The perfect heart

“The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2Chron. 16:9).

“And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary^G3137 His mother, Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34,35).

Mary, G3137, Maria, Mariam, of Hebrew origin [H4813]; Maria or Mariam (that is, Mirjam).

H4813 miryâm (meer-yaum’) From H4805; rebelliously; Mirjam].

H4805 m^erîy From 4784; bitterness, that is, (figuratively) rebellion; concretely bitter, or rebellious: - bitter, (most) rebel (-lion, -lious).

H4784 mârâh A primitive root; to be (causatively make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively to provoke): -bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey, grievously, provocation, provoke (-ing), (be) rebel (against, -lious).

“Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels^H4784; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10).

“Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea…. And when they came to Marah^H4785, they could not drink of the waters of Marah^H4785, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah^H4785. And the people murmured against Moses… (Ex. 15:21,23,24).

Names have always had great meaning. The etymology of names gives us inside information of people’s character. Moses’ sister, Miriam, had a powerful bent to leadership. After the deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea, she grabbed her tambourine and began singing and dancing before the Lord. Many other women did as she did, and it was a wonderful exaltation of Jesus there. But, Miriam could also lead people in the wrong direction, like the blind leading the blind. She turned to backbiting Moses, and led Aaron to join in with her. If it hadn’t been for Moses’ humble intercession before Jesus, both Miriam and Aaron would have gone into the ditch. So Jesus gave her leprosy, and she looked like Lot’s wife (see Numbers 12:1-15). Her act was so grievous that it found itself in one of the great Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Ex. 20:16).

This is the ancestry of Mary, sinful human beings with sinful human natures. Miriam’s bitterness came from a demonic source. Evil speaking is demonically driven. The spirit of gossip and of destructive, private speaking against another, especially Jesus’ anointed ones, earns His greatest distaste and foreboding frown. Satan’s presence that demonstrates itself in bitterness, in the stiff-neck, and in stubborn resistance, is seen in Moses’ song against the rebels among Israel.

“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they Him to anger….

And when the LORD saw it, He abhorred them, because of the provoking of His sons, and of His daughters.

And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

For a fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend Mine arrows upon them….

For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps….

Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land, and to His people.” (Deut. 32:15,16,19-23,31-33,43).

Again in Deuteronomy, we see Christ’s use of wormwood and bitterness as the fruition of Satan’s work to separate the soul from its Maker and Saviour, and to turn them into rebellion against Him.

“Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:

The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.” (Deut. 29:18-20).

We also see the same bitterness and Wormwood in the third trumpet plague of Revelation.

“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood^G894: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.” (Rev. 8:10,11).

G894 apsinthos, Of uncertain derivation; wormwood (as a type of bitterness, that is [figuratively] calamity).

Satan twists the evidences and motives of the Lord for His goodness. Our adversary confuses the mind, and poisons the springs of the heart, until the soul shakes its fist at its heavenly Father and Benefactor. Rebellion is the whole work of Lord’s adversary, his age-old work of spiritualism and paganism. “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (1Sam. 15:23).

But, as the Lord can redeem His people who turn to Him as they turn away from Satan, original names can then misrepresent character, as it did with Mirjam, the mother of Jesus [Iēsous (ee-ay-sooce’) Of Hebrew origin [H3091]; Jesus (that is, Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites: -Jesus.]

Mirjam, Miriam, the mother of Jesus, was a converted woman. Her heart was “perfect toward [the Lord]” (2 Chron. 16:9). She had the same as her ancient matriarch, Rebekah, the spirit of happy willingness to be the Lord’s servant (see Genesis 24:15-20). Rebekah’s beautiful soul could only have been made by the Spirit of the Lord. Her outer beauty could bind up a man’s heart; but it was her inner beauty that bound up the Lord’s heart.

No doubt the same was with Mirjam, or Miriam, the mother of our Lord. And Miriam’s spirit, gifted from the Spirit of the Lord, made her happy to do the Lord’s will even if it meant a lifetime of evil-speaking against her. Her “miraculous” conception would never be believed, as that excuse might have been dared to be used in the past by promiscuous women.

The presence of the new “holy thing” in her purged and vivified her body, her soul, and her spirit. His anointing taught her truth and deepened her theology. In the company of her cousin, Elizabeth, Miriam unburdened her thankful, purified heart to God for His choosing her to be His handmaid and also for the blessing of suffering together with the Son of God, the Prince of heaven, the Messiah.

“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.

And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.

He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.

He hath holpen His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;

As He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed for ever.” (Luke 1:46-55).

So, Miriam, by the work of the Spirit of God, was made the perfect mother to protect the world’s Saviour, and to teach Him the ways of His God and Father. As the Spirit of God was upon Simeon, it was also upon her. “Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost^G4151 [pneuma, Spirit], that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law,

Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God…” (Luke 2:25-28).

That day the Spirit of the Lord came upon Miriam as it did so many others in the Bible.

“And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.” (Jdg. 3:9,10).

“But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.” (Jdg. 6:34).

“Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon…. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands. And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.” (Jdg. 11:29,32,33).

“And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (Jdg. 13:24,25).

“Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.” (Jdg. 14:5,6).

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions…” (Heb. 11:32,33).

“And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father’s house.” (Jdg. 14:19).

“And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.” (Jdg. 15:14-16).

With Saul we see the inner workings of how the Spirit of the Lord was enabled to come upon, or in, the champions of the Lord. It was by faith.

“After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.” (1Sam. 10:5-9).

“And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.…

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.…

Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

And all the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal; and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.” (1Sam. 11:6-8,11,14,15).

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Cor. 5:17).

Paul links the coming of the Spirit to conversion, new birth. Christ anointed King Saul and gave him a new heart. Saul became a new man, a new creature in Christ. There is nothing arbitrary by God. As we see below with Isaiah, forgiveness of sin and conversion attends every call of God for His service in every capacity. His choosing and election are without partiality and special favors. His choice of leaders is always predicated on His offer of justification and sanctification. With our acceptance of His offer of His justification and our joint effort in our special purification automatically come His reconciled Spirit and His power.

“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isa. 6:5-7).

But, as with Balaam, King Saul, Jeroboam, Jehu, Asa, and others, Christ’s continued calling depends on the joint effort to retain justification and the effort in the special work of sanctification. And we also see that all during the lives of those called, even if they are unfaithful to the maintenance of justification and the sanctified life, their still remains a small hold in their spirit for Jesus to lay claim to. This we see vividly in King Saul after he had departed so far from his one time holy calling. There is hope for everyone who have tasted of Christ’s goodness, have slipped away, but desire to return. Like the Prodigal Son, Jesus is waiting and His Spirit is working to bring them back. Without Jesus interceding for them Satan would completely dominate them. But, like so many demoniacs, who could not even cry out with for Jesus to deliver them, He heard their hearts’ unspoken appeal, and acted upon that authority to release them. As there is hope for everyone of us who haven’t received the abundant anointing that King Saul received, there was still hope for the king. Everything depended on the act of his will. Would he seek Jesus to heal his bitterness? Would he, humbled and surrendered, confess to himself and to Jesus, “I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not” (Job 33:27), immediate Christ’s salvation from Satan would have returned King Saul to his sanity and happiness.

“He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not.”

“He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.”

“Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.”

“He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.”

“His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth.” (Job 33:27,26,24,28).

“And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.

And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1Sam. 19:20-24).

We see the choice of champions to deliver Israel linked to forgiveness of sins and faith. Jesus does nothing arbitrarily. The anointing came by people seeking Jehovah in repentance, in the spirit of heaviness, and humbled by the consequences of their life of disobedience. The judges of ancient Israel were men powerfully converted to Jesus. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12,13). “He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star.” (Rev. 2:26-28). King Saul hadn’t kept the work of Christ uppermost to the very end. But, David did.

“Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him [David] in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (1Sam. 16:13,14).

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.” (Isa. 11:1,2).

“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.” (2Sam. 23:1-5).

Even the Patriarchs were converted men and had open communion with their personal Saviour, Jesus.

“And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.” (Gen. 35:1-7).

The builders of His sanctuary were converted, justified, and acted by faith.

“See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,

And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;

The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,

And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.” (Ex. 31:2-11).

Even the children of Israel who brought their gifts to make the sanctuary were converted and forgiven their sins. They had seen their great transgressions. They knew how close to destruction they came. And, with broken hearts, they had fallen on their face before the Lord. Now they were ready to happily give to Jehovah from their hearts.

“And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him [Moses] there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.

And he said, If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.

And He said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee….

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.

And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.

And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai….

And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,…

And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit [His Spirit?] made willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all His service, and for the holy garments.

And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them.

Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.

And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.” (Ex. 34:5-10,29-32; 35:4,5,21-26).

His Spirit that blessed the children of Israel with new covenant, born-again hearts and spirits, was upon the prophets who were “born of water and of the Spirit” (John 3:5). Yes, even Balaam!

“And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!” (Num. 24:1-5).

But, would Balaam maintain that blessing or let is slip away forever?

The prophets were the same born again seed of Christ. Their hearts were set upon Jesus. Their souls thirsted for Jesus, the living God. Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, Azariah the son of Oded, Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, Bezeleel and Aholiab, all of the inspired, holy major and minor prophet Bible writers, were all men of faith and prayer, new creatures in Christ.

“And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” (2Chron. 15:1,2).

“Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2Chron. 20:14-17).

“And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.” (2Chron. 24:20,21).

No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in them a desire to make known to others what a precious friend they have found in Jesus.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isa. 61:1-4).

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” (Isa. 50:4).

And the same power and authoritative message of the prophets is meant for everyone who comes to know Jesus today.

“And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’s people were prophets, and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (Num. 11:29).