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WHY DO WE PERISH?
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Robert I Holmes
http://www.storm-harvest.asn.au
Transcript of message. DFW, Lewisville (U.S.). 14th Sept
2001
"Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times
and the strength of your salvation" (Isa. 33:6).
Solomon is known as a man of wisdom and knowledge. His
wisdom was legendary, and people from all over the world came to him for
advice or to discuss delicate matters with him. Solomon made this statement
once: "People without a vision perish" (Prov. 29:18). This wisdom did not
save him, nor did it make him holy. But the knowledge of God and the wisdom
in how to apply that knowledge did save his country on many occasions, and
it brought great blessing to us these many centuries later.
I have the privilege of dealing with people from all walks
of life. Doctors, lawyers, businessmen, preachers, prophets, single mothers,
young men, children, rich, poor, Australian, Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese,
Indian, American... perhaps not so many or diverse as a counselor or a king.
Nevertheless I have seen the truth of Solomon's statement that people who
lack vision are dying on their feet.
The word Solomon used for 'vision' means 'revelation,
oracle, dream, insight from God'. People need revelation. People need God
born inspiration. A casual reading of this passage might indicate that
without revelation we would die. It's sadly true that many people live from
one revelation 'high' to the next, but this is not what Solomon meant. The
word Solomon uses here gives us insight into what he meant. Perish means 'to
lay bare, expose, turn back, make naked, wither'. His statement could just
as well read, "People without true revelation or God's perspective wilt on
the vine". People without God's perspective wither.
I wonder what your view of yourself is? Are you a
grasshopper in your own sight, like the ten spies who came back from Canaan?
Do you have a revelation of the way God sees you, through the blood of His
Son Jesus Christ? I wonder what your view of circumstance is? Do you view
your problems, and the issues facing you like giants in the land, too
difficult to overcome?
HEARING GOD'S VOICE It is my
opinion that there is a great lack of hearing the voice of God in this hour.
Just as in the days of Samuel, the word of the Lord is rare (1 Sam. 3:1).
When I say 'the word of the Lord', I do not mean 'prophetic utterance' for
there is plenty of that in the church. How many are the voices of men and
how many are the real Voice of the Most High?
Why do we have a situation that when a 'revival' or
visitation from God is said to be in some place or another, people spend
thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles to see it? Why is it that
we run from north to south and east to west to find God (Amos 8:11,12). Why
is He not found here and His voice not heard in our home?
THE DAYS OF ELI Consider why
the word of the Lord was rare in the days that Samuel served Eli as a
servant. The patterns of the Old Testament show us that the spiritual state
of the land and peoples reflected the state of the leaders. If the king
followed other gods, then altars and temples covered the land. If the king
rose and pursued God, the temples were burned and the altars smashed down.
The Voice of the Lord was rare in the days of Eli for two
reasons. The priesthood was corrupted, and there was no prophetic voice in
the land. Gideon was gone and the legacy of idolatry he left was worse than
the one he destroyed (Judges 8:27). Samson had come and gone, fornicating
with women of foreign nations and bringing their gods into the land.
Onto the scene comes Eli the high priest. There was no
king, and no judge in the land. The people were leaderless, and Eli failed
them too. His sons corrupted the offerings of the Lord, stole from the
people, laid with the servant women at the door of the tent of meeting and
make a mockery of worship.
PERISHING PEOPLE Hosea,
writing some three hundred years later could remark, "People perish for lack
of knowledge" (Hos. 4:6). Hosea uses a slightly different set of words. The
original language says, people perish: are cut down, cut off, undone, ended,
cease. He gives the reason - for lack of knowledge: awareness, insight,
ability to discern. Hosea understood that we not only need vision to give us
passion - because undirected passion may get us killed. We need focused
passion, focused with understanding and discernment.
David cried out, "We do not see the signs; there is no
longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long" (Psalm
74:9). It would seem to be just as true today as when it was written. There
are so few among us who understand the times we live in, or the days ahead,
or the will and word of the Lord.
Without the ability to discern God's will, without the
ability to discern God's word we will die. Especially in the days to come!
"My people go into exile without knowledge; their nobles are dying of
hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst. Therefore Hell has
enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure" (Isa 5:13,14).
Jesus lamented that the people of His time built the tombs
of the prophets and approved of the forefathers killing them off. He
lamented, "Thus you have taken away the key of knowledge" (Luke 11:49- 52).
True prophets and apostles carry the key of knowledge.
It is small wonder that those who teach will be judged
with double strictness (Jas. 3:1) and those who lead well are worthy of
double honour (1 Tim. 5:17). Good leadership is a precious gem!
WHO IS TO BLAME? Before we
write off our leaders, before we go pointing the finger at the prophets
asking why they have recently seemed unable to effectively warn us of
disaster, we might ask ourselves why God allows the compromise of Gideon,
the compromise of Samson, the compromise of Eli in our leadership.
Leaders who lack vision and destroy knowledge are a
judgment from God. "Because these people draw near with their mouths and
honour me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me... the wisdom
of their wise shall perish, and the discernment of the discerning shall be
hidden" (Isa. 29:13,14).
The root cause of the problem is not leadership, it's the
people. Those who are loveless and without passion for God will perish. They
will wither for lack of good teaching and strong food. They will be given
the sickly singer, the titillating teacher, the prophet who speaks lies and
the judge who judges for a bribe.
"A rebellious people, faithless children, children who
will not hear the instruction of the LORD say to the seers, "Do not see";
and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us
smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path,
let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel." Therefore thus says the
Holy One of Israel: Because you reject this word, and put your trust in
oppression and deceit, and rely on them; therefore this iniquity shall come
to you" (Isa. 30:10).
God will always give us what we deserve.
MY PRAYER "Lord deliver us from
the leadership of the tribe of Eli. Deliver us from a lack of knowledge.
Deliver us from lukewarm preaching and from compromise. Deliver us from a
lack of vision. Deliver us from leaders who do not discern right from wrong
and good from evil, who manipulate the word of God to teach the latest fad
to bless the hearers. Lord do not give us what we desire, but rather what
you want for us, give us vision, passion, knowledge and wisdom. Ignite our
love for God again, turn our hearts back toward you and remove our
hypocrisy. Amen."
Robert I Holmes
Storm-Harvest Ministries
http://www.storm-harvest.asn.au
~ Australia
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