In Living Communion with God - Part 2

"15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”" ~ Genesis 2:15-16

Our first parents' living communion with God has entailed a divine call (v.15). But that living communion has also involved a sovereign command (vv.16-17). And that's what we're going to talk about here.

A Sovereign Command (vv. 16-17)

In verse 15 we are told of the divine purpose for man. In verse 16-17 we can see that this relationship also involves a sovereign command. It reads, “And the LORD commanded man….” Adam’s relationship with God does not only state a comprehensive purpose of work and worship that he has to seek to fulfill. It also specifies a definite command to first, enjoy God’s provisions from the garden (v.16), and second, to keep His prohibition to refrain from eating the forbidden tree (v.17).

The text tells us that man was given the freedom to eat from every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It does not explicitly tell us the reason why God puts this one restriction. However, it does tell us the result of eating from the forbidden tree. It says that the day Adam eats from this tree he will surely die. This is a very solemn command that Adam has to obey. His life depends on his obedience to this command. Not only that, his continued presence in the garden of God in Eden depends upon his obedience to the command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

I will not dwell on the fine points of this prohibited tree. What I would like to point out here are two observations about the command. First, let’s talk a bit about the content of the command. Second, let’s focus on the giver of the command.

The thing that strikes me about the content of the command is the fact that both in the provision of every tree (v.16) and the prohibition from the forbidden tree (v. 17) the theme of food or the idea of eating stand out. Food is one of the most prominent themes throughout the Bible, even in this passage. This picture of abundant food and delight in eating lead us to look forward to the Messianic banquet at the end of the age (Matt. 22). Furthermore, the image of trees in the garden, especially the tree of life, brings us to the tree of life in Revelation 22 wherein we are told that this tree bears twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month (v.2).

However, in between these trees of life in Genesis and Revelation is the cursed tree in Calvary where the God-man Jesus Christ died. He was crucified and condemned to die in this tree not because He disobeyed God but because Adam and his descendants did. We are descendants of Adam. We were condemned both on account of Adam's failure to obey God regarding the forbidden tree, and our actual sins against God.

But Christ, the last Adam, took upon himself the burdens of our sin and misery, including death, including the most severe punishment of sin which is separation from the blissful presence of God. He bore them all in that tree so that in His death, that cursed tree became a tree of life for us who believe in Jesus Christ.

Now as believers of Jesus Christ in the new covenant by His blood, God allows us to partake of a new food, a new banquet, wherein our souls will be nourished and our faith in Him will be strengthened by His Word that confirms that food. The Lord's Supper and the green pasture of preaching the Word, when they are received by faith, enable us to enjoy and obey God by the Holy Spirit.

Another thing that draws our attention concerning this command is the Giver of the command Himself. God, in this passage, is portrayed as the Sovereign LORD over man. So the command is sovereign because it proceeds from the Sovereign LORD, the God and creator of the heavens and the earth.

It is interesting to note that the name LORD used two times in our text is the same name God gave to Moses when he asked about God’s name (Exo. 3). The name LORD is also the name God used to call Himself when He gave the Ten Commandments to His chosen people in Sinai. The LORD is the Sovereign God. He is the God who establishes covenant with His people. LORD is His covenant name.

In the New Testament, the title LORD is likewise designated to Jesus Christ. Time will come that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He was with God the Father from the very beginning and He Himself is God. Through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that has been made. His disciples call Him Lord. The apostle Paul says that because of Christ Jesus’ perfect obedience, even in his death upon that shameful cross, God has highly exalted Him and has given Him the name that is above every name.

Thus the inspired author of the book of Revelation calls Him ‘the King of kings and the Lord of lords.’ Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Since He is the Lord of lords who gives His command to us new covenant believers to keep and obey we must humbly and gratefully submit to His lordship by faithfully keeping everything He commands to us. He is the Lord worthy of our trust and obedience. His word is our life. His law is our delight.

In Jesus Christ man experiences the ultimate union and communion with God. In Him and through Him, man’s living relationship with God is perfected. No one comes to the Father except through Him. Union with Jesus Christ is the essence of man’s relationship with God. Through Him God fully dwells with man in perfect communion.

