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Posted: 05/28/2009 at 8:17am
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An interesting point:
In Jewish tradition, Moses is credited with writing Psalm 91. (see above post)
Moses knew about obscurity.
If you think about the stories of the people of God in Scripture, you find many of them are put in places of obscurity (hiddenness) to prepare to do great things for the Living God.
A few examples of those who lived, what could be called, an obscure life:
The Lord Jesus lived an obscure life, until the “fullness of time had come” (Gal. 4:4).
The Apostle Paul was trained by Holy Spirit in obscure places.
Simeon, who prophesied to Mary and Joseph and Jesus at the temple
Anna, who was also at the temple that day.
King David
Noah and his family
Unnamed heros (male and female) of the faith in Hebrews 11 – they lived obscure lives - “the world was not worthy of them”
Hebrews 11: 37 They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- [38] the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Like a caterpillar, we must stay in our place of formation, until we are fully ready, to go on to the next stage. Just like the butterfly, we can’t fly until all of our parts are complete.
UNTIL CHRIST IS FORMED IN YOU!
A baby is formed in the womb, a picture of obscurity.
Galatians 4:19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you
Many have called themselves into the work, without being fully prepared.
Jesus tells the following illustrative story about workers, all who were prepared, but not all were called to the work at the same time.
Matthew 20:
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. [2] He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. [4] He told them, `You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' [5] So they went.
"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. [6] About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, `Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
" `Because no one has hired us,' they answered.
"He said to them, `You also go and work in my vineyard.'
"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, `Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. [10] So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. [11] When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. [12] `These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, `and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
"But he answered one of them, `Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
“The pays the same”
Wise words from a prophet.
Obscurity is the place of preparation. Embrace it. Allow yourself to be prepared by Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The good works are out there for us to do, but if we have not allowed Holy Spirit to prepare us to do them, we will not be ready when the time comes.
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Topic: “Are You Hidden in a Pocket of Obscurity?”
