When you “wear a collar of iron” s30e131 Psalm105

Can a Christian walk with integrity when he faces circumstances he does not prefer? How about if the situation is so bad that he finds himself wearing "a collar of iron"? Is that the day to curse God?

Or, like our enslaved hero, Joseph, do we endure despite the horrors of mankind? Do we faithfully walk amidst circumstances that we do not prefer? Look with me for 7 minutes for truth that touches our world. Subscribe, like, etc:

https://youtu.be/BDUILInwens

Transcript

When you “wear a collar of iron” s30e131 Psalm105

Will be a review of the history of Israel with the Lord

It is a telling of the wondrous works of God. Re calling. Walk through Jewish history. God’s history on earth

ell of All His Wondrous Works

105 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; 

make known his deeds among the peoples! 

2    Sing to him, sing praises to him; 

tell of all his wondrous works!

3    Glory in his holy name; 

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! 

4    Seek the Lord and his strength; 

seek his presence continually! 

5    Remember the wondrous works that he has done, 

his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 

6    O offspring of Abraham, his servant, 

children of Jacob, his chosen ones!  5 Tell of all His wondrous works: give thanks, make known, sing, tell, glory, rejoice in , seek the Lord, seek his presences and REMEMBER the wondrous works

For those that have difficulty: do these things.

Stay tuned, someone is going to be doing these things when they are wearing a collar of iron in slavery

7    He is the Lord our God; 

his judgments are in all the earth. 

8    He remembers his covenant forever, 

the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 

9    the covenant that he made with Abraham, 

his sworn promise to Isaac, 

10    which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, 

to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 

11    saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan 

as your portion for an inheritance.” 5 Stanza one pushes US to REMEMBER because HE DOESN”T Forget.  He remembers His covenant forever. 1000 generations. A covenant He made with Abraham. 

    I am giving you the LAND OF CANAAN. The Land of Israel as an everlasting covenant. I am blessing you to be a blessing.

12    When they were few in number, 

of little account, and sojourners in it, 

13    wandering from nation to nation, 

from one kingdom to another people, 

14    he allowed no one to oppress them; 

he rebuked kings on their account, 

15    saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, 

do my prophets no harm!” 5Why Israel? Because they were many and mighty? No exactly not.  Because they were few. When of little account. Sojourners, wandering amongst nations.

16    When he summoned a famine on the land 

and broke all supply of bread, 

17    he had sent a man ahead of them, 

Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 

18    His feet were hurt with fetters; 

his neck was put in a collar of iron;

19    until what he had said came to pass, 

the word of the Lord tested him. 

20    The king sent and released him; 

the ruler of the peoples set him free; 

21    he made him lord of his house 

and ruler of all his possessions, 

22    to bind his princes at his pleasure 

and to teach his elders wisdom. 5Joseph redemptive history of Israel. Lord gives Israel a place so the place of Israel can act as the place for the final savior.

What struck me were these details of Joseph. He had fetters on his feet and his neck was put in a collar of IRON.  He was made ruler and lord of the kings house, but was NEVER freed from slavery.  Joseph was a slave in Egypt. From time he was a powerless young man. His brothers thought that selling into slavery was more profitable than murder so they went with the first option.  

Decades later, they return to Egypt to meet Joseph in slavery.  They reconcile and reestablish a relationship.  I wonder what sitting around the thanksgiving table was like.  The freedom that the brothers stole was never returned.  Joseph left Egypt but only as bones.  His liberty was never restored.  He had fetters and collars of iron for every breath of his life . He was released from prision, but never from slavery. 

Couple of observations: cruelty of it. Cruelty of brothers. Of Pharaohs. Pain of fetters and neck with iron collar. Joseph, one of our heros of the faith, wore a collar of iron.  It was a circumstance that he did not prefer. It was a circumstance of suffering and suffering for a long time.

He excelled in the suffering.  He did not rebel.  He was faithful in circumstance that he did not prefer.

Jesus was faithful in circumstances he did not prefer

Paul, Peter, was faithful in circumstances he did not prefer.

How about you? Will you see yourself under the faithful, covenantal hand of the Lord dispite a collar of iron or something else bad? 

Will you complain about your collar, or tell of His wonderous works? 

WHEN it is difficult: Make known, sing to him, give thanks, glory in Him, seek the Lord, 

When you have circumstances you do not prefer, when your neck is put into a collar of iron, will you be faithful to the Lord.