Time with Jesus - Thursday, 19
January 2012
Hi all,
Deception
is perhaps the greatest tool in Satan’s armoury. It seems to be his
specialisation. The deception of Eve in Genesis 3 introduces us to the fall of
man. There is a sense in which the effect of deception is the focus of God’s
attention throughout the Bible to the end of the Book of Revelation.
Mother
Eve was deceived. Adam was not. He was a copy cat. Like many husbands today, he
went along with his wife no matter what. He was not deceived. He knew what he
was doing but did it anyway. So what else is new?
The
Bible has a number of classic deceivers. Abram, Jacob, 10 of Jacob’s sons,
Joseph in Egypt; Moses birth, Joshua; the list goes on and on. Today, deception
is rife. The best comment I’ve heard about this is the question, “Would you buy
a used car from Jacob?”
Jesus
deceived no one. He was sinless. He is the only person who could truthfully
state: - 30 I'll not be talking with you
much more like this because the chief of
this godless world is about to attack. But don't worry--he has nothing on me,
no claim on me. John 14:30 MSG If He
may be accused of anything it would be to allow Satan and his forces to crucify
and “kill Him”. Three days later Jesus was raised from the dead! Satan seems to
have bitten off more than he could chew!
Today’s
meditation looks at deception. What happened and some of the implications
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland.
Deception
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Deception’s not acceptable, no
matter who it’s by.
We may think we must do it. It’s better not to try.
“Sarai is my sister”. Is just
what Abram said,
It’s true, to His half sister, that Abram had been wed.
But it was a deception and
Pharaoh wasn’t pleased,
He put her in his harem and his “wives” became diseased!
He found they couldn’t
reproduce and Sarai got the blame.
So Abram had to leave with her, far richer than they came!
The arch-deceiver Jacob,
tricked everyone he could;
He paid his uncle Laban a lot more than he should.
He only wanted Rachel, but he
had been deceived.
The fact he married Leah, was hard to be believed.
So Laban added Rachel. He
worked for seven more years.
With two wives and two mistresses! He would be close to tears!
Perhaps the “best” deception
that ever has been told,
Is of the men from Gibeon. The thing they did was bold!
They loaded up their donkeys, with
very old stale bread.
“We’ve travelled from so far away” is what their leader said.
“We’ve heard about your exploits and what your God can do;
So we have travelled from afar to
make a pact with you.
We’d like a firm agreement to always be your friend.
So can we cut a covenant on which
we can depend?”
Now Joshua and his people did
not ask God’s advice.
And so they cut a covenant; they did it in a trice.
Then, found out that the Gibeonites
lived only just next door.
But they were in a covenant which they could change no more.
For it was done and settled.
The Covenant was cut.
They didn’t want to keep it. They nearly did their “nut”.
And they would have to live
with it, throughout the years ahead.
They forced the men of Gibeon to serve till they were dead.
Then, some years in the future,
when Saul became the king,
He tried annihilation, to end this problem thing.
But he forgot the covenant and
it was still in place.
So seven of Saul’s offspring with death itself were faced.
Each one of them was butchered
and their bodies left to rot.
Perhaps Saul had forgotten it, but Father God had not.
He never will forget it. Time
doesn’t wipe away,
The terms of any covenant. They’re still in place today.
And this is why a husband and
wife are next of kin.
It goes back to the covenant that they have entered in.
So do not let deception destroy
your marriage bond.
You cannot dump each other because you are not fond,
Of living as a couple, before
the Lord Most High.
You cannot break a covenant no matter how you try.
But Jesus might forgive you, repentance
is required.
You never will repeat it, is what you’ll find desired.
Jim Strickland – Written Thursday 19th January 2012
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