Trust God and Live in His plan

Phillipians 4: 6-9

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Php 4:6-9). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Important phrase: Dwell on these things" and the "God of peace will be with you"

What does dwell mean - the act of careful reflection - to meditate, to remember what God has done in the past, what is His character, how does this apply to me?

To "put together with one's mind" - to occupy onesself with reckoning or with calculations."

God's word is dependable and scientific - The study of God is scientific, systematic and not subjective.

What do you allow to occupy your thoughts, what you see, or your FATHER?

Jesus would often get away to commune with His Father. Reference Matthew 14:22-23

22 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.

23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 14:22-23). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

He went off to be with His Father because He needed to! In Matt he was ALONE! More examples, Matthew 14:13, Matthew 26:38,

Life happens, ministry happens, the power of God falls on us AFTER we have been alond with God.

When we are alone with God, we see:

Who God is
What we are not (able to govern and direct our lives ourselves)
What you truly are (His children whom He loves)

Mark Ford: " Believe that is is important to discover who we are not before we discover who we are" The purpose of the law was related to this!

Some Examples:

Abraham - God told him that his seed would fill the earth before he had even one son. Did that change abrahams mind, belief or action, NO - consider when he lied to Abilimech - if Abraham believed God's promise would he have lied to Abilimech. God was teachin Abraham that he was not his own savior, so by trying to save your own skin after I told you that your life could not be taken, you showed a lack of faith in me. Abrahams belief in that he could be his own provider and covenant keeper is demonstrated by his taking Hagar.

Isaac and Rebekah knew that Jacob would be the master over Esau - Yet Isaac tried to assign the blessing to Esau, and Rebekah tried to help God by stealing the bliessing for Jacob.

Did they really know who God is at that point? If they did, they would not have tried to hinder or help Him. They all knew what God said (Isaac, Jacob< rebekah) yet they all tried to control the situation outside His provision.

Genesis 27:8 Rebekah is contending with God for control of the situation. She designed a plan to decieve Isaac - Jacob adds to the situation by adding details to the scheme to carry out the deception. Rebekah - Your curse be on me, my son; only do what I tell you." Gen 27:13

Rebekah has a diety complex - "Your curse be on me." Taking on the curse!! She is tryuing to be come a Savior. Jesus is the only one that has sucessfully taken on God's curse and given someone else life.

Reference: Galiatians 3:13

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ga 3:13-14). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

YOU CANT TAKE WHAT GOD OFFERS BY SINFUL MEANS - WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?

The results of the deception: Easu plans to kill Jacob in retribution for Jacobs theft of the blessing!

Genesis 27: 41-45 The whole situation blew up, and rEBEKAH DID NOT KEEP HER PROMISE TO BEAR THE CURSE! She also was in denial of her responsibility, see the highlighted text below:

until your brother’s anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”

Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 27:45). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Rebekah was putting all of the blame on Jacob, even though SHE was the one who concieved the plan, aided in its completion and persuaded Jacob to go along with it!

Sarah is another example of this, she suggested Hagar to Abraham and then Hagar turned on her and then Sarah sucessfully got rid of her.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ge 16:5). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

It was Sarah's idea, but she threw the blamel on Abraham!! Even though she was the one who got the whole thing going with Hagar, when it blew up in her face she forgot all that and just blamed Abraham.

In the situation with Isaac, Jacob Esau and Rebekah - NO ONE GOT WHAT THEY WANTED. They were dwelling on their own understanding, not what God said. Through this situation, they and we see that they and we are not God.

James Montgermy Boice:

When Rebekah told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Paddan Aram for a few days, she thought she would be paying just a small price for her sin. But the cost of sin is always much greater than we imagine it to be. Actually, the thing Rebekah feared most came about. She feared to “lose both” her sons, yet this is precisely what happened. Jacob left, never to be seen by her again, and Esau soon went off to live in the hill country of Seir, or Edom (Gen. 32:3). Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary. Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1982. (761). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

1 Robert S. Candlish, Studies in Genesis, 457.

Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary. Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1982. (752). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

1 Robert S. Candlish, Studies in Genesis, 457.

Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary. Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1982. (752). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary. Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1982. (761). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

1 Robert S. Candlish, Studies in Genesis, 457.

Boice, J. M. (1998). Genesis : An expositional commentary. Originally published: Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1982. (752). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith