All posts by Virjil Selvan

Last week we heard about God being that pursuing husband from the life of Hosea and Gomer.

Many times when we watch a certain movie, we would like to remember it as a whole. We remember a certain dialogue, a certain action that we delight in, but however, we love to know that this scene was a wonderful conclusion.
In our story today, we see that there is no mention of Hosea and Gomer anywhere. We don’t know what exactly happened? Did Gomer go back? Did she repent? Did their marriage resolve? What happened to the story? The story is incomplete, that’s because it is not the story about Hosea and Gomer.
It is the story of Israel and God. It is OUR story.
We are going to look at chapters 4 to 7, in which God pours out His heart about Israel’s unfaithfulness. It is about God looking for loyalty, affection, return back.

We see a similar story at the beginning of the creation. Adam and Eve were loved by God but because of their behaviour they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, similarly, God wants to throw the Israelites out of the promised land.
We can read it in chapter 6 vs 7

Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets,
I killed you with the words of my mouth—
then my judgments go forth like the sun.[a]
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.6:5 – 6

As at Adam,[b] they have broken the covenant;
they were unfaithful to me there. 6 vs 7

Today it is not about Israel, it’s about US. We are humans just like them. We are like Adam and we are like Israel. Like all human beings, we have broken the covenant. We share the same hearts. We have the same capacity to love God and also hurt God.
We live in an era where everything is so convenient and comfortable. With this age of prosperity, it brings compromise. We compromise because we are used to the luxuries and comfort. We are used to the grace. We are used to the cross. We are so familiar with everything that we battle with temptation just like the Israelites. They were living in peace for forty years before they were attacked by the Persians.

In the next few chapters, the scene is like a law court. God is presenting His argument.

The rebels are knee-deep in slaughter.
I will discipline all of them. 5:2

When they go with their flocks and herds
to seek the Lord,
they will not find him;
he has withdrawn himself from them 5:6

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them.
15 Then I will return to my lair
until they have borne their guilt
and seek my face—
in their miser
they will earnestly seek me.” 5: 14 – 15

God’s law has been defiled, land is cursed. Israel has given her heart to someone else.

The question is, is God heartbroken with us like Israel? Are we guilty as charged?

Let’s analyze ourselves

The way we feel, think,and our whole being – what does it reflect about ourselves and our attitude towards God?
Does it break God’s heart to see us in our natural circumstances?
Have we become ignorant of God’s word?

God says you don’t love me, is it true about us too?
Are we guilty of idolatry – what do I love the most?

The reason is that when we ignore God’s word , it leads us to idolatry. We may not have actual idols but we have created idols for ourselves.
Work becomes an idol, (taking compromise into consideration).
Family cultures and rituals become an idol. (We compromise kingdom values with worldly values).
Money becomes an idol (I don’t trust God’s provision, I compromise my time to gain money and not other priority tasks that God wants me to do.)
Emotions become our idol when we are driven by it.
With all the above, we become divorced to God and married to our idols. We become so used to success, approval, security, power, wealth, technology, that God says, ‘You don’t know me’, you don’t love me, you are not faithful.

Even when their drinks are gone,
they continue their prostitution;
their rulers dearly love shameful ways.
19 A whirlwind will sweep them away,
and their sacrifices will bring them shame. 5 vs 18 & 19
We see a progression of sin.

Ignorance leads to immorality and immorality leads to Idolatry.

However, God has not given up on us.

We see 3 charges in 5 vs 1 – 5:
1. Does not acknowledge
2. Arrogance
3. Corrupt

In verse 6 of chapter 5, we see God withdraws Himself from Israel. He stops speaking to them.
However, in vs 8 of chapter 5, shows us God’s pain and hurt
“Sound the trumpet in Gibeah,
the horn in Ramah.
Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven;
lead on, Benjamin. 5:8

God is unable to bear it anymore in vs 14

For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a great lion to Judah.
I will tear them to pieces and go away;
I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. 5:14.

How much our ignorance & immoral ways break God’s heart?

Am I repentant? God constantly repeats Himself. We see the same pattern that we see in these chapters – 4: Accusation, 5: Judgement, 6&7: Restoration. It’s the same pattern that repeats itself.
In chapter 5 vs 15 and in chapter 6 vs 1, we see Israel attempting to repent
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.
3 Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.” 6:1 – 3

True restoration needs true repentance. Israel’s repentance was not true repentance, it was superficial and God knows that.

They do not cry out to me from their hearts
but wail on their beds.
They slash themselves,[a] appealing to their gods
for grain and new wine,
but they turn away from 7 vs 14

How should true repentance look like. sin in our life is a problem, but so is a life where we haven’t learned how to truly repent of sin.

1. Torn Hearts (Broken Heart)

Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2: 12& 13

God does not delight in our sacrifices but a heart which is broken and contrite

2. Will feel the depth of the pain that is caused

We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.Isaiah 64:6

3. Appalled by Sin
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5

Even Peter fell face down and told Jesus to get away from him as he is a sinful man.

4. Make changes in behaviour and accept the consequences

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23: 40 – 41

 

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We felt we need to do a series on Hope and the book of Hosea stood out.

We started this year with a promise of Rebuild , Restore and Renew.

The book of Hosea is the first of the twelve Minor Prophets. Hosea began service as a prophet about 750 B.C. and concluded his work about 722 B.C., shortly before the Assyrian conquest of Israel (the ten tribes that constituted the Northern Kingdom). He thus began his work shortly after Amos concluded his shorter prophetic ministry (about 760-755 B.C.).

Unlike Amos, who was a native of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), Hosea was a native of Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Both addressed their prophecies to Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Like Amos, Hosea proclaims a message of judgment on Israel for her unfaithfulness to Yahweh. However, Hosea also proclaims God’s continuing love and pleads for Israel’s repentance. He holds out the hope of forgiveness and restoration (1:10-11; and chapters 3, 11, and 14).

In Hosea 1:  “the word of Yahweh… came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel” (1:1). The Jeroboam in question here is Jeroboam II, who reigned in Israel (the Northern Kingdom) from about 785-745 B.C.

Hosea began his prophetic work during the last years of Jeroboam’s reign. That reign appears to have been prosperous—both Amos and Hosea condemn the extravagance of Israel’s wealthier citizenry. However, Jeroboam “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (2 Kings 14:24). He was succeeded by his son, Zechariah, who reigned for only six months before being assassinated. Zechariah’s successor, Shallum, reigned only a month before he was assassinated. In the three decades of his prophetic ministry, Hosea saw a total of seven kings—all bad—come and go.

The very first thing God ever said to Hosea tells us about his unlikely marriage: “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord” (Hos. 1:2). These instructions have been variously understood by different students of Scripture through the years. Some believe that God was commanding Hosea to marry a woman who had formerly been a prostitute. Others contend that taking a wife of promiscuous would merely refer to marrying a woman from the northern kingdom of Israel, a land which was guilty of spiritual adultery. In either case, it is obvious that she was a woman who had been deeply affected by the moral laxity of her society, and God intended to use the prophet’s personal relationship with her as a penetrating object lesson of His own relationship with His unfaithful people, Israel.

Son – Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

Daughter – Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”)

Son – Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”)

Let us read Hosea 2:

Israel Punished and Restored

2 “Rebuke your mother, rebuke her,

for she is not my wife,

and I am not her husband.

Let her remove the adulterous look from her face

and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.

3 Otherwise I will strip her naked

and make her as bare as on the day she was born;

I will make her like a desert,

turn her into a parched land,

and slay her with thirst.

4 I will not show my love to her children,

because they are the children of adultery.

5 Their mother has been unfaithful

and has conceived them in disgrace.

She said, ‘I will go after my lovers,

who give me my food and my water,

my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.’

6 Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;

I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.

7 She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;

she will look for them but not find them.

Then she will say,

‘I will go back to my husband as at first,

for then I was better off than now.’

8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one

who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,

who lavished on her the silver and gold—

which they used for Baal.

9 “Therefore I will take away my grain when it ripens,

and my new wine when it is ready.

I will take back my wool and my linen,

intended to cover her naked body.

10 So now I will expose her lewdness

before the eyes of her lovers;

no one will take her out of my hands.

11 I will stop all her celebrations:

her yearly festivals, her New Moons,

her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals.

12 I will ruin her vines and her fig trees,

which she said were her pay from her lovers;

I will make them a thicket,

and wild animals will devour them.

13 I will punish her for the days

she burned incense to the Baals;

she decked herself with rings and jewelry,

and went after her lovers,

but me she forgot,”

declares the Lord.

14 “Therefore I am now going to allure her;

I will lead her into the wilderness

and speak tenderly to her.

15 There I will give her back her vineyards,

and will make the Valley of Achor[b] a door of hope.

There she will respond

[c]

as in the days of her youth,

as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

16 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“you will call me ‘my husband’;

you will no longer call me ‘my master.[d]’

17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;

no longer will their names be invoked.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky

and the creatures that move along the ground.

Bow and sword and battle

I will abolish from the land,

so that all may lie down in safety.

19 I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in[e] righteousness and justice,

in[f] love and compassion.

20 I will betroth you in[g] faithfulness,

and you will acknowledge the Lord.

