Many Christians do not understand God’s manner of working, and therefore we sometimes arrive at very erroneous conclusions, as to what The Lord will or will not do. When God grants us opportunity to improve our characters through the grace of The Holy Spirit and the necessary discipline of obedience in temporal and spiritual matters, it is left with us to make the most of the counsels thus given in His word, through a practical application of the rule of law in our lives.
It’s very important for us to train our minds to obey what God has clearly revealed or commanded, even though we may not fully understand His reasons for giving us certain instructions, because sacred history records the fall of humanity on something that most of us would consider as of little or no consequence. Laws form the foundation of any government, and therefore the eternal principles of righteousness which govern our entire existence, must of necessity be obeyed, if we are to have any meaningful relationship with God.
Adam and Eve did not behead anyone, nor did they do crack cocaine. All they did was to eat of a fruit that was prohibited for human consumption.
Moses did not commit adultery, nor did he steal from any of his neighbors. All he did was to not circumcise his son, and the next thing you know, an angel is standing in the way, just about to slay him.
One of the areas pertaining to the rule of law where many Christians come up short has to do with the proper management of material blessings and resources, which God lends to us in order that the scriptural principles of good stewardship might be understood and implemented in meaningful ways.
Let’s read:
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
To replenish means to put back or restore that which was used. Some Christians have run into financial difficulty because we did not follow the rule of law as it pertains to multiplying and replenishing the temporal, perishable things of earth, given to us on loan from God. Some of us might have erroneously thought that it is of little or no consequence in the greater scheme of things, but after close observation, we find that this is absolutely not the case.
Christ puts it this way, if we cannot manage the perishable things of this earth, we won’t be prepared or able to manage the eternal things which do not fade away, and therefore it is of critical importance for us to understand that no one passes through the pearly gates if we had opportunity to manage temporal things, and deliberately squandered our day of grace.
It does not matter whether God gives us one hundred dollars or one billion dollars to manage, if we do not follow the rule of law in replenishing that which is used, we are going to run into problems sooner or later, for God’s kingdom is built upon eternal principles which cannot be disregarded with impunity. This truth applies evenly to nations, communities, governments, individuals, churches and corporations alike, for there’s no difference whatsoever. If we spend more than we take in, we will not be able to follow the law of replenishing, and sooner or later we are going to end up in dire, or embarrassing circumstances.
When God comes to our names in heaven He will not only examine the spiritual aspect of our lives, but also how we handled temporal matters. He will take a close look at how we managed our bank accounts our business ledgers, and all other material resources entrusted to us, because some of us may be found wanting in the area of good stewardship.
What we do and how we operate in the temporal realm will also be seen in the spiritual realm, because our characters run as a common thread throughout the entire spectrum of our experience. That’s why it is of critical importance for us to understand and practice the rule of law, and the disciplines associated with it, for the difficult times that are just ahead of us will require a mind that has been accustomed to discipline and unquestioning obedience in the little things as well as the larger issues. Let’s read:
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
A person who is slip-shod in the management of material things will also be unstable and inconsistent in spiritual things, hence the reason why the Lord in the parable of the unfaithful steward, did not begin the investigation by asking him about his prayer life, and how many Bible verses he knew. The Master began the unexpected audit by a close examination of his dealings in the temporal affairs of life. Let’s read:
Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
The words “For thou mayest no longer be steward” really mean that the Lord was saying to the unfaithful steward, you are just about to be fired, or in other words, your pink slip is soon to be written up, on account of the wanton waste and improper management of my perishable goods. The unfaithful steward was taken off-guard by the sudden audit of the master, for prior to this his employer had asked no questions, and for all intents and purposes, it seemed as if he could do whatsoever he desired without being held accountable. So when the Master called for an audit unexpectedly, the unfaithful steward immediately went into panic mode.
The reason for this audit by The God of heaven must be clearly understood, for there is a valid reason given in the scriptures for it. Let’s read:
Luke 16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]?
16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
The Bible relates an experience in the land of Egypt, where the Lord had given ample warning of a devastating famine that would follow on the heels of seven years of plenty, and the pertinent instructions of how to weather the great recession that would come as a result, was also given in detail, so that every person who took God’s word seriously could make the necessary preparation in the temporal realm, so as to survive the brutal times that were just ahead. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:17 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
41:18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
41:19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
41:20 And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
41:21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they [were] still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
41:23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
41:25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh [is] one: God hath showed Pharaoh what he [is] about to do.
41:26 The seven good kine [are] seven years; and the seven good ears [are] seven years: the dream [is] one.
