"There Is A Place By Me"
1 A Place By God
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:" Exodus 33:14-22
In Exodus 32 Moses and Joshua came down from Mount Sinai and the children of Israel were worshipping a golden calf. Moses threw down the two tables which were written by God and the commandments were broken. Moses wants assurance that God is still with them. God tells Moses, "Behold, there is a place by me..." This is encouraging to us because we often sin and break God's commands, but the Lord has promised to be with us always. (Matthew 28:20) When we seek the presence of the Lord God as Moses did, we can find a place by Him.
2 Back To The Place Of The Altar
"And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD." Genesis 13:1-4
Let's look back in the previous chapter and see God's call to Abraham. "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3) Abraham went out as God called, but when famine came into the land he went down to Egypt. In chapter 13 Abram leaves Egypt and goes back to Bethel, the place of the altar he had made to the Lord. We saw in the introduction on our Home page how Moses desired the promise of God's presence and God said, "Behold, there is a place by me..." (Exodus 33:21) Do we desire God's presence? We may be like Abraham and start out as God commands, but when troubles or famine come we get off course and travel in the wrong direction. We can follow Abraham's example and go back to Bethel, "The House of God". We can go back to the place of the altar where we first met the Lord. Do you feel like you have drifted from the path God placed you on? Go back to where you started, where you prayed and worshipped the Lord. That's the place to start when you want to get back on track with God.
3 The Blessed Place Of Complete Obedience
"And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." Genesis 13:14-15
As we look again at the life of Abraham, look at Genesis 12:1 & 2, "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" God told Abraham to go, and Abraham went. But, for whatever reason, Abraham took Lot with him. Lot stayed with him until they had so many flocks and herds that the land could not bear them. Abraham let Lot choose which direction he wanted to go, and he chose the well watered plain of Jordan and travelled toward Sodom, the wicked city. Abraham stayed in the land of Canaan and we come to our verses above..."And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." Notice the little phrase, "after that Lot was separated from him.." After Abraham is separated from his kindred, as God had told him in the beginning, then God blesses him with the promise of the land of Canaan. God has an abundant and endless storehouse of blessings but I think we miss out on a lot because we don't fully obey God's leading in our lives. This episode in the life of Abraham is an encouragement to us to come to the place of complete obedience so that we can receive God's blessing on our lives.
4 God's Mercy To Spare The Righteous In A Place Of Wickedness
"And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Genesis 18:20-26
God promised Abraham that if he could find fifty righteous in Sodom then He would spare the place for the sake of the righteous. Abraham was doubtful that there were fifty righteous in the city and he asked the Lord to save it for forty five righteous, then forty, and all the way down to ten. The Lord agreed that He would not destroy the place if there were ten righteous in the city, but there were not even ten and God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone. Genesis 19:14 shows just how far the testimony of Lot had fallen in this wicked city. "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." Lot escaped with just two of his unmarried daughters and his wife, who looked back and became a pillar of salt. "And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." (Genesis 19:27-29) When I hear the news in America today I think of how wickedness is growing in our country. Our great nation was founded on Biblical principles and through the years men and women have fought to protect our freedom. People in this day and age are turning away from God and sin grows more rampant. I believe that the prayers of the righteous few in our country are holding God's hand of mercy back on this place. Keep praying for America! "God remembered Abraham" and rescued Lot.
5 A Place Of Sacrifice
"And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." Genesis 22:2-13
This is another familiar story in the life of Abraham. God called Abraham to a place of sacrifice. He tested Abraham to see if he would give his beloved son to God. Abraham passed the test and God provided a ram in the place of his son. Has God called you to a place of sacrifice? Are there things in your life that you put before God? Are there people in your life that come between you and serving the Lord? God, Himself, gave His only begotten Son to die in your place. Have you trusted in Him for salvation? He gave His all for me. Any sacrifice I can offer can in no way compare to the great sacrifice He gave for me.
6 There's No Place Like Home
"LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psalm 90:1-2
We came home today from a three-day visit with our daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Last week we spent three days at the beach with several family members. I enjoy spending time with my family and take every opportunity that comes along to be with them, even if it means driving several hours. But no matter how much I enjoy the trip, I am always happy to be back home. No bed sleeps like my bed and no place feels quite as comfortable as home. As I read farther down in this chapter I am reminded how short our life in these earthly homes really is. "...we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." (portions of Psalm 90:9-12) If God blesses us with a long life of 80 or more years, what is that compared to eternity? God's Word reminds us to number our days, and apply our hearts to wisdom. I enjoy working around the house, and I am getting ready to paint my bedroom, but I know that this home is temporary. I need to lay up treasures in heaven, and not spend all my days on works that will not last. My "dwelling place" is with the Lord, my God and my Savior. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." It's good to come home from vacation, and I can say, "There's no place like home", but I have joy in knowing that heaven is my home for eternity. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3)
7 "Surely The Lord Is In This Place; And I Knew It Not"
"And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:10-17
As our story begins Jacob is running from his brother Esau, after tricking him out of his blessing. In his travels Jacob comes to "a certain place". He took some stones "of that place" to make a pillow and lay down "in that place" to sleep. As far as Jacob is concerned this is just an ordinary place, a rest stop along the journey. During the night he dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven with angels going up and down the ladder. God blessed him with the promise of the land, as He had promised to his Grandfather Abraham. God also promised to keep him in "all places" where he would go and bring him back to that land. When Jacob awoke, he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not." Once he realized that God was with him, he understood that God's presence made this a special place. This episode from the life of Jacob can be an example to show us that even in the ordinary places of our daily travels, the Lord can be at our place. As we pray when we awake in the mornings, we can have a special place to speak to the Lord. As we read God's precious Word, we can have a special place to listen to the Spirit of the Lord. As we go about our daily chores and routine, having the Lord with us can make our lives so much more than just routine. We can go about day to day, not knowing that the Lord is present in our lives, as Jacob settled down in a certain place to rest, or we can look to the Lord as our guide throughout our journey and acknowledge that "Surely the LORD is in this place..."
