The Right condition For God's Greatest works

A scripture that talks about the works of God

Psalm 92:4–6 NKJV

4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. 5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this.

God’s work is great. (psalms 66:3)- God’s work is awesome

When it comes to the works of the Lord, We need wisdom to discern and understand the operation of God”work

Not only what he does, but also the surrounding condition that are precursor to the manifestation of that work.

That is, How do we know that God will do his great work.

What is the condition that is conducive for God to do a mighty work.

In what environemnt does God do, not just any work, but an awesome work. One in a lifetime work.

“What is the condition For God's Greatest works”

God’s first Work

The first mighty work that God did is creation.

What was the condition in which God began to do his work?

How did he do his work?

Genesis 1:1–4 (NKJV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

The word “tohu” translated formless (waste,) it infers acondition of desolation where there is no order , structure that can be discerned. It is also transaltaed confusion in other passages.

It occurs 20 times in the OT, and its translated 5 times waste or waste place and one time desolation.

isa 34:11 “But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.”

the other aspect of the conditioion was that it was full of darkness. The condition was very dark.

This was the condition wherein God began to move and to do his great work of creation

Out of this waste and empty and full of darkness God created what is good. God did his work of creation. God brought into existed the beutiful universe that we see today. This orderly creation.

If you were there in that condition, it will be difficult to envision that these beutiful creation will be created from this formless (desolate) (hopeless), empty and full of darkness condition.

So in what Condtion does God do his mighty works

We may think that it is in an environment where we think everything is in place, all things are lined up correctly, there is no darkness or emptiness or condufusion or chaos. Everything is just right this is a condition which is conducive for God to do a mighty work. No

It is rather the condtion of emptiness, waste (formless),desolation, darkness and utterly hopelessness that is conducive for God to do his mighty work.

The pattern that repeats.

You will see that through our bible, God mighty work are done in condition that seem to be so dark, so desolate and empty, condition of hopelessness. It is in those condition that God does his greatest work.

The goal is to show you that by observing our environment today, we are in the right condition to see the mighty works of God.

We are living in a world that is a spiritual desolation, the wasteness of this world is manifesting itslelfs in different forms.

It is seems that there is nothing that has any form in this world anymore.

everything is becoming fluid. We are living in a time where, every basic moral structure that has disintegrated (it is crumbling).

We living in a world today that there seems to be no absolutes. What seems false today, tommorrow is true. What is true today tommorow is false.

The line between what is right and wrong has been blured.

The world is in spiritual chaos. The darkness has become so deep.

The land is empty in the eyes of God. It has been emptied from all froms of righteousness, truth,peace and justice. Instead it is full of evil, corruption, injustice and violance.

Let me tell you that i am convinced by the scriptures : that it is in this condition like these that we have the privilage of witnessing God’s greatest work.

It is only through divine intervention of great proportion, rather than human intervention, we will see this condition changing.

The Condition is ripe for God to do his greatest work.

This pattern is repeated over and over again in the Old Testament.

The greatest work that God has done is in this type of Condition

God bring Israel out of Egypt

Exodus 1:1–14 (NKJV)

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

5 All those who were descendants of Jacob were seventy persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already).

6 And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation.

7 But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9 And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we;

10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.”

11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.

13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.

14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

form Verse 1-7

This period of time, was a period of propserity.

It is very luckily the the people of Israel were highlly favored not only in Pharoah’s eyes but also in Egpt’ eyes for the sake of Joseph. Since by Joseph, Pharoh, and Egypt as a whole was preserved and becaming exceedingly wealthy as a result of his wisdom and administration.

It is belived that Israel was in Egypt for 430 years, hence it is likely that they had quite a few kings which were aware of Joseph’s work, and look kindly towards the poepl of Israel, the the people multiplied and prospered.

It was not in this time, however, that God chose to do his great work of which he had given a promise to Abraham.

The condition Changed . A king A rose that did not know Joseph and his work for Egypt. He made the israelites slave.

Now the israelites, were the bottom of the social class. They were in bondage of slavery, they future was ver dim in Egypt.

Then, the King commanded that their male children shoulc be put to death (Verse 22). So Now, there was fear, there was turmoil, and they were empty. They had nothing in Egypt, they were slaves.

The Ezekiel 20, That God’s people were living in rebellion to God in Egypt, they were living the lyfstyle of Egpt, They were wroshiping the many gods of Egypt. They did not know the God of their fathers. This is why Moses asked:

“ when i come to the children of Israel and say to them, “ The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me,’what is his name?’ what shall i say to them?’

It is in this state, and this condition that God did one of his greatest work in the history of mankind.

When thinks get dark, when everything around you is dessolate, and hope seems to be non estistet, your are in the right condition to see God’s greatest work.

The Rebuilding of Jerusalem

After 714 years of israel dwelling in the promise land, because of their sins God destoyed the nation of israel and of Judah.

The promise land that was once filled with milk and honey, became a waste place, the dwelling place of wild animals and everything that is foul.

God gave a word of Hope that after 70 years the jerusalem will be rebuild, God’s people will be restored. The land will be frutfull and flourish like the Garden of eden.

In What time was God going to Do this great work or restoration and rebuilding.

Read Micah and Daniel together

During Fasting and prayer, Daniel has Angelic visitation. Daniel is told of what is to come by the Angel Gabriel

Daniel 9:22–25 (NKJV)

22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.

