Lam 2:1-22 Part 2, In your patience possess ye your souls (Luk 21:19)

[Study Aired August 19, 2023]

Most folks get very uncomfortable in the presence of another’s rage. Some boldly challenge the brawler, hopefully with a greater storm to overwhelm and dominate. Their arrogance in victory is equally loathsome.

It is ridiculous to believe that our Lord is perpetually in a state of carnal-like anger as if He is sitting on His throne like King Saul, smouldering for an opportunity to pin us against the wall. In a sense, it is true, yet His anger is righteous. The key is to be angry and not sin.

Eph 4:26 Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath, 
Eph 4:27 neither give place to the Devil.

The lying doctrine of eternally writhing in the flames of hell, rotisseried by a grinning Devil is not conducive to spiritual change. Like the wryly amusing seventeenth-century military adage says, “The floggings will continue until morale improves.” Similarly whipped and beaten, that is how Israel in the wilderness felt, and we, too, until our eyes were opened. To Israel and us as old Jerusalem, that droll quote could have read, “The floggings will continue until hearts are changed.”

Ecc 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 

Yet, most frustratingly, as old Israel experienced in the wilderness and we in Babylon…

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Isa 54:6 For Jehovah has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were rejected, says your God. 
Isa 54:7 For a little moment I have left you; but with great mercies I will gather you. 
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says Jehovah your Redeemer.

Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 
Jas 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. 

Isaiah 54:8 is a more spiritually accurate version of the military maxim following the blessing of the holy spirit. Yet, the physical precedes the spiritual. Old Israel experienced many literal floggings and stonings to precede the spiritual. Well, “morale” did increase since we in Babylon circumvented the floggings and stonings with the invention of a different Jesus who would love us “just as we are” as we blindly continued to dance spiritually naked.

In Chapter Two of Lamentations, let us reflect spiritually upon our chastisements and the peace our blessed inheritance will produce. Our Lord guarantees that the floggings will continue at His hand until morale (confidence) improves.

Eze 29:16 And it shall be no more the confidence [4009 – 1. trust, confidence, refuge 
act of confiding b. object of confidence c. state of confidence, security] of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is revealed, we may have confidence [G3954 – 1. freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech a. openly, frankly, i.e. without concealment b. without ambiguity or circumlocution] and not be ashamed before Him in His coming. 
1Jn 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness has been born of Him. 

Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Heb 10:32 But call to memory the former days, in which (after you were illuminated) you endured a great fight of afflictions,
Heb 10:33 indeed being exposed both by reproaches and afflictions, and while you became companions of those who lived so. 
Heb 10:34 For you both sympathised with my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 
Heb 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence [G3954], which has great recompense of reward.
Heb 10:36 For you have need of patience, so that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 For “yet a little while, and He who shall come will come and will not delay.”

It is only the Lord’s Elect who fully understand His methodology of chastisement that assuredly does produce morale that is trust and confidence for an outstanding end.

Heb 12:6 for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” 

We can now go forward with that spirit knowing why…

The Lord Has Destroyed Without Pity

Lam 2:1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! 
Lam 2:2 The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. 
Lam 2:3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. 
Lam 2:4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire. 
Lam 2:5 The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. 
Lam 2:6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.
Lam 2:7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. 
Lam 2:8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. 
Lam 2:9  Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD. 
Lam 2:10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground. 
Lam 2:11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. 
Lam 2:12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.
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 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, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 
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. 
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.
Lam 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. 
Lam 2:20 Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? 
Lam 2:21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied. 
Lam 2:22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD’S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed. 

Interpretations

Lam 2:1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger! 

Classically, there was no greater recording of a cloud representing blindness than the Earth from Eden to Noah covered in dense fog with never an expansive blue sky. Similarly, a painfully slow dawning occurred with Israel in the wilderness, even though they physically saw the law in fiery clarity compared to the Egyptians, yet, unwittingly, they, too, were blind. Christ makes no apologies for repeating His spiritual truth everywhere in scripture; likewise, here, when looking back on Solomon saying in His clouded blindness, “Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.” (Son 6:13).

So, we ‘return’ to Jacob, symbolically representing God speaking to Rachel. She is us in our clouded blindness for what our Father is doing within us through Christ. As we come out of Babylon, we are somewhat bewildered for not being able to bring forth the spiritual fruit of our womb manifested as Christ’s righteousness. We try and try to keep His commands and anxiously cry out to Him to give us ‘children’. We get a little afraid and nervous about not being in the First Resurrection. In time, we learn through His chastising grace that we gain eternal life through our God-given patience and Him birthing our spiritual womb’s righteous fruit. We, as Christ’s footstool, even upon his knees, become his birthing stool, the stone on which we are conceived (H70 – 1. wheel, disc a. potter’s wheel b. bearing-stool, midwife’s stool. H68 – 1. stone (large or small) a. common stone (in natural state) b. stone, as material 1. of tablets 2. marble, hewn stones) and the Lord’s Elect are the birthing stool (Exo 1:16) of the world as it seeks to kill us as Herod did Jesus birthing of us.

Gen 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, Give me sons, or else I will die.
Gen 30:2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel. And he said, Am I in God’s stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?
Gen 30:3 And she said, Behold my slave woman Bilhah [H1090 – troubled H926 – 1. to disturb, alarm, terrify, hurry, be disturbed, be anxious, be afraid, be hurried, be nervous]; go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and yea, let me be built up from her, me also.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope; for what anyone sees, why does he also hope for it? 
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that which we do not see, then we wait for it with patience. 

Luk 21:19 By your patient endurance you will gain your souls. (BSB) 

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Our Lord and we will not remember the flesh and its anguish, the “footstool” we were in the Kingdom of God. Christ gives birth to us, and we, upon His knees, give birth to the world of humanity in the Resurrection to Judgment. At that point, Christ’s final words on the cross become a reality, 

Joh 19:30 Then when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up the spirit.

Lam 2:2 The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.

The parental portrayal of Jacob, Rachel and Leah is pivotal to understanding that we are swallowed up by our unrighteous habitations before becoming the heavenly daughter of Judah, Jerusalem above. The casting down of our idols of the heart, our “strongholds” painfully brings forth righteous spiritual fruit.

Joh 15:8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples. 
Joh 15:9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.
Joh 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Lam 2:3 He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn [self-righteous strength] of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about.

We are coming out of being the Whore who says she has a husband (Rev 18:7). In the meantime, we have been sullen and angry like Rachel in our impatience for not being able to bear righteous children, and we blame God.

We decreasingly feel forsaken for not being blessed with the sensualities of the flesh for the bewildering simplicity of being blessed with marriage, even a righteous husband or wife, in existing marriages. We grievously lament to God that we are worthless and think we will not make being his Bride singled out like sulky Cain for special condemnation. Well, that thinking is gloriously true.

Isa 54:7 For a little moment I have left you; but with great mercies I will gather you. 
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, says Jehovah your Redeemer.

Lam 2:4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire.

In being given greater power to not look back upon the sensualities of Sodom, we increase by His hand in faithfulness as we increase our pace out of the furious fire behind, increasingly clothed in lightning brilliance yet not seen by Babylon.

Luk 17:24 For as the lightning which lights up, flashing from the one part under heaven, and shines to the other part under heaven, so also shall the Son of Man be in His day.

Eze 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
Eze 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

The Lord only regards the relevance of the flesh for its multiple physical elements pointing to its spiritual counterparts. Eventually, he slays all our sensualities that are ‘pleasant to the eye’. Rachel was supremely pleasant to Jacob’s eye, and she, along with all her (the Bride’s) associated and tumultuous “inventions” (Ecc 7:29), will have served their purposes and disappeared. The flesh profits nothing (Joh 6:63).

Lam 2:5 The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.

This experience of evil flesh from Eden to the end of the One Thousand-Year rule with the rod of iron, with a focus on Israel, the Lord’s wife, is designed for our lust to increase. 

The Lord orchestrates the entire affair to intentionally make us spiritually fat (Psa 73:6) in another Jesus. For the creator himself is our enemy (Deu 32:1-16. Pro 16:4). In that regard, I’ve had non-believers, Gentile Christians ask about my faith, and upon the above understanding, angrily reply that Christ is a psychopathic unmentionable so-n-so. Only his Bride, the younger daughter of Judah, looks behind and delightedly understands her Lord’s intentions for his erroneously assumed blasphemous “psychopathic” stance (Jer 29:9-11). 

Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 
Jud 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Jud 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

We are born in the clouded darkness of mourning and lamentation and raised in the glorious light of day.

Psa 30:8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 
Psa 30:9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 
Psa 30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. 
Psa 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 
Psa 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Lam 2:6 And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.

A garden and a tabernacle represent the safety of a temporary covering (H7900, H1588). The Lord banished Adam and Eve with the intended violence of a flaming sword that turned each and every way from Eden. The garden was a hedge of protection from the wild beasts of the outside field where Adam and Eve initially only knew “good” and not “evil”. Adam and Eve laid the foundation for mankind, particularly the Lord’s people, to despise his goodness. It is the pattern from Eden to the One Thousand-Year reign for the Bride’s God-given understanding. She alone is given to know the reasons for her destruction and mourning.

Lam 2:7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast. 

The Lord’s abhorrence of His sanctuary is the worthlessness of our labours in the flesh to achieve righteousness. From the beginning of creation, he planned to hand us over to the enemy for affliction hedged in by the hallowed walls of our nominal 40,000 synagogues of Satan, our palaces within. No greater noise reverberates the rafters of Christendom than the saved as we are now in our sins by the delusion of Christ having done it all for us. No mention of Colossians 1:24 and “rejoicing 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.” 

In Old Covenant times, the most outstanding solemn feasts of the seven occurred three times a year. Yet, our entire journey in the Lord is a ‘solemn feast’ since the Feast of Booths and the Eight Day feasts encompass from beginning to the end the Bride’s passage of awakenings.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice [to what extent? The whole of one’s body figuratively 8 days], holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

2Ch 8:13  Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. 

2Ch 7:9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
2Ch 7:10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

Lam 2:8 The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. 

No wonder our former Babylonian selves threw up our hands in frustration and worked out our own salvation in delusion. Understanding the Lord without his spirit is looking upon Shulamite-like blackness. One minute he tells us to keep the feasts and then disband them.

Amo 5:20 Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? 
Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 

Lam 2:9  Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD [Isa 42:19].

Our self-professed multitude of naked prophets within can’t understand the Lord’s word without his spirit. We begin as false prophets and by his spirit become prophets of faithfulness.

Num 11:27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp. 
Num 11:28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, make them cease. 
Num 11:29 And Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? Would God that all Jehovah’s people were prophets, that Jehovah would put His Spirit upon them! 

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he will begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He has declared to His servants the prophets. 

Lam 2:10 The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground. 
Lam 2:11 Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon [H5848 –  1. to turn aside a. (Qal) to turn aside, turn (in order to cover)] in the streets of the city. 
Lam 2:12 They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.

Mankind, from Adam to the end of the rulership with the rod of iron, are sucklings awaiting maturity in the Resurrection to Judgement. Only their ‘mother’, the younger daughter (Rom 9:12-13) of the Lord’s people, will be given the spirit of truth to understand the eight days (highlighted by feast days) to finalise creation.

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 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, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? 
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.

Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 

The Body of Christ expects her greatest humiliations are yet to come as this world rapidly descends into the depths of the abyss. As AI (‘ai’) surveillance strengthens, no doubt the Elect of God will be cast most realistically their historically unrighteous acts and new contrivances to smear our Christ’s name. Impervious to a righteous account, that happens outside the Body today with every man’s hand increasingly against his neighbour.

If the Lord has supplied us with enough oil for our spiritual lamps, we will be immune to the vicious accusations that the IWWB studies will unrighteously engender (John 15:18-27). 

Mar 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations [primarily within]. 
Mar 13:11 But when they [enemies within and without] shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 
Mar 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death [righteously and unrighteously spiritually and hopefully not physically].
Mar 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Luk 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you [The Body have each other as friends], and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 
Luk 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

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.

Wow! There it is! All things are the Bride’s (1Co 3:22). Our tears precede our imminent jubilation.

Zec 2:7 Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 
Zec 2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Lam 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. 
Lam 2:20 Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this [to the Bride, of course!]. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? [YES!]

During the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 66-73 CE, she, representing the “daughter of Jerusalem”, out of the desperation of hunger, ate her physical children, and so we devour our unrighteous children within. In the meantime, Satan, too, constantly requests the Lord’s permission to devour us.

Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 
Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne [protected].
Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Even though we have “come out of her”, we still live in the wilderness that is Babylon and undetected, growing rich in our Lord’s righteousness for the duration of that figurative three and a half years.

Lam 2:21 The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied. 
Lam 2:22 Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD’S anger none escaped nor remained [thankfully, and hopefully our enemies within]: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.

Our swaddled sins are idols of the heart we stubbornly clutch that is the consummation of our lust of the eyes and flesh fixed with nails to our hearts.

Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

No greater ‘solemn day of our terrors’ will there be than to be cast into the Lake of Fire to deal with our sins we should have in this age.

The Lord is “mine enemy” (Lam 2:5, Php 3:18-19) who consumes our idols and every idle word contrary to His. 

Lev 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

As we mature, we learn in patience (Luk 21:19) to recline in the Lord’s fiery coals as we animatedly converse with him as prefigured by Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace (much more agreeable than the poetry of Satan’s rotisserie). We learn not to beat ourselves up for the seemingly tedious workmanship He has committed us. Flailing and gashing our conscience is forbidden, and I am becoming less of a chief whip upon myself. Our gnashings and gashings upon ourselves can unwittingly become adorning scars, signs of our fake humility, more mortification than holiness for change.

Pro 27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.
Pro 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

May the Lord continue to be our ‘enemy-friend’ until all that is left is golden friendship. 

