WHERE THERE IS NO VISION

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (Proverbs 29:18).

"And the word of the Lord was precious [valuable, prized, and rare] in those days: there was no open vision." (1 Samuel 3:1). 

It is important that we, the people of God, maintain a clear vision of God’s will and of His plan for us.  Without it we are like the blind, groping along the wall, and trying to feel our way through the issues of life.  Without a clear vision, we find it difficult to discern the will of God in our personal lives, and we often find ourselves stumbling in our efforts to please Him. 

The type of vision that Solomon is referring to in Proverbs is not just the seeing of the eyes.  It is a revelation of the prophetic word, a divine communication, and clearness of sight when we walk through dark places.

In the first book of Samuel, we read of a time when the people of God had lost their vision.  From the beginning, God had given the children of Israel clear instructions of what He expected from them.  As they strayed from the Lord and His ways, however, their vision became cloudy.  The people did what was right in their own eyes with little or no regard for what God had commanded.  From long before Samuel's day, the people had left God's precepts and abandoned His laws, choosing to mix idol worship with their worship of God.  Since the time of the judges who oversaw Israel, the people had turned away from seeking God, and turned to their own ways.  God delivered them many times through a judge or a deliverer whom He would raise up, and the people would seek and serve the Lord all the days of that leader.  When that godly judge would die, the people would abandon God and quickly turn to idols again.

Israel had a form of godliness to be sure.  The tabernacle which God had instructed them to raise in the wilderness under Moses was still among them, and it rested in Shiloh.  They worshipped there, brought their sacrifices and offerings to present before the Lord, and the priests still performed their duties in the tabernacle.  On the surface it all looked good, ordered, and in accordance with God's word.  Yet, for all their form, they had forsaken the laws of God and walked in corrupt paths.  They worshipped idols in the form of Ashtoroth and Baalim - the same idols that the nations around them worshipped.  They intermarried with the heathen peoples and became unequally yoked with those who had never known God. They adopted those nations' customs and gave themselves to their practices.  Their hearts were led astray.  Among the priests and those who taught the law there were those who were corrupt, using their office for their own gain and self-satisfaction.

Eli, the high priest at that time, had two sons which the Bible refers to as "sons of Belial," meaning worthless, reckless, and lawless.  They "knew not the Lord."  Scripture says they committed fornication with the women who gathered at the door of the tabernacle.  They also violated the law by taking meat offerings from those who came to offer sacrifices to the Lord.  They demanded the choice cuts of meat before the sacrifice was even offered to God - sometimes even threatening to take it by force if the worshippers refused.  They were literally taking the best of the offerings for themselves, thereby serving themselves even before God was served.  "Wherefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord." (1 Samuel 2:17).

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1 Corinthians 10:11).  As conditions were among God's people in Samuel's day, so we find them today.  There are many “sons of Belial” among religious leaders today.  They are self-serving and disobedient to the laws of God and to sound doctrine.  As in Samuel's day, a great number of today's "priests" are unfaithful to the position they hold.  They use their office for self-gain, for power and for position.  We have received letters from many preachers and evangelists, all of them pleading for money.  They appeal to the conscience and use psychology to try to make a person feel unfaithful to God for not giving to their "great work for God."  Of the sacrifices that the children of God send to them, they take what they want for themselves before applying the rest to the “work of God.”  If God were truly behind their work, they would not have to beg for support - God would supply their needs and see that the work continued.  Too often these great preachers are only feathering their own nests with the offerings that come in.

"Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord."  No wonder that even many unbelievers have nothing good to say about these so-called men of God.

We were once invited to a church by a fellow Christian.  He said there was a wonderful preacher there who had taken over the church, and the Spirit of the Lord was moving mightily there in gifts and healings.  Not being one to run to and fro, I declined the invitation for quite some time.  As he kept persisting, however, we finally went.  We were not at all impressed by what we saw and heard.  In fact, we couldn't agree with what was preached that night at all.  We noticed one woman in particular who seemed to have the gift of prophecy.  She would go to the altar and minister to the ones who came forward for prayer.  Such beautiful words of prophecy came from her mouth.  However, we felt very uneasy about all that we saw and heard.  Not long after that, the same brother who had invited us told me of a big split in the church.  It seems the preacher was having an affair with the prophetess, and it was all exposed to the church.  Sure reminds me of Eli's sons!  They knew a lot about God, but they "knew not the Lord."  "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me…" (Isaiah 29:13).  Oh, how we need a vision today to see what God requires of His people!

Can you discern the times we're living in?  The Apostle Paul called them “perilous times,” and described them in no uncertain terms.  He said, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  Rather than dying to self, many are lovers of themselves.  Rather than being thankful for the many things which God has given, they are covetous and greedy for more and more - complainers and unthankful.  Rather than following after meekness and true humility, they are proud, boasters, and despisers of those that are good.  Rather than denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, they instead are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. 

The Prophet Isaiah spoke of such times when he wrote, "For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath He covered.  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned [highly educated preachers], saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered unto him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men:  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." (Isaiah 29:10-14).

 “And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.” (1 Samuel 4:2).  Is it any wonder, given the actions of the children of Israel, that God delivered His people into the hands of the Philistines in order to correct them for their unfaithfulness?  Is it any wonder that many Christians today are cast into confusion and defeated on every side because of their unfaithfulness?  These things should not be!

When Israel saw that they were beaten before the Philistines, they decided to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of God into the camp.  They thought that God would surely be with them and bring them victory if the Ark was in their midst.  We’re told that "...when the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth rang again." (1 Samuel 4:5).  Oh, how the people love to shout!  But truly, there was nothing to shout about, for God was not with them because of their iniquities.  God had withdrawn Himself from them when they left Him!  God allowed the Philistines to defeat them, slay 4,000 of them, and take the Ark from them.  The ark was symbolic of the glory and presence of God in the midst of His people.  Salvation didn’t rest in the Ark, but in the presence of God.  God could not bless or defend His people as long as they were living sin-filled lives.  The buildings, the steeples, the programs, and the rituals do not guarantee the presence of God, but often hinder it.

God left His people to their own devices and allowed the Ark to go into captivity as well.  The people said, "The glory is departed from Israel."  It is the same today.  The glory is departed from many churches today.  The meetings are dry and full of ritualism and formalism.  Even among the "free" churches and "come-outer" groups, there seems to be little real deliverance, and little real revival in the souls of men.  They have a form of godliness, but deny the power!  It is not God’s fault that things are so!  The fault lies with unfaithful and carnal-minded men.  "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1, 2).

God's people need a vision so that they can see clearly in these dark days, for great persecution is coming to the church and to the world.  There is only one way that this vision can be restored: we must repent and seek the Lord with all of our hearts.  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14).

 "…and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." (1 Samuel 7:2).  Before a person can come to repentance, he must come to lament the state that he is in.  To lament is to feel great sorrow, and regret for one's actions.  It's not just being sorry that you got caught.  It's seeing your actions and understanding that you are far from the Lord.  The church in general needs to lament, and to sigh and weep before the Lord for how it has strayed from following the Lord.  When that happens, and people see how far they have fallen from God's ways, and they understand what it means to repent from the heart, then God will be able to hear the church and restore her vision once again.  No more lip service, but true heart transformation!

After Israel began to lament, God sent His precious Word and spoke through the mouth of His Prophet Samuel saying to the people, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtoroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only:  and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." (1 Samuel 7:3).  So the children of Israel put away their idols, repenting and confessing their sins, and served the Lord only.

