Jeremiah 37:6-10
6 Then came the word of the LORD
unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying, 7 Thus saith the
LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king
of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold,
Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall
return to Egypt into their own land. 8 And the Chaldeans
shall come again, and fight against this city, and take
it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive
not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart
from us: for they shall not depart.10 For though ye
had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight
against you, and there remained but wounded men among
them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent,
and burn this city with fire.
God Uses Wounded People
King Zedekiah of Judah sent a message to the prophet
Jeremiah with a petition to God that Nebuchadnezzar
and his armies never return to fight again. The Chaldeans
had beseiged Jerusalem but when they heard that Pharaoh's
army in Egypt had come to help Israel, they retreated
because they weren't prepared to handle Egypt's army.
But only for a moment. They would return.
As long as you live in the flesh you must always prepare
for the return of the enemy. This lesson is learned
over and over again in both the Old and New Testaments.
Even in the life of Jesus Christ we see that Satan only
left him for a season. "And
when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed
from him for a season" (Luke 4:13).
Satan Will Return After a Season
Ahab was warned by Elijah the prophet that Benhadad
would return, even though Israel's armies were victorious
during their first military engagement. God gave them
victory because of the boasting of the enemy saying,
"Israel's God is a God of the hills and not of
the valleys."
"And there came a man of
God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus
saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD
is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys,
therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into
thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD"
(1 Kings 20:28).
Notice that Satan will test you on different levels
and seasons of life – especially when you are at
different emotional stages. Remember that Satan doesn't
care what's just happened to you. He doesn't let up
just because you have gone through a bad experience.
That's when he mounts a major offensive to strike you
down.
If you are easy prey while you are down in the valley,
notice that he will concentrate on your down times.
If you are easily persuaded when you are on the mountain
feeling good, then expect his attack there. But the
main thing is, you don't ever have to worry about the
help of the Lord. His victory is complete, whether it's
on the hills or in the valleys. No matter the season
of life you are enduring, God will walk you through
it and you can win.
Jeremiah sent this word to Zedekiah and assured him
that Babylon would return with a greater army and that
they would burn the city of Jerusalem with fire. So
sure was Jeremiah of their return and the eminent destruction
of Jerusalem that he said, "Even if you had smitten
the Chaldeans and there was nothing left but wounded
men, they would rise up and burn this city with fire
(paraphrase)".
God Uses Imperfect People
The spiritual principle revealed by this verse is that
God will fulfill his purpose and can use any instrument
He chooses to accomplish it. Whether that purpose is
judgment or redemption, know this, He can accomplish
it. He can use wounded men to do His work.
The instrument is not important. His purpose is of
paramount importance. Availability is more important
that use-ability. Your ability is not what God must
have. He desires your willingness.
The good news is: God uses imperfect people to bring
His perfect plan to pass. You are not disqualified from
service because you have been hurt in the work of God.
You are still useful to God, even if you have been defeated
at one time.
In Genesis 3:15 God said to the serpent, "I
will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
they seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel." Believe it
– Satan is going to bruise your heel. No matter
how spiritual you get you are going to be disappointed
with some things.
The Lost Beatitude of Jesus
There is a "lost" beatitude of Jesus that's
not preached about much. We see it when the disciples
of John the Baptist came on John's behalf to question
Jesus about whether or not he was the Messiah. Jesus
said, "Blessed is he that is not offended in me."
One of the signs of the end- times is found in Matthew
24:10 "And then shall many be offended, and shall
betray one another, and shall hate one another."
Don't let your bruised heel keep you from bruising
the head of the serpent. Satan has been defeated but
he hasn't been eliminated.
He wants you to get so offended in your spirit that
you become useless to yourself and to others. He wants
you to be bitter about the wounds you have incurred
in battle. But remember this, battle-scarred and battle
tested men can be trusted because they have seen some
action and haven't bowed their knees to the devil. I
have made a choice, I get better not bitter.
Satan walked into the garden but when God got finished
with him, he crawled out. I guess you could say He was
"de-feeted." But while Satan is crawling on
his belly eating the dust of the earth, don't forget
it is dust that feeds him. Your flesh was molded from
the dust of the earth. Satan feeds on the carnality
of man. Satan can only wound you according to the amount
of carnality you feed him.
Dust Feeds The Serpent
The word "carnality"actually refers back
to a form of torture employed by governments to punish
their prisoners, especially ones they considered to
be traitors. They would peel the skin of their prisoners
off, one layer at a time, and pour salt in the open
wounds. The stinging pain would drive the victims mad.
That's a good description of carnality: People who have
become so sensitive to every touch that any word spoken
to them is like pouring salt into an open wound.
The more carnal you are, the more you are stripped
of your protective covering, and the more Satan can
wound you.
The less carnal or the more covered you are, the less
you can be wounded. "Great peace have they which
love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm
119:165). You must receive a love for the word of God.
When you understand that the Word demands a certain
strength from you, you will not be so easily offended.
God has asked of us men to do an almost impossible
task. He desires that we should lift up holy hands without
wrath or doubting. "I will
therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy
hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy
2:8).
Men have by birthright an innate anger that must be
dealt with properly in the Holy Ghost.
Where You Can Be Wounded
1. You can be wounded in the house of your friends.
2. You can be wounded by false brethren – Paul
was.
3. You can be wounded by friends that betray you.
4. You can be wounded by church members whose undisciplined
tongues can strike down the heart with their sarcasm.
5. You can also be wounded by the word of God, the
sword of the Spirit.
Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. His death
secured a healing balm that belongs to the wounded.
Wounded Men Can be Powerful for Jesus
Jesus understands how powerful wounded men can be.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan we see a wounded
man, who was traveling from Jerusalem back to Jericho.
I presume that man had been to the old city to worship
and was on his way home when he fell among thieves.
There is a thief that will rob you of your revival and
your joy and leave you as dead. I call these thieves
Revival Takers. Remember that the stumbling block is
in Zion, not the world. God's message of faith causes
some to stumble but not us who are born of faith.
Wounded on our Way Home From Church
The priest and Levite were too busy to stop and share
their religious piety. I call these priests Revival
Fakers. But then we have the Good Samaritan, pouring
oil and wine into the wounds and binding them up, setting
this man on his own beast and taking him to the inn.
There he paid the innkeeper and promised to pay the
extra upon his return. I call the Good Samaritan Revival
Maker.
Wounded Saints Liberated by the Resurrection
The saints rose from their graves at the crucifixion
of Jesus and then walked through the streets of Jerusalem
to show themselves to the living saints after the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. These wounded dead rose to give a powerful
witness that the hope of the resurrection of Jesus supercedes
any wounds incurred in the past. Because He lives you
can overcome.
To overcome your wounds you must serve a purpose higher
than yourself. Wounded men can rise and serve a purpose
greater than themselves, if they recognize that they
can still be used by God although they are not perfect.
God does not look for perfect workmen.
If He did, He would never have chosen you and me. Moses
got angry. Peter denied. Jonah pouted under a gourd.
Israel's greatest King sinned. Thomas doubted. Paul
was opinionated, separated from Barnabas, and he refused
John Mark. Later Paul acknowledged Mark's worthiness.
We are all just a bunch of stumbling failures if God
doesn't help us. We are all just wounded men who need
to rise up.
Wounded men must rise before they can be delivered
Victor Hugo said, "The challenge is urgent. The
task is difficult. The time is now!"
Stonewall Jackson was called, "Old Smoke"
in the class room. His battle strategies sounded like
he was blowing smoke to his students. But when they
saw him on the battle field they renamed him, "Blue
Fire." Bitterness turns your victory into smoke.
But when you are on the battle-field, armed with a purpose
and with a promise that God will raise you up you can
set the world on fire with your ministry.
In Proverbs18:14 the Bible says, "The
spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded
spirit who can bear?" Some wounds are incurable.
"Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable,
which refuseth to be healed? Wilt thou be altogether
unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?"
Take heart when people persecute you and call you names.
God decided that He would heal the wounds of His people
simply because their enemies called them an "Outcast,
saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after."
God responded to their snide remarks by saying, "I
will heal thee of thy wounds" (Jeremiah
30:17).
Wait and See What the Lord Will Do
David's army was made up of wounded men who were discontented
because of the heavy abuse of Saul's regime. They decided
to join themselves with a man of worship because they
found his cause to be just and his leadership to be
fair (1 Samuel 22:1-2).
David sent his family to Moab to sojourn with their
King for a season. It was there that he said, I will
wait and see what the Lord will do for me. Rise up with
worship and God will incorporate you into His plan.
Don't let anyone steal your purpose or your joy in serving
God. Rise up and worship. Get above the problem and
wait to see what God will do. Don't get in a hurry and
don't make decisions when you are discouraged.
The anointing does not exempt you from wounds. It only
gives you the vision of what can be if you will continue
to worship God.
Hold on Until You Find out What God will do for You!
Jacob was wounded by the wrestling match with God.
He limped because of his unique encounter with the Almighty.
Notice that it was God who wrestled with him. Jacob
did not initiate the brawl. God did. Deuteronomy 32:39
says, "See not that I, even
I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I
make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any
that can deliver out of my hand."
If God decides to wound you with His word and create
a limp, I promise, you will be the better man for it.
Rise up and hold on to what God has promised you. Jacob's
Wounds Produced a Covenant Relationship that no Esau
can destroy or invalidate.
Don't let go until he blesses you! Don't give up. Keep
on worshiping and believing that God will hear your
cry. Hold on until you find out what God will do for
you.
Love the Purpose
One of the most powerful examples in scripture of how
wounded people are stilled used and beloved of God is
found in the Song of Solomon.
The Shulamite woman was lazy and complacent and incapable
of reaching the door to open it to the one she loved.
Her procrastination created a breach where her husband
no longer waited, but she went on searching. The watchmen
found her and wounded her.
Some people will not appreciate your search for true
religion. They will attack you and wound you for your
pursuit of spiritual things. But our response should
be, "Draw us and we will run after thee."
What did she do when she was wounded? Did she complain?
Did she get bitter? NO!! She responded by describing
her love for the one she sought, she testified that
he was the chiefest among ten thousand. You have to
fall in love with Jesus Christ and His purpose to be
able to endure some wounds in the ministry. Only your
personal love for Jesus will see you through.
If you worship Jesus, hold on to Jesus and fall in
love with Jesus no wound can stop you. You will overcome.
Song of Solomon 5:6-16
6 I opened to my beloved; but
my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul
failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not
find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about
the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the
keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of
Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him,
that I am sick of love.
9 What is thy beloved more than
another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is
thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost
so charge us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine
gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of
doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and
fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of
spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping
sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His hands are as gold rings
set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid
with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of
marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance
is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet: yea,
he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this
is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
