Conscience – A Witnessing Conscience, Part 11

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost (Rom 9:1 – Paul reflecting Christ’s dedication to his Elect)

[Study Aired January 13, 2024]

The first instance in scripture where the term “witness” is used is the treaty between Abimelech, the king of Gerar, and his chief captain, Phichol (Phon – pee-kole’) and Abraham regarding a dispute over a well of water for their competitive flocks. Abimelech had unwittingly also previously taken Sarah, Abraham’s wife, for his own, and subsequently, the Lord cursed all the women of Abimelech’s household barren. Upon Abraham praying for Abimelech’s women to be healed, Abimelech knew (by his conscience) that he was dealing with an unusually powerful man connected to God. Now, the dispute over a well’s mutual usage was solved by a contract sealed by Abraham and Abimelech, providing seven ewe lambs as a witness between Abimelech and Abraham. Abimelech’s conscience would have been greatly amplified to not breach the contract since he knew that he was dealing with a man of God. As such, a powerful “witnessing conscience” is made evident.

Gen 21:29  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 

The number seven always represents the completion of a process, especially judgment. If the contract between Abraham and Abimelech was broken by either party, that person’s conscience, as was Adam and Eve’s, would have soundly indicted him ~ unless, of course, he had a seared conscience from repeatedly voiding his conscience.

Gen 21:30  And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness [H5713] unto me, that I have digged this well. 
Gen 21:31  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 
Gen 21:32  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 
Gen 21:33  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
Gen 21:34  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines’ land many days. 

As with all other nuances of our conscience, a “witnessing conscience” in scripture, too, is hidden by inference and, for the most part, only spiritually observed.

What has Abraham’s and Abimelech’s “witness” got to do with either party’s conscience? Suppose the contract was to be broken by either partner. In that case, the Lord’s inherently-etched guilty conscience genetically inherent in all men that first plagued Adam and Eve immediately strikes the contractual hearts, identified as their conscience.

Witness H5713
– Transliteration: `edah
– Phonetic: ay-daw’
– Definition:
testimony, witness – always plural and always of laws as divine testimonies

Strong’s: Feminine of H5707 in its technical sense; testimony: – testimony witness. Compare H5712. [Witness and Testimony come from the same root meaning] ~ Testimony– Transliteration: `edah

– Phonetic: ay-daw’
– Definition:
congregation, gathering

We can see that Abraham’s and Abimelech’s testimonial settled a dispute with an agreed contract, a testament that soundly locked the two in sober agreement.

As we are well aware, the number two is “witness”, and the very first witnessing agreement was between the Father and Son on the creation and its aim for the creation of God (Rev 3:14, Joh 10:34). The Godhead didn’t need to draw up an agreement since sin was utterly foreign to their perfect unity of spirit and unthinkability of voiding a contract.

The Godhead’s decision to create man happened before the creation of physical light, contrasting something new called darkness, and was all done beforehand by the Son in perfect unity of agreement with the Father.

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 
Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

The Father and Son didn’t have a dichotomy of conscience since they eternally existed in the perfect state of unity in being God. The contrast of a pure conscience became starkly evident by Adam and Eve’s design to go against the Lord’s word to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Subsequently, sin entered the creation with the many nuances of an evil conscience and all witnessing against them long before the term “witness” was written in scripture.

Bearing false witness is a witness against the purveyor himself and is the breaking of the ninth commandment. The most notable third witness in any broken contract is God since we not only violate our neighbor but, most imminently, God, the holy spirit.

Exo 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

Two of the most devastating results of one’s conscience witnessing against them were the account of Ananias’ and Sapphira’s lying conscience “witnessing against” the holy spirit and also King David’s attempt to hide his sin with Bathsheba as it does on any occasion we lie to God. In both of those events, beginning with Adam and Eve, we absurdly love the torture of prolonging darkness when we plainly know that swift acknowledgement of sin provides instant peace through forgiveness.

Joh 3:19  And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 
Joh 3:20  Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 
Joh 3:21  But whoever practices the truth [being instant in prayer when you see the evil approaching!] comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”

For our immense understanding and hopeful escape from the torture of our consciences witnessing against us, Ananias and Sapphira weren’t blessed with the time to deliberate their consciences witnessing against them for repentance.

Act 5:1  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
Act 5:2  With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? [and thus evoking the inescapable devastation of a witnessing conscience].
Act 5:4  Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”
Act 5:5  On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died [… just like that without the time to give an account and repent!]. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
Act 5:6  Then the young men stepped forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 
Act 5:7  About three hours later his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. 
Act 5:8  “Tell me,” said Peter, “is this the price you and your husband got for the land?” “Yes,” she answered, “that is the price.”
Act 5:9  “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord?” Peter replied. “Look, the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
Act 5:10  At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 
Act 5:11  And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Fear comes when our conscience witnesses against us when we, as the Bride, the Church, remember our tardiness in denying our Lord’s marital dues of not arousing Him. Sometimes, as a residue of Eve’s curse, we subconsciously fear His delight in the righteousness He induces in us, His Wife, as always our friend Queen Vashti, our chief whipping post against our consciences, classically depicts.

