The Hand of Man

1. The Essence of Man
2. The Oppression of the Poor
3. The Prince
4. The Honored Possession of the People
5. The People’s Inheritance
6. The Reproach of God
7. The Refuge in the Time of Trouble

5. The People’s Inheritance

We are now ready to define a word. This word is the word inheritance.

Inheritance preserves an unbroken connection in the status, privilege or material derived from the originator to the succeeding generations of mankind.

The originator is God.

This inheritance is primarily shown in the supernatural provision of God’s “so great salvation” to fallen men. See this for admonition, or caution, given to us: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” [Hebrews 2:3].

When any person [man, woman or child] living in this age puts their faith, or trust, into Jesus Christ for salvation, they receive an inheritance in Heaven.

Note: This salvation is not by the works of man: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” [Galatians 2:16]

The “grace” of God provided the inheritance … to those who “are sanctified.”

 [Question: Are you sanctified?]

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” [Acts 20:32] “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,” [1 Peter 1:4].

This inheritance is secondarily, shown in the physical dimension … in the Earth. Specifically, this inheritance is seen through God’s dealings with a particular nation [Israel] concerning a very particular land on this Earth.

This land, or property, was to be Israel’s possession by inheritance from generation to generation perpetually. See this for yourself about the inheritance of the nation of Israel by the following passages of Scripture: “Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:” [Deuteronomy 15:4] “Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.” [Numbers 26:53]

The nations in similitude are ordained by God to possess the earth’s land [or property] for all people to own, enjoy, and use according to the vision within their heart. God gave … the land!

We have this truth from God Himself … in the book of Deuteronomy to the nation of Israel: “For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the LORD your God giveth you.” [Deuteronomy 12:9]

Men cannot give you the right to own land. It is God Who that gave you the right to own land. The inheritance came from God to man.

The inheritance of a man ought not to be extinguished by tyranny, or by the sleight of the hand of men through the institution of human government. Rather, the inheritance of a man should be made to flourish under the protection of human government.

6. The Reproach of God

When things begin to really go bad for a nation, and everything in it, and around it is in disorder and decay, then that nation had better reconsider its path. It may be that God is against that nation!

This is the very condition we find ourselves in … in the United States of America in the 21st century. Everything in us, and around us is in disorder, and in decay. Open your eyes, and look around you: God is against us! We had better reconsider our path!

In the book of Ezekiel, we can definitely see that this was the very case concerning Israel. They had left God, and so God had left them.

Premise: A nation invites the judgment of God when that nation decides to disallow God’s precepts and God’s commands from being in play in the land.

Judgment comes when that nation decides to throw out God’s BOOK [THE BIBLE].

Now read with me in chapter five, verse eight of the book of Ezekiel to see the result of a nation’s sin:

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.” [Ezekiel 5:8]

I am against thee! Did you hear that?

“And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations.” [Ezekiel 5:9]

Look at that!!! It’s the abominations of a nation that sets God off to execute these judgments!

Now what follows is a frightful and unthinkably horrible and scary scene.

“Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.

A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the LORD have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them.

Moreover I will make thee waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.

So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken it.” [Ezekiel 5:10-15]

By the foregoing, we can definitely see it is indeed, a fearful thing to fall into the hands of angry God.

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” [Hebrews 10:31]

Yet for all this, if I had a choice, I definitely would prefer to fall into the hands of the living God than to fall into the hands of sinful men. I stand with King David in this assessment! Think it through long and hard.

Which would it be better for you: Falling into the hands of a living God, or falling into the hands of sinful and cruel men?

Make your choice. Help yourself; it’s your choice. I will take God, even when I am in trouble with God.

Now, why would I do this? It is because God shows “mercy” to all those who will repent of their evil ways. See what it says in Psalms: “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” [Psalm 86:15]

7. The Refuge in the Time of Trouble

Psalm 9:9:

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”
Now there is help to be had here. If anyone will humble himself before God, then God will hear him and will come to him.

What matters to God is the heart of a man. God looks upon the heart. God doesn’t want the outward things of man: what a man can give. Rather, God wants the inward thing of man [the heart] to come to HIM “broken”.

Can you understand this thing?

It is, my friend, as it says it is, in the book of Psalms, Psalm fifty-one: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” [Psalm 51:17]
And again the Scripture reinforces in the book of James: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” [James 4:10]

Now: A person needs help in the time of trouble.

Trouble is coming! It is almost here!

A person needs a refuge to which to flee to … to escape this trouble.

A person needs a covering from this coming tempest and storm.

Oh! The hand of man will be found most cruel!

There is a horrible storm coming to this earth. Yes! Yes! There is a violent storm [called “great tribulation”] that is soon to appear and overtake those who will be upon the earth. [Matthew 24:21]

The hands of men will be cruel! “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.” [Mark 13:20]

To escape the hand of man, and the Devil himself, you had better come to Jesus NOW, and let the blood of the Lamb of God cover you from your sins so that you will participate in the great fly-away [called the translation of the church age saints], which event is found in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, which was written to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ found at Thessalonica. [1 Thessalonians 4:17-18]

Escape the cruel hands of men in the tribulation that is coming!

I say, come now to Jesus Christ, because what the Spirit of God gave through the prophet of God is what is soon to transpire.

Here is the instruction to the people of Israel living in this great tribulation: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” [Isaiah 26:20]

God is going to take the people of God [Israel] through the storm by hiding them till HE destroys their enemies. See for this: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” [Deuteronomy 33:27]

The great truth to this that has always been true in all ages to all people is this: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” [Psalm 91:4]

Before the approaching storm, we all need to put our faith [our trust] in Jesus Christ to find help in the time of need.

We will close, therefore, with this promise of God, which is located in the book of Hebrews, chapter four, verse sixteen: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” [Hebrews 4:16]

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.” [Psalm 9:9]
Are you saved, my friend? “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [Romans 10:13]

Flee from the hand of man … for the hand of man is very cruel. Put yourself in the hands of God through Jesus Christ’s blood shed for you.

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” [Romans 10:8-11]

Isaiah 26:20-21:

“Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.”

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