8 Back To Bethel, The Place Of The Altar
"And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel." Genesis 35:1-3 and 9-15
In Genesis 13 we saw how Abraham went back to Bethel and built an altar to the Lord. Yesterday we talked about Jacob's dream at Bethel and his words, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not." After working many years for Laban, Jacob has started back home. He wrestled with God at Peniel (Genesis 32:30) and his name was changed from Jacob to Israel, a prince with God. (Genesis 32:28) Jacob met his brother Esau and now God has called him back to Bethel. I noticed in these verses that Jacob told his family to put away their false gods and he took them with him. He told them he was going to make an altar to God, "who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went." Jacob acknowledged to his family that God had brought him all the way and he was going back to the place where he met God and make a new altar. The stories of Abraham and also here with Jacob remind us that we can go back to the altar from time to time and meet with God. Don't forget the place of your altar, the place where you met God. When your life becomes dusty and dirty as you travel through this earth, it can be refreshing and cleansing to go back to the altar and meet with God.
9 The Awful Place Of Torment
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." Luke 16:19-28
This summer at Pine Grove Baptist Church we have been having a Summer Survival Quest. Adult volunteers in the church have been teaching the youth various skills which will be helpful to them as they grow up. We began with "First Aid" and "Microwave Safety". We had fun sessions on "Making Homemade Ice Cream", "How To Tie Knots" and "Making Pies". We also had devotions titled "Facing The Giants In Your LIves" and "Resisting Peer Pressure". We just had our most important survival lesson of the summer focused on survival for eternity, Salvation. Our verses above tell us the account, not parable, but actual account of the rich man and Lazarus. Both of these men died. The rich man "lifted up his eyes" in a place of torment. The beggar was carried by angels to heaven. Don't wake up in the place of torment. I have heard quotes from people who say, "Well, all my friends will be there." The rich man did not want his brothers to come to his place of torment, a place of everlasting fire. Don't wait until it is too late. There is only one way to escape this place of torment. Understand that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) You can have eternal life in heaven if you confess your sin to the Lord and believe that He died to pay your sin debt. He can put your feet on the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
10 "A Place Where The King's Prisoners Were Bound"
"And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." Genesis 39:20-21
This story of Joseph is an unusual one in the Bible. Joseph's brothers hated him so much they sold him into slavery. God was with Joseph and he was made overseer of all in the Egyptian house. Over time, his master's wife tried to seduce Joseph but he refused to commit that sin against God. She lied to her husband, and in anger he threw Joseph into prison. Joseph did the right thing but he was still cast into the king's prison. Sometimes we really try to do the right thing, again and again. Even in the midst of temptation, we try to follow the Lord, and in the back of our mind we think that we deserve only the best from God. If you stop and think about it, God has already given us the best He had... His only Son, Jesus Christ. That is more than we deserve. Don't quit doing the right thing if you find yourself in a bad place. Notice verse 21, "But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison." "The LORD was with Joseph..." Even in the bad times, God is still with us. Even in the bad places, keep on doing the right thing, and God will be with you!
11 "Am I In The Place Of God?"
"And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." Genesis 50:15-21
If anybody has ever had a reason to seek revenge, Joseph did. His brothers hated him when he was just a young boy and sold him into slavery. Later on, Joseph was put in prison unjustly. He could have spent the years planning a way to "get back" at his brothers, but instead he loved them and took care of them. He realized the truths we find in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." He had wisdom from God to believe as Jesus would later teach in Matthew 5:43-44, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" You may say, but you don't know what he did to me. Or, you have no idea how much she hurt me. No, I don't know the pain others have caused in your life, but I do know that God loves you and even when we can't love others I believe God's love can shine through our lives when we give Him control. I want to end with a couple more verses spoken by our Lord in Matthew 6:14-15. "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
12 A Holy Place
"Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." Exodus 3:1-6
Moses was on the backside of the desert when he turned aside and found holy ground. Joshua was getting ready to go in and conquer Jericho when he came to holy ground. "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so." (Joshua 5:13-15) Isaiah saw God in the year that King Uziah died. "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isaiah 6:1-5) It was not the "place" that made all these places holy, it was the God of the place. Sometimes older Christians like to look back to times when the Holy Spirit of God moved in mighty ways at Camp Meetings, Tent Meetings, or during revival services and associate the moving of God with the place or the preacher. It is not the place, or the preacher that makes a place holy. It is our Holy God. There have been times in my life when I felt the holiness of God, and it wasn't always in church. Sometimes it is when I find myself alone, at home or in the car, and I start thinking about all the blessings God has given to me. Tears start flowing down my cheek and I feel God's presence. Don't look back to the past and think you can't go back to that place where you met with God. He is right where He has always been. When we realize just how holy God is, we discover how lowly we are, and then we can say with the seraphims, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory."
