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[This article has been excerpted from Nancy Missler's book The Way Of Agape, which explores the love that God has for us and the love that God can give us for each other. Two weeks ago in Part 1, Nancy noted that we can know that God loves us through His Word. This week we'll look at three more ways we can know God's great love for us.]
“Nancy,” you might say, “Prove it to me that God loves me personally. I don’t feel it. I don’t see it. I don’t hear Him. So, how can I know and believe it’s true? What proof do I have?” There are many evidences that God truly does care about us - deeply.
Jesus Died for us:
Not only does God’s Word say that He loves us individually, but He also has proven His Love by sending His Son to die so that we might live.
It’s a proven fact that Jesus did come and that He did die on that cross 2,000 years ago. Flavius Josephus, who was a Jewish authority, a Roman scholar and who lived from A.D. 37 to A.D. 100, has recorded this for us in his work, The Antiquities of The Jews. Josephus verifies that Jesus was an historical figure who was called Christ, who was crucified by Pontius Pilate, and who rose again on the third day. In chapter three, Josephus declares, “He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned Him to the cross, those that loved Him at the first, did not forsake Him, for He appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning Him…”
This passage is very controversial because of its testimony of Jesus. Some critics claim that it was a Christian insertion. However, there is strong evidence from a number of ancient manuscripts that this passage was in the original. In fact, it is even quoted by early church fathers, such as Eusebius, as early as A.D. 325.
God’s sending His Son to die on the Cross for our sins is the boldest expression of His Love. Even when we were at odds with God, He still sent His Son to die for us. His Love for us was not determined by “our” actions, but on how much He loved us.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Propitiation simply means “to atone or make amends for.” In other words, Jesus came and died in our place (atoned for our personal sins) so that we could be freed from sin’s penalty, which is death. Jesus died so that you and I could be saved. To me, this is ultimate Love!
John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
All we have to do is reach up and receive His incredible gift.
He Has Given Us His Spirit
Not only does the Bible say that God loves us personally, that He has proven His Love for us by dying on the cross 2,000 years ago, but the Bible also says that if we choose to believe and accept Jesus’ pardon (His provision) for our sins, then we’ll receive His Spirit into our hearts .
God’s Spirit is like the guarantee or the down payment (the pledge or the voucher) that confirms God’s Love for us and assures us that His promises are true.
We receive His Spirit when we first accept Jesus into our hearts. His Spirit unites with our spirit giving us a brand, new “life source” or “power source” or “energy source.”
It’s the Spirit of God that bears witness or validates to our spirit not only that we are His children, but also that He loves us (Romans 8:10). It’s God’s Spirit that empowers us, teaches us, guides us, gives us discernment as to how to walk and enables us to commune and fellowship with Him.
He Has Given Us Abundant Life:
God loves us so much that He not only has told us so in His Word, sent His Son to die for us, given us His Spirit to confirm His Love, but He also loves us so much that He has given us His abundant Life.
Remember John 10:10 which says, “I [Jesus] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Abundant life is experiencing God’s Life (His supernatural Love, His supernatural Wisdom, and His supernatural Power) in place of our own. Abundant Life is simply an exchange of life . We give Him ours: He gives us His.
By “abundant Life” I do not mean the eternal life that we will experience when we die and go to heaven. The kind of abundant Life that I am talking about is God’s supernatural Life that we can all experience here and now.
It’s experiencing God’s Love for a person we know that we can’t love in the natural; His Wisdom shedding light in an area we know naturally we don’t have; and His Power getting us through circumstances we know in our own strength we couldn’t manage.
All Christians have eternal life, but very few Christians experience abundant Life.
God wants us to have this kind of Life, even in the midst of our trials. Experiencing His Life in place of our own, I believe, will convince us more than anything else that God is real, and that, yes, He does love us.
A Little Example:
I’ve been traveling and teaching for about 20 years now, and as I am getting older, my body is beginning to go through many changes. About seven years ago, I had a medical condition that would come upon me unexpectedly, last at least a half a day and then be gone. I never knew when it would occur, but when it did, I was immobilized - I literally couldn’t function. During these down times, there was “no way” that I could even think about traveling.
