Posted in Habakkuk

Source of plagues, diseases, pandemics

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  • What or who is the source of  sickness and plagues?

There seems little doubt that the COVID-19 virus that continues to plague the world originated in Wuhan, China . Scientists don’t yet seem to have come to a firm conclusion how it came to afflict humans. But really, from our point of view, does it make a difference? It’s here. And we have to deal with it.

Habakkuk makes an interesting observation.

Habakkuk 3:5 NIrV

‘You sent plagues ahead of you. Sickness followed behind you.’                                                         

The Feasts of the Lord: The Feasts, Fasts & Festivals of the Bible by [Cantrell, Ron, Cantrell, Carol]

Judgement

Habakkuk declares that God moves about the earth, like the sun, as we noted in verse 4 – “His splendor was like the sunrise;…” (NIV) He burns up what is in front of Him and chars what He leaves behind in His judgement on evil. “Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.” (Habakkuk 3;5 ESV).

Numerous versions use the word ‘Pestilence’ (burning heat) along with ‘plague’ (devastation) to emphasise God’s scorching holiness and justice.

Plagues, sickness – their source.

  • Is God the source of sickness and plagues? What do you think? If not what does Habakkuk mean in our text verse?

Scripture certainly reveals that God used plagues and diseases to destroy His people’s foes.

We see this to be the case when God produced a series of ten plagues to punish Pharaoh and the Egyptians for their ill-treatment of the Israelites. In certain cases, God seems to be One who is the source of plagues and sickness.

In the story of Job, we see how God allowed diseases to test Job’s faith. Satan did the damage. God allowed it. 

“So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.” (Job 2:7 NIV)

The Purpose for the Plagues

  • Let’s take a look at the Egyptian plagues? (Exodus.7ff)

In his book on ‘The Feasts of the Lord‘ Ron Cantrell has some fascinating suggestions. He points out that in delivering the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, “He purposes to show Egypt that He reigns supreme over the multiple gods of Egyptian religion. The plagues listed in the book of Exodus stand as an audio-visual renunciation of these gods.”

What Gods Is He Referring To?

In his book, Cantrell provides the following information.

  1. The Nile River turned to blood.  The Nile River provided abundant fish, animal and vegetation life to the fertile Nile River Valley and was worshipped as the god Hopi.
  2. The Frogs. Believe it or not, a frog was known as the goddess Heqt who supposedly aided women in childbirth.
  3. The Gnats or lice. Although not regarded as gods, their arrival like the dust of the air would have been a major source of irritation to the Egyptians who were renowned for their cleanliness and hygiene.
  4. Flies. The word normally interpreted flies, Ha-arob, is better interpreted as beetles. The beetle or scarab, was sacred to the Egyptians who saw it as an emblem of the sun god Ra.
  5. The death of livestock. The Egyptians worshipped many different animals but more particularly a deity called Apis, a highly regarded bull.
  6. Festering boils. Moses was instructed to take soot from the furnace used by the Israelites in their toil of making bricks and throw it into the air. The outcome was boils broke out upon both man and beast. This of course affected all the sacred animals of Egypt.
  7. The hailstorm. The worst ever hailstorm to hit Egypt took place destroying all the crops they were planning to harvest. This proved God’s power over nature.
  8. The plague of locusts. The Bible notes that it was the worst locust plague Egypt had ever and would ever experience. So much for their gods whom they relied on for their livelihood.
  9. Darkness. The darkness was so thick people could not see one another—yet the Israelites had lights in their homes. (Exodus 10:21-23) What an obvious insult to Ra their sun-god.

A Final plague

As Ron Cantrell puts it “Pharaoh was coming to the end of his patience and God was coming to the end of His order of attacks against the gods of Egypt.”

    10. Death of the firstborn. The firstborn male of every family, as well as the firstborn of every animal, was slain by the angel of death to show just how powerless the gods of Egypt were.

As we’ve seen the Egyptian plagues were definitely sent by God to punish the Egyptians and force them to release His people. They also clearly highlighted the inadequacies of all the Egyptian gods.

What About COVID-19?

  • Can we attribute to God the plague of the COVID-19 virus or did He allow Satan to inflict it upon the world?

I have no intention of trying to answer that question. Let’s leave that to the scientists. For us, the important question is how it has affected us? Have we changed at all?

The plague of the COVID-19 virus has come upon us all. Many of us have lost people we love to this scourge. I doubt there is anyone alive today that has not been affected in one way or another.

Healed

But God is the One who heals sickness and removes plagues.

Each time Pharoah appealed to Moses to get God to bring a plague to an end, God responded by terminating that particular plague. Obviously, the effects of the plague continued e.g. the crops had been destroyed and would have taken time to regenerate. The first-born sons could not be brought back to life. But God brought that plague to an end.

When Miriam rebelled against her brother Moses’ authority God punished her by inflicting her with leprosy. Whereas most lepers lived out the rest of their lives with the disease, Miriam repented, and after seven days she was healed. 

“When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous–it became as white as snow.  So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!” . . . God replied, “Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” (Numbers 12:10, 13,14)

Note that God responded to the prayer of Moses to bring about healing.

