OUR FATHER WHO GIVES US ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah based in Jerusalem, king Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, formed an alliance so that they could march against the kingdom of Judah and divide it among themselves

King Ahaz and the people of Judah was shaken to the core when they learned of the alliance that had been formed against them. 

It was then that the Lord instructed Isaiah to take a message of encouragement to King Ahaz as recorded in Isaiah chapter 7 verses 4 - 5;

Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin-,

The Lord said to king Ahaz that if he stood firm in faith, the  combined power of king Rezin and king Pekah would add up to nothing.

Isaiah chapter 7 verses 7 - 9 said it this way;

“‘It will not take place,  it will not happen, for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.

Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people. The head of Ephraim is Samaria,  and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

If you do not stand firm in your faith,you will not stand at all.’”

Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord gave this reassurance to King Ahaz and the Lord offered to show King Ahaz a sign to confirm His word of salvation from destruction if he asked for it.

King Ahaz declined to ask the Lord for a sign because he said he did not want to put the Lord his God to the test even though it was the Lord Himself who told him to ask for a sign.

Isaiah was irritated by King Ahaz for this response saying to him in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 13;

 Hear now, house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? 

Isaiah then went on to prophecy one of the most profound and consequential signs of the salvation of mankind ever recorded which is found in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14;

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Amen.

30

 OUR FATHER WHO IS CLOTHED IN MAJESTY

From Psalm 45

Let's go forth in gladness to the palace of the King, He is our Lord, we honor Him alone

Your kingdom, O God, will last forever, Justice will be the scepter of your throne.

In humility ride forth victoriously, In  truth and justice and Majesty

Therefore God, your God, has set you high above anointing you with the oil of Joy

Therefore the nations will praise your name, for ever and ever and ever amen

5

OUR FATHER WHOSE POWER CAN THWART THE ASPIRATION OF NATIONS

PlPsalm 33 verse 10 says this;

The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples

The Lord, in His great wisdom and power, brings the schemes of the nations to nothing.

Whatever intentions and goals the people formulate contrary to His,  He dissipates and renders them worthless.

As for the Lord's own designs and thoughts, they are eternal and are for all generations as Psalm chapter 33 verse 11 says;

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through abll generations.

The Lord's own purposes override the ambitions of any nation and displace the plots birthed in the hearts of men.

Whatever the nations undertake on the earth to usurp the place of the living God, He will foil and bring to nothing. 

Amen.

30

OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES A WAY TO SAFETY FOR THOSE WHO HEED HIS VOICE

Two angel's arrived at the town of Sodom and a citizen of the town named Lot, Abraham's nephew, happened to be sitting at the gate to the town.

Lot implored the two men to stay at his house for the night knowing that it would not be safe for them to spend the night in the town square.

They finally agreed to stay with him and he served them a meal and just as they were about to.turn in for the night, all the men of the city descended on Lot's house and demanded that Lot surrender the two foreign men over to them and even threatened to break his door down to take them.

Lot stepped out of his house and urged the crowd to abandon their wicked plan to sexually assault his visitors and even offered his own daughters to the mob to pacify them but they would not relent.

As their pressure on Lot increased, the two men opened the door and grabbed Lot and pulled him back into the house. They then struck the men outside blind so that they could not find the door to lot's house.

The two angels asked Lot if he had any other family members in the town and if he did, he was to go warn them to get out of the city before it was destroyed.

With the crazed mob outside stumbling around blind, Lot left his house and here, our passage in Genesis chapter 19 verse 14 - 15 continues;

 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

Both of Lot's sons-in-law thought that Lot was pranking them when he suddenly showed up in the night at their homes telling them to escape the destruction that was coming to their town.

He could not persuade his sons-in-law to heed the word of warning and because the dawn was approaching, the angels urgently pressed Lot to take his wife and two daughters out of the city because if they stayed any longer, they would be engulfed in the judgement aimed at the town.

At the last minute, Lot left town with his wife and daughters and judgement from heaven fell on Sodom and destroyed it.

This passage adds to the imperative given in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 2 which says;

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Amen.

50

OUR FATHER WHOM WE MUST ALWAYS TRUST

Jeremiah chapter 41 verse 9 says this;

Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

The Babylonians, having over-run Jerusalem and conquered Judah,  took the elite and able-bodied Israelites back to Babylon and left behind the poor and needy people  under the rulership of a Israelite vassal king named Gedaliah.

Ishmael son of Nethaniah, having decided to take matters into his own hands rather than trust the Lord, entered  the town of Mizpah with a cadre of ten men and  assassinated Gedaliah along with the men of Judah who were with him. They also killed the babylonian soldiers who were stationed there.

This verse includes a detail that when Ishmael killed Gedaliah and the men of Judah and the babylonian soldiers, he threw their bodies into a well. 

The well had been dug by a former king of Judah named Asa as part of the defense infrastructure  against king Baasha of Israel.

Now King Asa, at the beginning of his reign, was dedicated to the Lord and he was favored with many years of peace because, as 2 Chronicles chapter 14 verse 2 said of King Asa,

And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 

He had used this time of peace to build defences to protect Judah from her neighbors and among these defences was the well that Ishmael used to conceal the bodies of those he and his men killed at Mizpah.

King Asa, dug the well to protect Israel by providing water along her defensive lines. This action may have been a faltering in the trust that King Asa had in the Lord.

Ishmael, also failing to trust in the Lord and operating as a maverick, filled the well with the dead and exposed Israel to the fearsome wrath of Babylon.

The remnant in Judah became terrified of the retribution that would surely come from Babylon because of the crimes commited by Ishmael. 

As they tried to decide what to do, they approached the prophet Jeremiah and asked him to petition the Lord for guidance and the Lord responded by promising them that He would protect them from Babylon on condition that they remained in the land of Judah.

If they trusted the Lord and stayed in Judah, He would shield them but, if they panicked and escaped to Egypt, the things they feared from Babylon would visit them in Egypt.

Thus the lack of trust in the Lord was judged in Judah and the only remedy to alleviate the judgment was to regain absolute trust in the Lord.

Amen.

50

 OUR FATHER WHO HAS MERCY

From Psalm 41

May You have mercy on me Lord

Raise me up, have mercy,  have mercy on me

I know You are pleased with me oh Lord

for my foes do not triumph, not over me

Because you love me, you hold me Your hands

You  set me in Your presence for all eternity

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting

Amen and Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE

Isaiah chapter 66 verse 3 says this;

But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol.

They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations;

This verse describes the status of those who choose their own path and take pleasure in the darkness they consort with.

Because they arrogantly decide for themselves what constitutes acceptable conduct, their attempts to fulfil ceremonial obligations become distorted such that even sacrificing a bull becomes equivalent to murdering a person.

The effect of arrogance on the tone that ascends to heaven is dramatically explained. Those who approach heaven steeped in arrogance radiate  abominations generated by their pride.

This is contrasted with those described in the preceding verse;

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.

In this verse, those who submit to the Lord humbly and fear Him, He looks upon with favour. Their interlocutions with heaven are received and favorably responded to.

As James chapter 4 verse 6 says;

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Amen.

20

OUR FATHER IN WHOSE HANDS ARE OUR TIMES

From Psalm 31

I take refuge in you Lord, Don't let me be put to shame

You are my fortress and my rock, my guide for the sake of your name.

You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul, You saved me

I trust in you;  I say, “You are my God.”

I will be glad and rejoice in your love

My times are in your hands; Lord deliver me 

Save me in your unfailing Love; Let your face shine on me.

You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul, You saved me

I trust in you;  I say, “You are my God.”

I will be glad and rejoice in your love

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES US WISDOM TO LIVE BY

Proverbs chapter 4 verse 3 says this;

For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother.

This verse points to the identity of the author of this chapter.

He offers wisdom to his sons telling them that he gives sound teaching because he too was a son who learned from his own father.

He describes how he was called by his father to learn wisdom while he was still young and cherished by his mother.

