“…he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, …and the Lord wrought a great victory.” 2 Samuel 23:12
Dear Ones:
If our worship of Jesus Christ in His glory, does not result in us “falling down” before Him because of being overwhelmed, we might wonder if we have “seen” Him as He truly is. Throughout the Scriptures, and history, when men and women have caught a glimpse of the glory of God, there have been several reactions. The first one is a negative one, that of refusing to let the truth of God and eternity penetrate into the heart. Those who have embraced this perspective and position have deliberately chosen darkness instead of light. The second reaction is like that of the man in one of Jesus’ parables who received one talent from his lord. His attitude was: “I knew thee that thou art a hard man, …I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent. Lo, there, thou hast that is thine.” (Matt. 25:25) Unlike the first group of those who opposed the revelation of God, here is a man who acknowledges him, but sees him in a twisted manner, and because of fear, refuses to trust in his lord. In both cases, there is unbelief, and consequent rejection. However, there is a third category of persons. And one of the best, and clearest illustrations of this attitude in the face of the revelation of God concerns one of David’s mighty men, Shammah.
The Israelites were fighting the Philistines, and were fleeing from them. For “some” reason Shammah, who was in their midst, took his stand “…where was a piece of ground full of lentils.” Why did he do this? What moved him to turn around, take his stand, and begin to fight with all of his might…alone? It was certainly the result of the personal revelation of God to his heart, that perception and conviction of Who God was, the commitment He had towards Israel. Thus, Shammah takes his stand…defends the ground, “…and the Lord wrought a great victory.” (2 Samuel 23:12)
When Ezekiel had his great vision of God, as recounted in Ezekiel 2, we find that his reaction was: “…And when I saw it, I fell upon my face.” (1:28) So overwhelmed was he that there was no other place to go, or reaction suitable, than to fall upon his face in worship, godly fear, and submission. It is then that the Lord tells him, “…Stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee.” (2:1) Why does the Lord tell him to do this? It is because the revelation of God is given in part in order to thrust us forward, not to bring us to inertness, or passivity. When the stand is taken, and the knowledge of the will of God is revealed and embraced, then God will work in answer to faith. His victory will be revealed.
When Habakkuk was given by God the revelation of the invasion of Israel by the Chaldeans, though he was overwhelmed by the thought and reality of it all, his response was a precise declaration of faith that was truly rewarded by God: “I will STAND upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.” (Hab. 2:1) Here is a man who has taken his stand, to hear the word of God, and to comply with it, and embrace it. Though the vision of Christ in His glory is an overwhelming sight, we too must take our stand, to hear what He will say to us through His word, and to learn what He would have us to do.
Dear Father, give us to be like Shammah who, though alone, took his stand of faith…gripped his sword and defended the parcel of land upon which his feet were planted. Grant us even more grace to be like the Lord Jesus, who lived in the awe and wonder of Thy constant presence, and whose energies were always directed and focused to do the will of God, accomplishing Thy work and purposes. We thank Thee for Thy faithful presence, and provision. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad