DIVINE PROTECTION

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you" (Isa. 43:2 NKJV).

In context, this promise of protection is given to Israel. However, it illustrates the protection of God for believers as well. When were trust Christ for salvation, we are protected for eternity. Thus we want to note three things involved in this protection: the presence, the power, and the promises of God.

Presence of God - “I will be with you.” God’s presence guarantees Divine protection. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. This is a guarantee of our salvation. We are reminded in 2 Cor. 5:5, “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” God’s presence gives us assurance of our safety.

Power of God - “They shall not overflow you.” The power of flood waters can be great, but God’s power is far greater. He who opened the Red Sea and stopped the waters of the Jordan for the Israelites to cross over can stop anything that would threaten the loss of our salvation. There is no power that can take away our salvation, for God’s power is greater, and it protects us from the loss of our salvation.

Promises of God - There are four promises in this verse for Divine protection: “I will be with you…they shall not overflow you…you shall not be burned…nor shall the flame scorch you.” Just as how God encouraged Israel by giving them many protection promises, He does the same for the redeemed. For example, we read in John 5:24. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.”

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The Christian finds safety, not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God!” Anonymous

Word Study

Disclose (declare)

In Heb. 11:14 we read, “For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland” (NKJV).

Disclose (declare) is the Greek word emphanizō (ἐμφανίζω = em-fan-id'-zo). It is made up of two words: “en” which means in or into, and “phanizō” which means to show, make visible, make conspicuous. Thus the word means to make visible, to lay something open to view so all can see. It is to provide information so as to make clear, to explain or to inform; to present evidence or bring charges as in a formal judicial report. In classical Greek, emphanizō means to demonstrate, to show, to make manifest. In the Septuagint emphanizō carries the idea to show, to manifest, to make known, and to reveal. In the New Testament emphanizō means to inform, to inform, and to reveal.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah is despised of the Nation (Isa. 49:7)

New Testament Fulfillment – John 1:11; 8:48-49; 19:14-15

Did You Know…

In the Bible, it states that Jesus has all authority (Matt. 28:18; John 3:35; 5:26-27; 17:2).

Bible Quiz

When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land what went before them?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: What was the name of Peter’s brother? Andrew (John 1:40)

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

“What’s it to you”

“Saying, I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. And they said, what is that to us? You see to it” (Matt. 27:4 NKJV).

“What’s it to you” - The expression "what’s it to you” carries idea of asking the relevance of the matter. In context, when Judas saw that the Lord Jesus had been condemned, he was full of remorse and returned the money he was paid to betray the Lord Jesus. And although he felt the guilt of his actions, he didn’t turn to God in repentance. Repentance not only includes sorrow, but also a change of mind – a turning from sin and a turning toward the God you have offended. Interestingly enough, Judas’ remorse had no effect upon the religious leaders. The hardness of their hearts is astounding and showed their indifference to moral and spiritual values. The job of the religious leaders was to teach people about God and act as intercessors, helping them turn from sin and find forgiveness. Not only had they rejected the Messiah, they had also rejected their role as priests. This shows their guilt in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did You Know – Christian History

Thomas Cook was born November 22, 1808 in Melbourne, Derbyshire, England. He was an English businessman, best known for founding the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son.

Cook was forced to drop out of school at the age of ten and go to work because of the death of his father. He was just twenty when he became a Bible reader and homeland missionary with the Baptists. As a traveling evangelist, he had to learn skills of crowd control and persuasion which served him well as a tour manager. He was working as a printer in Leicester when he arranged the temperance train. Package tours would soon become a big international business. Thomas Cook blazed the trail when he printed flyers and sold shilling tickets for that outing.

By 1845 Cook was running similar tours as a business. He negotiated a deal with the railroad under which they gave him a commission for every ticket he sold. All he had to do was provide the passengers. Cook did. He considered it part of his temperance ministry, reasoning that the lower and middle classes would be far better off if they saved their money for trips rather than spending it on booze.

The business really took off when Cook arranged package tours for the Great Exhibition in London that took place in 1851. For five shillings, a person could travel to the exhibition, eat and sleep in London. The tours proved a smashing success. He arranged over 165,000 tickets from Yorkshire alone.

Cook left nothing to chance. He even set up a system of clubs to help his clients save money for these trips. After that, Cook arranged similar tours to the Paris Exhibition. He promised his clients a full package of services - help getting passports, language guides, transportation, food, lodging and traveler's checks. Soon tourists to Europe could travel a pre-arranged circuit over rails on a Cook plan. He branched out to the rest of the world. In 1884, his company arranged to transport a force of 18,000 men up the Nile to relieve General Charles Gordon.

As is so often true, when we take a closer look at history, we find that one man trying to carry out a Christian work improved conditions for everyone. A whole industry exists, thanks in large measure to Thomas Cook and his temperance vision.

A Little Humor

One day a struggling Christian visited his pastor and said, “I’ve read books on discipleship, taken theology courses, and stayed up late doing assignments for my Bible study group, but I am still confused. Can you tell me how to become a victorious Christian? Pulling a hymnal from his shelf, the pastor opened it to the words, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Live today as you will wish you had lived when you stand before God!”