Declare His Praises ... To encourage one another
From Mt. Olive
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” - Hebrews 10:24 and part of 25
How true it is that we all need encouragement. You know well the account of Joseph and his brothers. You'll remember that when the brothers of the Old Testament patriarch learned that a silver cup had been discovered in their brother Benjamin's sack, their hearts sank. How astonished and ashamed the brothers were. The drought and famine in Israel already had humbled them, but now they could not believe it. What an embarrassment! As they turned back toward the city with Joseph's steward, fear gripped them. Surely they would be arrested, perhaps even killed. What would they say in their defense to the one who was second-in-command in all of Egypt? Their brother Judah even declared, “Surely God is punishing us for our sins.”
Judah, especially, felt responsible and you'll remember how he offered to take Benjamin's place, whatever the punishment would be, so that Benjamin could return safely home to their father Jacob.
Judah's words touched Joseph deeply. How different they sounded from the words Judah had spoken so long ago when he suggested they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites! Now Judah was offering himself as a lifetime slave in the place of Benjamin.
Soon after, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and spoke these memorable words: “It was for good that God sent me ahead of you…it was the Lord Himself who sent me here to save your lives…” Now that was an encouraging word indeed.
There are times when we all feel a little like Joseph's brothers. We can all easily become discouraged in our various vocations. A boss can get on us at work, and that is humbling. On top of that, we can so easily begin to feel that God has abandoned us and throw up our hands in exhaustion and scream: “Where in the world is God?” When family needs, our own feelings of unworthiness, and most of all, when our own sins cause the pressures to mount, what we need is an encouraging word.
Thank God He has given that encouraging word. An encouraging word came to the weeping adulteress, “Neither do I condemn thee,” Jesus said, “go, and sin no more.” John 6:11. An encouraging word came to the healed invalid of Bethesda, “Behold,” Jesus said, “thou art made whole; sin no more.” John 5:14 An encouraging word came to the penitent thief at Calvary: Today,” Jesus said, “thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:43 That is the same encouraging word he gave to that chief of sinners, Paul, saying, “Arise, for I have appeared to make thee a minister.” Acts 26:16 And, it's an encouraging word that He spoke to repentant Simon Peter saying, “Feed my sheep…and…Follow me.” John 21:19 Those encouraging words, those words of forgiveness and restoration from the tender heart of our Lord are meant also for you and me. And for these wondrous, gracious, encouraging words from our Savior, shall we not encourage one another?
From the annals of history comes the account of the Christian martyr, Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Evangelist John. We're told that when he was in the coliseum awaiting execution he was asked to recant and to give up the Christian faith. To this request he responded, “Eighty and six years I have served my Lord, and he has never done me wrong…how then could I desert my Lord and Master now?” At that, a flame was set about his feet and it is said that his own blood doused the flames. The fire needed to be set again.
Now this is truly a discouraging account. But were the Christians deterred? Did this stop the spread of the Christian faith? No, in fact the movement grew. Polycarp declared God's praises, and others were encouraged. Christianity at this time was said to spread more than ever.
My own family has experienced firsthand what it's like to be encouraged when God's praises are declared. At the funeral of our 5- month old son, nearly two years ago, many were present when God was praised for the Baptism that Hugh had received. In that Baptism, He was declared to be God's own dear child, a forgiven and restored heir of the eternal promise. Those in attendance heard, through Scripture and sermon, how God was praised that He had kept Hugh in the Christian faith. They sang God's praises, remembering that He has called His little lambs by name and that now our son could truly rest from his labors in the arms of His Savior. I was encouraged, and my whole family was too, that so many Christians gathered together to encourage us by declaring God's praises.
Near the beginning of this message, it was mentioned how Judah was willing to take his brother Benjamin's place and suffer the punishment that would have been Benjamin's. In this, Judah can serve us as a type, or a picture, of Christ. But what Judah was not required to do, our Savior was. Jesus Christ truly took our place under the law and suffered what we deserve. Through his shed blood, we are declared righteous and God looks at us as though we had never sinned. Now, that's an encouraging word indeed, and a word by which we might encourage one another.
This devotion was delivered to the ELS Convention, June 21, 2007