2Ki 24:1-20  “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth” – (Mat 23:35)

[Study Aired May 4, 2023]

2Ki 24:1  In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 
2Ki 24:2  And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.
2Ki 24:3  Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 
2Ki 24:4  And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. 
2Ki 24:5  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 
2Ki 24:6  So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 
2Ki 24:7  And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. 
2Ki 24:8  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.
2Ki 24:9  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 
2Ki 24:10  At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 
2Ki 24:11  And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.
2Ki 24:12  And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
2Ki 24:13  And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. 
2Ki 24:14  And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. 
2Ki 24:15  And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 
2Ki 24:16  And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. 
2Ki 24:17  And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 
2Ki 24:18  Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
2Ki 24:19  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 
2Ki 24:20  For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

This chapter of 2 Kings discusses how Judah is taken into captivity, and it typifies for God’s elect the severity of God’s wrath upon our Adamic nature (Rom 11:21-22) that is identified by Christ as being guilty of “all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Mat 23:35). It is through God’s goodness we are being judged and led to repentance (Rom 2:4), and it takes these seven plagues poured out upon us today, spoken of in Revelation 15:8, to have Christ enter our temple (1Co 3:16, Col 1:27). It is cleansed through a sanctification process (Joh 17:17) that washes us from our sins and iniquities by the flesh and blood of Christ (Joh 6:55) making it possible for us to go on to perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32). Christ never sinned but identifies with this process of overcoming and is the author and finisher of it in each member of the body of Christ (Heb 12:1-2, Rom 12:1-2, Rom 5:10).

Rom 11:21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, [2Co 3:18] and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled [“his goodness“].

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

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.

The final destruction of all flesh with Gog and Magog is the physical natural event that precedes the final destruction of all carnal thinking in the lake of fire, which is the time when those “seven plagues” will be poured out on all of humanity (Rom 1:20). The spiritually carnal minds of humanity will reason in glorified bodies (1Co 15:40) that they have done many wonderful works (Mat 7:22) and are not worthy of a judgment unto condemnation. Like all yet unconverted minds it is impossible to behold “the goodness and severity of God” and equate that goodness with a good work which requires God’s “forbearance and longsuffering” until we go through the process of judgment being accomplished by grace through faith (Col 1:27, Rom 8:9, Eph 2:8). That relationship of knowing Him in the spirit (Act 9:5) and no longer after the flesh comes at a miraculous appointed time (Joh 14:20), each man in his own order (1Co 15:23-24).

The main and hope-filled message to be taken from this chapter in 2 Kings is that if we are bound to the altar (Psa 118:27), God will receive His sons and cleanse our temples with a forbearing and longsuffering spirit that will do whatever it takes to wipe away the refuge of lies in our heavens (Heb 12:26-29, Rom 5:10). God sees clearly where we are in our spiritual growth and knows those things that are yet binding us to the earth. He has the power to destroy those things (Heb 12:27) and keep us bound to the altar (Joh 8:36).

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

We are admonished to not despise this process of overcoming this marred vessel that is being made anew as we die daily (Jer 18:4), which process is very graphically typified for us with the nation of Judah with all its failing kings and backsliding spirit that ultimately brings God’s great wrath upon the nation. When we seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness (Mat 6:33), we are tried by our Father who is a consuming fire, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom [by seeking it first (Mat 6:33)] which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.” God sets the stage for all our battles in life and provides the strength we need through Christ to go through the fiery trials, which is the grace [favor upon His children] that produces a new vessel which can “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Num 14:9). We need only acknowledge our sins in that process (Psa 32:5, Jer 3:13-14).

Psa 32:5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 
Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:  

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

We are blessed to progressively come to understand the depth of the guiltiness that is in all flesh revealed in what we do, or have done, in our life “between the temple and the altar” knowing that it is only Christ who can give us the power to overcome our wretchedness (Rom 7:24) to then turn back and see how we have been dragged to Him through the power of God’s holy spirit (Rev 1:12). That increase in our walk only comes through suffering with the body of Christ as we learn to bear each other’s burdens in this life (1Co 10:16, Gal 6:2) and gain a deeper and more profound respect for the recompence of the reward obtained through that communion into which we have been called (1Co 10:16). The question is how is this all done and accomplished, and the answer is by His faith that must be tried (1Pe 1:7, Rom 3:27) in order that we may endure to the end through Christ, typified by Moses in the wilderness of his day who esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward [Paul’s version of the same point (Php 3:8)]”  (1Pe 4:17, 1Co 11:32, Joh 6:44, 1Co 3:6, Heb 11:26-27). The reward of eternal life is what gives us such great incentive in this life as we lose our adamic life for His name’s sake, knowing that our fear of God is essential if we are going to be saved and heard in this life (Heb 5:7, Luk 12:5, Heb 11:7).

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Those who are raised in the second resurrection will go through a process of judgment, typified by what society will physically experience during the thousand-year reign of God’s saints, and every soul will come to that Gog and Magog moment in their hearts (Rev 20:8) where once the truth is known, the carnal knee-jerk reaction will be to contend with God, as we all did, and say “Why have you formed me this way, why am I guilty to this degree?” “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” [Mat 23:35, Rom 9:20].

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?

Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 

Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

2Ki 24:1  In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him. 
2Ki 24:2  And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.
2Ki 24:3  Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; 
2Ki 24:4  And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon. 
2Ki 24:5  Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 

In this opening verse we read, “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up” and  Jehoiakim “became his servant three years” representing how we must go through a process of judgment in the earth in Babylon, where we are of our father the devil, typified by Nebuchadnezzar whom we serve and who is God’s servant (Jer 27:6). When we come to our senses, we do what Jehoiakim did, “he turned and rebelled against him“, which is what the Israelites did when they forsook Egypt. We are witnessing with these verses an event that typifies for us how Christ in us gives us the ability to break out of the bondage of sin (Heb 11:27, Joh 8:36). This is only the start of that process for Judah whose rebellion against their taskmaster “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” is a short-lived victory as “the LORD sent against him [Jehoiakim] bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.“

God is intent on making the point to us that what we sow we are going to reap (Gal 6:7), which is why we read, “Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did“, and this is the section of our study where the title is based (Mat 23:35) which verse reads “And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.” Filling Jerusalem with the innocent blood that the LORD would not pardon is telling us that the Lord gives our old man no quarter as it cannot inherit the kingdom of God. However, if we are blessed to acknowledge that we are the man who is guilty of all, chief of sinners, then this captivity Judah is about to go into can be seen as a positive event for the new man that will be born out of all that suffering (2Ti 2:12). Filling Jerusalem with innocent blood is the same as what is being said in (Mat 23:35).

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

2Ki 24:6  So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 
2Ki 24:7  And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. 

These verses demonstrate the hold the devil has on this world (2Co 4:4). Jehoiakim is dead, and spiritual death continues to reign through his son Jehoiachin. Satan has gained dominion over the land, which land typifies our bodies as expressed with this verse 7: “And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.” Taking control of the rivers is symbolic of taking control of what can bring life, and in the negative sense Satan can bring forth life and do signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible he would deceive the very elect (Mat 24:24).

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Mat 24:24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

2Ki 24:8  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother’s name was Nehushta^H5179, the daughter of Elnathan^H494 of Jerusalem.
2Ki 24:9  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done. 

The death of Jehoiakim is not a deadly wound (Rev 13:3) as evidenced by the same spirit and ideology becoming manifest in: “Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months” (vs 8). It is in Jerusalem where he reigns, which represents where God’s people come from and from where all these events are unfolding. God is showing us that we are beasts (Ecc 3:18, Jer 10:14) and that the best we can give God is copper [Nehushta^H5179 [2Ki 18:4)] regarding our process of judgment at that time in the court symbolized by the “three months” Jehoiachin reigned in Jerusalem. We judge in the court while we are in the court, symbolized by the age of Jehoiachin when he began to reign. However, that judgment proves to not be just in the end because we don’t yet see that we are ‘the man’ and bring nothing to the altar (1+8=9) (Joh 7:24, Joh 5:30, 2Sa 12:5-7).

2Ki 18:4  He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan^H5180.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

2Sa 12:5  And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 
2Sa 12:6  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. [David’s judgements that are just and good in and of themselves]
2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 

H5179 nechûshtâ’ nekh-oosh-taw’

From H5178; copper; Nechushta, an Israelitess: – Nehushta.

H5178 nechôsheth nekh-o’-sheth

For H5154; copper; hence, something made of that metal, that is, coin, a fetter; figuratively base (as compared with gold or silver): – brasen, brass, chain, copper, fetter (of brass), filthiness, steel.

2Ki 24:10  At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 
2Ki 24:11  And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.

In order to learn to judge justly, we must go through heavy trials, fiery trials (1Pe 4:12) which perfect the mind of Christ in us, giving us the ability to discern good and evil (Heb 5:14). So the judgment that has taken place thus far in life of Jehoiachin has not produced good fruit, good judgment, and God has caused Jehoiachin to err, and the sins of the fathers are now visiting the nation of Judah as God proclaims these words: “At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants did besiege it.” It is typifying the fiery trials we must go through in order to enter into the temple of God (Rev 15:8).

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. 

2Ki 24:12  And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, and his mother, and his servants, and his princes, and his officers: and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.
2Ki 24:13  And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

All these details of the nation of Judah going into captivity are symbolized by these verses in the book of Revelation (Rev 18:11-18) and remind us that God is talking about what we have experienced, or are experiencing, and enduring through the grace and faith of Jesus Christ who is saving us through taking us into captivity out of which He will ultimately bring us. Being taken  “in the eighth year of his reign” into captivity is how the new man is formed, which is what the number eight symbolizes. It is the riches of the temple taken away that represent the word of God which must be purified within us through our trials for a season (1Pe 1:6-7, 2Co 4:8-12, Rev 2:10).

Rev 18:11  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 
Rev 18:12  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13  And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 
Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 
2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 
2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

2Ki 24:14  And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.
2Ki 24:15  And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
2Ki 24:16  And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

The word “all” is repeated over and over, 6 times [the number of man], to remind us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and the “ten thousand captives” represent that flesh which has to be put off before we can inherit eternal life.

What has to go is all that is corrupt within us

“all Jerusalem” meaning all false doctrine, and false religion that God’s people leave.
“all the princes” those things and people that we have trusted in our flesh (Mic 7:5).
“all the mighty men of valour” the vanity of our flesh that is passing and those who we would trust in the flesh.
“all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained” coming behind in no gift and being yet carnal (1Co 1:7, 1Co 3:3-4) was the time when we trusted in all the “craftsmen and smiths” within us. None of that can remain and must go into captivity as well to be purified.
“all the men of might” represents the strength of our flesh God tells us is passing and vain. Moses’ natural strength was with him even at 120 years of age, and typifies for us the only strength that we should desire and that is the life of Christ through whom we can endure all things [12×10] as He gives us the power to put off our carnal hearts (Deu 34:7, Rom 2:29).
“all that were strong and apt for war” This group represents any pursuit in the flesh that is put before God. So if we labor to be rich instead of seeking the kingdom of God first (Mat 6:33), we are demonstrating a spirit that is “apt for war” explained this way in the book of James, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (Jas 4:1-4).

Finally when we read “And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon” we are reminded of Christ’s words that tell us unless you are willing to give up all of these relationships, including your own life, ‘you are not worthy to be My disciples’ (Luk 14:26-27). God takes away our dependance on the natural little by little (Exo 23:29-30) until we become confident that there really is nothing that can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:36-39). That painful process takes a lifetime, but God is faithful to start and finish this work in us through Jesus Christ (Heb 12:2, Php 1:6).

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Luk 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

This statement, “And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon” tells us that there is no power in the earth that can save us except Christ in whom we are accepted and trust (Rom 5:10, Act 4:12). Those powers and principalities in our heavens are represented by “all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war” of which God will use via the king of Babylon, who represents Satan, to buffet those powers that represent our own self-righteous sins of iniquity which will chasten us (Jer 2:19) so that we are humbled under God’s mighty hand in this age (2Co 12:7, 1Co 5:5, 1Pe 5:6). Christ is far higher than those powers and principalities and uses them to humble us in this life (Eph 1:21).

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

1Co 5:5  To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

There is a hope-filled verse tucked in the midst of all this destruction and death which reads, “none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land” (2Ki 24:14), and is repeated in 2 Kings 25:12, both groups representing the elect of God who are saved and remain at the expense of losing our lives, typified by the captivity of Judah. In chapter 25 of 2 Kings, the death of Zedekiah typifies our man of sin who must be destroyed. We lose our lives for each other by becoming vinedressers and husbandmen, symbols that reflect God the father who is the husbandman and Christ who is the vine and God’s elect who are the vinedressers (Joh 14:20). By God’s grace we become of a poor and contrite spirit (Isa 66:2) “the poorest sort of the people of the land” so that we can ‘occupy until He comes’ (Luk 19:13).

2Ki 25:12  But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

Luk 19:13  And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

2Ki 24:17  And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father’s brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah. 
2Ki 24:18  Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 
2Ki 24:19  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 
2Ki 24:20  For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

Notice who is calling the shots once again and that is “the king of Babylon” who typifies the god of this world, and what he is doing is positioning the basest of men in rulership which is what God has given him to do (Dan 4:17). The “king of Babylon” is in charge however all the things that he has accomplished has been “through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence“

Mattaniah whose name was changed by the king of Babylon to Zedekiah is the negative example of being given a new name as opposed to the new name God gives the elect and that is hidden from the world (Rev 2:17, Rev 3:12).

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Zedekiah being age “twenty one” and the amount of time that he ruled “eleven years” and his mother’s name “Hamutal^H2537” are all significant details that reveal that this king represents our transient flesh which is passing and unable to establish proper governance without Christ as our head. Because we know the demise of Zedekiah is coming, the two and the one in this case witness to the fact that the day of the Lord, in type and shadow, is coming upon this evil king who represents the man of perdition in our own hearts and minds. The eleven years [“The Ruin and Disintegration of the Perfection of the Flesh”] tells us no foundation [12] in Christ was going to be established with this king whose life, like ours, is like a vapor or dew that passes in the morning which is what Hamutal’s name means.

