Special Sos

By Emmanuel Oghenebrorhie

Some say survival, actually personal survival is the first law of life. It is natural to strive for survival under any circumstance and God have nothing against it. Jesus commended the acclaimed shrewd manager whose story He told in Luke 16:1-9. God expects that we use our earthly life to secure eternal bliss through living by unwavering faith in Him. The mention of Tamar, Judahs daughter-in-law, Rahab the Jericho harlot turned member of the commonwealth of Gods chosen people, Israel and Ruth, a Moabitess among the matriarchs of mankinds Messiah, teaches that adopting personal survival strategies is acceptable as long as they are done with faith in God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Apr 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462854981

Emmanuel Oghenebrorhie

Rev Emmanuel Oghenebrorhie can be described as a Paper-pulpit Pastor and Bible Preacher by publication. He is divinely ordained to teach, preach and publish the Gospel of Christ Jesus and has been teaching and preaching since 1994. He began to publish in 2004 and presides over Emmanuel Oghenebrorhie Ministries, that encompasses several arms. He operates Christ Redemption Publications, based in Ibadan, Nigeria. He has been published by other publishers overseas. He makes the working word of God relevant to daily living, to prepare the saints for heaven. He hosts a monthly Bible Seminar every second Sunday at his Nigerian base, Ibadan. His audiences often comment that he gives a realistic interpretation to the word of God in a way they never heard or read previously and that he directs the word of God to where it matters in a man’s life when it matters most. He can be reached on [e-mail] or [e-mail] or 234-7037825522 or 234-8182022262 or 07055989850

Book preview

Copyright © 2011 by Emmanuel Oghenebrorhie.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4628-5497-4

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-5498-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Unless otherwise indicated, scriptures are from the Good News Bible (GNB) also known as Today’s English Version (TEV), New King James Version (NKJV), Contemporary English Version (CEV), The Living Bible (TLB), New Century Version (CEV), Easy-to-Read-Version, King James Version (KJV), New Living Translation (NLT), Amplified Bible (AMP), New International Version (NIV)

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Rewarding Right Attitude

Chapter 2 Disregard all odds

Chapter 3 Abhor Burying Bandwagon

Chapter 4 Humble Self Help

Chapter 5 Advisable Acknowledgement of God’s Role

Chapter 6 Regard and Protect Your Reputation

Chapter 7 Gainful Generousity

Chapter 8 Act and Rejoice otherwise Regret

Chapter 9 Repentance Rewards

Chapter 10 Rewarding Reliance on Heritage

Chapter 11 Helpful Hearing and Heeding

Chapter 12 Rewarding realistic reasoning and response

Chapter 13 Resist regrettable relationship respectability

Chapter 14 Rewarding steadfastness

Chapter 15 Get and Benefit from Vital Information

Chapter 16 Mind Your Business

Chapter 17 Surprise God pleasantly

Chapter 18 Gainfulness of Godliness

Other Published Titles by the Author

Dedication

Mr David Cameron, Prime Minister of United Kingdom

Appreciation

All glory to God that this is available for others to read. Lord, a thousand tongues are not enough for me to express my gratitude for this unique opportunity to be a blessing to my generation and future generations. Surely, everything in this call and commission is your doing and it is marvellous in my eyes.

God bless Joshua Fagbemi and family for their support. It is highly appreciated. May God swell your heavenly account richly, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Introduction

Traditionally, we know SOS to be a Save Our Soul message to another party asking for an urgent help or solution to the sender’s precarious predicament. I Samuel 11 says that when the city of Jabesh Gilead was attacked by the Ammonites, they sent an SOS message to the other Israelites to come to their help and God’s Spirit stirred up Saul to rise up to the occasion. II Kings 8:1-6 says that when Elisha understood by God’s Spirit that famine was looming, he advised the rich woman of Shunem to relocate and she did and never regretted it. Acts 11:27-31 says that when God’s Spirit revealed through Agabus that there would be a famine which occurred during the reign of Claudius as Emperor of Rome, the believers at Antioch sent material support to those in Jerusalem. Galatians 2:6-10 says;

6 But those who seemed to be the leaders—I say this because it makes no difference to me what they were; God does not judge by outward appearances—those leaders, I say, made no new suggestions to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that God had given me the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the task of preaching the gospel to the Jews. 8 For by God’s power I was made an apostle to the Gentiles, just as Peter was made an apostle to the Jews. 9 James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be the leaders, recognized that God had given me this special task; so they shook hands with Barnabas and me, as a sign that we were all partners. We agreed that Barnabas and I would work among the Gentiles and they among the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should remember the needy in their group, which is the very thing I have been eager to do. (TEV)

