Luke 9: Math Skills!

Presented to Swift Current Corps, 28 February 2010 and Alberni Valley Ministries, 29 January 2024 by Major  Michael Ramsay.

 

This is the 2024 BC version. To view the 2010 Saskatchewan version, click here:  https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/02/luke-9-dont-miss-bus.html 

As this is camp day, I have a camp story. This one is from a men’s camp we went to on the prairies years ago..

 

We men, as you know, can think of ourselves as fairly organized and when I was in teacher-training many years ago we learned that while women are generally more skilled at the creative side of things men have a much higher aptitude for math and such. So here is a math question for you. If you start off with 1 Officer and 5 other men from one town and you add 1 Officer and 4 other men from another town, how many men do you have? (11)

 

Good. Now if you subtract 1 person from the second town (who will get off the bus in Saskatoon) and add 1 person from the first town (Who will get on the bus in Saskatoon) how many men should we have on our bus as we leave men’s camp? (The one person we are going to add in Saskatoon is ‘David’, he is Major Ed’s son) How many people should we have on our bus at the beginning and the end of the trip? Do you think we could get that right? With ten men on the bus doing a head count we came up with anywhere from 6 to 11 people and we were quite content with that until we were driving away and someone asked, ‘where’s Tim?’ Sure enough as soon as we pulled out of the camp, down came Tim to where the bus was supposed to be and we were already gone - leaving Tim standing at the path wondering why we had left without him.

 

We did get Tim and were joking with him most of the way back – when we dropped off the other person and as we drove all the way through and way past Saskatoon anyway. We were joking as we were talking about how we could be so ‘out of it’ that someone could be left behind when all of a sudden, Major Ed pulled the bus over to the side of the highway: “we forgot David”, he said. In all our excitement in mocking ourselves for forgetting Tim, we completely forgot to pick up Ed’s son, David, in Saskatoon. To make a much longer story short, we called others who kindly picked up David and brought him home.

 

In Luke’s account of the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John are surprised by a head count. They find Jesus with some unexpected friends that they don’t know what to do with: Moses and Elijah. Peter offered to put up a booth or a tent for Jesus and the extra people but it says, Verse 33, that in making that offer – he really didn’t know what he was talking about. Peter would have fit in quite well on our bus trip.

 

In our text, Jesus is found alongside representatives of the Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah). This is interesting because we know that Jesus himself fulfills the Law and the Prophets. And when and where this scene is happening in the story, we know Luke wants us to ask the question, ‘who is Jesus’?

 

It is interesting the way Luke puts this together too because in telling the story, as we are waiting to find out ‘who is Jesus’, the Greek text doesn’t call Jesus by name - until we reach almost the end of the account of the transfiguration. Where English translations use the name ‘Jesus’, the Greek text simply says ‘he’ or ‘him’. So while the disciples may be wondering who the two people with Jesus are; the readers don’t even know that it is Jesus with the two people.  All of this is revealed –in the Greek- only at the end of the story of the Transfiguration. We are kept in suspense – though not without clues – until that time.

 

This is an important question for us today too: Who is Jesus? Luke gives us a couple of answers to that question in the rest of Chapter 9 leading up to this.

 

In verses 10-17 is recorded the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Now this is interesting if we stop and think about it for a moment. The five thousand number was just the men. This total did not include women and children. How many people do we have in Port Alberni? 18 000 give or take a few. How many of those people are adult men? 5000, maybe up to 7000? This miracle would be similar to if Jesus had fed almost the of the population of Port Alberni on much less bread (and other food) than is donated to The Salvation Army every week! Can you imagine having a big meal here and feeding everyone in the city with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish? Who is this person in Luke 9? Who is Jesus? Well, he is quite a miracles worker if nothing else but Luke tells us to that he is much more.

 

In Verse 22 it is recorded that Jesus gives us a glimpse of the resurrection – as part of his answer to this question of who he is - “saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised’.”

 

In Verse 26, it is recorded that he is the Son a Man and that he will come not only in his glory but also in the glory of God the Father and of the holy angels. Jesus then continues speaking as Luke sets the stage for the transfiguration scene. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Eight days and three verses later, Moses and Elijah appear before Peter, James, and John with Jesus atop the mountain. Peter, James and John do see the Kingdom of God.

