03-14-2008, 03:21 AM
L E S S O N 19
Biblical Examples of the Decreasing
Just as The Law of Increase is illustrated throughout Scripture, The Law of
Decrease is illustrated as well, and we can see this principle at work in the
lives of saints in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. There are so
many examples that we could not go through all of them in the brief time that we
have, but we will look at a few to get you started in the right direction.
Job is a good example. Of course you know all the tribulation and the trials that
Job experienced but at the end of that period of time, in Job 42 verse 5, he tells the
Lord something very profound, and it illustrates The Law of Decrease. He says,
“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore
I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
That's a fabulous example of someone who is reduced to Christ – someone who is
decreased – and not only sees God for who He is, but sees himself for who he is
also. And then there is the repentance! And so that is a good example of The Law
of Decrease.
Jacob is a good example of the law of decrease. Jacob was a very powerful
personality, he was full of pride, and he was full of bargaining and reasoning, and
he was always conniving to get his own way. And the Lord allowed him to go
through some very terrible circumstances and some very acute suffering in order to
decrease him. In Genesis 32 he really gets to the end of his rope here, because he
is just about to be attacked by Esau and he goes to God and he begins praying to
the Lord. In Genesis 32:10 he makes a very profound statement. He says,
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have
shown Your servant.”
What a humble attitude Jacob is displaying here! When he is brought to the end of
himself and when his circumstances are ganging up against him, God is able to
show him that he is reaping what he has sowed. And so, Jacob, in a moment of
repentance, finally sees the Lord and he finally sees himself as not worthy of the
least of all the mercies and the truth that God has shown him.
So that is a good example of The Law of Decrease, and you see how it took a long
period of time before Jacob could finally surrender and give everything over. But
once he did – what a powerful testimony that is!
Joseph is another good example of The Law of Decrease. Joseph was very gifted
and he had visions and dreams of the future, but Joseph was very immature and he
also had some pride in his life (just like most of us do when we're young and when
we start out in our walk with God). And so God permitted Joseph to go through
many things that humbled him and decreased him and reduced him, and He took
that pride and turned it into something that was humble and acquiescent to the will
of God. So much so that even when his brothers, who betrayed him, finally met
with him again there in Egypt, he was able to speak words of blessing and say (in
Genesis chapter 50 verse 20) that, “...even though you meant it for evil, God meant
it for good!”
And that is the work of the cross: to be able to see that God is working all things
together for good. Even the things that we would not choose! Even the things that
we go through! Even the things that we experience! Even the evil things that
other people do to us! All of these things God can use for our good if we will
embrace them and accept them and understand the reason why God permits them
to come to us.
Everything we experience: whether it is evil or whether it is good; whether it is
something we have not chosen or something that we have chosen; whether it is
something we like or something we do not like; all things are working together to
increase Christ and decrease us. That is the principle that we see in the life of
Joseph.
We also see the law of decrease in Moses. Moses had a call from God. He had a
heart for God's people, but Moses tried to deliver the people in his own power and
in his own strength. And they rejected him! It took forty years in the desert before
Moses was sufficiently decreased enough that God could then send him back to
Egypt to do what He wanted him to do. And Moses was so humbled and so
decreased and so reduced after forty years in the desert, whereas before he wanted
to go in his own power to do it, now he says, “Lord, send someone else. I can't do
it!”
And you know, that is exactly the type of person, that is exactly the kind of
attitude, that God is looking for. It is not the ones who think they can do it and
then set out to do it in their strength! It is those who embrace the weakness of the
Cross and allow God's strength to be perfected in them. That is what we see
illustrated in the life of Moses.
Now I told you that The Law of Decrease is working in sinners as well as in saints,
and we see this happening in Scripture also. In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar
had a dream and Daniel interpreted that dream to mean that God was going to
decrease Nebuchadnezzar in a big way. And we see that is exactly what happened.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king (he certainly was not a Christian,
he certainly did not know the Lord); nevertheless, God was able to reduce him and
decrease him. He revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and He also revealed
Nebuchadnezzar to Nebuchadnezzar!
Nebuchadnezzar had everything stripped away from him and he lived like an
animal. Finally in Daniel 4:34 he says:
“...at the end of that time I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to Heaven, and my
understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and
honored Him who lives forever, for His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and
His Kingdom is from generation to generation.” You will notice he is no longer
prideful, he is no longer arrogant, he is no longer self-centered. This is how he
concludes his testimony in Daniel 4:37: “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol
and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and His ways justice.
[and look at this!] And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”
Isn't that a fantastic testimony from someone who is not even a Christian? He is a
pagan king that God humbled, and yet he is able to see and experience (and we can
see illustrated) The Law of Decrease, because Jesus is able to subdue all things
unto Himself.
Even Jesus was decreased when He was a man! Now listen to Philippians chapter
2 verse 5. It says:
“.. let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form
of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
So, if Jesus found it necessary to humble Himself, and to become obedient to the
point of death, even the death of a cross, how much more do you and I need to be
humbled, and decreased, and accept the Cross as God's instrument for our
decreasing?
In Hebrews chapter 5 verse 8 it says that Jesus, “...though he was a Son, yet He
learned obedience by the things that He suffered.” Again! If Jesus learned
obedience by the things that He suffered, how much more do we need to learn
obedience through the things that we suffer?
Jesus said that “...in this world you will have tribulation...”. So as long as you will
have tribulation in this world, you might as well make the best possible use of
everything that you are going through. See everything as an opportunity for Jesus
to be increased and for you to be decreased. Embrace that principle and allow that
principle to produce fruit in your life.
In our final lesson we will summarize The Theology of Everything and discuss
how we can practically apply these things to our lives.
QUIZ
Lesson 19 – Biblical Examples of the Decreasing
1. Job is a good example of how everything we experience in being decreased serves the
purpose of
a) making us unhappy and bitter
b) teaching us that friends are fickle
c) increasing Christ and decreasing Self
2. Jacob is a good example of how we must eventually learn, through decreasing, that
a) we cannot wrestle with God and win
b) resisting the decrease of Self prolongs our suffering
c) God uses difficult circumstances to drive us to Him
d) all the above
3. Joseph is a good example of how God uses the decreasing of difficult circumstances,
suffering, and evil to
a) give us material possessions and power
b) purify our heart and help us grow spiritually
c) teach us not to trust other people
4. Moses living in the desert for 40 year after failing to deliver the Hebrews by his own power is
a good example of how the decreasing of Self
a) makes a person useless and good for nothing
b) makes us reluctant to help people ever again
c) prepares and qualifies us for serving others
5. Nebuchadnezzar is a good example of how The Law of Decrease
a) does not apply to pagan kings
b) only works if we agree to it
c) works in sinners as well as saints
Biblical Examples of the Decreasing
Just as The Law of Increase is illustrated throughout Scripture, The Law of
Decrease is illustrated as well, and we can see this principle at work in the
lives of saints in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. There are so
many examples that we could not go through all of them in the brief time that we
have, but we will look at a few to get you started in the right direction.
Job is a good example. Of course you know all the tribulation and the trials that
Job experienced but at the end of that period of time, in Job 42 verse 5, he tells the
Lord something very profound, and it illustrates The Law of Decrease. He says,
“I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore
I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
That's a fabulous example of someone who is reduced to Christ – someone who is
decreased – and not only sees God for who He is, but sees himself for who he is
also. And then there is the repentance! And so that is a good example of The Law
of Decrease.
Jacob is a good example of the law of decrease. Jacob was a very powerful
personality, he was full of pride, and he was full of bargaining and reasoning, and
he was always conniving to get his own way. And the Lord allowed him to go
through some very terrible circumstances and some very acute suffering in order to
decrease him. In Genesis 32 he really gets to the end of his rope here, because he
is just about to be attacked by Esau and he goes to God and he begins praying to
the Lord. In Genesis 32:10 he makes a very profound statement. He says,
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have
shown Your servant.”
What a humble attitude Jacob is displaying here! When he is brought to the end of
himself and when his circumstances are ganging up against him, God is able to
show him that he is reaping what he has sowed. And so, Jacob, in a moment of
repentance, finally sees the Lord and he finally sees himself as not worthy of the
least of all the mercies and the truth that God has shown him.
So that is a good example of The Law of Decrease, and you see how it took a long
period of time before Jacob could finally surrender and give everything over. But
once he did – what a powerful testimony that is!
Joseph is another good example of The Law of Decrease. Joseph was very gifted
and he had visions and dreams of the future, but Joseph was very immature and he
also had some pride in his life (just like most of us do when we're young and when
we start out in our walk with God). And so God permitted Joseph to go through
many things that humbled him and decreased him and reduced him, and He took
that pride and turned it into something that was humble and acquiescent to the will
of God. So much so that even when his brothers, who betrayed him, finally met
with him again there in Egypt, he was able to speak words of blessing and say (in
Genesis chapter 50 verse 20) that, “...even though you meant it for evil, God meant
it for good!”
And that is the work of the cross: to be able to see that God is working all things
together for good. Even the things that we would not choose! Even the things that
we go through! Even the things that we experience! Even the evil things that
other people do to us! All of these things God can use for our good if we will
embrace them and accept them and understand the reason why God permits them
to come to us.
Everything we experience: whether it is evil or whether it is good; whether it is
something we have not chosen or something that we have chosen; whether it is
something we like or something we do not like; all things are working together to
increase Christ and decrease us. That is the principle that we see in the life of
Joseph.
We also see the law of decrease in Moses. Moses had a call from God. He had a
heart for God's people, but Moses tried to deliver the people in his own power and
in his own strength. And they rejected him! It took forty years in the desert before
Moses was sufficiently decreased enough that God could then send him back to
Egypt to do what He wanted him to do. And Moses was so humbled and so
decreased and so reduced after forty years in the desert, whereas before he wanted
to go in his own power to do it, now he says, “Lord, send someone else. I can't do
it!”
And you know, that is exactly the type of person, that is exactly the kind of
attitude, that God is looking for. It is not the ones who think they can do it and
then set out to do it in their strength! It is those who embrace the weakness of the
Cross and allow God's strength to be perfected in them. That is what we see
illustrated in the life of Moses.
Now I told you that The Law of Decrease is working in sinners as well as in saints,
and we see this happening in Scripture also. In Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar
had a dream and Daniel interpreted that dream to mean that God was going to
decrease Nebuchadnezzar in a big way. And we see that is exactly what happened.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan king (he certainly was not a Christian,
he certainly did not know the Lord); nevertheless, God was able to reduce him and
decrease him. He revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar, and He also revealed
Nebuchadnezzar to Nebuchadnezzar!
Nebuchadnezzar had everything stripped away from him and he lived like an
animal. Finally in Daniel 4:34 he says:
“...at the end of that time I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to Heaven, and my
understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and
honored Him who lives forever, for His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and
His Kingdom is from generation to generation.” You will notice he is no longer
prideful, he is no longer arrogant, he is no longer self-centered. This is how he
concludes his testimony in Daniel 4:37: “Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol
and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and His ways justice.
[and look at this!] And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”
Isn't that a fantastic testimony from someone who is not even a Christian? He is a
pagan king that God humbled, and yet he is able to see and experience (and we can
see illustrated) The Law of Decrease, because Jesus is able to subdue all things
unto Himself.
Even Jesus was decreased when He was a man! Now listen to Philippians chapter
2 verse 5. It says:
“.. let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, being in the form
of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men.
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
So, if Jesus found it necessary to humble Himself, and to become obedient to the
point of death, even the death of a cross, how much more do you and I need to be
humbled, and decreased, and accept the Cross as God's instrument for our
decreasing?
In Hebrews chapter 5 verse 8 it says that Jesus, “...though he was a Son, yet He
learned obedience by the things that He suffered.” Again! If Jesus learned
obedience by the things that He suffered, how much more do we need to learn
obedience through the things that we suffer?
Jesus said that “...in this world you will have tribulation...”. So as long as you will
have tribulation in this world, you might as well make the best possible use of
everything that you are going through. See everything as an opportunity for Jesus
to be increased and for you to be decreased. Embrace that principle and allow that
principle to produce fruit in your life.
In our final lesson we will summarize The Theology of Everything and discuss
how we can practically apply these things to our lives.
QUIZ
Lesson 19 – Biblical Examples of the Decreasing
1. Job is a good example of how everything we experience in being decreased serves the
purpose of
a) making us unhappy and bitter
b) teaching us that friends are fickle
c) increasing Christ and decreasing Self
2. Jacob is a good example of how we must eventually learn, through decreasing, that
a) we cannot wrestle with God and win
b) resisting the decrease of Self prolongs our suffering
c) God uses difficult circumstances to drive us to Him
d) all the above
3. Joseph is a good example of how God uses the decreasing of difficult circumstances,
suffering, and evil to
a) give us material possessions and power
b) purify our heart and help us grow spiritually
c) teach us not to trust other people
4. Moses living in the desert for 40 year after failing to deliver the Hebrews by his own power is
a good example of how the decreasing of Self
a) makes a person useless and good for nothing
b) makes us reluctant to help people ever again
c) prepares and qualifies us for serving others
5. Nebuchadnezzar is a good example of how The Law of Decrease
a) does not apply to pagan kings
b) only works if we agree to it
c) works in sinners as well as saints
