Shalom! This is the extended version of our Father's Farm message from June 22, 2024.
May His Peace flood over us and sustain us in those times where our minds cannot explain or comprehend the "why".
I want us to consider what it would be like if we had to face our challenges, trials, tests in this life alone. I am fairly certain that the majority of us have either just gone through, are in the midst of, or may be faced with something soon that will feel like you are carrying a sack of boulders up a mountain, with a bad back and you are just at the base now. Thinking how will I ever get to the top and survive this climb?
We wake up each day with this feeling of weight and heaviness, putting on a smile or some type of façade to ensure we don’t let others in on the fact that internally we are feeling defeated, that our hope in anything turning out for us has almost run out, and we do all we can to just get through one more day.
Some try to manage everything on their own, putting the blame on God, and let their hearts grow harder and harder as the anger, fear, anxiety reaches all new levels. Some turn to a bottle, or a pill, or whatever they can to try and drown out the chaos and uncertainty that has crept in. Some lash out at those that are closest to them… their spouse, their kids, let’s face it… even our pets at times. The patience is just gone, the anger is at all all time high, and we just can’t understand WHY our Father won’t just take this burden from us. Yes, we remember the verses that tell us that our trials are a testing and a building up of our faith and steadfastness. But in those moments, do we really cling to those words and take up refuge in them? We all know the right way to deal with these extreme lows in our lives is to drop to our knees, bow our heads and call out on our Father for His mercy, guidance, and love… to look to Him for our hope and our salvation through the storm. But do we?
I just want to go through a few passage that are a reminder to us that we are NEVER facing these moments of grief, sorrow, frustration, uncertainty, the list goes on … alone. HE literally takes each step, each overwhelming moment, each painful, stressful, you fill in the blank experience with us and is there to uphold us and to carry us through.
NOT only is He in the midst of it all with us, that alone is enough to sustain us, but He is working in the lives of others that we may or may not even know, and at times in our lives that we are not even aware of… choreographing this very moment to be rolled out in a way that displays His sovereignty and glory. Some of these times, we see this right away, some we have to wait until we reach the top of that climb, sometimes not until many years after we have trudged our way through that desolate place, and yet there are some circumstances that we may never get to see the why unless He chooses to reveal it to us… But we put our trust in Him and know that He is God, and His ways are perfect.
If we truly believe that our Bible is God’s Word to us… He proves this over and over and over again in example after example. There are too many to go through in entirety, but let’s hit on a few together.
We see so many ancestors of faith that went through the depths of despair and praise God that their testimony was recorded and can be an encouragement to us when we face our tribulations. Our patriarchs had hit some major lows, enough that they too at times cried out to the Father… "just take me now". Let's look at 5 key figures in the Tanakh that had reached their all time lows...
Moses – wandering in the Wilderness with 600,000 (not including women and children – Ex 12:37)… after experiencing the incredible miracle of God’s power intervening to free His chosen people from exile… How fast they forgot what God had done to get them to where they were… as they grumbled and complained…
Numbers 11:4-6 – 4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing (the actual word in Hebrew – eenam literally meant “at no cost”), the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
Moses had had enough…
Numbers 11:15 – Moses said. “Just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”
Ellijah – at an all time low (which for the prophets really was not hard to understand as they were given extremely difficult tasks by God, didn’t make a lot of friends in that day)… anyway, he became extremely down trodden when Jezebel wanted to kill the prophets… Elijah runs for his life and shockingly prays to God …
1 Kings 19:4 – “I have had enough, LORD. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Job – after experiencing MUCH pain, extreme loss, ridicule, and frustration..
Job 3:11 – “Job asked, “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”
Jonah – Did NOT want to do what God has asked of him and tried his best to run away from the presence of the Most High, not because he feared his task, but rather he did not want to see God give a people/nation (the Ninevites) mercy if they turned from their wicked ways, which he knew God would do. Out of rage and frustration that the people of Nineveh DID repent and humble themselves, and God DID spare them… Jonah has a bit of a self pity party,
God has a brief discussion with him using a plant as a teaching lesson.