We see Peter and his allies who were meant to preach to the Jews placed a permanent SOS request on Paul and his companion, Barnabas and their allies, meant to preach to the Gentiles to remember to send them support as frequently as possible. Impliedly, Peter believed that Paul and his companions would get more income from their Christ Gospel targeted Gentile beneficiaries than their Jewish targeted audience. This agreed with the admonition in I Timothy 6:17-19 that the wealthy share generously with the poor always. As Gentiles share in the Gospel meant mostly for the Jews, the Jews should share in their wealth. Therefore, the Gentiles should salvage themselves from eternal damnation partly by sharing their possessions with the Jews, like Luke 7:1-10 says that the Jews compelled Jesus to heal a Roman Officer’s servant because he built a synagogue for the Jews to worship. The account of Cornelius, reported in Acts 10, is relevant also. Then, Acts 16:9-10 says—

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (NKJV)

This meant that when God would lead Paul to preach to the Macedonians, God gave him a vision in which he saw a Macedonian calling for his help. Our immediate concern is that other cities did not ask for his help and it was to Macedonia that he went to preach.

Talking about what we can consider as self-saving secret giving, Proverbs 21:14 says;

14   A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe behind the back, strong wrath. (NKJV)

14   An angry man is silenced by giving him a gift! (TLB)

14   A secret bribe will save you from someone’s fierce anger. (CEV)

14   If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down. (TEV)

14   If anyone is angry with you, give them a gift in private. A gift given in secret will calm even the strongest anger. (Easy-to-Read Version)

14   A secret gift will calm an angry person; a present given in secrecy will quiet great anger. (NCV)

The gift in secret would be delivered privately. This is necessary because if you deliver it in the presence of others they might discourage the recipient from accepting it and forgiving you. Others might mock you for going to pay with gift to secure peace with the man who is angry with you. The gift that would settle rift might be humble apology to the person you had offended. Spouses must learn to apologize privately when they have offended their spouse. It sustains marital union. It should be made one of the secrets of keeping one’s marriage and relationships. There is no need to flaunt the secret of your survival and success in whatever you do. Just mind your business and apply the success formula privately consistently. The man giving private gifts to survive might have gotten into trouble alongside other persons but he knows how to go behind to seek settlement with the aggrieved person so that he or she is not punished alongside the others who are too proud to plead for forgiveness with a gift or too foolish to know that God’s word recommends such approach as survival strategy. This suggests that survival in life is a personal matter and should be approached as such.

When God would train someone in Jesse’s household to rule their nation it was David who was alone in the wilderness. All others were at home together. When the eldest three went to join the army of Saul, the next four sons were at home. It was David who was the only representative of Jesse’s household in Saul’s palace that God used to kill Goliath. Majority cannot become great because they cannot afford to be alone to do their duty diligently until it delivers dignity to them in life. The crowd has a way of crowding success out of one’s life. It was Joseph who was separated from others that became the most illustrious member of Jacob’s household. The crowd is a setback circle to remain in.

We cannot readily forget the famous story of Gideon and his army against the Midianites. Judges 7 says that after 32,000 volunteered, God pruned them to just 300 men whereas the Midianites had more than the 32,000 army standing against them. Success and victory which gives relevance is not for children but adult-mannered minds, not for every body but special individuals who do things differently in many respects. Doing things distinctly is leaving the crowd of commoners cleverly consistently. It is choosing to be delightfully different diligently.

Chapter 1

Rewarding Right Attitude

Recounting Boaz’s opinion of Ruth, the Moabite turned Bethlehemite by marriage and her indomitable commitment to marital vows, Ruth 2:8-12 say;

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, Let me give you some advice. Don’t gather grain anywhere except in this field. Work with the women here; 9 watch them to see where they are reaping and stay with them. I have ordered my men not to molest you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and drink from the water jars that they have filled. 10 Ruth bowed down with her face touching the ground, and said to Boaz, Why should you be so concerned about me? Why should you be so kind to a foreigner? 11 Boaz answered, I have heard about everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you had never known before. 12 May the Lord reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, to whom you have come for protection! (TEV)

