Ephesians 6:15
…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Well it may be one for the money, and two for the show, three to get ready and then go cat go, but Elvis wanted to be sure that we did not step on his blue suede shoes. We could do anything else, but we had to lay off his blue suede shoes. Why? And what is it about shoes that keep women wanting more, keep us from wanting to scuff them, step on them, or hope they don’t stink? We put so much focus on whether or not they match our outfit. We become so concerned when a new pair gets dirty or scuffed. And we become embarrassed when we can smell them from across the room. But, there is really only one pair of shoes we should be focused on – that being the shoes of peace.
If we were to inspect the footwear of the Romans under today’s standards, we may consider it to be poorly made. Yes the whole concept may look flimsy, but truth be told, they were comfortable. The sandal, or CALIGAE in the Greek, was constantly put to the test with soldiers marching upward of 25 miles daily. Yet through it all, soldiers remained blister-less. Tucked inside the sole of the sandal was a strip of metal for stability. Extending from the top of the sandal were found leather laces that wrapped around the soldier’s calves. As air circulated through the sandal, skin issues and fungus were also prevented. All the while, this basic concept kept the wearer from pain.
A look under the sandal showed two sizes of studs, much like an olden day golf shoe or cleat. These studs provided the traction needed for the exercise being done, whether walking, running, or fighting. With their footing established based on the spike, the soldier had a better chance of being firmly placed and ready for battle. Yet Paul connected shoes with the gospel of peace. How exactly do the two go hand in hand, or in this case, foot and foot?
In Roman times, armor for the shin was attached to the ankles and knees known as greaves. These greaves were worn by the soldiers to protect them as they marched among obstacles or traps hidden in their path. Without this spread of protection, a soldier entangled in a snare could become unfit to continue. It is here then that we have the concept of peace within the walk. We are called to fit our feet with a spiritual version of greaves. Traps of sin, ambushes of doubt, and obstacles of temptation are sprawled out in our path. The enemy has layered our course with entanglements and is working to con us into falling into them. For this reason, we are to be prepared as we walk out our orders, enduring to the end (Mt 10:22).
In order to stand, we need peace. The passage reads, “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Our feet are not fitted with the gospel of stress, although we probably have enough stress to wear. They are not to be covered with the spirit of negativity, or loneliness, or even worry. Our feet are to be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We are to be ‘ready’ in peace. We are to be those in the battle that have a firm stance, are solidly planted and at peace with how our feet are positioned. And this stance must be firm in Christ. As we learned in the first lesson, how we are standing will make all the difference in how the battle ends.
So what exactly is peace? The word ‘peace’ from our text is the Greek word EIRENE, meaning a state of tranquility, harmony, to fear nothing, and to be content. Right away we can see how the enemy works. He wants to take away the very truth of this word, planting distress, discord, worry, anxiousness, and fear. To step in these things is equal to stepping in doggie-doo. One false step and we will slip.
As we move forward in this lesson I want us to consider three types of peace. The Greek word for each type of peace is the same yet consider where it comes from. The first is peace with God. When we come first into a relationship with God, we are given a peace. We see this when an ailing family member or friend ‘makes his peace with God.’ This truth comes from Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Having peace with God removes the fear and threat of condemnation and hell, moving us then from the relationship of stranger to the relationship of His child.
The second peace we find is from I Corinthians 1:3. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This peace is a peace from God to us. As we develop in our walk with God, and walk in obedience to Him and in His ways, we begin to find His peace being poured out over us. I think of a fear I once struggled with. For a long time I would begin to panic whenever I saw a police officer behind me. Even if I was going the speed limit I was certain that he was after me, looking to see if I would do anything wrong. The deeper issue was not the police looking to bust me, but how I was living. Living in a sinful way I felt as though everyone was out to expose me. However, once I confused and began to work away from my sinful lifestyle and follow God’s ways, God’s peace began to come. Changing my lifestyle gave me peace in many ways to where now I am not thinking that every officer is working against me.
