An Easter Message
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Important messages
“Let God arise, let His enemies be
scattered,
and let those who hate Him flee before
Him” Psalms 68:1
David’s battle cry
David’s army
was like no other that the world had ever known and there has arisen none
since. Goliath’s killer was a young man without armor, bearing only a sling and
five stones. His battle qualifications rested in the fact that, as a shepherd
keeping his father’s sheep, he had killed a bear and a lion with his bare
hands.
When he became
an army general, this was his testimony: “By You I can run upon a troop; and by
my God I can leap over a wall… The God who girds me with strength… He makes my
feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for
battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze… You have girded me with
strength for battle” (Ps.18:29,32-34,39).
He taught his
soldiers the ways of God’s warfare and they learned them well. Adino slew 800
men at one time and Eleazar struck the Philistines until his hand clung to the
sword. Shammah stood alone against the Philistines and defended a plot of land.
Three soldiers went through the files of the Philistines just to draw water
from the well of Bethlehem, then returned and gave it to David. Abishai killed
three hundred with a spear and Benaiah killed two Moabite heroes, then went
into a pit to face and destroy a lion. He went unarmed against an Egyptian with
a spear, snatched it from him and killed him with it. These learned David’s
battle cry, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered!” (see 2 Sam.23:8-21).
Four lepers (2 Kings 7)
In the days of
the prophet Elisha, the Arameans came to besiege the capital city, Samaria, of
the northern kingdom of Israel. It was an effective method of warfare, in which
no life was lost among the besiegers. No one left the city, nothing was allowed
to enter, and the besieged people began to resort to cannibalism.
Outside
Samaria was the leper colony. We don’t know if the king of Israel was devising
a plan of defense, but if he was, I am sure he wasn’t including anyone from
this colony. Israel had lost the battle cry, as well as God´s method of warfare.
The Spirit of God began to work among these helpless men and four of them were
talking about this situation. It is the first step in the right direction, when
people are willing to talk negatively and face reality.
They
contemplate three options for themselves. 1) To sit there until they die. When
God moves among His people, passivity should never be the response, but it is
often the path that Christians take. We will sit here and accept whatever
happens. 2) To enter the city. This was an option that they didn’t consider for
very long. If some women are eating their babies, it’s not very likely that
they will leave something for lepers, who are not to ever mix with the
population. Leprosy was dangerously contagious. 3) To enter the camp of the
enemy. Often there is no promising option that can be taken, but this is the
one, for which the lepers decided.
When the best
of three possible options is to throw yourself on the mercy of cruel enemies,
you know that you are in desperate condition and in dire need of a miracle.
Humanly speaking, this action is hopeless, but then, humanly speaking, these
lepers are helpless, so what is there to lose? “If they spare us, we will live;
and if they kill us, we will but die.” In the eyes of God, a nothing-to-lose
attitude is very useful towards His purposes.
If I can
inject a little imagination into this story, I will not have to stretch it very
far. The physical condition of lepers was normally similar to what I will
describe. The toes on the foot of one has been eaten away; he must lean on a
companion in order to advance. Another has no fingers on his hand and must
depend on the good hands of others. In what other ways this crippling disease
had affected these desperate adventurers, you will have to use your own
imagination to discern. One thing is certain, God could not have used weaker
vessels, in which to deposit His strength. Ah, the ways of God! They are
consistent throughout the Bible and men, with all their abilities and means
will never persuade Him differently.
As the sun
sets, these four move at a miserably slow pace away from the walls of Samaria
towards the fearsome enemy camp. Now God commands that a heavenly microphone be
dropped to pick up the sound of these halting steps and then turns up heaven’s
amplifiers to their maximum power. The blast thunders out, as if it were the
noise of thousands of chariots and horses, the sound of a mighty army. Almighty
God arises and scatters His enemies!
“Those who hate Him flee before
Him” and leave behind them their tents,
horses, donkeys, food, drink, clothing, silver and gold. The lepers in their
wildest dreams never dared even to wish for such treasure! They find much more
than what might save their life; they find abundant life. They ransack one
tent, eat, drink and hide what isn’t edible, the precious metals and clothing.
They do the same in the second tent. At that moment, that wonderful gift of
God, distributed and placed in every human being, his conscience, kicks into
gear.
“We are not doing right. This day
is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent… Let us go and tell the king’s
household.” Egotistic action is never right;
good news is to be shared with others. Back in Samaria all the pain of famine
still exists, because the populace has not heard the good news of abundance of
life. They continue, barely able to survive in cruel hunger and poverty. A few
men in chariots skirt the enemy camp and find outside, clothes and equipment
that their enemy had left behind to hasten their flight. When the king and his
subjects believe the good news, the city is saved.
The women
I want to take
you now from the walls of Samaria to see Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and another
woman called Mary, walking away from the walls of Jerusalem at daybreak. He was
now lying in a tomb, near the Place of the Skull, where He had been crucified. They
had seen His burial. They have prepared their last act of service for Him,
bringing now the spices for his inert body.
They ask each
other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Ah
yes, ladies, the Bible says that it is extremely large and far too heavy for
you three to move. And have you thought what that troop of Roman soldiers might
do to you away from the protection of the city? They walk on towards the enemy
camp and are not concerned for their lives. Life had lost its luster for these
three, because the Master, whom they had followed, trusted, and to whom they
dedicated themselves totally, had died. When the source of life has died, what
future can be expected? They have nothing to lose.
I believe we
have a repeat performance of what occurred in the enemy camp outside Samaria.
The delicate footsteps of these women joined with the force of angelic wings;
the ground shook and the stone was rolled away.
Consider the
force of the enemy army, besieging the tomb of Jesus. There is the huge rock,
but beyond the weight of it, the seal of the Roman government, the mightiest
government in the world, is upon it. That seal says, “Rome declares that Jesus
of Nazareth is legally dead; to rise is illegal and He may not.” There is a
troop there as well. They have been placed there at the request of the
religious powers of Jerusalem to be sure that the body of Jesus remains in that
tomb. They guard it at the price of their lives. Religion declares, “We have
judged Him and found Him guilty of death. We have successful destroyed His body
and it must not leave this tomb.”
It is safe to
assume that there are other powers there. David saw them many centuries before:
“Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me… as a
ravening and a roaring lion… Dogs have surrounded me… Deliver… My only life
from the paw of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the
wild oxen…” I think without question, David saw savage spiritual powers
involved in the death and the burial of Christ. The powers of death surrounded
His cross and now, they join their supernatural power with Rome and the
Sanhedrin to assure that Jesus Christ will not leave the tomb.
“Rulers, powers, world forces of
this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (excerpts from Eph.6:12) have left their posts to
form a demonic concentration around the heavy stone with the all-important
mission of containing the body of Jesus inside the tomb. There is one more
power present: He is called the prince of the power of the air, the dragon, the
ancient serpent, Satan, the devil, Abaddon and Apollyon, the latter two being
the Hebrew and Greek names for destroyer.
He is there and takes personal charge of holding the stone in place.
The earth
shakes at the command of the Almighty, the stone rolls away and the Lord Jesus
Christ, King of Glory arises from the dead, walks out of the tomb, alive
forevermore! His enemies scatter. We know the stone is no longer an obstacle,
the seal has been broken, the troop of soldiers have left their charge running.
Demonic forces flee, according to rank, beginning with the common unclean
spirits and up to the leading generals among fallen angels. Only one remains
and Jesus now approaches him with the command: “Give Me the keys of hell and of
death!” Immediately they are surrendered and now, the prince of this world is
cast out. He backs away, he turns and runs in full flight.
The prophetic
Word has found complete fulfillment: “Let God arise, let His enemies be
scattered, and let those who hate Him flee before Him.” He has risen, He has
risen indeed, and His enemies have suffered a thorough defeat!
We still must cover another aspect of that glorious morning... take the message to men! Mary Magdalene is alone, crying near the tomb. She had hoped at least to see the Lord's body, but it has been removed. What joy, when He appears, calls His sheep by name and she recognizes the Shepherd's voice! Whatever emotion the lepers experienced at the discovery of the essentials and treasures in the camp of the enemy, it was surpassed when Mary re-discovered her Savior and clings to Him.
You do not well, Mary, while the disciples remain in unbelief and sorrow, spiritually destitute in the city. There is life to be taken, abundant life, but "how shall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Ro.10:14) The greatest event in the history of mankind has taken place, assuring the benefits of the cross to all that believe.
May Magdalene is the first to receive the order to tell the story of the resurrection to those who wait in Jerusalem. "Stop clinging to Me... but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God'. Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord.'" (Jn.20:17-18) The message of the resurrection has been announced time after time from that day in Jerusalem to this very day to the ends of the earth. People come from their impossible spiritual poverty to take freely of resurrected life and to sing:
Christ is risen, He’s risen indeed,
Oh, sing Aleluya;
Join the chorus, sing with the
redeemed,
Christ is risen, He is risen
indeed.
How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through
sacrifice,
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.
For joy awakes as dawning light,
When Christ’s disciples lift their
eyes,
Alive He stands, their Friend and
King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.
Where doubt and darkness once had
been,
They saw Him and their hearts
believed;
But blessed are those who have not
seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.
Once bound by fear now bold in
faith,
They preached the truth and power
of grace;
And pouring out their lives they
gained,
Life, life everlasting.
The power that raised Him from the
grave,
Now works in us to powerfully save;
He frees our hearts to live His
grace,
Go tell of His goodness.
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