H2537 chămûṭal    chămı̂yṭal kham-oo-tal’, kham-ee-tal’

From H2524 and H2919; father in law of dew; Chamutal or Chamital, an Israelitess: – Hamutal.

Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

This last verse sets the stage for the last chapter of the book of kings revealing how God’s anger is a righteous anger that is against sin and always ready and wakeful over His word (Jer 1:12) to carry out His judgments upon our sinful condition that He created marred this way for His purpose of bringing us to see our need for a relationship with Him and Christ.

Jer 1:12  Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

We are told, “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth” to encourage us to know that God can take our marred condition and make something new and great via this process of judgment, “For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”

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Awesome Hands - part 158: “The LORD hath not done all this” - Discussion

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Awesome Hands – part 158

“The LORD hath not done all this”

November 9, 2019

Deu 31:29  For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because  ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

Deu 32:26  I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
Deu 32:27  Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.

Our study today finds us with a very revealing set of verses about how seriously the Lord takes His glory and the works He institutes to that end.

It had been revealed to Moses that the Israelites would provoke the Lord to anger through the work of their hands.

The past several studies have shown that the negative “work of the hands” is creating idols which are worshipped as gods. This can come as physical creations, or more covertly, as the works of our hands in the form of the work we do in our own spiritual lives.

We indeed create “gods” to be worshipped with the work of our own “crafty hands”.

Deu 27:15  Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Though the Israelites did fulfill this set of verses when they were told this “song of Moses”, we will see shortly that Christianity has done the same thing.

Isa 48:5  I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

We are all gods; therefore, we all create idols of our own hands.

For us personally, we too have fulfilled these verses in our own timing, but that is not the end of the story on this matter.

Deuteronomy 32:27 says, “Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy”, which alone makes it sound like the Lord could possibly “fear the wrath of the enemy”, but we know this is not what is being said simply because the Lord works all things after the counsel of His own will, and causing Himself to fear the wrath of His enemies is not something you can find witnesses to in scripture.

So, what is being said here, and why is it important to understand? Does the Lord fear “the wrath of the enemy”?

Here are the same verses in the ESV translation:

Deu 32:26 (ESV) I would have said, "I will cut them to pieces; I will wipe them from human memory,"
Deu 32:27 had I not feared provocation by the enemy, lest their adversaries should misunderstand, lest they should say, "Our hand is triumphant, it was not the LORD who did all this."'

“It is not the Lord who did all this” is the focus of these verses.

It is very important to the Lord that He has a people who represent Him. In fact, this still holds true today.

When Israel is being told, through the song of Moses, that they will betray the Lord in their actions and hearts, the Lord says He is going to take vengeance (verse 35) on them to avenge His name.

In other words, His “name” is not going to be dragged through the mud without Him having something to say about the matter.

Deu 32:36  For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
Deu 32:37  And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
Deu 32:38  Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

When all this happens, the Lord is NOT utterly going to destroy His people because this is what will be used by the enemy to claim that the enemy is the one who ultimately has the power to destroy the Lord’s people, and the Lord is NOT having that!

The Lord is not going to permit His glory to be lessened by His enemy, by His enemy saying it has power to lessen the Lord’s glory.

Instead of utterly destroying His people, God will leave a remnant to show His glory through and to, and that is where Christian’s come in today.

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Again, lest we think this is only a message meant for the “Jews who are outwardly”, let us examine what the “name of the Lord” is all about and who it is who carries this name with them today.

Anyone who keeps the commandments of the Lord has His name. Therefore, doing, saying, professing, claiming, calling upon or acting in accord with the name of the Lord all means you are keeping His commandments.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death”, tells us that not even the “last enemy” death will have any power of the Lord or His name.

Lam 1:8  Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward.
Lam 1:9  Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.
Lam 1:10  The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.

1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

When any of us do not “keep His commandments”, we are appointed to death in its various forms.

Though the Lord will no utterly destroy His people, if you are His people, then judgment must happen. For God’s people now, judgment is NOW on the house of God.

Deu 32:37  And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
Deu 32:38  Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
Deu 32:39  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
Deu 32:40  For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
Deu 32:41  If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
Deu 32:42  I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.
Deu 32:43  Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants,   and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to  his people.

This all seems so deadly for the enemies of God, and indeed it is. However, being that we are all the enemies of God because of the flesh that has it’s laws running through it, shouldn’t take our spiritual eyes off of the prize that we have a spiritual race to run to obtain the prize of the high calling.

I know this is a lot of verses, but I am going to read them from the ESV and hopefully this will encourage us all to keep running the race when so many of our enemies (and there are many spiritual enemies to deal with that have nothing to do with the physical) want us to stop running.

Php 3:12 (ESV) 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.
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.
Php 3:16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Php 3:17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
Php 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Php 3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Php 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Php 3:21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

What is this thing we have just exclaimed to be racing towards and trying to win referred to as the “high calling of Jesus Christ”?

Php 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Php 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Php 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--
Php 3:10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,becoming like him in his death,
Php 3:11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The focus of this study is to make sure that the enemies of God do not take the glory of God unto themselves.

The Lord tells the Israelites, through the song of Moses, that He will not allow His enemies to be able to claim, “the Lord has not done this”.

Deu 32:27  Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this.

What is the “all this” that the Lord is claimed by His enemies to have not done?

When we put it in the context of these verses, it is all the things mentioned in this chapter of Deuteronomy.

However, when we out it in the context of this race we are running the entirety of our Christian lives, it is all of the things “made from our hands”, otherwise known as “gods”, which take credit for what the Lord has done.

When combining the last few studies of the awesome hands series with this one, anything that we do of ourselves is the work of our hands. It is our own work. Where we get in spiritual trouble is that we take credit for even that work being created VIA our hands.

For example, many people cannot forgive themselves for some grievous thing that have done in their lives. This is because you only see the “you” being the cause of the “grievous thing”.

How much more clearer can the Lord make it that “you” just aren’t that powerful?

We just read that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ in Romans, yet we somehow think we are powerful enough to do that in SOME WAY? Listen again to the Lord in Deut 30 to see just how powerful the “god” you are is.

Deu 32:39  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

Simply put, we cannot kill nor make alive ……. our OWN SELVES in and of ourselves. It simply is not given to us to do this and have this power.

The Lord does not share His glory with another in this way.

If we start evaluating the things in our heavens that we struggle with, and place it under this same spiritual microscope, we will discover that the Lord indeed has things under His control.

This should give us great comfort, and when it doesn’t, it is because “we” have somehow injected ourselves into the scenario as somehow not having the power to stop things as they are preceding or to get things going in the “right direction”.

What part of “BE STILL” is hard to understand? Stand in AWE of the Lord. Though “awesome” is not in the scripture, this is the word (AWE) which inspired the title of this series, “Awesome Hands”.

Psa 46:8  Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
Psa 46:9  He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Psa 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psa 46:11  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psa 4:1  To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Psa 4:2  O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
Psa 4:3  But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
Psa 4:4  Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psa 4:5  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Psa 4:6  There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psa 4:7  Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Psa 4:8  I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

What are the “sacrifices of righteousness” we are to offer? I just so happened to highlight it before, but could it be so simple? Yes, indeed it is, because there is simplicity in the Lord.

Php 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes  from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--

The real eye-opener and kicker is that EVEN faith is a GIFT from God, so the righteousness we are to sacrifice is FROM THE LORD! Amen!

Lack faith? Ask for more. We all need more faith, not less! Ever feel like you’ve been cast into the fire or water to be destroyed?

Mar 9:22  And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.
Mar 9:23  Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mar 9:24  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I  believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Lord, I believe, but help me with the rest of my unbelief … my un-faith. Amen, “father of the child”, amen.

I hope this study will bless you to know who fights on your side.

Psa 74:1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
Psa 74:2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

The question on the hearts of those who have the Lord working within them in this age is one that asks “O God, how long shall the adversary reproach?” as verse 10 expresses it, or as it is expressed in the first verse “why hast thou cast us off for ever?” This is absolutely how we feel when the enemy is being allowed to reproach us, an enemy who God is going to eventually cut off^H2186.

Cast off^H2186
– Original: זu1504 חpar – Transliteration: Zanach
– Phonetic: zaw-nakh’
– Definition:
1. to cast off, reject, spurn
a. (Qal) to reject
b. (Hiphil) to forcefully reject someone
2. to stink, emit stench, become odious a. (Hiphil) stink (perfect)
– Origin: a primitive root meaning to push aside
– TWOT entry: 564
– Part(s) of speech: Verb

Here are two verses along with our opening verse which use this Strong’s number translated cast off^H2186, and these three should immediately comfort us as we see that God knows about these adversaries which He is allowing to pursue us, and he knows how to cut them off in their appointed time.

Zec 10:6 And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off^H2186: for I am the LORD their God, and will hear them.

Lam 3:30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach H2781.
Lam 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off^H2186 for ever:

Reproach^H2781

– Original: חu1512 פu1468 הpar – Transliteration: Cherpah
– Phonetic: kher-paw’
– Definition:
1. reproach, scorn
a. taunt, scorn (upon enemy)
b. reproach (resting upon condition of shame, disgrace) c. a reproach (an object)
– Origin: from H2778
– TWOT entry: 749a
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
– Strong’s: From H2778; contumely disgrace the pudenda: – rebuke reproach (-fully) shame.

We will no doubt feel this reproach^H2781 as we are rejected of the world within and without and are called to endure this rejection as Christ did (Mat 23:13, Mat 10:22, 1Jn 4:17). Our Lord enables us to eventually rejoice (Php 4:13) and endure through this rejection as we fill up what is behind of his afflictions within our flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church (1Pe 4:1, Col 1:24).

This thought of destroying the flesh or ripping the veil and filling up what is behind of Christ’s afflictions is nicely paralleled in these verses in Isaiah which speak of how God will take away the rebuke^H2781 or disgrace that we feel and show us how God always sets the stage within the natural world of all men, Israel, Peter and ourselves included to show us that we are beasts being saved (Ecc 3:19, Ecc 1:13) through Christ.

Isa 25:6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
Isa 25:7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke^H2781 of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

The good news is that Christ won’t deny himself and will not lose any that were intended to heed the admonition in this age.

Mar 14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

2Ti 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

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:

That enemy that pursues us is primarily within us and the enemy without is the sword that God uses to chasten the enemy within us bringing us into subjection unto His will which is to save all men (1Co 15:52). These reproaches that God allows to come against us are used in perfecting us, establishing us, strengthening us and settling us through this life long process of being pursued by Saul as king David was, which is a type and shadow of the inward battle that is ongoing in our heavens with the spirit against the flesh (1Pe 5:10, Gal 5:17)

Psa 17:13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

2Co 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Sa 23:25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1Sa 23:26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

The question “how long shall the adversary reproach?” is going to be looked at along with what that reproach entails right with the first words of this Psalm “Maschil^H4905 of Asaph.^H623” as the Lord reminds us that it is through ‘instruction‘ (Pro 10:17) that is gathered as we go through a process of judgment that we are brought unto maturity in the Lord.

Pro 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

– Strong’s: From H7919; instructive that is a didactic poem: – Maschil.
– Strong’s: From H622; collector;
Asaph the name of three Israelites and of the family of the first: – Asaph.

We must endure through this process and help one another along the road of many
tribulations knowing that this is accomplished through the comfirmation^G1991 or strengthening that we bring to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ spoken of in (Act 14:22).

Confirming^G1991
– Original: εu787 πu953 σu964 ηu961 ιu769 ζu969
– Transliteration: Episterizo
– Phonetic: ep-ee-stay-rid’-zo
– Definition:
1. to establish besides, strengthen more 2. to render more firm, confirm
– Origin: from G1909 and G4741
– TDNT entry: 17:53,1
– Part(s) of speech: Verb
– Strong’s: From G1909 and G4741; to support further that is reestablish: – confirm strengthen.
Total KJV Occurrences: 4
•confirmed, 1 Act_15:32
•confirming, 2 Act_14:22; Act_15:41
•strengthening, 1 Act_18:23

This strengthening and confirming is what we must do over and over if we are going to be able to endure until the end (Heb 10:25, Mat 24:13) trusting that even though the escape will feel narrow that the Lord has set before Christ’s body, it is nevertheless promised to happen to His glory and praise (1Pe 4:18, 1Co 3:15).

In light of all that we have discussed so far let’s look at what God’s word says in regard to why he has anger toward the sheep of his pasture, and how we all must go through this season of feeling God’s wrath upon our first man Adam and come to see our powerlessness over sin and our natural tendency to defile the temple of God until Christ gives us victory and begins the life long enduring to the end cleansing process that we are called unto (Joh 2:15, 1Jn 3:3, Col 1:27).

God allows this struggle to teach us of His sovereignty over the light and darkness (Isa 45:7) a light that comes out of the dark clay that everyone is in Adam. It is just the most perplexing thing for our minds to understand that God would actually allow us to sin and be marred in the Potter’s hand, so perplexing in fact that we dare even ask God why have you made me this way when we are yet contending with our Creator, to which He replies:

Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Rom 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Rom 9:22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

Hopefully by the end of our Psalm we will be more reassured of how blessed we are to be judged of this marred condition in this age (1Pe 4:17), and how it is worth every trial and reproach that we must endure in order to be formed into the new creation that God is himself forming as the Master Potter (Rom 8:18). Somewhere along this process if we are to live by every word in this age we must understand that in order to become that new vessel of honour we must endure “with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” within us in this age.

Psa 74:1 Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?

The word ‘forever’^H5331 here is more akin to the word ‘always’ or ‘constantly’; and without our understanding that God is putting off our sinful flesh we may question Him in this manner “why hast thou cast us off for ever?”, but God willing, we see that out of this ‘constant’ dying daily process, a new creation is being formed, by the [chastening] grace and faith that He affords the elect in this age (Eph 2:8, Heb 12:6).

If God’s anger does not smoke toward us, then we are yet bastards and no sons being received in this age via chastening and scourging, but if sons and daugthers then we must endure through His judgment today (Heb 12:8, 2Co 6:17-18).

Why doth thine anger^H639 smoke^H6225 against the sheep^H6629 of thy pasture^H4830? Looking at the other verse (Deu 29:20) that uses both these Strong’s numbers together gives us a clue:

That ‘pasture’ is where we ‘feed’… We first feed here:

Hos 13:6: According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

So we understand these words too:

Deu 29:20 The LORD will not spare him… [Who is him???]

[“him” = Deu_29:25: “…Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God…]
and “him” = Deu 29:18: “…man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God…”]

Deu 29:20 cont’d] …but then the anger^H639 of the LORD and his jealousy shall smokeH6225 against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

In Deu 29:29 [we read] The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

These things which we just read belong unto us, understanding “why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?” We are ‘they’, ‘him’, ‘the sheep’, ‘thy congregation to whom this is being revealed. The answer to this question is also clearly explained in Isa 53:1-4 if we see ourselves lifted up with Christ on the cross today, being given to mortify the deeds of our flesh so that all men can be drawn unto us, unto the saviours who will come up on mount Zion (Oba 1:21).


Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Joh 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Joh 12:34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Joh 12:37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Joh 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

And again to reiterate the word according found in the verse we’ve already mentioned to make this point very clear we read:

Hos 13:6 According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.

Psa 74:2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.

In the introduction tonight I made note:

That enemy that pursues us is primarily within us and the enemy without is the sword that God uses to chasten the enemy within us bringing us into subjection unto His will which is to save all men (1Co 15:52).

Clearly, “the rod of thine inheritance” is that sword of Isa 10:5, and the following verses help us understand that we, like our Father and Christ, purchase that sword by counting the cost. God the Father counted the cost of His son’s life and declared that it pleased him to bruise him (Isa 53:10, Act 4:27-28), and we are Christ’s body and must needs count that cost as well and recognize that our inheritance is tied into this reality of being purchased for a price.

1Co 6:20 and having to endure the stripes that the rod or word of God will inflict upon us (2Ti 2:12).
Job 9:34 where we start when we don’t see the need for correction.
Job 37:13 correction=rod
Lev 27:32
Isa 11:4
Eze 20:37
Mic 7:14

This verse 2 of our study clearly shows us that the elect are Christ’s inheritance (“the rod of thine inheritance”) who are first judged to be redeemed, that are also called “this mount Zion”, leaving no doubt who He is talking about (Oba 1:21).

The word rod is defined as a ‘rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe’ and also points to why the elect or Aaron and his sons in type and shadow are the Israel of God and what our function will be as the tribe of His inheritance (Num 18:20-24, Heb 13:10, Eph 1:18, Col 1:12)

Num 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
Num 18:21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 18:22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die.
Num 18:23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.
Num 18:24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

rod^H7626
– Original: שu1473 בu1496 – Transliteration: Shebet
– Phonetic: shay’-bet
– Definition:
1. rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe

a. rod, staff
b. shaft (of spear, dart)
c. club (of shepherd’s implement)
d. truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority)
e. clan, tribe

– Origin: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off – TWOT entry: 2314a
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine
– Strong’s: From an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion that is (literally) a stick (for punishing writing fighting ruling walking etc.) or (figuratively) a clan: – X correction dart rod sceptre staff tribe.

(Key verses: Genesis 49:5-7)

Jacob was in the process of dying, and within his final days in Egypt it was the time to tell his sons “which shall befall [them] in the last days”:

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.

Gen 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gen 49:2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.

The theme of the “last days” is applicable to the last chapters of the book of Genesis as it also brings a fitting conclusion to this book of beginnings. God indeed knows the end from the beginning as we also see so much of our own spiritual development within the book of Genesis and also what shall “befall [us] in the last days” (Isa 46:10). Although there is an outward application of the “last days”, this indeed applies inwardly for them whom God has given “eyes within” to see how the Lord’s house is established in this age in the lives of His elect, even within the beasts who are “in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne” of God (Isa 2:2; Luk 17:20-21; Rev 4:6-8):

Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Rev 4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

These sons of Jacob therefore are also spiritual types of God’s elected few on whom the “last days” or the end of this physical age has come:

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [Greek: tupos = figures/a resemblance]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [Greek: aiōn = age] are come.

In our last discussion we focused on the firstborn of Jacob, namely Reuben, and how Jacob’s words to Reuben are also relevant to us, if we can receive them. In this discussion we will focus on Simeon and Levi as Jacob addressed them together on his deathbed:

Gen 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations [Hebrew: mekêrâh = weapons, sword, devices].
Gen 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill [Hebrew: râtsôn = delight] they digged down [Hebrew: âqar = to pluck up to hamstring/to exterminate/root up] a wall [Hebrew: shôr = bullock/cattle]. (KJV)

Gen 49:6 Do not let me attend their secret meetings. Do not let me join their assembly. In their anger they murdered men. At their whim they crippled cattle. (GWT)

The first characteristic Jacob mentioned about these two sons, Simeon and Levi, was that they were “instruments of cruelty.” Both of them were indeed united in their deceitfulness with the men of Shechem after Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, raped Dinah, the daughter of Jacob:

Gen 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
Gen 34:14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
Gen 34:15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
Gen 34:16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
Gen 34:17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
Gen 34:18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.

At the time of this deceitful agreement to which all the men of Shechem then adhered, Jacob was unaware what Simeon and Levi had in mind, and he was shocked and horrified to hear afterward what these two sons did to the men of Shechem:

Gen 34:25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore [after the men of Shechem were circumcised], that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
Gen 34:26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.
Gen 34:27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Gen 34:28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
Gen 34:29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

On his deathbed Jacob brought division between these two sons and a dispersing of their offspring:

Gen 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

This also reminds one of the division and the scattering of the nations at the tower of Babel. “The thoughts of [man’s] heart [are] only evil continually”, and these thoughts were also in the hearts of Simeon and Levi (Gen 6:5; Gen 11:1-9). Although mankind is unified in its opposition to God’s Word and His commandments, the hearts of mankind harbour a divided kingdom which shall not stand:

Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their [the Pharisees’] thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

Psa 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure [Hebrew: chârôn = anger].

In the actions of Simeon and Levi and the words of King David in Psalm 2, we also see the negative and positive applications of anger respectively. The natural heart always acts in haste with no mercy. David knew this all too well and rather chose the anger of the Lord, because there is mercy with God:

2Sa 24:14 And David said unto [the prophet] Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

God’s anger is governed by His mercy as His grace chastens every son He receives bringing a cessation to the evil and vain things in our hearts (Heb 12:6; Tit 2:11-12). Contrarily the anger in the natural heart has no peaceful solution as it also prevents us to see that God’s hands are in all things which happen in His creation (Job 2:4-10):

Ecc 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Pro 15:18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

The fool in us cannot see that God is to be feared above all, and He will indeed bring true recompense for everything that was done in unrighteousness:

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.

Godly recompense is driven by His jealousy, and through this zeal God brings us to the truth in Christ and keeps us committed to Him. God’s zeal is His passion for His spiritual house to keep it free from fleshly defilement (Exo 20:5; Exo 34:14; Psa 69:9; Joh 2:17; 2Co 7:11; 2Co 11:2). Ignoring the leadership of their own father, Simeon and Levi had a twisted zeal for doing “that which was right in [their] his own eyes” which was all about self-righteousness (Jdg 21:25; Isa 64:6). Few can see in themselves this deceitful self-righteousness and cruel spirit of Simeon and Levi in this age:

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Naturally this evil spirit in us has no trouble hating people and wishing the worst on our enemies. In our spiritual blindness we cannot see that nobody can move a finger if that is not ordained by God (Isa 45:7; Job 2:4-10):

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Christ in us is the hope of glory, even as this glory will be evident in our words and actions, even in terms of our anger (Col 1:27):

Pro 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

God’s spirit, through the words of Christ, will give us the ability to do today what was impossible to obey yesterday:

Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

This is what Jesus also taught Peter (and all of us), that His Word is spirit, and His Word in our hearts is much more powerful to determine and direct our actions and the things around us (Joh 6:63; 1Co 2:4-16):

Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Joh 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

The elect of God will not join the assembly of Simeon and Levi and cripple the cattle of others or resist the works of God. The elect of God will come out of that assembly as they know that the evil and the trials are from God to fulfill the scriptures in our own lives (Luk 24:25-27):

Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Mat 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

Let us look how all of these were foreshadowed in the life of Simeon.

Simeon

The name “Simeon” means “to hear”. He was the second son of Jacob from Leah after Reuben:

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.

Although we know the scriptures declare that God “hears not sinners”, especially when they “ask amiss, that [they] may consume it upon [their] lusts”, God indeed hears everything (Psa 139:1-18; Joh 9:31; Jas 4:3). Even in our darkest times when we are the hated and rejected, our desperate cries from a “broken spirit…and a contrite heart” are not ignored by God, as Hagar and Ishmael testify (2Sa 14:14; Psa 51:17; Isa 57:14-18; Isa 66:2):

Gen 21:17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

A few things are connected to this Simeon in the scriptures which proves that God indeed hears and sees everything, and righteous anger and vengeance belong to Him as He will indeed recompense (Heb 10:30). Before Joseph revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt, it was Simeon who was kept as a hostage in Egypt in exchange for Benjamin whom Joseph wanted to see in Egypt:

Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Gen 42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
Gen 42:24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

“Ye would not hear” Reuben’s plea not to sin against Joseph. In our natural Simeonite state we cannot hear the words of truth, and we are bound in the prisons of spiritual Egypt, the rebellious house of flesh:

Eze 12:2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

Simeon became the founder of the tribe bearing his name, but even in his tribe this spirit of rebellion and self-righteousness was evident when a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites, named Zimri, took a Midianite woman into the camp of Israel in the sight of Moses and the whole congregation. This happened even when God was judging the Israelites for committing whoredom with the Moabite women and their worship of Baalpeor:

Num 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
Num 25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Num 25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
Num 25:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
Num 25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
Num 25:6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 25:7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;
Num 25:8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
Num 25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
Num 25:10 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
Num 25:12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
Num 25:13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
Num 25:14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

It is this rebellious and haughty Simeonite spirit in us which cannot submit to God’s leadership. This proud spirit has no shame to associate with false doctrines even when strongly advised not to. Thank God for the godly anger of the zealous spirit in Phinehas:

Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

The numbers of this tribe of Simeon were always on the decline during their time in the wilderness – from fifty nine thousand and three hundred families when they left Egypt to twenty two thousand and two hundred families when they entered Canaan. (Num 1:23; Num 26:14). The result of this was that the Simeonites’ inheritance of land was within the inheritance of the children of the tribe of Judah and they also had to fight with the tribe of Judah to survive against the Canaanites. This was a physical fulfillment of the words of Jacob that Simeon will be scattered among Israel:

Jos 19:1 And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.

Jdg 1:3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

God in His mercy also has a place for our Simeonites in His army, even as our rebellious natural anger and self-righteousness are replaced by His righteousness and anger. During the reign of King David, typifying the reign of Christ, “mighty men of valour for the war” were also from tribe of Simeon:

1Ch 12:25 Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valour for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

Even the apostle John saw this tribe in spiritual terms being part of the spiritual twelve tribes of the Israel of God (Gal 6:16):

Rev 7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were [spiritually] sealed twelve thousand.

As his name indicates, spiritually the tribe of Simeon is also able to “hear” the voice of the true Shepherd who is the foundation of the truth, which the number twelve spiritually points out (Rev 21:12; Rev 21:14):

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Levi

Let us see how Levi helps us to understand our spiritual growth in Christ. Levi was the third son of Jacob from Leah, and Levi means “joined” as she wanted Jacob to be in a closer loving relationship with her than with the beloved wife Rachel:

Gen 29:34 And she [Leah] conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

The number three is spiritually connected to the process of completion, even the process to become the spiritual sons of God (Gen 40:18-19; Exo 23:14; Luk 13:32; Joh 2:19). Levi as the third son indeed typifies this process as his judgment also brought a deeper function for his offspring within the twelve tribes of Israel. Like Simeon, the tribe of Levi was indeed scattered among the Israelites. Although the whole nation of Israel was called to be separated from other nations, and in this sense a “holy nation” and a “kingdom of priests”, this function was later reserved solely for the tribe of Levi:

Exo 19:6 And ye [Israel] shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

When Israel entered Canaan as a nation, this tribe of Levi became distributed throughout the territories of the other tribes and had no inheritance within Israel (Deu 18:1; Jos 13:14). Rather, they received forty-eight towns in various sections of the land (Jos 13:33). This tribe was called to provide spiritual leadership in Israel, and among the most prominent leaders who came from this tribe were Moses, Aaron and Ezra. These are Moses’ instructions concerning the tribe of Levi before the Israelites entered Canaan:

Deu 33:8 And of Levi he said, Give your Thummim to Levi and let the Urim be with your loved one, whom you put to the test at Massah, with whom you were angry at the waters of Meribah;
Deu 33:9 Who said of his father, Who is he? and of his mother, I have not seen her; he kept himself separate from his brothers and had no knowledge of his children: for they have given ear to your word and kept your agreement.
Deu 33:10 They will be the teachers of your decisions to Jacob and of your law to Israel: the burning of perfumes before you will be their right, and the ordering of burned offerings on your altar.
Deu 33:11 Let your blessing, O Lord, be on his substance, may the work of his hands be pleasing to you: may those who take up arms against him and all who have hate for him, be wounded through the heart, never to be lifted up again.

