Fear God – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:49:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cropped-headerlogo-32x32.png Fear God – Is, Was and Will Be – The Unknown Character of Christ and His Word https://www.iswasandwillbe.com 32 32 1 Samuel 12:1–25 Samuel’s Farewell Address https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/1-samuel-121-25-samuels-farewell-address/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1-samuel-121-25-samuels-farewell-address Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:42:23 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=35739 Audio Download

1 Samuel 12:1–25 Samuel’s Farewell Address

[Study Aired March 23, 2026]

The chapter today under review is about Samuel’s farewell speech where he vindicated his integrity, reproved the Israelites for demanding a king and warned them of the consequence of disobedience. The study focuses on Samuel’s revelation of how the Lord had shown mercies in the past to the people of Israel, and confirmed their sins by calling for thunder and rain in the time of wheat harvest. The study ends with Samuel urging the people of Israel to continue serving the Lord faithfully as he continues to intercede on their behalf. 

Samuel’s Farewell Address

1Sa 12:1  And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. 
1Sa 12:2  And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
1Sa 12:3  Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 

In verse 1, Samuel represents our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of the people of Israel, the Lord has been their king. However, in asking for a king in the previous chapter, the people of Israel were rejecting the rulership of the Lord Jesus. However, the Lord told Samuel to do according to what the people of Israel desired – to have a king rule over them. It was in obedience to the Lord’s word that Saul was appointed as king of Israel.

Samuel agreeing to the demand of the people of Israel and giving them a king is therefore the Lord satisfying the desire of the people. There are times the Lord permits His people to have what they request, with the view of showing them the deceitfulness of their hearts and minds and to fulfill a larger purpose. As we know, all things are going according to the counsel of His will. This implies that both good and evil are used by the Lord to fulfill His eternal purpose. Therefore, both day and night are the same in the sight of the Lord.

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:

Psa 139:12  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

During the wilderness experience of the people of Israel, the Lord gave the people of Israel what they requested, but in the final analysis, He sent a wasting disease to destroy them.

Psa 106:13 But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
Psa 106:14 But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; 
Psa 106:15 he gave them what they asked but sent a wasting disease among them. (ESN)

Bringing a wasting disease among the people of Israel means that although they received the physical satisfaction for their request, they experienced severe spiritual decay. This was all to fulfill His purpose of rejecting the commonwealth of Israel and choosing us in Him according to the riches of His mercy towards us.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

We had also rebelled against the Lord just like the people of Israel when we became futile in our thinking and therefore the Lord gave us up to our desires. The Lord led us through this evil path so that we shall come to see that our hearts are desperately corrupt. It is when we come to know that without the Lord’s intervention we cannot help ourselves, that the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to lead us to Himself, such that our evil cravings are destroyed through His judgment.

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

This was the situation in which the people of Israel found themselves when they requested a king and the Lord gave them their heart’s desire.

Verses 2 and 3 focus on Samuel being a witness for Christ. The Lord has called us to become His witness just like Samuel. Being His witness means living our faith through Christlike behavior, service, and love, which serves as a living testimony. It is when we become witnesses of Christ that we can bear fruit which abides.

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.

1Sa 12:4  And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.
1Sa 12:5  and he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

These verses show us that we must indeed serve as the Lord’s witnesses during our time here on earth. This implies that our righteousness must be evident to all – not only to the household of faith, but all those outside the faith who come into contact with us. 

1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

We know from the word of the Lord that it is not in our power to learn righteousness. It is only the judgment of our flesh by the Lord that makes us to become like Him – having no spot or blemish. This is what the Lord is working out within each of us, to become like Him.

Rev 14:4 These (His elect) 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. 
Rev 14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The Lord’s Righteous Acts

1Sa 12:6  And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 
1Sa 12:7  Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers. 
1Sa 12:8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

Here in verse 6, we see Samuel reminding the Israelites of how the Lord intervened in their circumstances and brought up Moses and Aaron to lead their fathers from bondage in Egypt.  In our case, it is the Lord who is reminding us that He has raised His elect, represented by Moses and Aaron, to bring us out of our bondage to the flesh. Through what every joint supplies, we are able to come out of our bondage to the flesh.

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

In verse 7, we see that what the Lord did in raising up Moses and Aaron to lead His people out of Egypt is called ‘the righteous acts of the Lord.’ The Lord coming to us to lead us out of the church system of this world or Babylon, which is represented by Egypt here in verse 7, to become part of the church of Jerusalem above, or the firstborn, is all part of His righteous acts toward us.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
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: 

1Sa 12:9  And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 
1Sa 12:10  And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 
1Sa 12:11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. 

When our attention is turned from the Lord, we become a prey to our flesh symbolized by the Philistines. Sisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, king of Canaan. Both Sisera and the king of Moab in verse 9, represent the devil, who empowers our flesh. The question is, “How do we forget the Lord?” It is usually during times of prosperity, comfort, and success, that we forget about the Lord. This usually leads to self-reliance and pride instead of dependence on the Lord.

Deu 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
Deu 8:12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 
Deu 8:13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 
Deu 8:14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Through the mercies of the Lord, He brings us to repentance as we cry to Him for deliverance from our flesh.  The Lord sends Jerubbaal according to verse 11 to deliver us from bondage. Jerubbaal means ‘let Baal contend’ or compete. Baal means ‘lord’ or owner and was a Canaanite god which Israel frequently turned to worship. The first step in the Lord’s deliverance from our flesh as we cry to Him is to let the false doctrines in our hearts and minds, which empower our flesh, represented here as Baal, compete with the truth of the Lord’s word. As a result, we are overcome by our flesh, giving the Lord the occasion that He is seeking to come into our lives with His judgment.

Jdg 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 
Jdg 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 
Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 
Jdg 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

The Lord then sends Bedan which means ‘in judging.’ That is to say that the Lord comes to judge us. It is through this judgment that we are gradually delivered from our flesh. The Lord then sends Jephthah which means ‘He opens.’ It is through this judgment that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are opened to us. Finally, the Lord sends Samuel which is the name of God. In other words, the Lord comes to establish His throne in our hearts and minds.

Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

1Sa 12:12  And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. 
1Sa 12:13  Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. 
1Sa 12:14  If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God: 
1Sa 12:15  But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

Here in verse 12, we are given a reason why the Israelites wanted a physical king, when the Lord was their king. It was because they wanted a physical king to fight their battles for them.  When we are under the control of the flesh, we seek physical instead of spiritual reality to address the issues we face. However, in the wisdom of the Lord, the demand for a physical king was all part of the Lord’s design, to bring the people of Israel to an expected end.

Verses 14 and 15 show us that our past mistakes are not relevant. What is important is to forget those things which are behind and focus on being obedient to our Lord. That is when we experience His rulership in our walk with Him. On the other hand, our refusal to submit to Christ will cause the hand of the Lord to be against us.

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 

1Sa 12:16  Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. 
1Sa 12:17  Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 
1Sa 12:18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

In verse 16, the Lord is requesting us to stand still and see the great thing the Lord will do on our behalf. The great thing is our salvation as we see the Lord destroy the old man or our flesh for us to become overcomers. Standing still means that the Lord is the one who does the work of destroying our flesh. 

Exo 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. 
Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

In verse 17, Samuel told the Israelites that in spite of the fact that no rain falls in the wheat harvest, He, the Lord, will send thunder and rain to fall. We must remember that the Israelites in this study represent us when we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. In Babylon, the weather is just like a period of the wheat harvest. That is to say that there is no rain or the truth of the Lord’s word. However, the Lord is assuring us, His elect, that He will bring in the truth of the word of the Lord because of our time of drought in Babylon.

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail [the truth of His word] shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

As shown in verse 17, the coming of thunder and rain during the wheat harvest was for the purpose of realizing that our wickedness is great before the Lord in asking for a king. Spiritually, what the Lord is telling us is that the truth of the Lord’s words which we experience after this drought in Babylon, is for the purpose of realizing that we were like beasts before the Lord when we thought we make our own decisions and therefore, are kings of our own destiny.

Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

In verse 18, the thunder and rain that day caused all the people to greatly fear the Lord and Samuel. Samuel here also represents the Lord’s elect. It is as the Lord rains down on us the truth of His word and also through His judgment or thunder that we become a blessing to those we come into touch with – they come to fear the Lord. In other words, our witness to Christ becomes more effective.

1Sa 12:19  And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 
1Sa 12:20  And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;
1Sa 12:21  And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.

In the fullness of time, our brothers and sisters will ask us to intercede on their behalf as we see the people requesting Samuel to pray for them. It is during this period that they will be aware of their sins and receive mercy just we have received mercy in this age.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

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. 
1Sa 12:23  Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 
1Sa 12:24  Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. 
1Sa 12:25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king. 

It is heartwarming to note that in verse 22, the Lord is assuring us that He will not forsake us because of His name’s sake. Before the world was created, God had desired to have a people called by His name – His elect.

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. 

In verse 23, Samuel assured the people of His intercession for them. As indicated earlier, Samuel represents the Lord who is interceding on our behalf before the Father.

Heb 7:24  But this man [Jesus], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 
Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

If we are to receive the reward, then we must follow what Samuel said in verse 23 about the good and the right way to serve the Lord. We must fear the Lord and serve Him in truth. As our understanding is enlightened to know the truth of the Lord’s word, we automatically come to fear Him and serve Him in truth.

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

It is through His word that we come to appreciate the great things He has done for us as mentioned in verse 24. On the other hand, as indicated in verse 25, if we do wickedly, we shall be consumed by the enemy, the devil. However, as Paul said, we are persuaded of better things on our behalf, that is, things that accompany our salvation. 

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Heb 6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 
Heb 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Our confidence is not in ourselves but in the fact that He who has began a good work in us will see to its completion. Amen!

]]> “A house divided against itself cannot stand” Part IV https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/a-house-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand-part-iv/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-house-divided-against-itself-cannot-stand-part-iv Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:00:34 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=33387 Audio Download

“A house divided against itself cannot stand” Part IV (Pro 14:27-35)

(Aired on June 19, 2025)

Pro 14:27  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Pro 14:28  In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
Pro 14:29  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Pro 14:30  A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
Pro 14:31  He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
Pro 14:32  The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
Pro 14:33  Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
Pro 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Pro 14:35  The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

Recap of first three parts:

God’s proverbs admonish us to keep His wisdom, which is needed in order to protect “the unity of the spirit”, or the “the unity of faith” (Eph 4:3, Eph 4:13), that enables us to keep growing together as a many membered body with the same mind of Christ, with the same spirit, working toward the same goal of being in that blessed and holy first resurrection.

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

There is almost always a negative or dark side to most every proverb, being described to remind God’s elect that light comes out of darkness, and that we are the light of Christ, a city set on a hill that cannot be hid, a peculiar people who are zealous of good works (1Pe 2:9-10) because of the life of Christ within us, that is changing us as we go from glory to glory, the veil being ripped (Joh 8:12, Mat 5:14, Tit 2:14, 2Co 3:18, Mat 27:51). Christ is the one who we are looking to, in order to keep that unity as He leads us in the way of righteousness, which will see the house of God built up by His hands (Psa 127:1)

The outward kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ (Rev 11:15) is the great reset (Mat 13:12-13) that the world has been groaning to see fulfilled (Rom 8:22-23), and when God’s government is established on this earth, then those woes spoken of in (Rev 11:14) will start to be poured out on humanity as they have already been poured out and fulfilled in the life of God’s elect. This is when the world will begin to learn of God’s righteousness (Isa 26:9) which event is likened unto a great earthquake that is going to reshape all the earth as the waters did in the days of Noah’s flood (Rev 11:13-14). The woes that God’s people experience convert our souls whereas the woes that the world will experience during the thousand year reign of the saints is typical of a water baptism that must precede the lake of fire baptism which will come upon all the world in the second resurrection (Joh 3:5-6).

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

In last week’s study we looked at how we can protect that which God has given the elect to preserve in this life. The only way we can become a stronger undivided house is by keeping the commandments of God, doing what he tells us to do (Mat 7:22-27).

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (Rev 1:3)
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (Mat 16:18).

This final section of chapter fourteen will focus on the sound heart that is needed to maintain the unity of the body of Christ (1Co 2:16, 2Ti 1:7-9). It is when we judge ourselves and drink waters from our own cistern (Pro 5:15), and learn from those who have the mind of Christ that we become a stronger and more united body of Christ that is no longer judged of any man but at the same time understands the continual need to be taught by a man of God who has the mind of Christ (1Co 2:15-16, 1Jn 2:27, Act 8:31).

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Act 8:31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Pro 14:27  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

“The fear of the LORD”, from the “beginning” to the “conclusion” is where Life is, our “fountain of life”  (Pro 9:10, Ecc 12:13-14, 1Co 3:13-15). In other words, what that fear of God does is preserve our spiritual life in Christ (Rev 21:5-8).

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

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.

Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The fountain of life is Christ, he is the cistern that we, the church, is called to obtain living waters from (Luk 12:5, Luk 11:13, Joh 4:10-14)

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

Luk 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [physical carnal lineage being held onto [Jacob’s well] that does not know that before Abraham was I am]
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. [“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death”]

Pro 14:28  In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

The king’s honour is found not just in any multitude, but in the multitude of counsellors who are men of God who fear Him and keep his commandments (Pro 15:22, Pro 20:15, Pro 24:6). It is with those who acknowledge that these things are the commandments of God (1Co 14:37-38) who will be given to see the body of Christ remain unified, honouring God and bringing honour to our king Jesus Christ (Pro 3:5-6 drink waters from your own cistern).

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths [toward the safety found in the body of Christ].

We understand that the church is never going to be a large group, the Lord tells us so (Mat 22:14). We are a little flock (Luk 12:32) who are grateful for whatever increase God himself gives (1Co 3:7), and although the fields are white and ready to harvest (Joh 4:35), and we do pray for labourers (Mat 9:37-38), the fact remains that the remnant of God will always be just that in this life, a small Gideon-like army that is bringing glory and honour unto our Father who is delivering us through Christ (Rom 8:37).

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

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Joh 4:35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

He is preparing us as those labourers who will be used to bring in the latter harvest of the rest of humanity (Oba 1:21). Our attitude should always be that we desire that all men will be saved, which they will be, and that all men could prophesy and speak of things that we are blessed to read and hear today (Num 11:29, Mat 13:16-17), however, God gives the increase and has never intended that there be great faith on this earth when He returns.

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.

Num 11:29  And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!

But, in the end, God will be all in all (1Co 15:28) and the destruction of the prince of this world will see full destruction (Eph 2:2, Joh 12:31), “but in the want[ceasing, end, finality] of people is the destruction of the prince”.

