Thank you all for being here. Tonight we examine a concept which deeply involves the integrity of the Father and Son. By that I mean, as their children we need to be able to trust their word completely, to put our lives completely into Their hands. This is the way in which the kings of Israel were successful. The moment they grew proud of their wealth, their armies and their wisdom, disaster was sure to follow.

We know that in the New Testament, specifically in the life of Christ, we have the clearest revelation of the Son to the world, yet He also said: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39)

In the Gospels we have the clearest picture of the Most High, but it seems to me that in the Old Testament, specifically in the History books, we have a most detailed picture of His dealings with men. If the books of the histories are combined, so we can read the later books of the Prophets understanding their environments, we find some real spiritual "gold" there, and they tell us a lot about who Yahweh is.

One of the major things that comes through, at least to me, is how sure His word is... whatever He said, it came to pass - every time, unless He specifically altered His purpose (or seemed to) based upon repentance or conversion of those who heard His warnings. One of the main examples of this in Scripture us the city of Niniveh, which, after hearing Noah's warning: "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." (Jonah 3:4)

They repented, "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not. " (Jonah 3:5,10)

Most of the time, however, the prophets that brought these solemn warnings were despised, imprisoned, even slain; and this only showed the onlooking universe how much it was that the king or people deserved the very misfortunes which the messenger was trying to save them from: "Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord." (Jer 20:2)

What I would like us to come away from this study with is a clear sense of the integrity of God; that what He says will come to pass WILL, even if the circumstances seem unlikely. I'll give two examples of situations where it seemed as if He was mistaken, and those who were waiting on His promises "took matters into their own hands." In both cases, they really complicated what was to be a simple, straightforward procedure.

The first of these examples most of us are probably very familiar with: "And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, 'Unto thy seed will I give this land:' and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him." (Gen 12:7) Now, we know Abram had no children at this time, no "seed" unto whom the Lord could have given the land; moreover, Sarai his wife was barren... moreover: "Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women." (Gen 18:11)

So here we have God promising children to an old man and his barren, post-menopausal wife. Not many people would consider that a likely situation to be in: but this is exactly why Yahweh loves to do it this way... to use the least likely set if situations, just so we know it couldn't have happened by chance, or by our power, just so we know it's Him.

But He couldn't realy mean what He said, could He? I mean, maybe we can interpret His promise some other way: some way that makes sense? This is what Sarai did, she reasoned the situation out, and came to this conclusion: "Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, 'Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.' And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." (Gen 16:1-3)

Ten years into the wait, Sarai decided that the promise must have meant that Abram's son (but not necessarily hers biologically) would be the one to inherit the land. So, by putting her own effort into the situation, and by his going along with it, we find this: "And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael." (Gen 16:15)

However, when Yah appeared again to the couple, repeating His promise in no uncertain terms: "And God said unto Abraham, 'As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her." (Gen 17:15-16)

Pertaining to the two sons, the one he already had and the one he was to have: "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year." (Gen 17:20-21)

So Isaac went on to be the Father of Israel, from whom come the Jews (the original plan), but now Ishamel was added to the equation, and from him we got the Arabs... and we know that the war between Israel and the Arab states is going on even to this very day.

In spite of the human interferance: "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac." (Gen 21:1-3)

Look at that first verse again: "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken." (Gen 21:1) Notice the words used: "as He had said," "as He had spoken." That's a very important set of words; and the focus of this study, that no matter how unlikely, no matter how impossible the situation seems, He makes a way for His children to prosper.

That works both ways: If He pronounces judgment, no man, beast or angel can stay His sentence. Consider this story from the record of the kings of Israel and Judah...

There was a most wicked king in the north, over all the tribes except Judah and Dan, whose name was Ahab. He married a woman named Jezebel, and the two were among the most evil of Israel's rulers on record. On account of their idolatry and many sins, the Lord sent Elijah the prophet to give him this warning: "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?' And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'" (1 Kings 21:18-19)

Just before this, Ahab and his wife had cheated a man named Naboth out of his family land, and because of this injustice, Elijah said that the dogs of Samaria would lick the king's blood from that very field. Now, remember that this particular field is in Samaria, that will become important in a short while.

Some time later, Syria and Israel were at war; so much so that Israel and Judah (who were by that time enemies) joined together against this common threat. Now, Ahab wanted to go out to war, but Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was a bit more hesitant. At least, he wanted to know what the Lord had to say about the situation first: "And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, 'Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.'" (1 Kings 22:5)

After this, Ahab called together all his prophets, except one. All these that he called were more eager for the king's favor than the truth, however; they all said to go forth into battle: "Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, 'Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' And they said, 'Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.'" (1 Kings 22:6)

Jehoshaphat was suspicious for some reason, however: "And Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?'" (1 Kings 22:7)

So Ahab is finally pursuaded to bring this prophet forward, whose name is Micaiah. Micaiah, it should be noted, was currently out of favor for speaking bad things against Ahab for his sins, just as Elijah was. The true prophets, it seems, were against this particular king, and with good reason. But in any case, Micaiah was given a chance to speak: "And Micaiah said, 'As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.' And he said, 'I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.'" (1 Kings 22:14,17)

Essentially, the prophet says that the war itself will succeed, but that Ahab himself would perish in the undertaking. Now, one of the false prophets saw his chance to make a favorable name for himself, and probably remembered the dramatic words that Elijah had said to the king some time before. When Micaiah therefore said, "'Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.' But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, 'Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?'" (1 Kings 22:23-24)

Ahab believed Zedekiah rather than Micaiah, and had the latter thrown in jail (verse 27), and I'm thinking it was fairly easy for Zedekiah to convince the kings that Micaiah was a false prophet - for Elijah specifically said that Ahab's blood would be licked up by dogs in Samaria, which was quite a distance from Ramothgilead, which is where the battle was to take place.

But look at how the battle turned out: "So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, 'Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.' And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot." (1 Kings 22:29,34-35)

Now look at what happens next: "So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake." (1 Kings 22:37-38)

The very thing spoken of as the end of the king came to pass! And... "according to the word of the Lord." Again we find that sentiment expressed. The recorder of the History had not forgotten what Elijah had prophesied against Ahab; and although he had let himself be convinced that this battle would not be his last - since the prophet's words couldn't possibly come true... yet all the messengers of the true God will be in perfect agreement. And no matter how unlikely the circumstances, His Word _will_ accomplish what It has been sent forth to do. No amount of reasoning, or effort put forth by man can move the arm of the Most High out of its purpose.

As Isaiah wrote, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isa 55:11)

Those are wonderful words! And I'll tell you this: that promise, just that one verse, sums up just about the entire Bible. You know this study series is called, "Traces of Creation," and I generally attempt to show how in the pattern of the creation itself, and the first book, Genesis, that all the Gospel is basically spelled out. In this case, it should be obvious just from the word "void" that there are applications to the beginning. Of the very first instant of creation it is written: "And the earth was without form, and _void_; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen 1:2)

What is the very next thing that happened? God spoke. "And God said, 'Let there be light:' and there was light." (Gen 1:3)

He sent forth His Word, and immediately, there was no more void. Immediately the "nothingness" of pre-creation was transformed into order, energy, light. This is the principle: that the Word accomplishes, and nothing can stop it. The "Word" is the antithesis of the "Void."

Now how does this apply to us today? Well, the most obvious application is in our relationship to Christ; for that same Word that created all things came into this world to save us from sin: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS [In Hebrew: "Yahshua," "Yah is Salvation"]; for He shall save His people from their sins." (Mat 1:21)

And as we continue to study our topic of "Victory over sin," and how it relates to being a new creation in Christ; indeed, how it relates to the original, instantaneous and complete Creation of the universe - we find that we can trust our Savior. We find that from the beginning, He has been speaking; the Father has been speaking through Him, and He has blessed us from Genesis to Revelation.

He gave us many precious promises while on earth: "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." (Mat 10:42)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.'" (Mat 21:21)

"Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, 'Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.'" (John 5:14)

And many, many others...

And here is the point of this study: We can trust every ONE of them. Christ was sent as the Word into this dark, sinful world... and just as it has been from the beginning, the Word shall not return to Heaven empty, it shall not return unto the Father void. We are going with Him.

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord... Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Th 4:16-18)

David.