The Overview of the Plan of God, Part 8A

Last Great Day:  I Will Put Hooks Into Your Jaws – Ezekiel 38

[Study Aired October 3, 2025]

Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.
Eze 38:3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4  And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

Introduction

Here is how we concluded our last study on the overview of the plan of God:

“It is those in whom Christ dwells in this present age, who are “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb”, and who therefore alone possess “the double portion… right of the firstborn.”

Deu 21:17  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

“I hope this has demonstrated from the scriptures that the judging of this world and judging angels is not the right of any but the “firstborn, firstfruits” unto God and the Lamb:

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

“We will stop at this point for today, and, Lord willing, in our next study, we will demonstrate with the Old Testament types what is the rebellious spiritual condition of those who inhabit this earth during the thousand year reign and the “little season” which follows that reign.” (End Quote)

Continuing with our overview of the plan of God, I want to remind you that we have demonstrated that the destruction of Gog and Magog of Revelation 20 verses 7-9 is the destruction of all the nations of this world. Contrary to what is widely taught in the churches of this world, the destruction of ‘Gog and Magog’ is not the destruction of a minority of mankind. Rather it is the destruction of all of “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth.” What that means is that after the “little season” of rebellion that follows the thousand-year reign of Christ and His Christ, God will  destroy all flesh, and thereby He will “destroy… death.”

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is 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. [“The nations in the four quarters of the earth”]

How is it possible for “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” to attempt to revolt against “the camp of the saints” after being converted by, and ruled by God’s elect for over a thousand years? If indeed it were the purpose of God to convert the nations during the thousand year reign of God’s elect over the nations of this world, then Christ and His elect failed miserably. On the other hand, if the very purpose of the thousand-year reign was to gradually build up resentment against the rule of God’s elect for the very purpose of turning them over to Satan, so Satan could convince mankind to revolt against the elect of God, thereby giving God the “occasion” He is seeking to destroy all flesh, then verses 7-9 of Revelation 20 reveal to us that Christ and His elect were very successful at what they were given to do.

What these three verses tell us is that at the end of the thousand-year reign there will not be even one converted person. The thousand-year reign will have the same end product of the Lord leading Israel out of Egypt. After being delivered from Egyptian slavery, Israel spent the next forty years rebelling against Christ’s leadership as “The Cloud” that led them during that entire time. Caleb and Joshua, who were of that old generation, signify the ‘remnant’ which the Lord has in every generation. Not one soul in that generation was converted, and they all had to die in the wilderness. In type it was only the “new man”, the young, who entered into the promised land. The thousand-year reign of Christ and His Christ will produce the same thing Christ’s calling and leading His disciples for three and one half years produced. Not one soul was converted, but it did give Christ the occasion He was seeking against the old man within His disciples. That old man was dethroned on the day of Pentecost, where Christ, at His own predestined time, began to convert the hearts and minds of His disciples, through His Father’s omnipresent spirit, coming to dwell within those who were predestined to be judged in this age. What Revelation 20:7-9 reveals is that there will be no converted people during the time of the thousand year reign simply because bringing men to salvation is the very opposite of the purpose for that  reign and the last great day. The last great day is the day of the last rebellion of mankind in which all flesh is destroyed leading to the destruction of death in the lake of fire which is the second judgment and the second death. Let us read it once more:

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. [“The nations in the four quarters of the earth”]

Is there anything said concerning the thousand-year reign which would lead any rational person to believe that this time of being ruled by Christ and His elect with a rod of iron has at any time produced universal repentance and a great revival? Here is what we are told about this time of reigning over carnal minded humans by Christ and His elect:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Isa 2:2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Isa 2:4  And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Until the thousand years are expired, (Rev 20:7)]

Zec 14:16  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:17  And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Zec 14:18  And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:19  This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. [“Rod of iron”]

Mic 4:1  But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
Mic 4:2  And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Mic 4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Mic 4:5  For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

When the thousand years are expired Satan will deceive the nations into beating their plowshares into swords:

Joe 3:9  Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: [“Against the camp of the saints”]
Joe 3:10  Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Joe 3:11  Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Joe 3:12  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.  

Here is the Old Testament type of this little season that follows the last great day. It was a terrifying day for Joseph’s brothers, and out of this terrifying experience came the peace they had been seeking all along. That peace could not come until the ‘old man’, typified by the death of Jacob, renamed Israel, had died:

Gen 50:15  And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.
Gen 50:16  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying,
Gen 50:17  So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.
Gen 50:18  And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.

Joseph’s brothers were being ruled by him from the time they came down into Egypt to live in the land of Goshen, but they were not at one with him. Rather they spent the next 17 years fearing for their lives. That torment did not end until their “old man”, typified by their father Israel, died, and only then were they delivered from that life of torment and fear for their lives. Contrary to the false doctrines we have all been taught, God’s elect are no more interested in converting the people who live through the time of the thousand years of their reigning, then Christ was attempting to convert Israel while He led them about in the wilderness for forty years after bringing them out of Egypt. Instead of converting that generation God Himself caused them all to die in the wilderness: [Babylon is “in the wilderness”, (Rev 17:3)]

Num 26:65  For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

Instead of bringing the holy spirit to all men during the thousand-year reign of God’s elect, the very purpose for these last two steps in God’s work with “the first man Adam” is to give mankind a thousand years to progressively build up great resentment to being ruled by a rod of iron, and then to turn Satan loose upon such a willingly rebellious populace:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

It is all done for the very purpose of providing God with the “occasion” He is seeking to destroy all flesh, and through that destruction of all flesh He will destroy death. God always gives Himself a good reason, what the scriptures call an “occasion”, to do what He has already predestined to be done. This principle is found throughout the scriptures. “The sins of the Amorites [being] fulfilled” is one example, but it is best stated in the story of Samson where we read:

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 knew in advance exactly what He was doing with Samson and how He would use Samson to deliver Israel from the dominion of the Philistines.

The Lord also had a predetermined time for the iniquity of the Amorites to be fulfilled:

Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

“The Philistines” typify our own flesh, which has dominion over us all until Christ comes into our hearts. The same is true for the thousand-year reign of Christ and His saints. That thousand years was never intended to be a time of repentance and conversion. Rather Christ’s rulership over “the kingdoms of this world” is designed to be a time when Satan is imprisoned and is not permitted to deceive the nations.

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

The elect of God rule the entire earth during this time with the very same “rod of iron” with which God ruled Israel for forty years in the wilderness where Israel, typical of each of us, rebelled against the Lord’s governors and a few thousand people died:

Num 16:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:24  Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
Num 16:25  And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.
Num 16:26  And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
Num 16:27  So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.
Num 16:28  And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.
Num 16:29  If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.
Num 16:30  But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Num 16:31  And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:
Num 16:32  And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Num 16:33  They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
Num 16:34  And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Num 16:35  And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
Num 16:36  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:37  Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder; for they are hallowed.
Num 16:38  The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the LORD, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel.
Num 16:39  And Eleazar the priest took the brasen censers, wherewith they that were burnt had offered; and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar:
Num 16:40  To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
Num 16:41  But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.
Num 16:42  And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
Num 16:43  And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 16:44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 16:45  Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
Num 16:46  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun.
Num 16:47  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.
Num 16:48  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
Num 16:49  Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah.

This no-nonsense time of being ruled with a rod of iron is immediately followed by the “little season”, a short period which is predestined to be a time when the nations are given over to Satan to the point that they will rebel against the elect of God, and will “compass the camp of the saints”, convinced by the adversary that they can destroy their immortal rulers. It is at that very moment that “the iniquity of [mankind will be] full” and “fire [will come] down from God out of heaven” and will devour them, bringing all flesh, and therefore all death, to its merciful end.

