The Test of the Lord

Psalm 66:8–12 NKJV

8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, 9 Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. 10 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. 11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

God tests us for two reasons.

To refine us and purify us

To know our heart

Proverbs 17:3 “3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.”

God wants to know the sincerity and genuiness of our heart in following him.

Just like a refiner or smithsmen the silver to the furnace to see the authecity or qaulity of the silver and also to purify it.

God also test us inorder to see the genuiness of our faith and to refine us.

1 Peter 1:6–7 NKJV

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

The period of God’s test

40 day wilderness period for israel.

Joseph, Psalms 105:19 “19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.”

How does God test our heart

Psalm 66:11–12 (NKJV)

11 You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.

12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

Bringing us into (through) a net (trap)

Through affliction

through people.

1. Through a net

A net is a trap, when a fish is caught in a net, there is no way out for it no matter how many times he tries to escape.

“You brought us into the net”: means god bringing us to a place or situation where we feel like we a traped, where there seems to be no way out. Nothing we do can get out of this circumsance or situation.

John 6:1–7 NKJV

1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. 3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

The people of Israel as an example,

The red sea crossing.

2. Through affliction

“ You laid affliction on our backs”

Two categories of of affliction

affliction that comes as a result of one own folly, or sin

affliction that comes because of ones righteousness.

God test the us through affliction that comes upon us becuase of our own righteousness.

Psalms 34:19 “19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Job as an example,

Job 1:1 “1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”

Job 1:20–22 NKJV

20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job did not become bitter against God.

He did not resent God nor hate him.

He remianed faithfull to his God.

He did not accuse God of wrong doing.

Job 13:15 “15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.”

Job 23:10 “10 But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”

3. Through people

“you caused men to ride over our heads”

There are two ways in which God test his people through people.

Judges 2:21–23 NKJV

21 I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.” 23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

God will allow the ungodly, to dwell near us and prosper in their ungodliness, in their sin to test our loyalty to him, our commitment to keeping his word.

Psalm 72:1–3 NKJV

1 Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. 2 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. 3 The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.

Psalm 73:28 NKJV

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.

Example of Joseph.

Joseph was placed in a dungeon for being godly while potipher’s wife who maliciously slandered him continue to prosper in potiphers house.

God will allow certain people that may do you harm to continue to prosper in spite of what they have done.

To test whether we are going to trust in God’s vengence, beleif in his justice. Instead of vindicating ourselves we allow God to vindicate us.

The end result

Psalm 66:12 (NKJV)

12 You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

Joseph lived 80 in propserity

Job 140 years and saw his children and grandchildren for four generation

David lived and reigned as king for 40 years.