When God Suspends the Rules - Part 2
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
This is Part 2 of our messages on "When God Suspends the Rules." In Part 1 we shared about the Master Key, which is the Lord Jesus Himself. Then we described some events in the life of Abraham when God suspended the rules. In this message, we will look at some events in the life of Enoch, Moses, Ruth, and the three young Hebrew men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, companions of Daniel.
In only ten verses, Scripture sets forth the brief biography of the Old Testament saint named Enoch, which means "dedicated." Enoch certainly was dedicated to God!
God wanted to attract the attention of Moses, which He did through a burning bush, and Moses turned aside to see that great sight. After forty years in the desert, Moses was eager to see something out of the ordinary. His hopes had long since died, but now God would resurrect His word within and through Moses. If we turn aside from our earthly attentions, we will likewise hear the Master's voice.
How can a bush be burned with fire and not be consumed? only if God suspends the rules. We must always remember, however, that the fire of God is no ordinary fire. It was God's time to send forth Moses to be a deliverer of His people. After 400 years of bondage in Egypt, the Israelites finally cried out to God (Exodus 2:23). They were ready to be delivered!
It is the same today! We believers today groan to be delivered or redeemed from our many bondages, particularly the bondage of our physical bodies, so that we can walk in the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8:22-23). Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 6 through 16, have not yet been fulfilled. Those verses say that the Lord is going to bring His chosen people of today out of all of the bondages of the world.
Why did God suspend the rules in parting the Red Sea? for several reasons. The Israelites were God's chosen people. God's great love, grace, and mercy for His chosen people was demonstrated when he saved the Israelites from the Egyptians. In addition, as Verse 31 states, through this miracle, Israel SAW, with their natural eyes, the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. Thus the eyes of the people had been turned in the Godly direction.
That verse seems to imply that eating twice a day, rather than our traditional three, seems to have been the Lord's original intent for us after the fall of man. Obesity is common, serious, and costly. The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million of United States adults in 2015-2016. Obesity-related conditions are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
Why did God suspend the rules by raining down manna from heaven upon the Israelites for forty years? "so that they might know that the Lord is God." He is able to provide for all of the needs of our body. In addition, He wanted to prove them, whether they would walk in His ways and obey Him without murmuring and complaining. The sending of manna for forty years signifies the faithfulness of God in His sending of spiritual manna to us ... a pouring forth of revelation knowledge about the Word of God, wherever we are, whatever our circumstances.
An omer is about two quarts. Note that each man was to gather the manna each day for himself and for his household. It was never the Lord's intent that we should be spoon-fed the word of God through another person. Nevertheless, the grace of God extends to us on many levels!
John is not saying there is no such ministry as that of a teacher, as clearly stated in Ephesians 4:11. We believe that John is saying that only the Holy Spirit reveals to all saints the nature of Jesus Christ. Man may speak the words, but it is the Holy Spirit who abides within us who is the actual Teacher. Jesus said, in
Why did God suspend the rules in allowing water to come forth from the rock? to show the Israelites that He was their Provider. He is able to provide a table in the wilderness. When water came forth from the rock that was struck, it was prophetic of the water of life coming forth from our Rock, Jesus, after He was smitten at Calvary. Remember the song ... There's a river of life flowing out through me ... ?
After the rebellion of Korah and his men, the Lord told Moses to set up a test so that no one could question the authority given to Moses and Aaron.
God suspended the rules in those verses to prove to the Israelites exactly who He had set in authority over them. God was emphasizing that He had ordained apostolic authority (Ephesians 4:11) and that it is God, Himself, who gives that authority to men. There is nothing harsh, demanding, or overbearing about true apostolic authority. But it IS true that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. Ephesians 2:20
All of the times when God suspended the rules through Moses, could rightly be called miracles. They defied all natural laws. In addition, these are ALL given as examples to us upon whom the end of the ages has come. Each of the supernatural miracles has a spiritual counterpart and prophetic significance for us today.
It seems that the overriding characteristic of Moses was obedience. Moreover, Moses had a real zeal for God's people, even though they were stiff-necked and murmured and complained. In every case (except one) he did only that which the Lord told him to do. In addition, Moses had a zeal and compassion for God's people. Moses was a real intercessor who was prepared in his heart to be blotted out of God's book of life if that would save the people. Who among us can truthfully say, "Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin —; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which Thou hast written." Exodus 32:32
That verse reveals the deep intercessory nature of Moses, who was willing in his heart to die for the people. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. That was fulfilled by Jesus at Calvary for you and me and all born from above believers. In like manner we must lay aside all of our natural aspirations that the will of the Lord may be done within us and through us.