The last of these three types of peace is the peace of God, as named in Philippians 4:7. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In times of conflict, this peace is needed. This is the peace that keeps us grounded when the enemy works to jump us. And this is the peace I know I needed when I went through my divorce. Constantly I felt like I was getting sucker-punched by the enemy. But just like those weighted blow-up clowns that get punched and spring back up, so the peace of God allowed me to pop back up, keeping me from losing my balance fully and going down for the final count.
I have walked on too many paths to know the flattening that comes from not having my feet securely in the ground, with my spikes fixed in deep. I have walked on too many paths to know the pain that comes from not wearing greaves. As a kid I took a walk that I call, ‘the walk that changed my life.’ It wasn’t a walk to the altar, but rather a walk to years of bondage. Yet looking back now, I see how my feet were not fitted. It was in that moment alone on this path that I stepped in a snare set by the enemy. I became unfit to continue on in battle and do any real harm to the enemy. In a way I was like Samson who once was feared as a champ, but later mocked as a chump. The temptation, the guilt, the shame of what I had done, all played games on my mind. Instead of seeking help from God, I continued to march as an injured soldier.
I praise God that He did not give up on me. I am grateful that I was lifted up in His arms, rescued, nurtured back to health, and made ready again for battle. But this time I won’t be amiss. I won’t go into battle without my shoes on. I urge you then, as one who has walked into the trap and by God’s grace found freedom, to protect your steps and walk in the assurance of God’s peace as well. Have your feet fitted. Have the spikes dug in deep. And have peace with God, the peace from God, and the peace of God. This simple piece of the armor isn’t just to match our belt or purse in color, but to be used in times when the quicksand of worry may try to trap us.
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Monday, June 30, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
OUR BELT AND BREASTPLATE
Ephesians 6:14
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.
Growing up, my dad had a hobby of doing leatherwork. I recall one specific picture he crafted of an eagle soaring with a fish in its talons. I remember also a print he did of tired and bloodied solders with drums and pipes, playing their civil war tunes after a challenging battle. In addition to a few other works that come to mind still, I can also remember that for my older brother and I he made us each a belt with our names etched in. His workmanship was great, and he won county fairs for his entries. But the fact that he made a belt specific for me made me proud to wear it. I was wearing a hand crafted treasure, and while it did manage to keep my pants up, it also managed to keep the rest of my outfit in order.
The belt can prove to be many things, from a great childhood memory to a method of pain. Perhaps that is why God gave us the belt of truth. In wearing His truth we can indeed find that safety, that moment of peaceful memories. But in wearing it we also can have a weapon to use against our enemy. True, a belt helps keep the pants up, but if it was only to keep the pants up, couldn’t God have just given us suspenders? Why a belt? And why name this piece of armor first?
When Paul wrote his letter to the people of Ephesus, he wrote from prison. It is highly suspected that Paul’s daily view while in prison was of the guards, therefore allowing Paul to see the relationship between the physical armor of the Roman soldier, and its parallel to the armor given to the Christian warrior by God. And what better a place to start than with the belt. For the Roman soldier, the belt included five leather straps and was used to attach the sword and a small shield close by, keeping both pieces handy in times of combat. While some equate the five leather straps with the five-fold ministry and the need for truth in these areas, some also look at it in a deeper light, that of the truth we walk in regardless of being in ministry fulltime or not. However, the belt was also used to secure the breastplate onto the soldier, as it was strapped directly to the belt.
But just as the physical belt served functional, so Paul eludes to the spiritual belt serving functional. What is it that holds our spiritual pants up, so to say? Truth. This word ‘truth’ is the Greek word ALETHEIA, defined as reality, sincerity, accuracy, integrity, and truthfulness. Just like a belt one would wear to keep his pants up, so without this belt one’s armor will not stay up. Our faith and hope must be in truth as defined by God, or we will fall over his lies. And it is our belt that is our best defense against the deception and lies the enemy will throw at us. Do not forget, the devil’s nature is to take the truth to twist and manipulate it, but our walking in Jesus and His ways will deflect the lies the enemy attempts to hurl at us constantly.
