1st Samuel 17:23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words, and David heard them.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man? ....
The above passage took place when the Philistines sent their champion to rail on the kingdom of Saul, and as he came up day by day, he made a mockery of their confidence in God. This sad situation did not occur in a vacuum, for when they took their eyes off of God and asked for a king, they became fixated on man, his ways and means.
Consequently, they would attribute good and bad to the man in question, for having lost sight of Christ, everything that happens would always boil down to the man that is being focused on. The Hebrews back then, believed Moses was the reason for the manna and they also believed that Moses was responsible for the serpents. It was always all about the man.
In the days of Ahab and Jezebel, it was all about the man Elijah, not about God. Thus, they go hunting for the man that they erroneously believe is the source of their troubles, as if Elijah could stop any stream from flowing by his own power. Take a good listen to what Ahab says when he finally sees Elijah. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18: 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubles Israel?
Here is what the prophet of God has to say about the same situation, for Elijah didn’t cause anything, it was their departure from God that was working their ruin. Not a single occurrence happened in a vacuum, but because the habit of focusing on man was endemic, God is left out of the picture. Let’s read:
[Prophets & Kings pp 124>125] A year passes, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress.
Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste. The air is dry and suffocating; dust storms blind the eyes and nearly stop the breath. Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning.
Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer. They were unwilling to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, and they began to cast about for some other cause to which to attribute their sufferings.
Jezebel utterly refused to recognize the drought as a judgment from Jehovah. Unyielding in her determination to defy the God of heaven, she, with nearly the whole of Israel, united in denouncing Elijah as the cause of all their misery.
Again, when people take their focus off of God, bad luck or misfortune becomes a byproduct of the man in question, and God is left out of the equation. In our day the same mistake is being repeated daily as persons become fixated on man, instead of being focused on God, and what His word has declared will surely come to pass.
As a result, many are asking the same question that was asked in the days of Goliath: Have you seen this man? In almost everything that transpires today, it is all about the man.
But, you will never hear on the news that it is Daniel chapter 12, or Matthew 24, or Revelation 12 to 14 unfolding, and because of this, the God of heaven is being left entirely out of the picture, as if He has lost control of the midnight train that’s apparently going off the rails.
It’s never about prophecy being fulfilled, instead, it’s all about the man and as folks become all consumed with what man can do, what God can, and will do is lost in the mix, as God becomes smaller and smaller in their minds, until some can go so far as to believe that The Lord is not able to stop, or intervene in the affairs of men.
Whenever the saints of God begin to look to a mere man for answers and solutions, or when they begin to trust in man, the power of God usually begins to shrink gradually in their minds, and if the situation is not addressed and corrected it can cause their faith to become crystalized.
It is important for us to understand why this takes place. Let’s say you begin to trust in man, whenever a bigger man comes along, the previous man would pale in comparison, because he is not of the same stature or power as your former man.
Thus, your trust and confidence would be jumping from man to man, depending on whether or not he is better, bigger, more intelligent, or richer than the former man in whom you trusted. But with every man you trust in you will only have a different set of problems arising, for man does not have the answer to our problems.
Even if the man is a good man, the mere fact that a person’s tendency is to take their eyes off of Christ, and trust in that good man, will put that person’s mind in a mode of thought that will usually produce very adverse results.
Moses was a good man, but when an emergency or difficulty arose, the people would become anxious, and frustrated because of his finite limitations, for in and of himself, there’s only so much he could do.
Thus, you will find them demanding that Moses give them bread and water, and if he is not forthcoming, they were ready to stone him. Jesus had to correct their erroneous perspectives when He walked this earth, for in one of His discourses with them they claimed that Moses gave them manna to eat. Let’s read:
John 6: 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John 5: 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
It is good for God-ordained leaders to live honorably and nobly in the sight of those persons under their jurisdiction but it’s dangerous to let your confidence and trust shift from The Eternal to the mortal.
Whenever this is the case, your faithfulness will be tethered to his faithfulness, or conversely, if the one in question turns out to be wicked, your faith could become influenced and tainted by his wickedness.
For instance, if of late you find yourself craving for revenge, it means that your focus is shifting from God to man, and in doing so, we could become just like the man in question. The craving for revenge is not from God whether it occurs in the man you are fixated on, or in us as Christians. Let’s read:
Judges 2:18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
When the children of Israel asked for a king, they let outward appearance, in all of its varied forms direct their faith and confidence, and therefore when Saul was brought out by Samuel, as the first king of Israel the people adored him, for he fit the bill they were looking for.