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.

This cataclysmic event is immediately followed by the second resurrection which is also called the “great white throne… judgment”:

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 [in the first resurrection was not] found written in the book of life [and] was cast into the lake of fire.

There are only two resurrections mentioned in all scripture, and all men of all time are in one of those two resurrections. The first resurrection is that of the “firstborn” (Heb 12:23), and the second resurrection is for all others. I want to thank our brother, Larry Groenewald, for pointing out in our discussions of his (Genesis Study #75 – 12/11/14) that the double portion goes only to the firstborn, and that the spiritual application of that double portion is to both rule this earth in this physical realm with Christ during the thousand-year reign, and then to judge angels in the lake of fire, in the spiritual realm, following the destruction of all flesh. The apostle Paul was referring to the right of the double portion which is given only to the firstborn when he told the Corinthians this:

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

“Judging the world… pertains to this life”. Judging angels pertains to the realm of the spirit and does not pertain to this life is this present time:

Deu 21:17  But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

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.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

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

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Heb 12:22  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,

We will pause at this point and continue our study on the spiritual significance of the  last great day in our next study.

Click here for the next study in this series.

Ezekiel 46:1–24 The Prince and the Feasts

[Study Aired Feb 3, 2025]

Introduction

In today’s study, we see that this latter temple was shut for most days and was opened only on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. This differs from the initial temple which was opened on a daily basis. The Prince, as mentioned in this chapter and in other chapters of this vision of the latter temple, represents our Lord Jesus Christ. He also signifies His elect. When the temple is opened, the prince offered voluntary offerings of burnt offering, peace offering and grain offering. In order to understand today’s study, we need to look closely at what these offerings signify. 

A burnt offering is an offering of an animal to the Lord where this sacrificial animal is burnt completely on the altar. It is therefore a complete destruction of the animal in an effort to renew the relationship between God and sinful man. The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” actually means to “ascend” and it literally means “to go up in smoke”. The smoke from the sacrifice ascended as a soothing aroma to the Lord”.

Lev 1:1  And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 
Lev 1:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 
Lev 1:3  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 
Lev 1:4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 
Lev 1:5  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Lev 1:6  And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 
Lev 1:7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
Lev 1:8  And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 
Lev 1:9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Technically, any offering burned over an altar was a burnt offering, but in more specific terms, a burnt offering was the complete destruction of the animal (except for the hide) in an effort to renew the relationship between Holy God and sinful man. The burnt offering therefore signifies our admission as being sinful or having sinned and therefore giving the Lord the occasion to destroy our flesh through His fiery trial or judgment denoted by the fire. It is through this experience that we learn righteousness and become a sweet aroma of Christ.

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 
2Co 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.  

This fire destroying our flesh is a life-time experience and not a one-time fire. The fire is the word of the Lord, and our evil deeds represent the wood which serves as fuel for the fire. The burnt offering is carried out in the morning which implies that it is not every time of our lives that we are being judged. The fact that the burning is in the morning means that the destruction of our flesh is what causes the sun, which is Christ, to rise in our lives. 

Lev 6:12  And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.   

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 (our deeds) wood, and it shall devour them.

The peace offering was a sacrificial gift made to express gratitude and fellowship with the Lord. It was voluntary and included animal, grain and bread. Peace offering is also called fellowship offering. Most sacrifices in the Old Testament system were not eaten by worshipers. However, regarding the peace offering, it was meant to be eaten by the worshipers with only a portion of the animal or grain brought to the altar for burning. It signifies that fellowshiping with the Lord is through knowing Him through His words which is denoted by what is offered to the worshiper to eat. The fact that the whole of the sacrifice was not given to the offerer means that in this life, we don’t see the whole picture of the word of the Lord.

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

Lev 7:11  And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
Lev 7:12  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. 
Lev 7:13  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. 

Lev 7:15  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. 

The grain offering or meat offering was also a voluntary sacrifice of grain to God as a way to express devotion and recognize God’s goodness. While other sacrifices had very specific instructions from God as to how they were to be offered, the rules governing grain offerings had some flexibility. The grains offered in the grain offering must be finely grounded and have oil and salt in it. The person bringing the offering to the priest can choose what amount of grain to present. When the priest receives the grain offering, only a small portion was burnt as a memorial to God. The rest of the grain offering is given to the priest to eat. 

Lev 2:1  The LORD continued, “Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to the LORD, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it. 
Lev 2:2  Then bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. 
Lev 2:3  The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the LORD’S offering by fire. (GW) 

The grain offering being flour mixed with olive oil and given to the priests signifies that it is only the Lord’s elect who are given to know the spiritual significance of the Lord’s words as the oil represents the spirit. This is the portion of the Lord’s elect or priest. It is instructive to note that the grain must be finely grounded. That means we must rightly divide the word of truth.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The part that is burnt on the altar represents the false doctrines we have imbibed which must be burnt out of us. It is through understanding His words that we come to see the goodness of the Lord, and it causes us to offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.

With this understanding of the burnt offering, peace offering and meat or grain offering, it becomes easier to understand today’s study where the priest is required to offer these offerings.

Worshiping on the sabbath and on the New Moon

Eze 46:1  Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 

The east is where the sun rises in our lives. This implies the beginning of our walk with the Lord as the sun represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Our walk with the Lord starts with our lives in Babylon or the physical churches of this world before the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to drag us to Himself. It is instructive to note that the first time the word “east” is used in the Bible, it has to do with the river that flows east towards Assyria (Babylon) with the river becoming the Euphrates. The next use of the word “east” has to do with the judgment we must go through because of our sins in order to access the tree of life which represents Christ.

Gen 2:14  And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

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

The east gate of the inner court being shut for the six working days in verse 1 therefore shows us that we could not worship the Lord in truth and in spirit for six working days which symbolizes the period of our walk in the churches of this world or Babylon where we lived like the people of the world (significance of the number six) when we thought we could work out our own salvation. It is insightful to note that it is until the sabbath or the New Moon that the door of the east gate is opened for us to worship. The sabbath signifies rest. It is only when we come to rest in the Lord that we can worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. This period is herald by the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh which causes us to learn righteousness by knowing that we do not have our own righteousness but that our righteousness is of Christ. In other words, it is the Lord’s imputed righteousness that matters and not ours.

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, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The New Moon is the beginning of the month in Israel, and it is a time to sit with the king to eat and also to hear the voice of the Lord, as shown in the following verses:

1Sa 20:5  And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

1Sa 20:24  So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 

Psa 81:3  Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. 
Psa 81:4  For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

The king here is Christ who comes to us with His brightness to cause us to hear His voice distinctively like a trumpet and to understand what He is saying. Hearing His voice means that our hearts and minds (the inner court) are open during our new beginning (New Moon) in Christ. 

The inner court which was closed during the six working days of the week also indicates our inability to receive Christ in our hearts and minds which is filled with the smoke of the burning of our flesh with the coming of the Lord into our lives with His judgment.  

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.

Eze 46:2  And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. 
Eze 46:3  Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons. 

The prince here in verse 2 represents our Lord Jesus Christ who comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness into our hearts and minds. As we have learned in the introductory portion of this study, His coming is the time for the burning or destruction of our flesh signified here by the burnt offering that we, His priests prepare for the Lord. The peace offering or the fellowship offering that we, His priests, offer symbolizes the strengthening of our fellowship with the Lord through our understanding of His words as shown by the fact that most of the peace offering was to be eaten by the worshiper.

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. 

