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According to the Pattern

Robert D. Pace

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The Right Choice

Genesis 2:1-8

By Robert D. Pace

William was sixteen when he left home to make his fortune.  Everything he owned was in a backpack when he headed toward a riverboat.  William's story was simple:  "His father was too poor to care for him and the only trade he knew was soap and candle making."  The Captain of the boat was a Christian and when he heard William's story he counseled him:  "Someone will soon be the leading soap maker in New York.  It can be you as well as anyone else.  Be a good man, give your heart to Christ, pay the Lord all that belongs to Him, make an honest soap . . . and I'm sure you'll be a prosperous and rich man."  William heeded the advice and when he arrived in New York he joined a Church and started working for a soap manufacturer.  In a short time he was part owner of that soap company and later the sole proprietor. He paid his tithes from the beginning and his enterprise prospered so that he dedicated twenty percent to Christ. His prosperity continued so he gave half his income to God.  After becoming wealthy he surrendered his entire salary to the Lord. That's the story of William Colgate, the soap and toothpaste manufacturer that was first to put toothpaste in a tube.  William made the right choice by accepting the captain's advice.

 

Decisions shape destiny.  That's what the Bible clearly teaches.

 

Decisions Shape Destiny

 

Abraham decided to obey God and depart his homeland of Mesopotamia.  Although his earthly life included trials, he governed Paradise in his afterlife for 2000 years, until Christ arrived.  Not a bad decision.

 

Moses chose to disassociate himself from Pharaoh's household.  Pharaoh's daughter had adopted Moses and historians tell us that Pharaoh had no son.  That meant Moses could have claimed the throne.  Rejecting Pharaoh's household didn't seem to be the right choice.  But you know the rest of the story.  Moses governed Egypt by the power of his staff.  Even the Red Sea submitted to his command.

 

When Joshua readied to attack Jericho Rahab the harlot welcomed Joshua's spies. Fortunately, because she and her family were the only survivors when Jericho was toppled.

 

The widow of Zarepath chose to feed Elijah her last meal and for the next 1,277 days her meal barrel never expired.

 

Namaan the leper followed the Prophet's advice to dip seven times in the Jordan River and was healed.

 

These people discovered that choice positively shaped their destiny.  But Scripture also provides many examples of those making wrong decisions:

 

Adam and Eve wrongly decided to eat forbidden fruit.

 

Moses chose to disobediently strike the rock rather than speak to it and couldn't enter Canaan.

 

David disregarded Joab's counsel and numbered Israel in a manner that violated the Law.

 

Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie against the Holy Spirit about their financial dealings.  Their hypocrisy cost them their lives.

 

We must make the right choices because our future depends on it!  Solomon punctuated the urgency when he said, "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding" (PRO 23:23).

 

(Transition)  The question many wish Solomon had answered is, How do we arrive at the right choice? Solomon's not here so you'll have to settle for my explanation.  Let's point out several practical steps for making correct determinations.

 

I.       Assume Responsibility For Your Decisions

 

(Illustration)  The Evangelist Billy Sunday told the fatal story of a woman and her child freezing to death.  She was making a train trip during a blizzard when a passenger noticed her agitation. Being familiar with the tracks he assured her he could tell her when the train reached her station.  The man counted the stops until he figured the woman's place of departure.  When the doors opened the woman, holding her baby, walked into the tempest.  But at the next stop the train brakeman called the name of the station the woman wanted.  The man advising the woman rushed to the brakeman and insisted that was the previous station.  But there had been engine trouble and an additional stop was required.  The woman and child were found frozen to death. The decision made on the advice of this well-intentioned man was disastrous.

 

These two stories of Colgate and this woman illustrate the priority of making the right choice.  Decisions determine our destiny.  But Colgate's success or this woman's fate cannot be blamed solely on those that provided the advice.  You and I are responsible for our choices.  Some blame can be charged to those that misinform us but ultimately we are responsible for our actions.  We get credit for victory or blame for defeat!  That means when others correctly counsel you, thank them!  When they ill-advise you, forgive them!

 

I'm aware of extenuating circumstances when another person is more to blame for your circumstances than you, but, by and large, we accept or reject the advice.  When it's time to decide which school to attend, which occupation to pursue, which person to marry, where we'll vacation, and what we'll eat the decision rests with us!

