Effie Darlene Barba

As we look at the book of Nehemiah, let us consider the power of prayer that led to his victory in spiritual warfare. 7 powerful prayer features are found within Nehemiah’s recorded prayer which may help us.   These are: compassion, vision, conviction leading to repentance, humility, submission, commitment, and faith.

As the book of Nehemiah opens, he discovers that the people who had returned to Jerusalem were in great despair.  Part of that despair came because no wall of protection stood around Jerusalem. The wall that once stood majestically around Jerusalem lay in rumbles. Destroyed and burned by the Babylonians, years before when they ravaged their city.  After hearing of this news, Nehemiah wept bitterly.  Then he records this prayer.  From that time until he was commissioned to rebuild the wall, four months passed.  He did not know how or when God would respond. Yet, once commissioned he stood as one of the most outstanding leaders staring down opposition, criticism, and death threats.   How did he unlock victory in this spiritual warfare?

Nehemiah’s 7 Power Prayer Features

As we look at these 7 power prayer features, we must also remember Nehemiah prayed throughout his journeys and adventures.  However, there is no indication he had been a man bent upon prayer prior to that fate-filled day when God gave him a glimpse into the tragedy of his people and thereby broke his heart.  Nor did he prior to that day demonstrate any urgency in returning to Jerusalem.  After all, he had been born in exile.  He had never seen Jerusalem.  And he had a very prestigious appointment as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, son of the late King Xerxes (Ahasuerus).  Stepson to Queen Esther. 

Interesting thought.  Had Queen Esther not been placed in the position she was where she thwarted the evil plot of Haman, Nehemiah would have been killed.  also, one might consider if that also affected the heart of King Artaxerxes, but perhaps not.  Because we know he had sent an edict to stop the building in Jerusalem shortly before these events. 

Samaritans Sent A Letter to the King

“To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men of the region beyond the Euphrates River; and now ¹² let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. ¹³ Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom tax, or toll, and it will be detrimental to the revenue of the kings. ¹⁴ Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s shame, for this reason we have sent word and informed the king, Ezra 4

The King Replies and Work Stops

¹⁷ Then the king sent a response ….²¹ Now issue a decree to make those men stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. ²² And beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should there be great damage, to the detriment of the kings?”…²³ Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ decree was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in a hurry to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by military force. ²⁴ Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem was discontinued.   Ezra 4. 

Leading Up to the Powerful Prayer

Therefore, I believe, God had blinded the heart and eyes of Nehemiah until it was the perfect time for his appeal.  Meanwhile God had placed everything together so that Nehemiah would have a position that could influence the King.  Does that negate the responsibility of Nehemiah for his own coldness and lack of desire to return to Jerusalem prior to this?  No, but it does so the marvelous grace and sovereignty of how God transforms the heart of those for whom He chooses to share His Glory with.   Much like Queen Esther, Nehemiah seemed little interested in the affairs of the Jews or returning.  Then God touched His heart.  He initially was in great despair. 

Remember the History

Due to their rebellion and chasing after idols, the Jewish Nation was sent into exile.  The temple and the city destroyed. Then after 70 years of exile, as foretold by Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11-12), Cyrus of Persia gave the first order allowing the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem.  This also fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 45:1-7) who named Cyrus years before he was born. When Cyrus issued his decree that the Jews return to Jerusalem, Zarrubbel lead a group back. He was a political leader and Governor. 

Influenced by Haggai and Zechariah, he began the reconstruction of the temple.     Ezra the priest then led the second group and began to establish worship.  But the people were discouraged and frightened because they had no wall.  Furthermore, without a wall they did not feel any identity as God’s people.  Every day they were reminded God had turned His wrath on them for their sin as a nation.

Then God Called Nehemiah

Nehemiah a simple laborer was called by God to go to Jerusalem, build the wall, restore hope, and encourage the people to follow God with all their heart and soul. Ezra had accomplished the spiritual establishment of the new community, whereas Nehemiah succeeded in giving it physical stability…The project (building the wall) was completed in the remarkably fleeting time of 52 days (about 1 month 3 weeks). 

“During this endeavor, Nehemiah faced determined opposition: mockery (Neh 2:19, 4:1-3), armed raids (4:7-12), a ruse to draw him outside the city, without doubt to murder him (6:1-4), blackmail (6:5-9); and finally, a prophet hired to foretell his death.  In every case he met the challenge with courage, wisdom, and an invincible determination to complete the task for which God had called him.” (Falwell 1988)[1]

What happened to transform Nehemiah’s heart; propelling him to hear God’s call, heed the call and have the fortitude to complete the task against so much opposition?

So, let us look at these 7 features of Powerful Prayer

Powerful Prayer Feature #1

The book of Nehemiah begins with his asking Hanani about the Jews who had escaped captivity and returned to their home.  They responded by telling him that the people “are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:2).  Hearing those words broke his heart. 

He tells us in verse four that he wept and mourned for many days.  Broken hearted by the news, he wept; and then, turned to God for an answer. What could he, a cupbearer, do?  He wasn’t a priest or a king. Instead, he was a laborer.  How could God use him?

In an exposition concerning Nehemiah, Alexander MacLaren aptly declared:

God prepares His servants for their work by laying on their souls a sorrowful realisation of the miseries which other men regard, and they themselves have often regarded, very lightly. The men who have been raised up to do great work for God and men, have always to begin by greatly and sadly feeling the weight of the sins and sorrows which they are destined to remove. No man will do worthy work at rebuilding the walls who has not wept over the ruins. (MacLaren 2013)[2]

Until one’s heart becomes broken for that which breaks God’s heart, there is no hope for commitment to complete any task God calls one to.  Christians must first weep for the lost before they can passionately go out “to seek and save those who are lost” (paraphrase of Luke 19:10). True compassion will drive one to their knees in earnest prayer to the only one who can “supply all our needs” (paraphrase from Philippians 4:19).

