Discretion is defined as "being careful about behavior, or being able to keep secrets; keeping silent or preserving confidences when necessary; discerning, prudent, wise in avoiding errors or evil; using the best means to accomplish a purpose, circumspect." Usually, this kind of wise behavior is something developed with age and experience. It is associated with maturity. It is also behavior associated with our Father. There are several examples in scripture where our Father instructs us to use discretion, following His character and wisdom.
One example involves the king of Judah, Israel, Hezekiah. The episode is found in 2 Chron. 32:24-31, and 2 Kings 20:12-19:
King Hezekiah was a good king, who cared about the scriptures, and decreed the restoration of worship of the LORD. He restored the observance of the Feasts to his land. He respected the prophets of God, and relied during his reign upon the Prophet Isaiah. King Hezekiah had an illness that would have killed him, but Isaiah the Prophet received a delivering word from the LORD that extended Hezekiah's life.
Shortly after this miraculous event, ambassadors of the princes of Babylon came to Hezekiah to inquire about all of the marvelous things that were being done in the land of Judah. They carried letters from the king of Babylon, and presents for Hezekiah because they had heard that he had been sick. Hezekiah felt flattered by this. This was dangerous because we are told in scripture that Hezekiah had a problem with "pride of heart", and had previously had to humble himself (2 Chron. 32:25-26). So Hezekiah had a weakness in this area of character. As these ambassadors visited the king, God withdrew Himself to test what Hezekiah would do, and what was truly in his heart and character (v.31).
Hezekiah opened his treasuries to the sight of the ambassadors from Babylon and showed them everything that was dear that belonged to him. He had kept these precious things under lock and key, in a secure place, yet he unlocked these storehouses and showed the contents to these foreign visitors. He showed them the silver, and gold, the spices used for incense, the anointing oil, all of his armory. "There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them." (2 Kings 20:13). Hezekiah did not open the treasuries of these precious things in order to bring God glory for all that had been given him. He opened the treasuries in order to glorify himself before these foreign ambassadors. In other words, he was using the gifts and blessings that God had given him in order to "show off".
The word "ambassador" in Hebrew means what we think, but it also holds another meaning: "to scorn, to mock, deride, be inflated, act as a scorner, scoff, impudent person, who despises scoffingly the most sacred precepts of religion, piety, and morals." In other words, Hezekiah showed all that was precious to him to the wrong people.
The Prophet Isaiah comes back to the king and asks him what he showed to the ambassadors. The king answers "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." (2 Kings 20:15).
He showed them the gold and silver (his prosperity and the things that belong to God- "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the LORD of hosts.", Hag. 2:8). He let them see and touch the precious oil (his anointing and calling, and the precious person of the Holy Spirit, the source of his anointing). He let them see and touch the spices of incense (his prayers and intimacy with God). They saw the contents of his armory (weapons of spiritual warfare).
Isaiah then prophesied to the king that because he had done this, Babylon would come and conquer Judah, and the nation's princes would be taken into captivity.
Our Father is so kind to us that He reveals wonderful truths to us from His Word. He reveals things in dreams to us. The things He reveals to us are for our growth, blessing, edification. Sometimes, we are not discreet with the things that God reveals to us. We share them indiscriminately. When we do this, we may expose these precious things to scorn and ridicule. Not only is the scoffer in danger, but we have put a holy thing into the hands of those who do not appreciate it, thereby defiling it. We are then hurt, and even innocent people can be hurt by the resulting derision of the scoffer.
In Hezekiah's case, a whole nation went into captivity because of his lack of discretion with the precious things. We are always called upon to share the Gospel of Jesus, and we should never miss an opportunity to preach the Gospel in word and deed. However, there are subsequent revelations that are meant to be treated with wisdom and discretion, but sometimes we lay them before scorners. The Book of Proverbs teaches that scorners do not learn from rebuke or instruction. You cannot teach a scorner respect for the precious things of God. They will not receive it. A word study in Proverbs indicates that the scorner ends up becoming a government, a lordship, and a power of judgment over us, because we have given them the opportunity with our indiscretion (example: Proverbs 22:10). Babylon was given such governmental authority over Judah because of the indiscretion of its King Hezekiah. All the people of Judah suffered for his mistake.
Jesus repeats this warning in Matthew 7:6:
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."
