1 Samuel 10:1–27 Saul Anointed King by Samuel

[Study Aired March 9, 2026]

Our study today focuses on the Lord’s sovereignty in establishing Saul as Israel’s first king. The study highlights how the Lord divinely empowered Saul to become the king of Israel. It therefore, shows us how the Lord is empowering us, His elect, to reign with Him when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Saul Anointed King

1Sa 10:1  Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

It is important to note in verse 1 that the Lord anointing Saul was for the purpose of making him captain over the Lord’s people or inheritance. That means that to become a king of the Lord’s people or inheritance, we must be anointed.

Deu 32:9  For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

The Lord’s inheritance is our inheritance. The Lord has shown us in His word that He will give us the nations as our inheritance.

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

Psa 24:1  A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

In Psalm 133:1, we are shown what the anointing does in our lives to ensure our kingship when the kingdoms of this world becomes the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. It helps us to dwell together in unity with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, which is the pillar of the truth of the Lord’s word.

Psa 133:1  A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Psa 133:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 

The Lord is therefore training us as rulers within the body of Christ, so that in the fullness of time, we shall reign as kings with Christ. This training involves living in unity with our brothers and sisters as we go through suffering in this age to destroy our flesh. Living in unity implies being of one mind and speaking the same thing.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

What We Must Go Through to become Kings

1Sa 10:2  When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

After anointing Saul, Samuel told him about what would happen to him on his way to become king of Israel. Therefore, it shows us what we must go through as anointed of the Lord in order to realize our kingship when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

The two men in verse 2 represent the Lord’s witnesses. The fact that the two men were by Rachel’s sepulcher implies that all of the Lord’s witnesses are going through the death of their flesh or the valley of shadow (meaning of Zelzah) of death in this age, through the Lord’s judgment.

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We must note that the two men who serve as the Lord’s witnesses were to let Saul know that the asses have been found and that his father is worrying about him.  This is to let us know that when the Lord calls and chooses us to be become His elect, He ensures that our needs are met so we can serve Him in rest and quietness.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 
Php 4:20  Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

Saul’s father caring about Saul after finding his lost asses is to show us the Lord’s care regarding us. The reason He cares about us is that He loves us dearly as His children.

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Jer 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

1Sa 10:3  Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 
1Sa 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 

The plain of Tabor is a mountain near the hills of Nazareth. As we have indicated in previous studies, a mountain on a positive note signifies the house of the Lord or the church of the Lord’s elect. Saul going to meet three men on their way to God at Bethel affirms that it is in the house of the Lord that Saul was going to meet these three men, since Bethel means house of God. These three men represent the Lord’s elect who were going to offer sacrifice to the Lord.

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Saul meeting the three men at the plain of Tabor implies that if we are to reign with Christ, then we must come into the church of the Lord’s elect. That is where we learn to offer ourselves as living sacrifice to the Lord. It is important to note that Saul was going to meet three men at Mount Tabor. The number three means the process of spiritual maturity through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh. The fact that the three men were carrying three kids and three loaves and a bottle of wine is to show us that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord is a process attained through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh.

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 three men saluting Saul and giving him two loaves of bread in verse 4 means that in entering the church of the Lord’s elect, we are given to know Christ through His word, which is symbolized by the two loaves of bread given to Saul. The word of the Lord that we receive is through what every joint supplies in the assembly of the Lord’s elect as we are granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

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.

It is instructive to understand that Saul was given two loaves of bread. The number two means a witness. It implies that in coming to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, we must compare scripture with scripture.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1Sa 10:5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 
1Sa 10:6  And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 
1Sa 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

It is on the hill of God or in the assembly or the church of the Lord’s elect that there is a Philistine outpost. This implies that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we pay attention to the deeds of our flesh.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

As we are aware, it is in the city of the Lord’s elect that we meet prophets with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps as they prophesy. Prophesying here means singing praises to the Lord with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps. Singing to the Lord is a form of prophesying as shown by the sister of Moses, who is called a prophetess, and the daughters of Philip, the evangelist, with seven daughters who prophesied.

Act 21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Act 21:9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 

Exo 15:20  And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 
Exo 15:21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Singing is a form of worship, and therefore it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we learn to worship the Lord in spirit as we offer our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord.

Rom 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

As shown in verse 6, it is in the company of prophets or the Lord’s elect that the spirit of the Lord comes upon us to turn us into another man, who is Christ. We must remember that it was when the disciples were together on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit descended upon them to turn them into Christ or another man.

Act 2:1  When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 
Act 2:3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The coming of the holy spirit into our lives is to lead us into the truth which is a requirement if we are to reign as kings, as we see the Holy Spirit came upon Saul.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

As indicated in verse 7, when we are given two loaves of bread as we come into the assembly of the Lord’s elect, and we are given the Holy Spirit to turn us into Christ or another man, then it means that the Lord is with us! It is not when things are going well with us that show the Lord is with us.  We may not feel His presence and we may be going through all kinds of trials and tribulations, but we must be assured that the Lord is with us as long as we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven through the Holy Spirit.

1Sa 10:8  And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do. 
1Sa 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

It was in Gilgal that Israelites were circumcised when they went over the Jordan.

Jos 5:2  At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.
Jos 5:3  And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 
Jos 5:4  And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 
Jos 5:5  Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

Jos 5:8  And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
Jos 5:9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. 

What we are therefore being told is that it is by doing away with our flesh through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

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 fact that in verse 8 Samuel told Saul to wait for him for seven days, to be told what to do implies that offering ourselves as a living sacrifice is a process. The seven days waiting for the Lord to come to us to offer the sacrifice pleasing to Him is the complete period of time in our lives that we go through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. 

In verse 9, it was when Saul turned to follow Samuel’s instruction that the Lord gave him another heart and what had been said about him came to pass. It is through our obedience to the word of the Lord that we are given another heart. This is what it means to be given another heart:

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 
Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Eze 36:28  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Eze 36:29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

1Sa 10:10  And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 
1Sa 10:11  And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:12  And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 
1Sa 10:13  And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. 

In verse 10, we are told that what Samuel said about Saul came to pass. This is to assure us that what the Lord has said in His word concerning us will come to pass in the fullness of time. 

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.  

Many of those who knew Saul wondered what had happened to him. In a similar vein, many who knew us during our time in the churches of this world are wondering what’s become of us. Just as many wondered whether Saul was really among the prophets, many are not really sure whether we are among the Lord’s elect. However, time will tell who really is destined to reign with Christ. 

In verse 13, Saul came to the high place after prophesying. As indicated earlier, Saul prophesying is Saul singing to the glory of the Lord. This shows us that the high place which signifies the church of the Lord’s elect is where we should be. 

Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Saul’s Encounter with His Uncle

1Sa 10:14  And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel. 
1Sa 10:15  And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 
1Sa 10:16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

Saul’s uncle represents our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who are only interested in what the Lord has said to us. The Lord gave Saul wisdom to tell his uncle only what pertains to the finding of the asses and not his kingship. As the Lord told us, we must not cast our pearls before swine. That was exactly what Saul did.

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

The Choosing of Saul as King

1Sa 10:17  And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 
1Sa 10:18  And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 
1Sa 10:19  And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. 
1Sa 10:20  And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 
1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

Just like the people of Israel, we have all rebelled against the Lord even though the Lord has wrought deliverance on our behalf in taking us out of the world (Egypt) to come and worship Him. In verse 19, we are shown the cardinal sin we have committed – we have rejected the Lord as king over our lives. The question is, “In what way have we rejected the Lord as king over our lives?” When through false doctrines we imbibed in Babylon or the churches of this world, we come to think that we have our own minds and make our own decisions. When we think we make our own decisions and do whatever we like, then we are the man of sin sitting in our temple claiming himself to be God. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Samuel requesting the people of Israel to present themselves before Him by tribe and by thousands, resulting in the selection of Saul as king is to let us know that our election to reign with Christ, in the fullness of time, is not by anything we have done. It is wholly the work of the Lord. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world because He loves us!

Deu 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
Deu 7:7  The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 
Deu 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

1Sa 10:21  When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 
1Sa 10:22  Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 
1Sa 10:23  And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 
1Sa 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 

The lot to determine the tribe, the family and the person to become the king of the people of Israel was a way of knowing the Lord’s decision in those days. This is because the Holy Spirit had not been given permanently to guide them. It was after Jesus ascended that the Holy Spirit took permanent residence in the Lord’s elect to guide us to the truth. However, since all things are working according to the counsel of the Lord’s will, every ruler appointed in this world is therefore of the Lord – whether it is through voting, military insurrection, assassination, etc.

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. 

Eph 1:11  In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.

It is important to note that when Saul was selected, he was nowhere to be found because he hid himself. He knew that the Lord has chosen him, but he hid himself. The first time that man tried to hide himself from the Lord was because of sin. In this case, it was Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the Lord. 

Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 
Gen 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

This implies that Saul hiding from the kingship was because he counted himself not fit for the kingship because he thought he was unworthy. We are all like Saul when the Lord came to us to offer us the kingship of ruling with Him in the fullness of time. At that time, we all felt unworthy of such an honor by the Lord. However, the Lord did not give up on us. My brother and sister, are you thinking that you are unworthy of such an honor by the Lord? No, don’t give up!! Let’s continue to persevere until we possess the crown.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 

In the final analysis, the people overwhelmingly accepted Saul as their king. In the fullness of time, the world will overwhelmingly accept us as their kings when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

1Sa 10:25  Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 
1Sa 10:26  And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
1Sa 10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

As shown in verse 26, the Lord will always find a way to support His chosen ones. The band of men whose hearts the Lord had touched represent all those whom the Lord has placed in our path of life, to help us achieve our goal of being able to reign with Christ in the fullness of time. Therefore, let’s not take for granted those whom the Lord directs to cross our path, whether they are part of the Lord’s elect or people who do not know Christ. 

On the other hand, there are those who don’t see what we see. Here in verse 27, these people are called children of Belial, and they represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world. They despise us and do not think we can ever become kings. Like Saul, we must hold our peace, and perhaps the Lord will open their eyes to see and their ears to hear that we are the saviors of the world.

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

May we continue in Him, even as we are dying to the flesh daily through His judgment. Amen!!

Audio Download Part 1 [Study Aired September 30, 2025]

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Introduction 

In the closing verses of Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul sets before us one of the deepest paradoxes of Christian life: the dual calling to serve both as an ambassador and as a soldier for Christ. From his prison cell, Paul writes: “For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:20). This striking declaration immediately follows his description of the believer’s spiritual armor, making clear that diplomacy in ministry and conflict in spiritual warfare are not separate callings but inseparably bound together in the life of every disciple.

Through Paul’s Spirit-inspired words, we are presented with two roles that appear contradictory yet are divinely united in purpose. An ambassador represents peace, reconciliation, and the ministry of mediation. A soldier, by contrast, embodies warfare, conflict, and victory over hostile forces. Yet in God’s design these roles do not cancel one another; they complement and strengthen each other. We are called to be ambassadors of the Prince of Peace, while at the same time standing as soldiers in the army of the Lord of Hosts.

This twofold calling is grounded in Christ Himself, who came as both the suffering Servant and the conquering King. As Scripture testifies: “He came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh” (Ephesians 2:17, ESV). Yet the same Lord also declared: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). The sword He spoke of was not an earthly weapon of steel, but the sharp division wrought when His light and truth pierce through the darkness of sin and error.

Grasping our dual identity as both ambassadors and soldiers is vital for faithful Christian living. Too often believers lean heavily to one side while neglecting the other. Some become so consumed with spiritual warfare that they lose sight of their diplomatic mission of reconciliation. Others, in seeking only peace, overlook the reality of the ongoing battles against spiritual forces of darkness. Scripture summons us to hold both callings together, maintaining the sacred balance that makes our testimony both powerful in conflict and compelling in peace.

The context of Paul’s words gives them greater weight. He writes of being an ambassador while bound in chains, proving that our standing before God is not lessened by earthly circumstances. He speaks of boldness even while restrained, revealing that true authority is spiritual and not confined by physical limitations. From this we learn that both our ambassadorship and our soldiership operate first and foremost in the unseen realm, even as they find expression in the visible details of our daily lives.

As we examine these complementary callings, Scripture will unfold the character of our ambassadorship, the nature of our warfare, and the harmony between the two in advancing the kingdom of God. The Old Testament foreshadows these roles, the New Testament brings them into clear light, and together they direct our gaze toward the final fulfillment when Christ Himself shall appear—both as the Prince of Peace to His redeemed and as the King of Kings who conquers every foe.

The Ambassador’s Commission: Representing Heaven on Earth

Paul directly names believers as ambassadors in his second letter to the Corinthians: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). The Greek word presbeuō (G4243) means “to be older” or “to act as an ambassador” and carries the sense of one vested with dignity and authority. In the ancient world, such representatives spoke with the full power of the government that sent them, their words bearing the same weight as those of the sovereign himself.

The weight of this ambassadorial role cannot be overstated. In the ancient world, ambassadors carried immense authority. They did not speak on their own initiative but delivered the words of their sovereign with binding force. They could negotiate treaties, declare terms of peace or war, and represent the will of their nation in foreign courts. To insult or strike an ambassador was to insult or declare hostility against the very nation he represented.

Scripture shows that our ambassadorship rests firmly upon God’s eternal purpose of reconciliation. Paul explains the foundation of this commission: “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18–19). Through Christ, we who were estranged are restored, and now we carry the same ministry of reconciliation to others.

The ministry of reconciliation is the heart of our diplomatic mission. The term katallagē (G2643), translated “reconciliation,” means “exchange” or “restoration to favor.” It signifies that hostility has been exchanged for friendship, enmity for peace. Through Christ, God has reconciled us to Himself and entrusted us with the charge of extending this reconciliation to others.

This calling has its prototype in the Old Testament, where God sent prophets as His representatives both to Israel and to surrounding nations. Jonah illustrates this most clearly: “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). Jonah was sent not as a destroyer, but as a herald of warning and opportunity. The forty days of grace reveal the heart of our merciful God, who “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The number forty in Scripture often signifies testing or trial. Just as forty days of rain brought judgment and purification in the days of Noah (Genesis 7:17), and Israel was tried forty years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2), so Nineveh was given forty days of trial—an appointed season to prove whether they would harden their hearts or repent and live.

When the Ninevites turned in true repentance, “God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not” (Jonah 3:10). This response reveals a sacred principle: our heavenly Father’s desire is always reconciliation, though His holiness is never compromised. The pattern seen in Jonah foreshadows the greater ministry we now carry as believers, for we are indeed “ambassadors for Christ.” The message remains consistent across both covenants—repent and live, or persist in rebellion and face judgment—yet always with God’s mercy extended toward those who will receive it.

The Authority and Duty of Spiritual Ambassadors

As ambassadors of Christ, we bear heavenly authority that rises above earthly rank or qualification. Jesus declared: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:18–19). This Great Commission is the foundation of our credentials. We go forth not in our own power, but in the authority of the One who has triumphed over death and the grave.

An ambassador’s authority is inseparable from the sovereign he represents. Our effectiveness as Christ’s ambassadors does not rest on natural skill or human standing, but on closeness with Him. Jesus affirmed this truth: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). It is through union with Him that heavenly authority flows.

With authority comes solemn duty. Ambassadors are charged to faithfully reflect their sovereign’s character, message, and intent. Paul grasped this when he wrote: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Though we are fragile vessels of clay, the treasure of God’s glory and word has been placed within us.

The message of an ambassador is not self-made but received directly from the sovereign. Isaiah expressed this with clarity: “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isaiah 50:4). Our speech must be God’s speech, our message His message, and our heart aligned with His heart.

