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Awesome Hands – part 88

“The River and the banks”

October 7, 2015

Up until this point, we’ve been studying Genesis and Exodus and the various mentioning of the word “hand” or “hands” so that we could learn more about how the Lord works His will into our lives.

In our last study, we saw that God takes seriously His commands to keep His commandments and also where it is He dwells. We saw that the Lord calls Moses, typifying Christ, to the top of the mountain and also sends Moses forth from the mountain top to deliver His will to the people of Israel.

Clouds were used to show the connection between where it is God’s true body dwells and what role the people of God have in delivering His message.

In the study today, we are going to a see another analogy of who we are in Christ but also addressing the same topic of who we are in Christ Jesus and what is expected of us as His body.

Willingly Offering

The focus of the study today is going to come from the first few verses of Exodus 25.

Exo 25:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 25:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
Exo 25:3  And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
Exo 25:4  And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
Exo 25:5  And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,
Exo 25:6  Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
Exo 25:7  Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
Exo 25:8  And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Act 7:47  But Solomon built him an house.
Act 7:48  Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
Act 7:49  Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Act 7:50  Hath not my hand made all these things?
Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
2Co 5:1  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

One of the most often mis-understood and confusing topics in all of the bible is the doctrine of free will. In the verses we just read, God clearly has inspired for it to be pointed out that it indeed is HIS HANDS that make “all these things”. We covered last study that the NO ONE has seen the Father’s shape nor heard His voice, so the conclusion is obvious that the Lord MUST be using means to “make all these things” that we do not fully grasp nor see on the surface.

Exo 25:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 25:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

In Exodus 25 today, we start out by the Lord telling Moses to tell the people that they are to bring an offering, but the offering must be willingly. This may seem odd considering all throughout scripture we learn and know that the Lord’s will is sovereign over all. So, how are we to understand how the Lord can command that the Israelites give and offering willingly?

There are many examples I could use, but I will refer again to Acts 7.

Act 7:22  And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
Act 7:23  And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.

Before all of the book of Exodus ever transpired, it suddenly came into the heart of Moses to visit the children of Israel. How do you suppose it came into his heart to do this? If your supposition is that this is an act of God, then you’d be correct, but then one must wonder if this happens with the children of God today?

Do we get seemingly random ideas and thoughts which will be acted upon one way or another either with action or by ignoring them? Hopefully this study will bring an answer to that question.

After it “comes into Moses heart” to visit his brethren, we continue to see how Stephen expounds to the audience what God’s manifest will was for all of those involved.

Act 7:25  For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.

It is revealed to us that even Moses understood that God uses symbology to show what He is going to do with His people.

Act 7:35  This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

Moses, like Christ and His body, are refused initially by those they are sent to and this is all a part of the great mystery. I am here to witness to you today that YOU are the body of Christ and have all His power in you, and you are “this Moses” who will be used to rescue all of God’s creation.

Act 7:37  This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Act 7:38  This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Act 7:39  To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
Act 7:40  Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Act 7:41  And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

I am building upon the concept that there is a hidden message all over scripture that tells us what we are to do and BELIEVE about “free will” and how God works His will in all of creation while at the same time creating in us the ability to choose and to have our own will within the confines of being caused to do all things according to His will.

Act 7:44  Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
Act 7:45  Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
Act 7:46  Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of   Jacob.
Act 7:47  But Solomon built him an house.

If we consider that it suddenly came into Moses’ heart to visit the children of Israel, and that there was a desire placed “in those” who desire to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob, then we will be able to start to see how an offer “willingly” can be made.

To show the sovereignty of God in all things, I am going to read a little more out of the book of Acts and then show how it is we can all be deceived and blinded BEFORE being given sight.

Stephen just witnessed that those “in the wilderness” were given a tabernacle of witness, the same tabernacle which is being talked about starting in Exodus 25.

Act 7:51  Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Act 7:52  Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53  Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Act 7:54  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Act 7:57  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
Act 7:58  And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
Act 7:59  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Act 7:60  And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Who is the cause of being stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears? Who is the cause of someone always resisting the Holy Ghost?

