Pride

The Just Faith

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The Third Promise

“Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV).

The first promise is found in 1:5, the second promise is in 2:3. I have already written on those. The first has to do with God doing a work, “Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” The second of a vision for an appointed time, and “Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. When God gets ready to carry out the message and intent of His Word it will not tarry.

Our promise number three is a short one but so powerful. It deals with “Faith”. The first thing I see is concerning the “Proud”. According to Proverbs 6:16 & 17 “A proud look” is one of the seven things which God hates. It seems that the reason for that is; where there is a person full of themselves there is no room for God. Pride can lead to a multitude of sins.

QUESTION – Who are the “Just”? The word “Just” is often used as a synonym for “Righteous” or “Righteousness”. The “Just” are all those who have been declared just by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is said of Noah that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Noah had done nothing to deserve that favor. He was numbered among the wicked before the flood. God had seen that all mankind was wicked, but… One man, Noah, and his family were saved from the deluge by grace. God, by delivering Noah, has declared him “Just”.

Who are the “Just”? Those whom God chooses as His own. Because of God’s grace He chose Noah to build an ark and by doing that provided salvation for all mankind. In the New Testament is written, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” Titus 3:5 (NKJV).

Looking now at the phrase, “Shall live”. The implication is strongly made that those who are “Just” shall live. They shall live evidently by a certain way, and that way we will look at in just a moment. If we are declared “Just” by the living God, through His Son Jesus Christ and His payment for our sin on the cross, there must be something which happens to the believing individual. They “Shall live”. That in itself would be good enough to cause us to have joy and peace well up in our heart and soul, and that is great, however, there is more here than a simple emotional feeling. It is life that glorifies Jesus Christ, and magnifies the Father, and His Word.

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 (NKJV).

Everlasting life is the gift of God to all who will believe – that is an action word – and believe solely in Jesus for salvation. When we come to believe in Jesus He gives us faith. There is the word that makes this the promise it ought to be. We are told in the New Testament, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV).

That certain way the “Just shall live” is “by his faith”. If you are a female it would be “by her faith”. “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17. The apostle Paul also wrote by the Spirit of God;

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV).

It would seem that the one’s who have turned toward Jesus Christ and trusted His finished work on the cross, His death, burial and resurrection, and believe He is coming again have been given faith by God, and by that faith He gives us the means of living the life of grace He has called and equipped us to live.

It would also seem to me that anyone who teaches that you can be saved, and continue living a life contrary to Christ, His Word, and the Father is going to have a very hard time facing the Lord in eternity. The Third Promise is; “The just shall live by his faith”. This verse is found in Romans 1:17 as well. It is a New Testament principle, and practice. Believing Jesus, and living by the faith He gives us says we will live the life he has prepared for us beforehand; and by faith “We should walk in them”.

-by Tim A. Blankenship

Invitation From Jesus

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The King’s Personal Invitation

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:25-30 (KJV)

After pronouncing “Woe” on three cities Jesus extends an invitation. One of the things that people will answer in most lands ruled by a monarchy is an invitation from the king. If one refuses to answer the kings invitation they are expressing pride, and dishonoring the king. In such a case the king would not look very favorably upon such a person or his household.

There are some prerequisites of the King’s invitation. First of all you must be humble as a child (vv. 25-26). King Jesus is thankful that the prideful are blind to the truth. These are full of pride (the scribes and Pharisees), because of their knowledge and personal works. God is not delighted with sacrifice at the expense of a broken and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:16-17). Children are humble and dependent. This shows us that God is sovereign and that the power of salvation is solely His. He hides His truth from the prideful, ie. prideful in their education, their works, thinking that they have achieved these things, and God owes them for their efforts and accomplishments. God reveals the truths to those who are humble, and know they receive what they receive by God’s mercy and grace. There is no place in Heaven for someone walking around on or in his/her own merit (Ephesians 2:8-10). Heaven is the place of God’s own glory. There is no room for any other. Child like faith is good in God’s sight. Imagine, they have fallen from His glory (Romans 3:23), yet proceed to take it for themselves. The devil was cast out of Heaven because of his prideful attempt (Isaiah 14:12-14).

The second prerequisite is to recognize the revelation is God’s to give (v. 27). God has given “all things” to His Son. It is at the Son’s discretion who will know Him. It is also at His discretion who will know the Father. One cannot know the Father without knowing the Son. Revelation of God is given through His Son Jesus. We see by this that a pride filled individual cannot just decide he wants to know God, and thus know Him. Many times God works through situations and circumstances to humble the prideful. To break their prideful, self-seeking, selfish lifestyles; to remind them that there is a Sovereign God to whom every soul must give an account. The initiative is God’s not man’s (John 6:44). If there is no conviction of sin, and its destruction there is no revelation. If there is no belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus there is no revelation. God pity the soul who receives revelation, yet is without repentance.

There is the need for faith (v. 28a). “…Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is , and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV). Coming to Him believe that He is capable of receiving us. Faith is the gift of God, and without it, there is no pleasing God. Faith believes that which cannot be seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted – at least in the physical sense. Our coming to Christ must be with the faith of a child. For some that will be difficult, because of knowledge, education, and just out in out pride. Just as a child trust their parents for sustenance, protection, loving and caring; so to must the man, woman, boy or girl trust Christ Jesus for the greatest need of mankind. We must trust Him for deliverance from sin, death, and/or eternal separation from God. We trust Him for our sustenance, protection, salvation, and eternity. When you reach the place you realize you are too weak from carrying that load of guilt, and you cannot find comfort from the load of sin you have been bearing, and you have fallen beneath that load; Jesus’s invitation is “Come unto Me…, and I will give you rest.”. You can rest in Him alone for your eternal salvation, and in Him you will have eternal joy in the presence of God the Father.

These “prerequisites” are needs that come with the grace given and received. Another one is repentance (v. 28b). Repentance is a one hundred and eighty degree turn around. You were on the road to disaster, on a slippery hope to destruction, and you decided to turn around and go the other way. In the case of God and repentance, He is the One who opens the eyes of sinful individuals, causes them to see their plight if they continue the way they are going, and also shows them the cross of Jesus – His death, burial and resurrection. If you keep going straight ahead you lose eternally. If you turn around by faith you live eternally. People are on a quest for fulfillment, and think they can find it in material gain. Those who realize that material gain is not the answer, but refuse Jesus, sometimes get into mystic religions, and cults which deny Jesus and His deity, and exalt the self, and to their eternal detriment. All of those things which lead away from Jesus are going the same direction as the seeking of material gain. There is only rest for your soul as you yield to Jesus Christ. When He calls us to “Take My yoke upon you…” He is asking us to join in His work. His work is the work of the Father, and we cannot do it except through Him. Doing God’s work requires that we do it His way, and His way is by Jesus Christ. Genuine faith and repentance are necessary alliances of salvation/rest. Faith without repentace is dead. Repentance without faith is purposeless.

Finally, for one to be a disciple of Jesus Christ we must be submissive to His teaching and training. He gives us command to take His yoke (v. 29) to learn of Him, to serve with Him, and this is what is called discipleship. Every soul who is won to Christ needs teaching and training to grow and be more Christlike. We know that His commands are not grievous or burdensome: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” 1 John 5:3 (NKJV). The Pharisees, and lawyers had heaped a grievous burden of law on the people making traditions law. They were heavy with no fulfillment. With they yoke of Jesus He is alongside us. Another name for the Holy Spirit – as “Comforter” (John 14:16) – is “Parakletos” meaning alongside of, or intercessor, consoler. He is Jesus within us as our Teacher, Comforter, Encourager, and Guide (John 16:7, 13-14). Don’t let anyone deceive you the life ahead even with Christ as your Lord and Savior will not be easy. It is not a promise to an easy road ahead. He is promising that He will remain with you, even in you through all of life’s ups and downs. In Him you are accepted. You can lay all your sins, transgressions, and the guilt that goes with it at His feet, and He will never let you down. His love abides forever.

-by Tim A. Blankenship

Meeting God in Person

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Meeting God in Person

“And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” Genesis 16:7-16 (KJV)

Remembering now that Hagar had received some harsh, and unkind treatment from Sarai, she has fled from her husband and mistress. We must remember some things about Hagar too. She had become “Highminded” against Sarai; though not specifically charged, it is definitely implied by the phrase, “despised in her eyes” (v.5). Sarai was her master wife, the ruler of the household. Now notice who appears to Hagar after she has fled from the Abrahams.

The Angel of the LORD is the one who finds Hagar by a fountain of water. The Angel of the LORD is believed to be a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. This angel is never mentioned in Scripture following the incarnation of Christ in Bethlehem. This shows us that the LORD is indeed concerned with the people of all races, and countries, and that He is involved in the affairs of humanity. The LORD cared for Hagar and went to her.

Notice how the LORD addresses Hagar; He calls her “Sarai’s maid”, reminding her that she has attachments, and obligations, and that she is still a servant to Sarai. The question asked by the LORD is not one seeking information, but rather one seeking repentance. What is Hagar’s need for repentance? She has been rebellious, and proud concerning Sarai; and sought a higher place than what she was allotted by God. She was a servant girl, nothing more. The first born son of promise was to be from Abram and Sarai; not Abram and Hagar.

