You Have the Favour of God
Introduction
In my first year at university, aged eighteen, I read the entire New Testament in a week – from Matthew to Revelation – and became convinced, ‘it is true’. But I was reluctant to follow Jesus, as I thought my life would be very dull and that I would have to give up all enjoyment. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I found something even better than happiness.
We all want to live happy lives. ‘Happiness,’ wrote Aristotle, ‘is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.’ But there is something even better, greater and deeper than happiness. Happiness is dependent on what happens – our circumstances. Joy is far deeper and is not so dependent on our outward circumstances. It is a blessing from God. Joy is the characteristic of an encounter with Jesus even in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:44).
Today’s New Testament passage uses a Greek word that we translate ‘blessed’. It means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour, and to be fortunate and happy because of it. The Amplified Bible describes it as being ‘happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous – with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favour and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions’ (Matthew 5:3, AMP).
Psalm 34:1–10
Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Commentary
Praise God for all his favour
In the last thirty-five years, Pippa and I have travelled all over the world. Sometimes we are offered some quite unusual looking food that we have never eaten or even seen before. Often it turns out to be delicious. There is only one way to find out – to ‘taste and see’.
David says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him’ (v.8). That is what I experienced as I began to follow Jesus. Ever since, it has been my desire to get that message out to as many people as I can, and say to them, ‘Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out’ (v.3, MSG).
Like David, praise God for all the favour your relationship with God has brought to your life. Praise God ‘at all times’ (v.1) not just when things are going well or it is convenient to do so: ‘I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy’ (vv.1–2, MSG).
Praise God for:
Answered prayer
David writes, ‘I sought the Lord, and he answered me’ (v.4a). God helped him in times of trouble, ‘When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot’ (v.6, MSG).Freedom from fear
David continues by explaining exactly how God had answered his prayers in this instance: ‘he delivered me from all my fears’ (v.4b).Those who fear God are delivered from all their fears. ‘Fear [of] the Lord’ (v.9a) is the equivalent of ‘seeking the Lord’ (compare verse 9b, ‘those who fear him lack nothing’ with verse 10b, ‘those who seek the Lord lack no good thing’).
David does not say we will lack nothing, but he does say, ‘Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing’ (v.10b). Or as The Message puts it, ‘Worship opens doors to all his goodness’ (v.9b, MSG).
Radiant faces
One of the things I noticed, even before I was a Christian, was the radiant expression on the faces of many Christians. ‘Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame’ (v.5).Angelic protection
‘God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray’ (v.7, MSG). It’s an amazing thought that as you pray and worship God you experience angelic protection.
‘All enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise,’ wrote C.S. Lewis. ‘… delight is incomplete till it is expressed.’
Prayer
Luke 1:39–56
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
Commentary
Believe God’s promises of favour
Mary was ‘highly favoured’ (1:28). The angel said to her ‘you have found favour with God’ (v.30).
This passage is full of celebration, as Elizabeth and Mary recognise the ways in which God has favoured them.
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, sings of Mary: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?… Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’ (vv.42-45).
The emphasis on Mary’s faith is significant, as many people would have responded very differently to the situation. God’s favour did not mean that all Mary’s problems disappeared – she was pregnant and unmarried in a culture where that would have caused all kinds of difficulties.
Yet she chooses to recognise the ways that God has blessed her. She picks up on Elizabeth’s greeting and sings the song that has become known as the ‘Magnificat’. In it she ‘rejoices in God my Saviour’ (v.47) for all the ways in which he has ‘done great things for me’ (v.49).
In some ways the favour on Mary is unique: ‘Blessed are you among women’ (v.42a). Mary is:
The mother of the Lord
Mary carried in her womb the Son of God, Jesus the blessed one (v.42b). When Elizabeth comes into the presence of the foetal Jesus she is ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ (v.41). ‘Joy’ is the characteristic response to Jesus – even the baby ‘leapt with joy’ in the womb (v.44).Recognised for all future generations
‘From now on all generations will call me blessed’ (v.48). Mary has been known as ‘the Blessed Virgin Mary’ ever since.Jesus’ DNA came from a combination of Mary and the Holy Spirit. He was the genetic son of Mary. He must have looked like her. He must have had some of her physical features. She brought him up. She trained and taught him. For thirty years she was the dominant female influence on his life.
