Experiencing the Presence of God

A lot of people are asking a lot of questions about how to prepare for the days ahead. Should I buy gold? Do I stay in the stock market? How can I protect my assets?

There's nothing wrong with asking such questions. I have recently posted two articles that deal with the matter of preparation ("Don't Leave Your Cow in the Yard" and "God's Provision -- Our Responsibility").

I would not presume to advise anyone about their financial decisions. I have questions about that myself. But I will say this ...

the single most important preparation you can make is to draw closer to God.

Most Christians today are in the outer court -- that's where you'll find the fun, food, and fellowship. But in the days ahead, an outer court experience will not be enough.

Luke 24:13-27 records an interesting story of two disciples who walked on the Emmaus Road with the Lord, but did not experience his presence. He was near but they failed to recognize Him. Why? What caused their blindness to the presence of Christ? From their story we can learn how we often miss the presence of God.

They missed His presence because ...

They were overwhelmed with their problem.

Their dream world had just been shattered … their hopes had evaporated. They were on their way home after the most traumatic moments of their life. Their hopes had been nailed to a cross and buried in a tomb. Fixated on their pain and disappointment, they could not recognize Him though He was walking right beside them.

Have you ever had a moment when you were so overwhelmed by the gravity of your problems and the pain of what was hurting you … facing the reality that something you have dreamed of is never going to come true … so devastated by your disappointments and overwhelmed with confusion that you lost all sense of God’s presence and found it difficult to believe that He was near?

You’ll never experience the presence of God until you change your focus from your sorrow to your Savior ... and you don’t change your focus by what you feel, but by what you know.

They were ignorant of God's Word.

I could have used a nicer word than “ignorant,” I suppose, but Jesus used an even stronger word. He used the word “foolish.” In essence, "If you had understood the Word of God … if you knew what the prophets had said you would not be in this mess." Much of their confusion was rooted in their lack of understanding and misunderstanding of God’s word.

As they walked, He patiently taught them the Word of God, "beginning with Moses" (the first books of the Bible), through the Psalms and prophets, explaining what had been written of Messiah. Later they would say, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the way?"

I’m not going to say that if you read the Bible everyday and memorize scripture you will never have difficult times and moments of sorrow. But I will say that unless you have an experience of God that comes through the knowledge of His word, you will have a difficult time seeing Him in the pain and grief of your life.

The better you know someone the less explaining they have to do. The more we know God the less explanation we need. The closeness of your relationship with God is directly related to the depth of your knowledge of His Word. It is in the Word of God that I most often find Him.

They were slow to believe.

In other words, their faith was deficient. This is one of the consequences of their ignorance of the scripture. Since "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17), it is understandable that their faith was weak.

In the course of my life I have stood with many people who have looked to me for an answer when I did not have one. I could not answer the searing question, "Why?" I have learned that there is a point when I simply must stand in faith without an answer -- "the just shall live by faith."

I stand in the simple faith that ...

God is too wise to be mistaken.

God is too good to be unkind.

When you don't understand ...

When you can't trace His hand ...

When you can't find His plan ...

Trust His heart.

Finally, they missed His presence because of ...

Their faulty preconditioning.

Mark writes only two verses about this story, but he provides incredible insight in just a few words. In 16:12 he writes ...

“Jesus appeared to them in another form.”

How often do we miss His presence because of our stereotyped expectations of God -- that He will reveal Himself in a particular manner? We become so preoccupied with our expectations, based on prior experiences, that we miss Him when He chooses to come "in another form."

Elijah was so intent upon the wind, earthquake, and the fire that he almost missed His presence. In the past God had revealed Himself to Israel at Horeb (Sinai) in this very manner (Ex. 19:18ff). Was Elijah trying to relive an experience of the past? Did he expect that once again God would be in the wind, earthquake, and fire as he had before?