Mal 3:5  And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love [because our conscience witnesses against us].

For our glorious benefit King David was oblivious to his near-death experience and devastatingly witnessing conscience that spiritually killed him.

2Sa 12:1  Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 
2Sa 12:2  The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, [Spiritually you and I today and particularly before we came to Christ’s truth while we held His truth in error].
2Sa 12:3  but the poor man [Christ. Mat 5:3-12. 1Co 1:27, Psa 8:2, Isa 26:5-6] had nothing except one small ewe lamb [His Bride to be sacrificed with Christ for the world] that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him [Reminisent of Jephthah’s (Phonetic: yif-tawkh. Jud 11:29-40) only child, his daughter dedicated as a virginal living sacrifice to the Lord, the Bride of Christ].
2Sa 12:4  Now a traveler [Job 1:7 “… from where have you come?” Satan our first father] came to the rich man [Us in our time], who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.” [The blood of the Saints – Rev 16:4-6. Woman drunk with the blood of the Saints Rev 17:1-6]
2Sa 12:5  David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 
2Sa 12:6  Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” 
2Sa 12:7  Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 
2Sa 12:8  I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
2Sa 12:9  Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 
2Sa 12:10  Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 
2Sa 12:11  This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. 
2Sa 12:12  You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'” 
2Sa 12:13  Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
2Sa 12:14  Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you [Symbolically, Christ] will surely die.”

It does not advance the kingdom of God within for the Bride of Christ to beat herself up in remembrance of forgiven past sins. Yet King David’s conscience, as from time to time is ours, remains a passive witness (having put our sins behind us) against us to remind us to see the evil approaching and to swiftly resist the Devil by asking Christ for His spiritual strength. We thus avoid having our consciences witness against us.

The Bride of Christ is first to be given to go before her sisters remaining in Babylon to take very seriously to sacrifice her entire Body to her Husband and not withhold her land as figuratively Ananias and his wife Sapphira did. 

The final and overarching event of a conscience that witnesses against a person is every man’s conscience since Adam in the Resurrection to Judgment. When the books of every man’s life are opened before Christ and His Christs, condemnation through judgment will immutably convict every man’s conscience as a witness against him when he undoubtedly accuses and excuses himself in anguished cries before his Lord, only to be cast into outer darkness. Of course, it is all prestaged to witness against the world so that all are found to be liars as were Ananias and Sapphira and us.

There are 69 matches of the term “witness against” in scripture, and now, armed with hopeful spiritual inspiration, I encourage you to look up that term in e-Sword. 

To conclude this study, the following is a reflection upon the most fearful and humiliating experience the would-be Elect of God could experience. Common to us all as Christ’s Wife, and particularly myself, is her lamentable condition of temporarily defaulting to being a Vashti and not coming to our Lord when He bids us a hundred times a day to reflect His righteous glory (Est 1:10-22). Should we get to the point that He ‘spews us out of His mouth’ for our sour, lying kisses (Pro 27:6), the spectre of the Lake of Fire flickers on our faces and burns our hearts in witness against us.

Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 
Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 
Heb 10:28  He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 
Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?

Suppose that “sorer punishment” of being cast into the Lake of Fire sarcastically blesses us; then imagine all those witnesses, our former Babylonian friends, family and people we happen to chance upon in life where we failed to be an ambassador for Christ and them, now next to us in the Lake of Fire silently witnessing in their hearts against us.

Lam 2:13  What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee? 
Lam 2:14  Thy prophets [We, if we fail to delight in our Lord’s greater delight in us] have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment. 
Lam 2:15  All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem [now beside the rest of humanity in the Lake of Fire], saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 

[Zep 2:15  This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.]

Lam 2:16  All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. 

Previously, I said that our brothers in the Lake of Fire are “silently witnessing in their hearts against us”, meaning that they will, with relatively equal anguish, know that they, too, are the lesser guilty, nonetheless, just as guilty. The entire world and our once brothers of the same spirit, the Christs will gaze upon us.

Lam 2:17  The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.
Lam 2:18  Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

Let us run forward in the strength of our Lord, our husband and Saviour of the Body and not give wry pride to our brothers in the Lake of Fire, any short-term glee over any failure of us to deny Christ and to climb upon the beautiful City we are and be a witness against us.

We were the “little sister” who is growing into the full-blown glory that Jephthah’s [Phonetic: yif-tawkh] virginal daughter depicted as the Bride of Christ, sacrificed today in harmony with Christ for the sins of the world.

Son 8:8  We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
Son 8:9  If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar. 
Son 8:10  I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate [Bride of Christ will…] hath many more children than she [harlot churches] which hath an husband [unwittingly, Satan masquerading as another Jesus]. 

It is a wonderful thing to have our Lord witness against us today while it is yet light (Joh 12:35-40).

