Solomon said in Proverbs that people rejoice when a righteous person is in authority. This is because a righteous person is likely to make decisions that benefit others, because they fear God. The opposite is true when a wicked person is in power and then the people groan. The wicked often make laws and decrees that are oppressive, antagonistic and negatively affect people. Sometimes wicked people will make laws that oppress the poor and disadvantaged, while making laws that benefit their friends. We can often see systems of government that seem to benefit the wealthy and those in leadership. There are also some biblical examples of people in leadership who were oppressive. These examples point out how their leadership negatively affected people and how God responded.

Pharaoh was an oppressive leader of the Israelites in Egypt. He was threatened by the rapid expansion of the Jewish people and wanted to reduce their numbers. “Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses” (Exodus 1:11). When these actions didn’t work, Pharaoh went as far as killing the newborn male infants. God executed judgment on Pharoah and Egypt by sending plagues, killing their firstborns and then causing their army to drown in the Red Sea, when they pursued the Jews. God eventually delivered his people and settled them in their own lands. Moses and Joshua led the people and were righteous men. Both of them led the people out of bondage and helped them to settle in Canaan and they had peace and rest.

David was also a righteous leader and for the latter part of his reign, Isreal had peace. Solomon also had rest and there were no battles in Isreal during his reign. He did not completely honour God and his love of foreign women, caused Isreal to fall into sin. Subsequent Kings after Solomon also caused Isreal to sin and walk in disobedience before God. One of the most detestable kings of Isreal was Ahab, who caused the people to serve strange gods. Due to the rampant wickedness during his reign, Elijah prayed and there was no rain for three years. This was rendering God’s judgment on the land, due to sin and wickedness. The drought would have affected all of the people, who relied on the rain to nourish their crops and water their animals. It’s safe to say that this wicked king and his wife’s actions, caused the people to groan from the drought and lack.

We have to pray for the people who are in authority over us. We also need to pray for God’s will to be done concerning leadership and governance. There are times when we can pray, for God to remove some wicked people out of positions of authority. The leadership structures of a country, community or a company will directly affect its people. The devil will relish in allowing his wicked agents to be in places of authority, in order to oppress God’s people. God also wants his righteous people in positions of authority, in order that the people will rejoice and have peace. Respecting leaders and praying for them, does not absolve us of the duty to pray for God’s judgement and justice. It was the cries and prayers of the Jews in Egypt, that went up to God when he sent Moses to deliver them (Exodus 3:9).

”When evil people are in power, crime increases. But the righteous will live to see the downfall of such people” (Proverbs 29:16).

A.P.-Y.

Isaiah prophesied concerning the death of Jesus Christ and his prophecy was accurate even of the disposition of Jesus during his prosecution. Jesus had only a few words while he endured the persecution and criticism of the religious leaders. “And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king”” (Luke 23:2).

Jesus did not respond to the criticism and accusations levelled against him. He already told his disciples that he had the power to summon a host of angels to come to his defence. His focus was on the purpose which was ahead of him. To die to save mankind from their sins. As such he needed to preserve his energy and it did not make sense to stop to address his critics. “So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer” (Luke 23:9).

It takes a lot of energy to stop to address every criticism or accusation spoken against us. The knee jerk reaction is to try to explain ourselves, correct a wrong assumption or try to set people straight. The reality is that trying to do this can be emotionally exhausting and time consuming. More so feeling the need to constantly react to defend ourselves is counter productive. The Devil can use this as a strategy to wear us out and keep us distracted from what God is actually doing in our lives.

Don’t waste precious time trying to explain yourself to people who are not interested in knowing the truth about you. The negative version of you sits more comfortably with some people and it says more about them than it does about you. Remember that people often try to project their negative self image unto other people. A person who is extremely critical of others is a often very critical of themselves. It is one of the symptoms of a hurting person who does not feel very good about themselves.

Ignoring criticism takes a lot of emotional maturity and the grace of God to help us to keep the flesh under subjection. It is the fruit of the spirit that is self control, which will help us to resist the urge to bite back at critics. Being assured of who we are in God, what he has called you to do and the assurance that we are walking in his purpose, will keep us focused. “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

A.P.-Y.

Jesus was in like manner tempted in the way that we are today. In fact, Jesus faced constant criticism and even condemnation from religious leaders. The religious leaders of Jesus’s time were so offended by him that they did not stop until they found an excuse to kill him. My father often says that if you don’t want people to criticise you, then don’t do anything of significance. People very seldom criticise people who aren’t doing anything important.

