And They Went out With a High Hand

Lessons that we learn from Passover. This is not my sermon, just to give you some lessons that you can think about. Sort of a recap of the whole Passover season. First of all, during Passover we learn to appreciate Jesus Christ and the Father's sacrifice for us. That's the beginning of it all, isn't it, for us to start it. We get in the race. We start on a road toward eternal life once Jesus Christ has cleansed us and made us whole brought us back and made us presentable to his Father. And the Father too, the sacrifice the Father made in watching his Son suffer all the time knowing he could stop these men from hitting his Son, these carnal, grasping, greedy, envious individuals. And yet he let him suffer for you and me, let him die for you and me. Secondly, so we learn to appreciate Jesus Christ and the Father and their sacrifice for us. Secondly, we learn to have forgiveness available. We learn that there's forgiveness for us anytime, anywhere. We don't have to go around carrying guilt. We don't have to go around bearing the burden of our sins or our shortcomings. That we know that we have a Savior who can take away any sin. That's an awesome blessing. When we take that wine, I think, when I drink that wine and take that bread, I think, you know, Christ could take away anything. He could take away any sin. We don't have to bear them ourselves. Thirdly, we learn to forgive others because we're supposed to follow the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who forgave us and doesn't remember our sins anymore. Now, we can forgive others. And by the way, just because you forgive others, it does not mean God forgives them. Did you know that? I've dealt with abuse cases. And finally, you know, rather than the abuser or the abused person, the victim, feeling like they're always a victim, I mentioned to them, you know, you can let this go when you're ready. It doesn't mean God's going to forgive that person, but you can let it go. You can say, God, I'm going to let this go. You can forgive them. That doesn't mean God's going to forgive them. Because if they haven't repented of what they did to that person, God's going to still hold them accountable, even though you let it go. So you have the ability to forgive others. And that's a great blessing we learned from Jesus Christ. That's number three. Number four, we learn to overcome sin. We realize we're not supposed to just sit there and lie there on our hammocks once we're saved, or jump on the salvation train and wait for God to whisk us into his kingdom. And this is the thought of many in the world. Many religions, many Christian religions, are just like, you say you accept Jesus, you're on the road to eternal life, you can't miss out. Now, you are on the road to eternal life, but that means you still have to overcome. The Apostle Paul, remember what he said? That he had to keep himself in check. Lest after he had preached to others, he himself should be found a cast away. If anybody had it made, it would have been the man who wrote fourteen books in the New Testament.

And yet, he said, I've got to still fight myself. Number five, the Days of Unleavened Bread taught us it's a time to grow and to bear fruit. It's a time to grow and bear fruit. God wants us to not remain static, but he wants us to be improving with his Holy Spirit guiding and leading us. No, we can't do it ourselves. We need the Spirit of God to help us bear those beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit. So, we find in the Days of Unleavened Bread, we're trying to overcome. We're trying to grow. Number six is the time to rededicate our lives. We had the opportunity, as we took that Passover, as we thought about overcoming sin, we could reflect on our own baptismal time. And what we gave up at that baptism waters, had time to rededicate our lives to God through girding up our loins, through stirring up ourselves. The world would probably put it, what do they call it, a revival. We're not talking about revivals. We are talking about you being dedicated, thinking about what you promised God. I don't know how many people I've counseled before baptism, before marriage, for baptism, and later on counseled them for marriage. I said, remember, you made a promise to God before you were ever married. You made a promise to walk with Him. You better keep that promise.