As priests, we are to worship at the entrance of the gateway and then leave. This is to remind us of our role as saviors in the sense that our brothers and sisters in Babylon must pass through us to enter the inner court, since we are at the entrance of the gateway. As shown in verse 3, our brothers and sisters in Babylon are currently worshiping at the door of the gate before the Lord. This implies that the gate has not yet been opened to them to enter the entrance of the gateway, where the Lord’s elect are worshiping. This gate in verse 3 represents the gulf between us as shown in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

Luk 16:24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 
Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 

In verse 3, the sabbaths and the new moon have negative application. These sabbaths and New moons represents the beggarly elements which has kept our brothers and sister in bondage in Babylon, such that they cannot go beyond the gate to worship the Lord. 

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, 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. 

Eze 46:4  And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. 

The six lambs represent the Lord’s elect who are living their lives without blame before the Lord. The ram represents the Lord who was without sin and offered Himself to God for our sake. The fact that these were offered as a burnt offering means that it is through the judgment of the Lord that we are offered without blame before God, just as Christ was judged to offer Himself blameless to God. 

Eze 46:5  And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

The grain offering that we must present to the Lord with a ram must be an ephah, which was a Hebrew measure equivalent to about 9 gallons. In the case of the lambs, the grain offering is dependent on what we can offer. All these offering must go with a hin of oil to an ephah. The hin is a Hebrew unit of liquid measure equivalent to one gallon. All of these are offered on the sabbath day. The significance of this is that it is when we come to rest in Christ that we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Eze 46:6  And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. 

The young bullock and the ram all represent our Lord Jesus Christ. As indicated, the six lambs represent us, His elect. It is in the day of the New Moon or the beginning of our lives in Christ as we are now part of the church of the first born (New Moon) that we can offer ourselves to God even as Christ offered Himself for God’s purpose.

Eze 46:7  And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah. 

Again, it is our new beginning in the assembly of the Lord’s elect (New Moon) that we are given to understand spiritually, the truth of the Lord’s words.

Eze 46:8  And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. 
Eze 46:9  But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it. 
Eze 46:10  And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth. 

The prince enters the gate from the east (verse 1) and exits through the same gate. As indicated, the east represents the rising of the sun, which is Christ. Thus, what we are being told is that the Lord’s presence in our hearts and minds is a lasting experience. In other words, in our going out and coming in, we are assured of the Lord’s presence. On the other hand, in the case of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, represented by the people of the land, they shall encounter the north gate which symbolizes the Lord’s judgment either when they are coming into the temple or going out. This means that they shall be judged by the Lord to also experience Christ in them in the fullness of time.

Jer 1:13  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

In verse 10, we are told that the prince shall be in their midst in their going in and coming out of the sanctuary. This implies that we shall be in their midst during the lake of fire age throughout their going in and their coming out as Christ comes to live in them. 

Eze 46:11  And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. 
Eze 46:12  Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate. 
Eze 46:13  Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning. 

The grain or meat offering here in verse 11 that the prince shall prepare consists of an ephah of bullock, ram and lambs as well as a hin of oil. As indicated in the introductory section, the purpose of the meat offering is to express devotion to the Lord and recognize the Lord’s goodness. The fact that we are instructed to have an ephah of bullock, ram and lambs and an hin of oil suggests that the words of the Lord that we receive are measured out to us according to our capacity. 

The peace offering is also called fellowship offering, and it is a sacrificial gift made to express gratitude and fellowship with the Lord. The fact that the east gate is opened for the prince to offer his burnt and peace offering is to let us know that it is when Christ rises in our hearts that we can offer these offerings.

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

As shown in the introduction section of this study, the essence of the burnt offering is to destroy our flesh through the judgment of our flesh. The peace offering is to deepen our fellowship with the Lord through knowing Him through His words which is denoted by what is offered to the worshiper to eat. 

The gate that must be shut when the prince leaves signifies that without us, His elect, the way to Christ is shut to our brothers and sisters in Babylon and the people of the world.

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.   

The requirement to offer a daily burnt offering unto the Lord means that we die daily.

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

The offering of a lamb of one year old without blemish for a burnt offering indicates that offering ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice entails being one with Christ or having the same mind of Christ. 

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Eze 46:14  And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD. 
Eze 46:15  Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering. 

We are to prepare a meat offering to the Lord every morning. As shown earlier, the purpose of the meat or grain offering is to enlighten our understanding of the word of the Lord as we study daily. The grain being finely grounded indicates that we must rightly divide the word of truth. 

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.   

As indicated in the comments on the previous verses, the continual nature of the burnt offering (verse 15) reveals to us that we must die to the flesh daily.

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

The Inheritance of the Lord’s Elect

Eze 46:16  Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. 
Eze 46:17  But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.
Eze 46:18  Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession. 

As the Lord’s elect, we are His sons, and as sons, we are heirs of the Lord’s promises. 

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

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

Our status is therefore different from servants who are to return a gift of an inheritance on the year of liberty. The servants here signify our brothers and sisters in Babylon who work as servants in the Lord’s vineyard but are not qualified to become children or sons.

Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.     
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

In verse 18, we are warned as the Lord princes, not to take by force the property of the people. In other words we are not to be envious of what people have. However, in Babylon, the prosperity messages that these false teachers carried are all based on covetousness. No wonder we could not worship the Lord in a strange land. 

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 
2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

Boiling Places for Offerings

Eze 46:19  After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward. 
Eze 46:20  Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people. 

Being brought into the holy chambers of the priests which were towards the north is to let us know that it is through the judgment of our flesh that we are made holy or separated for the Lord’s purpose, since the north signifies judgment. 

Jer 1:13  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

There were places for the boiling of the offerings and the baking of the meat offering at the entry into the inner court. The boiling places is where the food and the meat for consumption are prepared. They therefore represent the preparation of the gospel of peace which means being ready and prepared to share the word of the Lord. 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Here we are cautioned not to bring the offerings into the outer courtyard so that we do not transfer holiness to the people. This is another way of saying to the Lord’s elect that we should not give what is holy to those who do not appreciate the truth of the word of the Lord.  

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

The holy and the pearls in the verse above all signify the truth of the word of the Lord. The prophet Haggai was also led by the Lord to say the same thing as follows:

Hag 2:12  If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 
Hag 2:13  Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 
Hag 2:14  Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 

We cannot make anybody holy through the word of the Lord except those that the Lord drags to us. 

Eze 46:21  Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. 
Eze 46:22  In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure. 
Eze 46:23  And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about. 
Eze 46:24  Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. 

The outer court is the place for the people of Israel who are not priests to come and worship. It therefore represents the physical churches of this world where our brothers and sisters in Babylon worship. The fact that Ezekiel was caused to take note of the four corners of the court in verses 21 and 22, is to emphasize that it is the whole of the church system of this world that is not given to be holy. This implies that the worshipers in the church system of this world are not holy. The negative application of the measurement of the length and width of the court speaks volumes of the nature of the worshipers. The court was 40 cubits in length and thirty cubits in breadth. The number forty represents those who continue to err in their worship of the Lord and therefore are not given rest in the Lord. 

Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 
Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.   

The number thirty in the negative context signifies those who are being put to death through the sword, that is, false doctrines.

Jdg 20:31  And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 

Jdg 20:39  And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

There were rows of boiling places in the outer court for the offerings of the people. However, these boiling places, which represent the preparation of the word of the Lord, do not make the worshipers and their ministers holy. 

We thank the Lord for showing us mercy at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. 

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. 

Amen !!!

