01.05. Examples of Compuslory Humiliation
Examples of Compulsory Humiliation
"And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man cloth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord cloth man live. Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end." Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 8:16.
Ahab was one of the most wicked kings of Israel. His proud heart had almost entirely forgotten that the people over which he ruled had ever been true worshipers of the God of heaven. He persisted in the most extreme idolatry, despite all the warnings and judgments of God upon him and the kingdom. He considered Elijah, the prophet of God, as his enemy and a troubler of Israel. In the language of the prophet concerning him, we have his condition in a few words: "Thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord"; and the sentence of Jehovah against him was, that he and all his posterity should [12] disqualified. This is what God wants to teach us. He only can work perfectly in us when we are wholly abandoned to Him.
We have never been over this way before, and know not the dangers in the way. Our wily enemy knows our ignorance and utter helplessness when left to our own judgment and wisdom; therefore, it is no wonder that man totally fails when taking counsel with his own soul, and it is no wonder that our loving Father demands of us such perfect obedience and humility to Him. He wants to do for us. He wants to protect us from these dangers and glorify His name in us, and will most certainly do so when we have properly humbled ourselves under His hand. The potter cannot shape the clay until all the hardness has been taken out; then he can accomplish his design. So it is with us in the hand of God. Let us seek the very best qualification, and upon which every other one depends—Bible humility. Then our loving Father can have perfect right of way in us, and by sinking us out of sight to all human usefulness, can exalt us under His own mighty hand.