You said, I will walk with you, Father. You said, you are ahead of anybody, any man, any woman, any one, any wife, any husband, any children. You're ahead of them in my book. You're number one. So it's time to rededicate our lives. That was number six. And number seven, we look for Christ's return. We know that Jesus Christ did not remain in that grave. We know that Jesus Christ came out of that grave. After they came, they found His little wrappings all folded deeply in a corner. I've been to the Garden Tomb. I truly believe at least it was that or something quite similar to that, the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem outside of the main city area. And it was an awesome experience to be able to look in there and think, this rock cune is right by a garden. It's not far from Golgotha, the rock that looked like a skull. It's not far from there. And to have that opportunity to go and see that, but to realize when those disciples came running back to prepare His body in a good way for burial or for that sepulchre being sealed, when they came back, it was gone. They didn't say, oh, He's rising. And they came back at dawn, a good time just before dawn. He was already gone. The angel was sitting there in white. Jesus Christ is coming back again. Remember what they told the disciples who were standing there after Jesus Christ had met with them in the book of Acts? He said, why are you still standing here? You know, He's already gone. He's risen. He's in heaven with God the Father. Go do the work. Get busy. Carry on His work. And remember, He's coming again. Jesus Christ is coming again. He's not going to sneak back to earth. He's coming back in full power, honor and glory. So, those seven points we should remember from Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread. To appreciate Jesus Christ and God the Father and their sacrifice for us. To have forgiveness. To realize we have forgiveness available to us anytime, anywhere. To remember we have to be forgiving in our lives of others. Number four, to overcome sin. We practice that during the Days of Unleavened Bread. And to grow, number five, to grow and bear fruit. Not to just resist, but actually make strides. And not just resist that which is wrong, but actually inculcate that which is good. And number six, we dedicate our lives through remembering our baptism covenant. And number seven, look for Jesus Christ returned because He is coming back again. So, I thought I would just recap some of the lessons we could learn from Passover. And I'd like to give you this, bring the sermon to you. If you want to tie it a while, I'll give you the title in a moment. What do basketball or baseball players do after they make a great play or score?

Basketball players, they might go, as they make a three-point shot, they might do this. Or they might put their hands up, if it's a three-point, they might put their hands up in the air. They might point to their buddy who made a good pass to them. They raise their hands.

What do football players do after a touchdown or a field goal? Touchdown! Touchdown!

They hold up two hands. What do hockey players do after a goal is scored? High stick, high stick in the air.

What do these questions have to do with the days of a loving breath? They have a lot. Let me show you.

The sermon is, and they went out with a high hand.

These days are over, the days of a loving breath, but this Sabbath follows right on the heels of it. I'd like to share with you how you and I, all of us, need to be high-handed.

What do I mean by this? Let's look at Exodus 14.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with a high hand. They left the land of sin behind, and they left it with a high hand.

Numbers 33 verse 33. What does this mean to be high-handed?

What do they say? Give me a high five. Give me low five. Give me middle five, and you miss. Numbers 33 verse 3. And they departed from Ramses on the 15th day of the first month, on the morrow after the Passover, which tells us that the Passover is on the 14th, because they left on the day after Passover. The children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. What does it mean to go out with a high hand, and will you leave the days of unleavened bread with a high hand?

The Hebrew word for high hand, or high, is R-U-W-M, and it's pronounced room, like a room.

It's number 7311 in the Hebrew. It is translated in various places in the Old Testament as boldly, triumphantly, proudly, in full view.

Now in Acts 13 verse 17, we also find the word high listed here, and it's the word hubelos, and also the word similar to it is called upsos, which means exalted. So most of our scriptures will come from the Old Testament, some from the New. But I want to show you how you could come out with a high hand. Room, the Hebrew word, can mean to lift.

It can mean to lift one's head. It can mean to lift one's face. It can mean to lift one's eyes. It can mean to lift one's foot, one's horn, one's hand, one's heart, or one's voice.

It can mean to lift. So high handed meant they lifted their hands as they went. They went, but it's also not just a physical gesture, it's also a symbol of an inward attitude.

There is an ugly side of the word room, and I will briefly touch on it.

Satan the devil tried to exalt room, his throne, above the throne of God.

He wanted to be greater. So room carries with it an ugly side, if you go that direction, of smugness, of pride, of being high minded. You're better than others. The concept of you look down on others. I've seen people, they speak like this. They speak, look down their nose at you. Now if I do this, I can't really see you because I've got bifocals and mics. You get blurry. But a lot of people will speak like this, when they go to speak, they put their head back. That is putting your head up, indicating high mindedness. Or there's an in your face attitude. High minded, high, high handed, in your face. The Bible talks about swelling words of vanity. In your face, there's also a lofty attitude. I am better than you. Self-importance. I'm better than you are. That's an ugly side of room.

And then finally, there's a rebellious side lifting up yourself against God. So there's pride, there's smugness, there's high mindedness, there's in your face, there's lofty attitude, and there's rebellious attitude. Those are all connected with the word lifting up. Lifting up for the wrong reasons.

But now I'd like to spend the rest of the sermon talking about the right reasons to go out of the days of Unleavened Bread with a high hand. You and I have been given blessings. We should properly depart from the days of Unleavened Bread with a high hand. And I'll show you why.

Number one, what about your calling? Your calling and my calling is referred to as a high calling. The Greek word is ano in the Greek, but it is a high calling.

Philippians 3 and verse 14, we have been called by God to a high calling. That is reason to leave with a high hand. Philippians 3 verse 14. Philippians 3 and verse 14, we read this. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, that lifted up calling.

There's a reason for you to be high handed regarding your calling. That God has called you. How many people in this world are not called? Sometimes I pinch, I can't believe. God called me. God called me. What about all these people in the world? What about all these people out here, running, doing their own thing on this Sabbath day? Who don't care? It doesn't make a difference to them. It doesn't matter.

And God has called you. Why you? Why me? That's up to God. God knows why he did it. One day you can ask him. You make it into his family. God, I'm just trying to figure out why did you call me and you didn't call my sister, you didn't call my brother, you didn't call my aunt, my uncle. They were much more gifted than me. Why did you call me? I don't understand.

But God's calling is without repentance. God doesn't say, oh, I made a mistake, I shouldn't have called you. God calls you. He knows what he's doing. And it's a high calling. 1 John 3, verses 1 and 2, he talks about, ultimately, we will have God's Holy Spirit. You talk about a high calling, 1 John 3, verses 1 and 2. How high is that calling? Here we read. 2. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God, or the children of God. 3. Therefore, the world doesn't even know us because it didn't know him. 4. Beloved. Notice how God refers to those whom he's called beloved. Now, are we the children of God? It's not sons, it's children in the Greek. The children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, talk about a high calling, we shall be like him. No, you're not going to be another Jesus Christ. There's only one Jesus Christ. You'll never be the firstborn son in God's family. But the Bible does say he was the firstborn of many brothers. You're going to be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So as we leave the Days of Unleavened Bread, we can go out with a high hand. God has called me to a high purpose. God has called me to be a child of his in his very family. And that's reason to go out with a high hand. That's reason to go out with confidence. That's reason to go out with lifting your head up. You know, many times we keep our heads down. I learned to do that a lot. I was talking about my class. I was talking about Passover time and humility. I was talking about how when I had a basketball team in high school, I was in grade 11 and grade 12, I played varsity basketball. I wasn't in the church at that time, but our team lost most of the games. And my parents didn't even have to ask me whether we won or lost. They could just look at my demeanor. And usually my head was in my chest, my shoulders were slumped forward, and they knew we lost.

And I learned to walk that way a lot. But we don't have to walk that way with God. God wants us to walk with our shoulders back. And when you make a sin, when you sin and you stumble and you need to repent of it, yes, you should go with your head down into your closet or your prayer place. But when you ask God to forgive you, you better walk out of there with your head normal. Because you know what you say when you do that? I believe God. God promised to forgive me if I repent. I believe Him. So I walk out of there. No, not with a head up or you're proud, but with your head straight and normal, with feeling good. And God wants us to walk with confidence. God wants us to enjoy that high calling and look to that high calling. Point number two, there is something about being servants now. You are His servants now. And there is a sense of pride, a right type of pride, that comes with being the servant of the living God. Barkley in his book, page 59, I believe it's in 1 Peter or James, he talks about there's a glory to being the servant of the living God. You are a servant of God. Have you ever been on a team where you had a really good player? And it was a good team because you had a good player on your team. And you were so happy to be on that team with him or her because they were just that good. You've seen the movie Hoosiers when Jimmy Chitwood joined the team and Jimmy was able to keep on keeping on and playing with their team. What did it do for the whole team? The whole team rallied behind him.