“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart,” has a root source and that source is God the Father. Likewise, when the heavens are opened up it is due to the Lord causing a person to be in a position to “look stedfastly into heaven”. Stephen called this “seeing the heavens opened”.

Here within this very story is an example of God causing deception to happen to this very day.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

G816
atenizō
Total KJV Occurrences: 23
stedfastly, 6
Act_1:10, Act_6:15, Act_7:55, Act_14:9, 2Co_3:7, 2Co_3:13
looked, 4
Luk_22:56, Act_1:10, Act_7:55, Act_10:4
earnestly, 3
Luk_22:56, Act_3:12, Act_23:1
beholding, 2
Act_14:9, Act_23:1
fastened, 2
Luk_4:20, Act_11:6
look, 2
Act_3:12, 2Co_3:13
behold, 1
2Co_3:7
fastening, 1
Act_3:4
looking, 1
Act_6:15
set, 1
Act_13:9

Act 10:4  And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

Act 23:1  And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

Act 6:15  And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Act 11:6  UponG1519 the whichG3739 when I had fastened mine eyes,G816 I considered,G2657 andG2532 sawG1492 fourfooted beastsG5074 of theG3588 earth,G1093 andG2532 wild beasts,G2342 andG2532 creeping things,G2062 andG2532 fowlsG4071 of theG3588 air.G3772

When Stephen “looked into heaven” the original Greek does not say he looked up. It says he looked stedfastly.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

It may not seem like much, but that word up creates a certain solidification on the doctrine of “heaven and hell” being what orthodox Christianity says it is versus heaven BEING within YOU.

Where the River flows

You’ve probably picked up by now that God does a lot of dealing with “the heart” of the human race He has created. From the mighty to the weak, God directs the flow of the heart like the blood flowing to it from the blood vessels that traverse in and out of it.

Pro 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

A river’s banks are very important to keeping the flow of the river going in the direction that it is intended to go. The banks of a river are often completely over looked due to the water that is flowing between them. However, without the banks of the river containing the water flowing between them, the results could be disastrous such as the many examples of horrendous floods happening throughout history.

Who then established the banks of the river? Who sends the water that FORMS the banks that contain that water?

The more water in the river the more formed the banks are.

There is a river that is so very important to all of humanity, but only a relative few have ever been given to know its importance. Knowing of and about this river is knowing the mind and will of God and knowing Life itself and also being able to grasp the who, what, when and where of this doctrine of “free will”.

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Rev 22:3  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Rev 22:4  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Rev 22:5  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

A willing heart is one that has been left desolate by the understanding that it does not understand anything. How is it that God the Father can tell us all things are worked out according to His will and then tell us we must choose this day whom we will serve? How can we choose anything if God is already working it?

I’ll answer that question with a question and then with scripture. How are the banks of a river formed? They are formed BECAUSE there is a river of water moving through them. Resist the water and the bank is destroyed and formed again. Willingly submit to the flow of the water and the bank is maintained.

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

We are willing participants not because we have a free will but because we have already started to give an account of what the Lord is and has done in our lives. Fruit from the tree of life stands upon the banks that we are and feeds upon the water that flows between us.

Understanding that God is sovereign above all things is not enough, but understanding that God is sovereign above all things, AND has given us all things, helps us to understand what our part is in His kingdom.

We have been given all things to glorify and point out His sovereignty over all.

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Rev 21:11  Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

My challenge to you all is to pray fervently that the Lord allow us all to be that Holy Jerusalem and to be the workman who descend out of heaven with the glory of God, like Moses and Jesus Christ, representing the power that we have ALL been given.

In the next study we are going to continue to build upon the premise of the offering that the Lord tells us to willingly offer.

We are to be teachers of His Word, works and will and to teach we must first DO. The true example is in the DOING.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Exo 25:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
Exo 25:3  And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
Exo 25:4  And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,

Exo 35:30  And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
Exo 35:31  And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exo 35:32  And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
Exo 35:33  And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
Exo 35:34  And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
Exo 35:35  Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.