Stay on Track
Ps. 16:11 “You will show me the path of life.”
I have learned over the past 50+ years that staying on track and staying on the path of righteousness takes self-control and discipline. The Holy Spirit plants self-control within us and it is growing inside of us as a fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22 , “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control against such there is no law.”
Self- control and self -discipline are developed as you are obedient to the "Still Small Voice of the Lord" on a daily basis become obedient to the boundaries that He sets for you. The little acts of obedience count! Obedience to the little things is how we learn to be led by God's Holy Spirit. What He says no to, we are to say no too ! He will guide us and give us His counsel as we seek Him.
"I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me." Ps. 16:7-8
You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures For with You is the fountain of life. Ps. 36:9
We drink from the fountain when we are in the presence of God, and this fountain will sustain you in seasons of trouble and drought. You see now why you must stay close to Him as you are traveling along the Path of Life; it is not an easy road! It is not a scenic road! It is narrow and can be very steep and dangerous, so we must not go too close to the edge. That is why we need hind’s feet for the climb. We need to be living in truth, speaking truth, walking in the way of truth to be safe.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mathew 7:14
Since the way is narrow we must look to God’s Word and gain wisdom on how to set boundaries in our life and safe guards to keep us on the path. We need to listen because sometimes we need guidance, but other times we need warnings, and correction. We actually gain wisdom from mistakes so we will not repeat them. I know where I can’t go and I have learned where my boundaries are for safety.
Here are some more scriptures to help you on your journey.
Prov. 10:17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life. But he who refuses correction goes astray.
Prov. 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
Prov. 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life.
God Is Speaking
John 16:13 KJV
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come"
It sounds like a pretty foundational point, but I believe there are many who still question whether God really talks to people. Have you ever wondered about this? Do you ask yourself if God would ever speak to you? You'll be happy to know that the answer is yes.
Toward the end of His time on earth, Jesus told His disciples, "I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or take them upon you or to grasp them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth)" (John 16:12,13).
When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to men with whom He had spent the previous three years, yet He still had more to teach them. This is surprising, because I would think that if Jesus was with me personally for three years, day and night, I would have learned everything there is to know.
But Jesus always has more to say because we will always be facing new situations in life that He wants to guide us through. That's why we've been given the Holy Spirit - so that we can hear God speak, even though He may not be physically in front of us.
Through Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants to speak to you on a One-to-one basis every day. He wants to lead you step-by-step to the good things He has in store for you.
The Father will give the gift of His Spirit to all who ask for Him (see Luke 11:13). I want to say again emphatically that each of us can hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit daily.
Are you listening?
Dearest Abba Father,
This morning I read this passage from the Bible:
"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." 1 John 4:15
"Jesus is the Son of God." Six simple words. However, they are much more than simple words; they are the doorway that opens our hearts to God. So then what I now have come to understand is that each day as we confess Jesus as God's Son, we also consciously and intentionally welcome God into our hearts. The Father lives in the person who confesses the Son! That's so fantastic!
I've believed for such a long time that Jesus was Your Son- You made flesh as a man and it seems like a whole world ago (much less a lifetime) that I confessed that very thing with my lips and with my heart. But what I don't think I have ever done- at least on a conscious level- is to get into the habit of saying it out loud every single day as a way of welcoming You each morning into my heart and be part of my day.
What I mean is that every morning I've said, Good Morning Jesus! but no! I don't recall that I have ever confessed You in Jesus Christ out loud each and every day as a means of welcoming You to be part of my day.
Father, I want to live my life and center my heart in You. I gladly confess that Jesus is the Son of God, my Lord, and my Savior each and every day and I gladly say it out loud. I gladly welcome You into my heart and be part of my day! and I'm sorry that I haven't read that into this Scripture before now. But I Thank You that I get it now.
I Love You God and Thank You for Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I Praise and Thank You in the Name of Jesus Christ my Beloved. Amen.
Bible Word Study
WHAT DOES THE HOLY WORD SAY?
God's Word makes it clear that we are to desire to have the gifts of the Spirit at work in the Body of Christ. The world is longing to see all believers be living examples of Jesus, carrying on His plan and allowing the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in and through our lives.
THE REVELATION GIFTS: THE SPIRIT MANIFESTED
1 Corinthians 12:7-8,10
"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit ... to another discerning of spirits."
A SUPERNATURAL OCCURANCE!
According to the Word of God there are nine manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit. These can be classified into three different categories:
the gifts of utterance,
the gifts of revelation
and the gifts of power.
The utterance gifts, which are also referred to as the inspirational gifts are:
the gift of prophecy,
the gift of tongues
and the interpretation of tongues.
The gifts of power are:
the gift of faith,
the working of miracles
and the gift of healings.
The revelation gifts, (which are the focus of this study), are:
the word of wisdom,
the word of knowledge
and the discerning of spirits.
All three of these gifts reveal something in the supernatural. These gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested through individual believers as the Spirit of God wills. The gifts of the Spirit aren't just given for the individual, but they are given in order to edify the whole local assembly or local body of believers.
1 Corinthians 12:11
How does this verse work with our desiring of spiritual gifts?
