Scattered
Good Morning,
Today, I would like us to consider the word scattered, or the idea of dividing. Most of us have heard the military phrase, “divide and conquer” - that is the principal I am referring to today. Consider the story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat and all of the false prophets (those who wanted the affections of their leader) These false preachers gave the prophetic encouragement to go into battle. They assured the king all would be well; but such was not the case, and the prophet Micaiah came along speaking the opposite. Micaiah assured the king that the battle would be a failure and that all Israel would be scattered.
2 Chronicles 18:16 “Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.”
When people are scattered, they lose unity, purpose, and focus, which produces a very unsteady future.
Regarding the Saviour’s arrest, crucifixion, and death, Jesus said that His followers would be scattered. Without the powerful leadership of Christ, there was no clear-cut direction.
John 16:32 “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.”
Mark 14:27 “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”
Remember the story in Genesis chapter 11; the people built the tower of Babel. God confused the languages, and thus, scattered the people. The tower was not completed, and the objective was lost.
After the stoning of Steven in Acts chapter 7, Acts 8:1 tells us that the believers were scattered throughout all Judea. In this case, instead of focusing on the churches in Jerusalem and Israel, the Christians carried the Gospel message across the region.
The book of Proverbs teaches the same principle when it talks about a wise king scattering the wicked (Proverbs 20:26). If the wicked men cannot gather together to get direction and focus, their evil purposes will be greatly hampered.
In John 10:12, we are told that the wolf scatters the sheep, moving them from a place of security and stability, near to the Shepherd who guides, feeds, and protects, and leaves them wandering aimlessly, vulnerable, and in many cases, helpless.
When we consider the word scattered or divided, I think of the familiar passage in Matthew, “A house divided can not stand….” (Matthew 12:25)
Allow me to draw a few simple principles from these passages. If I am teaching a Sunday school class, and mischievous children are sitting next to each other, I will “scatter them.” I will move them to different parts of the audience, so the trouble makers will not encourage each other to disrupt the class.
I can also apply this principal to someone who criticizes my church. In forty-two years of pastoring, I have noticed that some people come to criticize our church, but I have never seen them show us a better place to attend. If someone comes along