This is a TEST

#dailydevotions #testsandtrials # keysofthekingdom

 

 

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
4.  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
23.Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
30. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

Judges recounts a long period of Jewish history when Israel was ruled by “judges” and teaches all who will read and heed of the consequences-both positive and negative-of our personal and national choice to respect or ignore God’s law.  This chapter in Judges helps us to understand why God allows us to face tests:  It is to teach!  UGH!  Can I pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep.  I forgot to prepare…………………

Moabites were an evil and ruthless people.  The LORD used them to both challenge and chastise Israel.  The judges who followed God were sent as deliverers of Israel because the children of Israel had recognized their collective sin and had cried out to the LORD.

The judge is Ehud.  His name means united in Hebrew.

In this passage we see the word maphteach or “key.”  What has a key used to lock and unlock a door have to do with the judges?  Well, this “key” will not work without an agent.  The agent decides when to utilize the key to lock a door and when to unlock the door.  The power of the key is in the holder of the key.  In this case, the the key was a key to death and Hades for by locking the door, death came to Eglon, king of Moab, for he was left to die.  Ehud understood the servants would not enter unless summoned until they were afraid not to enter.  King Eglon, had even trusted servants living in fear of him.

The Word tells us God had left this despot and the country of Moab in control as a test to teach Israel warfare: both national and spiritual warfare.  The lesson?  That the nation of Israel would follow God and be blessed or turn away from God and live under authority of evil.  The spiritual lesson in the test is teaching the nation to “cry out to God,” to follow God’s precepts (laws), and to be protected supernaturally.  What God shuts no man can open and by following the LORD, the blessing is, HE shuts out evil. (Revelation 3:7)

Tests are important in development.  We test our legs the first time we stand, take out first steps, run, or jump.  We test our balance when the training wheels come off our bicycles.  We learn to listen to our parents when they tell us not to touch and we touch anyway and get burned.    We take tests in school to determine how well we have learned the subject matter.  Not all tests are bad.  Many times these tests prove how far we have come in our growth and development.  These test encourage us to continue on, to not give up, to press forward in times of struggle, to trust an unseen hand.

God is a loving Heavenly Father.  He allows tests!

When I am honest, I know all too often I attempt to intervene in the tests my children are facing hoping to prevent them from discomfort and disappointment or failure.  This may not be loving at all on my part.  How can they learn when I step in and prevent the test from being taken?  I need to take a huge step backward and recognize my offspring need to learn lessons in this life only life’s tests can teach.  Instead of protecting my children, I put them in mortal danger.   I want them to be strong in the LORD but I get in His way and in so doing cause them greater harm!  My kids cannot go to heaven on my faith.  It has to be their faith!   God wanted His children to learn warfare!!!  They could not live victoriously on the faith or knowledge of their ancestors!  This test was meant to make them strong and teach them to lock the door on evil.  To prevent this test would leave the nation fat, lazy, and vulnerable like King Eglon and unlock the door and allow the enemy to enter.  The enemy is cunning, strong, and his goal is our destruction and death.    Experience is a great teacher and these experiences are not soon forgotten and help us to live in peace!  This peace is both personal and national.  Our individual choices affect our nation.

Isn’t Scripture intriguing?  Only God would have thought to include such a “insignificant” piece of history to teach such a vital lesson on the importance of tests.  He really does love us enough to let us make our own choices and to allow circumstances to not always be easy so we can learn how to STAND firm, do warfare, and learn the ways of our God.

Father forgive me for getting in your way more times than I can count!  Help me see with spiritual eyes the “tests” you put before me and those I love.  Help me never again to unlock the door and allow evil in.  May I use my “key” in such a way as to bring You glory.  In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3-4
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Psalm 66:10-12
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

Count it all JOY, be excited about, lean in to the process:  these are the instructions of the LORD for our tests!

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;
4.  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
23.Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
30. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

Judges recounts a long period of Jewish history when Israel was ruled by “judges” and teaches all who will read and heed of the consequences-both positive and negative-of our personal and national choice to respect or ignore God’s law.  This chapter in Judges helps us to understand why God allows us to face tests:  It is to teach!  UGH!  Can I pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep.  I forgot to prepare…………………

Moabites were an evil and ruthless people.  The LORD used them to both challenge and chastise Israel.  The judges who followed God were sent as deliverers of Israel because the children of Israel had recognized their collective sin and had cried out to the LORD.

The judge is Ehud.  His name means united in Hebrew.

In this passage we see the word maphteach or “key.”  What has a key used to lock and unlock a door have to do with the judges?  Well, this “key” will not work without an agent.  The agent decides when to utilize the key to lock a door and when to unlock the door.  The power of the key is in the holder of the key.  In this case, the the key was a key to death and Hades for by locking the door, death came to Eglon, king of Moab, for he was left to die.  Ehud understood the servants would not enter unless summoned until they were afraid not to enter.  King Eglon, had even trusted servants living in fear of him.

The Word tells us God had left this despot and the country of Moab in control as a test to teach Israel warfare: both national and spiritual warfare.  The lesson?  That the nation of Israel would follow God and be blessed or turn away from God and live under authority of evil.  The spiritual lesson in the test is teaching the nation to “cry out to God,” to follow God’s precepts (laws), and to be protected supernaturally.  What God shuts no man can open and by following the LORD, the blessing is, HE shuts out evil. (Revelation 3:7)

Tests are important in development.  We test our legs the first time we stand, take out first steps, run, or jump.  We test our balance when the training wheels come off our bicycles.  We learn to listen to our parents when they tell us not to touch and we touch anyway and get burned.    We take tests in school to determine how well we have learned the subject matter.  Not all tests are bad.  Many times these tests prove how far we have come in our growth and development.  These test encourage us to continue on, to not give up, to press forward in times of struggle, to trust an unseen hand.

God is a loving Heavenly Father.  He allows tests!

When I am honest, I know all too often I attempt to intervene in the tests my children are facing hoping to prevent them from discomfort and disappointment or failure.  This may not be loving at all on my part.  How can they learn when I step in and prevent the test from being taken?  I need to take a huge step backward and recognize my offspring need to learn lessons in this life only life’s tests can teach.  Instead of protecting my children, I put them in mortal danger.   I want them to be strong in the LORD but I get in His way and in so doing cause them greater harm!  My kids cannot go to heaven on my faith.  It has to be their faith!   God wanted His children to learn warfare!!!  They could not live victoriously on the faith or knowledge of their ancestors!  This test was meant to make them strong and teach them to lock the door on evil.  To prevent this test would leave the nation fat, lazy, and vulnerable like King Eglon and unlock the door and allow the enemy to enter.  The enemy is cunning, strong, and his goal is our destruction and death.    Experience is a great teacher and these experiences are not soon forgotten and help us to live in peace!  This peace is both personal and national.  Our individual choices affect our nation.

Isn’t Scripture intriguing?  Only God would have thought to include such a “insignificant” piece of history to teach such a vital lesson on the importance of tests.  He really does love us enough to let us make our own choices and to allow circumstances to not always be easy so we can learn how to STAND firm, do warfare, and learn the ways of our God.

Father forgive me for getting in your way more times than I can count!  Help me see with spiritual eyes the “tests” you put before me and those I love.  Help me never again to unlock the door and allow evil in.  May I use my “key” in such a way as to bring You glory.  In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3-4
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Psalm 66:10-12
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid an oppressive burden upon our loins. You made men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water, Yet You brought us out into a place of abundance.

Count it all JOY, be excited about, lean in to the process:  these are the instructions of the LORD for our tests!

This is the test of the emergency broadcast system!  Are we prepared?  Are we practicing for disaster?  Or are we ignoring the warnings?

Treading furiously in choppy water,

https://youtu.be/-qgMpXJBl7s

https://youtu.be/-qgMpXJBl7s