Many Christians stumble on the issue of trusting implicitly in God for everything, for there are times in our experiences when we are prone to doubt, on account of the evidences of our senses. There are certain truths that God has revealed in His word about Himself which must be forever settled in our minds, if we are to experience a much deeper understanding and relationship with Him. The question is often asked “How can I know what the will of the Lord is in any given situation”, and this question often becomes blurred amidst a number of other unresolved issues which haunt our minds from time to time.
For starters we should understand that a person who is not dependable and consistent in their ways cannot be trusted, and therefore if we believe that the ways of God are not predictable, as far as His promises and their fulfillment are concerned, then we could never reach to the point of placing our implicit faith and trust in Him.
The bible bids us to study the character of God as manifested in His created works, and also His sustenance and upholding of them, for when this is done, there is no other conclusion that we can arrive at, other than God is perfectly trustworthy, consistent, and stable in all of His ways, and therefore He is also predictable, as far as promises and their fulfillment are concerned. Let’s read:
Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
19:3 [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.
19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
19:5 Which [is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, [and] rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
19:6 His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Did the Bible just mention the fact that the four seasons, including winter will not cease from occurring in their due times as long as the earth remaineth? The last time we checked, winter was on its way, and as far as we can remember, and know for a certainty, the months of November to March have always brought snow, ice, and blizzards, thus confirming the sacred truth that God is not only predictable in his ways, but also dependable. Let’s read:
Psalms 147:15 He sendeth forth his commandment [upon] earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
147:16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
147:17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
147:18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, [and] the waters flow.
It therefore becomes necessary to study carefully His methods, ways, and systematic manner of operation so that our expectations can be reasonably managed according to what is written, and in harmony with that which has been revealed in sacred history. The reason why we are strongly
advised to do so is because it has a direct impact upon our perspective and our interpretation of past, current, and future events, which in turn determines how we will react to various situations which may come upon us suddenly.
Let’s take a few examples from ancient sacred history. God had revealed to the Hebrews who were at that time suffering under the yoke of Egyptian bondage, that He was about to deliver them, and because of this announcement, certain dire circumstances obtained, and certain instructions were given in preparation for their departure.
The Lord did not choose to deliver the Hebrews at once, nor did He rain Manna from heaven on the first day they left Egypt, for there was an interim period between their departure and the time when food was provided miraculously. The Exodus which followed later on contains blueprints of the ways and means God always employs when interacting with His people, and these methods must of necessity be studiously observed, so that our expectations will not be unreasonable or uninformed when future difficulties come our way.
The passages used are traced as it were, in brilliant letters of gold so that we may have a much more intelligent understanding of the way God’s omnipotent power is often displayed, especially in emergencies. The blueprints will be divided up into four main segments, because of the constraints of time and space, and as we study let us observe carefully the movements of God in the varied experiences of His people, for many of them are to be repeated in the near future.
[1] Making Bricks without straw.
One of the results of the announcement of emancipation was that the burdens and the work- loads of the Jews were significantly increased, to the point where it became virtually impossible to keep the Sabbath, or to serve God in the land of Egypt. When pharaoh learned of the re-institution of the Sabbath rest as a prerequisite for deliverance, he reacted very harshly by forcing the Hebrews to find raw materials to make their daily quota of bricks, whereas before these materials had always been provided. The reason given for this sudden and drastic change was idleness, a charge that was brought about by his own perverted view of Sabbath keeping.
God gave the command to rest on the seventh day not only for the benefit of the Jews, but also for pharaoh’s benefit also, together with all other persons living on the planet, but just as it is today, pharaoh and his officers saw the keeping of the Sabbath as an infringement on their business and commercial pursuits, and because he erroneously thought that he would suffer temporal loss as a result of proper Sabbath keeping by the Hebrews, he literally forced them to work over the Sabbath hours, or else they were punished, beaten, harassed, and ill-treated, to force compliance from unwilling minds. Let’s read:
Exodus 5:4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5:5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
5:6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
5:7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
5:8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish [ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God.
5:9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
5:10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
5:11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
5:12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
5:13 And the taskmasters hasted [them], saying, Fulfil your works, [your] daily tasks, as when there was straw.
5:14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
5:15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
5:16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants [are] beaten; but the fault [is] in thine own people.
5:17 But he said, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle: therefore ye say, Let us go [and] do sacrifice to the LORD.
5:18 Go therefore now, [and] work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
5:19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see [that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said, Ye shall not minish [ought] from your bricks of your daily task.
It is of critical importance for us to closely observe the timing of the increased difficulties, for the Hebrews had not yet been emancipated, but were rather in the “Interim period” that is referred to in this Bible study. Similarly, as we approach the close of this earth’s history, when the issue of the true Sabbath will again take center stage, we can expect a significant amount of retaliation on our jobs as we continue to request the entire Sabbath day off, so that we can worship and serve God according to the dictates of conscience.
And it is for this reason, why in anticipation of the coming conflict with the powers of darkness, that God is now moving preemptively by taking many of His people one by one out of the “Egyptian system” so that we can work independently for our daily bread, until such time that it becomes necessary to feed us miraculously. It all has to do with the “Interim period” which for many of us has already begun.
And because of this, we should not be surprised if in the future we are laid off for no apparent reason, but we should instead rejoice greatly, knowing that our redemption draws near, and that God will teach us how to navigate the coming difficulties until such time that the pillar of fire by night, and the pillar of cloud by day once again appears on the earth as a token of God’s protective shield and watch-care in behalf of His people, as in days of old. Let’s read:
Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh” …
6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I [am] the LORD:
6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.
Isaiah 4:3 And it shall come to pass, [that he that is] left” …. “and [he that] remaineth” …… “shall be called holy, [even] every one that is written among the living” ….
4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory [shall be] a defence.
4:6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
When the national Sunday law will be reinstituted across the land, and all citizens and inhabitants will be “Caused” to worship or rest from their work on the national day of rest, then those faithful Sabbath keepers who refuse to work on the seventh day of the week will also be accused of “Idleness” because we will be having two days off of work, instead of one, like all of the rest of people.
In order to compensate for the loss of business on account of the mandatory day of rest on Sunday, it will be deemed necessary to make up for the loss by legally requiring employers to make their employees work on the seventh day of the week, and when this occurs, the prophecy in Revelation 12 that has lurked in the shadows all these years will finally come to the forefront of our experience, and we will understand as never before what is meant by the dragon making war with the remnant of God’s people, for his anger is not directed at Isis, Alqaeda, Boko haram or other terrorist groups who are already doing his bidding, but against those who choose to obey the commandments of God instead of the laws of men. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child].
12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.
[2] The Blood.
Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families” … 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you].
12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that [was] in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We [be] all dead [men].
In the closing scenes of earth’s history when the judgments due are upon the land, there will be no shelter for anyone who does not have the blood of Christ applied to their hearts. No amount of steel- laden doomsday bunkers, no matter how sturdily built will be able to withstand the plagues that will be poured out on those who are not covered. At this time Christ must be fully formed within, the hope of glory, and nothing but the blood of Christ will shield us in those days. Let’s read:
Joel 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
[3] God’s method of deliverance.
Exodus 14:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
14:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They [are] entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
From this we can conclude that God knew two things: (1) that the Hebrews would be blocked in by water in front, and mountains on either side. And (2) that pharaoh and his army would be in hot pursuit at the rear, so that it would seem as though there was no way of escape for the children of Israel. This scenario is often repeated in our own personal experiences when there seems as if there is no way out, and the devil tempts us to believe that God has deliberately set us up for defeat.
But conclusions such as these are reached because we have not studied His ways, for it is often the case that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and many of us do not exercise a deep abiding faith in Him until it seems as if we are hedged in by foes, and daunting circumstances on every side.
These occasions are often a call to prayer, which so many of us have neglected in times of ease and security. As a general rule of thumb we like to be independent, and this mode of thought is often transferred over to our religious experiences, where we only seek God earnestly when we are in strait places. These instances almost always draw out from us one of two responses, which show what is the nature of our relationship with God.