 

It is an interesting observation that the Greek word Luke uses to mean that Jesus’ face ‘was altered’ in Verse 29 points us to the divinity of Christ. It reminds us of how Moses’ face shone when he met God on the mountain in the Old Testament.

 

There is the cloud here as a further symbol of divine presence as well: We remember the cloud pillar through which God led the Israelites out of Egypt and the cloud that filled Solomon’s Temple at its dedication. This is very likely another symbol that Luke uses here to point us to the divinity of the Christ, Jesus.

 

A part of Jesus’ identity is revealed through his company atop this mountain as well. We know Elijah: He is the famous prophet used by God to begin and end a drought throughout the Promised Land. He is the one God used to prove His power on top of Mt. Carmel over the false prophets of Baal. He was an instrument to show the power and glory of God – on a mountain.

 

We know who Moses is as well. Moses is known as the great lawgiver. He was the one God used to deliver the people out of slavery in Egypt. He is the one through whom God delivered the Law and the 10 Commandments atop Mt. Sinai. God used Moses as an instrument to show the power and the glory of God on a mountain.

 

Now here they are: Moses, the representative of the Law, and Elijah, the representative of the prophets, being used as instruments of God on top of the mountain to show the power and the glory of God to Peter, James, and John and to all of us.

Here we have the representatives of the Law and the prophets as well as the symbolism of the cloud and all the other things that we have mentioned pointing to the divinity of Christ who is the completion of the Law. It is finished. The cloud envelops the people on the mountain, like it did at the dedication of the Temple, and when it raises only Jesus remains – Christ alone. Where the law and the prophets once stood now there is only Jesus (verse 36). “And a voice came from out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen One; Listen to him!’”  As we obey the voice when all else has passed away and when we look up seeking our Lord – like Peter, James and John on the mountain – surely we shall see Jesus.

 

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. I encourage us to turn our eyes upon Jesus who is standing in our midst. When we do, truly I say unto you that we will find Him not only sitting on the heavenly bus of our salvation but we will find that indeed He is our driver and he wont forget us! and He is taking us home. And as we remain with Him, He will neither leave us behind nor forsake us.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

Reflections on Ezekiel 4-5

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries, 11 July 2021, by Sarah-Grace, Heather  and Captain Michael Ramsay

 

Israel is in a bit of trouble here. Ezekiel has just put on this big show so that the exiles at the time and the rest of us now might learn from it. Remember that Ezekiel is not in Jerusalem, Judah, or even Israel as he is acting out this prophesy. Ezekiel is a thirty-year-old man who would like nothing more than to be a priest in Jerusalem instead he is sitting by the probably very dirty water near his refugee camp and then spending much of his time lying on his side eating food cooked on animal dung and doing everything else mentioned in this book. 

The message Ezekiel seems to be giving the people in the refugee camp with him is this: It seems that the people were comforting themselves in their exile by saying that God would never let anything happen to Jerusalem and that He would never let anything happen to the temple in Jerusalem; some people even believed that God actually lived just there – even though Jerusalem had already been overrun once and they themselves have been deported. They seemed to think that they could do whatever they wanted and because they are God’ chosen people it doesn’t matter. Ezekiel is telling them here that is does matter how we treat God and how we treat each other. They were chosen to be God’s servants taking care of those in need and instead they began to treat God and others as if HE was their servants. Ezekiel says Israel, Judah and Jerusalem were even more selfish than the other nations that God hadn’t chosen to show and tell the world how to serve God and others. 

Israel believed that God was on their side no matter what; so it didn’t matter how they acted they would be safe and secure, but the truth is different. The truth is that as long as Israel was on God’s side, they would be safe and secure no matter what. That is VERY different! And we show we are on God’s side by putting our love for God and our love for our neighbour into action. 

This is my encouragement to us today. Stay close to God! Life will get tough. You may never wind up on the banks of a dirty river running through a refugee camp… but you might. You may have something that effects you just as roughly or worse too! But here is the important truth, as long as we remain close to God looking to Him and looking after our neighbour, everything will be alright. 

Let us pray. 

Lord God we thank you that you are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and as long as we remain in you everything will be alright – even when it isn’t. You can see us through any storm. Thank you. 

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCaNznRfonk&list=PL4mV8xN_lNNWEBXdbuO8Q_FiqzPE3b3Hp

Isaiah 59: The arm of the Lord is not too short to save.