Jonah 4:1-11 (CJB)
4 1 But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. 3 Therefore, Adonai, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!” 4 Adonai asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”
5 Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6 Adonai, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up. 8 Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
9 God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?” He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!” 10 Adonai said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left—not to mention all the animals?”
Jeremiah – also a prophet with many who hated him for what he spoke. And even when wanted to STOP prophesying, as his torment became too much –
Jeremiah 20:9 –
9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
At which point in Jeremiah 20:14 – he cries out…
“Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day my mother bore me, let it not be blessed!”
And yet… What did God tell Jeremiah at the, what I will call the “job interview” when God first made Himself known to him –
Jeremiah 1:5
5 1 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God had a plan, before He formed ANY of us… We ALL have a purpose and are intimately known by our creator. He knows what we go through in our deepest valleys, hardships, and times of uncertainty.
One thing that we can easily put to the wayside when we are in the midst of things, is our absolute need and dependency on our Father, who so badly wants us to reach out for Him. We try to handle things on our own and control the situation… we can even at times put the blame on or get angry with God for what is taking place rather than, submit ourselves humbly before Him, thanking Him that He is the one sustaining us.
I want to go over a story we all probably extremely well, but it’s a beautiful reminder of hardship and the right response to that hardship. And surprisingly it is not Job.
It’s Joseph –And Joseph himself said it best, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)
Let’s go wayyy back to ancient times… no exact dates on this one, but possibly around 1700 BC according to some scholars. Joseph is born to Jacob and Rachael.
Joseph was treasured by his father Jacob, being the firstborn of his first love Rachael and let’s talk about his valleys for a moment…
Joseph becomes hated among his brothers and extremely so after he tell’s them about his dreams (Genesis 37)
Joseph is thrown into a well/pit by his own brothers who are at the point of killing him and instead sell him into slavery to Ishmaelite traders, who then take him to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh. We learn in the next section that he is going to find favor with Potiphar and given good standing.
Reading the story we get a sense at this point that things are looking up for Joseph… So easy for us as the reader, knowing the outcomes of each of Joseph’s hardships… but let’s stand in his sandals for a moment… he is a young man, 17yrs old (Gen 37:2), just traumatized by his hateful siblings (which doesn’t even come close to describing what he endured with the pit situation and the uncertainty of his own family wanting to take his life), ripped away from EVERYTHIING that he had and was familiar with, was taken to be a slave, and from an earthly sense completely alone. Yet was he… alone? By no means… We are reminded that God is with him.
Genesis 39:1-6
39 Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. 5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. 6 So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.
Potiphar’s wife throws her stunt and lies to her husband when things don’t turn out the way she had hoped, which lands Joseph in prison. Once again, Joseph is taken away, stripped of his position, wrongfully accused and disgraced, uncertain of his future, and could very easily have felt abandoned and alone, yet AGAIN we are reminded, God is with him through it all…(Chapter 39: 19-23)
19 As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, “This is the way your servant treated me,” his anger was kindled. 20 And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. 23 The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Joseph interprets the dreams of the Pharaoh’s baker and cup bearer – asks the cup bearer to remember him… he does not until years later….
Joseph served 13 years between his time with Potiphar and in prison. Did he have moments where he was lifted up in position and authority with Potiphar and in his prison time, yes of course, but let’s not kid ourselves, he was a human… and he was in prison. He was without his family, his beloved father, he was not a free man, faced with a life of servitude not knowing if he would ever see his father again, or even ever have a family of his own some day… we get the highlights of the story in the Bible, but the day to day had to be somewhat heavy for him during these 13 long years. His faith remained strong, he ALWAYS gave the glory to God and God carried him through, but we are never promised a life without hardship and pain.
When interpreting the dreams in the prison…
Gen 40:8 -
8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
Gen 40:14 -
14 Only remember me, when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this house. 15 For I was indeed stolen out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also I have done nothing that they should put me into the pit.”
GOD NEVER LEFT HIS SIDE, and had a PLAN that was being rolled out. Joseph may not have realized it up till this point, but he soon would.
Two years later when the Cup Bearer finally remembered Joseph – how could he have left him 2 years?
Again, this WAS by design… God had plans for the Pharaoh, the land and Joseph, but it is on HIS timing. The Pharaoh has him brought from the prison to interprets his dreams. AGAIN, Joseph glorifies God in this.