James said that we should count it all Joy when we meet trials of different kinds. “Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]” (James 1:2-3). Other versions say that when our faith is tested, it leads to patience or perseverance. Imagine that being tested can lead to developing inner peace? I believe that trials submitted to God, leads to peace and endurance. This is as the Holy Spirit works to renew our minds and provides comfort and assurance. Criticism is a form of persecution especially when people criticise those things that are of significance to us.

There are a few things that we need to consider when we are criticised. (1) Who is the person levying the criticism and do they have the strength of character to criticise you? In other words, we should place greater emphasis on the words of people who are significant to us and those people who we respect. (2) Is there any truth to the criticism and can you benefit from reflecting on what was said? (3) What is the aim of the critique? (4) Was the person offering the critique trying to hurt your feelings or were they aiming to help you?

The reality is that we will not go through life without being criticised by someone. I believe that when you are doing anything of significance, then this is likely to attract criticism. We have to gain our significance and our sense of self from God and what his word says about us. When we are secure in the love of God, then what other people say will not be as important.

A.P.-Y.

After Isreal’s victory against Jericho, they decided to go to battle against a smaller city called Ai. Joshua sent men to spy out the land and they came back and told him that the people were few. They did not feel that the entire army needed to go against this city in battle. “So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai” (Joshua 7:4). The army of Isreal were surprised as they were attacked, thirty six of their men were killed and they were chased from the city. The hearts of the people were distressed and Joshua tore his clothes and fell on his face before the ark of the Lord. He had questions for God and asked why he had brought this defeat upon them. Joshua was worried that the other inhabitants would hear about their defeat and come out against them.

“The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face” (Joshua 7:10)? He told Joshua that they had sinned, transgressed his covenant and taken some of the devoted things, had lied and stolen. Given Isreal’s state of rebellion, they could not stand before their enemies and needed to remove the accursed thing from among them. God commanded Joshua to consecrate the people and bring all of them together, so that they could be separated by tribes, clans and household to identify who had done wrong. Once God separated the person who had taken the devoted thing, he and everything that he had should be burnt by fire. When Joshua brought the people and separated the tribes, the lot fell on Achan, from the tribe of Judah.

“Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me”” (Joshua 7:19). Achan confessed that he had stolen precious clothing, 200 shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels. He had buried the items in his tent and when Joshua sent men to his tent, they found the items. Achan was taken with all of his possessions and his family, to the valley of Achor and he was stoned to death. They were then burned with fire and a heap of stones was placed over them. Once this was done, the anger of the Lord was turned from the people of Isreal. God then gave Joshua a strategy to defeat Ai, by drawing them away from their city and setting an ambush against them.

After their victory in Ai, Joshua built an altar, offered sacrifices and read the laws of Moses. He renewed the covenant between God and the people, before the ark of the Lord. It is possible that the victory which Isreal gained over Jericho, may have caused them to become slightly overconfident. I wonder if Joshua had spent time to seek God for a strategy against Ai, if he would have learnt about the accursed thing among them. Perhaps then he could have done the separation, consecration and cleansing before going into another battle. In that way, he would have spared the lives of his people and the defeat which they experienced. Nevertheless, once they lost, he sought the Lord and learnt what caused the defeat. He made restitution and then consecrated the people. After this, the people had victory and then renewed their covenant to the Lord.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

A.P.-Y.

Earlier in Joshua 3, God commanded the levites to carry the ark of the Covenant on their shoulders and enter the Jordan ahead of the people. Once the feet of the Priests bearing the ark touched the Jordan, the waters stopped flowing and became a heep very far away. Joshua commanded the people to select twelve men from each tribe. After they crossed the Jordan, he commanded the twelve men to take twelve stones from the river. The stones were to serve as a memorial for future generations of when the Jordan river was cut off, when the ark of the covenant of God entered it. The number twelve has biblical significance regarding the perfection and authority of God’s kingdom. Joshua placed the stones on a heap in the Jordan where the priests stood, until all of the tribes crossed to the other side.