 

Some people are forty years old and mamma is still calling the shots, but they decided to permit it!  God wants us to accept full responsibility for our choices.

 

Job 22:28 says:  "What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways."

 

Joshua 24:15 says:  "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

 

Proverbs 2:1-5 says: "if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,  (2) turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, (3) and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, (4) and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,  (5) then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God."

 

Do you hear what God is saying?  You are responsible for finding direction and making choices.  We can't blame others for our mistakes.  It won't work in the Day of Judgment and it won't work with God today.  That's why we should pray with Solomon:  "give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong" (1KI 3:9).

 

(Transition)  Secondly, it's imperative to make decisions in the fear of God, not in fear of man.

 

II.      Make Decisions In The Fear Of God

 

David's Decision  (Read, Psalm 11:1-7)

 

This is a short Psalm so it's difficult to pinpoint the circumstances that evoked its writing.  Some evidence suggests it was written when Saul was trying to spear David and Israel was reeling under Saul's corrupt leadership because verse three says: "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

 

Here's the scenario.  Samuel had anointed David as King but Saul hadn't been deposed. Saul had become paranoid and bordered on insanity.  The demons were causing him to hurl spears at David.

 

Can you imagine that—a king throwing spears in his palace? What a way to handle stress.  Anyway, David had a decision to make.  He could stay in the palace and risk being pinned against the wall or he could run.  I'll tell you what I would have done. I would have strapped on my Nike's and run!

 

(Illustration)  I remember the first time God spoke to me.  I was about nine years old and shooting basketball at a school playground when I noticed two older boys walking toward me.  With perfect clarity God said: "Those boys are coming to fight you." I had never seen them.  The schoolyard was fenced in and I believe the Lord provided a flash of strategic inspiration for this battle.  I should keep shooting basketball until the last possible moment before they turned the fence corner and then hightail it to the other end of the field before they could catch me!  What bravery!  It worked. I outran those guys and scaled the fence just before being massacred.

 

You need to know when to run and when to relax. And God will let you know! David's friends advised him to seek asylum in the mountains but he ignored their advice.  He chose to trust God.

 

He had "walked through the valley of the shadow of death."

 

He had pulled lion's teeth and broken the bear's back.

 

He had lopped off the head of a nine feet giant—why should a spear frighten him?

 

David later fled from Saul, but this wasn't the time, God was telling him to relax.

 

Let me assure you of one fact: God defends and directs those making decisions in Godly fear! You will get trapped in impossible situations if you operate in anything less than the fear of God.  That's what should be the priority of every decision you make.

 

Proverbs 29:25 says:  "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe."

 

That's why Ecclesiastes 12:13 says:  "here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  (14) For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

 

It's why Deuteronomy 10:12 says: "what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God."

 

(Transition)  Daniel is another example of someone making choices based on Godly fear.

 

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

 

Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of an enormous tree reaching the sky and visible from the ends of the earth.  Its branches were abounding with fruit.  Suddenly he saw the tree stripped of its branches and fruit and chopped down. Only the stump remained and it was bound with iron and bronze.  None of Babylon's prophets could interpret the dream so Nebuchadnezzar called for Daniel. I have a feeling none of Babylon's prophets wanted to interpret this dream!

 

While all these prophets were suffering from laryngitis and consulting with their speech therapists Daniel steps to the microphone.  Now this was a haunting interpretation.  Daniel needed tact and boldness to deliver this one.  Here's what he said:

 

"My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! [That's a good way to start.] (20) The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, (21) with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air— (22) you, O king, are that tree . . .  (25) You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven.  Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes" (DAN 4:19-25).

 

Daniel And The Lion's Den

 

Later Darius governed Babylon.  And Daniel so distinguished himself in his political leadership that Darius considered making Daniel his executive director.  This created jealousy among Daniel's peers so they sought to kill him.  They urged Darius to make a decree that nobody could pray to any god for thirty days unless it was to the king himself.  Disobedience would result in being thrown into the lion's den.  Darius signed an irrepealable decree.  When Daniel heard the edict had been published he headed home and prayed straight into the ears of his enemies crouched outside the window.  I have an idea that Daniel may have prayed David's 86^th Psalm:

 

"Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. (4) Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (5) You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  (6) Hear my prayer, O LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.  (7) In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me. (8) Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours."

