Nugget 17
The Dealings of God
April 1984
Some weeks ago, travelling on a plane, being led of the Spirit into prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart on His dealings with man.
This experience cast a completely new light on the subject of "trials and testings."
It became very clear that Adam, though he was made perfect, was not complete. God gave him charge over every plant and every living creature. He was given strict orders to eat of every tree, save the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. He could have eaten of the Tree of Life.
Neither Adam nor Eve was aware of the consequences of disobedience. We know the story full well of the circumstances of the fall through temptation, but one interesting point is that somewhere in their hearts, they knew they were to be like Him, and Satan used "this truth" to overthrow them. They were put out of the Garden, and an angel sat at the four corners to guard against their re-entry. No wonder Satan is described as subtle. Sin entered the human race through one man's disobedience, and death reigned from Adam to Moses, who stopped death by his obedience to God (in putting the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintels), thus turning back the angels of death in Egypt on that memorable night when Israel was delivered from the hands of Pharaoh. This, of course, was a type of the Blood of Jesus Christ, who is the SECOND ADAM. The song writer puts it thus "The second Adam to the fight and to the rescue came."
By union with Christ, man comes into possession of righteousness, justification and life through the super-abundance of grace.
Here, then, we see the first dealing of God to bring forth a man, after His own image and likeness was thwarted through disobedience.
It is important to mention here that Satan has challenged God that he will destroy man and take the Kingdom (Zion).
After the fall, man was put in a position of a more intense warfare against evil than that which they faced initially. Think of Cain and Abel - with their offerings to the Lord - Abel's accepted and Cain's rejected. His offering was not acceptable before God, because it did not meet God's requirements. We must remember that God looks at the heart, which is a conclusion of motives, desires and will. 1st John 3:12 tells the importance of loving one another, "Not as Cain who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother... Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." This does not mean that Cain was the serpent's child in a natural sense as many think, but that the evil seed found its way into the human race, and Cain submitted through jealousy (cruel as the grave) to that evil one; to the killing of his brother. Satan loves blood; he hates anyone who shows any desire after God. Jude 11 explains it beautifully.
"Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core."
Note "have gone in the way." This is a deliberate action; every man has a free will. God is always dealing with man from Adam to this day to bring him to a place of overcoming.
After the incident of Cain and Abel, there is record in the Scripture of God's dealing with His people and their overcoming and their failures through disobedience; but God has never left Himself without a witness. In his dispensation, Enoch walked with God. God dealt with him and he obeyed God until he was translated.
Consider Abraham - He had a word from God regarding a son and a certain land. Abraham's faith had to be tested - he lost faith for a while and submitted to Sarah's wishes to bring forth a son by her servant. The greatest test or dealing of the Lord with Abraham, however, came when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. He obeyed and God intervened; thus Abraham was called "Father of the Faithful." God dealt with him and BROUGHT FORTH faith as no man had expressed before.
Time and space does not afford our going into the lives of many of the patriarchs; how God dealt with them and how they overcame, while others turned away from the dealing hand of God and went the way of the evil one. Those who submitted to the hand of God were blessed and became a blessing; those who did not were condemned.
God dealt with Jacob. He could not be used of God or have complete victory over JACOB until the angel prevailed and his nature was changed. Note that Jacob had to get to the place where he realized that the man Jacob with all his cunning craftiness could not face Esau, so he sought the Lord. The approach of Esau helped him to feel the need for Divine protection - God intervened. God is glorified when man reaches the end of HIMSELF - his own thoughts and will. "My thoughts are higher than your thoughts." Human thinking cannot stand in Spiritual warfare. This is the reason the people of God are encouraged to have the MIND OF CHRIST.
The dealings OF THE LORD, therefore, are exercises of the Spirit to bring the individual to the awareness of qualities in our own nature, which prevent the qualities of Christ from being manifested. As long as the Prince of this world has things in us, our overcoming is limited. This is the reason that in Revelation 12:7-8, the Archangel Michael and his angels fought against the dragon until there was no more place found for him and he was cast out. Before the enemy can be cast out, there has to be an awareness of His presence. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed nor discouraged at the dealings of the Lord, whether through adversities, trials, testings, chastisings or by prosperity, as they will always work toward His purposes for individuals. If pride is in the heart, then humiliating circumstances might be used to deal with the pride. Whatever the problem is, the opposite factor is usually used to deal with the particular problem. Remember, "Tribulation worketh patience." Rebellion and rejection of God's dealings will cause one to turn ANOTHER WAY. Man is never deprived of his own free will, but the soul will remain unfruitful while the enemy continues to have power in certain areas, for there will be no strength to resist or to overcome in those areas. A giant in preaching and a babe in overcoming speaks of a condition of leanness in the soul.
Looking back at Adam in the Garden and all that transpired, we can clearly see that although man was driven out after his fall, he was not destined to remain OUTSIDE THE GARDEN, but he has to return through the flaming sword of the angel that guards it (which is the fires of purification). So many scriptures bear this out.
Matthew 3:11-12, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and WITH FIRE: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Malachi 3:3, "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
1 Peter 4:12-13, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
It is an extension of His grace and mercy that we should be restored to Him, complete.
There is a popular saying that the road to success is through adversities. This may not apply perfectly here, but there is a measure of truth that is fitting to some degree.
Have you been dealt with or are you being dealt with? Submit willingly to the dealing hand of God, which is a hand of pure love. God's dealings sometimes bring out the worst of our nature, causing us to see our faults and weaknesses, that we might submit them to His mercy, be cleansed and delivered, but if we make excuses for our attitudes and let them remain, they will canker our souls and hinder our development in Christ. On the other hand, His dealings are intended to bring us to that place of submission to His cleansing power, so that the prince of this world will have nothing in us through which he can tempt or accuse us; that we might be vessels unto His praise and glory.
BREAD CORN IS BRUISED that it might be made into bread to feed the hungry.
Do not run from the dealings, the adversities, testings and trials; let them, through the grace of God, be used as the cleansing fire.
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