One of the greatest crises in America is fatherlessness.  Millions of children are born out of wedlock, or raised without a dad, due to divorce, illness, or death.  The scars ingrained on the child’s psyche, and negative impact on society, are incalculable.  Even if there are great moms, grandmothers, aunts, friends, coaches etc., a child’s soul knows something, or rather, someone, is missing.

Loneliness stalks the soul of such children.  This profound emotional pain can carry over into adulthood.  I know from personal experience.

But the LORD is acutely aware of the agony of loneliness in fatherless children.  How do I know this?

The LORD, who is full of compassion, reveals a clue in the Biblical Hebrew word for “fatherless”. Let’s take a look:

The word “orphan” in Biblical Hebrew is ‘yatom’.  It actually means ‘fatherless’.  So, even if a child had a mother, he was considered an orphan if there was no father present.  I was amazed to discover that the root verb, from which the word ‘yatom’ is derived, means “to be lonely”!

Loneliness goes with the territory of being fatherless.  They are an inseparable tandem.  You can be lonely without being fatherless, but you cannot be fatherless without being lonely, according to Biblical truth.

The LORD also gave serious instruction in His word, regarding the treatment of those children who are fatherless:

1. He commands that the fatherless not be afflicted. (Exodus 22:22)
2. He expects justice to be executed on behalf of the fatherless. (Deuteronomy 10:18)
3. He promised blessing on the work of those hands (the context was agricultural) who left the corner of their fields for the fatherless and widows to glean. (Deuteronomy  24:19, 20, 21)  In another instance, prosperity in life (not necessarily financially) is promised if the cause of the fatherless is pleaded. (Jeremiah 5:28)
4. The fatherless were to be included in the celebration of the Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)!  This feast commemorates the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai.  In the New Covenant,  the Holy Spirit was given to the (Jewish) believers that had gathered for prayer and fasting.  Implied here is that fatherless children should not be neglected spiritually! They must be taught the Scriptures and become part of the Body of believers–all of whom share in the Holy Spirit.  This is a very specific command!
5. The fatherless were to be included in the distribution of the tithe. (Deuteronomy 26:12)  Based on this principle, does your congregation give a portion of the tithe to help the fatherless member in its midst, local fatherless boys and girls, or an orphanage elsewhere?  Job stated that he shared his food with orphans.  (Job 31:17)  Can we find a struggling family where there is no dad, and give food, clothing, a toy, tutoring, or some other kind of assistance to help the fatherless?
6. Cursed is the one who distorts justice due the fatherless.  (Deuteronomy 27:19)   He sees everything that goes on.  People sometimes take advantage of fatherless children because there is no strong dad there to defend them.  Be careful if you are in a decision making position, say as a sports coach, and give preference to those whose dad is there fighting for them.  The Lord is watching!  Twice He states through Isaiah the Prophet that the orphan must be vindicated.  (Isaiah 1:17, 23)
7. In ancient Israel, if the fatherless (and widows and aliens) were mistreated or had violence done to them (and innocent blood was shed), desolation would come to the house of the one sitting on David’s throne–the king of Judah.  Leadership is held accountable for caring for widows and orphans.  (Jeremiah 22:1-7)

We want the LORD to hear us in our prayers.  The Prophet Zechariah declared:

⁹ “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother;

¹⁰ and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’

¹¹ But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing.

¹² They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.

¹³ And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts;…  (Zechariah 7:9-13)

As is very clear from the above passage, there are consequences to ignoring the needs of the fatherless.

Pray for the fatherless around you.  They are there.  You have seen them.  They could be playing at the basketball court, in the street, at the mall, at your place of worship.  Can you sense their loneliness?  Could speaking a kind, encouraging word, showing some attention, imparting some much needed wisdom, sharing some quality time, like in a pick-up game, or bestowing some other blessing be the way that the Holy Spirit has prompted you to interact with a fatherless child?  Please do not resist Him and allow your heart to be made like flint, so yourefuse to pay attention, and turn your shoulder and let your ears be stopped from hearing; and thus tragically forsake the opportunity to help lift the heavy burden of loneliness from a young, fatherless person and fail to give him or her the courage to go on another day.