Gen 41:14 – 16
14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” 16 Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not in me; GOD will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”
Gen 41:25 – 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Gen 41:28 - 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Gen 41:32 - 32 And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.
God’s glory is revealed in Gen 41:38-45, and God blessed Joseph… at this point, instead of being stripped of his coat, his belongings, his identity, his reputation, his character… He is once again adorned with new linens, authority, and respect not just for himself but His God. This is saying a LOT coming from a Pharaoh of Egypt, who considered himself god.
Gen 41:38-45 -
37 This proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. 40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” 41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, “Bow the knee!” Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. 44 Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no one shall lift up hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-paneah. And he gave him in marriage Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On. So Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.
At age 30, Joseph is promoted to Pharaoh’s next in command, saves countless lives from famine, forgives his brothers, and restores and cares for his family. He has also been given a family of his own and Blessed with 2 sons, Manasseh (“God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” - Gen 41:51) and Ephraim (“For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” - Gen 41:52).
Gen 45:4-15 – Joseph was able to clearly see God’s hand in the midst of all he endured… and summed it up beautifully…
4 So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14 Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
We see God’s plan continue to roll out, as now He set the stage for the people of Israel to be taken into exile by a Pharaoh that will not remember who Joseph was and what he had done for Egypt… and once again we will see God’s glory magnified in the Exodus story, both from a earthly realm and spiritual realm when He executed judgement on all the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12) showing His sovereignty with each plague released upon the land and people.
I am sure that Joseph’s brothers had no idea that their hatred and envy for their brother would cause such a ripple effect, I’m sure Joseph, as aware as he was of how much God had already done through the events of his life, had no idea that he had set the stage for one of the biggest, most epic events in the Torah.
We often forget to lift God up when we are in our lowly state … we are great and pleading with Him for His mercy and love and grace… but our worship, praise, and adoration during these times of despair often go to the wayside. We don’t ask how our situation can benefit His plan for our lives or even the lives of others…
If Joseph had decided to wallow in his misery and feel hopeless and self pity in prison… he would not have had his eyes open to see the forlorn of others which would eventually allow him to gain his freedom and ultimately his respect of the Pharaoh.
Genesis 40:5 – 8
5 And one night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own interpretation. 6 When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” 8 They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.”
When we only look inwardly and don’t go beyond our own sufferings… we may miss out on what God has intended for us to experience in the greater picture or plan for our lives. We earnestly seek to find respite and continually ask God to take our burdens, not thinking that whatever situation we are experiencing could very well set the stage for an event yet to come that will Glorify our Father in Heaven. Our microcosm and the events thereof… make up a blink of the universal plan that God has set in place. We are often way too focused on what God can do for us, and not what we can do for God.
I heard a beautiful example of this from a rabbi… (Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz) –
“You know Shakespeare once remarked that “all the world is a stage” and it's been said that we are like actors in a cosmic play which started thousands of years before us and will end thousands of years or more after us and we have a walk on part. Now imagine if you were an actor in a billion page play and you were given one sheet to memorize and the play basically says enter stage right, slip on a banana peel, break your leg. You might go to the director and say this is unfair I have one line and I'm supposed to break my leg?!?! Why is this happening?? And the director might say to you “You're an idiot. If you understood the thousands of pages that came before this and the thousands of pages that came after this you would understand that what happened to you had to happen to you to advance the overall plan of the drama.”
In the same way, this Rabbi continues that the same type of message is delivered to Job when God speaks directly to him “the events that befall us are not always a function of our individual identities but they are responses and precursors to processes that affect the world affect the universe and therefore in a sense He's showing Job… you are a cog in a much larger process.”
We see His incredible authorship and design playing out in so many stories within the Bible. Where in the impossible situation, God not only is omni-present, but has orchestrated each step, knows each outcome, and knows the timing and nails it to perfection.
We see many incredible things that came out of hardships that Israel had to go through as a nation during times of exile. These are just a small handful of examples we are familiar with… but really should be in awe of. We not only see the faithfulness of individuals that God put in place at just the right time... enduring events that we today take for granted. EXTREME SITUATIONS, where their faith and trust in God is put to the test. But we also see that we have a God who doesn't abandon us when we face the impossible... He is right there in the midst of the fire with us!
