stooped down to his wicked level. Refraining from anger protects us from contributing to even more evil.
5. Turn from wrath
When we do not refrain from anger, it will eventually grow into wrath. We want to punish those who have done wrong to us. We feel justified in our pain to harm others. However, wrath is never to be our response. We are not called to inflict our idea of justice.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
The only wrath allowed is God’s wrath. He is good, perfect, righteous, and true. Allow Him to judge. We are not called to be an instrument of His judgment. If we do, then we have sinned. Our sin has not made room for God’s wrath so the Lord will not intervene. It is when we obey and do what is right, then the Lord will move on our behalf.
For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. (Psalm 37:9)
When we are still, wait patiently, refuse to worry, refrain from anger, and turn from wrath; we demonstrate our hope in the Lord. God has promised that the evil will be destroyed and those who hope in Him will inherit the land.
Whatever difficult situation we are going through, we must hold onto this promise. God will act on our behalf. Evil will be dealt with. We will inherit the land. In other words, our situations will be worked for good and made right.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
God will work this for our good. Keep hoping in Him. His version of a “movie” ending is always God wins and the enemy is defeated! That is my kind of story!
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!
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.
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!
