"Coming In & Going Out" - Keys to Your Growth - Learning from Robert Morris

We must use the Bible to interpret the Bible to get the true and most powerful meaning of words and phrases. We learn from Ps Robert Morris for the rich meaning of "Coming In and Going Out", the very reason that Solomon asked God for because he did not know how to come in and go out.

We tend to interpret the Bible according to our own understanding of the meaning of words. A typical example is Grace (See "Grace is Unmerited Favor" - This Common Definition is wrong.) We either misinterpret the Bible or we lose the rich meaning. We must let the Bible interpret itself. Here is another phase found in 1King 3:7b where Soloman said, "I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in". The true, powerful and rich meaning is given by Ps Robert Morris in his sermon Living In His Presence - His Entryway.

The ABP Bible  (Apostolic Bible Polyglot English Text)
1Ki 3:7  AndG2532 now,G3568 O LORD,G2962 G3588 my God,G2316 G1473 youG1473 gave reign toG936 G3588 your servantG1401 G1473 in place ofG473 DavidG* G3588 my father.G3962 G1473 AndG2532 IG1473 amG1510.2.1 [2boyG3808 1a small];G3397 andG2532 I do notG3756 knowG1492 G3588 my enteringG1529 G1473 andG2532 G3588 my exiting.G1841 G1473 

Without the Strong Numbers:
 7 ABP) And now, O lord, my God, you gave reign to your servant in place of David my father. And I am [2boy 1a small]; and I do not know my entering and my exiting.

The different translations of 1King 3:7 can be found here.

Most of the translations like KJV, ESV, NABS etc keep the original 'go out and come in'. So we don't really know what the phrase means. We can guess at it from the other translations such as:

Some Possible Meanings:
NIV has it as do not know how to carry out my duties.

NLV has it as doesn't know his way around.

CSB has it as with no experience in leadership.

GNT has it as don't know how to rule.

HCSB .... no experience in leadership.
NET & GST .... inexperienced.

The Verses that has "Go Out and Come in"

The correct meaning for "Going Out and Coming in" is best determined by where else the same or similar phrases are used in the Bible.

• Num 27:15-17 And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, (17)  Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
  
  Here the meaning is about a Shepherd leading the sheep out and bringing them back in. Out is to conquer the land and in is coming back for rest and preparation to go out again.
• Deu 31:2  And he(Moses) said unto them, I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in:Here we can see Moses is talking about leadership to lead the people out to conquer and coming back in for rest.
• Deu 28:5-7 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6  Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.  7  The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
  
  Here we can see that OUT is to conquer the enemies and IN is about the storehouses full of goods.
• Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me, if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
  
  Here we see Jesus as the door that enables us to go out and come in safely. The devil goes by another way into the house to steal, kill and destroy.
• Jos 14:11  As yet I(Caleb) am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so, is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
  
  Here again, we see going out is for war, to conquer the promised land and coming in is take rest and make preparation to go out for war.
• 1Sa 18:12  And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13  Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14  And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
  
  We see here that David lead the men out to victory and come back for celebrations. One more key point is when he went out, the Lord was with him. Whether in or out, the Lord's presence is most important.

The Real Meaning of Going Out and Coming In:

From the above verses, we can see that "Going out and coming in" is about leading the people out to war and coming in is about resting and preparation to go out again. The success of going out is depending on what we do when we are in.  The key is the Presence of the Lord. 

Robert Morris said that "They came in to worship". If they won, they came in to celebrate. If they lose, they came in for repentance. If they are in the middle of a war, they came in for rest.

The Order is In-then-Out

The ABP verse gets the order right - my entering and my exiting. We must first come in, into the presence of the Lord, be charged up and filled, that we may be fully equipped to go out. If we do nothing when inside, we will go out with nothing and that is sure to lead to defeat. We came in to be with the Lord and we may also go out with the presence of the Lord and then all is secured and victory is assured.

Here are the 3 points given by Robert about Coming in:

1. Worship brings God's Presence in our Lives

   

2. Come In First to be filled and then Go Out with the Presence

    If you don't have God's presence, you go out with nothing.

    Luke 24:49  but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

    Stay until you are empowered. Before you go out, come in, to the presence of God.

    We don't go out from God, we go out with the presence of the Lord

3 Entering His Presence

    Psa 95:1-2  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  (2)  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

    Psa 100:1  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 

Conclusions:

So, "Coming In and Going Out" is about leading the people to build a strong nation in the presence of God and going out to conquer victoriously with the presence of God. 

We need to spend time in the presence of God, to know Him and be filled with His presence, that we may boldly go out and do the right things to bring glory to God.

Lim Liat (c) 14 May 2018