13 He Brought Us Out To Bring Us In
"And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." Exodus 3:7-10
The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt and God told Moses He would bring them out of Egypt, "unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey..." We see this repeated in Deuteronomy 6:23, "And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers." What kind of place are you in today? Christ can bring you out of a land of bondage, held in chains by sin, into a land flowing with the goodness of God. He can bring you out of darkness into the light for He said in John 12:46, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Christ can bring you out from under your heavy burden into an easy yoke with Him. "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) God can lift you out of the miry clay and set you on a solid foundation. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psalm 40:2) Christ can bring you out of the fear of the storm and into peace that passes all understanding. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) Are you in a bad place today? Let Jesus into your heart and He will bring you into the place of love, hope, and joy. And when it is time to leave this earthly place, He will bring you in to that heavenly place for eternity. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:1-6)
14 There Is A Difference Between Those In Darkness and Those In The Light
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." Exodus 10:21-23
This is the ninth plague on Egypt when Pharaoh would not let the Children of Israel leave this land of bondage. (The tenth and last being the death of the firstborn, who did not have the blood of the lamb sprinkled on their doorposts.) What I notice about this plague is that Egypt became a place of darkness for three days, but the children of Israel had light in their place. I have been riding down the road in heavy rain, and suddenly drive into a clear place where it has not rained at all. Rain can fall on one side of a house and not the other, but light travels in such a way that it shines on everything in its path. During this miracle by the mighty hand of God it was dark for three days, not just a short eclipse, but three days. So dark it could be felt and the people did not move out of their place for three days. When the children were small we went to some caverns and the guide told us to stand still and he would turn off the lights. You could not even see your hand directly in front of your eyes. I could feel the darkness. Many in the world today live in a world of darkness. They are cold and hard, just as Pharaoh's heart. Those who say that it does not matter what god you believe in, as long as you have faith, are wrong. There is a division between light and darkness. We know this from the very beginning. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." (Genesis 1:1-4) Jesus is the Light that can bring us out of darkness. "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12) Some can't see the way of salvation because they are in darkness. Jesus came to bring salvation and Light to a dark place. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:16-21)
15 The Veil Of The Most Holy Place
"And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place." Exodus 26:33-34
Moses was instructed to hang the vail between the holy place and the most holy in the tabernacle. For centuries man was thus separated from a holy God. Then, in the fulness of time, a Babe was born and laid in a manger. The angels proclaimed His birth. The shepherds witnessed His beginning on earth. Jesus came to be the mediator between mankind and the most Holy God as we read in I Timothy 2:5. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" As He gave His life on the cross, Jesus made the way to the most holy place. "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God." (Mark 15:37-39) "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Galatians 4:3-7)
16 Take Your Place By Your Standards
"Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards." Numbers 2:17
As the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness each family moved with its tribe under their standards, or banners. As I look at this verse I see in it a message for Christians today. The verse ends, "so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards." It seems as though many Christians in the world today have lost their standards. When I was growing up, people had moral standards that they lived by. Even people who did not claim to be Christians knew right from wrong and had a fear of God. The world continues to drift farther and farther away from good Christian values. It is time for Christians to take a stand in our place for what's right. That is the only way we can go forward as a nation. In our youth meeting Andrew taught the kids about Daniel and the den of lions. Daniel was able to stand firm in his beliefs in chapter 6 of Daniel because of what we read in Daniel 1:8. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself..." Daniel purposed in his heart to take a stand and not defile himself. I once heard someone say, "Those who will not stand for something will fall for anything." Paul gives us help in Ephesians 6:13-17. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Let's take our place and take a stand!
17 A Resting Place
"And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them." Numbers 10:33
As we continue our journey in the Old Testament looking at different places, we have come to "a resting place". Summer has almost ended and some schools are starting back this week. Many in our church were out Sunday for that last vacation before school begins. Since I lost my job last year, we have had the opportunity to visit with our children more this summer. We typically think of summer as our restful season, but this year we spent the summer working around the house and in the yard with various odd jobs. After all the travelling, mowing, painting, cleaning, and gardening I am feeling the need to look for a resting place. We often come home more tired after vacations, than we were when we went. So, home sweet home, has become my resting place. I am so thankful to the Lord for my home, not just a house, walls and a roof over my head, but my home where we raised our family. Our place of love and comfort. We can also find a resting place in the house of God. As we sit and listen to the singing, and then hear God's message from God's man, our spirits are revived. We have an altar where our burdens are lifted. We have fellowship with Christian friends and family who care about us and understand our needs. They rejoice with us when we are blessed and weep with us when we feel cast down. God is good. I praise Him today for providing "a resting place" for me. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
18 When We Fail To Take Our Place
"And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel: and the people mourned greatly. And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned. And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? but it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the LORD is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies." Numbers 14:39-42
Moses sent the twelve spies into the land of Canaan and they returned after 40 days with a cluster of grapes which took two men to carry. Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people to go in and possess the land as God had promised. The other ten spies complained of giants in the land and discouraged the people so that they would not go. God told them they would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, a year for each day the spies were there and all the adults would die in the wilderness during that 40 years. Then we come to our scripture above, 'And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised: for we have sinned." But it was too late. God would not allow them to see the Promised Land. Sometimes God forgives our sin and we get another chance to do the right thing, but sometimes we only have one chance to be at the right place and time. The Holy Spirit may move you to witness to someone at a certain time and you think, "now is not a good time, I will wait until a more convenient time." But, another time does not come and you missed an opportunity to witness for your Lord. God may lead you to help someone in need and if you ignore God's leading, you miss your chance for a blessing. God wants us to be faithful to His house. When we fail to take our place at church, we miss something that God had for us. I am reminded of a verse in Ezekiel 22:30. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Will you take your place and stand in the gap for God? If not, you may find yourself wandering in the wilderness, going in circles with no direction from God.