He was tall and handsome, and when he stood up, he was taller than everyone from his shoulders up. He made a very deep impression on the people in so much that they started to chant for the first time: God save the king.
He was also valiant in battle, a characteristic which they had specified in their request to Samuel, thus, their confidence, their courage, their zeal and their sense of security, rose with the stature of their king, and consequently, their faith and confidence in the power of God greatly recoiled and took a back seat.
Saul was also a man of financial stature, for he came from a well to do family, one that was renowned for power, within the tribes of Israel. Thus, the Hebrews saw in him all that they were looking for, as pertains to their security, financial stability, and stature in the eyes of the other nations. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 608] Of noble and dignified bearing, in the prime of life, comely and tall, he appeared like one born to command. Yet with these external attractions, Saul was destitute of those higher qualities that constitute true wisdom. Saul was the son of a powerful and wealthy chief.
1st Samuel 10:23 And they ran and fetched him, and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
That is all well and good, until a bigger, taller man comes on the scene. As they contrasted Saul with Goliath, it was like comparing apples to oranges, for there was no way that their man, King Saul could be a match for this new man.
And, their confidence was severely shaken, for all the wind went out of their sails, as this other man, who was of much greater stature appears. Thus, as Goliath emerges from L.A. Fitness, and as he shakes his steroid laden fists at Saul, the people’s hearts melt like butter. That is what you get when you look to man, or when you trust in man.
There is always a bigger, badder, richer, stronger, or more powerful man than your man, in whom you’ve trusted. There were in fact very few, even amongst the best of Israel’s kings who left a stellar record as a legacy, or a perfect example to follow. Some of the few who encouraged righteousness, and faith in the Lord, erred at times.
David whom God loved made terrible mistakes, and caused some of the people to fall. Solomon, who is stated in the Bible as being loved by God, also made his share of grave missteps as he encouraged the sin of polygamy by his example.
Rehoboam, Jeroboam, Ahab and even Hezekiah, all did some level of evil, some more some less, and so, with every changing of the guard, the people would have a different set of problems with every different man whom they looked up to and trusted in.
This is the reason why a curse is upon persons who put their trust in man, because in the overwhelming majority of cases, you end up being disappointed or betrayed by what they do at some point. The arm of flesh will fail you, and thus, the tenor of the Bible is to put your trust in The Lord, and not in any mortal man. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 17: 5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Some of the names that have surfaced in the recent discoveries are men whom the world looked up to previously. That is until it was revealed that behind all the pomp and glamor, and bling, and intellectual prowess, and wealth, and influence, and political standing, there were found several skeletons in their closets.
Let’s say it again, man will disappoint you, and thus, the only man we know of, that you can safely follow and look up to is, The Man Christ Jesus. Any other man will be flawed and will most likely at some time do and say things that will have you scratching your heads. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets 717] The Bible has little to say in praise of men. Little space is given to recounting the virtues of even the best men who have ever lived. This silence is not without purpose; it is not without a lesson.
It is a perilous thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. The tenor of the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in divine power.
The problem of looking to man, or trusting in man is a problem that has often haunted the people of God in ages past, and in these last days of earth’s history, it is going to play a prominent role in destabilizing many, by frightening persons into submission if they are not very careful.
Back in the days of pharaoh, the faith of the people was severely shaken when they saw him coming up from behind. They soon lost sight of God, and in the heat of the moment, they were ready to surrender their newly minted freedom.
Even though God was in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, the Hebrews, just like in the days of Goliath exclaimed in fear: “Have you seen this man?”
God had recently shaken down the entire land of Egypt with mighty plagues, and the deaths of their first born was fresh in their memory, but now, at the first sign of danger they become fixated on pharaoh, and they ask: Have you seen this man? Let’s read:
Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.
It's the very same thing that took place when spies were sent out to see the land of Canaan. Everything went well until they saw the giants and sure enough the old habit of looking to man surfaced again, and the rest is history.
Another serious danger of looking to man, is that it has been observed that persons who do so are likely to compare themselves with the man in question.
If the man is a good man, then he might get more attention and accolades, but if he is a wicked man, those who are fixated on him could be in danger of feeling very righteous when compared to him. Let’s read:
Numbers 13: 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
And on to our day, where the very same tendency to focus on man, could threaten the sanity and faith of millions of people. Now more than ever, persons may be feeling pretty righteous, because, when they compare themselves to some man that grabs their attention, it may seem like night and day.