Powerful Prayer Feature #2:  Vision

Compassion alone cannot propel one to action without also having a clear vision of God, his plan for humanity, and His ultimate purpose.  Nehemiah begins his prayer with,

“O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments” (Nehemiah 1:5). 

In this opening, Nehemiah declares both who God is and His plan for mankind.  So, the vision is two-fold: a vision of who God is and a vision of His plan for mankind.

Of Who God IS:

God is the Almighty, Sovereign, Lord.  He is the creator of Heaven and Earth.  The great I AM for which nothing exists without Him.  The essence of everything begins with God who IS the creator, controller, majestic ruler of the Universe.  Outside of His Being, there is nothingness.  With that truth, I realize I am nothing until I am found in Him who breathes into me, life.  He who created me, formed me in my mother’s womb: knew me before He created the earth.  Think about that.  My very existence is because of His Being the Great I AM.    This is what Paul meant when he stood on Mars Hill and spoke to the men of Athens,

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28).  

Until the Christian fully recognizes his or her nothingness before the great I AM; they labor in vain. 

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1). 

Of God’s Plan for Mankind:

Beyond having a vision for who God IS, one must also have a vision of God’s Plan for Mankind.  Nehemiah recognized God’s covenantal love and mercy for those who seek Him.  We two must remember God’s plan of redemption has been always stood foremost. 

For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,Who acts in behalf of one who waits for Him.⁵ You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness,Who remembers You in Your ways.  Isaiah 64

The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. – Isaiah 14:24

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:8

And All For His Glory

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved. ⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, ¹⁰ regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. ¹¹In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, ¹⁴ who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.  Ephesians 1

Powerful Prayer Feature 3: Conviction, Leading to Repentance

The clearer one’s vision of God becomes, the greater one’s own sin appears.

As Leslie Allen wrote: “Repentance is the keynote of the prayer. Although their God was great and awesome, they had disobeyed his commands. That divine greatness made human guilt more reprehensible.” (Allen 1995) Recognizing God’s just and righteous nature, Nehemiah turns to repentance. 

I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.  We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. (Nehemiah 1:6-7)

A truly repentant heart is necessary to come before a Holy God with our petition.  Only then can one understand the depth of grace with which God deals with his children. Deserving nothing, God gives to his children, everything.

Powerful Prayer Feature #4: Humility

Once a heart is broken by compassion, gains a true vision of God in all his glory, realizes the depth of his grace, and falls before him in genuine repentance for one’s sin; that heart can be nothing less than a humbled heart.  Humility opens a man or woman’s heart to give grace to others.  Realizing that without grace, no one can stand before a righteous God; Nehemiah had prayed for his people and his family.  He did not feel superior or prideful; because, he had a clear vision of his own sinful nature.

“He humbled himself before the “God of Heaven” and confessed openly and frankly all sins of the nation, his own sins included.” (Swift 1917)[3] Humbled, broken hearted before an Almighty God; Nehemiah asks for grace for himself and his people.

He acknowledged his own and the nations spiritual poverty before God, deserving nothing; yet, he pleads God’s own words of grace. “But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there” (Nehemiah 1:9).

Powerful Prayer Feature #5: Submission

The only thing left to do is to submit to God’s will; no matter what that might be.  No longer could Nehemiah be content in his former life as a cupbearer.   “Nehemiah is willing and wants to be used of God. But he is not running ahead of God; he prays about it.  He says, ‘If you want to use me, I am making myself available.’” (McGee 1982)[4] Prayer changes.  “The petition, then, is not merely that I may patiently suffer God’s will but also that I may vigorously do it….’Thy will be done-by me-now’” (Lewis 1964)[5]

Powerful Prayer Feature #6: Commitment

What had begun as a broken heart for the suffering of God’s people; has through prayer reached the place of full surrender and submission to God’s will.  Now, Nehemiah would need the commitment and fortitude to complete the task; whatever it might be.  Commitment often means a life of self-sacrifice, as it certainly did for Nehemiah.  He would have to leave everything familiar and go out into the unknown, trusting God. As McLaren wrote:

such sympathy should be the parent of a noble, self-sacrificing life. Look at the man in our text (Nehemiah). He had the ball at his feet. He had the entrée of a court, and the ear of a king.  Brilliant prospects were opening before him, but his brethren’s sufferings drew him, and with a noble resolution of self-sacrifice, he shut himself out from the former and went into the wilderness.  He is one of the Scripture characters that never have had due honour–a hero, a saint, a martyr, a reformer.  He did, though in a smaller sphere, the very same thing that the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews magnified with his splendid eloquence, in reference to the great Lawgiver (Moses), ‘and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,” and to turn his back upon the dazzlements of a court, than to ‘enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,’ whilst his brethren were suffering. [6]

MacLaren 2013

The kind of commitment required to carry the wearied Christian through the trials that come their way requires a willingness to lay it all down for the sake of God’s plan; knowing, He is the greater treasure.

Powerful Prayer Feature #7 FAITH

“Faith is knowing, beyond a shadow of doubt; that God IS the great I AM and he rewards those who diligently seek him” (my paraphrase of Hebrews 11:6).  Nehemiah now understood the power, magnitude and grace of God.  He would trust God for the grace which saved him, the grace to sustain him and the future grace which would present every moment of every day that lay before him along this treacherous journey.

