PRÉCIS ON GOD’S PROMISE TO ROAR FOR THOSE WHO WILL STAND FIRM – (WITH VIDEO)

1. THE TEACHING

SCRIPTURE. “Then Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. ‘The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to ‘move forward’ [toward the sea].’” – EXODUS 14:13-15, AMP

KEY TERM: “TAKE YOUR STAND!” ‘Yatsab’ [יָצַב]: From a primitive root meaning, To stay’ [or ‘remain’]; ‘to station oneself and offer to continue;’ to stand fast or still; standing quiet to see the deliverance of the Lord; to be fixed  on one’s foundation; not to be overthrown or demolished; to be in a state of fixedness; hence, to continue; to endure; to be in or to maintain a posture of resistance or defense.”

QUOTATION. “Call me cursed, call me lost, call me scorned. But that’s not all. Call me chosen, blessed, sought-after. Call me the one who God whispers His secrets to. I am the one whose belly is filled with loaves of mercy that were hidden for me. Even on days when I’m not so sick, sometimes I go lay on the mat in the afternoon light to listen for Him. I know it sounds crazy, and I can’t really explain it, but God is in there—even now. I have heard it said that some people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough, and it’s true. If you can’t see Him, look lower. ‘God is on the bathroom floor.’” – JANE “NIGHTBIRDE” MARCZEWSKI (Dec. 29, 1990 – Feb. 19, 2022), “God is on the Bathroom Floor,” 2021; edited’

COMMENTARY. “‘Fear ye not, stand still.’—There are times when all our strength must be ‘in quietness and confidence’ (Isaiah 30:15). So long as we have means of resistance put in our power, with a reasonable prospect of success, it is our duty to use them—to exert ourselves to the uttermost, to make all possible efforts. ‘God, for the most part, helps those who help themselves. But there are occasions when we can do nothing—when all must be left to Him’ (Comp. 2 Chronicles 20:17). Under these circumstances, our duty and our true wisdom is to wait patiently, quietly, courageously. MOSES, probably, did not yet know how God would effect Israel’s Deliverance, but he was confident that, in one way or another, it would be effected.

‘The Egyptians whom ye have seen. As ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them no more for ever:’ i.e., Never again shall ye see them in the pride of power, haughty, menacing, terrible. When next you behold them they will be stiff and lifeless—pale corpses strewing the Red Sea shore (see Exodus 14:30). The reference is to the present time only, not to the future relations of the two peoples.” – CHARLES ELLICOTT, An Old and New Testament Commentary for English Readers, 1878, 1897; edited

II. THE PRESENT HOUR

Each of us is in a somewhat different place in our otherwise variegated ‘Road to Emmaus,’and yet I’ll wager that most if not all of us are experiencing what feels like the hot breath of the Egyptians breathing down our necks as never before. And there is a reason for that, beloved.

These are the ‘Days of The Birth Pangs,’ as JESUS described them as He instructed His disciples about The Last Days:

“Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age].  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ^‘But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].’” – THE OLIVET DISCOURSE, Matthew 24:4-8, Amplified

BIRTH PANGS. This poignant phrase used by our King to describe what is coming is taken from Word in the Greek translation, ‘Ódin’ [ὠδίνων]: “From a primitive root meaning, ‘Grief, sorrow, as with the pains of labor which a woman experiences in childbirth;’ they can become so strong as to feel like the cords or snares of death itself; ‘to be in the throes of or in great travail of giving birth to something new.’

Such Times as these inspire fear, beloved. Even among the strongest of us, there is a sense of becoming more isolated. Not unlike the ancient Hebrews at the Red Sea with Pharoah’s chariots storming down upon them, we feel cut off as well. The Church certainly has abandoned us, and the Trump Hordes hate us with increasingly venomous hatred.

TO THIS POINT: ‘Standing Firm is a lonely vigil, beloved.’

Like many of you, this is what I am experiencing more lately than ever before. Even to the point of tears welling up when praying on occasion – this is unusual for a man who is ‘not a crier.’ I suspect that these are the same “Groans” mentioned by PAUL in his extraordinary LETTER TO THE ROMANS:

“For we know that the whole creation has been moaning together as in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], ‘even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons’—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection]. For in this hope we were saved [by faith]. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees?But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.” – 8:22-25, AMP

It is not unlike what the SONS OF KORAH wrote about when they exclaimed so long ago: “[Roaring] deep calls to [roaring] deep at the thunder of Your waterspouts; all Your breakers and Your rolling waves have gone over me” (PSALM 42:7, AMPC). It reminds this old Californian of when I’d miss a body surf wave and the sheer weight of the Pacific would nearly crush me until I gasped for air.

