NEW BOOK COMING SOON!!!
CHAPTER 6: HOPE: HE STINKETH
“…Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead for four days. …”
(John 11:39 KJV).
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The body of Lazarus,
according to tradition, had been embalmed with spices and perfumes, wrapped in
linen grave clothes, and had, most likely, started to decompose. “…by this time he stinketh…”
(John 11:39 KJV).
According to an old
proverb, it was believed that the soul hovered over the body for 2 or 3 days,
before it took flight. So by the fourth day, there was no doubt Lazarus was
considered truly DEAD.
“…Martha, the sister … saith … Lord, by this
time he stinketh: …”
(John 11:39 KJV). Martha advises Jesus that her brother probably “stinks” by
now.
Based on her level of
faith, she sees opening the tomb as unnecessary and possibly a disregard for,
the feelings, of the MOURNERS. “… for he hath
been dead for four days. …”
(John 11:39 KJV).
Martha had resolved and
relinquished all HOPE regarding Lazarus’ physical LIFE. Her brother was DEAD.
Dead is DEAD and by now “…he stinketh…”
(John 11:39). “… by this time
he stinketh…”
(John 11:39 KJV).
When something or
someone DIES; your HOPE, regarding that something or someone, DIES too! “…Lazarus is DEAD…”
(John 11:14 KJV). “…he stinketh: for he hath been
dead for four days. …”
(John 11:39 KJV). Lazarus was in “….the
place WHERE the DEAD was laid…”
(John 11:41 KJV).
When something or
someone is DEAD people BURY it or them somewhere! When you BURY something or
someone you deposit it or them into a GRAVE. Once it or they are deposited into
a GRAVE decomposition happens. Decomposition causes things and bodies to
putrefy and smell or stink. “… by this time
he stinketh…”
(John 11:39 KJV).
Martha was attempting
to prevent Jesus from exposing her brother in his decomposed condition. Plus it
was forbidden to open a tomb once it was closed. In addition, there were
concerns about touching that which was considered unclean.
Martha, most likely,
didn’t want people SEEING Lazarus, her beloved brother, in a state of
corruption; would you? “…he hath been dead for four days …”
(John 11:39 KJV).
Many people don’t like
seeing a loved one’s casket go into the ground. I know I don’t. And I certainly
wouldn’t want to exhume the body after many days and open the casket again for
ALL to see. “…TAKE ye away the STONE….they TOOK away the STONE from the PLACE “WHERE” the DEAD was
laid…” (John 11:39-41 KJV).
Martha has no clue that
Jesus is about to perform a MIRACLE. She is still operating partially in the
natural, at her current level of faith, with her limited knowledge of God’s
truth, and from her narrow perspective of God’s POWER. “…TAKE ye
away the STONE …”
(John 11:39-41 KJV).
A stone was often used
to MARK a memorial event. A memorial event; such as the death of a loved one,
the death of dreams, the death of desires, or the death of HOPE is
unforgettable. However, once something or someone is DEAD we are not interested
in exhuming it or them. “...They TOOK away
the STONE from the PLACE “WHERE” the
DEAD was laid…” (John 11:39-41 KJV).
Jesus wanted the STONE
removed. “…TAKE ye away the STONE …” (John 11:39-41 KJV). The death of HOPE was NOT meant
to be a memorial event. “...They TOOK away
the STONE from the PLACE …”
(John 11:39-41 KJV).
However, the thought of
exhuming dead HOPE, DREAMS, DESIRES, or WANTS may be difficult. After a while,
you may not even FULLY remember what some of them were. “…
by this time he stinketh…”
(John 11:39 KJV).
Martha didn’t SEE the
BIGGER picture. When Jesus tells YOU to roll away the STONES you’ve placed over
your DEAD hopes and dreams; there is also a BIGGER picture he is trying to
REVEAL to you! “…Jesus
said to her, "Did I not say to you that
if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 KJV).
Like Lazarus, DEAD hopes and dreams have
been buried so long, they have decomposed in the heart and they stink! You
became sick of your hopes and dreams a LONG time ago. “…he stinketh: for
he hath been dead for four days. …”
(John 11:39 KJV). “…when
Jesus came, he found that he had lain in The grave four days already…”
(John 11;17 KJV).
Once something or
someone is DEAD; those in mourning make an attempt to move on and began a new
era of living without it or them. "…"Behold, the former
things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before
they spring
forth
I proclaim them to you."
(Isaiah 42:9 NASB). "…Behold, I will do something new…” (Isaiah
43:19-20 NASB).
DEATH changes or
transforms, the familiar, especially for those still living, because usually
there is NO HOPE for restoral or revival of that which has DIED. “…I will lead the blind by ways they have not
known, along “unfamiliar”
paths I will guide them; I will turn
the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them…”
(Isaiah 42:16 NIV).
Jesus told the by-standers to roll away
the stone. “…TAKE ye away the STONE …” (John 11:39-41 KJV).
What CAN be done in
human strength God leaves to YOU. “...They TOOK away
the STONE from the PLACE “WHERE” the
DEAD was laid…” (John 11:39-41 KJV).
