In the NT, Jesus shows us the Word will divide us from those who have not been given God's Word on the matter at hand.
Matthew 10 Jesus says:
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
(Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.)
Think of the Word of God as a sword which cuts through the flesh of man and separates.
35
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the
daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother
in law.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than ME (the Word) is not worthy of ME: and he that loveth son or daughter more than ME is not worthy of ME.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after ME (the Word), is not worthy of ME.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake (for the sake of the Word) shall find it.
36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than ME (the Word) is not worthy of ME: and he that loveth son or daughter more than ME is not worthy of ME.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after ME (the Word), is not worthy of ME.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake (for the sake of the Word) shall find it.
The Word of God divides us from those people who have not heard from God.
But the Word of God also joins us with those people who have heard from God.
We know the Word from God is good and it is sometimes shocking that others, especially when in our church group, fight against that Word we bring from God.
We know the Word from God is good and it is sometimes shocking that others, especially when in our church group, fight against that Word we bring from God.
Pam Padgett
encountered this when she told a divorced woman from her church group
that if she remarried she would commit adultery.
This woman said, "I don't care what the Bible says. I know what I think."
Pam was so shocked to hear that a Christian didn't care what the Bible says.
But many who attend churches are not born again and God has not revealed HIMSELF to such who live this way.
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Moses and Aaron bring the Word of God to Pharaoh:
Exodus 5
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey HIS voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they (Moses & Arron) said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest HE fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Those
who are not of God see the Word exactly opposite from those persons who
are of God. The Word is a sword dividing us from the unbelievers.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
I Cor. 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.
But
sometimes when we carry the Word of God to them and speak that Word,
God will open their eyes and they will be saved by that Word.
In
the case of Pharaoh, God had already told Moses Pharaoh would not let
them go. But after God showed HIS miracles Pharaoh would let them go.
So Moses knew the end from the beginning by that Word which God had
revealed to him.
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Exodus 5
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
(So
Pharaoh greatly increases the daily work load of the children of Israel
because of that which Moses and Aaron have carried to him. This is
persecution "for the word's sake.")
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
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10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17 But he (Pharaoh) said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
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20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
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22 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast THOU so evil entreated this people? why is it that THOU hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in THY name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast THOU delivered THY people at all.
God answers Moses:
Exodus 6
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by MY name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
4 And I have also established MY covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered MY covenant.
6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you to ME for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
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Focus on that which God says:
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