 Presented to Alberni Valley Ministries, 23 August 2020 by Captain Michael Ramsay

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save. No matter what you have done the Lord can save you. Horrible things happen. Some of the things I have heard in the previous couple of days alone:

·         PTSD

·         Doctors playing with medications

·         People are OD-ing at an incredible rate

·         AA groups aren't meeting

·         People's children are missing

·         People are dying of cancer

·         People are having their legs amputated

·         I have heard of spiritual abuse 

·         People are losing their sight and people are losing their mind

The Lord’s arm is not too short. God can save you.

I remember when Susan and I were with 614 Vancouver on the DTES (downtown eastside). We had just finished a Bible study in one of the buildings there and when we were leaving we accidentally walked out the wrong door. It locked behind us. We were trapped. All around us was barbed wire fence and everywhere on the ground were needles. And with us we had a two year old Rebecca and a one year old Sarah-Grace who still put everything in her mouth. Back then we didn't have cell phones. There was no way out. We tried the door. We examined the fences. We were stuck. It was night. It was dark. A 2 year-old Rebecca led us in a prayer and the door opened - and we walked into the building and out to safety; the LORD provided salvation. We were falling and His arm was not too short to save.

I have told my parachute story before - I was falling and the Lord's arm wasn't too short to save.

I have seen people delivered from addiction - the Lord's arm wasn't too short to save.

I have seen people delivered from cancer - inexplicably - other than through an answer to prayer. The Lord's arm wasn't too short to save.

I have been with people on their deathbed when they accepted the gift of eternal life. The Lord's hand isn't too short to save.

Now, of course people will still get sick; people will still die (far be it for me to preach the prosperity heresy) but the Lord can help us always in any situation and He does offer salvation both for now and forever.

I have talked to many of you. Many of you have stories of how the Lord has saved you right now, in the past, and for eternity.

The arm of the LORD is not too short to save you. His hearing is not so bad that he cannot hear your cries for help.

 This is an important sentiment with which to start this chapter. Notice that this chapter is talking about sin. The author mostly speaks about two sins: lying and violence. But the author uses a whole lot of different words that we translate as 'sin' or 'iniquity' in our Bibles. [1] He refers to sin - through different Hebrew words - as ways we don't measure up, ways we miss the mark; he refers to sin as a moral evil and even a natural evil which isn't evil at all.[2] (Natural evil is just an un-preferred event, a natural disaster like a tsunami, a hurricane or a tornado.) Sin can also be seen as a personified force that can get a hold of us and not want to let go… Evil, Sin, and Iniquity abound in this chapter but there are two that are highlighted here above all others. Lying and violence; of violence. Isaiah here says,

Verse 3 For your hands are stained with blood,

your fingers with guilt.

6b Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violence are in their hands.

7 Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.

They pursue evil schemes;

acts of violence mark their ways.

13… inciting revolt and oppression,…

Violence in our world today is over the top. One of the groups that I am in contact with is ACAWS, the women's shelter in town. You can see Ellen Frood's clips on Shaw TV. Violence in these Covid times, when people are confined, is being manifest in many ways. Not to mention the riots and violence now and in normal times. 

I remember again our time on Vancouver’s DTES: My last Bible study before we left Vancouver to move to Winnipeg, a friend of mine, later that night, murdered a complete stranger in what was probably a drug related crime. She had been clean for a long time before this too and was planning to leave this dangerous area the next week but was caught by the sin of violence, in this tragic act of killing an innocent person. The last stop I had on my way out of Vancouver was to visit another friend of mine who was in jail in the lower mainland. 

In Toronto, a corps member and an employee lost his daughter to a vicious murder in one of the buildings we led Bible study in; we lost a member of our children's youth group to a spree shooter and a friend of friends to a serial killer. Violence is everywhere. 

In Winnipeg one of my favourite ministries was at Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Many there horrible suffered terrible consequences of violence both as perpetrator and recipient. Violence is everywhere. It is a sin that tries to grab us all. Matthew 5 makes it very clear that if we ever wish a violent end to someone then we are already trapped by that sin and it can drag us further and further from the peace of the Lord. And I have felt rage build up in myself sometimes - sometimes over things in my day to day life and sometimes I can get worked up just by watching the news! The temptation to a violent heart is a dangerous trap. Violence -and a violent heart - is a terrible sin that tries to reach out, grab us, and pull us away from the Lord – but the arm of the Lord is not too short to save us.[3]

The sin that Isiah highlights as being similarly significant in this chapter is lying. Isaiah points out that the sin of dishonesty tries to drag us down as much as the temptation to violent thoughts and violent actions. Right next to violence here is people who lie and people who say wicked things. This passage speaks a lot about people who say wrong and deceptive things. 

