Meat for the Hungry

On the fifteenth day of the first month, the month of Nisan, the children of Israel departed the land of Egypt. They traveled from Rameses to Succoth where the Lord instituted three ordinances. The Lord God commanded Israel to remember and perform these throughout their generations:  The Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Consecration to the Lord of the Firstborn. Together, these were Israel’s first sign (Ex. 4:1-8) fulfilled in the latter sign (Is. 7:14, Matthew 1:18:23, Luke 1:26-35, Luke 2:8-14, Luke 2:25-35), awaiting the Tribulation or time of Jacob's trouble when water will once again become blood (Revelation 11:1-6, 16:4). Although the Lord’s feasts are not our focus, we will touch on the spiritual aspect of the first two. Since I Corinthians 2:14 tells us it takes the Holy Spirit to unlock the treasure of scripture and don our spiritual glasses, let’s take a little quiz. We’re looking for the spiritual equivalent or representation of the memorials Jeho...

Many generations have passed. God’s promise to Abram has now happened. God took Abram from “Exalted Father” and gave him a name befitting His promise, Abraham, “Father of a Multitude”. Abraham’s wife Sarai, now Sarah, meaning Princess, bore a son at age ninety by a miracle of God. This son of promise, God named Isaac. Isaac and his wife Rebekah, after twenty years of barrenness, bore twin sons, Esau and Jacob. The younger, Jacob, as prophesied, received the birthright and blessing. Almighty God blessed Jacob with twelve sons and chose Judah, the fourth son of Jacob’s wife Leah, to carry on His promise to Abraham. However, it was Joseph, the first-born son of Jacob’s most beloved wife, Rachel, whom God appointed to save many people alive.

In the hushed calm of twilight, Abram contemplated his life in this new country where the Lord had led. His call out of Ur of the Chaldeans with the promise of many children was years ago, and today he remains childless. As leader of his wife, Sarai, and a multitude of servants numbering many more than three hundred, the weight of responsibility crushed his shoulders. Questions swirled in his mind and fear for their future gripped his heart. He had not heard the Lord’s voice in a very long time and this night, he was desperate for reassurance. In his dimly lit tent, Abram prayed. Out of the silence, a still small voice resounded like thunder. “Do not be afraid Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

For me, studying the Old Testament is like solving a mystery. This is because the Old Testament contains the same lessons, promises, and warnings as the New Testament, but somewhat encrypted or hidden. When the Holy Spirit unlocks the treasure, we see shadows, types, and pictures of God’s plan for the ages fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ. How do I know this? I rely on scripture, because it originated with God. He is the Author and He says He does not change.  Then comes Jesus, God the Son, no less authority. He said Moses and the Prophets wrote of Him. Since Moses penned the first five books of the Old Testament, and the prophets essentially wrote the rest, I know we can trust its words. In Romans 15 and I Corinthians 10, God said things happened to Israel as examples, written for our instruction and learning. If this is true, and I know it is, then we can learn much.

O Lord my God, by reading, two hearts gather in the name of Jesus Christ. Because we believe Your Holy Word, we know this moment You are in the midst of us and we trust Your promise for the prayer of a righteous man to avail much. As You, O Lord, said to King Solomon, if we truly humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, pray and seek Your face, then will You hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land. (II Chronicles 7:14) Lord God Almighty, our land, our nation, does need healing. Nevertheless, it is the hearts of the people that need changed the most. Some of us honor You with our lips, but our hearts are far from You. Other hearts are clothed in filthy rags and don’t even know it. Most go about doing that which is right in their own heart, not realizing this end is the way of death and destruction.

Candlelight pierces the blackness of night creating a comforting glow in the darkness of heartbreak. The warm flicker of a single candle soothes our soul and symbolizes hope. Hope for a missing child, a killer convicted, a social injustice righted, or that someone somewhere will make sense out of a senseless tragedy. I don’t know when candlelight vigils and memorials first began or even who invented the concept, but I know a feeling of hope washes over us as we gather together with candles. Have you ever wondered why? Not why do we gather, but why do we use candles in the night?

Once again, evil rears its ugly head and we ask why. Why would anyone rig such vicious bombs? The intent was clear. They did it first to slaughter and maim. Bombs exploding at the finish line of the Boston Marathon were sure to take lives and cause optimal damage. What the second reason was we can only hope to learn. But will discovering their motive prevent this type of evil? With citizens and survivors reeling from the bombing, two days later a fertilizer plant explosion blasted Waco, Texas, killing even more. Now in its deafening echo, we see destroyed homes, altered landscape, and people forever changed. As if these two were not enough, we also received reports of dangerous flooding in the Mid West. Tragedy, catastrophe, and natural disaster all in one week and this is only in our country. Daily devastating news from around the world pummels our heart. Pain, sadness and fear secure a stranglehold that only God can break.