Peter gives clear guidance on the exercise of this authority: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). As Christ’s ambassadors, we are not to voice our own opinions or philosophies but to declare the very oracles of God.

The Old Testament abounds with types of ambassadorial authority. When Moses appeared before Pharaoh, he bore God’s absolute authority, declaring: “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1). His authority did not rest in eloquence—he himself confessed to being “slow of speech” (Exodus 4:10)—but in the commission of the Almighty. Likewise, Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal under heaven’s authority, and fire fell from the Lord: “Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:38).

The Eternal Perspective of Ambassadorship

To rightly understand our role as ambassadors, we must view it from an eternal perspective. Paul reminds us: “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). The word politeuma (G4175) refers to citizenship or commonwealth. Thus, we are citizens of heaven, temporarily assigned to earth as diplomatic representatives of our eternal homeland.

Heavenly citizenship shapes how we respond to earthly conditions. Peter exhorts: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Ambassadors do not conform to the culture of their station; they uphold the laws and values of their homeland. In the same way, we are called to embody the standards of heaven, even while living in a foreign land.

Other Old Testament examples gives us vivid pictures of ambassadorial calling. Abraham was summoned to leave his country and kindred to serve as God’s representative in a foreign land. The promise he received unveils the eternal scope of this mission: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3). The Abrahamic covenant foreshadows our role as ambassadors through whom God’s blessing is extended to the nations.

Daniel stands as a model of ambassadorial character during his exile in Babylon. Though serving in a foreign court, he held fast to his loyalty to God and maintained a distinctly Hebrew identity. When pressed with conflicting loyalties, he chose obedience to God at any cost. His integrity and wisdom gained the respect of earthly rulers, while his steadfast faith revealed the surpassing wisdom of heaven. His prophetic ministry also shows the eternal scope of ambassadorship: he spoke not only to immediate issues but also of God’s kingdom that will one day prevail over all earthly powers: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).

The Soldier’s Warfare: Fighting Battles Not of This World

The Nature of Spiritual Warfare

Though we serve as ambassadors of peace, we are also enlisted as soldiers in a battle that rises above the physical realm. Paul describes this conflict plainly: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5).

The word translated “war” is strateuomai (G4754), meaning “to serve as a soldier” or “to engage in military service.” Paul uses military language with purpose: we are truly soldiers, but our battlefield is spiritual, not earthly. The “strongholds” we tear down are not stone fortresses but entrenched systems of deception, pride, and rebellion that exalt themselves against God.

Our adversary is clearly identified: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Here Paul outlines a hierarchy of spiritual powers opposed to God’s kingdom. Knowing the true enemy guards us from wasting effort on fleshly conflicts or resorting to the wrong weapons.

The word “wrestle” (palē, G3823) speaks of close, hand-to-hand struggle rather than distant combat. This tells us that spiritual warfare is not occasional or abstract but personal and ongoing. We are engaged in continual close-quarters conflict with forces bent on undermining our faith, weakening our witness, and resisting God’s work in and through us.

The battlefield centers in the mind and heart. Paul speaks of “casting down imaginations” (logismos, G3053)—reasonings, arguments, and thoughts that oppose sacred truth. Satan’s chief weapon is deception, just as Jesus revealed: “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” (John 8:44).

The Old Testament gives vivid examples of spiritual warfare. David’s victory over Goliath shows how God’s servants overcome seemingly invincible foes. David proclaimed: “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand” (1 Samuel 17:45–46). The victory was secured not by greater weapons, but by faith in the name and power of God.

The Arsenal of Spiritual Weapons

God has equipped His people with weapons perfectly suited for spiritual warfare, each designed to counter the enemy’s schemes. Paul outlines this arsenal in Ephesians 6:13–17: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”

The belt of truth holds the entire armor together, teaching us that truth is foundational to victory. Jesus declared: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). This truth is not limited to intellectual knowledge but is embodied in Christ Himself, who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

The breastplate of righteousness shields the heart, the very core of life. This righteousness is both positional—our standing in Christ—and practical—our daily walk in obedience. Isaiah foretold of Messiah: “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins” (Isaiah 11:4–5). Our strength in warfare rests in union with Him who is our righteousness.

The shoes of the gospel of peace give us a firm footing. The word hetoimasia (G2091) speaks of readiness and stability. Our ability to stand fast in battle and advance the kingdom rests upon being grounded in the gospel, which establishes peace between God and man. Isaiah foretold this sure foundation: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7).

The shield of faith extinguishes all the fiery darts of the wicked one. These darts (belos, G956) were flaming arrows, dipped in combustible pitch to ignite destruction. Likewise, Satan launches sudden, burning assaults—thoughts, doubts, fears, temptations—intended to inflame the heart. Faith becomes our shield, resting in God’s unchanging character and His sure promises despite every circumstance.

The helmet of salvation guards the mind, which is the chief battlefield. Salvation is not only a past event but an active, present reality that shapes our thinking. Paul writes: “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” (Romans 12:2). Isaiah also saw this covering: “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head” (Isaiah 59:17).

The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the believer’s chief offensive weapon. Jesus Himself wielded it in the wilderness, answering each temptation with “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Scripture describes this weapon as “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). With this sword we guard against deception and advance the truth into enemy-held ground.

Prayer: The Communication System of Warfare

Paul concludes his description of the believer’s armor with the essential element of prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer is not simply one weapon among others; it is the very communication system that directs and coordinates every part of our warfare.

The command to pray “always” points to unbroken communication with our heavenly Commander. This does not mean we are perpetually bowed in posture, but that we cultivate a continual spirit of dependence and communion with God. On the battlefield, constant direction and intelligence from headquarters are essential. Paul expressed it simply: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Paul’s phrase “all prayer and supplication” speaks of variety in prayer. The word proseuchē (G4335) denotes general prayer, while deēsis (G1162) refers to specific petitions. Our communion with God is to include worship, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, and requests—each exercised as the Spirit leads and circumstances demand.

To pray “in the Spirit” is to pray in alignment with God’s will and by the Spirit’s enabling. Paul writes: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). The Spirit both shapes our prayers and ensures their power.

Paul’s call to perseverance highlights the ongoing nature of spiritual conflict. Victories are not always immediate, and the adversary seeks to dishearten us with delays or apparent defeats. Jesus underscored persistence in prayer with the parable of the persistent widow: “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).

Daniel’s persistence in prayer illustrates this truth with striking clarity. Though he received no answer at first, he continued fasting and seeking God for twenty-one days. At last Gabriel appeared, declaring: “Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me” (Daniel 10:12–13). This account shows that delays in prayer may stem from warfare in the unseen realm, underscoring the need for steadfast intercession.

The Unity of Our Dual Calling

The wisdom of God’s design is revealed when we see how ambassadorship and soldiership function together, not in conflict but in harmony. Both roles demand courage, though expressed in distinct ways. The ambassador shows courage by boldly declaring truth before hostile listeners, while the soldier demonstrates courage by holding firm against relentless spiritual opposition.

Paul’s ministry demonstrates this integration. As an ambassador, he reasoned with the philosophers of Athens, presenting the gospel with clarity, wisdom, and cultural understanding (Acts 17:17–34).

Luke records the encounter in full:

“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” (Acts 17:17–34)

As a soldier, Philip’s ministry in Samaria directly confronted demonic powers through spiritual warfare. The result was deliverance, healing, and joy throughout the city (Acts 8:4–8).

Luke records:

“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:4–8).

The work of the ambassador often provokes the need for the soldier’s warfare. When we faithfully represent Christ, the world system and demonic powers inevitably rise in opposition. Jesus warned: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18–19).

Conversely, victories won by the soldier open doors for the ambassador’s message. When Paul and Silas prayed and praised God at midnight, their chains fell off, the prison doors were opened, and the jailer was converted (Acts 16:25–34).

Luke describes:

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” (Acts 16:25–34)

Both ambassador and soldier alike must submit wholly to Christ’s authority. Ambassadors must represent His message without compromise, and soldiers must obey His commands without alteration. In both roles, the guiding principle remains: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

The Strategic Integration in Ministry

True Christian ministry requires the deliberate integration of both ambassadorial and soldierly functions. When we meet those bound by sin or deception, we must first wage warfare against the unseen forces that hold them captive, and then, as ambassadors, extend the gospel of reconciliation to set them free.

Jesus Himself modeled this integration throughout His ministry. As a soldier, He cast out demons; as an ambassador, He proclaimed the kingdom of God. In the synagogue at Capernaum, He first rebuked an unclean spirit and then taught with authority, so that the people marveled at both His power over evil and His proclamation of truth (Luke 4:31–37).

Luke records the scene:

“And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” (Luke 4:31–37)

The Old Testament also gives striking types of this integration. Joshua stood both as commander of Israel’s armies and as mediator of God’s covenant. He led them in battle and later summoned them to renew their covenant loyalty. His farewell address recounted God’s victories and called the people to choose whom they would serve (Joshua 24:1–18).

Scripture records:

“And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt. I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out. And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea. And when they cried unto the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand. And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.” (Joshua 24:1–18).

David, too, embodied both callings. Though a warrior, he showed ambassadorial restraint when he spared Saul’s life, declaring: “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD” (1 Samuel 24:6). In that moment, David stood as both soldier, fully able to strike, and ambassador, appealing instead to God’s justice and reconciliation. Later, as king and psalmist, he gave voice to God’s purposes for the nations in words fulfilled ultimately in Christ:

Psalm 2 declares:

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” (Psalm 2).

The Balance of Grace and Truth

Our dual calling demands that we maintain the biblical balance of grace and truth. John testifies of Christ: “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). We likewise must display both qualities in our ambassadorial and soldierly roles. This harmony reflects the very nature of God, as revealed to Moses: “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6). Grace without truth collapses into compromise, while truth without grace hardens into severity.

As ambassadors, we extend God’s invitation of reconciliation with grace, remembering that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Romans 2:4). We are called to approach the lost with compassion, discerning that they are captives of deception rather than personal enemies. Paul instructed: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24–25).

Yet as soldiers, we must hold fast to truth without compromise. There is no room to negotiate with evil or make peace with sin. Jesus showed gentleness to sinners yet remained unwavering in His opposition to sin itself. He welcomed tax collectors and outcasts but condemned the hypocrisy that hindered people from God. Our battle is not against men and women themselves, but against sin, Satan and his demons, the carnal mind, and the lies that enslave.

This balance shines in Christ’s encounter with the woman taken in adultery (John 8:1–11). He extended grace by refusing to condemn her, yet upheld truth by saying, “Go, and sin no more.” In one moment He silenced her accusers with divine wisdom and offered the woman both pardon and the call to transformation.

John explains the progression of God’s revelation: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The law unveiled God’s holy standard and humanity’s nature; Christ brought both the grace that forgives and the truth that transforms. As His ambassadors and soldiers, we must mirror both realities—extending forgiveness through the gospel and at the same time calling all to true repentance and transformation.

Practical Applications for Daily Living

Walking in Ambassadorial Authority

Understanding our ambassadorial calling should reshape how we engage in daily life and ministry. We no longer represent ourselves but the King of Kings, and therefore our words, attitudes, and actions bear eternal weight. Every conversation becomes an opportunity to serve as a channel of heaven’s diplomacy.

Living as ambassadors begins with cultivating the character that reflects our Sovereign. Paul describes it: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22–23). These fruits give credibility to our witness and beauty to our message.

We must also grow in our ability to present God’s message clearly and persuasively. Peter commands: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). The word apologia (G627) signifies a reasoned defense, like a legal argument. We should be ready to explain the gospel intelligently and convincingly.

Ambassadorial authority is exercised not only through proclamation but also through intercession. Moses exemplified both. He declared God’s word before Pharaoh: “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1). He warned of judgment: “Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood” (Exodus 7:17). Yet he also interceded on Pharaoh’s behalf: “And Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh” (Exodus 8:12). Again he promised: “I will intreat the LORD for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, tomorrow” (Exodus 8:29). True ambassadors both deliver the sovereign’s word and plead for mercy, always hoping for repentance.

The life of an ambassador should mirror citizenship in a higher kingdom. The prophets modeled this when sent to foreign nations as God’s messengers. In the same way, our distinct lives—marked by integrity, purity, and love—become visible testimonies of our heavenly homeland, while our words carry the authority of our Sovereign.

Engaging in Effective Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual warfare is not optional for the believer—it is an unavoidable reality of following God in an unrighteous world. Yet our warfare must be waged according to Scripture, not human emotion or strategy. The foundation of victory lies in knowing our position in Christ and walking in the authority He has entrusted to us.

Daily warfare begins with deliberately putting on the whole armor of God. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This is not a single act but a continual practice—choosing truth over deception, righteousness over compromise, and faith over fear. Paul stressed this when he wrote: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14). Each piece of armor represents a conscious decision to align our minds and hearts with God’s character and promises. Thus he also urges: “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23), and again: “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” (Romans 12:2).

Practical warfare involves continual examination of our thoughts. Paul commands us to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This discipline requires us to measure our thoughts against Scripture and reject every pattern that contradicts God’s truth. When Satan whispers doubt, fear, or condemnation, we must swiftly counter with the sure promises of God’s Word.

Prayer stands as the believer’s chief weapon in warfare. Paul writes: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). James affirms: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). This includes not only personal prayer but also united intercession with other believers. Jesus promised: “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19–20). The early church lived this reality when they prayed for Peter’s release: “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him” (Acts 12:5). God answered as an angel appeared: “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:7). When Peter arrived at the prayer meeting, “they were astonished” (Acts 12:16)—a testimony to the power of united prayer.

We must also grow in discernment of the enemy’s strategies. Jesus warned: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Satan seeks to strike through circumstances, relationships, or subtle thoughts meant to discourage, deceive, or divide. The more clearly we recognize his schemes, the more effectively we can resist and counter them. James exhorts: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Spiritual warfare is not only defensive but also offensive. We advance the kingdom by proclaiming truth with boldness, demonstrating God’s power through prayer, and establishing strongholds of righteousness wherever He has placed us. Every soul won to Christ is territory reclaimed from the dominion of darkness and transferred into the everlasting kingdom of God.

Living with Eternal Perspective

Both our ambassadorial and soldierly callings demand that we keep an eternal perspective, one that rises above temporary trials. Paul reminds us: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).

Such an eternal perspective transforms how we direct our time, energy, and resources. As ambassadors, we labor for things that advance God’s kingdom rather than building temporary success. As soldiers, we engage in battles that hold eternal weight, not petty struggles of the moment. Paul reminds us: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). Jesus likewise set the priority: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

To live with eternal perspective is to recognize that present struggles are temporary, but victory in Christ is everlasting. Paul triumphantly writes: “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). This assurance enables us to endure hardship with joy, knowing that “your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Eternal perspective also means remembering that we are part of a vast story stretching from eternity past to eternity future. Our individual roles as ambassadors and soldiers are woven into God’s grand design to display His wisdom to the heavenly realms: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10). This truth gives weight and dignity even to the smallest act of obedience or service.

Finally, an eternal perspective points us to our ultimate destiny. John’s vision in Revelation portrays the church both as Christ’s bride (ambassadorial role) and as His heavenly army (soldier role): “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:11–14). Even now we are being prepared for eternal service where both callings will merge in perfect harmony. The more faithfully we grow in these roles today, the more fruitful we shall be in that everlasting ministry.

Conclusion: The Crown of Our Calling

As we conclude our study of the dual calling to be both ambassadors and soldiers for Christ, we see that these roles find their perfection in Him who embodies both. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace, reconciling God and man, yet He also came as the Lion of Judah, conquering sin, death, and hell through His cross and resurrection.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

“And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:5)

The life of Paul shows the seamless union of these callings. From prison he wrote of being an “ambassador in bonds” (Ephesians 6:20), revealing that earthly chains cannot diminish spiritual authority. He testified that his captivity actually advanced the gospel: “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12–14). What seemed a defeat for the soldier became a triumph for the ambassador.