1 Corinthians 14:1
Why are we called upon to pursue love amidst pursuing the gifts?
John 16:13
How does this verse relate the the revelation gifts?
DEFINING THE REVELATION GIFTS:
All of these manifestations of the Spirit are not to be confused with the day-to-day workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. These are unique and special instances when the Holy Spirit supernaturally shows up on the scene and brings about something that is otherwise impossible.
The Word of Wisdom:
The gift of the "word of wisdom" is different than the wisdom that we receive as we spend time in prayer and meditate on the Word of God. The word of wisdom has to do with perceiving the future. God opens the curtain a little bit and you see into what lies ahead. When God sees fit to reveal His own mind and purpose and plan to man in a supernatural way, He does so by this supernatural manifestation of the word of wisdom.
The Word of Knowledge:
The gift of the "word of knowledge" is different from the every day knowledge we gain from exercising our mind. The word of knowledge is a revelation to an individual of something that they would have no way of knowing outside the Spirit of God showing it to them. The word of knowledge is a supernatural revelation by the Spirit of God concerning certain facts in the "mind of God" facts about people, places, or things in the past or present.
The Discerning of Spirits:
Through this spiritual gift, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to discern or distinguish between different kinds of spirits. In other words, the Holy Spirit can and will enable us to unmask even the most cleverly disguised evil spirit. This gift allows you to discern when others are being led by an evil spirit. You are enabled to judge the presence and activity of an evil spirit, and even identify the spirit. At the same time, the discerning of spirits also enables you to know when the Holy Spirit is working in an unusual manner, and not confuse His uniqueness with the work of an evil spirit in disguise as an angel of light.
WORD STUDY:
Look up the following words
1. Wisdom ___________________
2. Knowledge ________________
3. Discerning ________________
THOUGHTS TO DWELL ON
Everyone all over the world is hungry to see Jesus. They are tired of just hearing about Him and they don't just want to know what other people say about Him. They want to see Him for themselves. They want to see His character, His life and His power. It's time for us to let Jesus walk and talk and live His life through us and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to do the works that He did so that the world can see Jesus through us.
God's has always intended for us to reveal Jesus to the world during our earthly lives just as Jesus revealed the Father to the world during His earthly life. We need to wholeheartedly yearn for the gifts of the Spirit to operate in the Body of Christ. We need to allow His compassion to well up within to the extent that it can't help but pour out to all those around us. Just as Jesus was moved with compassion as the gifts of the Spirit flowed through Him, so the Holy Spirit will manifest Himself through our lives to reveal the one and only true God.
The Revelation Gifts Scriptures
John 16:13
1 Corinthians 1:5-6; 12:11; 14:1,6
Romans 11:29
Galatians 1:12
Acts 16:16
Revelation 19:10
Further Scriptures
Psalm 112:1-3
Romans 16:3-4
Mark 11:25-26
1 Peter 3:7
~ Our Great Savior ~
"The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Matthew 12:42
The Pharisees were criticizing, castigating, and judging Jesus. And Jesus responded by saying, "Look, a greater than Solomon is here."
Now, what on earth prompted Jesus to say such a thing as this?
No doubt that those Pharisees must have wondered at Jesus' bold statement. After all, Jesus was a carpenter's son. Let us look at other differences between Jesus and Solomon ...
Solomon was born in a palace; Jesus was born in a stable.
Solomon was born in Jerusalem, and Jesus was born in little Bethlehem.
Solomon had many servants to wait upon him hand and foot. Jesus had none.
Solomon wore his kingly robes, but Jesus wore His peasant's garb.
Solomon drank from vessels of gold. Jesus had to get a drink from a Samaritan harlot.
Solomon was rich beyond compare while Jesus was a pauper.
Solomon had great armies, but Jesus only had a few stragglers following Him.
Solomon lived in mansions; Jesus was homeless and sometimes didn't have a place to lay His head.
Solomon had thousands of horses and chariots and rode in splendor. Jesus walked.
So; how is it then that Jesus could be greater than Solomon?
I. Greater in the Wisdom He Proclaims
Now, if you want to talk about a wise man - Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs. He knew 3,000 proverbs and had memorized 1,500 songs. What a mind he had! Solomon knew all about the created universe. But Jesus had greater wisdom. You see, Jesus made all of the things that Solomon knew about.
We read in the Bible where Solomon studied ichthyology. He knew all about fish, but Jesus knew more. Jesus put enough fish in two empty nets to sink
two boats. Solomon knew all about the cycles of the wind, but Jesus knew how to rebuke the wind and cause the Sea of Galilee to be still at His command.
Solomon knew all about navigation. He sent ships out all over the earth to bring back riches. But Jesus could walk on water.
II. Greater in the Works He Performs
Not only did Solomon have great wisdom, but he also did mighty things. Solomon built a palace for himself. It took thirteen years to complete, and it defied description. But Jesus is building a greater house. He said in John 14:2, "In My Father's house are many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you."
Solomon invited people in for great feasts. But Jesus could take five loaves of bread and two fishes and feed 5,000. He could turn plain water into sparkling wine.
Solomon built a temple beyond compare. It was the most glorious, magnificent building that has ever been built. But Jesus has built a greater temple. You and I are His temple. First Corinthians 6:19 says, "...know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you ...?"
III. Greater in the Workers He Pleases
Solomon built many things and employed many workers. And he was a great man to work for. Can you imagine serving in his court in all the lavish wealth? Solomon's workers were happy, but Jesus gives me joy unspeakable and full of glory.
IV. Greater in the Wealth He Possesses
King Solomon was incredibly wealthy. King Tut, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump will have to stand aside when it comes to wealth. Tons of gold, along with ivory and spices, were poured into Solomon's coffers. But Jesus'
wealth is greater. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Jesus, and all of the diamonds and the rubies in those hills. Every star in the sky belongs to Him.
V. Greater in the Worship He Provides
Finally, Jesus is greater in worship. Solomon was there to lead the people in worship. That's why he built the temple, and God gave him a throne. But there's another throne, and Jesus sits upon it. Solomon no longer sits upon his throne, but Jesus sits on His! And He will never, ever be dispossessed.
Like other great kings, Solomon has come and gone. All that he had is gone. But Jesus is still here!
A) He will supply you with His wisdom.
B) He will give you water so you will never thirst again.
C) He's preparing a place for you in heaven.
D) And Jesus will give you joy day by day.
And that is exactly why we worship the One, the Lord Jesus, Who is greater than Solomon. He is! and will always be! the everlasting King and our great Savior.
God - The Book Part V. Conclusion
Creation To Eternity
The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 1.
After supper, Jesus walked to a garden called Gethsemane for a time of prayer. His disciples followed Him to this secluded place.
After His prayer, the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders arrived there, looking for Jesus. Judas, who had just eaten with Him, was leading the group. Judas approached Jesus, greeting Him with a
kiss of betrayal.
Suddenly, Jesus identified himself to the mob by saying, "I AM."
The crowd went backwards and fell to the ground.
After that, Jesus allowed himself to be tied up and brought into the high priest's house.
The temple officers struck the blindfolded Jesus and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?" The temple officers who held Jesus ridiculed Him and spit in His face. And when they had blindfolded Him, they punched Him and slapped Him on the face, and then said, "Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?"
Early the next morning, the crowd led Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow corrupting our Jewish nation."
But after questioning Jesus, Pilate told the chief priests, the rulers and the people; "He has done nothing worthy of death. I'll just order Him to be beaten and then release Him."
But they called out all at once, saying, "Get rid of this man. Crucify Him. Crucify Him."
Pilate, wanting to satisfy the people, had Jesus brutally whipped, and then turned Him over to be crucified.
The soldiers pushed a crown of thorns onto Jesus' head, and then put a purple robe on Him. Mocking Him, and beating Him with their fists.
The Roman soldiers braided a mock crown of thorns, placing it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. They said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they beat Him with their fists.
Afterwards they took Jesus and led Him away, making Him carry a wooden cross up to a place called Calvary, also known as Golgotha or the place of a skull.
The Betrayal and Crucifixion Part 2
There in the same area, where many years before God had told Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac, they nailed Jesus, God's only beloved son, to the cross.
As they did this, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they are doing."
While Jesus hung between two criminals who were also being executed, soldiers took His clothes, gambling for His robe, which fulfilled the prophetic words spoken by David.
For three hours, the people watched. The rulers with them mocked Jesus, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God ."
Then a darkness came on the land which stayed for three more hours as the prophet's words were fulfilled: "The Lord laid the sins of us all on Him."
Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, saying, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?"
Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, fulfilled scripture when He said, "I thirst."
The soldiers ridiculed Jesus as they offered Him vinegar by saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
Jesus tasted the vinegar, then called out, "It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Then He bowed His head, and let His spirit go.
As He died, the sun darkened and the earth quaked, and the thick veil of the Temple ripped down the middle.
Now when the Roman captain in charge saw what happened, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God."
Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two thieves who were hanging on the crosses beside Jesus.
But when the soldiers saw that Jesus was already dead, they didn't break His legs. Instead, one of them pierced His side with a spear, allowing blood and water to pour out.
All of this happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled: "None of His bones will be broken," and "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
Afterwards, two believers (Joseph and Nicodemus) took Jesus' body, wound it in linen grave clothes dipped in spices, and laid His body in a tomb. Then, as requested by the Jewish leaders, the tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers.
Resurrection to Eternity
Now, after three days, there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the tomb's door. In fright, the Roman soldiers trembled and then ran away. When followers of Jesus came to the tomb and saw the stone moved, they were confused.
Suddenly, two men stood by them in shining garments, saying, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen. Remember how He told you before that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?"
Then they remembered His words.
The same day in the evening, Jesus came to the disciples and stood among them and said, "Peace to you."
But they were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a spirit.
So He said, "Look at my hands and my feet, it is really Me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, like you see I have. Everything happened as I told you it would because all the writings that described me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled."
Then He opened their understanding, saying, "It is written in the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name
among all nations. And you have seen these things."
Jesus continued appearing to many people, showing them that He was alive, which gave infallible proof of His resurrection. And He instructed His disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel."
At the end of forty days, Jesus announced to His disciples, "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall tell others about Me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth."
As they watched, Jesus was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white clothing said, "Why are you standing there staring up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was just taken up into heaven, shall come back again in the same manner as you saw Him go."
Resurrection to Eternity Part 2
So the followers of Jesus went throughout the land, preaching and baptizing, telling everyone that Christ the Savior was risen from the dead. They showed in the Scriptures how by Adam came sin and death, but by Jesus Christ came forgiveness and the resurrection of the dead.
Christians, dead or alive, will one day be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
They told how one day all the new bodies of those who have trusted God and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead and, together with those who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
God's book also says that Heaven will open, and Jesus will return to earth as the conquering King and righteous Judge.
And the name written on his clothes will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And the armies which are in heaven will follow him upon white horses.
Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives (just as the prophet Zechariah said), and the mountain will divide. And Christ will reign over all the earth. But when a thousand years expire, Satan will once more go out to deceive the nations, but fire will come down from God and devour those who follow Satan.
Then finally, Satan, the deceiver, will be thrown into the lake of fire and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
And then, in front of a great white throne, the dead, both small and great, will stand before God; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
We will all stand before God, the great white throne judgment; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.
But in a new heaven and a new earth, God will be with His people. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no night and no need for candles, nor light from the sun; because the glory of God and the lamb will be the light; and They shall reign for ever and ever.
And the Tree of Life will be there and the curse on mankind will be gone.
Jesus says, "Let those who are thirsty come. Let them freely drink the water of life. Behold, I come quickly; blessed are they who obey My words.
He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not be condemned; but is passed from death unto life."
This is God's Story for You.
This is God's Story for Them.
You know this story; have known it most all of your life. But what about those people that don't know it?
I fully admit that I am not the door to door kind of person. It's really not in my nature to go out and ring a stranger's doorbell and say: Can I share something with you? Two thumbs up for those that can but it just isn't me.
Still; opportunities come up everyday for each of us to share this Story ... in Part or in Whole.
Facing an Non-Believer is a difficult task at best.
Coming from a scientific background and through the trials of a lifetime I have found that, at least for me, it is much easier to reach out to some people on a Scientific level than it is to try and reach them on a Religious level.
I want you to look at this Questionaire that I will be including in the final segment.
In fact I encourage you and want you! to feel completely comfortable to print it out in several copies and keep them on hand. The next time you are confronted with a Non-Believer just give it to them to look over at their leisure and reach their own conclusions.
At the very least you will be setting them up to do a little investigative work on their own. Supernaturally you are setting them up for the Holy Spirit to minister to them as they study these questions.
You may never know if you have reached them on some level- but you can take great comfort in knowing that you tried. Which is all that God really expects of us.
To know God's Story
To Believe it
To try and live a good life
To Share it with others.
It is my hope that while reading this you will have come to better understand Your place in the Kingdom of God. You are Important and You Matter greatly in the furtherment of spreading the Word of God.
Let our hearts join with the Heart of Jesus Christ that no man be left behind. That we will feel the pain that He feels when one leaves this planet unsaved.
Until we each, in our appointed time, unite with Our Saviour, I wish you a life filled with the Peace that surpasses all understanding!
Dr. Angel Koerner Ph.D
~ Jephthah & Jephthah Daughter ~
“Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.”* (Judges 11:1-3)
God here acquaints us with the unfair pressures that shaped Jephthah’s life. It wasn’t Jephthah’s fault that his father sinned and put him in such a predicament. Nor was it fair for the other sons of Jephthah’s father to treat him in such a way as to make him feel obligated to leave the country, especially since he seems to have achieved some merit in his life: “Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour.” It is a further measure of just how respected he was for his valour that (in spite of the thrusting of him out of the home) when the Israelites were in trouble with the Ammonites, they went to him for assistance (see vs. 4-11).
And so this man, Jephthah, responded to a life-or-death crisis. He would either prevail against the children of Ammon or they would prevail against him and his people. The trial would either make him or break him. To fail would be utterly disastrous; to succeed would mean everything.
Such pressure as this brings out a great deal of what we have. And we are given a picture of how Jephthah thought and how spiritually prepared he was for the crisis of his life by the conversation between Jephthah and the king of the Ammonites.
In verse 12, Jephthah asked the king of the Ammonites, “What is wrong? Why do you want to fight us?”
This king replies to Jephthah, “Israel took away our lands [300 years ago]. Now restore them” (vs. 13).
Jephthah then makes a long reply to the Ammonites in verses 14-27. Basically he says that the lands were not taken because Israel just wanted them. The Israelites merely wanted passage through the lands of Ammon (and Moab) to get to Canaan. But these countries would not give that passage and attacked Israel. They were defeated and their lands taken, but not because of Israelite aggression. Furthermore, they have had 300 years to recover their land and had not done so. Jephthah concludes, “Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.” (Judges 11:27)
This argument reveals a great deal of knowledge about God and His dealings in the past with the Israelites and their neighbors. It is accurate knowledge. God had indeed done those things, and it had happened as Jephthah related it. What is missing is a current relationship with God, characterized by faith and confidence in Him. Jephthah knows about God, and his knowledge about God is correct, but Jephthah doesn’t know God! Think of this! He is facing the greatest crisis of his life, and he doesn’t know God! He only knows about Him.
