Hope Despite Circumstances - 2 Corinthians 4-5

2 Corinthians 4:13-15 (ESV)

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

In the above passage Paul takes a portion of a psalm (Psalms 116:10) and applies it to his own (and the Corinthians) situation. The psalmist has had some tribulations.   He has been delivered, miraculously, by God from these tribulations and is praising God for this deliverance.   It was the palmist belief in God that gave him hope.  In this section Paul applies that same truth to his own situation.  He is so convinced in the truth of the resurrection that he has great hope.   This great hope increases to extreme thanksgiving and the glory of God.  

No matter our own situation, we can rejoice with great thanksgiving and bring glory to God by our faith in the resurrection.   This is our greatest hope.   Because Jesus was raised from the dead we have great hope and we are blessed for evermore.   It is the hope of the resurrection that motivates Paul to persevere under extreme circumstances.  Note what he wrote just before this passage:

2 Corinthians 4:8-12 (ESV)

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

It is only the hope of the resurrection that motivates us to endure through those types of life circumstances. 

Mob-Think - Mark 15-16

Mark 15:11-15 (ESV)

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Mob mentality is not a new phenomenon.  Yes, we seem to have an increase in mob-think right now in our currently social landscape, but that was the very tool Satan used to make sure Jesus was crucified.   Notice where Satan uses mob-think to disrupt the plans of God and/or the leadership God puts in place:

1.  Satan used mob-think in the desert when the nation of Israel came up against Moses’ leadership.  
2. He used mob-think to force Aaron to make a golden calf.   
3. He used mob-think to build a tower to reach to God in Genesis 11.  
4. He used mob-think to run David out of his kingdom when his son, Absalom, rebelled, 
5. He used mob-think when the men of Sodom and Gomorrah game to Lot’s doorstep. 
6. He used mob-think against Jeremiah. 
7. He sued mob-think to stone Stephen.
8. He used mob-think to come out against Peter and the early church. 
9. He used mob-think against Paul’s teaching in Ephesus. 
10. He will attempt to use mob-think in the end times. 

The religious leaders that stirred up the mob to ask for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified were not novel in their idea.   Pilate succumbing to their mob screams was not new.  Politicians not only succumb to mob screams today, they are typically the ones (like the Pharisees back then) who stir up the mob.   

But God uses the mob to accomplish His purpose.  He is not thwarted by the mob.  He used it in Jesus day to assure His Son would be crucified, because that is why His Son was sent.  Satan thought he had a victory.  He did not.  God used the mob mentality to accomplish His divine will.  He did it then and it will do now and in the future.  

God Keeps Every Detail of His Promises - Jeremiah 27-31

Jeremiah 27:21-22 (ESV)

thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”

In this section of Jeremiah God is using Jeremiah to tell the nation of Israel about their upcoming captivity, the false teachers who deny the captivity and the intricate details of that captivity.  

The above passage is about the details of the items in the Temple; the vessels.   Jeremiah tells them that during the captivity some of the vessels are going to be carried off into captivity with them.  The King of Babylon will take them.  But God tells the people the vessels will stay there until He visits them; meaning until He brings them back to Jerusalem.  That will be after 70 years and numerous kings and nations ruling over them in that captivity.   Think about that.   These vessels will be watched over by God for 70 years.   Different kings will rule over the kingdoms that hold them captivity.  But these precious belongings of the Temple will, per God, find their way back to the Temple.   

Note what is recorded 70 years later when Ezra returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple: 

Ezra 1:1 (ESV)

The Proclamation of Cyrus

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

Ezra 1:7 (ESV)

Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.

Ezra 1:11 (ESV)

all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

Ezra 5:14-15 (ESV)

And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.”

Ezra 6:5 (ESV)

And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

God does not neglect the very details of His promises.  You can rest assured He did not do it back then and He will not do it now.  God has attention to details.  

God Opens Eyes - Job 35-36

Job 36:5-10 (ESV Strong's)

“Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any;

he is mighty in strength of understanding.

He does not keep the wicked alive,

but gives the afflicted their right.

He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous,

but with kings on the throne

he sets them forever, and they are exalted.

And if they are bound in chains

and caught in the cords of affliction,

then he declares to them their work

and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

He opens their ears to instruction

and commands that they return from iniquity.