It was a privilege to be on that team. It's a privilege to serve the living God. That's a high calling to be a servant of God. You're attached to God. Think about the President of the United States. How many people does he have working around him? And those people who work around him, they can have a sense and feel a sense of that same type of pride or right sense of appreciation because there he is.

He's the President and you get to serve with the President, whoever is his Chief of Staff. They get to serve with the President of the United States of America. That's a high calling, even though you're servants, to be a servant of the living God because there many have gone before us, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Samuel, Paul, James, Peter, who called themselves servants of God. So there's something to being a servant of God. 1 Corinthians 1, 26, 27 Actually, let's read that. It goes along with the first point and then we'll come to James 1.1 1 Corinthians 1, verses 26 and 27, we read this. You see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise, not after the flesh, not many noble, mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things or ones of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen the weak ones of the world to confound the ones that are mighty. So God has chosen us and given us a calling, but we're called as his servants now. James 1, 1, James called himself a servant of God. Even though he was the brother of Jesus Christ, he chose to use the term servant. James, a servant of God, of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, reading. So James identified himself as God's servant. And so you also, as a servant of God, can walk out and can go forth realizing that you are the servant of the living God. That's reason to go out of the Days of Unleavened Bread with a high hand.

Number three. You and I can boast in God. You know it's wrong to boast about yourself. Nobody likes a braggart. Nobody likes a boaster. I'm great, I'm wonderful, nobody's better than me, I'm the greatest one, I'm the best player, I'm the best this, I'm the smartest one, I'm the pantsomest one, I'm the prettiest one.

Nobody likes a braggart. But you can brag. You can boast in God. You can never say enough about God. You can never praise Him enough to equal all that He has ever done and continues to do.

I was struck when I was reading the book, teaching the book of Revelation. I think it's Revelation 4. You read every time that one of the beasts says, Holy, Holy is God! The 24 elders, they bow down and they take their crowns off their heads and they cast them across the floor and they bow and worship God.

I said to myself in my class, if these spirit beings who are so close to God have that much honor and respect to Him, they know a whole lot more than we know about what God does. Can you ever boast of God enough?

Let me take you to that Scripture, Revelation 4, that you'll find it interesting. Because you can read over it quickly, looking for the seven seals and forget what this talks about. Revelation 4, verse 9 says, Every time they fall down, they fall down and said on chapter 8, when He had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty elders fell down before God. If those who are right close to God can worship Him so much and have that much honor and glory for Him all the time, how much should we boast in God? Jeremiah 9, verses 23 and 24. I like this Scripture. I like to tell people about how great my God is. Do you?

God did this for me. I'm so glad. God made that happen. I'm so...what a blessing! My wife lost her wedding ring during Unleavened Bread. Actually, she was making...it was after Passover. She took her off her ring, put it on the counter...the diamond ring, put it on the counter, and she was making some unleavened goodies. And the next morning, she said to me, honey, I can't find my wedding ring.

Where did you put it last? Let's retrace our steps. So she said, I had it on the counter here. I checked in all my flour and I checked in all my sugar containers and I can't find it. I said, honey, well, wouldn't have jumped from the counter into your sugar container. Wouldn't have jumped from the counter into your flour. You don't put your flour on and sweep the rest of the flour in.

So I said, so must be...and she said, well, must be in the garbage can. And she said, I threw that bag of garbage out in the trash. Okay, so I went to the dumpster that I have, little dumpster there in our house, and I took it out, took this bag out.