As glorious as that past experience had been, God's intention for Elijah went beyond a rehearsal of yesterday's glory. He came to his servant in an unprecedented manner ... He spoke in the still small voice. The Hebrew text suggests that the "still small voice" was not a voice at all -- that God "spoke" in the silence.

What kind of heart must I have to hear God in the silence?

God often breaks the mold. He refuses to fit our definitions. He defies our modus operandi for the Divine. He sometimes reveals His presence in unprecedented ways. He may not come the next time in the same way He has come in the past. Will your faulty preconditioning keep you from seeing Him if reveals Himself in a different form?

Luke finishes this story with these words:

"They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:35).

Christ always reveals Himself to those who will sit and commune with Him at the table of the heart.

God's Provision -- Our Responsibility

Are your eyes on the supply or the Supplier?

When Isaac asked his father, "Where is the lamb?", Abraham answered, "The Lord will provide himself a lamb" (Gen. 22:8). Moments later he retrieved a ram from the thicket and offered it instead of his son ...

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh ... (Gen 22:14).

The literal meaning of the Hebrew name Jehovah-jireh is "the Lord who sees." From the context of Gen. 22, it embodies the idea of the "the Lord who provides." He provides so completely because He "sees" so completely what is needed.


From the pen of Paul we read ...

And with all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs (Phil 4:19, Today's English Version).

But God's promise to supply does not preclude our participation. Indeed, in most instances God's promise to provide is premised upon man's obedient response.

• God's provision of manna in the wilderness required the Israelis to gather it daily without hoarding, with a double supply on the day before the sabbath (Ex. 16:15ff).
• God's provision of water for Israel's army required the soldiers to put down their swords and pick up shovels to dig ditches (2 Kings 3:16).
• God's provision for Elijah required him to go to the brook Cherith and later to the widow's house in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:3-6, 9).
• God's provision of tax money required Simon to fish with a line in the lake Jesus specified -- looking in the mouth of the first fish caught (Mt. 17:27).

There are many other examples, but you get the point.

If you like maggot-infested manna and nothing to eat on the sabbath, ignore God's commands. If Israel's soldiers hadn't dug the ditches, there would have been no water. Had Elijah gone anywhere besides Cherith and Zarephath, he would have missed God's provision. Peter would not have found the coin for taxes in a bird's nest.

Even the verse cited above from Phil. 4:19, "my God shall supply all your needs," is not without conditions. From the context, note the giving of the Philippians. Their giving was ...

• Faithful: "... you sent aid once and again for my necessities" (v. 16).
• Fruitful: "... I seek the fruit that abounds to your account" (v. 17).
• Fragrant: "... the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma" (v. 18).

Because of this, Paul says, your need will be furnished.

But perhaps the most important thing to remember is that in the examples cited above, the means of provision was a once-given-never-to-be-repeated commandment from the Lord.

The supply of manna stopped when Israel planted corn in Canaan and no literal manna has been seen since (though there is a preacher on TV who will send you "miracle manna" if you give him your name and mailing address; it looks like a Graham cracker in a baggie). Digging ditches to hold water was done only once. Ravens were never again commissioned to feed a hungry prophet. Widows have kept a few preachers alive, but not from a meal barrel and cruse of oil that never diminished.

It's not about digging ditches or going fishing. It's about waiting on God, listening for His voice, receiving His specific, personal instructions, and obeying His command. It's not about following steps 1-2-3 but about hearing what God is saying to you and then partnering with Him.

God's provision flows out of our relationship with Him.

The key to provision is knowing the Provider.

You Need More Than a Ticket

(I found this in my collection of stories and illustrations. Unfortunately, I do not know the original source and I am unable to cite the author.)

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, “We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.” So he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, “I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.”

The conductor said, “Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.”

Einstein nodded appreciatively.

The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, “Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.”

Einstein looked at him and said, “Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.''

Having said that Billy Graham continued, “See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.”

“You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this:

I not only know who I am ... I also know where I'm going."