God’s Attitude to Plagues

God has no desire to inflict plagues, diseases, pandemics upon us. This is evidenced by the very fact:

  • that an important part of Jesus’ ministry was to heal people,
  • that he sent out His disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick,
  • and that one of the spiritual gifts is that of healing.

Like Moses, we Christians have a part to play—to pray to God on behalf of the sick and diseased for their healing. But we also need to examine ourselves. Is there something we should be doing, or have failed to do?

An ancient saying sometimes attributed to King Solomon, assures us,

“This too shall pass!” The horrors of COVID-19 will one day, hopefully soon, be brought under control. God will bring the plague to an end. 

As we draw to a close today, take a few minutes to pinpoint at least one thing you have learned as a result of COVID-19.
Then ask the Lord to show you how you can grow spiritually as a result.

You may be surprised. It hasn’t all been bad!

P.S.
If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

 

Posted in Habakkuk

Radiant like a sunrise

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Morning sunrise

Picture a glorious sunrise.
The sun’s light gradually falls on the scene around you.
The darkness slowly slides away.

Oscar Hammerstein ll and Sigmund Romberg captured the glory of a sunrise in their song “Softly as in a morning sunrise’ which they composed for the operetta ‘The New Moon’ in 1928. In fact, the song actually refers to the budding and blossoming of love. Yet, it nevertheless conveys the gradual radiance created by an early morning sunrise.

  • Can you recall an awesome sunrise that you once witnessed?

An amazing sunrise I experienced many years ago comes to mind. At the docks in Cape Town before dawn one morning I awaited the arrival of one of the Union-Castle liners. In those far-off days, Union-Castle liners travelled regularly once a week from Southhampton U.K. to South Africa.

As I sat on the dockside the sun began to rise across the sea horizon. As I turned to look back at the beautiful Table Mountain, I watched in wonder as the sun’s rays slowly illuminated the face of the mountain, little by little, moving from top to bottom. It was an awesome sight.

Habakkuk seems to have had this kind of picture in mind as he tries to describe the glory of God.

Habakkuk 3:4 NIrV

‘Your glory was like the sunrise. Rays of light flashed from your mighty hand. Your power was hidden there.’

Image by Iatya Prunkova from Pixabay

Brightness like a sunrise

 

The English Standard Version puts it this way:

“His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.”

The suggestion is that most of His power remains veiled, or concealed.

Consequently, several commentators have likened this to God’s glorious appearance on Mount Sinai.

“…and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.”(Exodus 24:16,17 NIV).

Some compare it to the pillar of fire which guided the Israelites through the desert.

“By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”  (Exodus 13:21 NIV)

Rays of light

Light has a particular significance in scripture.

The CEV says in Hebrews 1:3 that

God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory.

Light is also associated with the preaching of the Gospel.

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16)

This comes in fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy, 

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’ Isaiah 9:2)

Consequently, the Gospel has brought and continues to bring brightness and light to a dark world enmeshed in evil. Those early disciples who witnessed Christ’s glory could, with all authority, proclaim Jesus to be the light of the world.

Bathed in light

Since His return to heaven, Christ is bathed in light, crowned with glory and honour, and highly exalted at his Father’s right hand, above all principalities and powers.

“Jesus Christ, who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.” (1 Peter 3:22 GNB)

God is not only seen as a Light, He is the Light. The Light of God is like a garment in which God is clothed.

“Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him.” (1 John 1:5 GNB)

Many who have had an after-death experience, have testified that in the spirit they were drawn towards a bright light before returning to their earthly bodies.

Hidden Power

In the beginning, when God created the universe, the earth was formless and desolate.   The raging ocean that covered everything was engulfed in total darkness, and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. Then God commanded, “Let there be light”—and light appeared. (Genesis 1:1-3 GNB)

The power of God is revealed in that light. The very name God in the New Testament translates the Hebrew word ‘El’ (singular) and ‘Elohim’ (plural), with a root meaning ‘to be strong.’ (Illustrated Bible Dictionary by M G Easton). When ‘El’ is used to indicate deity it is often linked with ‘almighty’. For example, the title El-Shaddai means God Almighty or all-sufficient. (The New Bible Dictionary)

So here we are talking about a powerful God.

Trinitarian power

Now, this is where it gets really interesting. In Genesis 1:1,3 we read,  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth………And God said, ‘Let there be light,….'” The Hebrew word for God in both of these verses is ‘Elohim’ which is masculine plural. (Strongs Lexicon)

So from the very creation of the world, we see all three members of the Trinity involved. Again in Genesis 1:26a we read “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...”  There can be no doubt of the involvement of our Trinitarian God (in other words, three-in-one God) from the very beginning.

Isn’t it simply amazing that the Almighty Creator of our planet and the universe in which it exists, is the same God who sent Christ, one of the Trinity, into our world to rescue us from the power of sin? And then to cap it all, the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead, takes up residence in the lives of those committed to Christ as Saviour and Lord.

What a mighty God we serve!

Why not spend a few minutes now in communication with Elohim just thanking Him for His amazing love and provision for your every need.

If you would like to listen to the song Softly as in the morning sunrise here it is sung by the old crooner Bing Crosby.

PS. If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

Selah – Pause and Think

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In our study this week we are going to focus on one word which appears at the end of three sentences in Habakkuk chapter 3

Habakkuk 3:3,9,13b NIV

‘God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.
You bare Your bow, naked according to the oaths of the tribes of Your Word. Selah.
You struck the head from the house of the wicked to bare the foundation to the neck. Selah.’ 

Photo by Caleb Oquendo:

 

   Selah defined

Note that all three of the above verses contain the word ‘Selah’. Different commentaries have varied interpretations of the meaning of this word.

The New Bible Dictionary states that in addition to these three verses in Habakkuk 3, the word Selah appears 71 times in the Psalms. It is believed to be a musical or liturgical term.

This Dictionary goes on to list three possible suggestions:
A) It is a musical direction to singers and or orchestra to ‘lift up’ – to sing or play loudly.
B) It is a liturgical mark ‘to lift up’, perhaps to lift up the voice or hands in prayer.
C) It points out that Hebrew versions of the Old Testament imply it is a cry of worship like ‘Amen’ and ‘Hallelujah”

In the context of the above-quoted verses, the third suggestion makes more sense. However, let us look at these definitions a little closer.

All three suggestions create the picture of individual involvement in worship.

  • To what extent do you get involved in worship?
  • Would you regard yourself as a participant or a passenger during a worship service?

These suggestions all reveal that the worship of God’s people in Old Testament times was one of active participation. Also, it was certainly loud.

  • How do you feel about that?

A) Selah –  As a Musical Direction to Singers

One of the commentators for The Biblical Illustrator states, “I think there are more commands in the Bible to sing than there are to pray” (T De Witt Talmage).

He goes on to record the effect of military bands, “You know something of what secular music has achieved. One inspiring national air is worth thirty thousand men as a standing army. In the earlier part of the late war (2nd World War), the Government proposed to economise in bands of music, and many of them were sent home; but the generals in the army sent word to Washington: “You are making a great mistake. We are falling back and falling back. We have not enough music.” Then the Government changed its mind: more bands of music were sent to the field, and the day of shameful defeat terminated.” (T De Witt Talmage – The Biblical Illustrator)

When the Temple was finally completed during Solomon’s reign and the ark of the covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies, we read:

“The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: “He is good; his love endures forever.” Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud. “( 2 Chronicles 5:13 NIV)

They certainly made a joyful noise to the Lord as they lifted up their voices in praise. 

B) Selah – As an Instruction to Lift Up

The second suggestion is to lift up perhaps the voice or hands in worship. We regularly raise our voices in worship but what about our hands?

In the Psalms David declares,

“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:4 NIV)

“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2 NIV)

Psalm 134:2 is an instruction by the congregation to the priests and Levites serving in the Temple.

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.” 

  • How do you feel about hands raised in worship during church services?
  • What does the Bible tell us?

C) Selah – As a Cry of Worship

I find it exciting to be in a gathering of believers such as the ‘Songs of Praise’ gatherings, where the praise is led by a large augmented choir and accompanied by a full orchestra. That for me is a joyful noise to the Lord.

We don’t use the word, Selah in our praise and worship today, do we? Perhaps we should. But according to that third suggestion, the words Alleluia and Amen can also be used as cries of worship. Alleluia, literally means the Lord be praised! Or Praise the Lord! When we say Amen, we are agreeing – So be it! 

Further Thoughts on Selah

In the well-known Bible commentary compiled by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, they say Selah is “a musical sign, put at the close of sections and strophes, always at the end of a verse… It implies a change of modulation and comes from a root to ‘rest’ or ‘pause’ …. implying a cessation of the chant, during an instrumental interlude.” 

Along the same lines, I like the suggestion put forward by several commentaries that “Selah“, simply means ‘pause and think about what you just heard’.

  • How often do you pause and think about what you have just heard or read?
  • Do you take time to pause and think during your worship? What words are you singing? What is God saying to you?

Pause and Think

If you are anything like me you don’t retain much of what you hear or read.  When I am reading a book and have to put it down when I come back to it I often have to go back a few pages to get back into the story.  When I am in church, I don’t remember much of the message hours later unless I have jotted down a few notes.

Remember how God encouraged the prophet to write things down?

“I will give you my message in the form of a vision. Write it clearly enough to be read at a glance.” (Habakkuk 2:2 CEV)

Paul tells us,

“Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.” (2 Timothy 3:16 CEV)

It is not only important for us to read the Bible regularly (daily). But we need to put into practice the precepts outlined there for our training in living a Christ-centered life.

Throughout the week endeavour to lift up Jesus.

Take time to pause and think about what He means to you.

Give careful thought to what you believe He has been saying to you personally through this week’s study.

Join me now as we lift our hands and voices in worship to our Lord, using an old favourite.

PS

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout our time together.

 

Posted in Habakkuk

A Second Coming

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Many Old Testament prophecies pointed to the coming of our Lord into this world as the Messiah. Recently we celebrated that first coming. Many further prophecies point to the fact that at some time in the not too distant future Jesus Christ is coming again to this earth.

Second Coming

Photo by RODNAE Productions

Jesus second coming will make all things new. He will set up His millennial kingdom here on earth.

Habakkuk 3:3 LITV

‘God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His majesty covers the heavens, and His praise fills the earth.’

Habakkuk 3:3 brings about a change in Habakkuk’s prophecy from request to praise. He praises God for His power in the exodus where He rescued the Jewish people. 