Thus let us turn to Christ today and always for God calls us to worship Him in Christ. God desires from us a kind of service that springs from our faith-relationship with Him through Christ. God commands us to look unto Christ. He is our life and our salvation. God has established His gracious covenant relationship with us through Jesus Christ. It started in the Garden of God in Eden and it will consummate in the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, when it will come down out from God in heaven above. Blessed is he who hears this Word and believe, for he will be satisfied by the water of life who is Jesus Christ!

The Content and Method of Home schooling

(This is also taken from the article COVENANT AND HOME SCHOOLING by Mr. Slabbert Le Cornu of South Africa, which is available at http://www.spindleworks.com/library/slabbert/ezera_nov.htm)

Deuteronomy 6:7,8 points to the fact that all our thinking ("between our eyes") and all [we] do (hands), must be in service of God. Therefore, the Word of the Lord cannot be restricted to family and Church life only; for, as Scripture teaches: " ... on the way, when you lie down, when you rise up, etc." - in all you do - you must be led by the law of God. This is one of the advantages of home schooling, that the child experiences education and upbringing as a way of life and not as something that is done only on certain hours of the day, at school, or in Church, catechism classes, or society life.

At home they learn diligently, have work to do, they can play, everything according to the law of the Lord. Therefore, home schooling must not take place in isolation, for in Deut. 6:9, parents are also shown the extension of covenant upbringing: "And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates". Thus, [not only] private life (the home) but also society (thy gates) must be brought under the dominion of Christ by Reformed instruction.

Covenant instruction begins in the home, but does not end there, for it flows over into a life in the covenant in both Church and all the broad areas of society. In the covenantal home the children are taught the first principles of how to seek God's will and honour. Totius, the foundational church and Afrikaner leader in the first half of the twentieth century in South Africa wrote, and rightly so,

History proves when the family is sound, both Church and State flourish. The family is the foundation of human society. Give as thus Reformed families and the Church will prosper. Otherwise we certainly will face a dark future.

May this be a prophecy for and not against the Reformed Church in South Africa!

God's Miraculous Provision - Part 1

(First part of a sermon based on 2 Kings 4:1-7)

1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

As a Filipino I long for our beloved country to live out her reputation as a ‘Christian’ nation in the Far East. Sadly, although the Philippines is noted to be a 'Christian' nation yet the evils of corruption, injustice and idolatry are also widespread in the country.

Our situation as a ‘Christian’ nation known for corruption and idolatry is comparable to that in Israel during the time of Elisha. The Scripture tells us that Old Testament Israel is God’s chosen nation. God chose Israel and brought her out of slavery from Egypt to bring her to a land flowing with milk and honey. God has saved Israel so that she will be free to worship Him. And by living as God's chosen people who obey His laws Israel would be blessed and a blessing to the nations for the glory of God.

In many ways, God has blessed Israel with many blessings. Yet as soon as she has experienced abundance and prominence among the nations, Israel forgets the Lord and His covenant. She instead follows the ways of other nations which are detestable to the Lord. And one despicable practice in Israel is the evil of oppressing the poor and the helpless, which is the case in our text.

2 Kings 4 records four miracles which show that God is the giver and sustainer of life for those who come to Him in faith, whether Jew or Gentile. Our text pertains to the first miracle. Here we consider how “The Lord miraculously provides for the widow with oil.” God performs a miracle for the poor widow. We will consider three aspects of this miracle. First, this miraculous provision is a response to a desperate situation; second, it is an act of divine compassion, and third, it is a sign of dramatic redemption.

RESPONSE TO A DESPERATE SITUATION (vv. 1-2)

Our text begins with the wife of a prophet crying out to Elisha. Now we need to understand that this is no ordinary cry. Hers was a plea of a helpless person who is in a very serious situation. The word translated 'cried out' in verse 1 comes from a verb which means 'to cry out for help due to a great distress.' This verb is closely related to the word used in Exodus 2:23, which describes Israel crying out for help to the Lord because of her slavery. In this verb we must feel the anguish and pain in the woman's voice as she approaches her husband's master. “Your servant my husband is dead,” she cries out desperately. She had lost her husband by death. We do not know how he died, but to lose a husband in her time is to lose a human provider and protector. So can you see her helplessness?

But as if her troubles weren’t enough, another misfortune confronts her. She’s also on the brink of losing her children to slavery (v.1b). And you know what that means? She’s in danger of losing her means of support and her hope. Without a husband, her boys are a kind of security for a better future. But her boys are also about to be taken away from her.
We are not told how this debt was incurred. But it is there, bothering her, threatening her very soul. Boys and girls, it's like your parents have incurred a huge debt they cannot pay and the creditor insists that you go to jail instead of them. Isn't that scary? This widow feels distressed just as your parents would feel devastated if you are going to jail for unjust reason. She's in despair.