This is serious business.  The LORD stated repeatedly that He is their defender.  Let’s get on His side in practical ways.  Let’s help lighten a portion of the affliction of loneliness carried by these brokenhearted children.

And, what if you are fatherless?  How do you find healing from this grievous wound?

As with any other problem or emotional pain, run to the Lord in His Word.  He is so concerned about you, and unlike others, is intimately familiar with your agony.  He has made several promises concerning you:

Psalm 68:5 states, “A Father of the fatherless, is God in His holy habitation.”

Hosea 14:3 says, “In Thee, the fatherless find mercy.”

Psalm 10:14 reminds us, “You have been a helper of the fatherless.”

Acknowledge the Creator God as your Heavenly Father — Out Loud.  Remind Him of His promises to be a father to you…and watch Him respond.  Claim Him as your source of mercy.  Remind Him that He stated in His word, at least twenty times, that he is concerned that justice be given to the fatherless.  Ask Him to send you sensitive, loving people that will be His surrogate in earthly situations.

Also, please do not be shocked or offended if “religious” people aren’t particularly sensitive to you.  For as James aptly states, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  (James 1:27)  The book of James is considered the most “Jewish” book of the New Testament.  James surely meant “fatherless” when he wrote “orphans”, since he himself was an observant Jewish man, and was very familiar with the Torah and Prophets.

May each of us become a blessing to a fatherless individual.  This is a true reflection of The Father’s heart!

Back in the 1970’s Phil Keaggy had a beautiful song on his Love Broke Through album–”Disappointment– His Appointment”.  The song was actually a poem put to music. The citation was ‘author unknown’.

I loved the words so much that I typed them up and gave them out as I met people who needed encouragement.

I have to admit that poetry is not my favorite subject.  But, you know there is something amazing about a great poem–that your heart sentiments can be expressed so aptly, so artistically–someone has had your experience or feelings!

Thirty years later, and fifteen hundred miles away from where I first heard the song, someone we had recently met was clearing out old religious books.  He offered them to us.  Weeks later, while looking through my new books I saw The Best-Loved Religious Poems by James Gilchrist Lawson.  (It was published in 1933 by Fleming Revell Company.)

Sure enough, there it was on page 97–”Disappointment–His Appointment”.  It evidently was based on the passage from Job 23:14—”He performeth the thing that is appointed for me.”

The author was Edith Lillian Young.

Here are the words:

“Disappointment–His appointment,”
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God’s better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing,
Tho’ it may come in disguise
For the end from the beginning
Open to His wisdom lies.

“Disappointment — His appointment,”
Whose?  The Lord, who loves me best,
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test;

For, like loving earthly parent,
He rejoices when He knows
That  His child accepts, unquestioned,
All that from his wisdom flows.

“Disappointment –His appointment,”
“No good thing will He withhold,”
From denials oft we gather
Treasures of His love untold.
Well He knows each broken purpose
Leads to fuller, deeper trust,
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.

“Disappointment–His appointment,”
Lord, I take it, then, as such.
Like the clay in hands of potter,
Yielding wholly to Thy touch.
All my life’s plan is Thy moulding,
Not one single choice be mine;
Let me answer, unrepining–
Father, “Not my will, but Thine.”

After finding and reviewing the original poem on which the song, “Disappointment– His Appointment”, was based, I now offer this insight.  Understand, the poem is not Scripture.  It’s not perfect.  I strongly disagree with, “Not one single choice be mine.” That is frankly bad theology.  Why?  Because we were divinely designed to make choices–our Creator gave us free will.  More importantly, we are told in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 14, “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”  We practice by making choices.  It takes spiritual, emotional and intellectual exercise to learn how to choose between good and evil.  We are NOT to be passive as believers.

Also Ms. Young puts forth, “He rejoices when He knows that His child accepts, unquestioned, all that from His wisdom flows.”  Are all of our disappointments His appointments?

