Exposed

Reading the Sabbath portions for this week really made me stop and consider my faith, and the challenges to it. I think these issues are especially important for the time in which we live, and the days ahead. This Sabbath's portions are titled "Sh'mot", or "Names". I believe that these portions from the Old Testament, or Tanakh, are very relevant to the conditions of today, and the knowledge necessary for the days ahead, as we will see. Three examples from these readings deal with pivotal servants of God, who must contend with their fear, doubt, and unbelief. In Exodus 3, Moses is called by God to be the deliverer of His people who were suffering not only under hard bondage (Ex. 1:12-14), but the threat of murder of their children (v. 15). Moses, in exile from Egypt, heard the voice of God saying tht He has come down to deliver His people from the oppression of Pharaoh (Ex. 3:7-8). Not only will the LORD deliver them from slavery, but will bring them to "a good and large land". The LORD told Moses that He will send Moses to Pharaoh in order to accomplish this deliverance. Moses is taken aback and asks, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" The LORD assured Moses that He will go with Moses. Still unsure how this great deliverance will be pulled off (Moses is very familiar with the house of Pharaoh, and the greatness of his army), Moses asks God His name, and is told: "I AM WHO I AM" (v. 14). This deliverance is not just a work of God, but it is Who God IS. Do we know God in this way? Or do we just know Him by His works? Of His name, the LORD proclaimed, "This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations." Moses was still full of doubts and is shown amazing confirming signs by God: his shepherd's rod became a serpent and then a rod again, his hand became leprous and then was healed, water poured out became blood. In his fear and doubt, Moses told God that he was incapable of the assignment because he was slow of speech and tongue. Even after God assured Moses that He would "be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say", Moses asked God to send someone else (Ex. 4:10-13). God became angry. The LORD then told Moses that He will also send his brother, Aaron, to be with Moses. Before Moses could even carefully consider all that God had shown and told him, fear, doubt, even unbelief had jumped in to make Moses resist the expressed will of God, and doubt the possibility of a miraculous deliverance of God's people from the hold of Pharaoh. In another Sabbath portion, God calls Jeremiah to be His prophet (Jer. 1). In this calling, the LORD reveals to Jeremiah that He knew, sanctified and ordained Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations before God formed him in the womb (v. 4-5). Jeremiah's immediate response in fear, doubt and avoidance was, "Ah, LORD GOD! Behold I cannot speak for I am a youth." (v. 6). Jeremiah did go on to serve God as a prophet through three kings' reigns. He not only prophesied the beginning and ending of Judah's 70 year exile, but also the basis of the end time's 70 weeks of years later revealed in detail to Daniel. We never plan to be overcome and respond in fear, doubt, and unbelief, but because they are our constant stalkers until they are exposed by God, they often jump in and respond for us automatically. Like Moses and Jeremiah, we often try to rationalize and make excuses for our fear, doubt and unbelief when they show themselves. In the third example from the Sabbath portion, poor tormented Job is given a wakeup call from God regarding the doubt and unbelief that has filled his heart in the face of his many painful trials. Job, a man used mightily by God (see Job 29), started out strong, but his ongoing, unexplained, unrelenting, tragic suffering caused him to give in to those fleshly stalkers: fear, doubt, and unbelief. Perhaps the door to those staalkers had been opened because Job had come to trust more in his own righteousness than in Who God is, and His name. God hinted at this possibility as He said to Job, "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God?...Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, and array yourself with glory and beauty...Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you." (Job 40:6-14, excerpt). The story of Job teaches us that we must have endurance and patience even in the most dire trials, but there was even more accomplished through the trial of Job. God revealed to us knowledge of the Accuser of the Brethren, who accuses us before God day and night, and God made an open show of him through the trial of his servant Job (Job 2, Rev. 12:10-11). These great servants of God, Moses, Jeremiah, and Job, were vulnerable, as we are, to fear, doubt, and unbelief. In dealing with the lack of belief in Who the Person of God really is to us, what His name really indicates to us, Jesus asked, "...when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Lk. 18:8). We think that of course we trust God, of course we rely upon Him, but Jesus then told the parable of the man who thought himself righteous, more so than others, but the man was in truth, found wanting before God (v. 10-14). It is easy to fall into the trap of believing our own righteousness, believing that we are not vulnerable to fear, doubt, and unbelief, until we are tested, and those silent stalkers become quickly exposed. The testing of God exposes these things in our lives, because they are deadly to us. These destructive companions are lying right behind us to challenge us every step of the way. We face many trials and tests by God. Although it may seem that the challenges come from unjust men, trying circumstances, or even spiritual enemies, it is the Lord who is using these hardships for good- to expose our fears, doubts, and unbelief. Why is it important for these things to be revealed, even through great hardship to us? Our lives, our salvation, our purpose depends upon it. Truths are established, judgments are set, and God's name is revealed by and through the testing of His people: "...My people went down at first into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "that My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them make them wail," says the LORD, "and My name is blasphemed continually every day. Therefore, My people shall know My name; Therefore, they shall know in that day that I am He that speaks: Behold, it is I." (Isa. 52:4-6). The testing and trials, whether small or extremely great, are not for God's benefit, but ultimately for ours, by the work that God does through them. We are familiar with the verses from James: "My brethren, count it all for joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (enduring, steadfastness, sustaining, cheerful hope and endurance; to remain, abide, not recede or flee)). But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4). How can we take joy in the trials that we face, as James tells us? Trials do not produce joy in the heart. However, the trials produce needed perfection. Considering how closely those three silent companions, fear, doubt, and unbelief, follow us, and how quickly they take every opportunity to overtake us, if trials can expose them, then those trials are indeed to our advantage. The endurance or patience produced by the trials of God is absolutely necessary for our salvation: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved." (Mt. 10:22). "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved." (Mt. 24:12-13). Great tests are coming, and fear, doubt and unbelief that we have not allowed God to reveal will shipwreck us. In the end times especially, endurance or patience rather than fear, doubt and unbelief, is and will be essential in believers for our spiritual survival: "By your patience (endurance) possess your souls." (Lk. 21:19. Even the defeat of Satan and his earthly servants is affected by the endurance of the saints: "He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints." (Rev. 13:10). The judgment of the Beast and those who cooperate with him is affected by the endurance of the saints: "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." (Rev. 14:9-12). May the hidden companions, the stalkers of fear, doubt and unbelief be exposed, and may the people of God endure in faith in the days ahead. Our Father exposes those things that will destroy our faith. If you would like to begin your journey with God through the salvation and righteousness of His Son, Jesus, you can pray: "Lord Jesus, I understand that I cannot rely upon my own righteousness to be saved. I believe that You died and rose from the dead to become my righteousness, my faith, and my endurance. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to help me, guide me, and teach me in the way of endurance and truth. Forgive me of my sins, and expose in me fear, doubt and unbelief. In Your holy name, which is a memorial to all generations forever, I pray. Amen."