The underlined portion is our immediate concern. He recognized that Ruth had uncommon determination to support a mother turned childless widow mourning inconsolably. When Jacob’s sons got rid of Joseph and Jacob mourned inconsolably, none of them was kind-hearted enough to tell him the truth about the disappearance of Joseph to assuage their father’s sorrows. This made Ruth to be kinder than Jacob’s sickening sons who concealed Joseph’s loss for 22 years. Ruth had her own life at stake but chose to lend a helping hand to a fellow mourning childless widow without worrying about her remarrying and having children personally. Up until this point, there was no consideration of when and whom Ruth could remarry to raise her children happily with their father. Her preoccupation was Naomi’s happiness. Boaz’s hearing of her kindness to Naomi meant that it was common knowledge among the Bethlehemites. It meant that if she had not supported Naomi it would have been common knowledge and Boaz would have learnt of it also. Ruth made kindness and concern for the hurting of her neighbour a compulsory duty just like a compulsory course for anyone undergoing a course of study in a tertiary institution. She chose to set aside her problem of childless widowhood to reduce the sorrowfulness of Naomi an older fellow childless widow. Someone might say it is because Lamentations 3:27 claim it is better to bear one’s yoke in his or her youth. Orpah was as young but she did not resolve to remain with Naomi until whenever Naomi deemed fit for her to remarry. She never allowed her precarious predicament discourage her from helping a fellow man. Since she was the famous King David’s paternal ancestor, and considering that I Samuel 23:1-12 says David went out of his way to help the natives of Keilah from the oppression of the Philistines even when David’s followers thought they had their own problem of running away from Saul, suggests that David inherited this thrilling trait of disregarding your personal problems to help the troubled from Ruth.

Remembering that Ruth 1 says Orpah did not come over to Bethlehem to get such accolades from the Bethlehemites meant she did not have Ruth’s applaudable and somewhat award winning attitude. Ruth 3 and 4 confirm that it was in the course of helping Naomi that Ruth got what women would consider marital breakthrough by becoming Boaz’s wife. She transformed into Boaz’s most worthy wife as mankind’s Messiah is traced through her as mother of Boaz’s son Obed, the great King David’s grandfather. Ruth 4:13-17 says;

13 So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife. The Lord blessed her, and she became pregnant and had a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, Praise the Lord! He has given you a grandson today to take care of you. May the boy become famous in Israel! 15 Your daughter-in-law loves you, and has done more for you than seven sons. And now she has given you a grandson, who will bring new life to you and give you security in your old age. 16 Naomi took the child, held him close, and took care of him. 17 The women of the neighborhood named the boy Obed. They told everyone, A son has been born to Naomi! Obed became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. (TEV)

In women’s exclusive world, the women of Bethlehem meant that No love of daughter-in-law can be more than this, that she would stick to her childless mother-in-law and bear a son who would take care of the mother-in-law in her old age. Despite that her mother-in-law had no son she could remarry, she remained to console her until her mother-in-law decided who she should remarry. She did not think that Naomi asking her to seek Boaz to marry her in Chapter 3 was ridiculous. As long as it would please Naomi, Ruth complied. The age difference between Boaz and herself did not worry her as long as Naomi was happy. She had sacrificed to rebuild Naomi’s joy and happiness and she could not do anything that would destroy the structure. She could have thought that was selfish because much as the marriage would compel Boaz to provide for Naomi along with her, her personal happiness with a young man as husband was being sacrificed. Civilization would not allow most daughters to marry rich but more elderly suitor recommended by their biological mother so that such a suitor could fend for their mother and family. Ruth was determined to do whatever Naomi thought would make her happy and advised her to do. She sacrificed her personal desires to please Naomi like Jesus’ prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane typified when He said much as He had his desire to escape the death on the cross, He agreed to die according to the will and planned purpose of God the Father. And Philippians 2:5-11 says;

5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: 6 He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that by force he should try to become equal with God. 7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like man and appeared in human likeness. 8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross. 9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. 10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, 11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (TEV)

Whoever inculcates humility and sacrifice to please others would be greatly rewarded like Ruth when the great King David to whom God swore a covenant of eternal dynasty and ancestor of mankind’s Messiah Jesus Christ born in David’s hometown of Bethlehem and bred in Nazareth is known as her descendant. She and her son Obed became the reason Boaz provided for Naomi for the rest of their lifetime. This made her take the front seat of Boaz’s regard for Naomi. Her contribution to this unprecedented elevation (considering Deuteronomy 23:3-6 says God had barred the Moabites from joining the Israelites) was her attitude towards a fellow suffering and discouraged individual. She made herself God’s agent to give joy to sorrowful Naomi which reminds us about Jesus Christ, Isaiah 62:1-2 and Luke 4:16-21 say;

1   The Sovereign Lord has filled me with his spirit. He has chosen me and sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to announce release to captives and freedom to those in prison. 2 He has sent me to proclaim that the time has come when the Lord will save his people and defeat their enemies. He has sent me to comfort all who mourn, 3 to give to those who mourn in Zion, joy and gladness instead of grief, a song of praise instead of sorrow. They will be like trees that the Lord himself has planted. They will all do what is right, and God will be praised for what he has done. 4 They will rebuild cities that have long been in ruins.