Verse 3: Your lips have spoken falsely,

and your tongue mutters wicked things.

4b They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;

 ‘Empty arguments’ with the lies: This reminds me of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, and fake news of which we have all heard. There are empty arguments everywhere. We can read any number of posts and think… That doesn’t make any sense, that can’t be true. And then we do a little research and we find out that it isn’t true. And this is not just social media now.

This is mainstream media as well. I can almost pick the news station I want based on my personal prejudices: I feel this way about an issue so I will read the National Post; I think the opposite so I will watch CBC. I don’t like what so and so is doing so I will watch CNN; I do like what they are doing so I will watch Fox News. The lies and empty arguments are everywhere. In times when we don’t have to social distance, just go down to any coffee shop at certain times of the day and listen to people get worked up about this kind of stuff based on whichever empty arguments they happen to be seduced by.

Verse 4: They conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

5 They hatch the eggs of vipers

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

6 Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make.

13 … uttering lies our hearts have conceived…

14 truth has stumbled in the streets,

honesty cannot enter.

15 Truth is nowhere to be found,

and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

Lies, lies, and more lies. And whoever does not play the game of lying, condemning others and wishing violence upon those with whom we disagree become the prey of others. I haven’t followed ‘cancel culture’ too closely but I understand that people who have refused to toe the line on various issues have been boycotted or fired by bosses who were afraid of boycotts. I have also heard of people being asked double-edged questions that place them between a rock and a hard place, questions to which there is no right answer and then suffering the consequences of being dashed against either that rock or that hard place. Whoever shuns evil becomes prey.

This is important. A repeated word in Isaiah 59 is justice (mispat in verses 4&8).[4] There can be no justice where people are dishonest. There can be no justice - even if people are calling for justice - if they are really just wanting to force their ideas on others. You can call for justice all you want, if your justice movement is full of violence and lies then it is not justice it is only bullying. Where there is no righteousness there is no justice.  When there is violence and deceit then justice is not possible. (I think this may very much be where our society may be hovering at present.) 

But even so the arm of the Lord is not so short that He can’t save us.

This is so important: as far gone as ancient Israel was, as far gone as our society may or may not be. As challenging as your life may be and as challenging as mine may be, the Lord’s arm is not so short as he cannot save us.[5]

No matter what you have done. No matter how bad you evaluate what you have been caught up in, God can save you. Even if you have succumbed to a temptation for lying or violence God can save you. Even if any of us here have killed someone by accident, by design, or otherwise; God can save us. Whatever the worst thing is that you have done – or thought - in your life that might threaten to plunge you from the cliffs of eternal life, the arm of the Lord is not so short that He can’t grab hold of you and pull you up to salvation for now and forever.

So this is my encouragement for us this week. Whatever sins are trying to grab hold of us and drag us down, I encourage us all to turn to the Lord. He knows what troubles you; He knows what concerns you; He knows all that is trying to pull you under but don’t worry, as we turn to Him whose arm is not too short, no matter how far we have fallen, the Lord can pull us back up to safety.

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com

https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis/

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[1] Cf. The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible,  (Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1995).

[2] Captain Michael Ramsay, John 2:1: Sinless and Sin Less. Presented to Alberni Valley Corps of The Salvation Army, 05 August 2018. Available online: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2018/08/1-john-21-sinless-and-sin-less.html

[3] Edouard Kitoko Nsiku , 'Isaiah', Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010),  ‘Isaiah 50:1-21: The Crimes of the People’, 874: God has not abandoned us

[4] Cf. Gene M. Tucker, NIB VI: The Book of Isaiah 1-39, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn: 2001), 500

[5] Cf. William MacDonald: Believers Bible Commentary: Old Testament (Thomas Nelson Publishers:1985),  p.984

Isaiah 31:1-5: Do We Know Better But Do Worse? God Can Help.

Presented to Alberni Valley Ministries, Port Alberni, BC by Captain Michael Ramsay, 02 02 2020

  

Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,

who rely on horses,

who trust in the multitude of their chariots

and in the great strength of their horsemen,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,

or seek help from the Lord.

Woe to those who rely on America.[1] Egypt was the regional superpower south of Isaiah's country in Isaiah's day; America is the global superpower south of us today. This passage could easily read:

Woe to those who go down to the States (or anyone else) for help,

who rely on armies,

who trust in the multitude of their tanks, airplanes, WMD

and in the great strength of their military,

but do not look to the Holy One,

or seek help from the Lord.

Verse 2: Yet He [GOD] too is wise and can bring disaster;

He does not take back His words.

He will rise up against that wicked nation

against those who help evildoers.

Verse 3: But the Egyptians [Americans] are mere mortals and not God;

their horses are flesh and [their armour is steel and depleted uranium] not spirit.

When the Lord stretches out his hand,

those who help will stumble,

those who are helped will fall;

all will perish together.

I think this is applicable today and still important on a global scale. I remember when Canada defied international law in order to help the US invade Yugoslavia - I was working at Defence Research at CFB Esquimalt at the time. I remember when Canada pretended that we weren't helping the US during the second Iraq War but our navy was firing on Iraq from the gulf. Canadians can sometimes get a little smug claiming to be better than the Americans but since the 1990s regardless of who has been in power here and regardless of who has been in power there we have been faithful contributors to their war efforts. We are a loyal colony. Like Israel supported and relied on Egypt their regional superpower so too Canada supports and relies on the States today. 

This passage is speaking about international affairs and the futility of relying on the international powers[2] but I am not going to spend much more of our time here speaking about global politics. I think what this passage has to say also contains a warning or two to us as individuals. 

1. Woe to those who rely on others for help rather than the Lord (Verse 1)

2. Woe to those who support the powerful in doing evil (Verse 2)

The need to rely on the Lord is integral to this pericope;[3] it is a constant refrain in both the New Testament and the Old Testament; the Pentateuch and the Gospels. What are some of the ways that we may find ourselves failing to do this? What are some of the ways we can be tempted to rely on someone or something instead of God?

Do we ever get bullied or pressured by a family member or a friend? Do we ever know what God wants us to do but someone close to us cajoles or castigates us so much that we give into them? Do we ever know what is the right thing to do, but get led astray to do something other than that? (Interestingly enough after I had drafted my talk and when I was reflecting on my topic for today I received a note in a cookie that said just about that...) Do we ever know what is the right thing to do, but get led astray to do something other than that? I think of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Eve was led astray by the serpent and then Adam (who was told directly by God and did know better) gave into the suggestion or implied pressure from the snake and/or his wife – she just handed him the fruit and he ate it! He knew what was better but he chose what was worse. I think of Jezebel who helped Ahab stray (1 Kings 16-21; 2 Kings 9) and Solomon’s wives who walked with him down the aisle of Sin (1 Kings 11). These men are without excuse because they did know better but they chose worse.

Do we ever have classmates who cajole or bully us to skip class, not study for a test, procrastinate working on an assignment and come out and play with them instead?

How about workmates? The same question: Do we know that we shouldn’t go out partying the night before work but succumb to cajoling or pressure and so choose worse even when we know better. I know in my own life there have been times when I know that God has given me the time to get work done but I gave in to others and failed in my responsibilities.

Also at work do we know that we shouldn’t leave early but ‘everyone else does’ or we know that we shouldn’t take longer or more than the allowed break ‘but everyone else does’ or we want to work faster but everyone else works slower? I remember being an independent contractor at different government jobs once upon a time and being castigated because we did too much work! We finished our task too quickly! We needed to take more breaks! Work or (non-work!) at the same pace as everyone else! Do we ever give into the temptation to not do what the Lord would say is best but instead let ourselves be led astray by the power and influence of others in our lives? Edouard Nsiku reminds us that we often assume that joining the majority or large numbers are a sign of success but God is not impressed by numbers. In this case it is just more people led astray![4]

Do we sometimes doubt what we know to be true and get led astray that way? Do we sometimes think that, ‘well… that person must know more than I do they are so confident’ and it turns out that they were completely incorrect!? Do we know better, convince ourselves otherwise, and then do worse?