However, not all Levites served inside the tabernacle or temple, except Aaron and his offspring (Lev 21; Lev 24:9; Num 27:21; 1Ki 8:6; 1Ch 6:49; Heb 9:7; Heb 13:10). The other Levites were to serve the tabernacle or temple in various outward functions, pointing to those referred to in the New Testament as the “called”, and from the “called” another smaller group is taken out by God to serve inside the true temple of God (Deu 17:8-13; Num 3:21-26; Rev 18:4):

Mat 22:14 For many are called [Greek: klētos], but few are chosen [Greek: eklektos: “ek” out of the “klētos”].

These are the only ones who can receive the spiritual meat at the altar of God as they lose their lives and the things which the “called” cling to:

Heb 13:10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

As Levi is the third son of Jacob, so this three-step process starts for all in the outside camp, typified by the whole of physical Israel, before we move into the court which is the domain of the “called” in spiritual Babylon. It is only when we are called out from this time under the governors and tutors in flesh that we can enter to serve and operate under a totally new spiritual law within the temple of God – also called the “third heaven” (Rom 8:1-2; 2Co 12:1-4; Eph 2:6; Gal 4:1-7; Rev 21:1-3):

Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

The elect of God are the holy priestly nation of God according to the priestly model or order of Melchisedec, typifying the heavenly Christ with no earthly heritage or attachments to flesh (1Co 1:29; 1Co 15:50; Gal 2:20):

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

This tribe of Levi is indeed spiritually represented in the elected one hundred and forty four thousand:

Rev 7:7b …Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand.

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

Numbers in Scripture
Is It A Sin to Be Angry?
Is There A Time to Be Jealous?
The Zeal of Thine House Hath Eaten Me Up
Who Are The Levites? – Part 1
Who Are The Levites? – Part 2

(Key verses: Gen 34:1-31)

The theme of sanctification in scripture deals with the perfecting of the elect of God to be a “vessel unto honour…and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2Ti 2:21). Through this process of sanctification we are being separated for ministry in the service to God and His church first and foremost, but also we are being prepared to be of service to the rest of humanity in due time (Jer 1:5; Act 13:2; 1Co 12:1-31; Eph 4:1-24; 1Co 6:2-3; Rev 20). The apostle Paul is also testifying about this sanctified position through which the elect of God is made whole in every aspect (Ecc 12:13; Rom 6:18; Rom 12:1; 2Co 3:18; Php 1:6; Php 3:21):

Rom 1:1 (ESV) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly [Greek: “holoklēros” – lacking nothing]; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Jacob is an Old Testament type of this elected servant of God, as his life helps us to see how this enduring process of sanctification is being worked by God from start to finish (Lev 20:26; Joh 10:36-39; Joh 17:19). Jacob is back in Canaan after his twenty-year period in Haran, Mesopotamia, in the service of his uncle Laban for his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, and also to establish a huge group of animals for himself (Gen 31:36-42). Before he re-entered Canaan, he met with his twin brother, Esau, who showed no open hostility towards him and seemingly had forgiven Jacob for taking from him the rights of the firstborn, and his inheritance (Gen 25:29-34; Gen 27:6-29; Gen 33:4-16). Jacob and his family then entered Canaan and went to stay in a place called Shalem which was in the region of the city Shechem. Here Jacob built an altar for the God Almighty who protected him and his family and brought them back safely to Canaan (Gen 33:18-20). At this point in time, Jacob had eleven sons and one daughter. Six of these sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun) and one daughter Dinah were all born of his lesser loved wife, Leah, and this daughter Dinah is one of the emphases of this chapter 34 of Genesis:

Gen 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
Gen 34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled [Hebrew: “ânâh”] her.

The Hivites were one of the uncircumcised nations in the land of Canaan which were offspring of Canaan, the son of Ham (Noah’s son) and they were also physically very strong (Gen 10:15 Exo 3:8; Deu 7:1). The Hebrew word “ânâh” in Genesis 34 verse 2 is also mentioned in the following passage in scripture which described what happened between David’s son, Amnon, and David’s daughter, Tamar. Here we can see that this word “ânâh” relates to a forceful way to get involved in a sexual act with a woman:

2Sa 13:10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
2Sa 13:11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
2Sa 13:12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
2Sa 13:13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
2Sa 13:14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced [Hebrew: “ânâh”] her, and lay with her.

The two women in these two cases, Dinah and Tamar, were sexually dishonoured as they were overpowered by someone with more strength, also in terms of their position of authority in that particular community. Both these young men were sons of leaders in their respective communities. These two instances reveal to us the negative application of intimacy between two people as we know that the sexual act involves the deepest intimacy between two human beings. In the Hebrew word “yâda” we find meanings that can assist us to see how the physical sexual act also reveals the spiritual things of God in this regard (Rom 1:20). This Hebrew word “yâda” was first used in its physical application in terms of Adam and Eve being sexually intimate to bring forth their first born son Cain, (the corresponding Greek word for the Hebrew word “yâda” is “ginōskō”):

Gen 4:1 And Adam knew [Hebrew: “yâda”; Greek: “ginōskō”] Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Jesus’ physical mother, Mary, also “knew” no man in this sense of the word, because Joseph did not have a sexual relationship with her at that time before their marriage:

Luk 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know [Greek: “ginōskō”; Hebrew: “yâda”] not a man?
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The physical sexual act points to what it spiritually means to “know” someone very intimately. Spiritually Adam and all in him are first introduced to be ‘known’ by the spirit of the world, as our first intimacy is with the flesh and its natural or carnal mind (1Jn 2:16). This is why the first Adam was created as an enemy of God as he was made of the earth, and more importantly it is what was revealed in Eve’s thoughts before they trespassed outwardly (Gen 2:7; Rom 8:5-8; 1Co 15:35-50):

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

We first “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness” in our hearts, before the true seed of God is planted in our spiritual wombs, by which we are being “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind” (2Pe 2:10; Rom 12:2; Joh 3:3-7; 1Jn 3:9):

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The person who has the proper spiritual “yâda” or intimacy with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, does have spirit life by which he is equipped with the understanding of God’s will (Rom 12:2):

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know [Greek: “ginōskō” Hebrew: “yâda”] thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

This is what the prophet Daniel foresaw when he wrote these words, because this intimacy with the Father and His Son is our sanctified spiritual domain, which is the right position from where we can serve God and others; the ultimate purpose of a servant of God (Joh 14:1-4):

Dan 11:32 And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know [Hebrew: “yâda”] their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Dan 11:33 And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

When we are under the mind of the world, we are the wicked, and we do despicable deeds, as also happened in the cases of Shechem and Amnon, all being after the counsel of His will (Pro 16:4; Eph 1:11). Forceful sexual acts are horrendous acts which relate to spiritually enforcing one’s religious ideas or false doctrines on others, and by instilling fear and guilt in order to have dominion over their faith and their minds (2Co 1:24). This is what the world, and its spiritual rulers, do to its followers, as we all can testify to through our own experiences:

Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them [His twelve apostles] unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

This is what these despicable acts of Shechem and Amnon point us to, even as they were not sanctified in their position to act properly and to show respect for themselves and others with whom they interact. They abused their position of privilege and also raped the honour of Dinah and Tamar. The story in Genesis 34 is written for our admonition, and we also learn so much of our own haughtiness and all-consuming and destructive lusts. (Mat 4:4; 1Co 10:11-12; 1Jn 2:16). Even after Shechem abused Dinah, he was still adamant to have her as his wife:

Gen 34:3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
Gen 34:4 And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

This rape of Dinah was shocking news for Jacob and the family, and it grieved them deeply as it brought shame to all of them. Shechem and his father, Hamor, came to introduce to Jacob and his sons the marriage proposal of Shechem to Dinah. This also aggravated the grieving spirit in Jacob and his sons, as the sons of Jacob especially were “very wroth”:

Gen 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
Gen 34:6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
Gen 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

Hamor also came with proposals for the two communities to be integrated and the wealth distributed by sharing their daughters between the two groups. The sharing of daughters is very significant as this was the foundation on which the other proposals rested:

Gen 34:8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
Gen 34:9 And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
Gen 34:10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

In the scriptures, the sharing of the daughters of foreigners always opened the door to fleshly pollutions and brought abominable idols to the people of God to turn their hearts away from God (Gen 6:1-5; Gen 19:14; Gen 26:34; Gen 36:2; Jdg 14:1-4; 2Sa 11:3). This interest in the daughters of other nations is what also happened to King Solomon when he disobeyed God’s commandment not to marry the women of other nations around Israel:

1Ki 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Even the inhabitants of Canaan, especially their daughters, were to be avoided by the offspring of Abraham. Canaan and all his offspring, including their daughters, were cursed by Noah to be a servant to the generational line through Shem, which includes Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:

Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
Gen 9:26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

This was always conveyed to the elected offspring through Abraham:

Gen 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
Gen 24:3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

Gen 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

This proposal of sharing daughters made by Hamor and Shechem was in direct violation to the wishes of the forefathers of Jacob. Now Jacob, back in the land of Canaan, is for the first time placed before this situation as coming through the proposals by Hamor and Shechem. Added to the proposal of more wealth and land, comes more temptations in the form of the special dowry and gifts for the family of Jacob, as promised by Shechem if they will allow him to marry Dinah:

Gen 34:11 And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.
Gen 34:12 Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

It is important to note that it was Jacob’s sons who then put a deceitful condition of peace and reconciliation to Hamor and Shechem because the hearts of Jacob’s sons were still filled with hatred towards Shechem. When these profanities of evil and hatred are in the hearts of humans, no honourable agreement can come forth. The hearts of these sons of Jacob were not sanctified to act righteously:

Gen 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
Gen 34:14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
Gen 34:15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
Gen 34:16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
Gen 34:17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

The condition put to Hamor and Shechem was that all the men of Shechem were to be circumcised if Shechem were to marry Dinah, to which Hamor and Shechem agreed:

Gen 34:18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.
Gen 34:19 And the young man deferred not [Shechem did not hesitate] to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter: and he was more honourable [Hebrew verb is “kâbad” or “kâbêd” which in one sense of the word means “to make oneself numerous”] than all the house of his father.

The Hebrew word for “more honourable” is “kâbad” or “kâbêd” and it also relates to honouring oneself or to make oneself numerous. Shechem’s “more honourable” status has therefore more to do with a negative application of those words as it relates to his evil desire to gain more honour and glory, and to increase the numbers of his people through this deal with the house of Jacob. This is what the spiritual application of rape also links with which was the worldly spirit that ruled Shechem’s heart. According to his delusion, he would not only get Dinah as a wife, but there were incredible benefits for his physical status and domain in all of this. This pride and lustful ambition was also the driving motivation of Shechem and his father to convince the other men of that city to also let them be circumcised as per the request of Jacob’s sons:

Gen 34:20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
Gen 34:21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
Gen 34:22 Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.
Gen 34:23 Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

All the men of Shechem agreed when their hearts also saw the benefits to them if they were to be circumcised:

Gen 34:24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

However, this period of pain and discomfort of the men of Shechem placed them in a very vulnerable situation, and this is what Simeon and Levi, two sons of Jacob whom he had with Leah, were waiting for as they attacked the men of Shechem and killed them all. They also plundered the city of all its animals, the wealth, the women and children:

Gen 34:25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
Gen 34:26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.
Gen 34:27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
Gen 34:28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
Gen 34:29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

This act of Simeon and Levi came as a bigger shock to Jacob, as he was not even consulted in this matter. Simeon and Levi typify our times when we do not see the use of a multitude of counsellors in a matter (Pro 11:14; Pro 12:20):

Gen 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

To Jacob this act made him “stink among the inhabitants of the land”, and he was also afraid for the safety of his family. Jacob’s heart was shaken with the events his daughter had to endure, and even more was his disapproval of the vile act of Simeon and Levi. Jacob never forgot this and even brought it up on his deathbed when he spoken his last words and wishes for his sons. This is what he said about Simeon and Levi, which will help us to see that we should “recompense to no man evil for evil” (Rom 12:17):

Gen 49:5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.
Gen 49:6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.
Gen 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

Natural anger is cursed as it always acts in haste and has no mercy:

Ecc 7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

The heart of the natural man is that of a fool because it has no patience, and it cannot see God’s hand in all events on earth. Sanctification is linked intimately with our fear of God as we show trust in God’s way of doing things and diligently obey God’s Word and His commandments. The wise will give place for the vengeance of the Lord (2Pe 1:4-10):

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

The heart of this fool in us is easily offended, and then it usually strikes back in haste with anger and hatred, but this is what Christ in us will advocate and work in us, if He is indeed in our hearts:

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Pro 15:18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

Pro 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

We are to be angry with sin in and around us, but the mind of Christ will not bring us to sin in that anger because of our own vanity (Mar 3:5). We are to “exhort and to convince the gainsayers”, but we do that scripturally (1Co 4:6; Tit 1:9):

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause [Greek: “eikē” = vanity] shall be in danger of the judgment:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Jacob’s call to “come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly” and not to be united with this type of anger displayed by Simeon and Levi, displays this sanctification process in the hearts of the elect of God as they also “come out of her”, which is the Babylonian whore with all he false doctrines. The open display of the anger of Simeon and Levi was triggered by vanity and self-righteousness as they actually justified their despicable act:

Gen 34:31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

In the process of sanctification, we will see that true righteousness is to count all our own righteous deeds as a stinking old cloth and dung as the true excellency is to know Christ (Isa 64:6):

Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

What the wicked has is it own vain righteousness as it also justifies cruelty, even as they which preached eternal hellfire for all their enemies. This is the same level of cruelty and self-righteous justification also displayed by Simeon and Levi who actually displayed their own hatred and violence hidden in their own hearts in committing this awful act. This is what is in the hearts of all who advocate the false doctrine of eternal punishment for sinners.

