FINAL MESSAGE, 1st January 2012, given in the House of Peace, City of R.
Usually the custom during the Watchnight Service on 31st December and the New Year’s Day service on 1st January is to speak on the three Promises given to the Church. But I had already spoken on two Promises – one in the Final Message of the Watchnight Service on 31st December 2011; the other in the Table Message of the Sunday service on 1st January 2012. Now, instead of speaking on a Promise, the Lord opened the door for me to speak in a new way on Psalm 128.
The Psalm begins with: “Blessed is every one that fears the Lord.” The subject: the fear of the Lord. Right there on the wall in front of me were three verses, all talking about the fear of God. God speaks in marvellous ways! He showed me that it was alright to speak on a different subject, instead of the conventional one. His ways are often ways of surprise and wonderment. The entire Psalm was read, along with other portions of Scripture which explain the fear of the Lord – such as Psalm 111.10, Eccles 12.13, Job 28.28.
Psalm 128.1b shows how fear of the Lord means ‘walking in God’s ways, i.e. the way of righteousness, the narrow way, the way of holiness, the way of the Cross. I also showed how the sevenfold Spirit of the Lord upon Jesus, in Isaiah 11.2, included the spirit of the fear of the Lord. (And how this spirit of the fear of God gave spiritual sensitivity to the one who had such fear, Isaiah 11.3) I also read Luke 1.50 where Mary sings of God’s mercy being on them that fear Him from generation to generation.
Then I spoke of the fourfold blessing that God gives to the one who has the fear of the Lord. First, the blessing is Personal. “You shall eat the fruit of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.” I spoke of how the righteous man (who has the fear of the Lord) prospers in all that he does, Psalm 1.3. And I gave the example of Joseph in Gen 39.3, 23. “The Lord made all that Joseph did to prosper in his hand.” Joseph had the fear of God, which is why he resisted the temptation of Potiphar’s wife.
The blessing then passes on to the Family. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of the house. She is a blessing to the home and to the neighbours. Your children shall be like olive plants around the table. Olive plants speak of health and strength. What a blessed home God grants to the one who fears Him!
Then the blessing passes on to the Church. It says: “The Lord shall bless you out of Zion, and you shall see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” You will have the blessings of the Church. And why? Because the one who fears God is himself a blessing to the Church! Oh, how the Lord is seeking for such God-fearing and righteous men to fill His church! And what blessings are in store for them. They themselves shall be a blessing to many!
Finally, ”You shall see your children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” Job was one who feared God. In Job 42.16,17 we read of how Job saw his sons and his sons’ sons, ‘even four generations’. And he died, being old and full of days. The same blessing was enjoyed by Abraham, who ‘died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years’ – seeing his sons and his sons’ sons and perhaps even his great grandchildren! Gen 25.8. And I concluded by mentioning Obed-Edom – the one who kept the ark of God in his house for 3 months and was immensely blessed by the Lord. Why? Because he revered the ark, unlike the household of Abinadab. (Which is why judgment fell upon Uzzah, Abinadab’s son. Read 1 Chron 13.). The blessings on Obed-Edom are recounted in 1 Chron 26:4-8.
God is so wonderfully gracious. It is not only personal blessing, but family blessing and church blessing and blessing from generation to generation…and the blessing passes on to ‘Israel’ – the nation of the people of God. Oh, how much God wants to bless the one who truly fears Him and walks in His ways!