The Lord Jesus is the narrator of this chapter because it indicates that He had a mother and a father which the Lord did and as well,  the rest of the chapter speaks of how He was given wisdom by His Father that were He to follow, would result in Him being exalted and receiving a glorious crown. These two factors converge to make it clear that the author is the Lord Jesus. As it says in Proverbs chapter 4 verses 8 - 9 of wisdom;

Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

This certainly sounds like the Lord Jesus being crowned as King of kings after He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

As well, the wisdom that the author says was given to Him, sounds very similar to the things that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples.

One example is the instruction to keep His words because his words were life  as found in John chapter 6 verse 63 which says;

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

Proverbs chapter 4 verses 20 - 22 also says that words of the narrator are life.

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The Lord Jesus heeded the wisdom of His father all the days of His life even unto death and was raised again to glory because of it.

Let us heed the words of wisdom our Lord gives us for He will lead us in paths of righteousness.

Amen.

72

OUR FATHER WHO CARES FOR HIS SERVANTS

Proverbs chapter 12 verse 10 says this;

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

This proverb attests to the fact the righteous are attuned to those arround them who are vulnerable.

In this case, animals are often at the bottom of the list of priorities and are easily  neglected but the righteous keep track of those in their care and attend to the things they need.

To correctly care for animals requires sensitivity and understanding and the righteous, being soft-hearted, carefully consider the things that pertain to the health, comfort and happiness of their animals.

The wicked, on the other hand, pay little heed to the delicate balances that are needed for the proper care of animals and so even when they think they are being kind, they are actually subjecting their animals to cruelty.

Any living creature, man or beast, in our care, needs attention to the details of the things they need to live.

1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 18 says this; 

For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker  deserves his wages.”,  

The apostle Paul said the law against muzzling an ox that was treading grain pertained to the ministers of God doing the work of the gospel having the right to draw a living from the gospel.

From this, we can infer that our proverb, which is also about the welfare of animals, is adjuring us to pay attention to the welfare of those in our midst who serve as the Lord's ministers.

Any minister serving the Lord should be cared for with at least as much tenderness and love that the righteous expend on their animals.  

Amen.

23

OUR FATHER GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE

Proverbs chapter 14 verse 9 says this;

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

This proverb contrasts the conduct of fools with the conduct of the righteous in regards to the making of amends for sin.

In the company of fools, any contrition for sin and  attempts to make restitution are met with derision and mockery.

On the other hand, among the righteous, repentance for sin and making amends are welcomed and received warmly.

The righteous follow the example set by the Lord as described in Psalm chapter 51 verse 17 which says;

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

Amen.

30

OUR FATHER WHO CHOOSES A PEOPLE TO BE HIS WITNESSES

Isaiah chapter 43 verse 10 says this;

“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

This verse speaks of our primordial purpose for which the Lord chose us.

We were chosen as witnesses and servants so that we may know God, believe God and understand that He is the only God.

In this verse, the Lord Himself gives witness to the profound fact that there was no god in existence before Him and there will be no god following after.

In saying that there is no god before or after, the Lord reveals that He is eternal with no start and no end. 

This mystery is not readily apparent to finite  men and thus a cadre of people is chosen by the Lord to make it their central drive to pursue the knowledge of God and then to believe and trust Him and then to understand His absolute primacy.

It is these people who can then serve as witnesses to others of the Lord's unchallenged supremacy and His worthiness to be sought and believed.  In this witness of the Lord greatness is the message of the Lord's goodness and His ability and willingness to save us from our sin and from death.

As Isaiah chapter 43 verse 11 says;

I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.

Amen.

50

OUR FATHER WHO RESTORES US TO STRENGTH AND WISDOM 

Proverbs chapter 30 verses 1 - 2 says this;

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.

These proverbs, which are inspired utterances of Agur, start with the author describing his condition as being weary and worn out.

The proverb's author then declares himself to be mentally deficient to the point of being subhuman and that he did not have the intellectual accuity  to be a human being 

Continuing onto verse 3, the author gives the reason why he is in this condition saying;

I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

These first two proverbs in chapter 30 could be seen as a summation of the human condition in our fallen state.

We, of the human race, are weary and worn out from the toil in the dust of the earth and we also suffer from incomprehension of both ourselves and our world.  Both of these are  the result of the curse on mankind after the fall and as such, we operate far below the levels at which human beings, who are made in the image of God, are supposed be operating at. 

