Chapter Two
THE SERVING VICTORY
1.The persecutions:
As soon as we begin to grow in the grace and knowledge pf the Lord Jesus Christ and confess Him as our Lord and Savior boldly before all men, we are bound to be despised and hated by those who do not want to follow the Word of God in all their ways. We are reminded in 2 Tim.3: 12,”Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ” The Lord Jesus Christ warned us in Math. 10:24,25, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as hid lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much mire shall they call them of his household?” In John 15:18- 21, we are being taught by the Lord that before the world hated us, it hated Him and if we were of the world, the world would love us but because we have been chosen from the world, the world hates us.
We read in Psalm 123:3,4, how for the Lord’s sake we will be hated and despised even by our friends and people whom we respect greatly. By keeping our eyes upon the Lord as written in Psalm 123:2, “As the eyes of the servant look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, ” we can come out fully victorious in all these situations. For His name’s sake we must regard our sufferings and share as a privilege, as we see in, Acts. 5:41, “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” Our joy becomes greater when we learn to suffer shame for His name’s sake.
In Psalm 124:1-3, we read how the Psalmist was attacked by all kinds of enemies. The same thing happens to us also for a short time we are protected from all the enemy attacks but after a while the Lord does permit all kinds of painful trails and feel as if everything is going wrong. For a period God takes us through a very dark valley. When we find ourselves going through such valleys we feel very lonely and forsaken.
It is interesting to know how the eagles learn to fly very high at a very early age. Please refer to Deut. 32:11. The eagles are born with closed eyes in the nest. After they have grown up a little, the mother eagle comes and stirs up the nests. As a result the young eagles with closes fall from a great height. Before the eagles fall on the ground the mother comes and spreads her wings abroad so that the eagles fall on her wings. This process is repeated several times until the young ones learn to fly for themselves. That is how at an early age they learn to fly very high. The process is very painful. The nests are broken and the young birds seem to fall helplessly from the great height.
The same process happens to us also. Our plans are broken by God. We do feel very lonely because nobody is friendly and helpful. Through such painful experiences we rise to great spiritual heights and God’s mysteries are revealed to us. In our extreme sufferings and trials we learn to put our entire trust on Him. That is how we become the partakers of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and finally enjoy the power of His resurrection (Phil.3: 10). To be partakers of His sufferings means, to go through extreme sufferings. The sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ were of an extreme nature. In the end of His earthly life He was forsaken by all. Even His beloved disciples deserted Him and ran away. Everything seemed to be dark. Even the sun became dark. Those who had once been blessed by Him now reviled Him and mocked Him. In the same way we also have to be made partakers of His painful sufferings in order to be able to reach great spiritual heights. This was the experience o f the Psalmist.
In verses 4 & 5 of Psalm 124 David says, “The waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul. ” The troubles that came to him were like floods. Floods often come suddenly when people are not at all prepared to face them. For several years there may have not been any floods; then one year they come suddenly. Recently there were many floods in many parts of North India, and they brought much damage to lives, cattle and crops. The Government tried their best to help people much could not do much. In our lives also there are occasions when the enemy comes upon us like a flood, from most unexpected sources or at an unexpected time of life. The Devil can work against us through friends or relations. Those whom we love, respect and admire sometimes rise up against us. It is good to be warned before hand that such situations are possible. At such times we have a promise from the Lord in verse 2 that He will give us victory. “If it had not bee the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us.” notice the words “The Lord was on our side.” Even though we try our best to get help from other sources we find that they all fail. In the end the Lord alone comes to our aid, as Paul says, in 2 Tim 4:16, “No man stood with me, but all men forsook me. ” But Paul continues in the next verse 17, “not withstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion. ” thus he was able to preach the Gospel boldly in the midst of his enemies. When the enemy saw that there was no one with Paul and yet he preached boldly he was defeated. So God allows us to be forsaken and left alone without help from friends, relations or others. But he helps us in the situation so that His name may be magnified through us.
For the same purpose David had to go through much persecution from king Saul for eight years. At the end he was able to say in Psalm 18:17, “He delivered me from my string enemy, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me. ” Not a single friend came to his help. Saul was after his life and attempted to kill him thrice. His own people did not give him any protection. He could find no shelter in the House of God. Strangers were afraid of him. Eventually he hid himself in a cave called Adhullam. It is there that the Lord became very close and precious to him. He stayed in this cave for many days. He had to pray and depend upon God for everything: for food, protection and shelter. Those four hundred men who came to be his companions were also men who were in trouble and debt (1 Sam.22: 1,2). Not a single person was able to help him in all his difficulties and troubles. Further they were surrounded by the army of Saul on all sides. They could not go out of the cave to get food or help. They did not posses any money. Yet the Lord helped them.
Thus you find through all our troubles afflictions and trials we are drawn very close to Him. We can prove His faithfulness in all our afflictions when there is no one to help us. In Psalm.66: 10-12, we read that David was taken to a large wealthy place. So in order to bring us to a large wealthy spiritual place He will take us through refining fires and painful trials.