Severe Mercy

"In wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2)

We often think of God's judgment as the antithesis of mercy. Rightly understood, judgment may actually be one of the greatest expressions of God's mercy.

Malcolm Smith described judgment as "a tourniquet applied by a loving God to keep a hemorrhaging world from bleeding to death."

Sometimes God steps in to save us from ourselves.

In 1665 the Black Plague swept through the city of London. The disease was carried by fleas that lived as parasites on rats. The city was infested with the vermin and in short order the plague spread throughout London. According to one estimate the disease killed 40,000 dogs, 200,000 cats, and more than 1,000 people per week. By August 1666 as many as 6,000 people died per week.

The disease spread unchecked until the night of September 2, 1666 when a careless maid started a small fire in a baker’s shop on Pudding Lane. The blaze soon became an inferno. Fanned by the east wind, the fire quickly spread across the city.

The fire raged for four days and destroyed 80% of London. More than 13,000 homes were reduced to ashes. The city was nearly destroyed, but the people were saved because the fire burned up the rats and burned out the infectious disease.

The destructive blaze razed the city but saved the people.

Right now our country is hemorrhaging. God loves us too much to let us bleed to death.

Don't Leave Your Cow in the Yard

The Sovereign LORD never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants ...

Amos 3:7, Today's English Version

Why does God reveal His plans in advance?

Advanced warnings are often a call to repentance.

When Jonah announced Nineveh's impending destruction "the people of Nineveh believed God's message. So they decided that everyone should fast, and all the people, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth to show that they had repented" (Jonah 3:5).

When Jezebel seduced the church at Thyatria into idolatry and immorality Jesus said, "I have given her time to repent of her sins ..." (Rev. 2:21).

Advanced warnings bring assurance.

To prepare His disciples for the cross and beyond, Jesus said to them, "I have told you this now before it all happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe" ( John 14:29).

When Satan asked permission to test Peter, Jesus warned him in advance to assure him that He had already prayed for him (Luke 22:31).

Knowing in advance tells us that God has not been taken by surprise ... that He has everything under control ... the He cared enough to let us know ahead of time.

If God precedes the commencement of the trial, is He likely to be absent at its conclusion?

Advanced warnings give time to prepare.

God's plan to preserve Jacob's family from starvation began many years before the famine arrived in Egypt. He chose Joseph ... arranged his trip to Egypt ... directed his training ... orchestrated his rise to power ... gave Pharaoh a dream ... gave Joseph the interpretation ... and then gave them 7 more years to grow and store enough food to feed the people.

Prov 22:3 says, "A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

Advanced warnings are a call to action.

In Acts 11:28-29 a prophet named Agabus "predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth." Hearing the warning, "the disciples decided that each of them would send as much as he could to help their fellow believers who lived in Judea."

Prior to the plague of hail in Egypt, God warned the people to protect their livestock: "This time tomorrow I will cause a heavy hailstorm ... now give orders for your livestock and everything else you have in the open to be put under shelter. Hail will fall on the people and animals left outside unprotected, and they will all die."

Some of the king's officials believed what the LORD had said, and they brought their slaves and animals indoors for shelter. Others, however, paid no attention to the LORD's warning and left their slaves and animals out in the open" (Ex 9:18-21). When the hail stones fell, they perished.

Conclusion

At the approach of a hurricane, the National Weather Service will issue an immediate warning so the residents in the storm's path will have time to prepare. Making preparations for a coming storm is wisdom, not fear.

In light of the storm warnings that are sounding across the land today our response should be one of:

• personal repentance ...
• peace, not panic ...
• prudence, not paranoia ...
• action, not apathy.

When God warns of a hail storm, don't leave your cow in the yard.

Got milk?

Extreme Makeover

Revival is when God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented that He shows Himself.