Pro 14:28  Rulers of powerful nations are held in honor; rulers of weak nations are nothing at all. (Contemporary English Version)
Pro 14:28  A large population is a king’s glory.
But a prince without followers is destroyed. (New Int’l Readers Version)
Pro 14:28  In the multitude of a people, is the majesty of the king, but, in the ceasing of population, is the ruin of the prince. (Rotherham Emphasized Bible)

Pro 14:29  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Being slow to wrath is the fruit of a sound heart that by God’s grace and the faith of Christ we are learning to possess our souls patiently with (Luk 21:19). Clearly it is when we are hearing the word in a good and honest heart that we will bring forth much fruit, and we will gain “great understanding” (Luk 8:15)

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

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.

Conversely it is those who are “hasty of spirit [who will] exalteth folly”, and there is no greater folly than to doubt that our Lord is going to return one day (2Pe 3:3-4, Luk 12:45-46).

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Luk 12:45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; [the bad fruit of those who are hasty of spirit and exalteth folly]
Luk 12:46  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Pro 14:30  A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

We are the flesh and bones of Christ (Eph 5:30) and our sound heart is a gift from God (1Co 2:16) that we never want to take for granted as we die daily and stir up God’s spirit within us (Heb 2:3) so that a spirit of envy (1Ti 6:3-4, Tit 3:3,  Jas 4:5-7) should never start to create rottenness in those bones of Christ, “envy the rottenness of the bones”. If we keep God’s commandments demonstrating love toward one another (1Jn 5:2) and esteem each other better, those bones will remain strong and healthy and stay intact and not be spiritually broken, as Christ’s physical bones remained, typifying the body of Christ’s spiritual bones (Psa 34:20).

Jas 4:5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. “A sound heart is the life of the flesh”

Psa 34:20  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. (Eph 5:30)

Pro 14:31  He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

God has called us to have mercy on the poor of this world as we have opportunity, and on those who are spiritually poor as we all once were in Babylon with no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1). Not casting our pearls before swine does not exclude us from doing good unto all men, good that is done especially unto the household of faith (Gal 6:10). It is how we love our neighbour as ourselves that prevents us from oppressing the poor, who, when we do oppress we are doing so unto the Lord, “He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker”.

Conversely when we love our neighbour as ourselves we are honouring our Father in heaven with those actions, “but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor”(1Pe 2:12-15)

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
1Pe 2:13  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14  Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15  For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Pro 14:32  The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

We have hope in our dying daily process knowing that it is Christ who is working in us as our hope of glory (Col 1:27) who gives us the power to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is in fact Him who is doing that work within us (Php 2:12-13, Heb 5:7). It is that work of faith within the body of Christ that is driving away the wickedness within us (1Jn 4:4). It is that “death” of the saints that is most precious to our Father (Psa 116:15).

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh (1Jn 4:3), 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)

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Pro 14:33  Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.

We must labour to enter into Christ who is our sabbath rest, and with that rest comes understanding and peace that passes all understanding (Heb 4:8-11). Each holy day was on a sabbath for that reason, to remind us that God’s plan can only be understood and move forward within us by having the life of Christ within us who is our wisdom that we rest in (Mat 12:6-8).

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest (Php 2:12-13), lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

God is in the process of burning out all the foolishness within the midst of Christ’s body by pouring out the seven last plagues of His wrath upon us, which is the only way our shame can be covered so that we are no longer fools who are made known by our corrupt actions, but sons of God who are standing in the temple of God by the grace and faith of Christ that is teaching us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lust in this life. [“I will have mercy, and not sacrifice = God’s mercy that is expressed in His judgements” (Rev 15:8, Tit 2:12-14)].

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.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Pro 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

God’s people are likened unto a nation whose righteousness is of God that exalts us (1Pe 2:9), and ‘whatever we sow we will reap’ (Gal 6:7-8) is a statement of Christ that reminds us that “sin is a reproach to any people” and God is not mocked.

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:

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Pro 14:35  The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

Again in this study we are looking at how God deals with any corruption in our heart, burning it up so that body of Christ remains unified (Eph 2:8). His favour is toward the elect who are considered ‘wise servants’ who are in the process of trimming our lamps, and understand that in order for those lamps to burn brightly in this life we must experience His wrath against our old man of sin, “him that causeth shame”, which shame will be evident until it is overcome through the trials and much tribulation that God mercifully brings upon us (Heb 12:6). This is the life-long process the body of Christ has been blessed to be called unto, which will result in a unified body that is being “throughly furnished unto all good works”  (Heb 12:6-7, 1Pe 4:12, Rev 3:18, 2Ti 3:17).

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?

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:

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

 

]]> Worship – Part 1, What is Worship? https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/worship-part-1-what-is-worship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=worship-part-1-what-is-worship Sat, 16 Sep 2023 05:26:42 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=28337 Audio Download

Worship – Part 1, What Is Worship?

Introduction

God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

[Study Aired September 16,  2023]

In the late 1950s, as a youngster of about four to five, I increasingly became aware of God. I never liked ‘going to church’ on Sunday mornings in our neighbor’s Holden station wagon (Australian version of a Chevrolet) driven by a chain-smoking woman; her high heels kicked off and stockinged foot on the ‘go pedal’ flat to the boards as she cackled and talked non-stop. The car jiggled and danced sideways on the dusty corrugated gravel road like a middle-aged Shakira performing “Hips Don’t Lie” (conjectural). Well, the twitchy backside of that old car didn’t lie with the stench of cigarette smoke, lean-fuel exhaust and dust. It always made me feel ill ~ a wonderful prelude for a dreary Presbyterian church service. 

My dad had been getting the Plain Truth and broadcasts from the Radio Church of God at about the same time. I clearly heard the seductive broadcasts at 11 p.m. from my bed. Unaware to me, this predatory ‘woman’ (church) on the airwaves was the Lord’s way of arousing my spirit at such a tender age. Her etched ‘abuse’ was captivating and dreadfully alarming for several years until, at age 13, I was fully taken by her. I was unwittingly seduced.

Ecc 7:26  And I find more bitter than death the woman [Babylonian church], whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

For the interim at the Presbyterian church, with the congregation, heads cocked this way and that, looking suitably ‘holy’ and pretending to look entranced, the minister would raise his chin, look at the back wall, and theatrically say, “Let us worship.” I feared not knowing God, yet I hated this form of ‘worship’ (the only one I knew) with a passion! I couldn’t wait for the same rally car-driving woman to frantically pump the bellows of the old manual wind-driven organ with the other stockinged foot, signalling I could go home. What a wasted last day of a precious weekend before being tortured at school!

Thankfully, the Lord gave me a way of escape from worshiping her and me (1Co 10:13).

What is Worship?

The term “worship” existed in God, who became the Father before the fowls of the air as a shadow of angelic beings, including Elohim, were created. God’s creation of our Lord Christ made Him a Son, and what the Son sees His Father do, He amplifies to glorify (worship) the Father. The Son subsequently created the heavens and the Earth to worship the Father in what They had agreed. Lord willing, we will see that worship is all-encompassing, as God is intrinsically in every detail of whatever existed in spirit before and after the physical creation. He is the epitome of perfection and purity Himself without any outside influence. He is omnipresent in His seeming unfathomable worship of purity that he is.

God the Father is the ultimate ‘word.’ The creation of His Son, Christ epitomised the Word – God’s purity – expressed as “worship.”

When the Lord swore His guarantee to save the world through Abraham, He effectively worshiped the purity intrinsic to God by His actions.

Heb 6:13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
Heb 6:15  And so, after he had patiently endured, he [Christ, Abraham and mankind] obtained the promise.

The Lord swearing by himself is the same manner of God being “I am” in which all things are Is, Was and Will Be. He is the personification of worshiping himself by the purity of being him – “I AM” – the omnipresence of him without a beginning.

Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

In the purity of “I AM”, our Lord did all that the Father had told him by the vow He, as God, alone could carry out. He thus worshiped the Godhead and, most notably, the Father.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word [Elohim/Christ/Word], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

“In the beginning” of what? Creation, of course, since God, who became the Father, incomprehensibly pre-existed in ‘God-purity’ without a beginning.

Joh 1:2  The same [The Word/Christ] was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him [Christ]; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was [slowly became] the light of men.
Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The rest of the world not chosen by God to be the Elect comprehended not since they were and still remain in darkness.

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

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us [the Father and Elohim, the “Word”; two, not three] make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the Earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the Earth. 
Gen 1:27  So God created [began the slow and detailed process of spiritually creating mankind; man wasn’t created in God’s perfect image of the heavenly] man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Man, in being created in God’s image, begins with man’s highly malleable mind for deception in preparation for truth, the age-lasting act of creating him in God’s perfect image.

Gen 1:20  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [the birds who shadow Christ and His heavenly angels] that may fly above the Earth in the open firmament of heaven.

Upon God creating the Son, the Son became the creator extension of His creator Father, for which all things past and present are created by Him, for which the heavenly host shouted for joy.

Job was chided by the Lord for his self-righteousness and appropriated ‘holiness’ above God’s! Our Lord said to Job,

Job 38:4  Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.
Job 38:5  Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 
Job 38:6  Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 
Job 38:7  When the morning stars [all present angelic host and now man] sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 

Although Job didn’t have a sustained level of the holy spirit to endure a changed heart, he was partly re-created as a representation, a shadow of us being spiritually recreated in our Lord God’s image. Upon Job seeing how loathsome his righteousness was, he worshiped God when he says,

Job 42:1  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 42:2  I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 
Job 42:3  Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
Job 42:4  Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 
Job 42:5  I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 
Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

There are many expressions for the term “worship” that all with varying strengths of intensity mean worship. The Lord’s many verbalisations of His love for us evoke worship of Him without directly stating the action. Every aspect of Mark 12:30, including all the verses above, expresses worship of God without using the term “worship.” Some of those terms seen in the preceding verses are “giving thanks”, being delivered from the powers of darkness, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins; thou shalt love the lord thy god with all thy heart”, to name a very few evocations of “worship.”

As previously expressed, worship has many nuances that all express the act of worshiping. The first verbalisation of “worship” in scripture is in Abraham’s disquieted trust in the Lord through his profound commitment through obedience to sacrificing Isaac.

Gen 22:5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship [H7812], and come again to you. 

Gen 22:10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 
Gen 22:11  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 
Gen 22:12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

By not withholding his only son even from a brutal sacrifice, Abraham expressed the epitome of having no other gods before God, thus implicitly affirming his worship of God!

Let’s now study the word “worship”, and its tense expressions worshiped and worshiping. 

All of the above expressions directly relate to bowing down before the Lord. The below expressions of worship, worshipeth, and worshiping likewise involve bowing before God. 

“Worship” profoundly means expressing our deepest honour and respect for God with every nuance of our mind and body in spirit and in truth by obedience to his commandments, intimately declared by bowing before him, particularly in spirit.

Every aspect of the physical creation points to the spiritual reality of God the Father and Christ, the Godhead. Sara wonderfully demonstrated spiritually bowing to her husband, Abraham, by calling him Lord. She characterised the Bride’s reverence (worship) for Christ, her husband.

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1Pe 3:5  For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
1Pe 3:6  Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The very first commandment is,

Mar 12:29  And Jesus answered him [one of the scribes], The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30  And [being intrinsic with hearing] 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.

There you go! Intrinsically, those verses embody worship and have the same meaning as the first listed commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before me (Exo 20:3). By those definitions, loving a thing equates to worshiping that entity. Since we are to love our spouse, we effectively worship him or her. However, we do not put them or any other created thing in heaven or Earth above God; if we do, we break the commandments of God.

Exo 20:4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 
Exo 20:5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 
Exo 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love [H157] me, and [How? By keeping] keep my commandments.

Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Loving God is keeping his commandments, which embodies every aspect of worshipping Him.

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 
1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

When we lawfully or unlawfully love a thing or person more than God, we have created another god more significant than the God who created us.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 
2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 
2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
2Ti 3:4  Traitors [to God], heady, highminded [above the word of God], lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;<

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.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will [Love of God above all things by keeping the commandments] of God abideth for ever.

The following verses graphically express Jesus’ love for our Father through keeping all of the Father’s word. That act is worship in action.

Luk 4:3  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luk 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 
Luk 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

While growing up in those previously mentioned Babylonian Christian churches, I only knew the worship of God meant a hollowness I could never properly identify. The Worldwide Church of God appealed to me because it seemed to answer all the prophesied fearful events of the Bible with a credible correlation of the holy days. No church other than the Seventh Day Adventists and one or two others ever taught the meaning of the Lord’s festivals and holy days; not that the WCG understood it spiritually one little bit!

Lord willing, we will begin the fascinating study of how the nuances of the above verses, and substantially the rest of the Bible, relate to worship.

By the Lord’s dragging of the Body of Christ and me, we have moved from the figurative Whore of Babylon driving a smelly Chevrolet further into the abussos (the deep) to our Lord’s chariot of fire into His heavens. Elijah’s transfiguration and departure is its representation.

2Ki 2:11  And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah [The Elect of God] went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

We have laid the foundation for what it means to worship. Next week, Lord willing, and by the conveyance of His chariot, His word of fire, we will study detailed worship and how not to worship Him.

]]> Acts 10:24-48  God Hath Shewed Me that I Should not Call any Man Common or Unclean https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/acts-1024-48-god-hath-shewed-me-that-i-should-not-call-any-man-common-or-unclean/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=acts-1024-48-god-hath-shewed-me-that-i-should-not-call-any-man-common-or-unclean Sat, 25 Mar 2023 18:01:58 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=27364

Acts 10:24-48  God Hath Shewed Me that I Should not Call any Man Common or Unclean

[Study Aired March 26, 2023]

Act 10:24  And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
Act 10:25  And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
Act 10:26  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
Act 10:27  And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
Act 10:28  And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Act 10:29  Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
Act 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
Act 10:31  And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Act 10:32  Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
Act 10:33  Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Act 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Act 10:43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Act 10:44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Act 10:45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 10:46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Act 10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

In our study today we will find Peter and six other Jews entering the house of a Gentile Roman centurion, which is doing something contrary to the law of Moses. We will see how Cornelius, the Roman centurion, reacts to meeting the apostle Peter and how Peter deals with Cornelius.

Finally, we will be shown that the holy spirit was given to these Gentile converts before they were even baptized, and I will draw your attention to the words used when Peter baptized these converts. Those words are the same words used when baptizing new converts throughout this book of the Acts of the apostles.

We begin our study today in:

Act 10:24  And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

If we include the last verse of our last study, we will see that Peter and the six other Jewish men from Joppa, along with the Roman soldier and the two men who were of Cornelius’s household, spent a whole day and part of another day, traversing the 34 miles from Joppa to Caesarea.

