Are We a Needy People? -- 5/27/12

Sunday, May 27, 2012

ARE WE A NEEDY PEOPLE?

I need Thee every hour,

In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.

Psalm 63:1-8…

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2.  To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3.  Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4.  Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5.  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6.  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7.  Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 8.  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."

            David said, “My soul thirsts for you.”  What do I know about thirst?  Oh yes, sometimes I have a desire for something to drink, but I don’t know that I have ever thirsted as the Israelites did in the desert, as people of whom I have read.  Why haven’t I experienced thirst?  Because I always have access to drink.  And after all, I have read that it is healthy to drink plenty of water; so I drink plenty of water.  I don’t have a great need for water, because I have plenty.

            That is really a picture of much of my life, and the same is true for most of us here this morning.  The truth is that we rarely experience real need.  Why?  Because we have plenty.  In the model prayer, Jesus told us to pray like this:  “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread…”  It is difficult for us to pray that part of the prayer.  Why should we pray for what we already have?  Regardless of what God does, we have plenty to eat today.

            Need is not something to which we are accustomed.  I am not saying there are no exceptions among us.  No doubt, some of you who lived through The Great Depression can tell us something about need, but I am talking about the here and now.  The truth is that we are not a people who has much experience with real need. 

            But then we come to the Word of God.  “My soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.”  Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall befilled” (Matt. 5:6).  The Psalmist cried out, “As the deer pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Ps. 42:1).  Again, Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink…” (John 7:37).  Again and again, the scripture likens our spiritual need to physical hunger and thirst.  In the same way, it illustrates spiritual satisfaction in terms of food and water.  That is why Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

           

            About now you may be thinking, “Ron, I thought you were going to start preaching on the Holy Spirit this Sunday.”  That is exactly what I am doing.  Until we recognize a great need in our lives, the Holy Spirit will at best be a neat little doctrine tucked away in the recesses of our minds.  If you want to get inside a building, where do you go?  You find the door.  If we want the presence and power of the Spirit in our lives, the door is spelled N-E-E-D… need.

            What does the Word of God tell us about being filled with the Spirit?  It commands us to be filled with the Spirit, does it not?  “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).  Some of you are aware that this is not a one-time command, but rather the idea is, “Be being filled with the Spirit,” or “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.”  God’s desire is that we continually be overflowing with the presence and power of His Spirit.

            Now consider this glass.  Here it is.  And here is a full pitcher of water.  Normally, we would take this pitcher of water and we would fill this glass.  That is what pitchers of water are for.  But before we pour the water out of this pitcher into the glass, we check to see if the glass needs to be filled with water.  Does it?  No, not really.  It is already full of dirt.  What happens if I try to pour water into it?  I can’t fill it with water, because it is already full of dirt.  Though plenty of water is available, the glass will not be filled with water because it doesn’t see its need.  It is already full, and it seems quite content to be full of dirt.

            Brothers and sisters, you who are in Christ, you who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and given life from above, the Holy Spirit is available.  Yes, He dwells in you.  But we cannot be filled with the Spirit until we see the need for that filling. 

            Yes, I had a sermon prepared.  Though I’m not a great preacher, I suppose it was a fitting introduction to the ministry of the Spirit.  But somewhere along the line it became clear to me that it would just be another sermon.  It isn’t that it would fall on deaf ears.  I would share it to the best of my ability, and you would listen to it to the best of your ability.  But the bottom line is that it would just be another sermon because of one missing ingredient -- NEED. 

            Look.  I have here a watch.  This is an amazing invention.  I realize we can get a general idea of the time of day from the position of the sun, but this little thing can give us the exact time every day.  And what about when you wake up at night and would like to know how much night is left before time to get up?  This little watch can tell you.  Yes, it even lights up so that you can see the time in the dark.  Oh but it gets better.  It has something called an alarm.  This has been a great blessing to me.  I have a tendency to forget things.  Though I have good intentions to do it, I forget.  That’s where this watch alarm comes in.  I can set the alarm and on a good day, when it sounds, I will remember why it sounded and do what I am supposed to do.  Would you like to have my alarm watch?  I don’t see anyone jumping up and down with excitement.  Why?  Because everyone who wants a watch already has one.  If you want a watch with an alarm, you have that too.  Though this is a fabulous invention with great usefulness, you don’t need it.  You already have what you need.

            Spiritually, we have a great tendency to think we have what we need.  When it comes to telling time, we do have all we need, but rest assured that we don’t have all of the presence, love, and power of God we need.  None of us would come out and say, “I have all of God that I need.  I am satisfied with what I have.”  But when that attitude is any part of us, even the best of sermons have little value.  In recent days my main prayer has been, “Lord, open my eyes to my need.”  Then I have prayed, “And do it in my brothers and sisters.”  The ministry of the Holy Spirit means nothing until we are painfully aware of our great need.

            A. W. Tozer made this statement:  “It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be.  He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be” (from “Born After Midnight,” essay in The Best of A. W. Tozer, p. 37).  Think about those words.  Tozer is saying exactly what I am saying, that the great key in our lives is recognizing our need.  If we think we have enough of the Spirit of God to get along all right, then we won’t seek any more.  By the way, I am not being very exacting and accurate in my terminology.  I am aware that every believer has the Spirit dwelling within him.  When I speak of “having more of the Spirit,” I am simply referring to being filled with the Spirit.  Whatever terminology you use, the bottom line is that we will not seek a more intimate relationship with the Lord and the filling of His Spirit, unless we are brought face to face with our great need.

            So why do we need to be filled with the Spirit?  Why do we need the Spirit of God to work powerfully in our lives?  Why do we need Him to pour the life and love of Jesus through our lives?  Because we know so little of the Spirit’s work in our lives.  Again, I do not for a minute want to deny the fact that God has worked in our lives.  If you are a true Christian, it is because the Spirit has given you life from above.  Many of us have experienced the Spirit working in our lives.  Nevertheless, let us not be deceived.  Compared to the ocean of possibility for those who are being continually filled with the Spirit, we are playing in the shallows near the shore.  God has so much more for us than we realize. 