Matthew, Chapter 1, and Luke, Chapter 3, both list the "genealogy of Jesus." The list given by Luke is more complete and goes back to Adam. Matthew mentions four women in his genealogy. Two of those women, Rahab and Ruth, are mentioned in verse 5, of Luke, chapter 1. Note that Jesus was not ashamed to have a former harlot, Rahab, listed in His genealogy. The other two women mentioned are Tamar and Bathsheba. It is worthwhile to review the lives of all four of these women to try to see the spiritual significance for us today. This word will look only at Ruth.
We all know the story of Ruth. Ruth was a virtuous woman who was characterized by her faithfulness to Naomi.
From those verses, we see that Rahab, the harlot, was the mother of Boaz and Ruth was the great grandmother of David. Ruth was a Moabite woman (Ruth 1:4). Marriage with Moabite women was not forbidden, although, from
Here is another case where God suspended the rules! He allowed the offspring of a Moabite woman to be in the kingly line of David. Further, Ruth is in the genealogy of Jesus! Moreover, David was certainly long before the tenth generation; and by law David could not even enter into the congregation of the Lord!
Naomi's husband, Mahlon (which means "weakling" or "sickly"), the elder son of Elimelech (which means "God is King"), died in Moab. After the death of Elimelech and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, returned to her original home in Judah.
Orpah, the sister of Ruth, stayed in Moab, but Ruth said to her mother Naomi, in
A kinsman was a sign of hope. A kinsman was a relative and could redeem (purchase) someone from widowhood. Boaz means "in Him is strength." Boaz recognized that there was a kinsman nearer than himself to Elimelech, and so Boaz told Ruth that if the nearer kinsman would not perform the kinsman's part, then Boaz, himself, would do so (Ruth 3:13).
When Boaz asked the nearer kinsman whether he would redeem the parcel of land from Naomi which had belonged to Elimelech, the nearer kinsman replied, "I will redeem it" (Ruth 4:4). Then Boaz said, "by the way, when you buy the field from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth to raise up the name of the dead [Elimelech] upon his inheritance" (Ruth 4:5). At that point, the nearer kinsman said, "Oh, in that case I better pass."
Have you ever wondered what the kinsman had in his own inheritance that would interfere with him buying the field of Elimelech and marrying Ruth? What would prohibit such a transaction? The Bible is silent, so we are left to our own imagination. In his mind, he probably made up excuses as to why he did not want to marry Ruth. He also thought that some other things in his life were more important than marrying a Moabite woman. The following two sets of verses illustrate those who have other things in their life which might mar their inheritance.
Perhaps Ruth was not beautiful in the natural realm so the kinsman was not attracted to her physically. However, Ruth was certainly a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11). Perhaps the near kinsman was aware of the law, given in Deuteronomy 23:3, and was afraid that his posterity would be cut off from the congregation of the Lord. Perhaps he feared that if he had a son by Ruth and if that son was the only surviving heir, his own property would transfer to the family of Elimelech. In that case, his risk was no greater, if as great, than that assumed by Boaz, particularly since Boaz was a mighty man of wealth (Ruth 2:1). Boaz clearly was not thinking about any financial loss. On the contrary, Boaz exhibited great kindness and generosity toward the two widows, Naomi and Ruth.
A good question is whether there are Christians today who are forced into the same position as that nearer kinsman who turned down the opportunity to buy Naomi's land and marry Ruth. What did that nearer kinsman miss? He lost the opportunity to be in the direct line of Jesus. He also lost the opportunity to be the great grandfather of David. I am sure that he never knew what he had missed. I am not too concerned with what I have done in the past because the forgiveness of Jesus takes care of all of that. I am more concerned with what I may have missed of the will of God. David asked the Lord to cleanse him of secret faults.
How many genuine believers find themselves in a similar situation as the nearer kinsman? How many pastors are willing to compromise what may well be a fresh revelation from the Lord in exchange for popularity with men, more money, a larger congregation, or some other form of natural reward? Unfortunately, I believe the answer is ... too many. Even ONE is too many!