Here is the last verse of our last study:

Act 10:23  Then called he [Peter] them [the three men sent by Cornelius] in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

The repetition of “and the morrow after” in the very next verse, verse 24, tells us they spent a whole day and part of another day making that 34-mile trip by foot from Joppa to Caesarea.

Act 10:25  And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

Peter is the man who the “holy angel” had told Cornelius to send for, and like John did two times in the book of Revelation Cornelius also fell down to worship the Lord’s messenger:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

Act 10:26  But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

“The angel which showed me these things” signifies Peter and each of us who are granted to “show these things” to others: “I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.” As long as we are in these clay vessels, we are not to be worshiped. However, the day is coming when we will not tell those we rule and judge that we are mere men:

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Act 10:27  And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
Act 10:28  And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

The fact that Peter was in a house by the seaside when the three Gentile men came to get him is as significant as the number of times he was shown his vision. The sea represents all of mankind to whom the gospel is now being given.

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.

The ‘sea’ signifies all flesh, and both Joppa and Caesarea are “by the sea side”.

Act 10:29  Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
Act 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
Act 10:31  And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
Act 10:32  Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
Act 10:33  Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

This is the beginning of the gospel being preached to the Gentiles. This is the very first indication that being a Jew is now not a matter of being a Jew outwardly. This is the beginning of showing all men, that being a Jew is now an inward matter, and being circumcised is also now a matter of being circumcised of the heart in the spirit.

Rom 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26  Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
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.

It will take years for even the apostles themselves to relinquish the doctrine of physical Jews having an advantage based upon physical descent and physical pedigree. Jews have always been taught that they, by virtue of their physical pedigree, are the apple of the Lord’s eye by simply being born Jewish. Even today most Christians believe that is still true. What they have always been told was a great advantage has now begun to be seen as ‘transgressing the law’ of Christ, and bringing reproach upon God by being circumcised physically but not being ‘circumcised’ spiritually of the heart in the spirit’:

Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law [of Christ], judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Peter was made to go with the three Gentile men whom the Lord Himself had supernaturally sent to him and told him to go with them to the home a Gentile. Now he finds himself in the house of a Roman Gentile centurion where he is forced to confess that the Lord has shown him that “God is no respecter of persons” simply because of one’s physical descent from Abraham. Nevertheless, and despite having been given this great honor of being the first person to take the gospel to the Gentiles, many years later Peter was still struggling to accept this ‘mighty earthquake’ of a revelation of “things to come” (Joh 16:13 and Rev 16:18-19):

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13  And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
Gal 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Peter typifies each of us when we put the fear of men above our fear of God. Think for a moment what confusion such hypocrisy had to have placed into the minds of the Gentiles at Antioch who knew that this was the apostle whom the holy spirit had chosen to be the first to bring the gospel to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. “And all the other Jews [Christian Jews] dissembled [they all played the hypocrite along with Peter] insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation [their hypocrisy].”

Why did Peter cave to “certain… that… came from James”? The answer is always the same… “fearing them which were of the circumcision.” That is the same as saying in today’s society, ‘fearing those who are still in a Babylonian society “observing days, months, times and years”, and it all boils down to fearing what men will think of us more than we fear what God has told us to do:

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children [G3516: ‘nepios’ “carnal babes in Christ”, 1Co 3:1-4], were in bondage under the elements [G4747: ‘stoicheion’] of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons [G5206: ‘uihothesia’ mature sons of God].
Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7  Wherefore thou art no more a servant [of sin], but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements [G4747: ‘stoicheion’], whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [What are these ‘stoicheion’, these ‘elements of the world’?]
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

This revelation by the holy spirit at that time was more than many Jewish Christians could yet accept. Breaking the sabbath as Christ did is something they simply cannot follow yet.

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

The apostles themselves did not consider healing a lame man to be breaking the sabbath, but Christ confesses to “profaning the sabbath day” in Matthew 12:

Mat 12:1  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
Mat 12:3  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
Mat 12:4  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? [What is Christ’s defense? Does He deny profaning the sabbath? Absolutely not! Here is His defense of “profaning the sabbath day”:]
Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Mat 12:7  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Paul makes clear that the law of Moses is a carnal commandment, which is no more spiritual than the law of the Gentiles:

Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law [“not made for a righteous man” (1Ti 1:9)], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law [“a carnal commandment” (Heb 7:16)] written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

The keeping of the carnal traditions of the law of Moses was still very much a part of the early church throughout the entire book of Acts. Keeping the traditions of men is still one thing which separates those who fear God from those who fear men:

Pro 29:25  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

It is the man who “puts his trust in the Lord” and does not fear what men think of him who “esteems every day alike” in:

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not [is weak in the faith] judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4  Who art thou that judgest [speaking to the weak in the faith] another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5  One man [who is weak in the faith] esteemeth one day above another: another [who is not weak in the faith, who fears God more than men (Gal 4:9-10)] esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind [“We then that are strong ought to bear [with] the infirmities of the weak” (Rom 15:1)].

The beast within every man wants to please men and fit in with society. It is as natural as breathing. Peter was chosen by the holy spirit to demonstrate to us that we must be willing to go against the traditions of the great harlot system into which we are all born. Peter is also used of the holy spirit to show us that it is a great struggle for him and for us to come out of this world” (Rev 18:4). Peter’s hypocrisy and weakness typify each of us in our natural state.

At this moment, Peter is being made by the spirit to accompany six other Jews to the house of a Gentile Roman centurion, and now Peter is accepting what the Lord is revealing to him and to the whole world:

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.

What is now required to become a part of the household of God, and to become a spiritual ‘Jew’, is to simply fear God and be obedient to the Words of Christ as Peter tells everyone in Cornelius’s house:

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
Act 10:36  The word which God sent [first] unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Peter is well aware that the gospel of Christ, and the witness John the Baptist gave of Christ, was known by Cornelius and by all societies of the Roman Empire because of all the miracles Christ had performed while on this earth, and because of what had happened on the day of Pentecost when the Jews from all over the Roman empire had “heard the wonderful works of God in their own tongue.” Peter is not speaking to people who have never before heard of Christ and His doctrines. Let’s read these last two verses again:

Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

“The baptism that John preached” was a big ‘splash in the pan’ at that time. However, no one in the history of mankind has affected the lives of all mankind to the extent that the life of Christ has. Christ Himself set an example for all men. His crucifixion and His love for even those who crucified Him is the most powerful weapon against all His enemies and “[Christ] is love”:

1Co 13:4  Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
1Co 13:6  rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
1Co 13:7  beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

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.

That is the voice of the True Shepherd, but that is not the doctrine of the law of Moses, which taught “an eye for and eye” and “hate thine enemy”. The contrast between the law of Moses and the law of faith, also called the law of Christ, is stark, and the story of the life and doctrine of Christ, at the time Peter was in the house of Cornelius, has been and is being spread all over the Roman empire not just by the apostles, but by those from all over the world who came to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and heard in their own tongue “the mighty works of God” as we are told in:

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.
Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5  Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6  And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.
Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galilaeans?
Act 2:8  And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?
Act 2:9  Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,
Act 2:10  in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
Act 2:11  Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.
Act 2:12  And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

What was it all these nations heard that day “In our tongues”? This is what Peter tells us they heard that day:

Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Act 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

This fulfills Christ’s own words concerning the coming of His kingdom within us (Luk 17-20-21).

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.

Mat 26:29  But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

Of course, the drinking of the wine signifies our fiery trials in this life, but it had to be done in the natural realm first.

“Nor to all the people, but… even to us [the] few chosen”:

Mat 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

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

Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Act 10:43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Before this very moment Peter understood those words to apply only to physical Jews. Peter is just now verbalizing the meaning of the thrice repeated vision he had been given in the house of Simon the tanner in Joppa. It is at this point that the holy spirit does something which makes the words Peter just spoke to be undeniably true:

Act 10:44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Act 10:45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Act 10:46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

By this means the Lord has shown Peter and the six Jews who accompanied him that this event in the house of the Gentile, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is the very same work of the Lord which took place on the day of Pentecost. The only difference being that it is now “they of the circumcision which believed” who are the “unbelievers [for whom] tongues are a sign”:

1Co 14:22  Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Until this very moment “they which were of the circumcision” did not believe that the gospel was for anyone other than the Jews.

As Peter tells the Jews at Jerusalem in our next chapter:

Act 11:15  And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Act 11:16  Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Act 11:17  Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

The Lord has now made it indisputably clear that “ye shall be baptized with the holy ghost” applies to the Gentiles who are in Christ just as much as it applies to “they of the circumcision which believed.”

Nevertheless, it will be decades later, in the book of Ephesian in chapter two, before it will finally be revealed that “the middle wall of partition” between the Jews and the Gentiles is now being taken down:

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 [Aorist tense, ‘is making’] 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 [the ordinances the Jews were still under according to the letter to the Gentiles in Acts 15]; 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:

It is this same book of Ephesians which revealed that the outward ritual of water baptism is not at all what cleanses us:

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it [“the church” verse 25] with the washing of water by the word,

The whole church has not yet been given to know this and so Peter does what should be done under those immature circumstances:

Act 10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

The only formula given for baptism is “in the name of the Lord”. It is not ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost’ as we have been led to believe by the prophets of the great whore. Here is the link to the article which shows The Truth of this question:

Is God a Trinity?

The three thousand who were added to the church on the day of Pentecost were all “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ”:

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The men of Ephesus were “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”:

Act 19:4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Act 19:5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Everywhere the formula for being baptized is mentioned in scripture, it is “in the name of the Lord Jesus’ or ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’. There is not one instance in scripture where anyone is baptized ‘in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the holy ghost’!

We can only imagine the sweet fellowship that was shared between Peter and the six Jewish men who had accompanied him to the house of the Gentile, Cornelius, for those “certain days” as they discussed this “wonderful work of the Lord”:

Psa 107:8  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Next week we will learn how this all went down with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. It is not exaggerating to call this event one of the “mighty [spiritual] earthquakes, mentioned in the book of Revelation, being lived out in the lives of all the Christian Jews in Jerusalem.

Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

This ‘opened temple’ now includes Gentiles who are not circumcised outwardly but who are circumcised inwardly of the spirit (Rom 2:28-29)]. This undeniable event, which was without any doubt, a work of the holy spirit, was contrary to the law of Moses:

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.

That was a hard pill for the Jewish Christians to swallow, so to speak. It was as hard, or even harder, to believe than “any good thing [can] come out of Nazareth”:

Joh 1:45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Joh 1:46  And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

That is what the Lord will say to the whole world when He reveals to them His bride, with whom He will rule this earth for a thousand years, and then ‘judge angels’ in the lake of fire/ white throne judgment/ second death: “Come see what I have made of those who were not wise, mighty, or noble in this world. Come and see how I have made the foolish, the weak, base and despised of this world into My blessed and beautiful bride and wife.”

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.

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.

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 17:24-41  “The LORD your God ye shall fear https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-1724-41-the-lord-your-god-ye-shall-fear/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-1724-41-the-lord-your-god-ye-shall-fear Fri, 27 Jan 2023 02:31:53 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=27055 https://www.dropbox.com/s/l2zyj03jmliwwk7/20230126-Study_TonyC-FearGod.m4a?raw=1

2Ki 17:24-41 “The LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies”

[Study Aired January 26, 2023]

(We will start tonight with these 2 verses from last week, for context:

2Ki 17:22  For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; 
2Ki 17:23  Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. )

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.
2Ki 17:25  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. 
2Ki 17:26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:27  Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD. 
2Ki 17:29  Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 
2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 
2Ki 17:31  And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
2Ki 17:34  Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
2Ki 17:35  With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: 
2Ki 17:36  But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice. 
2Ki 17:37  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
2Ki 17:38  And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
2Ki 17:39  But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
2Ki 17:40  Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
2Ki 17:41  So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

The first question I had while reading this last section of chapter 17 of 2 Kings is in the language of these verses (2Ki 17:32-34, 2Ki 17:41) which say Israel feared the LORD, when clearly they did not.

2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
2Ki 17:34  Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

2Ki 17:41  So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

This fear that Israel had is the negative example of Godly fear, and was fear that was based on their superstitious pagan beliefs which continued to dominate their heavens, even while they claimed to be servants of the LORD who feared His name (Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1, Isa 1:3).

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of 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 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

Having God’s name and holding fast to your own righteousness may produce a perverted sense of fear, but the lesson is that when our fear toward God is taught by the precepts of men, it is a vain relationship with a heart that is far from God, and far from true Godly fear which is a gift from our Father (Isa 29:13, Isa 66:2).

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

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.

The only time the phrase “I fear God” is mentioned in the KJV bible is in Genesis 42:18 where Joseph was trying his brothers and proving them through this experience of evil which was starting to bring great fear upon them, all typical circumstances that explain to us what it takes for our flesh to learn patience and faith, which are the spiritual by-products of those who “trembleth at my word” (Gen 42:14-21).

Gen 42:14  And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies:
Gen 42:15  Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. [We can’t be freed from the bondage of sin, the ward, the prison, unless Benjamin, a type of the elect, comes hither (Oba 1:21)]
Gen 42:16  Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies. 
Gen 42:17  And he put them all together [1Jn 5:19] into ward three days.
Gen 42:18  And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: [in other words I “Joseph” fear God, and you don’t, and won’t until you go through this process of judgment represented by three days (Luk 12:5)]
Gen 42:19  If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses:
Gen 42:20  But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so. [Rom 14:23, 1Pe 1:7, Jas 2:24]
Gen 42:21  And they said one to another, We areverily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

What is clearly brought out in these verses is that there is a process of judgment we have to go through (“he put them all together into ward three days“) in order to come to fear the LORD, or “fear God,” and that process was being orchestrated by Joseph who is a type of Christ and the elect who will prove the world in the lake of fire as typified by this story in Genesis (Gen 42:14-21).

Godly fear does not paralyze us but rather motivates us (Heb 11:7) to be true servants who realize how blessed we are to be His workmanship (Eph 2:10) who are being motivated to work righteousness, and are being heard when we pray in that we fear God as Christ did (Heb 5:7). Joseph’s brothers were now motivated to “carry corn for the famine of your houses” and the bargaining chip was “one of your brethren be bound in the house,” which typifies for us how we become bondservants for God and each other (Rom 12:1), bound to the altar and put in a place in this life where Christ strengthens us to endure until the end (Php 4:13, Mat 24:13) so that one day our judgment and suffering we experience in this life will produce all the corn for our families, which symbolizes God’s purified word within us that will be used to feed the nations and judge the world. The world will learn of His righteousness through the elect, and they will become part of the family of God who fulfill God’s will (Pro 9:10, Ecc 12:13, 1Jn 4:17, Isa 26:9, Mar 3:35). 

