Saturday, February 2, 2019 Day 33

Exodus 25-27            OFFERING: GOOD MOTIVE ADDS VALUE

The blessing of the Lord is unquantifiable, invaluable, immeasurable and inestimable. It is not an element of happiness but of fulness of joy. It elates the spirit of man. It is a thing of the spirit with enduring physical evidences. It outlives the recipient. It adds value to material possession. It affects all aspects of live. Money cannot be used to quantify. The greatest experience of this blessing in internal peace. This is the reason the way of the blessing should be taught appropriately without any selfish ambition.

Exodus 24:12 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”

The children of Israel have their role to play and the priests have their responsibilities in the covenant. The prophets also have their part to play.

In Exodus chapter 24, you read of the levels of leadership set by God.

1. The Prophet
2. The Priests: Aaron, Nadab and Abihu
3. The minister
4. Elders of Israel

Though they all saw the glory of God, but it was from afar. Only Moses, the Prophet could get nearer. Seeing a glory is not the same as hearing His voice. One could be on the mountain, but not hear the Lord. the priests did eat and drink, but Moses was engulfed in the cloud of God.

Moses ran some courses or subjects in God’s classes. These are:

1. Types of offerings
2. The architectural design of the Ark
3. The design of the Table
4. The design of the candlestick
5. The design of the Tabernacle
6. The design of the Altar
7. The design of the court of the Tabernacle
8. The use of oil
9. The design of the priests’ garments
10. Consecration
11. The altar of incense
12. How to conduct Anointing service
13. Human resources; appointment of workers such as Bezaleel
14. The Sabbath

All in the space of 40 days and 40 nights. Each subject was well detailed, and it will take a great deal of patience to receive it; this is the type of spirit that is useful to the Lord. a meek and gentle spirit.

In the school of the Almighty, orderliness and sequence is the pattern. This is a thing the called must first realized. As for Moses, the first subject was the offering. in this subject, the first topic was, “WILLINGNESS”

Exodus 25:1-2 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.”

Willingness is a disposition or inclination of the heart to do something without any expectation attached to it. That is, not compelled to give for reward. For instance, if an influential man came to town for business and I offered him a room in my house, my gesture, though kind, could be influenced by the personality of the man and a motive rooted in personal gain in hosting such. On the other hand, if I saw a homeless man on the street, and I am inclined to get the man comfortable. This is might not be motivated for any gain, but just to see him of the street. The rich man could get a room for himself in the hotel. My gesture towards the rich man cannot weigh equally with that towards the homeless man. That of the homeless man weighs more. Holy Willingness is weighed by motive. Our offering is weighed by the motive behind it.

Jesus practical explained it in the synagogue whilst He walked here on earth.

Luke 21:1-4 “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say to you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in to the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

The widow, unlike the rich men, regarded her offering as a faith obligation. The rich men wanted fame and recognition; that was there reward. Their gifts were not accepted before God.

God told Moses, my offering must be from a willing heart and not from a cajoled heart. In most cases, cajolery is used to maneuver an unwilling heart. It does not mean that the heart is of good spirit even after it has been persuaded. A good spirit is of a cheerful heart. This is what God wants when it comes to giving to him. A cajoled heart can end up being sorrowful; God cannot owe anyone.

Proverbs 15:13 “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

When a spirit is broken, such loses contact with God.

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Listen, beloved, when a heart grudges after being compelled or cajoled into giving, such hearts send curses along with the gift. And sorrowfulness of heart is a concern to God.

Ministers must know that cajoling into giving makes offerings unacceptable to the Lord. Cajoling carries lies with it. It is deceptive. God is not a gambler as to be seen as one who wouldn’t bless unless you give money. What ministers need to do is to teach them of willingness and not to cajole.

He gave Moses the list of what could be brought into the house of God, Exodus 25: 3-7. And the purpose was to build a sanctuary for the Lord; not for riotous living like the prodigal son, Luke 15:13.

Exodus 25:8-9 “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” God who gives the vision will always give the provision proportional to the vision. There is not any need for cajoling. Once cajoling comes into funding a vision, He removes His hand even though it still looks as if He is there. Those with willing hearts are those He has chosen. He chose Bezaleel by His Spirit

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

Friday, February 1, 2019     Day 32

Exodus 22-24            FIRST FRUITS OFFERING: FAITH OBLIGATION

We have realized that sanctification is the gradual process of imbibing the nature of God in our being through obedience and submission to His word, instructions and commands. It is a set apart for God to be expressed through us through transformation. It is an unending process on earth that terminates at rapture. The body will be the last to receive that transformation into a glorious body.

After the sanctification of the children of Israel and the washing of their clothes (filthiness and unbecoming attitudes), they were presented as commanded by God. They heard the voice of God as He spoke with Moses but could not stand the power of the word. We need to understand that whatever God does which is for all to see will stand as testimony on the last day. Those things are to stop us from sinning.

Exodus 20:20 “And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”

It is unfortunate that many seek for miracles but have lost the fear of God. The miracles will stand testify on the last day. The miracles are not the most important thing but the word of God.

The laws are given for them not to sin against one another and against God. The Ten Commandments were delivered and broken down in categories.

1. Towards God
   1. Building Altars
   1. Sabbath day
   1. feasting
2. Towards man
   1. Property
   1. Actions or intents
   1. Resolving issues
   1. Restitution
   1. Servants

Promises attached to obedience and submission

1. Mercy for those who love and keep His commandments, Exodus 20:6.
2. None shall suffer any of Egyptian diseases, Exodus 23:25
3. No untimely death, Exodus 23:26
4. The wicked shall not be justified, Exodus 23:7
5. Angelic protection, Exodus 23: 20-23.

God has not changed. In most cases, we seek for His blessing and mercy without seeking for His face and will. The truth is that, conditions are attached to His blessings. He assured the children of Israel that “if they” (a condition) hearkened and followed His commandments, He will definitely show them mercy and bless them.

Exodus 23:25-26 “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. 26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.”

Truly, this is in line with Abraham’s blessing which God has not changed and will not change. We are roped in by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The conditions apply to us. To steal from somebody is wickedness. To bear false witness against another is wickedness, Exodus 23:7. Every hurt we inflict on our neighbors is wickedness which God demands restitution; He will not justify the wicked, whether Jew or gentile (irrespective of who the wicked is). He did not say, “an Israelite” but “thy neighbor” which makes the laws applicable to us.

Exodus 23:7 “Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.”

If you appreciate the law that keeps people from hurting you and you do not say it is for the children of Israel, then, you must keep the law that invokes God’s blessing because the blessing is for keeping that law. We are roped in and not roped out of the package of the blessing of Abraham.

First fruits offering is a demand from the Lord. it is a faith obligation. It is an aspect of serving the Lord (Exodus 23:25-26). You don’t have to be selective in which law to do and which not to do. Romans chapter seven (Romans 7) says the law is good, but evil is locked up in our body. Since Godis good, whatever He gives is good, including His laws and commandments. Here are some things the Lord says about it, i.e. first fruits:

1. There should not be any delay

Exodus 22:29 “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.”

2. It should be to a place.

Exodus 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe (cook) a kid in his mother’s milk (tender, immature).”

3. It will be accepted through the priest’s waving (prayer) before the Lord, Leviticus 23:9-21. The Lord has granted the priests this responsibility. It is now left for the priest to be responsible in carrying out the assignment righteously.

4. It is the first of the exchange for your labor in the field.

Exodus 23:16 “And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.”

Here, the controversy on whether it is money or crops is resolved by the word of God. By definition, Labour means employment, efforts, exertion, industry, toil, work, input for production. The reward of your input into a process is what becomes the tender of your first fruit. The field is definitely where you exert your labour, work of employment. A medical doctor cannot bring a syringe to the house of God as first fruit offering. The return of his labour is his wages/ salary.

Luke 10:7 “And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.”

