(…continues from part three…)

4)            He was a teacher, probably a professor of the Mosaic Law of Jehovah. He knew the LORD; he taught His precepts and lived by the same. Jabez would not dare, in the uncomfortable state of penury, to seek wealth elsewhere. He would not even, superstitiously change his name Ya‛bêts (yah-bates’) meaning: ‘sorrowful, to grieve.’ After so many years of impecuniosity, he was heard using the same prayer words as he called on the God of Israel, saying, in 1Chronicles 4:10, “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!” the last part of the verse reads, “And God granted him that which he requested.” The ninth verse records, “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren:” of whom “his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.” After probation, a man of uprightness, in vindication, lives to enjoy life to its fullness. Amen.

David anointed to prove God right in His choice

                Every Hebrew child must go through education of Mosaic Books of the Law which shall not depart out of their mouths; David remembered that God told them to meditate therein day and night, “that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:” which did not only find its way into his heart, but got stuck in there for all times. David’s unwavering love for the things of his God made him the best choice to reign when Israel must have her own king. God had been watching him and knew he would be a good king. The judge, prophet and high priest of Israel, Samuel, after he had anointed him as the next king, the good LORD was so pleased with the teenage David who would not allow any smidgeon of bumptiousness towards the members of his family but humbly went back to his duty as the shepherd of the few sheep.

                To prove to all that David had truly gone through a successful probation, he could not help asking even of the gargantuan fiendishness of Goliath, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God” (1Samuel 17:26)? His probational days had built strong faith in him, knowing fully well that the LORD God is more than able. King Saul sought to kill David several times. Thrice David had the opportunity on platter of gold to eliminate his deadly pursuer; three times, like what is thought of a fool, David rejected the convictive words of his soldiers to kill King Saul. David’s knowledge of the word of God enabled him to make his way prosperous; leading to: “and then thou shalt have good success.”

Adam: made of two spirit and soul lives.

                There, definitely, is no difference between Adam the pristine father and Apostle Peter probationally speaking. Adamic creation, unlike the millennia earlier creation of angelic beings of the third heaven: for while angels have one element of life: spirit, Adam was created with two – soul and spirit – lives. With the soul, the soteriological quiddity is an establishment. When they eventually sinned, a sin offering restored Adam. Why would God do that? He simply knew that Adam would definitely come back to his first love, ergo, the LORD God took care of Adam’s eternality. Did the LORD God not know that Peter, His disciple, would embrace the spirit of skittishness and be found undependable? But this what it says of the Lord Jesus, 31) “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32) But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32). The probationary element, ‘sift’ is siniazo (sin-ee-ad’-zo): ‘shake in a sieve; Fig. by inward agitation to try one’s faith to the verge of overthrow.’

                Did the cock, as prophesied, not crow thrice? Did Peter not denied knowing Jesus, his divine Master? But unlike Judas whose faith could not see him through his discipleship probation, Peter came back to his risen Master. Jesus prayed for the restoration of a Peter, whose mind was stayed on the LORD God. John 21:15 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” And that was the restoration of Peter; the Lord Jesus would never have bothered Himself with a prayer of vanity.

“…but because he was a thief, and had the bag” (John 12:6).

                Pharaoh was probed with ten mind disturbing plagues of annihilation. The king’s stubbornness killed him and really not because God hardened his heart. He thought he could conquer this Jewish Jehovah Elohim. Judas Iscariot’s integrity came under probe. He stole from the bag of Jesus Christ’s Ministry of Salvation, entrusted into his financial acumen. He saw another opportunity to amass more money. What did Judas do? Bent on exploiting the weapon of betrayal, a tool of Satanism, he fulfilled prophecy getting himself an evil negotiation of thirty pieces of silver, in order to satisfy the prosecuting terms of pointing out a man of accusation. When probation finds you in total faithlessness to the will and word of God, in losing you lose disastrously.

                Getting born again is a conscious effort on the part of an individual. Get born again. You were born in sin. Say this sinner’s prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!” 

(…to be continued…)

Read part three here

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