Lesson 311: "Check Mate"
There is a story I read about two gentlemen viewing the master pieces in an art museum. Suddenly the first man, an international art critic, stopped to study the painting titled “Check Mate”. The painting pictured two men on opposite sides of a chess board seemingly in check mate. “Something is wrong with this painting” he told his friend! After several minutes of intense concentration he snapped his fingers and said; “I’ve got it”! He insisted that he and his companion must contact the artist and have him either change the position of the chess pieces or change the name of the painting. He had discovered that the king had one more move!
Have you ever felt like the world is a chessboard with you as one of the pawn (a chess piece of lowest value)? Your opponent, your enemy, the devil, will always try to “check mate” your King in order to win and be victorious over you. Never forget. “THE KING” always has one more move! Satan thought he had us when people became so evil that God destroyed His own creation with flood waters, however God’s next move was the Rainbow Covenant (Gen. 9:1-17). The devil was jumping with delight when Abraham strapped his promised son to the altar wood, but God had one more move! Abraham’s son, Isaac, became the father of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. chapter 22 and chapter 49).
Moses and the Israelites were blocked by the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho and then there was Samson hemmed in by the pillars of the city, blind and being mocked. All stories of the enemy having a death grip on God’s people. David, Elijah, Naaman and Job driven to the very edge of death but God, The King, had one more move. The Valley of the dry bones (representing Israel), the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the Lion’s den and Jonah in the belly of the great fish were all at first glance in check mate. But their King had one more move! The Old Testament ends with a curse (Mal. 4:6) and God did not speak through His prophets for 400 years. It looked like the devil had gained a stronghold but The King had another move and it was a giant step!
“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). This Child was born and Satan went into overtime. He went first after the Baby Jesus through King Herod (Matt. 2:13). I noticed something in Luke 2:41-49 that I have missed before. When Jesus was about twelve years old He went with His family to Jerusalem for Passover. He was left behind and “Joseph and His mother knew not of it” (Lk. 2:43 KJV) and after three days they found Him studying in the temple. “His mother said to Him; ‘Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were worried about you and have been looking for you”’. Satan had seen the boy Jesus going about His Father’s business in His Father’s House and tried to put a wedge between the parents and the child and tried to destroy the family unit. But God had one more move! Jesus went with His earthly parents, became wiser and grew physically. People liked Him and He pleased God (2:51-52).
Satan was sure he had the “game” in check mate when Jesus Christ died on the Cross, but the King rose from the tomb holding the keys to death and hell (Rev. 1:18) and stilling the sting of death (1 Cor. 15:55). THE KING had the first move and He will have the last (Rev. 1:17). Your Christian life is not a game so do not play with the devil. He has no power to check mate your King. There are many scriptures telling us to “wait upon the Lord”. I have chosen one of my favorites to close this lesson. “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who WAIT for Him” (Isa. 64:4). Christians are going to love His final move (Rev. 22:4-5)!