Things to Behold

Introduction
The contents of the bible are interwoven, they are all related to one another, just as Prophet Isaiah said in his book that “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). That is how the words of the bible have been intertwined with one another, you cannot talk in isolation of one without making mention of another.

Isa 43:19 “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

What I will like to talk briefly on here is “behold”. Before I start expounding this word, I will like to share this to illustrate what I am about to talk on?

“Famine broke out in the island of Kinkankin centuries back. A fortune teller whom this man has been of assistance to tell the man to leave the land for another land because what he foresees about the famine was that it won’t end in the immediate, “not in the next 48 months would this famine come to an end”, the fortune teller told the man.

“The man on hearing this, talked to his son of the need to leave the town having shared with the son what the fortune teller told him. The son agreed and they decided to leave the town.

“This man has no wife again, and he has decided not to remarry again for the love he had for his wife, for all the suffering the woman had suffered with him before she died unexpectedly. In anyway, no one expects death, but the man was thinking that his wife would at least live a while to eat out of the fruits of her labour with him, because it was when things were changing for him, yea the family that she died.

“He took his only son and they started the journey. As they were going it got to a certain point that all the water on them finished and they are yet to cover half of the journey to where they were going. They hoped to get water or something that would be akin to it as they journeyed but alas, that never happened.

“As they were tired going it was this man’s child that saw something albeit faintly afar off and he called his father’s attention to it, “behold daddy a wild melon afar off”, pointing to it. His father on proper look discovered that it was indeed melon plant and they had to walk there and that was what God used to quench their thirst.

“History and historians make us know that the people of the ancient days, most especially those who are living in the desert region this is what God used for them to quench their thirst. It, melon, is though not popular in our area, except for now that the world has become a global place to live in such that many of the things not planted here before are being taken (imported) here now to be experimentally planted here with the aid of the scientists’ innovations: hybrids, genetical insights and all, to ensure that they germinate here without hitches.”

This that they saw save them from dying from thirst before getting to where they were heading for to sojourn before the famine ends their country.

Exposition
Behold means see.
When someone is asked to behold or see something, the followings would be noticed to be true:
1. The person asking his or her partner to see somethings will be pointing the person to the thing he or she wants the person to see, it does not matter whom this person is, for the person could be older or younger than the person she or he is talking to. I hope you know that hardly would a sane person be talking to himself to see something.

2. The person could be sitting or standing:
(i) at your front,
(ii) behind you,
(iii) beside you.

3. This “instructor” sees what you don’t see and or knows what you don’t know at that very moment, this does not mean that the person knows more than you are in life, but at that moment, what you do not see neither know, the person sees and knows,

4. What you are asked to "behold" could be something ahead of you or very close to you that you don’t (or would not ordinarily) take cognisance of,

5. That thing could be harmful or non-harmful i.e. blessings.

6. It may be a lost thing.

What Must be Done
When the person is pointing you to that thing the onus is on the person to observe/behold/see that thing that the person is pointing you to with every thing you have. This means, all your attention must be focused on that thing

Num 21:7 “Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people”.

Num 21:8 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live”.

Num 21:9 “And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived”.

If the attention is shifted for few seconds away from that thing which the person is pointing his or her partner to see, it might be disastrous, things may change instantly.

In the book of Numbers quoted above, when the children of Israel grieved the Lord, the Lord told prophet Moses to make a fiery serpent and put it on the pole so that anyone after being bitten by the serpent if such a one could look up, could look at the thing the person would be healed and saved. I am sure that after prophet Moses received this injunction from the Lord he will convey the message to the people, making haste to do the brazen serpent, and after he had successfully made the brazen serpent, when anyone rushes to him that he has been bitten by the serpent or when parents rush to him to tell him of any of their wards that may have been bitten by the serpent, the person would do nothing other than pointing them to the pole, look at that pole on which the brazen serpent has been erected and you will be saved he will tell them.

Those who looked at the brazen serpent, those whose wards looked at the brazen serpents after being bitten are recorded to be saved, but those who ignored this counsel, those who did not yield, it was recorded that they were not saved, they died from the poison of the serpent that had bitten them.

Thus, before the information being passed to anyone would become useful for such a one the person needs to pay rapt attention to what he is being directed to see.

Things That Shift Our Attention

As I stated earlier that all the focus needs to be on the thing that the person is asked to look at, but there are people who may not fix their gaze on that thing that she or he is being instructed to look on. This section is designed at looking at some of the things that do shift our focus from fixing our gaze on the things that we are enjoined to look at.

1. Unforgiving: This is a person who is not merciful. Jesus Christ shared a story of someone who was not merciful to his fellow servant, because he was not willing to show mercy to his partner whom he was better off, the door of mercy that has erstwhile been opened unto him was shut.

“Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

“Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

“And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

“But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

“The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

“Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

“And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

“And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

“So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

“Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

“Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?

“And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” (Matt. 18:22-35)

2. Forgiving without forgetting: it is sad thing to note that some brethren will though forgive but

they will not forget what the person who has wronged them do. This should not be spoken of, of us.

God wants us to forgive and forget. He wants us to erase whatever it is that the person has done off

our hearts. Assuming the Lord Almighty did not forget what man did in the garden he won’t be able

to send his son to the world to die for us, he will just be waiting for that time that he will send all of us

into the place of torment. But he did not do like that, he forgives and forgets and expects us not to go

back into such error again.

This virtue is important for a family that would stick together for life. This is important for a

relationship that will last long, because there is no way we won’t offend one another as long as we are

living together.

3. Reminiscencing on The Past Occurences Which Could Either be Past Failures or Successes:

when we keep on remembering the past to move forward in life would be a bit difficult. We need to

detach ourselves from the pasts so as to charter new path for the present time and age.

Isa 43:18 “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.”

Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Philippians says “brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before”, (Phill. 3:13)

4. Evil Communications: when we are associated to people who are dubious, then we shall not be able to focus on what we are being asked to focus on.

1Co 15:33 “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners”.

5. Enemies: enemies are antagonists, those who are antagonizing one’s progress or success, those who never wished it well with the person in life

“Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of

thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

“For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.” (Micah 7:5-6)

“And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.” (Mt 10:36)

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Pet 5:8)

Before acquiring what we are asked to behold if it is blessing/s, problems will arise along our paths; that is after we have overcame those things that wanted to shift our attention from what we are beholding.

Example of Such Problems Are
(i) Flesh: flesh here means human nature, what our body crave for that is opposing the what God wants of man, the holy living of man. Online free dictionary calls it “Sensual appetites: gratification of the flesh.” Easton's Bible Dictionary says this about the flesh that I am talking about in this write up, “It denotes the sinful element of human nature as opposed to the "Spirit" (Rom. 6:19; Matt. 16:17). Being "in the flesh" means being unrenewed (Rom. 7:5; 8:8, 9), and to live "according to the flesh" is to live and act sinfully (Rom. 8:4, 5, 7, 12)”.

These sensual appetites, the sinful elements of human nature are stated in the epistle of Paul to the Galatians as beneath:

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,

uncleanness, lasciviousness,

“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

“Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-22 )

(ii) Stagnancy: that is failure to act/take step. On-line free dictionary says, “it is a state of inactivity (in business or art etc); "economic growth of less than 1% per year is considered to be economic stagnation". Sometimes when we are shown some things we become sluggish in taken action against those things. When the Philistines were fighting with the Israelites and the warriors were sluggish in taken action, Jonathan who was king Saul’s son asked his armour bearer to let them act.

“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” (1 Sam. 14:6)

When we fail to act on what we are supposed to act on immediately, this may not augur well for us.

(iii) Lack of patience: Patience is “makrothumia” in new testament Greek Lexicon. The online-biblestudy-tools says that, “Patience is a virtue and talked about throughout the Bible in the Old and New Testaments. According to 1 Samuel "lack of patience can cause you to miss blessings." Being patient is a vital part of trusting in God as our life circumstances are not always what we'd prefer.”

When we lack patience, we shall not be able to focus on what we are being pointed to. We know that a scientist who fails to be observant, fails to be patient while carrying out a study on something, such a scientist would not arrive at logical conclusion. When we are being pointed to something, if we do not patiently look at what we are being asked to see, we shall not see that very well thing very well and that would cause problem. That is the problem shown by the man Jesus Christ was healing in the book of mark chapter 8. He couldn’t see human beings properly and Jesus saw that his problem was yet to be removed, he was yet to be properly healed.

“And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

“And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

“And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

“After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:22-25)

Now failure on our path to see things as it ought to be seen because of our lack of patience, this would compound the problem instead of removing or alleviating it.

