Promises

The Disobedient Leper

2008-08-03T06:47:00.001-07:00

While reading about the miracles of our Lord in Mark's Gospel, I came across this verse. "But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news about, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas?" Mark 1.45

Here was a leper, full of leprosy, who implored Jesus to make him clean; and the Lord, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. Our Lord sternly warned him not to tell anyone, but to go to the priest and offer the necessary sacrifice as a testimony of his cleansing. 'But he?'

But he was disobedient! He began to publish the news of his cleansing freely and to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city. Here was a man whose witness was hindering the work of the Lord! Because of his reckless behaviour, our Lord could no longer publicly enter the cities. He had to stay out in unpopulated areas.

We too are rather careless about our Christian testimony. There are many Christians who are born again, but who have no fear of God. We go around preaching without praying. A lot of Christian gospel work is done in the flesh. The Lord honours whatever is done for Him [even in the flesh!], but definitely His arm is hindered. He can do much more, but we limit Him by our natural reactions, by human wisdom and fleshly activity.

There are hundreds of Christian debates and discussions going on in various Christian websites on the Internet. But how many of us kneel down and ask the Lord, "Where should I go? What should I do?" Often we are busy with our so-called Christian activities and we neglect to pray. It has reached a stage in my own life, where I realise that all my Christian ministry has no effect [even though many may like the preaching!] because I have not spent time in prayer and seeking God's will. There are still certain areas in my life which I have not handed over to the Lord. There are areas in which I am disobedient. Surely, if I hand them over to the Lord, will He not give me grace to obey?

The Lord sternly warned that man because He knew his weakness. We should know our own weaknesses and failings, and plead with God regarding them. We need to spend more time at the Lord's feet. Then the Lord will be able to do His work freely, without our ever hindering him. Through prayer God will give us grace to obey and help us overcome our failings. And with a clear conscience we can carry His presence with us as we witness to others. We can walk with the Lord and willingly follow Him in all His ways.

Blind Man of Bethsaida

2008-08-03T06:05:00.001-07:00

You know the story in Mark chapter 8. Just five verses, from 22 to 26.

The blind man was honest. He said, 'I cannot see clearly. Things are blurred.'

Are we honest? Do we admit to God that we cannot see clearly? The Bible talks a lot about spiritual sight. The eyes of our understanding being open. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. We need sight, we need revelation; we need to see clearly. We have come out of darkness into His marvellous light. The light must grow, Prov 4.18.

Yet we live in darkness. We live in a kind of twilight zone. We can't see clearly. Job says, in chapter 42.5, 'Now my eyes sees You!'. Now Job can see clearly, after the terrible and devastating experience of the Cross.

Jesus wants an honest answer. Lord, open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of Your law [word], Psalm 119.18. If we are honest about our inability to see, then He will be gracious and touch our eyes once again. There is need for a second touch. We need to see the heavenly things, the spiritual things, and experience resurrection life, ascension life, heavenly life. Did not Elisha see in 2 Kings 6.17,18? There is a spiritual dimension, a pure and heavenly dimension, where we can experience the Presence of the Lord and appreciate the things of heaven. But we are satisfied with earthly things, with a limited and hazy vision; we claim to see, but in reality we are blind [John 9.39-41]

Perfect Heart

2007-03-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

We understand this of an earthly father. A child of ten is doing some little service for the father, or helping him in his work. The work of the child is very defective, and yet the cause of joy and hope to the father, because he sees in it the proof of the child's attachment and obedience, as well as the pledge of what that spirit will do for the child when his intelligence and his strength have been increased. The child has served the father with a perfect heart, though the perfect heart does not at once imply perfect work.

Even so the Father in heaven accepts as a perfect heart the simple childlike purpose that makes His fear and service its one object. The Christian may be deeply humbled at the involuntary uprisings of the evil nature; but God's Spirit teaches him to say, "It is no more I, but sin that dwells in me." He may be sorely grieved by the consciousness of shortcoming and failure,but he hears the voice of Jesus, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Even as Christ counted the love and obedience of His faithless disciples as such, and accepted it as the condition on which He had promised them the Spirit, the Christian can receive the witness of the Spirit that the Father sees and accepts in him the perfect heart, even where there is not yet the perfect performance.