THE POINT. The Idea being expressed here is once again both hopeful and sharp: God can be counted on to furiously interpose Himself on our behalf in our most perilous circumstances, but ‘only when our hearts are contrite [humble].’ But when He does so, especially these days, it is not always a pleasant experience.

Indeed, my friends, when we seriously and unequivocally Choose to Stand ‘Against the Night,’ as CHARLES COLSON termed it in his wonderful book (1999), we will be tested, shaped, molded, and even ‘hammered’ (if necessary) into His Likeness as never before! He shall dare to tear us at times from our Former Preferences and replace them with His.

This I now believe is what the Apostle meant when he nearly shouted to his brethren:

“‘Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you’ [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. ‘But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing,’ so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy.”

III. LAST THOUGHTS: SALVATION & OBEDIENCE

One of the Lost Doctrines of the American Church is ‘Covenantal Salvation.’ The theology here presumes that Christ’s Covenant is very much like a Marriage Agreement that requires not only ‘Faith’ (Belief) but also ‘Faithfulness’ (Obedience). Contrary to the extreme forms of Calvinism and the insidious spawn of that view I choose to call, “Unconditional Salvation” (OSAS), Free Will does not magically disappear when we invite Jesus to take over our lives.

No! We must CHOOSE every day to “MOVE FORWARD!”

In order to receive the Full Promises of God, ‘we must agree’ to His Terms and follow them diligently (though not perfectly). Because, beloved: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), but ‘Faith and obedience’ demonstrates our genuine, courageous Love of Christ that He requires of all of us (John 14:21).

THE CROWNS. Though it should be clear that we Obey God because we Love God, there is something to be said of our HEAVENLY REWARDS. Therefore I will close with a tight review of what awaits us if we are Faithful to the One who remains Faithful to us if we labor to Honor and not dishonor Him.

This last section is adapted from the EDITORS of Got Questions (ret. May 13, 2014). If ever you needed convincing that Obedience is important to our King, this should take care of it once and for all.

• THE IMPERISHABLE CROWN – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], ‘but only one receives the prize?’ Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours.” DK: Only those who run full and long receive the prize, beloved.

• THE CROWN OF REJOICING – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” DK:The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “Rejoice always in the Lord” and remain grateful for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. 

• THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.  – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also ‘to all who have loved His appearing.’” DK: This Crown is reserved for all those who eagerly await His Return.

• THE CROWN OF GLORY.  – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” DK: Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the Crown will be awarded to all those, similar to the Crown of Righteousness, ‘who long for or love His Appearing.’

• THE CROWN OF LIFE. – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. ‘Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.’” DK: Reserved for those courageous souls who face life’s sometimes great sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, yet stand firm even to the point of imprisonment, torture or death.

CODA. I recall a time when these things were preached from our American Pulpits, but today the Church Narrative is very different. The focus is unquestionably upon the ‘Here and Now,’ and how Christ and the Holy Spirit are here to guarantee our Happiness and Wellbeing. While that is partially true, it is not the Prime Directive of Christian Faith, beloved.

No!

Do you not remember when JESUS SPOKE TO THE LAWYER about all this? Let me refresh all our memories.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].  The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” – MATTHEW 22:37-40, AMP

CODICIL. To Summarize: God will fight for us with all the Power of Heaven if we shall love Him with all the power of our might. Or as WILLIAM MACDONALD so beautifully expressed it, with “the Totality of our Entire Being,’ and absolutely nothing less! (Believer’s Bible Commentary, 1995, p. 1288; edited).

This means: ‘We Love Him More!’ – More than all the stuff we hold dear down here. More than our own family members and closest friends. More than the accolades of all our fellow Christians and all our earthly heroes.

‘Indeed, beloved, we are to Love God more than staying alive!’

These are the MARKS OF DISTINCTION of a true follower of the Messiah, and again, nothing less than this total dedication to the One Who rescued us and to whom we owe everything. It is what we ought ‘strive toward’ every day, midst our falling short every day.

WHY? To do Him the honor He so richly deserves, beloved. And to draw others to His side. Selah.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/3g1Jo2AoeFk