We either murmur or complain because He has permitted us to be hedged in with difficulties, or we view the entire episode as an opportunity to exercise trust in God, knowing that deliverance is certainly on the way. These different perspectives come as a result of understanding, or not knowing of God’s ways, means, and methods. Let’s read:
Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because [there were] no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
14:12 [Is] not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For [it had been] better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
This first response bears out what was just previously stated, and is usually the mindset of the overwhelming majority of people who claim to believe in God. But there is another response that is much to be desired, the one manifested by Moses to whom the Lord revealed that pharaoh and his hosts were but dead meat. One situation, facing two different mindsets, with two entirely different responses, the only difference being that one knows and understands the ways of God while other doesn’t. Let’s read:
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
14:19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Similarly, when the forces of evil are set in motion during the last days of earth’s history, the people of God will be hedged in by difficulties and dangers which would seem to many as if we are cornered. The spiritual king of Egypt with his forces and agencies will be on the heels of the righteous, and for all intents and purposes, it may seem to a casual onlooker, that there is no way of escape. And then there will be two responses coming from the multitude of those whose names are now written on the church records. Some will begin to murmur and complain, while others like Moses will see in the whole episode, a harbinger of coming deliverance, just as it was in the days of old. Let’s read:
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
[4] The transition of diet.
After the children of Israel had left Egypt it took some time before God began to rain manna from heaven, and after this had taken place for a while, the people began to complain about the change of diet. But there is one character in the Bible that we will closely investigate, for it seems as if he took a
different route, and because of this there are some very disturbing medical and logical questions that arise on account of the latter part of his life. His name is Caleb, and in the Biblical account it is stated that he followed the Lord “Wholly”, suggesting that he went along with God’s plan for a transition in diet. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 1:34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and sware, saying,
1:36 ….. “Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.
Numbers 14:24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
14:7 Forty years old [was] I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as [it was] in mine heart.
14:9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
14:10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while [the children of] Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I [am] this day fourscore and five years old.
14:11 As yet I [am as] strong this day as [I was] in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength [was] then, even so [is] my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims [were] there, and [that] the cities [were] great [and] fenced: if so be the LORD [will be] with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
14:13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
14:14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
There is a very, very serious problem occurring in verses 10 and 11 which needs to be addressed once and for all from a perspective of faith, and also from a scientific, logical, and reasonable stand point. That word “Wholly” keeps surfacing over and over again in the narrative of Caleb, and in the context of him following The Lord. From this repetition of the word it is reasonable to conclude that on the issue of the transition of diet, Caleb also “Wholly” followed the Lord. Let’s read again:
Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while [the children of] Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I [am] this day fourscore and five years old.
14:11 As yet I [am as] strong this day as [I was] in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength [was] then, even so [is] my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
The same basic statement is made concerning Moses, who at the age of 120 years, climbed a mountain several miles high without any aid, when God told him he would die. Let’s observe closely what is written, because we are going to pose some very disturbing questions to the scientific, and medical communities. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 34:7 And Moses [was] an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
Question: Is it possible for a man not to undergo any declining physical changes for 45 years?
Question: Does the transitional diet have anything to do with it?
Question: Was the providence of God in making this dietary change arbitrary? Or was there a specific purpose in removing from them their former diet?
Question: Does the transitional diet have any merit, or was it something that was imposed at random upon the Hebrews?
Question: In our day, if a Christian were to adopt the transitional diet, will he or she likewise enjoy great length of days and superior quality of life?
Question: is it possible to forestall the aging process by having implicit faith in God, and by cooperating with Him on the issue of diet and foods?
If there is no merit to the diet God had preferred for the Hebrews, then it logically follows that there isn’t any good to be derived from it, and if this is true, then we are willing to sponsor everyone sitting here this evening with a Big Mac and fries, right after Bible study. It either has merit or it doesn’t, it’s just that simple. But whatever may be our answers to these questions, one thing is certain, that we will need to complete the necessary changes before the “Interim” period draws to a close, because the transitional diet is all that will be provided by God during those days of hardship and turmoil. Let’s read:
Isaiah33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence [shall be] the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters [shall be] sure.
It is therefore the will of God that as we research these things, that we reason from cause to effect, and where a living faith needs to be exercised in God, and the words He has given us to live by, let us not delay in seeking His face for grace to enable us to gain the victory, so that when the “Interim” period comes along, we will be already rooted and grounded in Christ, with our expectations being in line with that which He has promised. God bless!