TOPIC: Out of the mouth of Babes and Sucklings

TEXT: Psalm 8:2; Matthew 11:25; Psalm 19:

INTRODUCTION: Micah! Micah! Who is like God. God is a wise God who makes His power, and might, known through what man could not fathom. The reason is to confound the enemies or opposition who would want to hinder or stop His will. His word and His promises are forever settled in heaven and would not return to him void until they accomplish what He purposed them to do. So, no matter what anyone does, they cannot topple His will. What a mighty God we serve. One of the sad issues confronting the Church today is the contention over doctrines. This is not a new thing, as it had been on since the inception of the Church. Paul in writing to the church at Corinth heard there was contention over certain doctrines especially baptism. He had to write to them to stop looking at spiritual issues from the perspectives of human knowledge but to look at it from God’s perspective, for the purpose of the new believers was to preach the gospel so that its effect would not diminish 1Cor. 1:25. One of the promises of God was that He would destroy the wisdom of those who are wise (Is.29:14; 1Cor1:19-21). David pondered over the wisdom of God in putting man in charge of all He created on earth. He came to the conclusion that God’s method of confounding His opposers was to reveal Himself and His purpose to the to the humble and unassuming. There is tremendous power in humility and weakness with God. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, He ordains praise and strength. When the humble and weaklings praise God, it confounds the wise and shames them. God has ordained us to praise and this is the attitude to adopt as we seek to download solutions from our altars that have been put in order.

1.The Capacity to praise: Praise is ability to constantly, and repeatedly rehearse who God is, and what He has done. It is selfless. Innocence, humility, and purity are characteristics that give capacity to praise. These attributes are pleasing to God and these are found in infants and young children. Jesus in Matt. 11:25-27 affirmed the ability of children to perceive the secrets of God. Those that are full of self scarcely praise others. If you want to receive from heaven from your altar, you need to have these characteristics. When the priests and the leaders who are presumed wise could not praise God in the Temple, seeing the works Jesus did, the little children did (Matt.21:16). The humble people recognized Jesus as the Messiah He entered Jerusalem (Lk.19:40) but the priests and scribes failed to recognize Him but rather wanted to silence the people. Jesus had to rebuke them and said God would raise stones to praise Him. The children and the humble proved to be wiser than those who thought they knew all about God for they could recognize the Messiah (1Cor.1:18-25). They prided themselves in knowledge of the law and their positions. While children are not blinded by pride and hypocrisy of the wise, they are able to offer a more perfect praise which is untainted and acceptable to God (Matt. 18:3-4). Abraham is a perfect example, who, out of purity and humility offered Isaac totally in his heart to God (Gen.22:10). There was no question in his mind that God could replace Isaac. Abraham had the faith to sacrifice Isaac, if needed, because he understood that God had the power to resurrect him from the dead (Heb. 11:19). All the great blessings that would befall his descendants, and the entire world, were made possible by this outstanding demonstration of faith. This is the form of highest praise because he recognized God was creator who gave him Isaac and could also return Isaac back to him. On our altars this year, let us offer consistent praises which is our sacrifice. It is only then that heaven will be attracted as God inhabits the praises of His people who call on to Him.

  1. The blessings of praise: The immediate effect of acceptable praise is the speaking of the altar. Abraham’s obedience as a little child caused a reaction and a voice from heaven (Gen.22:12). The unrestrained intent to sacrifice Isaac was his praise of God. Praise is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. The more thorough our praise, the greater our strength. The enemy cannot stand to be around when the name of Jesus is exalted. The accuser cannot accuse when we are praising God for His mercy and pouring out our thanks to Him. Simple, child-like worship and adoration stills the God-haters and silences the grudge-holders, for thorough, perfected praise is the foundation of strength. The praise of Abraham also elicited a promise, a covenant, and an oath (Gen.22:16-18). He is thus the highest and most perfect example of faith, and by his offering of his son, the Church received the assurance that the Son of God incarnate in the flesh would upon that very mountain offer the sacrifice Divinely necessary for the pardon of man’s sins. The blessing now given to Abraham differs from those that precede it in three particulars. First, it is no longer a promise, but a solemn compact ratified by an oath.  it assures Abraham’s seed of victory, whereby the spiritual Israel is certified of the ultimate triumph of the Gospel. Lastly, it transfers to Abraham’s offspring the promise of being the means of blessedness to all mankind.