The LORD’s word to Hagar is, “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.” She is not to exude an attitude of arrogance or supremacy over Sarai, but be an obedient servant girl. God gives her a promise, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly…”, and the promise did not stop there. Hagar is told that she is with child, that she would bear a son, and call his name Ishmael. The promise is one that has not only been fulfilled but makes history practically everyday. It is seriously believed that Ishmael is the father of the Arabic people. This is mostly a people who are also followers of Mohammed who is the founder of the Muslim religion. They fulfill the discription in God’s “promise” to Hagar. “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren”. In the naming of her son Ishmael she would always look at her son and remember the day she heard from the LORD.

Hagar then names the place where she has met God in person “You Are the God Who Sees” (Beer Lahai Roi). This is the same place (24:62) where Isaac, the promised son, would be waiting, years later for his bride; which the servant of Abraham had gone to find.

What did Hagar do upon meeting the LORD and hearing His voice? She honored Him with a great name. She returned to her mistress, and we must believe that she returned in a submissive manner. This experience for Hagar was a blessed experience. It is a privilege, an honor, a blessing, and grace that any one can meet God. All can meet God, however, by the person of Jesus Christ. This Angel of the LORD was He before He ever became man, and walked among us.

God shows His mercy every day. Some may wonder “How?”, and that is really simple to explain. If He indeed did create all things, and He did. If He does indeed still involve Himself in the affairs of this world, and He does. Then, surely He holds the power to stop your breathing, and the beating of your heart with only a word. That is His mercy displayed. His grace was displayed as His Son Jesus hanged between earth and heaven, and all of heaven’s wrath was poured onto the Son in our behalf. The life given by Himself, that we might live with Him eternally. Have you met God personally?

-by Tim A. Blankenship

Protection That Falls

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THE PROUD MAN’S PROTECTION

“Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!  Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.  For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it” Habakkuk 2:9-11 (KJV).

In this woe of lamentation concerning coming judgment upon the one’s whom God has used to chastise His children we have the continuation of the first. You could say this goes with the territory of covetousness. The Proud Man of Babylon has killed, maimed, claimed as his anything and everything which is God’s. He is basically fearful of the judgment which will come on him.

Surely there is no one who could think they can kill, maim, stomp upon, and take what belongs to God as their own, and think that they have no retribution coming. There is the law of sowing and reaping which is pretty common to all mankind. You do reap what you sow. Yeah. Even God declares that law (Galations 6:7).

With each victory of the Babylonians there was a new, and loftier home built, or at least greater security added to what they had. Each victory over their enemy/victim meant even more security systems for them. “That he may set his nest on high…” and “He may be delivered from the power of evil.” My how the wicked fear when everything is going their way. For every victory there is a new enemy. For every enemy there is a new alliance between the enemies. For every enemy there is the need for stronger and better walls [security].

These new securities cried out against them. The MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE notes for verses 9-11 states, “The second charge, of premeditated exploitation borne out of covetousness, was a continuation of vv. 6-8. The walls of their houses, built with stones and timbers taken from others, testified against them (v. 11). For the notes on verse nine the MSB states, “set his nest on high. Wanting to protect themselves from any recriminations their enemies might seek to shower upon them, the Chaldeans had sought to make their cities impregnable and inaccessible to the enemy (cf. Is. 14:13,14).”

The thing the child of God – today’s Christian – can learn from this is that we must be just in our dealings with others. When we do so we have no fear. When we are unjust there will be fear and the utmost, urgent need for security; because God will not be our security. We will have left His arms and shadow of His care. When we practice mercy, justice; this is what God has promised those who will look to Him; “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8 (KJV)

The Proud Man and His Woes

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THE PROUD MAN AND HIS WOES

“Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:  Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!  Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?  Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein” Habakkuk 2:5-8

The prophet has questioned God about how He could see Israel in sin and do nothing about it. God gave Habakkuk the answer, that He was going to judge Israel, and it was going to be with the ruthless, sinful Babylonian kingdom. This part shows that he is a very concerned prophet when it comes to the holiness, purity, and integrity of Mighty God.

This is shown in his plea to the Lord, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…” (1:13) God is professed by the prophet to be from “Everlasting”, and “Mine Holy One” – as a question.

The Holy One of Israel then shows Habakkuk what is going to happen with Babylon after they have used and abused Israel.

Nothing that goes on in the world is apart from God’s knowledge of it. It is all a part of His plan. Nothing surprises Him. He is God.

In verse 5 we find that the proud man of the kingdom of Babylon is puffed up with the pride the prophet has referenced. The desires of a proud man are not usually of the righteous nature, but are pretty selfish, and for personal gain alone.

The proud man seems to be greatly influenced by wine. I guess you could say the wine gives him the arrogance to let it be known what his genuine purpose is. He is greedy for more. In this case greedy for more land, gold, goods, and souls of men. He takes that which is not intended to be his. At the blazoned display of his arrogance he takes nations captive.