            Just look within and look around.  How can we read the book of Acts, then observe our present situation, and not conclude that we experience a great lack of power.  I’m not talking primarily about power to do flashy miracles, but about power to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and then live a life that points people to Him.  That same A. W. Tozer I quoted before said:  “If we removed the Holy Spirit from the work of the early church, 90% of what they were doing would have come to a stop.  If we removed the Holy Spirit from the work of the church today, 10% of what is being done would come to a stop”  (A Disruptive Faith, A. W. Tozer).  Tozer died in 1963, but his insight into the spiritual condition of that day and our day is nothing short of amazing.  Even some 50 years ago, his conclusion was: 

I think there can be no doubt that the need above all other needs in the Church of God at this moment is the power of the Holy Spirit.  More education, better organization, finer equipment, more advanced methods—all are unavailing… “It is the Spirit that quickeneth.”  Good as they are they never bring power.  “Power belongeth unto God.” (“The Divine Conquest,” in The Best of A. W. Tozer, Book Two, p. 61)

All of the outward resources and methodology are far more advanced and refined today than in Tozer’s day, but the evidence of the Spirit’s power is ominously absent.

            What do we find in the Word of God?  We find people who longed for and sought God until He was found.  That is exactly what God promised.  “You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).  We often apply that to unbelievers, and it certainly does apply, but it also applies to believers.  The seeking of the Bible is more glorious than what the world knows.  In human terms, when you find something, the seeking is over.  But in God’s economy, when you find Jesus as the treasure, a whole new world of treasure is now open for your joyous exploration.  No one has ever completely explored the depth of the riches in Christ, nor will an eternity in His presence exhaust those riches.  Please allow me to quote Tozer one more time…

One great hindrance to the Spirit-filled life is the theology of complacency so widely accepted among gospel Christians today.  According to this view, acute desire is an evidence of unbelief and proof of lack of knowledge of the Scriptures…  Religious contentment is the enemy of the spiritual life always.  The biographies of the saints teach that the way to spiritual greatness has always been through much suffering and inward pain.   (“The Divine Conquest,” in The Best of A. W. Tozer, Book Two, p. 77-78).

            Consider David.  He was not a man after God’s own heart because he was perfect.  Just last week we were reminded that David committed some great sins that had terrible consequences.  Looking at it from a purely human perspective, it is a rather scandalous thing to call such a sinful man a man after God’s own heart.  But the truth of the matter is, David went after the heart of God.  He was passionate about knowing God.  Those first words I quoted this morning came from David.  “O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee.  My soul thirsteth for thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is” (Ps. 63:1-2).  It was that same David who cried out, “One thing have I desired; 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 inquire in his temple” (Ps. 27:4).  Yes, David sinned, but he repented with zeal.  Psalm 51:1, 7-13,15-17…

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness.  According to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions…. Purge  me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee… Open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it.  Thou delightest not in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

            In the 73^rd Psalm we hear these words from Asaph… (Ps. 73:25-28)

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. ²⁷ For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. ²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

            And what about Moses, God’s great deliverer and lawgiver?  Imagine leading over two million people out of Egyptian slavery.  Might I add that those people were less than cooperative.  Then imagine meeting with God for forty days and nights up there on Mount Sinai.  Wow!  And all that happened after he was 80 years old.  Surely after such great accomplishments, after experiencing so much of the presence and power of God, Moses could relax and say to himself, “These are now the cautious years.  God has been good.  Now I can just settle down and wait for heaven.”  Listen again to the words of Moses from Ex. 33:12-18… 

And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 13.  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14.  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 15.  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 16.  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. 17.  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. 18.  And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

            After all that God had done in and through Moses, this man still longed to see the glory of God.  We might put it this way:  “Moses couldn’t get enough of the Lord.”

            When we come to the New Testament, we are always confronted with Peter.  As with David, we have a record of Peter’s mistakes.  When Jesus first told His apostles that He was going to die in Jerusalem, Peter rebuked him.  “Lord, that will never happen to you.”  Jesus had to rebuke Peter for rebuking Him.  When Jesus began to wash the feet of His disciples, Peter made a scene and said, “Lord, you will never wash my feet.”  Later, he demonstrated his pride by saying,  “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matt. 26:33). 

            Praise God that there is more to the story.   Yes, Peter repeatedly stuck his foot in his mouth, but God was working in that man.  One time Jesus borrowed Peter’s fishing boat for a pulpit.  When Jesus finished speaking, He told Peter to launch out into the deep water and let down his nets.  Out of a sense of polite accommodation, Peter and his partner did so.  When they did so, they hauled up so many fish that the net broke.  Peter’s boat and the boat of his partner couldn’t hold all the fish.  Then we read these words in Luke 5:8, "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

            It was that same Peter who said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  In response, Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17).  And after Jesus had instructed Peter concerning the necessity of washing his feet, he then said with great enthusiasm, “Lord, not my feet only, but my hands and my head” (John 13:9).  Though He did indeed deny Jesus three times, when the risen Jesus confronted Peter on the seashore, he was a broken man.  With quiet conviction and humility he continued to say, “Lord, you know that I love you.”

            We could point to a number of others who possessed a longing heart, but come quickly to Cornelius.  Here was a man who was not a Jew, but he feared God.  This man was fasting and praying one afternoon at three o’clock, when God sent an angel to inform Cornelius that his prayer had been heard.  The angel then instructed Cornelius to send to Joppa for a man named Peter, who would be able to tell him what to do.  When Peter came, he found the house filled with the family and friends of Cornelius.  As Peter was proclaiming the good news of Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell on those people as on the apostles on the day of Pentecost (See Acts 10-11).  Cornelius was a needy man whose need was met in Jesus.

            O that I might see the depth of my need -- above all, my need for Him.  However, there is something I realize.  It is a great truth, and I want to make sure you understand that it forms the context for everything I am saying this morning.  Yes, I have deep need, but it is the need of a son.  I am not a slave crying out for deliverance from bondage and death.  Rather, I am a son who can cry out, “Abba, Father.”  This is not my imagination; this is what the Word of God tells me.  Gal. 4:4-7…

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5.  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6.  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

            Did you hear that?  He redeemed me from the curse of the law and made me His own son.  Because I am His son, He sent the Spirit of His Son into my heart to cry from within me, “Abba, Father.”  My Dad is the God of this universe.  I am poor, but in Him I am rich.  That means I am indeed rich, because I am in Him.  Because I am a son, I am an heir of God through Christ.  All He has is mine.  What a blessing is mine, if I can only recognize my need and call on Him who has all and is all.

            Brothers and sisters, if you are in Christ, this is true for you.  God has promised to satisfy the hungry soul.  Ps. 107:9,  "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."  “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). 

            In that context, I must not be ashamed to confess my need to God.   Nor must I hide it from my brothers and sisters.  How I need a greater conviction of sin in my life.  The outside of the cup is pretty clean, but what about the inside, where my life is naked and opened unto the eyes of Him to whom I must give account (see Heb. 4:13)?  O how I need to learn to worship my Lord in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).   How I need the Lord to deliver me from agendas and routine. 

            This last week Rhonda and I took a few days’ vacation and joined Tami and Woody in Colorado.  It wasn’t exactly the way I wanted to my schedule to be, as I had hoped to have lots of time this past week before starting our time of looking at the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Nevertheless, it seemed like this was what the Lord would have us to do.  I have never been disappointed by Colorado, and these past days were no exception.  The beauty of God’s creation was overwhelming.  The Lord did faithfully wake me up in the mornings to spend time with Him.  However, He did something greater and more specific to point out the depth of my need.  During the week, I had the opportunity to visit a friend in the hospital.  Here was a lost man, whose life had certainly been spared by the Lord.  I spent an hour with him.  Though I spoke the truth of the gospel, his life was not affected in any way by my words or my presence.  I left crying out to God, “Lord, wh”ere is the power of your Spirit in my life?  Where are the rivers of living water that you promised?  The Lord has clearly revealed my great need to keep on coming to Jesus, to keep on drinking from Him, and to keep on trusting Him (John 7:37-39).  As John explains in John 7:39, this is the work of the Spirit, and I need that work desperately!

            I don’t share that experience so that you will pity me, or so that you can assure me that my friend’s blindness is not my fault.  Nor do I share that with you because I am discouraged and depressed.  No, I am excited.  The Spirit of God is available to meet my need.  The failure is not on His part, but on mine.  I am trusting my Lord to break me, guide me, and fill me until those rivers of living water flow out of my life.  When I see my need, I am in a good place.  When I think I am doing fine, that is when I am to be pitied.

             

            What about you this morning?  Are you painfully aware of your need?  Is everything going fine for you?  Is your life in a nice routine with few interruptions?  I ask you, “Do you need a divine upheaval in your life?  Do you need God to shake you in order that you might see your need?”  I do.  Brothers and sisters, I am asking you to join me.  Can we say with David in Ps. 86:1-2, “Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. 2.  Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee”?   David confesses his need, but he is also conscious that he is holy, that has been set apart for God.  Should that not describe us?  We are needy, but praise God that we who are in Christ have been set apart to God and His purposes.  We know who is available to meet our great need.

            Some of you here this morning are not holy in that you have not been given life.  You are still in your sins and are in great need of God’s salvation.  Today is the day of salvation.  Freely admit that you are in your sins, that there is absolutely nothing good in you, that you have been a rebel against God.  Then look to Jesus, who went to the cross to take on Himself the punishment that you deserved.  Come to Him in repentance and faith, and He will not cast you out.

Pray

The Final Word on Job -- 5/20/12

Sunday, May 20, 2012

THE FINAL WORD ON JOB

Job 42:7-17

            Today we come to the end of the book of Job.  Perhaps there is something in us that wants to say “Hallelujah, we’re done!”  Going through the book of Job has not been easy.  I dare say that most of us have never spent so much time in Job, and likely never will again.  Nevertheless, I do believe the Lord has kept us there for a reason.  Before we come to the last verses of Job, a quick review is in order.  Surely there is no better way to review than to begin by simply reading chapters 1-2.  Read Job 1-2…

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East. 4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer 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 Job did regularly. 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?" 9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 12 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person." So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house; 14 and a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 when the Sabeans raided them and took them away--indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 16While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!"20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

    Chapter 2:   1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." 3 Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause." 4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" 6 And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life." 7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes. 9Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. 11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place--Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. 12 And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. 13 So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

            Chapters 3-31 consist of a three-round debate between Job and his three friends – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.  Then in chapter 32, a young man named Elihu begins to speak and continues through chapter 37.  Finally in chapter 38, we hear from the Lord Himself, whose words are recorded in chapters 38-41.  There is one little break in chapter 40, where we find this little exchange between the Lord and Job (Job 40:1-5)…

Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said: 2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it." 3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4"Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further."

            Though Job admitted that he has already said more than he should have, the Lord is not done speaking to him.  In the rest of chapter 40 and in chapter 41the Lord gives a lengthy dissertation about his mighty creatures behemoth and leviathan.  And that brings us to chapter 42, where we find Job’s humble response.  Let’s read it again in Job 42:1-6…

Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."

            The Lord has brought Job to a brokenhearted joy (John Piper’s term).  He has confessed the sinfulness of his pride and rejoices in his newfound fellowship with Almighty God.  While that might be a fitting end to the book, we can be thankful that there is more.  Praise God that the Lord has seen fit to bless us with a further unfolding of this story.  That is what we will look at this morning.  Let’s read it in Job 42:7-17…

And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job. 10 And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days.

            Now let’s look at the picture of Job which is revealed to us in this last section. 

I.  Job, the Servant of God

            As we read verses 7-8, we can hardly miss the fact that God refers to Job as “My servant” no less than four times.  That is no small thing to have God say “My servant.”  I can count only nine individuals of whom God said that, including Abraham, Moses, David, and even Jesus.  Job is in very select company. 

            But wait a minute.  What about his sin?  We saw in chapters 1 and 2 that when God was talking to Satan, He referred twice to Job as “My servant” (1:8; 2:3), but a great deal has happened between chapter 2 and chapter 42.  Didn’t Job say some things about God that weren’t true?  We will look more at that in a minute.  And what about his growing pride during the debate with his friends?  Bear in mind that this is the same Job who had to repent before God in dust and ashes (verse 6). 

            First of all, let’s deal with the fact that Job did indeed repent in dust and ashes.  Our human logic might lead us to conclude that a person’s admission of guilt in repenting might set God against him.  But what we find in God’s Word is just the opposite.  The Lord delights in a humble attitude of repentance, which is exactly what Job demonstrated.  Of all those whom God refers to as “My servant,” David stands out above all the rest.  Do you know how many times God calls David “My servant”?  Twenty three.  No other man comes close (Moses is a distant second, with six).  And what do we know about David?  Did he commit sins?  Indeed, he did, even adultery and murder, as well as a numbering of the people which resulted in 70,000 Israelites dying.  Yet he is the man above all others who is known as God’s servant.  Is it not primarily because of his zeal in repentance?  It was this same David who said, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Ps. 34:18  NKJV).  The fact that Job repented of his sins endears him to a God who is gracious and merciful and delights to forgive sinners like Job and David.

            Repentance is fine, but didn’t Job say some things about God that should have disqualified him as a true servant of the Lord?  Let’s read again verse 7, “And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.’”  Then the Lord repeats the same thing again at the end of verse 8.  What do we make out of this?  God clearly states that Job’s three friends had not spoken what is right, as Job had.  So I ask you again, did Job himself not say some things about God which were not true?  I read back through all of Job’s speeches this week, and I have to say that without question he erred in what he said.  Let me give you just a couple of examples.  Job 16:9, “He tears me in His wrath and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; my adversary sharpens His gaze on me.”  Job 19:11, “He has also kindled His wrath against me, and He counts me as one of His enemies.”  Job accuses God of hating him and of counting him as an enemy, statements which are absolutely false.  

            So in what sense can God say that Job’s three friends have not spoken what is right, while Job has?  Did Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar ever speak truth?  Yes, they certainly did.  As we have seen before, they said some things that are absolutely true and valid.  So we would have to say that both Job and his three statements made true statements and false statements.  However, there are a couple of fundamental differences between Job’s words and those of his friends.  First of all, Job’s friends vehemently contended that a man is always properly repaid for his actions while on this earth.  If he is wicked, he will be punished; if he is righteous, he will be rewarded.  Job, on the other hand, argued that it was not so.  Though Job himself is not always consistent in this area, he definitely says that sometimes the wicked live a life of comfort and ease in this life, while the righteous suffer.  The disagreement bore upon the case of Job himself.  His friends said that Job was suffering because he had committed some terrible sin.  While Job couldn’t understand why he was suffering so severely, he never would say that it was because of some great hidden wickedness.  Along these same lines, someone has pointed out that Job’s friends didn’t see beyond the grave.  While Job seemed to agree with them at times, there were other times when he clearly pointed to something higher.  Remember his famous statement in 19:25-27,  “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

            Please note one more glaring difference between Job and his friends.  I apologize for not seeing this before.  It should not escape our notice.  During the three rounds of debate, there is no record that Job’s friends ever prayed.  Though they said many things about God that were true, they didn’t speak to God.  While they blasted Job again and again, they didn’t pray for him.  Job, on the other hand, repeatedly speaks to God.  When he responded to one of his friends, he would talk to him for a while, and then he would turn his eyes heavenward and speak to the Almighty.  While it is true that he said things to God that he should not have spoken, the fact is that Job dealt with his God.

            It is no accident that there are twice as many references to “My servant Job” in chapter 42 than in chapters 1 and 2.  After all that has happened, Job is still the servant of God, and even moreso than he was before.  We see that truth illustrated in the fact that Job now serves as a kind of priest, one who stands between his friends and God.  Job doesn’t take this responsibility upon himself, but God gives it to him.  Let’s read again what God said to Eliphaz in 42:8, “Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you.  For I will accept him, lest I deal with you accord-ing to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”  The seven bulls and seven rams is exactly the same offering Balaam prescribed in Num. 23:1, which likely indicates that this was the standard offering to atone for sin.  So now God calls on Job to accept the offering and intercede for his three friends.

            Can you imagine the humiliation of his friends?  They have accused Job of great wrongdoing, and now God tells them they are the ones who have been wrong.  The Lord doesn’t demand that they go and do some great deed of penance, only that they present an offering and let Job pray for them.  Although they were indeed “miserable comforters,” just as Job had said (16:2), give them credit for a wise and godly response to this difficult command.  Verse 9, “So Eliphaz, the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job.”  They swallowed their pride, brought their offerings, and humbly submitted themselves to Job for.  Though Job’s prayer, these three were reconciled to God.

            Praise God that He restored Job as His servant and used him in the life of his three friends.

II.  Job – Blessed By God

            As the story didn’t end after verse 6, neither does it end after verse 9.  There is more.  The next section is sum-marized in advance in the first part of verse 10, “And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends…”

Notice the term “Job’s losses.”  It’s very difficult to forget about those losses, isn’t it?  Job lost everything he owned.  Far more devastating than that, he lost his ten children.  On top of that, he also lost his health.  The Lord has already restored Job’s fellowship with Himself and his position as His true servant, but now He is speaking about what we might call Job’s tangible losses. 

            By the way, a more literal translation of verse 10 in found in the King James:  “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends.”  It is interesting that this word (turned captivity) is used quite a number of times in the Old Testament.  Most of the more recent translations consistently render it “restored the fortunes” (or something similar) while in the KJV it is “turned the captivity.”  However, it is interesting to note that while the New American Standard follows the same practice as the other newer translations, in Deut. 30:3 it reads:  “Then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity…”  The context in verses 1-2 makes it abundantly clear that this would happen when God’s people would cry out to Him “in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you” (verse 1).  Dt. 30:3 is the first occurrence of this term in the Bible and the word clearly carries the idea of being rescued from captivity.  The Lord did indeed turn Job’s captivity.  Job certainly felt like he had been locked up, banished from the presence of his God, held prisoner by the pain and suffering he had experience.  But when he had prayed for his friends, the Lord set him free.  

            The rest of this section demonstrates that this was not just an inner freedom, but it consisted of a material abundance.  Let’s read it again in 42:10-17…

And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch. 15 In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. 17 So Job died, old and full of days.

            We can see that the “twice as much” was literally true, as the number of Job’s animals was effectively doubled.  However, on the surface, that does not seem to be true of his children.  He had ten, but the Lord does not now give him 20, but only ten more.  It has been pointed out that while his possessions were destroyed, his children could not be destroyed.  While they died to life on this earth, Job will be reunited with them forever.  So in reality Job does effectively have twice as many children as he did before.

