The Prodigal Son

The Prodigal Son  

Luke 15:11-32

The two sons mentioned here grew up together.
When they were little, I can imagine their father
getting the servants
to set up many play equipment on the farmyard
including a ‘seesaw’!
If you have two sons or two daughters or more,
you will realise that each child has his or her own personality.

The older son was on the legalistic end of the scale
while the younger son was on the lawless end of the scale.

See saw, up and down..
Legalism is prone to pride and is the up end.

Lawlessness is prone to rebellion and is the down end.

Both need to slide towards the centre
to become humbly lawful to keep the balance!

True experience of GOD’S grace
enables us to walk in this balance.
Because of this amazing grace of GOD,
I love Him and I desire to walk in absolute obedience to Him.
Yet, I recognize that I fall short and nothing I do
can match GOD’S standard to sufficiently justify myself.

 For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves;

it is the gift of God,

not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10

The attitude of one
who has understood the grace of GOD would be:

I don’t deserve what I receive.

I am grateful.

I love GOD.

I want to serve Him in obedience.

Therefore he would obediently serve GOD.

The older boy served the father, but not as a son.

The younger boy was a son who did not want to serve the father.

We should be children who love and serve our Heavenly Father.

The older son did right with the wrong attitude.

When we serve GOD with the attitude
‘I deserve all I receive and more’,
what we receive is counted as wages.
Then we will be angry about what we do not get.

We will be angry about what others receive through grace.

We will be angry with GOD; we will be angry with our brethren.

We will not have love nor joy in our service for the LORD.

Ultimately, like the older son, we will refuse to go into heaven
because it is a place of celebration of the grace of GOD!
If you are not comfortable to joyously celebrate
the evidence of abounding grace on an ungodly sinner
that is drawing him to GOD, you will not fit into heaven.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.

But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Romans 5:20

GOD freely releases His grace to us first.

Having experienced His grace,
we willingly serve Him because we love Him.

GOD does not expect us to serve Him first
so that He might pay us wages.

Now to him who works,

the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

But to him who does not work

but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly,

his faith is accounted for righteousness, Romans 4:4-5

The younger son’s attitude was, ‘I have the right to have it now’.

But when he came to himself, his attitude was, ‘I am not worthy’.

How often do we say to ourselves

“If only this matter is completely settled, I will be at peace”

Or “When I get my Permanent Residency, I will be happy”

or “I will have faith in GOD when my medical test results are clear”

or “when my bank account is built up, I can serve the LORD”.

Does your prayer sound like that of the prodigal son?

“Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.”

Often it is a need that keeps us depending on GOD
and in relationship with Him.

Such a situation is better than being self sufficient
and independent of GOD.

This was the apostle Paul’s experience regarding an illness.

And lest I should be exalted above measure

by the abundance of the revelations,

a thorn in the flesh was given to me,

a messenger of Satan to buffet me,

lest I be exalted above measure.

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times

that it might depart from me.

And He said to me,

"My grace is sufficient for you,

for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Don’t let the very things you expect to receive from GOD,

disconnect you from Him like the younger son.

Don’t let your diligent service and ministry for Him,

disconnect you from His Father heart
like the situation of the older son.

We should have faith before we see a matter settled.

We should experience peace and rest in CHRIST,

in the midst of unresolved problems and difficult situations.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Both sons did not completely understand
the privileges of living with the father in relationship with him.
The love, the constant flow of provision, the protection
and the grace available to ask for and receive ‘extra blessings’!
The fatted calf and party with friends
would have been their enjoyment under their father’s roof
if only they had asked!
If they did, they would have lovingly and joyously
served their father!

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,

you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 15:7

And in that day you will ask Me nothing.

Most assuredly, I say to you,

whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

Until now you have asked nothing in My name.

Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

John 16:23-24

In a sense, all of us as mankind are like prodigals in this world.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:6

It takes various experiences through which
each of us ‘Comes to himself’.
It is at that point that we turn towards the LORD.

From then on, every appointment we have with the LORD
-  our personal devotion time,
discussion of Scripture with other Christians,
Church service, listening to messages
- enables us to steer our thoughts
towards our eternal home on the highway of holiness.

Let us continue to steer our thoughts
towards our Father by responding to His grace,
with all our heart, and progress on this path
by loving one another.

This is My commandment,

that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12

The best is yet to be for us in our Father’s home!
It will be a party in the Presence of the Father
and in perfect relationships with others!

I can imagine the angels in heaven busy
arranging a specifically customised
‘Welcome Home’ party for the arrival of each child of GOD!!

Balaam - 2

Balaam - 2

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NKJV)

22 So Samuel said: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king."

• Numbers 23:19-23 (NKJV)

19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20 Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21 "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.

22 God brings them out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox.

23 "For there is no sorcery against Jacob, Nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel, 'Oh, what God has done!'

GOD’S grace, favor and protection are over His chosen people.

Am I child of GOD?

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.

Leviticus 25:55 (NKJV)

55 For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

• Numbers 24:1 (NKJV)

1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

When Balaam understood GOD’S heart, he didn’t need rituals to seek Him.

If my heart is fully open to please GOD I don’t need sacrifices or rituals to connect with Him.

• Numbers 25:1-3 (NKJV)

1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.

2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.

Women are used by the enemy to seduce and stumble men.

Israel compromising with Moab and Midian is a picture of spiritual adultery.

Do I stumble men by my dress and my behavior?

If I am a man, am I seduced by women?

Does my heart worship anyone or anything other than the LORD?

Numbers 31:16 (NKJV)

16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

• Numbers 25:7-12 (NKJV)

7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand;

8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.

9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.

12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;

Cozbi was a Midianitess. Midian made the inroad for Moab into Israel through the counsel of Balaam.

Phinehas hit the nail on the head when he dealt with the cause of the problem. This is a picture of intercession.

I need to beware of subtle intermediaries that lead me to compromise.

I need to be zealous for the LORD and intercede for people.

I must also expose and destroy things and situations that provoke GOD’S anger.

• Numbers 25:16-18 (NKJV)

16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

17 "Harass the Midianites, and attack them;

18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor."

GOD asked His people to deal harshly with the Midianites, who were the stumbling blocks.

I need to be radical in putting away stumbling blocks in my life.

I will be the object of the LORD’S anger if I stumble others.

Numbers 31:7-8 (NKJV)

7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed--Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

Mark 9:42 (NKJV)

42 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

• Deuteronomy 23:4-5 (NKJV)

4 because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.

5 Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Although Balaam only spoke what GOD put in his mouth, GOD saw that in his heart he was willing to curse GOD’S people.

Joshua 24:9-10 (NKJV)

9 'Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

10 'But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

• 2 Peter 2:15-16 (NKJV)

15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

Jude 1:11 (NKJV)

11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

• Revelation 2:14 (NKJV)

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Balaam continues to teach me some aspects of the curse of Compromise.

• A heart that is not loyal to GOD but to the enemy.
• Involvement in idolatry while being a messenger for GOD.
• Motive to serve GOD is greed for material gain.
• The above would cause me to stumble GOD’S people into a life of compromise.
• GOD judges me by the attitude of my heart and not purely by my words and actions.
• Being willing to curse whom GOD has blessed.
• Consequently being cursed.