Yet, it seems a certainty that they, the nations, will taunt him, ridicule and scorn him.

This proud man has five “Woes” pronounced against him. The first says, “Woe to him who increases what is not his — how long?” It becomes clear to us that these “Woes” are against Babylon, but is there anything we can learn from them? I believe so.  I will deal with the “Woes” more thoroughly in later studies on the five woes pronounced against Babylon by the prophet Habakkuk

It is also clear in looking at the first chapter that Babylon was an unrighteous nation which God was going to use to discipline the nation of Judah. In their being used by God to judge the nation, then, God would also see that the Babylonian people were also punished. There is no nation that can escape the judgment of God; especially those who unjustly put their hands on God’s people.

This “Woe” expresses coming judgment upon Babylon because of their increasing in goods which were not theirs for the express purpose of making themselves wealthy. It is actually a charge of extortion. The MacArthur Study Bible states, “…Plundering nations under threat of great bodily harm for the purpose of making themselves rich. As a result they were to become plunder for those nations who remained.” pg.1320.

Look at how this first Woe culminates into judgment upon Babylon. First of all, the ones from whom taxes were extorted will come against them. Does Babylon actually think that these people will not come to realize [awaken], and Babylon will become their booty?

The warning to Babylon is from God Himself. The people they have plundered will plunder them. There will be justice and judgment.

One of the things in the study of Scriptures is learning how to apply what you have studied to fit with your life. There is much to learn from this one “Woe”. Woe, is a warning or pronouncement of judgment. There can be an element of understanding why one would take the goods of a defeated enemy and increase their goods, but that was not to be the case with Babylon, nor is it to be with the Christian.

This first ‘Woe’ implies greed. The Christian is not to live in greed. Of course, we have the Ten Commandments, and the last one is, “Thou shalt not covet…” and it includes things as well as people. Covetousness is greed; the desire for more; it is in fact idolatry (Col. 3:5), and that made clear by writings of the New Testament. This kind of gain is usually at the expense of another party, and probably by some who cannot afford to lose it.

Be content with such things as you have. Then, you will be blessed.

Building Insignificant Towers

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An Insignificant Tower

Genesis 11:1-9

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9 (KJV).

At this time, which according to any records, that are of around the time of Nimrod (10:8-11); tell us that Nimrod was probably the builder of this city and religion. The whole earth – the Japhethites, the Hamites, and the Shemites were all still hanging around together. They all still had the same language and speech.

They journeyed together, found a fertile, pleasant plain in which to farm, build, and to erect a monument to man’s achievements – the tower of arrogance. This would indeed come to nought. Human government without God will always fail. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and in the dream he saw four Gentile Human Governments fall, and come to ruin.

In the Second Psalm we find these words, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His anointed saying, ‘Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.'” (Psalm 2:1-3). The purpose of human government; because the devil is the prince of the power of the air; is to overthrow the God of Creation. Don’t you believe for an instant that he has any sincerity in it; because he knows he is already a defeated foe. He has already lost the battle. Jesus won the victory on the cross; and the resurrection is all the evidence that we need.

The building of the tower was really only a monument to the achievements of man. So soon following the flood they are still filled with arrogance, and haughty spirits. There are Insignificant Towers we build even today. One of those towers of insignificance is the Space Program [NASA]. Has anyone noticed the arrogance involved in this program, yet we are reminded occasionally of how small, and fragile we really are. With the space shuttle exploding in 1986 and killing all on board, then again, another one burning up coming back down to earth, and killing all on board in February of 2001. Yet we persist in its foolish endeavors Let me tell you this – the idea of space adventure fascinates me. I think it would be a glorious sight to be in space and look back down to earth and see this wondrous globe as it rotates and revolves, just as God ordained it to be. But, there is so much, too much pride and haughtiness involved. When we exalt ourselves over God we fail.

Another tower of insignificance would be technology. Medical, electronic, automotive, communication, etc.. Again, don’t take me wrong. I appreciate all this stuff. It is great to have, at least until it breaks down or just outdates itself; or I don’t know how to use it. The problem with the things are that our pride leads to the place of exalting ourselves over God, and that brings His judgment upon us.

That is what happened at Babel “the gate of god”. Then, because it became a place of exalting self over God; God came down and confused the languages, making it a place of “Babel” or “Confusion”. God puts no approval in Global Human Government. He commanded the people to scatter over the earth, and that is clearly what He did by the confusing of the speech. It seems that He did it with care keeping the families all together. Husband and wife went together with their children if they had children. The families of Japheth were with Japheth. The families of Ham were with Ham. The families of Shem were with Shem.

I believe that it was at this time or not long following that there was the massive earthquake that makes mention in chapter ten verse 25. This set each one in a different area on the globe. When God brings Global unity, togetherness it will be by His holy Son Jesus Christ, and He will rule on earth.