Hearing God’s Voice

1 Samuel 3

Lately, I have had this strong impression to share with people about God’s love, specifically, His personal love… the one that He wants to show us in our relationship with Him. God (specifically Jesus, who is God) is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). In the Bible, we read over and over again about people hearing God’s voice or knowing that God spoke to them. Since God is the same for all time, shouldn’t we expect Him to speak to us still today? Some people will say (and I used to be one of those people), “Yes. He speaks through His Word that He has given to us.” I still totally agree with this statement. However, I also believe that He speaks to us about every day matters as well, when we have conversations with Him. The problem with which we seem to struggle is knowing that it is God’s voice and not our own.

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
1 Sameul 3:7

In the book of Exodus, Moses gets called by a burning bush… or so it seemed. He had to draw close and examine it and then respond to what he heard. Often times, we believe we may have heard God, but we do not respond. As I was reading this morning in 1 Samuel, it occurred to me that it is because we may not have learned to respond because we haven’t trained ourselves to listen to God’s voice. In 1 Samuel 3, Samuel is a young boy who is being raised by the priest Eli in the temple of God. One night, Samuel hears a voice call, and Samuel responds, “Here am I.” However, Samuel ran to Eli and told Eli, “Here am I,” as he was sure that Eli had called to him. Eli responded, “I did not call you,” and he sent Samuel back to bed. This happened three times. It is stated of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:7, “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.” In other words, Samuel had never heard God speak to him before.

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1 Sameul 3:9

The third time this happened, Eli “perceived that the LORD had called the child” (1 Samuel 3:8). So, Eli gave Samuel instructions about RESPONDING to the LORD’S voice. These instructions are the same for us today. Eli told Samuel to say, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). Samuel did just this and the LORD spoke to him things about Eli and Eli’s family. In this particular case, Samuel was given a word of knowledge from the Lord. The point is this, Samuel heard God’s voice, but he did not, at first, know to respond to God’s voice. As Samuel grew, he learned to hear the voice of the Lord and to communicate to God asking for God’s guidance and direction and help. In fact, it is stated of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:19 “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” And this “letting words fall to the ground” is exactly what I believe we tend to do today!

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
1 Samuel 3:19

If we want a close, intimate relationship with the Lord, we need to spend time getting to know God (i.e. reading His Word) and we need to pray to Him (speaking to God). However, we often stop there. We should also spend time speaking to God and listening to God. When we believe we hear Him speak to us, we need to OBEY!!! So, how do we know if it is the LORD speaking or simply our own conscience speaking to us. First, we need to be believers in the Lord Jesus Christ so that we know that the Holy Spirit resides in us. If we have confessed with our mouth the Lord (Master) Jesus, and believed in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, then we are saved and the Holy Spirit lives within us. If that is the case, then we know that we are God’s child. Now, we need to “listen” for God’s voice and “respond.” When we hear something that we believe is from God, we need to first be sure that it lines up with Scripture. If it is truly God speaking, He will not tell us something that is opposite to what He has given us in His Word. For instance, He will not tell us to worship something else or to pray to someone other than God Himself and He will not tell us to sin in any way. When we speak to God, it is sometimes, literally, a two-way conversation. Sometimes God provides a verse or comfort to us (as He often did the apostles and King David as seen in the Psalms). Sometimes He provides direction and guidance (as in the case of Noah and Moses and King David). Sometimes He gives us a word of knowledge (in the case of Samuel). Regardless, if we do not take the time to listen, and then to respond, how will we develop that close, intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.

I would like to challenge you today, as I challenge myself every day, take time to spend with God. Read His Word, pray to Him, and LISTEN and RESPOND!!!! If you do, you will be amazed at how your relationship with our heavenly Father will deepen and you will gain a sense of peace and joy. This relationship with God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift we could ever have… and the best relationship for which we could ever ask. Seek Him and be blessed!

Praying Thanksgiving for Others

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Read the following Scriptures carefully. What do they all have in common?

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”
Romans 1:8

“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;”
Ephesians 1:15-16

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:3-11

“We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: 7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Colossians 1:3-14

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:”
2 Thessalonians 1:3-5

Paul was super excited to thank God for fellow believers. Why? What did Paul have to gain? He gained persecution, poverty, and distress of all kinds. There was nothing for him to gain by sharing the gospel except more trouble from the authorities and those who did not like the message. And, yet, Paul was excited when people accepted the Truth of the Gospel and came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul found the grace of God and shared it with others and wanted others to know that grace too (Philippians 1:7). Paul desired that those who believed would grow in love toward others (Ephesians 1:15, Philippians 1:9). Paul was excited that others gained that hope of heaven which spurs us on to love and good works (Colossians 1:5, 10). Paul was excited that these fellow believers would have a reward … an inheritance and forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:12-14). Paul was excited that as the believers’ faith grew so did their love for others despite their persecutions (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4).