1 Timothy 5:18 “For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward.”

You need to know that, in politics, Labour party comprises all who earn wages and salaries in exchange for their labours. Their first fruit is what they earn in exchange for their work which they sowed in their various fields, industries or careers.

5. It must be celebrated; feast. According to the law, it is a feasting occasion.

It is pertinent to know that after Moses wrote His words, he built an altar and sprinkled blood on it to affirm the covenant backing the Lord’s word.

Exodus 24:6-8 “And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.”

In like manner, Jesus shed His blood as an everlasting covenant to be roped into the immeasurable heavenly blessing which includes that of Abraham.

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

We may not be Hebrews by birth, but we are roped into the everlasting covenant by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The only place everlasting covenant is mentioned in the New Testament is to give us the knowledge that the Blood of Jesus is the gift for us to be citizens of the covenant and partakers of the splendor.

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

In their preparation to depart Egypt, instruction was given on how a stranger could be part of the liberation in Exodus 12:48. God said, such will be regarded as a citizen of the covenant.

Exodus 12:48 “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.”

The first requirement was circumcision. The second is to keep the ordinance. In like manner, to be born again is a requirement, then keeping the ordinance follows.

Through this Blood, we gain grace (“working in you” by His Spirit) to do His will and please Him in our works.

The problem lies in our flesh which constantly rebel against the spirit. The flesh working in the givers as to murmur and listen to satanic doctrine against the faith obligation. The flesh working in the priests receiving as to use for fleshly splendor. The priests should study very well how to use the first fruit offering. By this, they will not be guilty of it on the day of accountability.

Deuteronomy 28:58-59 “If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.”

The law is not abolished, but we have received grace to do it by His Spirit. The judgement of ignorance is greater that it was under that of the letters.

Hebrews 10:28-31 “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Truly, we are not under the law but under grace; grace to do the law, and not to trod under foot and regard as unholy.

May we receive more grace of sanctification in the name of Jesus Christ.

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

Thursday, January 31, 2019            Day 31

Exodus 19-21            BE READY

Exodus 19:3-6 “And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.”

Submission and obedience are the key to walking with God. If there was anything God wanted from the children of Israel, it was this key. They had been brought out of the house of bondage, but they needed to walk with the Lord. this was the same charge God gave to Abraham at the point of the covenant.

Genesis 17:1 “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

The demand to be perfect means to be sanctified. The keys to keeping the covenant of the new birth are submission and obedience. Just at the point of God delivering His law to the children of Israel, He demanded that Moses should sanctify them. Which means, teach them obedience.

Exodus 19:10-12 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:”

Before coming near His glory, there must be sanctification and washing of clothes. Though they were delivered from Egypt, disobedience could still open the door to death. Purpose of them hearing God spoke with Moses was for them to take Moses seriously and abstain from sin.

The journey to the Promised Land started with the challenges the Lord allowed, to prove them and teach them to know His ways. each time they overcame the challenges, He told them to hearken to the voice of the Lord and do that which is right in His sight. Through the repetition and demand for obedience, He was making Himself clearer to them. By this, they are getting to know that obedience is the key. Therefore, sanctification is:

1. The process of understanding His will.
2. An act of getting ready to meet Him.
3. Having His holy nature wrought into our being.
4. Embracing His panacea in place of our lack

The nature of God is holy, and to meet Him, we must be holy. This is the difficult aspect of our lives. We struggle to be holy, humble, patient and righteous. Each time we try these, we regret our next action; fail. Because it lasts just for a while.

In this struggling of our lives, we need help. What need be done, but we cannot get done, we need solution. Help is for a while. We need a permanent solution. Our righteousness is by works and does not last. Our humility is outward, but inwardly, are hidden pride and anger. We show love on the face, but we are full of jealousy and hate within. Everything we do is artificial; it doesn’t last. This is the reason for the failure of the children of Israel in their walk with God. They have the law but lacked the grace to live the law.

Glory to God who has given us Jesus Christ, His only begotten son to be the panacea to our inherent problems. Jesus Christ is the gift. He is our righteousness, redemption and sanctification.

1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:”

This scripture did not say, He will help us to be righteous, sanctified and redeemed, but that He is the personality of righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Which simply means He has become the sanctification we need to meet the requirement of walking with God.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me.”

All we must do is to accept Him and He will express His nature through us. We shall just realize that after submitting to Him, He takes over and give us the life of sanctification and wisdom and love. Unfortunately, the law could not do this, only grace in Jesus Christ can.

Ephesians 2:8-18 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.”

Jesus Christ is our sanctification. BE READY

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA

302-230-6792

Wednesday, January 30, 2019        Day 30

Exodus 16-18            GREATER THAN ALL GODS

Truly, they got their salvation, they got their deliverance, baptism and they sang their songs after the Red Sea. But they have never learnt to rely on God who is greater than all gods. They needed to be taken through the process of knowing how to rely on God.

Exodus 18:10-11 “And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.”

God took them into Egypt to build them into a nation. After their exit, He did not take them through an easy path of the Philistine, to through the wilderness where He would make them His people.

The first wilderness was the Wilderness of Shur; a sick land. There they came across a bitter water called Marah. This was the first challenge in their journey to the Promised Land. The sickness was as a result of the bitter water. When a land is sick, barrenness and death will be there. The water was polluted, and nothing grows in the land. This was the same situation in the beginning of Elisha’s ministry, 2 Kings 2:19-22. By the sweetening of the water, their trip in the wilderness received God’s blessing.

There are lives just like this case and there are marriages in similar situation. They appear good, but the water is bitter and, therefore, they are not getting the expected joy. It would usually be as if there is no God again in their marriages and situations. People don’t think of their unyielded part of themselves but kept looking backward (Egypt), with the thought that it was better there. The truth is that the life in Egypt, no matter how splendid it was, cannot match the new life across the Red Sea. The type of song on the other side of the Red Sea cannot be heard in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 15:11-18 “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation. …. 18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.”

May the Lord give you a song to sing and a dance to dance in the name of Jesus Christ.

When you look critically at the deliverance of the children of Israel, you will realize it was in stages.

1. Gods of the land of Egypt
   1. The waters,
   1. The first born
2. Hand of the Egyptians
3. Hand of Pharaoh

For the gods of the land, the powers of the waters were at play in the first sign and first two plagues. Aaron’s rod became a serpent by divine instruction, but those of the magicians became serpents by enchantments. This was a battle of words from two worlds; light and darkness. Moses and Aaron received theirs from light while the magicians received theirs from dark world. They worshipped water spirits. In Egypt, firstborns were regarded as another god. These two gods were the confidence of the Egyptians which they were proud of. God showed His supremacy in dealing with these gods.

When the Egyptians realized how powerful the God of the children of Israel is, they gave up on them, but Pharaoh remained adamant. The Egyptians wanted them out quickly, but Pharaoh still held unto. But because our God is greater than all gods, His deliverance was complete.

The word of God is powerful. The children of light must not ignore any of His report. It becomes very dangerous to walk away from the covering of His word. The children of Israel walked under the covering of His word through the mouth of a prophets. The victory over the powers that be in Egypt was because the prophet followed divine instructions.

Across the Red Sea was another scenario. In Egypt, the prophet alone heard and followed the voice of God. He knew God. But the children of Israel needed to know the same God and learnt His ways.

The second wilderness is the Wilderness of Sin. These two wildernesses posed challenges to them. In this one, it was famine. What they expected was not what they got. This usually happen after our new birth. But the truth is, in most cases, the problem isn’t from our past as the children of Israel thought that leaving Egypt was the problem. The issue usually is that God wants to put us to test and train us to know His ways. on these two cases of challenges, the scripture says they were put to test.

Exodus 15:25 “And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,”

Exodus 16:4 “Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.”