(iv) Time of Ignorance: Ignorance is being defined as “the condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.” When we lack information about what we want to behold we may not want to behold such thing. All of us at a time or the other passes through this stage, a stage when we would not be uninformed about what we are told to do, because of this we shall not be able to do that thing. God however does not want us to continue in this stage that is why he is telling us that the time of ignorance God winks at, but he calls all now everywhere all over the globe to repent.

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30)

What Are Those Things God is Asking us to Behold?

As we see from the book of Isaiah that he promises to do new thing for his children, it is those news things that he wants to do for us that he is asking us to behold. God through the Spirit is pointing us to those new things and we have to fix our gaze on what the spirit of God is telling us that he will do for us. He promised that a child would be born through a virgin and this happen at the right time. He promised patriarch Abraham and matriarch Sarah a child even at their old age, when matriarch Sarah was no longer menstruating and it happened. He promised to deliver the Israelites from the land of Egypt this he did. These are things that the Lord through His spirit is pointing us to behold. He is asking us never to lose hope on those things that he will surely do them for us.

And when the thing is being done for us it would not be hidden but would be seen by all and sundry.

Isa 43:19 “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

God through the spirit of Jesus is asking us to behold his promises for us, because those promises of him are yea and amen.

Does it Come to Pass?
The bible makes us know that all that he promised his children to behold in the bible was fulfilled to letters although some did not come to pass immediately but they sure come to pass at the appointed time.

We thence need to know that despite the fact that what he said, his promises have been settled in the heavens immediately it was declared but there is the issue of "process of time" which is basically God's before it comes to physical manifestation. (Hab 2:3)

Hab 2:3 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Individuals process of time varies. For patriarch Abraham and matriarch Sarah, they had to wait for 25 years before what they were beholding came to fulfilment. For joseph, what he was beholding could not come to fulfilment until 13 years after. These show that individual process of time varies.

What Needs to be Done Before it Comes to Pass

• Whatsoever it is that the Lord has shown you, this must be focused on, our attention should not be shifted for a second from that thing.
• We should also avoid being over-spiritual in noticing or seeing what He has shown us.
• To achieve this, you also need to be forgetting the past and focus on things ahead,

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)

• You have to prepare the environment you live in to receive that which the Lord has promised you even as you focus it squarely,
• To acquire those things u must not give Him rest, you need to keep putting him in remembrance through prayers of those things he has promised you, those things he has pointed you to see and which you have been fixing your gaze on for long

“And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isa 62:7),

Stage of Faith

You have to take a bold step of faith to be able to acquire this. You have to leave the stage of "believing" and move to the stage of "faithing" which involves:
(i) Acting it: to possess those things that you have been able to behold in the spirit, you have to act it out. Jonathan believed that the Philistines would not overcome them despite the fact that other warriors including his father was skeptical of this. After a while, he left the stage of believing to the stage of acting it out that was why he told his armor bearer that they need to take action, that they need to move to the camp of their enemies without waiting for the approval of any general neither his father saying that “for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few”

1Sa 14:6 “And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.”

They acted what was in their mind out, and through that deliverance was given to the country of Israel.

(ii) Confessing it: God has over the years been promising patriarch Abraham of a son that his wife Sarah will give birth to. Abraham and Sarah had over the years fixed their gaze on this promise of the Lord, but it was delayed it did not come immediately, until about twenty-five years after the promise has been made. After they got the child, God again tried patriarch Abraham to know if he loves him more than the child by saying he should go and offer the child as a sacrifice where he would show him after he had sent off Ishmael. Assuming he had not sent off Ishmael some of us may be thinking the test was easy for patriarch Abraham after all he still had a son to fall back to when he returned home after the sacrifice, but Ishmael and his mother had been sent off the house.

And I hope we all recall that then there is no telecommunication system neither cars nor social media via which patriarch Abraham would have sought out Ishmael after the sacrifice. Nothing like that then. But father Abraham believed and started confessing that he knows that God could raise the child from the dead even after the sacrifice.

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

“Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

“Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” (Heb. 11:17-19)

The writer of the book of Hebrews says that through this word of faith, he received the son back as a spiritual figure for what will come to pass in the future, he received it as an example of what God will do for mankind when he sent his son into the world. And we all know that this exactly was what happened as God raised Jesus from the tomb the third day to become the first among the dead to be risen.

When we confess those things we have been beholding by faith, we shall receive them as the fathers of old had. This will happen because our God is Jehovah El-Roeh (All seeing God)!