19 A Narrow Place With No Where To Turn
"And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left." Numbers 22:26
Balak was king of the Moabites and he was afraid of the Israelites because he saw how they overcame the Amorites. So Balak sent messengers to Balaam to curse the Israelites but God told Balaam not to go. Balaam then sent Princes to Balak and again God said not to go with them."And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you." (Numbers 22:12-13) The king promised to promote Balaam to great honor and again Balaam sought the Lord about going with them. God told him he could go, but only say the words He put in his mouth. Along the way Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword in front of him and the donkey turned out of the way into a field. As they went through a place with a wall on both sides the donkey saw the angel again and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall and Balaam hit the donkey. In our verse above Balaam has come to a narrow place, with no room to turn either to the right or to the left and when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord he fell down under Balaam, who hit the donkey again. This time God opened the mouth of the donkey and let him speak, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?" (Numbers 22:28) God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord with his sword drawn in his hand and he fell down on his face. Balaam did go with the men to Balak, but he blessed the Israelites instead of cursing them. As I read the verse above, "And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left." I thought about how sometimes we feel like troubles have brought us to a narrow place and we don't have anywhere to turn. I have often heard people say, "I was between a rock and a hard place." In this scripture account, Balaam got to this narrow place because he was going against God's will for his life. When we feel like we can't turn to the right or to the left and there is nowhere for us to go, then maybe we need to see if we are headed in the direction God wants us to go. It took a talking donkey for Balaam to see that he was going against the angel of the Lord. Maybe coming to a narrow place, a hard place, is what it takes for us to contemplate our direction and make sure we are on the right path.
20 He Brought Me To This Place
"And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place." Deuteronomy 1:31
As I read this verse I am reminded of a dear old song written by Fanny J. Crosby, Though blind physically, she had great spiritual insight and wrote many songs of praise to our Lord.
All The Way My Saviour Leads Me
All the way my Saviour leads me; What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate'er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Saviour leads me, Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial, Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter, And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! a spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me, Lo! a spring of joy I see.
All the way my Saviour leads me; Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal, Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song thro' endless ages: Jesus led me all the way;
This my song thro' endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.
21 A Place To Pitch Your Tent
"Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day." Deuteronomy 1:33
We don't live in tents like the Israelites did when they were wandering through the wilderness, but we can understand the meaning in this verse. God told the Children of Israel that they would wander in the wilderness for forty years, but He did not let them wander aimlessly. He went with them and showed them the way, in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. I have often thought that it would be nice if we could follow a cloud around all the time and know where to go to school and work, who to marry, and where to buy a car or a house. We have something the Israelites did not have. We have God's Word which we can read, we have Jesus as our intercessor in prayer, and we have the Holy Spirit living within to guide us. Back to my initial thoughts, "a place to pitch your tents in". My youngest son, Joshua is getting married today and for the last few months he has been looking for the place to live. He found a group of townhouses that he liked and had his name on the waiting list for several months. Last month the townhouse he liked came open and he was able to begin moving his stuff. I don't believe that he was lucky, or that it was just a coincidence. I believe the Lord went before him, and searched out a place for him, and showed him that He is able to provide his needs. Do you have needs today? I want to close with this very special verse that I read in the book of Jeremiah. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3)
22 Is Your Place Empty?
"So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?" I Samuel 20:24-27
In this episode of David's life he has run away from King Saul because the king was jealous of David and tried to kill him on several occasions. King Saul noticed that David's place at the table was empty and he became very angry. Today I want to ask the question, "Is your place empty?" With our youngest son getting married this weekend we now have five empty places around our table. Our children have all moved on to their own "place" with their new families sitting around their own tables. These are happy reasons for their places to be emply, as we read in Proverbs 18:22, "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD." It is a joy when they visit and we don't have enough places for them to all sit at the table. There are also sad reasons why a family member's place may be empty, such as work responsibilities, sickness or death. We have been talking about our physical table, but let's move to our spiritual place at God's table. In many churches people get used to sitting in a certain place, on a certain pew, and they sit there every service to be fed from God's Word. Over time you notice that someone's place is empty, maybe even your own place is empty. Have you moved on to another church? Has sickness hindered you from going to church? Or, have you just quit following God? You may not realize how many people notice when your place is empty. I leave you today with this story of someone who was not at his place at the table. "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:19-25)
23 "Absalom's Place"
"Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place." II Samuel 18:18
Absalom was King David's son and he was the most handsome man in the kingdom, as we read in II Samuel 14:25. "But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him." This was not enough for Absalom. He wanted more. He wanted his name to be remembered, so he set up a pillar and called it Absalom's place. (II Samuel 14:27 tells us that Absalom had three sons and a daughter. Maybe they were not as beautiful or well known as he was and he did not think they could live up to his name. For whatever reason, he made a pillar to make a name for himself.) Absalom tried to rise up to be king in the place of his father. "And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." (II Samuel 15:1-6) Absalom rose up in power over King David, but had a bitter end.
