Small Stature, Big Faith

and the camp and holiday club, I spoke about King Josiah and that young king,

eight-year-old king, the one that reformed Israel,

and he who had found the workers in the temple had found the book of the law,

and they brought it to him, and then he brought it before the people.

And I remember saying that, well, we hope and pray that the young ones that would find and have be shown the Bible,

and that they too would embrace it and understand it and look at it and say,

why are these things not being taught?

And that they would hold it high and regard it as high in their lives

and show forth to others how to live their lives.

And like I was thinking of the influence that children can have in our lives,

the providence that God gives us.

It was amazing to have all these children with us last week,

and how God brought them to that place,

some from church backgrounds, others from unchurched backgrounds.

It was wonderful to have them,

and you can't help but wonder afterwards what influence these children will have when they leave.

And it is important for us to remember to keep praying for these children and the families that they go back to.

And in our two passages tonight,

we meet with two young girls,

two little girls.

We're not entirely sure of their ages.

In Exodus,

we have Moses's sister.

And in second Kings,

we have the slave girl who worked in the house of Naaman.

And each,

we'll take each in turn.

We'll start with Moses's sister.

But before we do this,

there's things that are common between the two of them,

and apply in the same.

Both their situations are far from ideal.

They're far from comfortable.

They're far from good.

One,

Moses's sister,

had her brother cast out into the water,

for fear of him being murdered.

And the other

was captured as a slave to the Syrians from the land of Israel.

But both of them,

notably,

are

Hebrews or

Israelites.

Both within the promises of God,

both God's people.

Whether they realized it or not in their young lives,

they were marked by God and set aside for his purposes.

But in the

childish ways

and the innocence of the child,

they can

bring before us things that are hugely profound.

They reason in ways that we don't seem to reason,

and they can

leave us stumped by the questions they bring to us.

And we can say,

well,

I didn't quite think of it like that.

But it is worth thinking about.

We can be refined

how they think and how they reason.

And the child has an approachability that some others won't.

Even we as adults,

we don't have the same

approachability to,

could be our own families,

or those we come into contact with as a child.

We have a voice that can be heard in a way that

others can't.

Their innocence

can have a huge influence

on the lives of many.

And there are many who can probably voice that sentiment,

that it was their own child

that brought them to Christ,

or made such an influence on them

to bring them to hear more

about the Word of God.

And we see the placement

of these children.

Children who are of

God's,

within the promises,

placed into

hard situations.

And we don't know the situations

that our children go home to.

And we must remember

they may not be as comfortable as ours.

But

we continue to pray for them.

And that they too

are loved by God.

And that they are too

may be within the providence

and found,

providence and promises

of God.

When we think of all the children

who have attended camps this summer,

who attended various holiday clubs,

those who come to

Twini Sunday School,

Creche,

and they're all being taught

about the good news

and the gospel,

what Jesus Christ

has done for them.

However,

or however,

they came,

it is God's purpose

and God's providence

that they all

are there

to hear the gospel

and the good news

of Christ.

and we pray

that they may

may voice

in their innocence

faithfully

the life

and the good news

of Jesus Christ

to others,

maybe in places

that we

can't even

get to.

So first,

we'll consider

Moses'

sister.

Read there

in verse

Mark 7,

Then his sister

said to Pharaoh's daughter,

Shall I go

and call

you a nurse

from the Hebrew woman

to nurse

the child

for you?

That's a remarkable

statement

when we actually

consider it,

which we will do

in a second.

Moses'

big sister,

and we know

when we look at

1 Chronicles 6,

1 Chronicles 6:3

verse 3,

it gives us

the family line.

Their father

was Amram

of a Levite,

their mother

was a Levite

as well,

we heard here.

And they had

three children,

Miriam,

Moses,

and Aaron.

So we know

that this girl

is Miriam.

And

we understand

that she is

old enough

to grasp

what is going on.

knowing that

there is a risk

to her

baby brother,

that he must

be hidden,

the family

must hide her

and keep him

safe.

And now

the childlike

innocence,

of maybe not

understanding

everything,

leaves her

watching

this basket,

or leaves

even her

watching her

parents making

the basket,

and winding

the rushes

together,

and

putting

bitumen

and pitch

on the

inside of

it to

protect it.

