Monday, October 30, 2023

"Prepare your work for your departure" (Prof 24:27 LXX)

This verse from the Septuagint (LXX) has come to my attention since July, one month after I moved into my current place of ministry. At the first time, I asked the Lord, "I had just arrived here, now you ask me to prepare to depart?". Yes, the passage in Prof 24 (LXX) has since come to me repeatedly, and with other forms of confirmation, it is likely I shall be moving on again. A week ago, I counted the number of times I moved since I left legal practice and went to Auckland to start my study of Hebrew and Greek in 1993. Not counting a few days of hotel or motel accommodation, it is a total of 21 or 22 times of relocation with a family!! But it is just half of what the Israelites went through the wilderness in 40 years, a total of 42 departure points before they crossed the river Jordan. So I can comfort myself that I am just beginning the second half of my journey and onto my 22nd place of destination, only God knows where. But yesterday I was reenergised in many ways having to travel for 90 minutes to a village church and altogether 287 people attended church where I preached. But they did not laugh when I cracked a couple of jokes. It has been about 6 years since I preached in the church; most young people would not know me. But right to the end of my sermon of 35 minutes, they paid attention and hardly anyone moved and looked straight at me. I felt at the end I did connect with them, and I encouraged them to call on the Lord and we will declare His mighty works (Psalm 75:1-2). I told them to be patient and not judge others, because vengeance belongs to the Lord and at the right time, He will rise to judge. He can raise or put down anyone He wishes and I told them of the example of King Nebuchadnezzar whom God humbled and lived like a wild beast for 7 years before being restored to his kingdom so that he knew that it was God who ruled over all. At the end of the sermon, I led a song of celebration and we rejoiced before the Lord and I gave a 2-minute promotion of my books which sold 14 copies of the new book (8 copies) The Triune God, Galatians' commentary (6 copies). Praise be to God.

No comments:

Post a Comment