The examples below that walks us through some key examples where what would seem to be an impossible situation leads Kings and Rulers to proclaim GOD's glory! Even in times of exile for His people, GOD is victorious in all things.
Exile in Egypt – (a 430 yr period) God’s Glory and Sovereignty displayed in executing His promise that He made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16 -
13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
As stated earlier... God rolling out His plan with precision and His Sovereignty was made known in one of the the most epic events in the Torah!
We see in Chapter 5 - The Israel slaves are punished and endure even more suffering when Moses comes on the scene. EVEN Moses cannot understand the "WHY" for this as he is doing what God has commanded him to do...
Exodus 5:20-23
20 They (the foremen of the people of Israel) met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”
Moses could not see or begin to grasp the greater purpose and chain of events that would have not just an earthly impact but a supernatural spiritual one to be remembered throughout all generations... God's reply to Moses below in Exodus 6:2-8..
Exodus 6:2-8 (CJB)
2 God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, “I am Adonai. 3 I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh [Adonai]. 4 Also with them I established my covenant to give them the land of Kena‘an, the land where they wandered about and lived as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Isra’el, whom the Egyptians are keeping in slavery; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 “Therefore, say to the people of Isra’el: ‘I am Adonai. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am Adonai your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov—I will give it to you as your inheritance. I am Adonai.’ ”
Exodus 7:4-5
4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them."
Exodus 9:1616 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you MY power, so that MY Name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
Exodus 10:1-2
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”
Exodus 12:1212 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.
Exile in Babylon –
(70 yr period) The hardships of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. How their Faith and Devotion to the Most High made even the King PRIASE the one true GOD. Through their hardships and extreme uncertainty, they stayed faithful, and God was exalted. They knew God could deliver them, but even if God decided that sparing them was not in the plan... they would remain faithful to GOD no matter the cost.
Daniel 3:1-30/Daniel 4:1-3
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
4 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are his signs, how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from generation to
generation.
Exile in Persia/Media –
Right at the start... we have Daniel staying steadfast and God's sovereignty shining through at the start of this new exile... Darius the Mede just takes the kindgom from Nebuchadnezzar's son, King Belshazzar.
(Daniel 6:6-28)
6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God, enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the
power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
The Book of Ezra begins with a decree from King Cyrus of Persia, allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC – this work starts around 536BC -
In this same exile (some 56 years later) – around 479BC - God decides to put a young Jewish woman in a position to literally save her people from utter destruction from their Persian rulers at that time. The Jewish Feast of Purim continues today in celebration of this amazing event.
God had choreographed this particular event in time perfectly … her faith and humbleness before God saved her nation. Even though the name of God is not mentioned in this book of the Bible… His presence and obvious fingerprints are all over it!
God put her in a position to make a HUGE difference, and in the midst of what seemed like a hopeless and desperate situation… she put her Faith and her people above herself. She too was taken from what she knew and was familiar with, we know she already lost her mother and father as she was being taken care of by her Uncle at this time, so she knew loss and suffering.
She then was taken by King’s edict to be prepared for presentation before the King… pretty much today’s version of The Bachelor, only in this case, the women were forced into being the prospective partner. 12 months of this she endured as this was the time it took to make sure they were prepped for beautification (oils, spices, ointments – Esther 2:12)
Esther won the contest and he loved her more than all the women, winning grace and favor in his sight (Esther 2:17)
She knew she could die going before King Ahasuerus without being beckoned, even as his wife… Esther 4:11- 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
Her Uncle Mordecai, had to give her a bit of a wake up call… But Esther took the word of Mordecai to heart and humbled herself along with all the people…
Esther 4:12-17 –
12 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Now we know this ended well for the Jews and they were able to defeat Haman’s evil plot, Mordecai replaces Haman in favor of King Ahasuerus, and once again what man intended for evil… get’s overturned…. God’s people had humbled themselves fasting for 3 days and God heard their cry and delivered them.
