Tag: fear of death
Cries up to Heaven!
Scripture reading for August 5: 1 Samuel 5:11-12 “They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.”
In today’s story from Scripture, the Philistines, enemies of Israel, had captured the ark of God and they were having great troubles everywhere that they took it. First they took it to the temple of Dagon and set it before their idol god. The next day, Dagon was lying on his face before the ark of God. They set the idol up again and the next morning, Dagon lay dismembered before the ark with the head and hands on the threshold of the temple. The people also noticed tumors growing on their bodies for God’s hand was heavy on them. There was great fear and panic in the whole city and countryside that caused them to cry out to heaven themselves. Their leaders devised a plan to move the ark of God out of their city. Offerings would be made of gold tumors and gold mice, five of them, for each of the lords of the Philistines. They put the ark on a new cart with two milk cows pulling it.
Have you ever had the ‘hand of the Lord’ heavy on you? These Philistines were Gentile idolaters but God had shown them mercy by coming near to them. They instead put God’s ark in their temple and continued their idolatry. Judgment from God fell and resulted in tumors and deathly fear and panic. They began to cry out and the cry went up to heaven. God showed them mercy in removing His presence and allowing them to continue in the darkness of idolatry.
As believers in Jesus, we are no longer under the curse of the law of sin and death. Jesus has bought and paid for our deliverance and for our healing. When attacked by cancer or disease, we go to our Father and He hears because He lives in us through His Holy Spirit. We trust His promises by faith. His hand is not heavy on us, but reaches out to lift us up and take us through! (Romans 8:37-38) Amen!
God’s Final Word–Jesus Christ
Scripture reading for December 10: Hebrews 1-2
God is a spirit and we are not equipped naturally to see or understand the character of a spirit-being. God sent His first-born Son, Jesus Christ to fully reveal His character. As we look at Jesus and His completely humble and obedient character, we can begin to know and understand God. The writer of Hebrews opens his letter with a wonderful statement about Jesus.
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3
Jesus Christ is God’s last ‘Word’ for us. In the Old Testament times God spoke the language of “prophet” at various times and in various places. In New Testament times, God speaks “Son”. His Son is His exact representation. His Son made the universe! His Son sustains everything with His powerful Word! If you really want to know about God, then look to Jesus and listen to His Word.
Not only is Jesus Christ the Creator and sustainer of all that is, He also made purification for sins. His life of total obedience and reverent fear of the Lord made Him the only One capable of being a sacrifice for our sins. He willingly and obediently obeyed His Father and offered His body and blood to atone for sin. His sacrifice was sufficient and provides the only way to be cleansed from sin.
After offering Himself on the cross and tasting death for us, He was buried in a tomb. On the third day, He rose from the dead. He ministered for forty days to his amazed disciples and over 500 other followers before ascending to heaven on a cloud. Once there, He was seated at the right hand of the Majesty of God the Father. He took the place of the exalted first-born Son of God. He is seated because His work is finished. He is there to intercede for us until He comes again for us.
“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15
Jesus is the last ‘Word’ from heaven for us! We are free from the fear of death and the devil because of Christ’s death! May God have the “last Word” in your life today and every day!
Jesus our faithful High Priest
Scripture reading for February 17th: Leviticus 1-3, Psalm 27, Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2:14-18 “Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels He helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because He, Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”
The writer of Hebrews shared how the descendants of Abraham were partakers of flesh and blood. They were also sinners and lived under a slavery to the fear of death. God had placed eternity in their hearts and they knew that they would stand before God as a judge. God’s remedy to help lost and enslaved mankind was to send His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to live in perfect obedience to the Father. Jesus came in human flesh and was subject to the trials and temptations common to sinful man. But He was sinless and offered His body and blood as the perfect sacrifice for sins. Atonement and propitiation are the two words used to describe what the substitute sacrifice would provide. Through Jesus, deliverance from the slavery of fear of death and sin’s power and cleansing from sin was accomplished.
Leviticus 1:3-5 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. Then he shall kill the bull before the Lord, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and throw the blood against the sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Your Son as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Thank You that He is a merciful High Priest and understands our weaknesses and need for mercy. Thank You for the perfect and complete sacrifice of Jesus Christ delivering us from fear of death and the power and penalty of sin. We now see the goodness of God in the land of the living!
Psalm 27:13-14 “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.”
No More Fear of Death!
Scripture reading for December 12th: Hebrews 1-2
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3a) The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jews who had been saved and became followers of Jesus Christ. They suffered intense persecution, some had their own families disown them, and some were being put to death. The persecution caused some to begin to question their salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ. The writer encouraged these Jews to pay careful attention to the word of God and the truth that had been preached to them. Careful attention would keep them on the narrow path of life.
The writer of Hebrews reminded these believers that the the Son of God had brought the message of salvation to the Jews first. He confirmed it with signs and wonders and miracles. (Hebrews 2:3-4) Jesus was raised to a position of glory and honor after suffering death for everyone. God made the author of their salvation perfect through suffering and He is in the process of perfecting those who follow Jesus as well.
“Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” (Hebrews 2:14-15) As Christians, we now have no more fear of death. Christ has freed us from that fear by conquering death and the grave. He destroyed the devil and took the keys of death and hell away from him. (Revelation 1:18)
All men have been held by the fear of death because all have sinned and know that death is the penalty for sin. The second death is the real fear because it is appointed to men once to die and then comes the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) Christ took our sins and paid the penalty of death for all who believe on Him. He can help us now because He is our faithful high priest, having offered His own blood for our sins! (Hebrews 2:17-18) What a blessing to be freed from this enslaving fear!