Andrew Murray

Broad and Narrow Way

2006-12-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

Broad and Narrow Way
Originally uploaded by Prato9x.

Famous Indian poster of the Broad and Narrow Way.
Traditional Christian perspective, based perhaps on Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
The poster may contribute to religion, but adds little to faith.
Faith comes from receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, by being born again [born of the Spirit from heaven above], and by hearing the word of God [from the Bible].

Ladies Buying Vegetables

2006-12-06T02:16:00.000-08:00

Ladies Buying Vegetables
Originally uploaded by Prato9x.

Fresh, fresh vegetables. No bargaining, please. Got straight from the farm! This is a scene outside the Park. So many carts lined up so that the walkers can purchase fruits and vegetables.

A candid shot, taken with a Canon A95.

[PS. I notice cabbages reflect a lot of light! Customers should stop removing the outer green skin!]

[PS. The long drumsticks are very tasty,especially when cooked with mutton!]

Sprig of Pink Blossoms

2006-12-05T00:11:00.000-08:00

God of the Impossible

2006-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

'Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed.' Romans 4.18, Weymouth.

When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty. If it is going to be something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility.
-- Rev. Chas. Inwood

O God of the impossible,
When we no hope can see,
Grant us the faith that still believes
ALL possible to Thee!
-- J.H.S.

[Extracted from the May 8 devotional in 'Springs in the Valley' by Mrs Charles E. Cowman]

Reminder

2006-05-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Just to remind my readers that I have a collection of photographs on flickr.com under the names Prolix6x and Prato9x. You can see the flickr badge in the sidebar on the bottom right side of this blog. Wish you all happy viewing, besides the serious reading in my blogspot blogs!

I also have a testimony blog at http://borax.wordpress.com which is a must-see and a must-read. All for the glory of God and our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ!

Teesta River, Flowing Down from the Hills

2006-04-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

The Teesta River, like green liquid jade,
Flowing down from the hills.
As you drive up to Kalimpong,
The sight of this pristine green river
Brings a thrill to the heart.

Extracted from "Christ in you" by TAS

2006-01-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

"Christ in you" means that all that that [New Testament] covenant contains becomes an inward thing, an inward power, an inward revelation of God. "Christ liveth in you", said the Apostle, and the mystery which God has been pleased to reveal is: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

There is one comprehensive and all-embodying truth which, if it really gained the complete mastery of our hearts and dominated our whole consciousness, capturing our will, our hearts, and our minds, would really revolutionize everything, just as the new covenant represents a revolution from the old covenant. The great truth which embodies everything is this: that God has determined that nothing which is not Christ shall remain, and He is working toward that end, on the one hand to rid this universe of everything that is not Christ; on the other hand to fill this universe with that which is Christ. That means that God does not accept or recognize anything whatever that is not Christ. Then again, it means that God puts His seal upon what is Christ, and it is all a matter of the measure of Christ. It is a tremendous thing when that really does come to our hearts with the force and the power which it really does represent. It explains everything of God's dealings with us. It gives us the key to our problems. It sets us at once upon the highway of God's own purpose...

The first thing in the Colossian letter is the matchless presentation of the Lord Jesus. There is nothing in all the Word of God to compare with the first chapter of this letter as an unveiling of the Lord Jesus, that is, in any one part. From eternity Christ is seen in and through creation, all things unto Him, by Him, through Him, Christ in sovereignty governing all things, controlling all things. Gather it all up into one fragment, a universal fragment: "That in all things he might have the pre-eminence." There is the universal and eternal Son of God! And then, all that, as in a Divine secret, is brought right down and it is said: "Christ IN YOU, the hope of glory". All that in you - the Church. It is THAT Christ that is in you. He who created all things is in you IN YOUR RELATEDNESS TO THE CHURCH. He for whom all things were created is in you THUS, He who upholds all things is in you THUS. He in whom all things consist, hold together, is in you corporately, as in His Body.