The last time I went to the mall they were having a talent and model search and the central area was filled with people who were trying to make a name for themselves. They were all lined up to have their 15 second walk on the runway, or minute song, to try their chance at becoming the next contestant to make their name great. On the way home I noticed joggers and bike riders who obviously made their exercise routine a priority in their lives. It showed that they worked hard to have the "perfect" body form. I thought about these young people and how they were trying to make themselves great, through their looks or talents, and I remembered this verse about Absalom's place. Are you working to make your name great here on earth? If you raised up a place to be remembered by, what kind of place would it be? I was in a meeting once and everyone who knew their grandparents' names were asked to stand. Then everyone who knew their great-grandparents' names were asked to remain standing. Very few were left standing. I think even those few sat down when asked who knew their great-great grandparents' names. The point was made that we will probably not be remembered even by our families in just a few generations to come. What are we doing to make a place for ourselves? Do you think sports, politics or acting will bring you fame and fortune? Even if it does, how does this short span on earth compare with eternity. Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) A place, no matter how great, here on earth does not begin to compare with a place in heaven. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3)
24 Prayer Towards The Holy Place
"And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive." I Kings 8:26-30
After King Solomon finished building the temple in Jerusalem he prayed this prayer of dedication. He prayed that when the Israelites sinned and they repented and turned towards the temple and prayed that God would forgive their sin. This prayer continues for several verses and I am interested in the latter verses. "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:" (I Kings 8:46-50) As we move several books and several centuries ahead in time we see that Daniel knew these scriptures. "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10) Daniel prayed towards Jerusalem even though it meant being thrown into a den of lions. He stayed true to God's Word and God delivered him.
25 A High Place For Other gods
"For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon." I Kings 11:4-7
Yesterday we looked at Solomon's prayer of dedication when he finished the temple of the Lord. Today, just three chapters later we see that Solomon married many wives and he built high places for their false gods. Solomon, given such great wisdom and wealth by the only true and living God, forsook the Lord and served false gods. Part of the worship to the god of Molech was offering their own children as burnt sacrifices. (Leviticus 18:21, "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.") Because of his great sin in turning to other gods, God told Solomon that he would take the kingdom from him and leave only one tribe for his father David's sake. What about us today? As Christians, we know good from evil. We know the right things to do, such as read our Bible and pray and love one another. We also know the things we are not supposed to do. We know that God's house is a holy place for us to worship. But have we built high places for other things in our lives? Have we stopped going to church on Sunday as we once did so that we can go to the lake? If so, that lake may have taken a high place of worship in our life. Have we stopped reading our Bible and praying before bed because we want to watch television late every night? If so, we have placed our television in a high place in our life. Anything that comes between us and God can become an idol in our lives. God is a jealous God as we see in Exodus 34:14 "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:" I like the words of Joshua. "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15) We need to take away the high places in our lives that draw us away from serving the true and living God and serve Him only.
26 A Place Of Sin In Our Lives
"And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." II Kings 5:7-14
Naaman was the captain of the army of Syria and he was a mighty man, but he had leprosy. The Syrians had captured many of the Israelites and one of the little girls was a maid to Naaman's wife. She told her mistress that Naaman could be healed of his leprosy by the prophet in Samaria. The king of Syria sent Naaman with a letter to the king of Israel to heal him of his leprosy... and that is the background to our verses above. As I type these simple devotions each day I try to see what God is showing us through these pages of Bible history. Today I am reminded of the many times I have heard preachers say that leprosy in the Bible symbolizes sin. With that in mind, we can compare Naaman to people today who have a place of sin in their lives and they go to the preacher, just as Naaman went to the prophet to be cleansed. The preacher gives them God's Word, how they can be washed and made clean, as we see in Psalm 51:1-3. "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." Many times the person leaves angry, just like Naaman, thinking he can do better than that on his own power. Only Jesus can wash away your sin and make you clean within. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) I leave you today with a blessed old song by Robert Lowry.
Nothing But The Blood
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
27 Remove The Filthiness From The Holy Place
"And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." II Chronicles 29:5
We have been looking at places in the Bible and there are many references to the "holy place". We can see the holy place from the book of Exodus where God instructed Moses and Aaron in the laws of cleanliness and sacrifices of the holy place in the tabernacle. Then in the New Testament we see how Jesus redeemed us as He entered into the holy place. "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:12) The Children of Israel broke the law and forsook the one and only Holy God and served other false gods. When Hezekiah began to reign he wanted to serve God and he told the priests and Levites to sanctify themselves, set themselves apart and purify themselves for the work of the Lord. Next he told them to "sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place." We serve a holy God. To worship Him we must first sanctify ourselves, cleanse ourselves, and set ourselves apart for God. We see this in the New and Old Testament writings. "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 20:7)
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (I Peter 1:15-16) After we sanctify ourselves and live holy and righteous before God, then we can cleanse and sanctify the holy place of worship.
28 Be In Your Place
"And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son. And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites... So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment... And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them." II Chronicles 35:4,5, 10 and 15
Again the Israelites turned from serving God. When Josiah was king he commanded to have a passover and we read in these verses that the Levites all stood in their place... they did their part. Then we read that the singers also "were in their place". It is important that we be in our place at the house of God. We expect the preacher to be in his place at church. We expect the Sunday School teachers to be in their places at church. These verses remind us that the singers should also be in their places in the choir. I don't think it stops here. I believe that the Lord expects each one of us to be in his or her place at God's house. This coming Sunday, when the doors are opened at church, try to be in your place. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:23-25)