21 “In that day I will respond,”

declares the Lord—

“I will respond to the skies,

and they will respond to the earth;

22 and the earth will respond to the grain,

the new wine and the olive oil,

and they will respond to Jezreel.[h]

23 I will plant her for myself in the land;

I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.[i]’

I will say to those called ‘Not my people,[j]’ ‘You are my people’;

and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”

Israel being prostituting themselves with other gods leaving their first love. Israel was supposed to be distinct a light to the nation . Israel was supposed to represent God’s love to the people but what we find, through that they have compromised . Israel has adopted the way of the brothel , The ways of the Egyptians , Assyrians, cult practices, prostitution , fertility god Baal, doing things in secret thought they can hide it from their lover God

They all were good, God himself lead them but what happened over the period of years. They started adopting to the culture around them , adopting the values of the nations around them and their consciences start dying, temptations of living a different life and started justifying their wrong doings. They were taken over the ambitions , that is anything that they love more than God.

God speaks to Hosea about all this act as unfaithful , prostitution. It’s been harsh words.

This is the spiritual state of Israel or maybe it is our Spiritual state

Maybe today as we sit here , we feel dirty , unworthy or we have gone astray

adopted the way of the brothel , The ways of the world, using technology , using the OTT platforms, corrupting our minds with lust , pleasure,  doing things in secret thinking we can hide it from our first love i.e God. and started compromising our values, we feel ok , to cheat , tell lies , bribe others , make fake bills . Our ambitions , our carreer has taken over the place of God in our lives.

With all this if we are sitting here and asking now , Does God still loves me?

When we read Chapter 2

God is hurt towards his wife. He is jealous of her love and he is hurt as she is sharing it with others.

Verse 2 & 3

2 “Rebuke your mother, rebuke her,

for she is not my wife,

and I am not her husband.

Let her remove the adulterous look from her face

and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.

3 Otherwise I will strip her naked

and make her as bare as on the day she was born;

I will make her like a desert,

turn her into a parched land,

and slay her with thirst.

It is not a desire of revenge but it’s a desire to bring her to her senses. God wants her attention

We don’t talk a lot about Sin in our Church during our sermons , but we need to . As Christians we normalise Sin. If a child disrespects their parents , we say they are small, now they don’t understand. When our children become teenagers and when they follow different lifestyles , we say yea , that’s their age everyone is like that. We normalise sin.

We have not understood God until we realise that our Sin has broken his heart.

The Assyrians sweep over and God removes their comfort , security and happiness. And Israel was out of Map. The northern kingdom has fallen. Israel was no more.

God sometimes removes things in our life to win us back. Is God shaking the foundation so that he can knock over the gods which you and me are relying on.

Now God promises restoration, Verse 14, 15 God reminds Israel the days of Egypt. Where He made a covenant in the Desert. Where he married her. God says Let’s start all over again. Let’s have a fresh start

There are at least three things the Lord does to win you, His wayward wife, back to Himself:

1. The Lord speaks tenderly. (v. 14)
2. 14:“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” Incredible! Though you and I are all guilty of spiritual harlotry, and we have loved other lovers more than God, yet the Lord has not cast us off. In fact, He takes us into the wilderness to be alone with us. Why? So that he can speak tenderly to us. Literally, so that He can speak “to her heart.” And when He speaks, He allures you.

So go with him into the places (Church , cell group, prayer group, family , work place) and listen with your heart.

2. The Lord promises Hope (V 15-18)

15 There I will give her back her vineyards,

and will make the Valley of Achor[b] a door of hope.

There she will respond

[c]

as in the days of her youth,

as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

16 “In that day,” declares the Lord,

“you will call me ‘my husband’;

you will no longer call me ‘my master.[d]’

17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;

no longer will their names be invoked.

18 In that day I will make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky

and the creatures that move along the ground.

Bow and sword and battle

I will abolish from the land,

so that all may lie down in safety.

A vineyard requires more preparation than most crop-producing lands. Established vineyards are a sign of prosperity.

In this verse, God promises to give Israel vineyards—a substantial gift that promises future prosperity—reversing the curse of verse 12, where Yahweh said, “I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees.”

I believe , God promises Spiritual Prosperity , if we turn back to him.

“and the valley of Achor for a door of hope” (v. 15b). The word Achor means “trouble”, and the Valley of Achor was the site of a troubled moment in Israel’s history. The story is told in Joshua 7. Achan stole some “devoted things” (Joshua 7:1), and God punished Israel for Achan’s sin. God required Israel to sanctify herself by punishing the offender. The Israelites did as commanded, stoning Achan and burning all of his possessions, including his family. “Therefore the name of that place was called ‘The valley of Achor’” (Joshua 7:26)—the Valley of Trouble.

Now God points back to that troubled incident to promise that he will turn Israel’s troubles into hope.

3. The Lord Promises Restoration

Verse 17-23

19 I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in[e] righteousness and justice,

in[f] love and compassion.

20 I will betroth you in[g] faithfulness,

and you will acknowledge the Lord.

God says , I will do , I will restore. The initiation to restore is all God’s.

Now in Hosea Chapter 3, let us read the first 2 verses.

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

Imagine this , Gomer has gone back and God commanded Hosea to go and bring her and to take her and love her.

Imagine this that there is an auction and Gomer is standing ashamed, in front of a huge crowd and all people are looking at her and thinking how much should they pay for her? it starts with Rs 1000 , who wants Gomer , Rs 2000 , Rs 5000 , who wants Gomer , Who wants Virjil? Hosea comes and says that I want her, give her to me ,she is mine and I love her, I will pay for her. Jesus says , I want him /her, give him /her to me, I love him / her , I will pay for it.

And Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for us and bought us.

Romans 5:6-8

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

When God loves the Unfaithful

With these earlier prophets, the Word of the LORD came to them, and they verbalized it to the people, but with Hosea and many prophets after Him, God tells them to go beyond just speaking the Word of the LORD.  He gives them specific instructions on how to illustrate the things that God is wanting them to know.  Sometimes going to some extreme measures to make sure that the people grasp the significance and severity of what the LORD was trying to say.  While God used prophets like Elijah and Elisha to communicate his messages to the people, in later times it took extreme measures to get their attention.

These were not just strange things that these men chose to do, but they were strange things that God told His prophets to do in order to communicate “The Word of the LORD”.  They were to not just to speak the Word of the LORD but live it out in front of the people.  Living parables, that would get people’s attention in such a way that they might better receive the Word of the LORD.

And this is the framework for the prophet Hosea’s story.  In order to better communicate the hurt behind the unfaithfulness of God’s people,  God led Hosea into a marriage that displayed a similar unfaithfulness.  It is unclear how or when Hosea knew that his wife would be unfaithful to him, but just that this part of his story would work to prophetically communicate the Word of the LORD to God’s people.

Hosea knew this simply because God showed it to him, or if there were already things in Gomer’s life that pointed to her being prone to unfaithfulness.  when they got married Included in this list of disruptive messages was the message that God sent through his command to Hosea to take a wife, with full knowledge that she will one day be unfaithful to him.

Hosea 1

The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash[a] king of Israel:

Hosea’s Wife and Children

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.”

8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.[b]

10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

[c]

Background

During the time of Hosea, the Israelites were influenced heavily by the worship and ways of the Canaanites. The sophistication of the city-based Canaanite farmers who surrounded them, the fertility of their flocks and fields (apparently elicited from the gods and goddesses of fertility) attracted the Israelite farmers. The rites by which the people supplicated the gods of fertility were lewd, licentious, and immoral. Even though Israel had covenanted at Sinai to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation unto God, by the time of Hosea, God’s people had become deeply involved in the practices of their neighbors, whose way of life should have repelled them.

Using the imagery of a marriage, the Lord, through Hosea, taught His people that though they had been unfaithful to Him, ye He would still not divorce them (cast them off) if they would but turn back to Him. Though Hosea speaks of a nation, the same principle holds true for individuals. Even those who have been grossly unfaithful to God can re-establish their relationship with Him if they will but turn back to Him with full purpose of heart.

This is a type and shadow of Israel’s and our unfaithfulness to God. Over and over again, Hosea would go looking for his wife to bring her home to show her how much he loves her.

The standards with which we measure unfaithfulness is very different from the standards that God has. God is unable to see even a small patch of sin. Examples of our unfaithfulness would be, not taking the side of the truth, not doing good when I can, I choose my physical benefit over my spiritual benefit. We are all genuinely praying, reading our bible but when it comes to practicing those truths, we wonder whether it will really make a difference in this age and era.

We have our own checklist of yes tick, I have done this, yes tick, I have done this for God, but God desires our heart. Where is my heart? What am I constantly thinking? What I have understood is that, we cannot hide anything from God. What we do from Monday to Saturday is watched by God and He knows where we stand. We cannot cheat Him. The only thing He desires is that we come back to Him. Desire Him and acknowledge His presence in our life. He desires genuine relationship with us. If we look at the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery, Jesus doesn’t condemn her, but he addresses the issue of sin and unfaithfulness with everyone. All of us have hurt God by replacing him with other things. We have been unfaithful.

1. Only God can rescue us from our sin.

vs 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.”

Many times we try and then we fail. Our flesh is weak but our spirit is willing. The fact that every New year we make a resolution is because we know that what we are doing is not quite right and we need to change from a certain habit or a certain behaviour, but we fall.

When we go to Jesus, with our weaknesses, stubborn habits, we get help from the Holy Spirit, that is, His Spirit to transform us and secondly God gives us a community that channelizes our stubborn behaviour. Accountability to God and the people God has placed us with, help us to keep in check.