Now v. 1 also tells us that her husband had been part of a group called ‘the company (or sons) of the prophets.’ In 2 Kings 2 there are several places in Israel where this group exists: Gilgal, Bethel, and Jericho. Many of these men had wives and children, as in the case of the dead husband whose wife is crying out in v. 1.

So who were these men? They were the ones preparing for or engaged in prophetic ministry. Someone has noted that these 'sons of the prophets' may represent the closest Old Testament equivalent to a theological seminary. In that case her husband was a 'seminarian', studying or ministering under the supervision of Prophet Elisha, probably at Gilgal Theological Seminary. And he was a faithful seminarian, mind you. She tries to remind Elisha, “You know that he revered the LORD.”

The text does not tell us how this family ended up in a huge debt, but there are things we need to know why they may have incurred it.

First, it was certainly difficult to be a faithful prophet during this period of Israel's history. Do you know why? If you were a God-fearing prophet at this time you will not be well-supported by the people because they will hate you for the message you proclaim. The people comfortably serve the Canaanite god Baal and if you tell them to repent from their idolatry and follow the Lord, they will not like it. They will disdain you!

So if you are to survive as a prophet you may have to be dependent upon the gifts of the faithful Israelites at that time, and there were only a few of them. You may also have to sell your property or place it as collateral, or you may have to ‘earn your keep’, so to speak. Thus these prophets may have enjoyed just a little more than the barest necessities of life. The prophets and priests of Baal, however, are living ‘the lifestyle of the rich and famous.’

Second, for some years past Ahab and Jezebel were in power. Not only were the faithful followers of the Lord persecuted but also the prophets went in danger of their lives (1 Kings 18:4). The situation did not change a lot during the reign of Jehoram, the son of Ahab and Jezebel. And this story happened when Jehoram was Israel's king. Maybe it was not as bad as it was during Jezebel's time, but still it was a tough time for the servants of the Lord.

You may not be able to identify with the abject situation of these prophets. But you must see their struggle in living their faith in an environment that is cold, if not hostile, to the God of the Scripture. And when you do, you would understand them in their desire to live faithfully in an idolatrous society, just like ours, where the Lord or His word is not widely honored.

So when God's people are disobedient to His Word, they are also negligent to the preacher of that Word. In their unfaithfulness, those who are called to uphold God's honor in the world has instead joined the world in persecuting those who walk according to God's Word. Yes, if you remain faithful to God in a world that denies His rule, you will be persecuted, even impoverished, by the world. But in reality, you who are faithful are blessed in the eyes of God and are rich toward Him. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled,” says the Lord.

What I'm saying is that, Israel in general has abandoned her faith in God. She stopped loving the God who never stops loving His people. We see here how unfaithfulness and disobedience to God's law opens up to all kinds of misery. The widow's predicament would never happen in the first place if Israel faithfully obeys the covenant law of God.

Remember that God has instituted in Deut. 4:4, 7-11 a form of relief for the poor among them, which was to prevent this situation. There may be an instance when an Israelite falls into poverty that he had to sell himself as a slave. But then again, Leviticus 25:39-43 states that the master must treat such a person not as a slave but as a laborer.

In other words, God would never allow an Israelite to become a real slave of another Israelite. Nowhere in the law of the Lord can we find any provision granting a creditor to do what the widow in this story feared to happen, i.e., for the creditor to come and take her sons to make them his slaves. In fact, when things like this happen the prophets of the Lord are quick to denounce such injustice, as in the case of Amos (2:6; 8:6) and Isaiah (1:16-17).

God has also provided laws pertaining to kinsman redeemer. And how does this law function? A kinsman redeemer is the nearest relative who could step in and "buy back" what his relative was forced to sell (Lev.25:48ff). The kinsman redeemer is a rich benefactor or person who sets free the debtor by paying the ransom price (Lev.5:25; cf. Ruth 4:4, 6).

We are not told in this story whether the widow had relatives or not who can redeem her and her children from debt. Two things are sure: her children are about to be taken as slaves and she’s a poor widow who owns nothing except a jar of oil (v.2b). She was so destitute that the only thing she had was this oil. Now with these in mind you would understand her earnest plea, wouldn’t you?

We are not also told about the creditor who is coming after her children whether he was a fellow Israelite or not. Whatever the case may be, the creditor could have been a staunch follower of Baal, whose only aim was to become rich and successful even at the expense of others. One author says that the creditor here is the picture of a “stone-hard, a full-blooded materialist who stood on his rights and did not show even a token of mercy.” He is like the devil who oppresses people and treats them without mercy.

So who can save the widow and her sons now from such oppressor? Thank God there is someone in Israel who is full of mercy and compassion for people such as the widow in our story.

God's Sovereign Election

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!"
- Psalm 33:12

The Lord God has indeed chosen us in Christ and has purposed our good and that He will not be frustrated in fulfilling that purpose. That is very clear in verse 12 as the psalmist shifts his thought from God’s active providence to God’s sovereign election.

Verse 12 reads, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” John Calvin captures the connection between God’s providence with His electing love that is evident in this passage when he said, “The prophet, therefore, in proclaiming that they are blessed whom God receives into his protection, reminds us that the counsel which he had just mentioned is not a secret which remains always hidden in God, but is displayed in the existence and protection of the Church, and may there be beheld.”

The providence of God is clearly shown in the life and ministry of God’s people today, even in these trying moments of our history. The psalmist here highlights Israel’s unique status by using the word blessed. Israel is called “blessed” because among the nations of the earth God the Creator and Ruler of the universe chose her and made her His treasured possession. This privileged position of Israel is solely based upon God’s loving kindness and in keeping with His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God made a promise to Abraham that He will bless him and his descendants with great posterity and heritage in order that through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. Calling to mind such privilege must evoke the people of God to praise and gratitude. And that’s what the psalmist is doing here in verse 12. He declares the blessedness of Israel as the nation whose God is the LORD, who out of His sheer grace, made Israel His own.

You and I need to understand that when Christ put His covenant seal in our baptism, He owns us. And we need to believe with all our heart and mind that we also are true descendants of Abraham by faith and recipients of those blessed promises of God (Galatians 3:26-29).

Just as God has His eye on Israel who hope and wait in Him in times of fear and danger, so God has His eye on us also, the church of Jesus Christ, who hope and wait patiently for His help and deliverance from our present anxiety and to lead us to a glorious future.

And that’s what really makes this psalm so appropriate to our situation because even though we do not know who wrote this psalm and the particular circumstance that prompted its writing, we can identify with the psalmist’s expressed dependence on God in times of need as he affirms in verse 20 that the Lord is “our help and our shield.”

Whatever was the situation behind Psalm 33, the author understands the truth that the Lord is the only One who can meet his needs. So he enjoins his fellow believers to praise God probably even in the face of death or the threat of famine (v. 19).

Oh how fitting it is that we should turn to this psalm in times of uncertainty. For the psalmist ends this psalm with confident trust in God. He concludes, “In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You” (vv.21-22).

So my dear brothers and sisters, would you, with confidence, praise the Lord for His faithful love to you? God delights in calling you His inheritance, chosen and called to be saints in Christ Jesus. God's sovereign election is clearly conveyed in verse 12.

That is what the psalmist calls a true state of ‘blessedness,’ to be called by God His own children, His treasured possession. It is not in your prominent status in society nor in the abundance of your material possession that you are blessed. It is not even in beautiful and secured houses or in the stability and security of your jobs and income. But your blessedness comes from the unchangeable fact that you and I belong to God by faith in Christ Jesus.

In His providence, the Lord will ultimately foil the plans of the wicked but He will bring to completion what He has purposed for us, that is, our redemption and eternal happiness with Him. And for that we rejoice!

Whatever kind of wickedness men have willed in their heart it will not prosper. Only God's purpose will succeed. God can use even the most wicked program of an individual or nation in order to accomplish His electing purpose and to advance His kingdom agenda. God alone can do this because He is the sovereign Creator and Ruler of all the earth. He rules the world and supervises the course of history for the sake of His elect.

While we do not know why the economy is getting worse and some businesses are going bankrupt, we know that these are in the hands of God. So while some of you may have been alarmed and distressed by the turn of events in our world, you should not lose sight of the fact that God continues to reign and rule over the nation and over the world. So you listen to God and to His Word for wisdom and direction. You turn to Him for comfort and assurance.