1Ki 12:1-33  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart” – (Pro 3:3)

[Study Aired March 31, 2022]

1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 
1Ki 12:2  And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) 
1Ki 12:3  That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 
1Ki 12:4  Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 
1Ki 12:5  And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 
1Ki 12:6  And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7  And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 
1Ki 12:8  But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: 
1Ki 12:9  And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 
1Ki 12:10  And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 
1Ki 12:11  And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 
1Ki 12:12  So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 
1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 
1Ki 12:14  And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 
1Ki 12:15  Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
1Ki 12:16  So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 
1Ki 12:17  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 
1Ki 12:18  Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 
1Ki 12:19  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 
1Ki 12:20  And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 
1Ki 12:21  And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 
1Ki 12:22  But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 
1Ki 12:23  Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 
1Ki 12:24  Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD. 
1Ki 12:25  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 
1Ki 12:26  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 
1Ki 12:27  If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 
1Ki 12:28  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 
1Ki 12:29  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 
1Ki 12:30  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 
1Ki 12:31  And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 
1Ki 12:32  And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 
1Ki 12:33  So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

In our last study the groundwork was laid to show why God was going to tear the nation of Israel apart, as was prophesied by Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the next two chapters the specifics of how this will happen are going to unfold. Rehoboam’s inability to hear the people, “Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD” was caused by the Lord just as Jeroboam’s actions were “devised of his own heart” (1Ki 12:33), whose heart as all men’s hearts are in the Lord’s hand to accomplish His purpose for humanity (Pro 21:1, Eph 1:11).

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. 

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:

1Ki 12:1-33  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: Both Jeroboam and Rehoboam are being used by the Lord to bring about this division of the nation of Israel as the sins of their fathers, Solomon in this case. As a father of the nation of Israel, the sins were visited on the generations that would follow him (Num 14:18, Exo 20:5-6).

Num 14:18  The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

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 me, and keep my commandments. 

Jeroboam demonstrates the same spirit as Rehoboam, and Rehoboam shows the same spirit as Jeroboam, telling us that both these carnal kings are all about the power grab and are manipulating the masses to that end as demonstrated in these verses (1Ki 12:31, 13).

Speaking of Jeroboam:

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

Speaking of Rehoboam:

1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

The lesson has to be taken inwardly if it is going to be of any value to us today. What we can learn from these two kings is that when Christ is not on the throne of our hearts ruling and reigning as typified by king David (1Ki 11:4), then the body will be divided and brought into captivity (2Ki 17:23, Zec 14:2). When we are blessed to be abased and take the lower seat through Christ, God will be glorified in our life (Mat 23:12, Luk 14:10).

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

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. 

Zec 14:2  For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 

Mat 23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luk 14:10  But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

All of this destruction and manipulation in both kings’ lives represent the powers and principalities we war against in our heavens and fail to overcome until we are chastened and scourged of the Lord and brought back to him with a spirit of obedience (Heb 12:6, Tit 2:11-12). It is only a small little flock on this earth today who understand this concept of God’s grace and how all these stories we are reading about are written for the elect’s sake to demonstrate how we all lose our first love, separating Christ from his body as typified by Judah and Israel being divided and brought into captivity. Our goal then as the body of Christ is to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Who is not divided (Php 3:14, 1Co 1:13) and has called us to go through a process of overcoming so our hearts can be changed through that process to ultimately bring us to the point where we continue in this life to “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee” as we continue to “bind them about thy neck” and  “write them upon the table of thine heart” (Rev 1:3).

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

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; 

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

1Ki 12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 
1Ki 12:2  And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) 
1Ki 12:3  That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 
1Ki 12:4  Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 
1Ki 12:5  And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 
1Ki 12:6  And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
1Ki 12:7  And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 

What God requires of us is stated this way in Micah 6:8 in order to be kings and priests: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”. This essentially is the counsel that was given to Rehoboam of the “old men” when they spoke these words: “If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever” (Gal 6:2, Mat 23:12, Joh 13:34-35). When we obey the commandments found in Micah 6:8, we can then mortify the deeds of the flesh through our service toward all men, especially unto the household of faith (Gal 6:10), and in so doing overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life so we can then recognize God’s will and fulfill it and abide forever (1Jn 2:16-17).

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 of God abideth for ever.

God calls all men to come and learn to bind about our necks mercy and truth expressed in being doers of the word and not just hearers. Then “shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Pro 3:4). Rehoboam did not humbly receive the instructions of those who were old (1Ki 12:13) who represent the safety that is found in the multitude of counselors (Pro 11:14, Pro 20:18).

1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 

Pro 11:14  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. 

Pro 20:18  Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. 

Rehoboam went to a place called Shechem which means ‘shoulder’ or ‘ridge’, and all Israel came to Shechem to make him king. Rehoboam, at this point, expected smooth sailing and that nothing could prevent him from becoming king, but God had other plans by way of Jeroboam who, when he heard of this coronation that was going to take place, presented some terms and conditions stated this way: “Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.“

This ‘ridge’ would turn out to be more of a ‘cold shoulder’ that was given to Rehoboam than a warm acceptance, and this all transpired as a result of God having Jeroboam ask the right questions at the right time. The intention of how Rehoboam was going to treat the nation did not manifest immediately. “And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed“, showing that negative process of judgment in play in this wicked king’s heart who was going to make the yoke many times heavier than Solomon. This verse: “And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?” reminds us of Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 where the foolish king does not recognize how this wisdom that was with these elders was the way to preserve the kingdom.

H7927 
she kem
shek-em’

The same as H7926; ridge; Shekem, a place in Palestine: – Shechem.

H7926
shekem
shek-em’

From H7925; the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively the spur of a hill: – back, X consent, portion, shoulder.

Ecc 9:13  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 
Ecc 9:14  There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 
Ecc 9:15  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 
Ecc 9:16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 
Ecc 9:17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 
Ecc 9:18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. 

1Ki 12:8  But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: 
1Ki 12:9  And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 
1Ki 12:10  And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 
1Ki 12:11  And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Rehoboam was going to go where he could get the answer his flesh wanted to hear and “forsook the counsel of the old men.” In type and shadow what was being asked was that the law for the lawless, demonstrated by Solomon’s rule the “heavy yoke“, could be lightened to reflect the joyful burden that we have in the yoke Christ gives us (Mat 11:28-30).

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

There was a big draw in Rehoboam’s heart to go to “the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him” seeing they would readily agree with him and no doubt be profited by this unholy alliance. What was promised was that Rehoboam would chastise the nation of Israel with scorpions which symbolizes false doctrines that would be coming from the false prophets who are likened unto scorpions in God’s word (Isa 9:14-15). Inwardly these scorpions and the rule that Rehoboam has over us at an appointed time is all of the Lord and for the destruction of our old man, as was being typified with these events with the nation of Israel.

Isa 9:14  Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. 
Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 

Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.  

Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 

His friends, which were really a group of foolish companions, were soon going to be destroyed (Pro 13:20) and did exactly what was expected of them: “The young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.” ‘Loins’ in the positive represent where God blesses us to “Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.” So we are being told that the possibility of Rehoboam speaking “good words to them” (1Ki 12:7) which would make for a fruitful nation that was going to multiply was not going to happen. That was because he was leaning unto his own understanding and not honoring “the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase” (Pro 3:9).

1Ki 12:12  So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 
1Ki 12:13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 
1Ki 12:14  And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 

Rehoboam is now emboldened, and the three days that have passed have given him time to establish his perverted judgment he is going to pronounce over the nation of Israel. He “answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him“, and he made it very clear he was going to rule without mercy and truth bound about his neck (Pro 3:3-4). Rehoboam was trusting in his own flesh and this example teaches us that when we lean to our own understanding we will always reap what we sow. That is all we ever can do unless the Lord builds the house within us through much affliction, persecution and tribulation in this life through which He sees us every time, and that makes us stronger in his service (Pro 3:5-8, 2Co 12:8-10).

