November 27, 1998
“Pharaoh and his army drew near...the sons of Israel looked up...they were filled with fear and cried out to YHVH” (Ex,14:10).
Do you sometimes feel that the kingdom of “sin and death”, which ruled over you as a slave, is breathing down your neck again? You may feel that the ruler of this world and his armies are drawing ever nearer to you. At times like these we may wonder, Why did Elohim bother to take us out of Egypt in the first place? “Were there no graves in Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).
Is your personal situation and circumstance so trying, that you wish Elohim would just remove you from this life? “Oh Elohim, just take me back to Egypt, spare me of this wilderness trial, or please just whisk me off to the promised land!” Times like these enable us to better identify with our forefathers. They too, daily faced real life situations, which were loaded with real needs and fears. Elohim’s Word records these examples for us to learn from. They are a living blueprint and may serve as roadmaps for us as we learn to walk in faith. Even in life’s darkest valleys the still small voice of YHVH is always with us. However, we must still, read the Word, and pray if we are to hear these words of YHVH: “DO NOT FEAR! Stand by and see the salvation of YHVH which He will accomplish” (Ex. 14:13). “YHVH will fight for you while you keep silent” (v.14).
Oh yes, there are times for loud praises, crying out in praying or doing many exploits, but there is also a time for the Holy One of Israel to speak these words from the mouth of the prophet: “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isa.30:15). We have no choice, we cannot turn back. But, can we hear the voice of YHVH saying to us: “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward!” (Ex.14:15).
The words: “Fear not”. to include “Have no fear” occur over one hundred and seventy times in the scriptures. The only “fear” we are instructed to develop is the, “fear of YHVH”. With this perfect fear comes wisdom: “The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Pro. 9:10). Thus to know Him is perfect love “and there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
Ten of the twelve spies came back with an evil report and all of Israel was infected. This resultant fear made it necessary for all of Israel to wonder around in the desert for forty years. We must not let the fear of man deny us of our inheritance, nor to keep us out of Elohim's will. Interestingly the two leaders with the good report were, Caleb of the Tribe of Judah and Joshua the Ephramite. Let us today who are inheritors of the covenant promises be like Joshua and Caleb, a true Ephramite and Judahite, positive and fearless examples of leaders who can take that which Elohim is giving to us. Even Caleb who had served YHVH fourty-five years and was at the youthful age of eighty-five said these words “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me, as my strength was then so my strength is now for war and for going out and coming in. Now then give me this hill country about which YHVH spoke...” (Jos. 14:11-12)! Come let us be those watchmen on the hills of Ephraim who call out “Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim” (Jer 31:6). Therefore, just as Joshua was an Ephramite let us also remember these words that were spoken to him: “Be strong and courageous! Do not fear, tremble or be dismayed, for YHVH your Elohim is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).
“Is not Ephraim my dear son? I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. I will gather you from the remotest parts of the earth, with weeping you shall come, with supplication I will lead you; a great company you shall return here (to the land). For YHVH has ransomed you, and redeemed you from the hand that was stronger than you (remember Pharaoh and his army?)...You shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion (Elohim’s resting place), you shall be radiant over the goodness of YHVH... Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your heart to the highway, the way by which you went and return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities” (from Jer.31).
“Therefore behold days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them. For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers” (Jer.16:14-15).
“In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel (Ephraim) and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their fathers as an inheritance” (Jer. 3:18).
Ephraim
“Pharaoh and his army drew near...the sons of Israel looked up...they were filled with fear and cried out to YHVH” (Ex,14:10).
Do you sometimes feel that the kingdom of “sin and death”, which ruled over you as a slave, is breathing down your neck again? You may feel that the ruler of this world and his armies are drawing ever nearer to you. At times like these we may wonder, Why did Elohim bother to take us out of Egypt in the first place? “Were there no graves in Egypt?” (Exodus 14:11).
Is your personal situation and circumstance so trying, that you wish Elohim would just remove you from this life? “Oh Elohim, just take me back to Egypt, spare me of this wilderness trial, or please just whisk me off to the promised land!” Times like these enable us to better identify with our forefathers. They too, daily faced real life situations, which were loaded with real needs and fears. Elohim’s Word records these examples for us to learn from. They are a living blueprint and may serve as roadmaps for us as we learn to walk in faith. Even in life’s darkest valleys the still small voice of YHVH is always with us. However, we must still, read the Word, and pray if we are to hear these words of YHVH: “DO NOT FEAR! Stand by and see the salvation of YHVH which He will accomplish” (Ex. 14:13). “YHVH will fight for you while you keep silent” (v.14).
Oh yes, there are times for loud praises, crying out in praying or doing many exploits, but there is also a time for the Holy One of Israel to speak these words from the mouth of the prophet: “In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength” (Isa.30:15). We have no choice, we cannot turn back. But, can we hear the voice of YHVH saying to us: “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward!” (Ex.14:15).
The words: “Fear not”. to include “Have no fear” occur over one hundred and seventy times in the scriptures. The only “fear” we are instructed to develop is the, “fear of YHVH”. With this perfect fear comes wisdom: “The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Pro. 9:10). Thus to know Him is perfect love “and there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
Ten of the twelve spies came back with an evil report and all of Israel was infected. This resultant fear made it necessary for all of Israel to wonder around in the desert for forty years. We must not let the fear of man deny us of our inheritance, nor to keep us out of Elohim's will. Interestingly the two leaders with the good report were, Caleb of the Tribe of Judah and Joshua the Ephramite. Let us today who are inheritors of the covenant promises be like Joshua and Caleb, a true Ephramite and Judahite, positive and fearless examples of leaders who can take that which Elohim is giving to us. Even Caleb who had served YHVH fourty-five years and was at the youthful age of eighty-five said these words “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me, as my strength was then so my strength is now for war and for going out and coming in. Now then give me this hill country about which YHVH spoke...” (Jos. 14:11-12)! Come let us be those watchmen on the hills of Ephraim who call out “Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to YHVH our Elohim” (Jer 31:6). Therefore, just as Joshua was an Ephramite let us also remember these words that were spoken to him: “Be strong and courageous! Do not fear, tremble or be dismayed, for YHVH your Elohim is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).
“Is not Ephraim my dear son? I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. I will gather you from the remotest parts of the earth, with weeping you shall come, with supplication I will lead you; a great company you shall return here (to the land). For YHVH has ransomed you, and redeemed you from the hand that was stronger than you (remember Pharaoh and his army?)...You shall come and shout for joy on the height of Zion (Elohim’s resting place), you shall be radiant over the goodness of YHVH... Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your heart to the highway, the way by which you went and return, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities” (from Jer.31).
“Therefore behold days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but ‘As YHVH lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them. For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers” (Jer.16:14-15).
“In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel (Ephraim) and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their fathers as an inheritance” (Jer. 3:18).
Ephraim
No comments:
Post a Comment