"And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel.  And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines." (1 Samuel 7:7).  Whenever you determine to follow a right path, Beloved, the enemy is going to oppose you.  Satan will never bother you as long as you're "playing church".  Once you make a real stand for Christ and begin to seek Him with your whole heart, however, see how the enemy tries to stop you!  He will try to cast fear into your heart, but the Lord has not given us a spirit of fear!  Stand firm and  watch the Lord as HE begins to defend you!

"And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: BUT THE LORD THUNDERED WITH A GREAT CLOUD ON THAT DAY UPON THE PHILISTINES, AND DISCOMFITED THEM; AND THEY WERE SMITTEN BEFORE ISRAEL." (1 Samuel 7:10).  Praise the Lord! God Himself will fight for that soul that clings to Him with all his heart.  The Lord will "thunder" for him, and he will find strength and courage to defeat all the enemies of his soul!

"Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer [the stone of help], saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." (1Samuel 7:12).  It is only with God's help and through the Lord Jesus Christ, our stone of help and rock of salvation, that we find victory!

"And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines." (1Samuel 7:14).  Once you turn to the Lord with everything in you, trusting Him, He will restore all the ground that you might have lost when you fell away from Him – and more besides!

In 1 Samuel 7 we read of the deliverance that God brought to Israel.  God judged the Philistine nation and their gods and defeated them.  The Ark was also returned to Israel and came to rest in the house of Abinadab in Kirjathjearim, and was there for twenty years in peace and safety.

"WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH: BUT HE THAT KEEPETH THE LAW, HAPPY IS HE."  What a blessed word!  We can have fullness of joy and a clear vision of God's purpose just by following what is written in His Word and trusting in God to perform His good will in us.  God has provided a way for us to keep His Words, not through our own strength or goodness, but through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Christ we have obtained grace, both to be saved, and to overcome all obstacles and sins.  "For He [God] hath made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Praise His name!  What is impossible for men becomes entirely possible in Christ.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

One thing that should be remembered is this: though Israel in general was without an open vision, God still revealed His will and His Word to Samuel.  Even though Samuel was just a child, God revealed Himself to Him.  The priests and elders of Israel could not hear or understand what God was doing because their hearts were hardened toward God, and they were disobedient to His will.  God will always have a people who are hungry to hear and follow Him, however.  God has many “children” to whom He is speaking in these last days.  He is increasing their vision and revealing many things that are to come as they are searching for Him and dedicating their lives to Him.  He has always had a remnant, and He always will.  It will never be great multitudes who follow along the strait and narrow path, but the broad way will always be jam packed! 

Paul addresses the essential nature of maintaining a clear vision in his letter to the Ephesian Church.  In the first chapter he told them that he was praying ceaselessly for them.  There were some very specific things that he was asking God to grant them.  Generally, he was praying that God would give them the “spirit of wisdom and revelation” in the knowledge of Him (verse 17).  Paul also asked God that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened (verse 18).  In other words, he is asking God to open their spiritual eyes and give His people a vision to know and understand His ways!  Paul’s prayer was not just for this one church at this certain point in history.  In his prayer for the Ephesians, Paul is expressing the very heart of God for all of His children throughout all ages.  As such, we can claim these precious promises and believe that God wants to apply them to our own lives also.

Paul then prays for three specific things that would happen as a result of having the eyes of their understanding enlightened.  His desire was to see every Christian lock into the power of the Holy Spirit and experience an intimate relationship with their Maker, and not just follow a set of rituals and dogmas.

The first thing that Paul prays for is, “…that ye may know what is the hope of His calling.” (verse 18).  We cannot afford to be unclear about what God’s calling is all about.  Why did God choose me?  What does He intend to do in my life?  What will it cost me to serve Him?  These are all valid questions, and God has answered each one of them in His Word.  The Father wants His children to understand this great hope that we have been promised, and He is very clear about what He expects of us – it is we who have trouble seeing and believing.  In fact, Paul describes it as a “great mystery.”  It is mysterious because our poor carnal minds have trouble grasping it.  It transcends everything that we know in the natural, and contradicts most of what we have been raised to believe by the world around us.  This is why it takes the spirit of divine wisdom and of revelation to comprehend the mystery.  With the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the mystery was revealed in plain sight.  Paul says, “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:26, 27).

