Exo 24:1-18  And the Sight of the Glory of the LORD was Like Devouring Fire

[Study Aired September 26, 2022]

Exo 24:1  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
Exo 24:2  And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
Exo 24:3  And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Exo 24:4  And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Exo 24:5  And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
Exo 24:6  And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Exo 24:7  And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exo 24:8  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
Exo 24:9  Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
Exo 24:10  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
Exo 24:11  And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
Exo 24:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
Exo 24:13  And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Exo 24:14  And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
Exo 24:15  And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exo 24:17  And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
Exo 24:18  And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Chapter 24 continues with the narration of the people of Israel’s encounter with the Lord at Mount Sinai. The chapter deals with the affirmation of the covenant the Lord made with them. It also shows us what the glory of the Lord is all about and how the glory of the Lord is hidden by the cloud. Our study today will therefore focus on the spiritual implication of the covenant the Lord made with the people of Israel. Through the sum of the Lord’s words, we shall come to understand what the cloud and the glory of the Lord signify.

Psa 119:160  The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (ESV)

Exo 24:1  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. 
Exo 24:2  And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. 

All the people mentioned here in these verses symbolize the elect. These verses show us the different phases of maturity as we walk with the Lord. As we can see, it was only Moses who could appear before the Lord. The rest of the people mentioned could only worship the Lord from afar. In the fullness of time, all these men mentioned also appeared before the Lord.

Exo 24:9  Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: 
Exo 24:10  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

We all start our walk with the Lord from afar even though we have been earmarked as the Lord’s elect. That is why the Lord admonishes us to mature. To mature means getting to know Him intimately. This is exclusively reserved for the elect in this life. In the fullness of time, all humanity will also appear before the Lord and know Him. If we are to mature, then we need to have this mindset:

Php 3:15  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

This is the mindset of those who are eager to mature:

Php 3:12  Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 
Php 3:13  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 
Php 3:14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The next verse in Exodus 24:3 shows us the way to maturity as follows:

Exo 24:3  And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

It is all the words of the Lord spoken by Moses which bring us to maturity.  Here in verse 3, Moses represents the overseers who feed the church of God. Verse 3 is another way of saying the following:

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

What every joint supplies is what brings us to maturity.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

In verse 3, we are further told that the Israelites reacted positively to the words of the Lord by saying wholeheartedly that they will do all that the Lord had told them. This situation is the same as the parable of the Sower in which the seed that fell on stony places represents those who receive the words with joy but when tribulation and persecution arise because of the word, they are offended.

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

So it is the judgment of the Lord in this life which makes the difference between those who will mature to see the Lord in this life and those who will not be able to do so in this age. We are chosen to see the Lord in this life through the furnace of affliction. That is why we are admonished to rejoice when we are going through all kinds of afflictions.

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 48:11  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

The Lord knows our frame that we are not capable of obeying His words except He works Himself into us through His judgment of our old man. This is the Lord’s reaction to the Israelites assertion of obeying all the words of the Lord:

Deu 5:28  And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.
Deu 5:29  O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Exo 24:4  And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Moses writing all the words of the Lord is another way of saying that we are to mark the words of the Lord or give ear to all what He is saying through His elect and not ignore any. If we ignore any of the words of the Lord, we shall suffer loss.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

“Early in the morning” used here in verse 4 symbolizes this age. It is early in the morning that the sun rises, and it is during this period that the Lord is gathering His laborers to work in His vineyard.

Mar 16:2  And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Mat 20:1  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Moses rose up early in the morning to build an altar. This means that in this age, the Lord is calling us to build an altar for the Lord having twelve pillars. An altar is a place where we offer sacrifices to the Lord. Spiritually, the altar represents our hearts and minds. It is from our hearts and minds that we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. Our hearts and minds are “built” on the foundations of the apostles and prophets signified here in verse 4 by the twelve pillars of the tribes of Israel.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Exo 24:5  And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

To understand the spiritual significance of the young men used by Moses to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices of peace offerings, we need to take a look at the following verses:

1Sa 21:2  And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
1Sa 21:3  Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 
1Sa 21:4  And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women. 
1Sa 21:5  And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 
1Sa 21:6  So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

We can see from the above scriptures that on a positive note, young men signify those who have kept themselves from women and are able to eat hallowed bread or shewbread before the presence of the Lord. The women here are used in a negative context and therefore represent Babylon. So, the young men signify those who had come out of Babylon and are eating hallowed bread, which is the truth of the word of the Lord. This description of the young men means we are these young men who assisted Moses to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Moses here represents the elect, and so these young men represent what every joint supplies. It is through what every joint supplies that we are all able to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Exo 24:6  And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Exo 24:7  And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exo 24:8  And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.

The blood used by Moses here is for the purpose of cleansing all the vessels that are used in offering sacrifices to the Lord. In verse 8, Moses also used blood to cleanse the people. These verses were what Paul was referring to in the Book of Hebrews as follows:

Heb 9:19  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 
Heb 9:21  Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 
Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

As we have seen, Jesus Christ has purified our heavens with His blood and to present us faultless before the Father. The Book of the Covenant signifies the words of the Lord. When we hear the words of the Lord, it tastes sweet in our mouths. That is to say, we enthusiastically respond positively to His words just like the people of Israel who said that they would be obedient to all that the word of the Lord says. However, when we face tribulation and persecution as a result of the word we have received, that is when the word becomes bitter in our bellies.

Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

Exo 24:9  Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

As we have indicated earlier, initially it was Moses who could appear before the Lord. Later, the other elect were also able to go up to meet the Lord.

Exo 24:10  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

A simpler version of verse 10 is as follows:

Exo 24:10  and they saw the God of Israel. Beneath his feet was what looked like a pavement of sapphire, as blue as the sky. (GNB)

In the Bible, sapphire stone is likened to the throne of God as shown in the following verses:

Eze 10:1  Then I looked, and, behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

Eze 1:26  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

According to Strong’s Dictionary, the word “paved” used in verse 10 means transparency or whiteness. What this means is that if we are to become overcomers to sit on thrones to judge the world, then we have to walk before the Lord blameless. This was what the Lord told Abraham when he responded to His call.

Gen 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
Gen 17:2  And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

Once we start seeing Him as He is through His words, we begin to purify ourselves even as He is pure. Even though we speak this way, we know that this purification is not our work. The Lord, through His judgment of our old man, will purify us!!

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

“Beneath His feet” mentioned in verse 10 means that the Lord has already subdued all that opposes us such that we can sit on the throne with Him.

Exo 24:11  And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink. 

The nobles here represent the elect. The Lord not laying His hands on the elect means that anyone who has seen the Lord becomes alive instead of being dead spiritually. This was what happened to all those who saw the Lord – their lives were preserved. In other words, they became alive in Christ.

Gen 32:30  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

In verse 11, the statement that “also they saw God, and did eat and drink” means that the more we see the Lord through His words, the more we are given to know more of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. That is another way of saying that the more we know His words, the more we shall be given. Even the little that others have, shall be given to us.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Exo 24:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

As we are aware, the tables of stone, the law and the commandment represent the laws of Moses which are to make us aware of our sinful state and our inability to do anything about it. This is all a necessary part of the process of growing spiritually in Christ.

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

The second part of verse 12 talks about teaching others. This verse, therefore, is also telling us that those who have been given the privilege of availing themselves to teach the Lord’s people (symbolized by Moses telling the people the words of the Lord) will be given to know more for the express purpose of teaching the Lord’s people.

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

2Ti 2:1  Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Exo 24:13  And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
Exo 24:14  And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

Moses had called some of the leaders of the people of Israel (Aaron and Hur) and had given them authority to take care of business while He remained on Mount Sinai. In these verses, Moses represents our Lord Jesus Christ who went on a long journey to receive a kingdom and told us, His elect, to occupy until He comes. It is obvious that this is a very important statement of the purposes of God’s Church on earth.

