September 16, 2011
-
The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 35
There’s an issue of exchange. Nothing just happens. You have to give in order to receive. If you come offering nothing, but expecting to receive, you will be waiting for a long time. Even in the New Testament, this principle was practiced. The man of God was “tended to” out of the possessions of the people who followed him. This was done by many women for Jesus as well, Mary Magdalene among them.
If you are expecting God to bless you, or you have a dream or goal that you want to achieve, you have to find a way and a place to give of yourself first, and you will find that the doors of heaven will open up to you; the path will reveal itself, and people will be placed strategically into your path to help you get where you are going.
These guys knew about this principle, which is why they were discussing this matter, trying to figure out what they could offer the man of God.
1Sa 9:8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: [that] will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
They searched from among their possessions to find something to give. It just so happens that he had this shekel of silver.
shekel – the chief unit of weight or measure
1) gold – 1/10000 of a talent and equal to 220 grains
2) silver – 1/3000 of a talent and equal to 132 grains
3) copper – 1/1500 of a talent and equal to 528 grains
Ok, so I’m previewing this statement with the fact that I am mathematically challenged, but I believe ¼ of 1/3000 is .750, but again…I’m not great with numbers, and especially fractions. It’s been too long since I’ve done that in school. However, I know it is the equivalent of 33 grains.
1Sa 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
I am so glad the scriptures defined this word, because I brought it up once in meeting, and one woman was quick to tell me, with an attitude, that my saying that I am a seer is not scriptural. She was the same person who contested trances as well, once I mentioned having had these in the past as well.
These days, seers are a reference to a medium and divination. However, when I said I was a seer, I meant a see-er, not a medium. I was able to quickly find the word trances in the New Testament, so that quelled her argument, but I did not find the word seer immediately, although I had seen it previously.
People who are ignorant of the scriptures don’t understand that some people are born with gifts like this; the ability to see things. Some dream and see (which I also do by God’s will), and the truth is revealed to them in dreams. The problem comes when people in the church who lack understanding, attack a young person with this gifting, and turn them away from God.
Most of the time, young people with a gifting of this nature get pushed into the dark arts on account of the ignorance in the church about these things. What they need to do is direct these young people to God, and instruct them to turn the gift over to Him, so that He can anoint them and utilize them for His glory.
1Sa 9:10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God [was].
1Sa 9:11 [And] as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
1Sa 9:12 And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for [there is] a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
1Sa 9:13 As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
1Sa 9:14 And they went up into the city: [and] when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
Now, when you come to petition the Lord for something, and you have come prepared to give, then he sets people in your path to direct you on your way. Here, they found young maidens who directed them right to where God’s man was. Not only that, the man of God came out to meet them. He was already expecting them. This is what happens to people who give because they have a heart for the Lord.