- Leonard Ravenhill -

The prophet Malachi brings a message of reconciliation to an embittered nation that is angry with God – disillusioned, disengaged, estranged, and disconnected. As the Old Testament concludes, God gives the promise that he will send Elijah to affect restoration (Mal. 4:6).

Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.

Slipped into the passage is this little phrase:

“… come and smite the earth with a curse.”

It appears to be little more than a footnote. It would be easy to miss this phrase and even easier to miss its meaning. But it is loaded with significance – especially when we understand the meaning of the word “curse.”

“Curse” is derived from the Hebrew word herem. The basic idea is “the exclusion of an object from the use or abuse of man and its irrevocable surrender to God.” The word is related to an Arabic root meaning “to prohibit, especially to ordinary use.”

The English word “harem,” (derived from herem) literally refers to “something forbidden” and commonly refers to a secluded house or part of a house allotted to women in a Muslim household. It may also refer to the wives, concubines, female relatives, and servants occupying a harem that are off limits.

In scripture it is commonly used in reference to something marked and “banned for utter destruction, the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God's work, which is considered to be accursed before God.”

The story of Jericho's fall to Israel provides clear examples of the first use. The whole city is called a "devoted thing" (Josh. 6:17), and all Israelites are warned to keep themselves from the "devoted thing," which likely is a reference to items within the city, all of which had to be burned if flammable and if not, given to God.

The spoils of Jericho were devoted to God and not to be touched. When Achan disobeyed and took of these items, Israel's army was defeated by the people of Ai, and God said that Israel had now become a "devoted thing" itself until the "devoted thing" (Achan in his sin) was destroyed from its midst.

So, then, Jericho the heathen city was "devoted" because it stood in the way of God's work through Israel in making conquest of Canaan. Israel became "devoted" because of sin which entered and made the nation unusable in God's work. Achan in his sin became "devoted" because he was the reason for Israel's hindrance as the people of God. From this we can see the severity of “the ban.” Herem was not to be taken lightly. The things devoted to destruction should not be spared and could not be saved. It was not a good idea to be on the wrong side of "the ban."

But the word also conveyed a positive meaning. It sometimes referred to things surrendered and devoted to the Lord for His glory and service, as in:

“But nothing that a man owns and devotes (herem) to the LORD – whether man or animal or family land – may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted (herem) is most holy to the LORD”(Lev. 27:28:).

Whatever is devoted to the Lord, whether man, animal, or property, is considered most holy by God and is therefore not to be sold or redeemed by substituting something else. It was permissible for devoted things to be given to the priests:

“I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted (herem) to the LORD will belong to them” (Ezek. 44:28-29).

So, the “ban” … the “curse” … the herem … referred to something surrendered to God which meant either (1) devoting it to the service of God or; (2) putting it under a ban for utter destruction.

In respect to the objects to be destroyed, they were considered to be offensive to God and injurious to his work. But objects to be set apart because they were holy, useful, and pleasing to Him were protected by “the ban.” Thus, herem conveys a dual purpose and destiny for devoted things – devoted either for destruction or protection.

So what does this have to do with the current economic crisis and its aftermath?

As the Holy Spirit has dealt with me from scripture and this passage in particular, I believe the concept of “devoted things” is in the middle of God’s activity in the current crisis. Some things have been devoted for destruction; others have been devoted for protection.

I believe there are many things in our culture/society that have come under “the ban” – things devoted to destruction. This does not necessarily imply something as dramatic as fire falling from heaven to consume Sodom. It simply means that existing structures, systems, programs, lifestyles, and long-established routines will undergo drastic changes as God brings down the pride and arrogance of our nation. I can only speak of this in general terms; the specifics will soon unfold. American lifestyles are already changing; soon they will change radically.

I also believe there are many things in the church that under herem – things devoted to destruction. In the words of Ravenhill, "God is sick and tired of being misrepresented" and He is about to bring down man-made religious structures, methods, systems, policies, protocols, agendas, and the like. Many of our familiar religious “landmarks” are about to be removed and we will soon have trouble recognizing what we use to call “church.” The church is about to undergo an extreme makeover!