Separated from God, we have not learned wisdom and we have no knowledge of the Holy one and thus we are left weary and senseless.

The gift of God, which is salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross where His  blood was shed to pay for our sins, is able to bring us back into communion with the Spirit of God who is wisdom as well as back into the knowledge of God.

We can then be renewed in strength and guided by the  wisdom of God.

Amen.

52

OUR FATHER WHOSE SPIRIT IS THE SPIRIT TRUTH

Proverbs chapter 13 verse 5 says this;

The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.

Thes righteous being referenced here but through the prism of the new covenant, are those who are under the Lordship of Jesus and being led by the Spirit of God having been made righteous by the blood of the Lamb.

In John chapter 16 verse13, the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Truth and to be led by the Spirit of Truth automatically puts one into diametric opposition to that which is false. Bearing false witness, deception, fraud and false doctrine are among the things which are under the category of  'false'.

The righteous will find themselves convicted in the spirit if they engage in such things and will repent of them and oppose them. They will discern them and  root them out so that they do not take hold in them or in their communities.

On the other hand, the wicked, being those who are led by the spirit of this world, get trapped in the things that are false with no discernment to warn them of the encroachment of falsity in their lives and they have no resistance or remedy to it.  They are then covered with the stench of shame from the consequence of operating in falsehood.

This proverb declares that one of the hallmarks of righteousness is the hatred of what is false.

May we always be alert to falsehood so that it does not infiltrate our lives.

Amen.

15

OUR FATHER WHOSE LAW IS PERFECT

From Psalm 19

The law of the Lord is perfect, able to restore.

His decrees make the simple wise, His decrees are sure

The precepts of God give joy to the heart, They are always right

His commands are radiant, they fill our eyes with light

They are more precious than gold,  pure gold; they are so sweet to me, like honey for my soul

The fear of the Lord is pure, forever will endure

His judgements are right and just, they are ever fair

They are more precious than gold,  pure gold; they are so sweet to me, like honey for my soul

OUR LORD MADE HIS GLORY VISIBLE TO HIS PEOPLE 

Leviticus chapter 9 verses 3 - 4 says this;

Then say to the Israelites: Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’”

This passage prescribes to the children of Israel to take a goat, a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. They were also to take an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering along with a grain offering mixed with olive oil.

They were to do this because the Lord was going to appear to them that day.

Aaron and his sons and the children of Israel did as they were commanded by Moses by presenting the offerings and sacrificing them to the Lord as the law required.

When they completed the sacrifices, the Lord appeared to them as recorded in Leviticus chapter 9 verses 23 - 24;

Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

Amen.

78

OUR FATHER WHOSE MESSAGE OF SALVATION IS REJECTED AT GREAT PERIL

In the book of Luke chapter 10 verse 14, the Lord Jesus, while sending 72 followers out to preach the good news of the Kingdom, said this;

But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.

This verse is a sobering pronouncement on the fates of the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida.

For, as Luke chapter 10 verse 9 says;

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 

Tyre and Sidon, having had no miracles performed in their midst, did reject the message of the kingdom of God but the Lord Jesus said that if the miracles that had been performed in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been performed there, they would have humbly and profoundly repented and turned from their ways. 

In contrast, the towns of Chorazin and Bethsaida, having had miracles performed within them, still ignored the message of the kingdom and this marked them for greater judgement than what was slated for Tyre and Sidon.

The severity of judgement for rejecting the 72 followers of Jesus is because the message of the kingdom, carried by the followers of Jesus, was a  message from the Lord Jesus and the message from the Lord was sent from God the Father and thus Luke chapter 10 verse 16 says;

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Amen.

21

OUR FATHER WHO LOOKS FOR SEEKERS OF TRUTH

A change was made to this essay to correct the identity of the "I" in the passage from 'The Lord' to 'Jeremiah'.

Red signifies removed text

Blue signifies added text

_____________________________

The book of Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 4 captures the words of Jeremiah after searching Jerusalem for any who dealt honestly and sought truth and finding none.;

I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.

Here, the prophet Jeremiah records his response (the Lord's response) when the Lord told him to  search through Jerusalem seeking anyone who dealt honestly and sought truth but he found instead a people who swore falsely.

They had rejected correction and turned their faces to stone and refused to repent.

At first, as captured in our verse, it appeared that the people in the lower strata of the society were the ones who conducted themselves so poorly due to ignorance of the ways of God.

However, the next verse says this;

So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.”

But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.

Jeremiah then (The Lord) went to the elite of the land who had the advantage of being educated  but instead, it was found that the leaders of the people had themselves also broken off the practice of adhering to moral principles and were living completely unrestrained by any requirements of God.

They told each other the lie that the Lord would do nothing and so remained confident that no harm would befall them.

It was for this deception that the judgement of the Lord was declared on them and the prophecy of a foreign nation being brought against them was documented in Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 15 that says;

People of Israel,” declares the Lord, “I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.

Amen.

35

Corrected version below;

OUR FATHER QUESTIONS THE IDOL MAKERS

In Isaiah chapter 44 verse 10, the Lord asks this question of the idols being manufactured in the land;

Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?

The question asked here is what manner of person goes through the effort and expenditure of creating an idol which ultimately, is valueless?

Who goes about to  set the parameters of a deity and then casts an idol to accommodate the so-called god?

What material object of stone or wood could possibly have the properties corresponding to the requirements of a valid deity and maybe even more telling, what nature of deity would find suitable accomodation in an object  made by the hands of men?

The Lord describes the condition of those who  engaged in idol making in verse 20;

Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”

The makers of idols have deluded hearts who don't even have the power to save themselves let alone imbue saving power on idols for others and furthermore, they won't even bring themselves to admit that they are engaged in deception.

The Lord is the only true God and seeking other gods among idols is a fruitless pursuit.

As it says in verse 6;

“This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.

Amen.

29

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER HIS PEOPLE

Psalm 91 verse 12 says this;

they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

This verse is well known because it was used by Satan for the second temptation of Jesus in Mathew chapter 4 verse 6 which says;

“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “’He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

The verse records the attempt to get Jesus to presumtuously draw on God's provision in order to validate His claims about Himself by deliberately falling off a high tower and having the angels of God catch Him in mid-air so that He could establish His credentials as being the Son of God to those who witnessed it.

Because there is a recorded promise made by the Father that He would give His angels responsibility for His Son's protection from physical injury, the temptation's cunning is that it disguises itself as a valid utilization of one of  God's written promises.

As well, this verse establishes the ability of angels to effectively reach from their spiritual realm into our corporeal realm to interact with it in a way that could stop a person's fall  by grabbing them with their hands. 

Also established in the verse is that the angels given charge over a person are paying rapt attention to that person at all times to prevent any harm from striking them.

Amen.

13

OUR FATHER WHOSE GLORY IS DECLARED BY THE HEAVENS

Psalm 19 verse 3 says this;

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

The 'they' in this verse refers to the heavens and the skies which declare the glory of the Lord and proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day, they pour forth speech and night after night they reveal knowledge but, as our verse reveals, this transmission of information is not carried through the medium of words and not even the medium of sound.

Yet, the declaration of the glory of God and the proclamation of work of His hands, continue to go out to all the earth and to the ends of the world.

In silence, information is broadcast across the entire globe and those whose spirits are tuned into the frequency of the broadcasting signal, can pick up the messages and gain knowledge of the things of the heavens.

Diligently inclining our ear to the things of the heaven keeps us attuned to the laws, statutes, precepts, commands, fear and decrees of the Lord.

By these we are warned of our hidden faults we do not know of so that we can seek forgiveness. They also keep our willfull sins from ruling over us. We can then can keep clear of great transgression.

Amen.

31

OUR FATHER WHO RAISES US UP

( From Psalm 41 )

YEA YEA YEA

My enemies say of me

 “When will he ever die"

 "When will his name perish?”