And then

watching her

parents lay

in this

basket in

the river

amongst the

reeds with

her baby

brother in

it.

And after

that,

the parents

left,

it would

seem.

Possibly it

was that there

would be no

attention drawn

to the site

where they

had left

the baby

Moses.

Maybe they

couldn't

bear to

stay there

and see

what happened.

But the

sister stayed

on and

watched.

She maintained

from afar

an eye upon

the basket

where her

brother was.

And you can

picture the

scene as

she watches

Pharaoh's

daughter and

her,

I don't

name for them,

the ladies

that were

with her,

come walking

along the

riverside.

And you

can imagine

Miriam there

seeing them

coming with

fear.

Because this

would have been

the last

person she

would have

wanted to

come.

Hearing maybe

her brother

crying,

if you picture

the scene.

This is the

worst of

situations.

in her

mind.

Surely

he will

be taken

and killed.

But she

makes a

bold approach

into this

situation.

Situation that

could have so

easily turned

on its head

for her.

She walks

into it.

She says

there that

the Pharaoh's

daughter had

pity when

she saw

the child.

When she

opened it,

she saw

the child

and behold,

the baby

was crying

and she

took pity

on him

there in

verse 6.

And the

baby is

identified

clearly as

one of the

Hebrew

children.

Whether or

not Miriam

realised the

pity she

had,

she surely

sensed it.

And children,

we don't give

them credit

at times

how they

sense

things.

But they

can pick

up on

things like

maybe we

don't.

And they

can trust,

they know

who to

trust and

know who

not to

trust.

And she

knew this

woman had

pity on

her brother.

And she

placed

ignorance to

knowing the

baby.

pity.

And in

the situation

walks in

seeing that

she had

pity and

says,

shall I

go and

call you

a nurse

from the

Hebrew

woman to

nurse the

child for

you?

to say

this to

Pharaoh's

daughter is

quite

remarkable.

But she

went straight

into that

tender

situation

where the

life of

her brother

hanged on

the edge

of a

cord and

said these

things.

That she

would go and

get a

Hebrew

woman from

the Hebrews

whom they

hated,

the Hebrews

whom they

wanted to

reduce a

number.

That she

would go

and get

one of

them.

And likewise

that she

would go

and risk

others

Hebrew

child

given to

her that

you should

be killing.

But how

to come

into this

situation

and say

these things?

It's

unfathomable.

We

wouldn't

say it.

It's just

too far

beyond our

understanding

that no

one would

respond to

it in

such a

way.

We

would maybe

get a

hostile

retaliation

to suggest

to get

a Hebrew

mother to

look after

the Hebrew

child that

should have

been killed.

In a sense

no one else

could have

said it but

a child.

And the

words that

she heard

from the

Pharaoh's

daughter was

go.

So she

went and

she had the

wisdom to

discern that

she could get

her mother

as the

best of

woman to

look after

her brother.

And you

can imagine

the joy

she had

in running

to get

her mother

to come

and nurse

her brother

and her

son.

He was

within moments

of death.

We have

here the

most wonderful

restoration of

the greatest

love, of

one of the

greatest loves

that we

can know

in our

existence.

A mother's

love for

a child

who she

had to

painfully

abandon,

who she

had to

lift,

she had to

leave there

because she

had done all

she could

for the

child and

she couldn't

do any

more for

it.

Her heart

would have

been broken

putting the

child into

the river.

But we

have this

restoration

made through

this child

of one of

the greatest

loves that

we can

know.

This child

in the

providence of

God

faithfully

kept an

eye upon

the child

and responded

with these

childlike

impulses

to restore

that love.

And the

situation

which was

so bleak

and so

hopeless

before

is turned

on its

head

to give

an unspeakable

joy,

because it

was really

an unspeakable

joy.

They

couldn't

say of

whom their

love was

for each

other.

It had

to be a

secret.

And his

sister,

Miriam,

whatever

she had

been taught,

this young

girl had

witnessed,

well,

strange things.

She witnessed

the faith

enacted by

her parents

for making

the basket,

placing her

brother in

it,

and leaving

him there

in the

river.

She was

the one

that waited

on their

faith.

She waited

to see

what would

be the

outcome of

the parents'

faith.

She could

stay,

and so

she remained

there.

waited to

see what

would come

of it.

And she

saw the

favour of

God acted

in faith.

And she

spoke herself

out of

faith,

and knowing

a joy to

have a love

restored,

she saw

faith being

acted out,

and she

herself acted

out faithfully,

and drawing

near into

that tender

situation.

And by

trusting in

God,

was able to

restore the

greatest love.

And it is,

in a sense,

what we have

in the

gospel.

It may be

a weak

image,

in a sense,

but we

have here

in the

girl,

like the

gospel message.

that Christ

is like

the child.

And we

are the

ones,

as the

parents,

that have

been pushed

away because

of sin.

The sin,

the Pharaoh

had sinfully

said that the

children should

die.

And we

have been

pushed away

from that

love.

We have

been separated

from the

greatest love

because of the

sins of men

and the sins

of our own.

sin.

But the

believer

who knows

Christ,

who has

that blood

connection

with Christ,

holds on

throughout the

situation,

though it

would be

fearful,

though it

would be

difficult.

And they

can see

that the

son,

whom they

have been

faithfully

watching on,

has been

uplifted from

death and

rescued.

and we

can run

and say

to each

other,

he is

alive,

he is

alive.

How

beautiful were

these feet

that brought

the good

news to

that mother.

As if

the spirit

at work

asking,

that gospel

message asking,

shall I

go?

And God

saying,

go,

go and

tell the

people

that their

love can be

restored.

and that

men and

women can

have the

greatest love

restored in

knowing Christ

Jesus.

Maybe it's a

love that we

don't know

in full.

But through

the gospel,

and through

the ones who

brings it,

and through

the ones who

faithfully keep

their eye on

Christ,

we can say

to one

another,

to come.

but he

calls us

to himself.

No greater

joy is

there to

know the

love of

God in

our lives.

A love

that was

known in

past ages.

God

dwelt with

man in

the Garden

of Eden.

And through

that son,

it is

restored to

us a

great love.

For Moses

became the

ruler,

defender,

deliverer,

intercessor for

the people.

And so

Christ is

to us

the source

of all

hope,

as Moses

came to

be for

the people

of Israel.

And in

Christ he

is the

source of

our hope.

And great

joy we

find when

we know

that we

are called

and we

know that

the love

of Christ

is restored

to us.

through that

young girl

who held

on in

faith,

saw an

enacted

faith,

and went

boldly into

situations that

were terrifying

for her,

but received

great joy

in restoring

love.

Wouldn't it be a

great joy for

us if we

saw people

coming to

know of that

love?

boys and

girls,

men and

women,

to know

the

restoration

of the

great love

of Jesus

Christ for

when.

We'll turn

now to the

book of

2 Kings.

And there's

a passage

there about

the girl

who was

captured

by the

Syrians.

And let's

read there

in verse

3 what

she says.

Would

that my

lord were

with the

prophet who

is in

Samaria,

he would

cure him

of his

leprosy.

This young

girl, as we

said, is

not in the

preferred

conditions that

she would

have liked,

far from

ideal,

captured from

Israel,

likely to

have been

separated from

her parents,

but again

this mouthpiece,

and little

mouthpiece as

it is,

placed by

God, by

his providence

again,

among the

esteemed of

the world,

to give

them

direction.

We

couldn't have

been there.

It could

only have

been a

child.

She has

identified

the plight

of Naaman

by being

in that

household,

by being

in that

esteemed

household,

working

alongside

his wife,

and

confidently

declared a

message of

hope there.

in verse

3.

And there's

a message

of hope

that draws

them closer

to the

enemy,

of whom

they had

been

stealing

from,

and plundering

many a

times,

and she

herself had

been plundered

from them.

And there

she brings

this message

of hope

to be

found

amongst

that land.

And you

wonder why,

or how did

she know

these things?

How did

she know

that the

prophet

would save

and cure

Naaman's

leprosy?

We don't

know for

sure,

but we

know that

she knew

about the

prophet,

and she

knew that

he could

do miraculous

works and

signs.

she had

been taught

things of

God.

She had

been taught

about the

power of

God,

and she

had no

doubt about

it.

She did

not waver

in it,

but she

had confidence

in this

time to

say that

Naaman can

be healed

of his

leprosy if

he would

meet the

man of

God.

And God's

providence,

she is

there.

To bring

hope to

this man.

She had

been prepared

and taught

likely by

her parents

she would

have seen

these things

beside her.

Whether she

valued it at

the time when

she was younger

or not,

we do not

know.

But she

remembered it,

and she

remembered the

effects of

the man of

God,

and the

power of

God,

and what

God could

do.

she remembered

it in her

own affliction,

no doubt,

and she

had confidence

to say

that in the

afflictions of

Naaman,

and the

saving of

him from

his own

leprosy,

the confidence

of a child

who knows

the truth,

who has

been taught

the truth,

and has

that childlike

faith not

to doubt

it.

It's a

situation

where you

think a

man or

woman,

had they

said such

a word,

would have

doubted that

well, if he

went, will

he come

back healed?

They would

have to face

the retribution

of a

returning

commander if

he came

back unhealed,

and what

would that

mean for

them?

But the

child,

just out

of faith

and

confidence,

plainly

stated,

that Naaman

can be

healed if

he goes

to the

prophet who

is Samaria,

he would

cure him

of his

leprosy.

She had

confidence

in the

man of

God,

and she

sets forth

a hope

to Naaman

that otherwise

he did

not have,

a hope

that he

could not

find in

anywhere

else,

and the

influence

again

of the

innocent

child's

voice.

It's

remarkable.

And of

course she

returned

cleansed,

so we

know the

story.

And I

wonder what

joy it

brought to

the family

of Naaman,

the household

of Naaman,

I wonder

what joy it

brought to

the girl,

in knowing

that God

did not

fail her,

in knowing

that she

was assured

of God's

power,

that she

would have

been confident

again to

speak and

trust in

that God

of whom

she had

been taught.

The children

who are set

aside as the

Lord's

children,

these two

voiced hope,

and they

brought joy.

And we

pray that

the children

whom we

teach,

whom we

meet,

whom we

know in

our families,

would do

likewise,

that they

would bring

hope into

this world,

that they

would bring

hope to

the souls

of men

and women

who are

suffering,

and they

would,

in their

childlike

faith and

confidence,

speak of

the healing

of sin

that we

can each

know,

and the

peace of

heart,

and the

freedom from

the world's

oppressions,

and the

eternal

security that

we can

have,

trusting

in God.

There is a

man,

there is

Christ,

he died for

your sins,

he is one

that will

restore your

life,

and restore

and give

you the

greatest love

that you

will ever

know.

In the

providence of

God,

these children

are set

in their

midst,

maybe they're

in an

experience in

situations that

are not

favourable,

we don't

know,

yet we

pray that

they will be

ones who

will trust

in God,

and to

understand

what we

teach them,

and understand

what Christ

has done

for them,

and that

they will be

prepared in

their young

lives,

we don't

know where

God will

lead them,

but the

providence of

God will

take them

to the

people that

they would

meet,

but we

pray that

they will

not forget

what they

were taught,

and they

would remember

in their

afflictions,

and in

other

afflictions,

that they

too would

have

confidence

to turn

and direct

others to

the man

of God,

with great

trust and

faith,

that they

would likewise

know the

joy of

one's

returning,

who knew

the cleansing

of their

sin,

who knew

a restored

joy,

that they

would set

their hearts

on God's

word,

and trust

in it,

we would

be witnesses

of the

goodness of

God in

all things,

and we

likewise

would know

joy in

seeing them

grow,

the importance

of teaching

our children,

the influence

that they

can have

in our

lives,

and in

the lives

of others,

they can

go into

places where

we cannot

go,

and they

can speak

to people

that we

cannot speak

to,

so we

must be

mindful to

be praying

for them,

that they

would bring

the gospel

to others,

and that they

would likewise

share in the

joys of

knowing God

and trusting

in him.

May these

thoughts be

blessed to

us.

we'll

conclude

our

wash.