The tribes went over the Jordan, equipped for war and three of the tribes, the Reubenites, Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh, went ahead of Isreal in battle formation. This was to fulfil a promise which they made to Moses in Numbers 32, after he agreed to allow them to settle in Gilead. These lands beyond the Jordan had been dispossessed by Isreal. These three tribes asked Moses to allow them to settle in this land, because they had plenty of livestock and the land was suitable for them. Moses wasn’t in agreement originally, as he was concerned that their stopping to settle would discourage the other tribes from crossing over. They promised Moses that they would settle their livestock and younger children. After this, they were willing to arm themselves and go ahead of the army to help them to possess the land beyond the Jordan.

“We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance” (Numbers 32:18). Although these tribes had nothing to gain from the territory beyond the Jordan, they were willing to go ahead of the army to fight for their possession. Their actions were part of keeping their covenant to Moses, God and the people. Battle formation refers to military tactics which includes the way that an army organises their forces or warriors near enemy territory. The day after they crossed the Jordan, God commanded Joshua to circumcise the army. The men who left Egypt, except for Joshua and Caleb all died in the wilderness. This new generation of men were not among those who were circumcised after the exodus. This act of circumcising was for consecration and renewing of their covenant with God.

After their circumcision, God confirmed to Joshua that the reproach of Isreal was rolled away. They also observed the Passover, then ate the produce of the land and the manna stopped the next day. After these observances, Joshua saw the angel of the Lord who is the commander of God’s army. Alongside the physical army of soldiers who would go forward to possess the land, there were angels dispatched to fight. While Joshua was the commander of Isreal’s army, he met the commander of God’s invisible army of angels, who would guarantee them victory over Jericho and the other nations. A few things can be observed from their proceed into the promised land. The priests with the ark of the covenants created a pathway through the sea and the three tribes who were already settled, went ahead of the army. The people consecrated themselves, renewed their covenants and then God’s army and commander joined them to lead the battle.

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1).

A.P.-Y.

In Matthew 12, Jesus commissioned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and gave them power to heal diseases and sicknesses. He gave them instructions about the areas to go to preach and warned them that they would be persecuted. “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). He told them that they would be flogged, thrown out of synagogues and brought before rulers to be judged. His admonition was to fear God and not men because men may destroy the body, but God can destroy both the body and soul in hell. Jesus said that anyone who is willing to acknowledge him before others, he will acknowledge in heaven. He also said that anyone who welcomed the disciples, were welcoming him as they were sent by him.

Jesus then said that anyone who received a preacher or a prophet, would receive the prophet’s reward. The prophet’s reward is salvation, as receiving the minister of God is to receive his message and the grace which follows him. Jesus also said that peace would enter with the disciples into any house that received them. The opposite would be that their peace would leave with them, from the houses where they were turned away. We saw other people in the Old Testament being rewarded for receiving prophets. There was a rich woman who lived in Shunem, who showed hospitality to Elisha whenever he visited. At first she would invite him to have a meal with her and her husband and eventually, she told her husband that she wanted to build a room for Elisha. “Then she said to her husband, “I know that the one who often passes by here is a holy man of God” (2 Kings 4:9).

Her husband agreed and she built the room so that Elisha had somewhere to stay, when he was in Shunem. One day when he visited, Elisha told his servant to ask the lady what he could do for her. This was in return for all the good that she had done for him. He thought that perhaps he could speak to the king or the army commander to put in a good word for her. The lady declined as she felt that she had all that she needed. Elisha did not relent and asked his servant to consider what he could do for her lady. His servant mentioned that she did not have a son and her husband was old. “Elisha said, “At this time next year you will have a son in your arms.” Then she said, “No, my Lord. Man of God, do not lie to your servant”” (2 Kings 4:16). The woman conceived and gave birth to a son the next year.

Elisha maintained a relationship with the woman, that a few years later when her son collapsed and died, she summoned the prophet. He prayed and the boy was restored to life. In this story, this woman who was wealthy, was able to discern the anointing that rested on Elisha. Her discernment led her to bless the prophet and to build a relationship with him. The prophet was moved by her giving and despite her reluctance, prophesied that God would bless her with a child. The child was born just like Elisha said and when death tried to take him, the woman went back to Elisha for help. He prayed to God who restored her son, so that she lived a life of miraculous encounters. Doing good for the people of God has a reward. This is not reserved for prophets or apostles, but for anyone who is doing the will of God.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith”(Galatians 6:10).

A.P.-Y.

My husband – Andrew Christopher Young (ACY) released a Jazz album today. The songs can be downloaded on all major platforms in a few days.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/acyorgantrio/jazzin-the-spirit

You can listen to samples of his music below as part of the pre-release.

A.P.-Y.