Were all Job’s appointments, including his grievous loss of children, possessions, wealth and health, God’s appointments?  We know from the text, in Job chapter 2, that after Satan insinuated to the LORD that, if afflicted,  Job would curse the LORD to His face, that “… the LORD said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life’ ” (Job 2:6 italics mine).   Thus, it would appear that the afflictions Job subsequently bore were not the LORD’s appointments, but Satan’s.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 18,  Paul said he wanted to go to the Thessalonians, but “Satan hindered us.”

Blind, unthinking acceptance of whatever comes down the pike is dangerous. Sometimes we think the hand dealt to us is from God, when, in reality, it is simply Satan thwarting or harassing us.  In those instances, we cannot be passive.  Passivity, or passive acceptance of situations, is exactly how the enemy is too often allowed to  gain control over our thoughts, lives, bodies, etc.   The believer is told to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). Why is a list of spiritual armor given in Ephesians chapter 6, if there is no war and we are to simply accept what comes along?

There is a classic text on spiritual warfare called War on the Saints, by Jessie Penn-Lewis (published by Overcomer Literature Trust, 1977  & Christian Literature Crusade, Fort Washington, PA, 1983).  It was originally written in 1912!

She devotes an entire chapter to The Perils of Passivity.  Here are a few excerpts (pgs. 51-68):

“The chief condition for the working of evil spirits in a human being, apart from sin, is passivity, in exact opposition to the condition which God requires for His working.  ...God requires cooperation with His Spirit, and the full use of every faculty of the whole man. In brief, the powers of darkness aim at obtaining a passive slave or captive to their will; whilst God desires a regenerated man, intelligently and actively will–ing and choosing…

The powers of darkness would make a man a machine, a tool, an automaton; the God of holiness and love desires to make him a free, intelligent sovereign in his own sphere–a thinking rational, renewed creation after His own image (Ephesians iv. 24).  Therefore, God never says to any faculty of man, “Be thou idle”.

God does not need, nor demand non-activity in a man, for His working in and through him; but evil spirits demand the utmost non-activity and passivity.

God asks for intelligent action (Rom. xii. 1-2, “Your reasonable service,”) in cooperation with Him.

Passivity must not be confused with quietness, or the “meek and quiet spirit”, which in the sight of God is of great price.  Quietness of spirit, of heart, of mind, of manner, voice and expression, may be co-existent with the most effective activity in the will of God (1 Thess. iv. 11).

There is a PASSIVITY OF THE WILL; …This originates from a wrong conception of what full surrender to God means.  Thinking that a “surrendered will” to God means no use of the will at all, the believer ceases to (1) choose, (2) determine, and (3) act of his own volition. The serious effect of this he is not allowed by the powers of darkness to discover, for at first the consequences are trivial and scarcely noticeable. …

“Suffering directly caused by evil spirits may be discriminated from the true fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, by a complete absence of result, either in fruit, victory, or ripening in spiritual growth.  If carefully observed, it will be seen to be entirely purposeless. On the other hand, God does nothing without a definite object(ive).  He does not delight in causing suffering for the sake of suffering, but the Devil does.”  (Emphasis mine)

It is amazing and comforting to KNOW that, though some of our appointments come from the enemy of our souls, it is TRUE that God is able to make all grace abound to us in those circumstances, since “… we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28 NASB)

The key to take away today is:  Don’t just automatically presume that the trials that come into your day, or life, have come from the Father’s hand.  We all need to grow up and discern from whence come the “realities” with which we deal.  We don’t want to get to the other side of this difficult life and find that we should have been more actively pursuing wholeness, and more persistently using our authority in Messiah to rebuke the forces of darkness, rather than passively accepting their lies and ill intended appointments.

Yes, the LORD understands.

Yes, everything lies open before Him–there are no surprises and He is omniscient.

Yes, yield your every moment and thought and plan to the love and wisdom of the Spirit of God.

But, be sure your disappointments ARE in fact, His appointments.  You see, if you buy the lie that every disappointment comes from God’s hand, then you are sure to develop an anger or bitterness toward Him…and frankly develop a divided mind:  You know theologically the Scripture says over and over the LORD is good and His mercy endures forever…but your experience shouts the opposite.

Fight the good fight of faith, fight the right battles, and thank Yahveh that His love for you endures forever!

1 John 5:14-15 says, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us:  And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.  When we pray the Scriptures we are praying wisely, because we are praying His will!

The context of the Gospel is Jewish (“Salvation is of the Jews”, said Yeshua–John 4:22) and the Scriptures are replete with verses revealing how to pray for Israel with the Father’s heart. We must ask Yahveh (The LORD) to reveal His love for the Jewish people and His burden for them (He says in Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you (Israel) with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.”)

The Jewish people are a brokenhearted people and if we intercede for them it must be with a humble and tender heart.  Then we know we are praying in accordance with the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh).

When we pray for Israel, we are praying not only for the country in the Middle East, but for all Jews everywhere in the dispersion (Diaspora).

Here is a sample prayer to guide you in your praying.  Prayer for Israel is a very important ministry in which Yahveh, the Holy One of Israel, wants to engage us in these last days:

“Abba (Father), in the Name of Yeshua, I thank You for preserving the Jewish people.  Truly this reveals Your faithfulness to keep Your Word and Your covenants.  Thank You that the only time Israel will cease from being a nation is when the fixed ordinances (sun, moon and stars) depart from before You (Jeremiah 31:35-36)  Thank You that no weapon formed against Israel shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).  Israel has faced many enemies over the centuries.  I understand Satan has wanted to destroy Israel because she is the apple of Your eye (Zechariah 2:8) and because Messiah will return when Israel’s eyes are opened and they call upon His name (Zechariah 12:10).

Thank You for Michael the Archangel that You have assigned to protect Israel (Daniel 10:13).  O Yahveh of Hosts (hosts = armies in Biblical Hebrew), please station angels about her borders and the people.  Thank you that You who keep (guard) Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4).

Abba, as the prophets of old, we confess our sins and the sins of our fathers, particularly where Christians have participated in the sin of anti-Semitism, failing to show the love and patience of Your Son to the Jewish people.  These scars formed in history have wounded and confused Your chosen people.  Cleanse us from this sin which breaks Your heart.  Your Word says they are beloved and their gifts and calling as a nation are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).  I ask You to convict church leaders and teachers who have taught that You are finished with Israel.  Please forgive them and open their eyes.  Like the Apostle Paul, let them say, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.” (Romans 10:1).  May I extend mercy to the Jewish people even as Your Word commands in Romans chapter 11, verse 31 that “through my mercy they may also obtain mercy.”

Thank You that only a partial hardening has happened to Israel (Romans 11:25).  Thank You for the remnant (Romans 11:5) that has believed and for those who will come to faith.

I do not beg You for the salvation of the Jewish people, for Messiah Yeshua already died for them (1 John 2:2).  Rather, I wrestle them out of the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13) with the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but mighty through You to the pulling down of strongholds (II Corinthians 10:3-5).  I cast down the thought patterns of unbelief, fear and  father-rejection.  I take captive these thoughts and all confusion to the obedience of the Messiah (II Cor. 10:5).  As Your Word says, ” …Yahveh (The LORD) rebuke thee…”.  (Zechariah 3:2 KJV)

Father, Your Word says that “… to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:15-16 NASB)”  Thank You that You are able to take the veil away and please do so for (personalize with the Jewish person, or people, you know).  I pray for religious Jewish people – the Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. In the Name of the Lord Yeshua, I come against the spirits of deception that would tell them that religion will save them.  Reveal to them, Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), that it is only by the blood atonement of the Messiah Yeshua that they are saved.  Have mercy on them O, God, Who delights in mercy (Jeremiah 9:24).

I pray today for the approximately 300,000 Jewish people in the former Soviet Union who have not yet left in fulfillment of prophecy (Jeremiah 23:3,7,8).  Protect them from the growing violence against them because they are Jews.  I thank you for delivering approximately 90% of the Jewish people out of the former Soviet Union in faithful fulfillment of Your prophetic Word.   I thank You for the many Russian believers who are now in Israel.  Strengthen them and give them grace in adjusting to their new home.

