Divine victory -Part 1

According to the Bible, God created the world and all that is in it in six days and on the 7th day, He rested, having accomplished all what He wanted to accomplish. On the other hand in the Bible, the number 17 symbolises “overcoming the enemy” and “complete victory.” God overcame the sins of rebellious humans, when He began to flood the earth through rain on the 17th of the second Hebrew month. Noah’s Ark and its eight passengers rested on the mountains of Ararat on the 17th of the seventh month – the Holy period known as the Feast of Tabernacles.

At the same time, Jesus Christ gained complete victory over death and the grave, when God resurrected Him near sunset on the month of Nisan 17th! No doubt then that the 17th year of this millennium brings to us something divine – a Divine Victory.

The wonders of divine victory are unexplainable. How do you explain the victory that King Jehoshaphat recorded in 2ndChronicles 20:15-24? How do you explain confronting the armies of three kings with a praise team and yet securing total victory? This victory was a wonder because it was divinely procured. Instead of organising bow and arrow, shield and spear, and other war implements, Jehoshaphat organised a praise team that sang about the praise and mercies of God. This is what the wonders of divine victory look like:

“When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.” 2nd Chronicles 20:24

On the other hand, the story of David’s victory over Goliath is another classical example of the wonders of divine victory. If it were not a wonder, how else would you describe a tiny boy killing a giant man, as if he was killing a bird in a nest? When the Almighty God fights on the side of a person, apart from the fact that victory is sure, the way and manner the victory would be secured will produce wonders. When Goliath saw David, he despised him and cursed him by his gods. David responded with these words:

“…David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 1st Samuel 17:45

There was a spiritual power-play going on here. While Goliath cursed David by his gods, David confronted him with Jehovah Sabaoth – the Lord of host. David knew that warfare is not won by physical preparation alone. He knew it is even more spiritual than physical, so he quickly switched on his spiritual antenna. The story ends with the wonders of divine victory. An ordinary stone in the hands of anointed of God fell a giant who a whole nation dreaded for 40 days.

As a matter of fact, it was the sword of Goliath that eventually severed his head from his body. David believed in his God and he was not disappointed.

The Lord fought on David’s side, and the battle was decisive. David received divine victory. You too like Jehoshaphat; you too like David; shall experience one divine victory after another throughout this year in Jesus Name!

Hindrances To Divine Victory
Praise the Lord brothers and sisters. The Lord has given us a prophecy that this year is going to be our year of Divine Victory. However, victory does not just come automatically. In the story of Isaac, we saw that Isaac’s divine victory over the Philistines, who tried to hinder his progress all the time came through (a) Obedience to God’s instruction to stay in Gerar, (b) Planting seeds, even when all indications were showing that he would reap nothing. Amazingly, he planted and in the same year harvested a hundred fold! (c) His patience and persistence, even when he was really provoked by the Philistines and (d) His diligence to continue digging until he got to the seventh well – the well of Beersheba, which the Philistines could not block. What a joy to know that like Isaac I can achieve ultimate victory, if I do not give up!