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Awesome Hands – part 84

“The judgments” Part O

August 19th, 2015

The concept of rest in scripture is very important to the plan of God. It’s so important in fact that the Lord has instituted various periods of rest which all correlate with specific times and timing used by the Lord to direct His people.

Taking rest indicates work is being done in one fashion or another and the Lord commands us to incorporate periods of rest which serve many different purposes. I hope this study is used to remind us of a few of those purposes.

Man and judgment

Exo 23:10  And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
Exo 23:11  But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
Exo 23:12  Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Exo 23:13  And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

When reading these verses it is easy to see that the numbers 6 and 7 are used together. Spiritually speaking, we know from scripture that the number of man is 6 and the number 7 is completion especially of judgment. See the studies on numbers for more information concerning the spiritual meaning of these numbers.

Since we see that that the number 6 deals with man, we must ask ourselves what are some of the aspects of “man” which relate to completion or the number 7.

As with all of scripture there are positive and negatives and natural versus spiritual. Another aspect to consider is the old man versus the new man.

The Lord tells us in Exodus 23:10-11 that we must SOW the land and gather the FRUITS of the land each year for 6 years. On the seventh year, we are commanded to let the land rest so that the poor may eat and then the beasts of the field after that. We are to do likewise to the vineyard and olive yard.

As for our own personal rest, we are to work for 6 days and rest on the seventh along with our ox and asses, sons of handmaids and strangers.

It is interesting to note that on each day we actually rest for a portion of the day when we sleep. Likewise, the land is given rest each year due to the seasonal shifts in when various crops will grow or not. However, the Lord gives an additional period of “full rest” depending on which period of time we are talking about i.e. a day’s rest or a year’s rest, etc.

These commandments are given to the physical Israelites so that they may prosper physically, both they and their flocks.

What then is the spiritual significance of entering into rest or entering into the Sabbath as many know the 7th day to be?

As with all doctrine, the doctrine of Jesus Christ is completely different than that of His harlot wife’s but it is of the same mind with His true bride and wife.

The Lord tells us that we MUST rest, so it is inescapable that we must enter His rest spiritually if we are His.

Here is the spiritual rest of the Lord:

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

We must fear God so that we do not fall short of entering into the rest of God. A key ingredient to entering into the rest of God is BELIEF in the gospel that has been preached to those that believe.

What gospel has been preached to you and that you should hear the voice of your King and Lord in? Do you hear your shepherd in these words?

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us LABOUR therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

When speaking about the rest of God and faith being a core ingredient to entering into that rest, why is the Word of God also mentioned to be quick and powerful and sharp enough to divide SOUL and SPIRIT and also able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart?

Notice, there is work and rest, unbelief and belief, soul and Spirit and joints and marrow. These things are mentioned together to show there is a contrast of the two opposing things.

When we read in Exodus 23 that there are 6 days of work and 6 years of sowing and reaping the land, we know and understand this to be physical. These are works we do physically. Likewise, we do the same thing SPIRITUALLY with our own works and the work of our hands, and this is because the Lord has caused us all to be naturally minded brute beasts first.

Is this how we are to remain? Lord willing, NO! We are to move on past this spiritual death and no longer view Jesus Christ as this fleshy man who walked the earth 2000+ years ago.

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The old things that are passed away include “the works of our hands” in our lives which builds us up as something on this earth. It may be a harsh revelation to the old man in us all, but we are doomed in the flesh.

Waters of strife

What then is the spiritual message behind working for 6 days or 6 years and then resting? If we work for 6 days and rest, then work another 6 days and rest and then do this for all of our lives and die, what benefit is that work to us after we die?

The answer is there is NO benefit or relief from eventual death via this working and resting pattern. The rest we receive physically just allows us to continue working more without completely burning out.

However, spiritually speaking this time of work is very important to our spiritual lives as the bride of Christ.

The Lord has given us the physical to show us spiritual truths and by doing so in this example of rest, he has shown us the pattern all of mankind must follow to eventually “see Him as He is”.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

The Truth of our whole existence is that the Lord will have us all be sons of God just like we all start off as sons of Adam.