The pearls in the above verse refer to a proverb, or word of great value. The indiscretion will cause you to be "torn in pieces", or rent, which carries a meaning in Greek, of demonic possession or torment.
This is a very serious warning from Jesus. Do we really want to ignore it? Again, we go back to Hezekiah's problem with pride. It may be that it is because of spiritual pride that we want to show what our Father speaks to us in our time of intimacy with Him. Some things are meant for exposure to general public viewing, and some things are not. We need to gain the wisdom and discretion of our Father to be able to discern the difference.
Some of the most valuable natural things on earth are the hidden things: gold and silver and many precious gems are hidden in dirt and rock. Pearls are hidden in the most humble, unassuming creature, the oyster. If our Father has hidden these natural precious things, how much more does He hide, or cover, the most precious spiritual things. He hides them in us, and we carry them about the earth with us. These costly revelations are not meant to be exposed carelessly to anyone who comes across our path. We don't want these beautiful spiritual things to be treated with disrespect, contempt, or scorn. They are to be valued and treasured above all things.
Our Father is Discretion.
"Let the Words of My Mouth"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TIgfoH_mzk
There once was a man, who was very wealthy. He was a very respected member of the community. People would come to him for advice, and to hear him speak. He had several children, and they were "rich man's kids", who were lovingly indulged by their generous father. The children didn't take life very seriously, and they enjoyed themselves on Dad's money.
The father was not only known for his business knowledge, but he also happened to be learned in the things of God, and he was considered a teacher of these things. He was a good man.
In the course of his life, he began to experience reversals. His wealth began to suffer losses. His beloved children were lost in a catastrophe. He was unable to understand what was happening to his once charmed life. As he was trying to recover from these terrible losses, he began to experience painful lesions to his body, that were not only agony for him, but made him repellant to those around him.
In general, people in his community no longer sought him out. They didn't know what to say to him. They were uncomfortable in his presence. Even his lovely and charming wife could no longer deal with these unexplainable tragedies, and lost patience with him. No doubt, she was in pain of her own.
The man became depressed and bitter. He looked back on his respected position in the community, now lost, and grew angrier at the unfairness of life. His constant question was "Why has this happened to me?" There was no answer for him. Ultimately, he began to hate his own life, and wished he had never been born. There was no "light at the end of the tunnel" that he could see.
Then his best friends decided it was time to pay the man a visit. At first, they sat silently with him, overwhelmed by the condition they had found this formerly esteemed man to be in. What could they say to him? How could they help him?
Like many who had faith and had been taught religious doctrines, they believed that those who loved the LORD are blessed by Him, and live a life of blessing. This man had been a perfect example of those who were so blessed. So what happened? How do they explain this to themselves? Are their beliefs wrong? No! God blesses those who love Him, and serve Him. This man's circumstances just didn't fit in with their theology.
So the problem must lie with the man. The friends began to question him. What had he done wrong? The man said that he had examined himself, and that he found nothing that he had done wrong. The friends began to argue with him - there must be something that had brought this state of events upon his life. "No, nothing!", the man angrily proclaimed.
This discussion went on for some time. As the man's skin lesions became infected, and filled with pus, he would lance them to relieve the pain and swelling. His eyes downward as he tended to his flesh, the debate swirling around him. The man was feeling angrier and even more resentful as these so-called friends continued to try to "help" him understand what had happened. They were trying to reason this thing out. There had to be an answer for their friend.
And then something miraculous happened to the man. The LORD began to talk to him. The LORD began to minister to him. How did the LORD minister? Again, not according to the expectations one might have, or has learned.
The LORD began to minister to this man, whose name was Job, out of His greatness. He gave Job example upon example of His unlimited, unbound greatness. Job began to raise his eyes and look upon the greatness he was being shown: greatness over creation, greatness over all creatures, greatness that man could never hope to overcome with their will, or their thoughts, or their plans. The LORD showed Job mysteries about creation, that no man had known before him (see previous blog entry "Science").
As his eyes beheld the greatness of the LORD, his body and his circumstances were healed and restored. His spiritual anointing was lifted to new levels of intercession.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain."
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?"
"And the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods."
"Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty..."
Psalms 48:1, 77:13, 95:3, 104:1
"Ah, LORD God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You."
