God’s choice toward His nation or kingdom is to always have sons. The more His sons the more He glorifies Himself or the more He is glorified. When God chose Israel through Abraham, it was His choice that He creates a people for Himself. The reason He promised Abraham to make him a great nation, i.e. his descendants as the stars of the sky and sands of the seashore is that He would never lack sons. Abraham was more than pleased. To God the nation of Israel became precious. That the name Israel means ‘God strives’ is itself a proof that He chose to regard them as precious. Therefore, it was always heartening for God to see His people possess His blessings and promises. Never did He desire for them to be displaced and replaced by another. Since He considered them precious, He chose and turned a foreign land as haven for them. Then, He heard their cry and at the appropriate time rescued them from the chains of slavery. He subsequently destroyed those who pursued them to the Red Sea; and He did not remain silent, but gave them the Law through Moses to protect them, because He understood the nature of the flesh. He always wanted to have a perfect nation to Himself amongst the many disobedient. Hence, He strived along with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and walked with them in the wilderness that He could produce a precious nation like Israel.
This choice of God the nations could not understand. They knew of His works and the amazing battles He fought for the sons of Israel, but their understanding of Israel was far from His choice of them. When Israel sinned against God and He punished them by making the nations be to them as a rod that strikes, He did so that they might return to Him. This, the nations could not comprehend, and did to Israel more than what God desired for them to do. They brought in things that would have totally destroyed Israel and turned them to slaves, until God chose to intervene. “Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the LORD: Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad and his people settled in its cities?” (Jer. 49:1). It was not as if Israel lacked sons or heirs, but it was the wicked presence of the gentiles that subdued them from becoming heirs. What did their presence bring? It brought idolatry, evil principles and sin of many kinds that bound God’s children. Such presence and power of sin cannot be overcome by men, unless God intervenes. In this is the mercy of God toward His kingdom that He intervenes at the right time. The present day church has much to learn from this and concerning the choice God made toward His kingdom.
God never forsakes the people whom He foreknew and always looks for the right time to intervene for them. This has to be believed if one is a believer of God. Consider it yourself: if God had not intervened for us through Christ Jesus at the right time, could there be salvation? Though many in the church today are bound by matters that are no worse than idolatry and though they are bound by the principles that have kept them from peace and freedom that come through Christ alone, He will intervene for them. Since some in the church have power and authority in various measures, they are able to subdue those who at the reading of the word desire to believe. Their understanding of the church is far from God’s choice of her. Therefore, it becomes all the more necessary that those who seek to be released hear His word. “I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; But let them not turn back to folly” (Ps. 85:8). The mindset necessary to believe is seen as exercised by the man of God. Those who eagerly wait to hear the word of the Lord will by the strength of the Lord shun folly. The peace that appears to them, since they chose to hear the word, will give them strength. In this is the unchangeableness of God that just as He never forsakes the people whom He foreknew He shall always speak peace to them.
If there is one reason as to why many in the church do not possess peace and understanding, it is folly. This folly has become the greatest disadvantage for the church. It is the prime weapon of Satan. It should be an asset of those that are without Christ. Yet, it has been brought into the church by those who could not believe in the word heard. It is the prime weapon of Satan as it has the power to cause fear and conquer many minds. Nonetheless, the only weapon that conquers it is the word of the Lord. This word of the Lord is full of peace and understanding to those who regard it. They will live. “He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat’” (1 Kings 19:5). When Elijah heard this word of the Lord, he was filled with peace. Therefore, he ate and gained strength to proceed in the will of God. A man who received strength from God to kill all the prophets of Baal was filled with fear and did not wish to live any longer. Such fear was caused by the folly that was vibrantly present in Jezebel. It is a reliable saying that no man or woman is immune to folly, until it is subjugated by the word of God, i.e. God intervenes.
Now, it is time for the church to reconsider their position concerning the word of God. It is time for Christians to remove the equivalent of idolatry that hampers their view of Christ. Too long have they stayed in the doctrines and evil principles not related to Christ. Their search for finding the faith of the first century church has only been marred by these. These have become the mountains that cannot be moved. For the Israel that was bound by disobedience in the days of Moses was also granted by God to take possession of land He promised, and Moses read out this statement. “The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain’” (Deut. 1:6). The reason they remained long at Horeb is clearly known to us. Yet, God did not forsake whom He foreknew. He intervened at the right time and removed their mountains that they may possess His blessing. So too in these days, God will not forsake you who desire to hear His word; for He foreknew you. Though because of subjugation by men you have remained in your position for a long time, it is vital that you turn to the message of the Lord and forsake the things that have obstructed your view of Him. Seek the Lord and His word. Believe!
For the command from the Lord God is simple, yet, concretely strong. No man should create a teaching or a doctrine that is resolved as the word of God; nor is he to conceal part of the word for his selfish motives. There is only one word of God and that word must be spoken apart from folly. What appears simple and easy to the eye must be tested before being proclaimed. The word of God is tested. Our wisdom must be tested by the word that it may not result in folly. The command in the former days concerning the incense made for the Lord was firm. “Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people” (Exod. 30:38). It is unique and must be kept unique. What was made for the Lord according to the directions of the Lord must not be used to result in another. Similarly, the word of God must not be exchanged for teachings that are not of God in the manner gentiles exchanged the Creator for the created. It was a firm command from the Lord to Moses that the incense they make for the Lord, they shall not make in the same proportions for themselves. The breaking of this command yielded in severe punishment. It would be folly to ignore that any mishandling of the word of God would not result in similar or greater punishment. The word of God that produces the sweet aroma in all who believe shall not be plagiarized.
This is the work of the bond servants of the Lord wherein they are required to bring out the children of God from sin, suffering and fear. “It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, ‘Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts’” (Exod. 6:26). There is no greater work than this, since it is directly ordained by God upon those whom He has chosen. No man or demon can nullify it. On the contrary, the wisdom that is not tested and approved by the word of God cannot bring people out to God and it will nullify itself with folly. For this reason, those who proclaim the word must not duplicate it according to their motives and desires. Greed, apathy, fear, immorality and callousness cannot go along with the word and men who proclaim the word with these impurities will duplicate it according to their motives and desires. For just as the calling of the people by the Lord never changed i.e. by His word, so also the command to gather people for Him never changed. Therefore, the word must be kept pure from all forms of impurity. Aaron and Moses kept the commandment pure and the Lord already being aware of their heart has called them for bringing out His people. The Law has changed, but the choice of the Lord to gather people to Himself did not. The change of Law has only resulted in a vibrant calling of the Lord i.e. without partiality. This is how the Lord God employs His bond servants to fulfill His choice. “Thus Joseph stored up grain in great abundance like the sand of the sea, until he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure” (Gen. 41:49).