Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: Ex 23:14
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread... Ex 23:15
and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year... Ex 23:16
This week Pastor is talking about the three feasts of Passover. While he quickly explained the three feasts I will not take the time to do so here. The real topic for this week is the seven promises God makes to the Nation Israel if they obey Him and keep the feasts. To hear Pastor Stan's explanation and the entirety of the sermon follow the link below to the podcast.
"So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water... Exodus 23:25b
...bread and water... can easily be taken to mean He will bless with what we need to survive, which would be a good thing. Hunger is far more common throughout human history then plenty. However, it is important to always take scripture as a whole when we seek to understand God 's nature. In 1Kings 17 Elijah the prophet has just informed the evil King Ahab that famine was about to strike the land. Then God told Elijah to get away and hide by the Brook Cherith...
"And it will be [that] you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 1Kings 17:4
Even though famine would strike all of Israel, God provided for His servant Elijah. So Elijah went to the brook and drank the water and the Ravens brought him bread and meat day night until the brook dried up from lack of rain. It was at this point God told Elijah...
"Arise, go to Zarephath, which [belongs] to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 1Kings 17:9
Elijah goes, finds a widow, asks for food and water and she gets it for him. No questions asked. She knew he was coming and was aware she was to provide for him. It almost seems like God knew the famine was coming and had set up a plan to provide for Elijah well in advance. Is it possible that He knew that "unexpected" hospital bill would come to you? Could He have possibly been aware that your car would break down right before you paid your tithe this month? The story gets better though. When Elijah asks for water she goes and gets water, when he asks for food...
So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I [am] gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 1Kings 17:12
She knew that she only had a small bit of food, and no more was coming. This was to be she and her son's last meal. What does Elijah say? "Fuget about it"(bad Italian accent) go get me the food and God will bless you. What would you do? Well I know what she did...
So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for [many] days.The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah. 1Kings 17:15&16
Because she gave of what was most precious God gave her everlasting. She gave her last bit of food and God fed her until the rains returned. God promised to provide for Elijah, but instead of just giving him enough to survive he received such abundance that the widow and her son were also fed. God not only wants to meet our basic needs, but He wants us to prosper so that we can be a blessing to those around us in need.
Read Luke 10:30-35. The Good Samaritan. When the man was beaten and hurt, the Samaritan man saw him and had compassion, paid an innkeeper to care for him and saw that he was made well. For the Samaritan to do this he had to have money to give. If the Samaritan had only had enough money to survive he would not have been able to bless the injured Jew. God is never caught off guard by our hardships. Rest assured that what ever challenges you face God has already made plans to provide for you. Have faith and obey God and the provision God will be waiting for you.
God Bless,
Recommended reading: 1Kings 17, Exodus 23 and Luke 10.
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