Jer. 32:17
The scriptures speak beautifully and unceasingly of the greatness of our Father for a reason. Our healing, deliverance and restoration are in the greatness of our God. When our eyes are drawn to things other than His greatness, to our own flesh, to our own honor and prestige, to our own abilities and giftings, we lose something in our lives. When our eyes are fixed upon our circumstances, we make them larger than the greatness of God. And the enemy of our soul never tires of bringing circumstances our way in order to draw our eyes away from our Father's greatness.
Let us keep our eyes on His greatness.
Our Father is Great!
"How Great is Our God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFN8TBfgNU
"The Great I AM"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Yh4exnBU0
This will sound like a strange way to open this line of thought, but blogs allow us to express ourselves with that freedom.
There is a Star Trek episode that deals with the testing of an empath. The way that she is able to heal and restore someone is to take that person's pain and suffering into her own body. She feels their pain in the process, and her own body is afflicted with the other person's injuries. The test involves the question of how far she is willing to go to relieve someone else. The rescue of her planet from destruction depends upon how she responds to the test. At first, she is willing to minister to minor injury and suffering. But as the severity of the other person's injuries increases, even to the point of near death, she is less willing to risk herself in the ministry to this person. Finally, she is drawn by her compassion for the other person, and she reaches out to relieve the suffering she sees.
So what does this have to do with our Father, and scripture? Intercession is the type of prayer that brings others' needs before the LORD. Jesus is called the intercessor with the Father, as He is continually praying for us, and pleading for us before His Father:
"Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
"...It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who dies, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."
Romans 8:27, 33-34
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
Heb. 7:25
As we intercede on behalf of others in prayer, we follow the image, likeness, and example of Jesus.
In Hebrew, the word intercession is pa-gah'. It means to meet, to join, to make entreaty, to reach the mark. It can also mean to make attack, to strike. The word intercession in the Greek of the New Testament, means very much the same, but the root of the Greek word includes the description, "to hit the mark, of one discharging a javelin, or arrow". So part of the purpose of intercession is to do battle with, or pinpoint, those things that afflict a fellow human being. Our weapons in this case are spiritual, and include the Word of God, which is also called the "sword of the Spirit".
To get back to the Star Trek example, I believe that there is a type of intercession that is sacrificial intercession. I think there are examples in scripture of this type of intercession. When Jesus was on the cross, He prayed that His Father would forgive those who were killing Him. There is a prophetic description of this part of Jesus' purpose and character in Isaiah 53:12, written about 750 years before Jesus was born:
"Therefore I will divide with Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors."
This type of intercession touched the heart of the Father.
The Apostle Paul said this to the Church:
"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church."
Colossians 1:24
Moses offered to sacrifice himself for the forgiveness of the people of Israel:
"Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!
Yet now, if You will forgive their sin- but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
Exodus 32:31-32
The prophet Daniel entered into deep, sacrificial prayer on behalf of the people:
"Then I set my face toward the LORD God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
And I prayerd to the LORD and made confession, and I said, "O LORD, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
To the LORD our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him."
Daniel 9:3-5, 9
These people, cited above, were willing to enter into physical and spiritual affliction in order to pray for others.
There are many in the earth who suffer daily on behalf of others.
The attitude of prayer that I am also including in the term "sacrificial intercession", includes prayer that comes from a part of us that views another human being from the eyes of our Father. There are people, who, for various reasons may not be likeable to us. They have said things, or done things that are appalling to our souls and spirits. Perhaps they have hurt us personally. Perhaps they have falsely accused us, and caused us to suffer what we did not deserve. Yet we are commanded to "pray for our enemies":
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..."
Mat. 5:44-45
What is being described above is not just a religious activity. It is not talking about prayer in which we pray for others to repent, although repentance is the ultimate desire and goal.
If you saw your loved one about to fall into grievous harm, what would your attitude and actions be? What would you feel inside on behalf of that loved one in extreme danger? How would you pray to God for this person? What would you be willing to do to rescue them? If we were in dire peril, how would we hope and want others to pray for us?
From this same feeling and urgency, we are to pray for those we find difficult to love, difficult to like, difficult to "approve of", even for those who have sinned against man, and have sinned against God. We have to find it within us. We have to stir it up somehow. It is sacrificial to put aside our own comfort, and enter into that realm of the uncomfortable, the unlovable, the rebellious, the unrepentant, the scorners, the persecutors. For this is the place where our Father goes, This is the place where Jesus goes. This is the place where the Holy Spirit hovers, waiting and watching.