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

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;

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

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. 

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.

Mar 3:35  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Today’s verses are focused on demonstrating the long and arduous journey Israel had to go through as they went into captivity and were shown that they were incapable of following God as He commanded them. This is written to show us that bondage to sin is an unavoidable part of being human and that only God alone can set us free from that sinful condition by giving us a new heart which will be able to follow and keep all His commandments (Joh 8:36, Eze 36:26).

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

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.

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. 
2Ki 17:25  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

The king of Assyria is a type of Satan who wants to pervert the land of Israel with heathen people that have been brought in from these foreign cities and places to possess that land. These actions typify for us what happens when God sends an evil spirit into our lives [the Israel of God – Gal 6:16] that perverts our judgment (Isa 63:17, Isa 9:16) and brings His wrath upon us by sending “lions among them, which slew some of them” (1Sa 16:14).

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

Isa 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 

When we look at the names of these places in the PNBkjv bible version, it shows us what kind of spirits Israel, a type of the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), was dealing with in the early stages of this dispossessing/transplanting when we are easily overtaken by the powers and principalities of the spirit realm that we wrestle against (Eph 6:12).

2Ki 17:24 and the king of (plain)Assyria brought men from (confusion)Babylon, and from (burning up)Cuthah, and from (perverted)Ava and from (wall of anger)Hamath, and from (two scribes)Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of (watch tower)Samaria instead of the children of (he will rule with god)Israel and they possessed (watch tower)Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. [PNBkjv]

God is working all of this according to the counsel of his own will for our sakes (Eph 1:11, 1Co 10:11), and He does send lions that typify Satan to buffet us, chastening these wood, hay and stubble perversions out of our lives, all happening at the beginning (1Co 5:5), “it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.“

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

2Ki 17:26  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. 
2Ki 17:27  Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
2Ki 17:28  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

The wrath of God has been poured out upon the people who have been placed “in the cities of Samaria,” and this humbling experience is accompanied by the actions of the king of Assyria who reasons that the solution to this problem with the people being destroyed by lions is to “Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.” However, as stated in the introduction of our study, this is not going to bring the people to “fear the LORD” because these priests who are going to be teaching these other pagan cultures are not true servants of God and therefore cannot instill the fear of God within the people (negative – 2Co 11:13-15, positive – Heb 1:5-7).

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

Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 
Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

These “priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD” represent Babylon today that cannot eat at the altar we eat (Heb 13:10) and are guilty of feeding God’s other fold (Joh 10:16), as we all did in our appointed time with the precepts of men and not as men who fear God and demonstrate that fear through the fidelity of their thoughts and actions (1Ki 12:31, 1Co 4:6). It is our Father in heaven who gives us the increase as He matures us and receives us (Heb 12:6) by the grace through faith process we’ve been called to, which is a gift of God (Isa 29:13, Eph 2:8-9). These priests who come on the scene and minister to the nation of Israel and the people within it are only going to make them “twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” which is what happens to us when the deadly wound from the lion is healed and we take on the more insidious and harder to detect spirit of self-righteousness, represented by the two horns of a lamb, a witness of another Christ, who speaks as a dragon (Mat 23:15, Rev 13:11).

1Ki 12:31  And he [Jeroboam the son of Nebat] made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

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.

2Ki 17:29  Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 
2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 
2Ki 17:31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

The fruit of these actions of the king of Assyria having “priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD” is revealed in these following verses (2Ki 17:29-31). They all made “gods of their own” demonstrating the self-willed spirit of the beast that is still on the throne of our hearts at this stage in our walk. Those “gods of their own” represent the different ideologies and false gods which are forged in our yet carnal heavens which have not overcome the god of this world as yet. The power of the beast showcases this earthly wisdom that is typified by the ten horns, and the ten crowns upon those fleshly horns the God of this world controls on a beast that has seven heads and ten horns (Rev 13:1, 2Co 4:4).

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.

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.

The places that the men of Babylon and Cush, and Hamath make up are connected to harlotry, or defilement of the word of God, typifying the worldly churches of Babylon that have no stay of bread or water (Isa 3:1). Then there are two other nations mentioned “And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.” Altogether there are five nations and seven gods mentioned where all these idolatrous acts are unfolding on the seven-headed beast that comes out of the earth, listed below:

2Ki 17:30  And the men of Babylon(PNB = “confusion”) made SuccothbenothH5524, and the men of Cuth(PNB = “burning”) made NergalH5370, and the men of Hamath(PNB = “wall of anger”) made AshimaH807,

2Ki 17:31  a) The Avites(PNB = “perverter”) made NibhazH5026 and Tartak,H8662

2Ki 17:31  b) The Sepharvites(PNB = “scribes”)  burnt their children in fire to AdrammelechH152 and Anammelech,H6048 the gods of Sepharvaim(PNB = “two scribes”).

2Ki 17:32  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 
2Ki 17:33  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. 
2Ki 17:34  Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; 
2Ki 17:35  With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

So did they fear the LORD or not? Emphatically YES/NO! They may have thought that they were dedicated in their service to God, but their actions betrayed their thoughts as demonstrated by these words how they “made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places” just as Jeroboam the son of Nebat had done. So, in short, Israel feared God but did not work righteousness (Act 10:35, Ecc 12:13).

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

1Ki 12:31  And he [Jeroboam the son of Nebat] made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

This is how they demonstrated their fear of God, but it was mingled with a perverse spirit as they “served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.” Then we are straightforwardly told that they were following their former manner of behavior, which was an abomination unto God, “they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; [Act 10:35, Ecc 12:13] With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:.”

2Ki 17:36  But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice. 
2Ki 17:37  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods. 
2Ki 17:38  And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
2Ki 17:39  But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies. 

God mercifully reminds the elect where we’ve come from, and if we are His in this age we grow to heed those admonitions which encourage us to remember the days of old when we fought a great fight of affliction against the bondage of sin (Heb 10:32, Neh 4:14) and how God delivered us from that bondage with “great power and a stretched out arm” as He continues to do for us day by day, reminding those now who have God’s spirit that He has made a covenant with us, “And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.” It is a covenant that he will honor for His name’s sake, and it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom of God (Luk 12:32). If God is working with us, we will have His fear within us, is what we are being told here “But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies” (Joh 8:36), not that we can of our own selves generate that fear, which these old covenant stories show us is impossible as it is God who must put that fear in our hearts, giving us a humble and contrite heart which is a precious gift from him (Isa 66:2, Mat 21:44).

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
Heb 10:33  Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 

Neh 4:14  And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 

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. 

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. [how our Father forms the humble and contrite heart within the body of Christ]

2Ki 17:40  Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner. 
2Ki 17:41  So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

Without that gift of a changed heart, we will not hearken unto the LORD and will continue to embrace our “former manner” which is another way of saying our former conversation of (Eph 2:2-3).

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So these nations feared the LORD all right, but not with humble and contrite hearts that would have brought them to stop serving “their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.“

I want to end this study with these verses (Psa 2:1-12) that Jim Carnevale recently sent in an email regarding a discussion about the so-called saviors of this world who are no saviors at all, because there is only one savior, Jesus Christ, who as a result of the new heart given from God, will produce saviors who come up on mount Zion to judge the mount Esau. That new heart is forged out of a life-long process of judgment that God has blessed the elect to experience before the rest of the world.

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 
Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion [Oba 1:21].
Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee [1Jn 4:17].
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 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel [Rev 2:26-27]. 
Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling [Isa 66:2, Mat 21:44, Mat 18:3]
Psa 2:12  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.

]]> Study of the Book of Kings – 2Ki 6:1-33  “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-61-33-fear-not-for-they-that-be-with-us-are-more-than-they-that-be-with-them/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=study-of-the-book-of-kings-2ki-61-33-fear-not-for-they-that-be-with-us-are-more-than-they-that-be-with-them Fri, 30 Sep 2022 15:30:41 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=26344 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqtdpan64ykrxrh/20220929-Study_TonyC-ThoseWithUs.m4a?raw=1

2Ki 6:1-33  “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them”

[Study Aired September 29, 2022]

In the first section of this chapter of 2Kings (2Ki 6:1-7) we will read how the sons of the prophets want to leave the place in which  they are dwelling because it is too narrow, and how they want to collectively build a place where they can live in Jordan. This symbolic action of building a home in Jordan represents the building of the church which is the body of Christ (Col 1:24), and it is expedient that Elisha, who is a type of Christ and the head of the church who builds the house, come with them (Psa 127:1, 2Ki 6:3).

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. 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.

2Ki 6:1  And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. 
2Ki 6:2  Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
2Ki 6:3  And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.
2Ki 6:4  So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
2Ki 6:5  But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
2Ki 6:6  And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
2Ki 6:7  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.

In the middle section of this chapter (2Ki 6:8-23),  we look at the way in which we must do spiritual battle as the body of Christ in a healthy church built by Christ, which battles of faith (1Ti 6:12) are defined for us in several parables that are connected with physical war, which we know represents the spiritual wars that rage within the body of Christ (Rom 1:20, Eph 6:12).

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Eph 6:12  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.

2Ki 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.
2Ki 6:9  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. 
2Ki 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 
2Ki 6:11  Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
2Ki 6:12  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 
2Ki 6:13  And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 
2Ki 6:14  Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 
2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 
2Ki 6:18  And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 
2Ki 6:19  And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.
2Ki 6:20  And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
2Ki 6:21  And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
2Ki 6:22  And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 
2Ki 6:23  And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

The last section of the chapter (2Ki 6:24-33) is a type and shadow of what depravity will come upon the earth at the end of the age and how evil men will wax worse and worse, causing the love of many to wax cold (Mat 24:12-13), as the Lord allows many who were once convinced of our Lord’s imminent return, to begin to say that He delays his coming (Luk 12:45-46, 2Pe 3:3-4).

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 
Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Luk 12:45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 
Luk 12:46  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 
2Pe 3:4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 

2Ki 6:24  And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 
2Ki 6:25  And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. 
2Ki 6:26  And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. 
2Ki 6:27  And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 
2Ki 6:28  And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. 
2Ki 6:29  So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. 
2Ki 6:30  And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 
2Ki 6:31  Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. 
2Ki 6:32  But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? 
2Ki 6:33  And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? 

—

2Ki 6:1  And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2Ki 6:2  Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
2Ki 6:3  And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.

The sons of the prophets are a type of the elect, and they tell Elisha, who is a type of Christ, “The place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.” No matter where we go, the way is going to be strait and narrow as followers of Christ, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few [Mat 22:14] there be that find it.“

Going together as each man brings a beam of wood to build a place in Jordan where the prophets will dwell is symbolic of the strength that each joint supplies to build up the body of Christ in love (Eph 4:16). The strait way therefore becomes easier when everyone does their part in love and we are all given to be our brother’s keeper. This discipleship that Christ talks about in John 13:35 is represented by the cooperation in erecting this building in Jordan, just as it is also typified by the building of Noah’s ark which represents the body of Christ being built up in this age as we move with fear to accomplish the work God has called us to be faithful unto in this life (Heb 11:7.

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

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

What an honor and joyous revelation to know that it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32) and to believe that He can do this through Christ who is the one who is the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). Christ longed to have this relationship which we have right now (Luk 22:15-20) with him building up the body of Christ not by might nor power but by God’s holy spirit which is what this verse is typical of: “And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go.” (Mat 28:20) Elisha represents Christ who will never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5).

Luk 22:15  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

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.

2Ki 6:4  So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood.
2Ki 6:5  But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.

When we are laboring in the Lord, He will make a way where there seems to be none, and through our diligent search God will reveal His son to us (Heb 11:6). That is what these diligent actions of “cut[ting] down wood” represents for us. Laying the axe to wood represents judgment (Mat 3:10) and so losing that axehead which represents God’s word that judges us is something which can only be recovered through Christ. Nothing we have is our own, so in that sense the axehead that represents God’s word is borrowed and exceedingly precious, as are all His promises to us (2Pe 1:4).

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Mat 3:10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Isa 43:13  Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? [Joh 18:9]

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

The axehead represents an instrument of righteousness or vessel of honor that we become when the life of Christ is in us (Rom 8:9, Rom 9:21). God is showing us through this miraculous recovering of the axehead that there are no obstacles that can prevent the work of God from being accomplished within the elect, and a floating axe is symbolic of the truth that “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mat 11:29-30).

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his./span>

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

2Ki 6:6  And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. 
2Ki 6:7  Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it. 

Christ asks us to give an accounting of what is happening in our life as it unfolds, not that He doesn’t already know because He’s writing the book, but the book requires that we show the Lord the places in our life where things have fallen apart, like the axehead in this story. Falling into a river is typical of baptism, but we can be baptized over and over, and unless it is into Christ’s death, symbolized by a stick that is cut down and put in the water in this story (“And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither“), it will not change our life or quicken our life in the spirit (Rom 6:3). The quickening of God’s spirit in our life as we die daily and are baptized into His death is symbolized by the words: “and the iron did swim.” We are called to not neglect so great a salvation which is what this next statement is symbolically telling us: “Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.” Taking it “up to thee” and putting out his hand “and took it” reminds us if any man thirsts we only need ask God, or put out our hand, and He will supply our every need through Christ (Joh 7:37, Php 4:19).

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

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.

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2Ki 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 
2Ki 6:9  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. 
2Ki 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 

Right after this story of the preparation of the building in Jordan, representing the body of Christ being made ready, we see that the Lord  brings the enemy nation of Syria to attack them: “Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp.” Then “the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down“, warning the king of Israel (Amo 3:7) and typifying for us what we read earlier that the Lord will give warning to those who are hope-filled and believing and not saying, “My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken.“

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

If we are watching and praying and not drinking with the spiritually drunk of this world, by the grace through faith relationship that we have with Christ, we can be among those who are a “faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season” (Luk 12:42-44). Giving a portion in due season is what this represents: “And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.“

Luk 12:42  And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luk 12:43  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luk 12:44  Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

2Ki 6:11  Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel?
2Ki 6:12  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 
2Ki 6:13  And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan.

The king of Syria is convinced that there is a traitor in his midst, an informant who is letting the king of Israel know of all his plans. However, he is told by his servant “None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.” This reminds us of how nothing is hidden from the Lord, and the means by which Elisha was getting this information was from the Lord (Amo 3:7, Ecc 10:20).

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

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.