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 
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. 
Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 
Pro 3:8  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 
2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 
2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

1Ki 12:15  Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
1Ki 12:16  So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 
1Ki 12:17  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 

The prophesied end of the matter was that the king would not hearken to the people “for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat“. All Israel saw that the “king hearkened not unto them” and their concern was expressed this way: “The people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse.” This inheritance, which typifies our inheritance in the saints (Eph 1:18), was extremely important to the nation of Israel, and God put that level of importance in their hearts for our sake. The only viable solution to this wicked king with his unreasonable edicts was to say, “To your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.” That is just another way of saying what is written in Judges 21:25, at least for the time being, until Jeroboam would come along and fill this vacuum as the new king of the northern tribes of Israel which would break off from “the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.” We can also say that both Rehoboam ruling over these cities of Judah and Jeroboam soon to be ruling over the nations of Israel was caused by the Lord “for the cause was from the LORD“, and happened for our sakes as types of our losing our first love and being divided both in our head and in our body, represented by Judah and Israel (Isa 1:3-6).

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

Jdg 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 

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. 
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. 
Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 
Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 

1Ki 12:18  Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 
1Ki 12:19  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. 
1Ki 12:20  And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 

Solomon taxed the people of his time (1Ki 10:14-15) and after Rehoboam’s less than inspiring speech to the nation of Israel regarding how much harder he was going to be on everyone, he then sends for Adoram who is “over the tribute“, He then sees Adoram walk into this ugly mob who will stone him and cause Rehoboam to flee to Jerusalem. This was not a one-time rebellion, but as it says: “Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day“, telling us how our flesh is always against the spirit of God and the spirit against the flesh that only Christ in us can rule over (Gal 5:17).

The tribute seems unfair to our old man, and in fact at this stage in our walk, it is a great burden we don’t yet know how to deal with, as God chastens us for our infidelity via Rehoboam who represents those seven worse spirits that possess our temple after Solomon dies (Mat 12:45). Only Christ, who is the strong man, can come and bind these powers and principalities and liberate us with His spirit (Mar 3:27), which happens only after we experience His wrath poured out upon our old man, symbolized by these events that are going to unfold in the nation of Israel which all typify the Israel of God, the church today that is being judged (1Pe 4:17).

1Ki 12:21  And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 
1Ki 12:22  But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 
1Ki 12:23  Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 
1Ki 12:24  Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD. 

Throughout the passages we are reading, we are being reminded that all that was unfolding was “according to the word of the LORD” and that “this thing is from me.” The question for God’s elect is what is this thing God is doing, because we know for certain that it is for our sake (2Co 4:15). God has created this alliance now with the northern ten tribes of Israel that represent our flesh, and the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin that represent our religious man of sin, and these  are against each other. So we read of this prophecy (Rev 17:16) which reveals this same point: “And the ten horns [Israel] which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [Judah and Benjamin which represent the harlot], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” Thinking spiritually and not physically, Israel is going to try to kill the worship in Judah by establishing false idols: “two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt“. This action of Jeroboam is typical of the beast hating the whore!

Regardless of what was in the heart of Rehoboam who wanted to “fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon“, the word of the Lord, the counsel of God, was going to stand which said, “Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.“

1Ki 12:25  Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 
1Ki 12:26  And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 
1Ki 12:27  If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 
1Ki 12:28  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 

On one side we have Rehoboam who, like Peter, wants to take up a sword and take the kingdom through violence (Mat 11:12, Mat 26:52), and on the other side we have the defiled flesh of man, represented by Israel, that just wants to go back to any kind of false worship as long as it can attract the masses to its gates and rule over the laity (Rev 2:14-16).

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 
Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

A tree is known by its fruit, and the actions of Jeroboam are not going to bless the nation, but in time will put Israel further into an idolatrous state that will eventually lead to their being taken into captivity. God is showing us through these two kings how we operate in our flesh before we are dragged out of Babylon and come to understand that God is sovereign over all the affairs of mankind. There is nothing we can do to change the plans He has determined will unfold for each one of us, not picking up a sword as Rehoboam wanted to do, and not by any other measure, including the false worship that initially trips up all flesh. Our former conversation in this world (Eph 2:1-3) is the same as the king taking counsel that leads to our idolatrous ways being exposed: “Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.“

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 
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.

1Ki 12:29  And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 
1Ki 12:30  And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 
1Ki 12:31  And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. 

Jeroboam set up these two calves which were witnesses to his idolatrous heart, and one was put in Bethel^H1008 and the other in Dan^H1835 , whose names when put together mean ‘striving against the house of God’. It “became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan“. It was already a sin for Jeroboam to set up these idols, and these evil actions represent the leaven that was going to leaven the whole nation (1Co 15:33, Gal 5:9).

1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 

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

H1835
dân
dawn

From H1777; judge; Dan, one of the sons of Jacob; also the tribe descended from him, and its territory; likewise a place in Palestine colonized by them: – Dan.

H1777
dı̂yn    dûn
deen, doon

A primitive root (compare H113); to rule; by implication to judge (as umpire); also to strive (as at law): – contend, execute (judgment), judge, minister judgment, plead (the cause), at strife, strive.

H1008
bêyth-‘êl
bayth-ale’

From H1004 and H410; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine: – Beth-el.

Contending with the house of God is all we can do at first until He burns these idols out of our lives. Both kings were self-righteously going about their ways that were bringing the nations further and further away from God. There was nothing but a spirit of wanting to control and rule over the people no matter what the human toll or corrupt means by which this would be obtained, and so we read “he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi“.

1Ki 12:32  And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. 
1Ki 12:33  So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

Here is the full-blown counterfeit ways of mankind on display that are “like unto the feast that is in Judah“, or like “another Jesus” (2Co 11:4) accompanied with offerings and sacrifices that he had made, and priests who were placed in the high places that he had made. All idolatrous works “in the month which he had devised of his own heart” demonstrated the disobedient spirit that had Jeroboam in the same bondage we read of king Saul being in 1 Samuel 15:22.

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

It was Jeroboam who “ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense” and although he may have seen these acts as merciful and benevolent in their nature, they were nothing of the sort to God. They bear witness to the truth that neither Jeroboam or Rehoboam, nor any of us in our appointed time, can properly serve God at an altar that glorifies Him, until Christ makes a way for this to happen. The way we can truly  be obedient and pleasing to God is only through our Lord who gives us the power to “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee” as He gives us the strength to “bind them about thy neck” and  “write them upon the table of thine heart” so that we can “find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man”. Christ must judge these wayward kings in our hearts if we are His elect bride, and through that judgment make Judah and Israel one which is the ultimate goal for all of His creation (Eph 2:14, Mar 10:8). Not letting mercy and truth forsake us and having them written upon the table of our heart is what is happening to those who are bound to the altar through the hands of a fit man, Jesus Christ (Psa 118:27, Lev 16:21).

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

Mar 10:8  And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 
Mar 10:9  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

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

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

1Ki 3:16-28 – “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown”

[Study Aired August 26, 2021]

1Ki 3:16  Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
1Ki 3:17  And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
1Ki 3:18  And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
1Ki 3:19  And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
1Ki 3:20  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
1Ki 3:21  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
1Ki 3:22  And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
1Ki 3:23  Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
1Ki 3:24  And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
1Ki 3:25  And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
1Ki 3:26  Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
1Ki 3:27  Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
1Ki 3:28  And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

In this study we will look at the fruit revealed in Solomon’s life regarding the prayer that was made in the night while he was dreaming “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?“of 1Kings 3:9.

The ability to judge and discern good and evil is a gift from God that is received of those who are given a hunger and thirst to ask for it in faith (Jas 1:5, 1Jn 5:4, Mat 5:6, Rom 3:27).

Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

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

Light will come out of darkness while we lie dead in the street as God’s two witnesses (Rev 11:8). Christ likens the two witnesses’ death, and all death, to sleep (Joh 11:11-14), which tells us that when we are dead to our sinful flesh, then are we alive in Christ (Rom 6:11).

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Joh 11:11  These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12  Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13  Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The living waters God gives to those who thirst for it, are being stored up in the lives of God’s elect (Joh 7:37, Joh 6:44) and are being distributed as we come together often to break spiritual bread and drink spiritual drink in Christ (1Co 11:27-28). We are being judged now so that we learn to “eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord” worthily.

Joh 7:37  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

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

1Co 11:27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

It is through this communion we share that teaches us to judge all things, through a judgment which starts at the house of God that we will in fact learn of His righteousness in our earth (1Co 11:31, Luk 6:37, Joh 7:24, 1Pe 4:17, Isa 26:9).

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Luk 6:37  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

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

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

This section of the book of Kings is instructive in showing us how Christ judges us in this age so the manchild can mature as we put off our flesh and learn there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom 8:1).

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The world within us (1Jn 2:16) represents the harlot who wants to destroy the manchild’s life by taking it from its true mother, who represents Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26). With God’s spirit within us we can each be a joint that supplies in love (Eph 4:16), a love that provides the spiritual nourishment the manchild will need to grow to maturity in this life as we overcome those powers and principalities through Christ (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:19-21). Those negative powers are represented by the harlot who inadvertently killed her child by laying on it (Gen 45:5), a shadow of burying God’s gift in the earth (Mat 25:25), and then misappropriated the name of Christ by saying that the living child that represents Christ was hers, laying claim to His name (Isa 4:1).

Mat 25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

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.

It is by going to king Solomon, a type of Christ, that we will be given the discerning spirit to know how to continue to fight a good fight of faith and protect the crown of life we’ve been given by resisting false doctrines unto the shedding of blood. That resisting of sin is represented by the crown of thorns that were put on Christ’s head, the “thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (Gen 3:18, Heb 6:8) that only our head can give us the power to overcome (Heb 12:4, Joh 19:2, Joh 8:36). The crown of life is the life of Christ in us, represented by the manchild, the living child in this story, and Christ promises those who overcome through resisting false doctrines, which are sin, once we know it is wrong (Jas 4:17) “will I make a pillar in the temple of my God” (Rev 3:11-12, 1Ti 6:12).

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Joh 19:2  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

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

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown [the manchild].

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.

God is coming quickly, and He is quickening God’s elect to give birth (Joh 6:63, Exo 1:19-20) giving witness to the world of His workmanship operating by His faith (Eph 2:8). God is our true husbandman, and Christ is the author and finisher of our faith (Joh 15:1, Heb 12:2-4)./p>

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

Exo 1:19  And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
Exo 1:20  Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

[God’s elect are typified as the Hebrew women who are not as the Egyptian women or churches of Babylon, and we are also the midwives to the Hebrew women helping them in the birthing process as we bear each other’s burdens in this life (Gal 6:2), burdens or tribulation (Act 14:22) which must accompany the maturing of the manchild who is being judged in this age (Rev 12:5). The validity of the statement of the midwives – “the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them” – is not what is in question. It is what it means for God’s elect, and so we see that God was hiding the manchild as we are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) and the quickness in which the babies were delivered is a type and shadow statement of the quick work God will do on the earth in the body of Christ(Rom 9:28)].

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

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

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.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

1Ki 3:16  Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
1Ki 3:17  And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

These verses in 2Timothy 2:20 and Romans 9:21-23 explain to us who the two harlots are being spoken of in this section of Kings that represent the same lump, which is why “I and this woman dwell in one house” (Rom 11:16).

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Rom 9:22  What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so  are the branches.

Of one of the women God was “willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known” as He “endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” who was represented in this story by the harlot whose child died. The other woman in the story, who has the living child, is there to show us, “that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.” In short this entire story is a parable revealing to us what we find written in this section of Romans 11 and is an admonition for us to never take anything for granted as we behold the severity and the goodness of God being expressed in this story of the two harlots in the one house (Rom 11:22 Rom 11:31-36).

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed [woman without child], 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 for ever. Amen.

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. [the woman who gives birth to the child (Joh 3:3). It is with that mind of Christ that we do instruct one another in the Lord through the manifold knowledge of God made known by the church (Eph 3:10)].

God reminds us that all flesh is Gentile and cannot inherit the kingdom of God and that there is none righteous (Rom 3:10), and so we have two harlots who witness to this truth – “Then came there two women, that were harlots“. Even after all the creation is redeemed, God deemed it necessary that we never forget where we came from by being called beasts around the throne of God who are now spiritually domesticated servants of the living God and Creator of all things (Rev 4:6-11). God is God, and it was for his pleasure that these things were created and unfolded in the order in which He ordained them to unfold from the foundation of the world “which he had afore prepared unto glory”.

The first woman to speak is the one who represents Christ’s first fruits, who are like Christ in having preeminence (1Jn 4:17, Col 1:18) which is demonstrated by her boldness to come first before the throne of grace to obtain mercy in time of need in type and shadow (Heb 4:16). All she could do at this point is just what we all can do and that is to come before God and throw ourselves on His mercy: “And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.” This story of the two harlots and the children involved explains how God will, and does, through heresies make manifest who is approved (1Co 11:19). At this juncture of the story, Solomon is just gathering the information and not rushing to judgment (Pro 25:8-12).

1Co 11:19  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

Pro 25:8  Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
Pro 25:9  Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:
Pro 25:10  Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
Pro 25:11  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Pro 25:12  As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

This story reveals who has the obedient ear between these two woman, and we’ll see that it is the one who does not want to divide Christ, who is represented by the living child, she being filled with mercy and compassion placing the greatest value on the life of the child even to the detriment of her own great loss, which she was willing to endure to keep the child alive (Eph 4:3-6, Mat 10:39).

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

1Ki 3:18  And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

The events revealed of this woman who was the mother of the living child demonstrate that these women represent God’s anointed and God’s rejected anointed respectively. They both delivered “the third day” which we know represents a process of judgment, and for one this judgment was bringing about a new life and for the other the child was lost. They were both “together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house” reminding us that the tares and the wheat grow together in the house, and in their infancy there is no detection of a “stranger with us in the house“, and yet the mother whose child died was truly a stranger to Christ in how she callously treated and stole from the other woman (Joh 10:10-11).

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

She then went on to claim that she was the rightful mother to this child, demonstrating what we do in Babylon when we claim that the Christ child is ours and should be nourished by us, even as the words or doctrines of Christ are rejected (Luk 6:46). There really is no stay of bread or water to feed this baby (Isa 3:1). In the final analysis she had no regard for the living child (Luk 6:46). Without God’s judgment in our lives we would have no regard for the spiritual life and death importance of not dividing Christ. So the woman with the child that lives represents those who are judged in this life being received of God through those judgments which reveal His love for us that can only be learned through fiery chastening trials (1Pe 4:12, Heb 12:6).

God uses the most precious example in the flesh, a newborn child, to demonstrate to us how precious His word is that is not to be divided or handled carelessly by a stranger, as this woman was (Mat 22:14, 1Co 4:6, 1Jn 4:6).

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

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

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.

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1Ki 3:19  And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

What we are being told in verse 19, in type and shadow, is that the doctrines of Christ will die in the night if we bury them underneath us in the earth “because she overlaid it” (Mat 25:25), but if we are truly hearing the voice of the true shepherd then those doctrines will be rightly divided as we are received as a mother hen receives her chicks (Luk 13:34). We “would not” be that brood gathered under her wings unless we were dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) and so boasting is excluded by the law of faith (Rom 3:27) which tells us that the Lord did all these things in the order He did to bring about the salvation of all (Gen 45:5).

