JEHOVAH MEPHALTI, Our Deliverer-God - God rescues and delivers! He is our Deliverer-God! Jehovah Mephalti, our Deliverer-God! The name is snuck in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer (‘Mephalti’).” We can’t know God as our Deliverer, we cannot truly encounter and experience Him as our Deliverer-God unless and until we have something, or someone, for Him to deliver us from! God delivers, but in His time and way! God seems to have a habit of pushing us to our limits. So why does God make things humanly impossible to solve? So that, when He finally delivers, He gets all the glory! At times, God may strategically delay our deliverance so that the maximum glory is reserved for Him and Him alone! God delivers us in order to fulfill His larger purposes! We trust Him that all things will indeed work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes. -“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer…” - The entire world has been rocked by the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. The world’s greatest powers, America and China, rendered helpless by the pandemic, are desperately looking for solutions — better test kits, more ventilators, more hospital beds, anything. The world is in dire need of deliverance. The world needs a deliverer! The familiar story of Daniel in the lion’s den in Daniel 6 tells the tale exceptionally well of a good and godly man who served the king and the land to which he’d been forcibly exiled.

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Jehovah Mephalti, Our Deliverer-God

God rescues and delivers! He is our Deliverer-God! Jehovah Mephalti, our Deliverer-God! The name is snuck in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer (‘Mephalti’).”

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We can’t know God as our Deliverer, we cannot truly encounter and experience Him as our Deliverer-God unless and until we have something, or someone, for Him to deliver us from! God delivers, but in His time and way!

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God seems to have a habit of pushing us to our limits. So why does God make things humanly impossible to solve? So that, when He finally delivers, He gets all the glory!.

.

At times, God may strategically delay our deliverance so that the maximum glory is reserved for Him and Him alone! God delivers us in order to fulfill His larger purposes! We trust Him that all things will indeed work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.

Dr. See Seng Tan

 

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer…” - (Psalm 18:2a NIV)

 

The entire world has been rocked by the novel coronavirus or COVID-19.

The world’s greatest powers, America and China, rendered helpless by the pandemic, are desperately looking for solutions — better test kits, more ventilators, more hospital beds, anything. 

The world is in dire need of deliverance.

The world needs a deliverer!

The familiar story of Daniel in the lion’s den in Daniel 6 tells the tale exceptionally well of a good and godly man who served the king and the land to which he’d been forcibly exiled.

Indeed, Daniel so distinguished himself in his role that his envious peers sought to sabotage him by bringing false charges against him.

As a result, Daniel found himself a condemned man, unfairly consigned to a gruesome death.

Daniel needed deliverance! 

He needed deliverance firstly from evil men — jealous, conniving competitors conspiring to take him down by bearing false witness against him (Daniel 6:5).

Secondly, he needed deliverance from laws designed to deter worship of the true God (Daniel 6:6-9).

And thirdly, he needed deliverance from the lions (Daniel 6:16-17). 

God rescues and delivers!

He is our Deliverer-God!

We can’t know God as our deliverer, we cannot truly encounter and experience Him as our Deliverer-God unless and until we have something, or someone, for Him to deliver us from!

Daniel wouldn’t have known God as his deliverer, were it not for his experience with his accusers and the lions.

And so, despite knowing that the king’s edict disallowed prayer to any god or human being other than King Darius himself, Daniel responded to his predicament by doing the very thing that would worsen it — he got down on his knees and prayed (Daniel 6:10)!

He gave thanks to God. He acknowledged God for who He is. He petitioned the Lord. He trusted in his Deliverer-God.   

God delivers, but in His time and way!

Secondly, we know how the story turned out. God saved Daniel from his accusers and the lions.

But bear in mind that it wasn’t until the following morning that he was released from the den (Daniel 6:19-23).

Which meant he had to spend the whole night in a stinking den, with feral beasts that had miraculous, if only temporarily, lost their appetite.

God seems to have a habit of pushing us to our limits, doesn’t He?!

He led the Israelites in the wilderness until they are hemmed in and squeezed between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army bearing down on them, before He parted the waters.

He “procrastinated” until Sarah was well past menopause before He enabled her to have the promised Isaac.

Jesus waited until Lazarus was undoubtedly dead for a few days before He moseyed over to Bethany — and then miraculously raised His friend from the dead.

So why does God make things humanly impossible to solve?

So that, when He finally delivers, He gets all the glory!

As the psalmist says, “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory” (Psalm 115:1 NIV).

At times, God may strategically delay our deliverance so that the maximum glory is reserved for Him and Him alone!

God delivers us in order to fulfill His larger purposes!

Finally, we witness another incredible development.

