WTFMT 43 FOR HGM ON 23 MAY 17

WILDERNESS TRUTHS FOR MODERN TIMES-43

TEXT:   "The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high." (Habakkuk 3:10)

 

I. THE PURE IN HEART SHALL SEE GOD

 

A. The prophet Habakkuk makes a very strange statement concerning seeing God. Relative to this statement from God's own mouth in Exodus 33:20, ". . . there shall no man see me and live." But Jesus comes along and says' "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:9) There is a possibility of seeing God.

B. There is a possibility of seeing God after death to self. Everything that looks into the eyes of God must melt and die! It is still true that you cannot see God and live. Yet it is also true that the pure in heart can see God. The heart must be purified from selfishness. One must die to self.

C. In the very process of learning God by being with Him and ingesting His Word the believer comes to a gradual dying. When the dying is sufficient in the sight of God He can have a trust in the believer not to spend His resources on the desires of the flesh. The more we move away from self as the center the greater the opportunity to see God as the center.

D. In seeing God we are able to see what is in Him. That is we get a view of His character which transcends the ability of language to describe. We SEE His purposes. We SEE a heart which is indescribable. We SEE His intentions. We even can learn God well enough to move with Him on His pathway for our lives.

E. If we learn to walk God's pathway, living in His will, we like the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace will not be concerned about what God will or will not do. The reason for this lack of concern is that we have learned God well enough to know that He is concerned for us. Thus we can, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (I Peter 5:7)

F. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew God well enough that they were certain of their deliverance. God could deliver them outside the fiery furnace keeping them from even going into it. God could deliver them out from the fiery furnace bringing them out once they were thrown into it. God could deliver them in the fiery furnace through physical death. They never questioned God about their situation or about what He would do, because they knew Him!

G. If we know God well enough we would know of His greatness and unlimited power, we would know of His love and care, and of His mercy, kindness, and longsuffering. There would be no room for questions or doubt. In learning to know God, we can become so full of Him that it leaves room for nothing ungodly.

H. The Bible does not say, "Love casts out fear." But it does say, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (I John 4:18) Love which is complete enough crowds out elements contrary to it. We can become so full of love that fear cannot find any room in us.

 

II. PARTING THOUGHTS

A. God gave the provisions necessary for learning to know Him. In referring to the time in the Wilderness of Sinai, "Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:" (Nehemiah 9:13) As man reaches for all that God provides and continually takes in as much as he can he will learn to know God.

B. The importance of knowing God is seen in God's efforts to reveal Himself to man. "You came down on Mount Sinai," illustrates God's efforts. For God to "come down" on Mount Sinai would mean that He traveled an unimaginable distance. He left heaven and came to the Wilderness of Sinai. Or did He bring Heaven with Him? "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." (Psalm 68:17) In the Wilderness of Sinai Heaven comes down.