These verses above reassure us that the Lord is sovereign over all things, and is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11). We have need of His peace (Php 4:7) which the king of Syria did not have, and “have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Heb 10:36-37), otherwise we will curse the king, or those who are better off than us in this world (Psa 73:3, Pro 24:19, Psa 84:10) losing sight of the true riches of His life that we have (Joh 6:68). This cursing of others is an indication that we are not keeping our souls in patience, which we pray God will grant us to do. ‘Cursing the king in thy thought’ is another way of saying we are thinking above what is written, and God is always looking at our hearts and bringing us to see how great a blessing we’ve been called to, being able to have peace in this life and to know, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

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. 

Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

2Ki 6:14  Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

This section explains to us a physical event that represents how Satan wants to sift us all like wheat: “Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about“, but by the faith of Christ no such thing will happen.

The servant’s grave concern upon rising early: “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?” will be addressed by Elisha who represents Christ (Psa 46:5, Pro 8:17, Mat 14:31).

Psa 46:5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

Pro 8:17  I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 

Mat 14:31  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Christ’s faith will bring the body to see in our difficult times of trials and tribulation that He who is in us is greater than him who is in the world (1Jn 4:4), and that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-36). Elisha’s prayer is typical of Christ’s prayer for Peter and our prayers for each other (Luk 22:32). “Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man.“

1Jn 4:4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

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. 

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

When we fervently pray for each other, those prayers avail much (Jas 5:16). Our spiritual perspective is open and we are delivered from our fears which are cast out by His love that is shed abroad in our hearts (1Jn 4:18, Rom 5:5). When the LORD opens our eyes spiritually, we will “behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha“, which is a symbolic event that typifies our seeing Christ in each other as we look to the mountain from whence comes our help comes (Psa 121:1). We abide on that mountain together as many members and one body with the strength of Christ within us, represented by the mountain being “full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha“. Elisha is a type of Christ and so our hope is always centered around a right relationship with Christ, and so it is written that way: “round about Elisha“.

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

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.

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2Ki 6:18  And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 
2Ki 6:19  And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.

Just one verse earlier Elisha is asking for the eyes of his servant to be opened (2Ki 6:17), and in these verses he prays that the Lord “Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness” which He did “according to the word of Elisha“. This parable is a reminder that God creates the good and the evil, the opening up of eyes and the blinding of eyes to truth. It is all of the Lord (Isa 45:7).

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Elisha informs them, “This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.” ‘The way’ represents “the way” of righteousness which is found in Christ who tells us the Spirit of God must lead us into all truth (Joh 16:13). Elisha knows what these Syrians are up to and that they’re seeking to kill him, but he mercifully leads them to Samaria in their blinded state to show us how the Lord can deliver us from our enemies both within and outwardly (Deu 28:7).

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.

Deu 28:7  The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. 

It is when we acknowledge our blindness that God can begin to deal with us, and so the blinding of this army is typical of the beginning of the healing process that is needed in our lives that supernaturally had us dragged out of Babylon and into Samaria or the Israel of God (Joh 9:41, Gal 6:16). The blind army following Elisha, (“follow me” Mat 4:19) is that new beginning, being led to Samaria which represents our starting point in our relationship with Christ where we’re brought “to the man whom ye seek” but do not yet know (Luk 24:16), typified by Elisha himself who typifies Christ.

Luk 24:16  But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

2Ki 6:20  And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
2Ki 6:21  And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them?
2Ki 6:22  And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
2Ki 6:23  And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

The Lord opened their eyes at an appointed time to bring them to see that they were in Samaria, and instead of wanting to be merciful to his enemies, the king of Israel asks Elisha with a ‘sons of thunder’ spirit “shall I smite them? shall I smite them?” (Luk 9:54-56)

Luk 9:54  And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 
Luk 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. [“And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master“.]
Luk 9:56  For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

We are to love our enemies and not try to dominate our unconverted family members or people we work with, but do good unto all men, and “set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.“

The end result of this compassionate act on the part of Elisha was “So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.” When our ways please the Lord, He will make even our enemies to be at peace with us (Pro 16:7).

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

2Ki 6:24  And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria. 
2Ki 6:25  And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

Loving your enemies does not guarantee that they’re going to love you back, especially when you have already been told that your disobedience to God’s commands would be dealt with (1Ki 40:42). Benhadad, the king of Syria, is merely a weapon of the Lord’s indignation (Isa 13:5).

1Ki 20:42  And he [“a certain man of the sons of the prophets” of verse 35] said unto him [King Ahab], Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 

Isa 13:5  They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. 

And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria“. These were desperate times due to the great famine in Samaria and the Syrians besieging Samaria, driving the economy of the day into a terrible state “until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver“. This story is an illustration of how God will use evil men as His sword (Psa 17:13) to bring about the conditions that are needful to lead us to repentance, and silver which typifies repentance is connected to the meager physical existence that now remains among all of Samaria due to this siege. It is the whole [4] of Samaria who are being affected by these conditions so we are told, “There was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.” The five pieces of silver represents the grace through faith process that all of mankind are going to be saved (Eph 2:8). Without even mentioning actual famine in the earth, the spiritual conditions in this world today are being spoken of in these verses where there is a famine of the word and no stay of bread or water in the churches of Babylon (Isa 3:1).

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, 

2Ki 6:26  And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. 
2Ki 6:27  And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? 

This king of Israel has lost all hope, as we see with his response to one of his citizens who cries out for help and his reply that there is no grain and no wine to give her. The threshing floor and winepress represent the judgment that takes place in the earth, earth, earth that we are (Jer 51:33, Rev 19:15, Jer 22:29, Mic 1:2-3).

Jer 51:33  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. 

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD [1Pe 4:17].

Mic 1:2  Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple. 
Mic 1:3  For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.

2Ki 6:28  And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow.
2Ki 6:29  So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son.
2Ki 6:30  And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

The king understands on a very deep level now the severity of the situation the kingdom is in, and puts “sackcloth within upon his flesh” to mourn those conditions. This famine that has been compounded by the siege of Syria has led people to take the most drastic measures to keep themselves alive, and so these horrible events unfold for our sakes upon whom the end of the world has come (1Co 10:11) to show us that right down to the bitter end people will hold onto their false doctrines, represented by children, and still be divided in their lies as was demonstrated in this parable of children being boiled to be eaten. This is an admonition for us to take heed lest any man deceive us (Mar 13:5-8).

Deu 28:15  But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: 

Deu 28:53  And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee: 

There is a betrayal that comes forth from the one woman who represents a false church toward the other beastly woman who also represents a false church, and this act of boiling and burning flesh to eat is given to us in the New Covenant in the following verses (2Ti 3:4, Rev 17:1, Rev 17:16-17) and tells us of the judgment that must come “until the words of God shall be fulfilled“.

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

2Ki 6:31  Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. 

The king is wanting vengeance on “Elisha the son of Shaphat” as if he’s the reason the world is coming apart. Well, actually God is the reason, and the prophet or messenger is hated for bringing the truth to the people (Rev 16:21, Mat 10:22, Amo 3:6).

Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

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. 

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

It’s going to take some massive earthquakes to begin to humble the earth before Christ returns (Rev 11:13) that will be followed by the “plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great” (Rev 16:21). The plague is the word of God on the kingdom of our old man that must have the entire refuge of lies destroyed from our heavens, which is what is happening for us in type and shadow in the land of Samaria (Isa 28:17).

Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

2Ki 6:32  But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? 

The outcome of the king of Israel’s anger is being discussed here, and this is not troubling Elisha in the least, to tell us today that we shouldn’t fear what men can do to our flesh (Mat 10:28). What is Elisha actually doing as he “sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him“? This represents the elect being with Christ in the holy temple, abiding in him where we are spiritually kept alive and given to see the plans of the enemy. Elisha uttering, “See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” is another way of saying Revelation 22:11 where we’re informed that there is a cut off point for this dispensation of grace we’re in, and the Lord says we are to trust Him and stand fast at the door which represents Christ and His righteousness. We do not want the garments He’s given us to be defiled by letting anyone in that door, so we stand fast and look well to ourselves and the little flock of Christ (2Co 2:11, Gen 4:7, Exo 12:13, Act 20:28).

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: [“when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?“] and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. [“Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him.“] 

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.

2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 

Exo 12:13  And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

2Ki 6:33  And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? 

This last verse tells us the state of the world we’re living in right now and is an admonition to God’s elect to not let the unbelieving heart of man that is not given to repent today cause the love of God to wax cold within us (Mat 24:12, Mat 24:24, Luk 12:45). It is as Elisha is talking that this messenger “came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer?” Those are the words of a scoffer walking after his own lusts (2Pe 3:3).

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

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

Luk 12:45  But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 

2Pe 3:3  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

We don’t need to fear what men can do to us (Mat 10:28), and we don’t need to worried about the wars and rumors of wars in this age (Mat 24:6), and we don’t need to be concerned about the unbelieving and those who have come and gone and served us in their unbelief (1Jn 2:19). Along with that, we are being encouraged in this section of scripture to remember this truth: “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (Eze 1:4, Heb 12:1-3)

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

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.

1Jn 2:19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 

Eze 1:4  And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

]]> Book of Jeremiah – Jer 38:1-28  Obey, I Beseech Thee, the Voice of the LORD https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/book-of-jeremiah-jer-381-28-obey-i-beseech-thee-the-voice-of-the-lord/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=book-of-jeremiah-jer-381-28-obey-i-beseech-thee-the-voice-of-the-lord Sun, 15 May 2022 03:10:43 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=25719 Jer 38:1-28 Obey, I Beseech Thee, the Voice of the LORD
[Study Aired May 14, 2022]

Jer 38:1  Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,
Jer 38:2  Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.
Jer 38:3  Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.
Jer 38:4  Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.
Jer 38:5  Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.
Jer 38:6  Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
Jer 38:7  Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
Jer 38:8  Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,
Jer 38:9  My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.
Jer 38:10  Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Jer 38:11  So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
Jer 38:12  And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.
Jer 38:13  So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
Jer 38:14  Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
Jer 38:15  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?
Jer 38:16  So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.
Jer 38:17  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
Jer 38:18  But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
Jer 38:19  And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.
Jer 38:20  But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.
Jer 38:21  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:
Jer 38:22  And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.
Jer 38:23  So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.
Jer 38:24  Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
Jer 38:25  But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
Jer 38:26  Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.
Jer 38:27  Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.
Jer 38:28  So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

The first verse of this chapter names the four princes who are now seeking the death of the Lord’s prophet Jeremiah:

Jer 38:1  Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

Among these four princes is “Jucal the son of Shelemiah”. This is the same Juhucal the son of Shelemiah who is one of the two men the king had sent to ask Jeremiah to “Pray now unto the Lord our God for us” in the previous chapter:

Jer 37:3  And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.

Just as it was with Christ and all who follow Him, Jeremiah had the experience of having people, who at one time regarded him as a prophet of God, just suddenly decide that he is not a prophet of God but is a traitor to the Lord and His people. As we all know such a turn of events is a gut wrenching ‘experience of evil’:

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

Jeremiah was in the same situation that anyone today is in if he or she is obedient to Christ and the things He told us to do. This is what Christ commands and expects of anyone who claims to know Him and who appropriates His name and calls themself a ‘Christian’:

Mat 5:43  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Those words are the equivalent of telling us today that we are not to resist evil, just as Jeremiah was instructing those of His day. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what Christ has instructed us to do in the verses immediately preceding the two verses we just quoted here in Matthew 5:

Mat 5:38  Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
Mat 5:41  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

None of these words are in any way patriotic. Not one orthodox Christian minister would agree with Christ’s commandment that those who claim His name are to “resist not evil”. Neither did any of the leaders of Judah agree with the words of the Lord, which He gave to Jeremiah, telling the people of Judah while being besieged by the armies of Babylon that they should all “go forth unto the Chaldeans”:

Jer 38:2  Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

‘Going forth to the Chaldeans’ signifies that we acknowledge our self-righteous transgressions:

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.

When we acknowledge our self-righteousness and our transgressions, we must realize that such a confession accepts the judgment that comes with that confession and acknowledgement of our iniquity and our sins:

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

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.

The ‘fire’ which tries our works is the Word of God, and that word includes the seven last plagues of His wrath which must be fulfilled in the life of every man, now in “this present time” or in the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment.

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

‘Entering into the temple” signifies our salvation, and that is the meaning of “he shall have his life for a prey and shall live”. Here is verse 2 again:

Jer 38:2  Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

What we are being told is that we will ‘go forth to the Chaldeans’. That is going to happen, and it is to our advantage to do so now rather than wait for the Lord to judge us at a later judgment:

Jer 38:3  Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.

What Christ is telling us is that if we submit our lives to His chastening hand via the sword of our enemies, He will deliver us. Our worst enemy in this life is that beast we see in the mirror every day. If we submit to acknowledging our iniquities and our transgressions and judge ourselves in ‘this present time’ then He will deliver us from death, “When [we] awake with His likeness”. Our enemies, including our own ‘old man’, are actually nothing less than His chastening hand:

Psa 17:13  Arise, O LORD, disappoint him [“the wicked who oppress” us (vs 9)] cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Psa 17:14  From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Psa 17:15  As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

King David did not say, “I shall be satisfied in this life.” He did not say, “I shall be satisfied when I see my enemies reap what they have sown in this life.” Instead he is actually telling those who are ‘given eyes that see’, that it is we who will be the first to be judged by “thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world” (our own flesh included, Rom 7:17-21), and reap what we have sown in this life at this “present time”, and then we will be rewarded by being given the gift of “the resurrection of life… the blessed and holy… first resurrection (Rev 20:6) as opposed to “the resurrection of judgment”:

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Even the Old Testament prophets realized there was a “better resurrection” of the dead and that there was life after this life:

Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

It does not read ‘We without them’. It reads “they without us should not be made perfect”. That “better thing” is for us. The “better thing” is not for them; it is only for us. The “better thing [is] for us” because no one in the Old Testament will be in the first resurrection. The “blood of bulls and goats” could not take aways sins, and the Savior had not yet been sacrificed:

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Those in the first resurrection will be perfected without the men and women of the Old Testament, and we will be perfected through death and resurrection before them. We know this is true because Christ made it crystal clear that even the least in the kingdom of God would be greater than John the Baptist who was as great as any Old Testament man who had ever been “born of women”:

Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Such an honor comes only through “much tribulation” and through being rejected and “hated of all men” in “this present time”.

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.

We will not enter into the kingdom of God through a life of ‘coffee and doughnuts’ nor through the lies of the ministers of the so-called ‘prosperity ministries’ which appeal to our flesh but are the death of our new man.

Notwithstanding it is true that the blessings and glory bestowed on those “chosen… few” who endure “much tribulation” and are given to have a part in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”, will far outweigh “the suffering of this present time”:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

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.