Seek refuge in His sovereign grace and mercy, for even in the most difficult time of our country’s history you and I will find perfect peace and rest knowing that God's purpose for us, as a body of Christ, will stand. If you serve the Lord faithfully and hope in Him only, no matter what the situation is, His promise remains in you which says, “Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12).

The Lord's Lovingkindness

In Psalm 33:5b, the psalmist continues to remind the congregation that God is not only truthful in His word and faithful in His works, not only that He delights in justice and righteousness, but also that ‘the earth is full of His unfailing love.’ The word unfailing love in the original language is the same as lovingkindness or steadfast love in other translations. Lovingkindness is a concrete manifestation of God’s goodness.

The idea of God’s lovingkindness in this verse is that of a general favor toward all the earth. But lovingkindness is commonly used to refer to God’s special favor toward His own chosen people. This is especially clear in v. 12 where God pronounces blessing upon Israel, His chosen people, whom God has called to be a royal priesthood, a chosen nation, a people belonging to Him.

As God's new covenant people, God’s blessing and special favor rest upon us, the church, through Jesus Christ. As such, God has called us out of the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous kingdom of light. For what purpose? Peter says that God has blessed us ‘that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us].’ God’s lovingkindness is upon you and me that we may go and proclaim to the world God’s work of salvation. He has called us to serve Him as salt and light of this world. He chose us that we may live as strangers and aliens in this world on our way to the heavenly kingdom.

But as we do, God exhorts us to abstain from sinful desires that endanger our souls. He commands us to live such good and holy lives among the pagans that though they may accuse us of doing wrong, they may see our good deeds and glorify God in the end. Such is our calling as God’s chosen people.

While the Lord looks down and sees all mankind, His eyes are especially on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. Verse 19 tells us the reason why God does this to you and me. The verse says, ‘to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.’ No wonder that at the end of this psalm God’s covenant people invoke God’s lovingkindness to rest upon them as they put their hope in Him.

God’s steadfast love is expressed in His acts of grace, patience and forgiveness to those who trust and fear Him. Because of His tender mercies, we are not consumed in the holy presence of God. The bestowal of His lovingkindness to us leads us to repentance.

Not only that, God’s steadfast love also carries us through even in our failures for ‘if we are faithless, He remains faithful’ (2 Tim 2:13). It is God’s enduring principle at work in our life even when all hopes seem to fade and the present seems so bleak for ‘His lovingkindness endures forever’ (Psalm 136).

I remember, when prophet Jeremiah was in the midst of destruction and turmoil, he finds hope and comfort in God’s unfailing love. Because of God’s tender mercies he was able to sing a new song of praise to God saying, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23).

Be at peace, children of God, for the Lord is with you. In this world you may go through all kinds of trials because of your faith in God. You may be going through a difficult situation in your work, in your marriage, or in your relationship with your children. Maybe you are having personal issues and troubles that keep on bothering you. God’s abiding love in Christ remains in you through His Spirit. You can therefore lift your hearts to God in joyful adoration for He alone deserves your praise and thanksgiving.

You have a truthful and faithful God who keeps His promises. You have a righteous and just Redeemer and Lord who saves you and forgives all your sins. And you have a loving God who will enable you to persevere to the end. Lay down your burdens to Him. Cast your sorrows upon Him for He cares for you. And together let us join our voices to sing the glories of this God whom we worship and praise.

Praising the Lord Our God

Psalm 33:4

In corporate worship, God invites us to come before His presence and be awed by His glory and majesty. As we listen to Him speaking through His life-giving Word, we respond in humility, confessing our unworthiness. We also respond in joyful thanksgiving to Him through our songs and prayers for all the good gifts He gives us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In worshiping God, our highest aim is to magnify Him, to exalt His glory and all His wonderful attributes. It is not to entertain ourselves or make ourselves feel good. Yet in worshiping God, we find Him satisfying our deepest, most basic longing, that is, to glorify the One who is worthy of praise, the One who gives us life and its meaning.

When God’s people find themselves worshiping in His presence, God Himself finds them doing what is right for "praise is becoming to the upright" (Ps. 33.1). Praise is fitting to the saints of the Lord for that’s the reason why you and I were created.