As was stated earlier, the only man we know of who can be safely followed is The man Christ Jesus, and since we are living in turbulent times, we would do well to ask the question: Have you seen This Man?
As the long day of preaching and healing drew to a close, Jesus and His disciples headed to the other shore, but no sooner had they gone some distance out to sea that a storm was brewing on the horizon. And as the wind churned up the waves, the disciples tried their best to control the ship, but to no avail.
In this adverse situation, the experiences of both Christ and His disciples are quite noteworthy, because, on the one hand the disciples go into full blown panic mode, while in contrast, Jesus lay fast asleep in the midst of the storm.
The storm strengthens significantly, in so much that the boat begins to fill up with water, and, together with the howling winds, it seems all but certain that pretty soon they would be engulfed by the waters. But throughout all the panic and commotion, Jesus remains locked in slumber, as if not fazed by the roaring elements.
In fact, according to the narrative, it is quite possible that Jesus might have gotten wet by the incoming water, but throughout the turbulence, He remains fast asleep. The disciples begin to look for Him, and when they find Him asleep, they exclaim in surprise: “Have you seen this Man?” Let’s read:
Mark 4: 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, why are you so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Jesus, being tired and hungry from the events of the day, had fallen into a deep slumber, but as far as He was concerned, they were safe in His Father’s arms who would take care of everyone on board.
Therefore, the most important fact about the disciples’ experience was that Jesus was on board. Whether it was storm or calm, or anything else in between, the mere fact that Jesus was on board would make all of the difference.
An important commentary on this particular event is written by the servant of The Lord, in which she describes the peace that enshrouded Christ, and the issue which caused the disciples to go into panic mode. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 334] Absorbed in their efforts to save themselves, they had forgotten that Jesus was on board. Suddenly, a flash of lightning pierces the darkness, and they see Jesus lying asleep, undisturbed by the tumult. In amazement, and despair they exclaim, “Master, carest Thou not that we perish?” How can He rest so peacefully, while they are in danger and battling with death?
In our day, another storm is brewing, and like those 12 disciples of Christ we could be in danger of losing sight of the fact that Jesus is on board. God has told us of very strange developments that will take place Prior to Christ’s second coming and the servant of The Lord has warned us that final movements will be rapid ones.
Yet, throughout all of the stormy winds that blow, and throughout the upheavals and mayhem which are scheduled for the final days of earth’s history, we should always remember that Jesus is on board with us, and it is this single fact that would put the troublous times in the right perspective.
It is true that the Christian in our day should not be naïve as to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, neither should we bury our heads in the sand like if we will never be affected by the winds of strife, to some degree.
But the instruction coming from God for such a time as this is for us to lift up our heads to the skies, and focus our attention on what God is doing in the heavenly sanctuary, for it’s there where the curtain is pulled back, and the unfolding of final events are revealed.
The distractions on planet earth, pertaining to what man will do can blur the lines of faith if we let them, and if the Christian becomes fixated on the storms, we, like those disciples of old, might be in danger of forgetting that God is still in control. Let’s read:
Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draws nigh.
Matthew 24: 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh.
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
God has not left this planet to the unbridled control of evil men and evil spirits. He often permits things to come to a tipping point, or an emergency, so that when He does intervene, His interventions would be understood by all.
In the days of pharaoh, God could have brought the last plague first, and the king would have let all the people go much earlier. But the Great shaper of all events allowed it to come to a crisis, so that in the fulness of time His good purposes would be fulfilled.
That this was the case can be observed by how all of the back and forth between God and pharaoh ends, with the promises, and predictions of God unfolding exactly as God had specified earlier. Let’s read:
Genesis 15: 13 And he said unto Abram, Know for a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Exodus 12: 51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
In the meantime, between the prophetic prediction and its fulfillment it might have seemed to the Hebrews that God did know what He was doing. It may have seemed as if pharaoh and his minions were running riot with no restraint from God, and at times it may have appeared that their doom was sealed.
These conclusions were the direct result of looking to man, becoming fixated on the human agent, and leaving God out of the picture. What The Lord has predicted in His word will surely come to pass, and there is not a single person who can stop it.
It therefore behooves the you and me in the here and now to focus on Christ, for as we have observed before, once God is on board, that will make all the difference.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which should serve to strengthen our faith in The Living God, and if we keep our focus on Him, what man may, or may not do will not faze the Christian. Let’s read:
Daniel 2: 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God has made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
God Bless!