The Sanctifying Shield, part 1

Last week we looked at what Hope did, as it welled up in the heart of a woman with a 12-year bleeding issue – as she pressed in to touch the hem of Jesus’ robe – that represented His power, authority, covering, provision, and protection. This week, we are going to look at Hope from a little different perspective, as we see – we hear, Jesus praying for us, in John 17.
 

Down in Kentucky, our nation has a very special place designed to protect our gold supply. Do you know what it’s called? (Fort Knox). If you didn’t know, that’s where our nation keeps most of our gold. But, did you know, more than gold has been stored there over the years. Ft. Knox has also held the Magna Carta, the Gutenberg Bible, the English crown jewels, as well as the gold reserves of several other countries. And on December 26, 1941, the nation stored the original U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence—until they were moved to Washington D.C, on October 1, 1944 – were they’ve been on display ever since.
 

Now, why is Fort Knox such a good place to store valuables? Because it’s quite literally a fortress. It was built, to be impossible for anybody to get inside of. It is constructed of granite, steel, and concrete. Some say, there’s more steel in the vault, than there is gold. The vault is made of steel plates, steel beams, and steel cylinders. Steel bands wrap around everything and then concrete encases it all. The vault door alone, weighs more than 20 tons. Getting inside, without authorization, is impossible. Even the President of the United States doesn’t have the combination to the vault. To open the door, several staffers must EACH dial separate combinations, known only to them. 

On the outside, there’s a sentry posted at the entrance gate, and guard box at each corner of the building. THEN, there is an imposing steel fence surrounding the whole property. In addition, I could tell you all about the high-tech, protective devices, in the building, but we don’t have time for all of that. 

The point of this illustration is this: The more valuable an item is, the more trouble people will go to to protect it. Here are a couple more items to know:
Ft. Knox protects our gold supply, by locking it away. It separates it from mankind, by walls made of steel and concrete. It is guarded by soldiers, who have instruction to shoot to kill. The truth is: It’s not a friendly place to be if you don’t belong there.
 

I’d like us to keep this in mind as we look at our text for this week. John 17:11-12 and 15. “Jesus prayed “…Holy Father, PROTECT them by the power of your name — that you have given me — so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I was PROTECTING them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them… 15 I am NOT praying that you take them out of the world but that you PROTECT them from the evil one.” (Emphasis mine)
 

As Jesus was praying to the Father… the main focus was that we would be protected. Jesus wanted the Father to shelter us, especially from the evil one. So now, how would God go about defending – protecting us? I mean, Does He lock us away from the rest of the world? Does He surround us with walls of steel and concrete? Does He set up armed guards all around us to protect us from the evil one?

 
Well, yes, and, no. Notice what Jesus says in verse 15: “I am NOT praying that you take them out of the world…” (Emphasis mine). Jesus did not want the Father to lock us away from the rest of the world. Now, back in the Old Testament, God did do that with the Israelites. Genesis tells us that God went to a great deal of trouble, to send the people of Israel down to Egypt during the days of Joseph. Granted there were on 70 or so of them at the time. But once Jacob and his sons moved down to Egypt, they were given a special land called the “land of Goshen.” And that’s where they lived, for the next 430 years or so.

Continued tomorrow