13. Abner's Desires Which Brought About Death

ABNER KNEW THE WILL OF GOD, BUT ...

First and second Samuel of the Old Testament records David¡¯s life beginning as a shepherd boy and later becoming king of Israel. Being anointed by Samuel, David recognized that the will of God for him was to become king of Israel. Saul, however, had been the king and David could not ascend to the throne. Although Saul already knew that David would be king and David¡¯s reign over Israel was the will of God, he hated to abandon his power as king and set in motion all the methods to keep his crown.
In fact, Saul resorted to much evil. Most of it was done so he would not have to give up his throne. To say it again, Saul recognized that God would make David king of Israel, but tried to kill him, even when it was against the will of God. He desired to keep his throne and have one of his sons to succeed it.
The last chapter of 1 Samuel ends with Saul¡¯s death. Two reasons led to the destruction of Saul. One was that Saul had expelled David, who could have triumphed over the Philistines during the war. The other was that he had slaughtered all the priests of the Lord, even though he had been helped by God through them. He had no way to come to God in the dangerous war. He could never obtain the grace of God and was destroyed.
In 2 Samuel, it is written about the events after Saul¡¯s death. Soon after Saul was dead, David came back from the land of the Philistines where he had lived in exile and became king of Judah in Hebron. Many people wanted David to be king over all Israel. Abner, who had been the commander of Saul¡¯s army, then, held power over Israel like Saul. He was satisfying his own ambition and desires and committed adultery with a concubine of Saul. He had erected Ishbosheth a son of Saul as king of Israel, but he had the actual power and was busy with meeting his own carnal desires and pleasure.
One thing weighed on Abner¡¯s mind. As Saul knew that God would establish David as king over Israel, Abner clearly perceived that God committed to David all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and that all the Israelites wanted him to reign over the kingdom. If David began to reign over all Israel, Abner would have to transfer his great power as the commander of the army to David. That was his problem. Because he hated to give up his power, he became an adversary against David, defying the will of God.
One day, Abner came to the pool of Gibeon with his army to defy David¡¯s kingdom. (2 Samuel 2:12) Joab, commander of David, also went out by the pool of Gibeon with many servants of David. The servants of Ishbosheth and Abner sat on one side of the pool and the servants of David sat on the opposite side. Abner was nervous, for he knew that the will of God was to erect David as king. He remembered that Saul was destroyed, even though Saul also had desperately defied and tried to kill David. Abner felt that he was repeating Saul¡¯s way.
Someday Israel would be given over to David and he would reign all Israel as king. Abner, who had recognized that fact, should have advised Ishbosheth; ¡°According to the will of God, you should transfer this country to David so that he might reign.¡± And he should have retired from the position of the commander of the army. Abner understood what the will of God was, but did not want to abandon his great power, wealth, honor and property. So, he continually defied David like Saul even after witnessing Saul¡¯s destruction.

THOSE WHO ARE LED BY VAIN DESIRES AND RUN TOWARD DESTRUCTION

Now the armies of two kingdoms faced each other by the pool. Abner, so nervous, suggested Joab to make the young men compete before them. He meant war. Twelve among the servants of David and twelve from the followers of Ishbosheth competed. Each one grasped his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent¡¯s side. So they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim, meaning the Field of Sharp Swords. The war between two kingdoms began.
Why did Abner suggest war? Because he was so nervous that he desired to display himself. As he hated to transfer his power to David, he chose the war in order to show off his power. He lost 360 men and there were missing of David¡¯s servants 20.
Unfortunately Abner killed Asahel a brother of Joab at that war. It later caused his death by Joab. Today, there are many Abners. Through the story about Abner, the Bible shows fully that many people are running toward destruction, led by honor, power or desires. How many are there who fall into destruction, after continually following power, honor or carnal pleasures, hating to forsake them!
As there are far too many who are running toward an eternal destruction because of vanity of power, honor, or possessions, God shows us how Abner and Saul ended their lives so that we may turn our hearts to God.
Satan made the worldly power, the possessions and its honor to be enticing so that he might delude mankind to hell, the unquenchable fire. He deceived Adam and Eve so that the forbidden fruit looked so delicious that they could not but eat of it. Today Satan is still leading most people to eternal destruction by the same deception.
A person once discovered how to bring pigs easily to the slaughter. It¡¯s so difficult to lead many pigs to the slaughter one by one. How desperately would they struggle to survive, when they suspect they shall be slaughtered? He suggested the idea to drop beans one by one before the pigs, the kind which they like, when they are bringing them to the slaughter. While the pigs follow the beans, and enjoying them, they go straight into the slaughter, without knowing it themselves. Likewise, Satan wants to delude us to an eternal destruction by making use of all that we love as the lures.
Many people are so ignorant of the shrewd wiles of Satan that they are deceived by Satan and are running to destruction. Satan provokes us through strong desires toward the honor, the power, or material things and therefore makes us to satisfy our desires, even though we disobey the will of God. Today, because many people still do not discern the wiles of Satan, they are hopelessly lost in obtaining prestige, power, possessions, or social position. Once they do obtain their vain goals, they strain and struggle not to lose them. Saul and Abner typify those people.
Abner, who hated to abandon his power, began to defy the kingdom of David, and it caused him to kill Asahel, a brother of Joab, who was the commander of David¡¯s Army. And the death of Asahel brought about the miserable death of Abner. Abner was so satisfied with his power that he never thought about the tragic result, which he would have to confront soon.