            Not only were his children and possessions restored abundantly, but the Lord also blessed him with restored fellowship with those around him.  Let us be reminded of what Job had said earlier in 19:13-19…

He has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. 14 My relatives have failed, And my close friends have forgotten me. 15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants, Count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight. 16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer; I beg him with my mouth. 17 My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am repulsive to the children of my own body. 18 Even young children despise me; I arise, and they speak against me. 19 All my close friends abhor me, And those whom I love have turned against me.

            But now all his brothers and sisters and friends came to Job’s house and sat down to eat with him.  The sharing of a meal was a visible demonstration of meaningful fellowship together.  These loved ones not only ate with Job, but they “consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him.”  While the NKVJ and other translations soften it by using “adversity,” the word is literally “evil” (as KJV, ESV).  What happened to Job certainly seemed evil, but if you were to ask Job about it, I believe he would have replied with the sentiments of Gen. 50:20, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…”  Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.

            The summary statement of verse 10 is echoed by the words of verse 12, “Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…”  There follows the numbers which confirm the doubling of Job’s possessions, and then the addition of seven sons and three daughters.  It is interesting that the focus is on the daughters rather than the sons, as Job even gave his daughters an inheritance among the sons.  This not only runs counter to the cultural emphasis of that day, but it also reverses the emphasis on the sons that we found in chapters 1 and 2.  Perhaps this is an early preview of the truth that in Christ there is neither male nor female (Gal. 3:28).  Ray Stedman gives the meanings of the three daughters names as “peace, fragrance, and beauty” (Let God Be God, p. 235).  They were beautiful from the inside out, and their names adequately describe the God-given qualities of Job’s life.

            The chapter closes with, “So Job died, old and full of days.”  We don’t know exactly how old Job was when he went through this crisis, but most would estimate his age to have been 60 or 70.  Add that to the 140 years he lived after the Lord turned his captivity, and we come out with an age of 200 years or more.  That was a long life, but it was consistent with the time in which he lived.  Though his first ten children were no longer with him, it is likely they had children and grandchildren who were.  How blessed Job was to see his children and grandchildren to the fourth generation.

            Job’s experience may raise some questions about material blessings for God’s people.  Suffice it to say that God blesses as He chooses.  Job knew both the deprivation of all material blessings and the abundance of those blessings.  Before very long we will be looking in depth at how we as saints are to view God’s material blessings.

III.  Job – A Testimony for God

            You will notice that we are talking about Job, but it is impossible to talk about this man without focusing on his God.  Job was the servant of God.  Job was a man blessed by God.  Now we want to look at Job as a testimony for his God.  Our reading of chapters 1 and 2 remind us that behind the story of Job is the larger battle between God and Satan.  Although Job knew nothing about what had transpired in these first two chapters, we are privileged to have that knowledge.  We cannot conclude our story of Job without coming back to that spiritual battle.  Though chapter 42 doesn’t specifically tell us any more about it, the facts speak for themselves.

            Satan’s contention was blunt and simple.  He told God that Job served him only for the benefits he received.  He went on to say that if the benefits were taken away, Job would curse God.  That is when the Lord gave Satan permission to take away everything he had, but not to touch Job himself.  He passed the test.  “In all this Job did not charge God with wrong.”  Satan then countered with the claim that a man will give everything for his own life, asserting that if God would afflict his body, Job would curse Him to His face.  So the Lord gave Satan permission to do anything short of killing Job, and Satan attacked him without mercy.

            So who came out victorious in this particular battle?  God Himself gives us the answer through His servant James:  “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (James 5:10-11).  This verse tells us something about Job and something about his God.  Job is an example of enduring perseverance.  This ought to encourage us.  He was not a perfect man.  By going through the entire book, we have seen that more clearly than if we had just read the beginning and the end and scanned the middle.  He struggled with discouragement on the one hand and pride on the other.  Nevertheless, the Lord sets him forth as a shining example of perseverance.  Don’t be slain by your failures.  I’m not saying we should take our sins lightly, but after we have truly confessed them and received forgiveness through the blood of Christ, we move on, realizing that we are in this for the long haul.  That is where Job can be a great encouragement to us.

            By the way, this gives us more insight on the twice-repeated statement that Job’s three friends did not speak what was right, as Job had done.  One thing we realize is the difference in their circumstances.  The three friends were not called upon to endure anything, except having to watch Job suffer.  After the first week they seemed able to shrug that off easily enough, as they blasted Job again and again.  Job, on the other hand, by no choice of his own was forced to endure intense and prolonged suffering.  God considered not only the words spoken, but the circumstances that were behind those words.  Job was a man who persevered.  Though he faltered, he continued to deal with his God, who brought him through all the trials.

            This verse in James also tells us something about God, that He is very compassionate and merciful.  Hear that statement and hear it well.  And as you hear it, bear in mind the context in which it is spoken.  Many of us are familiar with Ps. 103:8, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”  That is a wonderful truth, but it comes on the heals of a list of God’s wonderful benefits:  He forgives our iniquities, heals our diseases, redeems our lives from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouth with good things, executes righteousness and judgment for all who are oppressed (verses 3-6).  Yes, we would have to conclude that God is merciful and gracious.  But now, against the background of Job’s suffering, we are told that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.  Wow!  How could a compassionate and merciful God put Job through such severe suffering?  Of course, you can say, “Well, God didn’t do it; it was Satan.”  You are absolutely right, but your explanation doesn’t really offer any help, because it was God who gave him permission.  How could a God of mercy and compassion say to Satan, “Have at him.  Do anything you want except kill him.”  God did not watch Job go through all that suffering in spite of the fact that He is a compassionate and merciful God, but because He is a compassionate and merciful God.  We must understand that one of the things Job learned through it all is that God is all wise.  An all wise God knew exactly the refinement needed in his life to bring him forth as gold.  And brothers and sisters, He is wise enough to do the same thing in us.

            God won the battle, a preview of His ultimate victory over Satan and all his forces.  Job was God’s testimony that the Lord is worthy to be loved and served.  In spite of all Satan did to him, Job did not curse God.  Someone might claim that he came close, but the fact is that he did not.  When Job spoke his last recorded words to God in verses 2-6, there was no more accusations against his Lord.  Though he may not have understood all the reasons for his suffering, he was content to trust an all-powerful and all-wise God to do what was right.  The depth of his suffering was equaled only by the joy of his newly-found fellowship with his Lord.  When Job repented in dust and ashes, he was freely acknowledging that God had done him no wrong.  He could have spoken the words of Ps. 119:67,71-72,75…

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word… 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.72 The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver… 75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 

            Job is also a testimony to the fact that he now stands as a man who has been prospered by his God.  The Lord has now blessed Job with the only commodity Satan really understands – material wealth.  Anyone who looks at Job would have to conclude that his God is good to him.  And now Satan can never claim that Job serves God for what he can get out of him.  Job is a shining example of a man who is both rich and righteous. 

Conclusion

            So after thoroughly examining the book of Job, what can we take away?  Let me mention a few things; you may want to add more, and I would welcome that. 

1.  Take the long look.           

            How long did Job’s severe trials last?  At one point Job himself speaks of being afflicted for “months” (Job 7:3).  Maybe it was six months; maybe it was a full year.  At any rate, it was much longer than Job desired.  But in light of Job’s approximate 200 years on earth, it was really a very short time.  During that brief time we have the opportunity to see Job at what seems like his worst.  Nevertheless, it was during this time and through these afflictions that God was able to work in the life of His servant.  If we had rendered our judgment of Job at the end of his last speech in chapter 31, I’m afraid we wouldn’t have given him much hope, but God wasn’t through with this man.

            Brothers and sisters, take the long look at both yourself and others.  One of our greatest temptations is to be squeezed into the mold of our instant society, which bombards us with the lie that we must have what we want right now.  God is patient.  I remind you that He took a full 25 years to fulfill His promise of a Son to Abraham.  He didn’t call Moses to deliver Israel until he was 80 years old.  Noah didn’t start building the ark until he was almost 500 years old.  To the best of our knowledge, Jesus never healed anyone or preached a sermon until He was 30 years old. 

            Remember the truth of Phil. 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Someone has well remarked, “And that is just how long it will take.”  Our glorious God has purpose for every circumstance in our lives, even though the situation may be painful and doesn’t make any sense to us.  When we take the long look, it helps us to trust the Lord, who is always faithful.

2.  Rejoice in your trials.       

            You might say, “Job sure didn’t rejoice in his trials.”  That’s true, but remember that we aren’t here just to imitate Job; our desire is to learn from him and his experiences.  If Job had understood the end of everything, do you think he would have rejoiced during his trials?  We might be tempted to say, “Even if he had known, his trials were too severe to endure with joy.”  Not so, because we read in Heb. 12:2 that Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising its shame.  Brothers and sisters, we know the end of all things.  We know that God is going to triumph over Satan and all his forces.  We know that all the world will bow down to Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Then we will experience unmingled joy in the presence of our Lord.  Though that is not our experience now, we known right now what the end will be.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).  So let us count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patient endurance (James 1:2-3).

3.  Be Merciful to Others.

            Job’s friends thought they had all the answers, and they weren’t shy about sharing them with Job.  Whatever you might say about the long speeches they offered, you could never say that they were merciful toward Job.  Instead, they continually used their perspective of God’s ways to try to force Job to confess some terrible sin that he had never committed.  They pounded on him without mercy.  Though they spoke much truth, they did not apply it correctly to Job’s life.  It wasn’t until God spoke to them in the end that they realized their error.  It is most likely that they were present when God spoke to Job in chapters 38-41, but they weren’t moved to repentance, as was their friend.  The lack of mercy has a way of blinding the mind and hardening the heart.

            Praise God for Job’s example of mercy.  When God sent Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar to him, Job did indeed pray for them.  There is no record that he first chastised them for the way they had treated him.  There was no “I told you so.”  He simply interceded on their behalf and God heard his prayer.  Just a couple of weeks ago Tracy spent some time on our need to show mercy to others.  Maybe the Lord is trying to tell us something.

4.  Glorify God.

            It would be nice if we could say that all through his trials Job gave glory to God, even as he did at the end of chapter 1 after he lost all his children and possessions, but that was not the case.  However, when Job heard from the Lord Himself and came to see things clearly, He did indeed glorify the Lord.  When Job said,  "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.  Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes," he was not only confessing his own sin and foolishness, but he was also declaring that God was right, that He who is all-wise and all-powerful is worthy of all praise.  We don’t have to wait to learn what Job learned from God in chapters 38-41.  We have already read those chapters; we can learn from Job.  Furthermore, we are living on the other side of the cross.  The Son of God has been revealed to us and in us.  John said, “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).  We say, “After the Word was made flesh, He died on the cross in our place, rose from the grave, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and sent the Spirit to dwell within us.  All glory be to Him!”

Mothers with Godly Influence -- 5/13/12

Sunday, May 13, 2012

MOTHERS WITH GODLY INFLUENCE

I Samuel 1:1-2:10; Luke 1:26-56

            “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”  Have you heard that old saying?  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the logic of that statement.  Because a mother spends so much time with her children and has such great influence in their lives, she can shape the world, as she molds the character of her children.  Perhaps the direction of our society would force us to alter that old saying.  Perhaps it would be more accurate to now say, “The world threatens to rule the hand that rocks the cradle.”  And now when I use the term “world,” I am referring to godless society and its independence from the Almighty Creator.  Rather than mothers influencing the character of their children and thus providing a positive influence on society, the tendency in our day is for society to so influence the mother that she has little positive influence upon her children.

            Let me put it another way:  It isn’t easy being a mother in our society.  Most everyone has a certain respect for motherhood, but society’s picture of the ideal mother has changed a great deal in the past few decades.  While a century ago a mother fought not to be consumed by the demands of her work load, the modern inventions that have eased the work load have not necessarily set mothers free to spend more time molding the character of their children.   The pressures of work have been replaced by pressures which are far more subtle but no less powerful. 