All of this comes out in the vow that Jephthah made. “And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.”* (Judges 11:30-31)
A man that knew God and had faith in Him would not feel the necessity of making the vow that Jephthah made. He would understand that God did not want or take pleasure in such an extreme commitment. Jephthah misunderstood the character and nature of God. He thought within himself that God was of a nature to be moved to help by the extremity and severity of his sacrifice, and he still thought this (as did his daughter), even when the full extent of that rash vow became apparent. The awful tragedy of the whole matter is that God was not as Jephthah understood Him. God was all too willing to help and did help them, but God took no pleasure in Jephthah’s vow. As the Lord said at a later time to the Israelites, “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind.” (Jeremiah 19:5)
Now God could have delivered Jephthah from the consequences of his rash vow, just as God delivered the Israelites from the Ammonites. God could have fixed it so that Jephthah’s daughter, his only child (Judges 11:34), did not come out of the house, but God let it be. God let Himself be misunderstood. God let the matter proceed as it did. There were reasons why Jephthah had not gotten to know God as God really is, and this story stands as a warning to all of mankind of what we can get into if our heart is not taught of God. If we only know about God, rather than knowing Him as He is.
Please note that Jephthah still didn’t know God even after his ignorance bore terrible fruit. His daughter didn’t either. She felt the “necessity” of her father keeping his vow (Judges 11:36). At terrible cost, the vow was kept, and still they knew not that God took no pleasure in it.
There are many Jephthahs today who imagine that God requires or delights in such and such a thing. Many of these imaginations proceed from a profound misunderstanding and misinterpretation of what God is and what He has done in the past.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.”* (Matthew 23:25)
It is clear that this rash vow of Jephthah was excess. Excess is defined as “The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that which exceeds what is usual or proper; immoderateness; superfluity; superabundance; extravagance.” Think of what it means to be guilty of excess in the eyes of God! A lack of Holy-Ghost-inspired temperance. The strain of people trying to please their idea of what God is without being taught of Him how to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”* (Ephesians 5:18) We are quite willing to say that there is no excessiveness in the requirements and dealings of the Spirit of God. Verily, He requires only reasonable service (Romans 12:1), as He defines reasonable. Now folks who are of a mindset to think that the Lord doesn’t care, that He is rather indifferent to much of how we live or do; they also do not have a rightful picture of what God is like, either. Their problem is not the strain of making rash vows; they are more inclined to go to excess in the opposite direction and conclude that God doesn’t really require much of anything. And so we see that if we are not led by the Spirit of God, we will be led by something, and that something will be of a tendency to excess in one direction or the other.
One end of the human reaction scale is compromise and the other end is fanaticism. We submit to your thinking that the right path is not on the human reaction scale at all. Only the Divine Mind knows how we should walk and do (Jeremiah 10:23), and He wants us to know Him and His way for us. “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”* (Jeremiah 9:24) It is not in being a “moderate” as we define what moderation is. It is being taught of God in our heart and the fruits that follow of really knowing Him. “It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”* (John 6:45)
~sigh~ But; I digress. Let's continue on with the story and what we can learn from it.
The story of Jephthah and the untaught hearts of the children of Israel does not end with the eleventh chapter of Judges. It continues into the twelfth. Even the deliverance that God had given the Israelites from the enemy without (the Ammonites) did not unite them. There arose internal dissension over who got left out of the victory, etc., and soon Israelite was shedding the blood of Israelite. When God does not keep the house, even when He in mercy gives relief and help for certain needs, things still do not go well overall, for human effort is in charge. When we do not understand God or His ways correctly, it is not enough to recognize that an individual is really, truly saved (an Israelite). Human wisdom will impose artificial barriers and means of identifying which camp you are in. Are you an Ephraimite? “Say now Shibboleth.”* (Judges 12:6) And if you can’t say it just right (by their definition), they will slay you, spiritually speaking.
This is the same thing we read about in Revelation 13:17, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” In Jephthah’s time, you were rejected and slain if you couldn’t say “Shibboleth.” In the Revelation, you are rejected and cannot buy or sell if you do not have the “correct” number or name.
The professed Christian world is divided into a multitude of lands, all professing to be Israel. Many people who sing ...
“We reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one,
While love entwines about each heart in which God’s will is done”
... have not the faintest idea of a fellowship really based on just being saved. They recognize what they think is saved… plus something. This plus something can be as simple as being saved plus “attending our services.” The disciples applied an additional test of fellowship beyond salvation when they forbid the man casting out devils in the name of Jesus to continue “because he followeth not with us.”* (Luke 9:49-50) Jesus reproved them for forbidding him. They misunderstood the character and nature of God. We see then that a lack of understanding God leads to more of a lack of understanding of God. It just gets off further and further. The rash vow of Jephthah was grievous, but the civil war was infinitely more so.