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

What Are The Biblical Instructions for Finding A Wife?
Sex Before Marriage
Marriage in Scripture – Part-9 Anger in Marriage
Awesome Hands – Part 23 The Strange Gods Which Were in Their Hand
Is It A Sin to Be Angry?

Marriage in Scripture – Part 9

Anger Rests In The Bosom of Fools

[Study Aired May 4, 2014]

Ecc 7:9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Uncontrolled anger in a marriage is destructive at best and can become deadly at worst. All anger is the result of frustrated self will, and regardless of the apparent source of the frustration, when we are frustrated at anything, in the end we are frustrated only with God who is “working all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11).

So I hope no one listening fails to understand that when we allow ourselves to become angry with our spouse to the point of becoming frustrated and out of control, as hard as it is to accept and to acknowledge, we are contending with, reproving, and condemning God Himself, who is working this very trying circumstance in our life. That is the truth of the matter whether it is a wife whose husband is the offending partner, or if it is the husband whose wife is the offending party. Even if both spouses are the offending parties, God is working circumstances to reveal all the “wood, hay and stubble” and all the “tares” which are growing in the Lord’s field within us.

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The next time you become upset with your spouse, just consider the truth that is revealed in these verses of scripture, and if there is any of the fear of God within you, it will help you to “be angry and sin not”. These are verses with which we are all very familiar, and yet when it comes to dealing with our spouses, we completely forget what is taking place and who it is who is “work[ing]… all these things” as we are told in:

Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

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 will: 

Does not “all these things” include the actions of our spouse? Is it not God who has sent us our evil trials? If indeed ‘all things’ includes the things our spouse do, and if God has “created [the] evil” in our spouse, will we not be far better off to rule over the beast within who wants everything to operate according to our own will instead of having to endure these trials God is working in our marriages. Will we not be far more blessed if we rule over our own spirit, and speak rationally and firmly from the basis of the Word of God, rather than losing our tempers and shouting in anger at our spouse in the presence of God and our children.

Ideally children should never see or hear their parent having an argument. Arguments ought always to be done in private and away from the children. It is destructive to our children to let them witness discord between their parents. What children see, is what they think of as normal, and it is the responsibility of parents to set a good example for their children and to pass good values on to their children. That is the very essence of being a parent.

When we fail to rule our own spirit, we blaspheme the name of God among the heathen, but what a great witness we are when we are reviled and revile not again:

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 
1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

“In His own body” from a scriptural perspective, includes us:

 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: 

Rotherham’s properly includes the article in this verse:

Col 1:24  Now, am I rejoicing in the sufferings on your behalf, and am filling up the things that lack of the tribulations of the Christ, in my flesh, in behalf of his body, which is the assembly, 

We know we are to “fill up the afflictions of the Christ in [our own] flesh for his body’s sake”, and we pray to be able to do just that. Why then do we find it so hard to apply these words to the spouse the Lord has given us, the person who is supposed to typify Christ in our marriage, the one person who we are supposed to love above all else in this world?

The answer is that we do not yet fully understand or appreciate the fact that our own Savior is also the person who “creates evil” in our lives. We still are not comfortable with the fact that He is the “one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy” and that it is He who sends us the trials which appear to be the work of our spouse.

Psa 90:3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

Jas 4:12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

The weaknesses of our spouse are not to be condoned, but neither are they an excuse to lose our temper and place the responsibility of that sin, that fault, or that weakness upon our spouse. We are told that our own sins are not really our own. Rather our own sins are a work which our Savior works within us to bring us to see our desperate need for a Savior. These words apply to our spouse just as much as they apply to us:

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

We know this is all true. We know “It is no longer I that [commits sins], but sin that dwells in me”. We know that our own sins are the work of the “law of sin which is in [our] members”. We know that our only hope of salvation is “through Christ Jesus our Lord”, and yet we struggle mightily to apply all of this knowledge to our mate who is supposed to be the type of Christ Himself in our marriage. Why can we not see that when we lose our temper at our spouse we are doing so at Christ Himself who gave us that spouse for the very purpose of giving us the lesson He is at that moment teaching us?

The positive application of anger

As is the case with every single human emotion, anger, in the sum of God’s Word, has both a positive and a negative application within the Word of God. The fact is that any true man or woman of God is commanded to be angry, and to control and properly direct his or her anger as our Lord did:

Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

Yes, it is entirely proper to “sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst” of our own homes. It is right and proper to deal in a patient spirit with the weakness and faults we see in our spouse. But it is never right or proper for any of those who name the name of Christ to be out of control of his or her temper in doing so, and any such correction or admonition should never, under any circumstance, be done in the presence of our children.

Here is the best example we will ever find of how we are supposed to be angry and sin not:

Mar 3:5  And when he had looked round about on them [the Pharisees] with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

As the apostle Paul explains, our Savior wants us to also “be angry” when we see injustice and sin, and He wants us to “sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst [of His own people]”.

Eph 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

“Be ye angry” is in the imperative mood, which means we are being commanded to ‘be angry’ when it is proper to do so. Christ was angry over the “hardness of their hearts” and the lack of faith of the Pharisees, but He did not let the sun go down on His anger, and He is our example. (1Pe 2:21)

But as is always the case the scriptures have much more to say about the abuse of the emotion of anger, than they have to say about its positive application, and as the apostle Paul makes us aware, it is upon those we love the most that we all too often vent our anger.

Jealous anger

The apostle Paul properly confesses to be jealous of the churches he was used to raise up:

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 

But in this same epistle he also admits that he did not feel that the feeling was mutual:

2Co 12:15  And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

The Corinthian church had not yet learned that newlyweds have to accept the fact that they are no longer single, and they can no longer act as if they are single. Your friends can no longer spend time with you as if you aren’t even married. That is especially true of  friends of the opposite sex. No one, male or female, should be willing to share his or her spouse with his or her friends as if marriage makes no difference. Being married does make a difference, and it is right and proper for a spouse to be jealous of each other’s time and affections. Old boy friends and old girl friends are especially unwelcome within a marriage, and should not be tolerated as if being married makes no difference. If God is jealous of our affections, and is unwilling to share our thoughts and affections with false gods and false doctrines, then it is only proper that we should expect the same of ourselves and of our spouse:

Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Exo 34:14  For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 

Psa 79:5  How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? 

The answer to “shall your jealousy burn like fire?” is, yes it will indeed “burn like fire”, and we are warned to avoid making our own spouse jealous.

Son 8:6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave:the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

It takes time to earn your spouse’s trust, so separate yourself from your old friends, male and female, for the sake of your spouse. Let the whole world know that he or she is now far more important to you than anyone else in this world.

1Sa 7:3  And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

Jas 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 

We are not given these words of wisdom in the book of Proverbs for no reason:

Pro 6:34  For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Son 8:6  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 

When dealing with the “rage” of jealousy, it is right and proper to “be ye angry and sin not”. Speak to one another with restraint and patience. Acknowledge that this, too, is Christ Himself working this trial after the counsel of His own will, and “let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. You will not always succeed in doing so, but at least now we all see that the scriptures give us all these admonitions, and we at least now know that there is a proper place for jealousy, and we know what our Creator expects of us.

Anger because of a lack of consideration

It is quite natural for a husband to become angry with a wife who is not attuned to his requests and his desires. It is equally as natural for a wife to become angry with a husband who does not consider her or her wishes and desires in his decision making.

It would seem unnecessary to even have to mention it, but going out with anyone of the opposite sex is simply scripturally completely out of the question. Married men do not act as if they are single, and married women do not act as if they are still single. If you still think that sex outside of marriage is no big thing, then you are still in the deep pit of your own carnal lusts, and you still have the misery of being brought to your wits’ end ahead of you.

Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 
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. 

Do not spend any extended periods of time with anyone of the opposite sex, not even on the phone. If you do, you are courting disaster, and it will surely find you.

A man who decides to spend his weekend with his buddies and doesn’t first consult his wife about what she would like to do for the weekend is not a very considerate husband. Wives appreciate being considered when decisions affecting the whole family are being made. The same is true with men who ought to be the head of their home. What we ought to be striving to achieve is single-minded, mutual consideration, which is the essence and fruit of “be[ing] one flesh… [and] of the same mind”, within our marriages, just as we are, or should be, in our marriage to Christ.

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

As husbands and wives in a marriage relationship, we are one and all the wife of Christ, and should be seeking to have His mind in everything. Having the mind of Christ, is the secret to true peace of mind. After giving us all the admonitions about how to have a functional and healthy physical marriage, the apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5, makes this statement:

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

So we should all be seeking to think as Christ thinks, because Christ thinks as His Father thinks, and His Father is the manufacturer who knows how His creation best operates.

What Christ demonstrated for us was that He did nothing except what His Father sent Him to do. He sought to please His Father, and made His Father’s will the center of His life. If we do that with our mate, we will never plan a single day without consulting our mate and planning our day around our spouse. Men should never leave the house without first communicating with their wives and wives ought to always communicate with their husbands concerning their whereabouts. It should not be considered as a burden to do so. It should be a simple matter of consideration of one another and the oneness that ought to be the basis of a godly marriage.

But that simply is not what we first do. We are born as self-centered little beasts who cry out from birth demanding to be fed and clothed, and we aren’t even aware of what we are doing. If we are born into a family with brothers and sisters, we are forced to become aware of the fact that there actually are others in this universe whose needs and desires must also be considered. But even under the very best of circumstances, we are still self-centered beasts, who can become very upset and angry when we fail to get our way, or when we perceive ourselves as being ignored or taken for granted.

Those are just a few of the circumstances which will uncover the foolishness and shame of the anger that is within our flesh.

Here is a verse which lets us know just how important it is to be capable of containing our anger:

Pro 16:32  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

That is a truthful statement even if it is not considered to be true by a world that honors and worships the beast, who gets his power and throne from the dragon, who has “great wrath”.

Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

The “great wrath” of the devil is within all of his children, which we all are by nature:

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

A man or a woman with a temper is contrasted in the scriptures with a man who is given to rule his spirit:

Pro 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 

Pro 15:18  A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

A man or woman who cannot control his or her temper is working against his or her own interest. A person who submits himself to what God is doing in his life is quick to forgive others and to pass over their faults, weaknesses and transgressions:

Pro 19:11  The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 

A man of God is never on a witch hunt against others with “grievous words [that] stir up anger”. He is especially willing to hide the sins and transgressions of his own mate:

Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

1Pe 4:8  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 

Pro 17:9  He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

It is especially foolish to lose your temper against anyone in authority:

Pro 20:2  The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. 

Uncontrolled anger is itself ‘iniquity’, and ‘iniquity’ will cause us to reap what we sow:

Pro 22:8  He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

Pro 27:4  Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?

We are all fools by birth and in need of a Savior to deliver us. That Savior loves us and “who [He] loves He chastens” for the purpose of delivering us from our own foolish tempers:

Pro22:15  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 

Ecc 7:9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 

Since we will all “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, it is comforting to read the New Testament commandments against all the “anger [which] rests in [our] bosoms [as the] fools” we all are by birth.

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Conclusion

In Ephesians 5 we are told:

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

The reason husbands are told “love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church” is because that is not what we do by nature.

The reason wives are told…:

 Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

…is because the curse placed upon Eve and her progeny is to be against their husbands:

Gen 3:16  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to [Hebrew, against] thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

How sweet it is when a husband loves his wife and when a wife submits to her own husband. Never again does either mate accuse or belittle the person God gave him and her to love and nourish and build up in the eyes of others. Let us look for what is good and commendable in our spouse. Let’s make these words apply to our mate, and then let’s watch our marriages blossom and grow and bring forth much fruit both physically and spiritually:

Php 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I asked earlier “Why can we not see that when we lose our temper at our spouse, we are doing so at Christ Himself who gave us that spouse for the very purpose of giving us the lesson He is at that moment teaching us?”

The answer is that when we blame our spouse for his or her problems we are not yet given to acknowledge that God is the one lawgiver, and it was He who placed “the law of sin” in our own members and in the members of our spouse. When in God’s own time we are granted to acknowledge this truth and appreciate the blessing that He alone can bring out of that law of sin in our members, only then will it be possible for us to think only on “things are honest… things are just… things are pure… things are lovely… things are of good report… any virtue, and… any praise” as that admonition should first and foremost be applied to our spouse.

Let me read again what Christ did when He was reviled:

1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Christ knew that whatever His Father was doing, He was doing “judg[ing] righteously”, and He “committed Himself to Him”. He did not contend with, reprove, or condemn His Father for the wickedness of those who hated Him, and neither did He contend with, reporove or condemn His Father for the weaknesses of His own disciples, His spouse.

Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Lord hasten the day when we are granted to place our spouse in the hands of our Lord, which is really nothing more than acknowledging that is where that spouse already is.

In our next study we will go into depth concerning a subject we have already mentioned in passing in several of these studies. We will be discussing how a couple should scripturally deal with in-laws, friends, old boy friends and old girl friends so as to never presume upon each other’s trust and for the purpose of setting a Godly example, which will be above reproach for our children and for those within and without the body of Christ.

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Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Jas 1:20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

‘The wrath of man works not the righteousness of God’ will be the foundation on which this study will be based.
The first thing we will see is that anger, wrath and fury, like every word of God, have both a positive and a negative application. We will learn what are the Hebrew and the Greek words which are translated as ‘wrath, anger, and fury’. We will see the scriptures that demonstrate a few of the Biblical reasons why we become angry.
Then we will consider the fruits of the wrath of man, and we will be brought to acknowledge that regardless of why we become angry, we must admit that our anger, even ‘righteous indignation’, in the final analysis is all of God who is working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11).

The positive and negative application of anger, wrath and fury

Anger, wrath or fury, like every emotion, and like every word of scripture, have both a positive and a negative application in the scriptures. Since we generally think of anger as an out of control, negative emotion, I will give a few verses of scripture which demonstrate that even wrath, fury and anger are all Biblical words which all have a positive, beneficial application for us.