Jdg 9:22-40 God Sent an Evil Spirit Between Abimelech and the Men of Shechem

[Study Aired May 17, 2021]

Jdg 9:22  When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 
Jdg 9:23  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 
Jdg 9:24  That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. 
Jdg 9:25  And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech. 
Jdg 9:26  And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 
Jdg 9:27  And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 
Jdg 9:28  And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 
Jdg 9:29  And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. 
Jdg 9:30  And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 
Jdg 9:31  And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. 
Jdg 9:32  Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 
Jdg 9:33  And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. 
Jdg 9:34  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 
Jdg 9:35  And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 
Jdg 9:36  And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 
Jdg 9:37  And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. 
Jdg 9:38  Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 
Jdg 9:39  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 
Jdg 9:40  And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

In the first part of Judges Chapter 9, we reviewed how Abimelech became king in Shechem and got the necessary resources from the men of Shechem to hire vain and light men to follow him. Instead of plural leadership, the people of Shechem chose Abimelech and the result was the slaying of the seventy sons of Gideon. However, God left a remnant by the name of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon who proclaimed that fire would come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Millo and vice versa.

The review for today is the beginning of the fulfillment of this prophesy by Jotham that fire from Abimelech would consume the men of Shechem and Millo and vice versa.    

Jdg 9:22  When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 

Abimelech represents the old man within each of us. His reign of three years over us refers to the period in our lives where we are held in bondage by the dictates of the flesh, or the old man, even though we have started our journey with Christ. The three years therefore symbolize the fact that this period of the experience of evil in our lives is all part of the process of becoming spiritually complete through judgment.

Luk 13:31  The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

This experience of evil when our old man dominates us is part of the perfecting process of the Lord as we walk with Him. We mature through judgment, and so God seeks for an occasion to judge us. In this case, He sends an evil spirit to precipitate the opportunity to judge us as follows:

Jdg 9:23  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 

As indicated in the previous review, the men of Shechem represent the churches or Babylon. This verse says that the purpose of God sending an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem was for the purpose of using the men of Shechem to deal treacherously with Abimelech. That is to say God causes a conflict between us (represented by Abimelech) and Babylon while we are in Babylon which forces us to leave Babylon with the purpose of gradually putting to death our old man. For our old man (Abimelech) cannot die while we are in union with Babylon. In other words, we cannot sing the Lord’s song in a strange land, so we must leave Babylon. On our own we cannot leave, and God sends an evil spirit to facilitate our exit through judgment so that our old man (Abimelech) can be dealt with treacherously.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
Psa 137:4  How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

What we have to bear in mind is that the conflict between Abimelech and the men of Shechem is one of God’s four judgments. The purpose of all judgments which the elect experience is to learn righteousness. Here God is using the sword as judgment to bring about His purpose. The sword, on a positive note, is the word of God. However, in this context, we are looking at the negative application of sword which includes the physical use of sword for the destruction of lives, false doctrines, bitter words against each other, lies, etc.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Eze 14:21  For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

Jdg 7:22  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Zec 8:10  For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

Jdg 9:24  That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

The seventy sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon) represent the prophets in the Old Testament and our Lord Jesus Christ and His elect in the New Testaments. This verse is therefore another way of saying that the blood of the prophets and that of Jesus Christ will be required of this generation, which includes us. We are all therefore guilty for the killing of our Lord Jesus Christ as our old man (Abimelech) detests the reigning of our Lord Jesus in our hearts.

Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Jdg 9:25  And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech. 

A mountain or mountain top signifies the place of worship, whether we are worshiping idols or Christ, as indicated by the woman at the well with Jesus.

Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Joh 4:20  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

What is being said here in this verse is that it is in the church (men of Shechem) that we are robbed by these false apostles who lie or deceive us.  These lies are what strengthen our old man.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Jdg 9:26  And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

In our time in Babylon, we put our confidence in the “men of God” whose preaching caused us to be attracted to fleshly desires, making us worse off than when we started. According to Strong, the meaning of the name ‘Gaal’ is loathing. Loathing means hatred or intense dislike. Therefore in this verse, Gaal represents the leaders in the churches whose preaching promotes intense dislike for the truth of the word of God. What these men of God preach is of the world, and since we were worldly at that time of our lives, we put our confidence in them.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Jdg 9:27  And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 

The field means the world. “They went out into the fields” means that our walk during our time in Babylon was worldly as we loved pleasure more than the truth of God’s word. This verse is the same as what Peter said:

2Pe 2:12  But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
2Pe 2:13  suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.
2Pe 2:14  They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! (ESV)

Jdg 9:28  And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 

Gaal’s statement, “Who is Abimelech that the men of Shechem including himself should serve him” shows our mindset while we were in Babylon. We thought that we had the power to deal with our old man (Abimelech) and, therefore our sins, at our own discretion. This notion was based on the notion that as long as Christ died for our sins, we do not need to die and that our old man is already dead with Him. We did not consider that the old man only dies through God’s judgment of our sins. What this means is that we did not consider suffering as part of the ways that God deals with us.