2. God’s plan for Rescue was always the cross

vs 10b In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

Hosea’s relationship with Gomer reminds us of God’s relationship with the people of Israel and with us. Even though God’s people are unfaithful and love other things more than they love God, God still loves us. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sin and bring us back to Him.

An Illustration

On 5th August, the San Jose copper mine, in the Atacama Desert in Chile collapsed. 33 men were trapped in darkness. The world and their relatives feared that there was no hope. The depth of the mine, the lack of food and water, and the absence of any signs of life all pointed to a terribly sad end.

But after signs of life were detected, an audacious rescue attempt was launched. Starting from the surface of the desert during bright daylight, drills began to bore a narrow hole down into darkness.

After meticulous planning, but recognising many risks, a rescue capsule called Phoenix was sent down into the depths to rescue the 33 men. One by one the men stepped into their rescue capsule and they were delivered to the surface to shouts of jubilation and joy. They had been feared dead, but every man that stepped into the capsule was saved, alive and well.

After meticulous planning, and very aware of the risks, God launched an audacious rescue attempt. For many people life can seem dark and without hope – a bit like being trapped in a mine; so the message is that God came down from above into the depths of this world to rescue us. Jesus is the rescue capsule; and when we place ourselves into his care he lifts us up, inch by inch, moment by moment, in order to save us.

A rescue plan always involves risk to the rescuer. If we see someone in danger of something, my first instinct would be to call for help or get a professional to get the person rescued. However, if you notice that if it is someone close to us, like our children or spouse or any other beloved family member, we will jump into rescuing them. We don’t care. We just go into it. Jesus did that to rescue us. He continues to do that. He doesn’t mind what people will think but goes intentionally for the rescue.

Now, interestingly, the second part of this rescue is that the person should be willing to be rescued. There is enough damage done.

1. Unwilling to be rescued because of guilt and shame.
2. Unwilling to be rescued because of pride, or attitude.
3. Unwilling to be rescued because of trust issues.
4. Unwilling to be rescued because we are unable to see that we are in danger.

When we overcome these barriers, we will have a new life. We will be rescued.

3. God is interested in changed hearts, not modified behavior.

If there’s anything that needs to be changed, it is our heart. It is very difficult to change ourselves if we are not convinced of something. God wants a heart change because if I am not convinced in my heart then the change would be temporary. It will not last. The impact should be from within.

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Romans 8:13

Conclusion:

Hosea never stopped loving his unfaithful prostitute wife and God will never stop loving us when we are unfaithful. His love and mercy reveal to our hearts a truth that overcomes sin and brings us back into harmony with His life in us.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Last year 2021, we had received a promise for our church, our families and our City from Isaiah 43

• Do Not Fear
• Assured of God’s Protection
• Establishing Community
• New Mind Set

We saw those promises fulfilling in our Church, in our family and in our City.

This year we felt that God will Rebuild, Renew & Restore

A new beginning – REBUILD, RENEW, RESTORE

At the beginning of a new year it is customary for us to think of this as a time of new beginnings, a time for new resolutions. But the truth is that with God anytime is a time for a new beginning.

John 10:10 “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Our God has come to give life and hope. We need to believe in this new beginning .

2021 , Most of us would say that it was a difficult year  because of the pandemic and we all are expecting big things in year 2022.

The Promise for this year 2022, we felt was Isaiah chapter 61 and few verses from chapter 60 & 62 . This Promise is for Our Families, Our Church and Our City.

This Year while preparing for the New Year, Isaiah 61:4 stood out.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

 

Let us look back the context of these chapters.

God’s Spirit gives Isaiah the prophet some good news to pass on to Jews who were held captive in Babylon.

The prophet Isaiah is writing and looking forward to a time where Israel will be taken into exile and then they’ll start their journey home.

They will be released to return to their land, but their captors will be punished. When they arrive in Jerusalem, they may be overcome with grief because of the ruin and devastation they see around them. But God will encourage and strengthen them so that they can rebuild their beloved city.

As we enter this year with hope, God encourages us this year

God’s going to rebuild where there are ruins, that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay in the past.

God is going to restore where it is completely devastated for a long time.

God is going to renew the ruined and make it new.

These verses are a remarkable picture of hope to Israel who had for so long been oppressed, then exiled and now struggling to rebuild. However ruined and devastated things may appear to be, God can rebuild, restore & renew. That goes for Church, Individuals and for communities impacted by God’s people as a result of Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension.

This is a promise for 2022 for Our Families, Our Church and Our City. God’s going to work, and God’s going to move

ISAIAH 60-62

These three chapters promise great things to the people of Jerusalem and record the rejoicing that they will experience upon the fulfillment of those promises.  These chapters constitute an optimistic, joyful unit.

The former exiles have returned to Jerusalem after a lengthy exile that challenged their faith in Yahweh.  Cyrus of Persia has defeated the Babylonians and instituted a new policy.  Instead of subjugating Jewish exiles, Cyrus allows them to return to Jerusalem and even provides funds to finance the rebuilding of the temple.

However, upon their return, the former exiles find that Yahweh, who made possible their return, has not seen fit to make their task easy.  The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple.  The returned exiles experienced opposition from local people and the project ground to a halt (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4-5).

Even though they had this promise, they were challenged . When the exiles returned they faced opposition. It was not easy for them . This year we may face challenges and may not be easy but God will intervene and his work in us and our church and our families will never stop. We need to overcome it.

Let us look at Isaiah 61 where we felt that , this chapter is a promise for us this year. Let us read the entire chapter.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;

foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,

you will be named ministers of our God.

You will feed on the wealth of nations,

and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of your shame

you will receive a double portion,

and instead of disgrace

you will rejoice in your inheritance.

And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,

and everlasting joy will be yours.

8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;

I hate robbery and wrongdoing.

In my faithfulness I will reward my people

and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations

and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge

that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

10 I delight greatly in the Lord;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

and praise spring up before all nations.

In Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

Here, Isaiah prophetically speaks for the Messiah, and the Messiah announces that He is blessed and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord GOD.

When we read Luke 4:16-21, Jesus took the same script and read it and said “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us read that

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The word “anoint” means to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to. Persons in the Old Testament were often literally anointed with oil. For example, priests were anointed for their special service to the LORD (Exodus 28:41)

As Christians under the New Covenant, we also have an anointing

1 John 2:20

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

Firstly, We felt the promise for us this year from Verse 1-3: CHRIST will-

1. Heal the damage that sin has caused.

Sin has done great damage, so there needs to be a great work of redemption. God will work

2. Heal the broken hearted

God will heal the hurt of those who are grieving—who have lost their hope

3. Set us free from our bondages and Sins

Proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound

4. Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God

Experience favor of God but vengeance is upon those who oppose him

5. Comfort for all who mourn, and provision for those who grieve in Zion. Set a crown of beauty instead of ashes, Anoint with the oil of joy instead of mourning, Place a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

God’s Promise of Comfort and Restoration

Secondly, We are also part of this message of promise and hope. As God has anointed us too, therefore, God places that responsibility over us as well. This year God want us            

1 to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

I believe God will give us people whom he loves , cares and we as a Church will be responsible for them. God will use Individual , Family & Church for the below:

• We will proclaim good news to the poor.
• We will bind up the broken hearted
• We will proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
• We will proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.
• We will comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion.
• We will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
• We will bestow oil of joy instead of mourning.
• We will bestow a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

We felt three key verses from Isaiah 60-62. We saw Isaiah 61:4

Secondly, Isaiah 60:22

22 The least of you will become a thousand,

the smallest a mighty nation.

I am the Lord;

in its time I will do this swiftly.”

We are not sure what this promise is all about what we want to wait and hear God more clearly.

Thirdly, Isaiah 62:2

2 The nations will see your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

you will be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

When I was reading Isaiah 62:2 , I was in awe and was very sure of what God is going to do with the Promise for us in 2022. Just to give you background , in the month of June 2021 , we again re-initiated the process of registering the Panvel Church as a separate trust and we submitted all the required documents , while our document was being verified, one day we were told that “New Hope Community” name is not available as we already have a similar trust name registered close to our city. We were pleading with the officers that , our name is not same like the one which is registered but the officers did not agree for the name “New Hope Community”. While coming back from the charity commissioner’s office we were literally in tears and we were silent for almost about 2 hours, while journeying back home. We were very well known as “New Hope Community” in and around our city and suddenly to change the name was a huge setback and disappointment for us. We did not have any option but to change the name, so we came up with a new name “Renewed Hope Community”. But our love for the old name was still there, and in the Month of December while I was preparing and waiting on God for the promise, I landed up on this verse and I was in awe and tears , excited for what God is doing in our community. Isaiah 62:2 says, “you will be called by a new name”, even though the context is different, but it meant so much for us that God will call us by a new name from New Hope Community to Renewed Hope Community. And the word renew in Isaiah 61:4 amazed us as we decided the new name in the month of October and I was reading these 3 chapters of Isaiah 60-62, from all the other books. We as a community are excited for 2022 and beyond and want to end this message with what Christ has done for us. He Sacrificed his life for us. What a precious gift we have received. Want to conclude with a take away with the below verses

Isaiah 62:2

2 The nations will see your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

you will be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

Isaiah 61:4

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

that have been devastated for generations.

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of his splendor.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Elshaddai means Almighty God. In Hebrew, El Shaddai means “The God Who Is More Than Enough.” He is the All-Sufficient One. The Good News Bible translates El Shaddai as the “Almighty God.” (Genesis 17: 1, 35:11).

El Shaddai is one of the names used for God. It is a Hebrew name for God and it occurs only eight times in the Old Testament.

El Shaddai means “The Almighty, all-sufficient God.” Sometimes the name is also simply Shaddai. This means “The Almighty.” El Shaddai first appears in Genesis 17:1.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. (NASB) Genesis 17:1

Both forms of the name for God appear forty-eight times in the Old Testament. Here are the passages: Genesis 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; 49:25; Exodus 6:3; Numbers 24:4; 24:16; Ruth 1:20, 21; Job 5;17; 6:4, 14; 8:3, 5; 11:7; 13:3; 15:25; 21:15, 20; 22:3, 17, 23, 26; 23:16; 24:1; 27:2, 10, 11, 13; 29:5; 31:2, 35; 32:8; 33:4; 34:10, 12; 35:13; 37:23; 40:2; Psalms 68:14; 91:1; Isaiah 13:6; and Joel 1:15.

This is a wonderful name for us to remember because it reminds us of the fact that God is all-sufficient to care for us and powerful enough to be able to do it. God could have been powerful but not in every area of our life. Or, He could have been able to meet our needs in every area of our life but only to a degree. God can minister to every area of your life whether physical, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual and He can do it completely. He is completely capable and powerful.

Few verses from the above mentioned:

Genesis 43: 14 – And may God Almighty[a] grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

Ruth 1:20 – “Don’t call me Naomi,[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[b] because the Almighty

[c]

has made my life very bitter.

Joel 1:15 – Alas for that day!

For the day of the Lord is near;

it will come like destruction from the Almighty.[a]

The next book after Genesis to use El Shaddai the most number of times that is, The Almighty God is Job.

1. El: “mighty power”

EL is found 250 times in the Bible.

“GOD” / El – 410 times, this term was the most common general designation of deity in the ancient Near East. While it frequently occurred alone, ‘El was also combined with other words to constitute a compound term for deity, or to identify the nature and functions of the “god” in some manner. Thus the expression “God, the God of Israel” identified the specific activities of Israel’s God.” [1]

So EL means, “Mighty power, omnipotence, the strong one.”

1. Shaddai: “all sufficient provider”

We saw from Elohim that God can speak nature into existence.

With Shaddai, we will see that He can cause nature to do what is contrary to itself.

As El Shaddai, a sea can part, the sun can stop,

It’s El Shaddai that comes to a 99 year old man who will make him a father.

El says God is All Powerful

He can make a sea, divide a sea.  Make a sun, make a sun stand still.  Send His son as an embryo, raise that crucified Son from the dead

El Shaddai is bountiful, self-sacrificing love.  Giving and pouring Himself out for His beloved.

He is the God who empties Himself for His beloved…

-THIS IS WHAT GOD MEANS WHEN HE SAYS “I AM ALMIGHTY”

Pagans say “Our god is almighty”, meaning he can destroy and conquer.  Hebrews said “He is our Sustainer”

-He is the source of all our blessings

What does this name imply?

1. His name is a call to Faithfulness

When we first see the name, Abram is to the point he knows he can never become a Father on His own.

-Remember, when God first called Abram and said he would become a dad, Abram believed that he was going to be able to do that himself.  That’s why he went along with Sarai and Hagar.

Now he is 99 yrs. old.  No longer does he have that power.  At this time God says, “I am El Shaddai.  I am able to provide for all your needs.”

Genesis 17: 4b – 6

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

5 No longer will you be called Abram [2] ; your name will be Abraham, [3] for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

….”you don’t need your plans, your strategies, your handmaids… all you need is Me!”

-consequently in vs 5, and notice, God didn’t say “I will make you a father of many nations”, but “I have made you….”

Abraham had a choice. Same as us. Not if he was going to believe IN God, but if he was going to BELIEVE GOD.

There is a huge difference.

We don’t struggle with believing IN God. We struggle with God making these incredible statements and whether I am going to believe Him or Not.

Abram’s struggle. Is he going to go back to camp and address these folks who have known him for 99 years and say, “my name is no longer Abram, just call me Abraham – father of many”

Can you imagine what the people thought when he went back to camp and told them he had a new name?

Abram’s choice… is he going to believe God?

That is OUR choice.

-Does the world see you living these promises of El Shaddai, when the world thinks they are foolish promises?

Illustration:

The impala. Can jump incredibly high. But zoos keep them in with a small fence. Why? Because an impala will not jump when he cannot see where he is going to land.

He has no faith. A little bitty wall keeps him in.

Many of us live this way.

When we worry, fret, are anxious.  We say to the world, “I don’t know El Shaddai”. My God is too small.  When we know El Shaddai, we don’t live like we still wear the old name.

God says if we are going to use the name El Shaddai, then we better believe Him. And live like people who believe Him.

2. It’s a call to Fruitfulness

“I will make you very fruitful”

Abraham taught his children, they taught theirs

Gen 28:3 note the reference to fruitful – God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.

Gen. 35:11    Jacob – And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.

Gen. 48:3-4  Jacob says to Joseph – 3 And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’

Patriarchs taught their children they survived because El Shaddai would make them fruitful.

El Shaddai knows your potential. He knows the fruit than can come out of your life.  He is willing to work in your life to make it happen.

3. A Humbling Process

Answering the call from El Shaddai, sometimes means submitting to Humbleness

It shows that nothing is in my control. I have known God and now I know God to be all sufficient. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Think of pain while weightlifting. It might hurt, but you are becoming stronger in the process. More weights equal more pain. More pain equals more strength. – more faith, more of God being reflected in my life. Displaying El Shaddai.

With all this information, why am I not able to believe in God. Frankly speaking all of us struggle with unbelief. We are not able to comprehend that how can something contrary to my situation take place. How can I have a baby at 99, how can Ruth become fruitful.

Ruth 1:20-21 Ruth had followed her husband to a foreign land (possible against God’s will).  Has now returned without husband or child.

God was able to make her fruitful.

We have a God who holds the beginning and the end. He is God – El Shaddai.

Being confident in El Shaddai can change my entire demeanour.

What are my struggles today, my situations, which according to me cannot change?

Situations:

Family: Struggling with my relationships. I may be the only believer / Christian. Or my family is completely God loving but I can’t find that meaning or purpose. Struggling with caregiving both to children and spouse. Finances / provisions are never sufficient, feels like before the month end, I am living hand to mouth.

Workplace Situation: Lot of pressure at work, my boss / manager / TL is never satisfied with what I do. Can’t crack an interview. Can’t expect an increment. And so, on

Health – Mental & Physical: Often falling sick, not able to come out of the chain of sickness, Emotions are all over due to various reason, not able overcome sorrow and anxiety.

Self Sufficiency: On the other hand, I have everything in life, and then how should El Shaddai have an impact on me.

God is a God of creation and destruction. More than the earthly possessions / comfort He needs your attention, companionship and love. The moment we forget El Shaddai, beware, He can work contrary to all that He has created. It makes me feel, that I am under a supreme King. He is POWERFUL.

Therefore, acknowledge God in all situations, whether in pain or in Joy. Always give thanks, not simply but believing that God is El Shaddai – He is almighty.

In the New Testament God came across as El Shaddai when he changed situations, people, their perspective.

Then there was a man named Saul in Acts chapter nine, who while traveling on the road to Damascus was struck by a blinding light and there, he met the Saviour Jesus Christ. His name was changed to Paul, and his statement was this; “He was the chief of sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15 – 17 (15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.).

In His sufficiency God saved Saul, who was, “before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:13.

Today, the question for all of us is – Do you dare to experience this EL SHADDAI.

If I say yes then, I need to act in an opposite Spirit:

1. I speak faith into my life, not confessing my ability but His to change / transform my situation
2. Get out of the company of discouraging people / people who produce doubt. Beware!! Hold on to people who would challenge your faith. Yes, it is contradicting but a person who is interested in growing your faith will always push you to your limits. It shows that I am totally dependent on God. (Also, you may sometimes repel from those people who challenge you and get attracted to those who make you feel comfortable). It’s my choice to grow or shrink.
3. Press on towards the goal / Act upon your faith. Faith without Action is meaningless. El Shaddai will keep up to His name.

What a lesson this is for me! I am reminded that: “Faithful is he who calls you, who will also do it.” Abraham’s ability to have a child when he was 100 years old was God’s challenge–not Abraham’s–because He really is “all sufficient” for all things.

Let’s remember these 3 things. We serve El Shaddai an ALL MIGHTY GOD. Challenge Him through your situation and not depend on your comprehension.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Jehovah-Raah (or Rohi) Lord Is My Shepherd

Why are there so many names for God? Why is it important that we know what they are and, what they mean? Our finite, human brains cannot fully comprehend the majesty and glory of who God is. Yet through the various names of God, He chooses to reveal Himself to us so we can come to understand the many personal characteristics of God. His names reveal His power, authority, and holiness. The better we understand and know the names of God the more personal He becomes to us and as we pray, we can call on His name that corresponds with our need. Finally, because the Bible instructs us to honor, fear, and respect God and to not use His name in vain, we need to know exactly what His names are and what they mean. Today, we look at the name ‘Jehovah Rohi’

Prov 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.”

Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord”, and also often read or seen as Jehovah, the chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning “to be” or “to exist.

Rô’eh from which Raah derived, means “shepherd” in Hebrew.

The Lord is my Shepherd – Which literally means — the Lord protects, provides, leads, guides and watches over his people. God takes care of us tenderly as a powerful and patient shepherd to his people.

When you think about a shepherd, how do you picture him? “In Israel, as in other ancient societies, a shepherd’s work was considered the lowest of all works. Shepherds need to live with the sheep twenty-four hours a day, and the task of caring for them is unending. Day and night, summer and winter, in fair weather and foul, they labor to nourish, guide, and protect the sheep. Who in his right mind would choose to be a shepherd?”

Yet, God chose to reveal himself to his people as their shepherd.  God is Yahweh Rohi.  God is my shepherd.

This word, Raah, can, by extension, be translated as friend. “The Lord is my friend” presents a beautiful picture of the intimacy that we can have with our Lord. He is our faithful, never failing, Friend, the friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Let us look for the Psalm of David – Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

3     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, [a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.

6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

David knew the life of a shepherd from his experience of keeping the sheep of his father, Jesse.  It would have been a natural inclination for him to see his relationship with God as that of a sheep to a shepherd.  Thus, he penned the long loved 23rd Psalm, apparently after he became an old man; he can now speak from experience to tell of Jehovah-rohi.

Before we say / acknowledge that the Lord is my Shepherd , we must realize that we are like Sheep.

• We / the Sheep are Dumb.
• We / the Sheep are defenceless.
• We / the Sheep are dirty.
• We / the Sheep are dependent.
• We /the Sheep have gone astray.

Psalm 23 is so obvious to us, but this morning I believe God wants to challenge us. Many times we don’t acknowledge Jehovah-rohi, That the Lord is my Shepherd.

We put all our efforts to Contradict with what God offers.

We say to ourselves, I am intelligent, I am not dumb, I know how to make decisions in Life, and we become our own shepherds.

We fight our own battles, with all we have, we use our money , our experiences, savings our influence we become our own Shepherd.

The worldly perception challenges the Psalm 23. It says you are not dumb , you are not defenceless, you are not dirty, you are independent , you have not gone astray , enjoy life.

Indirectly we say we Don’t need a Shepherd and we don’t want to be a sheep.

This Psalm 23 is assumed by Scholars that it was written in very old age. Now David has achieved everything . He was a King , he had palace , he himself was a warrior.

For example, in verse 5, he was old enough to have enemies. In verse 4 he was facing the danger of death. In verse 3 he was experiencing rest, and in verse 5 he was experiencing prosperity. These things all point to an older person, or at least one who had reached maturity or adulthood.

With all this David acknowledges Jehovah-rohi. The Lord is my shepherd. He has not forgotten Who is his Shepherd.

Let us acknowledge that Lord is my shepherd and we are just like a sheep.

When we acknowledge that he is our Shepherd and we are his Sheep , He offers us this:

1. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

God is my shepherd; therefore, I have what I need.  He makes sure that our every need is taken care of in a timely manner.  Everything we need is supplied. When we say we lack nothing, we proclaim that we are satisfied, whatever we have today, we are satisfied.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want, means I shall not be in Lack.

Jehovah Rohi cares for His sheep individually and in every situation (Psalm 23:1).

• David trusted that God cared for him individually, so David called the Lord his personal Shepherd, not just the Shepherd of the flock in general.
• Jehovah Rohi meets all the needs of His sheep
• David proclaimed that because God was his shepherd, David would not be in “want” (Psalm

23:1); he wouldn’t have any unmet needs.

• To understand what it means to be in want, we must recognize what our true needs are—food,

shelter, and clothing.

This Morning God wants us to identify our true needs. We have lot of needs but what is our true need?

Yesterday, I was reminded about John the Baptist. Abisha our daughter, saw a slide and read John and she exclaimed to me and Said John. I told her this is John the Baptist who use to live in the Desert.

Matthew 3:

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

What are the Obstacles of not acknowledging that We will not lack anything?

• Our needs are actually not our true needs , we can live without it
• When we don’t acknowledge that we have not lacked anything (Past)

2. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

He offers guidance

The good shepherd leads the sheep to their necessities, green pastures and still waters. It is said that green pastures and still water sources were a rare sight in the places where the biblical stories happened. The land was covered with rocky rolling hills, little grass and seasonal water sources. But the good shepherd will go on long migrations from one source of grazing and water to the next. When God is my guide, my physical needs are met and I am contented.

• Jehovah Rohi puts us in situations where we have no other option but to trust Him completely
• God allowed David to run for his life from King Saul for years to teach David to lie down and trust Him.
• When we lie down and trust our Shepherd, we realize we can rest in beautiful green pastures.
• Jehovah Rohi leads us in the way that will give us peace, restoration, and stability (Psalm 23:2b).
• As a shepherd, David knew to get his sheep to drink water to restore their strength, he

had to lead them to still waters.

• Sheep couldn’t drink from running water because they are not surefooted. If they fell into the river, their coat would become saturated and cause them to sink.
• Likewise, our Shepherd lea”ds us beside still waters, in situations where we have stability,

gain sure footing, and find restoration

What are the Obstacles of not acknowledging this?

Depending on our own ways and plans. We are so used to it , that we feel our ways are God’s ways.  It’s time to reflect.

3. He refreshes my soul, He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

He offers direction

Jehovah Rohi meets our need for direction in life

• Sheep regularly take the wrong route and get disoriented.
• All people are prone to wander away from God (Isaiah 53:6).
• Jehovah Rohi leads us in the right path—the path of righteousness.
• Our Shepherd will get us back on the right path when we take the wrong turn.
• Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, took our sin and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• God leads His sheep on paths that will bring Him glory and fame.

What are the Obstacles of not acknowledging this?

Lack of trust where we have given up hope that we will be like this for ever.

4. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

This verse shows God’s protection over my life giving me security.Being a sheep under the hands of the  good shepherd gives the sheep great security, that helps them to rest and live peacefully. It helps them from going astray as the staff of the shepherd guides them back to the herd. God our shepherd watches over us, His sheep without sleeping. The shepherd nourishes His sheep physically and spiritually.

In the new testament, Jesus is the good shepherd, who laid His life for us, so that we may have life  in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

What makes the difference in sheep is the Shepherd!

Jesus is the Good Shepherd – John 10:15

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Genesis 22:14 NKJV

Use in the Bible: In the Old Testament Jehovah-Jireh occurs only once in Gen 22:14.

Jehovah Jireh in the Septuagint (Greek): kurios eiden…the Lord has seen

Meaning and Derivation: Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord.” The chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning “to be” or “to exist.” It also suggests “to become” or specifically “to become known” – this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly. Jehovah-Jireh is a symbolic name given to Mount Moriah by Abraham to memorialize the intercession of God in the sacrifice of Isaac by providing a substitute for the imminent sacrifice of his son.

Further references of the name Jehovah Jireh in the Old Testament: Gen 22:14

We’ll see exactly how the scripture speaks about ‘Jehovah Jireh’. Genesis 22: 1 – 14

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Why did Abraham give this name to that particular place?

A new name is given to the place, to the honour of God, and for the encouragement of all believers, to the end of the world, cheerfully to trust in God in the way of obedience: Jehovah-jireh, The Lord will provide, probably alluding to what he had said (v. 8), God will provide himself a lamb. I was not owing to any contrivance of Abraham, nor was it in answer to his prayer, though he was a distinguished intercessor; but it was purely the Lord’s doing. Let it be recorded for the generations to come, that the Lord will see; he will always have his eye upon his people in their straits and distresses, that he may come in with seasonable succour in the critical juncture. That he will be seen, be seen in the mount, in the greatest perplexities of his people. He will not only manifest, but magnify, his wisdom, power, and goodness, in their deliverance. Where God sees and provides, he should be seen and praised. And, perhaps, it may refer to God manifest in the flesh. – Matthew Henry

Why do we have trials and adverse circumstances?

Trials are adverse circumstances that God either introduces or allows in our lives to both identify where we are spiritually as well as to prepare us for where He wants us to go. If you are alive, there is no escaping life’s trials.

You are either in a trial now, you’ve just come out of a trial, or you are getting ready to go into a trial. Trials are unavoidable realities of life.

But even though we all experience them, we also should take comfort in knowing that trials must first pass-through God’s hands before reaching us. Nothing comes our way without first having received His Divine approval. And to get His Divine approval, there must be a Divine reason for Him to approve it.

We learn about God’s name Jehovah-Jireh in the biblical story of Abraham offering up his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice. The root word for the name Jireh literally means “to see.” Yet the compound name when put together means “to provide.” Abraham, knowing that what he saw in the spiritual realm affected his own actions in the physical realm, he recognized the power of sight in calling the place of sacrifice Jehovah Jireh. Somewhere in the combination of those two names, there is a relationship between God “seeing” and God “providing.” When we look at the form of the word “provide” that reads “provision,” we can recognize this link more clearly. Vision is in reference to seeing; while provision means that something was seen beforehand and thus provided for. The root “vision” ties the addressing of what is provided to what was seen.

God provided for Abraham based upon what He saw about Abraham and that pre-vision led to God’s provision. God provided a ram when he saw Abraham going forth in obedience to sacrifice his son. He provided a way out of his trial.

So, the question is: What must God see so that He might provide for you when you are caught in a trial of life? He needs to see the same things that He saw in Abraham which are found in these words from the passage: rose, saddled, took, split, arose, and went. Abraham did not delay his obedience. He did what God had asked him to do even though he didn’t know how God was going to work it out. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Partial obedience is complete disobedience. In other words, if Abraham had only gone halfway on the trip, he wouldn’t have finished the journey. He never would have experienced and known Jehovah Jireh.

Jehovah Jireh

A journey through the Bible names of God is like a never-to-be-forgotten trek across a majestic mountain range with awe-inspiring views around every turn.

One of the most instructive families of names for God are the compound names of JEHOVAH (sometimes transliterated by scholars as ‘YAHWEH’).

Who is Jehovah?

Jehovah is the name of God as the ever-dependable, covenant-keeping LORD, whose character is eternally consistent and whose word never fails. God appeared in this name to Moses in the narrative of ‘the burning bush’, as we read in Exodus 6:2-3:

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD [Jehovah]. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name LORD [Jehovah] I was not known to them’.

In this narrative, God points out that He was revealed to Abraham mainly as El Shaddai, meaning the ‘All-Sufficient God’, but was now being revealed as Jehovah, meaning the ‘unchanging, ever-faithful, covenant-keeping LORD’.

Through these names, Moses was being taught that God was not only ABLE to keep His covenant promises – as El Shaddai – but He was DEPENDABLE. He is Jehovah, the eternal, unchangeable ‘I AM’.

In Genesis 22, Abraham himself links this covenantal name to Jireh. Behind this compound name lies the promise that ‘The LORD will PROVIDE’.

What does the name ‘Jehovah-Jireh’ mean?

To find out more, we must look at the amazing narrative.

The main character of the story is Abraham. Abraham had trusted in the LORD. In fact, on God’s orders he had left the ‘city-lights’ of Ur to strike out across the floodplains of the Euphrates and eventually found himself in the land of Canaan. He lived in tents, never establishing his roots in the land.

Because of his ‘obedience of faith’, God had blessed him immensely. He had trusted in the LORD and the LORD had given him what is now known as the Abrahamic covenant. God promised that He would bless him and his seed, giving him the land of Canaan as his inheritance.  (Read Genesis 12-24).

Within this covenant, God promised Abraham a seed (i.e. a son) from his wife Sarah. Although she was well past childbearing age, she eventually bore Isaac, the answer to God’s promise, the proof of God’s faithful care.

Later, however, God tested Abraham’s confidence in Him.

He said to Abraham:

‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’. (Genesis 22:2)

Abraham didn’t waver in his faith in God’s integrity, knowing that God who promised him to bless through his son Isaac was able, if necessary, to raise him back to life.

Hebrews tells us about Abraham’s mindset:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. (Hebrews 11:17-19)

He saddled his donkey and made his way with his son Isaac to the land of Moriah. As they ascended the mountain, Isaac spoke to Abraham:

‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ Then he said, ‘Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.’ So, the two of them went together. (Genesis 22:7-8)

As they reached the place of sacrifice, Abraham bound Isaac on the altar and, just as his hand was raised to slay him, God intervened – sparing Abraham’s son. The test of Abraham’s faith in God was over.

Lifting his eyes from his bound son, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. This he took and offered up on the altar as a substitute for Isaac.

And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide [Jehovah-Jireh]; as it is said to this day, ‘In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’ (Genesis 22:14)

A ram was offered instead of Isaac, and Abraham, it appears, understood that behind this incident was something much deeper.

Ever since Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden (see Genesis 3 and 4), men and women have needed a sacrifice to bring them into a correct relationship with God.

God HIMSELF would provide a substitute – an offering – to answer man’s deepest need by bringing about a right relationship with God. ‘God will provide Himself a lamb’ – the answer is found in the deep heart of God: Jehovah-Jireh. God will provide and He will do it on ‘the Mount of the Lord’.

Over 2000 years later, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked towards Golgotha with a cross on His back (see John 19:17). He had already been pointed out by the prophet John the Baptist as ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

Jesus Himself had told the Jews, ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad’ (John 8:56). Christ was the only sacrifice who could meet the need of humankind. Every other sacrifice was inadequate and was merely a faint picture of His sacrifice on the cross.

Scholars tell us that the Hebrew text of ‘Jehovah-Jireh’ in the Old Testament allows the interpretation ‘On the mount of the Lord – it shall be seen’, or ‘On the mount of the Lord – He shall be provided’. Both meanings are ultimately true. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was the one voluntary offering who could meet our need and bring us back into relationship with God. God’s answer was SEEN and God’s Son was PROVIDED.

Why is ‘Jehovah-Jireh’ important to me today?

In our fast-paced, technology-driven age, this Old Testament name of God might seem irrelevant. What, after all, can an ancient name of Deity mean for us today?

Firstly, it tells us that a faithful, unchanging God keeps His word and therefore can be implicitly trusted. You should take time to see what He says in His word, the Bible.

Secondly, this Name informs us that God has an answer to our deepest problem – ‘How can I be right with God?’

The story of Abraham gives us an insight into how God answers the problem of human guilt.

1. A Son was given.

Just as Abraham’s beloved son, Isaac, was to be offered up, so God would give His Son to die on a cross for us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

2. A Substitute was found

God had no desire for Isaac to be killed on an altar; rather, He was testing Abraham’s faith while showing a picture of His deeper purpose. On many occasions God later recorded His revulsion at ancient peoples offering their first-borns for their transgression (see Micah 6:7). He found child-sacrifice abhorrent (See also Leviticus 18:21). God spared Abraham’s son by intervening as the knife was upraised. However, in the New Testament we read:

He [God] … did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

Jesus was the substitute for the guilty. Just as a ram was found to take the stroke of the knife in Abraham’s hand and to be consumed in the fire, so God’s Son, Jesus Christ, voluntarily took the stroke of justice for sin and experienced the heat of God’s judgment, so that we (like Isaac) might be spared.

3. A Sacrifice was made

Abraham’s chief possession was his son, whom he greatly loved. However, it was infinitely more costly for God to give HIS Son. He greatly loved and prized His Son; nevertheless, He was willing to allow Him to become the sin-bearer that we might be brought back into relationship with Him.

2000 years ago on a cross outside Jerusalem, the basis was laid for our acceptance before God – a Substitute paid the price. He was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He deserves your consideration.

Finally, if God keeps His word to Abraham over 1500 years after the events on Mount Moriah, then we must remember that He still keeps His word now.

God’s word warns of coming judgment for those who reject His salvation. If we can be sure God will save us if we trust in the Lord Jesus, we can be equally sure He will judge us if we do not.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

After all the above explanation, we can summarize the sermon in these 4 points:

1. Don’t give up: Giving up means I am depending on my strength to work things out. When I don’t give up, I trust God completely to deliver me from my crisis.

 

2. Catch the powerful truth – The Word of the Lord came to [Abraham] in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, [Abraham], I am your shield, your great reward.”- Genesis 15: 1

 

What is that truth that I am holding on, towards God?

3. Obedience enables us to enjoy Him as Jehovah Jireh

We have testimonies only when we have gone through the trials. Obeying God, listening to Him helps me to enjoy that which He will be doing in faith.

 

4. Tried and Tested: Let the Holy Spirit place this truth into your minds and illuminate it into your spiritual heart, “strong faith is often exercised with strong trials and put upon in hard service.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) The Lord does not allow His children to be tested to see if they will fall. (James 1:13) The author of the trial brings on the testing so the children of God may discover His grace, empowerment and enablement. (1 Peter 1:7; Matthew Henry Commentary)

God allowed Job to be tested by Satan so that he might be seen and known as a man who trusts in the Lord. Abraham’s particular testing time came after he had exercised faith in God through a variety of hardships and many difficulties.

Illustration:

A very difficult time for us was when my wife, Bonnie had been diagnosed with brain cancer. We had only been in what people call the ministry for about a year. The job I left had great insurance, but now, as a full-time pastor we had none. We did, however, join up with “Samaritan Ministries,” a Christian organization of which Christians help pay each other medical bills. However, we did not know if they would participate in Bonnie’s brain cancer, considering that this brain cancer may be considered pre-existent.

We were sent to Mayo Clinic for further testing. We called ahead – they said we would need $3,000.00 to get Bonnie into the doctor’s clinic. Praise the Lord we had that in the savings. After we got Bonnie checked into Mayo Clinic, she saw her doctor. He informed us that we would need further testing, a biopsy of the portion of the brain showing cancer cells. As we were checking Bonnie into the hospital, we were informed that we would need to put $20,000.00 down, considering we did not have medical insurance.

I felt like the worse husband in the world. Only a year early I had great medical insurance, now I did not have enough money to get my wife medical treatment.

The banks at home were closed, we did not have $20,000.00 in our savings. I was so numb, hit by a crisis which seemed hopeless. This was 3:30 P.M. in the afternoon and the money needed to be in the financial office by 5:00 P.M. As we sought the Lord’s will – we discovered that the Lord had set aside $20,000 through different means. For eight years now Bonnie and I have experienced the Lord being Jehovah-jireh, the Prophet who sees ahead time and has provided for us in one of the greatest crises we have ever gone through.

