Tag: God the Father

46.e. “Wilderness” – 10.k. “So shall they put my name upon the people”

 

Num 6:27  “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

 2 Chronicles 7:14   if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

 Isaiah 43:7    everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

 Jeremiah 14:9    Why should you be like a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save? Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us.”

 Daniel 9:18-19    O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”

 Numbers 23:20    Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

 Psalms 5:12   For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield.

 Psalms 115:13    he will bless those who fear the LORD, both the small and the great.

 Ephesians 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Aaron was commanded to pronounce this blessing over the people of Israel – not over the other nations. Though God blesses all mankind, there is a definite and strong sense in which He has blessing only for His people. We have to join ourselves to Him to gain that blessing. To be blessed by God is to have His name on you – to be identified with who He is and all His nature. This was a great gift, to have God’s name upon us. (Guzik)

 “When God saith, ‘I will,’ all the devils in hell cannot turn aside the blessing, and all the ages of eternity cannot change the King’s word. The Lord has blessed his people, and he would have them know it. He has blessed them with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and it is his wish that they should experience the fullness of this blessedness. Are any of the Lord’s people without a sense of this blessing? It is not the will of God that you should continue in this low condition.” (Spurgeon)

I will bless them; really and truly bless them bless them with blessings indeed; with all sorts of blessings temporal and spiritual; with solid and substantial ones; and such are blessed, and will remain so, these blessings are irrevocable and irreversible. Unless the Lord blesses, the blessings are in vain. (Gill)

How is a person to receive blessings from the Lord when their heart and mind are fixed on things of this world? Doesn’t God’s Word say that He will turn His face from those who harden their hearts and minds? How many seek the blessing from God but are only giving Him lip service and their hearts and minds are far from desiring to honor and glorify Jesus Christ? 

Sometimes God’s blessings are tangible; jobs, financial, relational, and material, but I can think of no greater blessing God can give to man than wisdom and understanding of who He is and His holiness, grace, and mercy in the light of our sin and sinfulness.

43.p. “Wilderness” – 7.w. Sojourner, widow, and Orphan

 

Exodus 22:21  “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.  If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,  and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

 Leviticus 19:33    “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.

 Deuteronomy 10:19   Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

 Jeremiah 22:3   Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

 Malachi 3:5   “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

 Deuteronomy 10:18     He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

 Isaiah 1:17   learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

 Zechariah 7:10   do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

 James 1:27     Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Governments have the right and responsibility to control borders and immigration; yet there is no doubt of the individual’s responsibility to neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him.  It is fair to examine how accommodating we are to the strangers among us. The widow and fatherless child were the weakest and most vulnerable members of society. In an unrestrained, survival-of-the-fittest society, they would be the first to suffer abuse and destruction. (Guzik)

The laws against oppression with three crimes of the deepest dye seems intended to indicate that oppression is among the sins which are most hateful in God’s sight. The lawgiver, however, does not say that it is to be punished capitally, nor, indeed, does he affix to it any legal penalty. Instead of so doing, he declares that God Himself will punish it “with the sword”. (Ellicott)

Ye shall not afflict the widow, or fatherless child — That is, ye shall comfort and assist them, and be ready upon all occasions to show them kindness. In making just demands from them, their condition must be considered who have lost those that should protect them; and no advantage must be taken against them, nor any hardship put upon them, which a husband or a father would have sheltered them from. (Benson)

It is good for us to take heed of these words from God. All we have has been given to us by God. Oh, that our hearts and minds would be sensitive to the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit leading us to show God’s grace, mercy, and love.

26.y. “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord”

 

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 

 Acts 13:48    And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14    But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 James 2:5    Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

 Matthew 25:34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

 2 Timothy 2:19    But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

 John 15:16   You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

“We are not sitting here, and groaning, and crying, and fretting, and worrying, and questioning our own salvation. He has blessed us; and therefore we will bless him. If you think little of what God has done for you, you will do very little for him; but if you have a great notion of his great mercy to you, you will be greatly grateful to your gracious God.” (Spurgeon)

 “Our thanks are due to God for all temporal blessings; they are more than we deserve. But our thanks ought to go to God in thunders of hallelujahs for spiritual blessings. A new heart is better than a new coat. To feed on Christ is better than to have the best earthly food. To be an heir of God is better than being the heir of the greatest nobleman. To have God for our portion is blessed, infinitely more blessed than to own broad acres of land. God hath blessed us with spiritual blessings. These are the rarest, the richest, the most enduring of all blessings; they are priceless in value.” (Spurgeon)

 If we have no appreciation for spiritual blessing, then we live at the level of animals. Animals live only to eat, sleep, entertain themselves, and to reproduce. We are made in the image of God and He has something much higher for us, yet many choose to live at the level of animals. (Guzik) Believers are chosen by God, and they are chosen before they have done anything or have been anything for God. The great light of this truth casts some shadows; namely, in trying to reconcile human responsibility with divine sovereignty. Yet the purpose of light is not to cast shadows but to guide our steps. The light of God’s selection gives us assurance to the permanence of His plan and His love towards us. The reasons for God’s choosing are not  inconsistent, impulsive, or random.  Though they are past our finding out, we know that they are altogether wise and good, but the reasons are all in Him, not in us. His choosing is according to the good pleasure of His will. We are chosen not only for salvation, but also for holiness. Any understanding of God’s sovereign choosing that diminishes our personal responsibility for personal holiness and sanctification falls far short of the whole counsel of God.

We should not think for a single second we will not be held accountable for how we cherish and honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do.  We have been chosen to be children of God.  We should be living our lives so that Jesus Christ is proclaimed and honored and glorified.  What kind of child is it that spends no time with their father, who does not listen to their father, who does not obey their father, who does not seek and desire the wisdom of their father?  

26.b. “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

Galatians 1:1  Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  John 4:34    Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

 John 5:30     “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

 Romans 8:27   And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

 Ephesians 1:11    In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

 John 6:38    For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

 Psalms 40:8     I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

 Psalms 119:92   If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

 Job 23:12   I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever.” –“because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” – “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” – “I delight to do your will”

What is the will of God?  Do we search scripture to understand, in part, the will of God? Do we blindly live our lives without giving thought to what God’s will is for our lives? Many books have been written to help us understand the will of God for our lives. Here are a few “The will of God”, What the will of God really means”, “Experiencing God, knowing and doing the will of God”, “Decision making and the will of God”, “What the bible says about how to know God’s will”, “How you can know the will of God”, “Discovering His will for your life”, “Understanding and pursuing the will of God,” “How to know the will of God”, “Walking in the will of God”, “The will of God”, “You can know the will of God”, “Finding God’s will for you”, “How do I know God’s will”, “Discovering God’s will”, “The secret to knowing God’s will for your life”, “Can I know God’s will”, “The will of God”, “Finding God’s will”, etc…………… These books have been mostly written in an attempt to explain and point to understanding the Will of God.  I am sure there are many good points and thoughts in these books.  Some of them will be similar and some will be one-offs.  

At the end of the day, what is important: having a desire for God’s will, seeking God’s will, and believing, trusting, following, and obeying His will.  Know this – we can not expect to begin to understand God’s will if we are neglectful and complacent or if our eyes are on the worldly rather than the heavenly, and if our fleshly heart is not surrendered. Seeking, desiring, and wanting to do the will of God should not be seen as a one and done event, but rather, an intentional daily continual choice – a way of life – wanting to be and willing to be lead by the Holy Spirit of God for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.