As we move on into this chapter we will see that verses 3-15 contain two poems (verses 3-7 and 8-15), recounting God’s deliverance of His people in the days of Moses and the Exodus. 

With this in mind, the prophet is obviously using poetic language when he speaks of Teman and Mt Paran.

But first, let’s see where Teman and Mount Paran were.

Teman and Mount Paran

If you research these two (as I did) you will find many different opinions. However, the main significance of these locations is that they refer to the visible display of God’s glory, e.g. when He gave the law on Mt. Sinai. (Deut 33:2) Habakkuk is drawing attention to the time when God released His people from slavery and brought them to the promised land. 

According to Wikipedia, Teman and Paran were territories through which the Israelites passed on their trip toward the Promised Land. As they proceeded on their journey, the glory of God may have been witnessed in this mountainous area as He led His people past Teman in Edom en route to the Promised Land.

“Teman” is an Old Testament word for “south”. (It is also used in this way in Josh 15:1, Obad 1:9 Amos 1,:11,12) It is also the name of a person, the grandson of Esau and ancestor of the Edomite clan.

“Paran” can be a synonym for Mt. Sinai or another place in the desert where God spoke to Moses (Deut 33:2).

So Habakkuk is referring to the times when God’s majesty and glory covered the heavens.

In chapter 2, we saw how God answered the prayer of Habakkuk by explaining the punishment He would bring upon the Jews, via the Babylonians. This freaked the prophet out, who preferred to focus on the time when God’s blessings were upon the Jews.

Here in this verse, Habakkuk speaks of God’s coming to the rescue of the Jews in Judah. He was looking forward to a time in the future when God’s majesty would again cover the heavens.

If God did great things then, he can surely do great things now!

  • Can you think of any recent events which may point to God still being involved in world affairs?
  • How about the pandemic? Are there any times when you see God intervening on behalf of His children?
  • In your own family and friend circle, have there been indications of God showing interest in you?

His Majesty

In the Literal Translation Version of our text verse, as shown above, we have the word ‘majesty’. Other versions use ‘glory’, ‘brightness’, and ‘splendour’. Let’s think of other occasions when God showed mankind His glory and majesty.

  • God manifested his glory to Moses in the form of a flame in a burning bush. (Exodus 3:2,3)
  • He showed His majestic power in thunder, lightning and smoke coming from Mt Sinai. (Exodus 20:18) 
  • At the completion of the Tabernacle we read …

“Suddenly the sacred tent was covered by a thick cloud and filled with the glory of the LORD.” (Exodus 40:34 CEV) (Although not a biblical word this is spoken of as God’s Shekinah glory).

  • Once Solomon’s builders had completed the Temple and all the furnishings had been put in place …

“The priests carried the chest into the most holy place and put it under the winged creatures.” (1 Kings 8:6 CEV) “Suddenly a cloud filled the temple as the priests were leaving the most holy place. The LORD’s glory was in the cloud, and the light from it was so bright that the priests could not stay inside to do their work.” (1 Kings 8:10,11 CEV) 

It’s that same majestic, glorious, brightness, the splendour of God’s presence that Habakkuk is trying to convey.

Jesus is Coming Again.

When Jesus was here on earth He promised His followers that He would return. Verses about His second coming include:

“The coming of the Son of Man will be like lightning that can be seen from east to west.” (Matthew 24:27 CEV)

“All nations on earth will weep when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30b CEV)

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul describes Jesus’s second coming …

“With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God’s trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky.” ( 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17a CEV)

Jesus’s return will be a similar glorious, majestic appearing as that of God coming from Teman.

No one knows when this will take place. It is therefore important that we are ready for that glorious event.

In the meantime what ought you to be doing so that you are not caught by surprise and the second coming of Jesus

Jesus’s Praise-filled Coming

God’s coming from Teman and Mt Paran would invoke praise throughout the known world.

Similarly, Jesus second coming will be the reason for great praise amongst all believers.

Jesus’ first appearance on earth was heralded by a heavenly choir singing praises to God.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday it was an occasion of great praise and rejoicing.

  • Try to imagine what it will be like when Jesus comes again.

For those of us who have welcomed Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, it will be an experience of relief that all the trials and tribulations of life have finally come to an end as we go to be with the Lord.  And it will be a time of joyous praise for our glorious salvation.

An Unwelcome Event

But for the unsaved, it will be the most fearful thing in all the world. Like the judgement, the Babylonians would face, Christ’s second coming brings about God’s judgement upon all who have rejected His gift of salvation through His Son.

As God promised to rescue the people of Judah in Habakkuk’s day, He continually seeks to rescue us from the power of Satan and sin.

“…He did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.” (2 Corinthians 1:10 MSG)

While we anticipate the glorious return of Christ, we have a job to do. Until we either go to be with Him through the gateway of earthly death, or if He returns first, we need to be His witnesses.

You are alive because God still has work for you to do. Perhaps the Lord is preparing you for some special task to accomplish. Spend a couple of minutes listening, and joining in, this old gospel song that tells of His second coming.

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

God Can Do It Again

By Comments:3 Comments

After a break over Christmas and New Year, we get back into our study of the prophecy of Habakkuk.