In the beginning of our spiritual life God will not allow us to go through such painful trials but when we grow spiritually then He permits us to be afflicted (1 Cor. 10:13). Some of us have to go through such experiences at an early age and some later on; but they must come one day. God knows exactly when we can bear them. In His own sovereign way He will take us through fiery trials. David says in Psalm.124: 7, “Our soul is escaped as a bird….” Sometimes those who catch birds lay a strong net to catch birds and they are easily caught. But when there is a strong wind or storm the net breaks, or of it catches a thorn it tears. Then two or three birds will escape. That is how the Lord helps us to escape. The enemy will try to ensure us but the Lord will intervene and set us free. When we are in great temptation or about be torn by the enemy, or when all hopes fail or when we are in the midst of fiery trials the Lord comes just in time and helps us and bring us to a large wealthy place.
2. The Promises:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord”(Psalm.124:8). In our afflictions we can prove God’s faithfulness if only we trust Him; but in our folly we depend upon our own strength, wisdom and talents and so we are defeated. However strong we may be we are bound to be defeated. But it is good to know beforehand that by His grace and strength we can overcome all our afflictions and trials.
In Psalm.125: 1,David says, “they that trust In the Lord shall be as mount Zion.” The children of Israel on their way to Jerusalem to observe the feasts of Lord Jehovah had to climb the mountains, which surrounded Jerusalem. At that time they remembered all the promises, which God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their forefathers. These promises reminded them of the Lord’s help from time to time to deliver them from their troubles. In spite of all their failures, disobedience and rebellion the God of grace and mercy heard their prayers, and delivered them. When they saw the mountain of Jerusalem which did not change, they were reminded of God’s promise in MalachI.3: 6, that He was an unchanging God. They as human beings changed and rebelled against God; they wounded and grieved Him; but He never changed. He is a faithful God. When we humble ourselves and confess our sins before Him, He is ready to forgive us. (Deut. 7:9). As the people were journeying to Jerusalem they were conscious of their defeat, disobedience and rebellion. But when they saw the mountains of Jerusalem they has hopes, that if they reminded God of His covenant and promises He would forgive them (2 Chro.7: 14,15). In this way they remembered many promises of God. At the sight of the mountains around Jerusalem they received new faith because they were reminded that He is a loving and merciful God; if they trusted Him, He would turn again to them. They had to come back to Him with all their heart, and with simple faith and belief that whatever God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to their forefathers would surely come to pass. That is why again when they turned to God as a nation they were abundantly blessed. They were scattered, persecuted and punished because of their sin and disobedience, but when they humbled themselves God came in, helped them, and blessed them.
Thus you find if you call upon God with real faith He who is a God of mercy and love will not turn you away empty. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You might have grieved Him much but if you come back with real repentance, confess your sins and believe from your heart that Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself your punishment and condemnation for all your sins even for your thoughts, and shed His precious blood to cleanse you and keep you thoroughly clean from every defilement, then the very second you believe, you will be forgiven.
The people who were going to Jerusalem had new faith and hope. In the beginning of their journey they were afraid to go to the House of God because they knew they had been disobedient and had wandered away from Him, and they wondered how they could approach His holy presence now. But when they saw the mountains, they remembered that He was a faithful and covenant-keeping God, and so they humbled themselves.
3. The Progression:
If we also humble ourselves, confess all our sins and obey His words, trusting in His mercy and compassion He will forgive us and restore us. Just as new joy came into the hearts of god’s people on their way to Jerusalem and increased more and more as we go on overcoming every temptation and trial.
When we receive Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior we must believe from our hearts that He Himself is our righteousness and has put away the old man o the Cross. Then God will not allow ungodly people to harm us (Psalm.125: 3). He Himself may punish us but He will not allow the ungodly men to touch us. We see in the case of Balaam in Numbers 23:1-9, how Balak the king had promised Balaam a great reward if he cursed the people of Israel. Even though they rebelled against the Lord, the Lord did not allow Balaam to curse them because, as a people the children of Israel had come under the blood. The day the Israelites left Egypt at God’s command they had sprinkled the blood of the lamb which was slain, on their doorposts and lintels. By the shedding of the blood and by faith they became righteous. So the Lord would not allow Balaam to curse them even though they were disobedient.
Thus you find God will punish us for our folly and disobedience but He will not allow any ungodly people to harm us. They will try many ways to do so but God’s people have the assurance that they will be well protected (Isaiah 54:17). God may chastise us as a loving fathering order to make us partakers of His holiness (Heb. 12:9,10), where as the ungodly show their hatred and enmity against us by trying to harm us. Let us claim the righteousness of God as our righteousness, and at the same time thank the Lord Jesus for His precious blood by which we are cleansed and say, “Lord! We are Thy people even though we have failed Thee and grieved Thee. We confess our sins. Please punish us yourself, but do not allow the ungodly to do so. ” Our safety is in committing ourselves into God’s hand. This is what David did (2 Sam. 24:14). He said, “let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of men.” What a privilege we have as God’s redeemed people when we become righteous in God’s own righteousness. “They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. ” (Psalm.125: 1).
In Psalm 126:5,6, we read of the step we should take when we return to the Lord after our backsliding, as did the people of Israel. When we have been away from God through our disobedience, which caused our defeat and failure, we lost our first love, our burden for prayer and our interest in God’s Word. In this miserable state we caused other people also to go astray. God’s people were carried as captives into Babylon because of their disobedience, but when after 70 years they repented the Lord brought them back to the Promised Land. When they returned their joy was great but it was mixed with sadness and tears. In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 we find our Lord calling believers, in five out of seven churches to repentance.