Over the weekend of January 17 to 18, Bobby Chaw, executive pastor of City Harvest Church, preached from the book of Numbers 17.
Following Numbers 16, in which the Israelites grumbled and were dissatisfied with God’s anointed one, God wanted to put an end to their complaints in Numbers 17:5. And when the people saw how the rod of Aaron came alive and produced almonds (Numbers 17:8), they became fearful and believed they could not go near the tabernacle for they had offended God.
“This is our typical spiritual experience,” explained Pastor Bobby. More often than not, when believers discover they have made a mistake, they become fearful of God, withdrawing themselves from the presence of God. This is the very opposite of the “fear of the Lord” which is respect for God.
Pastor Bobby reminded the congregation that in judgment, God always remembers mercy (Exodus 34:6-7) and that it is crucial for every believer to have a good understanding of who God is.
THE FEAR OF THE LORD
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10)
The fear of the Lord is different from the fear that comes with anxiety, worry, lack, failure and death. This is fear that drives one away from the presence of God as seen in Numbers 17:12-13. The fear of the Lord is reverence towards Him, a fear that makes one desire to obey God (Psalms 111:1, 4, 5-7, 9-10).
Pastor Bobby explained that those who have the fear of the Lord will have good understanding. “Wisdom is better than cleverness,” he said, “A person can be clever but not wise. Wisdom is more than knowledge.”
According to Pastor Bobby, wisdom is the art of living: The ability to live right and not let one’s life drift into ill-fated chaos; living with substance and direction. “Experiences and age do not guarantee wisdom; it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of it”.
In 1 Kings 3:7-9, when God offered to grant Solomon any wish he asked for, Solomon did not ask for honour, victory or long life – he asked for wisdom to lead his people. The Bible says that God was pleased with his answer, and granted him not just wisdom but all the blessings that come with it.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM SOLOMON?
Firstly, Pastor Bobby said Solomon did not presume to be wise. In 1 Kings 3:7, Solomon confessed that he was “he was only a child and did not know how carry out [his] duties”. He asked the Lord to give him wisdom.
“Wisdom says nobody is already wise, but we may only become wise”, said Pastor Bobby. He added that one may get wisdom by asking it from God with empty hands stretched out to heaven.
The pastor then shared that, during his personal quiet time, he was reading through the book of Samuel about David, and he was touched by David’s attitude and his way of living in 2 Samuel 5.
“Make it a point to inquire of the Lord. Come to the Lord with an attitude of a child. That is the beginning of wisdom.”
David did not assume he knew how to fight but he inquired of the Lord what he should do (2 Samuel 5:18-19). He had already won one battle against the Philistines, but instead of falling back to the same strategy when the Philistines came up against him and his men again in the same place in 2 Samuel 5: 22-23, David again inquired of the Lord who gave him a new strategy and a resounding victory.
“Make it a point to inquire of the Lord,” Pastor Bobby urged. “Come to the Lord with an attitude of a child. That is the beginning of wisdom.”
Secondly, Solomon asked for things for others. In 1 Kings 3:8-9, Solomon knew that to be king was his divine appointment, to reign was his duty, and that his entire life was a service for the good of his people and the people of God. “We are called to be servants of the living God. To serve not for our good, but for the good of His people.” Pastor Bobby reminded the congregation.
He shared that those who fear the Lord constantly hear this commandment in their heart, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39).
Wisdom comes when one constantly asks God what to do to serve Him and others best.
Thirdly, Solomon asked for the ability to discern between good and evil (1 Kings 3:9). Matthew 6:33 clearly states the priority in life is to seek God’s kingdom first.
Exercising discernment is important if believers of Christ want their lives to be a blessing to others. “If not, we would keep doing and saying the wrong things to the wrong people at the wrong time,” Pastor Bobby told the congregation.
Pastor Bobby gave the example of the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:8-10, pointing out that if we do not have discernment and our priorities right, we might miss out on the key things in life.
Pastor Bobby emphasised the importance to keep reaching out to God in prayer and worship, and to ask for a discerning heart. We must not be too sure of ourselves, or we could be like the foolish virgins who missed the arrival of the bridegroom because they neglected to bring extra oil for their lamps.
Lastly, Solomon asked for an understanding heart. Pastor Bobby shared that the word “understanding” in Hebrew word is šâma, which means “hearing”. Therefore, an understanding heart literally translates to a hearing heart. He continued, saying that true wisdom is the ability to hear the voice of God.
In the Old Testament, šâma also means “to obey”. To have an understanding heart is to also have an obeying heart.
“We can have deep theology but if we cannot obey, then the word means nothing,” Pastor Bobby said, encouraging the people to listen to James 1:22 and be doers of the Word. When believers of Christ listen to God’s voice in everything they do and everywhere they go, that is the beginning of true wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG).
In closing, Pastor Bobby encouraged the congregation to be like Solomon: To ask for a discerning heart to do His will and to always look to the Lord, for the Word of the Lord is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.
This article was first published on Citynews’ blog and is republished with permission.
