Ordered Steps to the Blessing! 2007/13 09/16/07
Remember the last time we were in class? Our first scripture was found in Psalm 37:23, and we spoke of the steps of the good man being ordered by the Lord. I wish to add a little icing to that cake, in light of the theme of the last lesson that dealt with becoming what we are, sons of God, adult, mature sons. We basically left it there, but that is not all there is too it. I also told you that if the steps are ordered, then it is a certainty, that there are ordered stops as well and that is where we need the hearing ear and the obedient heart. To start with lets go to Hebrews 5:7-9;
“In the days of His flesh [Jesus] offered up definite, special petitions [for that which He not only wanted but needed] and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was [always] able to save Him [out] from death, and He was heard because of His reverence toward God [His godly fear, His piety, in that He shrank from th horrors of separation from the bright presence of the Father].
Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered [tests, trials and temptations]
And [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him.”
I am always overwhelmed by the fact that the Holy Son of God had to learn obedience, but then if He hadn’t, then we would not have a role model to be conformed to. The word tells us that He had to learn by the tests and trials of the many tests that Confronted Him daily, and of course He passed every test up to that point and all the rest as well. I am sure that you already know, that He had learned all this before the wilderness temptations. He had 30 years as a man working and walking in a world full of temptations and trials much the same as we face in the here and now, and He made the grade and in light of what we had in the last lesson, I would long to hear the words that He heard at the very beginning of His ministry: “This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight!”
Note: I believe that God is confirming that the time for Jesus to step out into His ministry and His call is NOW!! He is now thirty years old on earth, having come through babyhood, childhood, teenage years and adult working responsibilities and life with all the tests and temptations that accompany each stage of every life. All that is Who we are to be conformed to, as well as the Jesus Who emerged from the wilderness victorious. An Adult, Mature Son, now in place to exercise the dominion restored.
He then went into the wilderness with 40 days of fasting and prayer and was met by the devil to be tried and tested one more time (and I am sure He endured many more during the rest of His stay on earth). And with the power of the Holy Spirit, He overcame the enemy with the word of God, saying, “It is written” and quoted victorious power packed words that began the victory over all that the devil threw at Him. Listen to what He said, it is a lesson to all of us when tested or tried; “Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” [Matthew 4:4]
Note: When He left the area where He had been baptized by John, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the voice was heard saying, “You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight. [Lu 3:22] Now He, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit … was led in by the Holy Spirit, and for forty days He was tempted (tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil – [three times, Body, Soul and Spirit. And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time. Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the Holy Spirit… [Lu. 4:1,2,13,14 para.]
I cannot go to the next step of this time without first giving just several more scriptures to capture the dimension that we are heading for. Turn to Hebrews 4:14-16;
“Inasmuch then as we have a great High Priest Who has [already ascended and passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith in Him].
For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help. Coming just when we need it].”
Now I am sure that you could even think that we have just gone on a wild goose chase through the word, but the word that I have just read is exactly what is going to be needed before we finish the course of sonship 1.
Lets begin to look at some thoughts where steps and blessings are found in peculiar places, and I mean you have to stretch to see where we are going. REMEMBER ALL ARE ORDERED STEPS
How about David? A young shepherd boy, sitting in the fields night and day, tending his father’s flock. He had brothers at home and I believe that they may have seemed to get all the breaks, no bears or lions to defeat, no weather to endure and long nights alone, but we have to know that God was with Him and He passed His time singing and writing marvelous poems and psalms that would be a direction for many lives for all eternity.
He gets the call that he is to go in to be looked over by a man named Samuel, and was anointed to go forth and I have not seen that he had any idea at that point that he was getting ready to become what the anointing was all about, a king. He immediately was faced with the challenge of Goliath and an even greater matter to face with the mockery of his brothers. He defeated the giant and because of his victory, was praised by the people and condemned by the king, whose very territory he had saved from the hands of the enemy.
In this course he had to run through caves, be rejected by his own men and betrayed by his own son. Each step in this journey was a test and each test was a blessing ingredient. He found a new, unknown depth of the love and faithfulness of God when he fell in sin with Bathsheba and at his repentance, God’s loving forgiveness was on hand to redeem him. David is forever known as the man after God’s own heart and was just 28 generations ahead in the line of Jesus. I think there are about 9 blessing steps in his life, and they may not appear to be blessings but they were the route to the blessing of the Davidic covenant [Ps. 89:3,4, and 26-37 and Ps 132:11-18 and 2 Sam7:12-17]. Read 2 Sam. first.
Lets look at another one and that being our friend Joseph, in Genesis, starting with Chap.37. We all know the story well, it has been preached many times, but I want to blend it into the theme that we are sharing today. Joseph was the son of Jacob’s old age and he was dearly loved and was given by his father a many colored tunic. Now Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and hated him. From here on, I am only going to hit the highlights of this life, for in it there is the story of this lesson, along with others like David.
Joseph had two dreams, and told his father and his brothers and the line of the dreams put their resentment in high gear. Now to get to the starting line. His brothers left and went to shepherd the flock near Shechem and Jacob sent Joseph out to see if all was well with them but he lost his way getting and a certain man found him and he told Joseph that he had heard them say that they were going to Dothan where he found them, and now the plot is planned. (by the way, the ‘certain man’ was the beginning of the blessing).
When Joseph arrived, they decided to kill him and put him in a pit and tell Jacob that a ferocious animal had killed him, but now prepare for the second step in the blessing, Rueben told them not to kill him, but to put him in the pit. So now lets go on a journey. He was sold into slavery, bought by an Egyptian named potiphar, and given charge over his house, and the wife tried to seduce him and he ran from her and she lied and he was put in prison. He was there forgotten, and lied about again. Now if you have kept count we have just passed through six blessing steps, but hang in there, there is more to come.
Joseph was in prison two full years, with the favor of the Lord and had favor with the prison keeper, and Pharoah had two dreams and was sorely troubled and called on all the wise men of Egypt to interpret them, but no one could. Now the chief butler then told Pharoah that there was a Hebrew man in the prison who had interpreted dreams there and they came to pass exactly as he had said. So Pharoah called for Joseph and he interpreted his dreams and they were so vivid and he made Joseph prince over all Egypt.
Now there is much more to this, but we need to remember each step in this process, from pit to the palace is a blessing step to the final blessing. None were comfortable but there is a word all through this story that says, The Lord was with Joseph. All Egypt was saved in a horrible famine and Joseph’s family were all saved and reunited. Joseph told his brothers, “You meant it for evil, but the Lord meant it for good.” [Gen 50:20]
Joseph never faltered from giving God glory all through all the tests that he endured during this extended time. He found favor every where he went, from pit to prison, to palace. Let me read you several verses that show his character in troubled times. First, he told Pharoah that it would be God to give him a favorable answer of peace. He took no credit personally, and God was with him. When Joseph had been in Egypt thirteen years, and he had two sons by the wife given him by Pharoah and listen to how he named them. The first was Manasseh (making to forget) for he said that God has made forget all my toil and hardship and all my father’s house. The second he named Ephraim (to be fruitful) for My God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. In all this the whole nation of Egypt was saved and many others as well, and Joseph’s family were given wonderful sanctuary there. Joseph lived to 110 and had the promise that his bones would be brought to Caanan to be buried there.
There are many stories in the word that are filled with the stumbling blocks of life, in Paul’s life and Peter’s and many others, too numerous, but the power here is not in the troubles, but in the response to them. Lets read some word and find our way through in it. Turn to 2 Cor. 4:6 thru 10 and 15 through 18;
“For God Who said, let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not form ourselves.
We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every was], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destrohyed;
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.
Now to verse 15 through 18
For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and redound] to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.
For our light momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!]
Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the thins that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.”
Now, I think that we have just been through a blessing whirlwind in the word. And as I heard the Holy Spirit telling just what scriptures to investigate, I somehow kept hearing the last verse of the Chapter just ahead of this, Chapter 3:18;
“And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.”
God is so good, and as I was thinking on this and had gotten quite a way through, there came a confirmation through the internet and I want to share what I was looking at, and remember what we are speaking of at this time. This brother was encountering some problems and strenuous adjustments in his life and seemingly nothing was going right and all things were so warped that he could see no solution and he questioned God, Who told him to say the Lord’s prayer, and he asked “Why”, but proceeded anyway. When he got to deliver us from evil, the Lord stopped him saying, “I promise you I will deliver you from evil, but I never said hyou were going to have a trouble free life”. I heard the Lord say, without troubles, you will never grow, and the personality of each one determines how many troubles it will take to get them to where I desire them to be. They can make it as long or as short as they desire, and that is all determined by how they respond to those troubles. Then the Lord told him that his troubles could be the gateway to his blessings.