The second thing is this: that the letter goes on, "seeing that ye have put off the old man... and have put on the new man" (3:9-10). What does that mean? That all that is not Christ is put aside, is repudiated, and all that is Christ is put on, is brought in. So that God's intention concerning His Son as universally pre-eminent is going to be realized by His being put on on the part of believers, who, as the third chapter says, have been "raised together with Him". This, the Apostle says, is the meaning of baptism (Colossians 2:12).

Christ is not a second personality or power, to come along to reinforce US, to vivify US, to strengthen US, for us to use in life and in service, and that He should make US something. That is not the thought, and that is not the angle of Scripture at all. And yet, how almost universally, perhaps largely unconsciously, that is what is happening. Christians are wanting to be made something, even as Christians; and Christian workers and the Lord's servants are, though perhaps unwittingly, wanting to be made something as workers; and they want Christ to reinforce THEM, come behind THEM, and make THEM something as His servants and in His service. That whole system of things is diametrically opposed to the truth. The truth is that Christ shall be all, and that we decrease that He may increase; that He should be the primary Personality, and that the impact and registration of any life and any service should not be: 'What a good man he was!' or 'What a good woman she is!' or 'What a fine worker!' but: 'What a presence of Christ! What a testimony to Christ! What an expression of Christ! What a sense of Christ! What a reality of Christ!'

[Emphasis mine. Extracted from 'Christ in You' by T.Austin-Sparks, from the online library at www.austin-sparks.net]

Psalm 57.2

2005-12-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me. Psalm 57.2

What a wonderful promise! God who performs all things for me. The faithful God who does everything for me, 1 Thess 5.24. The God who ‘accomplishes’ all things for me [NASB], for the word ‘accomplish’ is much greater than ‘perform’. It means God will bring it to pass; He who has begun the good work will complete it, Phil 1.6. The Amplified Bible says, ‘He brings to pass His purposes for me, and surely completes them!’ That is the scope of God’s grace; it will achieve it’s objective. It will not fail. How can we fall short of the grace of God – unless we are reprobate like Esau!

Then there is the phrase, ‘God Most High’ or the Most High God, El Elyon. God who rules over all the nations, the Omnipotent God who reigns forever. He is far above all, seated on the Throne in heaven. He has all things under His feet. The Most High God is the Possessor of heaven and earth. He exercises authority in the heavenly and earthly spheres. Everyone, including His enemies, must bow down before Him. ‘I am the LORD,’ He declares. ‘All authority has been given to Me.’ [Matt 28.18] Who is this LORD? He is the Lord Jesus Christ!

He will accomplish all things – all things, everything! No matter how big, or how small! He is the God of all grace. He does everything in our life. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit – the Spirit of grace! Not by our wisdom or even our influence; there is nothing in us. He Himself declared, ‘Without Me you can do nothing’, John 15.5

‘For me.’ God is concerned about me personally. He is concerned about every individual believer. He fashions each heart individually, Ps 33.5 Oh, there is personal concern of our Heavenly Father. He cares for the ravens and the sparrows and the lilies of the valley. What an amazingly meticulous God!

But the main thrust of this promise is on prayer. I will cry out! It is a deep cry from the heart, an intense heart-felt prayer. There are degrees of prayer; there is praying, there is crying out, and there are tears [Heb 5.9]. Oh, that we would pour out our hearts to Him in this way, the way of the psalmist, who knew this faithful, prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God!

Introduction to Jericho

2005-12-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

I'm referring to the journey that Elisha made with Elijah from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho and then to the Jordan and beyond. It is in 2 Kings 2. I've spoken of Gilgal and Bethel elsewhere in my other blogs, but I thought I should share something about Jericho.

Jericho is known as the City of Palms; it must have been very scenic, located in the Jordan Valley, about 800 feet below sea-level. It had luxurious vegetation; not only palm trees, but bananas, balsam, henna, etc. It was a flourishing trade centre in Biblical days, and was located close to the fertile Moab region.

Jericho appears as a city with high walls, a Canaanite stronghold, not easy to be captured. It was the city of Rahab, which means harlotry flourished in that place. It had treasures such as a beautiful Babylonian garment, silver and gold, which attracted Achan. In the New Testament it was the city of two blind men [healed by Jesus]. It was also the city of Zaccheus, the rich man who gave up his riches.