On Sunday morning, March 26, 2008, I heard a word from the Lord. The word was that far too many of those called to leadership positions in the Church are trying to lay hold of more of the Lord but still try to fit Him into their own molds, formats, traditions, and programs. Then we ask the Lord to bless our "improved" programs. Such will never happen. The Lord will not allow it! The ONLY program that the Lord will bless is His program, as led by the Holy Ghost!
Any time I see a church which follows the exact same format, week after week, I wonder why. There are few things that will quench the Spirit in a church more than falling into a traditional rut. Any time that anyone knows exactly what will happen next in a church service, that church is missing out! There is no room for the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit to operate. Moses said to Pharaoh, in
The three men of God answered the king, in
Note that the three Hebrews bragged on God in verses 17 and 18. We are not to brag on ourselves, but it pleases the Lord when we brag or boast about Him! That is certainly part of the key that unlocks the blessings of heaven.
A very significant, implied truth from this account concerning those three servants of God is the fact that all three of them were in total and perfect agreement about their course of action in response to king Nebuchadnezzar's threats to kill them if they did not obey him. Furthermore, the three servants of God did not have to "talk it over;" they did not "vote" with the majority winning; neither did they hesitate to give their answer. Although undoubtedly only one of the three voiced their answer to the king (in Daniel 3:16-18), the one speaker spoke for all of them. That is somewhat amazing!
Those three men reflected the same unity of spirit as existed many years later in the very early Church as recorded in the book of Acts right after the day of Pentecost.
Nebuchadnezzar was one of the eleven rulers or kings in Scripture who not only rejected the word of the Lord through a messenger sent by God, but also got furiously angry at the messenger. Although Nebuchadnezzar temporarily repented (Daniel 3:28-29), in the final analysis he became mad because of his pride.
We all know the story. The flame of the fire slew the king's mighty men who cast the three servants of God into the furnace. But the Lord was waiting in the fiery furnace for the three servants of God. The three men of God fell down into the midst of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:23), but they fell right into the arms of the Lord, who protected them from any and all harm. The fire of man had no power over the bodies of the three men of God, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them (Daniel 3:27). "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29). God's consuming fire consumed the natural fire!
Why did God suspend the rules with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? Part of the answer is because they obeyed the word of God and not the word of the king. They obeyed the first three of the ten commandments, as written in Exodus 20:3-5, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image ... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."
God certainly used this event to display His glory and power to a heathen king, who recognized God's power and glory even though he did not understand how or from whence it came. Nebuchadnezzar recognized that "there is no other God that can deliver after this sort" (Daniel 3:29). In addition, because there were three of them, not two or four or some other number, we believe that this story also conveys another example of resurrection truth.
Are we content with where we and our local church are spiritually? Are we happy with our current level of blessings? Are we stuck in the traditions of men? Do we even know whether or not we are stuck? If we feel that we are stuck, do we want to move forward? Do we want the best that God has to offer? Are we willing to pay any price to lay hold of God's best? Paul told Timothy, in 2 Timothy 1:6 to "stir up the gift that is within you." He said, "you do it." By the grace of God may we all stir up the gift that is within us.
May we all, as Paul prayed in Acts 20, complete our course with joy that the Lord might be satisfied and glorified. Amen and amen.
In only ten verses, Scripture sets forth the brief biography of the Old Testament saint named Enoch, which means "dedicated." Enoch certainly was dedicated to God!
Genesis 5:18-24, "And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."
What would it have been like to have walked behind God and Enoch and listened to their conversation? We know nothing about the profession or education of Enoch, whether he was rich or poor, nothing about his personal appearance or his natural strength. All we know about Enoch from the Book of Genesis is that he lived a holy life on this earth for 365 years until the Lord translated him, forever to be with the Lord! One day he was; the next day he was not, for the Lord took him. His friends and family must have wondered what happened to him! This signifies that our walk with the Lord must be a daily walk and a constant walk every day of the year. At 365 years of age ... a year for every day of our year ... God took His servant directly to heaven. Of the billions of people who have lived on earth, only two never physically died ... Enoch and Elijah!
Enoch enjoyed close communion with God. He walked with God. We know from Amos 3:3, that "two cannot walk together unless they be agreed," so Enoch knew the peace that passes all understanding. He did not walk in the way of sinners. Jude also tells us a little about the ministry of Enoch.
Enoch enjoyed close communion with God. He walked with God. We know from Amos 3:3, that "two cannot walk together unless they be agreed," so Enoch knew the peace that passes all understanding. He did not walk in the way of sinners. Jude also tells us a little about the ministry of Enoch.