I pray for the Jewish people of Europe and Latin America who know they need to leave their countries because of growing anti-Semitism and return to Israel.  Please make a way–let every mountain of hindrance be removed so they can depart speedily. I pray for provision and the way of escape to be made clear to them.

I pray for Your Body of believers in Israel– for protection, growth, unity, boldness and provision.  Protect them, dear Lord.

I pray for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – for a hedge of protection, wisdom and courage, as the Gentile nations pressure him to return land that You promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants forever (Genesis12:7; 15:18; 17:8)  Thwart and confuse all plots and plotters against the Jewish people (Psalm 83, Psalm 124, Psalm 129:5).  Bring her enemies to repentance (Matthew 5:44).  Let them henceforth use their energies to build Your kingdom and to comfort Israel. (Isaiah 40:1)

I pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).  Thank You for prospering my life because I love her (Psalm 122:6)  Speak to my mind the ways You want me to reach out to Your people.  Make me a comfort to Your people (Isaiah 40).

I particularly pray for Holocaust survivors who need a revelation of Your personal love after experiencing such devastation.  Holy One of Israel, naturally, I don’t desire to feel the brokenness that the pogroms of Russia or the Holocaust have caused.  I am willing to receive the prayer burdens of Your heart for the Jewish people.  I am willing to stand as a watchman for the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62).  I give You no rest until You make Jerusalem a praise on the earth (Isaiah 62).

I pray for more laborers in this end time harvest, particularly for those to labor among elderly Jewish people in South Florida, New York City, Los Angeles & Chicago.  I pray for those laborers to be wise, tender and kind, full of your Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit).  I pray for divine appointments for them, that their steps would be directed to Jewish people searching for You, Your love, Your forgiveness, Your peace, Your touch, Your comfort. May they be anointed to speak your Word with power, conviction and the Ruach HaKodesh.  May they walk in humility and in the bond of peace with other laborers in the same part of the harvest.  May they be protected from all harm.  May their families be exceedingly blessed.

I pray Lord Yeshua for Your speedy return.  Soon may You hear the Jewish people say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.” (Psalm 118; Matthew 23:39). Maranatha, even so come, Messiah Yeshua!

I pray all these things on the authority of the blood atonement and in the name of Yeshua, the soon returning King of the Jews.

Copyright ©1996 Prophetic Prayers by Prophetic Prints.  If you wish to copy this prayer for free distribution, permission is hereby granted to duplicate it provided there are no changes or omissions made to this prayer and this byline is included.  Please note this prayer has a Spanish translation, as well.  Please email us through our contact form to receive a copy.

When I mention “Ethiopian”, those of you who are familiar with Scripture probably think of the apostle Philip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch, as recorded in the New Testament Book of Acts, chapter eight verses 25-39.

There we read how an angel dispatched Philip to a desert road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza, where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.  This man was in charge of all her treasure. On his return from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship, the eunuch was sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah.  His exposure to the God of Israel undoubtedly stemmed from the influence of the Queen of Sheba, who, more than a millennium before, had brought back the wisdom of Solomon and the knowledge of the Holy One of Israel to Ethiopia!  Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 

Philip heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “Well, how could I unless someone guides me?  And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he does not open His mouth.
He was humiliated and denied justice.
Who will tell about his descendants,
Since his life has been taken from the earth?” (Isaiah 53 verse 7)

The eunuch asked Philip the same question that has been debated for two thousand years: …”Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this?  Of himself or of someone else?

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Yeshua to him.”

The eunuch believed.  Then they traveled a short distance together and the eunuch saw water — remember, they were on a desert road. “Look, water!  What prevents me from being baptized (mikvahed).  Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

This eunuch who was in charge of a queen’s treasure, was now in possession of a better treasure–He had found the Messiah, the King of the whole earth.  Thus, the Gospel went to Africa through this man!