What CAN ONLY be done
in supernatural strength or POWER is entrusted to Jesus, the WORD. “…Lazarus, come forth…he that was dead came forth…”
(John 11:42-43 KJV).
Remember, Martha had a level of faith,
because she believed that she would see Lazarus again in the resurrection. She
had, however, no HOPE beyond seeing him on the last day. JESUS SAID: “…thy brother shall rise again…Believest
thou this? …” (John 11:23-27 KJV). MARTHA
SAID:
“…I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day…”
(John 11:23-27 KJV).
Martha was HOPEFUL she
would SEE Lazarus again “IN” the resurrection, but she had no HOPE for him
beyond that. “…I know that he shall rise
again …”
(John 11:23-27 KJV).
During DARK experiences
of DEEP sadness, grief, disappointment, regret, or sorrow HOPE can weaken, fluctuate,
or totally DIE. The centurion said: “…I do believe; help
me overcome my unbelief!...”
(Mark 9:24 NIV).
Jesus sympathizes with
your weaknesses. “…We do
not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 4:15 NASB). “…When Jesus therefore saw her
weeping, and the Jews who came with her also
weeping, He was deeply
moved in spirit and
was troubled …Jesus wept. So
the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” …Jesus,
again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was
a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus
said, “Remove the stone...”
(John 11:33-39 NASB).
God is both a sympathetic
and comforting Father. “…Blessed
are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted...” (Matthew 5:4 KJV). “…Blessed be God, even the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation…”(2
Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV).
However, God is not an
enabler. He will sympathize, comfort, and STRENGTHEN you. “…Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to
think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is
of God…” (2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV). “…“… [His]…
power is made perfect in weakness…” (2
Corinthians 12:9 NIV). “…[God will] … grant
you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man…”(Ephesians
3:16 KJV). “…May
…God … work
in us what
is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ…”
(Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). “…it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do of his good pleasure…”
(Philippians 2:13 KJV).
When the SOUL is beaten down to the point flesh
dies, control dissipates, and pride is gone – usually after days or years, of
trials and tribulation – the heart is often vulnerable and made ready for new,
authentic TRUTHS to enter. “…Hath
not the potter power over the clay...?”
(Romans 9:20-21 KJV).
“…Everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he
is able to humble”
(Daniel 4 NIV). “I am the Lord; that is my name! …I will not
give my glory to anyone else (not
YOU or ME either)…” (Isaiah
42:8 KJV).
Finally the heart has reached a place
where the WORD can be heard, God’s POWER witnessed, and his GLORY displayed.“ …‘dry bones, hear the word of the lord! …. as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the
bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them
and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then …breath entered them; they came to life
and stood up on their feet—a vast army …‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
My people, I am going to open
your graves… Then you ...will know that I
am the Lord,
when I
open your graves… you[r HOPE]… will live …Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord...’”
(Ezekiel 37 NIV).
“…"Did I not say to
you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 KJV).
BEFORE the MIRACLE of Lazarus’
resurrection to LIFE, Jesus PRAYS. “…Jesus
lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by
I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me…”
(John 11:41-42 KJV).
“…Father,
I thank thee that thou hast heard
me … I knew that thou hearest me always…” (John 11:41-42 KJV). In this
content, who is “ME?” ME
is Jesus. Jesus is the WORD. “…Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard
me (the
WORD) …”
(John 11:41-42 KJV).
God says, I “…am watching
over my word to perform it…” (Jeremiah
1:12 NASB). “…So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV). “…As many as are
the promises of God, in Him they are yes …also … Amen …” (2 Corinthians 1:20
NASB). “…Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made
… failed;
all came to pass…” (Joshua 21:45 NASB). “…He has granted to [you]…
His precious and magnificent promises…” (2 Peter 1:4 NASB).
“And
this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will,
he heareth us…” (1 John 5:14 KJV). “…You can ask
for anything in my name (JESUS), and I will do it, so that the Son can
bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask
me for anything in my name (Jesus), and I
will do it...” (John 14:12-14 NLT).
God is your Father. You are to approach his throne of grace with
BOLDNESS!! “..Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of GRACE, that we may obtain mercy, and find GRACE to
help in time of need…” (Hebrews 4:16 KJV). “…ask me for anything in my name (Jesus), and I will do it...” (John 14:12-14 NLT).
“…SPEAK THE WORD ONLY …”
(Matthew 8:5-9 KJV). “…THE WORDS THAT I
SPEAK unto you, they ARE SPIRIT, and they ARE LIFE…” (John 6:63 KJV). “…the things which are impossible with men ARE
POSSIBLE WITH GOD…”
(Luke 18:27 KJV). “….I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: IS THERE ANY THING TOO HARD FOR ME?”
(Jeremiah 32:27 KJV). “… [GOD]… IS
ABLE to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or THINK…”
(Ephesians 3:20 KJV).
“…Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead for four days. …”
(John 11:39 KJV).
“…"Did I not say to you that
if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 KJV).
“…Then
you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord...’”
(Ezekiel 37 NIV).
“…he that was dead came forth…” (John 11:42-43 KJV).
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