We quoted Romans 6:6 as showing that Christ has already died for us as follows:

Rom 6:6  We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Rom 6:7  For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Rom 6:9  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
Rom 6:11  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We forgot that in verse 8 above, there is a caveat. All the verses above are dependent on verse 8 – that is, our old man is crucified only if we have died with Christ.  We die with Christ through suffering by filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in our flesh.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Jdg 9:29  And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. 

All of us when we were in Babylon supported this spirit of the Nicolaitans. According to Strong, the word ‘Nicolaitan’ means to dominate. So the spirit of the Nicolatians is the spirit which makes us think we must dominate the children of God or rule over them instead of being a servant to the people of God. That was the spirit of Gaal and is the spirit of the leaders of Babylon who want the people of God to serve them instead of being their servants as Jesus stated.

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Mat 20:26  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
Mat 20:27  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,
Mat 20:28  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV)

Apostle John also warned us of this spirit when he talked about Diotrephes who was dominating the church to which John wrote.

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Again, in this verse, Gaal thought that he could easily deal with Abimelech by saying to him to increase his army and come out. Our old man, representing Abimelech, cannot be destroyed by our own self-will or effort or by our own timing. Everything is of the Lord, and He deals with our old man gradually through our fiery trials.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Jdg 9:30  And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 

It is our own words which will serve as fuel for the destruction of the Babylon within each of us as we see Zebul angered by the words of Gaal. Outwardly, religious organizations (Babylon) are setting themselves up for their destruction by their own words. The destruction of Babylon is a looming disaster ready to happen, and it is not going to take long as we see how the world is heating up for the kingdom of this world to become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Jdg 9:31  And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. 

As stated by Zebul, the words of Gaal end up fortifying the city against Abimelech. So the words we heard from Babylon fortified us against our old man’s destruction. In other words, our old man was strengthened by the words we heard in Babylon making it impossible for the old man to be destroyed while we were still in Babylon. This is spoken of by the Lord as follows:

Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Rev 9:9  And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

Both the messengers and the hearers in Babylon are described as locusts with breastplates of iron. The fortification of the city is the same as the locusts with breastplates of iron.  What the breastplate of iron means is that, in Babylon, our hearts and minds are strengthened by the false doctrines we hear such that it is impossible for the truth of the words of God to penetrate into our hearts as our hearts and minds are like iron.

Jdg 9:32  Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 

Abimelech is being advised by Zebul to rise up in the night and lie in wait in the field. It is during the night that we are met by the woman who is dressed as a prostitute who seduces us causing our old man (Abimelech) to lie in wait in the field (the world) where we conform to the standards of the world.

Pro 7:9  in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.
Pro 7:10  And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
Pro 7:11  She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home;
Pro 7:12  now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.
Pro 7:13  She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him,
Pro 7:14  “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows;
Pro 7:15  so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
Pro 7:16  I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen;
Pro 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Pro 7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.
Pro 7:19  For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey;
Pro 7:20  he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.”
Pro 7:21  With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.

Jdg 9:33  And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. 

The morning signifies the time that the daystar (Jesus) comes to us, and His coming is with judgment for what we have done in the night. It is the period that God finds an occasion to judge us with the view of learning righteousness. In this story, God is using Abimelech as the instrument to judge the men of Shechem and vice versa. That is what it means by every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Zec 8:10  For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

Jdg 9:34  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

It is while we are in darkness as a result of the night that Christ prepares for our judgment using all His resources (four companies).

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jdg 9:35  And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 
Jdg 9:36  And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 

In the absence of the light of Christ, we are engulfed in darkness, and we cannot see properly. In other words, we were not given eyes to see and ears to hear. That was what happened to us while we were in Babylon because we were experiencing the night of our lives. This situation is just like the story of the blind man who was touched first by Jesus, and as a result, he could see men as trees. However, after another touch by the Lord Jesus, he was able to see clearly. We all were seeing “men of God” as trees to go under their shade to rest from the scorching sun, but after having received mercy from the Lord, He touched us again, and so we are seeing clearly now.

Mar 8:22  And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
Mar 8:23  And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Mar 8:24  And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
Mar 8:25  After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

In verse 36, although Gaal saw men coming down from the top of the mountains, he chose to believe the lies of Zebul that he was actually seeing the shadow of the mountains. What we are being told here is that even though sometimes we stumbled on the truth during our time in Babylon, we did not believe the truth but rather chose to believe the lies of our “men of God.”  The reason we believed in their lies instead of the truth at that time was simply because God had sent us strong delusion to believe in lies.

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jdg 9:37  And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. 
Jdg 9:38  Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

When we start to see clearly, then it means that judgment is about to begin in our house. In essence, that was what Zebul told Gaal when he started seeing clearly that people were coming down by the middle land, and another set of people were coming by the plain of Meonenim.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

His glory being revealed in verse 13 is our eyes seeing and our ears hearing the words of the Lord.

Jdg 9:39  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 
Jdg 9:40  And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. 

The fighting between the men of Shechem, led by Gaal and Abimelech, is the fire which Jotham prophesied will consume the men of shechem and Abimelech for not dealing truly and sincerely with Gideon and his house.