That is the spiritual message we are to get out of this agonizing event in the history of the nation of Judah. If we are willing to be “hated of all men” because we are obedient to the Words of our Lord to love our enemies and follow in His steps and do all the things He said we are to do, then we “shall be saved”:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
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.

This experience of Jeremiah demonstrates that those who obey our Lord will indeed “be hated of all men for [His] name’s sake”. ‘His name’ means His doctrine, and His doctrine is what is hated by all men.

Jer 38:4  Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Jeremiah was seeking their best interests. However, it is completely understandable how the natural mind cannot receive a message which encourages it to submit to the chastening hand of the Lord through the sword of evil men.

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

It is only natural for any patriotic individual to place their citizenship on this earth above their invisible heavenly citizenship. Heavenly citizenship is about as meaningful and valuable to our natural man as Esau’s birthright was to him when he was hungry:

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.

‘Jacob’ means ‘supplanter’, and that is what he did to his elder twin, just as our new man is in the process of supplanting our carnal-minded old man who has no appreciation for the promise of future invisible, spiritual blessings in reward for present physical suffering. Just like Esau we are selling our birthright for a bowl of pottage when we put patriotism above obedience to Christ’s commandments. Our old man considers it only natural to hate and to want to destroy our new man who our old man considers to be a traitor:

Jer 38:5  Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

King Zedekiah is telling The Truth. He typifies our rebellious carnal mind. As such, he truly is helpless to save the Lord’s people from their enemies. This fact is expressed in these words in the New Testament:

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

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?

We of ourselves are completely helpless against the beast that is within every man and every woman.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man [There is no article in the Greek before the word ‘mankind. There is only the Greek word (G444) ‘anthropos’, mankind]; and his [‘anthropos’, mankind’s] number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Jer 38:6  Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

Being placed in a pit, in scripture, just as Joseph was put into a pit by his ten brothers, symbolizes entering the realm of death:

Job 17:16  They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Isa 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.

However, the Lord had provided Jeremiah with “friends of the unrighteous mammon” in the person of one, “Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house.” The Lord caused Ebedmelech, to go out of the king’s house, out of the house of the very symbol of our old man, and plead for Jeremiah’s life:

Jer 38:7  Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
Jer 38:8  Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,
Jer 38:9  My lord the king, these men [the princes] have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

In this betrayal by King Zedekiah of the Lord’s servant we are informed that there is no water in the pit (vs 6). That is exactly what we were told in the story of the betrayal of the Lord’s servant Joseph:

Gen 37:23  And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the coat of many colors that was on him;
Gen 37:24  and they took him, and cast him into the pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

Just as in the story of Jeremiah, the Lord had provided Joseph ‘a friend of the unrighteous mammon of this world’ in the person of his oldest brother, Reuben:

Gen 37:19  And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Gen 37:20  Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, An evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
Gen 37:21  And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, Let us not take his life.

The same king who could not refuse the princes’ desire to kill Jeremiah now cannot refuse Ebedmelech’s petition to save Jeremiah’s life for this reason and for this reason only:

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

That is true for all men of all time, and that is the doctrine of all scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Because “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord”, because “the preparations of the heart… and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord” and because “it is God that works in [all men] both to will and to do of His good pleasure”, this was “[the Lord’s] good pleasure” for Jeremiah coming from the ‘preparations of the heart’, which the Lord worked in wicked King Zedekiah:

Jer 38:10  Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.
Jer 38:11  So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.
Jer 38:12  And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

The Hebrew word for ‘old’ in this verse is:

The words ‘cast clouts’ are translated from the single Hebrew word:

So both words, ‘belo’ and ‘sechabah’ convey the concept of a piece of cloth that is old and worn… a “rag”. These rags were used to pad the “cords” that were placed under Jeremiah’s “armholes”:

Jer 38:13  So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

It is not adding to the Word of God to say that these words of Psalm 40 applied outwardly to Jeremiah at that time, and they apply to each of us inwardly and spiritually:

Psa 40:2  He brought men a rock, and established my goings.
Psa 40:3  And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Jer 38:14  Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

Once again, immediately after putting Jeremiah through a severe trial by giving four princes permission to put Jeremiah to death, King Zedekiah wants to know what the Lord has told Jeremiah the prophet. He knows that Jeremiah is the Lord’s prophet because the Lord has made it so clear that He speaks through the prophet Jeremiah. Here is just one of many prophecies the Lord had given Jeremiah which came to pass:

Jer 28:12  Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Jer 28:13  Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.
Jer 28:14  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.
Jer 28:15  Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Jer 28:16  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
Jer 28:17  So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

The children of the adversary know who belongs to the Lord, as these stories clearly demonstrate:

Mat 8:28  And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
Mat 8:29  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Act 19:13  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Act 19:14  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
Act 19:15  And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Act 19:16  And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Act 19:17  And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

We are informed that “Sceva, [was] a Jew, chief of the priests” whose seven sons attempted to appropriate the power of our Lord to themselves. The significance of this detail is that it is always prominent men of the churches of the great harlot who “appear as an angel of light” and “as a lamb with two horns”, but they do not know Christ and do not have His power to withstand the adversary. Sceva’s sons are ‘seven’ because they typify a completely apostatized church which is overcome by the adversary.

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

King Zedekiah, like the seven sons of Sceva, has heard of the Lord through the Lord’s prophet Jeremiah. Like the seven sons of Sceva, King Zedekiah has seen the power of the Lord working through His prophet, Jeremiah, but also like the sons of Sceva he himself has no connection to the Lord and attempts to make that connection through his acquaintance with Jeremiah. Knowing who ‘the Lord’s Christ’ is while not knowing Christ Himself, typifies our old man and all who are still under his beastly rulership. God’s elect, as Jeremiah was, are as “a city built upon a hill [which] cannot be hid”. Even the king of Babylon knew that everything the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah had come to pass as the words of “the captain of the guard” reveal:

Jer 40:2  And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
Jer 40:3  Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said [through Jeremiah]: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
Jer 40:4  And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
Jer 40:5  Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

Jeremiah had ‘made friends of the mammon of unrighteousness’ and was now being received into age-lasting tabernacles by the captain of the guard of the armies of physical Babylon, while at the same time physical Babylon was being used by the Lord to chasten “Mystery Babylon The Great”.

That is chapter 40, and it all happened just as the Lord through Jeremiah had said it would happen. Symbolic ‘Mystery Babylon the Great’ was carried away captive to physical Babylon, and the type and shadow of ‘Mystery Babylon’ was burned with literal fire.

What the Lord is showing us in this story is that King Zedekiah, the symbol of our rebellious, self-righteous, old man, our ‘man of sin’, is torn and tormented by being caught between being told by the Lord’s prophet what to do to save himself and his people and his fear of his own people. Like King Saul, who many years earlier had admitted that he “feared the people” (1Sa 15:24), King Zedekiah, and all of mankind, wants to know in advance what the morrow holds, and he comes secretly to Jeremiah, like Nicodemus, for the same reason… “for fear of the Jews”, came to Christ by night:

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

1Sa 15:24  And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

Jer 38:15  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

The Lord has made us to know in advance that this world will reject the witness of being a city built on a hill and being the light of the world:

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

The Lord has already informed us that:

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Those words alone bode ill for our old man even as “we judge ourselves” now, and they also bode ill for this sinful world. We all, just naturally as wicked King Saul, want to know the future in advance even though we know it will not be what our old man wants to hear.

Jer 38:16  So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

Once again, this is the only reason King Zedekiah pledges to protect Jeremiah from His enemies:

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

Again, this is a “preparation of the heart” (Pro 16:1) of King Zedekiah which is “from the Lord” and not from himself.

Jer 38:17  Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:
Jer 38:18  But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.
Jer 38:19  And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

“The fear of the Jews” is a phrase we see again and again in the New Testament:

Joh 7:11  Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
Joh 7:12  And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
Joh 7:13  Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Joh 19:38  And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

“For fear of the Jews” is Biblical symbolism for our fear of what the religious leaders of this world will think of us and do to us if we are granted the courage to put the fear of God ahead of our fear of what this world and its religious leaders, our friends, and our families will think of us and do to us for following in His steps and being faithful to the Lord’s Words and the Words of those through whom He speaks following His crucifixion and resurrection.

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Here is the Old Testament type of our message to this world within us and outwardly today:

Jer 38:20  But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

The Lord knows that our old man cannot come to Him and cannot hear His words and cannot do the things He says we are to do, but for our sakes He put King Zedekiah through this helpless and hopeless experience of evil:

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.

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;

King Zedekiah, signifying my flesh and your flesh, simply could not fear an invisible God more than he feared his own physical people. It is not that he would not have liked to do so. It is simply that it was “not given” to Him to do so:

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.

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

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word.

The Lord is in fact “seeking an occasion against” our old man and against his ways just as He sought an occasion against the Philistines who ruled over the Lord’s people at the time of Samson:

Jdg 14:4  But his father and his mother knew not that it [marrying a Philistine woman of Timnath] was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

Jeremiah knows that King Zedekiah will not go out to the Chaldeans, but the Lord still has Jeremiah tell us the fruit of fearing men instead of fearing God:

Jer 38:21  But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:
Jer 38:22  And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah’s house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

These “women that are left in the king’s house”, signify the churches which have taught the word of God in the king’s house. They taught it but did not perceive what they taught. This is another way of saying:

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Here is how Christ explains these words of the “women of the king’s house”:

Mat 23:1  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
Mat 23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

Jer 38:23  So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

Just like King Saul when he went to the witch of Endor, Zedekiah now knows what will happen the next day. He has been earnestly beseeched by the Lord’s prophet Jeremiah to set the example for his people by submitting to the king of Babylon, but he is not given to humble himself and obey the words of the Lord. As a type of each of us, he fears the people more than he fears God.

We have all been where Zedekiah is in this story. Except the Lord Himself had made us to submit we would be right where wicked King Zedekiah is… simply not given to fear God more than man:

Luk 12:4  And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell [Greek: ‘Gehennah’ – the lake of fire (Rev 20:15)]; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Jer 38:24  Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.
Jer 38:25  But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:
Jer 38:26  Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.
Jer 38:27  Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

These murderous princes had no idea that Jeremiah had once again given their leader the same uncompromising words of God warning him of his and their imminent destruction. Jeremiah knew better than to cast His pearls before these spiritual swine who had just made it clear to King Zedekiah that they wanted him dead.

King Zedekiah demonstrates clearly who it is that he fears, and it is not his God. King Zedekiah signifies our own flesh which “is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be”:

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

Jer 38:28  So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

In type and shadow, Jeremiah was in this world, but he was not of this world. He was made to be “conversant with” and “very good” to the leaders of this world, but he was not in the least affected or leavened by the doctrines of those leaders.

1Sa 25:15  But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39  The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world [Greek: ’eon’ – age]; and the reapers are the angels.

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.

]]> Gospels in Harmony – The Final Judgment https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/gospels-in-harmony-the-final-judgment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gospels-in-harmony-the-final-judgment Tue, 21 Sep 2021 19:58:43 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=24396 https://www.dropbox.com/s/sg1vzdbzi50bn92/20210921-Study_AaronL-FinalJudgment.m4a?raw=1

Gospels In Harmony – The Final Judgment

Mat 25:31-46

[Study Aired September 21, 2021]

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
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 25:41  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.

Today’s study Christ shares the process of mankind’s judgment with his disciples.

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Our first verse tells us the timing of when Christ enters our heavens and sits upon His throne of glory. It is the combination of Christ and His angels, the messengers with His word in them, sharing the truth with us. Sitting upon the throne represents our time of judgment. The religions of the world believe this is not directed toward the elect of God but a future group of people, and they are partly right. What they don’t understand is that we are all given life in a particular order, and we are all judged.

Psa 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with right eousness, and the people with his truth.

Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Act 17:30-31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where 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.

1Co 15:22-24 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 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.

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

1Pe 4:17-18 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? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Rev 20:11-12 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Our next verses tell us there is a process of judgment and what takes place.

Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

“All nations” in these scriptures represent everyone’s doctrines, the understanding of those doctrines, and each person’s way of life.

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

In the Revelation study on the website, this verse is explained to show us how the nations are our way of life and our doctrines. Here is an excerpt of that study and the link to the full study.

Rev 17:12-18

The division of the sheep and goats represents the truths of Christ being separated from the lies of Satan in our minds. The sheep are the righteous ways of Christ in us, and the goats are the ways of Satan, our unrighteousnesses, which are the merchandise we receive either by Christ and His holy angels or of our father the devil and his angels.

Rev 18:12-14 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

The right and left hands represent the power these doctrines have in our lives.

Exo 15:6-7 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

Ecc 10:2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Mar 14:62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Luk 22:67-69 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Here is what happens with those on His right hand.

Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

In the beginning of everyone’s walk with Christ it is questioned what is happening. Also, this in not a one-time event but a continual happening until God is all in all – the elect first and then to all mankind.

Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Everyone is first a carnal babe in Christ and cannot understand the doctrines of Christ and must grow into understanding.

1Co 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

We ask the questions because we are not able to bear the spiritual understanding of Christ’s doctrines. Here is Christ’s answer.

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.

Now here is what is happening to doctrines of the world within each of us.

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 once again is telling us the same thing He has told us in earlier parables: “One shall be taken, and the other left.”

Luk 17:34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

These parables are all about the kingdom of heaven, and as you all know and understand, this kingdom is within us and must be cleansed of all filth. This is done through “everlasting (age-abiding) punishment”. Our mind must be renewed from having the mind of Satan and changed to having the mind of Christ.

Rom 12:1-2 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. 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 doctrines within everyone are judged by fire and every doctrine is judged in the order ordained by God. We first are given the way of the world, and by the renewing of our minds, we are given the way of Christ. This continues until our mind is completely changed. I will end our study with Proverbs 2.

The Value of Wisdom

Pro 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

]]> The Book of Jeremiah – Jer 10:1-13 Learn not the Ways of the Heathen https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-101-13-learn-not-the-ways-of-the-heathen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-book-of-jeremiah-jer-101-13-learn-not-the-ways-of-the-heathen Sun, 30 May 2021 02:18:33 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=23638 Jer 10:1-13 Learn not the Ways of the Heathen
[Study Aired May 30, 2021]

Jer 10:1  Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Jer 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3  For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4  They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5  They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Jer 10:6  Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is  great in might.
Jer 10:7  Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms,  there is none like unto thee.
Jer 10:8  But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.
Jer 10:9  Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
Jer 10:10  But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Jer 10:11  Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
Jer 10:12  He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Jer 10:13  When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Our study today begins with these words:

Jer 10:1  Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Christ informed us that very few have been given eyes which can see or ears that can hear His words concerning the mysteries of the kingdom of God:

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 [“The multitudes” of Christians] 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.