29 Can God Use You, Or Send Help From Another Place?
"Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:13-14
In our study of Bible places we have come to the little book of Esther. If you have not read this book recently, you may enjoy reading this exciting story from the history of the Jewish people. Ahasuerus, the king from India to Ethiopia, throws a massive party and demands the beautiful Queen Vashti to come before the drunken men. Vashti refuses and the king's servants talk the king into banishing the queen. After a while the king misses the queen so they have a royal beauty pageant to choose a new queen. Esther is chosen, but the king and his household do not know that she is a Jew. In the meantime, her Uncle Mordecai, who brought her up, refused to bow to Haman, the top prince He becomes Haman's enemy and Haman plots to kill all the Jews. Mordecai tells Esther to go before the king and plead for the life of the Jews. This brings us to one of my favorite verses in the Bible. "For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" In essence Mordecai tells Esther that if she does not go before the king God will send deliverance from another place, but who knows if she came to be queen "for such a time as this?" I have relied on this verse many times in my life when difficult circumstances have risen. I pray to my Lord and Saviour for guidance and delilverance and think to myself that maybe the Lord brought me to that place "for such a time as this". Or, as we often put it, in the right place at the right time. I won't tell you how the drama unfolds in the book of Esther, but I'm sure you would enjoy reading this wonderful story.
30 Three Friends From Three Places
"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great." Job 2:11-13
Let's look at the beginning of the book of Job. "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD." (Job 1:1-12) Job loses his wealth, his children, and eventually his health, but he can still say, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21) Job's three friends hear of his misfortune and make an appointment to meet together and mourn with him. The trouble is, they spent most of the time accusing him and belittling him instead of comforting him. Job may have wished deep down that they had stayed in their own places instead of coming to see him when he was down. In the end of the book God tells Job to pray for his friends and then he is healed. (Job 42:7-10) The Lord also gave Job twice as much as he had before. How can we apply this lesson in our lives? When our loved ones are downtrodden it is good for us to make an effort to leave our place of comfort and try to lift them up. But we better be careful not to judge them, or redicule them, or exalt ourselves over them like we have all the answers. We could be in their shoes, in their storm, carrying their load. Be a good friend and give comfort. And if you don't know what to say, it may be better to just be there with love and not say anything at all.
31 Where Is The Place Of Wisdom And Understanding?
"But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?" Job 28:12
Chapter 28 of the book of Job begins with Job's evaluation that there is a place for everything in or on the earth. "Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone. He setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection: the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death. The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant; even the waters forgotten of the foot: they are dried up, they are gone away from men. As for the earth, out of it cometh bread: and under it is turned up as it were fire. The stones of it are the place of sapphires: and it hath dust of gold." (Job 28:1-6) He talks about places known by God which even the birds and animals have not seen. "There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light." (Job 28:7-11) He reasons, there is a place for everything, places that we don't even know, then he asks the profound question. "But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold. Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?" (Job 28:12-20) Does Job find the answer? "Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:22-28) Job found the answer long before King Solomon wrote Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." This is the place of wisdom and knowledge.
32 A Hiding Place
"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah." Psalm 32:7
"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word." Psalm 119:114
When we were little we used to play "Hide and Go Seek". My sister was small and I remember once that she hid in the corner of the couch behind my grandpa and a pillow and we never found her. As I grew older there were times in my life that I wanted a place to hide. When troubles seemed to overwhelm me and tears fell as the rain I wanted to hide from the storms. There have been times that I was so discouraged I said that I needed a hole to crawl into and wait it out. The sweet Psalmist of Israel found a hiding place. "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah." (Psalm 32:7) "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word." (Psalm 119:114) The next time you feel like you need a place to hide, turn to Psalm 27 and find comfort and hope in the Lord. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me... they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation... Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Portions of Psalm 27:1-14)
33 A Secret Place
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Psalm 91:1-2
We saw that in the Lord we have a hiding place, and now we see that we also have a secret place. When we walk with the Lord and talk with the Lord we have a joy and inner peace that the world does not understand. This Psalm begins, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Have you ever watched your shadow while you walked? Sometimes the shadow may be long and skinny, and other times it may be short and fat, or seem to be under your feet. The common thing about all those shadows is that each is attached to your feet. You can stand in the morning light and your shadow may seem to stretch 20 feet long, but it is still attached to your feet. If we want to "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" as the Psalmist says, then we must dwell near the Lord God. If we want the protection and provisions of God, then we need to stay close to God. God is our refuge. He is my fortress. I will trust in Him. But, in order to claim those promises, then I must stay close to Him. Do you have a secret place of communion with God? Many preachers refer to it as your "prayer closet". Jesus said, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:6) Do you have a secret place with the Lord?
34 "The Eyes Of The Lord Are In Every Place"
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3
What a difference it would make if everyone believed this. What a difference it would make if those of us who do believe this, would continually remember it. We all look at Jonah and say how silly it was for him to try to hide from God. But how many of us are trying to hide our sins from God? Many think that things are not wrong if they don't get caught. But God sees all and knows all. He even knows the pride and envy in our hearts. We can't hide anything from God. But look at the last word in our verse. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." God also sees the good. There are times when you don't think it matters that you are doing the right thing. You don't think your efforts make a difference. But God not only sees the bad, He sees the good. Keep doing those things for Him that you think are unnoticed. Keep serving the Lord. You may think your part is so small that it doesn't really matter, but God sees all. He knows your heart. Remember that God is watching over you continually.
35 A Place Of Refuge
"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge." Proverbs 4:26
I have watched some of the television coverage of hurricane Isaac. I went down to the beach to see my sister and it rained for days and the water rose up over our ankles in the driveway. I cannot imagine water up to the roof tops. I was glad to get back home to drier ground. My heart goes out to all those people who have had to flee from their homes to higher ground to find a place of refuge. I am so thankful that when troubles and storms come into my life I have confidence in the Lord and a place of refuge. Here are a few more descriptions of our Refuge from the book of Psalms..
