The Difference One Man Or Woman Can Make

Feature 1 – June 2019 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Difference One Man Or One Woman Can Make

In this article we desire to consider the difference one individual can make, either for good or bad. May we be encouraged by the first and warned by the latter.

Adam
Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. —Romans 5:12 KJV

Sometimes unbelievers – and even believers too – are stumbled by the question of why there is so much suffering in this world. One may ask, “Why does God allow this?” While we may be unable to answer for the specific details in each case, we can say there is suffering because sin has come into the world. It is the result of the disobedience of one man: Adam. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (v.19). In this case, what a difference one man has made! Sin and death are the heritage that he passed on to all his descendants, because of his disobedience. Do you ever wonder if obedience is really that important? May we learn from Adam’s example!

A famous sportswear company has the slogan, “If it feels good, do it.” Such is the attitude of many today. This was just the lie Adam and Eve believed that led to all this world’s misery! May we learn from our blessed Lord, who was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Disobedience brings consequences, while obedience brings blessings (Gal. 6:8), and either may last beyond our lifetime. Let us choose obedience!

God will intervene in a coming day, through Christ, to set things right in this world and bring an end to its suffering. For the present, while allowing the effects of sin and disobedience to yet unfold in this present world, He is saving people out of it for Himself: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (1:3-4). We add that for His own people He also is making “all things work together for good” (Rom. 8:28) – even our suffering.

Abraham
And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt. —Genesis 19:29

In Scripture, Abraham is “called the Friend of God (Jas. 2:23). He was a man of faith, trusting God. For a while Lot followed his uncle Abraham in the path of faith, but he later departed to live in the cities of the plain. Eventually he was found sitting in the gate of Sodom, which implies he was involved in governing the city. The New Testament assures us that Lot was a “just” or righteous man (see 2 Pet. 2:6-8). Sodom, though, was a very wicked city.

When the LORD told Abraham of His intention to destroy Sodom, Abraham interceded for the city, no doubt thinking of his nephew. He asked the LORD to spare the city if there were fifty, forty or even only ten righteous men in it. Did Abraham think that because of Lot and his testimony there must be at least ten righteous people in Sodom? Sadly there were not, and the city was destroyed by fire from heaven (Gen. 19:24).

The verse that opened this section, Genesis 19:29, has always been an encouragement to me: “God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.” Lot’s deliverance was for His friend Abraham’s sake! You may ask, “How does this apply to us?” First, there is Someone far dearer to our God and Father than Abraham, who is now in heaven interceding for you and me: God’s beloved Son. How many situations are we delivered from, perhaps even unknowingly, because God remembers His Son and delivers us! Second, are we who are believers praying for others? “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man” (Jas. 5:16-18) makes a difference in lives!

Achan
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing; for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel ... Israel hath sinned. —Joshua 7:1,11

Here we have a negative example of the difference one person can make. Some men and women are famous in the Bible for their great exploits, their courage, or for being a man or woman of God. Achan, however, is recorded in the Scriptures because of his disobedience and the effect it had on the whole nation of Israel.

The command of God was clear, everything in Jericho was to be devoted to Him. In other words, all that was there was to be destroyed; except for Rahab and those with her in her house. God’s people were not to take anything for themselves. There was certainly nothing complicated about the Lord’s instruction. No one could say it was too difficult to understand. Achan, however, decided he would disobey. He “saw,” he “coveted” or desired, and he “took” (v.21). This pattern is seen again and again, even today.

We want to focus on the serious effect his sin had, not only on himself and his family but on the whole nation. Achan may have thought – and maybe we think sometimes – “It is only a little sin; no one is hurt by it.” But every sin is first of all against God Himself, and no one can hide from Him! “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). How devastating are the effects. When Israel went against Ai, the next city in Canaan after Jericho, and a small city at that, Israel was completely defeated. They had no strength to stand and have victory. “Israel hath sinned,” was the LORD’s word to Joshua, Israel’s leader, when he fell on his face before Him. The LORD saw Achan’s sin as the responsibility of the whole nation. There could not be victory until Achan and his whole family were bought under judgment.

Do we ever wonder why there is such weakness in the Christian testimony today? How many “Achans” are there now who through “little” and “hidden” sins have grieved and quenched the blessed Holy Spirit, who operates in the Church on earth. Dear fellow believer, may we be quick to judge and confess the sins that may overtake us in our Christian lives so that we do not hinder the Lord’s people and the victory that He would give!