Paul’s example shows us that effectiveness in both roles does not depend on favorable circumstances but on faithful obedience. Whether in persecution or prosperity, adversity or opportunity, our charge remains unchanged: to represent Christ’s message as ambassadors and to resist the powers of darkness as soldiers of His kingdom. As he declared elsewhere: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 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” (Romans 8:38–39).

The eternal weight of our dual calling cannot be overstated. Every soul reconciled as the fruit of ambassadorship is a life transferred from darkness to light. Every victory won through spiritual warfare weakens the enemy’s grip and strengthens the advance of God’s kingdom. We are participants in the great conflict between good and evil, light and darkness, truth and deception.

Our comfort is this: the outcome of the war has already been decided. Christ’s victory at Calvary sealed Satan’s defeat, though the final manifestation awaits His return. Until that day, we serve as both ambassadors and soldiers—representing our triumphant King and enforcing His victory in enemy-occupied ground.

Peter reminds us of our identity: “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” (1 Peter 2:9). Here both roles appear—ambassadors who declare His praises and soldiers set apart to serve His holy purposes.

The blending of these callings prepares us for eternity, where we will reign with Christ as both His beloved bride and His victorious army. Every faithful act of ambassadorship, every courageous stand in battle, shapes us for the glory yet to come.

As we face the challenges and opportunities ahead, let us embrace both aspects of our calling with renewed dedication. May we represent our heavenly homeland with dignity and grace while standing firm against every attack of the enemy. May our lives demonstrate the perfect balance of truth and grace, courage and compassion, that marks those who serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The crown of our calling awaits those who faithfully fulfill both roles until Christ returns. Paul could say at the end of his life: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

May this same testimony be ours as we serve faithfully as ambassadors and soldiers for Christ, advancing His kingdom through diplomatic ministry and spiritual warfare until that day when “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11). In that day, the ambassador’s mission will be complete, the soldier’s warfare finished, and we shall reign with Him forever in the kingdom that has no end.

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:50–55).

[Study Aired February 7, 2021]

We ended our last study explaining how the Lord has devised means by which His banished adulterous wife will not be expelled from Him. No one here, nor in scriptures, is saying that His rebellious, adulterous wife will remain in that state, but what scripture is saying is that the Lord has arranged that “through death” we can and will all be brought back to Him. His “bride” will be first, then His wife’s children, who are all the rest of mankind.

We will begin today by repeating the last couple of paragraphs from our last study:

“While it defiles the land to return to an adulterous wife, the Lord has provided a means to put us to death and raise us up as a new man who can return to our husband and not defile the land, the place of His abode, the place of His dwelling:

Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh [alive “to the law”], the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in [the physically impossible] newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

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.

If we are “dead to the law through the body of Christ”, how then can we possibly fall away from such a wonderful and blessed position to become Aholibah, the younger sister whose whoredoms exceed that of her older sister, who is and was still under the law? We do so through that most insidious of sins, the sin of Job, which is the sin of self-righteous apostasy:” [End Quote]

Job 27:1  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,
Job 27:2  As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
Job 27:3  All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
Job 27:4  My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
Job 27:5  God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Job 27:7  Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

As chapter 40 shows us, as well as chapters one and two, it was Christ Himself who had risen against Job, and it was God Himself with whom Job was contending, reproving and disannulling His judgment so Job could condemn God and make himself righteous:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Job typifies each of us as first Ahola, and then as self-righteous, yet even more wicked, Aholibah, because, like Job, we turn the grace of God into lasciviousness:

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Ungodly  men, turning the grace of God  into lasciviousness” is typified in Ezekiel 23 as Aholibah within us, whose adulteries were worse than those committed by the New Testament church while it was yet under the law.

Eze 23:11  And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms

Not being under the law, we do not see ourselves as “lascivious”. We see ourselves as under God’s all-forgiving grace, and we have not yet been given eyes to see that grace does not nullify judgment, rather grace brings us into the Lord’s chastening and judgment:

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

True Godly righteousness is the fruit of the Lord’s judgments:

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

This is our spiritual attitude as Aholibah:

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

As Aholibah we have not been given eyes that see the need for being judged according to our works:

Ecc 11:9  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
Ecc 11:10  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

In other words, ‘Grow up and quit acting like an immature fool’. That is the admonition of scripture.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day [of judgment] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

These “ungodly men [within us who] turn the grace of God into lasciviousness”, don’t believe they are denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”. This is what they believe:

Pro 30:20  Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

By giving us over to such self-righteous and foolish thoughts, the Lord has given Himself the occasion He is seeking to judge a blessed few in this present time, and judgment in the scriptures always comes out of the north:

Jer 3:12  Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
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.

The Lord tells us, “I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity.” It simply is not in our flesh to acknowledge our own self-righteousness which is the most insidious of sins. This is a humanly impossible requisite which requires a supernatural solution.

The Lord simply does not grant many of mankind in this present time to “acknowledge [their] iniquity” and admit that they “transgressed against the Lord”. What He has given the vast majority of mankind is to do a lot of very good works in His name. He Himself deceives the masses of mankind by answering their prayers for healing and for direction, “according to the idols of their hearts”:

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8  And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

As we already demonstrated, “He has devised means whereby His banished will not be expelled from Him”, and that ‘means’ is “through death”.

2Sa 14:14  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh [1Co 15:31, Eph 5:30] through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

When the Lord offers such a great honor, He gives that honor only to those whom He is preparing to be willing to die for Him and His doctrines. He does not give such honor to those whom He answers according to the idols of their hearts. He certainly does not  give it to those who do good works and think they do so of their own ‘free will’:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
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 [we] cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

This is exactly what Job said to the Lord, and Job is a type of every man:

Job 27:2  As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;
Job 27:3  All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
Job 27:4  My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
Job 27:5  God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
Job 27:7  Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

Job 40 makes clear that it was not Job’s comforters with whom he was contending. Just as with Joseph’s brothers (Gen 45:4-8), which we quote so often, it was actually God with whom Job was “contending… reproving… disannulling His judgment and condemning God to make himself righteous”:

Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

The honor of becoming “the bride, the Lamb’s wife… ruling with Him for a thousand years, and judging angels [in the] white throne judgment” is given to very few of the “many called”. They alone are given to acknowledge the vileness of their own self-righteousness and acknowledge they have actually condemned their own Creator to maintain their own righteousness. Lord willing, that is you and me. Only the Lord’s elect will remain faithful to the doctrines of Christ and be willing to withstand the pressures of this life, the “suffering of this present time… being hated of all men… and “endure… much tribulation… to the end”. This is how Christ explains His calling and His own sifting process:

Jdg 7:2  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
Jdg 7:3  Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
Jdg 7:4  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
Jdg 7:5  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
Jdg 7:6  And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
Jdg 7:7  And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Here is another of the Lord’s perspective of those who are ‘called but not chosen’ (Mat 22:14) to become saviors on Mount Zion (Oba 1:21):

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven [within you] is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them [‘hated them’ (1Jo 3:15)].
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: [The humility of Job after he was judged]
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but  few are chosen.

What we fail to see is that the book of Job reveals the guests who finally came to the feast are typified by Job Himself. It was He who first refused his own judgment, and while he was being judged, he accused God of “taking away [his] judgment”:

Job 27:2  As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul;

Job typifies each of us. We are all first Ahola, the elder sister harlot, then we are Aholibah, the even more wicked younger sister whose name means:

H172
אָהֳלִיבָהּ    אָהֳלִיבָה
‘ohŏlı̂ybâh    ‘ohŏlı̂ybâhh
o”-hol-ee-baw’, o”-hol-e-baw’
(As with H170 the first form is in form a feminine of H168, but is in fact for the second form); from H168; my tent (is) in her; Oholibah, a symbolic name for Judah: – Aholibah.

Here in the Old Testament are those “few [who] are chosen” (Mat 22:14) to endure tribulation (Mat 10:22) and suffer with Christ for His body’s sake and die daily (1Co 15:31) with our Lord:

Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, [Aholah and Aholibah] saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family [“few chosen”], and I will bring you to Zion:

This is an important spiritual message for us as we struggle to be found pleasing to our own ‘husband, our Lord. “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God”. Do not think you or I can cleanse ourselves, because we cannot. Neither should we think we can defile our Lord, our Husband to whom we are married, because we cannot, and that is why He tells us:

Eze 23:36  The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations;

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

As Jacob, who stole his brother’s blessing, as King David, who stole another man’s wife, and as the weak apostles of our Lord who “all forsook Him”, we do not appear to this world to be any different from any other ordinary sinner. The Lord Himself appeared very ordinary to the world of His time. The chief priests and the elders had to pay Judas to point Christ out to them because He looked so very ordinary:

Mat 26:14  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
Mat 26:15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Mat 26:16  And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Contrary to the doctrines of the great harlot, Christ or His elect did not have a visible halo over their heads. The Lord’s elect are always considered to be “ignorant and unlearned” by the leaders and peoples of this world:

Act 4:8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
Act 4:9  If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
Act 4:10  Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Act 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Act 4:14  And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

While the world cannot see or recognize the Lord’s elect or His doctrine, we certainly are aware that they hate His doctrine and anyone who lives by that doctrine. It is the Lord’s doctrines which are in the hearts and minds of His chosen few elect. It is by those doctrines we are “marked”. Israel of old was marked in their right hand and in their foreheads by the Lord’s doctrine in their minds and in their hearts.

Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deu 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes [forehead].

We are unrecognized by this world, but we know each other as those who are spiritually ‘marked [in] our hands and in our foreheads’:

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.

Being given eyes that can see this “mark” is just another way of saying  we  have been given “eyes that see and ears that hear” the voice of our Shepherd, Christ. It takes ‘Christ’ to know Christ, and to recognize His “voice”:

Jer 3:15  And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

The Lord has done just that for each of us, and we all “feed [the Lord’s] sheep with knowledge and understanding” if we are given to know His voice.

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

If we know His ‘voice’, we are given to “sup with [Him]” on the words of His doctrines:

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If we are given to know His “New Testament” doctrine, then we will never return to the old doctrine, because we will not be one of the many who say, “The old is better.” Instead, we will be one of the few who say ‘the new is better’:

Luk 5:36  And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.
Luk 5:37  And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
Luk 5:38  But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
Luk 5:39  No man also having drunk old wine [the Old Testament] straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.

When we are given to see that the new is actually better than the old, then we will be given to understand how Aholah and Aholibah will now both be made “one new man, so making peace” and “the stick of Judah will be made one with the stick of Israel:

Eze 37:15  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
Eze 37:16  Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
Eze 37:17  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Eze 37:18  And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
Eze 37:19  Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
Eze 37:20  And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
Eze 37:21  And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Eze 37:22  And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Eze 37:23  Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
Eze 37:24  And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

Here is this exact same message in the New Testament:

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

We are “builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit” was prophesied to come to pass here in Jeremiah 3:

Jer 3:16  And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

The physical ‘ark of the covenant’ with the two tablets of the ten commandments for the lawless and disobedient (1Ti 1:12), the golden pot which had manna and Aaron’s rod within it, was prophesied to become obsolete way in the prophecy of Jeremiah. In Christ we will never again return to our self-righteousness which we had while we were under the law.

Deu 6:24  And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
Deu 6:25  And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Luk 18:18  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luk 18:19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luk 18:20  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luk 18:21  And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luk 18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luk 18:23  And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

This “ruler” was “rich” in two ways. He was both physically rich and rich in his own works. He was a type of Job, and Job typified this ruler and each of us.

In Christ we take credit for nothing and proclaim only that our righteousness is now of Christ and of Him alone:

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

The reference to “those days” in Jeremiah 3:16 have arrived within us in ‘earnest’ and in down-payment form because we have been made to see and acknowledge that we have indeed been Aholibah, the “chief of sinners” whose whoredoms have exceeded the sins we committed while living under the “carnal commandments” of the law of Moses and the law of the Gentiles, which are one and the same:

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Heb 7:16  Who [“Christ in us” (Col 1:27)] is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment [the law of Moses], but after the power of an endless life.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law [of the spirit] might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

We have all to a greater or lesser degree committed spiritual adultery exceeding Aholah, our older sister, by turning the precious gift of grace which brought us out of Aholah into self-righteous lasciviousness, and we have thereby exceeded her in her adulteries:

Jud 1:3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude would not need to mention this to us if we were not guilty of doing this. If we “only acknowledge [our] iniquity, that we have transgressed against the Lord” more treacherously than our elder sister Aholah, then in spite of our gross sins and self-righteous iniquities, we will be His tent where He will dwell:

H172
אָהֳלִיבָהּ    אָהֳלִיבָה
‘ohŏlı̂ybâh    ‘ohŏlı̂ybâhh
o”-hol-ee-baw’, o”-hol-e-baw’
(As with H170 the first form is in form a feminine of H168, but is in fact for the second form); from H168; my tent (is) in her; Oholibah, a symbolic name for Judah: – Aholibah.

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:

This sounds like a request, but when we put the sum of the Lord’s words together, we realize that these verses are a prophecy that our sovereign Lord, who “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph 1:11) is working within us:

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.

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:

“The pride of life” is self-righteousness. That is the most insidious of sins, and that is the sin with which the entire book of Job concerns itself. It is the final of the three all-encompassing sins that are within every man:

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It is just naturally impossible for us to acknowledge our self-righteous iniquity. Only “Christ in us” can humble us and give us the grace and mercy needed to overcome that proud wild beast which we all are by nature, and which we all are “in the Potter’s hand” (Jer 18:4).

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:

When we begin to overcome the pride of the great red dragon within us, then we will begin to be born into Jerusalem above, and we will begin to be  caught up to the throne of God to be seated with Him in the heavens:

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

“Even when we were dead in sins” reminds us of what we are when the Lord calls us:

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

God is demonstrating through us that He does not need us. He is demonstrating this by using the foolish, weak, base, and despised and people who are not capable of being kings and priests, and He is making us a nation of kings and priests to rule with Him over the nations of this world:

Jer 3:17  At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

That is our “new name” which is known only to those that have it. That is where the Lord dwells, and ‘Jerusalem’ is where He sits upon His throne in His temple:

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.

Only Christ can be ‘Christ’. Only He knows His new name, and only He knows His ‘voice’, and only He knows to flee from the ‘voice’ of a stranger:

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

We are blessed to know Christ and to know others who “know His voice”. We are “one body” with “one mind”, and we speak with one voice, the voice of the True Shepherd, the Word of God:

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

That is our study for today, and here are our verses for our next study. Our next study will confirm the doctrine of being “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” which will bring Israel and Judah to be one again in Christ. We will see what that entails in our next study.

Jer 3:18  In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Jer 3:19  But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
Jer 3:20  Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Jer 3:21  A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
Jer 3:22  Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
Jer 3:23  Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
Jer 3:24  For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Jer 3:25  We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Isa 66:1-6 Your Brothers That Hated You… Shall Be Ashamed

[Study Aired October 18, 2020]

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:3  He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.
Isa 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Isa 66:6  A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

These last two chapters of Isaiah give great emphasis to the doctrine of Christ that many are called, but few of those “many… called” are chosen to be His “very elect”.

