How to Bury Your Mountains

By Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD

Come on an incredible journey with me as we deiscover that God is in the business of burying mountains, not just for the great hero's faith, but for everyday people who are facing dilemmas that seem to be never ending, mind boggling days of perpetual discouragement. There is an answer, and God wants you to have it!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD
• Release date: Feb 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301481279

Dr. Martin G Tharp PhD

Dr. Martin Tharp has been an avid student of the Bible for many years and holds a Bachelor, Master and eight Doctorates, one honorary and seven earned, including a Doctor. of Literature and two PhDs. He has been in full time ministry for over fifty-seven years and has authored forty-nine books to date, many of which are being used as curriculum in Bible colleges around the United States and abroad. He has also penned a number of gospel songs and recorded thirty-three albums as well as being actively involved in a school ministry to Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom for the past thirty-eight years, and Dr. Tharp has been honored twice by members of parliament in Ireland for their work in the Protestant and Catholic schools. He and his wife, Sharon, along with Maranda Howells, travel extensively across the USA and the whole of the British Isles holding evangelistic crusades in the churches of both countries.

Book preview

How To Bury

Your

Mountains

By Martin G. Tharp, Ph.D

Copyright 2013 Martin Tharp PhD

Smashwords Edition, License Notes; This ebook is licensed for your own personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, King James Version. Copyright 1984, 1991 by AMG International, INC and the Living Bible Copyright 1971, 1986 by Tyndale House Publishers INC

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wife Sharon, who has stood by my side for thirty-seven years. In March 1998, while en route to Florida, I suffered a T.I.A., (a mild stroke) followed over the next six months by a series of debilitating strokes which left me with a very limited use of my left arm, no feeling in the left side of my face and a slight problem with my sense of equilibrium. During that time of ravaging, my wife was forced to rush me to the emergency ward seven times, each time wondering if I would manage to live through this particular barrage on my physical body.

Her courage in these trying circumstances, and her concern for my well-being not only demonstrated the depth of her love for me, but also inspired faith in me to bury this mountain of devastation that stood squarely between us and the ministry we are called to in the school systems of the British Isles.

This book is also dedicated to the memory of Loren Irish. In September 2000, heaven gained a soldier of the cross whose friendship has already been sorely missed. Brother Irish has been a close friend of the family for thirty years as well as having the distinction of being our youngest son’s favorite person of any age since he was five years old.

Heaven only requires three things for Brother Irish to be right at home.

1. A place somewhere close to the throne so he can worship the Savior he so loved so dearly.

2. An invitation to preach where there is an audience as thrilled about the Master as he always was.

3. A good golf course where he, Wayne Kirschbaum, and Jim Bowen can practice up, while waiting on one more to make up a foursome. Just a few more schools to do, a few more books to write, and a few more revivals yet to be preached and I’ll be there! I can still outdrive you any day of the week, you little sucker!

Table Of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Seven X Seventy

Chapter 2: Don’t Wake Up Dead!

Chapter 3: A Lump of Figs, A Sundial and Too Much Pride.

Chapter 4: Time to pay the Piper, Yet Mercy Offers a Last Chance!

Chapter 5: A Letter From Home

Chapter 6: Jubilee

Chapter 7: Mandate For a Building Program? First Things First!

Chapter 8: Two Generation a Foundation and Two Points of View

Chapter 9: A Mountain Building Project

Chapter 10: Ceiled Houses? Consider Your Ways

Chapter 11: Chazaq! (Be Strong) Asah! (Work)

Chapter 12: Not By Might, Nor By Power!

Chapter 13: Who Art Thou, O Great Mountain?

Chapter 14: The Headstone

Chapter 15: Bury That Mountain

About the Author

Study Questions

Introduction

Most people face the same obstacles day after day. Some are of our own making, some are just a part of life, and some are ordained of God. The problem most of us have to deal with is, which one is which? Unfortunately our perception of who we are and what we’re capable of, is sometimes clouded by an exaggerated self image.

The Bible is full of stories which deal with people just like you and I. It is also filled with classic examples of those who faced insurmountable odds yet emerged victorious. The most exciting reason to study the Bible is the possibility of seeing a mirror image of yourself in the Holy record, giving you new found courage to do more than just face your mountains, but bury them!

James writes to the church at large and challenges them to do more than hear what the Word is saying to them.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was" (James 1:22-24).

Come on an incredible journey with me as we discover that God is in the business of leveling mountains! not just for the great hero’s of faith, but for everyday people who are facing dilemmas that seem to be never ending, mind boggling, days of perpetual discouragement.

There is an answer, and God wants you to have it!

Chapter 1

Seven Times Seventy

In the entirety of the Old Testament, there are only two major events which literally dominate the Bible; Egyptian captivity (which is the basic reason for the Pentateuch), and the Babylonian captivity. The Bible does not offer us the historical account of those events for the purpose of filling pages in the Holy record; far from it. It is from this vast supply of material that we find a rich vein of examples, object lessons, types and shadows, providing us a mother lode of illustrations which help us form the very fabric of our Christian values.

It has been stated on innumerous occasions;

The New Testament is within the Old Testament concealed, and The Old Testament is within the New Testament revealed.

It is my acceptance and agreement with the validity of that concept that I feel compelled to explore the historical background which elicited an unusual response to a question posed by Peter in regard to forgiveness.

"Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22).

This passage of Scripture has captured the attention of Bible scholars for generations and has been the subject of countless debates on why Jesus chose to encourage Peter to indulge in such benevolent generosity in forgiving anyone four hundred and ninety times. At the heart of many of those debates generally lies this question: Why would God expect a disciple to be more generous in his mercy than it would appear is demonstrated by heaven itself? The answer of course is; He doesn’t!

Let us listen to the piteous cry of the Psalmist David as he describes the wondrous quality of forgiveness;

"For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee (Psalm 86:5).

It is no small wonder that David was compelled to say;

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever (Psalm 103:1-9).

Take careful note of the portion of the preceding passage of Scripture which I have underlined, the concept set before us in the very first chapter of this book will help me lay groundwork upon which to build the fabric, or framework, of the whole. The wondrous mercies and long suffering exhibited by God were never more manifestly displayed than while dealing with these ungrateful Israelites who have now completed the prophesied tenure of bondage in Egypt. His tender mercies and patient longsuffering was not only visible while they were travelers on their 40 year wilderness journey, but continued on for an additional 430 years, then God pleaded with them for 20 years before the final deportation to Babylon.

I find it highly significant that God gave them precisely that same number of years of freedom to dwell in the promised land. God patiently waited for that particular period of time to bring them to reckoning for their failure to honor the Sabbath year covenant which was established upon their release from the Egyptian captivity, prophesied to Abraham (Genesis 15:13), prior to the birth of Isaac!

"Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shall not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land (Leviticus 25:3-5).

The covenant of The Sabbath year which God had established with Israel, was one which set them apart from every other nation upon the face of the earth. It did not simply consist of the promise made by God to bless the land in the sixth year, enabling it to produce enough for that year, the seventh year, and into the eighth year at harvest. Encapsulated also in the codicils of that Sabbath year covenant, lay some of the more important aspects of it.

One: The forgiveness of debt to every individual.

"At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth aught unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother: because it is called the Lord’s release (Deuteronomy 15:1-2).

Two: The freeing of the indentured servants.

"And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him (Deuteronomy 15:12-14).

In the twenty-first chapter of Exodus, we are given an example of an Avad, who for a variety of reasons has chosen to allow his ear to be pierced which signifies in mute testimony his decision to continue in willing service beyond the six years of his indenture. An Avad is simply a term for someone who has been made to serve. To toil, work, to be made to work, to be weary, fatigued, to work as a slave. In the case of an Avad, which Exodus 21:1-6 describes, can also include the possibility of one who is considered a worshiper, or one who has been caused to enter into worship of people or gods. However, it is within the framework of this portion of the Covenant of the Sabbath year, that we are treated with the first example of an Eved. It is a laborer, a servant, a slave, a man in bonds, a subject, or a worshiper. This type of servant often held a position of honor. Servants included ministers and courtiers of kings, ambassadors, ordinary soldiers, messengers and military captains who were often chosen because their position as an Eved was recognized. God sent his ambassadors (Eveds) to accomplish a specific mission.

Eved is applied to the Messiah in this sense (Zech 3:8). This term is a very important one in the last twenty-seven chapters of the book of Isaiah. It occurs in the singular twenty times (Isaiah 39-53) and eleven times in the plural (Isaiah 54-66).

Some of the examples refer to the nation of Israel, while others are a very personal, technical term for the Messiah Himself (Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-9; 50:4-10; 52:13; 53:12). The Suffering Servant had a mission to Israel, but He was clearly distinguished from the nation. Jeremiah (30:10; 46:27-28) and Ezekiel (28:25; 37:25) both apply Eved, to the covenant people. The two prophets also apply the word to the lineage of David (Jer. 33:21; 22:26; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25).

Three: The restoration of ancestral real estate.

"In the year of jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession (Leviticus 25:13).

(Centuries later, the duty of keeping that which was a family inheritance prevented Naboth from selling his vineyard to King Ahab).

For several generations the children of Israel lived with apparent impunity to the aforementioned covenant, but as it is with all of the commandments of God, there will be a reckoning day for each of us in regard to our failure to obey, or a reward awaiting our obedience which literally defies any attempt at a verbal description. God had been extremely patient on their behalf, but when it became obvious that they would never recognize the importance of keeping all the covenant rather than that which suited them at their convenience, God in His anger declared;

And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath (Jeremiah 21:5).

God does not allow anything to be left to chance, lest they miss the point. He declares succinctly the reason for the anger He has directed at them. The first group to be taken in 605 B.C. was an attempt to press home a point. Daniel and the three Hebrew children, along with ten thousand of their comrades, were the first to serve as an object lesson, which failed to impress them. They had become defiant in their attitudes after having enjoyed the favor of a Holy God for four hundred and seventy years (up to that time), convinced that they were now unable to be subdued.

"Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it" (Jeremiah 22:13-14).

The children of Israel could never seem to understand the magnitude of their position, a malady which is prevalent in the society in which we live today! As we reflect on the excessive disobedience chronicled in the Old Testament for us in describing the rebelliousness of the house of Israel, let us not forget that we are no less obligated to keep covenant with our God than they were. We must not forget that our problems are no less serious than theirs, for we rely heavily on the mercies of God to sustain us, believing that;

"The Lord