Untitled Sermon (68)

THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT SHEPHERD

PSALMS 23:1-6

Psalm 23:1–6 KJV 1900

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

PSALMS 23:4

Psalm 23:4 KJV 1900

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

LET US TAKE A BEGINNING LOOK AT THE VALLEY.

I] PERMANENCE OF THE VALLEYS.

1Pe_4:12 

1 Peter 4:12 KJV 1900

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

3 things allow me to note, they are

A ] INEVITABLE ( They will Come )

B] INTRUSIVE ( They come when least expected )

C) INESCAPABLE ( You will need to go through them )

II ] PURPOSE OF THE VALLEYS.

A] SYNCHRONIZE US

B] ENERGIZE US

C] EMPHASIZE SOMETHING TO US.

ALLOW US NOW TO LOOK AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD (The Great Shepherd)

HIS PRESENCE

1] GOING INTO THE VALLEY.

2] GUIDING US IN THE VALLEY.

3] GUARDING US THROUGH THE VALLEY.

4]GRACE FOR COMING OUT OF THE VALLEY.

Before we go any further in this massage I wish to look at something that i believe is vital to us understanding the presence of the Lord.

TO UNDERSTAND THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE AGE OF GRACE .

WE MUST EXPLORE THE PRE-INCARNATE CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ECONOMY

Jesus in the Old Testament: Christophanies

This is a look at ways “Jesus in the Old Testament,” showing different ways Jesus appears in the Old Testament. JOHN 5:39

John 5:39 KJV 1900

39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Christophany comes from two Greek words; Christos, which means Christ, and phaneroo, which means to be revealed or to manifest.

Therefore, a Christophany is a visible manifestation or appearance of Christ before His human incarnation.

All manifestations of God in the Bible aren’t necessarily Christophanies.

For example, the Father spoke during Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration, and the Holy Spirit came like a dove upon Jesus, and a rushing wind upon the disciples.

These manifestations of God are called theophanies.

But since the Bible consistently says that not one has ever seen God the Father and lived Exodus 33:20, John 5:37; 6:46, 1 Timothy 6:15-16, 1 John 4:12, many theologians believe that all visible theophanies in the Old Testament were pre-incarnate appearances of Christ.

Exodus 33:20 KJV 1900

20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

John 5:37 KJV 1900

37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

John 6:46 KJV 1900

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

1 Timothy 6:15–16 KJV 1900

15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 John 4:12 KJV 1900

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God Colossians 1:15 .

Colossians 1:15 KJV 1900

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

He is at the Father’s side, and He is the only one who reveals Him.

john 1:18

John 1:18 KJV 1900

18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

A. And here are some of His pre-incarnate appearances.

1. Appearance to Abraham Genesis 18 Three men visited Abraham, and one of them was God Himself.

Genesis 18 KJV 1900

1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

We know he was God because the text says, “and the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre.” The other two men were angels.

2. Appearance to Jacob Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob once wrestled with a man all night, and that man was God.

Genesis 32:22–32 KJV 1900

22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok. 23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. 32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

He said to Jacob, “your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel for you have striven with God, and with men, and have prevailed.”

Afterward, Jacob named the place Peniel and said, “for I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

3. Appearance to Joshua in Joshua 5:13-15

Joshua 5:13–15 KJV 1900

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

A man with a sword in hand appeared to Joshua before the fall of Jericho.

He identified himself as the commander of the army of the Lord.

Joshua immediately fell to his face and worshipped the man.

And the commander said, “take off your sandals from your feet for the place where you are standing is holy.” This man was another Christophany. Theologians also believe every visit of “the angel of the Lord,” or “the angel of God,” was a Christophany.

In Exodus 23:20-21

Exodus 23:20–21 KJV 1900

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.

God told Moses He would send an angel before him to guide him, and that God’s name was in the angel.

As the name of God represents His nature, will, and character.

A random angel can’t bear God’s name; only God himself can.

And this angel of the Lord must have been Jesus because He said in John 17:7, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.” Here are a few visits from Jesus as the angel of the Lord.

John 17:7 KJV 1900

7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

4. Visit to Hagar Genesis 16:7-14 The angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness and said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.”

Genesis 16:7–14 KJV 1900

7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

The angel of the Lord spoke with the authority of God and said he would multiply her offspring.

Hagar called the angel, “You are a God of seeing,” and said, “truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”

5. Visit to Abraham and Isaac Genesis 22:11-18 Abraham took Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him as God commanded.

Genesis 22:11–18 KJV 1900

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. 15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

But when he was about to kill Isaac, the angel of the Lord appeared and told him to stop.

He said, “now I know that you fear God seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me.” The angel spoke as if he was God.

6. Visit to Jacob Genesis 31:11-13 The Angel of God appeared to Jacob in a dream and said, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me.”

Genesis 31:11–13 KJV 1900

11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

The God of Bethel is Yahweh Genesis 28:13-22 .

Genesis 28:13–22 KJV 1900

13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

7. Visit to Moses ( Exodus 3:2-6 ) The angel of the Lord appeared to Moses “in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush,” and then, “God called to him out of the bush.”  He said, “I am the God of your Father, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac.” It’s quite clear from these few examples that the angel of the Lord is a Christophany.

Exodus 3:2–6 KJV 1900

2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Furthermore, His visits stop after the birth of Christ.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus was an angel before the incarnation.

Jesus was, is, and always be God John 8:58 .

John 8:58 KJV 1900

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

The Hebrew word for angel is malak, which means a messenger.

It appears 213 times in the Old Testament. It can refer to actual angels such as in Genesis 19:1, and men such as in Genesis 32:3 .

Genesis 19:1 KJV 1900

1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Genesis 32:3 KJV 1900

3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

Also, Christophanies do not contradict the incarnation of Christ nor the virgin birth.

Jesus taking on the form of a man is not the same as becoming a man.

There are many other examples of Christophanies in the Old Testament.

But some are less certain than others.

For example, many people believe the fourth man in the fire in Daniel 3:25 was a Christophany.

Daniel 3:25 KJV 1900

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

But all we know about him is that he had the appearance of a “son of gods.”

Without additional information, we can’t say for sure if he was a Christophany or an actual angel.

Melchizedek is another questionable Christophany.

He appears in Genesis 14:18-20 and his name means king of righteousness, and a priest of God most High.

Genesis 14:18–20 KJV 1900

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Hebrews 7:3 says that As a result, many people believe Melchizedek was a Christophany.

Hebrews 7:3 KJV 1900

3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

But he could have been a type of Christ. Always let the Bible guide you to recognize a Christophany accurately.

For instance, if the text says, “the Lord appeared,” or the “Lord came down,” it most likely a Christophany.

Also, if a man speaks with the authority of God, identifies himself with God, or does things only God can do, He might be a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

Can we take a moment to distinguish between the

PRESENCE of LORD in the OLD TESTAMENT AGE

and the

PRESENCE of the LORD in the NEW TESTAMENT AGE.

1} PERSONNEL SIDE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

IN PERSON—ANGEL OF THE LORD—IN PERSON.

IN DWELLING— SPIRIT OF GOD—IN POSSESSION.

FIRST SIGN OF THE SPIRIT.

ePH 5:18-21

Ephesians 5:18–21 KJV 1900

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

2] THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

ACTIONS BEFORE—ANGEL OF THE LORD—SHOWS UP BEFORE THE BELIEVER.

ACTIONS THROUGH—SPIRIT OF THE LORD— SHOWN THROUGH THE BELIEVER.

FILLING OF THE SPIRIT.

EPH 5:18-21

Ephesians 5:18–21 KJV 1900

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

3} PASSIONATE SIDE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

DEMONSTRATED TO THE OT BELIEVER—ANGEL OF THE LORD

DEMONSTRATED BY THE NT BELIEVER— SPIRIT OF THE LORD.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.

GAL 5: 22-24

Galatians 5:22–24 KJV 1900

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.