“When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, He allowed no one to oppress them; He rebuked kings on their account, saying, ‘Touch not My anointed ones, do My prophets no harm!'” Psalm 105:12-15
Devotional Thought For The Day
This was the first phase of the history of Israel, of God’s special people in the world who would retain and promote a true knowledge of God in the world until the coming of the Messiah, the “Seed” of the woman Who would crush the devil’s head, the offspring of Abraham in Whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. [Gen. 3:15; Gen. 22:18] It was a very unlikely beginning, as Abraham and his family were serving “other gods” when God, Yahweh, the only True and Living God, called him to faith and into His service. [Josh. 24:2] You are familiar with the history of Abraham, how Sarah bore him a son after she had already passed through menopause. [Gen. 18:9-12] It is a good thing to be familiar with Abraham’s struggles, the odds that were against him throughout his lifetime, all the challenges that he faced and overcame by faith, all the threats that he and his small family endured. The psalmist is reflecting upon these things and recounting what God had done for Abraham and his small family prior to the famine that brought them to Egypt and ultimately into slavery.
Do you see and understand what it means to be a child of God? Do you see the promises given to those who are the true children of Abraham, those of the faith of Abraham? And do you remember that because you have faith in Jesus, the Messiah of God, the Savior of the world, you also are children of Abraham? [Gal. 3:7-9] So these words and promises continue to apply to us, and the warnings, the rebukes and punishment, continue to be inflicted upon those who oppress God’s people of faith today. His Word of warning applies to us, we who are of the faith of Abraham, faith in Jesus by which God also declares us righteous, blameless, and innocent in His sight to this very day: “Touch not My anointed ones, do My prophets no harm!” God is still with us, very present to help us, protect us, preserve us, and deliver us. Just as the psalmist, some 800 years after the life and death of Abraham, continued to claim these promises for himself and to promote these promises of God’s grace, mercy, and love to the people of his time, so we also claim and promote these promises to God’s children in the world today – those who know and believe His love for us in Christ Jesus.
Now there were times when Abraham, and all of the succeeding generations of God’s people, including especially the prophets, had trials, persecutions, and even death inflicted upon them. This too is part of being a child of God – denying self, taking up one’s cross, and following Jesus. [Mark 8:34] But in all these tribulations God continues with us, to lift us up, to bless us, and ultimately to deliver us to His eternal heavenly kingdom. We tend to think of a “successful” life as one in which trials and challenges and sorrows are minimized. In actuality, a successful life is one in which tribulations, challenges, dangers, and death are passed through and overcome with continued and growing faith and trust in God. To this we also are called today, and by His grace and strengthening we too will succeed in remaining faithful to God until death. He is with us as we fulfill His will and purpose of keeping alive and promoting a true knowledge of and faith in God, the only True and Living God, in the world today, just as the psalmist did in his generation some 3,000 years ago.
God’s people started out lowly and few in number – “of little account,” sojourners in Canaan, “wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.” This is such an accurate description of His people to this day. Look at your own family history! One thing stays the same – we are children of God, believers in His promises, people who know and believe His great love for us. And we continue to live under His protection and blessing regardless of the challenges we face, the trials, persecution, deprivation, and troubles. But God is love, and God is glorious, and His children share in His glory. It is astronomically baffling that throughout Israel’s history so many turned away from God, and even returned to the depraved and pathetic idolatry that Abraham was delivered from. This is what Jesus faced when He came to His own, but they refused Him and did not receive Him. [John 1:10,11] The same insanity is observed today. So let us beef up our faith with the realities of God’s love, His redemption, His salvation, and His promises to work all things together for our greatest good and blessedness! Then, as children of God, we will live by faith and fulfill our blessed calling and purpose!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to grasp and always hold on to the blessedness You have bestowed upon us in Your redemption of the world, and Your calling us to faith and the knowledge of Your love. We may be humble, few in number, and of little account in the world today, but we are Your chosen and anointed ones. Grant us great joy and happiness in that reality. Preserve and protect us, as You always have, and bring us into Your heavenly kingdom when our wanderings in this world are over. Amen.