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Securing our borders

“Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year,” Exodus 34:23-24.

Stream or download Securing our borders

Israel was and still is, one of the great warrior nations yet from her prophets we learn that there is more to securing our borders than military prowess and tactics. “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places,” Deuteronomy 33:26-29.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” Psalm 46:1.

I would like to consider the topic of keeping our border, especially in a day when the question of that border most important to the Ulster Protestant is being undermined and that universally!

We will not consider military matters but rather what has to be done to obtain the aid and the assistance of the One Who alone can raise up or cast down!

“God hath power to help, and to cast down,” 2 Chronicles 25:8.

In our text, we are told that the men of Israel were commanded to appear before God three times a year to worship Him. In the later years, this meant travelling to Jerusalem. During these times of worship when the borders of Israel would be deprived of men to defend them, God promised to make sure that no foreign enemy would rise to invade!

  1. PLEASE NOTE THAT GOD CONTROLS EVEN THE THOUGHTS OF OUR ENEMIES.

He can quench enmity and hatred against His people. “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: andbecause of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds,” Judges 6:1-2.

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him,” Proverbs 16:7.

Read 1 Kings 11:9-14.

God is sovereign in the affairs of nations.

Sennacherib king of Assyria – “But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest,” 2 Kings 19:27-28.

In the very courts of kings it is so. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will,” Proverbs 21:1.

 

 

It is so with the lowliness of men. “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand,” Proverbs 19:21. “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure,” Isaiah 46:9-10.

Even the devil is subject to God’s will. Job 1:9-10, 12. “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him,” Matt 4:11.

II. WE MAY CLAIM THE SPIRIT OF THIS PROMISE TODAY

Israel was promised protection while they were engaged in worshipping Him in obedience to His Word. So the same applies to all today who WALK and LIVE in obedience to God. 

This is so even when obedience to God is contrary to human wisdom! “Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me,” Luke 18:21.“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth,” 1 Kings 17:13-14.

Faith in God is required to enjoy this security. Ulster enjoyed a great measure of God’s mercy and protection in former times when faith in God’s Word was much stronger than today. That is why I utterly condemn the ecumenical false prophets who have destroyed, to a very great measure, that faith. In so doing they have robbed us of our help!

The defence of God is the ultimate defence. “Neither shall any man desire thy land.” The word ‘desire’ means to ‘lust after’! What a thing if God were to take away the lust of republicans for this land of our fathers! The machinations of Sinn Fein and the Dublin government would wither!

III. THIS PROMISE WAS ESPECIALLY LINKED TO THREE ACTS OF WORSHIP

Passover. ‘Faith in the lamb’. We know that this pictures Calvary. It was the first of the seasons. The Cross is the chief of our places of worship.

Pentecost. ‘Fulness of the Spirit’. The season when the Holy Spirit was poured forth upon the people of God. Acts 2:1.

Tabernacles. ‘Following the King’. “That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God,” Leviticus 23:43.

These are the key factors of true religion, the observance of which will see God’s blessing rest upon us!

This feast highlighted their separation from the world, marking as it did their leave of Egypt. This feast is mentioned as being observed in the Millennial Reign of Christ, Zech 14:16, 18-19. That is a day when the Saviour will enforce His holy will upon the world, Rev 19:15.

These were seasons of joy and feasting as well as security. All these feasts were occasions of Joy. God would have us joyfully worship Him.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost,” Romans 14:17.

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light,” 1 Peter 2:9.

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” Philippians 4:4.

 

Amen.

Truth for today, #17

Scripture: Ruth 2:4-9.

Stream or download Truth for today, Pt17

We have entered upon the second half of the story of Ruth. Her conversion and journey to Judah was the first part of her story but now, in chapter 2 onward, we come the second part, that of her meeting and marriage to Boaz and the birth of her son, Obed, a forebear of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the verses 4-9, we have the first meeting between Boaz and Ruth.

I. HERE IS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD TOWARD RUTH
We have noted in verse 3, how that Ruth, by the grace of God, has been led to the field of Boaz. Now we note how that her arrival there coincides with a visit by Boaz, verse 4.
I want us to bear in mind that Boaz is a type of Christ and in his encounters with Ruth we have pictures of Christ’s dealings with His people and the spiritually fruitful union that ought to develop between the Saviour and His people.

1. Note from where Boaz came. Bethlehem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” Micah 5:2. Jesus, the “Bread of Life” came from the “House of Bread” to feed His people that they might never die. John 6:48-51.

2. Note the happiness of his household. “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee,” verse 4. What a consciousness of Jehovah there was amongst his servants. It was uppermost. If there is one place Christians are tempted to forget God it is in the workplace. It ought not to be. The harvest field ought always to put us in mind of the bountiful goodness of God. Boaz was a gracious man to hold such fellowwship with his workers. He was a mighty man of wealth after all. As such, one might expect of him what was more common amongst such. “The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly,” Proverbs 18:23.

3. Boaz was a man concerned about the wellbeing of his servants. “The LORD be with you.” This was an expression of the highest concern. He had a concern for their souls as well as their bodies. Such a greeting was common in NT times as is seen from the commencement and close of the epistles. It is the last word in the Bible, Rev 22:21.

4. What a privilege to have believing workmates. The greeting of the workers was an echo of His gracious greeting. There was unity amongst them. There was no murmuring amongst them. Though different in rank they were one with Boaz in spirit.

II. BOAZ IMMEDIATELY NOTICES RUTH IN THE FIELD

1. Boaz knew all his servants. Likely he could call them by name. “He calleth his own sheep by name,” John 10:3.

2. The answer his chief servant gives. Here are lessons for us to note. He spoke kindly and courteously of Ruth. This ought to be expected of the leaders of God’s house. Please note that Ruth was invited to share in the refreshments by the workers. — “ . . . she tarried a little in the house,” verse 7. This was likely a tent to give shade to the workers when they took a break. How welcome we ought to make strangers in our midst!

3. The chief servant showed the same spirit as Boaz manifested. His attitude and actions had anticipated the kindness of Boaz. Ruth had not been chased but, in a field where the Law of God pertained, (Lev 19:9-10) she was allowed to glean. Indeed, all of the workers acted graciously toward the “stranger” within their midst.
In all our dealings with others may we show the grace of our Lord Jesus.
III. THE INSTRUCTIONS BOAZ GAVE TO RUTH
It should be noted that the term Boaz employs when speaking of Ruth changes from “damsel” in verse 4 to “daughter” in verse 8. The term daughter was an affectionate term. “Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease,” Lam 2:18.

1. In his affection, Boaz tells Ruth to stay in his field. Dear Christian, there are fields in which we may find all our souls desire and from which we must not stray. There was danger for Ruth outside of his fields. Note how he requests her careful attention to his words. “Hearest thou not, my daughter?” This is an important matter, John 17:14-16. Note “abide here fast.”

2. There was good company for her in his fields. “ . . . abide here fast by my maidens,” verse 8. Ruth was not even to look at another field. “Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them,” V. 9.

3. There was plentiful provision for her in the fields of Boaz. “Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn,” verse 9. The water was there to drink and that without any labour on her part. It was there just whenever she desired it.
Christian, listen to our heavenly Boaz today and heed His instructions and you shall find all your soul desires.

Truth for today, Pt 16

III. THE MEETING BETWEEN RUTH AND BOAZ WAS BY PROVIDENTIAL DECREE

“And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech,” Ruth 2:3. She did not know Boaz, 19-20.

1. Ruth felt her need. There was no means of eating other than by gleaning so she went looking for a supply.

2. Ruth felt her duty. The blessing of the gospel is for them that hunger and them that seek. John 6:35.  We must place ourselves in the fields of grace, under the sound of God’s word.

3. Unwittingly, she came to the field of the redeemer. She was like the woman at the well, John 4 and like  Zacchaeus, Luke 19:1.

Who is there that loves the Lord but can look back and see how He guided them to the gospel field in which they were fully supplied?

The Bible indicates that the mind and hand of God is upon His people from all eternity.

Before the world was formed – Rev 17:8

Before the time of conception – Jer 1:15, Ps 139:13-16.

During our time of darkness – Gal 1:15.

Throughout our life – Ps 73:23-24, 32:8, 48:14.