Is this the one? Yes. I took it out. We'll go through and look. So we went through and we took out...had a fresh bag beside it. So we took out every, you know, different things, sorted through it. Went through the whole bag, dumped the rest of it back in. No rain. You must have put it somewhere else. Think, honey, where could it be? And she thought, juice, lie, crying, tears, and I went... So I took my shower, we were getting ready for...going out for dinner that night, like to be.

And I said...thought to myself, you know, my wife's really upset about this. Maybe I'll offer my grandkids $25 so they could find it. Give them, like, they can search when they come over. And I said, yeah, you know, maybe what we should...I should do is go through that bag once more, because we went through it pretty fast. And that seems like the only logical place where it could be.

So I went back down, we took the garbage bag out again, which is now the new garbage bag, right? Because the old one, we had discarded. So we...I said, let's sit down. I put a sheet out there. We'll meticulously go through this. So we started going through opening, putting it back in the other bag again, putting it in another... Almost to the end. And I prayed about it. You know, my wife really upset about this and distraught. And this is an expensive ring, not hundreds of thousands of dollars, not even tens of thousands of dollars, but a couple thousand. I said, and she's had this for...since our 25th anniversary when I replaced her other ring.

So it's, you know, almost 50 years now we've been married, almost 49 coming up. I said, so...and she really missed it. It'd be nice to find it. It's kind of a minor thing, God, to even ask you, please, if you could help us find it. So we went through it. I'm getting discouraged. You're coming right to the end. And we looked out at the bottom of this new bag. And there was the ring. Right on the bottom.

So it must have been in some of the wrappings from the previous one on the top, because I took out the top and threw it in the bag, threw it in the bag. And there it was at the bottom of the bag, looking there. She was so happy. We were both so happy to find it.

God is great. And I said, you know, I prayed about that before we even started. Even little things we can boast in God, because He is our Lord and our God, and He looks after us. But Jeremiah 9, verses 23 and 24, don't be afraid to boast in your God. Numbers, Jeremiah 9, verses 23 and 24, Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches.

But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, and that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, says the Lord. Let him glory in this. It's not wrong to lift up your voice, to exalt God. Psalms 34, verses 2 and 3, Psalms 34, verses 2 and 3, uses this word, verse 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. The word for exalt is room. Let's high hand his name. Let's go out with a high hand that we can praise and honor and worship God, and we can boast in our God what he does, what he is, and who he is.

In Psalms 44, verse 8, we were in a lot of Psalms yesterday, Mr. Reagor took us through. In Psalms 44, verse 8, in God we boast all the day long and praise your name forever, Selah.

We boast in God. We praise his name forever and ever. So you can go out with a high hand, boasting in God, number 3. Number 4, we can have boldness. When the Israelites left, they said, we're going out with boldness. We were slaves before, but now we're taking, we've spoiled you, we're taking some of the spoils from you, and we're leaving. We're going out to serve our God. Psalms 89, verse 13. You can go out with a high hand. You can go out with boldness. Psalms 89, verse 13. We read this. You have a mighty arm. Strong is your hand, and high is your right hand. That's the word, room. God always talks about right-handedness. When I was a little kid, when my little brother was little, my grandmother, my Syrian, Arabic grandmother, would never let him use his left hand for anything. If he tried to eat with his left hand, she'd take the spoon out of his left hand, put it in his right hand, and gently tap his left hand to try to get him to eat right. Because, in ancient times, right-handedness was considered to be of God. Great left-handedness was not considered to be so good. So you go out with your right hand. That's what he says here. Let your right hand, in Psalms 89, verse 13. And high is your right hand.

So, again, you can go out with boldness because of him. Psalms, Ephesians 3, verse 12, talks about the great confidence that we can have because of God. Ephesians 3, verse 12. He says, Prove to me what Santa Claus has to do with Jesus Christ. Prove to me that Easter bunnies lay chocolate eggs. Prove to me, here's a Bible. You show me why you do this.