Luk 19:12  He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 
Luk 19:13  And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

To understand what it means to “occupy till I come”, let’s look at what Paul says of a steward.

1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

A steward is meant to protect that which has been committed to him. Here Paul tells us that a man of God is to be looked upon by the church as a protector of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. That is what it means to occupy until the Lord comes. Spiritually, that is the role Moses committed to the leaders (Aaron and Hur) by saying that whoever has a dispute to settle can go to them. The Lord has committed His words to us, His elect, as the protector of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. When the foundations of the world were being laid, the Lord emphasized this role of the church as a protector of the mysteries of the kingdom of God very clear as follows:

Gen 3:24  So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The Cherubims represent the elect, and we are to protect the way of the tree of life, which is Christ and His doctrines, through the flaming sword. The flaming sword is the tribulations and the persecutions which come as a result of the word we have received.

Exo 24:15  And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

This verse reminds us of our Lord Jesus when He ascended, and a cloud hid Him from the sight of the disciples at Mount Olive. The cloud represents the elect, so what this means is that our Lord Jesus Christ can only be seen in this life through the elect.

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
Exo 24:17  And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

We need to know what the glory of the Lord signifies in order to understand verses 16 and 17. The following verses show us what the glory of the Lord means:

Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Num 16:19  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation. 
Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

We can see from these verses that any time the glory of the Lord appears, we see the Lord speaking. In Deuteronomy 5:24, additional information is given to qualify the glory of the Lord, and that is fire. Seeing His glory therefore means hearing the Lord’s voice out of the midst of the fire. This conclusion is affirmed in Exodus 24:16-17, where the sight of the glory of the Lord was likened to a devouring fire on the top of the Mount. So, in this age, those who are privileged to see the glory of the Lord are those who are hearing His words in the midst of the furnace of their affliction. I will therefore take this opportunity to tell our brothers and sisters scattered all over the world who are going through fiery trials that they should rejoice because it is through suffering that they can see the glory of the Lord!! When we are going through suffering, it is hard to rejoice, but afterwards it will yield the benefit of seeing the glory of the Lord!!

In verse 16, this glory of the Lord was covered by the cloud for six days. The number six represents mankind. What this means is that in this age (six days), you can only see the glory of the Lord through the elect. The seventh day is when we shall be called by the Lord to reign with Him.

Exo 24:18  And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

As we have indicated, Moses represents Christ, and the cloud represents the elect. In this age, Christ is hidden within the elect. Moses was on the Mount for forty days and forty nights. The number forty signifies the period of our lives when we come to know that we are sinners and that nothing good can come out of us except the Lord comes to our aid.

Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

At the end of Moses’ time (forty days) on the Mount, he was given the two tables of stone. The two tables of stone together with the commandments serve as a witness to the fact that we are a people always erring unless the Lord intervenes on our behalf. Our failures are all designed by the Lord for our spiritual growth in Him.

Deu 9:11  And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.

May the Lord help us to come to see the glory of the Lord through the furnace of our affliction. Amen!!

[Posted January 20, 2022]

Hey Mike,

I pray you’re doing well. I’ve developed a low grade fever over today and yesterday and haven’t been feeling too well. Could I ask for prayer for health? I really appreciate it.

If I understand correctly, God himself has sent this sickness to me. It is relieving to know he’s in control. I don’t have any extreme symptoms, it seems to be a mild cold/flu, but i would appreciate prayer.

Thank you!

A____

I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. You are in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

Just FYI the scriptures want us to realize that the Lord actually uses evil spirits to trouble us:

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

1Ki 22:19  And he [the prophet Michaiah] said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

There are many other examples in scripture which demonstrate this method of how the Lord operates in the realm of the spirit to work “His own will” (Eph 1:11) in this physical realm. Joseph’s brothers (Gen 45:4-8), King David’s numbering of the people (2Sa 24:1 with 1Ch 21:1), etc.

The reason I am taking the time to show you all these verses is to keep you from becoming confused when you read:

Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Here is Strong’s definition for the Greek word translated as ‘he’ in this verse:

G848
αὑτοῦ
hautou
how-too’
Contraction for G1438; self (in some oblique case or reflexive relation): – her (own), (of) him (-self), his (own), of it, thee, their (own), them (-selves), they.

Here are the KJC entries for this word:

G848
αὑτοῦ
hautou
Total KJV Occurrences: 30
own, 15
Act_12:10, Act_14:16, Act_21:11, 1Co_6:14, Eph_1:11, Eph_1:20, Heb_3:6, Heb_12:10 (2), Jam_1:26, 1Pe_2:24, 2Pe_2:12-13 (2), Jud_1:16, Rev_1:5
himself, 10
Joh_9:21, Joh_19:12, Act_25:25, Eph_1:5, Eph_1:9, Col_1:20 (2), Tit_3:11, Heb_9:26, Heb_12:3
themselves, 2
Mar_1:27, Joh_17:13
here, 1
Mat_26:36
nothing, 1
Joh_6:39
one, 1
Act_2:1

In John 9 the parents of the man who was born blind and was healed by Christ tell the Pharisees who “cannot hear”… “ask him: he shall speak for himself [G848: hautou].

So, yes, the Lord has indeed given you this affliction, but He sent an evil spirit to effectuate it in your physical body.

The story of the heavenly conference in 1st Kings 22 concludes with this revelation of exactly how the Lord operates in dealing with His creatures:

1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

It was accomplished by God. Not by God Himself lying to Ahab, but by God sending a lying spirit to effectuate “His own will”:

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own [G848: hautou] will:

Your brother who is asking the Lord to remove this spirit of affliction from you,

Mike

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Awesome Hands – part 43

“A burning bush, but not consumed”

Previously, we studied book two of Exodus and discovered how the Lord works with His hands to form the situations that cause us to be His chosen people.

Whether good or bad form our perspective, and just as happened with a baby Moses, the Lord uses all circumstances; yay, He has formed all circumstances to serve His own purpose and for His own glory.

With the admonitions, type and shadows found with Moses and his upbringing we have started to see a pattern immerge of how the Lord works with us to mold us into the vessels which will be used for honor in His kingdom.

In our study today, we are going to continue to follow Moses as he starts off in the wilderness and finds himself staring at a very “great sight” of a burning bush which is not consumed.

As we will see, Lord willing, this will be a very pivotal happening in our life and it will forever change the direction of our walk on this earth seeing as we are entering unto Holy Land.

“Moses kept the flock”

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.

We ended the last study looking at the Hebrew word for shepherds or pastors and we compared the spiritual difference between the pastors that drive away those who come to the well for water versus those who help those who come to the well by helping to water the flocks.

As we start of in chapter 3, we now see that Moses has been invite to eat bread with the family of Jethro and was also given a place in Jethro’s family by being given Ziporrah, meaning “bird,” and representing the heavenly.

It is here, in type and shadow, in the heavenlies that we will get to know the start of the commandments of our Lord as we also discover His name.

It is on the backside of the desert that we come to the mountain of the Lord to Horeb, meaning desolate.

The angel of the Lord appeared from the middle of the burning bush because He is in the middle of His people. His people dwell comfortably in the fire, and you cannot separate the Head from His body.

Lev 1:7 And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
Lev 1:8 And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
Lev 1:9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

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?

Isa 33:10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
Isa 33:11 Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, as fire, shall devour you.
Isa 33:12 And the people shall be as the burnings of lime: as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.
Isa 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.
Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
Isa 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

We come to this point, where we are least aware that we are about to presented with the Fire of the Word of God, that the Lord sends an “angel of the Lord” to bring a message to us.

