The Secret of Power with God
THE SECRET OF POWER WITH GOD
IN this study we have been considering from God's Word how our spiritual losses can be recovered. We have pointed out how God had planned that man could recover every loss through Hebron and Zion. Hebron speaks of fellowship, first with God and then among ourselves as fellow believers. Zion speaks of God's heavenly or spiritual House. The more we understand what that spiritual house is, the more we can recover our losses. We have mentioned how God led David step by step into Zion, for it was only when he was brought into Zion that the national —losses were recovered.
When Solomon built the temple as commanded by God, then God came in His full glory into Zion. He began to speak in a clearer way to the whole nation, and all the people rejoiced with great joy, and came into God's house with great expectation. We can say, in simple language, that God became more real to them.
We learn something more about Zion from Psalm 87:2,, 'The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.’
, The Dwellings of Jacob F Jacob stands for a man whom the Lord chooses.
- God chose Jacob with all his follies, shortcomings, and weaknesses, but Jacob had to go through many experiences before he could understand God's purposes fer him. For more than twenty years Jacob tried to obtain and enjoy by thus efforts the blessings which God i had planned to give him. From his childhood he had heard from Isaac about the portion of the first-born son, so he tried to get that portion by deceiving his father J with the help of his mother.
I Again in the house of his father-in-law he tried to do the same things. He was miserable when he left his ' father-in-law's house. Even though Jacob had plenty of cattle and much wealth, yet we find him full of fear (Genesis 37). ‘All the dwellings of Jacob’ in Psalm 87:2 speaks of all that he had been doing himself, his own efforts, his own struggles and his own battles and all his human efforts to obtain God's blessing. He was trying to get the portion of the first-born by human methods.
I There are many believers of the same type, they try to enjoy God's blessing by human effort. They try to serve God by human wisdom, but in the end they are disappointed. Even though they study the Bible for years together, and seek to understand the Bible by human wisdom, their lives reveal that they are I lI? defeated. They spend much money in God's service, but see no fruit. They suffer much for God's sake, but have no joy in their lives. They pray for many hours, but have no joy in their lives. They pray for many hours, but receive no answer to their prayers. Why? Because they are doing these things by their own efforts, like Jacob, By human efforts, human plans and human wisdom they try to receive heavenly joy. Such people are living, as it were, in 'the dwellings of Jacob.'
The Gates of Zion
‘The gates of Zion (vs. 1). God's love is towards Zion. A gate indicates that there is someone outside who has to come inside. The Scripture says, 'The Lord loveth the yates of Zion.' God Himself loves and rejoices to enter the gates of Zion, and if we also would enjoy God's love in its fullness we must become a part of Zion.
‘The foundation of Zion is in the holy mountain’ (vs. 1). There is a strong and sure foundation which cannot be shaken, and that foundation is in the holy mountain. When we long to become perfectly holy, as Gad is holy, He brings us on to a strong foundation.
‘The city of God! (vs. 3). This is another name for the place. ‘Zion’ and 'City of God! are interchangeable words.
‘The Highest Himself shall establish her! (vs. 5). Those who are living in the dwellings of Jacob depend on human energy for their establishment, but those who come into Zion, will be established by God Flimself.
‘The Lord shall count! (vs. 6). God makes a record of everything about those who live in Zion. Whatever we do by ourselves is only a waste, but whatever we do in God's house is being recorded to be remembered, tor ever.
7 ‘The singer (vs. 7). In the dwellings of Jacob, there will be tears, sorrows and disappointments; but in Zion there will be singers and players on instruments singing heavenly songs. That speaks of great joy. The joy in Zion is so great that the players on instruments are I rejoicing together.
I ‘All my springs are in thee’ (vs. 7). Springs speak of
a hidden source of water supply. Nobody knows the, actual quantity of water in a spring. It has fresh water I running constantly and does not get dry. So Gad says here that those who are in Zion have plenty of springs to bring them delight.
It is only in Zion we can recover every loss, so the Lord continually seeks to draw our attention I towards Zion.
j Abraham and Melchizedek
Genesis 14:18, 19. This is the first reference to Zion Y in the Word of God. The name ‘Salem’ means peace; I and Salem or Jerusalem is the city of peace. (Ll) Not a shoe latchet
Abraham was about to face great temptation. He had been in the field af battle and had defeated the enemies of the King of Sodom and had brought back the men of Sodom and plenty of wealth. The King was
119 grateful and wanted to reward Abraham, so he offered to him all the treasure they had taken. What a great temptation it must have been to Abraham!
However, before Abraham faced this temptation and before he could be deceived by the King of Sodom’ God had sent him Melchizedek, the King of Salem, and priest of the most high God, who had blessed him (vs. 19). When, therefore, the King of Sodom offered all the wealth, Abraham refused to touch even a thread or a shoe latchet. He had been in the battle-field and his shoes might be worn out, and his clothes might be torn. }le might want a shoe latchet for his shoes and a thread to mend his clothes. But he refused to take even such insignificant things from the King of Sodom.
It needs faith to take such a strong stand. How did Abraham get such faith? From Zion had come Melchizedek, the priest of the most high God, and from him Abraham had received a true blessing, for Melchizedek blessed him in the name of the most high God who is the possessor of heaven and earth. Abraham received from Melchizedek a far greater blessing than the King of Sodom could give him, and through Melchizedek Abraham got a glimpse of Zion which increased his faith, and enabled him to resist even so great a temptation.
