“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. People will dwell again in his shade; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine— Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:4-7 NIV)
Today I want to talk to you about a salvation experience that is not marked by spiritual downpours of joy, but by the dew of heaven saturating and penetrating your soul and your walk with God. So many times we are looking for those great downpours from heaven which often comes like the summer rain when we should be looking for that gentle constant dew from heaven that continues to fill our souls with the blessings of heaven.
In this text in Hosea, God says He will be as the dew to Israel, and more especially to backslidden Israel when they have returned to Him.
Dew is used in the scriptures as an example of the blessing of God. Isaac prophetically pronounced a blessing over Jacob that included dew:
Ge 27:27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son [is] as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
Ge 27:28 Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
In an arid climate, moisture is an especially valued commodity. The dew Isaac spoke of is the, "dew of heaven," in a desert land all water is believed to be God given. So when He gives it, it is viewed as a blessing and a sign of His favor.
Dew withheld, likewise, is considered a curse or judgment:
1Ki 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, [who was] of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, [As] the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
Hag 1:9-11 Ye looked for much, and, lo, [it came] to little; and when ye brought [it] home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that [is] waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed [from] her fruit. And I called for a drought upon the land...
Dew is used as an example of being blessed by the word:
Too many Christians get hung up wanting, "Showers of Blessing," and don’t understand the value and greatness of the, "Dew of Heaven". So to help with that lets talk about some of the qualities of dew and how they relate to a real and genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
Notice the following about dew...
1- Dew falls silently.
Commenting on dew, Spurgeon said, "You will notice, first of all, that grace, like the dew, often comes down imperceptibly into man’s heart. When did the dew tell us that it was about to fall? Who ever heard the footsteps of the dew coming down upon the meadow grass? Who ever knew when it was descending? We see it when it has fallen; but who saw it come? And so with Christianity: it is very often imperceptible in its operations."
A scripture that comes to mind is in Luke 24, and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They meet Jesus and converse with Him for quite a while and don’t realize who it is. Later their eyes are opened, He leaves, and when rehearsing the event among themselves, they realized the whole time He was there and opening the scriptures to them, their hearts were burning. (My doctrine shall distill as the dew.) Spending time in the word, allows the dew of heaven to saturate you in ways that may not be perceptible at first.
One more point about the validity of dew like experiences in God. Some people think that only loud and exuberant worship is genuine, a scriptural example would be:
Ps 47:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
But the next example is just as valid an experience in God:
Ex 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
It is not the volume that matters to God, but the sincerity of heart. It’s not about whether or not you lift your hands during worship. A quiet person can worship, as great or greater, than the loudest singer in church. In fact Jesus described some of those outspoken worshippers as complete frauds. (Mt. 23:14)
2 - Dew is cooling and refreshing to the tenderest of plants.
As opposed to the potential dangers of a torrential downpour. The drooping plant it will be revived, without being overwhelmed. The root systems on some plants can’t handle a downpour, additionally dew often satiates more completely. It feeds, it produces growth, it sustains, it completely satisfies the plants needs without overwhelming.
3- Dew is penetrative.
A visitor to Mt. Hermon said the dew penetrated everyone and everything and saturated everything, the floor of the tent was soaked, their beds were covered, guns were dripping and dew drops hung everywhere. The area around Mt. Hermon is drought stricken yet its base is clad with beautiful orchards and gardens, because of the dew in that area.
"Mr. Maundrell says that "with this dew, even in dry weather, their tents were as wet as if it had rained the whole night." (Clarkes commentary). Don’t ever underestimate the power of God’s dew to meet your needs as fully as His downpours!
4- Dew usually falls in times of low visibility.
It falls most generally in the pre-dawn hours, while men are asleep, and at the darkest part of the night. Even in our dark times God is moving. Even when we can’t see the hand of God, His dew is forming and moisturizing in unseen and quiet ways.
The dew of heaven is just as important and valid as the rivers of living water. Sometimes we overlook this phenomenom in the Kingdom of God by always looking for the loudest, most boistrous, most outgoing ministries when in essence God is bringing His gentle Holy Spirit in the form of dew on an everyday basis. The Holy Spirit is with us - even we don't see it or even when we don't feel it. Trust God today that He is with you and that He will never ever leave or forsake you. And, even when thing seem dark and tough - God is still moving and ministering on your behalf.
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