I could not have one bit of confidence in any of those issues, but I can sure have confidence in why I do what I do for Unleavened Bread, for Passover, for the Feast of Tabernacles, for the Feast of Pentecost. I can prove what I do. You can't. Have confidence in God. Have confidence. A can-do attitude. Remember what the Apostle Paul said? Though he was in prison, the Apostle Paul had a confident attitude. He said, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4.13, one of those memory scriptures. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. You can have confidence when you leave the days of Unleavened Bread. You can have confidence in God. They left with a high hand. The Israelites left. We're going to serve our God. You can have confidence.

Isaiah 58 verse 1 says, Do the work. Lift up your voice. Cry aloud. Spare not. Show my people their sins. Lift up your voice.

Word room. Isaiah 58 verse 1. Lift up your voice. Hebrews 4 verse 16. Hebrews 4 verse 16, in principle, we find that we may boldly go to the throne of God in time of need.

We need to have a boldness. We need to have a confidence in God. Not boldness and confidence in ourselves, but a boldness and confidence in God.

And God wants that because that's going out with a high hand.

Point number five. We need to have a high-handed approach to God's kingdom. I think it was Dr. Zimmerman, Dr. Clint Zimmerman, every year.

What he used to do at the feast in Arizona, that he used to keep it, I think, traditionally in Phoenix area, Tucson.

What he would do, he would take a glass of wine up there or champagne or whatever it was.

At the end of his sermon, he would say, To the feast. To the feast. And he would toast to the feast or to the kingdom, whatever he would toast.

But he would have that high approach leaving with a high hand toward God's kingdom.

Psalm 37, verse 34. Psalm 37, verse 34. We read about how we need to have that confidence, that boldness, that we are seeking the kingdom of God.

That awesome, wonderful time that God has, not just for us, but for all people. Psalm 37, verse 34. We read this.

And that was talking about the physical land, the promised land, but also talking spiritually about the kingdom of God.

Wait on the Lord, keep his way, and he shall exalt you to inherit the land. The word there is room. Exalt you.

We need to have that high-handed approach, not hard-handed, not heavy-handed, high-handed, to the kingdom. You know, we need to go.

In Micah chapter 4 and verse 1, a different word here is used as nasa. Micah 4 and verse 1, he talks about God's kingdom as being like a mountain.

It's going to be high. Micah chapter 4 and verse 1.

But in the last days that you'll come to pass to the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains. It shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow to it. It'll be raised. It'll be higher. And the kingdom that God has in store for this world is better than any kingdom that has ever been. It won't even have any competition.

Daniel 2 and verse 44 talks about the mountain of the Lord, that you saw this hand, this mountain that was cut out. Let's read it in Daniel.

So I don't misquote Daniel 2 verse 44.

It's not forever, because you saw this stone that was cut out of the mountain that became a great kingdom. That was Jesus Christ. It broke in pieces all the other kingdoms. So we can boast in God's kingdom. God's called me to be a part of a wonderful kingdom. I mentioned yesterday about 1 Corinthians 2.9 that I has not seen nor ear heard. Neither has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. So when we depart, and as we have departed from the days of unleavened bread just yesterday evening, we can leave with a high hand because God has a purpose for us. God has a kingdom for us that is so awesome that it defies description. And you and I have never seen it. We've only pictured it at times at the Feast of Tabernacles. You've never seen it.

You and I are both headed for something we've never seen. But we read about it. We long for it. We want it. We embrace it, but we've never seen it actually, have you? Now, there are many cities I have not seen on this earth. I can picture what they look like. Hong Kong, for instance, I pictured what Hong Kong looked like before we ever landed there in 1991.

And it was more than I ever thought it would be. And same way with Honolulu, Hawaii. You can see pictures of it. You can even see videos of it. But it's nothing like that until you actually are there and you experience the people, the atmosphere, and so on.

