Let Us Resolve...
As 2015 draws to a close, and the new year approaches, there is much talk of resolutions. Many people make resolutions to lose weight, to get out of debt, to spend more time with family, or any of thousands of other well intentioned notions which they may or may not see through. Webster's dictionary defines the word "resolve" as "to make a definite and serious decision to do something." This is certainly a noble undertaking, as we all have areas of our lives which need improvement, aspects which we would either seek to minimize, or accentuate, or alleviate altogether. Let's look at a few examples of resolve throughout the bible and examine the process and the outcome of reaching a conclusion, and of making a definite and serious decision to do something...
The first example we'll look at is found in Genesis, chapter 6, verses 6-13, as Abraham is told by God that he must sacrifice his son Isaac..."And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to a place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
There are many things to be learned from this beautiful example of sacrifice, but let us focus on the incredible resolve of Abraham in this test of his loyalty and trust in God. When Abraham was told that he must sacrifice his only son, he did not question God as to His motives or intentions. He understood that God was all-powerful, and could, if He wanted, raise up another son to Abraham from the dust. He had what could only be described as "blind faith", trusting in God rather than in his senses, his emotions, or his circumstances. May we all develop a faith such as this. Yet, at some point, Abraham had to resolve in his heart that this thing must be done, for God has told me to do it, and whether I understand it or not, or agree with it or not, I must do it. Abraham's great faith in God was not misplaced. God provided a lamb for the offering, and the sacrifice was completed, as was the test of Abraham's faith. Because Abraham resolved in his heart to do what God had commanded, his faith was rewarded with the answer to his problem. This will work for us just as it did with Abraham, if we will work to strengthen our resolve to do what God would have us to do.
Our next example of resolve is found in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, verses 17-25, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face the fiery furnace after their defiance of King Nebuchadnezzar's demands to bow down to him and worship the golden idol that he had set up..."If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
This is an amazing example of courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Our first definition of the word "resolve" was the verb use of the word, but "resolve" can also be used as a noun, defined as "firmness of purpose or intent...determination." This is certainly a fitting description of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had resolve, that is, they stood firm in their faith, and in their defiance of the king's attempts to diminish it. They held fast to their convictions in the face of certain death. They did not know whether God would deliver them out of the fiery furnace or not, but either way they refused to compromise their beliefs.
They knew that if it was their destiny to die in the fiery furnace in defense of their faith, that God would have something much greater in store for them. However, they were delivered from the fiery furnace, and in a most remarkable way. Jesus Himself was with them, as Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged, and He delivered them. This is the courage of conviction and boldness that we as Christians so desperately need to reclaim today. As sad as it is to say, there are Christians being killed in our time, just as in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, and though we may hope and pray that we are never faced with this situation, let us also pray for this type of boldness if we ever find ourselves in similar circumstances. The knowledge that we are never alone, that Jesus will always be there beside us, will help us to find this boldness, and to obtain this courage of conviction.
Though there are many other instances of great resolve throughout the bible, we'll conclude our study with the ultimate example of resolve, which is the resolve shown by Jesus Himself. His determination, courage of conviction, and boldness are unsurpassed by anyone before or since. His willingness to suffer on the behalf of others in spite of the fact that He did not have to do it, is an amazing testament to His resolve. He made the decision to give His life in order to save us all. There were many tests of resolve in the life of Jesus, and one of the most powerful was in the garden of Gethsemane. Let's look at Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36-45..."Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And He cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And He left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh He to His disciples, and sayeth unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners." This is a turning point in the life of Jesus. He fully understands the absolute necessity of His sacrifice to the saving of all of humanity. However, the human part of Him, it would seem, is hoping against all hope that, just as in the days of Abraham, an alternative could be found, that God would provide Himself with a lamb for a burnt offering. The first time that Jesus prays in the garden, we see His human side, as He asks the Father if there is any other way for this sacrifice to be made, and yet He defers Himself to God's will. We see this expounded upon as He finds the disciples asleep and then He expresses to Peter the great paradox of the willingness of the spirit in contrast with the weakness of the flesh. As He prays the second and third times, it seems as though He is coming to terms with what is about to occur, with the fact that only His precious blood can atone for the sins of humanity. And so, we see the ultimate display of resolve, as Jesus makes this definite decision, and with firmness of purpose and intent, resolves to give His life to save our souls.
As we enter this new year, let us resolve to spend more time with God's word, and rather than focusing on the superficial changes that we would like to see in our lives, let us rather resolve to take ourselves out of the equation. It is only when we lose ourselves that we can truly be found in Him. Let us resolve to allow His Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct our steps, to transform us into what He would have us to be.
The first example we'll look at is found in Genesis, chapter 6, verses 6-13, as Abraham is told by God that he must sacrifice his son Isaac..."And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to a place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by its horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."
There are many things to be learned from this beautiful example of sacrifice, but let us focus on the incredible resolve of Abraham in this test of his loyalty and trust in God. When Abraham was told that he must sacrifice his only son, he did not question God as to His motives or intentions. He understood that God was all-powerful, and could, if He wanted, raise up another son to Abraham from the dust. He had what could only be described as "blind faith", trusting in God rather than in his senses, his emotions, or his circumstances. May we all develop a faith such as this. Yet, at some point, Abraham had to resolve in his heart that this thing must be done, for God has told me to do it, and whether I understand it or not, or agree with it or not, I must do it. Abraham's great faith in God was not misplaced. God provided a lamb for the offering, and the sacrifice was completed, as was the test of Abraham's faith. Because Abraham resolved in his heart to do what God had commanded, his faith was rewarded with the answer to his problem. This will work for us just as it did with Abraham, if we will work to strengthen our resolve to do what God would have us to do.
Our next example of resolve is found in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, verses 17-25, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face the fiery furnace after their defiance of King Nebuchadnezzar's demands to bow down to him and worship the golden idol that he had set up..."If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
This is an amazing example of courage in the face of overwhelming odds. Our first definition of the word "resolve" was the verb use of the word, but "resolve" can also be used as a noun, defined as "firmness of purpose or intent...determination." This is certainly a fitting description of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They had resolve, that is, they stood firm in their faith, and in their defiance of the king's attempts to diminish it. They held fast to their convictions in the face of certain death. They did not know whether God would deliver them out of the fiery furnace or not, but either way they refused to compromise their beliefs.
Though there are many other instances of great resolve throughout the bible, we'll conclude our study with the ultimate example of resolve, which is the resolve shown by Jesus Himself. His determination, courage of conviction, and boldness are unsurpassed by anyone before or since. His willingness to suffer on the behalf of others in spite of the fact that He did not have to do it, is an amazing testament to His resolve. He made the decision to give His life in order to save us all. There were many tests of resolve in the life of Jesus, and one of the most powerful was in the garden of Gethsemane. Let's look at Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36-45..."Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And He cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
As we enter this new year, let us resolve to spend more time with God's word, and rather than focusing on the superficial changes that we would like to see in our lives, let us rather resolve to take ourselves out of the equation. It is only when we lose ourselves that we can truly be found in Him. Let us resolve to allow His Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct our steps, to transform us into what He would have us to be.
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