Understanding that Christ did not want the multitudes to see and hear and understand and be converted reveals to those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, that Christ did not come to save the world at this time. He certainly did come to save the world, but He will do so only in the order in which He planned it to be accomplished “before the world began”.

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

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Here is that “order” in which all men will be saved:

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: [1] Christ the firstfruits; [2] afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. [“The first resurrection” (Dan 12:13, Rev 20:6)]
1Co 15:24  [3] Then cometh the end, [The great white throne judgment “when the thousand years are expired” and Satan leads mankind into one last rebellion against God (Rev 20:7-15)] 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.
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
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.

At this present time, Christ has purposely blinded the multitudes of Christians and is dragging to Himself a select few with whom, and through whom, He will save all men of all time through the fiery great white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death’:

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth,  and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Christ spoke to the multitudes in parables lest they should see any of these “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”. That being the case, the first verse of this chapter is addressed specifically to us, if we have been given eyes that see and ears that hear His words:

Jer 10:1  Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Hearing the Lord’s Word infers that we are doing what those words command. James admonishes us:

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Isaiah tells us this about those to whom the Lord looks to become “kings and priests” to rule the kingdoms of this world with Him during that thousand-year reign.

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 66:5  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.

We are all first babes in Christ before we mature enough to “tremble at His Word”. There were two things about “the Word of the Lord” which made the church and society of Christ’s day “hate [Him, and] cast [Him] out” of their synagogues. Here are those two things:

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because [1] he not only had broken the sabbath, but [2] said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Christ did not break just the weekly sabbath. He also broke the laws concerning the annual holy days when He failed to appear in Jerusalem on the first day of the feast of tabernacles as commanded in the law of Moses:

Lev 23:33  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:34  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35  On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Christ was not there for that “first day… holy convocation”:

Joh 7:1  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
Joh 7:2  Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.
Joh 7:3  His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
Joh 7:4  For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
Joh 7:5  For neither did his brethren believe in him.
Joh 7:6  Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
Joh 7:7  The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth,  because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Joh 7:8  Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
Joh 7:9  When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

Joh 7:14  Now about the midst [Greek: mesoo, middle] of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

The apostle Paul was well aware of these facts when He wrote:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

The apostle Paul had met Christ on the road to Damascus. At that meeting Paul was physically blinded to graphically make him and us aware of just how blind we all are to the Word of the Lord, and how we must be taught to “tremble at His word”, including His Words which said:

Mat 12:6  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

Mat 12:8  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

The apostle Paul knew the doctrine of Christ even though he was not one of the original twelve apostles, and it was with that knowledge he was given to instruct us:

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [Greek: nepios, infant], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children [nepios], were in bondage under the elements [Greek: stoicheion, principles, rudiments] of the world:

We will examine these two Greek words, ‘nepios’ and ‘stoicheion’, in a moment, but first we need to go on to our next verse to discover how these two words will contribute to understanding the judgment we are enduring as it is revealed to us here in Jeremiah ten:

Jer 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

What does the Lord mean by, “Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them?” This fear includes the fear which false astrologers place upon how the stars line up in the heavens and ‘blood moons’ and astrological signs. This fear also includes the “dismay… at the signs of the heavens” which is experienced by those who observe “the customs of the people” which customs are all built around “the signs of the heavens” like the weekly sabbath and the holy days and the new moons. Many ‘Christians’ literally fear to miss going to church on Sunday. This is clarified in the very next verse:

Jer 10:3  For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

“The customs of the people” revolve around “the signs of the heavens” in the previous verse. The cutting of a tree is done for the purpose of observing “the customs of the people”. That was and is as true of the Jewish customs of the law of Moses as it was and is of the pagan holidays of the nations around Israel. Both the Pagan holidays and the holy days given to Israel by the Lord were designed to keep those nations in bondage to “the weak and beggarly elements” of this world. Christ came to deliver us out from under that bondage, and when He, as our example which we must follow, broke those customs, the people of the church of His day wanted to kill Him for doing so:

Mat 12:1  At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
Mat 12:2  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

Joh 5:16  And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
Joh 5:17  But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Clearly Christ is telling us that the keeping of days, months, times and years, are idols of our hearts which we keep and observe to avoid being rejected of our families and our friends and the entire society in which we live. This is true in every culture on earth. Every holy day and every holiday demand our submission to “the customs of the people”. It may not be direct physical idolatry but it is definitely an “idol of the heart “which is what physical idolatry symbolizes. “His molten image is falsehood…” (Jer 10:14) and this:

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;

While this next verse outwardly refers to the construction of a physical idol decked with silver and gold it also typifies the expense we put into “observ[ing] days, months times and years”:

Jer 10:4  They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5  They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

False doctrines are false, regardless of how many people believe them. The doctrine of eternal torment will torment no one when they die because “the dead know not anything (Ecc 9:5). Those ‘idols of our hearts’ destroy our relationship with Christ, but they have no power in the realm of Truth. So much for our “idols of the heart”.

When the Lord toppled the idol of Dagon, the god of the Philistines, Dagon could not even right himself, much less harm anyone. Instead, the Philistines had to place Dagon back on his pedestal:

1Sa 5:2  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
1Sa 5:3  And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
1Sa 5:4  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
1Sa 5:5  Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

That is how little the Lord thinks of physical idols. How much less must He think of spiritual idols of our hearts which affect the hearts and minds of men. How much less must He think of His people observing days, months, times, and years, against which he admonished His people Israel:

Deu 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deu 12:30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deu 12:31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

The holy spirit gives us this very same admonition in these verses in Galatians four:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements [Greek: stoikeion], whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? [Here is what is Paul is referring to as “weak and beggarly elements”]:
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Paul emphasizes the need to understand the Lord’s mind on this subject in these verses where that same Greek word ‘stoicheion’ is used in relation to the time we spend as spiritual babes (Greek: nepios, infants) in Christ:

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world [Greek: ‘stoikeion’, “days, months, times, and years”, (Gal 4:10-11)], and not after Christ.
Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

This 16th verse is often used to justify the keeping of “days, months, times and years”, when the exact opposite is its meaning, as is proven by verse 8 in this same chapter and by:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The word ‘is’ is not in verse 17 above in the original texts, and what this verse is saying is that we are not to let carnal men judge us, but we are to let the body of Christ be our judge in these matters.

Romans 14 tells us to receive the weak in the faith who are still “esteem[ing] one day above another and are being careful to eat only herbs. These “carnal babes in Christ” have many customs and laws which dictate “touch not, taste not, nor handle” anything other than spiritual herbs which will never bring us to spiritual strength and maturity.

Col 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments [stoicheion] of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

There it is as plainly as it can be written. We are to count ourselves as “dead with Christ from the rudiments, the stoichieon of the world [the] days, months, times, and years” which are “the customs of the people [which] are vain”.

let us examine how these verses accord with what Paul teaches us in Romans 14:

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Paul is contrasting “We then that are strong [in the faith]” (Rom 15:1) with “him that is weak in the faith”. He goes on to make it clear that those who are weak in the faith “eat only herbs [and] they esteem one day above another”.

Rom 14:2  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
Rom 14:3  Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not [is weak in the faith] judge him that eateth [is strong in the faith]: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4  Who art thou [who are weak in the faith] that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him [that is strong in the faith] stand.
Rom 14:5  One man [who is weak in the faith] esteemeth one day above another: another [who is strong in the faith] esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. [Don’t let the adversary convince you that it takes more strength to keep days than it takes to ‘esteem every day alike’]
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Rom 14:7  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8  For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Rom 14:9  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Verse nine is not telling us to equate ‘dying daily’ with being dead while we live in sin. All of these verses are focused mainly on those who are not spiritually “weak in the faith”, and they are simply instructions for how “We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak”:

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Romans 14 does not instruct the spiritually strong to forgo their “meat of the Word”. Romans 14 teaches us to accommodate “him that is weak in the faith” without despising his weak and immature spiritual condition, while at the same time instructing the weak not to judge and condemn those who are given to “eat all things [and] esteem every day alike”.  Anyone can “esteem one day above another” because that is what the whole world does, but it takes a man who trembles at the word of God and is spiritually strong in that Word to “esteem every day alike”.  The spiritually strong in the faith are instructed to bear with the infirmities of the weak, and they who are weak in the faith are instructed against judging their spiritually strong brothers. It is very difficult for any brother who is “weak in the faith” to acknowledge his spiritual immaturity. All toddlers just naturally think they are adults.

The holy spirit continues instructing us:

Rom 14:10  But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Rom 14:11  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Rom 14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Rom 14:14  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Rom 14:15  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

“Destroy him not with your meat” does not read ‘forsake your meat lest you offend your brother who is weak in the faith’. Again, while Paul is giving instructions to both “We that are strong” as well as “him that is weak in the faith”, his main focus is toward “we that are strong”, and he instructs us “destroy him not with your meat”. There is no hint at compromising the Word, but there is a command in this chapter to “bear with the weak” and never attempt to stuff strong meat down the throat of a “babe in Christ who must be fed with spiritual milk until he is capable of digesting “strong meat”.

Paul applied this principle in dealing with the immature Corinthians:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Look again in Hebrews 5 how Paul addresses those who are weak in the faith:

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

“When for the time you ought to be teachers” tells us that there are some who are very slow to mature, and there are many who never spiritually mature in “this present time” (Rom 8:18). King Saul is a type of such a person. He was much older that the “strippling” who slew Goliath, yet King Saul was incapable of discerning good and evil, and was in fact a spiritual babe, as his sloppy understanding of the instruction he was given demonstrates:

1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

This is a physical instruction to physically destroy everything pertaining to Israel’s enemy, Amelek. This is how we are to take these words today:

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

Yes, we surely ought to “lay aside every sin that so easily besets us”, but apply those words personally and remember:

Rom 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Romans 14 ends with these words:

Rom 14:20  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Rom 14:21  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Rom 14:22  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
Rom 14:23  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

These words: “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” apply both to “him that is weak in the faith [and] we that are strong”. Babes in Christ, which we all are to begin with, require time to mature and come to “tremble at My Word”. If we think we are strong in the faith, then we need to “bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves”.

That is the New Testament spiritual application of “utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” It is addressed inwardly to those who are mature enough and spiritually strong enough to receive it. However, like King Saul, at first we simply do not see the need to be that thorough in our obedience. Also, like King Saul we first bring the sacrifice of our own works and expect the Lord to appreciate our blatant disobedience. We may be willing to give up pagan holidays for “God’s holy days” as we reasoned in the World-Wide Church of God. But we were still keeping “days, months, times and years”, and our knowledge of the Father and His Son was impeded by our ignorance and our disobedience. It took decades before the Lord allowed me to see these very plain statements:

Mat 12:5  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

‘Christ in us’ is the focus of this chapter of Jeremiah. He is our example in whose steps we must follow (1Pe 2:21):

Jer 10:6  Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
Jer 10:7  Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

We all make light of the Lord’s instructions for the same reason King Saul did so:

1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

As in this story of King Saul’s presumptuousness, the Lord instructs us to destroy everything within ourselves which pertains to His enemies. Moses was given the same instructions concerning the enemies of the Lord’s people many years earlier:

Deu 20:16  But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

Nevertheless, we all first follow in the steps of King Saul and bring a sacrifice to the Lord of the very thing He instructed us not to bring to Him. Our whole life is supposed to be “a living sacrifice unto God” (Rom 12:1). However, just like King Saul, we all first sacrifice to the Lord according to what we deem worthy of His acceptance and we are “deceiving our own selves” (Jas 1:22) that we are being obedient and we are bringing to him a proper sacrifice. After all, we are giving to Him the sacrifice we want to give Him. That is especially true when we want to offer Him “the customs of the people [which] are vain” (vs 3). That presumptuous spirit is the subject and the theme of this chapter of Jeremiah:

Jer 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3  For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

My personal journey has taken me from an extremely strict Pentecostal church, where alcohol was of itself a sin, much like many think of guns here in the states. In the Pentecostal Churches of the 50’s and 60’s just touching a beer or a bottle of wine would have been unimaginable. Dancing, card games and theater going were all the devil’s instruments to keep me from going to heaven and to send me straight to an eternal ever-burning hell. However, the observance of Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July were all wonderful ways of worshiping the Lord in the Pentecostal church.

In His time the Lord took me out of those blasphemous doctrines and into a much more self-righteous, but what I considered at that time, to be a more merciful church, the World Wide Church of God. This organization of men swapped the Pagan holidays for the more Biblical ‘holy days’ of the law of Moses. It is these days to which Galatians 4 refers:

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

Just a few verses later in this same chapter Paul asks:

Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

Earlier in the epistle to the Romans the apostle Paul made it clear that the law of Moses was really, as far as its ability to bring us salvation, nothing more than the spiritual equivalent of the laws of the Gentiles:

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:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

This is the Truth, and keeping Jewish holy days made me no closer to God than keeping pagan holidays. I was blatantly thumbing my nose at the example Christ had set for me, and I was as blissfully ignorant as King Saul of my presumptuous expectation that the Lord should feel honored that I was keeping days, months, times and years to Him. As Paul says in Romans 14:

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

When we are in the grips of “the… vain… customs of the people” we read these two verses as if the first verse of this 14th chapter and the first verse of the 15th chapter are not even there. However, they are right there before our very blinded eyes:

Rom 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Rom 15:1  We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

We read Romans 14:4-5 as if being “weak in the faith” were a strength to be desired, and we read Romans 15:1 as if it were telling us that being infirmed and spiritually weak and sickly were a desirable sacrifice to present to the Lord (Rom 12:1).

In my own experience, I finally gave up both the pagan holidays and the Jewish holy days, and yet I presumptuously retained the celebration of being made sin, by being made of “corruptible flesh and blood” (1Co 15:50). Sandi and I observed birthdays for the whole ten years we were following the greasy grace doctrines of the Concordant Publishing Concern.  We saw no need whatever to give up observing and celebrating our wedding anniversary. We saw nothing at all wrong with keeping Thanksgiving Day, mother’s day and father’s day. “Surely”, we reasoned, “the Lord did not really mean every day, month, time and year. Why, Thanksgiving Day was a day to give thanks to Him. Surely, we could keep these days and months and years if we were doing it in sacrifice to Him. After all we were doing it all just to glorify Him.” We thought we were giving our whole life to Him and that He would accept our offering of disobedience since we were doing it in sacrifice to Him.

All the while Sandi and I were just repeating the presumptuous sins of King Saul who also proclaimed just how thoroughly obedient He had been in serving the Lord:

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

All the while, Christ remained faithful to His own words and not to ours. All the while He was asking us:

1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What  meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

What then is this singing of ‘happy birthday’ and this greeting of ‘happy anniversary’, etc?

Our next verse gives us our true spiritual diagnosis of our spiritual health when we use the verses of scripture which instruct us to bear the infirmities of the weak for an excuse to bring to the Lord our own presumptuous sacrifices and expect Him to be pleased with us attempting to dictate to Him our agenda:

Jer 10:8  But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

How true those words are! I saw and heard the founder of CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network, admit that he was certainly aware that Christmas and Easter were of Pagan origin, but he justified keeping these Pagan customs as if they were not “a doctrine of vanities” at all because, as he explained to his audience of Babylonian Christians (spiritual followers of King Saul), “We know that Christmas and Easter were originally pagan holidays but we have Christianized them, and we now keep these days to God and not to pagan gods.” Just like King Saul, this man thinks that God needs to get with his program and accept his sacrifice of blatant disobedience to the very clear instructions from our very Creator.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘stock’ here in verse 8 is H6086, ‘ets’, and it is almost always translated as either ‘wood’ or ‘trees’. It is the same word translated as ‘wood’ in this verse with which we are all familiar:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood [H6086: ‘ets’], and it shall devour them.

No expense is spared to keep these Pagan days “to our God” when we are in the grips of the great whore:

Jer 10:9  Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
Jer 10:10  But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
Jer 10:11  Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
Jer 10:12  He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Jer 10:13  When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

There we have the message of this part of our judgment. ‘The nations [which] shall not be able to abide His indignation” are all the idols of our hearts which we think the Lord should accept as pleasing to Him. We are told, “Learn not the ways of the heathen for they are vain… they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities… But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

The founder of CBN the Christian Broadcasting Network, thinks the Lord is pleased with us Christianizing pagan holidays and bringing those pagan holidays in sacrifice to our Lord. What does the Lord Himself have to say about doing such a thing? We read this earlier, but it bears repeating:

Deu 12:29  When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;
Deu 12:30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
Deu 12:31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

We must be incredibly careful that we do “not add thereto, nor diminish from” His Words:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life [the first resurrection], and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Yes, indeed, we are to bear with the infirmities and weaknesses and spiritual sickness of those who are weak in the faith, but we do so with this goal in mind:

Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Christ did not die for us while we were yet in our sins so we could turn His chastening grace into lasciviousness. He died for us so we could fill up in our bodies what is lacking of His suffering “for His body’s sake, which 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:

That is our study for today. Here are our verses for our next study:

Jer 10:14  Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.
Jer 10:15  They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
Jer 10:16  The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.
Jer 10:17  Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
Jer 10:18  For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.
Jer 10:19  Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.
Jer 10:20  My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
Jer 10:21  For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
Jer 10:22  Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.
Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Jer 10:24  O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
Jer 10:25  Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

[The next study in this series is here.

]]> Studies in Psalms – Psa 128:1-6 “Blessed is Every One that Feareth the LORD” https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/studies-in-psalms-psa-1281-6-blessed-is-every-one-that-feareth-the-lord/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=studies-in-psalms-psa-1281-6-blessed-is-every-one-that-feareth-the-lord Fri, 23 Aug 2019 18:53:09 +0000 http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=19255 Psa 128:1-6 – “Blessed is Every One that Feareth the LORD”
[Study aired August 22, 2019]

Psa 128:1  A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 
Psa 128:2  For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 
Psa 128:3  Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 
Psa 128:4  Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 
Psa 128:5  The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 
Psa 128:6  Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel. 

Twice in this study the holy spirit inspired the thought that those who fear the Lord are blessed. One instance is in verse one “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD“, and the second time is in verse four “that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD“.

The word of God also gives us these two verses (Eph 2:8, Tit 2:11-12) that bookend this concept of fearing the Lord and make it evident to us that this fear works in conjunction with the grace and faith which are working in our lives, and this fear is something that must be ongoing in the lives of those with whom He is working from start to finish.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

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

Pro 9:10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Pro 9:11. For by me [by Christ] thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment (of the elect today first), with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

[Giving account today as the body of Christ of how God has worked all things the light and the darkness all according to the counsel of His will is how we overcome the beast on the throne who does not want to be judged and brought to the altar, that is the cross, to be slain (Isa 45:7, Eph 1:11, 1Pe 4:17, Rom 8:36].

Eph 6:2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 
Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. [What Pro 9:11 and Eph 6:3 are pointing to is the long life on the earth promise given to the elect, the first commandment of promise given to the kind of first fruits (Rev 11:15)]

[The first commandment with promise is a shadow of the eternal life given to those who are in that blessed and holy  first resurrection, who have been blessed to obtain “the knowledge of the holy is understanding“(Pro 9:10) having honoured their mother above ‘Jerusalem’ where that manifest knowledge is made known by the church (Gal 4:26, Eph 3:10) and honor their El Olam Father Jesus Christ or everlasting Father “Yahweh” (Joh 8:44, 1Jn 4:17, Rev 20:6)]

How that promise can be fulfilled in our life in Christ:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith [Beginning and end of our faith (Col 1:27, Php 1:6, 1Jn 4:17)]; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Exo 3:14  And God said unto Moses, I AMH1961 THAT I AMH1961: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AMH1961 hath sent me unto you.

“God said unto Moses…thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel [Moses being a type of Christ speaking to the elect or the Israel of God of (Gal 6:16)]. Moses was to tell Israel that Christ, who is also called the Alpha and the Omega in (Rev 22:13), the beginning and the end and also the “I AMH1961 THAT I AMH1961 has sent me (Moses) unto you (Israel).” Notice the root word of I AM is compared to H1933 “to breath” (Gen 2:7, Joh 20:22). This all telling us in type and shadow language that Christ would be sent as Moses was sent and reveal the Father by giving us the ‘Israel of God’ the breath of life [root of I AMH1961 (Act 17:25-26)] so we in turn could be sent as He was sent (Joh 20:19-23).

Gen 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 

Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 
Act 17:26  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; 

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 
Joh 20:20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 
Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 
Joh 20:22  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 
Joh 20:23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 

Christ is the “I AMH1961  THAT I AMH1961 “and also the everlasting GodH5769 being used in these following scriptures: (Gen 21:33 H5769, Psa 90:1-2 H5769, Isa 40:28 H5769)

Gen 21:33  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlastingH5769 GodH410.

(Heb 13:8) reminds us of who we are reading about when we speak of the “everlasting God” or “Yahweh” in the old covenant: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever”, who has the words of eternal life [G166 everlasting (Joh 6:68) G166 everlasting (Joh 17:3)]

Psa 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlastingH5769 to everlastingH5769, thou art GodH410. [‘êl  H410] the ‘êl is speaking of the alpha and the omega [Christ], the one who is before all things, and by which all things consist. To be before all things and to be that being by which all things consist takes power and strength and might, which is what ‘êl  means (Col 1:17).

Notice the context of these verses in Psalm 90:3-4 is speaking about Christ’s power over the clay, working these judgments within us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:13) turning “man to destruction” then returning the “children of men”. It is only the eternal “even from everlastingH5769 to everlastingH5769, thou art GodH410 (Psa 90:2) who can accomplish these things (Eph 1:11) spoken of in Psalm 90:2-4.

In Peter’s writings which have to do with the judgment and promise that is associated with the body of Christ, we see the similar phrase being used to remind us of the point that this is speaking of the day of the Lord upon God’s children (old covenant shadow Psa 90:4 new covenant reality 2Pe 3:8). Those phrases are found in Psalm 90:4 and 2Peter 3:8. The thousand being mentioned is symbolic of the process of spiritual completion through the judgment upon our flesh that is required in order to inherit “his promise” of rulership (2Ti 2:12 – 10x10x10=1000).

Psa 90:1  A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psa 90:2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 
Psa 90:3  Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. 
Psa 90:4  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. 

2Pe 3:8  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 
2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise [first commandment with promise Eph_6:2], as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward (Rom_2:4), not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance [1Co 15:22].

Isa 40:28  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [yes, we have H410 ‘êl ale] that the everlastingH5769 God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [Php 1:6] there is no searching of his understanding.

Exo 3:15  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel [Gal 6:16], The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

[All men will be saved through Christ but blessed is that generation who read and hear and keep the sayings of the prophecy today (Rev 1:3) “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Mat 24:34)]

Exo 3:16  Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16), and it is profitable for us to know the name of Christ in the old covenant and to understand the root of the word “I AM” along with the word “Jehovah” (Exo 3:15, Exo 17:15-16) which are some of the many names given to Christ. We pray that the more we know of Him as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour (2Pe 3:18), the deeper the reverence and fear will be which we have toward our Father, never wanting to disappoint him in any area of our life.

Exo 3:15  And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORDH3068 God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

Exo 17:15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: H3071
Exo 17:16  For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. [The sword will not depart from our house (2Sa 12:10)]

When God causes us to think and act that way, helping us keep under ourselves (1Co 9:27, Gal 6:9), then we can truly say we understand the fear of the Lord and the blessing which it brings, which is what we will be looking at in this study entitled “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD”. Our own iniquities will chasten us in this life-long process of burning up the self-righteousness which must be overcome if Christ’s righteousness is going to be found within us (Jer 2:19, Php 3:9).

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

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

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Psa 128:1  A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 

As we mature in the Lord, that process of maturing represented by the words “A Song of degrees” convicts us in our hearts that we really should not “think above what is written” (1Co 4:6, Ecc 10:20). As we mature in the mind of our Lord, we will know that God knows the thoughts and the intent of our hearts (Gen 39:7-9, Jer 17:10), and that we must be introspective, judging ourselves (2Co 13:5), keeping under ourselves (1Co 9:25-27) so we can be blessed to “walk in his ways” and not sin against our Father.

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

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. 

Gen 39:7  And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 
Gen 39:8  But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 
Gen 39:9  There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? 

Joseph knew he would be sinning against God if he had followed after his flesh with Potiphar’s wife. That following after our flesh represents our following after Babylon or the churches of this world, just as we know that when we sin we are sinning against Christ’s body. It takes God’s healing to save us, and to deliver us from ourselves, and we praise Him for this wonderful work He is doing in our heavens (Rom 2:6) that brings us to see clearly why “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD” (Jer 17:11-14). All the physical healing the word of God mentions, and that has occurred through the ages, is a type and shadow of the infinitely more important healing of our minds and souls which are healed as a result of God’s judgments upon us in this life (Luk 12:5).

Jer 17:11  As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 
Jer 17:12  A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 
Jer 17:13  O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 
Jer 17:14  Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved [Joh 8:36]: for thou art my praise.

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

Psa 128:2  For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 

What spiritual benefit will there be if we are among those who “feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways”? The answer to that question of verse 1 is found in verse 2 which says you will “eat the labour of thine hands” that will bless your life and “happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee” (Rom 8:28).

On the other hand, if we are like king Solomon and this is all just a physical exercise of keeping the law with our own righteousness (Php 3:9), then we would have to conclude that the preacher was right when he discussed the seeming futility of all that happens in the earth and in our own lives (Ecc 1:1-18). What hopelessness Solomon utters in those verses, written that way to show us the contrast of this verse 2 we’re looking at and our need to labor together and know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain (Rom 8:20-25, 1Co 15:58). Joseph did not pine away in prison because the Lord was with him, and he knew that his labors were not in vain. The Lord was with him as a type and shadow of our hope of glory within that will see us through this life by His eternal power (Rev 2:9-10).

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 
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? 
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 
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. 

When we eat the labor of our hands as the body of Christ, we are in fact laboring to enter into His rest so we can be healed or quickened by God’s word (Joh 6:27, Joh 6:63), and that is what God is doing with those whom he has sealed from the foundation of the world for the purpose of entering into His joy in earnest today and one day in the fullness (Eph 1:13-15).

It all sounds very wonderful, and it is, but we must remember that like Joseph in our earlier review of His obedience to God in the book of Genesis, his life was written in type and shadow for our sakes, refusing to disobey God or think above what is written in that sense, and as a result of that obedient spirit, Joseph then went into greater physical bondage being imprisoned, and yet the Lord was with him. Like Joseph (a type of Christ), we can have joy even in the midst of our trials and tests in this life that are proving us, and that are being used to heal us spiritually (1Pe 5:10) and convince us that we are sealed in the Lord, because the Lord is with us (Joh 6:27, Eph 1:13, Joh 8:36, Rom 8:38-39). This is what we believe, and that belief is centered around the work that we have been called to do for our Father in this age (Joh 6:27-29, Joh 5:17, Col 1:27, 1Jn 3:3, 1Jn 4:17).

Psa 128:3  Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 

The imagery of these words are so powerful, the church “The wife“, or Christ’s bride, is “as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house“. The house is the temple we are which God must build and give increase (1Co 3:16, 1Co 3:6) in order to bring forth this fruit. As we have recently discussed, when the Lord builds the house He fills the house with “thy children like olive plants round about thy table” who we know represent correct doctrine, that quickens us and brings light into our hearts and minds just as the pure olive oil symbolized the holy spirit of God and gave light to the temple of God.

Zec 4:2  And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 
Zec 4:3  And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 
Zec 4:4  So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 
Zec 4:5  Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 
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. 

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 

Those doctrines or children are “round about thy table” reminding us that the communion we have in the Lord is shared and every joint supplies in bringing light into the house and blessing the body with the increase for which we give all glory to God. That increase comes through the crushing of the olive fruit and so we are reminded with this verse what it takes for our communion in Christ to be one that continues to flourish and grow.

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

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

Psa 128:4  Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 
Psa 128:5  The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 
Psa 128:6  Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.

This section of Mike’s study on “The positive and negative application of the word fear” found here discusses why we are blessed when we fear the LORD, and don’t fear what men can do to us (Mat 10:28).

In the verses that follow Psalm 128:4, we learn that this blessing upon those who “feareth the LORD” comes “out of Zion” where every good and perfect gift comes from (Jas 1:17) and where “thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life” in Christ (Psa 84:10). 

To see “thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel” is again telling us that the word of God, the loaves and the fishes will multiply in the lives of those who God is working with by the grace and faith (5 loaves 2 fishes) that He gives us (Luk 9:16), and great peace will be upon the Israel of God who keep God’s commandments (Gal 6:16, Psa 119:165). This peace that passes all understanding is the most precious gift God can give us in this highly volatile and unstable world in which we live (Php 4:7). The gift of peace is made manifest in the life of everyone who is blessed to fear the Lord and be guided by His instruction through this life, and it is with his life within us that we can be given the power to have hearts that are spiritually circumcised and able to understand and believe that (Pro 4:11-13) “Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD“.

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Gal 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 

Psa 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Pro 4:11  I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths [Col 1:27].
Pro 4:12  When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 
Pro 4:13  Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

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