God wants to be properly understood. He is seeking for true worshipers who want to know, yea, who will not be satisfied with anything else than to really know, what He is really like (John 4:23-24). Oh, He is seeking for those who want to know Him as He is! There are so many diligent, careful, false worshipers who hold in reverence “another Jesus!”* (2 Corinthians 11:4)
If we misunderstand God’s motives and His character, we are at enormous disadvantage in pleading His promises or properly interpreting what He does or does not do for us. A son that properly understands the character and love of his father expects good things, nor is he disappointed. “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”* (Luke 11:11-13) Do you see from this scripture that God wants to bless you? Do you understand that He is on the giving hand, a God that is near “and not a God afar off?”* (Jeremiah 23:23) To properly understand God is to really admire and adore Him. It will stir firm confidence (faith), complete trust, and rest.
“When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.”* (Proverbs 3:24)
“God loves to be longed for, He loves to be sought,
For He sought us Himself with such longing and love:
He died for desire of us, marvellous thought!
And He yearns for us now to be with Him above.”
God’s standards are not peculiarity for the sake of being peculiar. He does not delight in us being strange to worldly minds around us just to be strange. It is strange and peculiar to really live holy. It is strange and peculiar not to hold grudges and forgive others their trespasses. It is very strange to be humble and meek, to be little in our own eyes. It is completely foreign to natural human nature to live a surrendered, consecrated life without any ambition other than to please God and be accepted of Him. And God takes pleasure in such a dedicated, plain, careful life. He knows when it begins to become an end in itself, too. He knows when it is too loose and gives undue liberty to the flesh, and He knows when it is strained, stretched, and characterized by rash vows. God is not a God who delights in human stretching and straining. God is not pleased by fanaticism. God is not pleased by compromise.
God knows when our idea of His salvation is characterized by too much leaning to our own understanding—a reasoned salvation of human effort mostly, rather than being filled with the Spirit. There is vastly more to God than intellectualism. God is able to bring you into His pavilion until your soul is filled with a sense of His greatness and your appropriate and rightful (humble) relationship to His bigness. He not only saves us from sin; He can save us from ourselves and the inappropriate use of our capacity. It does not have to go with us as it did with Jephthah. Jephthah did not have to do as he did. He could have settled on this reality: “God has delivered Israel all down through the years. I’ll just trust Him to deliver us again.” How infinitely better this would have been than the path of the rash vow!
Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. ~ Judges 11:29
We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease and so on. These are all difficult circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming a great warrior. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.
"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
Jephthah's Rash Vow (Judges 11:21-40)
There are some stories in Scripture that present us with challenging questions, often because they come from a world and a culture far removed from our own, and because we have certain ideas about Scripture that prevent us from hearing the stories in that context. One of those Old Testament stories is the story of Jephthah and a foolish vow he made that cost his young daughter's life (Jud.11:36-40). With our modern sensibilities, we recoil from the story. Why did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter? Since God would never receive a human sacrifice, does that mean that if we say stupid things we should do them even if it is against what we understand about God?
In this case, an unfamiliarity with the nature of Scripture and how the Israelites used narrative to communicate theology causes us problems in hearing this story. There are many things in Scripture that recount past events that are not meant to be presented as positive or as models for our actions today. The book of Judges is an especially good example of that.
Recall, in the book of Judges (21:25): "all the people did what was right in their own eyes."
Throughout Judges, most of the leaders (called a shophet, a "judge" or tribal military chieftain) that emerge are seriously flawed. They were only able to accomplish anything because God worked in spite of their failures.
Jephtah’s Daughter
Names in the Bible often say something about the person, but in this case the young woman in the story is nameless. People without a name seem less real, so leaving the girl without a name minimized the horror of Jephthah's act, and made him more acceptable as a hero of Israel.
Jephthah means ‘he opens’; the name may refer to Jephthah’s fatal habit of speaking without thinking - he opened his mouth to make the vow when it would have been better if he had remained silent.
The vow of Jephtah, Judges 11:1-11, 29-33.
In return for victory in battle, Jephtah vowed to God that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw on his return home. In the early part of Israelite history, the leader of the clan had extraordinary powers, and under certain circumstances he had the power of life or death over members of his clan.
The consequences of the vow, Judges 11:34-40.
Jephtah won the battle and returned home. As he approached his house, his beloved only daughter ran out to meet him, which meant he had to sacrifice her to fulfill his promise.
When she was told about the promise, she courageously accepted the fact that she must die. For two months before her death she went up into the mountains with her companions, where she lamented that she would never know married love, and never hold her children in her arms.
When Jephtah returned victorious from the battle, he was greeted by women singers who went out to welcome him. They were led by his daughter.
‘Then Jephtah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing.’
This was a normal custom of the time, and Jephtah should have foreseen it. Women normally went out to greet returning military heroes with songs and poems. We know of this from other examples, including Miriam (Exodus 15:20) and the women who praised King David (1 Samuel 18:6).
When Jephtah saw his daughter and realized what he had done, he was distraught with grief, but immediately ‘blamed the victim’, reproaching his daughter for being the one whom he saw first, rather than blaming himself for the vow he had made.
‘She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow”.
When Jephtah’s daughter heard of her father’s vow, she responded with dignity and restrained anger. She accepted her fate, but on her own terms.
