Knowing God: The Best Kind of Preparation

Scriptural Text:

2581 Israel Arab War Begins

2581 Israel Arab War Begins

The proclamation of the statehood of Israel added fuel to the fires of Arab wrath, and the prospect of the new State’s survival seemed very small indeed.

There were roughly half a million Jews in Israel, and the country was surrounded by over 40 million Arabs, determined to drive the Jews into the sea. To the amazement of the world, however, the Arabs were defeated by a handful of Jews. It was a victory—for the newborn State of Israel—not by military might or strategy or by numerical strength, but by divine intervention of God.

Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996), 625–626.

Introduction: How many people fail to persevere to the end—in their relationships, their marriages, their job assignments, their school assignments, their church responsibilities, their family duties, and on and on? How many of us begin a task but fail to complete it? How many of us have unique opportunities to succeed but fail to grasp the opportunities? How many of us begin well but finish poorly? How many of us start out successfully but fall short in the end? How many of us have received a fresh start, launching out excitedly in a new area of life, but our enthusiasm soon faded and we slipped back into the same old routine?

The Reign of Rehoboam: A Man Who Failed to Persevere to the End, 11:1–12:16

For our reasoning today, the text will be coming from this division or section of 2 Chron: The Reign of Rehoboam: The Man Who Failed to Perservere to End. 2Chon. 11.1-12.16

For our reasoning today, the text will be coming from this division or section of 2 Chron: The Reign of Rehoboam: The Man Who Failed to Perservere to End. 2Chon. 11.1-12.16

For our reasoning today, the text will be coming from this division or section of 2 Chron: The Reign of Rehoboam: The Man Who Failed to Perservere to End. 2Chon. 11.1-12.16

In the present instance, God used the arrogance and pride of Rehoboam and his contemporaries to work out His judgment upon Israel. Still today, God uses events and the behavior of men to execute righteousness and judgment upon earth, to accomplish His eternal purposes and will for mankind. We can rest assured of this one truth: God works all things out for good for those who truly love Him.

At the beginning of Rehoboam’s reign, he obeyed God (vv.1-4). Shortly after the ten northern tribes revolted and formed the Northern Kingdom, Rehoboam mobilized an army of 180,000 soldiers. His intention was to invade the northern tribes and to subject them under his rule. But when he began to march north for the attack, God’s prophet Shemaiah soon confronted them. God’s prophet had a stark warning for Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah (vv.2-4). They were not to fight against their brothers, the Israelites. Rather, they were to return home, for the ruptured kingdom was of God, was the works of His hands. Hearing this stern warning from the prophet, the king and his army obeyed the Lord and returned home. Never again would the twelve tribes be united as a nation of people who served the Lord.

Rehoboam obeyed the Lord in the beginning. In the next point, we will see him commit apostasy, turning away from the Lord. But for now he is obedient. God demands obedience of all His children, a lifetime of obedience. We are always to obey God’s Holy Word, His commandments.

Thought: A life of inconsistency exposes a heart of insincerity and dishonesty before God. (, , , , )

(NKJV) 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

(NKJV) 24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

24“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

(NKJV) 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

(NKJV) 29Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

29Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!

(NKJV) 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

          When things seem out of control, we expect God to show up. But we often make that request without regard for the foundation we should have laid before—when           things were calm.

Times of rest and waiting are not times to be stagnant; but are times to get to know God better so that we are prepared for what’s next.      

Thought: Obeying God today and disobeying Him tomorrow is not acceptable to God. A life of inconsistency exposes a heart of insincerity and dishonesty before God.

A true profession of Christ means that we keep God’s Word, obey His holy commandments. When we keep only some commandments and break other commandments, we live lives of deception and duplicity.

Therefore for our message today, I would turn our focus on the prophet Shemaiah (That hears or obeys the Lord). Shemaiah, a little-known prophet, was given such an opportunity.

Shemaiah prepared for this situation by knowing God—the best kind of preparation.           

When things seem out of control, we expect God to show up. But we often make that request without regard for the foundation we should have laid before—when things were calm.

Knowing God: Three Aspects () [1] Information and Interpretation (“objective” truth) [2] Experiencing God (; , , , ; cf. ) [3] Knowing God: Response of Love (; , , ; , )

The “knowledge of God” is pictured in Hosea () as information and interpretation, experience, and acknowledgment:

The “knowledge of God” is pictured in Hosea () as information and interpretation, experience, and acknowledgment:

The “knowledge of God” is pictured in Hosea () as information and interpretation, experience, and acknowledgment:

The “knowledge of God” is pictured in Hosea () as information and interpretation, experience, and acknowledgment:

The “knowledge of God” is pictured in Hosea () as information and interpretation, experience, and acknowledgment:

(1) information and Interpretation

1. Information and Interpretation 

there is “objective” truth which can be understood, described, and experienced. The truth of God and the truth about God are part of the same self-disclosure.Israel stands accused of blindness which leads to distortion and eventually to the deliberate suppression of the truth. The end result is that sin so obscures the knowledge of the true God that it renders people incapable of recognizing the acts of God and interpreting them as such. Misinterpretation blinds the mind to God’s intentions.

there is “objective” truth which can be understood, described, and experienced. The truth of God and the truth about God are part of the same self-disclosure.Israel stands accused of blindness which leads to distortion and eventually to the deliberate suppression of the truth. The end result is that sin so obscures the knowledge of the true God that it renders people incapable of recognizing the acts of God and interpreting them as such. Misinterpretation blinds the mind to God’s intentions.

2.  Experiencing God.

To know the Lord intimately is to recognize him in his acts (; ), to experience his saving works (), to call on his name in petition and praise (), and to be shaped by the encounter with the Holy One of Israel (; cf. ).

3. Knowing God: Response of Love. acknowledgment may be expressed by admitting to his presence and being open to hear God speak and then to obey his instruction (; ). Sacrifices and worship are ways of acknowledging God (), as is the act of developing skill in doing good (; , ).

Scripture declares that

“the people who know their God will display strength and take action” ().

 Peter tells us something about people who know God. He says, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (). (grace and peace)

There is a great illustration in the book of Daniel of the peace that comes from knowing God. King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a ninety-foot statue of himself before which all his subjects were commanded to bow. To refuse meant death in the fiery furnace. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were men who knew God.

3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4 The one who says, “I have come to bknow Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

5 but whoever akeeps His word, in him the blove of God has truly been perfected. cBy this we know that we are in Him:

6 the one who says he aabides in Him bought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

7 aBeloved, I am bnot writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had cfrom the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.