Our Father is an intercessor.
"Morning Prayer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vyuQvwsQV8
"A Prayer for Healing"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umD1R7C6EmM
"The Lord's Prayer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m7ZV0XAMto
The nature of our Father is eternal, and He inhabits eternity:
"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."
Deut. 33:27
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Isa. 57:15
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, Amen."
1 Tim. 1:17
Today happens to be Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when the Jewish people recognize the power of God to forgive sin and show mercy upon mankind. It is an awesome time of judgment. This is a day of fasting, as we humbly submit ourselves for His judgment. We afflict our bodies and souls with fasting to put the temporal things of the world away, and look into the eternal things of our Father. Life on earth exists but for a moment in time, but the life our Father has called us to exists with Him, forever. This calling to His eternal life was promised before the world began, before the measure of time began (Titus 1:2, 1 Peter 5:10). It is a promise of eternity, from eternity. This eternal quality of our Father was sealed in us by the sacrifice of His Son for our sins. This sacrifice tore the separating veil apart that kept man from his eternal Father, the separating veil that divides the temporal from the eternal:
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
Mat. 27:50-52
Our Father, though He placed us in a temporary body of flesh, always purposed us to be an eternal creation with Him. He manifested this eternity in bodily flesh through His Son, Jesus, so we could see this promise, so we could touch this promise, so we could understand this promise of eternity, not bound by the flesh of man:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
1 John 1:1-4
"And this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."
1 John 5:11
According to the scripture above, the eternal life of the Father is not limited to something that we will receive after we finish this life on earth in our flesh. This eternal life is something that has already been given to us, while we are yet in our flesh, because it is the life in His Son, and we are in His Son:
"As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him."
John 17:2
Even while we are yet in our flesh bodies, we live in the eternal life of Jesus. Our lives and focus are never to be bound to the temporary ways and things of this world, but always to view all things through the eyesight of eternity:
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hand, eternal in the heavens."
2 Cor. 4:17-18, 5:1
The Prophet Daniel spoke of the everlasting Kingdom of God:
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that shall not be destroyed."
Daniel 7:13-14
On this Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, let us consider and remember the eternal things and the eternal life, and that eternal kingdom to which we have been so graciously called, and let us incorporate that eternity of our Father and His Son into our lives now, even while we are here on earth. Let us examine ourselves, and also pray as never before for those whose souls hang in the balance between death and life. The eternal life of Jesus Christ is manifested through us.
Our Father is eternal.
"Kol Nidrei" sung on Yom Kippur Eve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrBcN4lSjBc
Illustration of Eternity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWk7RUg3ZV4
Sound of the Shofar (Trumpet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKxDROoOiyY
Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. There is no sound on earth that can compare to the majesty, the power and the pathos of the shofar, a trumpet made from the horn of a ram. There is a sample of this sound above.
The shofar is the sound of the voice of God. It is the sound of warning, the sound of His presence, the sound of victory, the sound of battle, the call to assemble together, the sound of the resurrection and rapture of the Church. It is the sound of the prophetic word. It is the sound of our voices calling, and praying to God. Below are just a few of the many verses in scripture that deal with the sound of the shofar:
"Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled." Ex. 19:16
"It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat..." Joshua 6:5
"So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet." 2 Sam. 6:15
"God has gone up with a shout,
The LORD with the sound of a trumpet." Psalm 47:5
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound the alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand."
Joel 2:1
"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Mat. 24:31
"...For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Cor. 15:52
To the Jewish faith, Rosh Hashanah is associated with the creation of the first human being. It is associated with natural life and everlasting life through the prayer: "May I be inscribed in the Book of Life". It is a time for introspection and for repentance as the ten days begin that will lead to the Day of Atonement and Judgment, Yom Kippur. This brings man into a oneness with God, his Father.
For the Christian believer, it should have equal significance. It is one of the ordained feasts of God, and as all the feasts do, it brings us a beautiful image and type of Jesus Christ. The trumpet in the New Testament is calling us to watch for the return of our Savior, and to signal the reunion of the Church with our Lord. It reminds us of our purpose and our potential in Him.
Below is a beautiful article that was sent to me by a friend. Thanks to F.B. for sending it. It was written by Sara Debbie Gutfreund. The title is "Answering Rosh Hashanah's Call".