16   Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures 17 and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed 19 and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. 20 Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, 21 as he said to them, This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read. (TEV)

This can be tagged as serving as God’s Agent of Cheerful Change or God’s Agent of Cherished Change or Agent of Delightful Difference (ADD) or Agent of Desirable Delightful Difference. This is similar to the way God sent Moses to terminate the sufferings of his fellow Israelites from Egyptian bondage and oppression. He sent and helped David to stop Goliath of the Philistines’ forty days and nights’ ridicule of Saul’s army. His peculiar presence with Jacob prospered Laban’s animal husbandry business as long as Jacob served there. Genesis 39 confirms the considerable delightful difference which Joseph’s arrival in Potiphar’s household made. It constrained Potiphar to promote him to be head of servants of his household. Just as there is God-sent solution provider(s) so also there is Satan-sent sickening experience seed-planters". But let’s not go in that direction.

As God Almighty sent Jesus to save mankind, He sent Ruth to help Naomi and meant Boaz to help Naomi through Ruth. At a point Ruth had garnered personal recognition, respect and honour as a worthy woman. At that point, she would seem not to need Naomi as much as she needed her when they first arrived. She used her helpful attitude to endear herself to the Bethlehemites. It is like when Paul needed Barnabas to be accepted among the believers in Christ Jesus. After some years, Paul got his personal recognition was a worthy ambassador of Christ and could operate without Barnabas’ presence in his ministry. Ruth registered her worthiness in the subconscious of Naomi’s relatives and kinsmen. If they had disagreed, it was possible for some to support Ruth and make it impossible for Naomi to claim anything. The benefits of right attitude are numerous and almost immeasurable.

The important role of attitude is underlined by the fact that Orpah was another available individual but God could not use her because she would not help others while waiting for God to solve her problems. Orpah represented Available but unacceptable or Available but Abhorable of this world. I Samuel 16 say Jesse’s older seven sons were available but God told Samuel they were not acceptable to be anointed. It was their baby brother, David with the right heart attitude, though absent who was acceptable. He was the only one who chose to look after their father’s flocks so that their aged and retired father would not starve to death. King Saul found him worthy to serve as his private musician and armour bearer. Ruth represents those whom God sent to help their fellow humans before He would solve their own problem. They are God’s special messengers in their generation, His direct beneficiaries thereby empowered to be benefactors to their fellow humans; they are wholesale-like intermediaries between God and the majority of humanity. This is what God meant when Genesis 12:1-3 says He promised to bless Abraham to bless others. Interestingly, just like He took Abraham from his ancestral roots to make him a blessing to others, so also He took Ruth from Moab to Bethlehem to bless Naomi and future generations. Before God gave Jesus a name above all names in the universe, He had died on the cross as a ransom for the souls of mankind. So we can safely say that attitude contributes to man’s destiny or fortunes or fate in life. It is called The Right Attitude for High Altitude in life or Applaudable Attitude for Admirable Altitude or Advancing Attitude for Advance Altitude. While Ruth’s relocation to Bethlehem to comfort Naomi brought her the benefits she enjoyed in Bethlehem, remaining in her native Moab to solve the immediate need denied Orpah the Ruth’s kind of reward. Different attitude to common challenge made the difference. We shall not consider the subject of Diverse Dividends of Different Attitudes in details here. Therefore, we can infer from Matthew 24:40-41 and Luke 17:34-35 when Jesus said on the critical day of rapture, one shall be taken and other left behind, it means that attitude would be part of the reasons. This is applicable to Matthew 25:1-13 recounting of the parable of the Ten Virgins of which five were considered wise and the other five foolish. It is about internal factors responsible for same opportunities but different outcome. While studious students would succeed with flying colours, non-hard working ones would fail woefully. I call it Same Scenario Separate Success Story.

Luke 23:32 and 39-43 says;

32   There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. 40