'She said to him “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites”.’
Modern writers object to the daughter’s passive acceptance of her death, wishing she had objected to her father’s vow.
But in the context of the times Jephtah had to sacrifice her, and she had to accept her fate. Her father made a promise on behalf of his people and he believed that God had accepted the promise, giving him victory in return. Now the promise had to be honored despite the terrible cost, and the daughter knew this and accepted it.
But here's a thought: is it possible she knew in advance about her father's vow, and deliberately come out of the house first, thus bringing the vow onto herself rather than on someone whom her father considered expendable, for example a servant? Could the girl have taken the place intended for someone else? We'll never really know. At least not on this earthly plain.
The daughter’s real reaction to her fate is shown by what she did, not what she said. ‘And she said to her father “Let this thing be done for me: grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I”.’
She preferred to spend the last days of her life with her friends. With them, she mourned the fact that she would never achieve the goal of all Jewish women: to hold her child in her arms. (Judges 11:37-40).
The exact method of her death is not known. If she was a burnt offering, she would have been first killed with a knife, and then her body burnt.
An annual festival for young women commemorated the death of Jephtah’s daughter – ‘for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephtah the Gileadite’.
We are supposed to recoil from the monstrosity of Jephthah’s actions. The later community of Israel who included this story in the biblical traditions knew how wrong child sacrifice was, so there would be no mistaking this for a model of right behavior. It would be another example of what happens when God’s people become confused in their thinking about who is really God and how God works in the world. This becomes another lesson for Israel that God will not be manipulated by magical incantations or bargains that we strike with him on our own terms.
That is precisely what Jephthah tried to do in making his vow to sacrifice the first thing that met him on his return home, if only God would help him win a battle. God did not need that bargain to aid Jephthah. Jephthah was yet another tragic figure in Judges who had not yet learned enough about God to know that God does not respond to magic or bargains, which lay at the heart of Ba’al worship. Jephthah’s battle against the Ammonites was not won because of his vow, but because of God’s presence (11:32). His lack of faith in God, and understanding of who God is, cost him his daughter.
The biblical traditions recall that as a great tragedy (11:39-40):
"So there arose an Israelite custom that for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite".
In closing; one of the greatest lessons that I have learned from this story written in Judges is that God does not bargain!
As I searched myself I realized that I am guilty of checking myself to make sure that I am completely "good" with God before I approach the Lord with my prayer requests. Are my tithes up to date?, do I have aught against anyone?, does anyone have aught against me that I need to apologize for? am I behind in my Bible reading? and so on.
All of these things are good and the right thing to do but when we only really do them so that God will honor our prayer request(s) then any way that you look at it; that's bargaining. And it isn't going to work out any better for us than it did for Jephthah.
It's God's good pleasure to give us the desires of our hearts and He will - if they line up with His plan for our lives. If it doesn't then He just isn't going to do it. As I type this I am reminded of the Scripture that says something to the effect of what Father who's child ask him for a piece of bread would then give him a snake. God isn't going to give us something that ultimately does us harm in some way.
I Praise God for the Scripture! Scriptures that ever guides us along this journey through life. Don't you?!
~ The Holy Spirit of God ~
Today we are going to look at the Holy Spirit as a living, breathing part of God. Not a mist, not a vapor, not a ghost but a very real, very distinct individual.
The Holy Spirit is a Person:
The Holy Spirit is included in the Trinity, which is made up of 3 distinct persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The following verses give a beautiful picture of the Trinity in the Bible:
Matthew 3:16-17 NIV
"As soon as Jesus (the Son) was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven (the Father) said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 28:19 NIV
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit",
John 14:16-17 NIV
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you".
2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all".
Acts 2:32-33 NIV
"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear".
The Holy Spirit has a Name:
Parakletos
The original New Testament Greek word Parakletos (pronounced in Greek as par-ak-lay-tos), which literally means "called to one's side", was used to describe someone who pleaded another's cause, or who helped others by defending or comforting them. In English-language versions of The Bible, parakletos is usually translated as Counselor, Comforter or Helper when referring to the Holy Spirit.
Depending upon the translation, parakletos is translated variously as Counselor (RSV, NIV), Comforter (KJV, ASV) or Helper (NASB, NKJV) in regard to the Holy Spirit of God. When the Holy Spirit is referred to as "he" in translating from the original Greek, it's the result of the use of linguistic masculine "genders" in Greek nouns.
John 14:12-17 RSV
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My Name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in My Name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Counselor [parakletos], to be with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you."
John 15:26-27 RSV
"But when the Counselor [parakletos] comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses"
John 16:7-8 RSV
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor [parakletos] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment"
The Holy Spirit has a Mind:
Romans 8:27 NIV
"And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will".
The Holy Spirit has a Will:
1 Corinthians 12:11 NASB
"But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills".
The Holy Spirit has Emotions:
Ephesians 4:30 NIV
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption".
Isaiah 63:10 NIV
"Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them".
The Holy Spirit gives joy:
Luke 10:21 NIV
"At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”
1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit".
He Teaches:
John 14:26 NIV
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you".