So, God's kingdom is something you and I can boast about.

Number six, on how you can go out with a high hand. God will be exalting you. God is going to exalt you. He will lift you up. Psalm 3 and verse 3. God will lift you up. You can go because God is going to exalt you. You don't have to exalt yourself.

Psalm 3 and verse 3. But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up. Room. I hand it. The lifter up of my head. Remember we said room can also mean lift up your hand or lift up your head. You lift up my head. You exalt me.

God talks about when we humble ourselves, God can lift us up. God looks down and takes care of... whom does God really love a lot? He loves the widows and the fatherless.

He loves those who have a need. He says look after them because I love them. God takes care of people. He lifts them up.

He will definitely exalt us and make us a part of His kingdom. Psalm 75 verses 6 and 7.

Psalm 75 and once again verses 6 and 7 we read this. For promotion comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south.

So I wonder where promotion comes from. He may in three different directions. East, south and west.

Does God dwell in the northern skies? That would be the implication.

Does God dwell in the northern heavens? It must come from the north.

Verse 7, but God is the judge. He puts down one and sets up another. God is the one who raises us. The word for sets up, that's high-handed. God lifts you up.

You can go out of the days of unleavened bread with the feeling that God is going to exalt you one day. No, not some grandiose thing that you think, I'm the greatest, I'm the best. God will exalt you because you're humble. God will not exalt you because you exalt yourself. Because if you exalt yourself, he doesn't need to.

And it's aimless and vanity to do that anyway.

So that exaltation God will give to you and me. In fact, what does he promise you?

Is it Revelation 5, 10? Doesn't he promise you and me that we're going to be kings and priests in his kingdom? What did he say to the man who had been able to multiply his one pound to 10, another one to 5? What did he say to them? Because you've done this, you've been faithful in these little things. Have you authority over much? Ten cities, five cities.

We're not going to roll around heaven all day shuffling through harp music. We're not going to pick out clouds. I'm going to go on cloud 19. I'm going to take cloud 22. I think it's a little higher, better, bigger. You're not going to go through that. That's not what you're going to do. You're not going to be in the heavenly places up there, the heavenly gardens. And you're not going to gaze at Christ for all eternity. That's another teaching, teaching of some of the other religions as well. You're going to gaze at Christ. Now, I'm sure if you want to go visit, talk with God the Father, if you want to quote, go to heaven and visit God, you can do that. But God's called us to fix the earth. God's not called us to fix heaven. Heaven doesn't need to be fixed. It was already when Satan rebelled and God kicked him out. But what needs to be fixed is the earth, and God's called you and me, and don't ever lose sight of that. God wants to exalt you to be a part of his family. Revelation 5 and verse 10. And God has made us to our... made them... it should be, because these are the angels singing this... God has made them, Christians, to... made them to our God, kings and priests. And they, better translation, shall reign on the earth. What an awesome high calling that God has given to us to exalt us.

To be a part of his very family. To be a part of his very ruling family. To bring peace and order. To bless people. When you think about what would it be like to show people where gold is? Maybe you have this miner out there, he's looking for gold in the world tomorrow. Well, God's going to let people be themselves. He's looking for kind of mine gold and you just put it in his mine.

Or maybe even show up and say, you know what, I think if you start looking over there... because you know where the gold is. You can see through everything. Somebody's looking for diamonds. I think they're over there, because everyone looks at their diamonds.

The blessings that you and I can give to people in the world tomorrow are going to be amazing. What would it be like to give somebody eyesight who's never seen before? What would it be like to let somebody hear beautiful sounds that they never heard before?

Think of the blessings you're going to have when you are exalted by God. That's number six. Reason to go out with a high hand. And number seven. Triumphant. Triumphant. God will give the victory. God will give us the victory. 1 Samuel 2, verses 1 and 7, the example of Hannah... the example of Hannah shows us that you can be high handed. In this case, 1 Samuel 2 and verse 1. 1 Samuel 2.

