I Will Defend You, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

I Will Defend You, by Pastor Samuel Obafaiye

This is a follow-up message from last week. Last week, God told us that He is solidly behind us; today He has asked me to tell someone that He will defend you.

The world we live can be compared to many things:

A book where each aspect of our live is a chapter of the book;

A journey where there is a departure point and a destination point;

A stage where each actor/actress play their part and leave;

A market where everyone has come to do merchandise;

A flower which blossoms this minute and the next minute it withers;

The times of the day in which there are daytime and night-time.

Permit me to say that the world can also be likened to a battleground. Where everyone is ushered into a battleground at birth, such that life is survival of the fittest, the weaker bowed out; while the stronger remain.

Though not everyone that exited early is weak as long as they fulfilled their destiny; as Jesus was only 33 years and apostle Paul was about 59 years.  They both declared that they have finished their assignments before they left.

Sometimes life battles do not seem fair, as the one deemed stronger could have used powers that are not conventional to win and having cheated; they yet stayed on while the innocent are sent off the stage prematurely.

While I was a child, one of the programmes I used to sneak out to watch; or stayed behind to watch whenever I was sent on an errand was wrestling.

Two opposing sides are called to the stage. Sometimes, you will know straight away who would win by looking at their physical posture. At other times it may not be clear who would win. As the fight goes on, there would be a time when the referee could have stopped the fight from three counts; but the stronger one may prevent this, in order to punish the weaker one more and more. At other times, one of the fighters may be using an object, hidden in their brief or passed to them from outside to inflict pain on the other, such that the cameramen would pick it, but the referee would not see or pretended not to see it.

Most of such fight, the cheater or the bully would win and collect the belt. Which I found very painful and annoying. At other times though, it could be that a stronger fighter than the cheater or bully would be in the audience. This person would come out and beat the cheater/bully mercilessly and then handover him to the weaker one to finish up. This was equally allowed. I was always very happy at such times. We would be saying “yes, yes, serves you right”.

If someone is cheating on you or bullying you now, may God defend you. May God handover your oppressors to you. (Potiphar’s wife was handed to Joseph by God when he became Prime Minister).  God says He will be your defence.

Amongst all the creations of God, one of the least that can defend itself is the sheep; and lamb being the weakest in that group. The sheep has nothing to defend itself with:  No teeth like dogs; No horn like goats; No claw like lions; No tongue of venom like snake; No sting like scorpion, bees or wasp; Cannot stomp like horse; Cannot swallow whole like whale; Cannot wrap itself like anaconda or boa conscriptor; etc. It is simply powerless.

It is possible to lead the sheep to the slaughter without a rope, but even with a rope on the neck of a goat, you will still struggle. The shepherd, however, is the defender of the sheep. It is common for the shepherd to beat the goat on behalf of the sheep (David’s testimony in I Sam. 17:32-36).

May the Defender of the defenceless defend you.

You may not have a natural defensive mechanism to fight that attack, but the Almighty God will defend you.

In John 8:1-11, the bible tells us that a woman was brought by a mob to Jesus, led by the Scribes and Pharisees. Her offence was that she was caught alone in the very act of adultery! Which was not fair, as adultery must have been committed with another fellow, which they did not produce.

The people knew that the fate of the woman was already sealed by the law of Moses; death by stoning (Lev. 20:10). But they wanted to seal the fate of Jesus Christ as well as a false teacher, so they drag the woman to Jesus and asked Him what He advised them to do.

Jesus was first silent. He stooped down and began to write with His finger in the sand, pretending He did not hear them. They then asked Him the second time. He replied to them and said, “Anyone without a sin should cast the first stone”. He then began to write again in the sand.

The bible says the mob began to leave one after the other beginning from the oldest to the last (youngest). No one could condemn her. Jesus didn’t condemn her either. She was pardoned and told to go and sin no more.

The first writing on the ground was what I call the “Eleventh Commandment”, which is., “Thou shall always cast the first stone if thou hast not sinned”.

It is amazing that they all the Scribes and Pharisees went away, people who were supposed to be holy. Someone among them could have even lied that he has not sinned before, but not in front of Jesus. As the second writing on the ground must have been a revelation of each person’s sin that was hidden to all but open to Jesus.