            Rather than trying to evaluate all the challenges mothers face because of the pace of our modern society, please allow me to come directly to the point.  Let’s talk about the time a mother spends with her children.  As we do, we will inevitably encounter the idea of quality time versus quantity time.  It has become popular to say, “I may not spend as much time with my kids as I would like to, but the time I have with them is quality time.”  In other words, “I make the best use of the time I do spend with them.”  The truth is that a mother needs a great quantity of time with her children, and it needs to be quality time.

            But how does a mother do that?  Mothers, spend time with your kids and spend time with the Lord.  In order to spend time with her kids, a mother must say “No” to many things in this world.  In order to make her time with the kids quality time, she must spend time with the Lord. 

I.  Why Time with Your Kids and Time with the Lord?

            You may say, “And why is that so important?”  We can answer that question by starting with another question:  “What is a mother’s goal for her kids?”  Mother’s, I would like you to ask yourself that question.  What is it that you want for your children?  Do you want them to excel at what they do?  Do you want them to be financially successful?  Do you want them to find a wonderful husband or wife?  Are you eager for them to marry and have children of their own?  Some of those goals are more noble than others, but none of them are the best.  None of those goals necessarily have any eternal value.  Certainly, it will be a good thing for your daughter to find a wonderful husband, but that is not the ultimate goal.  You can reach all of those goals, and your children can still go to hell.  The achievement of those goals will not necessarily bring glory to the God who created your children.

            So what is your great goal for your children?  Can you say that you want what God wants for your kids?  Do you have a great desire to so mold the character of your children that they will bring glory to God throughout their lives on this earth and then spend eternity with Him?  There is no more noble goal for our children.  Anything else falls short of God’s best.  So when I say that it is vitally important for you to spend time with your kids and time with the Lord, I am speaking in the context of longing to raise godly children who will bring glory to our Lord. 

            In order to have great influence on your children, you must spend much time with them.  Children are especially influenced by the people they are around.  That is why you parents are rather careful about who shares the company of your children.  You don’t like the idea of your son or daughter hanging around with a kid who is disrespectful of his parents.  Nor do you want him or her to be close friends with a girl who thinks about nothing but having a boyfriend.  It is because you are aware of how your children are influenced by those with whom they spend time.  The more time you as a mother spend with your children, the greater your opportunity to influence them.  There is no substitute for time with your kids. 

            Having said that, now we must understand that while such shared time is vitally important, it is not enough.  Not only do you want to influence your children, but you want to be the right influence upon them.  To put it bluntly, you want to be a godly influence in their lives.  So how will you be that godly influence that your children so desperately need?  The answer is simple but profound – spend time with the Lord.  Yes, it’s a simple concept.  As your children are influenced greatly by those with whom they spend time, so you are influenced greatly by those with whom you spend time.  If you spend time with the Lord, will you not be more like Him?

            By the way, you have probably figured out that this is not a concept that applies only to mothers.  Is it not true that we become like our Lord, as we spend time with Him?  Recently we have repeatedly come to II Cor. 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  As we long for the Lord and gaze on Him with love and admiration, our Father increasingly makes us like Him.  Praise God!  I think also of the words of David in Ps. 27:4, “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 inquire in his temple.” 

            Mothers, as you spend time in the presence of the Lord, as you are increasingly transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, you cannot help but be a godly influence upon your children.  On the one hand, you can deliberately lay out plans to influence your kids, but also realize that the greatest part of that influence will be on an subconscious level.  As it is sometimes said, “What is caught is just as important as what is taught.”  May your children catch from you a hunger to know and be like Jesus.

II.  Great Examples of this Godly Influence

            We can hardly speak of godly mothers in the Bible without thinking of Hannah, the mother of Samuel.  Do you remember Hannah?  Let’s take time to read the story.  I Samuel 1:1-28…

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. 4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" 9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the Lord.10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 Then she made a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." 12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!" 15 And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now." 17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." 18 And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. 19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the Lord." 21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever." 23And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word." So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord." So they worshiped the Lord there.

            We don’t know exactly how old Samuel was when his parents took him up and left him with Eli the priest, but he was obviously a young boy.  Perhaps he was three at the time.  Surely the Lord did not preserve this story in His Word to encourage mothers to give up their children at the age of three.  I take this to be one of those unique instances, when the Lord did something once and for all.  On the other hand, we can certainly learn important principles from the life of Hannah as a mother.

            Consider Samuel for a moment.  We don’t have time to study his life this morning, but suffice it to say that Samuel was a faithful servant of the Lord from youth and was greatly used by God.  Even as a boy, he was faithful to speak what God told him to speak, even when it was a prophecy of bad news for Eli.  When he grew up, Samuel would be used by God to anoint the first two kings of Israel – Saul, and then David.  He was highly respected by the nation, and he called them to serve the Lord.

            We might ask, “So what was the source of Samuel’s godliness?”  At first, we might be tempted to conclude that the primary advantage of Samuel was the fact that he was raised by a priest in the house of the Lord.  Imagine that – serving under a priest from the age of three or so.  Add to that the fact that he was often in the presence of the first king of Israel.  Surely those things would bring out the best in a young man.  But the fact is that Eli was not a positive influence on Samuel’s life.  The first prophecy Samuel uttered was a declaration that God would strip the priesthood from Eli because of his disobedience to the Lord.  And though Saul started out well as king, he would soon disobey the Lord and would end up as a rebel who spent his time and energy trying to kill the Lord’s anointed, David.  Samuel was a godly man, in spite of these ungodly influences.

            Surely the greatest godly influence in Samuel’s life was his mother Hannah.  She had him for only about three years.  After that, best we can tell, she saw him only once a year, when the family went up to Shiloh to offer the yearly sacrifice, at which time she would take Samuel the new robe she had made for him.  How could Hannah exercise such a great influence upon Samuel in such a short time? 

            We have already seen that Hannah was a godly woman.  No doubt, she had prayed for a child for a long time.  What we read here in I Samuel 1 is just the climax to her plea for a son.  Her vow to give Samuel to the Lord reveals that her greatest desire was not for her happiness, but for God’s glory.  Now let’s read Hannah’s prayer in chapter 2.  Bear in mind that this is not the pray she prayed when she found out she was pregnant or when Samuel was born.  Rather, this is the prayer she prayed when she offered him to the Lord at Shiloh, after she had weaned him.  This is what Hannah said to the Lord, when she delivered Samuel to Eli the priest, knowing that she would no longer be raising him as her son.  Read I Samuel 2:1-10…

And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 "No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 "Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed. 4 "The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. 6 "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. "For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed."