SURRENDER TO THE KING OF BABYLON

God shows us many models like Abner. In Jeremiah, it tells of King Zedekiah. He was the last king of Judah before the exile. Through Jeremiah, God announced to the Israelites His will that He would allow Judah to be in exile in Babylon for 70 years. Jeremiah the prophet earnestly advised Zedekiah to forsake his power, give himself up and submit to the king of Babylon.
Zedekiah had been advised by Jeremiah the prophet many times; ¡°If you surrender to the Chaldeans, Judah and you shall be peaceful. Our country shall be blessed. God had committed our country to the Chaldeans.¡± Zedekiah knew what the will of God was, but hated to yield his throne. So he did not submit to the will of God to the end. What did he confront after he struggled not to give up his will?
At last, Zedekiah was taken prisoner of the king of Babylon and had to witness the miserable death of his sons. Soon after he saw the death of his sons, his eyes were taken out by the king of Babylon and he spent his days unfortunately blind. Because the death of his sons was the last scene he saw with his eyes, it was imprinted in his mind. He could never erase that scene from his mind. He spent his days in a terrible Babylonian dungeon and died there.
God wrote those stories for us, for He wanted us to abandon all our desires, and submit to Him. He gave us freewill. While we are reigning over ourselves, however, we are deceived by Satan and run toward destruction. Now we have to surrender up all our given powers before God and submit to Him. Being released from all our authority and all what we have, we must receive Jesus Christ as our king. And we must ask God for the grace that Jesus Christ would reign in our life totally.
Today, many people go to church and say that they believe in God and Jesus. They are faithful in attending the church, reading the Bible, doing good and giving an offering, but dislike to abandon ¡®themselves¡¯, which is a basic and most important step in their life of faith.
Satan leaves men alone, whatever they may do, but stops them, when they try to deny themselves and submit to the will of God. Many people attempt to follow the will of God with their own will, instead of following God by submitting to Him. So they follow God, when the will of God fits their own hearts, but they easily disobey the will of God, when it does not accord with their own thoughts. How poor are they who are running toward destruction!
Jesus said, ¡°If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.¡± (Matthew 16:24) Isaiah the prophet cried, ¡°Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord.¡± (Isaiah 55:6,7)
The most important thing we have to do before we turn to God is to forsake our own thoughts. Which is denying ourselves. Without denying myself and abandoning my own thoughts, it is impossible to follow the will of God. Because God¡¯s thoughts are different from ours. Those who try to follow God without abandoning their own thoughts and denying themselves will defy the will of God and eventually follow their own ways when the will of God does not match their own wills. They can be simply church-goers, but can never be the genuine children of God.
The Lord asks us to deny ourselves and abandon all what we have, before turning to Him and following Him. As we want to follow the Lord with all that is good in our sight like the young rich man (Matthew 19:16~26), we are distressed. If we hate to forsake our power, possessions or honor, we can not follow the Lord like the young rich man, who went away sorrowful. Abner, who did not give up his honor and power, defied the kingdom of David in the end. It was to defy God and he ended his life miserably.
Today, many people regard God as an ornament or a tool to satisfy themselves, even though they say they believe in God. How many are trying to satisfy their own desires instead of yielding everything to God and submitting to Him! They seem to be the believers, but in reality, they are against God. They worship God and pray to Him, but are still defying the will of God. It¡¯s especially difficult for the people of this generation to deny themselves. Satan has managed it well. He has continually deluded men not to give up their own desires.

WHO LOVES HIS SPIRIT DEEPLY?

Abner never did know that his works would cause his death. He had to defy David so not to lose his power. It caused him to kill Asahel and Asahel¡¯s death brought about his death by Joab the brother of Asahel. But Abner hadn¡¯t the vaguest idea of the result, which would lead him into death.
Many people these days are so absorbed in how to be rich, and powerful that they don¡¯t find that such things will lead them to destruction. We live in a busy and complex generation. There are too many things for us to do. So people do not want to think of spiritual things deeply.
Those who have sin in their hearts can never go to the heavenly kingdom. So if someone does not yet solve his problem of sin, his faith is wrong. In spite of the outcome, they are negligent of it. How many people lose their souls, overlooking the fact that Satan leads them to destruction and disregarding their souls to damnation!
Through Saul, Abner and King Zedekiah, God definitely shows us what was the end of those who defied the will of God by not giving up their power. Although the Bible enlightens us so that we may not walk in the miserable way of destruction, men are running towards destruction, but don¡¯t recognize it, even having no concern for it.
Now blessed are those who find that seeking to obtain power is against the will of God, and can abandon all their possessions. They are those who love their soul deeply and obtain the grace of God. God desires men to be willing to put down for themselves everything that is against the will of God and be washed white from their sins by coming to God.
I can see that many people that do not do so. God showed us Saul, Abner and Zedekiah for the poor people who are satisfied with their power, and wealth, but don¡¯t recognize that the result shall be eternal destruction. I hope that you will be able to find yourselves and follow the will of God with a heart that regards a soul as precious.

14. Not As I Will

WHEN OUR DESIRE IS INCLUDED A LITTLE

Matthew describes Jesus Christ as king of the Jews. Matthew ends with the story that Jesus Christ, king of the Jews and King of kings, was crucified and resurrected. It is written in the last chapter of Matthew,
¡°All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.¡± (Matthew 28:18-20)
Like the words, all power was given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. In the 1st chapter of Genesis, after God created man as male and female, He blessed them saying,
¡°...Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.¡± (Genesis 1:28)
God gave man the power to have dominion over every living thing, but Adam delivered his power to Satan by submitting to him. The Bible teaches us that we become the slaves of those whom we submit to. (Romans 6:16)
Jesus came to the earth to recover the power which had been delivered to Satan. In the 4th chapter of Luke, Satan tempted Jesus, saying, ¡°if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.¡± Satan tried to tempt even Jesus by the power which he had taken from Adam. He wanted Jesus to obey and worship him and be his slave. Jesus never comprised or worshiped Satan, however. He recovered His power by another way; dying on the cross. He paid all the wages of our sins which we have committed, as we had followed Satan. He recovered the power that had been delivered to Satan.
We can find here a wonderful fact that Jesus Christ our Lord shows us. The Lord could have obtained the power easily by worshiping Satan one time, but He chose the way to die on the cross to take it. The cross was not pleasant to Him. Before he was caught, He prayed in Gethsemane, saying,
¡°O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me ...¡± (Matthew 26:39)
The Lord also wanted to avoid the affliction of dying on the cross, if it was possible.
The Lord, however, continued to pray, saying, ¡°Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.¡± He desired to shun the affliction of the cross, but He denied Himself before the will of God, His Father, with the heart that not as He willed, but as God willed, even though He did not want it.
The Lord had the same flesh like us and dying on the cross must have caused great afflictions to Him, too. Before such suffering, He prayed, ¡°Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.¡± If He only wanted the physical easiness, He would have chosen the easy way to take all the power by worshiping to Satan one time. Instead, He was crucified according to the will of God. He taught us an important truth through it. Because He did not live for His own pleasure, but for the will of God, He could save us from our sins, triumph over Satan and recover all the powers which had been delivered to Satan.
Like the words of Isaiah 53:6, ¡°All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way...¡± and Isaiah 55:8, ¡°my thoughts are not your thoughts...¡±, we love our physical desires more than the will of God and follow them. Jesus said, ¡°If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.¡± (Matthew 16:24)
The most difficult thing in our life of faith is denying ourselves. It is so necessary that we read the words of God genuinely without adding our own thoughts to them.
During the Vietnam war, an officer with his soldiers advanced to search for a place with the help of a map in the jungle. There was so many trees, rocks and brooks in the jungle that it was impossible for them to go straight and they went astray little by little. After two or three hours¡¯ of wandering, they arrived at the spot where they started. They were so abashed and astonished. When they changed their way without knowing it themselves, they went astray from their destination little by little and came back to the spot where they started. If we confronted such thing, how much are we embarrassed?
The believers easily go astray unconsciously little by little because of their physical desires. We don¡¯t mean to defy God, but we go astray distantly from the will of God, while we advance after our physical desires and easiness. So we are apt to stand at the wrong position where we worship our flesh even when we think that we trust God.
Today, there are many churches in this world, and all of them insist they are right. Who wants to go astray, while serving God? But it is so difficult to discriminate who preach the truth among them? It is distinctive that, if the smallest desire is included in our faith, we shall not be able to accomplish the will of God.

APART FROM THE BLESSING, IT SEEMED TO BE CURSED, BUT ...