I'll get back here in a moment. 1 Samuel 2 and verse 1. Hannah prayed. Remember Hannah's situation where she was lamenting. She didn't have any children. She was praying with tears. Please give me a child, God. I don't have any children. And Eli thought that she was drunk. This woman is praying here at this temple, or praying here nearby, and she's drunk. And she said, I'm not drunk, Lord. I'm just sorrowful. And then God blessed her with a child. So chapter 2, verse 1, Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation. The word is exalted is ruined. My horn is exalted. You have shown me mercy. You have given me strength by giving me this child. And verse 7, she said this, The Lord makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, and he lifts up. Lifting up, God exalts. Room. High-handed. You can feel high-handed when you are triumphant because of God. When you put something behind you. I remember one man who wanted to be baptized, I counseled him over a period of a couple of years, couldn't kick the smoking habit. So he said, please, may I be baptized, even though I still am smoking? Because I think that's the only way I'll be able to do it. Now some people have good willpower, they kick it off, they know it's wrong, they stop it. He couldn't. So I did baptize him. Everything else, his attitude was right, I baptized him. And I'm hopeful, I left the area so I'm not sure, but I'm hopeful, and this was many years ago, I'm hopeful that he overcame.

But you can feel triumphant when you overcome. You can feel triumphant when you make it through. Philippians 2.13 says God gives you the strength, God gives you the strength to will and to do, and that's why you can be triumphant and why you can be I-handed about that triumph.

In Philippians 2, 13, we read this, For it is God which works in you. Never forget that. Can't do it on your own. You can't make it, I can't make it, we can't do it on our own. It is God which does it. He says, for it is God, Paul writes, For it is God that works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. God gives you greater will power, God gives you greater due power. 1 Corinthians 15, 57, and because of that, you can feel a sense of triumph. And that's another reason to go out of the days of unleavened bread with a high hand. Because you can be victorious. In 1 Corinthians 15, 57, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 57, we read, But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God. I can go out with a high hand because God has given me the victory. Point number seven is, you can be high handed because you can enjoy every triumph that God helps you accomplish. So in conclusion, we've seen seven areas. We have rehearsed them for you in a moment. Let's look at 1 Peter, chapter 5, verses 5 and 6. 1 Peter 5, verses 5 and 6. The days of unleavened bread for 2012 were over. They were over at sunset last night. But as we depart from them, let's go out with a high hand. Let's go out with the confidence in God. Let's go out with boldness. Let's go out being uplifted. Let's go out with confidence. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verses 5 and 6. Likewise, you younger submit yourselves to the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. For God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. No, we're not talking about going out within your face. We're not talking about with going out in a sense of, I'm smug. I'm better than you. We know that going out with glory to God and going out with boasting in God and going out with giving honor to God. Verse 6, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may, there's that word in the New Testament, that he may exalt you in due time. That God will let you be high handed. God will give you that exaltation in the end. He'll lift you up. James 4 and verse 10. There's the word, hoopso, again. James 4 and verse 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. He'll high hand you. He'll lift you up. Just like the baseball player lifts up his hand as he's rounding first base after hitting a home run. Just like the football player gives himself the football, the good sign that we made it. Just like the hockey player raises that stick, you can also go out with a high hand. So we've gone through a period, the time of examining ourselves, repenting, being forgiven, rededicating ourselves, humbling ourselves. But now, God wants us each to go forth with a positive high hand by remembering our calling, by remembering we are servants of the living God, by being able to boast in God, praising Him, honoring Him, doing good to honor Him, by having confidence in Him. I can do it. By looking to His majestic Kingdom, by waiting for Him to exalt you to eternal life, and by the victory that He will grant you, the little victories along the way until the ultimate victory in the end. And that is triumph over Satan, the world, and ourselves. So as the Feast 2012 Unleavened Bread is over, let's make sure we leave with a high hand.