Friday, July 27, 2012

Protection by having no reputation

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.  I Sam. 27

So David escaped to the land of Philistines where he lived for 1 year & 4 months.

And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?  I Sam. 27:4

Reminds me of the time of Joseph in Egypt.  When his father and brethren came down to Egypt, Joseph made them abominable in the sight of the Egyptians so they could dwell separately from the Egyptians.

And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? 34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians. Gen. 46

By this, the people of God would be "abomination" to the people of the world and though they lived in the country of the people of the world, they (the world) would want nothing to do with them for they would consider them "an abomination."

Jesus made Himself, "of no reputation".   Phil. 2

he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:  Isa. 53

Jesus would not be drawing men to Him by fleshly means.  They would look upon Him and despise Him because there was no beauty that they would be attracted to him.

But to those God chose to reveal Jesus to, those would be the people of God.  But it wasn't done as man does by physical appearance or reputation among men or achievement of man.  It would all be done by the Spirit of God which would be everlasting for those who were being saved from the world.

Paul also determined not to draw men to himself by fleshly wisdom and by clever words.  Paul said:

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.  I Cor. 2