 

Daniel knew there was a higher power than the King. And his fear of God rather than his enemies brought the display of God's power.  The angel of the Lord shut the lion's mouths and delivered him  (DAN 6:1-28).

 

Your convictions and decisions must be based solely on than the fear of God because He's the final authority!  Everybody will appear before Heaven's judgment seat with your detailed biography opened before you.  And it's God, not man or the angels, that will judge it.  Job 28:28 says:  "The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom."

 

(Transition)  Assume responsibility for your decisions, make them in the fear of God, and third, When making decisions, seek the highest wisdom.

 

III.    When Making Decisions, Seek The Highest Wisdom

 

I can say from personal experience some of my choices have fallen short of perfect wisdom.  And since everybody I know is human, they too, have made some less than angelic decisions.  Has anyone here flawlessly executed every judgment and determination?  There's not one choice you wouldn't rescind?

Making right choices is the key to successful living. That's what Solomon said in Proverbs 4:7: "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding."

 

Did you hear that? "Though it cost all you have, get understanding."  If you're going to spend your money on something spend it on getting wisdom and understanding!  If necessary empty your treasures for it.

 

Do you realize the emphasis world leaders place on acquiring knowledge?  In the Bible kings surrounded themselves with counselors and wise men.  Joseph instructed Pharaoh.  Daniel instructed three kings of Babylon.  The prophets spoke to Israel's kings.  Today Heads of State use a Cabinet or lawyers. (They don't always properly use that knowledge.  The correct application of knowledge is wisdom!  But they do make sure they have access to knowledge.)

 

We aren't Kings or Pontiffs.  We can't command an infinite supply of knowledge by snapping our finger.  We have to purchase it or search for it.  And how is that done?

 

1.       Study the Scriptures and fellowship with the Spirit.  God will open your heart to His leading.  And sometimes it may be nothing more than  "Trust Me, I'll guide you!"

 

2.       Talk to spiritual people in the Church.  The describes the Church as being the "pillar and ground of the truth."  And God has placed spiritual people in the Church to speak into your life.

 

3.       Wisdom comes by attending Church.  Listen to Psalm 73:16.  "When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me  (17) till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny."

 

Asaph wrote this Psalm when he saw the wicked prospering.  He wondered if living honestly was worth it.  But a great revelation came as He worshipped at God's house.  He understood their fate in light of eternity.  There's something about God's House that releases truth into our spirit.  We can absorb it because His dynamic presence is among His people.

 

When you're in the throes of making major decisions pursue the highest wisdom.  There's no guarantee that you can make the right choice apart from God's pattern.

 

Conclusion

 

The Prodigal Son is one of Scripture's most striking examples of a young man neglecting his obvious source of wisdom. Contrary to all sensibility this young man had every reason not to make the mistakes he made.  He squandered his wealth with wild living, consorted with prostitutes, and wasted his money on alcohol.  He rebelled against a father of great love and wisdom; a father that provided him with a nice house; and a father that was a wealthy businessman. There was no sound reason for him to ignore the advice of a loving, wise, providing father like that.  This parable doesn't even hint that the father was controlling or manipulating.

 

Listen young people: When God gives you good parents listen to them!  Nobody loves you like mom and dad.  They are more interested in seeing you succeed in life than anyone else!  Mom and dad are God's counseling gifts to children.

 

God calls each of his children to make the right choice.  You can impede the highest intentions God has for your life when you fail to live wisely.  Don't settle for a life of mediocrity, accept God's best and make the right choice.

 

Belshazzar's Banquet of Sacrilege

 

Nebuchadnezzar's son, Belshazzar, was also privileged to sit under Daniel's prophetic ministry.  Belshazzar called his wives and harem to a banquet.  He brought in the silver and gold chalices from Solomon's Temple and toasted his demon gods.  God's finger appeared and wrote on the palace wall,  "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin"  (DAN 5:25). We teach children not to write on walls but when a party like this is thrown God can write wherever He pleases. Daniel was notified of the handwriting and requested to interpret it.  His interpretation minced no words:

 

MENE:  God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

 

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

 

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians  (DAN 5:26).