Mat 25:25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

Luk 13:34  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

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

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

Gen 45:5  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

1Ki 3:20  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
1Ki 3:21  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

This selfish act of desperation on the part of the woman who had lost her child, “she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me” is akin to some man, any carnal man, trying to take our crown, and is an admonition for us to hold fast to the doctrine of Christ (Rev 3:10-11). We are as God’s elect bound to the altar (Psa 118:27), and so although we all lose our first love (Rev 2:4), if we are His that love will be rekindled, and this very short-lived event of being separated from the living child that represents Christ will be turned around when the mother discerns “in the morning” that what was hers “which I did bear” has been taken and replaced by another child. The expression “in her bosom” and “in my bosom” is significant in that it reminds us that we can hold life or death in our bosom, but God has granted His elect to enter into His rest today where the manchild is in his bosom (Luk 16:22, Joh 13:23).

Rev 3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown [2Sa 12:7].

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

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

Joh 13:23  Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

When Christ gives us victory over sin by rightly dividing the word “when I had considered it in the morning” in our life as Solomon did for the woman who was the real mother of the child, then she entered into that rest that came about by Solomon’s judgments being in her life, which typify God’s judgments in our lives that teach us His righteousness (Heb 4:9-12, Isa 26:9).

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, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [This verse in Hebrews 4:12 typified in “the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment” (1Ki 3:28)]

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.

We are admonished to watch and pray (Luk 21:35-36) because we don’t know at what hour our Lord is going to return, and yet if God tells us to watch, we know assuredly that we won’t (Rom 7:19) until we are awakened through Christ to trim our lamps (Mat 25:5), which in this case was typified by what she did in the morning with eyes that were now awake to what God was allowing. Now she knew the child is not hers because it couldn’t receive even the milk of the word which is what we are being told when she says “And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead“.

Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

In regards to the other mother who took the child, this is the negative example of trimming your lamp at “midnight” as it had nothing to do with losing her life and making the light of Christ burn brighter in her heavens, but rather was all about making the best of a bad situation even at the expense of someone else. This mother who lost her child is telling us something very important in this age, and that is that the world has no regard for those things we consider to be precious and priceless and are willing, as she was, to steal and starve the manchild, the crown of life that God had given to us and does not belong to her (Mat 10:22, Rev 3:11, Heb 13:10).

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 [Php 4:13].

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

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

God shows us through this story what is really in the heart of the churches of this world without the manchild in their midst. They want the living child without receiving the counsel of God that says buy gold tried in the fire so you can see: “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 3:18).

It is not theirs to be rebuked and chastened in this age and so there is no repentance possible if God is not orchestrating that in their lives: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent “(Rev 3:19). The most horrible of all feelings that your child has been stolen from you is a shadow of how great our fear should be of God, not wanting to lose our crown of life and the immeasurable blessing of being in that blessed and holy first resurrection (Heb 5:7, Rev 20:6).

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;

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.

When Christ is in our lives we will discern the voice of the true Shepherd in each other as well as not follow the voice of another who is not Christ (Joh 10:27-29). This is being expressed in type and shadow by the mother who knew this was not her child “but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear“.

Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

1Ki 3:22  And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
1Ki 3:23  Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
1Ki 3:24  And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

God’s word is the final arbiter in this story which is why “the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king“. It takes safety that is found in a multitude of counsellors in order to remove Babylon from our thinking, and these two woman represent the first and second Adam who both lay claim to Christ each saying ‘yours is the dead child [false doctrine] and mine is the live child [true doctrine]’, but only one is the rightful mother of the living child who represents the manchild of God who is caught up to heaven (Rev 12:5, Gal 4:26).

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

1Ki 3:25  And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
1Ki 3:26  Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Solomon’s new found wisdom, which is a gift from God, is now on full display for these two women who represent who we are when we are in Babylon and who we are when we are coming out of Babylon (2Co 6:17). They are both going to hear what Solomon knows is going to manifest is in each of their hearts (1Jn 4:6). The lack of regard that we have for God’s words while we are in Babylon is shown to us by the woman who thinks nothing of dividing the child who represents Christ and His doctrine, which is not divided (1Co 1:13).

Our perception of Christ is all wrong at this point as we think He is an austere man who would carry out such a cruel act. Yet now we know that Solomon, who typifies our Lord, was only saying these things to show who of the two womean was froward in heart and who of the two women was pure in heart (Psa 18:26), and so “the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other“. Then, the woman who represents our time in Babylon says, “Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it“.

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:

Psa 18:26  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

When we look at the descriptions of the other woman who represents the true church, a picture is painted for us of how the bride of Christ thinks with the mind of Christ, uttering these words: “Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it“. This great contrast between the two woman is shown for our sakes. The mother to whom the child belongs had “bowels” that “yearned upon her son” not wanting a hair on this child to be touched (Luk 21:18) “and in no wise slay it“, a type and shadow of the strong desire God is working in the body of Christ to keep us “of one mind” with “bowels of mercy” and with a likemindedness that comes with the singleness which is in Christ, reflecting His love toward one another (2Co 11:3).

1Pe 3:8  Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

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

1Ki 3:27  Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
1Ki 3:28  And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

This type and shadow language of King Solomon, who is a type of Christ, is of great comfort to God’s elect as it reminds us that what God has ordained to happen will happen because the king has commanded it: “Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof“. Giving her the child is another way of saying ‘give her the inheritance, an inheritance that can only be nourished by “the mother thereof” which we know is Jerusalem above the mother of us all’. Solomon then saying “in no wise slay it” is the same as Christ saying: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (Joh 10:28-29).

So, we need to watch and pray, and not cast away our confidence which has great recompence of reward, knowing the scriptures are written for our learning that we might have comfort and hope (Rom 15:4). When we fear the king as “they feared the king“, we understand that fear spiritually as obedience to the life of Christ in each other. This brings about unity in the body of Christ, a unity and singleness of mind that will render this last verse of tonight’s study applicable to each of us, individually and collectively as a body, because of the life of Christ within us: “And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment” (Col 1:27, Php 2:12-13).

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

It takes “all Israel” hearing the entire body of Christ, the Israel of God (Gal 6:16), to fight against the wiles of the devil and having done all stand “in the evil day” (Eph 6:12-13) as we continue to believe (Joh 6:29) these words “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev 3:11).

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

Rev 3:11 Behold^{G2400 [G5628]}, I come^{G2064 [G5736]} quickly^G5035: hold that fast^{G2902 [G5720]} which^G3739 thou hast^{G2192 [G5719]}, that^G2443 no man^G3367 take^{G2983 [G5632]} thy^G4675 crown^G4735.

Behold G5628
Tense-Second Aorist See [G5780]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood -Imperative See [G5794]
Count-459

I come quickly G5736
Tense-Present See [G5774]
Voice-Middle or Passive Deponent See [G5790]
Mood -Indicative See [G5791]
Count-618

hold that fast G5720
Tense-Present See [G5774]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood -Imperative See [G5794]
Count-582

which thou hast G5719
Tense-Present See [G5774 [Gen_4:7]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood -Indicative See [G5791]
Count-3014

Gen 4:7 If thou doest well,[“hold that fast which thou hast”] 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.

that no man take thy crown.G5632
Tense-Second Aorist See [G5780]
Voice-Active See [G5784]
Mood -Subjunctive See [G5792]
Count-449

Psa 116:1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 
Psa 116:2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 
Psa 116:3  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 
Psa 116:4  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
Psa 116:5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 
Psa 116:6  The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 

If we are as Christ is in this life, we will experience the same trials as our Lord (1Jn 4:17-18), the same rejection, the same being “brought low”, and we will be a stumbling block unto the physical Jews, and our soundness of mind that is a gift of God (2Ti 1:7) will not appear as that unto the intellectual Greek in man, but rather as foolishness.