Tag:  God Opens Eyes

When we walk with God we have God directing our path(s).   In the above passage, Elihu is speaking to Job and his three friends.  They have wandered into a discussion of “who is at fault” for Job’s pain and suffering.  Elihu is focusing them all on God and His sovereign work in the hearts of mankind.   As he develops his thoughts and sharpens their focus, we see a key phrase to consider:

“He opens their ears to instruction and commands that’s they return from iniquity.” 

When Paul was called to be a servant of Christ on the Damascus Road, here is what Jesus said to him in regard to his future mission:

Acts 26:16-18 (ESV Strong's)

But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Paul’s mission was to bring the Gospel to “open their eyes ...”.  Elihu is telling Job to allow God to open his eyes to see the glory of God.  In fact he previously said to Job:

Job 35:5 (ESV Strong's)

Look at the heavens, and see;

and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.

He wants Job to quit looking at himself and his sores and look up and see the vision of God on the throne.   When our eyes a closed to the power and majesty of God we can only see the frailty and futileness of our own works and efforts.  Only God can open the eyes for us to see Him and His Majesty.  When He does and we do we quit looking at the mess around us and behold the glory before us.  Open our eyes, Lord!!!

Beware Oh Mighty Men - Psalms 51-53

Psalms 52:5-7 (ESV)

But God will break you down forever;

he will snatch and tear you from your tent;

he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

The righteous shall see and fear,

and shall laugh at him, saying,

“See the man who would not make

God his refuge,

but trusted in the abundance of his riches

and sought refuge in his own destruction!”

Psalm 52 starts out like this:

Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man?

The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

God is speaking to the might man.   This is the one who rejects God and still thinks they own the world.    We can spot them in politics.  We can spot them in sports.  We can spot them in entertainment.   We can spot them in the military.  We can spot them in corporate America.    We, regretfully, can spot them in religious circles.   And we can spot them in families.  These are people who flex and spread out their peacock feathers for all to see.   We stare in amazement. We applaud them.  We invest in them.  We bet on them.  We hide behind them. We vote for them.   We love them.    

But King David is the writer of this song and he calls them out.  However, guess what?  He was a politician.  He was an entertainer.   He was a military man.  He was religious man.  He was a family man.  Whenever David failed it was because he was flexing on his own might and not the power and might of God.   David, like in Psalm 51, is calling himself out as well.  He was a might man.   Remember what he called his inner circle?  

2 Samuel 23:8 (ESV)

These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time.

1 Chronicles 11:10 (ESV)

Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

In the above text, however, we see what David thinks of mighty men who try to fight on their own.  God will eventually bring them down.  And those who once feared them and would hide in their presence, will now come out and laugh in their face.   This is the plight of the might man who rejects God and embraces evil.  We might physically fear them.  We might cower to them.  We might run when them come.   We might try to win them over and get on their good side to exploit them.  But in the end, we, like God will laugh at those who fight with their might and reject Him.  Note how David’s son, Solomon, would say it latter:

Proverbs 1:24-27 (ESV)

Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

Victory Is Guaranteed - 2 Samuel 5-9

2 Samuel 8:3-8 (ESV)

David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went. And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

Obviously we can see that David had a secret weapon.  David had God on His side.   The above line in the above paragraph states that wherever David went, he had victory.  Imagine that formula for us today.  Imagine that we can have victory wherever we go.   Business and industry would love that.  Politicians would love that.  Athletes would love that.  Parents would love that.  Yet, these positions or categories are not what is guaranteed success.  It is those who follow God.   This phrase will be repeated of David in a couple more verses:

2 Samuel 8:14 (ESV)

Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

David had victory because David followed God.  As long as he did that, he could know he had victory.  There is going to come a time in this book of 2 Samuel that this will not be true.  But that is because he will, later in this book, fail to follow God.  Our formula for victory, as a believer is very simple: Follow God and we will have victory.   It was said this way in the first psalm:

Psalms 1 (ESV)

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

but his delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

David, himself, said this way in Psalm 15:

Psalms 15 (ESV)

A PSALM OF DAVID.

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but who honors those who fear the LORD;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

who does not put out his money at interest

and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

We can claim victory before we even fight if before we even fight we are walking with God.