He Testifies of Christ:
John 15:26 NIV
"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me".
He Convicts:
John 16:8 NIV
"When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt [Or will expose the guilt of the world] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment"
He Leads:
Romans 8:14 NIV
"Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God".
He Reveals Truth:
John 16:13 NIV
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come".
He Strengthens and Encourages:
Acts 9:31 NIV
"Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord".
He Comforts:
John 14:16 KJV
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever"
He Helps Us in our Weakness:
Romans 8:26 NIV
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express".
He Intercedes:
Romans 8:26 NIV
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express".
He Searches the Deep Things of God:
1 Corinthians 2:11 NIV
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God".
He Sanctifies:
Romans 15:16 NIV
"To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit".
He Bears Witness or Testifies:
Romans 8:16 KJV
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God"
Romans 8:16 NIV
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children".
He Forbids:
Acts 16:6-7 NIV
"Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to".
He Can be Lied to:
Acts 5:3 NIV
"Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land"?
He Can be Resisted:
Acts 7:51 NIV
“You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
He Can be Blasphemed:
Blasphamy
1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2. an act of reviling God.
3. the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless.
5. profanity, cursing, swearing; sacrilege, impiety against God.
Matthew 12:31-32 NIV
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come".
He Can be Quenched (squelched):
1 Thessalonians 5:19 NKJV
"Quench not the Spirit".
He can be jealous & envious:
James 4:5 KJV
"Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy"?
James 4:5 AMP
"Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit to be welcome with a jealous love"?
Moving On ....
I know you want to please the Spirit of God with your life, so today I want to tell you about something that is guaranteed Not to please Him. By knowing this, you can avoid grieving Him and can concentrate your attention on doing those things that are sure to bring Him pleasure.
I want to draw your attention to the word "envy" in James 4:5. But first I want to back up and speak to you about the "lust" that the Holy Spirit feels for you and me. The word "lust" is the Greek word "epipotheo", a word that portrays an intense desire; a craving; a hunger; an ache; a yearning for something; a longing or pining for something. Usually this word is used to indicate an intense yearning for something that is morally wrong and sinful.
But in James 4:5, this Greek word describes the intense yearning that the Holy Spirit possesses to have us entirely for Himself. Because the word "epipotheo" is used to depict the Spirit's longing to have us, it expresses the deep love and affection that the Spirit of God has for every believer.
However, James goes on to tell us that in addition into this intense yearning for us, the Holy Spirit also experiences "envy" regarding you and me. The word "envy" in James 4:5 is the Greek word "phthnos", a word that describes a person who is jealous about something; a person who feels rivalry or envy; or a person who hold a grudge because of someone else's behavior. It also carries the idea of ill will and malice.
This word "phthnos" is the very word that would have been used to illustrate the emotions of young man experiences when he discovers his spouse is being romantically pursued by someone else. Because James uses this word to depict the Holy Spirit, we need to stop and think about what it means for a few moments.
Anger, resentment, rage, envy, jealousy; these are the emotions a "man" feels in such a situation. He takes this threat to his marital relationship very personally and holds a grudge against the pursuer. Every time the husband thinks about what that romantic bandit is trying to do, feelings of malice and ill will toward the violator rise up in his soul.
Even more significantly, a "man" who really loves his wife is not going to sit by and watch his wife be stolen! The envy and jealousy he feels will move him to action; to do everything in his power to win back his wife and permanently eliminate his competitor. Because the husband is envious, he does all he can to see his relationship with his wife restored.
All of these ideas are conveyed by the Greek word "phthnos" used in James 4:5 when the Bibles tells us about the "envy" of the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word "phthnos" could be understood this way: The Spirit takes it very personally when we share our lives with the world. He wants us so entirely for Himself that if the world tries to take us away, it infuriates Him. You need to know that in these cases, the Holy Spirit will not idly sit by and watch it happen. He'll do something to change the situation! Not only does it infuriate the Holy Spirit when believers turn their devotion to the world but it drive Him to intense jealousy. At this point, He will release His full rage against that unholy relationship, moving on the scene like a Divine Lover who has come to defend and rescue the relationship He holds so dear!
This is something you can be sure of: If you commit more of your heart, soul, and attention to worldly things than you give to the Spirit of God, He will not take it lightly.
Never forget that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Lover. He is preoccupied with you. He wants to possess you totally, and He desires that your affection be set wholly on Him. That's why the Holy Spirit feels like a
lover who has been robbed if you walk and talk like an unbeliever or give your life to the things of this world.
He jealously desires His relationship with you to be restored. He has divine malice toward the worldliness that has usurped His role in your life.
The Holy Spirit is not a passive Partner. He aggressively and actively pursues you. He fiercely wants more of you. When you give part of yourself to something or someone else's control, the Holy Spirit wants to seize that part of your life and bring it back under His divine control. He even has malice toward your preoccupation with things in this natural realm.
So make your relationship with the Holy Spirit your top priority. Don't give Him a reason to feel betrayed by or envious of other things in your life that have taken His place. Get to know the Holy Spirit's voice in your spirit so He can help you set your life in order. Make sure every area of your life is under His loving control!