Psalm 33 tells us that God’s people are called to praise God’s excellent qualities. It is one of Israel’s greatest hymns of praise. It opens with the psalmist’s five-fold summons to the gathered assembly of the righteous to praise the Lord. You and I ought to bow down before the Lord our God in humble worship. And the psalmist enumerates for us many reasons in praising God.

We will focus our meditation on verse 4, highlighting the truthfulness and faithfulness of God as reasons for praising Him.

In this psalm, the writer begins by summoning the gathered assembly of worshipers to praise God. Right at the very beginning, he tells the worshipers to sing joyfully to the Lord. Take note how the lyrics vividly express an exuberant note exalting the glories of the Lord.

This psalm boasts of God’s glorious perfections in His own being, in His mighty work in creation, and in His sovereign plan over all the earth, particularly over His own chosen people. It is clear that the word ‘for’ at the beginning of verse 4 connects the invitation to praise (vv.1-3) with the reasons for praising God. Just as the word of God is right and true and His work is always faithful, so is He, in His being.

God is not separated from what He does and what He says. He is, at the very core of His being, faithful and true. So His Word and works match with His character. Thus God cannot lie and does not tell a lie. When He makes promises, He fulfills them. When He speaks, He speaks the truth. When He does something, He does what is right.

Our God is trustworthy. He is dependable and consistent. Do you know who He stands in stark contrast with? The evil one! Yes, the devil fills the world with his lies and deceptions. He is a liar from the beginning. He is the father of lies. He makes lies appear as truth. He makes promises but does not keep them. His works are doomed for destruction.

Our God, however, is always faithful. When He says in vv. 10-11 that ‘He foils the plans of the nations and let His plan alone stand firm’ He really does. History is filled with God’s providential acts of triumph over the wicked plans and schemes of men and nations. You know how God frustrated the arrogant plans of the people in the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11). Their rebellious plan resulted to confusion and the formation of many nations.

Later these nations try to hinder God's sovereign plan to set apart a people for Himself, a holy nation that will worship Him and live under His sovereign rule. At first, Israel has greatly suffered under Egypt's tyranny and oppression. But God frustrates Pharaoh's plan to keep Israel in bondage, delivering her from the house of bondage.

Even the plans of the Canaanite nations to prevent Israel's entrance to the Promise Land did not succeed. God crushed the plans of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. He blasted Balak's plan to destroy Israel.

So Biblical history proves that no one can outwit God. All the nations' plans did not materialize. God's plan, however, came through. For when He says He will do something He will really do it.

God is trustworthy. He towers high above the greatest and brightest of our rulers and politicians who fail to perform all their promises and assurances to the people. When God promises He swears to no one else except to Himself to confirm His word (Gen 22:16; Heb 6:13). He is faithful and true. II Corinthians 1:18-20 tells us that God’s promises to His people are fulfilled in the life and work of Jesus Christ for “all His promises are ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in Christ.” God never fails to fulfill His promises. Do you believe that?

This calls for a wholehearted trust to God on our part. God is praised when you and I believe in His promise of salvation and sanctification. Do you believe that by faith God saves you from eternal death and hell through Jesus Christ? Do you trust in God’s providential care even when you are financially broke or physically ill?

Those who are battling against illness and disease, do you really trust in God alone for the ultimate good of your body and soul? God is glorified when you say to Him, “Yes, Lord. I believe that You alone can save both my body and soul.”

Likewise, God is glorified when we remain faithful in our covenant relationship with Him. When God says, “Stop worrying for many things!” or “Seek first My kingdom and My righteousness and everything you need will be provided” do you argue with Him saying, “I try Lord but it’s hard not to worry. Besides, I want to be successful. I want to prove to my friends and family that I am not a disappointment.” When you say, “Lord, I’m not going to worry about anything anymore,” do you really keep your word?

Husbands, you praise God when you keep your marital commitment to love your wife in good times and in bad. The same thing for the wives. When you stick to your promise to remain faithful to your husbands, you honor the God who is faithful and true. Parents, you glorify God when you do what you have promised to do with your children. Likewise, children, you honor God when you do what you promised Mom and Dad to do.

Pastors and elders honor God when they keep their promise to nurture and protect the Lord's flock according to the Word of God.

When you disregard God’s commands and ignore His promises, you are really saying that He is not dependable. Yet you and I know that when we trust and obey the Lord in the home, in school, at work, in church and everywhere we glorify Him for we reflect His worth: His truthfulness and faithfulness.