A year and a half before this condition began, I was asked to speak in Northern California. It was a wonderful opportunity and I really wanted to go. I prayed about it and felt confident that God, too, wanted me to go, so I accepted the invitation. But when the actual weekend came, it happened to be one of those “weak” spells where I needed to be confined to my bed.
I cried to the Lord, “There is no way I can go now! I’m afraid to go - I can’t even walk, let alone lift my suitcase or run to catch the plane. But, Lord, a year ago, You told me to go. I can’t let these people down - hundreds of women were involved. What am I to do?” I even asked the Lord if I shouldn’t stop traveling and teaching so much, because of this problem.
The answer to confusion and anxiousness is always prayer. I “took my thoughts captive,” gave my fears and apprehension over to the Lord and told Him, “I will do whatever You want me to. If You want me to go, I will trust You with my physical problems and know that You will be faithful to accomplish Your will in and through me.”
The first thing God did was to confirm His Love for me over and over again through His Word. I kept getting James 1:12, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation [trials]: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.”
Then, God confirmed His Love for me by literally taking away my fears, my doubts and my anxieties, as I repeatedly gave them over to Him. Then, He confirmed to me, that it was His will for me to go, regardless of how I felt.
The air trip there was absolutely miraculous - it was a breeze (no pun intended). Even though I was so weak, God made it easy.
At the retreat, God again reconfirmed His Love for me by the witness of His Spirit. The girls at the retreat knew nothing of my physical condition or the fears that I had had because of it. And yet when they prayed for me, the Spirit had them pray exactly what my own prayers had been.
But, the thing that convinced me more than anything else that God truly loved me, was that He allowed me to experience His abundant Life as I taught. I was so weak in my own physical strength that I could barely stand, but God completely filled me with His supernatural strength, His Love and Wisdom. And, I was able to teach in the power of the Spirit like I never had before.
As 2 Corinthians 12:10 says, “…when I am weak, then [He can be] strong.” When we are truly open, yielded and cleansed vessels, then God can pour forth His abundant Life through us!
The neatest part of the whole story was that when I got home, there was a FAX waiting for me, with an invitation to tour and speak in Europe, all expenses paid. This, to me, was God’s answer to whether or not, I should quit teaching. The whole incident again proved to me, that God loves me, that He hears my every prayer and that He knows my every need before I even utter it.
If we know that God loves us, we never need to fear what He might allow into our lives.
God Loves Us:
Each of us needs to fully grasp and understand just how much God loves us. How He is intimately concerned about every single detail of our lives. Reading that God loves us in His Word and understanding that He died for our sins, can still be merely intellectual pursuits. But receiving His Spirit and experiencing His Life in and through us, is something we can never deny as being ultimate, personal Love.
Ephesians 3:17-19 says, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; And to [intimately] know the Love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
God’s Love is not a gift that only some receive, but a gift that we all receive when we are born anew by His Spirit. Therefore, if you have asked Jesus into your heart to be your Savior and Lord, then not only is Jesus in your heart, but His Love is there also.
“And I have declared…that the Love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
(John 17:26)
Related Links:
• Nan’s Corner: The Way of Agape Articles - Koinonia House
• The Way of Agape Audio Series - MP3 CD-ROM - Koinonia House Store
• The Way of Agape Book - Koinonia House Store
[This article has been excerpted from Nancy Missler's book The Way Of Agape, which explores the love that God has for us and the love that God can give us for each other.]
It is critical to know God loves us, not just in our heads, but in our every day life experience. We need to know God loves us “experientially” so that no matter what happens to us circumstantially, emotionally or physically, the security of His Love is always there.
We also need to have the assurance of His Love in order to move ahead in our Christian walk. Not knowing if He loves us or not, will hinder our being able to-moment-by-moment-surrender our wills and our lives to Him and love others as He desires.