The positive beneficial wrath of God

God’s wrath is for one thing only, and that is to judge His people:

Job 19:29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

‘Wrath brings the punishments… that you may know there is a judgment”. In spite of these clear statements that God’s judgments teach men to be righteous, most of us have been taught that we must, at all cost, avoid incurring the wrath of God.
It is true that we are told time again of how God becomes angry, wrathful and vengeful when we disobey Him:

Exo 15:7 And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee [ the Egyptians]: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
Exo 22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
Exo 22:24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

From a completely outward point of view, just imagine the blood that cries out from the ground for the literally millions of our own infants, the “fatherless child[ ren]” whose beating hearts have been stopped in silence by this so- called ‘Christian’ nation. Not to mention the wrath we as a Babylonian ‘Christian’ nation have stored up for ourselves with all of our blasphemous doctrines which make a loving heavenly Father out to be a monster whose thirst for excruciating, unspeakable, eternal torment is apparently insatiable.
So God really is angry, and He is intent upon the destruction of the first Adam within every man.

Num 16:44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.

The “atonement for [ Israel]” is for the purpose of appeasing the “wrath [ which] is gone out from the Lord… the plague” with which He will destroy all upon whom His wrath abides:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [ G3709, orge] of God abideth on him.

It is through the judgment of our old, rebellious, first- man Adam, that the old man is destroyed, and through that destruction we are metamorphosed into a new creature. The scriptures actually call us a worm, and just like a worm that crawls on its stomach is, through death to that worm, changed into a beautiful butterfly that can now ascend to the heavens, so is God in the process of changing all men.

Job 25:4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Job 25:5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
Isa 41:14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Here is what the scriptures reveal to be the end product of “the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”:

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.
Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
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.

The seven angels who have the vials of the wrath of God are a “great and marvelous… sign” because, and I repeat:

Job 19:29 …wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

So while it is true that we must learn not to provoke our Lord to wrath, the only way we can possibly do that is to provoke the Lord to wrath and have “the seven plagues [ which] fill up the wrath of God… fulfilled” in each of our lives. It is a catch 22 situation for our rebellious old man who was created to be destroyed. He is commanded to do what his earthy constitution is incapable of doing:

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

We are twice told that God had already provided Christ as a sacrifice for us. We are twice told that we were called in Christ “before the world began”.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began
Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

The scriptures very plainly teach that we, being born “in Adam”, are born under the wrath of God:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

That is what we read throughout scripture:

Job 6:4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
Job 16:12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Psa 88:16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
2Pe 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

Again the immutable purpose for God’s wrath is to teach us righteousness.

Job 19:29 … wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.
Isa 26:9 …when thy judgments [“wrath”] are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

The positive application of anger within God’s elect

God actually commands those who are His children that they are to “be ye angry”.

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

God does not want us to just sit down and do nothing after He opens our eyes to His sovereign work in the lives of all men. Again, we are given this commandment:

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

In the same manner and in the same spirit, when we witness all the abominations and injustices which we see around us daily, God does not want us to just say ‘Oh well, God is sovereign’. We are commanded to “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. We are admonished to “Be ye angry”. We are commanded to have wrath, but we must contain our wrath and acknowledge the hand of God in all things, even all the wicked abominations we witness all about us. “Let not the sun go down upon [ our] wrath” because you and I have been given eyes to see and ears to understand this Truth about the function of the wrath of God:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Only after the seven vials of the wrath of God have been poured out upon us, are we given to repent of our own abominations, and “be angry… for all the abominations” which are still being committed within those who want to wear the name of Christ, but are not given to want to live by His doctrines or His ways:

Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him [ His Christ], Go through the midst of the city [“within you”, Luk 17:20-21], through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
Eze 9:5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

This is the ‘wrath that makes us to know that there is a judgment’. This is the judgment that ‘teaches men righteousness’. Once our eyes are open to the abominations being done within the kingdom of God, we are commanded to “be ye angry and sin not”. We are to “sigh and … cry for the abominations that [ are] be[ ing] done in the midst thereof”. We are commanded to “go through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare neither have ye pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women”. That is what we are to do with “every sin and the weight that so easily besets us” in the kingdom of God within us . We are commanded to “begin at My sanctuary, [ and] begin at the” oldest most entrenched sins which are before the house of God, which “house” or “temple” we are:

1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any [ ancient] man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy [Eze 9:6]; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

We “work out our own salvation” by participating in the destruction of those sins within us which are committing ‘the abominations that are done within us’. That is one way we are “angry and sin not”. That is the positive use of the emotion of anger within us. If we are judged by God’s wrath now, in this age, we will not be judged by that wrath at a later, less desirable time:

Zep 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Again, God’s wrath is for but one purpose in the end, and that is to chasten us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live righteously in this present world.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Tit 2:12 Teaching us [ Greek – paideuo, chastening us] that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Five Hebrew words which are all translated as wrath, anger, and fury

There are at least five different Hebrew words which are translated into English as ‘anger’ or ‘fury’ or ‘wrath’.
The Hebrew word ‘anaph’ is translated variously as anger and wrath. Here is how Strong’s defines this word:

H599
‘aÌ‚naph
aw- naf’
A primitive root; to breathe hard, that is, be enraged: – be angry (displeased).

Here is a verse which demonstrates how this word is used:

Deu 1:37 Also the LORD was angry [ Hebrew, anaph, H599] with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.

This definition, “breathe hard”, reveals the stress that a life of hidden anger and fury places upon the neck of our old man. How sweet it is when we are granted to trade in that angry, furious yoke for Christ’s yoke:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

‘Aph’ is another far more common Hebrew word also translated as anger, which comes from this same root word. Here is Strong’s definition of that Hebrew word ‘aph’:

H639
‘aph
af

From H599; properly the nose or nostril; hence the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid breathing in passion) ire: – anger (- gry), + before, countenance, face, + forbearing, forehead, + [ long-] suffering, nose, nostril, snout, X worthy, wrath.
This word also has to do with breathing hard, but it is more focused on the instrument of breathing – the nose. Nevertheless it is translated as wrath in this verse:

Gen 27:45 Until thy brother’s anger [ Hebrew, aph, H639] turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

A third Hebrew word, ‘chemah’ is also translated as fury and anger. Here is Strong’s definition for that word:

H2534
cheÌ‚maÌ‚h cheÌ‚maÌ‚’
khay- maw’, khay- maw’
From H3179; heat; figuratively anger, poison (from its fever): – anger, bottles, hot displeasure, furious (- ly, – ry), heat, indignation, poison, rage, wrath (- ful). See H2529.

This word is connected with the concept of heat, and is sometimes translated as ‘hot displeasure’, as in this verse:

Deu 9:19 For I was afraid of the anger [ aph, H639] and hot displeasure [ Hebrew, chemah, H2534], wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.

A fourth Hebrew word which is translated as anger and wroth is:
H2734
chârâh
khaw- raw’
A primitive root (compare H2787); to glow or grow warm; figuratively (usually) to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy: – be angry, burn, be displeased, X earnestly, fret self, grieve, be (wax) hot, be incensed, kindle, X very, be wroth. See H8474.

This word ‘charah’, like the word ‘chemah’ is also associated with heat or a blaze. Here is an example of how this word is translated:

Gen 30:2 And Jacob’s anger [ Hebrew, charah, H2734] was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

A fifth Hebrew word for wrath is:
H7107
qâtsaph
kaw- tsaf’
A primitive root; to crack off, that is, (figuratively) burst out in rage: – (be) anger (- ry), displease, fret self, (provoke to) wrath (come), be wroth.

This word carries with it the meaning of breaking off. Here is an example of how this word is most often translated

Deu 1:34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth [ Hebrew, qatsaph, H 7107], and sware, saying, Deu 1:35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,

The four Greek words translated as ‘wrath’

Our first word is by far the most common Greek word translated as ‘wrath’ in New Testament and it is the word ‘orge’:

G3709
orgē
or- gay’
From G3713; properly desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), that is, (by analogy) violent passion (ire, or [ justifiable] abhorrence); by implication punishment: – anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.

Here are a few verses which demonstrate how this word is used in the New Testament:

Luk 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath [ G3709 orge, desire, ire, anger, indignation] to come?
Luk 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

This next verse uses this Greek word ‘orge’ twice and again associates God’s wrath with His judgments:

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath [ G3709, orge] against the day of wrath [ G3709 orge] and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

1Th 5:9 tells us we are not appointed to ‘orge’ even though we are told in Joh 3:36 that we are born under the ‘orge’ of God.

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath [ G3709, orge], but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [ G3709, orge] of God abideth on him.

Since none of us are born as believers, we are all born under the wrath of God.
The obvious conclusion is, as the last part of 1Th 5:9 demonstrates, that the word “we” is referring to all men, since it is all men who are appointed to “obtain salvation”.
The verse we are using as our guide for this study translates this Greek word ‘orge’ as ‘wrath’.

Jas 1:20 For the wrath [ G3709 orge] of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Our second Greek word which is translated as ‘wrath’ is:

G2372
θυμοÌÏ‚
thumos
thoo- mos’
From G2380; passion (as if breathing hard): – fierceness, indignation, wrath. Compare G5590.

Here is a verse with this word in it:

Luk 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath [ G2372, thumos, passion, fierceness, indignation]
Luk 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

Here now is a verse with both ‘orge’ and ‘thumos’, in the same verse:

Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger [ G3709, orge], wrath [ G2372, thumos], malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

It is very instructive that the English word ‘wrath’, every time it appears from Revelation chapters 12-16, is the Greek word ‘thumos’. Then right at the end of the sixteenth chapter, the chapter with all the seven vials that fill up the wrath, ‘thumos’, of God, we are told this:

Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath [ G3709, orge].

What this demonstrates is that the Greek words ‘orge’ and ‘thumos’ are equivalent words, just as the English words ‘anger’ and ‘wrath’.
This next word is our third Greek word which has the same ‘orge’ root, but is another Greek word which is translated as ‘rage’ or ‘wrath’.

G3950
parorgismos
par- org- is- mos’
From G3949; rage: – wrath.
Here is a verse with this word:

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath [ G3950, parorgismos, rage, wrath]:

Our fourth word translated as ‘wrath’ is:
G3949
parorgizō
par- org- id’- zo
From G3844 and G3710; to anger alongside, that is, enrage: – anger, provoke to wrath.

Here is a verse which has this word:

Eph 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath [ G3949, parorgizo, enrage] : but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Four Reasons Why We Become Angry

We become angry because of Jealousy

It appears that the first example of human wrath in scripture is the result of a jealous spirit, which drove Cain to murder his brother, Abel.

Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth [ Hebrew, charah, H2734], and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

The reason we are given for Cain’s wrath is “… the Lord had respect unto Abel and to His offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect”. Then we hear the Lord tell Cain, ” If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.” So Cain had not “done well”. Rather than confess his disobedience and sin, and repenting of that sin, he was jealous of his brother being accepted by God for “doing well” and not sinning against what God had commanded. So Cain killed his brother Abel in a jealous fury.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous of Joseph’s relationship with their father Jacob, and could not even speak peaceably with him:

Gen 37:3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. Gen 37:4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

This is a repeat of what happened between Cain and Abel. The only difference is that Joseph had ten brothers who hated him. This is what is in our own jealous Adamic flesh, and this story is given to us as an admonition for each of us to diligently guard against that very same spirit.
It is so easy to look on what the Lord has given others, whether it is physical possessions or relationships or spiritual possessions or relationships, and to become envious and jealous of what God has given to others, and for our own good, has not given to us.

We become angry because we feel cheated or abused

When we feel we have been wronged we just naturally become very angry and furious, and under those circumstances we never “work… the righteousness of God”.
Jacob certainly took advantage of his brother Esau, making Esau sell him his birthright for a bowl of soup when Esau was hungry, and Jacob outright stole Esau’s blessing from his father Isaac.

Gen 27:41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
Gen 27:42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Gen 27:43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
Gen 27:44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury [ chemah, hot displeasure, H2534] turn away;
Gen 27:45 Until thy brother’s anger [ aph, heavy breathing through the nose, H639] turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

Esau hated Jacob for the evil Jacob had committed against him. This story happened to Esau, and it is written as an admonition to us to be aware that we, too, will just naturally hate those who cheat us and rip us off and lie to us or about us. It is so easy to become bitter against such people. When we hate those who abuse us, we are hurting no one but ourselves, and we are defiling the temple of God with our bitterness towards our brother who was given to be an unbeliever for our sakes.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

When we are wronged whether by a brother or by those who have never named the name of Christ, that person was given to do that wrong deed “for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
What a blessing it is to know what God is doing; to know what His grace does, and to know that we are to be thankful for that chastening grace and never to become bitter toward the world or toward unfaithful brothers and sisters.

Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
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.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

We are naturally angry when we feel we are ignored

Baalim’s wrath almost got him killed when he beat his ass which was ignoring his commands:

Num 22:27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger [ Hebrew, aph, nose, nostril, rapid breathing in passion] was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
Num 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Num 22:29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
Num 22:30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Num 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Num 22:32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
Num 22:33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

Yes, this is just an ass, but think what would have happened if this had been another person who had ignored Balaam. Just remember what Cain did to Abel for nothing more than jealousy.
Another example of great anger because of being ignored is the story of Absalom whose ambition to dethrone his father caused his anger to be manifested against those who were ignoring him – namely his father King David, and Joab, King David’s captain of his armies.
It was Joab’s initiative that brought Absalom back to Jerusalem, after he had slain his own half- brother, Amnon, for defiling Absalom’s full sister, Tamar. After Absalom was allowed back in Jerusalem, he then insisted on seeing his father King David, but King David had given orders that Absalom was not to be given an audience. So just as we all do when we are denied what we want, Absalom took matters into his own hands:

2Sa 14:29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
2Sa 14:30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

Absalom’s impatient anger, got him what he wanted for that moment. He was given an audience with his father, but in the end, as is always the case, the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. What it does work is the unrighteousness of our flesh, and as it did with Absalom, when we become impatient because we are being ignored, it will cost us our life.
Job tells us our anger will get us killed:

Job 5:2 For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

It is for our own good that God makes people to ignore us as He tries our patience. If we are feeling ignored it is for our own good. It teaches us patience and in our patience we possess our souls, and in our patience we are being perfected:

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Jas 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

This is not an encouragement to ignore your brother or sister. Quite the opposite. Christ ignored no one but His self- righteous persecutors. Let none of us ever fail to respond to a personal call or an e- email from a brother or a sister. That is your own body. But if we are ignored by anyone, whether it is someone in the world or one of our own spiritual family and our own spiritual body, we know that this, too, is a work of our Lord for our own good.