I would like to leave you with this message that ‘God will provide at the mount of the Lord’. He is ‘Jehovah Jireh’.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Have we ever wondered, when and how the names of God were derived? Jehovah jireh, Jehovah shalom and so forth. What is the Origin of this name?

It’ll take a lot of such sessions to talk about all of them. Today let’s zoom into one such name ‘Jehovah Shammah’, we’ll learn about the history of Jehovah Shammah and how it applies to us today.

Firstly, where is this scripture portion found? We’ll read from Ezekiel 48: 30 onwards.

Ezekiel 48: 30 – 35

30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, 31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.

32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.

33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.

34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.

35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.[f]

“And the name of the city from that time on will be:

the Lord is there.”

Let’s get into some details before we understand this term ‘Jehovah Shammah’

1. In the Old Testament Jehovah Shammah occurs only once in Ezekiel 48:35.

“The Lord Is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – the name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once-departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).

Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord.” The chief meaning of Jehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning “to be” or “to exist.” It also suggests “to become” or specifically “to become known” – this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly. Shammah is derived from the Hebrew word sham, which can be translated as “there.” Jehovah Shammah is a symbolic name for the earthly Jerusalem. The name indicates that God has not abandoned Jerusalem, leaving it in ruins, but that there will be a restoration.

2. Background of Jehovah Shammah

Ezekiel lived among the Jewish exiles in Babylon at a settlement along the river Chebar called Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:15), less than one hundred miles south of Babylon. The invading Babylonians brought about ten thousand Jews to the village in 597 BC, including Ezekiel and the last king of Judah, Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:8–14).

Ezekiel’s prophecy began a mere five years into his time at Tel-abib (Ezekiel 1:2), and he continued to prophesy among the people for at least twenty-two years (29:17). Because he spoke to a people whom God had exiled due to their continued rebellion against Him, a majority of Ezekiel’s message communicates judgment for sins committed (1:1–32:32). However, like all the prophets, he also provided his people, now without a land of their own, some hope for the future (33:1–48:35).

God is Jehovah Shammah even today. He was always pointing out to His indwelling with His people. Jesus became that presence.

It is an impossibility for God to dwell with us or make His presence known to us because of our sinful nature.

How important it is to be in God’s presence? We will look at some lives of people from the bible who forsook God’s presence.

1. SAMSON – his life became a mess, became a laughingstock.

Samson was born in the village of Zorah. As he grew up, he became a man of almost superhuman strength. Once, while visiting a Philistine girl from the village of Timnah, he killed a lion with his bare hands. Samson wanted to marry the girl, despite his parents’ misgivings about their son marrying outside his tribe. Samson persisted and staged a great wedding feast, but it ended with a violent fight. The bride was married to someone else (Judges 14:19-20).

Samson’s weakness for beautiful Philistine women soon drove him into the arms of Delilah. The Philistines offered her a large sum of money if she could discover the source of Samson’s strength. Samson, suspecting what was afoot, fed her several false leads, frustrating the Philistine plots.

But one day he was so fed up with the constant nagging that he gave in the secret of his strength. The Philistines came chopped off his hair leaving him without his strength. He had no strength. He was held captive.

Judges 16: 28 – 31 says, Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 30Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

31Then his brothers and his father’s whole family went down to get him. They brought him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had led d Israel twenty years.

Samson lost God’s presence in his life because of his weakness. He did not practice self control, probably, it was also arrogance. Too familiar with his strength, that he thought it is by self effort that he is so strong. Indeed it was a tragic ending.

2. SAUL – died a very horrible death. Lived a defeated life

Saul looked like royalty: tall, handsome, noble. He became king when he was 30 years old and reigned over Israel for 42 years.

Early in his career, Saul made a fatal mistake. He disobeyed God by failing to destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, as God had commanded. A key part of the conditional covenant between God and Israel was obedience. Saul, as God’s anointed king, was responsible for keeping that command.

The Lord withdrew his favor from Saul and had Samuel the prophet anoints David as king.

Sometime later, David killed the giant Goliath. As the Jewish women were dancing in a victory parade, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7, NIV)

Because the people made more of David’s single victory than all of Saul’s, the king went into a rage and became jealous of David. From that moment he plotted to kill him.

Instead of building up Israel, King Saul wasted most of his time chasing David through the hills. David, however, respected God’s anointed king and despite several opportunities, refused to harm Saul.

Finally, the Philistines gathered for a huge battle against the Israelites. By that time Samuel had died. King Saul was desperate, so he consulted a medium and told her to raise Samuel’s spirit from the dead. This kind of occult activity angered God because it relied on satanic forces instead of him. Whatever appeared, whether a demon disguised as Samuel or Samuel’s true spirit sent by God, it predicted disaster for Saul.

In the battle, King Saul and the army of Israel were overrun. Saul committed suicide. His sons were killed by the enemy. Ironically, David, who had been hounded by Saul for years, sincerely mourned the king’s death.

Saul lost God’s anointing (his hand upon him) because of disobedience and jealousy.

3. ISRAELITES – Some couldn’t enter the promised land.

“Not one of these – not one of this evil generation – shall see the good land that I swore to give to your ancestors” (Deut. 1:35)

When the Israelites were out of Egypt and on the way to Canaan, it took them 40 years. In the process, all the disbelieving Israelites died. They couldn’t keep up their faith. They were not able to relate to a God’s plan for them. They grumbled all throughout. They grumbled about food, water, stay and constantly kept comparing their life at Egypt. God finally decided that these people shouldn’t dwell in the promise land. He withdrew Himself from them and chose to give the inheritance to their offspring (next generation).

Although, God’s presence was always there in their camp, God chose to withdraw His promise to a selected few because of their lack of faith, their constant grumbling and comparison. They failed to see the goodness of God in hard times. They failed to acknowledge God’s plan.

So what do we understand from these 3 stories. We can choose to overlook or stop God’s presence in our life

1. Lack of Self Control
2. Arrogance
3. Familiarity
4. Disobedience
5. Jealousy
6. Lack of Faith
7. Grumbling and Comparison
8. Being grateful (failing to see God’s goodness)
9. Having short sightedness and failing to see God’s plan.

After knowing how we can obstruct God’s presence in our lives, let’s look at how we can allow God to dwell in our lives all the time.

John 15: 1 – 16

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes a so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

John 14: 11 – 21

Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be  in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

1. Bear fruits (Work constantly, use all that God has given you)
2. Be ready to be pruned (live a life of gratitude and be discipled)
3. Acknowledging that apart from Jesus we are nothing (humility)
4. Obedience
5. Love each other (Command to abide)

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Through Jesus we experience His presence. WHAT HE PROMISED IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL – THE CITY WILL BE CALLED ‘THE LORD IS THERE’, IS FULFILLED IN JESUS CHRIST. We dwell in His presence. We can enjoy this fellowship if we respect what Jesus has done on the cross for us. Not only does Jesus dwell with us but the trinity dwells. Let’s decide to obey, to work in order to bear fruits, and continue to love each other.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Why was He an astonishing teacher and not an ordinary teacher? What was so special about Him?
How can I learn from this Teacher and live my life for him?

Today I want to talk about Jesus the teacher, and I think that doing so will cause you to marvel at Him, and make you want to dig into His teachings again.

Many times Whenever I interact with my School Teachers, I have always observed Concern, Care, What can I do more for this child?, Generous with notes, Excited about transferring knowledge, they will not keep anything for themselves. They are happy when the class performs but most ecstatic when that one student who never passed, excels. Also, if you notice, the percentage of indifferent teachers to good teachers is very minimal. All of them have one or more of the above characteristics. Similarly, Jesus is a teacher. It’s a present tense because He always taught, never assumed that His disciples knew everything or they would learn by modelling. Yes modelling was kind of a tool that Jesus used (washing of the disciples’ feet), but it was mostly teaching.
In the book of Matthew, specifically, it mentions that, His teachings were astonishing, means it was not a regular teaching. Can you recall a ‘Teacher’ in your life, who has been astonishing? Astonishing, yes immediately, a face or episode flashes before you. In the book of Matthew, Jesus’ teachings were described as ‘Astonishing’.

Astonishing means extremely surprising or impressive; amazing. Here we are purely talking about the teaching and not the ‘Appearance'(Disclaimer)

1. Jesus was recognized as an astonishing teacher.

He was called teacher more than 60 times in the NT.

It was what most people called Him and what they most recognized Him as.

Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Luke 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

I always thought this had to do with the unusual insight He had for a twelve year old, but I don’t think the astonishment was simply age related, He was an astonishing teacher.

The word ‘astonished’ is given 3 times in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

Matthew 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this [man] this wisdom, and [these] mighty works?

Matthew 22:33 And when the multitude heard [this], they were astonished at his doctrine.

What was it about Jesus’ teachings that was astonishing?

2. Jesus was an astonishing teacher first of all because of His presence.

We miss a lot of the dynamics of Jesus’ teaching because we weren’t there

A concert on tv is never the same as in person.

A football game is a lot different in the stadium, than it is in your living room.

We miss not just His presence but the dynamics of the situations in which he taught we also miss:

The tension with Him and His enemies. It was real, it was tangible, it was pervasive, yet he never lost dominance in the room. Should we pay taxes? Whose inscription is on the coin?

The excitement of being around the miracle worker.