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

Here is how Christ presents this doctrine to us:

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests [our judgment in “this present time”, Rom 8:18 and 1Pe 4:17], he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth [The garment is the doctrine and works of Christ… “…with such an one know not to eat” (1Co 5:11 and 2Jo 1:10-11)].
Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Notice that “them that were bidden made light of it”. This is most people to whom the “blessed and holy first resurrection” is like Esau’s birthright to them. It is not presently tangible, and satisfying the lusts of the flesh and fitting in with this world, is just far more attractive to them than a far-off promise of greatness… “They made light of it” and no doubt considered it to be something that was common to all men. But the first resurrection, which is “the marriage supper of the Lamb” is not at all common to all men. Life is common to all men, but being judged in this present time is not common to all men

Gen 25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Gen 25:34  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright…

Look very closely at these words… “I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” When we get weary in well doing and say… ‘This calling is just to hard to bear… I don’t really care whether I am in the first or second resurrection…’ we have just “despised our birthright” and sold it for nothing more than temporary relief from a judgment we will still have to endure at a later time in the judgment which will indeed be “common to all men”.

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Compare the words of this parable of the wedding supper for the King’s Son to these words of Isaiah 65:

Isa 65:1  I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
Isa 65:2  I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
Isa 65:3  A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick [Their own doctrines and their own works];
Isa 65:4  Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
Isa 65:5  Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
Isa 65:6  Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom,
Isa 65:7  Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom [What we sow is what we reap (Gal 6:7)].

Being hopelessly lost in our sins is common to both the many called and the few chosen. What is not common to both groups is being the “few… chosen… who first trusted in Christ” and who are the first to be judged “in this present time”:

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

“We… who first trusted in Christ” are the Lord’s elect to whom this 65^th chapter of Isaiah is addressed:

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

The preeminence of His elect is emphasized again in:

Isa 65:21  And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Isa 65:23  They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.
Isa 65:24  And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

To whom do all these references to ‘they’ and ‘their’ in these five verses refer? They one and all refer to the few chosen to be “the first to trust in Christ”. They all refer to “mine elect” who now possess the kingdom inwardly as “the earnest of the promised possession” (Eph 1:14) and will possess it outwardly as well during the thousand-year reign.

Knowing how closely Christ identifies with His body, notice how similar these words of Isaiah 65 are to the words of Isaiah 11:

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isa 11:11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Here is Christ’s version of this same prophecy:

Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

“The remnant of [the Lord’s] people” are His “few chosen”, His “elect” of Isaiah 65 verses 9 and 22:

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Chapters 11 and 65 are both speaking of the time of “my holy mountain”, a time when no beast of the earth will hurt anyone within “my holy mountain”:

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 65:25  The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

“[The beasts] shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain” is speaking specifically of the time of “the kingdom of God” which is “within [us] at this time, which will also “rule the outward nations at the appointed time. It is the same ‘kingdom with [us]’ Christ came to proclaim:

Mat 4:23  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

The kingdom of God which Christ is first proclaiming here is:

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Once again, it is first “the kingdom of God [which] is within you” that is first proclaimed here in Isaiah:

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Isa 65:9  And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there.

Isa 65:22  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

It is these chosen few of whom Christ is speaking when He speaks of “entering into life”:

Mat 18:9  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Mar 9:45  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

“All… in Adam… shall… be made alive [in] the end”, but when Christ speaks of “enter[ing] into life”,  Mark 5:47 reveals He is referring particularly to the “few… chosen [of] the first resurrection… the resurrection to life… [those] enter[ing] into the kingdom of God”, which ‘kingdom’ precedes “the resurrection to damnation” (Greek: krisis, judgment):

Mar 9:47  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth [“each in his own order” (1Co 15: 23) first]; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and [then over a thousand years later] they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Greek: krisis, judgment).

It is those in the “blessed and holy first resurrection” who will inherit that “kingdom”. That kingdom comes down to mankind out of heaven, uniting the new earth with the new heavens:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

There is a future “redemption of the purchased possession”, nevertheless “the earnest of our inheritance” has already been fully paid, and we who have been given the holy spirit of promise are already “seated together with Christ in the heavens”:

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

What is so revealing about these verses is that the phrases “we were dead in sins” and “in the ages to come” are both in the Greek present tense. “Hath quickened us together with Christ [and] hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in the heavens in Christ” are both in the Greek aorist tense.

In other words, we are at this very moment in the process of being given life, and together with Christ we are being made to sit together in the heavens in Christ. We are those “heavens” into which “Christ [has] entered… heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us”.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

That is the “heaven” and the “earth” of the first two verses of this last chapter of Isaiah:

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Way back here in the Old Testament prophecy of Isaiah, Christ answers His own rhetorical question in very clear words:

Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look [as “the place of My rest”], even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Those who know that Christ’s death and resurrection were expedient before the holy spirit could be given, will know these words are a prophecy of the sacrificial death of our Lord and His Christ for the sins of this world.

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

This is the Lord’s assessment of failing to understand the efficacy of His sacrifice:

Isa 66:3  He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

“They have chosen their own ways” refers to what was just stated. They have chosen to replace the sacrifice of Christ with their own works and doctrines. The sacrifice of an ox, a lamb, the offering of an oblation, the burning of incense, one and all represent the works of our own hands. “idols of [our] hearts” (Eze 14:1-9). The physical Old Testament sacrifices were outward actions which are types of our own self-righteousness and doctrines and the rejection of the sacrifice of our Lord and His doctrines and His Christ. Nevertheless, we do those ‘good works’ “in His name” and therefore we think He should accept our works instead of His works. We are so convinced of our own righteousness ‘in His name’ that Christ tells us what we say to Him when we are being judged:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These words certainly apply to many who will be in the great white throne judgment, but they also apply to each of the Lord’s elect who all come out of Babylon. It is while we are there in Babylon that we are taught so many false doctrines, including the lie that the single most important factor in bringing us to Christ is our own fabled ‘free will’.

That false doctrine of mankind being given a will that is free of the will of God, and free from any influence of God, is one of many lying prophecies which are prophesied in Christ’s name, and which are used by the Lord Himself to deceive us:

Eze 14:9  And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Many demons have indeed been cast out of us just to be replaced by seven demons worse than the one that was cast out:

Mat 23:15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Luk 11:24  When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
Luk 11:25  And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Luk 11:26  Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Many evil spirits of alcoholism, pornography, gambling, etc. are indeed cast out of many in Babylon. However, “swept and garnished” is not to be mistaken for bring “rooted and grounded” in the Truth. ‘Swept and garnished’ is not the same as being obedient and being filled with the fear of God and the love of God. Christ’s own disciples healed the sick and cast out devils long before they were even converted:

Luk 10:8  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Luk 10:17  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

After three and one-half years of being Christ’s disciple, Christ said these words to Peter the night of His apprehension of the Jews:

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luk 22:33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

It is possible to be given the power to cast out devils and false doctrines in others and still hear the words, “I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity.” That is why the Lord told the seventy disciples:

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

It is our own old man who first places more value and more store in the doctrines of men, rather than the Truths of the scriptures. It is our own old man who places miracles and signs and wonders above obedience and fidelity to the Words and doctrines of Christ. It is first and primarily to our own old man that these words are written:

Isa 66:4  I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

The Lord chose to delude me first with the deceptions of the Pentecostal churches. Then He chose to take me from under the law of the Gentiles and He placed me under the false doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God and under the deeper delusion of the law of Moses. From that delusion He took me into the even more insidious delusion of the Concordant Publishing Concern Bible Conferences, teaching that we are under no law at all. The Lord chose my delusions.

When the Lord speaks, we do not hear unless He makes us to hear. He can even take the ‘hearing’ and the ‘light’ we had away from us, and we simply cannot hear words like, “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety” and “Tell it to the church.”

Now notice how the holy spirit changes the subject from our old man to our new man, with absolutely no segue:

Isa 66:5  Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

“Your joy” is the joy of “Christ in [us] the hope of glory” (Co 1:27) and “they shall be ashamed” refers to our own “old man… the first man Adam”. It is Christ in us who values our birthright and wants more than life itself to be with Him in His kingdom. It is Christ in us who “trembles at His Word [and] works out His own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 3:11-12):

Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery [G3466: ‘musterion’, secret] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

“The dispensation of God which is given to [Paul] for [us] to fulfil the word of God” is the same dispensation given to each of us to “fill up in [our] bod[ies] that which is behind of the afflictions of the Christ for His body’s sake, which [body] is the church.”

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:

It is very few to whom it has been made known that Christ did not die as our “substitute”.  Oh, yes, He did indeed die for our sins. That is a scriptural truth:

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

Now let me ask you… Where in that verse of scripture, or anywhere else in the Bible do you find the word ‘substitute’? Of course, the Truth is that it is not there because “Christ died for us” does not say, “Christ died in our stead, so we need not die.” If you teach that Christ died as a substitutionary atonement, in your stead so you would not have to die, you would be directly contradicting this, and so many other verses of scripture, which speak of being “dead with Christ (Rom 6:1-4), presenting your body a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), [being] crucified with Christ…” and this verse of scripture:

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

What is it that we “suffer for His sake”?

Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

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.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Part of “the dispensation of God which is given to [us] for [us], to fulfil the word of God;” is also this:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Those “few chosen” who will be in that “blessed and holy first resurrection” and will rule and reign with Christ a thousand years will not be the faint of heart. They will be equipped, through the trials of this life, to “render recompence to [their] enemies” and the enemies of Christ.

Isa 66:6  A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies.

Just look at how merciless Christ is to our old man in this age.

Joh 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease.

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

That is just how merciless we will be to the rebels of the thousand-year reign, as well as the carnal minds of those who will come up before us in the great white throne judgment. There will be no need for physical violence because, just as the Lord is now slaying our old man, so will we deal with the wicked:

Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Our severe trials of this life and of this age are in the process of destroying our old man, and that experience is preparing our hearts to be equally merciless to the carnal minds of all the rest of mankind at their appointed times.

This 66^th chapter is the last chapter of Isaiah. The theme of this book is expressed clearly in this New Testament verse:

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Here are a couple of examples of how this comforting and encouraging theme is expressed in this prophecy of Isaiah. It is to be found right here along with the secondary theme of this prophecy:

Isa 10:27  And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

Isa 41:13  For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
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.

This is the same promise Christ makes to us in the New Testament:

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

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

The next two verses of Isaiah 41 are also the secondary sub-theme of this prophecy, which we will see is also a theme we will find in the next prophecy of scripture, the prophecy of Jeremiah, which we will begin after we finish this last chapter of Isaiah.

Here is that secondary sub-theme of this prophecy of Isaiah. It is expressed in the very next verses of Isaiah 41:

Isa 41:15  Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

Isa 41:16  Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Lord willing, we will be the kings and priests who will be judging this world with Christ in the “first… resurrection to life” (Joh 5:27-29, Rev 20:1-6). As kings and priests we will be the judges of the nations of this earth, “a new sharp threshing instrument” for the subjection of the carnal mind during the time when “the kingdoms of this world will be the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ” (Rev 11:15), and beyond that time right over into the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:11-12).

Here now are the verses for our next study:

Isa 66:7  Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child.
Isa 66:8  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Isa 66:9  Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God.
Isa 66:10  Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

Isa 66:11  That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.
Isa 66:12  For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.
Isa 66:13  As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Isa 66:14  And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

Isa 48:1-11 - Part 2, I Knew You Would Deal Treacherously - Discussion

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Isa 48:1-11 - Part 2, I Knew You Would Deal Treacherously

Isa 48:1  Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness.
Isa 48:2  For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
Isa 48:3  I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
Isa 48:4  Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
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.
Isa 48:6  Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
Isa 48:7  They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.
Isa 48:8  Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.
Isa 48:9  For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 48:11  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

This is the second part of this study, but we will go back to verse 5 to review and remind us the Lord is explaining why “[He] will not give His glory to another”, by giving any quarter to our flesh nor to our self-righteous carnal mind.

Recall that in our last study the Lord went to great lengths to remind us that He and He alone has told mankind what mankind’s beginnings are. He wants us to know that He spoke His entire creation into existence, mankind included.

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.

Every religion on earth has ancient myths attempting to explain how the creation came to be. Many of them begin with animal spirits like the crow or the wolf, getting together and creating mankind. Others use a void as the beginning of Creation, but these myths always skip over the moment of creation and how mankind came into being. Pagans have literally hundreds of myths, none of which credit the Creator with the ability to speak the creation into being. The Bible alone states that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…”

As we noted in our last study, Isaiah tells us the entire creation came into being “suddenly”:

Isa 48:3  I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

Truth has nothing in common with, and is in no way compatible with, the modern “idol of the heart” known as evolution.

The same words which “went for out of [the Lord’s] mouth” and brought the entire universe into existence also foretold the future fate of all mankind:

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
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: ‘el’, against; Same as ‘el’ in Gen 4:8] thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

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 [Hebrew: ‘el’, against] 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 [Hebrew: ‘el’, against] Abel his brother, and slew him.

We are informed “from the beginning” that Eve, typifying the church and all men within her, will be ruled by her husband, typifying Christ “the last Adam” (1Co 15:45).

Cain, typifying our old man, is assured that “through death” he will be given to rule over sin. Salvation for all men was foretold “from the beginning”.

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Paul informs us that marriage is a type of Christ and the church. “He shall rule over you,” speaking to Eve concerning her husband, and “You shall rule over him,” speaking to Cain concerning sin in his life, is therefore a prophecy that in time Christ will save and rule over all men of all time:

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

There is an order in which the Lord is carrying out His purpose for mankind, and it does not depend upon mankind’s co-operation.

Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
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;
Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

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

The rebellious beast within us has seen and heard “all this”, and yet we “will not… declare it”. The past and the future have been given to us by the Lord, and we want to take credit for that knowledge:

Isa 48:6  Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

As we saw in our last study, the “new things… even hidden things” are the same here in Isaiah as “the hidden wisdom” of:

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

“Hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” sounds very similar to what Isaiah has already told us:

Isa 48:3  I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

Isaiah also agrees with Paul, there are “new things… even hidden things… you did not know” (Isa 48:6), and Isaiah tells us why the Lord waited to reveal these “new things”.

Isa 48:6  Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have shewed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. 
Isa 48:7  They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them. 

The fact is:

Isa 48:8  Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Here is why our ears are not opened. This is how the Lord knows in advance that we will deal very treacherously with Him. This is why the Lord can call us “a transgressor from the womb”:

Psa 56:8  Thou numberest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle; Are they not in thy book? 

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

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

Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 
Mal 3:17  And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 
Mal 3:18  Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 
Dan 7:11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

Our flesh is called ‘dust of the ground’ and ‘clay in the Potter’s hand’, and we are told that it was “made wicked for [our own] day of evil”. This is so true that the Lord wants us to know that even all the wickedness we do in these corruptible vessels of clay is not really of ourselves at all, but is, in the final analysis, a work of His own hands for our good:

Job 34:17  Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just? 
Job 34:18  Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
Job 34:19  How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

It is very foolish, even if it is true, to call a king ‘wicked’ or those who govern us, even if it is true that they are ‘ungodly’. Good or evil, they are the Lord’s servants, executing His will for this age. For that reason, this is very good advice for all of us:

Ecc 10:20  Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Yet the rebellious beast within us thinks nothing of calling the Lord Himself wicked and ungodly when His word contradicts the idols of our hearts. We deny doing so, but our works speak much louder to the Lord than our words do. He even asks us this simple question, and then He tells us what our false doctrines and their accompanying evil works will produce:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

For much of our lives, church doctrine trumps the Truth. While the Lord tells us we must endure to the end to be saved (Mat 22:10), our heart’s idol teaches the false doctrine of a ten-second sinner’s prayer. While He teaches that “every one will be salted with fire…” (Mar 9:49), and “every man’s work shall be made manifest… by fire” (1Co 3:13), our false doctrines teach us that obedience to Christ brings physical and financial peace to our outward lives. While the scriptures teach that even those whose works of wood, hay and stubble, must be burned out of us “but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire” (1Co 3:15), our heart’s idol teaches that if we do not choose to be obedient to Christ before we die in this age, then we are forever consigned to an eternal lake of literal fire. While the Lord Himself tells us that we must ‘read, hear, and keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book’ (Rev 1:3), we call God a liar by believing all the false doctrines of a secret rapture or a place of safety which will keep us from having to endure the fiery trials of much tribulation (Act 14:22) and the torments of  the seven last plagues of Revelation 15 and 16.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 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.

