Ezekiel 14:12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: 13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it (no intercessory prayer will help the rest of the unfaithful), they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
JUDGEMENT IS COMING… Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured By the fire of His jealousy, For He will make speedy riddance Of all those who dwell in the land.
The shaking of all things is starting to be felt across the nations. Wars, pestilence, famine, floods, evil!
You and I are called to live blamelessly, shinning as lights in the darkness of a wicked and ungodly world. In spite of the opposition which will arise, it is possible for you and me to live righteously in an unrighteous world.
The great promise of God is that the righteous will be delivered in such times. Prov11:8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked instead…Vs 21 Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
Lets look at these 3 men to learn …
NOAH - KEPT HIS FAMILY THROUGH JUDGEMENT
Noah built the Ark in obedience to God - and it became the vehicle for their deliverance.
Noah – lived virtuously in the midst of a vile culture, Noah’s culture is described in Genesis 6:5-9 …Noah lived in an extremely sinful age.
Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
BUILD YOUR house, build your family, build the church
DANIEL - KEPT HIS FAITH THROUGH JUDGEMENT
Daniel kept his faith during times of oppression and captivity, and it became his promotion to new levels of influence in a strange land…Daniel – lived resolutely and undefiled under a repressive government… Daniel 6:6-10
Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
KEEP YOUR FAITH
JOB - KEPT HIS FUTURE THROUGH JUDGEMENT
Job stayed faithful to the promises of God despite calamities coming his way - and God restored double to him for His trouble.
Job lived under the roof of an overly critical wife and among friends that tended to find fault and make trivial and excessive criticisms of him. Job 2:7-10
Job 13:15-16a “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation.”
STAY THE PATH, RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTS A MAN - A FAMILY - A NATION THROUGH THE DARKEST OF TIMES!
Ezekiel 14:14 “even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD.”
Daniel prospered – Daniel 6:28 “So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Job received two-fold what he had lost – Job 42:12-13 “Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.”
Noah – found grace in the eyes of the Lord and was redeemed - Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