Jude 14-15, "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Enoch functioned as a prophet. He declared God's just judgment upon the unrighteous of all time. But he prophesied even more by his life ... his character and his conduct. The only other significant reference to Enoch is in
Hebrews 11:5, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."
Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say that "without faith it is impossible to please Him." Therefore, we can conclude that Enoch was indeed a great man of faith.
God suspended the rules in the life of Enoch in that Enoch never tasted physical death. Why did God suspend the rules? The only answer we can get directly from the scriptures is because he walked with God, and he pleased God. There is no greater work than to walk with God daily.
Now we will consider Moses. Like David and Amos, Moses was called from tending the flock to be a shepherd of God's people.
God suspended the rules in the life of Enoch in that Enoch never tasted physical death. Why did God suspend the rules? The only answer we can get directly from the scriptures is because he walked with God, and he pleased God. There is no greater work than to walk with God daily.
Now we will consider Moses. Like David and Amos, Moses was called from tending the flock to be a shepherd of God's people.
Exodus 3:1-10,
1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And He said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 Moreover He said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
[Note, in verse 8, the six heathen tribes in the promised land. Six is the number of man or flesh. We are to be in the world but not of the world. In Luke 19, verse 13, Jesus in a parable told His servants to "occupy til He comes." Continuing in Exodus 3 ...]
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
God wanted to attract the attention of Moses, which He did through a burning bush, and Moses turned aside to see that great sight. After forty years in the desert, Moses was eager to see something out of the ordinary. His hopes had long since died, but now God would resurrect His word within and through Moses. If we turn aside from our earthly attentions, we will likewise hear the Master's voice.
How can a bush be burned with fire and not be consumed? only if God suspends the rules. We must always remember, however, that the fire of God is no ordinary fire. It was God's time to send forth Moses to be a deliverer of His people. After 400 years of bondage in Egypt, the Israelites finally cried out to God (Exodus 2:23). They were ready to be delivered!
It is the same today! We believers today groan to be delivered or redeemed from our many bondages, particularly the bondage of our physical bodies, so that we can walk in the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8:22-23). Isaiah, chapter 11, verses 6 through 16, have not yet been fulfilled. Those verses say that the Lord is going to bring His chosen people of today out of all of the bondages of the world.
Exodus 14:21-31,21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them in the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and His servant Moses.
Why did God suspend the rules in parting the Red Sea? for several reasons. The Israelites were God's chosen people. God's great love, grace, and mercy for His chosen people was demonstrated when he saved the Israelites from the Egyptians. In addition, as Verse 31 states, through this miracle, Israel SAW, with their natural eyes, the great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. Thus the eyes of the people had been turned in the Godly direction.
Exodus 16, verse 12, "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God."
That verse seems to imply that eating twice a day, rather than our traditional three, seems to have been the Lord's original intent for us after the fall of man. Obesity is common, serious, and costly. The prevalence of obesity was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million of United States adults in 2015-2016. Obesity-related conditions are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death.
Why did God suspend the rules by raining down manna from heaven upon the Israelites for forty years? "so that they might know that the Lord is God." He is able to provide for all of the needs of our body. In addition, He wanted to prove them, whether they would walk in His ways and obey Him without murmuring and complaining. The sending of manna for forty years signifies the faithfulness of God in His sending of spiritual manna to us ... a pouring forth of revelation knowledge about the Word of God, wherever we are, whatever our circumstances.
Back to Exodus 16:13-16,13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
An omer is about two quarts. Note that each man was to gather the manna each day for himself and for his household. It was never the Lord's intent that we should be spoon-fed the word of God through another person. Nevertheless, the grace of God extends to us on many levels!
1 John 2:27, "But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him."
John is not saying there is no such ministry as that of a teacher, as clearly stated in Ephesians 4:11. We believe that John is saying that only the Holy Spirit reveals to all saints the nature of Jesus Christ. Man may speak the words, but it is the Holy Spirit who abides within us who is the actual Teacher. Jesus said, in
John 14:26, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Back to Exodus, chapter 16, verses 17-31.17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which you will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a sabbath unto the Lord: today ye shall not find it in the field.26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.30 So the people rested on the seventh day.31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
Exodus 17:5-6, "And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel."
Why did God suspend the rules in allowing water to come forth from the rock? to show the Israelites that He was their Provider. He is able to provide a table in the wilderness. When water came forth from the rock that was struck, it was prophetic of the water of life coming forth from our Rock, Jesus, after He was smitten at Calvary. Remember the song ... There's a river of life flowing out through me ... ?
After the rebellion of Korah and his men, the Lord told Moses to set up a test so that no one could question the authority given to Moses and Aaron.
Numbers 17:1-11,1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod.3 And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.4 And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the Testimony, where I will meet with you.5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you.6 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among the rods.7 And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of Witness.8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of Witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the Testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not.11 And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded him, so did he.
God suspended the rules in those verses to prove to the Israelites exactly who He had set in authority over them. God was emphasizing that He had ordained apostolic authority (Ephesians 4:11) and that it is God, Himself, who gives that authority to men. There is nothing harsh, demanding, or overbearing about true apostolic authority. But it IS true that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. Ephesians 2:20
All of the times when God suspended the rules through Moses, could rightly be called miracles. They defied all natural laws. In addition, these are ALL given as examples to us upon whom the end of the ages has come. Each of the supernatural miracles has a spiritual counterpart and prophetic significance for us today.
It seems that the overriding characteristic of Moses was obedience. Moreover, Moses had a real zeal for God's people, even though they were stiff-necked and murmured and complained. In every case (except one) he did only that which the Lord told him to do. In addition, Moses had a zeal and compassion for God's people. Moses was a real intercessor who was prepared in his heart to be blotted out of God's book of life if that would save the people. Who among us can truthfully say, "Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin —; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which Thou hast written." Exodus 32:32
That verse reveals the deep intercessory nature of Moses, who was willing in his heart to die for the people. Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. That was fulfilled by Jesus at Calvary for you and me and all born from above believers. In like manner we must lay aside all of our natural aspirations that the will of the Lord may be done within us and through us.
Matthew, Chapter 1, and Luke, Chapter 3, both list the "genealogy of Jesus." The list given by Luke is more complete and goes back to Adam. Matthew mentions four women in his genealogy. Two of those women, Rahab and Ruth, are mentioned in verse 5, of Luke, chapter 1. Note that Jesus was not ashamed to have a former harlot, Rahab, listed in His genealogy. The other two women mentioned are Tamar and Bathsheba. It is worthwhile to review the lives of all four of these women to try to see the spiritual significance for us today. This word will look only at Ruth.
We all know the story of Ruth. Ruth was a virtuous woman who was characterized by her faithfulness to Naomi.
Matthew 1:5-6a, "And Salmon begat Booz [Boaz] of Rachab [Rahab]; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king;"
From those verses, we see that Rahab, the harlot, was the mother of Boaz and Ruth was the great grandmother of David. Ruth was a Moabite woman (Ruth 1:4). Marriage with Moabite women was not forbidden, although, from
Deuteronomy 23:3, "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever."
Here is another case where God suspended the rules! He allowed the offspring of a Moabite woman to be in the kingly line of David. Further, Ruth is in the genealogy of Jesus! Moreover, David was certainly long before the tenth generation; and by law David could not even enter into the congregation of the Lord!
Naomi's husband, Mahlon (which means "weakling" or "sickly"), the elder son of Elimelech (which means "God is King"), died in Moab. After the death of Elimelech and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, returned to her original home in Judah.
Orpah, the sister of Ruth, stayed in Moab, but Ruth said to her mother Naomi, in
Ruth 1:16, "Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
Ruth, a Gentile, swears her commitment to Naomi in the name of Israel's God, thus acknowledging Him as her God.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. Ruth 2:1
A kinsman was a sign of hope. A kinsman was a relative and could redeem (purchase) someone from widowhood. Boaz means "in Him is strength." Boaz recognized that there was a kinsman nearer than himself to Elimelech, and so Boaz told Ruth that if the nearer kinsman would not perform the kinsman's part, then Boaz, himself, would do so (Ruth 3:13).
When Boaz asked the nearer kinsman whether he would redeem the parcel of land from Naomi which had belonged to Elimelech, the nearer kinsman replied, "I will redeem it" (Ruth 4:4). Then Boaz said, "by the way, when you buy the field from Naomi, you must also marry Ruth to raise up the name of the dead [Elimelech] upon his inheritance" (Ruth 4:5). At that point, the nearer kinsman said, "Oh, in that case I better pass."