Jdg 9:19  If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:
Jdg 9:20  But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

This fire is the fighting between the men of Shechem and Abimelech which represents one of God’s four sore judgments which is the sword. As stated, being judged by the sword includes physical fighting, bitter words that people (including family members) say about us to others or say to us directly, misunderstanding between family members, etc.

1Sa 14:20  And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Zec 8:10  For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour.

We will conclude this story of Abimelech’s fight with the men of Shechem next week.

[Author may be contacted at abarnes (at) semfinancial.com]

Key verses: Gen 20:1-18

God created the generation of the fleshly Adam to be given an evil experience first, and afterward He will conform all in that Adam into the spiritual image of His Son, Jesus Christ, through a lengthy spiritual judgment process (Gen 2:7; Gen 3:19; Jer 18:4; Rom 8:20):

Ecc 1:13  I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. (CLV)

1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

One of the biggest mistakes we make in our journey in this life is to underestimate the deceptive powers of evil which God created, even in this flesh (Isa 45:7; Pro 16:4; Rom 7:14-23). The life of Abraham is a beautiful Old Testament type of the constant battles inside us even after we have a few big battles behind us in our spiritual development. The spirit of lasciviousness is always very active after a victorious battle in one area of our lives or when our guard is down when we “bless [our]self in [our] heart” (Num 32; 2Sa 11-12; Luk 18:10-14):

Deu 29:18 Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
Dwu 29:19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst.

We must take heed to ourselves when we read this important warning, which was given to the physical nation of Israel to not become overly confident after they have seen the provision and miracles of God in Egypt and in the wilderness (1Ti 4:16; 1Co 10:11; Rom 15:4). After all the trials of Abraham’s faith and the victories he achieved, he moved toward the south again, which is also significant to take note of if we want to understand our own deceptive flesh and its convincing arguments:

Gen 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

Gerar was a Philistine city with very fertile farmlands in its surrounding valleys, which is where Abraham, and later also Isaac, lived during their sojourning (Gen 21:32; Gen 26:12; 2Ch 14:13-15). Knowing that judgment, even through various trials, symbolically comes from the north, moving toward the south symbolically indicates a spiritual slack in our approach to learn about the righteousness of God and His doctrine (Jer 1:13-16; Jer 6:1; Isa 14:31; Isa 26:9). This slackness in the growth of faith is also what we see in the life of Abraham when he moved southward to the land of the Philistines. Here in Gerar Abraham denied his wife, Sarah, for the second time after he previously did this in Egypt several years before when he also moved southward (Gen 12:9-20):

Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Abimelech means “father of the king,” and this name is also linked to a title of rulership in Philistine cities throughout the scriptures (Psa 34; 1Sa 21:10-15; Psa 56:1). It was also before Abimelech that Isaac, Abraham’s son, later denied his wife, Rebecca, when he moved south to Gerar while there was famine in Canaan (Gen 26:1-11). Spiritually we all deny our wives when we leave the truth contained in the doctrine of Christ and through our lusts and pride become involved with the deceitful doctrines of the spirit of this world in us (1Jn 2:16). Through these three occasions of denying one’s wife via Abraham and Isaac, we learn that this spiritual process of denying Christ and His truth will always be a huge temptation until the end. During this period of denial while Abraham lived in Gerar, God is using a very important method to bring sanity back to Abraham which appears here for the first time in scriptures:

Gen 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

This is the first time dreams appear in the scriptures as a way which God also ordained to communicate with mankind. We will briefly touch on this theme of dreams as it relates to the foundational theme of faith in this discussion as the topic of dreams will come up as a separate theme in Genesis in a future discussion, God willing. The generation of Adam always has a big fascination with dreams (“by night”) as it also opens up so many avenues through which God sends His spirits to us as He works all things after the counsel of His will (Heb 12:9; Eph 1:11). This is how Elihu also brings this important foundational truth about dreams to the attention of Job and his three comforters – and all of us:

Job 33:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Job 33:16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
Job 33:17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

Dreams are indeed used by God to bring various messages to people, including specific instructions as we see here in the case of this king of Gerar (Mat 2:12-13). God is the cause of everything, and He also brings frightening messages and strong delusion to deceive mankind through dreams (Job 7:14; Ecc 5:7; Isa 21:4; Dan 2:1; Mat 27:19; Eze 14:1-9; Jer 23:25-29; Job 33:15-17; Isa 29:7-11).

Jer 29:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Speech and knowledge come to us through words which reveal spirits or the “fowls that fly in the…heaven” even as “the firmament shows His handiwork” in our heart/mind (Gen 1:20-23; Rev 19:17; Mat 13:19; Eph 6:12; Psa 19:1-3). Mental images, like dreams, attach themselves also to words or meaningful concepts in our mind. We are commanded by God to try every spirit behind words that come to us, and this also applies to the interpretation of dreams (1Jn 4:1-6). The only true way to try any spirit is by the spirit of God which is His infallible word as the true interpretation of any dream belongs to God:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Gen 40:8 And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Now tell it to me.