In the Hebrew language, the word for TRUTH is EMET (אֱמֶת). Let us look for a moment at this word in the Hebrew, as every letter here has a reason. The first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is aleph (א). There are a few less letters in the Hebrew alphabet, but the letter in the middle is mem (מ). The final letter in the Hebrew alphabet is tav (ת). So now that I have given you a simple Hebrew lesson, what is my point? God desires truth in every area of life. God desires truth in the beginning, the alephs of life. But God also desires truth in the middle, the mems of life. And lastly, God desires truth in the tavs of life. How are we to have truth in every area of life? Only by putting on the belt of truth He gives us.
The belt of truth is given as the first piece of our armor because unless we are standing on truth, we will only believe the lies. Notice, when God used Gideon, He first had to rid the thoughts of being the least in his family and show Gideon the truth before he was able to be used so mightily (Jud 6:15-16). There is no point to the helmet or breastplate if the devil is already working on us and bending what we know is accurate. When thoughts come to us that are not in line with God’s word, let us throw them down and stand solid on God’s truth.
In the second part of our passage in Ephesians 6:14, we find the command to have the breastplate of righteousness in place. The Roman breastplate was a series of metal plates, patch-worked together like a modern day roof. The word ‘breastplate’ is the Greek word THORAX, and translates as heart protector. The breastplate is vital in that it protects our heart and our vital organs. As we see in the spiritual sense, the believer needs to protect the heart, for if nothing else we see in Matthew 12:34 that it is from the heart’s abundance that the mouth speaks. But Proverbs 4:23 also reminds us that we should keep (hide) our heart with all diligence, the same term that speaks as a guard who would protect a prisoner, for out of the heart are the issues of life. If the heart is not right, how can the remainder of the person be right?
This righteousness is not of our own, but a righteousness that comes from being in Christ (I Cor 1:30). The Greek word here for ‘righteousness’ is DIKAIOSUNE, meaning the quality of being right. It is not defined as being rigid. In fact, if the armor was to have been made of a few solid pieces as opposed to the patch-work design it was, the solider would have looked more like the Tinman, and probably with as much rigid movement. So then, the breastplate was complete with nine horizontal strips of metal, related possibly to the nine fruits of the Spirit or nine gifts of the Spirit. These fruits and gifts operate through one who is righteous.
Yet who among us is righteous? As the breastplate covered the area of the heart, so it is God’s righteousness that protects our heart. We are nothing more than sinners under God’s grace. By wearing the breastplate of righteousness, we are protected by the accuser. Jack Hayford writes, “God declares the believer righteous, in the sense of acquitting him, and imparts righteousness to him.”
Still, the Roman soldier’s breastplate had another interesting piece and relationship. The breastplate had a red cloak, or what we would call a red cape. The color red was purposed as in battle blood would be hidden within the color of the cloth. To use another color could expose the soldier’s injury, therefore giving the enemy the upper hand. However, as the soldier was hidden safely by the red cape, so we are hidden safely under the blood of Christ. As Perry Stone writes, "When the enemy strikes the Christian and tries to see if we have been wounded, there is so much of the blood of Jesus that he can’t tell whose blood he is seeing.”
When Christ died in our place on the cross, we became the righteousness of Christ (II Cor 5:21). We are urged to live right. However, our human nature and free will pave access to sin. The Bible tells that when we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I Jn 1:9). This act of forgiveness, of making a turn in the right direction, allows us to come again into right standing with God under the umbrella of His righteousness. Yes, the devil will condemn us for our sin while the Spirit will convict us of our sin. But it is that conviction by the Spirit that leads us to repent, which then allows us to stand righteous once more. Let us stand strong with this breastplate in place.
The opposite of truth is false; the opposite of righteous is unrighteous, or sinful. These are the negative characteristics that God does not want us to fall for. It is because of His great love for us that He has provided these tools for our protection. If truth is not wrapped around our waist as our belt, not only will nothing stay up, but it also will not stay connected. It was the belt that held everything in place. Yes the sword, shield, and medals of honor were all strapped onto the belt, but the breastplate was also connected. Everything had an order in the times of the Roman soldiers, much like everything should have order now. To miss even one item in the order made the soldier vulnerable.
God desires that we not be vulnerable or open to attack. He does desire that we be protected from the enemy’s falsehoods just as He desires we be protected from the enemy’s blows to our heart. Any how do we do this? We do are we are commanded by putting on, clothing ourselves, with His armor.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.
Growing up, my dad had a hobby of doing leatherwork. I recall one specific picture he crafted of an eagle soaring with a fish in its talons. I remember also a print he did of tired and bloodied solders with drums and pipes, playing their civil war tunes after a challenging battle. In addition to a few other works that come to mind still, I can also remember that for my older brother and I he made us each a belt with our names etched in. His workmanship was great, and he won county fairs for his entries. But the fact that he made a belt specific for me made me proud to wear it. I was wearing a hand crafted treasure, and while it did manage to keep my pants up, it also managed to keep the rest of my outfit in order.
The belt can prove to be many things, from a great childhood memory to a method of pain. Perhaps that is why God gave us the belt of truth. In wearing His truth we can indeed find that safety, that moment of peaceful memories. But in wearing it we also can have a weapon to use against our enemy. True, a belt helps keep the pants up, but if it was only to keep the pants up, couldn’t God have just given us suspenders? Why a belt? And why name this piece of armor first?
When Paul wrote his letter to the people of Ephesus, he wrote from prison. It is highly suspected that Paul’s daily view while in prison was of the guards, therefore allowing Paul to see the relationship between the physical armor of the Roman soldier, and its parallel to the armor given to the Christian warrior by God. And what better a place to start than with the belt. For the Roman soldier, the belt included five leather straps and was used to attach the sword and a small shield close by, keeping both pieces handy in times of combat. While some equate the five leather straps with the five-fold ministry and the need for truth in these areas, some also look at it in a deeper light, that of the truth we walk in regardless of being in ministry fulltime or not. However, the belt was also used to secure the breastplate onto the soldier, as it was strapped directly to the belt.
But just as the physical belt served functional, so Paul eludes to the spiritual belt serving functional. What is it that holds our spiritual pants up, so to say? Truth. This word ‘truth’ is the Greek word ALETHEIA, defined as reality, sincerity, accuracy, integrity, and truthfulness. Just like a belt one would wear to keep his pants up, so without this belt one’s armor will not stay up. Our faith and hope must be in truth as defined by God, or we will fall over his lies. And it is our belt that is our best defense against the deception and lies the enemy will throw at us. Do not forget, the devil’s nature is to take the truth to twist and manipulate it, but our walking in Jesus and His ways will deflect the lies the enemy attempts to hurl at us constantly.
In the Hebrew language, the word for TRUTH is EMET (אֱמֶת). Let us look for a moment at this word in the Hebrew, as every letter here has a reason. The first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is aleph (א). There are a few less letters in the Hebrew alphabet, but the letter in the middle is mem (מ). The final letter in the Hebrew alphabet is tav (ת). So now that I have given you a simple Hebrew lesson, what is my point? God desires truth in every area of life. God desires truth in the beginning, the alephs of life. But God also desires truth in the middle, the mems of life. And lastly, God desires truth in the tavs of life. How are we to have truth in every area of life? Only by putting on the belt of truth He gives us.