Is we are sons of Adam, and we all are and must die because of it, then it stands to bear witness that we will also likewise all be sons of God in God’s own timing!

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Just as with all scripture, even death has its physical and spiritual applications. We all experience physical death just like we all eventually experience spiritual death but the GOOD NEWS is that the enemy of DEATH is destroyed for us all eventually.

For the sons of God NOW, we are His workmanship.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should WALK IN THEM.

We LABOUR to enter into His rest, and that labour is to GIVE UP on the works of ourselves that make our old man something that is just being prepped for death!

We labour because we have NOW, as sons of God, been CREATED ANEW, as a NEW man to DO/WALK/WORKOUT the good works of God the Father.

We have entered into His rest by giving up on all that the flesh is and works in us. We have been told this is the case in Hebrews 6:1 since we are to go on to perfection. We are NOT perfected in this life, but we do run the race unto perfection.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

Notice, there are SIX items listed in Hebrews 6:1-3. These are the foundational things our carnal minds want to cling to.

When we come out of the church, we want to “do WORKS for God”, we tell others to “just believe”, “get baptized”, “here are your leaders” or “they aren’t qualified to be leaders”. We talk about “the resurrection is this or that” without scriptural Truth to back it up and we concentrate heavily on eternal judgment not knowing the first thing about what TRUE judgment of God really is.

In the context of this study, we like to “keep the Sabbath” not knowing the “keeping the Sabbath” is a tradition of man which is supposed to be a reflection of what God commanded us to do with keeping the Sabbath holy.

Exo 31:14  Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Exo 31:15  Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Exo 31:16  Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

We have just read in black and white that the Lord tells us that the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest and is holy to the Lord. This is a day of NO WORK and is a “never ending” covenant for the children of Israel.

So, it is understandable why the Pharisees and Sadducees commanded that Jesus Christ be put to death. He broke the Sabbath and called Himself a son of God.

Are we like Christ? Are we “as He is so are we in this world”? Before we answer that, let us examine who is Lord of all even Lord even of the Sabbath day.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors UNTIL the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

The Father says, via the Holy Spirit inspired words written for our admonition, that a child and servant is not different thought he be Lord of all. The restriction on this child is that while being a Lord of all, the child is under tutors and governors until a time appointed that his is NOT the case.

Oh, but praise the Lord He sends his Son made SIN under a woman, made SIN under the law to REDEEM them that are under the law so that MORE sons can be adopted.

Mat 10:5  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Mat 10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mat 15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

Psa 107:1  O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
Psa 107:3  And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.
Psa 107:4  They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Psa 107:5  Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Psa 107:6  Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:7  And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Yes, we are the REDEEMED adopted sons of God. We are also “made under a woman, made under the law” but we do not stay there and that’s what makes us REDEEMED.

Here is who we are as the REDEEMED, though we NEVER forget where it is we have come from. Just like Jesus Christ, we claim what we are. We are sons of man and being sons of man adopted as sons of God is what is needed to “go on unto perfection”.

Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

What led up to this revelation that is so easy to miss?

Mat 12:1  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Mat 12:3  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

And then this revelation:

Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

The significance of this statement cannot be overstated, but it may come as a shock when it fully resonates with you on what Jesus Christ is claiming to be.

As He is, so are we in this world.

Joh 5:17  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Joh 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Joh 5:20  For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Jesus Christ makes Himself equal with God. After all, One equals One.

Exo 23:13  And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Consider this, Jesus Christ is Lord over the Sabbath, is a Son of God, likewise then we as the BODY of Christ also have the power of this great miracle within us!

Why does the Lord mention making no mention of the name of others gods nor letting it be heard out of our mouths right after telling us what the rest / Sabbath commandments are concerning the rest days?

When we look at the word Hebrew word used for the English word “circumspect”, it starts to make sense.