Even my trusted friend,

With  whom I shared my bread

Has turned against me

YEA YEA YEA

Have mercy on me, Lord

And  raise me up again

That none would triumph against me

I know you love me Lord

By your strength you uphold 

And  set me in your presence

YEA YEA YEA

OUR FATHER WHOSE SALVATION COMES OUT OF ZION

( From Psalm 14 )

The Lord looks down from heaven

On all mankind

To see if there are any 

Any who understand,

 That the salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores his people,

    let Jacob be glad

 They who never call on the Lord

  Are overwhelmed with dread

For the salvation for Israel will come out of Zion!

OUR FATHER WHO LOVES US LAVISHLY AND HAS MADE US HIS CHILDREN

The book of 1 John chapter 3 verses 1 - 2 says this;

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 

How great is the Father's love for us that he qualified us to be His own children and how great an honor it is for us to be called His children.

So astonishing is our transmorgrification from what we were before into the image of the Lord Jesus, we become members of a different species altogether such that we become unrecognisable to the people in the world.

As the Apostle John says in verse 2, our final state as individual children of God has not yet been revealed but a time will come when we will discover that we have become like Him because at that time, we will  know what we have become and we will also be able to see Him as He really is and we will see that we have become like Christ.

A privilege beyond words.

Amen.

40

OUR FATHER IS OUR LIBERATOR AND OUR SHEPHERD

Isaiah chapter 49 verse 10 describes the Lord's favor upon His people this way;

“They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water.

In this passage, the Lord is speaking to those who were bound and were captives and to those who were in darkness and blindness.

He instructs them to 'go forth' from their captivity and to emerge from the dark and show themselves.

The Lord says that these people, set free from the bondage of the kingdom of darkness by the Lord's mercy, will be led by the Lord Himself.

Under His guidance, they will not lack food or drink and neither will they be struck by the scorching heat or the sun. The Lord will guide them by springs of water.

This is reminiscent of the first few verses in Psalm chapter 23 which describe the Lord as a shepherd who makes His sheep lie down in green pastures and leads them beside still waters.

The Lord Jesus, in Luke chapter 4 verses18 and 19, officially inaugurating His ministry from a synagogue in His home town, read this passage from Isaiah 61;

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

Amen.

25

OUR FATHER WHO RESISTS THE OPPRESSION OF ALL PEOPLE

When the Lord saw the misery and affliction of His people in Egypt, He was moved to action and in the book of Acts chapter 7 verse 34, He said these words to Moses to send Him to Egypt to free them;

I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ’

After the Israelites were freed from Egypt by the Lord, Moses was given this instruction in Exodus chapter 23 verse 9 to teach the people.

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

To oppress someone  is to impose hardship and/or subservience on them especially by means of the unjust use of authority.

This verse cautions the children of Israel not to oppress foreigners in their midst. 

The Israelites, having endured the harsh oppression they were dealt as foreigners in Egypt, would have experience with the physical and psychological pain suffered under oppressive regimes  and as such, the verse instructs them to be cognitive of the vulnerabilities of foreigners and to take care not to oppress them.

Oppression in the physical realm is mirrored in the spiritual realm where the devil oppresses people by imposing physical afflictions, mental anguish and bondage on them.

Even as the Lord Jesus travelled in Judea and Samaria,  He was moved to take action against the oppression imposed by the kingdom of darkness by healing those afflicted. Acts chapter 10 verse 38 says it this way;

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The Lord our God takes action against oppression of all kinds and enjoins us to share in the work of alleviating oppresion among the people around us. He also instructs us to ensure that we ourselves do not perpetrate oppression against others.

Amen.

40

OUR FATHER WHO UPHOLDS THOSE WHOSE STEPS HE ORDERS

Exodus chapter 21 verses 5 - 6 says this;

“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

This passage lays out the template for the position of bond servant in the old covenant  that represented the spiritual bond servant in the spiritual realm that church leaders like the apostle Paul declared themselves to be.

The original prescription for being a bond servant was for a man to declare that he was willing to forfeit the right to his own life and legally bond himself to his master. This intention was formalized by having an awl pierced through the servant's ear against a doorpost.

The spiritual application that this stood for was that followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, having been saved by believing in His death on a cross and trusting that He was able to save them, could opt to forfeit their own lives for the sake of the kingdom of their Lord.

By permantly inclining their ear to hear and obey the voice of the Lord, they would thus become bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ having forfeited the right to chose their own path but rather, have all their steps directed by the Lord.

In doing this, they will find the blessing of the Lord's delight in them and His assurance that He would uphold them as written of in Psalm chapter 37 verses 23 - 24;

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO SAVES US AND HAS A PURPOSE FOR US IF WE CAN HEED HIS VOICE

When the children of Israel were released and led out of Egypt, they arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai where the Lord gave Moses a message to speak to them. 

Exodus chapter 19 verse 4 records it this way;

‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 

The Lord, establishing that the children of Israel, having seen the great signs and wonders that He had done to free them from Egypt and then also to lead them safely through the wilderness, they should have been prepared to obey the Lord so that they could fulfil the purposes that He had for them. Verse 5 and 6 capture the Lord's  offer to the children of Israel;

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’

The Lord conditionally called the children of Israel to be His treasured possesion, a holy nation and a kingdom of priests on the earth if they were willing to obey Him.

Having been saved by the Lord ourselves, in gratitude for what the Lord has done to save us, let us obey His voice in order to fulfil his purposes for our lives.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE FROM BONDAGE BY HIS GREAT POWER

During the time of the ten plagues of Egypt, which were signs and wonders designed to persuade Pharaoh to release the Hebrew slaves, it became clear that Pharaoh was able to rationalize the occurences of the plagues of bloody water, frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilences and bodily boils that had struck Egypt and her people. 

The Lord now commanded Moses to warn Pharaoh that things would get worse as recorded in the book of Exodus chapter 9 verses 13 - 14;

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

This passage heightens the stakes against Pharaoh by warning of more severe plagues that would adversely affect Pharaoh himself, his officials and the whole population of Egyptians

This time, the coming plagues would not be  explained away as easily. Hail, locusts, darkness and the deaths of all the first born people and livestock in the land represented an escalation that would be  an existential threat to the kingdom of Egypt.

These strikes against Egypt, it turned out, were so devastating that by the end, Pharaoh unconditionally surrendered and released the Hebrew slaves.

Thus the power of God was known in Egypt and the surrounding nations and they all feared the Hebrew nation as they departed Egypt because of the devastating power of their God.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL NATIONS (95)

Chapter 4 in the book of Daniel is an extraordinary chapter that is the personal testimony written by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, about his encounter with the Almighty God of Israel.

The chapter starts with the king saying that it was his pleasure to announce to the nations and peoples of every language, the amazing signs and wonders that the Most High God had done for Him. 

He then recounted a frightening night vision that he had while lying in bed and that he had sought the interpretation of the dream  from the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners but they could not solve the mystery.

King Nebuchadnezzar then described how Daniel, also known by the name Beltechazzar,  finally came into his presence and in chapter 4 verse 9, recorded this excerpt of his testimony;

I said, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.

Nebuchadnezzar, in this verse, revealed that  Daniel, a prophet of the God of Israel, was highly regarded among the Babylonians.

Daniel had been elevated to the rank of Chief Magician and it was known that the Spirit of God was in him because there were no mysteries that were not laid bare to him by the Spirit's power.

The king thus confidently entrusted Daniel to interprete the dream for him.

Daniel, knowing that the dream was about the king himself, was greatly perplexed about telling the king what the dream meant but the king encouraged him to speak plainly of its meaning and so Daniel explained that the dream spoke of king's fall from his lofty position in his kingdom  down to being among the animals, drenched in dew and eating hay like an ox. 

Daniel also revealed that the expulsion of Nebuchadnezzar from among humans would be for 7 years and that the Lord would restore his sanity and restore him to his position as king.

It was after the astonishing prophecy came to pass and Nebuchadnezzar was expelled from governance due to insanity and then restored to his throne over his kingdom when he recovered,  that he wrote and widely distributed his testimony of the greatness of the sovereign God whom he called the King of heaven.

The Lord had promoted his prophet Daniel in the land of Babylon and demonstrated the greatness of the power of God through him such that the name of the Lord was glorified before all people.

Amen.