"And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it." Ruth 4:6
Have you ever wondered what the kinsman had in his own inheritance that would interfere with him buying the field of Elimelech and marrying Ruth? What would prohibit such a transaction? The Bible is silent, so we are left to our own imagination. In his mind, he probably made up excuses as to why he did not want to marry Ruth. He also thought that some other things in his life were more important than marrying a Moabite woman. The following two sets of verses illustrate those who have other things in their life which might mar their inheritance.
Luke 9:57-62, "And it came to pass that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto Him, Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head. And He said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go and bid them farewell, which are at home in my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 14:15-24, "And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. Then said He unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many. And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
Perhaps Ruth was not beautiful in the natural realm so the kinsman was not attracted to her physically. However, Ruth was certainly a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11). Perhaps the near kinsman was aware of the law, given in Deuteronomy 23:3, and was afraid that his posterity would be cut off from the congregation of the Lord. Perhaps he feared that if he had a son by Ruth and if that son was the only surviving heir, his own property would transfer to the family of Elimelech. In that case, his risk was no greater, if as great, than that assumed by Boaz, particularly since Boaz was a mighty man of wealth (Ruth 2:1). Boaz clearly was not thinking about any financial loss. On the contrary, Boaz exhibited great kindness and generosity toward the two widows, Naomi and Ruth.
A good question is whether there are Christians today who are forced into the same position as that nearer kinsman who turned down the opportunity to buy Naomi's land and marry Ruth. What did that nearer kinsman miss? He lost the opportunity to be in the direct line of Jesus. He also lost the opportunity to be the great grandfather of David. I am sure that he never knew what he had missed. I am not too concerned with what I have done in the past because the forgiveness of Jesus takes care of all of that. I am more concerned with what I may have missed of the will of God. David asked the Lord to cleanse him of secret faults.
How many genuine believers find themselves in a similar situation as the nearer kinsman? How many pastors are willing to compromise what may well be a fresh revelation from the Lord in exchange for popularity with men, more money, a larger congregation, or some other form of natural reward? Unfortunately, I believe the answer is ... too many. Even ONE is too many!
On Sunday morning, March 26, 2008, I heard a word from the Lord. The word was that far too many of those called to leadership positions in the Church are trying to lay hold of more of the Lord but still try to fit Him into their own molds, formats, traditions, and programs. Then we ask the Lord to bless our "improved" programs. Such will never happen. The Lord will not allow it! The ONLY program that the Lord will bless is His program, as led by the Holy Ghost!
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10
Any time I see a church which follows the exact same format, week after week, I wonder why. There are few things that will quench the Spirit in a church more than falling into a traditional rut. Any time that anyone knows exactly what will happen next in a church service, that church is missing out! There is no room for the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit to operate. Moses said to Pharaoh, in
Deuteronomy 10:26, "Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither."
We need to be able to suspend our own rules!
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
Who remembers Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? Probably not too many of us! But those were the real names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (which were the names given to them by the Babylonian prince of the eunuchs). Do you think it is strange that we would remember the Babylonian names but not the names given to them by the Lord?
Hananiah means Jehovah is gracious, but his Babylonian name of Shadrach means decree of moon-god. Mishael means who is what God is, but his Babylonian name of Meshach means agile or expeditious. Azariah means Jehovah is my keeper, but his Babylonian name of Abed-nego means servant of Nebo.
Thank God that these three servants of God lived up to their real names, not the Babylonian names! The adversary tried, by giving them false names, to change their identity and destiny, but that subtle, wicked plan failed to materialize. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, trusted and obeyed the Lord, even if it meant their death. Like Job, they said, by their words and actions, "Though He slay me, yet will we trust in Him." They were not concerned so much for themselves; rather, they were focused on pleasing God!
Everyone is familiar with the marvelous story of these three extraordinary men of God. Certainly, their story, as recorded in Daniel 3, was a momentous time when God suspended the rules. Natural fire burns wood, clothing and people, but the fire of God is able not only to consume the fire of man but also to protect the servants of God. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
Who remembers Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? Probably not too many of us! But those were the real names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (which were the names given to them by the Babylonian prince of the eunuchs). Do you think it is strange that we would remember the Babylonian names but not the names given to them by the Lord?
Hananiah means Jehovah is gracious, but his Babylonian name of Shadrach means decree of moon-god. Mishael means who is what God is, but his Babylonian name of Meshach means agile or expeditious. Azariah means Jehovah is my keeper, but his Babylonian name of Abed-nego means servant of Nebo.