Exo 23:13  And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect (H8104)

H8104

shâmar

Total KJV Occurrences: 469

keep, 186

Gen_2:15, Gen_3:24, Gen_6:19-20 (2), Gen_17:9-10 (2), Gen_18:19, Gen_28:15, Gen_28:20, Gen_30:31, Gen_41:35, Exo_12:25, Exo_13:10, Exo_15:26, Exo_16:28, Exo_22:5-7 (3), Exo_22:10, Exo_23:15, Exo_23:20, Exo_31:13-14 (2), Exo_31:16, Exo_34:18, Lev_8:35, Lev_18:4-5 (2), Lev_18:26, Lev_18:30, Lev_19:3, Lev_19:19, Lev_19:30, Lev_20:8, Lev_20:22, Lev_22:9, Lev_22:31, Lev_25:18, Lev_26:2-3 (2), Num_1:53, Num_3:7-8 (2), Num_3:32, Num_6:24, Num_8:26, Num_18:3-5 (3), Num_18:7, Num_31:30, Deu_4:2, Deu_4:6, Deu_4:9, Deu_4:40, Deu_5:1, Deu_5:10, Deu_5:12, Deu_5:29, Deu_6:2, Deu_6:17, Deu_7:8-9 (2), Deu_7:11-12 (3), Deu_8:2, Deu_8:6, Deu_10:13, Deu_11:1, Deu_11:8, Deu_11:22, Deu_13:4, Deu_17:18-19 (2), Deu_23:9 (2), Deu_23:23, Deu_26:16-18 (3), Deu_27:1, Deu_28:9, Deu_28:45, Deu_30:9-10 (2), Deu_30:16, Jos_10:18 (2), Jos_23:5-6 (2), Jdg_2:22 (2), 1Sa_2:9, 1Sa_7:1, 2Sa_15:16, 2Sa_16:21, 2Sa_20:3, 1Ki_2:3 (2), 1Ki_3:14, 1Ki_6:12, 1Ki_8:25, 1Ki_8:58, 1Ki_8:61, 1Ki_9:4, 1Ki_9:6, 1Ki_20:38-39 (2), 2Ki_11:6-7 (2), 2Ki_17:13, 2Ki_23:3, 1Ch_22:12, 1Ch_23:32, 1Ch_28:8, 1Ch_29:18-19 (2), 2Ch_6:16, 2Ch_13:11, 2Ch_23:6, 2Ch_34:31, Ezr_8:29, Neh_1:9, Neh_13:22, Psa_17:7-8 (2), Psa_25:20, Psa_37:34, Psa_39:1, Psa_89:28, Psa_89:31, Psa_91:11, Psa_103:18, Psa_106:3, Ps 119 (14), Psa_127:1, Psa_132:12, Psa_140:4, Psa_141:9, Pro_2:20, Pro_3:26, Pro_4:4, Pro_6:21-22 (2), Pro_6:24, Pro_7:1-2 (2), Pro_7:5, Pro_8:32, Pro_22:5, Pro_22:18, Pro_28:4, Ecc_3:6, Ecc_8:1-2 (2), Ecc_12:13, Isa_56:1, Jer_3:4-5 (2), Jer_31:10, Eze_18:20-21 (2), Eze_20:19, Eze_36:27, Eze_43:11, Eze_44:16, Eze_44:24, Dan_9:4, Hos_12:6, Mic_7:5, Zec_3:7

kept, 70

Gen_26:5, Exo_21:29, Exo_21:36, Num_9:19, Num_9:23, Num_31:47, Jos_22:2-3 (2), 1Sa_9:24, 1Sa_13:13-14 (2), 1Sa_21:4, 1Sa_25:21, 1Sa_26:15-16 (2), 2Sa_22:22, 2Sa_22:24, 2Sa_22:44, 1Ki_2:43, 1Ki_3:6, 1Ki_8:24, 1Ki_11:10-11 (2), 1Ki_11:34, 1Ki_13:21, 1Ki_14:8, 1Ki_14:27, 2Ki_9:14, 2Ki_12:9, 2Ki_17:19, 2Ki_18:6, 1Ch_10:13, 1Ch_12:29, 2Ch_6:15, 2Ch_12:10, 2Ch_34:9, 2Ch_34:21, Neh_1:7, Neh_11:19, Neh_12:45, Est_2:14, Est_2:21, Job_23:11, Psa_17:4, Psa_18:21, Psa_18:23, Psa_78:10, Psa_78:56, Psa_99:7, Psa_119:55, Psa_119:67, Psa_119:158, Psa_119:167-168 (2), Ecc_5:13, Jer_16:11, Jer_35:18, Eze_18:9, Eze_18:19, Eze_20:21, Eze_44:8, Eze_44:15, Hos_12:11-12 (2), Amo_1:11, Amo_2:4, Mic_6:16, Mal_2:9, Mal_3:7, Mal_3:14

observe, 41

Exo_12:17 (2), Exo_12:24, Exo_34:11, Lev_19:37, Num_28:2, Deu_5:32, Deu_6:3, Deu_6:25, Deu_8:1, Deu_11:32, Deu_12:1, Deu_12:28, Deu_12:32, Deu_15:5, Deu_16:1, Deu_16:12, Deu_17:10, Deu_24:8 (2), Deu_28:1, Deu_28:13, Deu_28:15, Deu_28:58, Deu_31:12, Deu_32:46, Jos_1:7-8 (2), Jdg_13:14, 2Ki_17:37, 2Ki_21:8, 2Ch_7:17, Neh_1:5, Neh_10:29, Psa_105:45, Psa_107:43, Psa_119:34, Jer_8:7, Eze_20:18, Eze_37:24, Jon_2:8

I didn’t mention the other times this word is translated as different English words but it is obvious this word means to “keep” or “observe” all the things that the Lord has said unto us.

The beginning and ending of Revelation says the same thing about who it is Jesus Christ is given the book is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This is a part of that revelation:

Psa 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Psa 95:7  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
Psa 95:8  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation(H4808), and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Psa 95:9  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

H4808

merı̂ybâh

Total KJV Occurrences: 6

strife, 5

Gen_13:8, Num_27:14, Psa_106:32, Eze_47:19, Eze_48:28

provocation, 1

Psa_95:8

Moses provoked the Lord as the waters of strife when He didn’t do what the Lord did, and he did this out of rebellion. Rebellion is unbelief.

When our heart is hardened, because of unbelief, then we are going to experience the wrath of God on that unbelief.

No matter what you believe about Jesus Christ, He says that NOTHING He did was of Himself but was ALL of the Father (John 5:19). He says that at the appointed time, He sends His Son to redeem those who will be adopted as Sons (Galatians 4:1-5).

If we are “Jesus of Nazareth” because the “least of these” are Jesus the Christ, then is it blasphemy of the Word to say that WE ARE SENT as a Son of God to redeem those that are lost?

The Lord says we are as He is in this world (1 John 4:17). He says we are One as He and His Father are One (John 17:21-23).

We profane the Sabbath and the traditions regarding the day of rest just like Jesus Christ did because we too are one with Jesus Christ and have been given all things and power (1 Cor 2:31-22)

Exo 23:13  And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

We keep all the things that have been said to us and we make no mention of the name of others gods by NOT remembering the gods of men THAT WE ARE when we sit on the throne of God and are the abomination of desolation.

We have been given rest from all our works because the Lord now commands us to do His works, not living unto ourselves and the old man in us but rather REDEEMING the time and working out our own salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING.

We believe the Lord has caused us to DESIRE to run the race. So, we run this race as if we have WON it. We run this race seeing ourselves crossing the finish line in first place all the while still needing to run the race to the finish line. We must hope and visualize the win!

God’s power is so much more powerful than any sin that any of us are caused to commit. Faith is a gift of God and He wants us to cry out to Him for belief if it is lacking in us.

Our Father commands that we DO NOT even utter our own remembrance, our old man carnal ways, as something that is comparable to the power He has given us. When we keep His commandments we will prosper, we will enter into His rest and the new man in us will work the goods works of God for those sheep the Lord send to us.

Remember this:

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
The Lord sends “the Christ” to preach to you PEACE, you are His, and He is your peace.