Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20040125.htm

SAMPLING GOD'S "FEAR NOTS"
Part IV: God's Work To Clarify His Will If It Counters His Precedents
(Genesis 45:25-46:4)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Just this past week, two members in our Church have spoken to me about discerning God's will regarding their employment. Well, to find God's will on any issue, I have often taught and many have seen God USUALLY leads us in line with PAST precedents, but that word, "usually" can cause us to question God's will for today:

(1) SOMETIMES God DEPARTS from the EXPERIENTIAL signals He has used before to use NEW signals so that we take a new direction, and Acts 10:9-16 illustrates this: in a vision from God, Peter found himself resisting the Lord's directive that he eat animals he knew were forbidden by the Law, animals he had never been allowed to eat before! Yet, God was seeking to show Peter that there was a whole new style of life he was to live, one that was free from the Mosaic Law in the dispensation of the Church!

(2) However, there is a FLIP SIDE to departing from God's precedents: we can be DECEIVED into MOVING AWAY from God's precedents to take a WRONG path in no longer following God's ACTUAL will as happened in 1 Kings 13: God had told a prophet of Judah to go north into Israel and prophecy against King Jeroboam's idolatry, 1 Kings 13:1-3. Then, God had also told this prophet not to return the way he had come, but to take another way and avoid eating or drinking en route back to Judah, 1 Kings 13:8-10.

Well, an older but apostate prophet met this prophet from Judah on his return trip and lied, telling the younger man God had changed His PLANS for him; this younger man was (allegedly) to eat with the older prophet before returning to Judah, 1 Kings 13:11-18. The younger prophet believed this older man, so God arranged for a lion to kill the younger prophet from Judah for disobeying God's INITIAL WORD to him , 1 Kings 13:19-24.



Well, IF God USUALLY but NOT ALWAYS leads us in accord with PRECEDENTS in our lives, HOW can we tell if He is directing us in a NEW direction in some area of life CONTRARY to what PRECEDENTS He has used to guide us? On the other hand, how can we tell if we are being WRONGLY DISOBEDIENT to such precedents if we go AGAINST them in all good faith?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I've learned God USUALLY leads us like He has led us in the PAST. Yet, NOW He SEEMS to be leading me OPPOSITE such PRECEDENTS, so how may I be SURE of His will for TODAY?!"
  1. Jacob had concluded from God's PRECEDENTS that to LEAVE Canaan for EGYPT was ALWAYS CONTRARY to GOD'S WILL:
    1. God had led Jacob's ancestor, Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees to inherit Canaan, Genesis 12:1 with Genesis 13:12a, 14-15.
    2. Later, God told Jacob's father, Isaac not to leave Canaan for Egypt just because there was a FAMINE in Canaan, Genesis 26:1-2.
    3. Indeed, when his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac as well as he, Jacob had previously LEFT Canaan for EGYPT or for any other land, they had always EXPERIENCED trouble (as follows):
      1. When Abraham left Canaan for Egypt for famine relief, Pharaoh tried to take Abraham's wife, Sarah as his own wife. Only by God's intervention did Abraham return back to Canaan with his wife and possessions intact, Genesis 12:10-13:1.
      2. Later, Abraham's son, Isaac traveled south in a famine as though he would enter Egypt when God told him to stay put, Gen. 26:1-5.
      3. Jacob himself had faced trouble in his leaving Canaan not only for Egypt, but for any other land (as follows):
        1. When Jacob stole the birthright from Esau and fled for his life by leaving Canaan for his uncle Laban's home in Haran, God told Jacob He would give the land of Canaan to Jacob and preserve him until he came back, Genesis 27:43-44; 28:10-15.
        2. Jacob's sojourn with Laban was troublesome: Jacob had to flee from Laban and try to enter Canaan, Genesis 29:1-31:18! God intervened to preserve Jacob from his uncle Laban who pursued him and his hateful brother Esau who met him as he returned, all so he could reenter Canaan, 31:19-33:16! This all seemed to imply Jacob was safest just staying IN the land of Canaan!
        3. Then, when Jacob sent his sons into Egypt to buy food during another Canaan famine, he was oppressed by the imprisonment of his son, Simeon [whom Jacob's long-lost son, Joseph who ruled in Egypt had imprisoned to test his brothers], 42:1-36a.
        4. Besides, Jacob expressed worry over further contact with Egypt due to the ruler's [Joseph's] demand that his son, Benjamin go into Egypt as a condition for Simeon's release, Gen. 42:36b-38!
  2. Thus, when Jacob learned his long-lost son was alive and in Egypt, though he SAID he would GO THERE, Jacob FEARED he might be stepping outside of God's will to MAKE the trip, 45:26-28; 46:3:
    1. Jacob said he would leave Canaan for Egypt to see his long-lost son, Joseph once he learned he was alive and ruling there, Gen. 45:26-28.
    2. However, from God's words to Jacob at this time, we know Jacob was afraid to make the move, Gen. 46:3: the experiences of Jacob and his ancestors relative to leaving Canaan for almost anywhere else reveals Jacob was afraid to travel into Egypt, Leupold, Genesis, v. 2, p. 1108!
  3. Yet, God by His WORD had Jacob COUNTER the PRECEDENTS, BIBLICALLY showing WHY he was to GO into EGYPT, 46:3-4:
    1. God encouraged Jacob to "fear not" breaking with the precedents, but to go ahead and leave Canaan for Egypt to see Joseph, Genesis 46:3b.
    2. God then explained WHY this move was Biblically right for NOW:
      1. First, He Who spoke to Jacob in Genesis 46:3 was the same GOD Who had led Jacob and his father, 46:3c: the authorization to violate past precedents was present by way of God's WORD.
      2. Second, God told Jacob He would make him into a great nation in Egypt, a goal that fit God's Biblical covenant, Genesis 46:3c; 12:2.
      3. God said this move was temporary: Jacob's seed would return to Canaan in accord with God's Covenant, Gen. 46:4; 12:1-2. Well, Jacob would know this news fit God's WORD to Abraham in Gen. 15:13-16: God had there said Abraham's seed would sojourn in a land that was "not theirs" ( lo lahem, "not belonging to them," Gen. 15:13b; Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 19; B.D.B., A Hebrew and English Lex., p. 512), a land like Egypt , and later enter Canaan!
Application: If we are confused about what God may be leading us to do NOW since it OPPOSES His EXPERIENTIAL PRECEDENTS, (1) trust in Christ as Savior from sin to be indwelt by the DISCERNING Holy Spirit, Jn. 3:16; Rom. 8:9b with 1 Cor. 2:9-10. (2) As a believer, (a) know SCRIPTURE takes PRIORITY OVER the EVEN God's EXPERIENTIAL PRECEDENTS, so (b) VERIFY God's PRESENT leading from SCRIPTURE: as JACOB could VERIFY the change in God's plan in accord with God's WORD, may we use Scripture as our FINAL guide to know God's will for the PRESENT!

