Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters. God bless you. We pray that the Lord will bless our time together as we study this interesting letter of 2 Corinthians. And I would like you, please, my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters, to open, please, once again, the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. This is the second letter, 2 Corinthians chapter 1. And I would like to read today from verse 1 to verse 11. In our previous meeting, we covered the introduction to the book. And this portion, I would like to begin with looking into the first 11 verses of the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. And so I'm reading, please follow me.

And so we read, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, of Yeshua HaMashiach, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, unto the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints, which are in all Achaia. Grace be to you and peace from God, our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercy, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the sufferings of Messiah, of Christ, abound in us, so our consolation also abound by Christ, by the Mashiach. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the undoing of the same suffering which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of their consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, inasmuch that we despaired even of life.

But we had a sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and thus deliver us, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf. And I will stop here, beloved brothers and sisters, with verse 11 of 2 Corinthians chapter 1. We have covered already the introduction to the book, to the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Of course, this is a second letter that was written to the saints at Corinth.

To remind you, once again, beloved brothers and sisters, that Paul is writing to the believers, who are called saints. Hagios, mekudashim, in both books, in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. These saints, they are positioned, they are positionally set apart for God, they are saved, they are believers, they are forgiven people, that are found in the local assembly in the city of Corinth, and they are the ones to whom the apostle Shaul Paul is writing. If you remember, we have emphasized the fact that this letter is different from the first letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. The difference is simply this. In the first letter that he wrote to the Corinthians, it was a letter that explaining or correcting the Corinthians because of the sad spiritual condition that existed there.

And so the whole letter was filled with corrective ministry that was written Corinthian believers because though they are saints positionally, their behavior was far from being godly in their practical day-by-day living as the local assembly. But now that he's writing this second letter, beloved brothers and sisters, which is a few years later, sometime around 55, 56 AD, the apostle Paul is now opening his heart. And he opens his heart before the Corinthians because of the fact that he has learned that they have accepted, understood what he wrote to them earlier in a letter that was not inspired, but a letter that he was writing to them, a strong letter.

And now that he's received the information from Titus that they have been accepting what he was saying to them and understood his love for them. And then the apostle Paul writes this personal letter unfolding before the believers at Corinth his sufferings and how much he needs to receive the comfort that comes from God and how much any believer that is suffering need to sense the comfort of God. The paraclysis, the comfort that the Lord is providing, the encouragement, the consolation, the comfort, the nechama that each person needs when he or she are suffering here in this world. And so I wanted to point here now to three things that we learned from the first 11 verses that Paul points out in his writing in the beginning of this letter.

Number one in verses one, two and three, he's seeking to remind the Corinthians of the fact that God is to them so much, just as he, God and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and God, the father is so much to himself, to the apostle Paul, remember what God is to you, remember what God is to me, remember what God is to us believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. Then in verses four, five, six and seven, Shaul Paul wanted the Corinthians also not only to remember what God is to us, but what God is doing through the believers. God is doing much through the believers that belong to the Lord, but also walk in his way.

And not only what he is to me, what he is to you, what he is to every believer in Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, but what God wants to do through the believer in Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah for the benefit of others. And then in verses eight to 11, the apostle Paul emphasized the fact that one must recognize and remember what God does for us, what God is doing for us day by day. Not only that he provided for us salvation through the person and the work of our Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, when he died for us on the tree and became a substitute for our sins, the just, for the unjust, but what God is doing for us day by day as we walk here in this world with him, beloved brothers and sisters.

So you notice that how Paul began. We've already mentioned that he wrote in verse one, Paul, an apostle of Yeshua, Hamashiach, Jesus, the Messiah, by the will of God and Timothy, our brother, unto the assembly of God, which is at Corinth, the assembly, the church means all the true believers with all the saints, which are in all Achaia, this Roman province where Corinth was a city within the province, the Roman province of Achaia. Then after he mentioned this to the, he's writing to the saints, to the believers in Corinth and in the province of Achaia. But then in verse two and three, Paul is wishing that the grace, the chesed, the peace, the shalom from God, the father and his son will be upon the believers at Corinth.

