Friday: Further Thought ~ When Your World Is Falling Apart
Further Study:
“‘His name shall be called Immanuel, … God with us.’ ‘The light of the knowledge of the glory of God’ is seen ‘in the face of Jesus Christ.’ From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was ‘the image of God,’ the image of His greatness and majesty, ‘the outshining of His glory.’ It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love,—to be ‘God with us.’ Therefore it was prophesied of Him, ‘His name shall be called Immanuel.’” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 19.
“Well would it have been for the kingdom of Judah had Ahaz received this message as from heaven. But choosing to lean on the arm of flesh, he sought help from the heathen. In desperation he sent word to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria: ‘I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.’ 2 Kings 16:7. The request was accompanied by a rich present from the king’s treasure and from the temple storehouse.” — Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 329.
Discussion Questions:
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Summary:
God brought faithless King Ahaz to circumstances in which he had to make a difficult decision: To believe or not to believe, this is the question. Even though the Lord offered him any sign that his imagination could devise, he refused to allow God to demonstrate a reason why he should believe. Instead, he chose as his “friend” the king of Assyria.
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Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. Prov 26:17
When Your World Is Falling Apart
'It is good to have human assistance, but how do you recognize its limits?'
Should we be telling our love ones and best friends everything and asking what they think and for assistance in every aspect of our lives when we are facing difficult circumstances? Ahaz called on his best buddy for help to fight his battle and tried to bribe him with a lot of riches.
For me, there are things only between Jesus and myself because we have a speaking relationship. Other things I only discussed with my spouse. Other things might be spouse and children. Children might want to discuss things only with mother and to keep it silence. Then there are other things we tell to our love ones and the world. But we dont have to tell and/or ask others for assistance at all times. Our first choice should be Jesus and he will direct us what to do in many circumstances. Many times our answers are already in the bible but because we do not like what the bible is saying to us we go out and ask our non Christian/unchurch friends for help. The Lord did not had a controversy with the other King but with Ahaz, Why?
He that knoweth right and do it not shall be beaten with many strips. James 4:17
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
I think Ahaz' response is ironic. He could have said these same words to God in prayer and humbly presented his gifts to God rather than an earthly king whose power is limited to earthly things. Oh, that we would recognize in our own situations when we need to lean on the arm of heaven rather than the arm of flesh. Had Ahaz chosen this path God would have lifted him up and saved him and his kingdom. He may have been one of the greatest kings of Judah rather than one of the worst. God's heart of love so desired the best for His people and it is no different today (Jeremiah 31:3).
Tammy Danitz, "what if" King Ahaz consulted God, prayed earnestly and presented all those gifts to God YET no positive response from God, i.e the enemies still defeated him (God's ways are not our ways). What lesson can we derive from that?
Just thinking the opposite though!🤷
Sarah, your question makes me think of Job, who after losing all his children and possessions and health and friendships, said, "Though He (God) slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15) All the gifts God gives us are amazing and all the times He blocks Satan's power we can't even imagine, but ultimately a perfect relationship with Him is the most important thing in our life, and we are to get to this place of complete trust no matter the outcome.....
Hi Sarah, Interesting thought. I love that other perspectives and ways of thinking come into play on this forum. Perhaps I should have used the word "might", rather than "would have". However, I am not so sure that what you are proposing would have been the outcome, because Ahaz did not yet have that kind of faith in God. Job knew God's faithfulness, Ahaz had not yet known God in that way. I don't believe God invites us to come to Him and then beats us down to teach us a lesson. I agree that His ways are not ours, but what would that have proved? That God cannot be trusted? That is not the way I have personally experienced God. God knows what is best and He knows how best to reach each one of us. I trust that whatever way God dealt with the situation would have been what was best for Ahaz and for His people.
God offers us guidance any time we need. We have to be acquainted with the "sound of His voice", because He always answers! The problem might rely within ourselves, who want answers at the time and ways that fit our own purposes! We need to trust in God's plans (answers) for our lives everyday!
I love this, JC! Thinking of Esther and Mordecai who prayed and fasted with the whole Jewish nation and waited for God's timing, to work with Him in saving their people. Also reminds me of the crowds waving palms and laying down their coats for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem as a king. This behavior of Jesus matched what they wanted. When it became clear, though, that Jesus was a pacifist with a different plan and was not going to overthrow Rome for them that day, their praises turned to "Crucify Him". Human nature appreciates Jesus the healer and sweet listening friend who gives what we ask for, how we ask for it, but when He challenges us into a difficult commitment with Him, that's when the internal struggle breaks out (Gal 5:17; James 4:1-10).