Some people do not understand this. Christians are not sharing the gospel and looking for converts to the faith in order to gain riches and popularity. Oh, I know there are some people that do this. However, those that are truly in love with Christ just want others to know that same joy, peace and abundance of life. Like Paul, we share with others and we grieve when others do not understand the truth of the gospel because they are missing out on the greatest grace and joy we could ever have. Like Paul, we want others to have that inheritance of eternal life. We want others to experience that joy and love for others despite the hardships of life. We are overjoyed when we hear of others who are walking in the truth… not because we have anything to gain from it personally, but because we understand the joy that comes from being in relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His Father who is both our God and Father.

It is interesting that, just as in Paul’s day, when people come to accept the gospel, the Word of Truth, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and truly follow Him (making Him the Lord of their lives), people become more loving to others even when others are not kind to them. The people who follow Jesus Christ begin to do works of righteousness, not because they are forced to do so, but out of love for others. The people who follow Jesus Christ begin to labor for others and pray earnestly that others may come to see the truth too. Why? Because, in short, God is good and this gospel is truly such good news that we honestly want others to know it too. This is why Christians pray so fervently for their loved ones who do not know or accept the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ… the gospel of God… the goodness that God has given to us. Christians pray fervently for those they love, that they would see the goodness of God because it is worth it! Just as Paul said over and over again, “we thank God” for those that we know that have received because we know that they have found the greatest gift life has to offer.

If you are not a Christian and you know a Christian who is praying for you, please understand that it is because they love you… and, even more, they love Jesus Christ and they want to share that awesome love with you! Faith, Hope, and Love… these three remain… (1 Thessalonians 1:3) and the greatest of these is love!

Cleaning Ourselves

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Luke 11:24-26

Christians are not perfect. When we see the faults in ourselves, we often find various ways to try to “clean” ourselves up. We will say things like, “I will pull myself up out of this,” or “I will do better next time,” or “I will just be more patient,” or whatever it may be. Then comes the inevitable failure, at least for me and others that I have observed.

I was struck by this recently and these verses came to mind. Luke 11:24-26 says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return unto my house from where I came out. And when he comes back, he finds the house swept and decorated. Then he goes, and takes to himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter into the house, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” [KJV paraphrased]

Of course, Jesus is speaking here of actual devils which He had been casting out. However, as I pondered these verses, I found a metaphorical application to my life. Things that are against God’s will in our lives are listed (among other places) in Galatians 5:19-21 as sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealously, outburst of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. When I think of these acts which are opposite of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control), I think of them as unclean spirits. When we try to “clean ourselves up” by saying, “I will never do this again”, it is as if we are telling that “unclean spirit” to leave our home. However, when we clean ourselves up, and we do not replace the space with something clean (a fruit of the Spirit) then, metaphorically from Luke 11:24, this spirit looks around for a place to inhabit. It seeks seven other spirits even more wicked and returns to the home!

Here is what I find true experientially. When I fight a sin in my life, something that is opposite the fruit of the Spirit, and I decide that I will no longer follow that area of sin nature in my life, I struggle. Oh, I may overcome for a few days… but then, I STRUGGLE. It often appears that I am tested all the more in that area of my life (meaning tempted to fall back into my old ways), and I become worse and not better.

Jesus, of course, gave us the remedy for this. If we back up in the Luke passage a bit, Jesus is telling that when a stronger man comes to a weaker man, the stronger can overcome the weaker. For us, that stronger man is really the Holy Spirit Himself. How does this work out practically? Again, the fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23 and will be seen in our lives if we are walking in the Spirit. Jesus tells us in John 15 to abide in Him and He will abide in us. We all know that Jesus is that strong man who we need. He wants to ABIDE in US! If that were the case, wouldn’t it be difficult for unclean spirits to take up residence in our home (i.e. in our lives)? Jesus goes on in John 15:7 and states, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” There is the second part of the equation (so-to-speak). When we clean ourselves up, we cannot replace the negative thoughts and actions with decorations (from Luke 11:25); instead, we must replace those thoughts and deeds with the Word of Christ. Then, we must ASK Him to do the work in us to change us. Jesus even goes on in John 15 to tell us that He spoke these things to us so that His joy may remain in us (not come to us… but REMAIN in us). In Luke 11, Jesus tells us the following:

Luke 11:9-13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

What is my take-away from all of this? If I want there to be a difference in my life, where I look more like Jesus and less like an unclean spirit, then I need to do the following things: soak myself in God’s Word, ask for the Holy Spirit and abide in Christ. I need to keep my eyes focused on the stronger one (Jesus Christ) and not on myself to do the cleaning of my home.

Oh God, I am asking for more of your Holy Spirit in my life. I am asking you to abide fully within me as I submit my ways to you. I am asking you to take away the uncleanness in my heart and lead me in the paths of righteousness as I set my eyes on You and You alone. In the words of King David from Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Believe Because God Predicts (Part 2)

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In Part 1 of “Believe Because God predicts”, we saw that in the book of Isaiah, particularly from Isaiah 40 to 53, God tells us that He is going to tell what will happen, so that when it does, we will know that He did it. Today, we will look at some more of the Scriptures that supports the fact that Isaiah 53 was written at the same time as the rest of the book of Isaiah, despite the fact that the details are almost too detailed to seem possible.

In Isaiah 42:10, God says, “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: BEFORE they spring forth I tell you of them.” If God states this in Isaiah, the book that scholars agree was written in the 700s B.C., why is it then hard to believe that Isaiah 53 would have been written then too, giving VERY SPECIFIC details? Wouldn’t that be consistent with God’s character? He said it, and it happened! It seems that those who oppose any evidence about Jesus Christ are trying to throw out any evidence which may lead others to believe that he was the suffering servant who was crucified, the one who paid for our transgressions. Rejecting chapter 53 after all of the internal evidence given in the chapters prior to Isaiah 53 seems illogical, especially in lieu of the fact that God stated He was going to do a new thing and that He would tell it in advance! He told us SO WE WOULD KNOW! It seems more likely, for the naysayers, that what God stated would be true of people is… as in Isaiah 42:20, “Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” It seems that some already conclude that it cannot be true, so the evidence that it might be must be dispensed with.

What is interesting about all of this is that in the book of Isaiah, God is telling the nation of Israel that they are redeemed by Him. He is telling them what will come to pass before it does so that they will know. But, hadn’t they already seen that in their history? Abraham was told in Genesis 15 about Israel’s future and it turned out exactly as God had predicted. It states in Genesis 15:13-14, “And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” This time frame lined up exactly with what happened historically as the Israelites went into Egypt in the time of famine (in Joseph’s time) and came out 400 years later under the leadership of Moses. God predicted, and it came to pass. There is a history of this happening with the Israelites!

Next, when thinking about Jesus dying on the cross, as a way to somehow allow us the hope of eternity, it seems crazy. How can this be? And yet, even in Isaiah, God began preparing hearts for what seems like a crazy message. How? By telling us what would happen beforehand so that we would understand when it happened. In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Definitely Jesus calling Himself God and telling people to follow His ways is a whole new thing for the Israelites. It wasn’t like anything they knew before. Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah. When people were learning of Jesus from the apostles, they searched the Scriptures, as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11, to see if the things they were being told were true. Why would it then be surprising that Jesus’ death would be detailed in Isaiah 53, when Jesus Himself quoted about Himself from other parts of the book of Isaiah? Why should we even question whether or not this chapter was written at the same time as the rest of the book of Isaiah? To me, this is just more circumstantial evidence that leads credence to the fact that Isaiah 53 clearly was God telling what would happen before it did so that we would know He is God!

God says of Himself in Isaiah 44:6-8, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? Ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

Ponder this today. Read Isaiah 40 to 53. Decide for yourself what you think. Can it be justified that Isaiah 53 was written after Jesus’ death and resurrection and then somehow inserted in a manuscript written approximately one hundred years before Jesus’ time (the dating of the manuscript found in the Dead Sea scrolls) just so someone could deceive the world about the truth of Jesus Christ? You decide!

Believe Because God Predicts (Part 1)

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Isaiah 53 is a Messianic chapter which provides great details of the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The details actually begin in Isaiah 52:13 and continue through Isaiah 53. Some scholars believe that Isaiah 53 could not have been written until after the time of Christ. Why? Because the details of His crucifixion are just too detailed! Instead, some people state that Isaiah 53 was written after the time of Christ, and they state that the verses about what his crucifixion meant were also added to the details of his actual crucifixion after he died. Some of these details include that God’s servant, the messiah, was to suffer for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5) because He was the offering for our sins (Isaiah 53:10). It states that his suffering would justify many (Isaiah 53:11). Of course, those that reject Christ, reject these facts about him as well. Those that reject Isaiah 53’s timing with the rest of Isaiah seem to use as their evidence the question, “How is it that anyone could have known all of those details hundreds of years before Christ was crucified, unless this man had already been crucified?” There is an answer to this question, if the internal evidence of Isaiah itself is investigated.

Before considering this internal evidence, however, it should be noted that there was a copy of the entire book of Isaiah, including chapter 53, found with the Dead Sea scrolls in 1946. It is the oldest complete copy of the book of Isaiah, being about 1000 years older than the oldest Hebrew manuscripts found before its discovery. A couple of different dating methods give the date of this manuscript’s writing (a copy of the original Isaiah) of anywhere between 356 B.C.E. and 100 B.C.E. Either way, this is still at least 100 years before Jesus was born, and this is just a COPY of the original book of Isaiah!

Even without this external evidence, there is very strong internal evidence that chapter 53 of Isaiah was written at the same time as the rest of the book of Isaiah and, therefore, it should not be dismissed simply because it seems too detailed to have been written then. First, according to the internal evidence, Isaiah was written about 700 years before the time of Christ (from Isaiah 1:1). Along with this internal dating, I believe there is even more internal evidence that suggests that it is not shocking that God would foretell with such great detail the crucifixion of Jesus the Messiah. I would like to offer my evidence for one to consider.