“Okay, Nancy,” you might say, “Prove it to me that God loves me personally. I don’t feel it. I don’t see it. I don’t hear Him. So, how can I know and believe it’s true? What proof do I have?” One person even said to me years ago, “Nancy, God’s Love is a gift that only some people receive, not all of us are that lucky.” Well, I believe she’s wrong. I believe we are all that lucky, and I believe, with the Holy Spirit’s help, I can prove it! In this short article, I would like to focus on four major reasons why we can “know” that God loves us personally:
God’s Word:
1) The first reason we can know that God loves us individually, is because He says so in His Word. Listen:
“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness I have drawn thee.” - Jeremiah 31:3
“Since you are precious in my sight…and I have loved thee…Fear not: for I am with you.” - Isaiah 43:4-5
“As the Father has loved Me [Jesus], so have I loved you.” - John 15:9
“Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” -1 John 3:1
These are just a few of the many Scriptures that tells us that God loves us personally. At the end of this article, I have listed some further Scriptures on His Love. Since God’s Word is the Truth, we need to believe and trust in what He says .
An Example: Discovering God’s Love:
Let me share a beautiful example of someone who learned not only how much God loved her, but also went on to experiencing God loving others through her.
Linda was brought up in a church that taught that God was a God of Righteousness, Justice and Judgment - not a God of Love, but One to be feared. (The truth is, of course, that God is a God not only of Righteousness, Justice and Judgment, but also of Love, Mercy and Compassion.)
Therefore, when Linda’s personal life began to fall apart, she found no consolation from a God of Justice and Holiness. She needed Someone who personally loved her and cared for her. Finally, one of her friends (from another church) showed her from Scripture, that God is a God not only of Holiness, Justice and Righteousness, but also a God of Love, Compassion, Forgiveness and Mercy. He told her that God not only loved her and would forgive her for all her transgressions, but that He also wanted to heal her and fill her with His Love so that she could pass it on to others.
Linda could hardly believe what she was hearing; it was too wonderful to even comprehend. Was God really like this? Did He really love her like that? Could she really learn to love others with His Love?
The first few weeks after that conversation, Linda tried to believe in a God who unconditionally loved her. Each time she chose to step out in faith, however, the old nagging doubts came rushing back in and the overwhelming fear of condemnation and guilt consumed her.
She finally ended up - out of pure desperation - writing down all of God’s promises of Love in the Bible (like the list at the end of this article) on 3×5 index cards, and carrying these cards with her wherever she went (in her pocket, in her purse or in her car).
When the doubts, unbelief, and the enemy’s taunts came in, she quickly confessed and repented of them, whipped out those cards, and read out loud how much God loved her. Finally, she chose to step out in faith and believe what God’s Word said. Even though she didn’t “feel” anything yet, she persevered by faith and God honored her obedience by eventually aligning her feelings with her choice.
In His timing and way, she began to have “living experience” that God did, indeed, love her. And, upon that solid foundation, she was able to continue her walk with God and learn to love others.
Linda, to me, is a perfect example of a Christian who believed in God, but didn’t have living experience that He loved her. Therefore, she was not able to move forward in her Christian walk.
The Christian walk is a faith walk, not a feeling walk.
Can’t Move Forward:
It doesn’t matter how long you have been a Christian, how many people you have led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you have memorized, or how many Bible studies you have taught. If you don’t know that God loves you personally, you’re not going to be able to grow.
If you have difficulty really believing and intimately experiencing this in your own life (just like Linda did), then see the Scriptures on Knowing God Loves Me at the end of this article. Make up 3×5 cards, just like Linda did. Keep these cards with you at all times-in your car, in your purse, on the mirror in the bathroom, etc. Then, when doubts, fears, unbelief, insecurities, etc., come over you, whip out those cards, confess and repent of the things that are not of faith and give them to God. Then choose by faith - not by feelings - to believe what God says and in His timing, He will align your feelings to match your choices.