At this point, it is necessary to re-visit two important points previously made, but perhaps overlooked. The first is this: “Jericho the heathen city was ‘devoted’ because it stood in the way of God's work.”

Obstructions to God’s work outside the church may be easy to recognize, but many of the spiritual impediments within the church go undetected because they appear to be spiritual and long ago we confused brass shields for gold and can no longer discern the difference.

We have grown so accustomed to our “broken cisterns” and the ministry models we have canonized that we fail to perceive that many of the things we think are essential to God’s work are actually in God's way. What we see as an asset God may see as a liability; what we regard as “blessings” may actually be “accursed.”

Others continue to exist, not because they are undetected, but because they are “protected” – our sacred cows, pet programs, and old wineskins that we defend with religious fervor and refuse to release. In our misguided zeal, we may find ourselves praying for God to preserve things He intends to destroy.

But those things that we have tried to protect are no longer protected. They are devoted to destruction – all that stands in the way of God’s work – and there is nothing that can save them. They are irrevocably surrendered to God.

The second point to remember is this: “it is commonly used in reference to something marked and banned for utter destruction, the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God's work.”

“Compulsory dedication” … by compulsion, not by choice. Mandated, not optional. Imperative, not discretionary.

Commenting on Malachi 4:6, Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser says that herem is “the opposite concept of voluntary dedication. It implies that if men do not turn to Him, He will come and take by force what belongs to Him. It is, in effect, a final call to repentance."

In the choosing of “devoted things” and the consequences that follow, the prerogative belongs exclusively to God. He will not ask for our permission or require our approval. He will not submit His plan to a review board or ask that it be included on our agenda. He will carry out His determined purposes over our objections and complaints.

Revival is when God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented that He shows Himself.

The extreme makeover will include things that we would never agree to if the choice was ours. The coming adjustments will be made because we have to, not because we want to. We will be forced to make radical adjustments that will affect most areas of our lives – our sense of community, stewardship of resources, lifestyle choices, and perhaps most importantly, our understanding and approach to ministry.

What this will entail, exactly, is yet to be seen. But crisis has a way of reducing us to essentials and stripping us of the superficial. Some of my early thoughts include:

Ecclesiastical structures, budgets, polity, systems, strategies, and methods will be radically altered at all levels. How we think and do the work of ministry will undergo major adjustments. Yesterday’s wineskins will not hold today’s wine.

Perhaps the greatest impact will be on church budgets. Financial constraints and considerations will touch just about every area of ministry. Downsizing of salaries and benefits for staff and elimination of some paid positions will be mandatory. Our initial thoughts will be that this is bad – and it will create financial challenges for many – but we may soon learn that many of the things we think are necessary to do ministry are not really required at all.

In the coming days, desperate people who turn to the church will not be looking for the highest steeple and biggest sanctuary in town. They won’t care about smoke and mirrors, choreographed services, or celebrity preachers. They will be seeking God, not dinner and a show. Among the things that are devoted to destruction is the ego-centric, pop gospel, show-business religion that has misrepresented God long enough. The calf of Bethaven is about to topple.

Because we have embraced inauthentic ministry models, church budgets are often stretched in the attempt to finance paid professionals (staff) rather than to equip the saints for the work of ministry. In the future, many churches will not have the financial resources to hire paid staff, and will be forced to realign with biblical ministry models, especially found in Ephesians 4:11ff – equipping the saints for the work of service.

Previously, churches (clergy and parishioners) have vehemently resisted this, resolutely holding on to cultural and traditional views that assign ministry responsibility, especially pastoral care, to full-time clergy. If the church becomes or remains viable this will have to change. Mobilized laity will be a necessity, not an option, and the deeply entrenched cultural/traditional sacred cow of “clergy only” will be slaughtered (sacred cows make great hamburger).

