Christ’s Ambassador

“A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! (Prov 15:23 )

Jacob and and Elkannah were two of a kind and both of them experienced the veracity of the scripture quoted above, but in different ways.

Similarities

• Both had two wives each, one barren the other fertile.
• Both had to speak to their wives at a time the lady’s heart was filled with grieve
• Their grieving wives were influenced somehow by their words.
• Their families were affected somehow by the effects their words must have generated.

This is where the similarities end.

Elkannah and Hannah

Elkannah’s words were smooth as butter and sweet as honey. He was gentle and understanding when he said “Hannah (my dear), why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” (emphasis mine)

Could you imagine how Hannah must have felt after her husband spoke this words?. No wonder she was able to penetrate the heart of God by asking for grace to raise a Priest for God. She said this prayer at a time God himself was looking for someone to restore Israel to pure worship; the terrible days of Hophni and Phinehas.

Jacob and Rachel

What could one make of Jacob’s words spoken in anger? “And Jacob’s anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Gen 30:2) I cannot see any trace of love in this statement. Worse still, Jacob also insinuated that God was denying Rachel the fruit of the womb. He misrepresented God, who “does not deny his children any good thing”

Jacobs own mother, Rebekah was once barren too, but we read in Gen 25:21 that “Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.”. Jacob’s grandmother Sarah also received the power to conceive when she was 90years and Abraham was 100 years old. I think Jacob could have done better. I think his words made Rachel to go to God with the attitude of “bless me or I die” (emphasis mine)

I have the believe that God was going to spare Jacob from grieve and also prolong Rachel’s life when he closed Rachel’s womb, knowing fully that her frail body could not survive the second child birth. However, the couple settled for the permissive will of God, rejecting the absolute will.

Hannah and Rachel received their heart desires but the former lived and the latter died. It was no happenstance that Hannah and Elkannah lived to enjoy their heart’s desires. They waited for God’s own time.

Jacob grieved over Rachel. It is written: “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is! Prov 15:23

Questions for Reflection

• Are your words always filled with grace?
• Are you always careful when you speak with someone who is in grieve?
• Do you speak to build up or tear down?

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. Prov 31:10,11

The book of Esther introduces us to two virtuous women; Vashti and Esther. The former appeared briefly like a footnote while the latter was the heroine, and understandably, she overshadows the former. I think the duo worked together, albeit unplanned, like Moses and Joshua. Moses did what Joshua couldn’t have done and Joshua did what Moses could not do. Each used the much grace God gave him and so it was with Vashti and Esther.

With what we know Babylonian traditions and their pagan practices, her refusal to go showcase her body before some drunken lords was a courageous and righteous thing to do. She risked her life to shine as light in a kingdom where darkness had set in. She fought to remain salt when everything was tasteless and as preservative when decay set in. She lost her worldly crown for that but she was God’s instrument to create a space for Esther who was chosen to conclude a mission. She must be wearing the imperishable crown in heaven now.

Vashti became a persona-non-grata in the Babylonian palace but the Bible says “her price is far above rubies”  (Prov 31:10) Her Lord, Jesus Christ, has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. Prov 31:11

There are times we must be in the class of Vashti. At such times let’s be firm and endure whatever the world brings our way knowing fully that God ius not unjust to forget our labour of love. And if we find ourselves in the class of Esther in our ministries, we do well to remember we are not there by our own making. We must recognize the contributions of the Vashtis of our day.

In scriptural terms, prosperity of the soul is measured by the level at which your life readily yields fruit for the kingdom of God. In other words, the level at which your life impacts positively on others to the glory of God. Here are relevant scriptures:

• He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done (Prov 19:17)
• One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty (Prov 11:24)
• Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. (Jas 5:1-3)
• As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.”I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Lk 21:1-4)

And Jesus sums it up with this verse taken from Mt 16:25

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? This means even if you have the whole world and yet unsaved you have a raw deal. You have made a loss.

Are you saved?

At the grave side of Lazarus, Jesus said “Roll away the stone” but Marta had a different opinion, something like:  

“No Lord! Don’t do that. You don’t want to expose the decay. No one here can withstand the foul smell that would be oozing out by now. It’s too late to do anything about it now! A man who’s been dead for four days is gone! Lord, leave it at that.”

And what did Jesus say to all these words, attitude and the underlying state of mind?

“Did I not tell you tat if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Jn11:40

Martha’s unbelief was as solid a barrier as the stone that covered the tomb of Lazarus. Yet, Martha had faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. This unbelief is not in the same category as that of the Jews.

Pause a bit and consider how often we behave like Martha because of unbelief. A brother says “Let’s take your issue to the Lord in prayer but you reply by recounting the number of prayer houses and mountain tops you’ve been to in the past and yet the problem has remained. You think it is too late, the situation is too bad. Prayer can’t solve it.

Now, this attitude is the STONE you have to roll away for the glory of God to manifest out of your afflictions. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord will deliver him from them all” The condition for this deliverance is that you BELIEVE Jesus is never too late. He created TIME and so cannot be bound by TIME.

For as long as the stone was there, Lazarus remained dead, Martha and Mary mourned over their loss. Went the stone was rolled away, Jesus called, Lazarus was delivered from the bonds of death, Martha and Mary rejoiced at the manifestation of the glory of God

It’s your responsibility to roll away the stone and Christ’s to make God’s glory to come out of your afflictions through is deliverance.

Now! ROLL AWAY THE STONE and give Jesus a chance.