But who is the other Ethiopian mentioned in Scripture in conjunction with a Jewish king?

He’s a man named Ebed-melech, which in Hebrew means ’servant of a king’.  We meet this amazing man in Jeremiah chapter 38, verse seven.

The context is that the Kingdom of Judah and her king, Zedekiah, were facing judgment because of idolatry and evil.  The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that the LORD would give the city of Jerusalem into the hand of the Babylonian army, and the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.

Zedekiah’s officials told him to put Jeremiah to death because they believed Jeremiah was discouraging the people by his words of warning.  Zedekiah relinquishes responsibility and tells the officials, “Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you.”  (Jeremiah Chapter 38, verse 5) The officials then cast Jeremiah into a cistern.  There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.

BUT Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch, while in the king’s palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern.  Ebed-melech went to where the king was, outside the palace and boldly said, “My lord, the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have cast into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” (verse 9)  The king responded and commanded Ebed-melech to take thirty men under his authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet form the cistern before he died.

Ebed-melech took the men, worn out clothes and rags. He told Jeremiah to put the clothes and rags under his armpits.  Jeremiah does so, and they pulled him up with the ropes.

Then the city of Jerusalem was captured.  On the ninth of Av (4th month; approx. August), the city wall was breached.  The Chaldeans (Babylonians) burned the king’s palace and the houses of the people; they broke down the walls of Jerusalem.  The king’s sons were killed and Zedekiah was bound in fetters of bronze.

Amazingly, Nebuchadnezzar gave orders about Jeremiah:  “Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.”  (Jeremiah chapter 39, verse 12)

Now Jeremiah gets a specific word for the Ethiopian eunuch!

“Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD (Yahveh) of Hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day.  “But I will deliver you on that day,” declares the LORD, “and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread.  “For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted in Me,” declares the LORD.’”  (Jeremiah chapter 39, verses 16-18)

What we can learn from this Ethiopian Eunuch’s life:

1. The BOLDNESS  an obscure servant had to speak to a wicked king, because he knew what was right, did not go unrecognized by the LORD (or the king).
2. The Ethiopian’s TRUST in Yahveh (The LORD) in grave circumstances did not go unnoticed by the LORD.  The LORD sees when you trust Him in difficulty!
3. As a result of his trust in Yahveh, he was given a special prophetic word of encouragement and hope to assuage his fears.

In these difficult days of shifting sand (economically, politically, etc.), we must have the wisdom and boldness of Ebed-melech.  We must stand for what is right, even if it means speaking to those who are opening the door to destruction. The LORD knows who are His:  “For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Isaiah the Prophet declares in chapter 56 verses 3-5:  “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from His people.  Neither let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”

For thus says the LORD, “To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will
give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.”

The Scriptures have indeed memorialized these men to vast numbers of people throughout the world over the past 2,000 years.

Here’s the result of the faith of two Ethiopian eunuchs:  One brought the Gospel to Africa; the other saved a major prophet’s life…a prophet that still speaks in 2009!

Never think your acts of faith and obedience are insignificant.  They can yield fruit and have far reaching powerful, amazing consequences–even spanning many generations.

We were in a Walmart Superstore by the dairy section.
My husband remarked, “This yogurt has 45 grams of sugar. That’s a lot of sugar!”

A heavy set man chimed in, “Hey, in three hundred years it won’t mean a hill of beans.”

I reflected on his answer and quietly prayed to the LORD.  What can I say to him?
I asked him his name and spiritual background.

“Peter.  I’m Catholic.”  He intellectually knew the facts about Yeshua–you know, “He died for our sins…”, but I did not sense there was a heart commitment.

How could I reach this man?

He had just dismissed the conversation with a quick and easy answer by reciting what he remembered from his childhood religious training. Then a thought came to my mind that I knew could help me demonstrate how urgent and relevant the Gospel was for him at that moment.

“Have you ever had a lawsuit, Peter?”

“Yes, I am actually having issues with my divorce and an old injury.”

I followed with the question, “Have you ever heard of pre-paid legal?  You know it’s a service where you pay about a hundred dollars a year and if you have some minor situation, or need a lawyer’s letter, they help you.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

Peter, which do you prefer–representing yourself or having an attorney represent you?”

Then I quoted what the Apostle John wrote about in his first letter (1 John).
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, the righteous.”  (1 John chapter 2, verse 1)

I told him that the word “advocate” actually meant “attorney”.

“You know Peter, some day you will have an appointment in God’s court.  You will be standing before a holy and just Judge.  That Judge will have reviewed your life and cited all you have done–good and bad.  He says that “the penalty of sin is death” (Romans 5:8), that is, separation from God forever.

What I’m telling you about is The Pre-Paid Eternal Legal Service.  You sign up to have the legal services of the Attorney who knows all about you and wants to represent you before the Judge.  He not only wants to represent you before the Judge, but He already paid what you owed when you sinned against the One who is Master of the Universe. And besides, he doesn’t even charge you a fee, since He already paid for it two thousand years ago when He gave His life a ransom for many. (Matthew chapter 20, verse 28)

Or, you can come to the Judge on your own merits.”

Peter “got” the analogy.

I asked, “Would you like to pray now, acknowledging that when you come before a Holy God, you want Yeshua the Messiah to be your attorney.  That he already paid your debt for sin in full, and will forever represent you?  That you can then know for certain that you have eternal life and forgiveness through the Messiah?”

“No!”, he replied.

“Would you mind if we prayed for you?”, I persisted, knowing that this man’s eternal destiny was at stake.

“No!”, he said calmly.

So my husband and I prayed for him…for his family and his physical ailments.  He thanked us and we went our separate ways.
We occasionally prayed for him after that.

Several months later I bumped into him in the same Walmart.

He said, “Hey, I went home and prayed to receive the LORD that same day!”

I sent him a Bible and “The LORD is Near to the Brokenhearted” Prophetic Print because he truly was a man with heartache.

Peter will never have this appointment in Court:  The Great White Throne Judgment mentioned in Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 -15:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Are you scheduled for your day in Court…or has that appointment been erased by your having signed up for Messiah’s Pre-Paid Eternal Legal Service?

If you, like Peter, would like to know for certain that you are not scheduled for judgment, that the penalty for your sins is already “covered”, here’s what to do:

1. Speak to the Creator.  His name is Yahveh…the God of Israel…the God of the Bible.  The call is free!
2. Agree with Him that you deserve to be judged for actions, thoughts and/or words that you have done that have violated His law.
3. Tell him about those actions, thoughts and/or words.  This is what the word “confession” means:  “to agree with”; you agree with Him that these things violated His Holy standard and are worthy of judgment. Reviewing the 10 Commandments may help jog your memory. (See Exodus Chapter 20 verses 1-17)
4. Acknowledge your rebellion toward Him and that in many respects you did not realize that in HIM you live, and move, and have your being.
5. Believe that Yeshua the Messiah, loved you so much that He gave His sinless life for you.  Acknowledge that His work alone, not your good deeds, are sufficient to soothe a Holy God, who, though HE IS LOVE, must punish sin.
6. In prayer, receive Messiah Yeshua into your life and heart.  (Say audibly:  “Messiah Yeshua, I believe you died for my sins and I receive you now into my life and heart”)
7. Tell someone else what happened.  For it is written in Romans chapter 10, verse 9 – 13:  “that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says,  “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD (YAHVEH) WILL BE SAVED.”

Several years ago we were moving and did not want to keep a treadmill.  So we placed an ad in the local newspaper.  We got a call from a German man who had slurred speech.  Evidently he had had a stroke, so his wife got on the phone to complete the call.  They wanted to see the treadmill and said they would come over.

They had given me their last name, a long German one.  It complemented their pronounced German accent.  I wondered, “What is their feeling toward Jews?”  You see, in the nineteen eighties I had been introduced to a friend of a friend, who after speaking with me a while, confided, “My dad is a Nazi.”  Thus, I was a bit wary.