And he says, grace be to you and peace from God, our father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, Elohim HaAba, God, our father and our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. He is Lord and he is the Christ, the anointed one. The Christos is the Greek from the Hebrew Mashiach, Messiah. He is the anointed one, that he is anointed among, above all others. He is the anointed one and he is the one that God sent to this world to provide salvation by punishing him on our behalf. And he became the anointed, the Christ, the Christos, the Mashiach. And now notice how Paul is blessing God, the father, and mentioning this to the Corinthian in verse three.

Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Now this is very important to remind you that Paul was a parush, a Pharisee. He was a Jewish man that lived among his people Israel. And he knew the various blessings that the people of Israel oftentimes blessed God with. That was a custom that throughout the history of Israel, that word blessed be God is often mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures. Just to remind you, if you, for example, remember in Psalm 103, where we read the bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul, where Israel was singing.

And David, specifically as the sweet psalmist of Israel, was singing, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Barchi nafshi et adonai vekol keravai et shem kotcho. David began Psalm 103 and verse 1, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. He concluded with the same thing, Psalm 103 verse 22. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul. Barchi nafshi et adonai. Remember, beloved brothers and sisters, that Paul, it was his custom to use this expression. Oftentimes, we use this expression among the Jewish people.

Baruch ata adonai Eloheinu ve'elohei Avraham Yitzchak ve Yaakov. Oftentimes, in the blessing of the Jewish people, you oftentimes hear this expression, A blessed be the Lord, our God, who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is a customary blessing that the scripture teaches us concerning blessing the Lord. Now, of course, he is the blesser, but it is a response to the Lord out of appreciation for who he is. Now that the Messiah, Yeshua, has come, you notice that Paul is not so much only saying, Blessed be God, our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who truly he is, But he is saying, Blessed be God, even Ha'abba, the Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

That's how Shaul Paul begins this amazing blessing of God as he is writing to the Corinthians. Now, again, even blessing God, one wonder, how can we bless God? He is the one who blesses us. How can a sinner, who is a forgiven sinner, can bless God? But the thought here is simply this, is that he is recognizing the attributes of God, presenting before God all what he is. He is the God, and he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. He is the Father of mercies, and he is the God of all comfort. You notice what we read here, beloved brothers and sisters, a few things about God.

He is the God. He is the Father of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. He is also the Father of mercies. He is also the God of all comfort. Now, this is very important for Apostle Paul to begin this letter with. Why? Because he is opening his heart before the brethren of the Corinthians. Who now have, after Titus came back and Paul heard what Titus had to say to him. You remember what we read in chapter 2 of 2 Corinthians, verse 12. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found no Titus, my brother.

But taking my leave of them, I went from thence to Macedonia. He wanted so much to hear what was the situation in Corinth. And Titus was the one that was coming back to inform him. In chapter 7 and verse 6, we read, Nevertheless, God that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus. Chapter 7 and verse 6. In other words, when Titus came, he comforted the Apostle Paul by saying to him that the Corinthians understood Paul and accepted what he wanted to communicate with them. So Paul is writing this letter now to them, how he was so grateful that God comforted him, and how he was comforted by the coming of Titus.

And that is also something that is very precious, so he is speaking about the God of all comfort. Baruch ha-Elohim. Ha-Aba shel ha-Adon Yeshua Ha-Mashiach. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. What is God to you, my dear friend, when you go through problems in your life? We all must realize that God is the one that is the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. He is the Father of mercies. But he is also the God of all comfort. Now, I want you to notice, beloved brothers and sisters, when Apostle Paul says he is the Father of all comfort, it doesn't mean that God is going to make us comfortable.

But the word paraklesis simply means that God is the one that consoles us, that he is comforting us, that he is in the midst of tribulations and trials. He comforts us and encourages us to continue on in the midst of trials and tribulations here in this world. And this is exactly what Apostle Paul is mentioning here to the Corinthians when he is writing, when he begins this letter by saying to them, when we are going through trials, we must remember that God is to us a comfort. To Israel, God said during the time of trouble, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquities is pardoned.