As I was reading the book of Isaiah, in my daily time with the Lord, I was struck by the number of times that God said, through Isaiah, that He [God] tells the future SO THAT we will know when it comes to pass that it was He that did it. He didn’t want others to take credit for being gods. In fact, He was attempting to show the futility of cutting down a tree, forming an idol, overlaying it with gold, and then praying to it at the same time as warming oneself with some of the very same wood that was taken from that tree!

I was especially struck in my reading from Isaiah 40 up to and including chapter 53 by the number of times in which it states that what God says will indeed happen. In Isaiah 40:5 God says, “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” He then goes on to say in verse 8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”

In Isaiah 40:18-20, Isaiah tells us about the workman who makes the image, and yet, God is the one who created the earth. Can this idol that they made create an earth… when the workman created the idol? In order to almost prove Himself, God tells that He is going to raise up a man from the east (in Isaiah 41:2-3) who will be a ruler over kings. As one moves through the next few chapters of Isaiah, one discovers that God is speaking of Cyrus (specifically Isaiah 44:28), and even calls Him by name… nearly 100 years before Cyrus becomes known to the Israelites. God asks, “Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4) God boldly tells that He is the one that brings things to pass, after He speaks it. Can our speechless idols do this?

In Isaiah 41:14, God states, “I will help thee [men of Israel], saith the LORD and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. God tells in Isaiah 41:15-19 the things that He will do and then says why in Isaiah 41:20, “That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.” He goes on to ask the Israelites and their false gods to tell the future. Isaiah 41:21-23, “Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” Then God tells the future, that they might know, in Isaiah 41:25, “I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.” From history, we realize that this is Cyrus, the one who came from the north and from the east (from his family line and his rule). God then states in Isaiah 41:26, “Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? Yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.”

We then see God’s prophecy about the Messiah in Isaiah 42 where He says that this one who brings forth judgment to the Gentiles shall not cry or lift up his voice (in Isaiah 42:1-2), and we know from the gospels that this is exactly how Jesus acted. He never made a scene. God tells in Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

So, what does all of this mean? Look for Part 2 for the answer to this question.

John… The Book, the Man, the Message

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“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31)

John was a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, he didn’t know Jesus as all of that when he met him. John, like so many others, was just a regular man doing regular work. He was a fisherman. However, he, like so many other Jews in his time, was looking for the Messiah. It was predicted in Daniel, hundreds of years before, that the Messiah was to come about this time. They were looking for this promised Messiah. In fact, in John 1, it states that Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, went and found his own brother (Simon) and told him that they had found the Messiah, or Christ, as the word Messiah means. So, they were looking for the Messiah.

Unfortunately, the type of Messiah for which they were looking was not who Jesus was. Instead, Jesus gave a different message. We see in the four gospels and the book of Acts that the Jews were not set free from the Roman rule, as they had hoped for. Instead, Jesus preached another message. But, in all of this, what did John, the man, learn.

John was chosen by Jesus as one of the twelve disciples. Why him? Why the twelve and not others? We are not really ever given insight into that except that these men were of little reputation and they were unlearned (had not been to “official” school). Regardless, John came to a point in his life when he called himself “the one whom Jesus loved”. John felt a personal connection with Jesus.

In the beginning of the book of John, and also in the letter of 1 John, we see that John is extremely excited to share about Jesus. He says in John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” He pauses and puts that in parenthesis … as if he is thinking and remembering… and we beheld his glory (long pause….. )… the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. I hear John’s heart, especially after reading 1 John 1:1-4 where John says, “That which was from the beginning (like the very beginning…), which we have heard (amazing teachings… amazing love), which we have seen with our eyes (we took it in… Jesus was there right before us… ), which we have looked upon (fully in our view… so much so that we have firsthand knowledge of it….), and our hands have handled (we touched him!! Really touched him!!), of the Word of life.” (In John 1:1,14, John had already shared that Jesus was that Word of life made flesh.) John goes on in 1 John 1:1-4, “(For the life was manifested (it was made apparent to us… shown to us… physically… shown to us), and we have seen it (you can hear John get more excited as he writes), and bear witness (we are not afraid to tell what we saw… it was real), and shew unto you (John wants us to see too… he wants us to know too…) that eternal life (Jesus gives that eternal life and John has this in the forefront of his words), which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; (John acknowledges that Jesus came from God… to us… to show himself, to manifest himself)) That which we have seen and heard (John is reiterating this again) declare we unto you (he is telling us… he wants us to know), that ye also may have fellowship with us (that we can walk together in this awesome assembly of others who follow Jesus): and truly our fellowship is with the Father, AND with his Son Jesus Christ. (It isn’t about the man Jesus Christ… it is about God the Father and the Messiah Jesus… the Son of God.) And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. John is so excited about sharing Jesus because He loves Jesus… He truly is excited about telling what he personally has experienced.

