Wednesday, June 19, 2013

A Purpose for the Storm

My wife and I host a small group meeting in our home on Wednesday nights. This has been an enormous blessing on so many levels.

Tonight we talked about Solomon's son Rehoboam. The discussion went, generally, about choices and consequences, but there was one place in the story where something God said to Rehoboam just stood out to me. It is found in 1 Kings 12, after Rehoboam has been ousted by the Israelites and returns to Judah.


21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.


Can you see what stood out to me? :-)

Sure, Rehoboam messed up. We all do. And, yes, things had gone terribly wrong.  But here, God tells him "this is MY doing."

WHOA.

You mean all of this terrible stuff is YOUR work?
Yes.

And Rehoboam says, "Okay." and they go home.

How often do things go poorly for us and we miss the point of the experience just because all we can focus on is how our plans didn't work out, or how unpleasant the situation is?

There is so much PEACE in knowing that God has a hand in what happens to us, and that He has a purpose.

It may not always be pleasant, but if God is doing it, it's GOOD. It's RIGHT.
That's when we have to stop and decide that if what is going on really IS God, then the reason it seems bad is because we're looking at it from the wrong perspective.  It's time to look to the Father and find His purpose in it and gain some peace in knowing that what we're going through is for a reason--it has meaning.

Don't believe that this can give peace and strength? Well, here's an example:

Jesus is on the cross. He's been beaten to the point of near un-recognizability. Nearly every friend he's ever had has abandoned him. Everyone else is mocking him. Soldiers are gambling to pass the time while they wait for him to finish dying by torture. . .
What does he do?

Matthew 27:46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

He complains? He cries out because God has abandoned him too? He despairs?

No. He quotes scripture.

Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?


Now why would that help? Okay, so he's not just complaining, but is it much better that he uses scripture to complain?

Look further in that particular Psalm.

verse 7. Those who look at me laugh. They stick out their tongues and shake their heads.
8 They say, “Turn to the Lord for help. Maybe he will save you. If he likes you, maybe he will rescue you.”

Then look at Matthew 27:41

41 The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders were also making fun of Jesus. 42 They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He says he is the king of Israel! If he is the king, let him come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God, so let God save him now, if God really wants him. He himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And in the same way, the robbers who were being crucified beside Jesus also insulted him.

And further in the Psalm:
18 18 18 They divided my clothes among them,
and they threw lots for my clothing.


Matthew 27:35 When the soldiers had crucified him, they threw lots to decide who would get his clothes.


And more....

Jesus didn't just randomly quote a "complaining scripture: he quoted one the specifically predicted what he would go through on the cross. Jesus recognized the events he was experiencing from the Psalm and KNEW that he was going through it all for a purpose. He was reminding himself that God had already said "this is MY doing." And this encouraged Jesus.

And this encouraged Jesus. . . .
SO
1. Jesus NEEDED encouragement, so don't feel bad if YOU do; If Jesus needed it, we're lucky we can survive without it.

2. WHEN he needed it, he got it from knowing that God has a purpose for the trouble we face. It may not be pleasant, but it's GOOD. and RIGHT.


2 comments:

  1. The idea if Jesus quoting that scripture as a recognition that He was experiencing the fufilment of the Scriptures is a wonderful revelation. Thanks Benjamin!

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  2. That revelation was instrumental in my eventual acceptance of the reality of God's redemptive love.

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