The belt of truth is given as the first piece of our armor because unless we are standing on truth, we will only believe the lies. Notice, when God used Gideon, He first had to rid the thoughts of being the least in his family and show Gideon the truth before he was able to be used so mightily (Jud 6:15-16). There is no point to the helmet or breastplate if the devil is already working on us and bending what we know is accurate. When thoughts come to us that are not in line with God’s word, let us throw them down and stand solid on God’s truth.
In the second part of our passage in Ephesians 6:14, we find the command to have the breastplate of righteousness in place. The Roman breastplate was a series of metal plates, patch-worked together like a modern day roof. The word ‘breastplate’ is the Greek word THORAX, and translates as heart protector. The breastplate is vital in that it protects our heart and our vital organs. As we see in the spiritual sense, the believer needs to protect the heart, for if nothing else we see in Matthew 12:34 that it is from the heart’s abundance that the mouth speaks. But Proverbs 4:23 also reminds us that we should keep (hide) our heart with all diligence, the same term that speaks as a guard who would protect a prisoner, for out of the heart are the issues of life. If the heart is not right, how can the remainder of the person be right?
This righteousness is not of our own, but a righteousness that comes from being in Christ (I Cor 1:30). The Greek word here for ‘righteousness’ is DIKAIOSUNE, meaning the quality of being right. It is not defined as being rigid. In fact, if the armor was to have been made of a few solid pieces as opposed to the patch-work design it was, the solider would have looked more like the Tinman, and probably with as much rigid movement. So then, the breastplate was complete with nine horizontal strips of metal, related possibly to the nine fruits of the Spirit or nine gifts of the Spirit. These fruits and gifts operate through one who is righteous.
Yet who among us is righteous? As the breastplate covered the area of the heart, so it is God’s righteousness that protects our heart. We are nothing more than sinners under God’s grace. By wearing the breastplate of righteousness, we are protected by the accuser. Jack Hayford writes, “God declares the believer righteous, in the sense of acquitting him, and imparts righteousness to him.”
Still, the Roman soldier’s breastplate had another interesting piece and relationship. The breastplate had a red cloak, or what we would call a red cape. The color red was purposed as in battle blood would be hidden within the color of the cloth. To use another color could expose the soldier’s injury, therefore giving the enemy the upper hand. However, as the soldier was hidden safely by the red cape, so we are hidden safely under the blood of Christ. As Perry Stone writes, "When the enemy strikes the Christian and tries to see if we have been wounded, there is so much of the blood of Jesus that he can’t tell whose blood he is seeing.”
When Christ died in our place on the cross, we became the righteousness of Christ (II Cor 5:21). We are urged to live right. However, our human nature and free will pave access to sin. The Bible tells that when we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I Jn 1:9). This act of forgiveness, of making a turn in the right direction, allows us to come again into right standing with God under the umbrella of His righteousness. Yes, the devil will condemn us for our sin while the Spirit will convict us of our sin. But it is that conviction by the Spirit that leads us to repent, which then allows us to stand righteous once more. Let us stand strong with this breastplate in place.
The opposite of truth is false; the opposite of righteous is unrighteous, or sinful. These are the negative characteristics that God does not want us to fall for. It is because of His great love for us that He has provided these tools for our protection. If truth is not wrapped around our waist as our belt, not only will nothing stay up, but it also will not stay connected. It was the belt that held everything in place. Yes the sword, shield, and medals of honor were all strapped onto the belt, but the breastplate was also connected. Everything had an order in the times of the Roman soldiers, much like everything should have order now. To miss even one item in the order made the soldier vulnerable.