As John Piper so aptly points out “Faith in future grace is the spring of radical righteousness. It’s the root of love and all Christ-exalting living.” (Piper 1995)[7] Knowing that God holds every future millisecond in his hands of grace; means, trusting him and believing Romans 8:28, no matter how dark the day may seem. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

DUST MITES OF THE HEART

In this fallen world, dust and cobwebs can be found in the cleanest of homes.  One moment of inattention to cleaning, they increase with a rapidity that seems unbelievable.  The same is true of our hearts.  When, we lay aside our Bibles, become too contented to pray, or allow other things to take God’s rightful time in our hearts; dust mites and cobwebs grow within our hearts. 

Then, when God places us in the waiting room, the light of His truth shines in revealing all the dust mites and cobwebs needing to be cleansed.  During that time of waiting for His answer, He bids us to lay every sin of thought and deed at the foot of the cross, in full surrender to His will.  He will cleanse our heart, sweeping away every dust mite of pride, anger, selfishness, and the cobwebs of our doubt. 

So, Nehemiah waited; while God fully cleansed and prepared his heart for the task ahead.  We know that to be the case; because, when the fateful day that God revealed His plan, Nehemiah’s countenance was very sad.  Once one knows for certain God’s precise plan, there is no place for sadness.  The depth of his sorrow lets us know, Nehemiah did not yet know with certainty God’s plan.  So, we arrive at the day of its revealing.

ONE SAD SERVENT, A KING, AND GOD’S PLAN REVEALED

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king.

Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.  Wherefore the king said unto me, “Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very sore afraid,

And said unto the king, “Let the king live forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”

Then the king said unto me, “For what dost thou make request?” So, I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said unto the king, “If it please the king, and if thy servant has found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.”  Moreover, I said unto the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah; And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into.”  And the king granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me. 

Nehemiah 2:1-7

Note that Nehemiah was afraid when the king noticed his sorrow.  Another clue that Nehemiah was not certain of God’s plan yet.  However, as he began to tell the king the reason of his sorrow, light bulbs began to go off in his heart and mind.  Wasn’t this what he had asked God for months ago, to find mercy before the king?  Ah, but all the cleansing of his heart that God accomplished during that four months causes Nehemiah to pray; before, he tells King Artaxerxes: “send me to build the wall.”  Yet, look at the difference; now, suddenly Nehemiah boldly asks for everything he will need, and he is granted all that he asks for.  Nehemiah knows this is an act of grace by God Himself.

GOD’S PLAN:  BUILD THAT WALL

Over the course of the four months, God had prepared the heart of Nehemiah to be the one to accomplish His plan.  Most likely, Nehemiah was shocked that God was sending him to build the wall.  However, whom better to send?  He had seen the beautiful structure of the walls surrounding the palace.  Furthermore, as cupbearer to the king; he had a position of prestige.  Beyond that, most importantly; God had prepared his heart while in the waiting room of God.  There, God had dusted away the dust mites and swept away all the cobwebs, so Nehemiah was prepared to face the opposition and trials that lay ahead of him.

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[1] Jerry Falwell, ed., The Liberty Annnotated Study Bible, (Nashvile, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988), 776

[2] Alexander MacLaren, MacLaren Expositions of Holy Scripture: A Reformer’s Schooling, (Dallas, TX:  Graceworks Multimedia, March 9,2013

[3] Charles Henry Swift, Prayer a Vitalizing Force: The Lesson in Today’s Life, The Chritian Century, no 44, November 1, 1917,16

[4] Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Volume II, 506

[5] C.S.Lewis, Letters to Malcolm Chriefly on Prayer Reflections on the Intimate Dialoogue Between Man and God (Orlandoo, FL: Harcourt, 1964, 26

[6] MacLaren A Reformer’s Schooling, 373

[7] John Piper, Future Grace (New York: Multmomah Books, 1995, 322

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Am I Actually Needed in Executing the Master Plan of God Almighty? 

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Additionally, there are quotes from myself that are noted in my book- “When God Commanded Build that Wall”

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

PICTURE Licensed from GoodSalt

The book of Esther tells the story of a Jewish girl who became a Persian Queen. The perfect Cinderella Story? Yes and No. All through this story is woven the Master Plan of God Almighty. God had orchestrated everything and allowed Esther to be the instrument to prevent the annihilation of the Jewish people. 

 What do we know though about Esther? Was her obedience absolutely needed in executing the Master Plan of God Almighty? Are any of us truly NEEDED by God? Or is it His Grace that allows us to share in His Glory? Afterall as we look at Esther, Mordecai, and this story; let us consider how God bestowed grace upon His children despite their moments of unfaithfulness. That is good news for you and for me.  

God opened her eyes. He called her to do His will. She said yes. If she said no, He could have shared this Glorious Act with someone else. Or even do it alone, as only He can. But He chose Esther. Then, He bestowed a piece of His Glory on her at such a time as this.  

What Is There In a Name? 

The name Esther is not her Jewish name. In fact, Esther is the Persian name for Star and a derivative of the Goddess Ishtar (Morning Star or the Star of Venus). Mordecai is not a Jewish name either—it is Persian. The name Mordecai is a derivative of Marduk, the patron god of Babylon. Why is that important?  

 Well consider this also. The first edict of Cyrus that the Jews could return to Jerusalem to build their temple had come in 539 BC. The book of Esther is during the Reign of Ahasuerus also known as Xerxes I He reigned from 486 to 465 BC. That is 53 years after the decree allowing them to go to Jerusalem and they remained behind in Persia along with at least 1 million other people from the Jewish nation. Some believe his search for a new queen occurred after his defeat to the Grecian army in The Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. So not only did they not return to Jerusalem to worship God when able to go. They also hid their identity as Jews by using and adopting Persian names. Or at least for a time. 

The Master Plan of God Almighty Unfolds Regardless 

Well, we see that not only were Esther and Mordecai comfortable in their life among the Persians, but they were also nonchalant about Jewish law. The law of God was clear that no woman was to marry an uncircumcised pagan.  

³Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them: you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. ⁴For they will turn your sons away from following Me, and they will serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and He will quickly destroy you. Deuteronomy 7 (NASB).  

Despite all of this, God will use both Esther and Mordecai to save His people. He does not always choose the most devoted nor the most faithful. Although before the story ends their hearts are transformed so they see themselves as part of the Master Plan of God Almighty. This humbles them into being servants of the living God, willing to do whatever He commands. God, Himself calls a heart into repentance and service. As they are placed in demanding situations where they must choose, they were awakened to the importance of who God IS and the magnitude of His Grace toward them and their people.  

And so, the story begins. 

A King, Drunken With Power, Listening to His Poor Advisers 

² “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will arise in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. ³ Then a mighty king will arise, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases.  Daniel 11 (NASB) 

Daniel had foretold King Ahasuerus.  The story began with his being in the palace holding a meeting that lasted 6 months and ending in a 7-day feast of wine, food, and festivities.  It is believed that the 6-month meetings were to prepare the leaders throughout his kingdom for war. His plan was to overthrow the Greek. Albeit this later ended poorly for him. Events began that were the catalyst to the final takeover years later by Alexander the Great.   However, the beginning that led to this end was initiated during the reign of King Ahasuerus. Several kings followed him before Alexander the Great took all of Persia, but they were minor and of no consequence as it was, he who started this road toward defeat.   

Nearing the end of the feast he called for the queen.  He wanted to place her on display.  She said no. His anger boiled over.  His advisors said, 

Esther 1(NASB) 

the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women so as to make their own husbands despicable in their sight, when they say, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded that Queen Vashti be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ ¹⁸ And this day the wives of the officials of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will talk about it to all the king’s officials, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger.  

¹⁹ If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may not come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she. ²⁰ When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout his kingdom, great as it is, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.” 

²¹ Now this word pleased the king and the officials, and the king did as Memucan proposed. ²² So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man was to be the ruler in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.  

Esther 1 (NASB)

Master Plan of God Almighty 

The King having come back from losing the battle against the Greeks thought of his exiled queen.  Perhaps wanting to be comforted. But he had taken her away. So, his advisers suggest he gather the most beautiful women from the land and have a major beauty contest to choose a new queen. And he did. 

Among the ladies gathered was Esther. After a full year of preparation, she was selected to go into the King, and he fell in love with her.  Therefore, she was crowned queen. Mordecai then heard of a plot to kill the king, reported it Esther, who told the king, and the plot was thwarted. He did not get any reward for this at the time, but it was recorded in the chronicles of the king.  They did keep extensive records of such things. 

Soon after this Haman, an Aggagite, rose to power with the king. The reason it is important he was an Aggagite goes back to King Sauls failure to do as God told him when conquering the Amalekites and spared the life of King Agag.  Samuel then slaughtered Agag; however, ancestors of his still carried the torch against the Jews.  So, the plot thickens. 

Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, who became very angry.  A plot was hatched to destroy all the Jews living in the area (over a million) and confiscate their possessions. This plot was presented to the king as a means of gaining money for his ambitions to overthrow the Greeks and rid himself of a “potentially dangerous group of people.” 

And Now Unfolds Further the Master Plan of God 

So, with all this in place. Satan certain he has placed God in check, God has the final checkmate.  Afterall the King’s edict that on a certain date the Jews could all be overtaken could not be reversed even by the King once written. Then watch as the story takes a turn. 

Mordecai rips his clothes and goes in sackcloth and ashes outside of the king’s gate. Esther was mortified and frightened at this display. She sends clothes to him. He refuses. Finally, he tells her why. At first, she protests due to her knowledge of the law of Persia.  If she goes before the king unsummoned while he is in court, she could be put to death. Her only chance would be if he presented his golden sceptre to save her.  

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”  Esther 4 (NASB) 

What was the Queen’s Reply? 

¹⁵ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶ “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants also will fast in the same way. And then I will go in to the king, which is not in accordance with the law; and if I perish, I perish.”  Esther 4 (NASB) 

Despite Their Former Failures, The Master Plan of God Saves Them 

Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace. ² When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So, Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter. ³ Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.” ⁴ Esther said, “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.” 

⁵ Then the king said, “Bring Haman quickly so that we may do as Esther desires.” So, the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared. ⁶ As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, “What is your request, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” ⁷ So Esther replied, “My request and my wish is: ⁸ if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I wish, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.” 

Esther 5 (NASB)

Haman’s Pride 

⁹ Then Haman went out that day joyful and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. ¹⁰ Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house. But he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. ¹¹ Then Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and his many sons, and every occasion on which the king had honored him and how he had promoted him above the officials and servants of the king. ¹² Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one except me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. ¹³ Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.” ¹⁴ Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a wooden gallows fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made. 

During that night the king could not sleep, so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written what Mordecai had reported about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to attack King Ahasuerus. ³ Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” ⁴ So the king said, “Who is in the courtyard?” Now Haman had just entered the outer courtyard of the king’s palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for him. ⁵ So the king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the courtyard.” And the king said, “Have him come in.” ⁶ Haman then came in and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” ⁷ Therefore Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, ⁸ have them bring a royal robe which the king has worn, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal turban has been placed; ⁹ then order them to hand the robe and the horse over to one of the king’s noble officials, and have them dress the man whom the king desires to honor, and lead him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.’” 

Esther 6 (NASB)

God even gives the King Insomnia at the perfect time. And of all the chronicles in storage, they just happened to find and read the part about Mordecai saving the King. How incredible wonderful and Sovereign is God. The Master Plan of God Almighty is wondrous to see as He performs His will on earth.