Many years ago, a favourite song in our church youth group was ‘God can do it again.’

Do you believe that what God has done in the past He can do again?

 In our verse this week the prophet takes us down memory lane.

Remember?

Habakkuk 3:2 GNB

‘O LORD, I have heard of what you have done, and I am filled with awe. Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do. Be merciful, even when you are angry.’

Photo by RODNAE Productions

In this final chapter of Habakkuk’s prophecy, he launches into an appeal to God on behalf of Judah (3:1,2). He remembers the many previous occasions when God had come to their rescue (3:3-15).   And he expresses his firm trust in God’s ability to do it again (3:16-19).

In our text verse, the prophet remembers numerous amazing things that he had been told, of how God had helped His people in the past and he prays for God to do it again.

What are probably some of the things he had been told?

  • Surely he was recalling plagues that God had brought upon the Egyptians which forced Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites from slavery.
  • Then there was Israel’s passing through the Red Sea on dry land only to have Pharaoh and his army perish when they tried to follow.
  • Then what about the provision of manna and quail along with water from a rock as they travelled through the desert?
  • And of course, there was their crossing over the flooded Jordan River into the Promised Land.

God can do it again

We have recently come through another Christmas season in which we have gone down memory lane as we remembered the miracle birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world.  Across the world, we remembered the amazing miracle of God taking on flesh in the form of His Son to live amongst us.

During His adult years, once He commenced His earthly ministry, Jesus often performed miracles.

  • What are some of the miracles He performed?
  • Try to recall a specific modern-day miracle that you’ve heard about or perhaps even experienced.

Miraculous Provision

During our life as a couple, the Lord has done it again many times.

Just to share one:

When ministering in Zimbabwe both of our sons went down with Rheumatic Fever and were bedridden for months – the older spent 9 months in bed and the younger 6 months. During a time of prayer with my wife, the older of the two prayed that we would be able to get to the beach.

Whaaat?

We lived in landlocked Rhodesia as it was called at that time (now Zimbabwe).  We drove a tiny old car. And we were battling financially. A seaside holiday was not remotely in our thoughts.

Then came a phone call.

It was from a colleague in Durban. “I am sure a spell at the seaside will do them the world of good. When they are ready, phone me.”

Some weeks later, all five of us flew to Durban from Harare. The minister arranged to put us up in a luxury seaside hotel for two weeks. He provided us with a vehicle to get around in with a petrol tank which was always full.

Shirl and I were given a very generous gift of spending money and each child received a bag of coins to use on the game machines in the hotel.

We left Harare airport with the two boys in wheelchairs. We returned two weeks later with the boys pushing their wheelchairs to the terminal building.

The Lord used his servant to bring about miraculous healing to our sons. He had done it again.

Can God Still Do it Again?

And that was only one of our miracles through the years.

Years before, a specialist warned us of a risk to Shirl’s life if she didn’t have a medical abortion. There was little likelihood of her carrying the pregnancy to full term and if she did the baby would be badly damaged.

We refused.

That “badly-damaged” baby is the strapping, healthy, father to two of our precious grandchildren.

Further miraculous healings, financial provision, protection during life-threatening accidents…. oh yes. God has done it again. And again. And again.

Do It Again

The Prophet was filled with awe.  He had heard of the Lord’s reputation and of his intention to punish the people of Judah and then deal with their oppressors.

He goes on to pray in effect a prayer for revival.

“I have great respect for you because of your mighty acts. Do them again for us. Make them known in our time” (Verse 2b NIrV).

Or as our text from the Good News Bible puts it, “Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do.”

Surely this needs to be a major focus of our prayer, Lord, do again the great deeds you used to do.                     

Be Merciful

Even as he prays that God would reveal Himself to be an active God dealing with situations on behalf of His people the prophet acknowledges that Judah needed to be reprimanded. Hence his further prayer,  “Be merciful, even when you are angry.”

Even though the Lord intended to discipline his people the prophet makes a passionate appeal that through the tribulations that they would face the people of God would come back on track with God and experience his mercy.        

God-given Power

As we have already noted, Jesus’ ministry was full of amazing miracles. Towards the end of His time here on earth, Jesus said,

“I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father” ( John14:12 CEV).

After Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the baptism of his disciples in the Holy Spirit, they were enabled to perform many miracles. “The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people” (Acts 5:12 CEV).

“The Lord gave them (Paul and Barnabas) the power to work miracles and wonders, and he showed that their message about his great kindness was true” (Acts 14:3 CEV).

Please, God, Do It Again

We live in a world that is wracked with all kinds of evil. A world lacking in true, sincere, honest, loving leadership. As a result, even godly families are floundering.

Where for many the future appears very bleak, there needs to be fresh empowerment of the Holy Spirit. A realisation that God is not dead, that what He has done before He can do again and again.

Along with Habakkuk, we Christians need to make these words our regular prayer,

“Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do” (Habakkuk 3:2b).

As we launch out into a new year with its uncertainties, please pray for God to do it again. Pray for a Holy Spirit-motivated revival.—For God to work His miracle-working power again to bring this pandemic to an end.

Pray that the Prince of Peace will bring peace where there is no peace. And rescue all who are oppressed.  Pray for God to guide world leaders to a positive united way forward.