The pinnacle of faith
‘Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!’ (v.45). Mary believed that what the Lord said to her – something unique and humanly impossible – would happen. As the angel had said to Mary, ‘Nothing is impossible with God’ (v.37).For Mary, what God had promised was as good as done: ‘For the Mighty One has done great things for me’ (v.49). Corrie ten Boom said, ‘Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.’
Of course, in many ways, Mary was unique. Yet in some ways the favour she talks about can apply to you and me. You are blessed by a saviour (‘God my Saviour’, v.47). The promise to fill the hungry with good things (v.53) – the promise of God’s favour to satisfy your spiritual hunger with his provision – applies to you and me.
Prayer
Numbers 2:10–3:51
10 On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His division numbers 46,500.
12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His division numbers 59,300.
14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 His division numbers 45,650.
16 All the men assigned to the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450. They will set out second.
17 Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard.
18 On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His division numbers 40,500.
20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His division numbers 32,200.
22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His division numbers 35,400.
24 All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third.
25 On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His division numbers 62,700.
27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Okran. 28 His division numbers 41,500.
29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His division numbers 53,400.
31 All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their standards.
32 These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All the men in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. 33 The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.
34 So the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family.
The Levites
3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.
2 The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
5 The LORD said to Moses, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. 10 Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
11 The LORD also said to Moses, 12 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”
14 The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, 15 “Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.” 16 So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
17 These were the names of the sons of Levi:
Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
18 These were the names of the Gershonite clans:
Libni and Shimei.
19 The Kohathite clans:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.
20 The Merarite clans:
Mahli and Mushi.
These were the Levite clans, according to their families.
21 To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. 24 The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the curtains of the courtyard , the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes —and everything related to their use.
27 To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. 28 The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. 29 The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. 32 The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. 34 The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200. 35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, 37 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.
38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
39 The total number of Levites counted at the LORD’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
40 The LORD said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41 Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD.”
42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43 The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
44 The LORD also said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD. 46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.
Commentary
Experience now the favour of God’s presence
These events took place ‘at the time the Lord talked with Moses’ (3:1). What was once a special favour for Moses is now open to us all. You can experience the favour of God talking with you.
Enormous care had to be taken because of the huge responsibility and great blessing of God’s presence being in the midst of his people. The ‘Tent of Meeting’ (where God’s presence dwelt) was ‘set out in the middle of the camps’ (2:17). Everyone was given a role and a responsibility. In particular, a certain group of people were ordained (the Levites) to full-time ministry. They were ‘ordained to serve’ (3:3); they were ‘wholly given’ to God (v.9).
The life of God’s people literally revolved around the presence of God. It was the key to their identity, their success and their favour.
But here we see that God’s presence with his people was also limited. The people were barred from the sanctuary (v.10), the heart of God’s presence. The extraordinary message of the New Testament is that this separation has now been removed.
You can now experience the full favour of God’s presence with you. This theme of the blessing of God’s presence is a recurring one throughout the Scriptures. Jesus brings God’s presence to us (John 1:14a). Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit, who is God’s empowering presence dwelling within you (1 Corinthians 6:19). We experience God’s presence especially when we gather together (Matthew 18:20). One day you will know God’s presence face to face (Revelation 21:3, 22:4).
Prayer
Pippa adds
Looking at Luke 1:39–56, we see that it is good to have someone a little further on who journeys with us in life. God didn’t leave Mary alone to carry this extraordinary revelation; he gave her Elizabeth. They must have been a great encouragement to each other, both pregnant in miraculous circumstances, knowing that their sons were coming into the world to achieve some astonishing mission from God (and one of them was actually God!).
Verse of the Day
Psalm 34:4
‘I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears’
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References
Corrie Ten Boom, Jesus is Victor, (Fleming H. Revell Company, 1984).
C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, (Fount, 1993) pp.94–95.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.