The reason they left one by one. They also could not re-arrest the woman afterwards. She became free forever.

There is someone here, there is a gang-up against you. Those who have connived against you will make a terrible blunder that will vindicate you.

There is another person, you are been accused of a mistake that is not entirely your fault, God will defend you.

To another person, just for an accusation to stick on you; an offence was falsely ascribed to you. That accusation will not stand in Jesus name.

To another person, God says in both the physical realm and in the spiritual realm, He will defend you.

There is someone here, those who are opposed to you seem to more than you, but God says I should tell you that they are actually fewer. Those who are with you are more than those with them. (Syrian army with horses and chariots surrounds Dothan city vs horses and chariots of fire filled the mountain round Elisha).

In Gen. 35:1-7, God supernaturally had to defend Jacob’s family from the hostile nations around them when they were very small; despite the over-zealous act of Simeon and Levi against the Hivites.

There is someone here, it has done on you that you have overreacted to an offence committed against you. God says your error is pardoned. He will also remove the backlash that would have resulted from your reaction.

To another person, God says I should tell you that they may indeed have surrounded you; but the fear of you will not let them come close.

Someone will tell you like a joke that “I’m afraid of you”. It will sound like a joke. God says it’s a revelation for you to be careful around them.

God defended Naomi and Ruth from the wagging tongues of men when they returned to Canaan from Moab. Naomi lost her husband and her two sons in Moab without a grandchild. Ruth lost her husband without a child. They returned to Canaan empty. Many would have seen them as carriers of bad luck.

In Ruth 2:14-16, God connected Ruth to her best possible suitor; shut the mouth of her mockers and made her destiny great.

You are here, you ought to be married or have a child by now, but still yet to. Tongues of men are wagging negatively against you unnecessarily because of this; God will shut those mouths in shame in Jesus name. God will give you your best possible. Your descendants shall be mightier than those of your mockers in Jesus name.

God on many occasions had to defend Moses: for racial eradication from at birth by Pharaoh; for position from his elder siblings; and for authority from the notable princes of Israel.

In Num. 16:1-35, Korah, Dathan and Abiram together with 250 famous and renown princes gathered against Moses and challenged his leadership. The assignment that Moses was given by God to lead over 2 million people to Canaan was already tough; the rebellion made it even tougher. Moses being a stammerer, did not have the eloquence to defend himself, he was very perplexed (Num. 16:15).

God defence for Moses was so tough that God wanted to wipe off the whole assembly, With the exception of Moses and Aaron’s family (Num. 16:21-22).

There is someone here, God says what people did not know is that I’m very jealous for you. I can go to any length to defend you. He said, “Do not fret and don’t be worried”.

In John 9:1-41, the disciples of Jesus thought a man that was born blind was either as a result of his sins or that of his parents. Jesus, however, made them understand that certain things happen not because of our fault, but that certain things happen just for God to demonstrate His glory.

There is someone here, people are thinking that what you are passing through is as a result of your misdeed. God will manifest His glory in you to put them wrong in Jesus name.

Another person here, because of the huge makeover that God will do in your life, those who knew you before will soon not recognise you again (Joseph; the lame man at the beautiful gate; the man born blind – people had to call his parents to verify).

Someone here, God says He will turn your stain to decoration. Your blemish shall be turned to garnish.

What more can I say of people whom God saw that they were defenceless and a result He became their defence?

King Jehoshaphat and Judah whom 3 nations came to destroy.

King Hezekiah and Judah whom King Sennacherib came to wipe off.

Mordecai and Jewish people whom Haman thought would be exterminated.

The man with 38 years of infirmity whom sickness would have ended his life.

In all these scenarios, God defended them.

The Defender of the defenceless will defend you.

You will not be a walkover.

In life, you will not be an underdog.

You will never be a loser.

You will not be at a disadvantage.

You will not suffer as a victim in Jesus name.

Prayers

Psalm 12:5

Father let every oppression against me come to an end right now.

Father let my sighing come to your attention.

Father, save me from those that brag against me.

Psalm 82:3-4

Father defend me and do justice on my behalf.

Father deliver me from the hands of the wicked.

Psalm 94:22

Father be my defence and the Rock of my refuge.

The sermon was delivered on August 25, 2019.