She has received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. You see in Hebrew we read, Nachamu, nachamu ami, yomar eloheichem. Nachamu, nachamu ami, yomar eloheichem. In the second verse of Isaiah 40, Dabru al lev Yerushalayim, vekiru elea ki malat cevaa, ki nircaa avona, ki lakcha miyad Adonai kiflaim, pechol chata ote'er. In other words, speak, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. Speak to our heart. You and I, beloved brothers and sisters, who are believers in this present age, in our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, we also need the God, or Father of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

We often hear of the need from the Lord to have mercy. How often time you find the people of Israel asking for mercy from the Lord. Have mercy on me. Have mercy on us. And God is the one that for us is a God of all comfort, the God of mercy, the God and the Father of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, who comforts us in all our tribulation. So he began in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 3 to remind the Corinthians what the Lord is for him. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.

This is so beautiful. You remember what we read in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, again there, listen to these beloved brothers and sisters in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3, we do read, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, in the Messiah. Again, he blesses God. Baruch Ha'elohim, he blessing God. Peter have done the very same thing as we read in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 3. Peter himself began by saying in verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a living hope, a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

That was a customary blessing that these early Hebrew believers understood and how they themselves use it as they are writing these letters to the believers in Corinth in Corinth in Ephesus as well as Peter to those to whom he wrote. So, Paul, he praises God because God is. He is God. Blessed be God. He praises God because he is God. He is only one God. Secondly, he praises God because he is the Father of our Lord Yeshua Jesus, the Messiah. You remember we read in John chapter 17, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 23, we do read, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in me, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and has loved them as thou hast loved me.

See, Paul is blessing God because he is the Father of our Lord Yeshua Jesus, the Messiah. But he continues and he's praising God because he is also the Father of mercy. He is the Father of mercies. How wonderful to know that God is also the Father of all mercies. How good it is to know, beloved brothers and sisters, that God can provide for us mercies day by day. As we live here in this world, God is the God of all mercy. In the book of Lamentation, in chapter 3, we do read, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 22, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, Israel said, Jeremiah lamenting, because his compassion faileth not.

They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, sayeth my soul. Therefore, will I hope in him? The Lord is the Lord of mercies. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, beloved brothers and sisters. Paul, as he's experiencing trials and difficulties in our life, opening his heart to the Corinthians, and he says, I am praising God because of who he is. He is God, only one God. I am praising God because he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. I am praising God because he is also the one that is the Father of all mercies.

And I am praising God because God is the God of all comfort. He is the Father of mercies, but he is the God of all comfort. How wonderful to know this. And I would like you to notice once again the word comfort. Paul does not ask here to have comfort in his life. And the word is not comfortable here. The word here is peraklesis, which simply means l'nachem, to comfort, to console in the midst of trial. Wonderful to know this. What God is to Paul. What God is to you, my dear friend, and to me when we are going through trial. We need to be reminded.

The Corinthians needed to be reminded that God is the Abba, is the Father of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. He is also the Father of all mercies. He is the Father of mercies. Rachamim. And he is the God of all comfort. Wonderful to know. But Paul does not stop here as he continues, beloved brothers and sisters, to share his heart in his opening of the letter that he is writing to the Corinthians. He continues to tell them in verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, not only what God is to Paul, what God is to the Corinthians, and what God should be to you and I, beloved brothers and sisters, as the one that is the God of all comfort, the Father of mercies, but what God can do and does through those that belong to him who experience a sadness and sorrow and tribulation, and God uses these tribulations to comfort his people and to use them to enable them to comfort others.

And so notice in verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, let me read them together. Paul continued to say, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Mashiach, of Christ, abound in us, so our comfort or our consolation also aboundeth by Christ, by the Messiah. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And he said in verse 7, and our hope of you is steadfast, showing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Now this is very, very interesting, beloved brothers and sisters, as here in these verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing the fact that he is used by the Lord to comfort others as he himself is being comforted by the God of all comfort. Remember this in your life and in my life, beloved brothers and sisters, that in this world we will have tribulation, trials and difficulties. We all, while we don't like them, but they are part and parcel of the experience of the believers here in this world. It was in the history of Israel, in this world, and it will be, and it is in the history of the church saints' life here in this world.

Tribulation will come to an end when a Mashiach will come, when Christ will come and will take, first of all, at the rapture, his heavenly company to heaven, his redeemed people of the church age to heaven, then there will be terrible days here on earth, and at the end of the tribulation he will come to restore his earthly people Israel, and then he will rule as king of kings and lord of lords, and he will end tribulation here in this world, and especially trials and tribulation come to an end at the eternal order, when sin will be no more. But sin brought trials and difficulties and tribulation here into this world.