God speaks in various similitudes (“dark sayings”) to us before we can see the enlightening brightness of His express image in His Word (Psa 78:1-4; Pro 1:6; Hos 12:10; Eph 1:17-18):

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

When God speaks “mouth to mouth” with a person, it is deeply intimate, and there is no chance of delusion to creep in. This intimacy is the prerogative of God’s elect in this life, and God makes no excuse for His choices, as typified in the way God spoke to Moses:

Num 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Num 12:8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

The Word of God is the highest expression and measure of spirituality which also reveals the very mind of God through Christ, the Word (Joh 1:1-3). God indeed speaks in different ways to people, but in the final analysis it must be tested against the expressed word of God, even that Word “which is written”:

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

Faith comes only through the Word, and no other communication from God can replace this in the final analysis if we are to please God (Rom 10:17; Heb 11:6; Rom 1:17). Only the faith of Christ will produce the works of Godly righteousness in our lives (Gal 5:22-23; Eph 2:10; 1Ti 5:25; 2Ti 3:17; Jas 2:17). The strong delusion of gnosticism and mysticism (especially Christian mysticism) is prevalent even in our day and especially in the field of dreams and dream analysis. God willing, we will avoid “profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science [knowledge] falsely so called” which hide false and deceitful spirits (1Ti 6:20). The fear of the Lord is only found in the obedient submission to His word as the highest authority on any subject, and all else should be seen as vanities and deceit of men (Isa 55:8-9):

Ecc 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

Jer 23:25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Jer 23:26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
Jer 23:27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
Jer 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Spiritual chaff is when we take pride in our dreams and visions and follow man – even our own man of sin and his spiritual ideas (2Th 2:3-4). This chaff prevents us from seeing that it is God who also brings those deceitful dreams and their fulfillment which becomes the strong delusion from which few escape in this life (Jer 23:27; 2Th 2:11):

Deu 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
Deu 13:2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Deu 13:3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deu 13:4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

Abimelech was the king of a righteous nation, from his perspective:

Gen 20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Gen 20:5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

The words “in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this” expose Abimelech’s self-righteous attitude as he is convinced that he is the cause of his not sinning. Abimelech sees himself as ruler of a “righteous nation”, as the Philistines are used by God as a symbol of our own uncircumcised self-righteous Babylonian flesh which has limited communication with God. This is when we believe we have faith, but it is all of our own doing. This is the counterfeit faith which is causing us to do wonderful good works in God’s name when we cannot “approve things that are excellent” (1Co 12:31):

Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
Php 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere [unfeigned faith – 1Ti 1:5] and without offence till the day of Christ;
Php 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Jesus warned about this untried and insincere faith that abounds not “more and more in [true] knowledge and in all judgment” (1Pe 1:6-9; Rev 15:8):

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

As in the case with this Abimelech, this self-righteous flesh will always compare and point to the life and words of God’s elect when the elect do err and walk deceitfully after the darkness of their carnal mind (2Co 10:12). Abraham indeed told lies about his true relationship with Sarah though she was of the same father as Abraham, but not of the same mother (Gen 20:12). A half lie is a 100% lie, as a little leaven affects and infiltrates the whole lump eventually if not repented of and removed quickly (Gal 2:4-5; 1Co 5:1-7; 1Jn 3:3):

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

God acknowledged Abimelech’s innocence in this respect but also reveals to him (and us) that it is God who keeps anyone from falling:

Gen 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

God is the only One that is able to keep us from falling:

Jud 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

The phrase “that [God] is able to keep us from falling” does not deny the truth that He also is the cause behind our falling.

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

This is what God also reveals through His words in the dream of Abimelech and the lie of Abraham (Psa 119:10-11; Rom 1:28):

Gen 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Abraham is still God’s chosen prophet, and he is ordained by God to pray for Abimelech to stay alive! It is through the elect that God will bring spirit life because they are the true prophets of God. They are the only ones ordained by God to speak His words and doctrine of truth. As we see in Abraham’s life, this includes the humiliating process in which the just man shall fall seven times and be risen up to fulfill this duty. The elected ones in God’s house are indeed first to be crushed to powder in this life and shall never come to God in haughty fleshliness (1Pe 4:17; Mat 21:44):

Pro 24:15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
Pro 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

The “dwelling of the righteous” is the mind of Christ and His true doctrine. To have that in your midst will surely bring death to the flesh, and that is what the presence of Sarah in Abimelech’s household symbolized:

Gen 20:8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

God’s truths reveal and destroy our own self-righteousness, pride and lusts for our ultimate salvation from this earthly life (Joh 1:5; 2Pe 1:19). The carnal mind cannot understand or accept God’s fiery and fearsome judgment because it cannot see why self-righteousness must be replaced with God’s righteousness in our lives (Isa 26:9, 1Co 2:14):

Gen 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
Gen 20:10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

It was the Philistines who also housed the ark of God for a time and wanted to get rid of it when they found that death of the flesh is associated with the truth of God (1Sa 5:1-12; 1Sa 6:1-21). Abraham’s explanation to Abimelech as to why he lied to him is very revealing to us:

Gen 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
Gen 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Gen 20:13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

This subtle lie was part of the life of Abraham (which Sarah also agreed with) since the time they left Ur in the land of the Chaldees. It appeared when needed, and Abraham never dealt with this lie properly. Our flesh has a way to hide pet sins as if they are innocent and not harming anyone. Our flesh believes its own delusion and is in love with its own solutions. It devises deceptive and creative schemes to avoid judgment on these private sins. However, our deepest hidden motives will be judged by God as we must be sure that our sins will find us out when we avoid entering into battle against these hidden enemies (Num 32:23). God in His mercy will bring His deliverance through very strange ways, even through the dreams and sacrifices of the world:

Gen 20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
Gen 20:15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
Gen 20:16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

Even the world knows that taking another man’s wife is a grievous sin in the eyes of God which will serve as a shameful rebuke when we take our eyes off God’s pearl of great price, even His doctrine (Job 31:1). This sacrifice of possessions from the side of this Philistine king all proves that God’s truth will be established in our hearts through His fiery humbling process – a thousand pieces of silver (10 X 10 X 10) points to the process of how God’s word is tried in a furnace of earth (Mat 4:4; Psa 12:6; Pro 17:3). Our righteous judgments and our walk should exceed that of the world (Mat 5:18-20). To disobey the doctrine of Christ does not only bring great shame, but if we do not repent of our sins, a terrible punishment awaits when we indeed tread the Son of God under our feet:

Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God’s elect will be kept faithful to His commandments as they will be humbled to admit to their sins and agree with their adversary quickly before they bring a gift to the altar of God (Mat 5:23-26). God’s faithful elect will be used by God to the salvation of Jesus to all in the generation of the first Adam:

Gen 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
Gen 20:18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

———————

Detailed studies and emails relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the iswasandwillbe.com website, including these topics and links:

Abraham and Isaac Denying Their Wives
Ecc 5:3-10 “For In The Multitude of Dreams and Many Words There Are Also Divers Vanities”
Understanding Dreams
Strong Delusion

Video Links

Awesome Hands – Part 36

“.. every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians...”

Every son of God is destined to be sent into Egypt, so that they can be called out of Egypt. For those with a spiritual mind, this should sound familiar to the calling out of Babylon that we go through as Christians.

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The Truth of the matter is that we WILL and do partake of the seven last plagues if indeed we are God’s chosen people.

It may seem like a glaring contradiction, but in order for us to partake of the goodness of God, the mystery (Rev. 10:7) of Christ in us, we must go through the seven last plagues being fulfilled.

Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

As was mentioned in the last study, coming from the “land of Canaan to the land of Egypt” and then eventually being called out of Egypt, isn’t an easy journey and the Lord knows this perfectly.

So, He provides for us and “doesn’t put more on us than we can bear”.

Gen 45:26 And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.
Gen 45:27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:
Gen 45:28 And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

The wheat and the tares will grow together until the time of the harvest and as we saw in the story last study, and we are now at that time in our walk with the Lord as we reflect on what the Lord is doing with us.

Mat 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

We will be brought to the land of Goshen, “drawing near” to God as He brings us to a point where His remnant can continue to grow into the next phase of His ultimate deliverance.

Israel took his journey with all that he had:

Gen 46:1 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
Gen 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
Gen 46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

There are several striking revelations that are contained within these few verses and I hope you are able to “see” the same types and shadows with me.

First notice that Israel goes to Beersheba to offer sacrifices unto God. Beersheba is where Abraham makes a covenant with the Philistines in the form of Abimelech.

Abimelech is also the king of which Abraham lied to about his wife Sarah and caused Abimelech to take Sarah because he thought that Sarah was just Abraham’s sister.

Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Gen 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
Gen 20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
Gen 20:5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Gen 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Gen 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Now notice that it is in a dream by night that the Lord comes to Jacob similar to when he comes to Abimelech.

This is all type and shadow to show us what the process is for those with whom God is working directly with. We are being raised up as kings and priests in training and the “course work” for this training is similar to all of us, the same as it was for Christ.

There is going to be a separation between the old and the new man, and that is exactly why we see God speaking with Jacob at this junction of his life.

For us, in type and shadow, Jacob is being dealt with as the old man and the old man must die for the new man to be born.

Here is where the old man goes to commune with God.

Gen 21:1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
Gen 21:2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Gen 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Gen 21:4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Gen 21:5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Gen 21:6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Gen 21:7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
Gen 21:8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
Gen 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Gen 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

And then a few verses later…

Gen 21:14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

Gen 21:19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
Gen 21:20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Gen 21:21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

See, the seed of the bondwoman will not inherit the Kingdom of God. God will not have this, and He has laid a foundation which must be adhered to in order for this process to work.

So, what is this process you ask? We must go into Egypt to be called out of Egypt. Our “marriage” is not with the gods of Egypt, but rather with the God of who controls Egypt and everyone in it.