Jericho speaks of the world. It looks very attractive. No wonder Satan offered the world and its kingdoms and their glory to Jesus in the Temptations in the wilderness. Jericho attracted that Jew in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, just as the world attracts many Christians today. From the high level of Jerusalem we slip down [backslide] to Jericho. As that Jew was wounded and became unconscious, we too are full of sores and wounds [Isaiah 1] and are unconscious of our backsliding; a time comes when we become insensitive to the Holy Spirit.

The world is famous for its harlotry. James calls the lovers of the world adulteresses, James 4.4. The world is full of riches, full of exotic treasures, full of attractions, full of glamour and excitement, full of marketing and advertising. Even without the silver and gold, I am sure many of us would have been enticed by that 'beautiful Babylonian garment'. [Apart from the religious connection, I am sure the garment from Shinar attracted Achan because of its trendy colours and exquisite fashion.] We know that the world lies in darkness; worse still, the people of the world are blind, and only God in His mercy has to open their eyes.

And, most important of all, the world is full of riches and splendour; Zaccheus must have lived in style. Everyone wants to invest in the world, rather than in heaven. Our heart is where our treasure is, and our treasure is buried in this world. Jesus said, You cannot serve God and Mammon, Matt 6.24. The desire to make a quick buck is a tendency very strong in us. We all want to make our fortune in the world. It is like that man in the parable who built bigger and bigger barns. One day God took away his life!

Oh, the deceitfulness of riches. We are living in a time, when the trend to earn money is growing stronger and stronger, and most churches have become like the church in Laodicea, which boasted foolishly that it lacked nothing.

When will we learn? When will we learn that the conquest of Jericho is the key to the taking of the land? We have to overcome the world by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to obtain our inheritance [enjoy the abundant blessings of the Promised Land].

Japanese Pagoda, Darjeeling

2005-12-09T01:16:00.000-08:00

Bethsaida

2005-11-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'm referring to the incident of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. Please note, the Lord took the man by the hand and led him outside the village. He healed him outside the village. Then He sends him home, saying, 'Don't even enter into the village!'

Bethsaida is condemned. But why? Please refer to Matthew 11.20-24. Jesus denounced the cities where most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. Matt 11.21 says, 'Woe unto you, Bethsaida!' Our Lord goes on to say that had He done those miracles in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Bethsaida did not repent in spite of so many miracles.

It is not easy to repent. But there is an underlying message. Will miracles bring about repentance? They seem to have hardened Bethsaida's heart. Repentance comes from conviction through the Word of God, Acts 2.37. It is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, John 16.8. Mere physical healing and signs and wonders will not change the human heart. The Word has to be planted there. The Word has to be like a hammer that breaks the rocks, Jer 23.29. O the tragedy of a hardened heart, of one over-familiar with the truths of God! O the blindness of seeking charismatic experiences, miracles and healings, without experiencing the convicting work of the Holy Spirit!

Darling Buds of May, Darjeeling

2005-11-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Spring Flowers, Darjeeling

2005-11-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

Relaxing on a Summer's Day, Mall, Darjeeling, 2004

2005-10-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

School Ground & Garden, St Joseph's, Darjeeling

2005-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Another View of Darjeeling, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

St. Joseph's School, Darjeeling, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Group Photo of Church at Mt Pisgah, Darjeeling, 2004

2005-10-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

There are 25 persons in this photograph, which was taken in the Summer of 2004.

Brothers, Mt Pisgah, Darjeeling, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

Five Sisters & a Young Brother, Mt Pisgah, Darjeeling

2005-10-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

Burdwan Rajah's Mansion, Darjeeling, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Little Girl standing near a Long Queue

2005-10-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

School Girls at Play, Kalimpong, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:24:00.000-07:00

School Girls at Play, Kalimpong, Summer 2004

2005-10-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Psalm 77

2005-03-20T23:40:00.000-08:00

This is Asaph's Psalm. He wrote some powerful psalms. They come from the bottom of his heart. When we pray do we really mean what we pray? Do we put our heart into our prayers?

'My voice rises to God. I will cry aloud. And He will hear me.' How intense can you be? He is crying out from his heart. He wants God to hear him. He says, God will hear me. When you put your heart into your prayers, you get the assurance that God has heard you.