Additional Scriptures on God’s Love:
He loves us so much that, “He bowed the heavens also, and came down.” (Psalm 18:9)
And, “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters.” (Psalm 18:16)
He loves us so much that, He has engraved us upon the palms of His hand. (Isaiah 49:16)
He loves us so much that, He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
“For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but my [Love]* shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.” (Isaiah 54:10)
“As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His [Love]* towards them that fear Him.” (Psalm 103:11)
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivers them out of them all. He keepeth all his bones; not a one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:19-20)
“When you pass through the waters (trouble) I will be with you; and through the rivers, they won’t overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you won’t be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord…You are precious in My sight and I LOVE YOU…” (Isaiah 43:2-4)
“God commendeth His Love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” (John 3:16)
“…having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.” (John 13:1)
“What shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:35, 38-39)
[Tune in next week for Part 2 in "How Can We Prove that God Loves Us?"...]
* The Hebrew word here is chesed which can be translated, “mercy”, “kindness”, “lovingkindness”, “goodness”, and “favor”.
Related Links:
• Nan’s Corner: The Way of Agape Articles - Koinonia House
• The Way of Agape Audio Series - MP3 CD-ROM - Koinonia House Store
• The Way of Agape Book - Koinonia House Store
THAT’S GOD
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.
Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we Didn’t see some rain soon…we would lose everything.
It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my 6-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn’t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort … trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walking carefully to the woods, running back to the house.
Finally I couldn’t take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen…as he was obviously doing important work and didn’t need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked, being very careful not to spill the water he held in them … maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face, but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him…he didn’t even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn lying on the ground; obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand. When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree.
I followed him back to the house to a spigot to which we had shut off the water. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift ‘cup,’ as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me: The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn’t ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him.
His little eyes just filled with tears. ‘I’m not wasting,’ was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him…with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, other drops…and more drops…and more suddenly joined them. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.
Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. Those miracles don’t really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can’t argue with that… I’m not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm…just like the actions of one little boy saved another.
I don’t know if anyone will read this…but I had to send it out. To honor the memory of my beautiful Billy, who was taken from me much too soon… But not before showing me the true face of God, in a little, sunburned body.
*~THAT’S GOD ~*
Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for?
THAT’S GOD! He speaks to you through the Holy Spirit
Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to?
THAT’S GOD! He wants you to speak to Him.
Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven’t seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from them?
THAT’S GOD! There’s no such thing as coincidence.
Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn’t even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you wanted, but couldn’t afford.
THAT’S GOD. . He knows the desires of your heart. .
Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it is going to get better, but now you look back on it?
THAT’S GOD! He passes us through tribulation to see a brighter day.
The Names of God Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Jehovah-Elohim – [Genesis 2:4]
The first occurrence of this title. It means the Self-Existent or Eternal Creator. The Elohim, in covenant relationship with His people. Jehovah means the Eternal, The Immutable One, He Who was and IS AND IS TO COME. [Exodus 21:33]
The name Jehovah is combined with other words which form what we know as the Jehovah titles.
God chose in the Old Testament 12 names by which to reveal His full character and full personality. The number 12 represents perfect government, Sovereign manifestation, 12 Apostles, Disciples, 12 gates to the heavenly city of the New Jerusalem.
Names in the Bible are always used to give a revelation – e.g. – Methuselah: when the flood comes – Moses: drawn out of the water – Saul: asked for [was not chosen by God] – Abram to Abraham – Sarai to Sarah and Simon to Peter.
In the very first verse of the Bible we find the only name connected to an ACT OF P0WER and which signifies the plurality of God, namely the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
ELOHIM
Elohim speaks about the creation, when God created the Heavens and the earth and all the rest of creation.
JEHOVAH
The Lord God – Jehovah or Yahweh appears in the Bible from the earliest times [Gen. 4: 1] and in such ways as to imply that men both knew and used it. It can also be translated as the Self-Existent One or as God Himself said: ‘I AM who I AM’. The name Jehovah is connected to a covenant. In Genesis 17 God makes a covenant with Abram and promised him that his seed shall be as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea.
EL SHADDAI
The name of God, El Shaddai is revealed when God becomes the supplier of our vision. After God gave Abraham the revelation of El Shaddai, he changes his name from Abram to Abraham. After God had changed his name Abraham’s eyesight changed and he could see and believe the promises of God. [Abraham could see the promise afar off in faith].
ADONAI
God, my Master – Lord our Sovereign – Master Jehovah [Gen. 15: 2]. We cannot call Jesus Master until we have crucified the old man. After God became his Master Abraham became the great intercessor. Many Christians who are intercessors do not seem to reach out and have victory because they have not crucified the old man completely.
JEHOVAH JIREH Gen. 22; 14 – The Lord will see or Provide [Yahweh Jireh], my Provider – The Lord shall be seen there. When Abraham was to offer his only son Isaac, he knew that God would provide, even if he had to raise Isaac from the dead.
JEHOVAH ROPHEKA [RAPHA – ROPHE]
The Lord our Healer [God, my Healer] Exodus 15:26 – The supernatural is not revealed until he becomes to us the God that heals.
JEHOVAH NISSI
The Lord is my victory – The Lord our Banner – Exodus 17:5 – He becomes your victory because of the supernatural.
JEHOVAH MEKADDISHKEM
The Lord your Sanctifier. Sanctification always follows victory.
JEHOVAH ISIDKEENU
The Lord is my righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6
JEHOVAH ROHI – JEHOVAH RAAH
The Lord is my Shepherd – Psalm 23:1 – The eleventh Revelation was given to David which implies that you cannot follow God until He becomes your Shepherd and then we are lead to the 12th revelation which is:
JEHOVAH SHAMMAH Ezekiel 48:35 – This revelation means the Lord is there. Present when we have followed through all 11 revelations or steps we finally reach the THRONE OF GOD where we are to sit with Him in heavenly places. The Shepherd leads you to Jehovah Shammah and you follow Him in the Holy of Holies where God is.
2 Revelations were given to Adam – 3 Revelations were given to Abraham –
4 Revelations were given to Moses – 1 Revelation was given to Gideon – [The Lord is My Peace]
1 Revelation was given to David – 1 Revelation was given to Ezekiel.
Note that the 12 names of God can be seen as 12 steps you have to take to sit with Him in heavenly places. Every revelation gives birth to the next revelation e.g. He can not be your Sanctifier unless He has first become your Victory [Jehovah Nissi].
Take the 12 steps in sequence, and experience the power of fulfillment as you soar on the wings of the eagle close into His Presence, treading His courts of Holiness and dwelling with the Everlasting Burning.
Heliodorus offered sacrifice to the Lord and made most solemn vows to the Preserver of his life, and then took courteous leave of Onias and marched his forces back to the king.
He openly testified to all men of the works of the Supreme God which he had seen with his own eyes.
When the king asked Heliodorus what sort of man would be the right person to send to Jerusalem on a second occasion, he replied, ‘If you have some enemy or a rebel against the government, send him there, and you will get him back well flogged, if he survives at all, FOR THERE IS CERTAINLY SOME PECULIAR POWER OF GOD ABOUT THAT PLACE. He Who has His dwelling in heaven watches over the place and defends it, and He strikes down and destroys those who come to harm it.’
-These verses are taken from the Jerusalem Bible : 2 Maccabees 3:19 – Page 608.
There cannot be a more accurate description of Jerusalem and the Infinite God who has chosen this particular place to ultimately dwell in, and establish His eternal City therein.
There clearly is a peculiar power of God about Jerusalem that is tangible, as you walk in the streets, you are startled by the History of the place that permeates the air, as if that which was, and is, and will be, is in the process of unfolding before your eyes.
The Bible exhorts us to pray for the ‘peace of Jerusalem’, and that should be on the top of our prayer list, for they who tend the fig tree will certainly be partakers of rich rewards.
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? [Dake].