Joseph, typifying Christ, will put his hands on our eyes upon our death. This is what God promises Jacob (Israel) in Gen 46:4, so how are all of these various ideas and thoughts connected?

The answer is Egypt or to us spiritual Babylon.

Joseph is caused to go into Egypt at a young age and is later taken out via his bones.

Moses is caused to go into Egypt to later be called to come “out” of Egypt so that he can be used as a savior to Israel.

Christ is caused to be taken to Egypt as a young boy to flee the slaughter that Herod committed against all the two year old and under boys, but He too was called up out of Egypt to be a savior.

So, is it any mystery that we too must go into Egypt in order to be used as saviors later?

What does God say to us about this?

Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
Gen 46:3 And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
Gen 46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Here is Moses’ story of being spoken to by God for what he is going to be caused of the Lord to do.

Exo 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Exo 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
Exo 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Exo 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exo 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Exo 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Exo 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Exo 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

We are taken “onto a mountain” in order to be delivered, but this isn’t an easy process.

Instead, it will seem almost impossible and indeed is without the Lord doing the work. The “work” we must do, is to BELIEVE what we are given to see.

After all, it is not everyone who has “Joseph” put his hand on their eyes in death! Here is what we are given to see, Lord willing.

Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Hos 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

A huge part of the process of salvation is that Egypt is NEEDED to nourish us for a time. When we have our “deadly wound healed,” so that we leave our first love, it is very much when we are contending with a babylonish mindset.

We can NOT fear this process though because the Lord fights for US!

“Jesus…. bringeth them up into an high mountain apart..”

This same process is shown to the very disciples of Christ. There are three disciples taken UP high enough to see this mountainous process.

Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Mat 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Mat 17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Mat 17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Mat 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
Mat 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
Mat 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Mat 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Do you believe? Do you see? What do you hear?

What I see and hear is that it is out of a cloud that the voice of Lord comes a shouting.

What I see and hear is that it is when we are in FEAR of the Lord and His words that we fall on our face only to LIFT our eyes UP so that we see no man but ONLY JESUS.

It takes a very strong event such as being faced with a mountain in our lives that when we are we are able to cast a mountain into the sea.

It is the faith of the Son of God and the Son of man which will cause us to believe that a mountain can be MOVED.

It is with this mindset that we see at the start of Gen 46 verses 1-4 just what we are being told.

We are seeing the process of the old man being separated from the new man but before the new man can be given life, the “old man” must die.

Gen 46:5 And Jacob rose up from Beersheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.
Gen 46:6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
Gen 46:7 His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

Indeed, the process of going from Canaan to Egypt is just as needed as coming from Egypt into the promised land. During each stage of our walk, we “grow thereby”, but there is going to be a lot of war taking place while we are still in this tabernacle of flesh.

We will “rise up” from the place where we have “digged a well in the earth” (Babylon the great whore), and we will move on to the next stage of progression of coming out of her my people.

It took Israel to go through a lot of war before they were sent David with a sack of five stones to slay Goliath and it will be no different for us.

Of a Truth, it is when we DON’T include Joseph and his seed that we have 66 in “our family,” when what we are made up of is NOT whole unless we add “a few more”.

Gen 46:26 All the souls that came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls were threescore and six;
Gen 46:27 And the sons of Joseph, which were born him in Egypt, were two souls: all the souls of the house of Jacob, which came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

Whenever we see the Lord saying something twice, we know it is important. When we are being called by “our name” TWICE, we know the Lord is working with us… and for the chosen elect in particular, we have a witness that He is dealing with the old man in a particular way.

Gen 46:2 And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

Exo 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:

It isn’t when we use our name that we are heard as with “the voice out of the cloud”; rather, it is when the NAME of the LORD is used (which is written on our forehead) that He is heard.

Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Exo 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

When we are sent to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” we do not come in our name “here I” but rather we come in the name of “Here I am”.

Do you hear the voice of the True Shepherd? If you do, you have been called to “come out of her my people” for Shepherds are an abomination to Egypt.

Gen 46:28 And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.
Gen 46:29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
Gen 46:30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
Gen 46:31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
Gen 46:32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
Gen 46:33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
Gen 46:34 That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

The Way, Truth and Life of the narrow way is that we are placed in Canaan for a season to be called out of Canaan.

We are called into Egypt to later be told to “come out of her.”

However, the lesson of this study today is to reflect on the spiritual concept of the types and shadows that point us to knowing that EVEN while we are in these various stages with our walk with the Lord,

He is with us and places us in a land that only causes us to “draw near” to Him.

No matter where and of us are in our spiritual walk, or whatever trials the Lord is placing us in at any given time, we are the Lord’s people and He is with us.

Appearances can be deceiving just as being given the land of Goshen to dwell in WHILE in Egypt seems like a good thing until we later realize we are thrown into slavery.

Fear not though, because the Lord tells us clearly that this process of our walk with Him is indeed holy ground.

Exo 3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.