Thank God that these three servants of God lived up to their real names, not the Babylonian names! The adversary tried, by giving them false names, to change their identity and destiny, but that subtle, wicked plan failed to materialize. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, trusted and obeyed the Lord, even if it meant their death. Like Job, they said, by their words and actions, "Though He slay me, yet will we trust in Him." They were not concerned so much for themselves; rather, they were focused on pleasing God!
Everyone is familiar with the marvelous story of these three extraordinary men of God. Certainly, their story, as recorded in Daniel 3, was a momentous time when God suspended the rules. Natural fire burns wood, clothing and people, but the fire of God is able not only to consume the fire of man but also to protect the servants of God. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is
Zechariah 2:5, "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her [spiritual Jerusalem] a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her."
Many years ago I experienced that wall of fire surrounding me to shield me from the forces of darkness. That wall of fire was so real I could almost touch it. Long story.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had set up a golden image and decreed that at the sound of the various musical instruments everyone should fall down and worship that golden image. He further decreed that anyone who did not fall down and worship would be cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused, although they did not make a public display of their refusal. Nevertheless, some Chaldeans told king Nebuchadnezzar that the three men "have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:12b).
This enraged Nebuchadnezzar, who called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and gave them one more chance to worship the image. He also warned them that if they refused,
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had set up a golden image and decreed that at the sound of the various musical instruments everyone should fall down and worship that golden image. He further decreed that anyone who did not fall down and worship would be cast into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refused, although they did not make a public display of their refusal. Nevertheless, some Chaldeans told king Nebuchadnezzar that the three men "have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:12b).
This enraged Nebuchadnezzar, who called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and gave them one more chance to worship the image. He also warned them that if they refused,
"ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Daniel 3:15b
The three men of God answered the king, in
Daniel 3:16-18, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."
Note that the three Hebrews bragged on God in verses 17 and 18. We are not to brag on ourselves, but it pleases the Lord when we brag or boast about Him! That is certainly part of the key that unlocks the blessings of heaven.
In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Psalm 44:8
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. Psalm 34:2
A very significant, implied truth from this account concerning those three servants of God is the fact that all three of them were in total and perfect agreement about their course of action in response to king Nebuchadnezzar's threats to kill them if they did not obey him. Furthermore, the three servants of God did not have to "talk it over;" they did not "vote" with the majority winning; neither did they hesitate to give their answer. Although undoubtedly only one of the three voiced their answer to the king (in Daniel 3:16-18), the one speaker spoke for all of them. That is somewhat amazing!
Those three men reflected the same unity of spirit as existed many years later in the very early Church as recorded in the book of Acts right after the day of Pentecost.
Daniel 3:19-23, "Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then those men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace."
Nebuchadnezzar was one of the eleven rulers or kings in Scripture who not only rejected the word of the Lord through a messenger sent by God, but also got furiously angry at the messenger. Although Nebuchadnezzar temporarily repented (Daniel 3:28-29), in the final analysis he became mad because of his pride.
We all know the story. The flame of the fire slew the king's mighty men who cast the three servants of God into the furnace. But the Lord was waiting in the fiery furnace for the three servants of God. The three men of God fell down into the midst of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:23), but they fell right into the arms of the Lord, who protected them from any and all harm. The fire of man had no power over the bodies of the three men of God, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them (Daniel 3:27). "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29). God's consuming fire consumed the natural fire!
Why did God suspend the rules with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? Part of the answer is because they obeyed the word of God and not the word of the king. They obeyed the first three of the ten commandments, as written in Exodus 20:3-5, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image ... Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God."
God certainly used this event to display His glory and power to a heathen king, who recognized God's power and glory even though he did not understand how or from whence it came. Nebuchadnezzar recognized that "there is no other God that can deliver after this sort" (Daniel 3:29). In addition, because there were three of them, not two or four or some other number, we believe that this story also conveys another example of resurrection truth.
Are we content with where we and our local church are spiritually? Are we happy with our current level of blessings? Are we stuck in the traditions of men? Do we even know whether or not we are stuck? If we feel that we are stuck, do we want to move forward? Do we want the best that God has to offer? Are we willing to pay any price to lay hold of God's best? Paul told Timothy, in 2 Timothy 1:6 to "stir up the gift that is within you." He said, "you do it." By the grace of God may we all stir up the gift that is within us.
Hosea 6:1-3, "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth."
May we all, as Paul prayed in Acts 20, complete our course with joy that the Lord might be satisfied and glorified. Amen and amen.
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