1 - He cannot lie like a man [v19] [see 30 limitations of God to follow on this site].
2 - He cannot repent like man, that is, He does not change His promises when under pressure to do so, even when it is more convenient for Him or to His advantage [v19]. This is not the same in meaning as God regretting He had made man [Gen. 6: 6 note], or being obligated by the sinfulness of man not to fulfill with him the promises which depend on obedience [1 Sam. 15:35]. It is not the same as changing His mind to bless people who have come to repentance when He previously intended to curse them for disobedience [Ex. 32:14; Judg.2:18; Ps.106:45]; and it does not refer to changing His mind when He sees that people have enough punishment [2 Sam.24:16].
The repenting which God cannot do is that of changing His mind concerning promises made to the righteous. HE WILL NOT AND CANNOT FAIL TO MEET HIS OBLIGATIONS TO THEM; He cannot say No to one and Yes to another who claims His promises, if both are righteous and meeting the terms of covenants He has laid down as the basis of blessing; He will not be a respecter of persons. HE WILL TREAT ALL MEN ALIKE.
3 - What He says, He will do [v19]. This literally means that He will fulfill His obligations in all covenants and promises, not only to keep His word in blessing men, but also in cursing them, He is as zealous to fulfill His word one way as another. The soul that sins, whoever he is, shall die [Gen. 2:17; Exo. 32:32-33; Eze. 18:4, Eze. 24-25; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8]. God cannot and will not give any man freedom to sin without cursing, or freedom to obey without blessing.
4 - He will make it good – what He has spoken [v19]. This is essentially the same as that of point 3, above, being doubly expressed to confirm God’s faithfulness, THE UNCHANGEABLENESS OF HIS CHARACTER, and the fact that He will keep His word. It is worthy to note that God emphasized this truth here, for Balak was hoping that something would result in a curse upon Israel. Baalam needed this message, for he had a secret longing for the reward should Israel be cursed. God simply told both Balaam and Balak, and all men in general, that His callings, promises, and covenant with Israel had already gone out of His mouth and that:
He would not lie;
He would not change His mind;
He would do it;
He would make it good;
He had given commandments to bless;
He had blessed and could not reverse it, because there was no iniquity in Jacob, or perverseness in Israel – and He as their God [v21-24].
- Dake A.R. Bible – Page 185
John saw both God and the glorified Christ in the reception of Revelation [Rev. 4:2-11; 5:1-13; 6:16; 7:9-17; 8:3-5; 11:16; 12:5; 14:1-5; 19:1-10; 21:3-7; 22:1-5].
In Revelation 1:10-18 we read of an appearance of Christ, for in verse 11 John speaks of a voice saying, “I am the Alpha and Omega,” and in verse 12 and 13 he says, “I turned to see the voice that spake….. I saw 7 golden candlesticks. And in the midst…. One like unto the Son of man.”
Besides the above appearances [44 in total, see Dake page 63-64] the prophets saw God, His shape, His body [like that of a man], His hair, eyes, and other bodily parts. His clothing, and His chariot throne drawn by cherubim in visions.
Daniel saw Him [Dan. 7:9-14; 10:5-9]; Zechariah saw Him [Zech. 1:18-20; 2:1-13; 3:1-2; 4:1-5; 5:2-5, 10; 6:4-5].
We have reasons to believe that Enoch, Noah and others also saw God, for THEY WALKED WITH HIM and received specific instructions from Him [Gen. 5:22-24; 6:8-9; Heb.11:5-7; Jude 14-15].
Furthermore, on a number of occasions THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED to Moses and Israel and they saw it and heard God’s voice from it. This was more than an invisible presence [Num. 14:10-12; 16:19-30, 41-50; 20:6-13, etc].
In view of the above definite appearances of God to men, the often quoted passage “NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME” [Jn. 1:18] – can only be understood to mean that no man has seen Him face to face IN HIS GLORY and comprehended Him fully as “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father,” and “hath declared Him”.