(2) Bread and (Vine
Not only did Melchizedek bless Abraham, but he also brought him food from Zion: he gave him bread am wine (Genesis 14:18). Abraham was tired because he had been on the battle-field. Yet, had the King of I Sodom offered Abraham fowl or mutton or ‘biriyani',: Abraham would have said: 'No thank you. I don't want: your fowl or mutton or anything else from you.’ The
King of Sodom would gladly have fed Abraham and a his men because Abraham had delivered them from a their enemies.
Yet, Abraham turned his back on the nice things the King of Sodom offered him for God had already I sent Melchizedek with food from Zion. The priest of
I the most high God had brought bread and wine for
Abraham, that had taken away his weariness. You will I find your tiredness and weariness flee away when you I come to the Zion of God.
, When people do not feel too well, they seize the smallest j excuse Lo keep away from the house of God. They say,
'We cannot go to Hebron. The meetings are very, very long and we are not too well. We had a bad night I yesterday.' They think that by keeping away they will get
: better. Sa they keep away and become worse! I There are others who when they feel sad and dejected
keep away from the house of God. Perhaps somebody: has said something to them which has hurt them and
they keep away, but by keeping away they become worse.
It is by coming into God's house that God's people receive heavenly food and divine strength and joy and keep fresh, strong and healthy before God, and like Abraham are I able to resist every temptation.
I (3) Tithes
Abraham believed that every blessing came from God and that is why he gave his tithe to God (Genesis 14:20).
Now when Melchizedek blessed him, Abraham believed that it was truly God who had delivered him from his enemies and had given him so many great blessings. Because of that he gave Gad one-tenth of all that he had. The tithe speaks of his faith, and is also the expression of thanksgiving. By it Abraham was saving, ‘God has blessed me, and has given me much more than I could have received by my own strength or efforts,’
That is quite true. We cannot enjoy anything unless God blesses us. Though we work very hard and earn much money, yet, if God does not give us good health how can we enjoy that wealth? And if God does not give peace in the family, surely all our earnings will be a waste. We require divine favour to enjoy what we have. Without His favour we have nothing, and can enjoy nothing.
Abraham and Mt. Moriah
According to I Chron. 3:1, Mt. Moriah is the place where Abraham passed his last test (Gen. 22). God appeared ten times to Abraham, and the tenth time He appeared to him in Mt. Moriah. He had to pass these ten tests to become the friend of God. God brought him to Zion to pass his last test.
After this, God was fully bound to Abraham. Abraham had obeyed God and whatever God commanded, he did. He took his only son, laid on him the wood of the burnt offering, and went to: Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22:9), Without any question or doubt, he placed his son upon the altar, stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Then God called to him, ‘Abraham, Abraham, lay not thy: hand upon the lad’ (Gen. 22:11, 12); and when he I turned round he saw a ram caught in a thicket.
I There was no chance of the ram running away.
God Himself had brought the ram, so how could it I escape from God's hand? It had not been brought: there by any man. The ram had been caught in a thicket for a purpose, and God was speaking to I Abraham through it. He was saying: 'Now Abraham,
you have fully obeyed me. You have never doubted. me. What I commanded, you have done. Without ' question or doubt you have obeyed me. You have passed your test.
) Further God was saying to Abraham, 'You see the
ram bound in the thicket? In the same way, I am also bound to you. In the beginning I commanded you and I you obeyed me. Now you command me and I will
obey you.' What a privilege! Now Abraham could I command God! God was bound to Abraham for; eternity, and even today He is keeping His covenant I with Abraham's seed. Even though Abraham's seed I failed God, and rebelled against him, yet God said to Noses, ‘Tam the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob', because of the covenant He had made with Abraham.
In the same way when you come into Zion without fear or doubt, God is bound to you. You can command God to do anything and He will do it for you. Can any man give us so much? Foolishly we depend upon ourselves, our human wisdom and strength for victory when it is only by coming to Zion that God can be fully bound to us and by faith we can recover every, loss. Abraham had made many mistakes: he had listened to Sarah his wife and married Hagar and that I was a terrible mistake; s0 much so that the Ishmaelites I were a source of constant trouble to God's people, yet Abraham recovered all in Zion. We too may incur I many losses, yet by coming into God's house or Zion, we will recover every loss. i
Now by coming to Zion, Abraham was given real, faith. No doubt in the beginning he had some faith, I for when God spoke to him, he obeyed and left Ur of the Chaldees. This was a great sacrifice, for he left his home and family and property behind; yet this I was only an imperfect stage of faith. It was only in Genesis 22 when he came to Zion that he was given true faith, and believed the Lord would raise up his son even if he slew him. He was about to slay his son I on the altar, but at the same time he knew God would I not change His word, but would raise him up again. Such faith is not easy to have, )
Do not keep away from God's house nor despise it. Do not despise the fellowship of God's saints, but take your full share in the house of God and then you will surely recover every loss, I
These two lessons from the life of Abraham are very I important to learn. Honour God by your substance and 7 acknowledge that God alone can bless you; this is the I first lesson. The second is to come into God's house with I strong but simple faith and then you will be wholly and fully bound up in the purpose of God.
7