We of ourselves have no desire to come out of the blind churches in which we were born and brought up. It is by the Lord’s hand alone that we are dragged out of that darkness and into the light of His Truth. While we are in that harlot system being taught the false doctrine of free moral agency, this is what our Savior Himself tells us concerning the real reason any of us come to Him:

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [Greek: 'helkuō', drag] him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

What is “given unto [us] of [our] Father” is not dependent upon our fabled ‘free will’. “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” is the Truth of whether we serve God in this age or forebear.

This doctrine concurs with the next verse here in Isaiah 48:

Isa 48:9  For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 

As we saw in our last study, the Lord makes it clear in this book of Isaiah, that we, of ourselves, do nothing to deserve the incomparable calling we are given to have part in the first resurrection and to be a part of the bride of Christ who will rule with Him over the nations of this world and then continue the sovereignty of that kingdom over into the purifying work upon all men of all time in the lake of fire.

A “worm” has nothing to offer its Creator, and that is what the Lord calls us:

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.

We are nothing more or less than what the Lord makes us to be, and He reveals in the very next verse of the 41st chapter:

Isa 41:15  Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

God does it because He decides to do so. He has said it would happen, and He is making good on His own word “for [His] name’s sake”:

Isa 48:9  For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

That the Lord is doing all He does ‘for His own name’s sake” and despite what we do, is repeated many times throughout the scriptures.

Isa 43:24  Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
Isa 43:25  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

1Sa 12:22  For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Psa 25:11  For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

Psa 79:9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.

Dan 9:19  O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

Silver is the Biblical symbol for redemption. Both Joseph, a type of Christ, and Christ Himself, were purchased with silver, but it is fire that purifies silver:

Isa 48:10  Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

Purging our dross with fire is another of the themes of this prophecy:

Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: 
Isa 1:26  And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.

Christ has redeemed all men of all time, yet each and every man must still be “chosen… in the furnace of [fiery] affliction”:

Deu 4:20  But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

“Every man’s works are [still being] tried by fire”. The purifying of the new man is accomplished through the symbol of fire, and that is as true today as it has ever been as the scriptures witness:

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.

Those in whose book it is written to be an overcomer in this age shall receive a reward of “a crown of life” and “a kingdom” in which they will be “kings and priests… for a thousand years”. Those in whose book it is written not to overcome in this age will suffer the loss of that “crown of life” and they will also lose out on having a part in the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

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.

The ‘temptation, trials, tribulations and fidelity to death' are the fire which purifies the silver which symbolizes our redemption. Whether we desire or don't desire to have part in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection” either way will be a work of God in our lives. We know this is true because we are told:

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.

If we either ‘will and do’ fear and tremble at the Word of God, or if we refuse to do so, it will be a work of God who is working “all things after the counsel of His own will… for His own name’s sake” and not because of our supposed, but non-existent, ‘free will’.

Isa 48:11  For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

This is a reference to how we just naturally attempt to make the Lord’s words accord with the idols of our hearts of verse 5 of this same chapter:

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.

That would be to “share [His] glory with another” God, the idols of our hearts, “[our] graven image and [our] molten image”. The Lord will not give His glory to another, but we are to be “glorified together with Him” simply because we are Christ, as He Himself tells us:

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Christ tells us that we are just “as He is in this world”, and as we treat others and how others treat us is how we and they are treating Christ Himself.

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

That is quite a blessing which is placed upon all in whom He dwells and whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Look at how many times this phrase “the book of life” is mentioned in scripture. It happens to appear seven times:

Php 4:3  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. 

Rev 3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev 17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

That is our study for today. Here are the rest of the verses in this 48th chapter of Isaiah, which are for our next study:

Isa 48:12  Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Isa 48:13  Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Isa 48:14  All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
Isa 48:15  I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Isa 48:16  Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me.
Isa 48:17  Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Isa 48:18  O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Isa 48:19  Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.
Isa 48:20  Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Isa 48:21  And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.
Isa 48:22  There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

Psa 119:113  SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. 
Psa 119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 
Psa 119:115  Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 
Psa 119:116  Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 
Psa 119:117  Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 
Psa 119:118  Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 
Psa 119:119  Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 
Psa 119:120  My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. 

Psa 119:121  AIN. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. 
Psa 119:122  Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. 
Psa 119:123  Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. 
Psa 119:124  Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. 
Psa 119:125  I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. 
Psa 119:126  It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. 
Psa 119:127  Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 
Psa 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. 

This week we will look at the section of scripture centered around the letters “SAMECH and AIN”, the 15th and 16th letter in the Hebrew alphabet. 

There is a maturing process occurring in the body of Christ that can be observed and understood more clearly as we are sanctified by God’s word by grace through faith, and that is why the trial of our faith is so precious to God (1Pe 1:7), as those trials bring about the clarity we need in His word making it possible for us to be quickened through the increase God gives (Joh 17:17, Eph 2:8, 1Pe 1:7, Joh 6:63, 1Co 3:6-8). 

That building up of our faith is the miracle the bride of Christ is experiencing today, as we go through much tribulation and the fiery trials which are all carefully measured and caused by God for the overall good of Christ’s body (Rom 8:28) that is being purged and tried so that we can be fashioned as a vessel of honor being made for His purpose (Psa 127:1, 2Ti 2:21, Eph 2:10).

Looking back at a few letters in this Psalm 119 as a reminder of the order that got us to where we are now, we can observe that this contemplative and settled and deeply convinced and convicted language of the Psalmist has been founded upon Christ (12) that is revealed in the type and shadow language that we have been blessed to see through the sum of God’s word which tells us that this foundation built upon Christ comes about through a process (13) that God is causing by the grace that He shows us through faith (14). Again, it is God’s favor or grace that is revealed in His judgment which is upon us in this age, a judgment that heals us spiritually and causes us to learn of His righteousness in our land (1Pe 4:17, 1Jn 4:17, Isa 26:9). 

As we come together often as the body of Christ, the Lord writes a book of remembrance on our hearts that is for our sakes (Heb 10:25, Mal 3:16, 2Co 4:15, Php 1:6) to help us remember we are His little flock who believe, and we are reassured that “The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Rom 13:12) and that we must look to the author and finisher of our faith who knows the plans He has for us, as we are fashioned together as the temple of God which will be used to bring salvation to the rest of humanity in time (Heb 12:1-2, Oba 1:21). God has been fashioning us all along through the fire of His word which heals us and helps bring us to see the undeniable reality that we are being strengthened and settled by our Lord for His purposes as we are reminded that nothing can separate us from His love that gives us the ability to drink the cup indeed that Christ said we shall drink (Rom 8:38-39, Mat 20:23).

Gale and I have observed the construction process of the building in which we now live; the many stages of growth that were very analogous of how God is building up His bride as a precious building or temple which will be used to house the rest of humanity; and when I say house, I mean bring people into a right relationship with Christ through the church (Eph 3:10). 

We will be, and are, for each other today, so incredibly blessed to be instrumental in providing an everlasting abode just as Christ has done for us (Joh 14:3). We are as Christ is in that regard as well, and will experience that joy of helping the world come to know God and His Son, which is eternal life, as we go and prepare a place for the rest of humanity as our Lord leads us in that most blessed of all endeavors of saving the world (Joh 17:3).

What makes God’s word so cyclical for His children today, which you may know is connected to the design of the letter “SAMECH”, is knowing that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1Jn 4:17), and when Christ was in this world He said “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”. We therefore are that house which is, was and will be prepared for the innumerable multitude that will one day come to have a right relationship with our Father and Jesus Christ who blessed us to have this honor in advance of so many as His kind of first fruits who were first reaped (Luk 10:24, Rev 7:9, Jas 1:18).

The next Hebrew letter, “AIN”, is said to have its origins in the words ‘eye’ and ‘fountain’. There is a negative and positive use of looking at someone as well, with the negative shown in 1Samuel 18:9 as opposed to the stedfast gaze that we are to have on Christ and Christ in each other (Heb 12:1-2, Heb 11:26, 2Co 11:3).

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respectG578  unto the recompence of the reward. 

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity^G572 that is in Christ. 

G578 respect  apoblepō  ap-ob-lep’-o

From G575 and G991; to look away from everything else, that is, (figuratively) intently regard: – have respect.

G572  haplotēs  hap-lot’-ace

From G573; singleness, that is, (subjectively) sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking), or (objectively) generosity (copious bestowal): – bountifulness, liberal (-ity), simplicity, singleness.

God’s people are blessed to see this cyclical process which is represented by the letter “SAMECH” and the very apparent connection to the wheels within the wheels that God’s word is likened to in the book of Ezekiel (Eze 1:16). The process of how God manifests the bread of life within the body of Christ, who then casts that bread upon the water which comes back in many days, is a parable given to us to remind us that the word of God will not return void (Isa 55:11) as every intention God has for us will be fulfilled in its appointed time, as we clearly see demonstrated in these verses (Ecc 11:1-10, Eph 1:11)

How we handle that bread of life and how it works in the lives of those who have His eternal words within them is explained in these very encouraging verses below. 

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 
2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. [removing the chapter break placed here]

2Co 4:1  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 
2Co 4:2  But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
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. 
2Co 4:5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 
2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

There is also instruction for how the elders are to “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” found in 1Peter 5:1-14, which talks about humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God [unleavened bread of sincerity and truth]. He will exalt us in due time, and reminds us that by casting all our care on the Lord today we can overcome the adversary, the devil. God’s word says “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

If we are blessed to follow all these instructions on how to be about our Father’s business, as Christ was (Luk 2:49, 1Jn 4:17), then we will always have spiritual food enough and be blessed to see the end result of a healthy bride of Christ who has been nourished by the hand of God (Rev 21:1-7).

Psa 119:113  SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. 

The vanity of our fleshly hearts (Jer 17:9) that is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” can only be known through Christ “who can know it” and make war with the beast within us by giving us the power through the holy spirit to keep His commandments. If we love God, we will truly be keeping His commandments and not compromising on that law in any way (Joh 14:15, Mat 5:19). 

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

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

God’s elect are identified as being the first who have an abiding love toward one another (Joh 13:35), and that love is able to be demonstrated because of the power given them to be able to keep His commandments (Rom 5:5) as living sacrifices or witnesses in this age (Rom 12:1, Rev 11:3). It’s important to remember that this witness is a process that grows in strength over time as we decrease and Christ increases being purified by the hope that is within us (1Jn 3:1-3, Col 1:27).

Rom 12:1  Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. 

Rev 11:3  I will allow my two witnesses who wear sackcloth to speak what God has revealed. They will speak for 1,260 days.” 

Psa 119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 

We are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3), and Christ is hidden in us (Col 1:27) as our hope, and it is the comforter that leads us into all truth to make manifest that hope in our hearts (Joh 14:16).

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

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

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Psa 119:115  Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. 

This statement “Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God” is a battle cry against our flesh reminding us that we must fight a good fight of faith (1Ti 6:12) by laboring in the word (Joh 6:27) and dying daily (1Co 15:31) in order to be more than conquerors through Christ (Rom 8:37). When we keep God’s commandments, we are departing from evil and overcoming evil with good (Rom 12:21).

Psa 119:116  Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 

God’s people want the Lord to “Uphold me according unto thy word” or quicken me with your truth (Joh 6:63) “that I may live“, for those are the words of eternal life (Joh 6:68) that we pray we will always have the boldness to proclaim and never be ashamed of sharing (Eph 6:19, Rom 1:16, Luk 9:26).

Psa 119:117  Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 

No doubt, if the Lord holds us up, we will stand, and scripture declares throughout that we can overcome if He will “hold thou me up“. Boasting is therefore excluded by the law of faith as we know now our safety is found in keeping our eyes on the mark of the prize of the high calling and forgetting what is behind us as we press forward (Php 3:14).

To “have respect unto thy statutes continually” is to continually be about our Father’s business, as Christ was, knowing that He is the one who is providing the power and strength to do all we do (Php 2:13).

Psa 119:118  Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 

Inwardly is how we primarily see these words as we learn that “Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes“, and it has to do with how God is dealing with our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts in this age (Jer 17:9, Heb 12:6, Rev 11:2, Col 1:24).

Psa 119:119  Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 

The result of God dealing with the “wicked of the earth”, whom he puts away “like dross“, are the new vessels of honor that “love thy testimonies” (Pro 25:4). 

Pro 25:4  Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. 

If God is not working with us in this age, then we will despise these words and want to preserve our flesh. We will in that sense either serve mammon or we will serve the Lord, and it will be through the fiery trials of our life that the dross will be removed from us and the silver which represents repentance will have accomplished its work in Christ’s body.

Here is an interesting description of how dross is removed from silver that I found on the web which is a bright parable of how we will all eventually come to see Christ “face to face” (1Jn 3:2).

“Silver is heated in fire; as it melts, the dross rises to the surface, where the silversmith skims it off. The silver is heated again, this time at a higher temperature, which brings more dross to the surface. The impurities are skimmed once more, and the process repeats, over and over, until the silversmith can see his likeness reflected in the Silver.”
[https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-process-of-removing-dross-from-silver]

Psa 119:120  My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments. 

Notice it says “My flesh trembleth for fear of thee” and “I am afraid of thy judgments” meaning that our old man within begins to fear when we see those things coming upon the earth (Luk 21:26). His judgments are going to lead us to go where our flesh does not want to go (Joh 21:18), but it will be possible to go there because of the power, love and soundness of mind God is forming within his people in this age (2Ti 1:7, 1Jn 4:17-18, Heb 5:7).

Luk 21:26  Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

Joh 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

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;

Psa 119:121  AIN. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. 

We are able to do “judgment and justice” because we are dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) who is that well of life who gives us power over “mine oppressors“, as demonstrated in this type and shadow event of Moses who protected Zipporah. Moses is a type of Christ who protects his bride-to-be and makes a way for us to partake of the living water or fountain that is Christ (Exo 2:16-19, Joh 7:38). There are seven women being taken care of by Moses, and the negative type of this story of seven women is found in Isaiah 4:1. 

Exo 2:16  Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 
Exo 2:17  And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 
Exo 2:18  And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? 
Exo 2:19  And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water 

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. 
Isa 4:2  In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 

Psa 119:122  Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. 

Pride is our enemy. It keeps us from taking the lower seat in God’s temple, taking away any opportunity of being able to rule under Christ (Luk 14:10, Rev 19:9, Rev 3:11). The only way to become comfortable in that seat is to go through the much tribulation, affliction and suffering God says is good for our spirit, because it is then that His power will rest upon us when we are in these weakened states (2Co 12:9-11) that are given to “let not the proud oppress me“. 

That miracle of overcoming our natural state of wanting preeminence is a miracle that is given to the weak of the world to demonstrate that making ourselves ready as the bride of Christ and overcoming the pride of life within us is a gift of God through Christ (Col 1:24, 1Jn 2:16). We are therefore to ask God, “Be surety for thy servant for good” and know that it is God’s goodness that is going to lead us to repentance which is how we overcome the pride of life within us.

Psa 119:123  Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness. 

Our carnal eyes do “fail for thy salvation” because now we say that we see not in our natural mind the things of the spirit (Joh 9:41) and understand the miracle taking place within our heavens to be able to hear and see spiritually “the word of thy righteousness” (1Co 2:14-16).

Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. 

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 
1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. 

Psa 119:124  Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes. 