Haman Must Honor Mordecai as Part of the Master Plan of God Almighty

¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, “Quickly, take the robe and the horse just as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fail to do anything of all that you have said.” ¹¹ So Haman took the robe and the horse, and dressed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “So it shall be done for the man whom the king desires to honor.” 

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate, while Haman hurried home, mourning, with his head covered. ¹³ And Haman informed Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.” 

¹⁴ While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and quickly brought Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared. 

7 Now the king and Haman came to drink wine with Esther the queen. ² And the king said to Esther on the second day also as they drank their wine at the banquet, “What is your request, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your wish? Up to half of the kingdom it shall be done.” ³ Then Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my request, and my people as my wish; ⁴ for we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, killed, and eliminated. Now if we had only been sold as slaves, men and women, I would have kept silent, because the distress would not be sufficient reason to burden the king.” ⁵ Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who would presume to do such a thing?” ⁶ And Esther said, “A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!” Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen. 

Esther 6:10 to 7:6 (NASB)

Is this not poetic justice? It is always best to allow God to avenge your case against those who wish you harm.  

Haman Is Hanged 

⁷ The king then got up in his anger from drinking wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther, for he saw that harm had been determined against him by the king. ⁸ Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they had been drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, “Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?” As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. ⁹ Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who stood before the king, said, “Indeed, behold, the wooden gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai who spoke good in behalf of the king!” And the king said, “Hang him on it.” ¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the wooden gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided. 

Esther 7 (NASB)

Mordecai moved to a position of power.  A new edict was issued that allowed the Jews to take up arms to protect themselves against any attackers and the people were saved.  They celebrate this event to this day.  It is the Jewish holiday of Purim. 

And so, God accomplished all He had planned, saved His people, transformed the hearts of His children to trust in Him. He did this despite their failures along the way.  That is Grace.    So, to answer the question. God does not need me. I have nothing really to bring to the table but my own failures, until He steps in to overwhelm my heart with His love. Then the fact that He would display His grace even further to share His Glory with me by making me a part of His Master Plan–well that is overwhelming.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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How Wonderful Proof Indisputable the Word of God is True 

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

PICTURE Licensed from GoodSalt

“That I may know HIM!”  Primarily, my desire should be to know Him.  As humans, we tend to want our identity at times linked with others of importance.  We go to concerts and stand in line just to have our pictures taken next to some celebrity.  As though, we can then walk away and say, “Oh yes—best buds with so and so.”  As though our worth is linked in with theirs, as though they will remember my name.  Most of the time, the ones we so want to be linked with are even a phony personification of who we think they are.  Yet, what if I said you can be linked in a personal relationship with God—the creator of the universe.  And there is proof indisputable as to who He is.

The Word of God is true. He is who He says He is. 

There are many places we could point to demonstrating the infallibility of the Word of God. However, none more exacting or compelling than the Book of Daniel. Therein is laid out in detail prophecy to deal with what would happen concerning the Jewish Nation until the yet to come return of Messiah to be seated on His throne in Jerusalem. The detail so explicit in Daniel that there was no way for it to be fulfilled at random.

Only if the word of God is true and He is truly Sovereign over everything could these be have been fulfilled. Not only that. Part of the prophecy was shared with a pagan King whom God referred to as His servant long before King Nebuchadnezzar ever considered worshiping God. Although, before he died, this pagan King believed and professed that there is no other God like Yahweh. What an amazing God we serve, full of grace, wisdom, and justice! 

Proof Indisputable the Word of God is True 

The timing of Daniel’s Vision recorded in Daniel 7 was around 553 BC. It was a God view replica of the vision seen earlier by King Nebuchadnezzar. Although King Nebuchadnezzar saw it as a statue of man, in Daniel’s vision of the same empires were that of beasts. Both represent the same kingdoms.  

¹ 

But at the end of the final Kingdom of man. 

The Ancient of Days Reigns 

⁹“I kept looking 
Until thrones were set up, 
And the Ancient of Days took His seat; 
His garment was white as snow, 
And the hair of His head like pure wool. 
His throne was ablaze with flames, 
Its wheels were a burning fire. 
¹⁰A river of fire was flowing 
And coming out from before Him; 
Thousands upon thousands were serving Him, 
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; 
The court convened, 
And the books were opened. 

God the Father Appears 

¹¹Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. ¹²As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time. Daniel 7 (NASB) 

And Gives to His Son the Kingdom 

The Son of Man Presented 

¹³“I kept looking in the night visions, 
And behold, with the clouds of heaven 
One like a son of man was coming, 
And He came up to the Ancient of Days 
And was presented before Him. 
¹⁴And to Him was given dominion, 
Honor, and a kingdom, 
So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages 
Might serve Him. 
His dominion is an everlasting dominion 
Which will not pass away; 
And His kingdom is one 
Which will not be destroyed. 

So, How Do We Know Proof Indisputable This Will Happen? 

Well, remember the Kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome had not yet happened. This dream was in 553 B.C. The Persian empire took over the Babylonian around 550 BC.² The Grecian Empire under Alexandar the Great began 323 BC ³ were 4 Roman/Grecian wars that ended in the Roman Empire overtaking the Grecian Empire in 133 BC. These all occurred as you note long after Daniel’s vision and even his death. That is not the only remarkable prophecy noted in Daniel.  

Two years later, another vision appeared to Daniel which is recorded in Daniel 8. Now of note, Daniel 1 through 7 were written in Aramaic. Then in Daniel 8 to 12 was written in Hebrew. There was a shift in subject from the Gentile nations to focus on the Hebrew Nation. In this dream, was of a Ram and a goat. The ram again represented the Media and Persian Empire, then the shaggy goat represented the Grecian Empire.

The Grecian Empire did have two Kings, Alexander the Great and Antiochus Epiphanes who were foreshadowing of the Anti-Christ. The description of the Ram and Goat details the kings within the Grecian empire with extremely specific detail as to how they rose to power, which is a fascinating study on its own. Because the Kingdom under Alexander the Great was divided into 4 kingdoms just as Daniel foretold. This division occurred in 323 BC. ⁴  

Daniel 9—Proof Indisputable of the Word of God 

After the Persian Empire came to power, Daniel began praying earnestly for his people to humbly bow before God. He knew it was time for their return to Jerusalem, albeit under the rule of other kingdoms. Yet, as he prayed, he was told of the future of his people. 

²⁴“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until Messiah the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with streets and moat, even in times of distress. Daniel 9 (NASB) 

Now we are ready to do some math to determine if Gabriel did in fact predict Jesus’s arrival. We will start by determining how many days are in 483 lunar years: 360 x 483 = 173,880 days. Next, we will convert those days back into solar years: 173,880 ÷ 365.2422 = 476.068 years. After converting the decimal part (0.068) to days (0.068 x 365.2422 = 24.8 days), the time prophesized for the Messiah to arrive comes out to be 476 years and 25 days. Adding this number to March 5, 444 BC—the date on which the decree to rebuild Jerusalem was issued—brings us to March 30, AD 33, the very day of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Is this match not remarkable? The remarkable accuracy of the predictions in the prophecy in Daniel ⁵ 

Joshua Mark, Nov 2018

Now, the history of the Jewish Nation in a sense is set aside until the end times. Therefore, this is what happens during the tribulation. Although, there was a foreshadowing of this again in 70AD when the temple was destroyed.  

²⁶Then after sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. ²⁷And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come the one who makes desolate, until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, gushes forth on the one who makes desolate.” 

Daniel 11: More Proof Indisputable the Word of God is True 

In Daniel 11, there are outlined many battles that occur over the time and history of the nation of Israel. These are so detailed as to suggest the alliances, marriages, divorces, and even murderous acts that would occur. All of these came true. Therefore, why would we not believe what is yet to come?

Many years before he became King we read of King Xerexes I (also known as King Ahasuerus). “Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all, and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.” Daniel 11:1 He stirred up enmity against the Greeks.

150 years later Alexander the Great lead an army to overtake Persia. The Greeks never forgot the Persian attempt to overthrow them. So they overthrew Persia. Also foretold by Daniel 11:3-4. And a mighty king shall stand up that shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken. It’ll be divided toward the four winds of heaven. And it will not go to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled.

This also happened. His half-brother was mentally retarded. He had an illegitimate son and one born after he died. All three were murdered and he had no posterity left. A great battle ensued for who was going to rule. The battle was won by four generals, and the kingdom was divided into four parts: Cassander took Macedonia, Lysimachus took Thrace and Asia Minor, Ptolemy took Egypt, and Seleucus took Syria North, South, East, and West.

North Versus South Battles Ensue–Daniel 11: 5-35

There are then battles between the Seleucid dynasty (Syria) and the Ptolemaic dynasty (Egypt). These battles crisscrossed over Israel. In detail it describes treaties and marriages to gain power. Verse 6 describes the murder of one kings daughter by a jealous ex-wife of the king who married her as part of a peace treaty.

Then we are given a glimpse of Antiochus the Great, who is a picture of the Anti-Christ. He becomes very powerful, making treaties with Israel and then desecrating the temple. Now he decided to get Egypt on his side and gain power over them by marrying his daughter to the King of Egypt. He wanted a spy inside the court, but Cleopatra chose her husband over her father as foretold of in Daniel 11:17. “he will set his mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side.

After again describing the Anti-Christ

It is written in Daniel 12. 

12 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.²And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.⁴But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12 (KJV) 

Proof Indisputable God’s Word is True–Therefore Hope Reigns Supreme

There will be sorrow and times of great trouble yet to come. Indisputable proof has been laid out to trust the Word of God is true. We then can rest in this truth if we know Him as Lord and Savior. If not, I bid you come to Him today.  

⁸And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?⁹And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.¹⁰Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand….¹³But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. 

Go therefore and rest until the end of the days. We know who wins; therefore, we have peace. So what are we to do? We are to tell the world around us: Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All this chaos will end. The question is do you know Him as Lord and Savior.

Revelation 22: (NASB) 

And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ²in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bondservants will serve Him; ⁴they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵And there will no longer be any night; and they ^[will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever. 

⁶And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bondservants the things which must soon take place. 

⁷“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 

¹ https://www.anapprovedworkman.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Lesson-09-Correlation-of-Daniel-2-and-Daniel-7.jpg 

2 https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/persian-empire

³ https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/hellenistic-greece 

⁵ https://reasons.org/explore/publications/articles/was-jesus-s-arrival-accurately-predicted-in-the-bible 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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What Must a Genuine Worship of God Really Have at Its Core? 

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

PICTURE Licensed from GoodSalt

Israel had fallen because they chose to worship God their way. They had raised up novel places to sacrifice to God. But much like Cain, their way went against all that God had said. Remarkably like many religious institutions of our day. We will just compromise a little here and little there. What difference does it make? “We are worshipping God, just a little different way,” they would say. But that lead them farther and farther away from Genuine Worship of God. Then Judah, believing God would never abandon them, regardless of what they did, began doing whatever their heart desired. Even the priests and leaders believed they could do anything if they came occasionally to bring their sacrifices. But God was angered by this. So, what really must be at the core for there to be Genuine Worship of God. 

Jeremiah 3:6-11 (NASB) 

⁶Then the Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every leafy tree, and she prostituted herself there. ⁷Yet I thought, ‘After she has done all these things, she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. ⁸And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and prostituted herself also. 

 ⁹And because of the thoughtlessness of her prostitution, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. ¹⁰Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord. ¹¹And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah. 

Genuine Worship Must Be of the Heart 

When King Josiah returned the nation to assembling to listen to the law and to perform sacrifice, some did this as acts of Genuine Worship. Others joined the ceremony, but their heart was not one of law, awe, or genuine worship. These were actions to gain the favor or God, but not acts of genuine gratitude or love of God. For that reason, God declared their worship to be even worse than the faithless acts of the Northern Tribes.  

Regarding Israel, God said, 

But My people have exchanged their glory 
For that which is of no benefit. 
¹²Be appalled at this, you heavens, 
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord. 
¹³“For My people have committed two evils: 
They have abandoned Me, 
The fountain of living waters, 
To carve out for themselves cisterns, 
Broken cisterns 
That do not hold water. Jeremiah 2: 11-13  (NASB)

They had turned away and worshipped other gods of their own making and those of the surrounding neighbors. But those in Jerusalem had continued worship in the Temple; but their hearts were not humbled before God. They falsely believed; God would forgive them everything. No one could take them down; because, God had chosen them.  

No Signs of Genuine Worship 

Ceremonial worship is not necessarily genuine worship. Unless the worshipper truly reveres the Glory and Majesty of God, they cannot truly worship Him. There must be some degree of fear, knowing He is Holy, Mighty and Sovereign Creator of All. Without that, one cannot come before Him honestly understanding the price that God has paid for our salvation. Genuine Worship can only happen if we remember who He is and who we are in relationship to Him. I can never forget that it was His amazing grace that reached out to save me. Only He could release me from the chains that held me.  

Note, Ezekiel tells us that God’s spirit left the temple. After their exile, worship changed. And particularly by the time of Jesus, there were those who met to discuss the law—they met at the synagogue, where rabbis would teach the laws. This was quite different than the Ceremonies originally set forth, where the priests would read the laws before the people.  

Jeremiah—an Example of Genuine Worship in Sorrow 

Jeremiah suffered greatly because he was a messenger of God.  For a moment I would have said of all the prophets, he suffered the most.  However, when one considers the lives of all the true prophets, none were treated respectfully.  They did have some converts at least.  But Jeremiah had only his one friend, Baruch, who was his scribe.  Furthermore, the nation did not repent.  All his tears were in vain.   His was a voice crying out in warning to the people.  But no one would listen.  He witnessed the burning of the city. 

 How lonely sits the city 
That once had many people! 
She has become like a widow 
Who was once great among the nations! 
She who was a princess among the provinces 
Has become a forced laborer! 
²She weeps bitterly in the night, 
And her tears are on her cheeks; 
She has no one to comfort her 
Among all her lovers. Lamentations 1:  (NASB)

And he had suffered beatings, hunger, solitude, and hatred because of his being the voice God chose to speak. Furthermore, Jeremiah loved the people, weeping for their sorrow. 

Genuine Worship that Obeys Even When It Hurts

My eyes fail because of tears, 
My spirit is greatly troubled; 
My heart is poured out on the earth 
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, 
When little ones and infants languish 
In the streets of the city. Lamentations 2  NASB

In all of this, Jeremiah did as God commanded. He became a bond servant for God, presenting himself truly as a living sacrifice. That is one act of genuine worship. Much as Paul tells us in Romans 12: 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect. Romans 12 (NASB)

Trusting and Praising God No Matter What:  Another Act of Genuine Worship 

I am the man who has seen misery 
Because of the rod of His wrath. 
²He has driven me and made me walk 
In darkness and not in light. 
³Indeed, He has turned His hand against me 
Repeatedly all the day. 
⁴He has consumed my flesh and my skin, 
He has broken my bones. 
⁵He has besieged and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. 
⁶He has made me live in dark places, 
Like those who have long been dead. 
⁷He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; 
He has made my chain heavy. 
⁸Even when I cry out and call for help, 
He shuts out my prayer. 

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

In fact, God at one point told Jeremiah not to pray for the salvation of Judah. 

 
⁹He has blocked my ways with cut stone; 
He has twisted my paths. 
¹⁰He is to me like a bear lying in wait, 
Like a lion in secret places. 
¹¹He has made my ways deviate and torn me to pieces; 
He has made me desolate. 
¹²He bent His bow 
And took aim at me as a target for the arrow. 
¹³He made the arrows of His quiver 
Enter my inward parts. 

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

There were times he was left at the bottom of a pit where a loaf of bread was thrown down every day.  

 
¹⁴I have become a laughingstock to all my people, 
Their song of ridicule all the day. 
¹⁵He has filled me with bitterness, 
He has made me drink plenty of wormwood. 
¹⁶He has also made my teeth grind with gravel; 
He has made me cower in the dust. 
¹⁷My soul has been excluded from peace; 
I have forgotten happiness. 
¹⁸So I say, “My strength has failed, 
And so has my hope from the Lord.” 

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

Despite all this, Jeremiah continued to do all God said 

And Jeremiah’s reason to press on?  

²¹I recall this to my mind, 
Therefore I wait. 
²²The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, 
For His compassions do not fail. 
²³They are new every morning; 
Great is Your faithfulness. 
²⁴“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, 
“Therefore I wait for Him.” 
²⁵The Lord is good to those who await Him, 
To the person who seeks Him. 
²⁶It is good that he waits silently 
For the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3 (NASB)

Genuine Worship Sees God Above All Else- As Paul Wrote 

⁸More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, ⁹and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

¹²Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3 (NASB)

Elements of Genuine Worship in Pain

Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world. . . 