In the 27th chapter of Genesis, it is written about Jacob and Esau. The Lord teaches us many wonderful things through this story. Isaac, Jacob and Esau¡¯s father, were blessed by God and that blessing had been given Abraham, Isaac¡¯s father at first. God promised Abraham, saying, ¡°I will multiply your descendants as stars in heaven, as sands at seashore. I will make you a forefather of many peoples¡± The more important blessing was that Jesus Christ would be born of Abraham¡¯s seed. What a wonderful blessing it was for Abraham to receive such solid promise from God that Jesus Christ were to be born of Him! Among Abraham¡¯s sons, there were Ishmael and Isaac, but one day, God said, ¡°Cast out Ishmael away, for in Isaac your seed shall be called.¡± In the end, the blessing was given Isaac.
Now Isaac was old and came near to death. He had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Who shall be blessed among them? Isaac wanted to bless Esau and Rebekah, his wife, wanted to bless Jacob. Jacob was blessed eventually. You can read the details in the 27th chapter of Genesis.
One day, Isaac called Esau and said, ¡°Go out to the field and hunt game for me. And make me a savory meal, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.¡± Although Esau sweated and strained to hunt game for his father, unfortunately he could not be blessed by such a way.
Rebekah overheard what Isaac said to Esau. She called Jacob and said, ¡°Your father is going to bless Esau your brother. Go now to the flock, and bring me from there two choice kid goats, and I will make a savory meal from them for your father, such as he loves. Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.¡± Jacob said to his mother, ¡°Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. Though my father can not see, he will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.¡± Rebekah, then, replied, ¡°Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.¡±
Esau was not necessary to deny himself. He needed just to hunt game zealously and cook it for his father, but Jacob was under a different situation. It was simple and easy work to bring the kid goats, but difficult for Jacob. In his thought, he seemed to be cursed by his father apart from being blessed. When his mother said, ¡°Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.¡±, he could not follow her without denying his own thought. Jacob had to abandon his own thought so that he might accept his mother¡¯s opinion. He obeyed his mother¡¯s voice and brought the kid goats. It shows us that he gave up his own thought and denied himself.
Here we can see two kinds of men of faith. Esau tried to please his father just by hunting zealously, without denying his own thought and mind, meanwhile Jacob came near to his father with the faith in his mother, denying his own thought in spite of a risk. Which is the most important element in the life of faith? Many people are church-goers and think that they believe in God, but they try to find some pastors who fit their minds and choose the churches which they like. The Bible does not regard such people as men of faith. Because our thoughts are fundamentally different from God¡¯s and it is impossible for us to trust God according to our own thoughts. Jesus, the Son of God, denied Himself, praying, ¡°O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.¡± Esau just worked enthusiastically, not denying himself, meanwhile, Jacob denied his own thought, trusting what his mother said, even though it seemed to be dangerous, and did not fit his mind. It¡¯s the difference of faith between Jacob and Esau.
We want to come to God, trust His words and obey Him, but His words often do not seem to fit our minds. It¡¯s natural, because the thoughts of God who is able to see all our futures and those of us who only are able to see just the things before our eyes can not be same. When our thoughts are different from God¡¯s, and our will, from God¡¯s, we should not mix our will with God¡¯s will, denying ourselves, with the faith in God who loves us and works for us, even though following God¡¯s will seems to be dangerous. Today, like Esau, how many people strain and struggle to follow what fits their thoughts, not denying themselves and forsaking for God? We can give an offering to God with faith, but giving an offering itself is not faith. We call it faith to deny our own thoughts before the words of God and follow His will, even when it does not fit our minds and seems to be dangerous.

WE SEEMED TO BE SINNERS, BUT...

I have preached the gospel of forgiveness for innumerable people, many of them, however, did not accept the gospel with their own thoughts. How can we say that we are the righteous while we sin every day? It¡¯s natural thought of man. According to his own thought, it is not wrong that man regards himself as a sinner, for he sins continually. Yet, what does the Bible say? As Jesus obeyed the will of God totally, denying His own will, and Jacob obeyed what his mother said and brought the kid goats, denying his own thought before his mother¡¯s, we need such faith. In fact, faith is not difficult. Before one denies himself, he confront innumerable difficulties. When one gets to deny himself, however, nothing is easier and more comfortable than faith.
Esau strained and struggled to hunt game, but Jacob did not. It was so easy for him to bring the kid goats among the flocks. It was Jacob¡¯s way, however, that he could never advance without denying his own thought. Now we have to abandon our own thoughts before the words of God rather than try to give tithes, attend the Sunday service and work for the church. We should deny our own thoughts. Although our way look right, we are sinners in our sight, what does God say? How did God solve the problems of our sins? Does God say I am sinner, or righteous? We have to deny all we have so that we may live as men of faith who trust the words of God.
Like the other so-called believers, I used to be a zealous church-goer for a long time. Confessing all my sins at dawn in my church was my daily important task. While confessing my sins, however, I had still the question, ¡°Are all my sins really washed away, or not?¡± I tried to forget my sins after confessing, consoling myself, ¡®Maybe, they are washed away.¡¯ When my sins troubled me, however, I would be caught up with the doubt whether my sins were really forgiven or not. If it seemed that my sins were washed in my thought, I believed they were washed and if it seemed that they were not washed in my thought, I believed they were not yet washed. Afterwards, reading the Bible carefully, I got to think what God said, whatever my thought was I came to the conclusion. It was simple and easy. I forsook my own thought. Whatever I seemed to be now, however much sin I have committed, whatever evil mind I have harbored, the Bible says that Jesus Christ has already washed all my sins perfectly. I decided to follow the word of God, even though it was totally different from my thought.
God said that He does not remember my sins.
¡°And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.¡±(Hebrews 10:17)
This word does not fit my mind, but I accepted that it is the word of God. The Lord says that I am righteous. It was improper to say that I was righteous and did not fit my conscience. ¡°I have committed innumerable sins. How can I say that I am righteous?¡± But I denied my own thought and conscience. And chose the word of God. I abandoned my own thought before the word of God. When God says we are righteous, we are righteous and when God says we are the righteous, we are the righteous.
The peace of Jesus Christ, wonderfully came into me. The peace in my heart was not the proof that my sins were washed. However my feeling was, I was forgiven, for God said. Those who work enthusiastically for God according to his own subjectivity, and thought, not denying themselves; they can not but be tempted by Satan and walk the perverse way. God desires us to have the true faith that enables us to accept the word of God, denying all our own thoughts. To say it again, man of faith is the one who overcomes hundreds or thousands of his own thoughts only with the word of God.