9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
To remember this today – the Feast of Purim – (Chpt 9;22) is very reminiscent of Joseph’s “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20)
The Feast of Purim Inaugurated
20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
Exile in Greece (Alexander the Great) – Judaea comes under control of the Seleucid kings and Antiochus Epiphanes (Greek Seleucid King of Syria, bans Jewish religious practices and dedicates the temple to Zeus and puts a statue withing the temple that some say is the “abomination of desolation”…. This sets off Mattathias and Judas Maccabaeus. The Maccabees are in full force and get control and are able to re-dedicate the Jewish Temple… the feast of Hannukah is born.
Exile in Rome – The arrival of our King and Messiah, Yeshua. His ministry, sacrifice on the cross for our salvation, His resurrection, and ascension. (see all 4 Gospels) Greatest Plan and Gift God provided to mankind EVER! PERIOD.
Let’s bring it closer to our timeframe - Jewish Exile and almost pure inhalation with Germany (1934-1945) – You ask what good could possibly have come out of this – Well, whether it was extreme guilt or overwhelming compassion for what had just taken place, on November 29, 1947 – The UN General Assembly passed a partition plan, and at midnight on May 14, 1948 Israel is proclaimed an official State. During this same timeframe (starting in 1947 and continued on until 1956) The Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered! JUST INCREDIBLE!!!
JUST TO BE CLEAR - THERE IS NO EXCUSE OR WAY TO RATIONALIZE WHAT TOOK PLACE WITH THE HOLOCAUST - IT WAS PURE EVIL. What we saw with Joseph and Esther - can be applied here - What man means for Evil... God can bring about good.
God’s plan is unfolding around us each and every day. If we take the time to focus on Him and even consider the things that we have seen Him do in our own lives… it is mind blowing.
So what should we be doing as children of the Most High when we come across these times in our lives that seem impossible?
1 – We should not only recognize but embrace the fact that we are never alone in the struggle. Giving Him praise and our utmost gratitude that He not only is there with us, but has also endured suffering and knows our pains on every level.
Knowing that WE are not alone in our battle, should also encourage us to come around our brothers and sisters with their needs. Don’t become so inwardly focused on our own problems, that we disregard what others may be feeling. It is easy to lose our temper, or have our patience run thin when faced with hardships… don’t take this out on those closest to you… a spouse, friend, sibling, child, pet… We should be observant like Joseph… knowing that others are facing their own set of circumstances and we should make ourselves available if possible.
Yeshua did this until the end … even after praying in the Garden with tears like blood, pleading with the Father that his impending suffering could be taken from him… the Guards come to get him, Peter cuts the right ear off of the high priests servant (Luke 22:49)… Jesus could have easily said… “Look Malchus, not my problem man… I got my own issues and what you just felt is nothing compared to what I will be going through…” but He didn’t.. he touched his ear and healed him. Even to the point of death, as he hung on that cross to save us all… the suffering he was feeling is indescribable, and yet… the man on his right, a criminal who in the depths of his desperate moment… acknowledging his wrong, and Jesus’s innocence… cries out for Yeshua to remember him when He comes into His Kingdom… and Yeshua… “Truly, I say to you… today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
We have a God who LOVES us to level we can’t comprehend, who is with us in the midst of every battle we face in this life… Cling to Him in the struggle and help others through theirs.
2 – Give Him the Glory He deserves for always being Faithful, Merciful, and Worthy to be praised in ALL things and ALL circumstances. He is EVERYTHING to us, without Him nothing can exist or be. In that alone, we should be humbled to our knees in prayer.
3 – NEVER stop praying… that is our direct line to our Heavenly Father who is holding out His eternal arms and longing for us to just run to Him and allow Him to work in our lives. The answer may not always be a YES or the answer we hoped for, but we have to trust when He tells us NO or things don’t turn out as we want them to in our tiny microcosm… that HE HAS A BIGGER PURPOSE AND PLAN at play, and just as Job (who got a taste of this in 4 CHAPTERS of God reminding Him that even if He attempted to explain it to Job, Job would not be able to comprehend it all)… we have to trust that the ONE who made us, who made EVERYTHING, knows best for our lives. Sometimes there is also the WAIT… this can be just as hard as a NO at times… to be patient for His perfect timing can seem unbearable to us – but again, there is a reason for the WAIT… His Glory and Sovereignty is something not to be hastened by our finite timelines. He knows what is best for us and the overall plan in the Universe that He has formed.
