running with horses

 

The prophet Jeremiah poured out his complaint to the LORD, in a lament about how it appears that wicked men continue to prosper notwithstanding their wickedness.  Jeremiah prayed thus: "Lord..., let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?... How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein?..." (Jeremiah 12:1-4)

God's answer to Jeremiah may seem strange: "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace...they have wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?"  (Jeremiah 12:5)

There is much to consider in the foregoing brief exchange.  Jeremiah suffered much persecution because of his bold prophetic warnings.  Indeed, more than once his life was not merely threatened but actually endangered.  And Jeremiah wondered why it seemed as though God's judgment was not, perhaps, as expeditious as Jeremiah doubtless had hoped it would be.  We've all been there.

But God did not go along with Jeremiah's pity party.  God did not pat him on the back, as it were, and say something like: "Just be patient, Jeremiah.  I know you're in a tough spot.  I really feel for you.  But one of these days it will all work out in the end; you'll see."  Nope.  None of that.

Instead, God urged Jeremiah to lift up his eyes, so to speak, to consider something far higher than he had ever before gotten hold of in his understanding.  God was saying to Jeremiah--and to us--that there are powers, and there are battles, beyond what mere men--and wicked men at that--are capable to bring against us.  If we cannot, thru God, stand our ground against wicked men...; how then are we going to contend with, and prevail against, "principalities" and "powers" and "rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12)?

How, indeed?

I say again, How are we to do that?  How can we, as human beings--even as Christians--do battle against demonic powers, fallen angels, . . . and defeat them?  We cannot see them with our eyes; much less are we able to fight against them with our own physical hands or even with any physical weapons!

There is, I believe, a key hidden in God's answer to Jeremiah....

In his reply to Jeremiah, God asked Jeremiah a question -- which I want to re-state in slightly different form, as follows: "Jeremiah, if mere mortal men have worn you down to the point of exhaustion; how are you then going to "wrestle against" demonic powers -- and not be similarly worn out and beat down?"

In other words, God likened demonic spirits to -- horses.   Hmmm.....   That reminds me of something else I've read in Scripture....

The Bible says that "horses of fire" appeared to carry the prophet Elijah into the heavens (2 Kings 2:11).

In another place -- when the prophet Elisha and his servant were threatened by an entire army of men, Elisha prayed that God would enable Elisha's servant to see that the mountains surrounding the army were in fact filled with "horses and chariots of fire" (2 Kings 6:17).

On more than one occasion, God caused Israel's enemies to hear "a noise of horses" approaching: "even the noise of a great host" (2 Kings 7:6).

And listen to this: "The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones..." (Jeremiah 8:16).

In describing that great army, in the book of Joel, the Spirit of God said thus: "The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire...as a strong people set in battle array." (Joel 2:4-5).

And here we go: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place" (Psalm 68:17).

ANGELS!!!  Angels are God's "chariots" and "horses"!!  Whoop!!  Hallelujah!!

That is why, in His answer to Jeremiah, God likened the demonic forces (fallen angels) to "horses".

Which brings us back, again, to ask the question: How are we supposed to contend with, and prevail against, "horses" -- that is to say, against fallen angels!??

Ha!!  Ha-ha-ha-ha!!!   Have we not realized that we, as children of the Most High, have the privilege to call for Heaven's host -- the UN-fallen angels -- to come to our aid in battle?  Why, even Jesus Himself said (in the Garden of Gethsemane) that -- if He had been willing to do so, he could have then called for "more than twelve legions of angels" to deliver him!

It is high time that we, the true Church of the living God, need to learn and know more about the mighty resources God has made available to us who are still in the midst of battle on the earth....

In the book of Hebrews, there is the following reference to God's angels:

"Are they not [God's angels] ALL ministering spirits, sent forth to minister FOR them who shall be heirs of salvation?"  (Hebrews 1:14)

High time, Church.  High time.  Don't be shy.  And, surely, don't back down.  But come boldly to possess your inheritance in Jesus Christ!

The image I chose for this post -- of horses prepared for battle, reminds me of a Vision that one of my own sons told me he once had.  In his Vision, he saw rows of horses -- dressed for battle (as in the above image), standing on the brow of a hill, as it were, in the cool of an early morning.  He could see the breath of those horses, as they snorted, as if ready for the battle . . . but waiting.

Waiting, I say.  READY and waiting.  God's angels are ready and waiting.  But what are they waiting for?  Are they waiting for us, perhaps, to ask in prayer for their help against the fallen, rebellious, wicked ones that have dared to come against us?