Psalms 9:9 "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble."
Psalms 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psalms 57:1 "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."
Psalms 59:16 "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble."
Psalms 62:7 "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God."
Psalms 62:8 "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."
Psalms 91:2 " will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."
Psalms 94:22 "But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge."
36 A Place For Swine
"And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts." Matthew 8:28-34
This event in the life of Jesus is also recorded in Mark 5:1-21 and Luke 8:26-40. It is interesting to read those accounts also, as they have more detail. Jesus came to this country of the Gadarenes and met these two men possessed with many devils. So many, that their name was Legion. The devils knew at once who Jesus was and asked not to be cast into the deep. (Luke 8:31) Jesus allowed them to go into the herd of swine and the herd ran violently down the cliff and into the sea. This caused quite a stir among the people. When we read Mark 5:13 we find that there were about 2,000 pigs in this herd, so this was a place for swine. Our scriptures tell us that "the whole city came out to meet Jesus" and they also saw the man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. (Mark 5:15) They were afraid. Who was this man that had power even over the demons? They had their chance to find out, but instead they begged Jesus to leave their country side. They preferred to have a place for swine, a herd of pigs, than see and hear the wonderful gospel that Jesus could bring them. Does Jesus reside at your place, or have you chosen to keep your place for a filthy herd of swine? Jesus can take those filthy rags and wash you white as snow. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;" (Titus 3:5)
37 A Resting Place
"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately." Mark 6:30-32
I once heard a sermon from this scripture titled, "Come Apart Before You Come Apart". This is Labor Day weekend and it is a blessing to live in a country that sets aside a day for men and women to rest from their labors. I know that doctors and firemen and many other workers are needed and do not get to celebrate Labor Day with their family and friends but maybe they can have a "make-up" day to rest later. Jesus sent out the disciples earlier in this chapter to work and labor for the Lord. "And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent." (Mark 6:7-12) When the disciples returned to Jesus He said to them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while:" Jesus knew that they needed rest. God created the heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh. Was He tired? I don't think so. I think He gave us the day of rest as shown in the Ten Commandments. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11) God has given you rest from your labors. So, this Labor Day, come apart and rest a while.
38 Food In A Desert Place
"And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men." Mark 6:33-44
Yesterday we saw how Jesus took the disciples on a ship to have a much needed time of rest. These verses that follow show us that the people ran around on land to see Jesus. I really like the next verse, "And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things." Jesus had compassion on the people. That is the only reason I am what I am today. Jesus had compassion on me. He died to save me from a life of sin and give me eternal life. Jesus not only had compassion on them and fed them spiritual things, but He also had compassion on them and fed them with two little fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus fed them in a desert place. He can do the same for you and me today. We may be travelling through desert places, and our resources may be running low, but Jesus can feed us in the desert. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
39 A Place Of Prayer
"And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." Mark 1:32-35
How much do we pray? I think that most of us are so busy we feel that we don't have time to pray. If we can't find time in our busy schedules to pray during the day, then maybe we need to follow the example of our Lord and get up "a great while before day". We notice in these verses that in the evening, at sunset, all the city gathered at the door to be healed of different diseases. This must have gone on into the night. In the previous two verses, Simon's mother was sick and Jesus healed her. It only took until the sun set for word to get out that Jesus could heal the sick and the people came bringing all those that were sick with them. After this long night, Jesus rose early in the morning, before sunrise, and went to a solitary place to pray. If Jesus, who is God, had the need to pray to the Father, how much more do we need to take time to pray? In our church, we sing the old hymn, "Sweet Hour Of Prayer". I must confess that the times are few when I have spent an hour in prayer. This devotional today is very short and to the point, but I must confess that it convicts my heart. I need to find a solitary place, and spend more time in prayer.
40 The Place Of Our Neighbors
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." Luke 10:30-37
Jesus told this parable of the good Samaritan to give us an example to be a good neighbor to those in need. Who is your neighbor? Those who you pass by, day after day, near your place. We need to help our neighbors. Not just the people who live in the house next door, or across the street, but all those about our place. We come in contact with so many more people each day with our extensive modes of transportation. Do we witness to the person sitting beside us on the bus, or in the waiting room, or in the desk next to ours? Do we offer to help those in need who may have lost their jobs? We listen to prayer requests in our church, but how often do we help these dear friends? Look about your place... and help your neighbor.
41 Putting Yourself In First Place
"And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 14:7-11
God's Word has a lot to say about pride. "A proud look" is one of the seven things that is an abomination to God in Proverbs 6:17. Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." We also read in Proverbs 29:23, "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." The New Testament also speaks against pride. "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." (James 4:6) Jesus was in the home of one of the chief Pharisees on the sabbath day and He healed a man. He knew the Pharisees did not like for Him to heal on the sabbath day, so he told them this parable. The Pharisees lifted themselves up in pride above all men but Jesus warns against putting ourselves in a place above others. We are not to lift ourselves up in pride, but humble ourselves in the sight of God and man. If we stop and think about it, all that we have, and all that we are, and all that we ever will be is through the precious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
42 A Place Of Torment
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." Luke 16:19-28
This account (not parable) told by Jesus is an eye-opening example of the truth of life after death. The rich man pleaded with Abraham to warn his brothers not to come to his eternal place of torment. Those who make joking remarks about being with their friends in hell do not understand the torments of the eternal fire. There is only one way of escape from this awful place of torments. Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, came to give His life as our sacrifice to pay our sin debt. Let's look at the book of Romans for an understanding of the gift of salvation. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9, 10, & 13) You can have an eternal home in heaven and escape the place of torments by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your loving Savior.