In 1 Tim. 6:16 we read of the Godhead “dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” but appearances which God chooses to make apart from the light, man can approach unto.
Humans have experienced this many times, both seeing and hearing God.
- Dake Annotated Reference Bible: page 64.
Genesis 43:14
And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.
Hebrew: EL-SHADDAI, the ALL-BOUNTIFUL or SUPPLIER OF ALL NEEDS.
This name emphasizes the providence of God over all creation. Providence.
Providence means foresight and forethought; divine superintendence over all things. In providence God assumes responsibility for the eternal care of the universe.
It takes in the provision for and preservation of His creation in all eternity.
El-Shaddai manifested Himself as the All-Bountiful One when He planned and brought about the abundance of all things. In nature everything produces abundantly to supply the infinite needs of other things in due season [Gen. 1:20-31; 8:22; 49:24; Lev. 25:20; 26:4; Dt. 7:13-15; Job 38:27-41; Ps. 36:6-7; 65:9-13; 103:3-5; 104:10-30; 105:14-45; 107:1-43; 135:7; 136:25; 145:15; 146:7-9; 147:8-14; Mal. 3:10-12; Matt. 6:26-33; 10:29-31; Acts 14:17; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 9:8-10].
THE ALL-BOUNTIFUL HAS PROMISED:
Salvation – To him that ordereth his conversation [manner of life] aright will I show the salvation of God [Ps. 50:23]; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation [Rom. 10:9-10; 1:16; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 2 Th. 2:13; Tit. 2:11-14; Heb. 7:25]
Prosperity – The Lord…. maketh rich [1 Sam. 2:7-8]; Keep the charge of the Lord…to walk in His ways…that thou mayest prosper in all that thou does [1 Ki. 2:3-4]; Both riches and honor come of Thee [1Chron.29:12]; The hand is upon all them for good that seek Him: but His power and His wrath is against them that forsake Him [Ezra 8:22]; If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures [Job 36:11]; But in His law doth he mediate day and night…whatsoever he doeth shall prosper [Ps. 1:1-3]; I wish above all things that thou mayest proper [3 Jn. 2 Cp. Matt. 7:7-11; 17:20; 21:22; Mk. 11:22-24; Jn. 14:12-15; 15:7, 16; 16:23-26; 2 Cor. 9:6-8].
Healing and health – If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord thy God that healeth thee [Ex. 15;26]; He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…Surely He shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence…A thousand shall fall a thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee…There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come night thy dwelling [Ps. 91; 103:3-5; Isa. 53:3-5; 58:8; Matt. 8:16-17; Mk. 16:15-20; Jas. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3 Jn. 2].
All wants and needs – I shall not want [Ps. 23:1]; they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing [Ps. 34:9-10]; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly [Ps. 84:11]; nothing shall be impossible unto you [Mt.17:20]; all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive [Matt. 21:22]; all things are possible to him that believeth [Mk. 9:23]; whosoever…shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith…What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them [Mk. 11:22-24]; whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do…If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it [Jn. 14:12-15]; ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you [Jn. 15:7]; whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you [Jn. 15:16]; whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you…ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full [Jn.16:23-26]; it shall be given him [Jas. 1:4-8]; whatsoever we ask we receive of Him [1 Jn. 3:21-22; 5:13-14; Heb. 11:6].
- Dake A.R. Bible: Page 43.
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. – Dake A.R. Bible
This is what God chose before the overthrow of Lucifer’s world – that all of the new race of Adam who accept Jesus Christ should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
It is this plan that is chosen for all believers, not the individual conformity of any one person to that plan.
The final choice is left up to the individual and not to God.
All are called and chosen to become holy before God in love if they want to accept this plan and choice of God, but only those who meet the conditions will be so blessed [Jn. 3:16-20; Mk. 16:15-16; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rev. 22;17].
This is the true meaning of election in Scripture [v 5; Rom.8:29, note], that is, the plan is predestined and foreknown, not the individual conformity to the plan.
- Dake A.R. Bible: page 213.
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