David
And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together ... And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine ... Then said David to the Philistine ... I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand. —1 Samuel 17:10,32,45-46

“Give me a man” was Goliath’s taunt to the children of Israel. But no one in Saul’s army volunteered to go forward. “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid” (v.11). Saul was the king and head of the army. He should have gone on behalf of God and His people. Why didn’t he go? He was afraid. Saul’s son Jonathan was a great man of faith, yet he did not venture forth against this giant either.

All looked hopeless for Israel, but God had been preparing a young man in secret for this very day. We find in Scripture that this is often God’s way. He prepares His servants in secret, giving them various experiences to prove His faithfulness so they learn in a practical way to trust Him. Joseph was prepared through the pit, Potiphar’s house and the prison before he was exalted to the throne of Egypt. Moses spent 40 years on the backside of the desert before the Lord called him to deliver His people. Even the Lord Jesus spent 30 “silent” years in quiet faithfulness to His Father before He began His public ministry. I say to my younger brothers and sisters, do not despise the training in secret that the Lord may be leading you through. Public, visible service will come in His perfect timing. Be content now to deeply learn the lessons He would teach you.

David had learned in the daily work of a shepherd what it meant to trust the Lord. A lion had come and a bear to steal from the flock. David pursued them, killed both and recovered his sheep. He knew that His God, the God of Israel, would deliver from this Philistine giant in a similar way. The Lord had prepared David, so he trusted when the others were afraid.

Micaiah
And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil ... And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak ... And the king of Israel said ... Put this fellow in the prison. —1 Kings 22:7-8,14,26-27

Our chapter in 1 Kings is quite remarkable and has many lessons for us. We see godly King Jehoshaphat had wrongly associated himself with ungodly King Ahab. This association did not help Ahab become any less wicked, but it nearly cost Jehoshaphat his life.

Four hundred false prophets pronounced a sure victory, yet neither Jehoshaphat nor Ahab really believed them! Jehoshaphat asked if there was not a true prophet of Jehovah they could ask. Ahab showed his distrust of the prophets by disguising himself; he wore regular clothes to the battle instead of his royal apparel.

We see that there was one man in this whole scene who could faithfully speak for the LORD. How refreshing it must have been in a room full of people telling lies to find one who would have the courage to say, “What the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.” We are living in the last days, of which Paul wrote: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Are we willing to speak “the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15)? The reward for Michaiah was not worldly honors, but persecution. We may find the same today too.

Esther
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place ... and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? —Esther 4:14

While the circumstances which brought Esther to be the Queen of Persia are unique to her time and place, there are many lessons to be learned from her courage and faithfulness. Haman, the equivalent of a prime minister under King Artaxerxes, had devised a plan to destroy Mordecai and all his people, the Jews. Mordecai realized there was only one individual who could help in this situation: Queen Esther. Mordecai asked Esther to consider whether she had indeed come to the throne of Persia “for such a time as this?” With great courage and at the risk of her life she came uncalled before the king. With the hand of God working above and behind, Esther pointed out Haman as the source of the plot to destroy her and her people. The Jews were saved.

How about us? Do we ever wonder why we have been placed in the situations and circumstances we are in? Today it is probably not to save a nation, but it could be to faithfully share the gospel so an individual might be saved, or a word of encouragement to cause a fellow believer to be lifted from discouragement. Remember you are there “for such a time as this.”

The Lord Jesus Christ
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. —Hebrews 10:12-13

We end our meditation with the One blessed Man whom Scripture calls the “second Man” (1 Cor. 15:47) and the “last Adam” (v.45). Our Lord Jesus is truly beyond compare!

We began our meditation by noticing that by one man sin came into the world. In the riches of God’s wisdom and grace there would be another Man who would remove sin: “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). He is not just a blessed, holy, perfect Man; He is “God ... manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16), the eternal Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn. 1:1-3,14).

We have considered some individuals who made a difference in their generations. Here is the glorious Man who has made a difference for all eternity! As God He could meet and answer to all God’s claims for sin and our sins. As Man His work is effective for us. All glory and praise be to His name!

It has been often noticed that in the instructions for both the tabernacle and the temple in the Old Testament, there was no provision for a seat on which the priests could sit down. This signified that their work of sacrifice was never done. But Christ has not only “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:3), but by His one offering we believers have been “perfected” (10:14). In other words, we have been made completely fit for God’s presence; all judgment is past because Christ has borne it all. Truly we say like the hymn writer, “All to Him we owe!”

Summary
We encourage our readers with what has been said of David, “He served his own generation by the will of God” (Acts 13:36). Ours may be the last generation before the Lord comes to take us home. May we be encouraged by these examples to realize that one individual can make a difference for Him!

By Kevin Quartell