The extreme makeover will cause great anxiety for many and resistance from some. The forced transition away from the familiar, the predictable, and the cherished will be upsetting and painful. Many will yearn for a return to yesterday. Some may attempt to hold on to the past. But trying to protect and preserve what God is determined to destroy is not only risky, it is futile. Kicking against the pricks will only produce bloodied feet.

If this sounds like so much gloom and doom, it is only because we are overlooking the positive aspect of herem. Remember: while some devoted things are for destruction, others are devoted to protection.

There is another passage near the conclusion of the Old Testament that must not be forgotten:

Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession.

I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not." Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace.

All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire, says the LORD Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. (Mal. 3:16-4:2).

Some things – accursed things that impede the way of the Lord – have been devoted to destruction and they cannot be saved. But other things – holy things that are precious to God – have been devoted to protection and cannot be touched. The same power of God that assures the destruction of what God has cursed also guarantees the protection of what He has blessed!

Yes, some things are going to be lost. But all that is necessary is certain and will not be lost.

In conclusion, God’s message through Malachi is mirrored in the New Testament book of Hebrews:

… but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven as well.” The words “once more” plainly show that the created things will be shaken and removed, so that the things that cannot be shaken will remain. Let us be thankful, then, because we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be grateful and worship God in a way that will please him, with reverence and a (Heb. 12:26-29; Today’s English Version).

The beginning of this journey is terrifying because we cannot see the final destination – only the bewildering, frightening path before us. We are so focused on what is being lost that we cannot see what is being built. Rest assured, God will not destroy anything that should be protected, nor will He protect anything that should be destroyed. All that will be lost are things we can’t keep.

When all that can be shaken is removed and only that which cannot be shaken remains, we will look back and wonder why we were ever afraid.

Number Your Days

In her book, Jesus, Life Coach, Laurie Beth Jones tells of a married couple who received the tragic news that the wife had cancer and only a few months to live. Knowing her time was short, she began to live life with clarity and uncommon passion.

As her time drew near, her husband mustered the courage to ask her, "Honey, how do you live everyday knowing that you are dying?" She propped up on one elbow and said, "How do you live everyday pretending that you're not?"

"Teach us how short our life is,so that we may become wise" (Psalms 90:12, Today's English Version).

Light in Goshen

As I woke the morning after writing the article, American Idol, the Spirit whispered to me, "Don't forget Goshen." I had focused primarily on the ten plagues as judgments against Egypt's gods and the implications of that for today. The Lord was reminding me there was more to the story.

Goshen was a region in Egypt of approximately 900 square miles, inhabited by the Israelis during the time of Joseph and during the years of their captivity. It is generally agreed that Goshen was the region East of the Bubastic branch of the Nile and northwest of the Red Sea. It is identified in Psalms 78:12, 43, as the "field of Zoan."

During the time of the plagues, Goshen was a protected haven for God's people.

"But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people" (Ex. 8:22-23).

So, what does Goshen represent?

INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER

Joseph sent this message to his father, Jacob -- "Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me" (Gen. 45:9-10). When Jacob arrived in Goshen, Joseph met him there and "threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time" (Gen. 46:29). In Goshen disconnected children are reunited with their father in a lasting, intimate relationship.

PROVISION

"I will provide for you there ..." (Gen 45:11). It is reminiscent of God's promised provision for Elijah by the brook -- "I have ordered the ravens to feed you there" (1 Kings 17:4). In both instances, God provided for his people during a time of famine. Isaiah said it this way:

"He who walks righteously and speaks what is right ... this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him"(33:15-16).

HOPE

"... you, your children and grandchildren ..." (Gen. 45:10). The future hope of the nation, resting in their children and grandchildren, was secure. God's promise and Israel's destiny would not be lost in the confusion of Egypt.

FRUITFULNESS

"They ... were fruitful and increased greatly in number" (Gen. 47:27). Goshen was a fruitful valley. St. Silvia says that the land of Goshen was 16 miles from Heroopolis, and that she traveled for two days in it "through vineyards, and balsam plantations, and orchards, and tilled fields, and gardens." God will provide a spiritual oasis in the midst of Egypt.

COVENANT PROTECTION

"When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down" (Ex. 12:13). When Osiris, Egypt's "lord of life," was judged, the destroyer that took the first-born of the Egyptians could not touch those protected beneath the blood of the Passover Lamb. Paul said, "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us ..." (1 Cor. 5:7).

FAVOR/INFLUENCE

Jacob's family's was allowed to settle in the region of Goshen because the pastoral lands were perfect for shepherds and sheep. There was no objection from the Egyptians because "all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians"(Gen. 46:34). But after the Egyptians saw the favor of God over the Israelis, the Bible says, "The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people" (Ex. 11:3). Because of God's favor, His people gained influence among the pagans.

LIGHT

"So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings" (Ex. 10:22-23). When darkness covered Egypt, there was light in Goshen. In the darkness of the times, God gives light -- revelation, wisdom, insight, perception, and discernment -- to His children. But light is not just something we have, it is what we shine! In the time of God's judgment, He will have a witness to an unbelieving world.

"That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life ..." (Phil. 2:15-16).

CONCLUSION

What was judgment for Egypt was redemption for Israel. The fires that judge America will purify the church. Goshen represents the "deep place" with God, providing intimacy, provision, hope, fruitfulness, protection, favor, influence, and light. There is no reason for God's people to fear.

When Pharaoh granted Jacob permission to dwell in Goshen he called it "the best of the land" (Gen. 45:18). Indeed, Goshen will be the best place to be in the days to come.

And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt ... But He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. And He brought them to His holy border ... He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them an inheritance and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents (Ps. 78:51-55).

American Idol

(Preached March, 2003; original title When Gods are Judged; edited March, 2009)

A close examination of the Old Testament texts reveals a familiar pattern in the manner in which God deals with the nations. When God acts in judgment, He frequently judges the gods of the nation he is judging. The most obvious example is the plagues in Egypt. The ten plagues were actually judgments against the pagan deities of the Egyptians.

For example, they worshipped ...

The Nile -- God turned it to blood.
Rah, the sun god -- God covered Egypt with darkness.
Apis the bull and Hathor the cow goddess; their livestock died.
Heckt (shaped like a frog) -- Egypt was infested with frogs.
Imhotep (god of healing) -- the Egyptians were stricken with boils.
Osiris (lord of life) -- God slew the first-born of Egypt.

There is no question that the plagues were judgment against the idols of Egypt.

Ex 12:12-13: “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments – I am the LORD. (See also Ex 18:10-11)

Num 33:3-4: And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month … while the Egyptians were burying all their first-born whom the LORD had struck down among them. The LORD had also executed judgments on their gods.

2 Sam 7:22-24: "How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you … and who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for Himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?

This familiar theme in scripture seems to suggest a “modus operandi” for God’s judgment:

Jer 43:12-13: He will set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt; he will burn their temples and take their gods captive … he will demolish the sacred pillars and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.

Jer 46:25: The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says, "Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

Zeph 2:11: The LORD will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the land. The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land.

Isa 19:1: An oracle concerning Egypt: See, the LORD rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.

Paul teaches us that the Old Testament was written for our instruction:

Rom. 15:4: “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

1 Cor. 10:11: “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

If God’s judgment follows the pattern of the past He will surely judge America’s gods. Can anyone question that the chief deity of America is Mammon? On the basis of scripture it seems logical that when judgment falls, it will fall first on the nation’s economy.

The true American idol (Mammon -- money) is starting to topple. Which of America’s gods might be next? What about the idols in the church? What about our personal idols? Will they be spared?

Jer 51:17-18: "Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; hey have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.