What was his trouble? This is anguish at night. He 'stretched out his hand without weariness'. How soon we give up! We can't pray for long.

His soul refuses to be comforted. This is really anguish. He is praying earnestly, crying out to God, yet there is no comfort. He is touching the point of despair. Where is God's grace and mercy? Where is His loving-kindness and compassion? Is it to going to be only wrath and darkness?

Then he remembers God. He remembers, remembers. Do you remember the past? The great Red Sea experience in your life. Not just coming out of Egypt, but passing through the Red Sea. This is the experience of every true child of God. We have to pass through the Red Sea. That promise, the great promise of Exodus 14.13,14, has to be tested and proved in our lives. Not just once, but twice...and again and again, till we know that God is true, that God is faithful. And though we pass through the waters, He will be with us.

How was I saved? Was it by mere mental acceptance? No, it was the truth that went into my heart. I was saved by the sheer grace and mercy of God. And I experienced the power of His deliverance, even as the enemy pursued me as I left his kingdom. Our faith is a battle. The Christian life is a battle. There is spiritual reality and spiritual forces are working behind this life of circumstances. But, praise God, He fights our battles and we only have to hold our peace.

Eventhough God's ways are unsearchable - His footsteps are not known - we know that He cares for us, even as a shepherd cares for his sheep, even as He led us out of Egypt and through the Red Sea and through the Wilderness into the Promised Land.

Thought for Prayer – Keep Knocking

2005-02-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

The Lord Jesus Christ speaking in Rev 3.7 refers to Himself as the One 'who has the key of David, [the One] who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.’ He opens and no one shuts. So He set before the church at Philadelphia an ‘open door, and no one can shut it.’

But the same Jesus shuts and no one opens. There are many doors that He shuts in our lives – doors which we would gladly go through, not realizing that they are portals to self-seeking and self-gratification, avenues which are outside the will of God. God has a plan for us, and if we desire to be in the will of God and in the plan of God, then He will shut the doors that we would fain open. Often we feel frustrated because the doors are not opening. We never ask, ‘Is this the will of God? Is this the plan of God for me?’ We have many aspirations and ambitions, but we never seek to know the will of God.

God teaches us in practical ways and through painful experience. The difficult circumstances are allowed by Him in our life, even the ‘shut doors’. This is how He chastens us, and makes us learn to wait on Him.

What do we do when we confront a ‘shut door’? Try knocking on the door. God doesn’t want us to be passive. He says, Ask, Seek, Knock. Prayer is not just asking, not just seeking, but knocking. Keep knocking.

We want something from God, we desire it earnestly, we plead with God; and if our heart is really in it, and if it is God’s will, then surely He will do it. However, if it is not God’s will, then He will not answer. And He will take away the desire for it, so that our knocking becomes half-hearted and slack as the days go by. But where we are in earnest and where God wills, it will surely be done.

There is something called a ‘burden’. This is a weight put on the heart. We are burdened about the matter. As we pray earnestly the burden increases. And not just that! But our prayer increases. Our dependence on the Lord increases. It becomes an issue that is ‘according to His will’ and accomplished ‘by His grace’.

So the Friend at Midnight kept knocking, because his need was great [he needed food for himself and his family, as much as for his friend] – and the God who supplies every need according to Philippians 4.19 met that need promptly and abundantly. The door opened to fervent and persistent knocking. The question is: ‘Do we know what we need?’ Is it ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ or is it ‘Seek worldly riches, worldly name and fame, worldly security – the things of this world’?

May we know what to pray for, may we desire the things that are above, may we glorify God in all that we do, may we enjoy the abundance of His grace, may we be blessed in every way and become a blessing to many - through the power of persistent prayer! Keep knocking.

Isaiah 41.10

2005-02-07T05:06:00.001-08:00

A. This is one of the greatest promises of God in the Bible.

'Fear not, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Comments:
1. Fear and faith are contradictory. If you fear, you have no faith. Fear is a powerful weapon of Satan. God says, Fear not. Why? Because God is with us. He is our Immanuel God. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He is with us, as He was with Joseph in Egypt. [Gen 39]. Lo, I am with you always, Jesus tells His disciples. Always.