We become angry because of self- righteousness

Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, who later participated in selling their brother into Egypt and who first wanted to kill their brother, had earlier killed to uphold their self- righteous family honor.

Gen 34:24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
Gen 34:25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
Gen 34:26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

This is how Simeon and Levi, justified their own lying and their murder of those to whom they had lied:

Gen 34:31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

We are all naturally self- righteous and can easily justify any evil we set our hearts to do. The way we do this is by convincing ourselves that one evil deed justifies another evil deed, and we are taken with our own self- righteousness.
Saul of Tarsus was an extremely self- righteous man, and he, too, is a type of what is within our flesh:

Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
Act 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

How did he justify doing this to the most honorable people on earth? He tells us why he wanted to kill his enemies:

Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Saul of Tarsus was zealous to persecute the church. He felt very righteous “in the law” doing so, and he was breathing out slaughter in his rage against God’s called out ones.
This is the truth concerning a man who is proud of his own temper:

Pro 19:19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

God’s punishment of our angry, vengeful, hot- headed, old man will destroy him and will, through that destruction transform him into a new man who will patiently wait upon the Lord.

Psa 37:9 For [ angry, impatient] evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Conclusion

What we must conclude is that whether we are angry because we are jealous of what God has given others, or because we feel we have been cheated or abused by any man, our anger is not really against any man at all. Our anger is really against God Himself who has given to those of whom we are jealous to have those things we wish we had, be it families, friends or possessions and physical wealth or gifts of spiritual knowledge and understanding.
It is also God who made that man or woman to cheat us out of our hard- earned goods, or who has abused us in any way. He it is who has raised up that “stormy wave… [ to] bring us to our wits end”.
When we are angry because we have been ignored and made to feel that we are not worth being acknowledged, or if we are angry with others because we are self- righteous, or because they are self- righteous, again we are not really contending with a brother who is ignoring us. We are really contending with powers and principalities in the heavens, which were placed there by God Himself to do what they are doing in our lives. It is all a work of His great grace, and we must, in time, learn to be grateful for all of our trials.

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

God’s chastening grace does us no good if we are not thankful for it or if we resent what He is doing to us:

Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Here is a verse which tells us just how strong those powers within us are:

Pro 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

If we hold our brothers responsible for what they do, “Yes even the wicked” (Pro 16:4) we reproving, and condemning our own God. That is what we all do. We get angry with those who offend us, and in doing so we cut ourselves off from Christ and His christ. God has, for our sakes, sacrificed those who He sends to give us all these great trials. If we are God’s elect, then we will humble ourselves before our brothers and sisters, confessing our own sins, and attempting to “win our brother” (Mat 18:15).
This is the truth of how our Lord is using this life preparing us to be a patient, submissive, and a grateful bride for our husband, Christ:

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.
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 will:
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Psa 107:21 Oh that [ you and I] would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is through the destruction of darkness of spiritual death that the light of spirit life comes (Rom 1:20, Gen 1:2-4, Col 1:22, Heb 2:14).

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.

1Co 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

God created darkness/death as an opponent or enemy of the spiritual light/life and this darkness/death is reflected in all physical and carnal things, including our physical body and the natural mind (Gen 1:2-31).

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

In essence we all have been born to fight a spiritual war – a war between darkness and light, between evil and good. God has a good purpose because through this war we are learning about Him and His perfect plan for the salvation of all in the generation of the first Adam. The natural man is first given over to be the seed of the serpent as we all share the same carnal mind with him. We have the devil as our spiritual father, and we are enemies of God by nature (Joh 8:44, Rom 5:10, Rev 12:1-7):

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…

Any war is associated with anger and hatred. Human anger and hatred express the pride and lusts of the evil heart or mind of the wicked man of sin in us (Pro 16:4, Jer 17:9, 1Jn 2:16). Anger and hatred are foundational in our understanding of the inward spiritual battles within the generation of the first Adam since the beginning. Humanity gives shallow and carnal reasons for all the wars and bloodshed that is going on in all levels of society in human history. The Scriptures however bring us to the heart of the problem. It is first reflected in the interaction between the two sons of Adam and Eve in Genesis, which helps us to understand the inward spiritual war and the works of God within our heavens (Rev 12:7-9, Dan 10:13, Dan 12:1, Eph 6:12, Col 1:16):

Gen 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten [Hebrew: qnah = possession] a man from the LORD.

The name ‘Cain’ in Hebrew is associated with ‘taking possession’, and the name also has the meaning of a ‘spear’ connected to it – a sword-like weapon with which strike someone. Adam and Eve seemingly expected Cain to be the fulfillment of God’s promise that their seed will “bruise” the head of the serpent, as we all naturally think the weapons of our warfare is fleshly (Gen 3:15, 2Co 10:3-4). Naturally we are all impatient beings and unaware that God’s promises have a time period connected to it (Heb 11:7, Act 14:22, Mat 10:22, 2Pe 3:9). In our immature state we want our salvation and healing now, and we question God as to why He is delaying and taking us via the longer route (Psa 27:13-14, Psa 69:3, Rev 6:9-10). God has a perfect plan, and that plan includes our preparation time for the inward war which will strengthen and grow our faith to the praise and glory of Jesus (1Pe 1:6-7).

Exo 13:17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
Exo 13:18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

Naturally we want vengeance on injustices to be swiftly executed. The natural man wants God to act quickly, and that is contrary to how God performs His work in this life (Jer 1:12, 2Pe 3:9). God uses the longer route also to reveal our own natural heart to ourselves:

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

This is how we get to know that every word which comes from the mouth of God has a purpose for us. It is indeed with patience that we will possess anything worthwhile and be His witnesses for all to see:

Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Cain was not the type of the Lord Jesus with His flaming sword which the Cherubims are using to keep the way to the tree of life (Gen 3:24). Cain was just the type of the carnal sword which man uses in the natural acts of anger and hatred when things are not going as expected (Mat 26:51, Act 12:1-2). So when the second child of Adam and Eve was born, deeper evils of the natural heart are revealed even more in the relationship between these two siblings:

Gen 4:2 (a) And she again bare his brother Abel.

The name ‘Abel’ in Hebrew is connected to ‘vanity’ and his name also carries with it the meaning of ‘breath’. In one sense his name confirms the shortness and emptiness of earthly life (Rom 8:20, Jas 4:14). In another sense Abel was the type of the breath or spirit of God that came in the person of Jesus Christ (Mat 23:35, Heb 12:24, Heb 11:4) There were still many things which Adam and Eve and their first two children had to learn and endure:

Gen 4:2 (b) And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 (a) And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.

Cain was a hard worker of the soil, and Abel just had flocks to tend to – a seemingly much easier job than that of the labour of Cain. At the harvest time or at the end of time, as some translations have it, they both brought an offering to the Lord. God showed favor to Abel’s offering and this brought the anger and hatred in Cain’s heart to the fore. We fume with hatred when we come to realize our own outward efforts cannot replace the inward blood offering of Christ – dying to self (1Jn 1:7, Rev 7:14, Rev 12:11, 1Co 15:31).

Gen 4:4 (b) … And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 (a) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth [Hebrew: charah = very angry], and his countenance fell.

By faith Abel sacrificed the more excellent offering than Cain (Heb 11:4,6). According to God’s instructions an animal or a blood offering is required to make atonement or covering for sin. God showed Adam and Eve what was required to have proper covering – the death of a beast:

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Cain did not take heed of God’s instructions, nor did he learn from the mistakes of His parents. They used their own righteous ideas, and the carnal consensus from their natural minds, to cover their shame. Our own toiling in the soil of our cursed ground will always produce a covering of “filthy rags” which is hopelessly insufficient:

Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The meal offering (of the ground) was to be “upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice” as explained in the old covenant laws of offerings (Lev 9:17, Lev 14:31). The shedding of the “blood” (or life) of our old man is not what the natural first born wants to hear or see. It is foolish and unnecessary to take up our cross as that is not good preaching to those who prefer smooth deceit (Isa 30:10).

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

The taking up of our own cross fills up what is behind of the affliction of Christ, as we die with Him and are not persuaded by the false doctrine of substitutionary atonement (Dan 9:27, Gal 2:20, Col 1:24). Jesus’ death on the cross opened up His resurrection spirit life and that (“aeonian” life) helps those who are given the downpayment of that “holy spirit of promise” to die to their own sinful fleshliness in this age (Eph 1:13-14, Gal 5:22-23, 2Co 4:7). That is how the war in the heaven is won – with the blood or life of Jesus in us:

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Abel is providing us with this type of obedience to the pattern of Godly salvation:

Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat [Hebrew: cheleb] thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

The Hebrew word for ‘fat’ here is “cheleb”, which can be better understood in this following verse:

Num 18:12 All the best [Hebrew: cheleb] of the oil, and all the best [Hebrew: cheleb] of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.

Abel, while tending his flock, rested in God’s provision as he guided them to the pastures which God already provided (Eph 2:8-10). The fat is Christ’s life and works in us, which will make us able to die to our own firstborn, our flesh, which we offer as a living sacrifice in the service of His body:

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.

Cain saw his own brother Abel as his enemy because God “prepared a table” for Abel in the sight of Cain (Psa 23:1-5).

Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

The natural man is the enemy of the spirit man and will always hate and persecute him (Gal 4:29-30, Gal 5:17). God spoke to Cain about the reason for Him rejecting Cain’s offering. However, Cain, the type of our natural first born fleshly man, could not do well as he clung to his own integrity and his own persuasion (Job 27:5-6). He did not either want to ask Abel for one of his flock. We naturally, like Cain, do not at first understand the spiritual principle of being in a family or a body where we respect the contribution which each one supplies, especially those whom we see as “less honorable” and “uncomely”, whom we by nature despise (Rom 14:2):

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.

1Co 12:23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

Like Cain, we naturally hate and kill our brother Abel, a type of the spirit man as we actually vent our anger toward God when we do that:

Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

The same thought that goes into hatred and resenting others, is the same thought and spirit that is behind the vilest evil and murders (Mat 5:21-24). Can anyone plead innocence?

1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1Jn 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

All wicked and deceitful hearts commit murders (Jer 17:9). What we do to and say about others, we do to and say against God because no one can do anything which God has not ordained and written in their books (Psa 139:16). Not one single event in this world (outside and inside) is happening without the holy counsel of God (Eph 1:11, Act 4:25-28, Gen 50:20). God will mercifully bring us to see the absurdities in our self-righteous attitudes when He burns that out of our hearts with His spiritual breath (Eze 36:31-32):

Jer 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Even in the rejection of Cain and his offering, God provided hope and the assurance of salvation for all in the generation of the first Adam:

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin [Hebrew: hatat/chatat = sin or sin offering] lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Cain and all in the generation of the first Adam will be accepted as all will sacrifice the old man of sin to eventually rule over him as we all will do ‘well’ in the last Adam, Jesus Christ (1Co 15:22). The Lord is indeed “a man of war”, and this Lord, the Lamb of God, shall overcome all those in the first Adam who is making war with Him:

Exo 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

[The writer may be reached at glgroenewald@gmail .com for questions or comments.]
[Detailed studies and emails written relating to these foundational themes in Scripture are available on the www. iswasandwillbe. com website, including:
Where are Tartaroo and the Bottomless Pit?
What is the Spiritual Significance of the Fatted Calf?
Who is the Seed of Satan?
The Meat (Meal) Offering – Part 1
Cain’s Offering was not Accepted

Hi Mike,

In Matthew 5:22, what does Jesus mean by “without cause”? If this is answered on your site, please direct me. In Matthew 23 Jesus certainly was angry with the Pharisees.

In Christ;

Your friend R____

Good morning R____,

Thank you for your question. You ask:

In Matthew 5:22, what does Jesus mean by, “without a cause?”

Let’s look at that verse:

Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

According to Strong’s, that entire phrase is translated from a single Greek word. Here is that word and all the other scriptures in the New Testament, where that word appears.

G1500
εἰκῆ
eikē
i-kay’

Total KJV Occurrences: 8
vain, 5
Rom_13:4, 1Co_15:2, Gal_3:4 (2), Gal_4:11
cause, 1
Mat_5:22
vainly, 1
Col_2:18
without, 1
Mat_5:22

This word actually only appears seven times. The computer fails to see that the whole phrase is taken from this one word in Matthew 5:22, which appears twice in the above list.

In five of the seven times it appears, it is translated with the English word ‘vain.’ Once in Colossians 2:18 it is translated ‘vainly’. The only place it is not translated into some form of the word ‘vain’ is in Mat 5:22, where it is translated with this entire phrase “without a cause.”

Thus this verse should really read ‘Whosoever is angry with his brother vainly (or out of vanity), shall be in danger of the judgment…’

There is certainly nothing wrong with being angry with the sins and oppressions of our brothers in Christ which we witness all around us every day at the hands of all of the false prophets of Babylon. In fact we are expressly exhorted to “be ye angry:”

Eph 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
Tit 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;