Lesson: Though Jacob had LONG seen noted precedents from God to signal it was best to STAY in Canaan and NOT go into EGYPT, God's WORD showed such a move was NOW RIGHT for Jacob to see Joseph!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Before I wrote this sermon, I read an e-mail from a party who once came to our Church but who had left [in part] in opposition to my practice of pulling back from Evangelicals who extol errant beliefs like Calvinism and Arminianism. They wanted my view on Open Theism.

God has previously led me through a host of events to cease trying to interact with those who leave us due to my stands; this step has been necessary to sustain my own walk with God for a variety of reasons! However, the party who had sent this e-mail wanted my help, and asked if I would "please" check the web link on "Open Theism" they had attached to their e-mail message.

Now, Jesus in Luke 15:11-24 supports the attitude of the father of the prodigal son who warmly treats his wayward son who has a change of mind. I hence believed I should respond to the author of the e-mail in good faith, for that party's words in the e-mail showed there was a chance the author might be going through a change of mind!

Well, in reply, I found myself stating why I was so set against Calvinism that was partly responsible for Open Theism's rise: Open Theism assumes as true the errant Calvinist idea that nothing can be known to occur unless God predestines it to happen (in reality, some things in the future can be known without the one knowing having to predestin e them to occur); then, to give man free will to trust in Christ, Open Theists say God can not know who will trust in Him in the future, so God is not omniscient! Well, that is the Socinian heresy! I claimed this is one reason why I am so set against Calvinism -- aside from being wrong, Calvinism creates huge stumbling blocks! [I added the scholarly Evangelical Theological Society comprised of theologians from across Evangelicalism has rejected Open Theism!]

God led me to break with precedents in not answering those who leave us for our stands providing they fit the Luke 15 pattern that they might be changing their minds! In so doing, God put me in the astonishing position of explaining to one who had left us in disagreement with my stands just why such stands are needed -- the defense of our Christian faith is what is at stake!

May we use God's WORD above ALL EXPERIENCES, even His OWN PAST EXPERIENTIAL PRECEDENTS, to DISCERN His WILL in the PRESENT!