God Almighty makes His intentions of love with clarity when His people are under duress from other pagans. Again the psalmist declares to God:
Psalm 83:3 They (the enemies) make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones.
What an honor and privilege to be considered and called His “treasured ones.” Or a variant reading says hidden ones. It’s the Hebrew word tsaphan, pronounced “sapan.”
But in the end, while their evil plan amounts to nothing for us as we’re delivered into His heavenly kingdom, it means destruction for them and the lake of fire.
One of my favorite commentaries, The Complete Biblical Library, puts it so well:
It is “thy people” who are the object of their crafty conspiracy, and it is implied that these are thus hated because they are God’s people. Israel’s prerogative, which evokes the heathen’s rage, is the ground of Israel’s confidence and the plea urged to God by it. Are we not your “hidden ones”? And shall a hostile world be able to pluck us from our safe hiding place in the hollow of your hand? The idea of preciousness, as well as that of protection, is included in the word. Men store their treasures in secret places; God hides his treasures in the secret of his face, the glorious privacy of light inaccessible. How vain are the plotters’ whisperings against such a people!
And in the midst of our sufferings as a result of their plans, we are the recipients of His comfort (2 Cor. 1) before the deliverance. The enemy can never remove us from that secure position:
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Of course, this is one of hundreds of conditional passages called the “if-then” types. We can remove ourselves as warned from Moses to the apostle John. And all the prophets. We have to look no further than Revelation 3 and the demise of almost all the formerly saved Sardians now erased from the book of life. Moses called it ‘blotted out.’
“Thank you again, dear Lord, that we’re called Your hidden ones, secure in You as we strive by Your Spirit to enter the narrow gate, and endure the very end. No one can snatch us out, except our own falling away. We love you dearly. Help keep us, Father, for Your Son’s good pleasure.”
Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Your friend and brother in fighting the good fight,
Marc
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Saints, we’re one day closer to Home, and Him! Love Him wholeheartedly!
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Please comment on this post right below. Feel free to write and proclaim your leadings in the Spirit in an honorable fashion.
Marc White, Director, Walk Worthy Ministries, www.WalkWorthy.org
Brother M says
We are certainly His treasure ones! What a privilege. Thanks for posting.
jesusislord says
Yes, dear brother – He has done all things well.
Marc