Focus: Five Stones of Scripture (Pt.5)

Text: 1Sam.17:40

"And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine."

The last smooth stone for us to consider is the presence of God. The presence of God is our mighty stone. We serve a God whose presence is powerful and glorious. God's presence is our defense. God's presence builds an impregnable hedge about us. God's presence makes us invincible in the face of attacks by Satanic forces.

We appreciate the fact that God is omnipresent. He cannot be the kind of God that He is if He is not present everywhere at once. In fact, His presence is transcendental. He is both everywhere and beyond everywhere. It is totally mind boggling, trying to comprehend the reality of divine omnipresence. But in this lesson we are focusing not on the omnipresence of God, but on the manifest and unique presence of God. 

The Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of God's presence in the midst of God's people, Israel. All Israel as a people enjoyed the presence of God. It was not just for one person but for all of them. But it happened that the Ark of God that was meant for all Israel was carried to the house of one man by the name of Obed-edom. Just in three months the evidence of God's presence in his house became visible and tangible. Obed-edom was astonishingly blessed. The news of it spread all over the place. The manifest presence of God guarantees the blessings of God. 

Also, remember what happened when the Ark was brought into the house of Dagon. The Scripture says, "And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD…" Dagon could not stand the holy presence of God. After the people of Ashdod had raised Dagon to its feet, we read, "And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him" (1Sam.5:3,4). This is nothing short of the unique and manifest presence of God and its impact. And that is what we need - the unique and manifest presence of God. 

When God became human in Jesus Christ and dwelt among men, that was the manifest presence of God. Isaiah tells us, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa.9:6). Paul declares, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…" (1Tim.3:16). Matthew says, "And shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Mt.1:23). 

The transcendent God becomes the immanent God. God who is so far away from man is now so near to him through Jesus Christ.

Every one of us needs to covet and cultivate this manifest presence of God. Let the universal presence of God become the personal presence of each individual believer in Christ! As Israel journeyed from Egypt to Canaan, God went with them as the pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day. He manifested Himself to them in unique ways. The psalmist says, "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back… What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?" (Ps.114:1-3,5). The Red Sea and Jordan could not stand the manifest presence of God. They bowed to it and cleared the way for God's people to pass. Israel carried the presence of God with God. The Lord God was in their midst. 

The three Hebrew boys were not consumed in the furnace because of the presence of God in their midst, and so it was too with Daniel. The lions could not eat him as food, for the Angel of the Lord was with him. Isaiah declares, "And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence" (Isa.4:5). We are protected under the canopy of God's glorious presence. The psalmist tells us, "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth even for ever" (Ps.125:2). The presence of God will ward off every missile aimed at us by the enemy. 

The presence of God is a living and mobile rock, following us. Paul says, "For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ" (1Cor.10:4). I pray that you humbly and hungrily seek the presence of God. You cannot afford to function without the presence of God. Your protection is guaranteed by the presence of God. It is our rock of safety and the smooth stone that slays all giants arrayed against us.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter