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We can only be born into the
Kingdom of God under stress and
strain-under pressure! You need to
understand why this is necessary,
and also why God permits us to be
sorely tried at times!
King David, a man after God's
own heart, will have a very high posi–
tion of rulership in the Kingdom of
God. He will be king over all Israel
(Ezek. 37:24; Hosea 3:5; Jer. 30:9).
In order to qualify for this high posi–
tion of responsibility and service in
God's Kingdom, David first had to
suffer many trials, persecutions and
affiictions. His life was, in fact, full
of tribulations.
He understood that God's people
must experience many trials and
tests in this life: "Many are the af–
nictions of the righteous: but the
Lord delivereth him out of them all"
(Ps. 34:1 9) .
David made sorne very serious
mistakes in his life and had to be
affiicted by God to learn his lesson–
the lesson that sin never pays!
In a moment of weakness, David
yielded to the terrible sin of lust. He
gave in to his carnal urge and com–
mitted adultery with Bathsheba.
Then, when she had conceived an
illegitimate child by him, he sought
to cover his sin by devious means.
When this failed , he connived to
bring about the death of Bathsheba's
husband Uriah. He had him put in
the hottest part of the battle where
he would be certain to be killed by
the Ammonites (II Sam. 11) .
But is God a respecter of persons?
Would He turn a blind eye to David's
sin? "Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall healso reap" (Gal. 6:7).
God sent Nathan to point out Da–
vid 's terrible sin to him
(11
Sam. 12).
David bitterly repented of this griev–
ous sin (J I Sam. 12; Ps. 51). Nev–
ertheless, God Almighty showed that
he must reap what he had sown.
What would his punishment be?
He would have perpetua! war from
that day forwa rd! God also affiicted
David through sickness, and through
taking the life of the very child which
he had begotten in adultery! This was
a very high price to pay for sin- but
this was God's way of bringing David
to
his senses!
The
PLAIN TRUTH June·July 1979
Did David know why God had af–
flicted him? Certainly! "Before
1
was
affiicted
1
went astray
[1
sinned]: but
now have
1
kept thy word" (Ps.
119:67). He theri freely confessed
that God was righteous in punishing
him: " It is good for me that
1
have
been affiicted; that
I
might learn thy
statutes" (Ps. 119:71 ).
Much Tribulation
The zealous apostle Paul also under–
stood the absolute necessity of God's
people going through tribulation in
this world in order to purify them. He
exhorted the disciples "to continue in
the faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the king–
dom of God" (Acts 14:22).
He solemnly warned the evangelist
Timothy: "Yea, and all that willlive
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per–
secution" (II Tim. 3:12).
Paul will certainly have a very
high position in the Kingdom of God.
The many trials which he endured
fully qualified him to receive a posi–
tion of great responsibility.
Have you ever carefully noticed
just how much this dynamic apostle
suffered and endured for Christ 's
sake?
"Are they ministers of Christ? (I
speak as a fool)
1
am more; in labours
more abundant, in stripes above mea–
sure, in prisons more frequent, in
deaths oft. Of the Jews five times
received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was
1
beaten with rods, once
was I stoned, thrice 1 suffered ship–
wreck, a night and a day
1
have been
in the deep; in journeyings often, in
perils of waters, in perils of robbers,
in perils by mine own countrymen, in
perils by the heathen, in perils in the
city, in perils in the wilderness, in
perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren; in weariness and painful–
ness, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, in cold
and nakedness. Beside those things
that are without, that which cometh·
upon me daily, the care of all the
churches" (ll Cor. 11 :23-28).
Ln addition to these trials, Paul
revealed that he had certain physical
infirmities which Jesus Christ had
refused to heal-in order to keep
Paul humble-so he would look to
Christ and glory in God, rather than
in what he had done (II Cor. 12: 1-9).
Paul concluded: "Therefore
1
take
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,
in necessities, in persecutions, in dis–
tresses for Christ's sake: for when
1
am weak, then am
1
strong"
(II
Cor.
12:10)'.
The Fiery Trial
Did the apostle Peter believe the lot
of a Christian would be an easy one?
No! He revealed that the faith of the
Christian must sometimes be sorely
tried: "Wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations: That the tria! of your
faith, being much more precious than
of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ" ( I Pet.
1:6-7).
This same apostle was also in–
spire<;} to give the following warning:
"Beloved, think
it
not strange con–
cerning the fiery tria! which is to try
you, as though sorne strange thing
happened unto you: But rejoice, inas–
much as ye are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; that, when his glory
shall be revealed, ye may be glad
also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet.
4:12-13).
Christ's exemplary life-especial–
ly during the three and one half years
of His earthly ministry- was not a
life of idleness and ease but a life
filled with constant trials of every
sort! He was continually opposed,
persecuted, slandered, criticized, and
was finally crucified by the very
people whom He loved- loved so
much that He was willing to die for
them!
Yes, Christ knew what real tribu–
lation was. "In the world ye shall
have tribulation," said Jesus, "but be
of good cheer;
1
have overcome the
world" (John 16:33).
Many Bible prophecies reveal that
the peoples of America, Britain and
the British Commonwealth (modern
Israel) have become terribly en–
meshed in loathsome sins (Rosea 4:1-
3; Jer. 30:11-15). God also shows
that He will correct and chastise Is–
rael because of her sins. "And though
the Lord give you the bread of adver–
sity, and the water of affiiction, yet
33