That being said we should be constant in prayer in all things…
Romans 12:9-13 – 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
4 – Submit and humble ourselves, allowing God to use us for our intended purposes, to let His Will become our desire, and be that which He prepared us to become before we even arrived on the scene.
5 – Praise Him in the valley as well as on the peaks of our lives… No matter how bad life can become or what circumstances befall us… there is ALWAYS SOMETHING to be grateful for, especially that fact that the One who put all things in place, who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere at all times… is the ONE who is in control. Sometimes, and let’s face it, most times, we want to know the WHY? Why are we going through this, why is this happening… it is not our privilege or our entitlement to know the WHY if God does not want to reveal it to us. We know WHO we serve, WHO is our Father, and we trust that His ways are perfect and meant for good.
In the past couple of years, where God has been so gracious to let His presence be known, I have clung to the statement that I had heard at one time… “We have absolutely no control over what happens to us in life, but what we have paramount control over is how we respond to those events.”
Does anyone know where this quote came from?
I came to learn just recently that this quote was from Viktor Frankl –
"Victor was born in 1905, he was Jewish, born in Vienna. He studied medicine after graduating high school in 1923 and would go on to earn his MD by 1930. His interest was primarily in psychology.
In 1942, nine months after getting married, he and his wife were set to the a concentration camp, he would lose his Father at the camp from starvation & pneumonia… In 1942, the surviving members were transported to Auschwitz… where he lost his mother and brother to the gas chambers. Eventually separated into different camps – his wife, Tilly, would die of typhus at Bergen-Belsen, and Frankl would spend 3 years in four different concentration camps." - WIKIPEDIA
He was an extraordinary man, and helped sooo many lives both before, during and after the Holocaust. He did not let his circumstances, that were outside of his control, bring him down or disable him from a greater purpose set for his life. I don’t know what this man’s faith was in God, but God did put this man on a path which enabled him to make a difference in countless lives, all which would have a ripple effect through time. There is meaning to the life of EVERY individual that God has placed in this world.
6 – KNOW that God is Enough… If we lose all that we have, belongings, health, loved ones, jobs, careers, you name it… GOD is MORE THAN ENOUGH, and as long as we hold fast to Him and don’t lose our Faith and Trust in the Most High… we have all we will ever need… the other stuff are extra… gifts that He has provided. Yeshua was very clear that we would see hardships, trials, persecution… that life was not just going to be smooth sailing. We should rather expect these in this life, as this life we live is in a broken world. There will be a day, where His Kingdom is restored and we will no longer have sorrow, tears, pain… We will have His Love for Eternity. What an incredible thing to look forward to as we face today’s hardships. He is more than Enough.
In Summary...
We do not have the ability to look at the Universe and the Eternal Plan through God's eyes... our minds could not handle it. What we do have the ability to do is put our complete trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... He was the same God then as He is today and will be forever. He is ALWAYS with us and Faithful and JUST in all His Ways. No matter how bad our circumstances may feel or how impossible they may seem... we have a Heavenly Father who loves us beyond measure and is by our side through it all.
What we may be experiencing could have a ripple effect on lives we may not ever be aware of in this lifetime. We may be going through something that at some point will help a fellow brother or sister in their similar struggle.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
We may NEVER know the "WHY" but we know WHO is in control. HE has a plan and a purpose for each of us and in all circumstances. Let us be steadfast in our praise and hold strong to our faith in all trials... Let His Name be exalted in our reactions and response to ALL life's hardships as that is the only thing we can truly control.
At the closing we read through the following passage together - This Psalm has brought so much comfort when I have expereienced my lowly states. I pray it also brings comfort to you.
Psalm 145:14-21
14 The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Songs That were Sung in Worship:
Lord I Need You (Matt Maher)
Take My Life Holiness (Scott Underwood)
Don't Stop Praying (Matthew West)
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Traditional Hymn)
Take My Life and Let It Be (Traditional Hymn)
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty (Traditional Hymn)
Build My Life (Pat Barrett)
Jireh (Elevation Worship)
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