Pray that with me now as you sing along with this song:

God Can Do It Again!

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in New Year

I Wish You

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    Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay

I Wish You…

Inevitably on the brink of another year, we traditionally wish one another a great year.

How many times since Christmas day, have you heard the words?

  • Compliments of the season;
  • Happy New Year;
  • I wish you a Prosperous New Year,

Although traditional, these formal greetings may often lack real sincerity.

So then, what do I wish you as we launch out into 2022?

A popular song states “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.”

  • If you were to give a definition of ‘love’ what words would you use?

A dictionary might use words such as tenderness, attraction, cherish, value, treasure, passion, and worship.

I Wish You Love

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes this gem – love – by examining its various facets. In the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, Paul points out that love is recognised more by what we are than by what we do:

Paul then highlights the real qualities of love:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV)

So then as you enter 2022 my wish for you is that since the Holy Spirit is the one who produces the fruits of the Spirit, which include love (Galatians 5:22), that he will grow in you all the facets of love.

Love for God

It was William Penn (1600s) an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), who said,

“Love is indeed heaven upon earth; since heaven above would not be heaven without it; for where there is not love, there is fear; but, ‘Perfect love casteth out fear.’”

Those three little words  “I love you” are the most powerful words in the world. They reveal the depth of our affection for someone. Yet, are you always sincere when you utter those words?

Similarly, it is so easy to sing wonderful words of praise and worship, which express love for God and for Jesus, but do we always really mean them?

Having presented Israel with the 10 Commandments, Moses’ encouragement to Israel was,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) 

  • Is Jesus perhaps asking you the same question that He asked Peter centuries ago, “Do you love me?” (John 21:17)

I wish you a greater awareness in 2022 of the extent of God’s love for you and growth in your love for Him.

Loved and Appreciated

The following quote is attributed to Victor Hugo in Les Miserables ,

“The Greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved, loved for ourselves, or rather loved in spite of ourselves.”(Sourcebook for Speakers by Eleanor Doan – page 248)

Within each of us, there is a deep desire to be loved and appreciated for who we are.

A man and a woman who had been corresponding solely by e-mail fell in love with one another.  They agreed to meet at the airport nearest to her.  Since they had never seen one another, they devised a plan that would help them to recognise each other. She was to wear a green scarf, a green hat and have a carnation pinned to her coat.

When the man got off his plane, he immediately began looking for her. Suddenly he saw a woman with a green scarf, a green hat and a carnation.  His heart fell. She was one of the plainest looking women he had ever seen in his life.  He was tempted to get back on the plane without speaking to her.

Nevertheless, he walked over to this woman, smiled and introduced himself. Immediately, the woman said: “What is this all about, anyway? I don’t know who you are.” She went on to explain:  “That woman over there gave me $5,00 to wear these things.” 

When the man looked over at the woman mentioned, he realised that she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

The man approached the woman who later explained,  “All my life men have wanted to be with me, to be my friend, because of my beauty.  They consider me beautiful.  I want someone to love me, not just for my outward appearance, but for what I am inside!”

My wish for you and for myself is that we will experience sincere love in 2022. That we will be loved for who we are and perhaps even in spite of who we are.

Give Love Away

  • God is love.
  • God loved us in spite of all our faults and flaws – enough to send His Son to die for our salvation.
  • The only acceptable response to God’s amazing love is for us to give our lives to Jesus.

In return for our commitment to Jesus, the Holy Spirit sews God’s love into our hearts

But love is not loving till you give it away. That’s what love is all about – doing things for other people so that we can bless them.

I challenge you to find someone in need of love and appreciation this week, and to do whatever you can to allow God’s love to touch that person’s life.

Love is not love until you give it away. Click To Tweet

My wish for you at the begining of a new year is what I wish for myself, that 2022 will be a year in which we learn how to be a channel through which God’s love may be passed on to those who need it most.

 

 

Posted in Nativity

A Sign Which Changed History

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Can you believe it? In only two days from the day this post goes live, we will once again focus on an amazing sign of God’s great love for sinful mankind.

God sent His only Son into our troubled world to save us from sin. We will again be reminded of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and how they were fulfilled at the time of Jesus’ birth.

  • What for you is the most amazing aspect of the Christmas story?

Isaiah 17:4 ESV

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Image by gamagapix from Pixabay

Birth announcement

  • How did you react to the birth of your first child or to a new baby in your home? Did he or she make a difference to your way of life?

The proud parents of their first baby often send off cards or make phone calls to announce the child’s birth. When our first baby, Debbie, was born we had copies made of a photo of her. We placed each copy in a card and sent it off to family and friends. We couldn’t wait to share the news. A child had been born. To us! But of course, in those days, we had no idea if we were expecting a girl or a boy.

Approximately 735 years prior to Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah announced, “For to us a child is born,..”(Isaiah 9:6), it was not at all newsworthy.  It hadn’t yet happened. But maybe the next part of his announcement would have attracted a little more attention! “To us, a son is given.” That the prophet was able to foretell the sex of the child, was most unusual.

You have a son!

Most couples desire to have a son and heir. As a youngster, I once overheard my parents discussing my grandfather’s concern that the Corder name could die out. His concern was really unfounded. Between his two sons, they produced three grandsons, who in turn provided the old man with seven great-grandsons. And those are now starting to produce their own generation of Corders. The Corder name is in no imminent danger!