“No doubt Pain as God’s megaphone is a terrible instrument; it may lead to final and unrepented rebellion. But it gives the only opportunity the bad man can have for amendment. It removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.¹ 

C.S. Lewis

But are we not all rebel souls in a sense? So, if it is pain that brings me closer to Jesus, how should I look at the pain? Just thinking aloud. Certainly, as we have studied the Old Testament and I dare say the New as well, Suffering gives us the greatest opportunity for genuine worship. That is where we become more like Christ. The greatest joy is when all else fades away in comparison to knowing Him. It is trusting Him in the storm, knowing He knew me before I was ever born and loved me enough to give His life to save mine. This world is not my final home and is a split second in time compared to eternity.  

¹ C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: HarperCollins, 1940/1996), 91. 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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Does the Wrath of God Actually Demonstrate His Ultimate Wonderful Grace?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: HarperCollins, 1940/1996), 91. 

PICTURE Licensed from GoodSalt

He had warned them so many times.  But they did not listen.  God demonstrated His Righteousness and His Wrath against Sin repeatedly throughout history.  Everything in nature demonstrates who He is.  Still, in total depravity, humanity persists in living lives of high treason against the Almighty creator of this world.  If God allowed depravity to overrun all this creation without showing forth His Wrath against injustice, then we could never experience His Ultimate Wonderful Grace.  Evil and darkness would snuff out any spark of light.  Do you feel the smothering effects of evil’s power in this world today?  I do. 

But I also recognize how the effects of evil’s power manifests itself within my own heart, were it not for the grace of God that saves me and releases me from its power. His Ultimate Wonderful Grace can only be fully understood when I understand the Wrath of God against sin.

Warning of the Wrath of God Because They Rejected Him

The people had pleaded for a King to rule them so they would be like all the other kingdoms.  In I Samuel 8:10-18, God warned them.  He tried to tell them that they would regret this once the Kings had taken from them.  They insisted they wanted a king to rule them. 

⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. ⁸ According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. ⁹ Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”  I Samuel 8: 6-9 (NASB)

God had warned them long before through Moses. 

In Deuteronomy 28, God promised blessings if only they would obey. They would be blessed beyond measure. Yet, He warned them.

But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:   Deuteronomy 28:15(NASB)

He proceeds to describe then all of the curses to include famine, plagues, drought, floods, pestilence, war, and ultimately if they did not repent, He foretold their exile.

⁴⁷ “Since you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things, ⁴⁸ you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

⁴⁹ “The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down; a nation whose language you will not understand, ⁵⁰ a nation with a defiant attitude, who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Deuteronomy 28: (NASB)

The Wrath of God Demonstrates His Ultimate Wonderful Grace

The Lord God Almighty gave them Kings as they requested.  He sent prophets to warn them.  Throughout those years, He demonstrated His power, His patience, His Grace and His wrath.  Despite all this, they continued to chase idols or attempt to worship however they saw fit.  Doing each one what was right in their own eyes.  As such, the prophecies were all fulfilled and the last King to sit upon the thrown in their time ended in total distress. 

Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah of all that would come.  Instead of listening, the King imprisoned Jeremiah. 

⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. ⁶ Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. ⁷ And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.  2 Kings 25:5-7 (NASB)

Despite all this, we know that King Zedekiah will not be the final King.  For the King of Kings will come.  They had rejected God as their ruler, but He will return, and He will reign as Israel’s ultimate King. 

Why the Wrath of God in Exiling Judah?

They had turned their back on God. And the sour grapes, spoiled the crop completely. Therefore, it was necessary that He remove and preserve the remnant by separating them in exile.

Let me sing now for my beloved
A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
² He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it,
And also carved out a wine vat in it;
Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only worthless ones.

³ “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
Judge between Me and My vineyard.
⁴ What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
⁵ So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
⁶ I will lay it waste;
It will not be pruned nor hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.”

⁷ For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help….

¹³ Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge;
And their ^[j]nobles are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.
¹⁴ Therefore Sheol has enlarged its ^[k]throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
And ^[l]Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
¹⁵ So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
¹⁶ But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
¹⁷ Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the ruins of the ^[m]wealthy.

Isaiah 5 (NASB)

In the meantime, God preserved the remnant. They remained a scattered nation enjoying only moments within their land; but enough to preserve the heritage and to fulfill God’s ultimate plan of salvation. 

Were His wrath against sin never demonstrated, His ultimate wonderful grace could not have been.  Why?  Because humanity’s depraved heart would remain hell-bent on destroying all that is righteous and good. Is that not what we see today as well?

Without the Wrath of God How Do We Know Grace?

If we do not understand God’s wrath against sin then we can never comprehend His Grace.  God the Father poured out all His wrath against our sin upon God the Son who willingly bore that wrath, so that His elect could be save.  Like the wrath of God being poured out on Israel and Judah, so that the remnant might be preserved and saved.  God demonstrates Himself in many ways, so that no one has any excuse. 

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  Romans 1(NASB)

No Excuses, He Has Made Himself Known

Not only has He shown himself through creation itself, God also revealed Himself through His word.  With great, miraculous means He has proven His word repeatedly throughout history.  It would take a fool to see all that has happened and not believe.  Ah, but that we are: fools.  I see that He has the power to speak, and the demons even obey His voice; yet, like a fool at times worry about such trivial things.  Furthermore, He has spoken through His son.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways. ² In these last days has spoken to us in His Son. Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. ³ And He is the radiance of His glory. The exact representation of His nature,  and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1: (NASB)

God Has a Future for Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation

He will return to restore His people of Israel as well.  One day, He is returning to pour out His wrath against all sin and evil.  We have through the studies seen glimpses of His wrath.  Some have died suddenly, some in battle, some swollen up by the earth.  But in all and through all, God has accomplished His will and we who know Him as Lord and Savior can rest assured, He will complete His work in us as well.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶ For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  Romans 11 (NASB)

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previous

4 Reasons We Who Really Know God Have Peace and Joy

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

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