15. When I See The Blood, I Will Pass Over You

THE STATUTES OF THE PASSOVER

In the 12th chapter of Exodus, it is written about the Passover. By the grace of God, the Israelites were brought out of Egypt after slavery for 430 years and came into the land of Canaan. The Passover was the starting point. God brought the nine plagues on Egypt to deliver the Israelites, but Pharaoh never submitted. But through the 10th plague, the death of every firstborn in Egypt, however, he surrendered, and let the Israelites go. The release of the Israelites from Egypt shows us how to be free from the bondage of sin and Satan and be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Through Exodus 12:1-14, we find the plan of God to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. He decided to curse and judge Egypt, destroying all the firstborn among men and livestock. But as the purpose of His judgement was to release the Israelites from Egypt, He had to destroy just the Egyptians, not the Israelites. So God showed the Israelites how to escape the judgement. It typifies how we, who have lived sinfully as the servants of Satan, can be saved from the power of Satan.
God commanded the Israelites to keep many statutes. First, He said to them to kill a lamb. It should be without blemish, a male of the first year. So they searched for the male of the first year, without blemish. Second, God said to them to eat it not raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire. And they had to eat it roasted in fire - its head with its legs and its entrails with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. He also instructed concerning the attitude of eating. With belts on their waists, their sandals on their feet, and their staffs in their hands, they should eat it in haste. They had to eat it in haste like those who shall run away. And He commanded them to dip a bunch of hyssop in the blood and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood. These are the statutes of the Passover. The people of Israel obeyed all the statutes as God commanded.
Most important is the word of Exodus 12:13, ¡°And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¡± When an angel passes through the land of Egypt on that night, he will pass over the houses where the blood is sprinkled on the lintel and the doorposts. The Passover means passing by or passing over. The promise of the Passover is that the angel kills every firstborn in the other houses, but he passes over the houses where the blood is sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintel.
The angel did not see whether they prepared the lamb of the first year or the second year; the male or the female; at the twilight or at the dawn. And the angel did not watch whether they roasted it or boiled it with water; whether they ate it with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs or not; whether they ate with a belt on waist and sandals on feet, and staff in hand or not. God did not say that He would judge them, because they ate it not with sandals on feet, or not with staff in hand or with their belts relaxed, forgetting the statutes.
¡°For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.¡± (Exodus 12:12,13)
God did not discriminate them according to whether they were the Egyptians or the Israelites; whether they were foolish or wise; what attitude or what they wore while eating it. Instead He just watched whether the blood was sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintel or not. It gives us a crucial teaching.

WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU

There are many statutes to be kept in the 66 scriptures of the Bible. Once I was obsessed with the thought I must do these things, but I was in bondage rather than finding the will of God in the Bible. So, I was bound by the Ten Commandments and by the words of Jesus, because I must keep something and I must not do the other things. When I disobeyed the commandements of ¡®Do not¡¯, I was distressed and when I did not perform what I should do, I was pierced into my conscience. So, I was always in want, not free, but obsessed with shame, fear and the piercing of conscience.
While living such a life, I came to find that I could never keep the words of God. How regretful and sad I was! I grieved, saying, ¡°I am not one of the chosen.¡± From my childhood, I had heard about the chosen from the pastors. ¡°I am not one of the chosen. I can do nothing.¡± It is useless to try to believe Jesus. If I am destined to be thrown into hell, I would rather enjoy my life, sinning as I desire.
Today, so many people are corrupted after trying to believe for a long time! They could not obey the words of God, although they had strained to keep them, so they give up their belief after the days of trying to imitate the other¡¯s belief and be so busy with reading of the others¡¯ faces. But I was so surprised to discover that the life of faith is not difficult. Of course, it is impossible for me to keep every word of God, but does not mean that we can not live our life of faith, because we can not keep every word of God.
What is the purpose of God who commanded the Israelites to keep so many statutes? God wanted to save the Israelites and curse just the Egyptians. But it does not mean that ¡®He delivered them, for they were the Israelites, but destroyed the rest, for they were the Egyptians. He focused on the blood, as we can see it in the promise that, ¡®I will pass over you, when I see the blood¡¯. Whosoever they were; the Israelites or the Egyptians, He promised not to judge the houses where the blood was sprinkled on the doorposts and on the lintel. Although all other statutes were kept, the houses where the blood was not sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintels could not but be destroyed whosoever they were; the Egyptians or the Israelites, the prominent or the fool, the good or the bad.
It is crucial how to eat the lamb, and what to wear, but salvation is fundamentally up to the blood. Although they left some entrails and deserted them, or did not eat them, they could be saved only if the blood was sprinkled on the doorposts and on the lintel. Although they prepared the male lamb of the first year, without blemish, killed it at twilight, roasted and ate it - its head with its legs and its entrails, with belt on waist, staff in hand, sandals on feet exactly according to the statutes, they would surely be destroyed, unless the blood was sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintel.
God says thats what our faith must be like. Nobody can keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. Besides them, many commandments and statutes are written in the Old Testament, but nobody can keep the laws perfectly. If we can not keep all the law, are we cursed and thrown into hell? The Bible does not say so. Of course, it is true that we, who can not keep the laws, have to be cursed and destroyed, but God established the promise of the blood so that we may be saved from the curse and destruction. God does not observe whether we have attended the Sunday service, or tithed, served in the church, or prayed all night, or fasted, or kept the Ten Commandments day by day. When the blood is sprinkled on the doorposts, and the lintel, God promises to pass over him, not judging him, whoever he is.
So our salvation is not up to how faithful we are, or how we keep the laws, or how much we have lived conscientiously. God only watches whether the blood was sprinkled on our hearts or not. The blood can cover all our disobedience of the statutes, our filth, and faults. The angel of destruction did not come into the houses where the blood was sprinkled. It means that he does not observe whether the persons in the house are evil and filthy or not.