And so in these four verses of 2 Corinthians 1, verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, why does God allow the believers to experience tribulation? It is in order that when they are comforted, then in turn the believer can go and comfort others. And you remember this, beloved brothers and sisters? David, who wrote Psalm 23, said, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters, he restores my soul, he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake. But notice verse 4, what David said, Yet though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comforteth me.

The word hema ye nachamuni in Hebrew, the same word peraklesis in the Greek, ye nachamu or lenachem in the Hebrew, the same word, it's not giving me to live a comfortable life, but it is comforting me in the midst of trials. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. God rod disciplines us, God's staff leads the sheep, the flock, and in the meanwhile, God allows trials to take place in the life of God's people, but ultimately God is using these trials in order that the believer will comfort others.

So notice what Paul is saying, beloved brothers and sisters. In verse 4, the apostle Paul is saying, chapter 1 and verse 4, who, speaking about the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. Again, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is opening his heart to the Corinthians and he's telling them that the father of mercies, the God of all comfort, comforting us in all our tribulation. Why? Again, notice this, very interesting, that we may be able, verse 4b, to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. You see, David could comfort others when he was comforted by God.

You and I could comfort others as we are comforted by God. Shaul Paul could comfort others as he is comforted by God himself. Wherewith we are comforted of God. Very interesting, beloved brothers and sisters, how many people today are going through trial and they need, they need so much. What a ministry it is for the believers to be comforting one another and comforting the people in the world here, believers or non-believers who are experiencing trials and difficult times, to be able to comfort with the very same comfort that we ourselves are comforted of God. What a lesson to learn, beloved brothers and sisters. So in verse 4, God enables us to comfort others as we are being comforted by him as we go through tribulation and as we experience suffering, God through Christ, through the Messiah, console us, comforting us.

We read in verse 5, for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, you see Paul, Shaul Paul suffered for the name of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and you and I may need to experience this at times in our lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. In every dispensation, those who took side with God had to experience suffering here in this world. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, as the more that we are experiencing trials, the sufferings of Christ, so our consolation also abound by Christ. Notice, you see, it's interesting because in verse 3 we read of the God of all comfort, but in verse 5 we also read that the consolation, the comfort is abounding by now, by Christ, by the Messiah himself.

all the three persons of the Godhead are really, as we read in scripture, a paraklesis, a paraklete, those that are coming alongside to console, to aid, to help. Yeshua said this of the Holy Spirit of God, I will send unto you another comforter, another parakletos, of the same kind like I am to you, and here is the Father, the paraklesis, so we have the three persons of the Godhead who are our consolation, providing for us comfort in the midst of trials. And so it's not only that God the Father comforts us in order to be able to help others, but also God the Son, the Messiah Yeshua himself, as the suffering of Christ abound in us, so the consolation also abounded by Christ, by the Lord Jesus the Messiah, who is also the one that is comforting his own people.

And the application that Paul is making in verse 6 is, in Paul's life, he was used for the benefit of the Corinthians. That's why he said in verse 6, it's whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. You notice he's using here this word in verse 6, whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation, your comfort and for your salvation, which is really effectual in the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer. It is effective in your life that what effectual is really has to do, it has an effect, it is at work, it is power, it's aiding you, it's helping you.

When we suffered and we can be an encouragement for you, you have benefited from the suffering that we experience and the consolation that we have experienced by the Lord Jesus Christ, by the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And then in verse 7, Paul's hope that the Corinthians will also experience the nechama, the consolation that comes from the Lord. and our hope, verse 7, our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye partakers, ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. In other words, our hope for you is steady, is steadfast, is sure. we know that when you are experiencing suffering, you will also will experience the comfort, the consolation that comes from God the Father and from God the Son.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort. Verse 7, our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the suffering, so shall ye be also of the consolation. You see, suffering is part and parcel of the experience of the believers in their life. Before Yeshua even died, before the church was born, Yeshua Jesus the Messiah was giving that amazing sermon, Sermon on the Mount in the Galil. And you remember what he says in Matthew chapter 5 verses 10, 11, and 12. He says, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness, for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manners of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. You see, he is pointing to the history of the prophets of Israel who suffered so much, who have been persecuted so much. And the early apostles here, according to Matthew chapter 5, they will experience persecution themselves in the first century of the church age. And later on in the whole church history, the history of the assembly, the ecclesia, how much persecution against the believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah happened in the history of the church age in the last 2,000 years.

See beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, our for you it is your steadfast. Continue on. We know that as you are going to partake of the sufferings that comes upon all believers, you shall also experience the comfort that God provides, that the Messiah, God the Son provides, that the Holy Spirit of God, the Peracletos provides, all the persons of the Godhead are there to comfort God's people. How wonderful to know this beloved brothers and sisters. In the book of Romans in chapter 5 we read, let me read you a few verses in Romans chapter 5, beloved brothers and sisters, we do read in verse 1, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah, by whom also we have access by faith into the grace where we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God and not as that and not only so, but we glory in tribulation, Paul is saying.

Also, why? Knowing the tribulation walk as patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope make us not ashamed. Why?

Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is we glory in tribulation he says in Romans 5 and verse 3 now humanly speaking none of us want tribulation but the reality beloved brothers and sisters that this world in this world there will be tribulation and that's why we can be encouraged by the Lord and be comforted by the Lord just as the Hebrew writer wrote to his Jewish brethren in Hebrews chapter 12 and verses 1 onward he says wherefore seeing we are also compass about with so greater witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run

with patience the race that he set before us looking unto Yeshua unto Jesus the author the finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God for consider him as we look to the Lord and we get comfort by him and therefore we are not only to remember what God is to us that he is to us a God of all comfort that for us he is a father of mercies but not only that God is going to do through the believer to use the believer to comfort the people of God it is

very interesting that the name of Noah Noah Noah in Hebrew is really comfort his name is comfort why because he is the one that was in a time in difficult days when there was such an evil that going on here in this world we read in Genesis chapter 5 and verse 29 and he called his name Noah saying this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord has cursed Noah he will comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands amazing God is a God of all comfort so in verses 1 2 and 3 Shaul Paul pointed to the fact that God to

him God to the Corinthian God to you and I what he is to us he is a blessed God the father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah the father of mercies the God of all comfort and in verses 4 to 7 Paul pointing out it's not only what God is to us but what God does through us what does he do through us he comforted us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble by the comfort where we ourselves are comforted of God beloved brothers and sisters how important it is for us to remember when you go through trials when we experience difficult time in our life

we are to seek God's comfort in in midst of trials in our life and as David says in the Psalm 23 concerning the Lord the Lord is my shepherd speaking about Jehovah the shepherd of Israel David shepherd he said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me God's road God's staff will comfort his own people but now in these next verses beloved brothers and sisters verses 8 9 10 and 11 this is the third expression or the third admonition and the third way in which the apostle Paul opened his letter to the Corinthians and

in these verses Paul is pointing to the fact that what God does for him for us not only what he is to us what he does through us but what he does for us what he is to Paul what he did through Paul and what he does for Paul what he is to the Corinthians what he would do through the Corinthians and what he does for the Corinthians you see beloved brothers and sisters God permit trials to come upon the believers he allows this in Romans 8 and verse 22 we do read beloved brothers and sisters for we know that the whole creation is grown and travail in pain together until now and not only

they not only the unregenerated world but notice but ourselves we ourselves also the believers which have the first fruits of the spirit even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to with the redemption of our bodies you see Paul mentioned this to the Romans in verse 28 of Romans 8 we read for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew he also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the first born among many brethren in other words if we are to be conformed to the image of his

son the Mashiach trials will be part and parcel of the experience of the people of God what shall we say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Paul says in Romans 8 and verse 31 and so notice in these verses verses 8 to 11 we must all remember what God does for us beloved brothers and sisters so although God permit trials to come into our life Paul continued to say to the Corinthians in verse 8 God is in control of all the things that are happening in our lives for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia Paul is saying to

the Corinthians in verse 8 of chapter 1 notice what he tells them we were pressed out of measure above strength in as much that we despaired even of life all beloved brothers brothers and sisters the trials that apostle Paul and those that walked with him and those that served with him experience according to what he says here he said we were pressed out of measure and not only out of measure but also above strength we didn't have strength in as much that we were even despaired even of life we wanted to die amazing beloved brothers and sisters think about the trials that apostle Paul have experienced in his life amazing we read in Acts chapter

19 and verse 21 after these things were ended Paul purposed in the spirit when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem saying after I have been there I must also see Rome so he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him Timotus and Arestus but he himself stayed in Asia for a season continue on how much suffering he experienced there in Ephesus when they literally wanted even to kill him when he was there in a theater and a mob says great is Diana of the Ephesians and the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaios and Aristarchus men of Macedonia Paul's companions in trouble they rushed with

one accord into the theater and when Paul would have entered into treated the people the disciples suffered him not you remember the whole assembly was in confusion there shouting great is the Diana of the Ephesians when you really think about how much persecution the apostle Paul have experienced Ephesus and elsewhere because of his testimony concerning the person and the work of our Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah in chapter 15 if you remember of 1st Corinthians there Paul wrote in verse 30 31 and 32 he wrote why stand we in jeopardy every hour I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily if after the manner of men I

have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantage it mean if the dead rise not let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die you see in 1st Corinthians he was dealing with the truth of the resurrection but he was pointing to the fact that he died daily he suffered for the sake of the gospel and so God is in control of the trials that the people of God are experiencing and he give comfort in the midst of trials so in verse 9 of 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 Paul is pointing to the fact that God enable us to bear our trials he wants us to trust him although we are experiencing difficult trials as Paul has

experienced but but we had a sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God which raises the dead so Paul is pointing to the fact that God have allowed him to come to a point that he will not trust in himself but trust in God which raises up the dead so imagine this expression we had a sentence of death in ourselves what an amazing statement to say we counted ourselves as dead dead to self dead to our own will but alive in the power of the Lord and the power of the Spirit of God as we share the gospel in this world that reject the person and the work

of the Lord Jesus in chapter 4 and verse 8 we read 2 Corinthians 4 verse 8 we read we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Yeshua Jesus that the life of Jesus that the life of Yeshua might be made manifest in our body imagine this beloved brothers and sisters the apostle Shaul Paul have experienced many many trials and he will share this in 2 Corinthians 4 2 Corinthians 6 2 Corinthians 11 here he will open his heart to the Corinthians and share with them his heart of

love towards them and the suffering that he experienced for the sake of the gospel and the sake of the believers he only remind me of Moshe Moses who suffered so much on behalf of his people of Israel in fact it had been said that in the word of God we have two towering personalities that are very much presented before us as a type of the Messiah Moses in relationship to Israel and Shaul Paul in relationship to the assembly both of them have exhibited in their lives some characters of the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah in a unique way amazing to read the whole canon of the word of God and to see the

lives of these two towering personalities who were raised by God for the work that God have entrusted unto them verse 10 and 11 we read of 2 Corinthians chapter 1 God delivers Paul God delivers us all the believers out of some tribes and some of them he allowed us to go through not only in the past also in the present and not only in the present but also in the future and so you notice what we read in verse 10 after the apostle Paul said but we had in verse 9 we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God which raises the dead notice verse 10

now who this is God who delivered us past tense from so great a death and thus deliver us present tense in whom we trust that he will also yet deliver us now notice these beloved brothers and sisters here we have the past present and future of the deliverance of God's people by God himself you see when the Lord Jesus the Messiah died for our sins he delivered us once and for all from the punishment that we deserve because of our sins that's the past so we read in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 13 who has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son or the

son of his love Ahava the one whom God the father love so beloved brothers and sisters God has delivered every believer in Yeshua HaMashiach he he he delivered us from so great a death and that is the death specifically the death of eternal separation from God because of our sin and although he did deliver us from the judgment that we deserve every one of us including the apostle Paul look at the time in history as believers how God is assisting his people and delivering his people for various experiences he helps he aiding us he assisting his people and delivering us even as believers here in this world in James 1 verse 15 we read then

he said when lust is conceived bring forth sin and when sin is finished it brings forth death see we are sinners who deserve now to die and God delivers us many times from many many not only he delivers us from the death of eternal separation but many times from our path in our life as believers that we are heading in a wrong direction and sin leads us to death spiritual lack of enjoyment of the Lord when as believers we go astray and how many times the Lord will deliver us from all sort of things in our day by day living as believers but not only that he had delivered us in past day but he

does deliver us he he he does deliver us day by day beloved brothers and sisters in the various trials that we are experiencing here in this world amazing when you think of the trial that we can read throughout the history of Israel the psalmist of Israel often time wrote about their trials in psalm 34 and verse 6 we read this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles the angel of the Lord encompasses around about them that fear him and deliver them or taste and see that the Lord is good so it's not only that the Lord has delivered us from the judgment we deserve in the

past and deliver it in the past from various directions sinful and evil directions that we were heading tempted by Satan and by the world and by the flesh but also in our present experience he does deliver us day by day beloved brothers and sisters in your personal life and in my personal life and in Paul personal life from enemies from our own way from our own will from Satan's shooting his arrows against God's people God does deliver us daily day by day today as believers he watches over his own and he cares for them these poor men the psalmist of Israel said cry to the Lord and he delivered him so we have the past

deliverance we have the present deliverance but we also have the future deliverance in whom we trust verse 10b that he will yet deliver us he will yet deliver us beloved brothers and sisters there is a very interesting verse in 1st Peter when Apostle Peter writes in 1st Peter chapter 1 and there we read beloved brothers and sisters in verse 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time you see the Lord will deliver his own people here and now in the coming days in the coming future day but what happened beloved brothers and sisters the Lord will yet deliver us out of this

world of sin out of this world of sorrows and as Peter says that his people are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation now that is not the eternal salvation but that is salvation from the present evil world in which we live in unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in other words he keeps saved saved people he's forgiven people who are still walking here in this world going through trials he will yet deliver them out of this present evil world and take his own people to be with him in glory what an amazing promise we have and so finally we read in verse 11 of 2nd Corinthians chapter

1 God is glorified through the trials that Paul have experienced that the Corinthians experienced and that you and I and every believer in every generation is experiencing God is ultimately is the one that is glorified as we walk here in this world and experiencing trials and tribulation and yet still continue to honor him he is honored through the trial and Paul requests help in prayer when he says notice that he said to the Corinthians you also helping together you are helping us Corinthians by prayer for us I remember years ago I was encouraged by one to ask for prayer from God's people to pray for the service of the Lord and the servants of the

Lord how true it is how important it is the prayers of God's people on behalf of others of God's people of the servants of the Lord of the family of God's people of all those who are serving and living for God here in this world and also to pray for salvation of others and as the apostle Paul went about to preach the message of the gospel of the grace of God the prayers of the saints is essential and Paul was saying he already asked them he said but you are also helping brethren he said you are helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of the many

persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf and so beloved brothers and sisters these believers at Corinth were encouraged by Paul to remember that their prayer was valuable for the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 15 and verse 30 31 and 32 we read these words beloved brothers and sisters Romans 15 verse 30 we read now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea and that my service which I have before Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints that I

may come unto you with joy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed you see Paul requested prayers from the Corinthian believers and so he says beloved brothers and sisters God is glorified through the trials of the saints and as the saints as Paul as the Corinthians as you and I as all believers are experiencing trials God is glorified as the saints through the trials live for God and giving a testimony of the person of the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and so beloved brothers and sisters in the first chapter of 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verses 1 to 11 Paul emphasized three important things as he was writing to the Corinthians he's

opening his heart and he's sharing with them and he's really saying to us all remember what God is to you he is for the believers he is the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua Hamashiach Jesus the Messiah the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort then secondly in verses 4, 5, 6, 7 the Apostle Shaul Paul is reminding us all what God does through the believers through the Corinthians through him as we experience trials and tribulations what God does through is God using the believers experience and trials and he comforting them why he comforted us in all our tribulation why that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble

by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God but then thirdly not to forget what God does for us every day beloved brothers and sisters in verses 8 to 11 and here we learn in verses 8 to 11 that God is the one who have delivered us from so great a death he delivered us from separation from God by providing for our salvation through Yeshua the Messiah he does deliver us here and now every day present deliverance that he provides for us as we go through trials and tribulation and yet in a future day he Paul trusted he believed and you and I need to believe that God will yet deliver us from all

that which is going on here in this world and bring us to himself how wonderful to know that beloved brothers and sisters may the Lord help us and encourage us as we study together the second letter to the Corinthians a letter with Apostle Paul opening his heart before the Corinthian believers may God bless you may God encourage you may God be for us a joy in the midst of trials until the next time beloved brothers and sisters we say Shalom Shalom