            This prayer tells us much about Hannah.  I would expect her prayer to go something like this:  “Lord, you know how hard this is for me.  Please give me grace to accept your will…”  There is none of that here.  No doubt, this was a difficult thing for Hannah to do, but her focus isn’t on her difficulty.  Rather, her prayer is a triumphant song of praise to her mighty and glorious Lord.  Is it not amazing the way she can praise the Lord at a time such as this!  Her life is wrapped up in the glory of her God, and so it would be with her son Samuel.  Her prayer gives strong evidence that she was a woman who spent much time with the Lord.  Surely it was her devotion to the Lord and time spent with Him that enabled her to have such a great and godly influence upon her son during his early formative years.

            Let’s quickly also consider Mary, the mother of Jesus Himself.  Her story is recorded in Luke 1:26-45…

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. 39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

            Notice those simple words of Mary in verse 38, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!  Let it be to me according to your word.”  What an attitude of trusting the Lord!  Mary was not ignorant.  She had already asked how these things were going to happen, in light of the fact that she was a virgin.  Even if she were to experience this miraculous birth, what would people think?  What would Joseph think?  And what about her parents?  There was a price to be paid for the privilege granted her, but she trusted the Lord.

            Now let’s read Mary’s song.  I can’t read it without noting the similarities with Hannah’s prayer, which we just read a few minutes ago.  Read Luke 1:45-55…

And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. 49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. 50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, 55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."

            As was the case with Hannah, Mary does not focus on herself.  After giving thanks to the Lord for what He is doing for her, she then praises Him for His mercy to all generations and exalts Him for His great work among His people. 

            And now verse 56, “And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.”  Mary chose to spend the first part of her pregnancy with Elizabeth, who was a relative.  She stayed there with her until shortly before the birth of her son John.  They rejoiced together, because God had done a great miracle in each of them.  The conversation between them reveals their focus upon the Lord and His glory.

            This was the woman who raised Jesus.  She was a godly woman.  Though we are not specifically told that she spent a great deal of time with Jesus, I believe we can safely assume that fact.  What is revealed to us is that Mary was a godly woman who glorified the Lord.

            Down through the centuries the world has been blessed with godly women like Hannah and Mary.  Recently on Wednesday evening we mentioned Susannah Wesley, the mother of 19 children.  Though all 19 were not alive at once, as she lost nine children before they reached the age of two, she had a house full of kids.  How could a woman with so many kids have time to spend with the Lord?  Her practice was to spend two hours a day in prayer, carefully training her children to take care of one another during those times.  If she couldn’t find a room for a retreat, she just flipped her apron up over her head and began to pray.  Out of her home came John and Charles Wesley, who greatly influenced this world for the glory of God.

III.  How Can I Be a Woman Who Spends Time with My Children and Time with the Lord?

            Now we come to the big question:  “How can I be a woman who spends time with my children and time with the Lord?”  It’s one thing to talk about the importance of this lifestyle and examples of those who have practiced it; it is quite another to actually do it.  How can you, an ordinary mother, consistently spend time with the Lord and time with your children? 

            First of all, let’s all agree that no woman in her own strength is up to the task.  To put it bluntly, you can’t do it.  If you think you can, may the Lord quickly bless you with a child who will help you realize the impossibility of the task!  Though your own efforts may appear to make a difference for a while, every mother will find that only the power of God can sustain her in this endeavor. 

Therefore, the first great need is prayer.  And this is where I want to speak to all of us.  I have been addressing mothers with children in the home.  That includes quite a number here this morning, but it leaves out even more.  But I don’t want any of us to feel left out this morning.  The importance of how our mothers perform their task is vitally important for all of us, because their children will influence our world either in a positive or negative manner.  Make no mistake about it, these mothers will influence their children.   Brothers and sisters, we have the privilege of influencing the world by praying for these mothers.  While I don’t want to minimize the importance of encouraging and coming alongside these mothers, there is nothing as important as praying for them.  There will be times when they are too busy with their children to receive encouragement from you, but there is never a time when the Lord will not receive your prayers on their behalf.  So let’s pray!

Mothers, the same is true for you.  It is important that you pray too.  There is nothing so important as crying out to God.  I must remind you again that the task of being a godly mother is too difficult for you.  You can’t do it on your own.   So pray.  Specifically, ask God to give you the wisdom to set aside time with Him on a regular basis. 

The pressures of time and busyness are not unique to mothers, but it seems that they loom especially large in the lives of our precious ladies who are raising children.  Perhaps you have read the little pamphlet, “The Tyranny of the Urgent.”  Its basic theme is simple:  There are certain urgent tasks that demand our immediate attention.  There are other things which are far more important in the long run, but it seems that they can wait.  So while we are attending to the urgent tasks, these more important matters are neglected.  As this pattern continues, our lives are wrapped up in the urgent and we never seem to get to the more important things.  Ultimately, even things of eternal importance are moved to the back burner and tend to stay there. 

The great need is for us to live in light of eternity.  This is why the Word of God is so important.  The truth of the Bible has a way of reminding us of what is important.  Mothers, as you pray and the Lord blesses you with time in His presence, you will find that He is spending more time with your children through you.  As you fellowship with Him, you find that Tommy keeping his hair combed and his face clean is not nearly as vital as instilling an attitude of thanksgiving in him.  More and more, you recognize that your great desire is to mold their character more than their appearance.

Mothers, may God give you the Phil. 4:13 approach:  “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” – even the strength to spend time with the Lord and time with the kids.  Brothers and sisters, may God give us grace to pull away from our schedules and routines in order to give ourselves consistently to something of eternal importance – the raising of our children and praying for those who are now shouldering that awesome task.

             

Conclusion

            Back to the old saying:  “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”  Perhaps we could modify it a bit and simply say:  “The mother who abides in the Lord will bless her children and the world in which they live.”  Mothers, we see God doing that in you and we pray that He will continue to do so for His glory.

Pray for Mothers