As I read through the Old Testament, I find my faith greatly encouraged by the example David set. An awful calamity struck this man causing his very life to be threatened by those closest to him. I am awed by David’s determination to get a word from God in the midst of his perilous time.
The Lord rules over all of creation with majesty and power. His laws govern the whole universe — all of nature, every nation and all the affairs of men. He rules over the seas, the planets, the heavenly bodies and all their movements. The Bible tells us:
“He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations” (Psalm 66:7). “The Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength…Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting…Thy testimonies are very sure” (93:1–2, 5).
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
“He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
“He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law” (Isaiah 42:1–4).
When revival broke out in Jerusalem, an angel spoke to the apostle Philip. He instructed him to go to the Gaza desert, and there Philip met an Ethiopian diplomat riding in a chariot. The man was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. So Philip asked the official, “Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:30).
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9).
If you are a member of the body of Christ, get ready to face a mad devil. You may not want to think about it or even accept it - but if you have determined to follow Jesus with all your heart, Satan has marked you for destruction. And he's going to flood your life with troubles of all kinds.
The Old Testament is full of types and shadows of New Testament truth. Whenever I have a difficult time trying to understand a truth from the New Testament, I turn back to its foreshadowing in the Old. In fact, I believe there isn't a single episode or story in the Old Testament that is not full of ripe truth for New Testament believers.
My preacher grandfather once told me, "David, if you're going to teach about character, you have to go to the Old Testament. That's where all the character teaching is." I believe he was right.
Without a doubt, the blood of Jesus Christ is the most precious gift our heavenly Father has given to His church. Yet so few Christians understand its value and virtue.
Christians often sing about the power of the blood. Indeed, the anthem of the Pentecostal church is, "There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb." But most believers seldom enter into the power of that blood.
Thousands of God's people lined the shore, watching as a miraculous scene unfolded: "The swift waters of the sea had collapsed over Pharaoh's great army!"
What an incredible scene it must have been — the sights and sounds awesome to behold! Horses bellowed, soldiers screamed, chariot wheels spun off in all directions, men bobbed up for air and then disappeared beneath the flood tide, thousands of bodies washed up on the shore.
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
"For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation" (Hebrews 2:1-3).
It is the night of the passover. The Jews are shut up in their houses, for God has warned that death is coming to Egypt this night! The blood of an unblemished lamb has been sprinkled on the transom and two side door posts of every home, according to the Lord's command. "The blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:13).
