FREEDOM FROM AFFLICTIONS
STUDY TEXT: Exodus 3:7-10
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
- From these scriptures we can see four things God said here:
1. I have seen the affliction of my people.
- God can see every affliction of his people even when it is hidden from man.
- God can see the source, the people and the power behind the affliction.
- And because He can see, He will not be willing to forsake His people in their afflictions unless they are not willing to be free.
2. I have heard the cry of my people.
- God can hear every cry of his people due to pains and sufferings.
- God is aware of the reasons they cry and the people or power making them to cry.
- And because He can hear, He will not be willing to forsake His people in their crying unless they are not willing to be free.
3. I know the sorrow of my people.
- All the sorrow we bear due to whatever reason, situation or condition are well known unto God.
- The causes of our sorrows are known unto him and He knows the way out of them all.
- And because He knows, He will not be willing to forsake His people in their sorrow unless they are not willing to be free.
4. I will come down to deliver.
- God promises a 4-way deliverance for His people. Whatever the bondage, He has solution to each of them.
1. He will take away all the afflictions.
2. He will destroy all their oppressors.
3. He will wipe away all their tears.
4. He will take away their sorrows.
- After the deliverance is achieved, God promised to relocate them for blessings.
- We shall discuss this study under three sub-headings.
1. The classes of Affliction.
2. The causes of Affliction.
3. The cry for freedom from Affliction.
1. THE CLASSES OF AFFLICTION
1. Affliction on a killing mission.
- These are afflictions sent from the camp of the enemy to either kills or make the person close to a place of death.
- Some has a spirit of death chasing them about. I was preaching in a programme in Ghana by the grace of God sometimes ago, and God revealed a lady under the attack of a spirit of death, the power of God set her free and the arrow was returned back to the sender to die in place of her.
- Attacks by terminal sickness and diseases that come upon a man, stay for along time and latter kill the person.
- I have seen God healed many in situations like this. For instance a young Muslim man walked into one of our services and he had been told to prepare to die due to a terrible kidney disease, But God revealed that it was a satanic attack, and destroyed the yoke by His power. The man was healed and he and his wife got saved on that day.
2. Affliction on avenging mission
- This kind of affliction is sent to take vengeance against the evil seed sown by someone or his or her parents. Genesis 4:9-13
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
3. Affliction sent against somebody’s peace or well being.
- This is the kind of affliction to make someone to be troubled continually and solution to problem like that is usually very difficult. Luke 8:43-48
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
4. Affliction that comes due to curses or negative pronouncement.
- Some people are operating under a curse or some negative pronouncements, and as a result there lives is being resisted or limited in one area or the other and no appreciable progress can be seen in their lives. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, 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! And God granted him that which he requested.
5. Affliction that comes to monitor satanic covenants, oaths or vows.
- Some are under one satanic covenant or the other either the one they enter into personally or someone else entered into it on their behalf consciously or unconsciously.
- These include all kinds of evil dreams that generate fear torment and oppressions and all kinds of demonic oppression.
6. Affliction sent to attacks somebody’s faith in God.
- Like we see in the case of Job, affliction can be sent to attack someone’s faith in God.
- This is one of the strategies of the devil to take many people away from God so that he can have them with him in hell. Job 1:8-12
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
7. Affliction sent to attacks somebody’s harvest or reward for labor.
- There are some people that will not face attack when they are sowing or laboring, but the attack will come at their harvest time or the time they need to reap their labors. Judges 6:2-6
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
2. THE CAUSES OF AFFLICTION
- Afflictions can be caused by many reasons, and some of the causes include:
1. Unconfessed and unrepented sin.
- Sin brings affliction, and makes one to remain in it for a long time. Isaiah 1:4-8
Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.
8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.
2. The making of a spiritual giant. Isaiah 48-10
- Affliction can come for the reason of making somebody to be strong in the Lord and eventually be a giant spiritually.
- Even in cases like this, the affliction can be taken away after the purpose has been accomplished.
- We saw the example of Job that God gave him multiple of what his losses at the end. Isaiah 48:10-11
Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.
3. Opposition against righteous living and upholding the standard of God. Ps. 34:19-22
- Affliction can come to the righteous and those that had resolved to obey the Lord and His words.
- So afflictions do not necessarily means God is far away or He has forsaken or forgotten someone. Psalms 34:19-22
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
4. The spiritual battle against the kingdom of darkness. Eph. 6:12-13
- We are consistently in battle against the powers of darkness and so attacks of various kinds can come, no wonder the Bible says we should be battle-ready at all times. Ephesians 6:10-13
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
5. Unbroken curses and covenants.
- Afflictions can come upon a man as a result of curses pronounced against him or on his generation, or when a man walks in a cursed path either knowingly or unknowingly.
- Similarly, when satanic covenants are not broken or not properly dealt with by the power in the Blood of Jesus, they do generate one or more afflictions.
3. THE CRY FOR FREEDOM FROM AFFLICTION.
- God will give freedom from all kinds of affliction, but we must be willing to be free and call upon Him for our liberty. Joel 2:32
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
- Certain criteria must be met before we call upon God for deliverance from afflictions. They include:
1. Repentance from sin and being saved. We must confess all known and unknown sins and truly repent of them all.
2. Renounces all satanic covenants both the known and unknown and releasing all satanic properties that may still remain in your custody.
3. Cry for deliverance with a heart of faith, trusting in God and His power as the only way out of your afflictions. James 1:6-8
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
4. Release yourself to the Holy spirit anointing. James 5:13-15
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
- Friends, whaterver the afflictions you are facing now, you can be free from them all.
- God is ready and He is willing to give you freedom, but you must be ready to surrender all to Him and believe Him as the only solution to all your problems. He loves you and care for you.