41:27 And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them [are] seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
41:29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
41:30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
41:31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it [shall be] very grievous.
41:32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [it is] because the thing [is] established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
This warning of a deadly famine in the temporal realm was given also with the instructions of what should be done during the seven fat years, and therefore, all who followed the rule of law as it pertains to multiplying and replenishing would have ample opportunity to follow God’s instructions that were made public through His servant Joseph. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:34 Let Pharaoh do [this], and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
41:35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
41:36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
But apparently, many of the Egyptians did not take God’s word seriously, and during the seven years of plenty, most of them, like the unfaithful steward in the parable, may have erroneously assumed that the Master’s goods would be there forever, and so they did not put aside food for the “Rainy day”. So when the harsh realities of the famine broke upon them, they found themselves destitute of the means to support themselves, and consequently they turned to the “Federal government” to relieve their desperate situation.
What is worthy of note is that a Christian was in charge of the food stored by the government, and therefore they turned to him, expecting freebies from one as compassionate as a follower of Christ. But when they approached Joseph to supply their needs, they were startled by his request that they first pay for the food that was diligently stored by wise his stewardship. Let’s read:
Genesis 41:46 And Joseph [was] thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.
41:47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
41:48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which [was] round about every city, laid he up in the same.
Genesis 41:53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
41:54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
41:55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
41:56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
41:57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy [corn]; because that the famine was [so] sore in all lands.
47:13 And [there was] no bread in all the land; for the famine [was] very sore, so that the land of Egypt and [all] the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.
47:14 And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.
The famine continued to deepen, and after a while the Egyptians ran out of money, but with nowhere else to turn they again come to Joseph with the hope that he will open the government’s storehouses so that the inhabitants of the land could have free food, since the situation was now a national emergency. Some of the Egyptians may have quoted several texts to Joseph such as “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”, or maybe another favorite one, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.
But Joseph requested cash for food until all money was expended, and after their finances were completely dried up, he then requested their cattle, then themselves and then their mortgage deed to be signed over to the federal government. Let’s read:
Genesis 47:15 And when money failed in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said, Give us bread: for why should we die in thy presence? for the money faileth.
47:16 And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail.
47:17 And they brought their cattle unto Joseph: and Joseph gave them bread [in exchange] for horses, and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds, and for the asses: and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.
47:18 When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, We will not hide [it] from my lord, how that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands:
47:19 Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give [us] seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate.
47:20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh's.
47:21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from [one] end of the borders of Egypt even to the [other] end thereof. 47:23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, [here is] seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.
47:24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth [part] unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.
There is one very troubling question about this whole episode, and that is, did Joseph do the right thing in his administration during those years of famine? Was it the Christian thing to do to have the people sell all of their possessions for food during such a grave national crisis. The answer to this question is absolutely yes, for it takes us back to the topic for this afternoon, “The rule of law”.
The plan of replenishing was put into practice by God Himself with the woman to whom Elijah was sent during the three and a half years of famine. God replenished daily, instead of giving her what she needed for a long period of time.
1st Kings 17:8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman [was] there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
17:11 And as she was going to fetch [it], he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
17:12 And she said, [As] the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I [am] gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
17:13 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.
17:14 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.
17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat [many] days.
17:16 [And] the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Some of us may be wondering why it’s so important to be faithful in that which is least. And others may be wondering if the rule of law leaves any wiggle room for us to do we see best, even if it means disregarding the least of these commandments. The coming crisis that has already begun will require a mind that has been trained to unquestioning obedience, just like it is in the US marines. Soldiers are trained to obey their commander even though they may not know, or even agree with his course of action on the battle field. The centurion who requested help from Christ understood this sacred truth, and it was this that caused Jesus to marvel. Let’s read:
Matthew 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].
8:10 When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In the book of Joel, The Lord makes reference to a special company of soldiers who understand the importance of the rule of law, and these are the ones who will stand firmly for truth during the closing scenes of this earth’s history. Whatever God says they do, with no ifs, ands or buts. Christ says it they believe it and that settles it period. Let’s read:
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;
2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.
2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
2:4 The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
2:5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
2:7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
2:8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
2:9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
2:10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
In our own experiences we should be careful to follow all of God’s instructions in even the smallest of matters, for it is this necessary discipline that will prepare us for the soon coming crisis. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this very point, and it is the will of God that we be trained by His Holy Spirit, to do God’s bidding in faith. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
4:31 (For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
May God add His blessing to the doing of His every word. God bless!