Do we sometimes know what is right and still do what is wrong? Do we sometimes act, feel, and make ourselves powerless to do what is right, relying instead on the power, influence, enticement or nagging of our spouse or friends? Do we bow to those we ascribe power in our lives - or do we remember that the Lord is more powerful and serve Him alone? When we know better, do we choose worse?

Do we make our decisions based on our cheque books? Do we know that we should tithe, give to a good cause, or help someone out but decide instead that we need the money for ourselves? Do we know better and choose worse? Are we controlled by our money?

Do we ever need to keep up with the Jones’? This can relate to letting money make our decisions for us but it can also just speak again to peer pressure. The power of our peers - are we overpowered by it?

Do we make our decisions based on fear or insecurity? God is more powerful than whatever we are afraid of. Are we afraid of being broke or out on the street? Are we afraid of breaking the law, social conventions, or offending someone if it is right to do otherwise? Are we insecure in our opinions, beliefs and actions? If we are, do we turn to others for security or do we turn to the Lord?

This is some of what God is saying through Isaiah here. Judah is insecure in her military might; so instead of turning to the Lord for help she turns to Egypt.

Canada as recently as 1967 publicly recognized the role of God in our society with the establishment of the Order of Canada, citing Hebrews 11; in 1982 we further affirmed the role of God in Canadian society in our constitution. But just two years later in 1984 we joined Egypt/America in the first of our successive and ever-growing Free Trade Agreements that have been drawing us closer and closer to US society at the same time as we are seemingly drifting further and further from the Lord in our society. That might be a coincident. It might not.

Even if the US is a great country and even if they do follow God, if we rely on them instead of on God, we are making a fatal mistake.

Judah in our text is both:

1. Relying on the powerful for help rather than the Lord (verse 1)
2. Supporting the powerful in doing evil (verse 2)

As a nation we do need to seek the Lord first and thus not support even powerful nations if they are doing bad things even if those powerful nations occupy our own country militarily and even if those powerful nations are our closest friends and family.

As a church and a congregation we do need to seek the Lord first and not support even powerful churches or movements if they are doing bad things or supporting bad things even if those powerful religious movements occupy our own media feeds and even if members of those powerful religious movements are our closest friends and family.

As individuals we do need to seek the Lord first and not support even influential people in our own lives if they are doing bad things even if those people occupy an important part of our heart and even if they are our closest friends and family. We need to rely on the Lord and not get swept up into self-reliance or relying on anything or anyone else in place of the Lord. No one else can save us.

Verse 4: This is what the Lord says to me:

“As a lion growls,

a great lion over its prey—

and though a whole band of shepherds

is called together against it,

it is not frightened by their shouts

or disturbed by their clamor—

so the Lord Almighty will come down

to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.

Whatever the struggles in our lives – and there are real struggles in our lives: loneliness; grief; anxiety; depression; nightmares, flashbacks, sadness; finances; interpersonal strife; worries; physical ailments, pain, and fatigue… - whatever the struggles in our lives; God is able to handle them. Do you believe that? God is more powerful than the lion who can hold off a whole flock of shepherds! God is more powerful than any person or problem in our life! Whatever we are struggling with in this world we can turn to God and He can help us. He is able, more than able to handle what concerns us today.[5]

Verse 5: Like birds hovering overhead,

the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;

He will shield it and deliver it,

He will ‘pass over’ it and will rescue it.”

Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield us in our times of struggle, He will deliver us through our times of struggle; He will Passover our struggles like the Angel of God passed over the Israelites in Egypt and He will rescue us.

So if there are any of us here who have been trying to deal with some real difficult things all on our own or by relying on something or someone else other than the Lord and if you are struggling, God wants you to know that you can turn to Him, He knows your name, He loves you and He will help you through whatever struggles you have today.

  

Let us pray.

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https://www.facebook.com/Salvogesis/ 

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[1]Gene M. Tucker, NIB VI: The Book of Isaiah 1-39, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn: 2001), 262

[2] Gene M. Tucker, NIB VI: The Book of Isaiah 1-39, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tenn: 2001), 259

[3] Edouard Kitoko Nsiku , 'Isaiah', Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), 857

[4] Cf. Edouard Kitoko Nsiku , 'Isaiah', Africa Bible Commentary, (Nairobi, Kenya: Word Alive Publishers, 2010), 858

[5] Cf. Walter Brueggemann, WBC: Isaiah 1-39, (Louisville, Kentucky, USA: Westminster John Know Press, 1998), 251.