Have you ever had a life-changing event and you wanted to tell everyone you knew about it. This is how I see John the Apostle. He had sat under Jesus’ teachings for three years. He heard all that Jesus taught and saw all that Jesus did. He watched Jesus die on the cross. He heard in the upper room how Jesus warned them and prayed for them and agonized over them. He saw Jesus’ tenderness in committing his own mother to the care of John. John saw Jesus raised from the dead. He touched Jesus’ hands. He beheld his presence. He heard his voice. He saw him ascend into heaven, where he was told that Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father and will one day return to take us with him.

Tradition has it that John was boiled in oil and would not die. He was exiled to the island of Patmos where, once again, he encountered Jesus Christ and God speaking directly to him (which he recorded in the book of Revelation). John grew more and more in love with the person of Jesus Christ. And, even though other gospels had been written, he writes about Jesus and tells of his divine nature and, in the end, this is the reason John tells us that he is writing:

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31)

The Truth (Part 3) (or rather, The Rejection of the Truth)

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From Part 2 of “The Truth”, we were left with the question that Pilate had of Jesus, “What is truth?” As the disciples learned of Jesus while they walked with him on the earth, and after He was resurrected, they wrote of what they learned of truth. They wrote these things for our learning as well. Let’s see what they teach us about truth.

In Ephesians, we are told that the word of truth is the gospel of our salvation which seals us with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13) The word gospel means good news. Thus, the Word of Truth, from God our Father is the good news of our salvation. Of a truth, we are saved by God’s grace, and not by what we think is to be true (Ephesians 2:8-9). He alone made the way for our salvation and then tells us (through words) of how that salvation occurs. It was only by the death of Jesus Christ.

Also, we are told in Ephesians 6:14 to “gird our loins with truth.” Why should we “gird our loins with truth” when we are in a spiritual battle? Because when we know the truth, the truth helps us to fight the lies of the enemy. Sometimes we hear voices that tell us that we are worth nothing, that we are on earth for the purposes of pleasing others, or that we don’t measure up. However, the word of the truth tells us differently. God created us in His image and He loves us very much, and He has a purpose for our lives.

Wow! Ponder what we have learned so far. We have seen in Parts 1 and 2 of The Truth that: God tells us the truth. God gives us the truth. God is the truth. Jesus is God. Thus, Jesus is the truth! We are also told that this truth is our salvation and that we are protected by this truth. If this is all true, why would anyone want to reject this truth?

In Romans, we are told that there are people who hold the truth in unrighteousness and change the truth of God into a lie. We are also told that that which may be known of God is made clear because God showed it to us (Romans 1:19). Everything in creation testifies to the fact that there is a God (Romans 1:20) and therefore, we are all without excuse when we reject the truth. There are those who do not want to follow God “do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.” (Romans 2:8) Why?

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul states that the Thessalonians received the “word of God” which they heard Paul teach, and they “received it not as the word of men, but as it is in TRUTH, the word of God.” Others, however, (2 Thessalonians 2:10) would not receive the love of the truth. It isn’t that they could not receive it, but they WOULD not receive it. This truth is that truth which brings salvation. Paul even goes on to say that those who believe not the truth take pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:12) Therein is the answer to the question: Why would anyone reject the truth of the gospel, the good news, of our salvation? It is because some people do NOT want to be accountable for their actions.

If we know there is a God, and that He saves us, then we also understand that there may be some requirements placed on our lives. There are commands given to us, for our protection of course, that we will need to follow. Some people do not like to obey or submit to anyone. Thus, they cast off all restraint. So, if they make the conscious choice not to believe the truth, and call it anything but the truth, they can justify in their minds living their lives in any way they please. According to Paul this is their way of having pleasure in unrighteousness. There is pleasure in not living our lives with rules. However, we are also in danger of hurting ourselves or others when we don’t live by rules.

The result of some people rejecting truth because they want to throw off all constraints is that they attempt to make others doubt the truth. Romans 1:18 tells us that there are those that hold the truth in unrighteousness. In other words, they know the truth, but they act against it. Think about it. If I want to justify my actions and make them seem good to you, wouldn’t I have to convince you that they are good? So, if I am acting against the truth and I want to continue to do so without you judging me or trying to tell me what to do, I would need to make you think like me. Isn’t this what Tom Sawyer did when he didn’t want to do the whitewashing of the fence? He made everyone else believe that it was a great thing to do so that he could get out of doing it himself. We see this same thing happening today where evil is called good and good is called evil. Some of these evil things do not even make sense. However, we have enough voices telling us that these things are good so that some of us are swayed into believing it, even when we know it isn’t true.

Paul states that we are sanctified (made clean before the Lord) of the Spirit AND belief of the TRUTH. It is the Spirit that sanctifies us, but we have to believe the truth… that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died and was raised again on the third day. This is the heart of the gospel message. Jesus saves us, but we have to accept that gift of salvation through belief in it, and this is called the TRUTH! God wants us all to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). When we do come to this knowledge, we obtain the abundant life promised to us, and a peace that surpasses all understanding, and the Lord’s joy, and contentment even in difficult circumstances, comfort in our times of need, wisdom when we need it, and blessings beyond measure. No, not always physical blessings, but the important things in life that provide for wonder and awe.

People of corrupt minds, are “destitute of the truth” (1 Timothy 6:5). In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. In other words, God gives us His truth, and we are to come to know it by studying it. We are to avoid being like those led away by a form of godliness, but they deny the power of God… because people who are led away in this way are ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. In fact, people actually “resist the truth” (2 Timothy 3:8)

Peter warns us that in the end times, many will follow their “pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Don’t we see this today? If we tell the truth about a situation from God’s Word, we are evil spoken of because we believe archaic beliefs.

John stated that “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Since the Apostle John heard Jesus speak of truth and explain truth, He was excited to tell others about Jesus (that he saw Jesus and heard Him and touched Him as Jesus manifested Himself to him), and he wanted people to “walk” in that “truth”.

There is so much more to the depth of the study of God’s Word and the truth that He proclaims, but that needs to be left to each of you. Pick up God’s Word and discover the truth that God has for each of us. Don’t relish in unrighteous ways and miss the blessings that God has for you when you act in accordance with the truth of His Word. My prayer is that I have at least given you a start and made you think or ponder what truth is. Remember, if it is really true, it is not based on personal opinion. So, find the facts for yourself. Know the truth because it can be known.

A Bondservant to the Good Master

In Exodus 20:20-21:6, the Israelites had just received the Ten Commandments. The people were afraid because they thought that if God spoke with them, they would die. So, they asked Moses to let God speak to them. The people then stood far off and the LORD spoke to Moses. God gave to Moses some additional commandments that the Israelites were to follow. God explained the type of altar the people could use in order to sacrifice to Him… sacrifices for which were never recorded as being explained to Abraham, Isaac or Jacob before. God then gave instructions for how to handle certain practices that were already common among the people at that time, not just among the Israelites. In each of these instructions, one can see God’s hand of mercy in the way the Israelites were to handle these issues.

One of the first practices that God addresses after giving the Ten Commandments is that of servants (which some may label “slaves”, although this is not the same. Read Deuteronomy 15:12-15 to see that.). If the Israelites bought a servant, who willingly sold himself to the master, the master was to let that servant go in the seventh year. The master was not to see his servants as his personal property, but people who needed jobs or could help them in some way. At the time when the servant should be set free, he alone could make a choice. He might actually see that the one who had given him work was a good master. This servant could choose to remain with his master. If he were going to do this, he needed an outward sign to show for it. Why would that be? Maybe so he couldn’t change his mind later? It was a mark upon him that he had made this decision to stay with this good master, the master whom this servant loved. If he did this, he was then bound to serve his master forever. The mark made on him was a piercing of the ear. In the King James Version it states that the servant was to be brought before the “judges” for this ear piercing to be performed. In the Hebrew Interlinear Bible, it states that the word for “judges” is “Elohim”, the same word used of God in Genesis 1. Now, that is something to consider.

Why would God place this passage about how servants are to be handled just after providing the Ten Commandments to the Israelites? Could it be that God wanted the Israelites to have in mind that they, too, have this choice? They, too, may see that God is a good master, and they will come to love Him? One has to wonder why God would share about being servants just after the Ten Commandments were given. Never, in all of history, did God force people to choose to follow Him. He provided the blessings He promised if they did. He showed mercy to those who would follow Him. We are told that He does not wish that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9) and that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked… but would rather that the wicked turn from his ways and live (meaning forever with Him in eternity) (Ezekiel 18:23, 32, Ezekiel 33:11). And, we know that He says that it is His goodness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4).

God showed His goodness to the Israelites. He had shown His power over all of the Egyptian gods, including the Pharaoh himself, and set the Israelites free. He had shown His provision to the Israelites in their wilderness journey before bringing them to Mt. Sinai. He had provided their daily food (they called it manna). He provided them meat (quails). He provided them water, even from bitter waters turned sweet and water from a rock. He provided them shelter in the trees. He provided warmth and guidance through a pillar of fire and shade and guidance in the form of a pillar of a cloud. He taught them about Himself and His provision. After, and only after, this, God gave them the Ten Commandments. Summed up, these commandments stated two things. The first four commandments stated to love God above everything. Jesus’ first and greatest commandment was “…love the Lord God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30)). The last six commandments stated to love others as thyself. Jesus’ second commandment was “…Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Mark 12:31a)). Jesus went on to state, “There is none other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31b)

So, God showed His deliverance to the Israelites (Exodus 5-15). Then, God showed His goodness to them in the wilderness. Finally, He gave them the commandments that were to bring peace and stability to them. After this, God begins to expound on these commandments so that they will see how to apply them to their daily lives in their time and culture. And, one of the first things He expounds upon is how to treat servants. We, too, are called to be those servants. A great deal of Jesus’ teachings deals with being good servants.

