Sermon Illustrations

A BAG WITH HOLES

“You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” (Haggai 1:6)

There are many rich people in the world who spend a lot of money, even wealthy people save and invest most of their money; but there are few who have defense for these riches. Prophet Haggai (Haggai 1:6) speaks of those who earned money but put it into a bag with holes, that is , they could not hold or keep what they had gotten. It is the lord that establishes the creature(Money) to us , and defend it for us. The best things in the world take wings and are gone, unless the lord allowed them to stay with us; and defend and keep them for us, they would soon be pulled out of our possession. Some men's riches waste away but they don't know how this happens, there is a hole in the bottom of their bag. Possessions are violently taken away from others because the lord is not their defense.

The Lord is the protector of His people, a castle, a strong tower and all manner of fortifications about His people, to defend their possessions and persons, their soul inclusive.

God was a hedge for Job and his possessions but He opened a gap for Satanic tribulation, and then the sabeans and chaldeans came to spoil all his possessions (Job 1:15,17). But Eliphaz told Job, who have lost this defense, to return to the Almighty, and God will once again be his defense (Job 22:23-25).

How safe are those that have God for their defense, who live under the shadow and covert of the Almighty! How secure are your possessions when the Almighty God is your defense.

Let us now acquaint with Him, and be at peace; Receive instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in our heart. Let us return to Almighty God and remove sin from our hearts and we will have our delight in God and lift up our face to God for divine protection and defense of our possessions.

God shall stand against our enemies, protect us against all winds and weathers, and block all holes in our bag; and be our defense, also the defense of our gold (Job 22:25).

(Outline from JOSEPH CARYL'S EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB)

James Dina

jodina5@gmail.com

2nd December 2020

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