2. Don't be anxious. Don't look here and there. Don't look at the circumstances. Look unto Me. Looking unto Jesus. 'They looked unto Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.' [Ps 34].

3. I am your God. He is my God. The Lord Jesus is my personal Saviour. He is mine, and I am His. He is God. God Almighty. The El Shaddai God. The all-powerful God. The Omnipotent God who reigns forever.

4. I will strengthen you. He will strengthen your heart, Ps 27. Your heart will be established by His grace, Heb 13. His grace is sufficient. We will obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, Heb 4.16.

5. He will uphold us, or hold us up. There is no fear of falling. Underneath are the everlasting arms, Deut 33. Nobody can snatch us out of His hands, John 10.28,29.

6. The right hand of His righteousness. He means what He says. God is true. He is a faithful God. He is a righteous God. He will never fail. He is the everlasting Rock. The eternal God is our refuge.

7. Oh, that we would keep trusting in Him. That we would keep 'looking unto Him'. That we would keep praising Him for this great promise.

8. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

B. God does not stop with this promise. He goes on with further promises, all linked up with this great promise.

He says, 'Behold, all those who were angered at you
will be ashamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you
will be as nothing and will perish.'
'You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them.
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.'
For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'
'Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,' declares the LORD,
even your Redeemer, the H0ly One of Israel.

The Lord is continuing to encourage His saints, the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He promises to fight our battles. He says, in effect, 'Your enemies will be put to shame.' They will be like the chaff on the threshing floor, that is blown away by the wind. They will be scattered, they will perish. You will seek them, but you will not find them.

The Lord fights our battles. He says, 'Your Redeemer is the LORD.' Who is the LORD? Who is Jehovah? He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Look at this picture in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. 'The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marvelled at among all who have believed in Him.'

Our Redeemer is mighty, our Redeemer is strong. The Bible declares, 'The God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.' That promise from Rom 16.20 is for you and me, who are part of the church, the body of Christ.

Rest assured, the victory is ours. 'Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1 Cor 15.57

Mephibosheth

2005-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Story of Mephibosheth

Read 2 Sam 4.4; 2 Samuel 9; 2 Sam 19.24-30 and 2 Sam 21.1-7

The story of Mephibosheth is found in four passages in the Old Testament. The 1st passage in 2 Sam 4.4 explains how he became lame. He was not born lame, but he became lame when his nurse dropped him as a child of five years of age. It must have been a great fall, because he became crippled in both legs.

His name Mephibosheth means ‘one who destroys shame’ or ‘one who has overcome shame’. The appellation is prophetic about the man. He is one who overcame shame; his description by the Holy Spirit in 2 Samuel 19.24 shows one who mourns over the humiliation of his king, and his words in 2 Sam 19.30 express the satisfaction of one who sees the king restored to glory . He shuns earthly riches, for his heart brims with gratitude over the great grace shown by David towards him. He is the picture of a true spiritual believer, as opposed to the false, carnal and fleshly believers of our times. Their gospel is ‘Believe in Jesus and you will enjoy both heavenly and earthly blessings’. Their gospel is ‘Peace with God and prosperity on earth’. Mephibosheth, as one truly thankful for all the mercies shown to him by David, has a heart loyal to his king.

The mercies shown by David are spelt out in the 2nd passage found in 2 Samuel chapter 9. David seeks to show the ‘kindness of God’ [9.3] to the house of Saul – for Jonathan’s sake. We remember how David and Jonathan thrice bound themselves to a covenant, in which Jonathan made David swear that ‘he would not cut off his loving-kindness from the house of Jonathan, even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth’. [1 Sam 20.15]. So the two of them made a covenant ‘before the Lord’, 1 Sam 23.18. This is a covenant under which David binds himself to show the ‘kindness of God’ to the house of Jonathan [or the house of Saul, since Jonathan was the son of Saul].