Do we see God’s goodness? Has He delivered you from your sins? Have you seen the destructive path that we all start on in running from God and His goodness? Have you been in bondage and now have been set free? If not, ask God to deliver you. He hears our voice. He heard the Israelites cry out and He answered their desperate cries. He will show Himself strong against all of the gods of this world, just as He did for the Egyptian gods. And He is the self-existent one, the LORD, Jehovah, who delivers His people. After that, He cares for you and teaches you. Are you learning of Him? Are you coming to know Him and His ways? Yes, He may lay down the “laws” for you… love God and love people. Isn’t this what we know within our spirits should happen anyhow? He wrote these laws upon our hearts (as Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10). Now, He may be asking you to see how good He is. Do you see it? Do you want to see it? Are you willing to be a bond servant forever to the good master (Luke 18:18)? If so, our lives will look different. We will be marked. It will not be an outward piercing of our ears, but an outward change in our lives. Look for God’s goodness. Look to the Scriptures to know God more. The more you know Him, the more you will see that He IS the good master!

One Thing

Have you ever thought, “If I could just do this ONE thing”? Or, have you ever thought, “I wonder what the most important thing is?” Or, “If this ONE thing were in place, everything will be okay.”

The phrase “one thing” stood out to me this week in my reading of God’s Word. One thing! I decided to do a search in the Bible to see where this phrase is used. I thought it was interesting because in many places it is used for the “same” thing. This led me to ponder this phrase even more.

So, what is this one thing?

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”
Psalm 27:4

According to King David, he wanted more than anything to be in the presence of God. Is that our desire?

One day, two sisters were preparing a meal for Jesus and the disciples. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and Martha was busy making the preparations. Martha then began complaining to Jesus to make Mary help her.

“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Jesus in Luke 10:42

Mary was just sitting there at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. Mary wanted more than anything to be in the presence of Jesus.

One time, there was a man running to Jesus. This man had a question for Jesus, so he kneeled and asked.

“Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
Mark 10:17

What did this man want? He wanted eternal life in the presence of God.

Jesus answered the man in the following way: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” (Mark 10:18-21)

Jesus gave the answer so that this man could have that eternal life. What was that answer?

“Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”
Jesus in Mark 10:21

In order to have this one thing, to be in the presence of God, we need to follow Christ. We need to follow the Messiah. We need to follow Jesus!

The man in this story went away grieved (Mark 10:22) as he wanted to hold on to his earthly possessions. Is this something you battle? Is this something I battle? If we know for a fact there is an eternity, do we want the pleasure of being in God’s presence for that eternity? Jesus tells us the way. God told us in the Old Testament that He would tell us the way. He told us to listen to the Prophet that would speak all of the words that He commanded Him to speak. Jesus did this.

What did Jesus tell us? I believe He told us that following God and His ways is the most needful thing in our lives. Sometimes we hold onto anything but that, and yet, as David cried out in Psalm 27, one thing is needful… being in the house of the Lord. Jesus began His ministry with the phrase “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Did this not mean that God wants us to enjoy eternity with Him? Jesus told us to change our way of thinking, to turn to God’s way of thinking, and to enjoy the kingdom of God. This is the one thing that I believe is needful!

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul in Philippians 3:13-14

What is that prize? Eternity with God!

Oh for the blessed hope of eternity. Even more than that, the joy that God gives us here on earth. Jesus tells us that He gives us His joy.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Jesus in John 15:11

There is joy in being with the heavenly Father. The joy that we can have eternal life. Only one thing is needful. Today, I want to sit at His feet and be in His presence… and obtain that one thing that is needful… that relationship with Him. If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour… if you don’t know the heavenly Father who loves you so very much… and you WANT to know, ask Him to reveal Himself in His Word. If you need someone to lead you to Him, then ask someone who knows Him… ask me, if you want… but ask.

TESTIMONY

God knows that it may take someone to lead us to Him. He states in Isaiah 52:7 and Romans 10:15 that the feet of those that bring the good news are beautiful. In Acts 8, Philip was taken to an Ethiopian eunuch who was reading the Scriptures in Isaiah. This eunuch did not understand what he was reading. Philip was taken by God from a great revival to speak to this one man to explain the Scriptures. The Ethiopian eunuch then understood and gave His life to the Lord. God cared enough about him that as he sought the truth, God led him to it through one of God’s disciples. So, if you are reading the Word of God, and you truly want the truth, do not be afraid to ask God to use others to help enlighten you. God states in Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

I personally know this is true. I read the Bible through almost four complete times before coming to understand and giving my life wholly to God. But, at first, I was not seeking a relationship with God. I was only seeking to know what the Bible said. When I wanted to have the relationship with God that I saw in others, I asked God to show me… and He did. Search for Him, and you WILL find Him. Seek His Word. It will lead you to the truth. I am living proof of it!

The Word of God

“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.” Philippians 2:16-17
Paul, to the Philippians

Why Do I Share?

What is the number one reason that I am writing a Blog about the Word of God? It is for one reason and one reason only. Since I started reading the Word of God, I have truly come to know God in a very real way. He has given us His Word for a multitude of reasons, as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

I began reading the Bible when I was nearly 28 years old. I was interested in what it had to say. In fact, I was so interested in it that I read it completely through from the beginning to the end in a little over a year. After that, my husband and I began going to church for the sole purpose of being able to raise our first baby with “good morals and values.” We then took a Bible study class which required us to read about 85% of the Bible. I took this class three times! The first time, I took the class without my husband. The second time, he joined me. Finally, the third time, my husband taught the class. It was at this point that the Bible actually began to become the “WORD of GOD” to ME!!

You see, there is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. I was learning the “stories” of the Bible at first. However, after I became a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit did exactly what Jesus said He would do. In John 14, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things. It was at this point that my life became alive… abundant… joyful. There was a true difference in me AND in the way that I looked at life. What was that difference?

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Jesus Christ, the Messiah

The difference was this… now I was hearing from God as my father, and not just “the man upstairs.” I was hearing the heart of God. God was revealing Himself to me because the Holy Spirit was now residing IN me. I had received Christ and God had opened a door of communication to me, through communion (or fellowship) with Him. I began to understand the spiritual significance of what I was now reading. It was no longer just history and stories, but rather, the Word of God was God’s voice speaking directly to me.

John 16:13-14 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
Jesus Christ, the Messiah

There is so much to share about how God has totally changed my life that I cannot possibly include it all here at one time. This is the reason for this blog. As I came to know God through His Word, I could not wait to share what I was learning with others. As I learned more about God, the Words He spoke became milk and then meat for nourishment. As I saw the changes that God was making in my life, as I was better understanding Him, I wanted to share this knowledge with others. I wanted to share the joy that I found. I wanted to share the abundance of life that I was experiencing. Then, one day, the verse in Philippians just jumped out at me. It was Philippians 2:16 in which Paul states, “Holding forth the Word of Life.” That was it. This was the commission that I believe God was giving to me. He wanted (and still does) me to hold forth this life-giving word. I imagine myself holding my hand out with a gift in it… ready to give this gift freely to anyone who will take it. This Word is life changing. It is life giving. It is full of hope and love and joy and peace. This Word of life is everything… as God states. So, here I am, writing a blog to hold forth the Word of Life!

I want to share what the Word of God says, but that is not all. God speaks to us, every one of us. Sometimes we need to take the time to slow down, quiet our minds and listen. I want to share how God speaks. I want to share what God teaches me. I want to share who God is, through His Word. I want to HOLD FORTH the WORD of LIFE and allow God to use it in other’s lives to bring them the joy that Jesus promised… His hope… His joy, an abundant life. Get ready… take His Word and LIVE!!

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus Christ, the Messiah

How to Grow in Faith

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Are you looking around and seeing others that are so “strong” in the Lord and wondering, “How can they trust like that? I wish I had that faith.” Do you know that it is possible for every single believer to have that kind of faith. D.L. Moody stated this: “We must guard against trusting in anything but the Word of God and the Lord Himself.”

The problem is, we doubt… and, oh boy, do we doubt. Is God really hearing me? Does God really care? Why would God allow this to happen? Why would God do this to me? Why would God do this to anyone?

When you first met your spouse (if you are married), did you trust that person COMPLETELY? I am guessing that the answer to that is no, not completely. How could you? You didn’t really know the person. But, isn’t that just it? Once you got to know the person, and maybe you have even been married for years now, you trust that person explicitly with everything. Why? For one main reason, you KNOW him or her.

This is the same principle that applies to a relationship with God. How can you trust a God that you do not know? And, how do you get to know a God that you cannot physically, in person, see or hear? This is why the Word of God is so important. God did tell us about Himself. The more we know of God, through His Word, the more we trust Him. This is why many people who are strong in the Lord are also those that read God’s Word on a daily basis. They KNOW their God. They have learned how God relates to His people and how He operates. They have come to understand God’s ways so that they might know Him more.

Exodus 33:13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Moses

Moses prayed that He might know God’s ways that he might know God. Isn’t that remarkable? Moses saw God call him from a burning bush. He also saw God do miracles in the land of Egypt and save these Israelites from the Egyptians through the Red Sea on dry ground. By this point in time, Moses had also seen many miracles in the wilderness, including bread from heaven (manna) and water from a rock. Moses saw God descend on Mt. Sinai and give the ten commandments to the people in smoke and fire that covered the mountain… and yet, here, after all of this, Moses is asking God to show him God’s way that Moses may KNOW God!!!

Is this our heart? Do we want to KNOW God? There is one sure way to learn of Him… read His Word. Take the free gift that He has offered which leads to eternal life. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Read His Word. If you need some direction today, read Exodus 33 and 34 and see what happens when Moses makes this request of God.