One of the things I see over and over is when there are signs all over the place that someone should trust in God, it's like they will do everything they can and find every excuse they can to ignore it all. It's one of those things where you hate to see people do that to themselves, but the more you try to tell them, sometimes that just pushes them away even more. I think that's why that inner motivation to follow the right path is more important than people on the outside pushing on it since it's more genuine when it happens that way instead of just trying to impress people or "go along."
In this week's Sabbath school lesson I want to share when I was 17 years old in the second grade of Catholic high school started to believe by keeping the Sabbath holy, I was faced with the fact that I had to go to school on Saturday or change schools or be expelled for violating school rules of not attending on days Saturday in third grade. At that time I was unable to think like an adult today. I was unable to speak to the principal who stated the three choices I had to accept. All I know is that the Sabbath is a day of rest and holy and whatever happened on Saturday I still entered church, that was my faith. My family persuaded me to go to school on Saturday and after graduating I could continue my pastoral studies at Advent College considering the costs of moving. Finally, every Sabbath I entered church and happiness always filled my heart even though I was not in school, I didn't think much about the future because the Sabbath was also the Lord Jesus in the church. Some church members asked me "no school?" Given my quiet nature, I just answered without expecting or thinking that a sponsor would pay for the third class. Maybe my experience is not very suitable to be shared, just believe in the Lord Jesus and hold fast to what He commands, not to let go when your world falls apart. The Lord Jesus who helped you first, He will also help you later. Immanuel. Happy Sabbath.
Let's look at Adam and Eve. After they ate the fruit, they hid from God. A hole had been torn in the warp and weft of their relationship with their BFF, and instead of running to Him to fix it, they ran away. God made them a covering garment - both of skins and of salvation - but they didn't wait to receive God's grace. They felt the nakedness of the hole they had torn and decided to quickly solve the problem their own way. Run away.
King Ahaz also didn't want to hear Yahweh's solution to his problem. God said, "Ahaz, that hole in your heart, that empty panicked feeling, that's not just about Israel and Syria teaming up against you. That's not just about others warring against you. That's you warring against Me. So try Me. What shape do you want Me to turn that hole into? Stretch it long, stretch it wide, whatever shape you want to test Me with, I'll solve it. I'll stitch our relationship back together. You'll see. I'll shape Myself into a baby. Trust Me, Ahaz." Ahaz chose to keep fighting.
Emmanual, God with us, God is with us and in us, the answer to our God-shaped hole. Rigidity comes with sin, just as rigor mortis comes with death. We stiffen and set the hole; God softens, fills and heals it.
Truly, what greater gift to mankind than to send the physical presence of God’s Son to live among us for a while, for man to see with his own eyes and know with his heart and mind that he is more than flesh and blood; that he has the capacity to be in fellowship with His God whiles he is still man, that man is able to rightly labor for his sustenance in this world as he prepares for the new life, and that he is capable of living peacefully with his fellow man in a world that is falling apart.
What more than that could the heavenly Father have done for man? Christ Jesus’ names are more than mere names, they depict function, what/who He is and what He does: “The Lord is Salvation”, “God with us” - “God is actively present”. Christ Jesus embodies the purpose for which He offered to be among man - to be our Savior! The Savior, the Son of God is the mission, He is the Son of God and man, our Salvation; we believe that God is, and have faith in His life-giving Word Christ Jesus.
King Ahaz gave up his faith in the God of his fathers and could not see any longer the greater help coming from Him; he had become short sighted, unable to know that Israel’s God was still present with His people and willing to help. He was unable to accept heavenly help because by then he preferred to lean on the *arm of flesh*.
Yes, we will reach out to family, friends and neighbors for help in time of need, but the believer should always see the bigger picture; to humble himself and know the God from whom all blessings flow.
It is God who is present in the loving kindness extended by man to man, it is His presence when we help our fellow man, when we carefully, prayerfully consider the future at the time as we work diligently and honestly in the presence – Phil.4:1-13KJV.
God’s presence is with us until He calles the end of time - Phil.4:4,7,13,19KJV
v.4: “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”
v.7: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Crist Jesus.”
v.13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
v.19: “(and) my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Bless the lord and ask him to forgive you pray to and be storng🙏🙏
1. Ask for a sign? I like Ps 37:5, and Prov 3:5,6.
2. Human assistance? As God directs after seeking His guidance first. He sent Ananias to Saul, and Philip to the eunuch, Peter to Cornelius.
3. ?