HAVING BOLDNESS TO ENTER THE HOLINESS BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS

The Passover illustrates the way of salvation. God does not save us according to how well we have kept the laws, or prayed. He only sees whether the blood of Jesus Christ the scapegoat was sprinkled in our hearts or not. Some people¡¯s hearts are filled with thoughts of good works for they believed that they have done many things for God. The good works are only written in their minds. Reversely, some people¡¯s hearts are filled with the thought that, ¡°I am a sinner. I am evil. I have committed many sins.¡± The sins are only written in such people¡¯s minds. When God sees into our hearts, He does not care about whether we have done good or evil. Instead, He wants to see the blood of Jesus Christ the scapegoat, who died on the cross for our sin. Although we are evil and filthy and have done evil, the blood of Jesus Christ washed away all our sins. And the blood is sprinkled in the hearts of those who possess the faith that the blood enables us to come to God.
In Hebrews 10:19, it is written, ¡°Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.¡± If all we see is our sins and faults, how can we have boldness to come to God? As the precious blood of Jesus Christ covers all our sins, it, not our good works, gives us the boldness to come to God. Some people insist that God judges our lives on a great scale to determine whether one goes to the heavenly kingdom. They believe that, if the evil deeds outweigh the good, God throws us into hell, when the good works are more, into the heavenly kingdom.
Likewise, many people regard the judgment of God as the ¡°moral judgement¡±. It is not true. The only way to avoid the judgment of God is to sprinkle the blood of Jesus Christ, the scapegoat in our hearts. There is no way but by the faith that His blood has washed away all our sins. So those who trust His blood never boast of their own works, when they come to God their Father. Those who come to God, looking to the blood of the scapegoat who died for us, regardless of his good or bad works, they are the believers in His blood. Those who are bound by their own works, they are the believers in their own works, not the believers in His blood. Even though he was an Egyptian, or an evil person, he who sprinkled the blood on the doorposts and the lintel was saved by God.
We can see that, by faith, it was possible for the Israelites to sprinkle the blood. Let¡¯s imagine someone had a doubt - ¡°If we sprinkle the blood, shall the destruction really pass over us?¡± He decides to watch whether those who sprinkle the blood are saved and those who did not sprinkle the blood are destroyed. Next morning, can he check whether someone is saved or not? It is too late. Because the night passed.
Faith is like that. We should not trust everything after confirming it, but trust the word of God itself. Nothing but the word of God can be the witness of faith. Anything but the word of promise that the blood of the cross washed away all our sins can not confirm faith. If the Israelites tried to sprinkle the blood, after certifying whether it was right to do so or not; their faith was right or not, it proves that they did not trust the promise that ¡®when I see the blood, I will pass over you.¡¯ They would not be able to avoid the destruction that night. We should not seek a sign or any other thing so that we may obtain faith.
The proof of forgiveness and eternal life is not the enthusiastic emotion, nor tears, but the word of God. The one who trusts the word of God is the one who trusts God. The person who seeks after certain signs besides the word of God is the one who does not trust Him.
Today, how many people are wandering, while seeking after some other signs, for they do not trust the word of God? We have to trust simply that the blood of Jesus Christ the scapegoat forgave all our sins and the judgment of God was finished through the blood. If a lamb instead of the Israelites is killed and its blood is sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintels, death would visit the house no more. Likewise, because Jesus was cursed instead of us, we need not to be cursed. The blood of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross, covered all our weakness, and wickedness. I hope, by the blood, all of you may boldly come to God, who promised to save us through it.

16. Ephphatha

WHY DID JESUS ONLY PASS THROUGH THE REGION OF TYRE?

The final purpose of the Lord, who accomplished many things while living in this world, was to save us from sin and lead us to God. He not only died on the cross to deliver us, but also healed many people who suffered from diseases. The accounts of healing the sick typifies also spiritual healing besides delivering them from their physical diseases.
Our Lord did many works to teach us spiritual things and the story about a blind man whose eyes were opened by Jesus is one of them. It tells not simply of a blind man, but of how we, who were the spiritually blind, can be healed. Through the story of curing the lepers, He shows us how horrible spiritual leprosy (sin) is and how to be released from it.
In the 7th chapter of Mark, the Lord healed one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. It is written in the last part of Mark 7,
¡°And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.¡± (Mark 7:31,32)
One day, I was greatly impressed by those verses. The 7th chapter of Mark tells that the Lord came through the midst of the region of Decapolis departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon. He did not go there for sightseeing. Then why did he just pass through those regions?
In the 28th chapter of Ezekiel, God commanded Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and say to him,
¡°... Thou sealest up the sum, ... thou hast been in Eden the garden of God ... Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth ... Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries¡± (Ezekiel 28:12~18)
God said He had expelled him out of His mountain, regarding him as abominable. The 28th chapter of Ezekiel reveals Satan¡¯s true colors. God said, ¡°... take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him¡±, beginning to tell about Satan. And His next saying, ¡°You were the anointed cherub who covers¡± shows that He just means the fallen angel.
God did not mention the fallen angel directly. Instead, He commanded Ezekiel to take up a lamentation for the King of Tyre. It teaches us that He wanted to say not about the king of Tyre, but about Satan who worked in him.
The king of Tyre was a faithful servant of Satan. Satan had reigned over Tyre for a long time as king. And Tyre became sick by Satan, fell into tragic pains and curses and was eventually destroyed.
The reason why our Lord visited Tyre was that He might release the people of Tyre out of the power of Satan, who had oppressed them. But regretfully the Lord just passed through Tyre, not doing the work of releasing them by His power, nor giving them His mercy and grace.
It was the same with the region of Sidon and Decapolis. The Lord visited them to work for them, yet they did not recognize Him. They could not obtain His grace. So He was grieved, saying,
¡°Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.¡± (Luke 7:31,32)
In Mark 7:32, the people of Galilee brought to Jesus one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. Like him, the people of Tyre, Sidon and Decapolis were spiritually deaf and had a spiritual impediment in their speech. Not finding the fact they fell into sin and were the servants of Satan, they could not recognize Jesus Christ who came to save them. So, the Lord just passed through them.
Reading those verses, I came to perceive that such things happen today. Like the days when Jesus lived in this world, He often comes through our life, even though He is unseen in our eyes.
Sometimes we can experience that the Lord knocks on the door of our hearts. God does not let the unsaved alone. Sometimes He makes them perceive their sins, and feel the pricks of conscience. Sometimes, He gives them the desire to be set free from sin and to be changed from their wrong lives. That is the voice of Jesus Christ our Lord who is speaking to them, coming through their hearts. But many people do not find it, because they are spiritually deaf and blind.

THE JEWS WERE BOUND BY THE TRADITIONS

In the beginning part of Mark 7, some of the Pharisees and the scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem to speak with Him. They pointed out that His disciples ate bread with unwashed hands. Many ordinances of washing are written in the Bible. For example, when someone touched the dead, or the carcass of the animals, or woman finished her unclean days by giving birth to a baby or the customary impurity, they had to wash themselves or bathe.
Besides the ordinances of washing in the Bible, the Jews had their own traditions which had been kept by the elders washing hands whenever eating, or washing after going out.
The Pharisees and the scribes, who were sure that they were good believers, tried to keep the traditions of the elders besides the ordinances in the Bible. They would wash diligently, but it became formal as the years passed. In the movie ¡®Benhur¡¯, I recall seeing Benhur the hero dipping his fingers in the water in a dish for a while before eating. I thought, ¡°That is the ordinance of washing of the Jews¡±. They were bound by those traditions.
However, Jesus was not. His disciples ate with unwashed hands. They were set free from the traditions, for the important thing was not the traditions, but the will of God.
Until men obtain grace from God and freedom in the Holy Spirit by realizing the spiritual meaning of the ordinances, they can not but live, bound by them. When they discover the will of God, they are set free from the ordinances.
There is a Korean proverb, ¡°Sleeping just after eating makes man an ox¡±. As a boy, I often heard it from the adults. It does not mean that we really become the oxen, if we sleep just after eating. It means; Don¡¯t sleep just after eating, for it is harmful for you. They express it like that. When you¡¯re bound only by the words of God, not knowing God¡¯s will, you can not but walk the wrong way, differently from the faith of those who know God¡¯s will.
The Jews, the Pharisees and the scribes, who could not know God¡¯s will, were bound by the ordinances of the laws or the traditions, but we, who know God¡¯s will, can naturally please God, regardless of the ordinances and the laws.
That¡¯s the difference between the Jews and Jesus. Because the Jews did not know God¡¯s will, they became bound by the ordinances, the laws and the traditions, but Jesus was not bound by them, for He knew God¡¯s will.
Let us think of the ordinance about the Sabbath as an example. The Old Testament typifies Jesus Christ, as you know. The tabernacle also symbolizes Jesus. The lampstand in the tabernacle represents Jesus Christ the light; the showbreads, Jesus the bread of life, and the law itself explains Jesus. King David, Joseph, and Abraham are shadows of Jesus Christ.
It is the same with the Sabbath. The Israelites lived painfully for six days as servants, but could rest on the Sabbath, according to the law, ¡®Do not labor on the Sabbath¡¯. The Sabbath begins at the dusk of Friday and lasts until the dusk of Saturday. So, even a servant was released from his heavy burden as soon as the sun sets down. As people were set free from their heavy burdens on the Sabbath, whosoever can lay down his heavy burden of sin and rest in Jesus, when he comes into Jesus. God gave us the Sabbath to teach this great truth.

WHO IS SPIRITUALLY DEAF AND HAS AN IMPEDIMENT IN HIS SPEECH?

Jesus says, ¡°Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.¡± and that He is Lord even of the Sabbath. It has the meaning that, as the one with heavy burdens can be legally free from them on the Sabbath, we, who are heavy laden, can be released, when we come to Jesus. Those who perceived the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath are not bound by the law of the Sabbath, instead they can rest in Jesus. Those who do not know the spiritual meaning of the Sabbath, however, strain and struggle, not being free from the law of the Sabbath, even when they come to Jesus.
If we are ignorant of God¡¯s will, He is not pleased with us, however faithfully we keep the laws. When we¡¯re bound by the law, we become busy with keeping the ordinances or the traditions.
The Jews have the tradition of eating after washing. It symbolizes that we can eat and drink with Christ after being washed of our dirty sins. Without washing our sins, we can never eat and drink with Jesus. Because they did not know Jesus, they just clung to the tradition of washing even as before Jesus Christ.
Didn¡¯t the disciples of Jesus, who did not keep the tradition of washing, already eat and drink with Jesus? To say it again, the genuine purpose of the tradition is to typify the washing our sins, and eat and drink with Jesus Christ. The Jews, unaware of being bound by the law, rather denounced the disciples of eating without washing hands. They never discovered that they were wrong and failed to seek the spiritual meaning through Jesus. They were spiritually blind.
Many people have experienced God¡¯s forgiveness and were born again through my preaching. But some did not accept the words of God. No matter how earnestly I preached to them. All of them were sure that they were good believers who kept the laws faithfully and followed the words of God.
Believing they were right, they did not want to hear from others. They inclined their ears to only what fits into their minds. They refused to hear what is contrary. When some people speaks contrary from their opinions, they close their ears, making resolution that they are the heretics. They are the same with the Pharisees and the scribes. As the Pharisees and the scribes kept the laws and the traditions faithfully, they regarded themselves as faithful believers, and did not incline their ears to the spiritual world. It was like those who were deaf and had an impediment in their speech in Mark 7.
The one who is deaf and has an impediment in his speech does not only mean the physically disabled, but also symbolizes the people who close their ears about the facts that are different from their own thoughts, bound by the traditions and the ordinances. While the Lord came through Tyre, Sidon and Decapolis, regretfully the people were spiritually deaf and had an impediment in their speech and did not accept the words of the Lord. He works through His words. And the refusal of His words proves that they are spiritually deaf and have an impediment in their speech.
But our beloved Lord healed the one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech at the seashore of the Sea of Galilee. He did not ask Jesus to heal him. The one who is deaf and has an impediment could not recognize Jesus, for he did not hear or speak. His neighbors brought him to Jesus and asked Him to put His hand on him. And He put his fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, ¡°Ephphatha (Be opened)¡±.

EPHPHATHA (BE OPENED)

If only one person recognized that he had no spiritual ear to hear, and asked Jesus to give him grace,...
Ephphatha means ¡®Be opened¡¯. The words of the Lord were so powerful that his ears were opened, his tongue was released and he could speak, when Jesus said, ¡°Ephphatha!¡±, even though he could not hear because of his deafness. As the Lord sighed for the one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech at the Sea of Galilee, He is now grieved for those who are spiritually deaf and have an impediment in their speech. He laments for those who do not perceive that He is passing through their lives, not knowing that they are spiritually deaf.
Many people insist that their belief is right, saying, ¡°My church is legitimate. I am a good believer. Our denomination has many people.¡± Although your belief seems to be right, you need to stand yourself before the words of God. The Lord could not but be grieved for the poor people like the elders, or the scribes, or the Pharisees who were not able to hear the words of the Lord because of their own opinions.
You should open your heart and hear His words. Abandoning your own thoughts and hearing the words of Jesus, you will find your own thoughts are different from the Lord¡¯s, as the religious¡¯ thoughts were different from the Lord¡¯s when He lived in the world. If you empty your minds and ask Him to give you His grace and make you see your foolishness, He will open your ears and mouths.
In China, a Korean resident was recently saved while reading the sermon book, ¡®The Secret Of Forgiveness And Being Born Again¡¯. She had been stricken by severe cancer. It was too late to be operated. When she experienced God¡¯s forgiveness, however, she was healed. She desired to witness to others what God had done for her. How unbearable to be silent! Being free from the impediment in one¡¯s speech makes him unable to bear without speaking to others. Likewise, when we experience forgiveness by the grace of Jesus and our mouths and ears are opened, we have a desire to witness to others.
Today, our beloved Lord wants to open your deaf ears, and your blinded minds burdened with sins, stubbornness and your own opinions. He desires to heal your tongue from the impediment. ¡®Ephphatha¡¯ is not only for the one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech at the Sea of Galilee 2000 years ago. Today Jesus sighes and cries, ¡°Ephphatha, Ephphatha¡±, passing through our hearts.
When you discover that you are spiritually blind, deaf and have an impediment in your speech and accept the word, ¡°Ephphatha¡±, you will be able to experience that your ears and tongues are healed and your hearts are opened. The Lord just passed through Tyre, Sidon and Decapolis. Yet, I hope that He will open your ears, eyes, tongues and hearts, not just passing through you.