Of course, with the development of technology, it is possible to determine the sex of a child whilst still in the womb. Parents now have an opportunity of knowing in advance whether they are to have a boy or a girl. Although it does take away an element of surprise, it does help the parents to be better prepared for its arrival.

The sign

We have been studying the prophecy of Habakkuk for almost a year now. We noted that it was focused on the southern kingdom of Judah. Isaiah’s prophecy was geared for both Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel.

The timing of this announcement of this child’s birth though was probably not welcome.

Soon after the reign of Solomon, David’s son, Israel was divided in two. The southern territory of Judah was ruled by two successive good kings but their successor, King Ahaz was wicked.

A coalition army comprised of Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of the northern kingdom of Israel,was advancing on Jerusalem. They were seeking revenge upon King Ahaz for not joining forces with them against the growing might of Assyria.

Ahaz and the Jewish citizens of Judah were fearful of the consequences of this threat. Ahaz had to make a choice – appeal to Assyria for help or trust God to deliver them.

And at that point, God sent the prophet Isaiah, in an attempt to persuade this faithless monarch to trust God rather than Assyria.

Despite Isaiah’s message of encouragement, King Ahaz remained unconvinced. So God prompted Isaiah to tell King Ahaz to ask God for a sign.

“Ask the Lord your God for a sign,….” (Isaiah 7:11)

But this foolish king in a mock display of obedience to God’s command in Deuteronomy 6:16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test,..” responded, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” (Isaiah 7:12)

God had told him to ask, but Ahaz didn’t really want to hear from God.

  • Are we perhaps sometimes guilty of the same sin? Do we at times trot out some feeble excuse for not having consulted God over some perplexing issue?

A Double meaning sign

Despite Ahaz’ response, God did give a sign in the words so familiar to us at Christmas time:

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14b)

Today all Christians see the fulfilment of this prophecy in the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. But, what had this sign of a virgin birth to do with King Ahaz? Nothing!!!

So then, what sign did God give to King Ahaz? 

The sign was in Isaiah’s own child Shear-jashub. God instructed the prophet to take his son along with him to visit King Ahaz. The boy’s name meant ‘a remnant will return’ (Isaiah 7:3). So God’s sign to Ahaz was that even when Judah’s existence was threatened, the Jewish nation would not completely perish.

Before Shear-jashub, Isaiah’s son, reached an age when he could determine right from wrong, the northern kingdoms of Syria and Israel, whose kings were threatening Ahaz, would be conquered.

“…knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” (Isaiah 7:16)

God is true to His Word. What He says does come to pass in His perfect timing. This prophecy was in fact fulfilled about two years later.

How foolish of Ahaz not to trust God!

  • But can we really find fault? Are we ourselves not guilty of the same sin?
  • How quick we are to place our confidence in our programmes and schemes, rather than to exercise complete trust in God?

God’s sign for us

  • God gave Ahaz a sign – Isaiah’s son, whose name meant ‘a remnant will return.’
  • God gave the Jews in Judah a prophetic sign for the future “For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given...” “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
  • God’s sign for us today is the same message. 

“For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given…” “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Derek Prince, a missionary, and acclaimed author of over 100 books, was an international Bible teacher highly revered for his theological insights. He was an expert on Israel and spent many years of his life there. In an article entitled ‘Our debt to Israel’ he says:

  • “There is one thing that all the nations of the world have in common and that is that they all have an incalculable debt to Israel and the Jews.” 
  • “Jesus said, ‘You Samaritans know so little about Him (God), worshipping blindly, while we Jews know all about Him, FOR SALVATION COMES TO THE WORLD THROUGH THE JEWS.’” (John 4:22) 
  • “Without the Jews there would have been no patriarchs, prophets, apostles, Bible, or Saviour of the world! Without Jesus how could we be saved from our sins and know the forgiveness which only comes through Him?” (‘Our debt to Israel” by Derek Prince)

Immanuel

When Joseph was hesitant to marry Mary because she was pregnant, God sent an angel to tell him,

“Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her.Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel, which means God is with us.”  (Matthew 1:20-23 CEV)

The title Immanuel, which only appears in Isaiah 7 and again in Matthew 1, means ‘God (the divine being) is with us (humans).’ Although divine this child would also be truly human.

Think about this: Our Creator put His Son’s life at risk by allowing Him to become a defenseless little baby, totally dependent upon a human mother’s care.

It’s mind-boggling. Particularly in the light of the high infant death rate in those days.

The sign that God gave is only of value to those who welcome the sign.

Ahaz did not welcome God’s sign and for him, it became a forewarning of God’s judgement upon his lack of faith.

For those who choose not to accept God’s gift of salvation offered through the child that was born to the Virgin Mary, each successive Christmas comes as a solemn warning. Their time is running out and God’s judgement awaits them.

Helen Stainer Rice, a much-loved writer of Christian and Inspirational poetry wrote:

“Only through the Christ Child can man be born again,

For God sent the Baby Jesus as the Saviour of all men.”

In two days time as you celebrate the reminder of Immanuel’s coming into our world, give God all thanks and praise for His amazing gift of love. Pray for anyone you know who like king Ahaz is rejecting God’s sign of Immanuel – God with us.