God desires that we not be vulnerable or open to attack. He does desire that we be protected from the enemy’s falsehoods just as He desires we be protected from the enemy’s blows to our heart. Any how do we do this? We do are we are commanded by putting on, clothing ourselves, with His armor.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
PROVE YOURSELF A MAN
“…be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”
I Kings 2:2-3
I hope you don’t mind, but today I am going to get personal with you. As May was winding down and June beginning, I found myself in the midst of a bread and water fast. Why, you may question. Truth be told, I felt that with Pentecost coming up I was to prepare myself. Now before you question if I have been filled with the Spirit or not, the answer is yes. At the age of twelve I was filled with the Spirit and began speaking in a heavenly language. But this time around I felt as though God was telling me to prepare for my next phase. To put it more bluntly, I feel that between now and the time of Christ’s return the world will experience one more Great Awakening. I want to be a part of it, and I felt like God was giving me a mandate in this time of fasting so I would know my place in it.
In the movie Facing the Giants, the coach faces hard times both related to his home life and work life. It is while having time with God that he is renewed in purpose and determines to give God praise no matter what happens. This becomes his purpose, his mandate. It is this same type experience I had not too long ago, just without the open field and stunning sunrise. It was while I was listening to my Bible CDs that I felt God’s prompting. Half listening and half not, my spirit heard I Kings 2:2-3 and was re-birthed.
“…be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”
My spirit-man rose up when I heard these words and I was cut to the heart. I began to question if I had really been being a man? The background of this passage comes in David giving his final words to Solomon, who is about to be made king. David wanted to build a place of worship but was unable because of how much blood he had shed in war. So now that dream was being passed on to Solomon. But with the desire, David also passed on instruction. “Prove yourself a man.”
You know me well enough by now I am sure to know that I am going to crack open a book or two and research the Hebrew words for a true meaning. This time around was no exception. So I dug in my Strong’s and found the word ‘man’, (ISH), meaning to be certain, a champion, a mighty man, or worthy. David was telling his son Solomon to prove himself worthy of manhood, of kingship, and of God. But how? David answered this to by stating to, “Keep charge of the LORD your God.” To break down these words as well we find that the word ‘keep’ is the word SHAMAR, which translates as keeping a hedge around, guarding, protecting, and attending to. The word ‘charge’ then is the Hebrew word MISHMERETH, and means the post, the sentry, or the ordinance. Simply put, Solomon was told to prove his worth by guarding the post he was called to as a man, as a leader of a nation, and as a seeker of God. But even still, one would question how?
David’s final charge went on to explain how by stating, “to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies.” I began to look up this collection of words as well and found my eyes being opened. David was telling Solomon that the way to carry out and pursue the course of God was in guarding God’s ‘statutes’, (CHUQQAH), the ordinances of God. He was also to guard God’s ‘commandments’, (MITSVAH), the commands and precepts of God. David urged his son to protect also the ‘judgments’, (MISHPAT), the decrees and divine laws of God. And lastly, Solomon was being addressed to hedge the ‘testimonies’, (‘EDUWTH), the witness of God. All in all, the words of David to Solomon were becoming the words God was speaking directly to me. I was being urged to pursue His course for my life, and guard His ordinances, His laws, His decrees, and His testimonies. Simply put, I was being told to go in the way that He deemed correct for my life. If I had plans to prosper in life, then it was to begin with moving in His divine way.
So then, what is the mandate that God has given me both personally and to pass on to others? It is to encourage us all to step up and be the man or woman worthy of the title God gives us. How? It is by encouraging others, as well as myself, to protect our posts. How is this done? It is done by urging others and myself to guard His ordinances, His laws, His decrees, and His testimonies.
With this in mind, I end by pointing us to I Corinthians 10. This chapter focuses on drinking of Christ, being certain of where we stand, fleeing idols, and not sitting at the table of the evil one. We are called to flee fornication, flee temptation, and flee the desire to murmur. The Israelites did these things and found disaster. We are called instead to step up and be the man and guard the post. We are not walking in the steps He has for us if we are serving idols, or walking with one foot on the devil’s side and one foot on God’s side. Just as Solomon was given a charge, so God gives to us. Be the man! Be worthy of the title and the mandate He has given you.