Thrice we find the word ‘kindness’ appearing in this short chapter, 2 Samuel 9. It speaks of covenant-kindness, or rather, divine mercy and grace. So David was merciful to the house of his enemy, Saul. Even so, God is merciful to us, while we were still His enemies. That mercy is seen in the Cross – we see the ‘Calvary love’ of God demonstrated in the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Five-fold Kindness
There is a five-fold kindness revealed in this passage. Mephibosheth is lame in both his feet. He has to be carried and brought to David. He calls himself a ‘dead dog’, and later in 2 Sam19.28 refers to himself as a ‘dead man’. Before God, as sinners, we are ‘dead in trespasses and sins’. The wrath of God burns against us. We are as good as dead -- if only once we realized that terrible and appalling wrath. Today’s gospel does not picture the wrath of God, nor does it elaborate the law that demands the death of every sinner, nor does it emphasize the unapproachable holiness of God. It is an emasculated gospel, watered down to suit human fancies and delusions.

Mephibosheth is a helpless man, lame in both feet, invalid like the paralytic in Mark 2, helpless like the man lying in the porch of Bethesda. Romans 5.6 says ‘While we were yet helpless…Christ died for [us], the ungodly’. None of us can take a decision for Christ; it is His Spirit that moves us, brings us to His feet and reveals to us the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. It is not that we loved Him, but that He first loved us and sent His Son to die as a propitiation for our sins. For God so loved the world... It is God who takes and has taken the initiative. There is nothing in which we can boast. May we have the humility of Mephibosheth!

Mephibosheth is lying forgotten, far away in the wilderness of Lo-debar, way beyond the Jordan. The news comes that the king wants to see him. The king wants to show him the kindness of God. Mephibosheth is brought to David and falls prostrate at his feet. ‘I am your servant,’ he says. ‘What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?’
Any other king, having come to the throne, would have slain all his enemies. David too would have slain him, but for the covenant with Jonathan. David speaks graciously to him. This is the ‘saving grace’ of God.

There is a second blessing. Not just saving grace, but grace that restores all that is lost. In three verses, we have the thought of what is lost being restored. ‘I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul.’ David tells Ziba, the imposing servant of Saul, ‘All that belonged to Saul and his house I have given to your master’s grandson.’ I wonder how Ziba felt; Ziba had misappropriated the property of Saul. David goes beyond; he says, ‘You, Ziba, and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land and bring in the harvest so that your master’s grandson will always have food.’ As David provided for Mephibosheth, so God makes provision for us. My God shall supply all your needs, according to the glorious riches of grace in Christ Jesus.

Mephibosheth had lost everything. He was living in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lo-debar. Machir was a good and kind man, a rich and hospitable host. Mephibosheth was an orphan, sheltered in his house, dependent on his charity and benevolence. Now he hears the words of the king: ‘I will restore to you all the land.’ Ziba had been feeding himself and his 15 sons and 20 servants off that land. Now Ziba is made to serve Mephibosheth - by royal command. So too does God restore to us all that is lost. He compensates for the years the locusts have eaten, the years wasted by sin. Like David once in a hopeless situation, God enables us to ‘recover all’, 1 Sam 30.18,19. David had to fight to recover, but Mephibosheth is sitting there in the presence of the king and receives the good news that his property is restored and provision has been made for a lifetime.

This brings us to the third blessing. Four times we are told that Mephibosheth shall eat at the king’s table. And the word ‘regularly’ is repeated thrice. Mephibosheth will not leave the presence of the king. He will not dine elsewhere in Jerusalem, but will feed of the variety and abundance of the king’s table. The spiritual connection is obvious. The table reflects the table of the Lord – royal food, spiritual nourishment, heavenly manna. In three ways, as believers, we enjoy this ‘table of grace’. As we read the word of God - as the word speaks to us as a living word, tasting of milk and honey - we are nourished and strengthened. We meditate on the word and enjoy strong meat or ‘solid food’, which is for the mature, Heb 5.14. In times of difficulty we cry out to the Lord in urgent prayer, and He answers immediately, dispensing grace from His heavenly throne. How often we have enjoyed timely deliverance, tasted special love, received appropriate help from Him ‘who is able to make all grace abound towards us, so that we will have all sufficiency in everything and an abundance for every good deed.’ [2 Cor 9.8]. Then, apart from the word of God and prayer, we enjoy the comfort of the Holy Spirit in the fellowship of the saints. The more we come together as believers, the more we are strengthened. It is difficult to explain, but easily experienced.