As soon as a person becomes born of the spirit, such is born into the world of the Word. Submission and obedience is the key to sustain self in that world. The remnant of Egypt will only be flushed out by the word of God. The mindset needed to be re-oriented; not Egypt-ward but the promised-land-wards.

When we become born again, most times, we think that there won’t be any more problems in our lives. But the challenges we come across are to take us through the route of wilderness where we get to know Him and learn His ways through His words.

The children of Israel faced these challenges in preparation for the law.

May the Lord give us the grace to live by His dear word in the name of Jesus.

January 29, 2019      A NEW DAWN

Day 29                       Exodus 13-15

Whatever situation befalls a man, once he gains God’s attention, a new chapter opens, a new dawn is proclaimed.

Exodus 12:1-2 “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

This was before the last daze on the nation of Egypt. In chapter 6, we read that the children of Israel were anguished in their spirits and did not go along with Moses. But by the time the last plague was unleashed, they had been convinced of their deliverance.

Also, the Egyptians were fed up with the torments of the plagues and, therefore, were eager to let them go, Exodus 12:33. But the Lord would not let go Pharaoh’s heart. It is a terrible thing to fall into the anger of the Lord.

The most important thing about this deliverance was that, without salvation, a person would not get it. The process of salvation was given to Moses which he also relayed to the children of Israel. First is killing of a lamb by the head of each household and strike the blood on the door side posts using a hyssop dipped in the blood.

On their departure, the word came to pass. They became rich. The Egyptians could not restrain from giving them more than they asked.

Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

They made peace with, Abraham. The adversary of Isaac made peace with him. Esau and Laban were at peace on sighting Jacob. the covenant of the Lord solicits for peace all the time.

On their journey, two angels escorted them.

Exodus 13:21-22 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.”

Abraham sited the likeness of the angels in the vision of the covenant.

Genesis 15:17-18 “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:”

The smoking furnace is the angel that went by them by day and the burning lamp gave them light by night. These were the angels which witnessed the covenants and ensure compliance with the words of the covenant. They will not tolerate:

1. Transgression against the covenant.
2. Rebellion against the words of the covenant.

Along our reading, we will eventually see that they carried out their assignments on the journey according to Jeremiah 34:18-19. Not all that left Egypt entered the promised land.

Philistine was closer, but the children of Israel had not been skilled in warfare. God had been doing the fight with signs and wonders. Jacob their father did not engage in any physical warfare; but spiritual warfare. The philistines were aggressive people who couldn’t tolerate closeness of strangers. If the Israelites had passed through their land first, the battle would have been severe as for them to think of going back to Egypt. In view of this, God led them by another route through the wilderness which they would be trained for battles.

As you know, God had not released the heart of Pharaoh. The system of witchcraft was destroyed, which gave them deliverance. But the witch, the power behind witchcraft remained to be dealt with. Pharaoh was to be humiliated since he said, “who is the Lord that I should obey him”

When the Israelites saw the pursuit of Pharaoh, at the edge of the wilderness, fear gripped them. But they never knew that God had composed a song for them to sing on the other side of the Red Sea.

Exodus 13:17 “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:”

Beloved, at the end of every battle, there is a song to sing. On the other side of every river to cross, there is a song to sing. To every rough road, there is an end and a song to sing. All that is needed is to TRUST and OBEY. This is the key to victory. The way of the philistines would have been easier and smoother, but there was no song composed there; only weeping and discouragement. Many have plied such roads but are regretting now. Just because God did not draw the road map for them; they drew it for themselves. It is a dangerous thing for the children of covenant to murmur in what they are going through. The angels of the covenant cannot tolerate it. Therefore, learn to”

1. Trust God in all your adversities
2. Obey His words in your decisions in the course of your plights
3. Pray to Him in faith in the roughness of the road; faith is the shock absorber
4. Praise Him no matter how difficult and tormenting the problem.

Because it is a new dawn, a new beginning, the beginning of an admirable phenomenon and a new realm of glory that cannot be despised. May the Lord continue to keep us in the radar of His grace, in the name of Jesus. Amen

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA