Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness until all the nation, even the men of war who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they didn’t listen to Yahweh’s voice. Yahweh swore to them that he wouldn’t let them see the land which Yahweh swore to their fathers that he would give us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Their children, whom he raised up in their place, were circumcised by Joshua, for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way. When they were done circumcising the whole nation, they stayed in their places in the camp until they were healed. Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of that place was called Gilgal to this day. [“Gilgal” sounds like the Hebrew for “roll.”]”
(Joshua 1:6-9)

“He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
    but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.”
(Proverbs 19:16)

The entrance into the Land of Promise was marked by extreme obedience by the Israelites. They were to keep a specific number of yards behind the ark when they travelled – they did. They were to take stones from the river and set them up – they did. They were to be circumcised at a time when their enemies eyes were on them – they were. They were to celebrate Passover because it was that date – they did (again when their enemies were watching them). Whatever God required, they did. The previous generation had not done this. The previous generation had spurned the commands of God. They had refused to trust Him, so He wouldn’t take them into the Land which could not be taken outside of obedience to Him. They pouted and said ‘you’re not letting us in? Fine. We’re not doing what you say. So there.’ and dropped circumcision. They refused to identify and let their children be identified with God. They remained identified with Egypt and insisted their children would too. But here the children chose to identify with God. The children chose to trust Him. The children chose to be OBEDIENT and as a result God removed their stigma of shame and made them an example to the Land of a protected people (Psalm 23:5).

All the commands and statutes of the Lord are protective. All of them. It doesn’t matter if they are in the New Covenant or in the Old Covenant. The guidelines of the Lord are intended to keep us safe. They are the fence that keeps us in the BLESSING zone. In His backyard. In the centre of His will. They are not RESTRICTIVE, but FREEING. Does it mean we can’t do whatever we FEEL like? YES! Feelings come from OUTSIDE. They are NOT necessarily a good thing for us. The things from the devil and the world he designed always start bright and shiny. They feel good. They seem good. But in the end, they are shackles of ignorance and darkness and ALWAYS lead to negative things. But on the other side of the choice to be obedient to God or to our selves, we find the opposite. We are taken from darkness to light. From ignorance to knowledge. From peril to safety. From shame to the restoration of intimacy and relatedness to and with God. He esteems us and we glory in Him.

Summary

We have ALWAYS been given a choice to rely on the external information that we receive from our senses, from the feelings that come on us, from the stress that comes on us, etc and what God says is right, good, and just. We gain our authority in Jesus – the protective and operative power of His Name – through our humble submission to His point of view. It’s as simple as that. God goes before us and lights our way with His Word (Psalm 119:105). We can choose to stay on that path or we can choose to leave it and go into the darkness. Whatever shiny thing we see that takes our attention off of Him is GUARANTEED to be sharp and harmful. A playful, fun, enjoyable thing – right up until we are cut. But there are no sharp things on His Way. There is ONLY life, health, and abundance of spiritual then physical things (regardless of AMOUNT or TYPE). We find our fullness in Him. He IS our Source. He IS worthy of glory. And as obedient children, we are lifted up by Him in His time into His Son (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:6).