The Apostle John spoke of the hope of Christ’s calling when he wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3).  John makes a few things clear in these verses concerning God’s calling.  First, that God loves us to such a degree that He has called us His sons, and adopted us into His family.  Second, that though we are now sons, we are not yet mature and in many ways are unclear about what full maturity will look like exactly.  Third, that we are being made into the image of Christ as we are exposed to His presence in our lives.  When He returns, we will see that He has been etching His likeness into our character all along.  Fourth, that everyone who has been awakened to this glorious hope of being like his Lord will purify himself from unrighteousness as he beholds the purity of his Lord and Savior.  This is our hope, and this is our calling in Christ!  We have been called as a body to grow up into Him, Who is the Head, in all things (Ephesians 4:15).

The second thing that Paul prayed for was that God would reveal the “riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” (verse 18).  When God told Israel that they would inherit a land of their own, a Promised Land, He said that it would be “flowing with milk and honey,” a land of abundance.  When the Israelites reached Canaan, Moses sent spies into the land to see what it was like.  While there, they found one cluster of grapes that was so heavy and so full that they had to secure it on a pole so that two men could carry it between them!  This is a type of the riches of glory that God has provided for His people through His Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).  All of the fullness of the Godhead is contained in Christ, and scripture says that we are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10)!  Christ is now within us as Christians, and He has come to empower us to be everything that He has called us to be.  Our faith should never be tentative or fearful about believing what God has promised to us as if His supply of grace is limited.  God invites us to come boldly before His throne to receive His grace and His help!  What’s more, we have been given free access by faith into this glorious grace.  Paul says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1, 2).  Paul says also, “In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.” (Ephesians 3:12). 

The inheritance that God has promised us in Christ is one that is “…incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4).  It has been purchased for us with the precious blood of Jesus.  Like a pearl of great price, or a buried treasure, its’ worth is beyond measure.  All that we know, all that we are, and all that we own is worthless in comparison to what God has in store for those who love Him. 

Finally, the third thing Paul prayed was that the Ephesians would have a vision of “the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe.” (verse 19).  It is sad and distressing how much we modern Christians underestimate the power of God in our lives.  Paul praises the faith of earlier saints when he writes, “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.” (Hebrews 11:33-35).  These early saints tapped into the power of God simply by believing that God would do what He said He would do.  In addition, they were willing to put themselves in jeopardy rather than not live as God directed and intended them to. 

There are few believers who would argue and say that God is not powerful.  How many would admit, though, that His power is exceeding great to us-ward who believe?  It is easy to believe that God can do anything, but when it comes to God being able to do anything in me, it is easier to make excuses for ourselves.  Scripture tells us that, “As many as received Him [Jesus], to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (John 1:12).  The Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt got in trouble because they “...turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalms 78:41).  The Church today has gotten in the habit of limiting God and ignoring what He wants to do in their lives.  Oh, how we need a vision!

Paul goes on to describe the greatness of God’s power to us with these words: “...according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” (Ephesians 1:19-23).  This is the power that God has promised to His people!  This resurrection power is working in you and me to raise us up from trespasses and sins and quicken us together with our Savior.  Oh, how we need a vision of everything God has provided for us through the death and resurrection of His dear Son Jesus Christ.  Our faith must move from what God can do in our lives to what God has already done for us in Christ.  Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63).  The flesh isn’t a fan of the Gospel message.  It is our innermost man that is stirred and comes to life at the preaching of the Word of God.  As our outward man (our carnal flesh) perishes, our inner man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

May God grant us the strength to humble ourselves as little children so that we might stand steadfast and true to God’s precious Word.  May He grant us grace, whereby we may serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  Amen!