Brokenness - Part 2

Today, I am continuing to look at the 4 things that will lead us on the pathway towards brokenness. Part 1 of this teaching is HERE

2. Word of God  (Ezra)

God’s Word is not like any other book – His presence is found in the pages. When Ezra read from God’s Word, all the people worshiped and wept:

Neh. 8:5-9 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.  And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.  

Neh. 9:3  And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

It is amazing to me to see how these people reacted to God’s Word. The Lord really wants all of us to “find” Him in the Word. It is here that our hearts are made soft and we plough the hard places – becoming ready for His whispers.

Isa. 66:2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

Real brokenness is a gift of God to a willing heart.  What we do with this gift is our choice.

I believe that the Lord intends for our hearts to be broken in these first 2 (less painful) ways – through His presence and through His Word. However, if we refuse brokenness, then the Lord will allow us to go down these next two pathways – they are infinitely more difficult, but the lessons are the same, and God’s promises to be with us on this journey are certain.

3. Sin (David)

2 Sam. 11-12:22 tells the story of David’s great sin before the Lord, and the punishment God used to bend David’s heart back to His presence. It is through genuine repentance that David came to the place of brokenness.

Here are seven steps that David walked through as he arose from the place of repentance to brokenness where his heart was formed to be pleasing to the Lord (Acts 13:22 God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'):

2Sam. 12:20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.

• David arose – sin is not the end of the story about us – we have a Redeemer. You cannot stay in your sin – or even in the shame of it – we must rise up. We cannot fully face what we are in Christ until we face what we are without Christ. David faced himself and was then able to rise up and become who he was supposed to be.

• David washed himself – there is washing that we must do for ourselves. Repentance is a great washing: 2Cor. &:11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

…and God’s Word is a wonderful place to be washed: Eph. 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the Church) with the washing of water by the word.

• David anointed himself – true repentance brings with it a new anointing.

• David put on fresh garments – robes of righteousness and garments of praise, no doubt.

• David went to the house of the Lord – sometimes we run from God’s house and His people when we have sinned. The opposite should be true – we need to run into God’s house and make His presence our refuge.

• David worshiped – worship is the greatest fruit of a broken heart.

• David went to his own house – True brokenness was not complete until David was restored within his own family. We need to be restored among the people who have known us the most. Sometimes we run from those we know, and unfortunately, the Church has been better at uncovering sinners than restoring the broken (Gal. 6:1). This should not be – we should be like Jesus – champions of forgiveness and restoration. David ate a meal with his family – this is a beautiful picture of the Church as we share the great meal of forgiveness, restoration and hope.