We have all felt like a deer in the headlights so many times, not knowing what we are reading nor understanding God’s word or how to answer or not answer that foolish part in us that needs to mature (Pro 26:4-5, Gal 6:3). These feelings of inadequacy are of the Lord who brings each of us to that place so that we know it is Him who teaches “me thy statutes“. It is when God is dealing with “thy servant according unto thy mercy” that we will be led to cry out because we are brought to our wits’ end (Psa 107:19-20). Then God gives us the increase which comes through the planting and watering that does occur within the body of Christ, and concludes by being dragged to our desired haven, Christ, who is our wisdom and the one through whom our Father gives us the increase (1Co 3:6-7, 1Co 1:30, 1Co 8:6).

Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. 

Gal 6:3  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 
1Co 3:7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 

Psa 119:125  I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies. 

Again, we have another witness of the need to ask for understanding and to completely acknowledge that in order to “know thy testimonies” we must be given “understanding“. It is “thy servant” on whom Christ is focused in this age as we are the ones who are called to keep our hand to the plow and to know this is only possible by Christ who knows how to keep us and lose none of us in this process of maturing in Him. 

As was mentioned above, it takes the fiery trials of this life to let go of the notion that we are the ones holding fast to the plow, and to rather be convinced that it is Christ whose hands it is that are fulfilling our Father’s will which He has sent Him to do “that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day”.

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Joh 6:39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

Psa 119:126  It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. 

We make “void thy law” and demonstrate through that law for the lawless just how lawless our flesh is (1Ti 1:9, Rom 5:20-21). God’s work can only truly flourish in us when we believe we have nothing to offer him and when we know that our ability to overcome and endure until the end is only possible through Christ. That is the belief Christ is talking about in these verses (Joh 6:28-29). 

Christ shows us that we are the chief of sinners, making our sin very evident through the law for the lawless (Rom 5:20-21), but the work that matters and is an everlasting work, or treasure laid up in heaven Christ does through those who continue in His word, is done in His disciples indeed (Joh 8:31). That work only starts when we no longer bury our talent, our work in the earth, and we are given, by the holy spirit, to lay up treasure in heaven, typified by the words “It is time for thee, LORD, to work“. It is what Christ does through us that matters, and most peoples’ works are being buried in the earth for today. It is very few who are given to truly lay up treasure in heaven in this age and who “have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2Co 4:7).

1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 

Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 
Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psa 119:127  Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 

How precious is it to know what we know in this age, to be able to consider that Christ is our helper and that nothing can separate us from His love. Not only that, we are assured to have peace that passes all understanding and not to be tried beyond what we can endure as God will always make a way for us to endure through the trials which are for our spiritual good (1Co 10:13). 

How good? – “above gold; yea, above fine gold“, above anything, in other words, which we may consider to be the most valued relationship we may have in this earth (Mat 10:37-39). When we have the right mind of Christ given to us, we will put Christ before all else, and that will be demonstrated by the reality that “I love thy commandments“.

Again, who can let go of Ishmael, who can keep holding onto the plow and endure until the end, who can make war with the beast? The answer is none of us by ourselves and all of us through Christ!

Psa 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. 

Hating every false way is hating the flesh that harbors the potential to always manifest any degree of sin depending on whether or not God is staying the hand of Satan and strengthening us through Christ. Therefore boasting is excluded by the law of faith God’s word tells us is the shield that we need to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). 

When we read “I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right“, we are seeing the type and shadow of those in Christ who are able to acknowledge that only Christ can be Christ, and with that understanding of our hope of glory within us, we should only want to know Christ in the spirit and “hate every false way” that would just continue to naturally manifest except for the grace and faith that God grants us in this age. 

Christ has given us the eyes to see in this age (Php 1:29) and has dragged us all to the fountain of life Christ is (Joh 6:44). It is therefore all to the glory of God, both the hardening and softening of our hearts, which is the way He forms the new man in us, creating that hunger and thirst for Christ as we continue until the end of our age, enduring to the end through Him (Mat 24:13, Isa 45:7, Pro 24:16). We will as Christ’s body live out these verses, and so, too, will those who have yet to be drawn to Christ’s living waters within us at an appointed time (Joh 7:37, Rev 22:2).

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 
Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Isa 40:1-10 The Glory of the LORD Shall be Revealed, and All Flesh Shall See it Together - Discussion

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Isa 40:1-10 The Glory of The LORD Shall Be Revealed, and All Flesh Shall See It Together:

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa 40:6  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Isa 40:9  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

We are all aware that the scriptures are addressed only to those who have been given ears that hear and eyes that see the mysteries of the kingdom of God. They were never intended to be understood by the multitudes who claim the name of Christ and who gather every week in His name:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [The “multitudes… gathered unto Him”, vs 2] in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

We are also aware that whatever the Lord desires is what He does and that none of us, and no man, can thwart His will:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

If indeed the Lord does what He desires, then this is what He desires, and this is what He is doing:

Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

If we are those “who first trusted in Christ [then] we have obtained an inheritance [for the very  purpose of] be[ing] to the praise of His glory” as “firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb” and as judges who will be in the first resurrection and will rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years preparatory to judging angels in the lake of fire, which is the second death, as these verses make abundantly clear:

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

When will the saints judge “the world” in the outward sense referred to by the apostle Paul in the context of these two verses, which includes the judging of angels? The phrase “the world” tells us that Paul is speaking of outward judgment. This is when that outward judging of the kingdoms of this world will begin:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel trumpeted. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world became our Lord's, even of His Christ; and He shall reign to the ages of the ages.

This is a very general statement which tells us that our reign with Christ will begin at the “seventh” trump of the seventh angel. But Christ wants us to know all that His Father has revealed to Him. Not just the fact that the saints shall judge the world:

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Christ is revealing to us “all things that He has heard of [His] Father”. Do we believe that? Or do we believe that we are nothing special to our Lord? Is a “friend” more special than a ‘servant’ who is not made privy to the activities of his Lord?

It is manifestly evident that the Lord is telling us that we are “special to Him above every nation on the earth”:

Deu 14:2  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar [Hebrew: special] people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

While the vast majority of the Word of God is dedicated to the judgment of the inward kingdom of our old man and the judgment of the outward kingdoms of this world, this section of Isaiah centers around the blessings promised to those who are made to overcome this world and are given “place for repentance”.

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

What wonderful words of comfort are these to ‘the chief of sinners’ who is also ‘the man’ who has done as bad or worse than those who are not yet being judged. Yes, it is we, whom the Lord has chosen, who are the least worthy to be chosen and who are typified by the lowly tax collector in the parable of the two men who go to the temple of the Lord:

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

This tax collector is not simply a humble man. He is ‘the man’ spoken of by the prophet, Nathan (2Sa 12:1-14). He sees himself as “the basest of men” whom God has placed over the kingdoms of this world (Dan 4:17). This tax collector typifies those who have already come to see themselves as this self-righteous Pharisee, and he counts himself as chief… of sinners” (1Ti 1:15). He has “received of the LORD'S hand double for all (his) sins”, and he is now “at his wits’ end”, crying out for the Lord’s mercy, and the Lord is in the process of comforting him because he has been humbled and given a “place for repentance”.

These words are all about this publican who sees his flesh for what it is, and is not focused on the sins of anyone but himself:

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

Look at what we have just read: “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord… Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”.

Contrast these words with the words of Christ with the words of Christ concerning those who do not “die in the Lord… while in [their] flesh”:

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46  And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Christ made it clear that this publican had already come to see himself as this self-righteous Pharisee and had repented and had come to see himself as a sinner.

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Such humility comes only after being humbled by the Lord to the extent of being hated of all men:

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

Only from this “hated of all men” position can we become the bearers of the Lord’s words to this lost earth:

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

This is the prophecy John saw as referring to his position of announcing to this world the coming of the Lord:

Joh 1:19  And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
Joh 1:20  And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Joh 1:21  And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22  Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23  He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
Joh 1:24  And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

John the Baptist did not realize that he really was a type of the prophesied “prophet Elijah”, but Christ tells us he was:

Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mat 17:9  And as they [Christ, Peter, James, and John - vs. 1] came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Three men - Peter, James, and John - saw a vision of the transfigured Christ, but the day is coming in which ‘the glory of the Lord’ will be revealed to all flesh, and all flesh will ‘wither and fade because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it’.

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

“All flesh shall see… the glory of the Lord] together”, but seeing the glory of the Lord requires the death of the flesh, and that is a process which “begins at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17). It is this process of judgment and the dying to this world to which Isaiah refers with these words:

Isa 40:6  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Isa 40:7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

“The grass withers… because the spirit of the Lord blows upon it”, and that “spirit [is what] gives life, [and that spirit is] the words which [Christ] has spoken to [us]:

Isaiah’s words were inspired by Christ Himself, so of course they accord with Christ’s own words which also tell us “the flesh profits nothing”:

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

It is the flesh which withers and fades, “but the word of our God stands for ever”. Christ amplified these words and expounded on them when He told us:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

When we read that ‘all these things are near, even at the door’ and ‘this generation shall not pass, till all these things shall be fulfilled’, it becomes evident to all who have eyes that see and ears that hear, that “the abomination of desolation” of verse 15, the “great tribulation” of verse 21, and “the coming of the Son of Man” of verse 27, must “all… be fulfilled [in] “this generation” of verse 34, meaning the generation of “whosoever readeth [and] understands” in verse 15. These “words are spirit” (Joh 6:63) which therefore “shall not pass away” in any generation since the death and resurrection of Christ, Who is the first of the firstfruits.

That the “all things” of Mat 24:32-35 apply to us as God’s elect there can be no doubt, simply because we are plainly told:

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

The “Zion” of our next verse symbolizes both “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” of Revelation 14:4 and the “saviors” of Obadiah 21:

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Rev 14:2  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
Rev 14:3  And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

These 144,000 are “redeemed from the earth” and are “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb”. These are what Paul calls “those who first trusted in Christ” and have been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavens”. Look at all the Lord has revealed to us through the apostle Paul which we can add to our knowledge of what has been given to this most blessed group of men. Let us all “Have respect to the recompense of the reward” (Heb 11:26):

Eph 1:3  Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things in Christ.
Eph 1:4  Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and unblemished before him in love.
Eph 1:5  Who predestined us for sonship through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the desire of his will,
Eph 1:6  for appreciation of the glory of his grace, by which he blessed us in him who is beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, according to the wealth of his grace,
Eph 1:8  which he abounded for us in all wisdom and intelligence.
Eph 1:9 Having made known to us the mystery of his will according to his desire, which he purposed within himself
Eph 1:10  for an administration of the fullness of the times. To gather together all things in the Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth,
Eph 1:11 in him in whom also we obtained an inheritance. Having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the deliberation of his will.
Eph 1:12. For us to be for appreciation of his glory, men who have first hoped in the Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the good-news of your salvation, in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
Eph 1:14  which is a pledge of our inheritance for the redemption of the acquired possession, for appreciation of his glory.

Why does the holy spirit use all these personal pronouns if all men are “the first to have trusted in Christ”? Why are we told that we are “to be for the appreciation of His glory” if this blessing is granted to all men at this time? Why are we told that the holy spirit is “a pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession” if there is no order in which mankind is being saved?

The Truth is that all these personal pronouns are used because the holy spirit want us to have “respect unto the recompence of the reward” Christ has in store of His chosen few.

Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The fact is that we are called “the first to have trusted in Christ” because we are “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb… the first to appreciate His glory”, and we have been given the holy spirit as a pledge of our inheritance of “the resurrection of life”, having been judged “at this present time” (Rom 8:18) and not to take part in the resurrection to judgment, which is “the second death… prepared for the devil and his angels” as well as all “the rest of the dead”, whose names are not in the book of life at the “blessed and holy… first resurrection”:

In Matthew 25 we are told that Gehenna is prepared for the devil and His angels, but in the book of Revelation we learn that “the rest of the dead are also there with the devil and his angels:

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

What a blessing it is to be chosen by Christ to be His friend and to be made to know all His Father has made known to Him!

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Joh 15:16  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

If we are the chosen of Christ to endure to the end, then the good news is that nothing can keep that from happening:

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.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Being the “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Rev 14:4) is for the purpose of “be[ing] the firstborn among many brothers” who will be “born of God” via the work of the firstborn as the judges of both the nations of this world during the thousand year reign and as the judges of angels in the lake of fire (Isa 33:14-15 and 1Co 6:2-3).

Getting back to the good news of our calling, Paul continues here in Romans 8:

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate [to “be the firstborn among many brothers”], them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Just what is the significance of all of that? This is how significant that is:

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?

It is hard for us to accept just how special we are to Christ. We are so special that we are told this about how much He identifies with us:

Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Even these words are about those who being judged at this time:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“In this world” refers to “the day of judgment” which is now on the house of God (1Pe 4:17). It is only “in the days of [our] flesh” that we are “as He is… in this world”, and that is the “day of judgment to which the words “in this world” refers.

The point being made is that these words have no application to those who are destined to be judged in the everlasting burnings of the lake of fire/second death. It is we who are given boldness in the day of judgment… in this world” for the express purpose of judging angels in the everlasting burnings and the devouring fires of the lake of fire:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15  He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly [“in this world”, this age, “in the days of his flesh” - Heb 5:7]; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

It is we who “first trusted in Christ” who “walk righteously and speak uprightly… in the days of [our] flesh” who “are like Christ in this world” and who are given to “dwell with the devouring fire [and] everlasting burnings”.

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;

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Let’s return to the blessings of being Zion upon whom Saviors come.  Let’s continue to see just how special to Christ the Lord’s elect are who are given to be in “the blessed and holy first resurrection”:

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
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.

“Life… death… things present and things to come… are all ours [but they] shall [not] be able to separate us from the love of God” if we are His “in this present time” (verse 18).

We are the “Zion” who brings good tidings both to our “fellow servant[s] who keep the saying of the prophecies of this book”, and we are told to be bold in proclaiming our calling “to be to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:12):

Isa 40:9  O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

This is just another way of telling us the same thing we are told to do in this verse:

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

This and nothing else is what makes all those wonderful words of Isaiah 33, and Romans 8 so very certain:

Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

His work is before Him, and “we are His workmanship”:

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Next week we will see even more of just how special we are to “Him that has called us to glory and virtue”:

1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Here are some of the glorious things to which we are called as the Lord will show us in our next study:

Isa 40:11  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isa 40:12  Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isa 40:13  Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Isa 40:14  With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
Isa 40:15  Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
Isa 40:16  And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
Isa 40:17  All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
Isa 40:18  To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
Isa 40:19  The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Isa 40:20  He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

Psa 106:1  Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 106:2  Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?
Psa 106:3  Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Psa 106:4  Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
Psa 106:5  That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.
Psa 106:6  We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Psa 106:7  Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
Psa 106:8  Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
Psa 106:9  He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.
Psa 106:10  And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
Psa 106:11  And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left. 

This four-part study entitled “Blessed are they that keep judgment” is another reminder as was the latest study in Isaiah that “when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isa 26:9).

Israel of old, as we know, typifies the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), and all of their journeys in the wilderness were types of us (1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12) so that we can understand our need to keep judgment in our earth today as we progress forward in our high calling in Christ who is our peace, and the reason we can endure through all that we must go through as we go unto perfection on the third day.

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

We are so incredibly blessed to be “visited by his salvation today” and to know his visitation is his much needed judgment that must be executed in our earth if we are going to be received as sons (Heb 12:6) who are blessed to be among those who “see the good of thy chosen” as “we rejoice [in] the gladness of thy nation” and “glory with thine ineritance in the saints”.

Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Mat 24:2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

These words of Christ above in Matthew are words that must be kept (Rev 1:3) if we are going to see this temple (our temple) that represents all (4) of mankind’s (6) flesh (10), 4+6=10 be destroyed and then raised up in three days (Eph 2:6).

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Joh 2:20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Joh 2:21  But he spake of the temple of his body.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

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 marvelous light:

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

As we look into this Psalm 106, we will come to see many examples of Israel’s unfaithfulness juxtaposed against God’s faithfulness to them which read for our sakes, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known”.

Boasting is excluded by the law of faith (Rom 3:27), and it is God’s grace and faith that are saving us today (Eph 2:8) just as Isreal was physically being saved from their outward enemies and being corrected for their disobedience along the way to remind us of our own need to become spiritually mature through a process of much affliction, persecution and tribulation (Psa 34:19, 2Ti 3:12, Act 14:22).

God is far higher than all the powers and principalities that for so long have controlled our own heavens and left us in bondage in Egypt (Eph 1:21, Eph 6:12), and Christ is the only way (Joh 14:6) we are going to experience the love of God (Rom 5:5), and His peace that passes all understanding (Php 4:7) as the Israel of God who is filling up in our flesh what is behind of His afflictions (Col 1:24), blessed to “bear in my body [the body of Christ] the marks of the Lord Jesus” which is what will happen if we are blessed to have “the grace^G5485 of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”. Verse four of our study simply states, “Remember me [us], O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me [us] with thy salvation.”

Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Gal 6:18  Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Psa 106:1  Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

As we go through this study and learn of the stedfast love of God as he works with the rebellious nation of Israel, it becomes clear why we are to “Praise ye the LORD” and give thanks “unto the LORD” because it is his goodness “for he is good” and his “mercy” that is being shown to His people (typified by Israel of old) in this age that leads us unto repentance and spiritually matures us throughout this life.

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?

Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

As we will read in the verses yet to come, we will learn of God’s forbearance and longsuffering even toward and impenitent nation whose heart is treasuring up against itself “wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God”. It is that judgment which we are so blessed to keep in our earth today so that we can continue to learn of His righteousness.

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

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.

Psa 106:2  Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?

God’s love is stedfast toward us and his mercy endures for ever (The phrase for his mercy endureth for ever is mentioned twenty-six times in this particular Psa 136:1-26), as we are reminded that He shows much forbearance and longsuffering toward us (Rom 2:4).

The “mighty acts of the LORD” are the “wonderful works” (Psa 107:31) that are being accomplished in the lives of those who are being judged in this age, and we are instructed to not despise the chastening of our Father that is connected to those works and judgement (Heb 12:5) but rather give thanks and praise that His mercy will prevail through this process of maturing us. Christ can finish our faith (Heb 12:1-2) and take us from being potential heirs to being worthy to receive the inheritance (Gal 4:1) as we obtain unto that inheritance in the saints through enduring until the end of this age “for His name sake” (Php 4:13, Rom 8:36-37).

We can be found in that blessed and holy first resurrection because He was faithful to help us drink the cup indeed, a cup that is never pleasant when we are going through the process (Heb 12:11), but one that we must endure if we are going to be counted worthy to reign with him (Gal 3:22-27, Luk 21:23, Mat 24:20, Mar 9:24, Mat 20:23, 2Ti 2:12).

God remembers His people to show favour to them and it is for his name sake that this is written toward those who are the weak of the world “Remember me, O LORD, with the favour thy people“. We will be that pattern for the world that will demonstrate that Gods forbearance and longsuffering will continue on for the rest of his creation.

1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1Ti 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Psa 106:3  Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Blessed are they who obtain mercy in this age through God’s judgments that are in our earth (Jer 22:29) making it possible in time for us to bring all our thoughts and words into subjection unto him. This subjection is all being accomplished “for his name sake” and will ultimately result in all things being subject unto God our Father who will be “all in all”.

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Jas 3:2  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water [Eph 3:17], that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

The “earth, earth, earth” of Jeremiah 22:29 reminds us that there is a process unfolding and that “he that doeth righteousness at all times” does not mean that we don’t have sin in our members as we are sanctified through a process of hope by which we are being saved.

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Psa 106:4  Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation;
Psa 106:5  That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.

God’s “favour”, his “salvation”, “the good of thy chosen”, “thy nation”, and “thine inheritance” are all speaking about the elect who are the saviours who will come up on mount Zion in that day to judge the mount of Esau.

Luk 1:28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

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:

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

There could be no greater blessing in this age than to have God “remember” us, and that we “may see the good” that he has in store for ourselves and for the rest of humanity in time.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Our joy will not be able to be taken away from us in that day, and we rejoice today as we look to the joy set before us, the glory that God has set before His people who are being sanctified today so that they can be used to sanctify the rest of God’s creation as we are sent forth with his word that will heal all people in time.

Joh 16:22  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
Joh 16:23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
Joh 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Psa 107:20  He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Psa 106:6  We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Psa 106:7  Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.

These next two verses are types of us again reminding us that “we have sinned with our fathers” and we our guilty of all. God has blessed us to see that we live by every word that proceeeds from His mouth (Mat 4:4) and that we are the ones who have “committed iniquity” and “have done wickedly”. We all start there and then we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” as we obtain mercy through this incredible journey of longsuffering that God shows toward us. We can take great comfort now in the journeys of Israel who were going through the Red Sea knowing that Christ orchestrated all of this for our benefit so that we would believe in his power to deliver us spiritually today as he delivered them physically in their time.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

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:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
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.

“Our fathers” is speaking of us when we “understood not thy wonders in Egypt”. Those wonders consisted of His mighty hand that created the light and the darkness, the peace and the evil (Isa 45:7) and God’s deliverance was at an appointed time for us (and Israel) just as our being overtaken by sin and being brought into bondage was all something that was written in our books (and Israel) and was caused to witness to us of the Sovereignty of God over all the clay of humanity throughout all time (Eph 1:11, Rom 9:21).

This verse is also telling us that even after we are delivered by His hand we soon forget “the multitude of thy mercies” and the provoking of God at the Red sea is another way of saying we frustrate the grace of God until we are mature enough to simply press toward the prize of the mark of the high calling in him.

Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Psa 106:8  Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

Everything that God does is “for his name’s sake” as He sends forth His word to heal us, remembering us and showing favour to us (His kind of first fruits) in this age so that “the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” when that day comes when we will be able to extend that same mercy and love toward the rest of His creation “for His name sake”. God wants all the world to know that He is a loving Father, and all the world will finally comes to know collectively that He is a loving Father who does all things “for His name sake” to reveal and “make his mighty power to be known”.

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.
2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Psa 106:9  He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

How the world within us will transition into understanding God’s love for all of his creation is through the deliverance which He will bring to us from the marred vessel which He made in the Potter’s hand (Jer 18:6).

Rebuking the Red sea is symbolic of the chastening grace that we must experience in order to move forward “through the depths”. When the sea is parted it witnesses to us with those two walls of water that represent the comparing of spirit with spirit which is the only way we can be quickened to go “through the wilderness”.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Psa 106:10  And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

God saved Israel from “the hand of him that hated them”, which saving was a type and shadow of how He is saving us from ourselves, from our own deceitfully and desperately wicked hearts (Jer 17:9) which need to die daily and be “redeemed” “from the hand of enemy” daily (1Co 15:31). “Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation” is again tied to this thought of being saved and reminds us to “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luk 21:36).

Psa 106:11  And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

This hope-filled last verse is a shadow of the baptisms which all the world will experience, first with water and then with fire so that in the end “there was not one of them left” of our “enemies”; the last enemy being destroyed being death.

Luk 3:16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at Psa 106:12-29 in the second part of our study, where we will look at how God made manifest in the lives of Israel the true nature of the beast revealing the types and shadows of how we all were, and can still be, as we come out of our former carnal and unconverted conversation so that we can now bring forth good fruit to the glory of God.

Ecc 3:18  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
Ecc 3:19  For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Mat 7:18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

PART I (Aim High) Psa 105:1-8
PART II (Get the big picture) Psa 105:9-15
PART III (Keep your eyes moving) Psa 105:16-22
PART IV (Always have an out) Psa 105:23-37
PART V (Make sure people see you) Psa 105:38-45

PART II (Get the big picture)

Psa 105:9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
Psa 105:10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
Psa 105:11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
Psa 105:12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.
Psa 105:13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
Psa 105:14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
Psa 105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Last week in the first part of our study entitled “O give thanks unto the LORD”, we gave thought to the incredible prize toward which we are pressing (Php 3:14) and how the sacrifice of praise on our lips is a fruit which plays such an important role in reminding us that it is the Lord’s works within us, including that fruit of praise on our lips, which help us mature within the body of Christ (Heb 13:15). God’s people are learning to acknowledge Him through that praise, and that He is the one working all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11), both to will and to do within us (Php 2:13) as He restores us through our daily battles in this life and leads us in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.

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.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

We can aim as high as we want and set as lofty a goal as we want in our own heart, but at the end of the day the great lesson for God’s people, which will be witnessed to all the world in time, is that the works that have been ordained for his children are works that were predetermined from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4, 2Ti 1:9). Those works started and were predetermined with the very things that God caused us to commit unto him and were established by God to witness that He is the one who gives the increase (Jas 4:15, 1Co 3:6), and that “except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psa 127:1).

Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psa 37:6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Pro 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

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

We all must labour a complete seven years for Rachel only to find out that we were labouring for Leah, who represents our own works (Gen 29:18-30), and “if God permit” we will be blessed to be dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) and come to learn of the grace and faith process by which we are saved through Him (Eph 2:8). God’s elect are those who are first blessed to acknowledge Him as the one doing those works within the unprofitable servants which we are (Luk 17:10). Jacob was unknowingly not working seven years for Rachel, but for Leah and was given Rachel after he “fulfilled her [Leah’s] week”. This allegory was written to remind us that one day the world must come to acknowledge the unprofitableness of our own service in the earth, which was by our own might and power and unable to acknowledge the Lord Who was working all things. We naturally reject Christ’s work even while we claim that we know Him because of the miracles and casting out of demons which we are convinced prove that relationship is legitimate at that time.

Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

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.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Isa 4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

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

It will take more than acknowledging the work of faith that He alone has been authoring in our earlier labours for Rachel which only produced Leah (Act 17:28). Rather, it will be through the affliction and trials which try our faith as we continue in that faith, that will mature us in Him (Joh 8:32) throughout the rest of our life in Christ so that we can be saved (Mat 24:13). That saving process is symbolized by the complete seven years service which Jacob gives Laban for Rachel, and it is those symbolic labours that bring us unto perfection on the third day which represents the first resurrection that God willing we will go unto through patient continuance in well doing.

Luk 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

All of the miracles which Christ did in the earth, the healing of eyes and ears, were also symbolic labours just as Jacob’s labours which he thought were for Rachel. Those labours [prior to being married to Rachel] pointed to the time when the “greater works than these shall he do” of the seven years when Jacob laboured for Laban and was married to Rachel which typifies the time that we now have a relationship with Christ in earnest and our labouring to enter into the kingdom of God, and are able through the power of the holy spirit to bring spiritual healing to each other of our spiritual blindness and dullness of spiritual understanding (Heb 12:2, 2Co 1:22).

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

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:

Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth [seven years labouring only to receive Leah], but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed [seven years labouring for Laban while married to Rachel].

The scripture says that Jacob “fulfilled her [Leah’s] week” prior to receiving Rachel, and this represents the love and care we have toward those who are beloved for the gospel sake. In that sense, Leah is not the one on whom our hearts are set, as it says Jacob (Rachel) have I loved but Esau (Leah) have I hated, but Leah is “as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes”, and we “love thy neighbour as thyself”, but our focus is primarily on Christ.

Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

It is only through having our eyes and ears opened that anyone of us can “get the big picture” (Mat 13:11, Luk 10:24), and it is of the utmost importance that we continue to help each other maintain that vision of God’s plan and purpose (Jud 1:20, 1Th 5:11) so that our hearts and minds don’t become discouraged, hardened or perish (Pro 29:18) because of the wickedness which we are told God will cause to increase at the end of this age (Luk 21:26, 2Ti 3:13). It is through the church and through the discipleship which is being formed in His body where God’s love is shed abroad (Rom 5:5) that we witness to each other, to the world within and without, how a many-membered body is transformed and not conformed to this world as we become a healthier one stay of bread and water.

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world [with Christ in us we are that “bread of life” toward each other].

This second part of our five-part study will hopefully give us a greater sense of how we can “get the big picture” and maintain that vision which God is giving us as we come together often “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb 10:25).

Psa 105:9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;
Psa 105:10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

In these initial verses of our study, we will consider how God’s “oath unto Isaac”, which was “confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law” and unto “Israel for an everlasting covenant”, will help us obtain the bigger picture of God’s plan, remembering that these oaths are symbolic of the “exceeding great and precious promises” (2Pe 1:4) which God has given unto us, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) who have been promised that the Lord will “put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them”.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

As it says in verse eight, “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.” God has given us eyes to see “the big picture” through the promises or covenants which He made of old that point to the new covenant better promises. Those old covenant promises are all type and shadow promises that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to typify for us today His faithfulness “to a thousand generations”.

Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Abraham gave his tithe (his tenth) as did Isaac (his tenth) and Jacob (his tenth), representing their whole lives a living sacrifice unto God. God gave us Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for our sakes (2Co 4:15) to remind us that He was faithful back then to His promises, just as He will be faithful to us today and to all those who will one day be representing those endless grains of sand on the shore which Abraham (a type of Christ) was going to inherit. As we mentioned last week, the thousand generations also represents the process of judgment (three 10’s) through which all men will go in order to inherit eternal life (10X10X10=1000 generations).

Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

All lives ever lived represent some type and shadow relationship that with the mind of Christ we can understand to be for our sakes as we compare spirit with spirit using the physical. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — their lives will ultimately be understood by themselves for the spiritual significance which they portrayed while they were physically alive.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Understanding “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of how God looks over the landscape of history through all the fleshly instances talked about in His word is going to help us maintain the vision that we need to “get the big picture” even as we see the world around us being confused and deceived by all these old covenant promises and stories because they are also the parables that Christ inspired and assured us would do just that.

Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

1Pe 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Mat 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Psa 105:11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:
Psa 105:12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

These old covenant promises again are a type and shadow revelation of the promise that God will save a few at first.

Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The “lot of your inheritance” as God’s elect is typified by “the land of Canaan^H3667“, and that land of Canaan is where “few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it” will reside at first as God’s kind of first fruits.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

As the word ‘Canaan’ shows us, those who are found in that new land will be a people who have been humbled under the mighty hand of God (1Pe 5:6) with hearts which have been caused to be made humble and contrite (Isa 66:2) as we were received as sons and daughters (Heb 12:6) who have been given a new heart which can receive the cup that God tells us we will drink and have been drinking ‘is, was and will be’ (Php 4:13, Mat 20:23).

H3667
ken-ah’-an
From H3665; humiliated; Kenaan, a son of Ham; also the country inhabited by him: – Canaan, merchant, traffick.

We are “strangers in it” while we are in that land until we are circumcised in heart, and that is a process that takes an entire life of overcoming and enduring unto the end to accomplish. That part of us which is decreasing is the stranger who is being pushed out of the land as Christ increases within it throughout our life, we pray.

Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

What are some of those “all things” which we can do through Christ which strengthens us, and is this not the most essential point for us to be able to “get the big picture”?

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

Psa 105:13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;
Psa 105:14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes;
Psa 105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

These above three verses are a great witness to God’s people to “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”. We go “from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people” and learn of His faithfulness to show us we are more than conquerors through Christ who causes us to rule over the land as He gives us victory little by little.