My wife, Shirley, joins me in wishing you all a very happy and blessed Christmas. Let’s celebrate the coming of that baby so long ago, to guarantee us salvation if we put our trust in Him. 

Posted in Habakkuk

Praise and Worship

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What comes to mind when you see the words, the sound of music?

The movie ‘The Sound of Music’ in which Julie Andrews starred, made an amazing impact worldwide.  More than fifty years on it still has a warm effect on many who view it.

The Power of Music

Music has a profound effect on one. It has the power to lift us out of depression. Its rhythm soon gets one’s feet a-tapping.

According to the Newport Academy, music has a direct impact on areas of the brain related to our emotions. It is further believed that changes in music can directly influence our reactions—for instance, if a new instrument is introduced, or there is a change in pitch, volume, or tempo.

Photo by Alena Darmel from Pexels

The above picture reminds me of a Britain’s Got Talent semi-final concert that Shirl and I watched a week or so ago on TV, in which a father and son team got through to the final. It was a delightful episode, featuring wonderful chemistry between the dad and his boy.

Praying to Music

The third chapter of Habakkuk opens with Habakkuk’s prayer accompanied by a musical instrument.

Habakkuk 3:1 NIrV

‘This is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. It is on shigionoth….’

Habakkuk chapter 3 has been described as “a Psalm Blessing for God’s faithful acts of deliverance in the past and hope for deliverance in the future.” (Commentary by Bob Utley)

  • Have you attended a service where a musical background is used as part of the service?

In the services that Shirl and I attend, the pastor often comes up to the rostrum during the singing of a song of praise and prays while a musical instrument continues to play softly in the background. It is beautiful.

Music on a Shigionoth

Habakkuk prayed using a Shigionoth. I knew you were going to ask that! I had to look it up.

“The word denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music.” (Illustrated Bible Dictionary by M G Easton)

The Easy English Commentary states, “The book ends with a psalm (a song with music)! Habakkuk may have worked with one of the music groups in the temple in Jerusalem. He tells them what music to use, and what *musical instruments,” (verses 1 and 19).

  • What comes to your mind as you focus on Habakkuk 3 verse 1?

It should not seem strange to us that the verse refers to a sung prayer. We often sing what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. Many of our hymns and worship songs are based on the words of the Psalms, many of which are themselves in the form of a prayer.

In the 1960s, many passages of scripture—particularly the Psalms, were set to music and sung in churches that had come under the influence of the Charismatic Movement.

  • Are you more conservative and prefer the good old traditional hymns?
  • How do you react to the ‘new’ songs that seem to be replacing those great hymns?
  • How do you feel about traditional hymns set to new melodies or rhythms? 

Several of the psalms actually encourage worshipers to sing new songs to the Lord (Psalms 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1)

“Tell the whole world to sing a new song to the Lord! Tell those who sail the ocean and those who live far away to join in the praise.”(Isaiah 42:10 CEV)

A Joyful Noise

In the last session, we focussed on the need to come into God’s presence in an attitude of humility and reverence. Here in this verse, the emphasis is our need to praise God, to vocalise our appreciation for whom He is and what He has done.

Many are afraid to sing out because they have not been blessed with a good musical tone. Praise God! That doesn’t worry Him. He just wants your praise. 

Did you know that seven psalms recorded in the King James Version of the Bible encourage us to make a joyful noise to the Lord? Several other translations encourage us to praise God with shouts of joy.

Noisy Worship?

This brings to mind the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. This proved to be a unique experience for those who attended the matches or watched the games on TV. Not only were they part of a huge cheering crowd, but the African element introduced the constant noise of the vuvuzela.

The vuvuzela is a plastic brightly coloured horn. When blown its sound is like a hunting horn, but when blown by a stadium of football fans it sounds more like a trumpeting elephant.

Image of Vuvuzela by M W from Pixabay

The psalms certainly indicate that Old Testament Temple worship was surely a noisy affair. When one considers the variety of musical instruments mentioned in some of the psalms accompanied by a loud singing crowd the din must have been audible from miles away.

Songs and Instruments  of Praise

The following psalm encourages joyful worship:

Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth.
Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!
Be thankful and praise the LORD as you enter his temple.
The LORD is good! His love and faithfulness will last forever. (Psalm 100:1,2,4,5 CEV)                        

In addition in Psalm 150, we have a list of some of the instruments used in the Temple worship: trumpets, all kinds of harps, tambourines, stringed instruments and woodwinds, cymbals and clashing cymbals. (Verses1-6 CEV) 

A shofar, a musical horn made out of a ram’s horn, was also used and is still used for Jewish religious gatherings. 

Shofar image by faherneit451 from Pixabay

Revelation records that at the second coming of our Lord. He will stand on Mt Zion and the sound coming from heaven will be like, ‘a roaring flood or loud thunder or even like the music of harps. And a new song will be sung in front of God’s throne…” (Revelation 14:1-3 CEV)                                                                                                  

Revelation reveals that heaven reverberates with worshipful praise. What prevents you from joining in uninhibited worship of our amazing loving God?

Spend some time thanking God for the priviledge of being able to communicate with him How about joining in this new song which is becoming well known, and worship the Lord now?

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.