PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his "son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2):  "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  But earlier, in the same letter, Paul had instructed him on how he was to handle the Word of God.  He wrote:  "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). 

This advice is of the utmost importance to you and me today!  We must be able to differentiate between what God told Adam, from what He revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the Apostles.  Only Adam had access to the forbidden tree; only Noah was to build a boat; only Abraham was to travel from Ur to the promised land; only Moses led his people out of Egypt; only David was forbidden to build the temple; and only the Apostle Paul understood Christ's Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles!  For example, if you and I take what God told Abraham 4000 years ago as being meant for us, we would have to leave our homes and families and travel to Israel.

A perfect example of "wrongly dividing the Word," is when Christians state that Israel, now a nation in control of her own land, will never again be driven out by her enemies.  Of course they will!  Jesus told His disciples that there is coming a time known as the Tribulation, a time when a false Messiah will offer them peace, but half way through the seven year "treaty" (Dan. 9:27), he would declare himself a god and demand to be worshipped (Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13; etc.)!  Jesus warned His people, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains" (Mt. 24:15-16).  For three and a half years, the Jewish people will be in danger of being hunted down and killed!  Israel will no longer control their land!

Another misused Scripture is found in Psalm 122:6.  People are constantly saying "pray for the peace of Jerusalem," but notice the context.  The Temple existed (v. 1), and the Tribes of Israel were able to freely go to the Temple and worship God (v. 4).  Not only was Solomon's Temple destroyed by the Babylonians, within forty years of Christ's Ascension, Herod's Temple would also be leveled!  There is no Temple today!  And there will be no peace in Jerusalem until Jesus returns and destroys the enemies of God, and those of His people Israel (Mt. 24:29-31), which says, 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Even that peace which comes from enjoying Christ's Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:1-6) will be temporarily threatened by Satan and his minions; they will be defeated by Jesus, Who will judge them and sentence them to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:7-15)!  It is not until the "New Jerusalem" is established, that Israel, and all those who love her, will have true peace (Rev. 21:1-27)!

 

The peace of Jerusalem will only be permanent when it is the "New Jerusalem!"