23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

The command to restore and to rebuild was given in Troublesome time.

Micah Prophesied 114 years before the fall of Jerusalm, 184 years before its rebuilding about its restoration.

Micah 7:11–17 (NKJV)

11 In the day when your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide.

12 In that day they shall come to you From Assyria and the fortified cities, From the fortress to the River, From sea to sea, And mountain to mountain.

13 Yet the land shall be desolate Because of those who dwell in it, And for the fruit of their deeds.

[Micah prayer to God]

14 Shepherd Your people with Your staff, The flock of Your heritage, Who dwell solitarily in a woodland, In the midst of Carmel; Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, As in days of old.

[God speaks]

15 “As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders.”

16 The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf.

17 They shall lick the dust like a serpent; They shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the Lord our God, And shall fear because of You.

Notice how they had to rebuild from scratch,

When they returned, the land was still barren and wasteland, it was empty of everything that is good, much different than in the times when they entered the promise land.

The neigbouring nation were hostile towards the, they did not wan’t the walls of Jerusalem nor the temple rebuilt.

What connect these day, with the days in the land of Egpyt (the condition was the same)

Therefore God promised to show them wonders

Becuase God does his greatest work in the midst of dark and troublesome times.

How in the world does a minority group find such great favor in the eyes of great Kings such as cyrus, Darius.

The King Darius allowed his the expenses of the rebuilding of the temple and the sacrifices made in it to be paid from his treasuries. also, he commanded that whoever be he who would try to stop this work, let him be hung in a poll made of timber in his house and his house be made dung.

The prophet Habakuk

Habakkuk 1:1–5 (NKJV)

1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.

3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.

4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

5 “Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

Habakkuk was so distression of the condition of his surrounding.

Wherever he turns there is iniquity (lawlessness), trouble is in every side. violence strife and plundering is everywhere he goes.

The law of God seems to be powerless, so justice is not produced. The wicked is there perverting every righteous judgmenent.

He cryies and weeps before God, and say why do you show me this and yet you do not answer.

God’s response is that he is in the right time to see him work a work that he would not beleive if it was told him.

Thsese conditions of his surrounding that is so distressing is actually a sign that God is going to do a work that is beyond what he is capable of believing.

We are in this time, the condition is rigth for God to do a mighty work.

Dont be overwhelmed or disheartended by the time, but rather be encourage by the fact tha you will witness the greatest work of the Lord.

God’s greatest work, His manifastation in the flesh

John 6:28–29 NKJV

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

God’s greatest work was Manifesting himslef in the flesh to take away the sins of mankind.

God walked in the earth in physical form, he taught, he did many wonders and miracles. What a mighty sight.

Matthew 13:17 “17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

In what what was the condition of the environment wherein God chose to manifest himself in flesh and perform his greatest work

What was the religious environment

What was the social and political, environment

400 years of silence

the spiritual condtion worsen as the years went by

333 bc, 67 years after Micah’ death, the Israel was under the rule of the greeks. Greek culture began to be adobted by the people.

It is in this time that the two sects of judaism developed. Sadduccee and pharissees

The Sadducees favored the liberal attitudes and practices of the Greeks. They held to only the Torah as regards religion but like most aristocrats they did not think God should have any part in governing the nation. They did not believe in the supernatural. They believed the stories that speaks of angels in the Old Testament we metaphorical.

They were the modern day liberal

The Pharisees were conservative zealots who, with the help of the scribes, developed religious law to the point where the concerns and care of people were essentially meaningless.

to them, tradition was more important than true devotion to the word of God.

So by theaching the doctrine of men they were nullified the doctrine of man.

The scribes (lawyesr in KJV) were basically, copiest who eventually became well versed in the law that they became scholars.

They were more alined to the pharisees.

The Herodians held political power, and most scholars believe that they were a political party that supported King Herod Antipas, the Roman Empire’s ruler over much of the land of the Jews from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39

They were those who were not religious per say but were happy to seem to be religious if it gains them political points.

They would be happy to be devoted or aligned to one group as long as it meets their political need.

Luke 11:39–51 NKJV

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.” 45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

This was the religious environment, it was a religion of hypocracy.

It was not real. it was fake.

Matthew 15:7–8 NKJV

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

Isaiah 29:13–14 NKJV

13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

God chose to do his greatest were in such environmeny as these, that was filled with all these distressing conditions.

We living in this time,

The condition is right for God to do his mighty work and he has promised

God expects us to belive him

Isaiah 60:1–22 NKJV

1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My glory. 8 “Who are these who fly like a cloud, And like doves to their roosts? 9 Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the Lord your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you. 10 “The sons of foreigners shall build up your walls, And their kings shall minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, But in My favor I have had mercy on you. 11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession. 12 For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined. 13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious. 14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations. 16 You shall drink the milk of the Gentiles, And milk the breast of kings; You shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 “Instead of bronze I will bring gold, Instead of iron I will bring silver, Instead of wood, bronze, And instead of stones, iron. I will also make your officers peace, And your magistrates righteousness. 18 Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. 19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. 20 Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the Lord will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. 21 Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

Proverbs 10:5 NKJV

5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Let us be alert, let us not sleep.

So when God begins to work we will be there ready to gather the harvest, rather than miss this opportune time and bring shame to our father.

God will do a mighty work in this time.

Because we are in the right conditions to see God’s greatest work the history of the scripture.