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 Do Not Glory In Your Family Background by Zac Poonen


The very coming of Jesus to earth from the glory of Heaven is in itself a marvelous demonstration of His humility. But we are told that, even "as a man He humbled Himself" (Phil. 2:8). "Made like His brethren in every respect" (Heb. 2:17), He took His place before God as all other men. He became nothing so that God might be everything. This is true humility.

Worldly glory and greatness are measured by a person's position, wealth, accomplishments, family status, etc. But how different is the glory of God as seen in Jesus Christ!

Jesus was the only person ever born who had the opportunity to choose the family into which he was to be born. None of us had that choice.

Which family did Jesus choose? An unknown carpenter's family from a place called Nazareth, of which town people said, "Can any good come from there?" (Jn. 1:46). Joseph and Mary were so poor that they could not even afford to offer a lamb as a burnt offering to God (cf. Lk. 2:22-24 with Lev. 12:8).

Further, Jesus was the only person ever born, who could choose exactly where he would be born. Having the opportunity to determine the place of His birth, which place did He choose? A cattle food-box in a lowly stable!

Notice further, the family-line that Jesus chose for Himself. Four women are named in the family-tree of Jesus, mentioned in Matthew 1:3-6. The first one, Tamar had a son through committing adultery with her father-in-law, Judah. The second one, Rahab, was a well-known prostitute in Jericho. The third one, Ruth, was a descendant of Moab, who was born as a result of Lot committing adultery with his own daughter. The fourth one was Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, with whom David committed adultery.

Why did Jesus choose such a shameful family-line to come through? It was in order that He could identify Himself totally with Adam's fallen race. In this we see His humility. He did not desire any pride of family or genealogy.

Jesus identified Himself totally with man. He believed in the essential equality of all human beings, irrespective of race, family, position in life, etc., and became one with the least and lowest in the social strata. He came below all, that He might be the servant of all. It is only the one who gets beneath others who is able to lift them up. And it is with this attitude of humility that Jesus came to earth.

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2012/5/17 16:01Profile
pilgrim777
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Joined: 2011/9/30
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 Your Experience and Lineage Does Not Impress God

About 3,500 years ago there were two Israelites that were very special men. What made them special? Their experience and their lineage.

This was their experience:

They had witnessed the Lord bring 10 plagues down on the Egyptians and deliver His people out of Egypt with His mighty hand. They had stood and seen the Red Sea part so that Israel could walk across on dry land. They witnessed the Red Sea come back together and swallow up the pursuing armies. Everyday they ate bread out of heaven and drank pure water that came from a rock - supernatural provision by God to meet their daily needs. These two very special men followed the physical presence of God - a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They stood with the nation at Mt. Sinai and received the law. They were selected by God to come into His presence along with Moses and Aaron and seventy of the elders of Israel. They beheld God with their eyes and ate and drank in His presence. That was the experience of these two special men.

This was their lineage:

They were descendants of Abraham of the tribe of Levi and the two oldest sons of Aaron, the high priest of Israel. Out of the loins of the oldest should have descended all of the high priests for the next 1,500 years. These two men were consecrated and ordained unto the Lord in the presence of the whole nation. They were part of a perpetual priesthood to God.

These two special men, Nadab and Abihu, with all their great experience and lineage, had what seemed to them to be a great idea. They would do something for God. They would serve him in a novel way. They took their respective firepans and after putting fire in them, placed incense on them and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded of them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord. That's right. God killed them for their great idea and wanting to serve Him in their own way. Even with their great lineage and experience, God snuffed them out.

Did God not know who these men were? Did He not know that they were Aaron's sons. Yes, He knew all of that but it did not matter to Him. God is not a respecter of persons and will have things done in His way, and His time and is not interested in "My Ministry". He is interested in transformation, in the inner man. He is not interested in your ministry, at least not nearly as much as He is interested in you. Before there can ever be a proper ministry, there must be a proper vessel. There are many "vessels" today doing "God's work", who have never let Him do His most important work...in THEM.

Pilgrim

 2012/5/18 1:06Profile





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