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Exo 23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

God will be faithful “who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” to be tried beyond the measure that we can endure “but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

So there is great hope in these verses which tell us that God is going to deal with the man of sin within us (2Th 2:8). He will not allow that man of sin within us to “do them wrong” but will destroy him with the brightness of His coming. That destruction won’t happen over night, but little by little as we read. So we must remember that those kings that he reproves and tells “touch not my anointed” are first and foremost to be understood as being within us and are being conquered by our hope of glory within, Jesus Christ who is slaying those giants that are going to be bread for us (Col 1:27, Num 14:9). We must not therefore despise this process of conquering our old man within us which is maturing us in the Lord and within the body of Christ.

Right after being given a promise of being able to endure through whatever temptation God causes in our life, and that he will make a way to escape and bear with the temptation, we are told to “flee from idolatry” and then reminded that our communion in the next verse is found in the suffering through which we endure together as “the body of Christ” or the body and blood of Christ is our communion as it is put. The way the holy spirit arranged these thoughts should tell us that one of the major idols of our hearts that God is telling us to flee from is the one that thinks it strange concerning the fiery trial that is going to try our faith, or the chastening or scourging that every son goes through who is being received of God.

1Co 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
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?

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

If we are armed with the mind of Christ, we will be able to endure correction from time to time, however the Lord brings that about in our lives, and as unpleasant as it may seem at the time we can through Christ come to accept this as a critical part of keeping us humble and enabling the body of Christ to continue to “get the big picture” and remain healthy spiritually through this bread of affliction that will yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby”.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

If we despise His chastening we will be laying the ground work for a root of bitterness to take hold, and thereby many could be defiled. So it is critical that we ask God to soften our hearts and pray that we can heed the admonitions in His word which tell us to rest in Him and not “turn aside unto their crooked ways” that are all potentially within each of us. God knows it takes time to heal from correction just like my physical father knew I needed to be alone to meditate and think on my own bad behaviour after I was corrected by him. Should we not give our heavenly Father the same and greater reverence for loving us so much as His sons he is receiving today?

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

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

Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Psa 125:3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Psa 125:4 Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
Psa 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Everything God does is good and is being done unto His children so that we can have vision and “get the big picture”. When we see that big picture, it produces a peace that passes all understanding and allows us to breath more easily spiritually (Psa 18:19, Psa 143:5).

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the third part of our five-part study as we consider how the Lord works with us in this age to keep us busy and about our Father’s business like Christ was (Luk 2:49) and not distracted by Babylon out of which we are commanded to come or go back into the world which we are not to love (Rev 18:4, 1Jn 2:15-16). We will be looking at the following verses in the sub-titled study called “Keep your eyes moving”:

Psa 105:16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.
Psa 105:17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:
Psa 105:18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:
Psa 105:19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
Psa 105:20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.
Psa 105:21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:
Psa 105:22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

The Prophecy of Isaiah - Part 62 Discussion

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Isa 14:24-27 I Will Break The Assyrian In My Land,​ ​and Upon My Mountains Tread Him Under Foot

Part 2

Isa 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
Isa 14:25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.
Isa 14:26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
Isa 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

This second part of the study of these verses of Isaiah is necessary because we need to understand who these nations symbolize -​​ ​e​specially the nation of Israel. If we miss that message, then these words are nothing more than a history lesson, whereas they are meant to be lived by each of us because:

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

As we learned earlier in this prophecy, the Assyrians and the Babylonians are the same very religious Chaldean peoples. The Assyrians were the earlier of the two empires with their capital of Nineveh.

Isa 23:13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.

Isa 47:1 Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

It was the king of Assyria who​m​ the Lord used to punish the northern​ nation of His people which the Lord had given to an evil servant of King Solomon, a man named Jereboam,​​ ​the son of Nebat.

Isa 8:1 Moreover the LORD said unto me, Take thee a great roll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz. [Hasting to the booty, swift to the prey]
Isa 8:2 And I took unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.
Isa 8:3 And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
Isa 8:4 For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and my mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.

Later the king of Assyria also conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and took its king, Manasseh, captive to Assyria:

2Ch 33:11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
2Ch 33:12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

It is because of the part the Assyrians played in Israel's punishment that we have these words at the beginning of this 14th chapter:

Isa 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
Isa 14:2 And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

This entire chapter is meant to be understood in its spiritual sense because it is the Word of God,​ and "the Word [of God] is spirit":

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

Christ would not have bothered to inform us, "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit..." if He had intended for us to take them literally. The words "kingdom of God" themselves were to be taken primarily in their inward, spiritual application, and not as an outward physical kingdom.

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The day will come when those who at this time have the kingdom of God within them will "judge the world" (1Co 6:2; Rev 11:15), but until that day God's kingdom is a spiritual kingdom within us.

In like manner Assyria and Babylon are not meant to be taken literally. Both typify the entire religious world standing in opposition to the Israel of God, and those religious kingdoms are also within us and are being used by God to judge and punish His people, Israel. But Israel is not meant to be taken literally either, and it is important to know that "the Israel of God" (Gal 6:15) is not outward Isra​e​l, but is simply all those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear, and the faith to endure the hatred of Assyria and Babylon until the end of this life.

Who is the author of "replacement theology"?

For those who are given to receive it, this is the "Israel" whom​ the Lord will "yet choose [and upon whom] He will have mercy":

Gal 6:15 Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16 Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GWV)

This was not the first time Paul had preached this doctrine. The first time he wrote about the replacement of physical Jews and physical circumcision with spiritual Jews and spiritual circumcision was:

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

Contrary to what some theologians teach,​ Paul uses the words 'Jew' and 'Israelite' interchangeably, as these verses demonstrate:

Act 21:39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Act 22:3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

Rom 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Yet it is this same apostle who explained who it is that lives under the influence of the capital city, Jerusalem, with this same 'replacement theology' mindset in these words:

Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

"For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children" I submit to you is the very definition of replacement theology. Hagar's descendants in these verses are replacing Sarah's descendants as "Jerusalem above, [and as] the son of the freewoman", and this 'replacement theology' is one of, if not the most, hated doctrines of New Testament theology!

These Galatians are physical Gentiles, and here we have the most prolific writer of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the holy spirit, replacing "Jerusalem that now is" with "Jerusalem above... which is the mother of us all", and replacing the descend​ants of the physical son of the freewoman with the descendants of the son of the physical bondwoman, Hagar. Lest we miss his point​,​ he goes so far in making clear His "replacement theology" to tell us that the bondwoman wife of Abraham, 'Agar' or 'Hagar',​ "answers to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children".

God has simply blinded the eyes of all the ministers of "Babylon the Great", from Messianic Jews to Protestants and Catholics, to Muslims, from seeing this "mystery of the kingdom of God... within us" (Luk 17:20-21 and Mat 13:9-15).

The Original Replacement Theologian

But where did Paul get this doctrine? Here is the original "replacement theologian":

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Mat 13:15 For this people's heart [the heart of His own people "according to the flesh", Rom 9:3] is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Mat 13:16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Who are those to whom Christ was speaking parables? It was His own physical, "according to the flesh", Jews and Israelites. It was the multitudes of physical Jews who came to hear his parables, and to eat of His loaves and fishes. Christ plainly tells us that He spoke in parable for two stated purposes, 1) "Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to them it is not given", and 2) "lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, and should be converted and I should heal them."

Christ proclaimed His "replacement theology" in the very first recorded sermon of His ministry in His home-town synagogue in Nazareth, and it came close to getting Him killed, just as it does to this very day:

Luk 4:25 "I can guarantee this truth: There were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time. It had not rained for three-and-a-half years, and the famine was severe everywhere in the country.
Luk 4:26 But God didn't send Elijah to anyone except a widow at Zarephath in the territory of Sidon.
Luk 4:27 There were also many people with skin diseases in Israel in the prophet Elisha's time. But God cured no one except Naaman from Syria.
Luk 4:28 Everyone in the synagogue became furious when they heard this.
Luk 4:29 Their city was built on a hill with a cliff. So they got up, forced Jesus out of the city, and led him to the cliff. They intended to throw him off of it. (GWV)

Here we have Christ Himself using the fact that God sent Elijah to a Gentile woman for her deliverance instead of sending him to any of Elijah's many fellow Israelite widows. He had Elisha to heal a Syrian leper instead of any of the many lepers in Israel, as proof that He intended to replace physical Israel with "inward Jews" who were "circumcized of heart in the spirit and not in the flesh" (Rom 2:28-29).

Christ is the original replacement theologian,​ and He was the first to proclaim His "replacement theology" doctrine to the lowly Samaritans​,​ who were considered to be one step below a common Gentile​,​ when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in Samaria.

The Samaritan woman said:

Joh 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the [spiritual] Jews. [who know that "he is a Jew which is one inwardly"]
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

And this is the "Truth" to which Christ refers:

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

The kings of Babylon and Assyria spiritually typify our own flesh which places our own attachments to the false doctrines which extol physical Israel and physical circumcision over "Jerusalem which is above" and over "he is a Jew which is one inwardly". Those are the kings of Babylon, Assyria and Edumea which the Lord has "sworn... thought and purposed to break and remove as a burden "from off the shoulders ​"​ of His spiritual 'Israel' and His spiritual 'Jew'.

During the days of the king of Assyria,​​ ​Babylon was​ ​just one of the cities of the Assyrian empire. When the king of Assyria conquered Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel, he sent King Manasseh, and many of Manasseh's subjects, as slaves and as exiles to Babylon, and at the same time he also sent many men from Babylon to occupy the cities of Israel because Babylon, at that time,​​ ​was subject to the king of Assyria. It was for this reason that the Samaritans were so despised as half​-​breed heretics in the days of Christ:

2Ki 17:24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria​ instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

But after God had used Assyria to punish His own people, He then used the Babylonians to destroy the king of Assyria and to usurp rulership over all the cities of the Chaldeans:

Isa 10:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

These words, too, are spiritual, and we all live them within as we are carried away with the false doctrines of spiritual Babylon. It is this verse of Isa 10:12 to which our study today refers:

Isa 14:24 The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
Isa 14:25 That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.

What Christ and His Father had "sworn... [and] thought... and [had] purposed", and what they have sworn, thought and purpose to do until this very day is to "punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks" within every man who has ever lived. This 'king of Assyria, is but an earlier symbol of the king of Babylon, who is but an earlier manifestation of the second beast of Revelation 13. The second beast of Revelation 13 comes up out of the earth, and since the "earth" symbolizes God's called out people who cannot hear His Words, this second beast is the symbol of all of the world's religions in rebellion against our Lord, since their rebellion against Him at the tower of Babel.

Here is the symbolism of the King of Assyria in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

This beast is lionized and glorified and worshipped at the behest of the religious leaders of this world who tell us that we have been given a will that is free from God's will and that we are the captains of our own fate. That is the function of the religions of this world, known as "Babylon the great, the mother of harlots [and also known as] another beast coming up out of the earth [with] two horns like a lamb, [but] speaking as a dragon":

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

"Two horns like a lamb" tells those with eyes to see that this beast is masquerading as a great religious leader who, in reality​,​ is speaking for and "as a dragon".

The kings of Assyria and the king of Babylon are both very religious men, but they defy their own Creator. Let's look at what each of these men has said in their hearts in defiance of their Creator:

Here is the boasting of the king of Assyria:

2Ki 18:31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
2Ki 18:32​ ​Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.
2Ki 18:33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
2Ki 18:34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
2Ki 18:35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?

Here is the boasting of the king of Babylon:

Dan 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?

As we saw earlier​,​ this is the what the beast within every man, everyone of us, does:

Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

This is what the kings of Assyria and Babylon did and what they still do within our lives. Just as the king of Assyria is followed ​by ​the king of Babylon here in Isaiah's prophecy, so here in their final scriptural manifestation we again have two appearances of the same 'Chaldean' beast within all men. Instead of being called 'the king of Assyria [and] the king of Babylon', here in his final manifestation he is called "a beast coming up out of the sea, [and] another beast coming up out of the earth".

This study demonstrates the single​-​mindedness of our old man and his kingdom when it comes to "the Lord and His Christ". He is also called "a great harlot", and that 'harlot', we are told​,​ has many daughter harlots who argue with each other as the Pharisees argued with the Sadducees:

Act 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
Act 23:7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
Act 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

The one thing which united the Pharisees and the Sadducees was the desire to destroy Christ and His doctrine:

Mat 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

The Lord mentions the king of Assyria here, along with this "parable against the king of Babylon", to demonstrate to us that these two kings are a single manifestation of the "man of sin" within us, and this "man of sin" is in all flesh of all men:

Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me ["All in Adam" 1Co 15:22].
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh [Adamic flesh of all men],) 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.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

"That man of sin" is just another name for the king of Babylon who thinks "that he is God".

​However, he has to come to see that he is not God​,​ and in coming to that point, he and his kingdom are destroyed by the coming of that knowledge as we are told in:

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked ["man of sin" within each of us] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

​"Every man, in his ow​n order" (1Co 15:23) will be brought to know that he is not a free moral agent, he is not the captain of his own fate, and that "It is not of him that wills" (Rom 9:16), rather "it is God that works in [us] both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Php 2:13), and that it is He "[who is] working all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:11).

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

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.

Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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:

And that is the message of the last two verses of our study today:

Isa 14:26 This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
Isa 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

God is working all things after the counsel of His own will. Who shall disannul His will or turn it back? No one will change God's mind or change what He has purposed. But there is something in verse 26 which we must not overlook. What we tend to miss is that we are told that God's purpose, the destruction of the kings of Assyria and Babylon within us, is "purposed upon the whole earth: and [that] His hand is stretched out... upon all the nations".

This judgment of "the whole earth" is true of the spiritual battle which is taking place within every man who comes to Christ on either side of the grave, and it is also true outwardly on both sides of the millennium. "There was no more sea" out of which all flesh "rises up", tells us this Truth (Rev 13:1 and Rev 21:1).

We are Christ's Christ, but we live in bodies of flesh and bone, and if the days of being brought to our wits​'​ end were not shortened we would not be saved in this age. But we are promised that the Lord would not lay more on us than we can bear:

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.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

The Judgment ​o​f Babylon Will Encompass The Whole World

Overcoming the temptations of the beast within is the spiritual application of God's purpose to destroy the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon, but Assyria and Babylon are also the outward religions of this world, and they have and do control "the whole earth: and... all the nations". Our Lord has also purposed that this outward earth and all the outward nations will be brought to their wits​'​ end, before being given "a way to escape", and that "way to escape" is the thousand-​year reign​ of the Lord's elect. It is for their sake that the nations will not be utterly destroyed until after the saints of God have been given to rule the kingdoms of this world, this kosmos, for a symbolic one thousand years. Those are the words of our Lord Himself:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Mar 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Speaking of this very same inward and outward event​,​ Luke puts it in these words:

Luk 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Our hearts fail us when we are brought to our wits​'​ end because of what we see coming upon our lives. That is when the powers of our own heavens are shaken and we are "crushed to powder", and we are humbled before our Creator. Only then can our judgment begin at the house of God, but we then begin to know what is taking place and even better we come to know who it is who is working it all for our good:

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

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.

"In the night" is just another way of saying "the sun shall be darkened and the moon turned into blood..." If we are "the called according to His purpose" in this age, we are the "blessed and holy... few... chosen" to be used of Christ to rule the nations for a thousand years and then to bring all men to "learn righteousness" through the "lake of fire".

​In our coming studies we will see more clearly how thorough the work of the fire of the Lord's word is ​within us as well as how thorough is His work in the outward nations of this world. The faults and passions and sins of our flesh, our nearest enemy must also be subdued and punished and destroyed. That enemy which lives closest to us is symbolized by the Philistines with whom Samson committed fornication, and who were a thorn in Israel's side throughout the history of those two nations.

So we are told these words​,​ which will be our study for next week:

Isa 14:28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.
Isa 14:29 Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.
Isa 14:30 And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.
Isa 14:31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.
Isa 14:32 What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.