And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”
I Kings 2:2-3
I hope you don’t mind, but today I am going to get personal with you. As May was winding down and June beginning, I found myself in the midst of a bread and water fast. Why, you may question. Truth be told, I felt that with Pentecost coming up I was to prepare myself. Now before you question if I have been filled with the Spirit or not, the answer is yes. At the age of twelve I was filled with the Spirit and began speaking in a heavenly language. But this time around I felt as though God was telling me to prepare for my next phase. To put it more bluntly, I feel that between now and the time of Christ’s return the world will experience one more Great Awakening. I want to be a part of it, and I felt like God was giving me a mandate in this time of fasting so I would know my place in it.
In the movie Facing the Giants, the coach faces hard times both related to his home life and work life. It is while having time with God that he is renewed in purpose and determines to give God praise no matter what happens. This becomes his purpose, his mandate. It is this same type experience I had not too long ago, just without the open field and stunning sunrise. It was while I was listening to my Bible CDs that I felt God’s prompting. Half listening and half not, my spirit heard I Kings 2:2-3 and was re-birthed.
“…be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”
My spirit-man rose up when I heard these words and I was cut to the heart. I began to question if I had really been being a man? The background of this passage comes in David giving his final words to Solomon, who is about to be made king. David wanted to build a place of worship but was unable because of how much blood he had shed in war. So now that dream was being passed on to Solomon. But with the desire, David also passed on instruction. “Prove yourself a man.”
You know me well enough by now I am sure to know that I am going to crack open a book or two and research the Hebrew words for a true meaning. This time around was no exception. So I dug in my Strong’s and found the word ‘man’, (ISH), meaning to be certain, a champion, a mighty man, or worthy. David was telling his son Solomon to prove himself worthy of manhood, of kingship, and of God. But how? David answered this to by stating to, “Keep charge of the LORD your God.” To break down these words as well we find that the word ‘keep’ is the word SHAMAR, which translates as keeping a hedge around, guarding, protecting, and attending to. The word ‘charge’ then is the Hebrew word MISHMERETH, and means the post, the sentry, or the ordinance. Simply put, Solomon was told to prove his worth by guarding the post he was called to as a man, as a leader of a nation, and as a seeker of God. But even still, one would question how?
David’s final charge went on to explain how by stating, “to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies.” I began to look up this collection of words as well and found my eyes being opened. David was telling Solomon that the way to carry out and pursue the course of God was in guarding God’s ‘statutes’, (CHUQQAH), the ordinances of God. He was also to guard God’s ‘commandments’, (MITSVAH), the commands and precepts of God. David urged his son to protect also the ‘judgments’, (MISHPAT), the decrees and divine laws of God. And lastly, Solomon was being addressed to hedge the ‘testimonies’, (‘EDUWTH), the witness of God. All in all, the words of David to Solomon were becoming the words God was speaking directly to me. I was being urged to pursue His course for my life, and guard His ordinances, His laws, His decrees, and His testimonies. Simply put, I was being told to go in the way that He deemed correct for my life. If I had plans to prosper in life, then it was to begin with moving in His divine way.
So then, what is the mandate that God has given me both personally and to pass on to others? It is to encourage us all to step up and be the man or woman worthy of the title God gives us. How? It is by encouraging others, as well as myself, to protect our posts. How is this done? It is done by urging others and myself to guard His ordinances, His laws, His decrees, and His testimonies.
With this in mind, I end by pointing us to I Corinthians 10. This chapter focuses on drinking of Christ, being certain of where we stand, fleeing idols, and not sitting at the table of the evil one. We are called to flee fornication, flee temptation, and flee the desire to murmur. The Israelites did these things and found disaster. We are called instead to step up and be the man and guard the post. We are not walking in the steps He has for us if we are serving idols, or walking with one foot on the devil’s side and one foot on God’s side. Just as Solomon was given a charge, so God gives to us. Be the man! Be worthy of the title and the mandate He has given you.
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