Look at the ‘tables’ in the Bible. We have the table of Joseph in Gen 43.34, from which Benjamin received five times more than his brothers. That ‘five’ speaks of ‘grace’. Benjamin the overcomer [and Mephibosheth, as also the apostle Paul, was from the tribe of Benjamin], speaks of the one who overcomes by sheer, abounding grace of God. This is not only sustaining grace, but grace that enables us to overcome. It is not by might, nor by power, but by His grace – His Spirit of grace. Solomon’s table in 1 Kings 4 speaks of the riches of God’s grace, a lavish feast that left the Queen of Sheba ‘breathless’. May God open our eyes to see that God’s food, the riches of His grace, is not some tasteless manna falling from heaven - but it is the satisfaction that we derive from the unsearchable riches of Christ.

The fourth blessing is that Mephibosheth is elevated to the status of a king’s son. So the verse says, ‘Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons.’ He, the grandson of an enemy, has become the son of a king. Not only is he brought from beyond the Jordan to the heart of Jerusalem, but he is stationed in Zion, the king’s palace, and sits in the presence of David like one of the king’s sons. This is not only saving grace, restoring grace, sustaining grace, but elevating grace. We have become sons and daughters of the Most High. We are royal children, the children of a King.

The fifth blessing is not seen in chapter 9. It is found later in chapter 21. That is the story of the broken covenant; of Saul’s slaughter of the Gibeonites, which violated the treaty that Joshua had with the Gibeonites in Joshua 9.15. God being truthful and One who honours His word demands that we too be truthful and honourable. A covenant is not just a promise, not a mere oath - it is a [written] word of honour. Divine justice is outraged at Saul’s bloody violation, and famine scourges the land. David inquires of the Lord and learns the truth. How can David make atonement to remove the curse of famine from the land? [2 Sam 21] The Gibeonites demand retribution. It is a lawful demand. Hear the words of the Gibeonites: ‘Let seven men from the sons of Saul be given to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.’ Hanging speaks of ‘curse’. It was a binding, permanent and irreversible covenant that Joshua had with the Gibeonites. Joshua, a man of honour, did not go back on his word; but Saul did. The seven sons [or grandsons] of Saul are to be hung ‘before the Lord’. The Gibeonites speak, ironically, of Saul as ‘the chosen of the Lord’. The Lord’s name has been blasphemed among the Gentiles. How important is this covenant before God! It is no small thing. Seven souls are sacrificed to make atonement, to wipe out the curse, to appease [propitiate] the wrath of God. This is holy wrath, demanding that divine retribution fall upon the house of Saul. Nevertheless, David ‘spared Mephibosheth’. What a great deliverance!

There are the demands of the law which we can’t escape. But, because of that famous three-fold covenant between David and Jonathan, Mephibosheth was spared. Out of all the kindnesses shown by the king, this is perhaps the greatest kindness. The law is inflexible. Its demands are relentless. There is no escape for us. And yet, we have a way of escape, a way of deliverance, a ‘new and living way’, through the everlasting covenant, the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
We have been meditating on the five-fold kindness shown by David to Mephibosheth. Truly it is a great kindness. It speaks of God’s grace to us sinners. Saving grace, restoring grace, sustaining grace, elevating grace and grace that keeps us eternally secure. It is a deliverance from sin, Satan and death; and even more so, a deliverance from the law, the world, and the self. If we continue to meditate on the story of Mephibosheth, we will find, as we read the portion in 2 Sam 19.24-30, one who is truly grateful and one who faithfully loves and honours his king. Would that we too were truly thankful for this ‘so great salvation’ that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we too would long to see Him enthroned here on earth as King.

30th January 2005

By His Spirit, Zech 4.6

2005-01-29T02:25:00.000-08:00

You don’t have to push with all your strength.
Without Him, you can do nothing.
You don’t have to worry so much.
It is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit.

It is not by our wisdom, nor by our strength.
It is by His Spirit.

Be led by His Spirit.
Wait for the leading of the Spirit.
Be calm. Let the peace of God keep your heart and mind.
Keep trusting in Him.
He will do it.
By His Spirit.