Keep in mind; this is all in type and shadow but indeed the Lord dwells in His people and He sends His messengers of Light to bring the Fire in their mouths. Christ is in their MIND and as such, we can know that just as the bush represents Christ, we represent Christ to those who we are sent to.

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.

If we look closely at this first encounter with the Lord, we’ll notice that there is an event the Lord Himself has created knowing that this event ALONE would have Moses turn aside to see this “great sight”.

From this, the Lord tells Moses that his walk is about to change. “Put of thy shoes…the place you stand is Holy Ground,” means this is the Rock of foundation of which we all start off from.

The Lord then goes on to tell Moses that He has seen the affliction of His people and heard their cry.

Do you think that Moses is included in this group? Is Moses one of God’s people? Of course He is!

Did you notice in verse 3:8 that the angel of the Lord says, “I am come down to deliver my people”?

It is the Lord who comes down and is stripped of His glory so that He can take on the form of man. It is when the Lord “comes down” to His people AGAIN, that He comes down from the heavenlies to dwell in the hearts and minds of His people and this starts at the mount of Zion, in Horeb, where there is DESOLATION.

“I will send thee unto Pharaoh”

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.

As we have covered in many of the previous studies, it is the Lord who puts the circumstances and situations in our lives in order to have everything shaped so that His will can be accomplished.

If a leopard cannot change his spots nor an Ethiopian change the color of his skin, how then can we expect that anything we do can change one iota of an inch of what the Lord is going to do or is actively doing in our lives?

Jer 13:20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
Jer 13:21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?
Jer 13:22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.
Jer 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Jer 13:24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
Jer 13:25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

All we are given to do is act upon the faith the Lord has given us to PRAY to Him that we be delivered from the situation He has placed us in.

This is all orchestrated so that the Lord can cause us to be in distress so that we can call out to Him for deliverance. That is why we are sent to the “mount of desolation”.

1Th 3:7 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:
1Th 3:8 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.sssss
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Jer 42:11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

Moses, as a type and shadow of all who are brought to the Lord, are brought to the king of Babylon/ the Pharaoh of Egypt, in order to be recused from the same by the hardened of the Pharaohs heart.

In other words, the Lord creates the entire scenario form a to z so that the “old man” can be confronted with the fire of the Word of God of which represents the Truth that we have always been slaves to the old man and the Lord and His angels are here to deliver His people from this bondage!

Exo 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
Exo 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

We have just been told that we are going to come BACK to the Lord to this same mount, but the second time we are going to come SERVING the Lord.

This first time around though, we think we are somehow involved in that we think just like Moses, “who am I, that I should go….”

This is very similar to how Saul answers the Lord when he recognizes the Lord after seeing a “great sight” and says, “what would you have me do Lord?”

Act 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Act 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Indeed, when the Lord initially works in our lives and shows us a “great light from heaven” we are going to tremble because we recognize a great thing is happening before us.

At the same time, we initially want to help the Lord along instead of diligently listening to what the instructions of the Lord are. Such is how the Lord has designed us in our initial blind state.

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.
With this mindset of wanting to come in the name of the Lord and do something for Him at the same time, we want to make sure we are in the “right” with the Lord, so we make sure we are bringing the name of the Lord.

However, in type and shadow, the Lord telling us His name is “I AM THAT I AM” is just another way of saying we are going to come as carnal Christians who are not truly bringing the name of the Lord stamped on our foreheads having Him at the helm of every aspect of our walks.

Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Contrasted with:

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

The Head we will possess, as a token and a covenant the Lord makes with us, is that we will have Christ sitting on top of the “cherubim beasts” and the name we will have then will be, “the Word of God.”

“Say unto the children of Israel…”

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.
Exo 3:16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
Exo 3:17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

So, we are going to go and tell the children of the Lord just what we have been told. Only initially, they will not have seen the bush burning but not consumed but will rather they will see it in the Words which we speak to them as the angel of the Lord.