Convinced of the reality of Daniel’s God, Darius issued this proclamation to all nations and peoples in his far-flung empire:

“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:26-27 NIV).

These are amazing words from a pagan king whose eyes have been opened to the power and sovereignty of Almighty God!

Through God, Daniel succeeded in witnessing to a pagan boss, by his godly conduct and testimony, as well as by signs and wonders.

At the end of it all, it’s never really about us, is it?

In God’s master plan, deliverance isn’t just about ensuring your and my wellbeing.

Sure, He loves and cares for us. But God has way bigger fish to fry!

Jehovah Mephalti, our Deliverer-God!

We are familiar with names of God like Jehovah-Jireh (“The Lord will Provide”), Jehovah-Shalom (“The Lord Our Peace”), and Jehovah-Rophe (“The Lord Who Heals”).

But has anyone heard of Jehovah-Mephalti?

The name is snuck in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer (‘Mephalti’).”

In the midst of this global pandemic, are we waiting for God’s deliverance for ourselves, loved ones, or folks for whom we’re interceding?

Can we trust Him enough to do it in His time and way?

And even if God’s responses don’t quite pan out the way we’d expected, can we trust that He has something way bigger at stake than what we’re able to comprehend at this time?

Can we trust Him that all things will indeed work for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28)?

O LORD, we affirm that You are indeed Jehovah-Mephalti who rescues and delivers us. You are our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer.

You have delivered us time and again in the past, and You will deliver once again.

And should things run contrary to our expectations, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who insisted they would hold true to You even if they were to perish in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:18), we too will stay true to You, O God, because we believe all things work for the good of those who love You, who’re called according to Your purpose.

In the name of Jesus, our Deliverer-God,

Amen!

Dr. See Seng Tan is President/CEO of International Students Inc. (ISI).  Based in Colorado Springs in Colorado, ISI is a global ministry dedicated to sharing Christ’s love with international students and scholars in colleges and universities throughout America and beyond.  A citizen of Singapore, Seng was an international student in the United States.  He joined the staff of ISI after graduate school in 1999 and worked with international students at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.  He re-joined ISI in 2019, serving in his present capacity.  Called to global cross-cultural outreach as an undergraduate and having participated actively in numerous short-term missions in Europe and Southeast Asia over the years, Seng’s current stint with ISI is a continuation of his ongoing engagement in world missions.  He sees his God-given role as helping the Church rise and shine such that nations and kings—the world’s best and brightest and its future leaders and captains of industry—will be drawn to the light of the Lord (Isaiah 60:1-3).  A passionate preacher and teacher of God’s word, Seng has also been actively involved in the areas of worship and discipleship.

https://www.seesengtan.com/blog/jehovah-mephalti-our-deliverer-god

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DOES THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS CONTRADICT HEBREWS 9:27? - The resurrection of Lazarus was not a contradiction of Hebrews 9:27. It was a revelation of the power of our mighty God, given at that time as a sign for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In our time such signs are not needed. Jesus has been fully revealed by His life, death, burial, and resurrection and in His Word. - While it does seem that the resurrection of Lazarus is a contradiction to the verse in Hebrews 9:27, it is not. The verse in Hebrews speaks of the ultimate end of every man when it says that man will die once. When Adam sinned in the Garden, God imposed death as the consequence of his sin. The book of Romans confirms that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Therefore, Adam, and everyone born since Adam, has death as the penalty of sin imposed upon them. The death imposed in the Garden was both a spiritual death and a physical death. In the application of Hebrews 9:27, we must begin by remembering that, since Adam, all are born spiritually dead because of sin. Therefore, Jesus said, “you must be born again” (John 3:7). Jesus was speaking of spiritual rebirth. And Hebrews 9:27 is speaking of physical death and clearly declares only one physical death. The simple answer is that those who were resurrected and brought back to life were resurrected by a miracle of God.

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Does the resurrection of Lazarus contradict Hebrews 9:27?

The resurrection of Lazarus was not a contradiction of Hebrews 9:27. It was a revelation of the power of our mighty God, given at that time as a sign for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In our time such signs are not needed. Jesus has been fully revealed by His life, death, burial, and resurrection and in His Word.  

by Shari Abbott, Reasons for Hope* Jesus 

 

Question

If the Bible says “it is appointed to man once to die and then the judgment,” how do we harmonize Lazarus being raised from the dead and thus having to die twice?  The same question applies for anyone who was recorded in the Bible as having been raised from the dead.

Answer

While it does seem that the resurrection of Lazarus is a contradiction to the verse in Hebrews 9:27, it is not. 

The verse in Hebrews speaks of the ultimate end of every man when it says that man will die once.

When Adam sinned in the Garden, God imposed death as the consequence of his sin.

The book of Romans confirms that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). 

Therefore, Adam, and everyone born since Adam, has death as the penalty of sin imposed upon them. 

The death imposed in the Garden was both a spiritual death and a physical death. 

In the application of Hebrews 9:27, we must begin by remembering that, since Adam, all are born spiritually dead because of sin.

Therefore, Jesus said, “you must be born again” (John 3:7). 

Jesus was speaking of spiritual rebirth.

And Hebrews 9:27 is speaking of physical death and clearly declares only one physical death.

No Contradiction

If that is the case, how could Lazarus (and others) be raised from the dead, live again, and die a second physical death? 

The simple answer is that those who were resurrected and brought back to life were resurrected by a miracle of God.

In doing this, God set aside the natural order of what physical life has been since the fall of man.  

Resurrection is something only God can do, as the Giver of Life and the Almighty and All Powerful Creator.

We know there were other times in which God set aside the natural order with a miracle of His doing. 

There was the long day of Joshua, in which the sun “stood still” (Joshua 10:13). 

There was also the star that led the wise men to Jesus following His birth (Matthew 2:7-10). 

We know our God is omnipotent and can do whatever He wills. 

Just as God can re-birth a spiritually dead soul, He can also physically re-birth a dead body. 

Because only God can set aside the natural order of that which He has created or ordained, the resurrection of Lazarus does not deny what is said in Hebrews 9:27. 

It was a miracle that supersedes that which is common to man (death).

We should also note that the verse in question, “it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), is a doctrinal truth from the Apostle Paul… AFTER the cross.  

This really shouldn’t be applied to the resurrections of those before Jesus’ first coming.  

It is a doctrinal truth for the time in which we live, the church age, the age of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant.  

All who lived (and died) prior to Jesus’ death were under the Old Covenant and nothing in God’s teaching under the Old Covenant denies the possibility of resurrections of humans who would die again.

Another Question

This question raises another question, why did God do this miracle? 

Reasoning from the Bible suggests it was meant to be a sign for those who witnessed it (under the Old Covenant). 

It was to reveal Jesus as their Messiah (Anointed One) sent by God because they knew that only the power of God could raise someone from the dead. 

We are told that the Jews required a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22). 

And, from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He performed signs and wonders as a means to affirm who He is (John 4:48, John 20:30). 

Peter confirmed this in his sermon on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.

One More Question

This should now raise the question, why doesn’t God resurrect people, to live again, during the time in which we live? It could be a way of revealing His power and might to the lost. 

Some claim that God has resurrected people back to life, but those claims cannot be fully substantiated. 

We must remember that we are not referring to resuscitating a body at the time of clinical death. 

Instead, we are discussing the resurrection of a body and soul from confirmed death in which the body is certifiably dead by both medical diagnosis and a conclusive passage of time. 

Remember, Lazarus had already been dead and in the grave for four days. 

After that amount of time decomposition had already set in… for (as is so profoundly stated in the King James Bible) “he stinketh” (John 11:39).

A Biblical Reasoning

While we cannot speak for God and biblically answer why He does not resurrect people in our time, we can reason “why,” from what Scripture tells us. 

The Hebrews 9:27 verse is clear that after death comes judgment (under the New Covenant). 

For anyone who has repented and trusted in Christ’s atoning work on the cross and received Him as Lord and Saviour, this will be a wonderful judgment. 

The judgment for our justification took place “at the cross,” which means it happened when we trusted in Jesus. 

We received God’s forgiveness of our sins because Jesus paid the penalty for them and washed us “from our sins by His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). 

When Jesus saved us He also gave us His righteousness, which made us worthy to enter into Heaven and into God’s presence immediately when we die. 

So death is a blessing of our inheritance as God’s children.  Our judgment at death will proclaim us “worthy” to enter into the presence of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8) 

This makes it quite understandable why God would not resurrect a believer and restore their earthly, physical life.

It would be taking away the gain of which Paul spoke:

Philippians 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

It would be stripping away the reward promised by Jesus:

John 14:2-3  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

It would be rescinding the glory that we long to obtain:

2 Thessalonians 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.

Conclusion

The resurrection of Lazarus was not a contradiction of Hebrews 9:27. 

It was a revelation of the power of our mighty God, given at that time as a sign for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

In our time such signs are not needed. Jesus has been fully revealed by His life, death, burial, and resurrection and in His Word.  

The Jews required a sign, but “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) 

None of us can truly imagine the glory that awaits us, but one thing is certain… once we taste of Heaven we will not desire to return to this world.  

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. - (2 Corinthians 5:1)

https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/lazarus-contradict-hebrews-9/