This older couple came to our home.  I don’t know why the wife, out of the blue, began to mention Jesus as a master.  I surmised she was into New Age thinking.  I spoke about deception; that people are searching for truth, and in their openness open themselves up to lies.  I explained that the true Jesus, Yeshua, was not a founder of a religion, or a means to some form of peace, but was the One who proved to be the Messiah and Savior of the world, by fulfilling the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures, rising from the dead, and afterward appearing to more than five hundred people; clearly He has been setting millions of people free from bondage over the past two millennia.  He is the Prince of Peace, not merely the means to peace.

Then she told me her story.  She was Jewish and was one year old when the Nazis came into power.  She had been hidden in a subway for an entire year as an infant!  I began to cry because of the pain she related.  I also felt badly because I had presumed. I had been wrong.

Her heartache caused her to search for meaning.  Unfortunately, her vulnerability emotionally and spiritually drew her into a pit–the pit of deception.

We spent four hours talking.  It was a profound time.  I had the privilege of telling them about the Messiah, who heals the brokenhearted and bore our sins in His body, on the tree.  I told them Messiah surely bore their griefs and carried their sorrows. He carried all the sorrows of the Holocaust.   What love, what compassion.  But there is even more amazing thing to contemplate:  That Messiah bore the profound evil that every Nazi committed against the Jews and all humanity…”He died once for ALL, the just for the unjust to bring us to God.”

I gave her a biography I had just read about a Jewish doctor who likewise learned not to prematurely judge people.  During the Holocaust this doctor had a very moving experience.   While in a monastery to which he fled after escaping Sobibor, a concentration camp, he masqueraded as a Catholic for several months.  He finally went to confession and told the priest.  To his great surprise and comfort, the priest led him in the Shema, in Hebrew! (Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad–Hear, O Israel, The LORD our God the LORD is one.)  The priest had suspected all along that the doctor was Jewish!   The doctor never expected this Polish priest would have a special love for the Jewish people!

Back to the treadmill story:  I did not expect that the potential buyer for my treadmill was a Holocaust survivor.  I also did not expect to hear her German Gentile husband  speak of his deep love and compassion for the Jewish people, which he did that day.

There are times we simply judge situations too quickly and do not  know to whom we are talking. The LORD is leading us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, and everyday events are the context for His gaining glory!

Well, the couple bought the treadmill and we drove thirty miles to get it to their home.  We set it up.  We prayed together.

We had touched history, and the God of all comfort had touched each of us!

How to get off the treadmill of searching here and there for peace and truth and meaning, and get onto the sure road of life:

1. Speak to the Creator.  His name is Yahveh…the God of Israel…the God of the Bible.  The call is free!
2. Agree with Him that you deserve to be judged for actions, thoughts and/or words that you have done that have violated His law.
3. Tell him about those actions, thoughts and/or words.  This is what the word “confession” means:  “to agree with”; you agree with Him that these things violated His Holy standard and are worthy of judgment. Reviewing the 10 Commandments may help jog your memory. (See Exodus Chapter 20 verses 1-17)
4. The first commandment says, “I am the LORD, you shall have no other gods before me.”  Tell Him about other gods–false religions or other types of idols you may have had in your life.
5. Acknowledge your rebellion toward Him and that in many respects you did not realize that in HIM you live, and move, and have your being.
6. Believe that Yeshua the Messiah, loved you so much that He gave His sinless life for you.  Acknowledge that His work alone, not your good deeds, are sufficient to soothe a Holy God, who, though HE IS LOVE, must punish sin.
7. In prayer, receive Messiah Yeshua into your life and heart.  (Say audibly:  “Messiah Yeshua, I believe You died for my sins,(Your death atoned for my sins), and I receive You now into my life and heart”)
8. Tell someone else what happened.  For it is written in Romans chapter 10, verse 9 – 13:  “that if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  For the Scripture says,  “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD (YAHVEH) WILL BE SAVED.”

*Picture above is of the Sobibor Railway Station. Picture from the Wikipedia Commons, courtesy of Jacques Lahitte.