Later, they will know that we dwell in the fire and have spoken the words of the Lord to them.

The thing that Moses tells God’s people initially though is that He is going to take them to the promised land, which milk and honey flow, but He doesn’t tell them this is only the beginning!

Exo 3:18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
Exo 3:19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
Exo 3:20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

The mere will of a man, even the hand (that is to say the work of the hands) of a mighty man will not be enough to un- harden the hardness the Lord has placed on the Pharoah’s heart.

When the Lord creates a scenario, it can only be relieved, changed or done away with by the Lord.

The Lord showed us this Truth from the foundation of the world, in that when He created everything He told us that it was good.

Apart of that creation is the creation of the adversary of the Lord of which is a very good adversary indeed! Such is the same with the Pharaoh.

It will take something the Pharaoh can absolutely not “buck” against that will eventually cause Him to let the children of Israel go.

This is no different in the spirit when the old man is confronted with the new man’s mind of Christ and that new man comes saying, “the LORD God of the SPIRITUAL Hebrews…hath met with us”.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Exo 3:21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
Exo 3:22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

When this all happens to us as spiritual Jews, it is of a special note that the Lord will bless us with the spoils of the Egyptians just to later use it for our destruction!

The Lord will constantly take what He has created in our lives and mold it into a situation that will then be cast into the Fire so that we can learn to JUDGE what is happening with His righteous judgment and realize that unless the Lord establishes a thing, it is NOT established!

Exo 32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
Exo 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
Exo 32:21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
Exo 32:22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
Exo 32:23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Exo 32:24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
Exo 32:25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

Indeed, the gold that will be tried in the fire will be there with the wood, hay and stubble and anything that remains will be purified and will be a reward for us, the children of the Lord.

What can be hard to grasp at times, is that the Lord uses everything to bring about His glory so “at the end of the day,” all we can do is give honor, glory and lips of thanksgiving to Him alone.

Gen 9:17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

Exo 6:4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

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.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

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Awesome Hands – part 38

“ The Son of the Right Hand”

As we walk out each day of our lives, we come to know that the will of God is that Christ increases and we decrease daily.

Before we come to that point of understanding however, we must first learn that God is working out a blessing on and for the new man He is growing up in Him and He must likewise work a blessing of death in the old man for this to happen.

Joh 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Joh 3:31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

In the last study, we saw another example of how the Lord is calling His people unto Himself.

In the example of Joseph and the rest of the tribes of Israel (including their father), God places us in “Goshen” while we are in Egypt, so that we can increase and multiply.

Gen 47:27 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly.
Gen 47:28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years: so the whole age of Jacob was an hundred forty and seven years.

During this time of being in Egypt, God seeks out “men of activity” to accomplish the overseeing of the flock that is also in Egypt.

Indeed, we are “friends of the bridegroom” in this capacity, and we usher in the rest of the “bride of Christ” to the “marriage supper of the lamb”.

In the study today, we are going to glean what is represented in type and shadow of being the first wife versus the second wife, the church of the Living God versus the whore in the wilderness, the second son versus the first, the Spiritual versus the natural.

“Who are these”

Gen 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Gen 48:2 And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Gen 48:3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
Gen 48:4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.
Gen 48:5 And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.
Gen 48:6 And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

At the start of chapter 48, we are going to be given a biblical principle that will remain and stretch out through the pages of the bible.

The concept we are reading about is that of the first and the second, the first and the last, the old and the new, so on and so forth.

Here are a few examples of what I am referencing and then we will compare them to what we see in Gen 48: 1-6.

Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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.
1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

Jacob mentions how the Almighty appears to him blessing Jacob and that God tells him his seed will be blessed. In other words, his seed was promised to be “given the land”.

