THE LORD’S LIBERALITY

GOD’S LIBERAL HEART TOWARD EBED-MELECH

The children of Judah in spite of seeing what befell their brethren the children of Israel and repent from their wicked ways to obey the voice of their God, they rebelled and never did they believe the warning of the Lord from His servant prophet Jeremiah who rose early every morning to warn them. But there was an exemption of one man Ebed-Melech; a mere servant in the court of God’s house, an alien that was a total stranger as he was not of the children of the Israelites but an Ethiopian originality who dwelled among the children of Israel in Judah Jerusalem. This man Ebed-Melech though an alien did believe the warning of God through prophet Jeremiah while the native born were stiff-necked. As an alien in a foreign land, he must have feared being  taken captive again to another foreign land therefore he obeyed God’s word and lived according to the warning of the Lord (Jer. 39:15-18) “Meanwhile the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was shut in the court of the prison, saying, “Go and speak to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold I will bring My word upon this city for adversity and not for good, and they shall be performed in that day before you. But I will deliver you in that day,” says the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you because you have put your trust in Me.”  Through his royal and liberal heart of Ebed-Melech to the God of the Israelites, his life was spared in spite being an alien and a stranger.

THE GOD OF EXEMPTION

A beloved brother, Our God indeed is a God who shows no partiality. This man Ebed-Melech though an alien was exemplified from the disaster that befell the city of Judah and Jerusalem because he believed the divine word of prophecy given by the Lord through Jeremiah. While the natives and children of covenant in that case did neither care nor regard to obey the prophecy but assumed to be just mere words of Jeremiah.  The prophesied disaster on Jerusalem and its inhabitants would take place in the sight of Ebed-Melech, but his dear life would be spared. He experienced the power and grace of God in the deliverance of his life. While the children of Judah and Jerusalem who never believed, though native born and children of covenant were taken away captive to Babylon and their city burned down with fire. It would have been fare for God’s people to be the ones to experience exemption could it be that they followed and obeyed the commandments of their God through His servants. Had they believed the divine word of prophecy given by the Lord through Jeremiah? They would have not been taken captive to a foreign land but to remain in the land that the Lord promised and ordained for them. And because they chose to rebel against their God and not to listen to His warnings because of a stiff-necked nature; Therefore, God never showed any partiality neither did He respect their title but allowed them to be carried away captives as a means of humbling them.

THE LORD’S LIBERALITY TO OBED-EDOM

Obed- Edom was another man that the Lord showered His heart felt of liberality because of the ark of God which stayed in his house for three months (2 Sam. 6:6-8) “And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah, put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbles. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God. And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and He called the name of that place Perez Uzzah to this day.” No one is to meddle around with the holy of holiest things of God. Uzzah in that case for an error died trying to hold the ark of God; the holy of the holiest while trying to prevent it from falling as the oxen stumbled. It would have been better for him to let it go rather than making an error that caused his life. “I recall there was an incident in Kenya at sacha gwan or salgaa if I’m not wrong where a fuel tanker (petrol in that case) exploded burning several people to ashes (May the Lord show them mercy) and the first’s lady by that time said, “Let that be a lesson to them.”  For heaven’s sake these were dead individuals consumed to ashes. Other incidents like that had occurred but unfortunately our people have never learned up to date. Allow me beloved not to answer a why today as my topic does not relate to the answer of the whys but another time as the Lord permits me. And the incident caused fear upon the king who would not take the ark with him to his City that day (V. 9-11) “David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me? So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him to the City of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his entire household.” Because of Obed-Edom’s liberal heart to receive the ark of God in his house, the liberal God blessed his entire household. And when king David had of the blessing upon Obed-Edom and his household, he became jealous and brought it to his City (V. 13) “Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with gladness.”

THE LORD’S LIBERALITY TO CORNELIUS

Cornelius  was a Roman centurion who feared God (Acts 10:1-2) “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” Cornelius was a just righteous man with a generous heart to all the people. (V. 3-8) “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid and said, “What is it Lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Now sent men to Jopper and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.” The Lord showed His liberality to this man Cornelius because of his liberal act towards others, his righteousness and his devout ness and the fear of the Lord upon him. And God sent an angel to him who informed him what he ought to do.  To send for Peter who will bring salvation to him and his entire family. He did obey the voice of the Lord through an angel and sent for Peter at once. Liberality indeed brings blessing! Cornelius though, a devout man and one who feared God and with a liberal heart also;yet there was still one thing a miss. And because he touched the heart of God, God made it possible for him to receive that which was lacking. (V. 7-8) “And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Jopper.” And on the other hand Peter as well received the message concerning Cornelius and the men that had been sent to take him with them to Cornelius doubting nothing as it was divine. And when asked by Peter the reason why they seek him their answer was (V.22) “And they said, “Cornelius the centurion a just man, one who fears God  and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to sermon you to his house and to hear words from you.”  I love the way these devotees servants of Cornelius introduced their master; the good things that a man does will speak out for them.

GOD SHOWS NO PARTIALITY

This man Cornelius and his household, though devotees and feared God, yet they had neither received the Holy Spirit nor had they been baptized as there was that discrimination and barrier from the Jews and the Gentiles (Acts 10:28-29) “Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore I come without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask then, for what reason have you sent for me?”  Had it not been divinely ordained by God, for sure Peter would have not gone to Cornelius as his statements states. But who is our liberal Lord? (V. 34-35) “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and woks righteous is accepted by Him.”  I love this:  unlike men, God shows no partiality nor is He a respecter of persons! It does not matter the gender, the nationality, the class, whether a Gentiles or a Jews: But “Whoever” fears God and works righteousness is accepted by Him (V. 36-38, 43) “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ- He is the Lord of all- that word you know which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. To Him all the prophets witnessed that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”

THE LORD’S MISSION

While Peter was still speaking, the mission and reason that he was sent for, who either he or Cornelius knew did manifest before them (V. 44-47) “While Peter was still speaking these words; the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit as we have?” Although God’s Word came historically through the sons of Israel, it was designed for the entire world. Peter brings this out by stating, “He is Lord of all.” The promise of God to Abraham was, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (this we get from Gen 12:3). Through the vision given to him, Peter was able to see that the “all” of the Abrahamic promise incorporated the Gentiles over whom Jesus was now Lord.

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and shall glorify Your name (Ps. 86:9).

“Grace to you and favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”