Think of someone you really like. Now if you were to describe them to someone else and say, that they are really fun to be around, do you think those words will ever fully convey the truth of what that special friend is like?

Jesus is that person who is really awesome to be around, and that is one of the reasons people were astonished at His teaching.

Communicators and pastors have a phrase we use to describe people who have “it”. By “it,” we mean that they are a really good communicator. The phrase that is used is, “he or she can fill the room.” In other words, there is something more about them, some people teach and can empty a room, or put the room to sleep. Really good communicators, can, no matter how big a venue is, make it feel full. There is no dead space, there is electricity in the room.

Jesus was an astonishing teacher because of His presence. As per our understanding it has to be the anointing of the Spirit, and a gift as an excellent communicator.

3. Jesus was an astonishing teacher because He taught with authority and power

He had so much of confidence that it astonished the people around him. A confident teacher will always convey the message to the students clearly, with authority and power. Non confident teachers will make the students confused.

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

He said things only God could say.

This day salvation has come to your house. Your sins which are many are forgiven you.

No one ever in the history of the world taught stuff like that. That is teaching with authority.

He said things that changed people’s understanding of the scriptures.

15 times in the gospels Jesus says, “But I say unto you…”

Often in a context where He had just been quoting Moses.

The scribes were always claiming someone else as the authority behind their words. Even Moses did that, not so Jesus. He claimed an authority greater than that of Moses. If you want to hear words of truth about life and death, and heaven and hell, it’s more comforting to hear it from an authority, not a second hand source.

The Jews were sick of religious teachers who always argued with each other, and rejoiced that Jesus spoke with authority, without hesitation, without equivocation. He never said once, “I’m not sure about that.”
Another take on the idea that He taught with authority is found in the way one bible version translates this text: the Persic version renders it, “he penetrated them with it”; His word got into them. His word spoke to them, His word changed them.

If I have stolen anything I will repay it 4 times! That is a man that got changed by words that penetrated him..

4. Jesus was an astonishing teacher because His word was confirmed by signs.

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;

John 3:2 this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God [as] a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

That you may know the son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, I say unto you…

No man eat of you ever again. The fig tree withered and dried up over night, that is authority!

Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. He claimed to be able to raise Himself from the dead, no one else ever did.

5. Jesus was an astonishing teacher because of the way He used stories to teach.

Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

(Carpentry illustration)

The idea that someone would walk around with a huge beam stuck in his eye, and yet be oblivious to it, while at the same time being perfectly able to see the small speck in his brother’s eye is both outrageously funny and immensely powerful. He would use day to day examples to teach.

The story of the Good Samaritan (summary and modernized)

Religious scholar, eternal life. What does the law say?

Good do that. Justify himself, who is my neighbor?

A Priest,

A Levite,

A Samaritan.

He used this story to teach the man that he was not as good as he thought he was. He only wanted to be a good neighbor to people who were just like him. But sinners and outcasts he had no intention of loving as he loved himself.

Prodigal Son from Georgia (summary and modernized)

I want my inheritance.

He goes to Vegas

Lived on the streets eating out of 5 stars and 7 stars, wishing he could have another restaurant meal.

He came to Himself.

My dads workers live better than this.

He hitched all the way back to Georgia. The whole time he rehearsed his confession and apology.

His dad saw him a long way off. God sees people who are a long way off with loving and longing eyes.

He begins his speech, dad interrupts him, never lets him say make me a servant.

The son found out that his father had spent more time thinking about how to welcome his son back home than his son had spent thinking about how to confess.

He also found out that God doesn’t have any second tier kids. Caste systems exist all around the world. God doesn’t have second class Christians.

What are some of the barriers or obstacles a teacher faces?

1. Attention – When students are not attentive? No desire, don’t see a purpose.
2. Lack of Understanding – They make the same error time and again even after several explanation
3. Disrespect- Disrespect to the Teacher(Pharisees) – who is this who is talking like this?
4. Past experience – Past experience of the same subject and the teacher is disliked
5. Pride – The student feels I can buy the whole world no need to study, a barrier again.

A further illustration to this – let’s look at how it looks like in our real life.

What kind of students are we? When we have an eagerness to be a true disciple of Jesus, we’ll not only excel but we’ll become like the teacher.

He will teach me to face troubles
He will teach me in new ventures
Teach me to live a good life

Jesus is a teacher who astonishes us today

How do I receive all this teaching?
Sit with Jesus in His presence
Faith put into action
Seek from Him for all answers, He will direct and guide us.
Be a true learner and enthusiastic to listen.

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

From past few weeks, we looked at why we needed a perfect sacrifice and how Jesus was qualified as a perfect sacrifice. Who was blameless, who was without sin from birth. He was born in a manger in Bethlehem and we looked at his journey till the place called Golgotha (Which was known as skull hill)

He was born as a Man:

Even he was to be born in Bethlehem. He Existed from Eternity (the Creator).

Jesus’ existence did not begin with His birth. He existed from eternity with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Micah 5:2

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,   from ancient times.”

During Jesus’s ministry from the age of 30 , on his journey from Bethlehem to Golgotha:

He was baptized:

Matthew 3:13-17 – Jesus was baptized to “fulfil all righteousness” (v15). The gospel teaches that we today need to be baptized to receive remission of sins (Acts 2:38). But Jesus had no sins to be forgiven, so He was not baptized for the same reason as us. But He still had to be baptized to obey God’s will.

Man , always felt that it is difficult to obey God’s will but Jesus showed us the way. Obedience to God’s will.

He Was Tempted:

Matthew 4:1-11 – Jesus fasted in the wilderness 40 days and nights. Satan then came to tempt Him. This teaches us:

We can resist Satan by relying on God’s word. Jesus answered every temptation saying, “It is written.”

Even we can escape temptation , Jesus showed the way for us.

He Taught :

He taught the values of the kingdom. Jesus’ teachings were not human opinion or human wisdom. They were the absolute will of God. Jesus came as God in the flesh to reveal a message to man from God.

Even, we can become a messenger of God for people around us.

He Performed Miracles :

He healed the sick , he raised the dead , he delivered people from demons

He showed that there is nothing impossible for him. Even he has given that authority to us.

Let us look at the last week of Jesus i.e.  from Sunday to Good Friday as the scriptures record. We will dwell more on the events which took place on Friday.

Sunday: The Triumphal Entry

Matthew 21

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King           

2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

[c]

“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”

Monday:

Jesus at the Temple

Matthew 21

12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[e] but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[f]”

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

Tuesday:

1. The Authority of Jesus Questioned

Matthew 21

23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

2. Jesus Teaches at the Temple

Matthew 21

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’[h]?

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

3. Jesus Anointed

Matthew 26

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

Wednesday : The Plot against Jesus

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Thursday :

1. The Last Supper

Matthew 26

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

2. Jesus Comforts the Disciples

John 14:1-16

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

3. Gethsemane:

Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-46

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Thursday Night & Friday

1. Jesus arrest and Trial
2. Jesus crucifixion and Death
3. The Burial of Jesus

Let us read Matthew 26:47-75 and 27:11-66

Jesus Arrested

47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

55 In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God

64 “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[e]

65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Peter Disowns Jesus

69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

MATTHEW 27 :11-66

Jesus Before Pilate

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus[b] Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,

[c]

 lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[d]

47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,[f] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

65 “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

As we look at all the events

God was at work on Good Friday,

Doing his greatest Good in man’s most horrible Evil

MESSIAH WAS REJECTED

• Man rejected God
• Judas rejected God for money
• Jews rejected God for Pride
• Pilate rejected God for self gain

But we have  A LOVING GOD

JOHN 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 5:6-8

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Easter is indeed about the empty tomb. But first, it’s about the Cross.

The very idea of Good Friday causes us concern. The problem is that both his power and wisdom led him to the Cross, a brutal denial of everything he had done before.

Those who had seen his power wondered why he seemed powerless at his greatest need. Those who saw his intelligence wondered how someone so smart could miscalculate so badly.

Both sides missed what Jesus and his Father were saying: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it produces many”

(John 12:24). Not just his words, his very life is a parable.

It wasn’t just the people of Jesus’ day who had a problem with the Cross.

The people we speak to week after week have a problem with the Cross. Religious-minded people want miracles and power. Intellectual- minded people want wisdom and truth.

You and me when we look at the Cross, we have a problem .. God died?

What God offers us all is first the Cross. The earliest believers called the Cross “the wisdom of God and power of God” (I Corinthians 1:23-24).

23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Many times we assume that it was easy for Jesus Christ to die on the cross:

It was Painful

Matthew 26:36-46

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

His own left him

Mark 14:50

50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

He was Tortured

Matthew 27:27-31

27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

He was Mocked / Shamed

John 19:23:24

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

He Died

Matthew 27:45-46,50

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,

[c]

lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[d]

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

 

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.

Barabbas was released / freed and instead Jesus was crucified. Who is Barabbas? Barabbas is you and me ? We were set free and Christ died for our sins.

All knowing.. All powerful , who created the heaven and earth , who raised the dead , who fed the 5000 was silent on the cross and died so that you can me can be set free.

 

IT IS FINISHED : In this final phrase we have the Great Exchange:

He was condemned that we might be justified.

He bore our sin that we might be set free.

He died that we might live.

He suffered that we might be redeemed.

He was made sin, that we might be made righteous.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.