In the last study, we saw how Jacob’s entire house was given the best land of Egypt, Goshen, which means “drawing near” to God. In all that God can do with mankind, this is by far a very blessed occurrence.

Now, we see Jacob telling Joseph that his two sons will be given inheritance with Israel as if they were Reuben and Simeon. However, what is significant about Reuben and Simeon?

The spiritual significance of what these two brothers represent is the order in which they are born and even the names they are given have significance.

Gen 29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
Gen 29:33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

Most of the church world believes that God wants the best for us personally but somehow we choose not to listen to God so he punishes us or afflicts us.

Leah (the first wife) certainly felt like she was being afflicted because Jacob loved Rachel more.

The truth is that God does NOT LOVE the old man which is represented by the first.

Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
Rom 9:14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

Mal 1:1 The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.
Mal 1:2 I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
Mal 1:3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Simeon was born to Leah because she was “hated”, yet she is the eldest of two sisters.

Alas, there is a very plain biblical admonition for this. You shall be hated of all men “for His name’s sake,” not for your own names sake or the evil that is done to your flesh.

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

There is a difference for having evil brought to us because of something in the flesh i. e. Jacob preferred the beautiful Rachel versus of the lazy eyed Leah so she felt hated versus being hated for the name of Christ, which is a spiritual hatred of the doctrine of Christ.

1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
1Pe 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

“Guiding his hands wittingly”

Gen 48:7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
Gen 48:8 And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said, Who are these?
Gen 48:9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Gen 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
Gen 48:11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

Jacob continues to let Joseph know about where Rachel was buried because in chapter 37, the chapter is ended with Israel making Joseph swear an oath that he would not bury him in Egypt.

Gen 48:12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.
Gen 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.
Gen 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
Gen 48:15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
Gen 48:16 The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

The younger always receives the blessing from the “Angel”, who Christ is, because this is the pattern that the Lord has made clear from the beginning.

Abel over Cain, Rachel over Leah, Isaac over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, David over Saul …. all are favored and blessed to show us the spiritual significance of the elder shall serve the younger.

This is because the “right hand blessing” that Israel bestows on Ephraim signifies the righteousness

and the strength and power of the Lord in working this and all things after the counsel of His own will.

Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

Psa 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
Psa 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psa 48:10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Psa 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

The blessing that Jacob is imparting on Ephraim is the same blessing he was given over his brother Esau.

This is all to show us that the Lord works His will through the “hands” and “walks” of those that are His people by giving them His mind, His Word.

The “seed” we produce, that is our fruit of righteousness as the Lord gives it to us, will have this same blessing.

Exo 29:20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

Lev 8:23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
Lev 8:24 And he brought Aaron’s sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

Of course, the “ways of men” do not like how the Lord works His will.

Gen 48:17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.
Gen 48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

Jacob couldn’t even see Joseph’s sons, but the Lord had shown this same example to Jacob in his own life. So, Israel knew full well what he was doing.

Gen 48:19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.
Gen 48:20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
Gen 48:21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
Gen 48:22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

It is easy to conclude that his was all as Israel had said it would be because Ephraim ends up having the largest tribe of his brothers, but the focus we have been seeing is that the younger will be given preference and dominion over the older.

The “seed of the promise” covenant that God made with Abraham and passed on to Isaac and then to Jacob still lives and is being passed onto Jacob’s seed.

This entire pattern is indicative that what comes naturally and in natural order has no bearing on what God is going to do with what comes AFTER the natural except in that there must be the natural FIRST so that the spiritual can come about.

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.

The story of Gen 48 is there primarily to emphasis that “the seed of the promise” is being made to they who are of the “Jews in Spirit”.

Though the physical Jews came first, the spiritual Jews are being made “greater than the older,” a spiritual multitude of nations, the church of the Living God, the body of Christ.

In living out these historical events, the physical/ natural Jews cannot receive the promise that was not given to them.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Rom 9:9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
Rom 9:10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.