the basic message # E52
Genesis 32:1-2
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.
I'm a fairly simple-minded person. I need to visualize certain things to help me understand better. When I read about the "camp of God", I began to visualize many things about our salvation. I believe that upon accepting Jesus Christ, we automatically become residents of the camp of God. I don't see it as a mighty fortress, rather I see it as a place that might very well resemble a recreational camp. There are no walls, no fences. Why? Because God allows us to leave the camp whenever we choose. Some Christians believe that God only selects certain people to inhabit his camp. Lets check on that:
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Gee, it sounds like God loves all of his children equally. He invites all of us to live in his camp. What does God provide in his camp? Training, guidance and protection. He offers us opportunities to study the rules he gave us to live by, and guidance to help us follow them. Does God give us total protection while were in the camp? No, because God allows suffering and persecution to build our Christian character. What is outside of the camp?
Job 1:7
The Lord said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the Lord, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."
Satan waits just outside of the camp, watching us continuously. What is he watching for? Primarily, he looks for discontented people. Perhaps he is observing a discontented wife who feels unappreciated. He might be calling her to "come out and play" at the casino or bar. Or maybe he's watching a pastor who is counseling a woman going through a separation. The woman might feel that her pastor is her "knight in shining armor", and the pastor might be enjoying a level of attention he doesn't get at home. And so, Satan calls out to them, "Come out and I'll put you up in a motel room where no one will see you." Perhaps Satan calls out to the Christian teenager, "Abstinence?! Kid, that went out of style years ago. Come out and have a little fun." Satan doesn't have to mention minor details like STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) that can cause long-term health problems like cervical cancer.
Allow me to sum up this picture. Everything we need is within the camp. We will be protected while in the camp. We can leave at any time, and return at any time. Anything outside of the camp, no matter how appealing, isn't within Gods plan for us. If we venture outside of the camp, remember that there is a "roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). This lion, otherwise known as Satan, can't hurt us if we call on the name of the Lord, but lions are sneaky animals. They can slip up behind you and take a fatal bite out of you before you could even begin to call on the Lord. When you are safe and sound in Gods camp and hear the whispers and the calls from outside, remain safe in the Lord. There's nothing out there worth the risk.