43 Is Jesus Welcome At Your Place?
"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:1-10
Jesus was coming through Jericho. Zacchaeus wanted to see Him but could not because he was not tall enough to see over the crowds of people. He had to find a place so that he could see. He climbed up in a tree so that he could see Jesus. But, better than than, Jesus saw him. Zacchaeus received Him joyfully. Zacchaeus confessed to pay back fourfold any money that he had taken falsely. Jesus knew his heart and said, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Have you come to the place of looking for Jesus? Have you received Jesus joyfully? Have you confessed your sins before the only true and living God? Has salvation come to your house? And finally, is Jesus welcome at your place?
44 A Thirsty Place
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." Proverbs 25:25
There is a day set aside in our town in the month of September to celebrate the founding of our hometown. A few streets are closed and different venders set up booths of crafts, food, and service information. There are games and pony rides for the children and interesting things to look at for all ages. Yesterday our church gave out over 2,000 free bottles of water and gospel tracts. The water was very refreshing under the bright sun on the hot pavement. I pray that the good news of the gospel will also be refreshing to thirsty souls. We can't save a lost and dying world, but Jesus can. The cold water brought temperorary help to many people. Pray that the Word of God will bring many to the knowledge of the One who has the living water of life. I close with this story from John 4. "And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:4-14)
45 Judas Knew The Place
"When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year." John 18:1-13
We have come to the place of Gethsemane. Jesus held the passover with the twelve disciples and foretold that one of them would betray Him. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, yet He allowed Judas to follow Him and be among the twelve. When we look at Matthew 26:46-50 we see that Jesus even called him, "Friend". "Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him." Judas had travelled with Jesus and the disciples. He seemed to be a follower of Jesus just like the other eleven. When Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray Him, the disciples did not know which one would be the one. It is dreadful to think that many of our family and friends may not really know the Lord as their personal Savior. Judas served Jesus as a friend. Make sure you have confessed your sin and asked the Lord Jesus to save you. Don't think that just because you think of Jesus as a friend, you are saved.
46 A Place Called Calvary
"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man." Luke 23:33-47
47 "They Were All With One Accord In One Place"
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Acts 2:1-4
"They were all with one accord in one place". After the resurrection Jesus appeared to the disciples and as He ascended up to heaven He said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (Acts 1:8) The disciples had the promise of the Holy Spirit, so they went to the upper room and waited. If we want the power of the Holy Ghost on our lives so that we can be witnesses for the Lord then we need to be patient and wait on the Lord. I think more important than their waiting was how they waited. They were all in one accord in one place. I don't think I have ever been in a church where all were in one accord. It is even rare that our families can get together in one accord in one place. We often have spats and disagreements with our best friends. The last verse of this chapter says, "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47) I want the Lord to add to our church. That is my continual prayer. We need to be witnesses in the power of the Holy Ghost, and we need to be in one accord. Strife and disagreements hinder even the best of relationships. Let's close with these words of wisdom from Ephesians 4:29-32. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:29-32)
48 Can Sweet Water And Bitter Water Come From The Same Place?
"Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" James 3:11
Sometimes when I am preparing these daily devotions God speaks to my heart in a special way. Today God has spoken to me in a convicting way. James posed this question, "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" If we look at the preceeding verses we see that James is talking about the dangers in not controlling our tongues. "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." (James 3:2-10) I must confess. My tongue causes me to have more troubles than anything in my life. I try to be sweet to others and show kindness to all. But, when I get upset, usually due to a misunderstanding in what someone else said, my words can become bitter and spiteful. I pray that God will forgive me for my harsh words. I pray that my family and friends will forgive me. I also pray that God will help me be a better Christian and show more love to all, especially during misunderstandings.
49 Will Your Candlestick Be Removed Out Of Its Place?
"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." Revelation 2:1-7
The book of Revelation opens with seven letters to the seven churches. The first letter opens with praise of their works, their labor and their patience, and how they don't go along with evil doers. This sounds like a good church. It is wonderful if we can work and labor with patience and put away evil from our churches. But, there is a problem with this church and it is a problem that we may all be guilty of. "Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." Sometimes as Christians we begin to feel like we are better than the world. If we are not careful we can lift ourselves up in pride. We need to look back and remember where Jesus brought us from. We need to remember that we are nothing without Christ. Do you remember when you were first saved and how much love and joy you felt in your heart? Don't lose that first love. I want to be a shining light, reflecting the light from above and I would hate for my candlestick to be removed.
50 No Place For Heaven And Earth
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them." Revelation 20:11
We have been looking a different places in the Bible for several weeks. This is our last devotion in this series and it is the last mention of the word "place" in the Bible. People make jokes about God and hell, but one day all of the ridicule will be judged by our Holy God. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15) When God appears at the great white throne judgement, heaven and earth will flee away and there will be no place for them. We can't understand or explain this, but chapter 21 begins with a new heaven and new earth. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:1-8) God will wipe away all our tears (tears of regret and tears in knowing we did not do all we could to see our loved ones saved) and there will be no place for tears. There will be no place for sorrow, or pain, or death and all things will be made new. There will be no place in the new heaven for the abominable and unbelieving. You can come to this new place if you will trust in the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. It's as easy as A, B, C. Admit that you are a sinner and the wages of sin is death. Believe that Jesus came to give His life to pay for your sin. Confess your sin to God and ask the Lord Jesus to save you. You can join me in this heavenly place. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:1-6)