1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than 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. 

The solution for overcoming the rejection we are promised from all men as Christ was rejected…  

The mind of the flesh:

Mar 13:13  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 
Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

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. 

…is to enter into His life, and His mindset which is described in these verses below.

The mind of Christ:

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 

Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

In this Psalm we will look at the process through which God puts his children in order to achieve this mind of Christ which we are blessed to have and grow in by entering into life through the trials He brings our way which burn that very same pride and vanity and hatred out of us that condemned Christ to the cross and that can cause us to not “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones”.

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

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: [Mat 24:13]

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

Act 2:36  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 
Act 2:37  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit. 
Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 
Heb 6:5  And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 
Heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 

What shall we do?

If we are to enter into life, we must keep the commandments of God as stated by Christ who can cause us to be matured throughout this life unto the symbolic third day.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 
1Co 3:7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. [increase from God mentioned twice as a witness that the increase that God gives is through Christ “but by me”]

Rom_8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

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

It is only through Christ to whom God must drag us that we can endure all things (Php 4:13) and find ourselves not committing spiritual murder (Mat 5:21-26) or spiritual adultery (Mat 5:27-32) or be found spiritually stealing from God by not giving our entire life to him (Mal 3:9-12, 1Co 10:11, Rom 12:1). We can only overcome through Christ who is the true witness whose spirit abides in us giving us the power to be more than conquerors through Him as we (Rom 8:8-9, Zec 4:6) “keep the commandments” (Col 1:27, Rev 11:3).

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

In the next verse of Matthew 19 we see everything that God gives us power to do through Christ is given to us so that we can honour our spiritual Father and the church, Christ’s body, that is typified as our spiritual mother.

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [as well keeping God’s commandments is what is required to be loving our neighbor as ourselves]
Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

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: [this is the answer to the young man’s question “what lack I yet?“]

In order to be true overcomers in this life who keep God’s commandments, it will take a miracle of confession from our heart, as the riches of God’s goodness, the forbearance and long-suffering ways of God work within our hearts and minds to give us victory over the powers and principalities with which we wrestle through the night, (Rom 2:4, Eph 6:12, Eph 6:16). Those powers oppose Christ by putting our sin off on someone else which is what flesh naturally does.

“e.g. (the church “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree (representing the law for the lawless  – 1Ti 1:9, Rom 7:13), and I did eat” (Gen 3:12-13), and this is the role of Babylon where God’s people “come out of her my people” (Rev 18:4) through confessing that there is no life within the quarters of Babylon the Great (within and without) as these verses state (Isa 3:1, Isa 4:1, Luk 15:17).”

Therefore entering into life by definition is not by identifying sin through the law for the lawless of (1Ti 1:9) or by saying to Christ “All these things have I kept from my youth up” of Matthew 19:20, but by being given power through Christ to live by the spirit of those laws through the gift of God’s holy spirit which quickens us and gives us the faith to be able to confess our faults and overcome in this life typified by the disciples tarrying in Jerusalem to receive the holy spirit just as we are raised together (Eph 2:6) in heavenly places together in Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Gal 4:26) where we experience “power from on high”.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 

God’s children have power or life through Christ “from on high” to keep God’s commandments that show us that we are “exceeding sinful” (Rom 7:13), and by His grace and faith He takes away our self-righteous spirit that says we are “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” blessing us to be His branch in this earth that understand that our spiritual sight comes from God as a free gift, and that there is none good, no not one.

Isa 4:2  In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 

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

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Luk 18:19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 

It is through “my people” where the manifest knowledge of God is made known through the church that we witness to the world that we overcome through Christ as our new head of our new body, which has become one bread and one body.

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

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 
Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. [we become one flesh because we eat his body and drink his blood – Joh 6:54-57]

Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 

1Co 12:20  But now are they many members, yet but one body.

Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

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

Becoming ‘one’ cannot happen without the manifest knowledge of God being given to each of us through the church, and it is through keeping His commandments, expressed through that knowledge given through the church, that we can grow and overcome (2Pe 3:18, Joh 6:27) and enter into life.

2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

God has promised us in if we will keep the commandments we will enter into life, and in this study we will see that because God loved us first, we could then in turn say that “I love the LORD” as we learn of his faithfulness to hear “my voice and my supplications” and to incline “his ear unto me“, only because He has set his love on the church, on His kind of first fruits first who have been promised that we will overcome in this life. We are no longer “exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?” as the unconverted disciples were. Because of God’s love being shed abroad in our hope-filled hearts we now believe in regard to entering into the kingdom of God “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” (Mat 19:26).

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

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.

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

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

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of 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. 
1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 
1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Psa 116:1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 

We can have great joy and confidence in our hearts knowing that our prayers are being heard and that God is able to answer those prayers and “do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us”.

Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 

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

It is “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” that “he hath heard my voice and my supplications“, and as stated earlier it is because he first loved us that we can now say, “I love the LORD.”

1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 

Psa 116:2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 

A concert pianist inclines their ear to the gift of music given to them, and it can be astonishingly beautiful to hear a skilled orchestra with its many members perform at such high levels, not missing a single note. This physical analogy of an orchestra reminds us of Christ’s body, the church, who are blessed to be directed by Him whose spirit within us bears witness that he “hath inclined his ear unto me [us]” so we can be a living sacrifice through Him and know assuredly, as the Psalmist declared, “therefore will I [we] call upon him as long as I live.” “As long as I live“, as long as Christ is truly abiding in me and I am abiding in him by His power I will have entered into life knowing that “he hath inclined his ear unto me” as he is the treasure in this earthen vessel that makes this relationship possible.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

Our role as being first or chiefest^G4413 in advance of all the rest of God’s creation is for the express purpose of being a “servant of all” giving our life “a ransom for many” as Christ did for us. We are given this honor to suffer and overcome as Christ did so that “many hearts may be revealed” (1Jn 4:17), and we thank our Father “for so it seemed good in thy sight” to hide these things from the wise and the prudent and to reveal them unto babes first.

Mar 10:44  And whosoever of you will be the chiefest^G4413, shall be servant of all.   For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 

Luk 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 

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; 

Mat 11:25  At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. 
Mat 11:26  Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. 

G4413
πρῶτος
prōtos
pro’-tos

Contracted superlative of G4253; foremost (in time, place, order or importance): – before, beginning, best, chief (-est), first (of all), former.

Psa 116:3  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

Having this honour of being first to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life (Joh 17:3), does not come without a cost which Christ gives us the ability to incur through him. 

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Joh 8:23  And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. [1Jn 2:16]
Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 

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

“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow” are understood when we come to understand what flesh really is and we see our powerlessness over our own body of death that has all the sin of the world residing in it, that we can only overcome by believing in Christ once the Comforter is sent (Rev 13:4).

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

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 of God abideth for ever. 

The sacrifice of Christ and the indebtedness which we all have for what He has done for us is the most important cost to consider in our hearts, and God willing, we will never take for granted His sacrifice which has made it possible for all indebtedness to God to be covered.

Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 
Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 

Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 
Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Psa 116:4  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 

It is when God brings the elect to see our helpless and hopeless condition, the powerless soul that Adam has, that we will by His grace call “upon the name of the LORD” and cry out “O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul“. It is those with whom God is working in this age who will be experiencing the much tribulation that brings us to our wits’ end, to the end that we would trust in the Almighty and give thanks for those wonderful works to the children of men.

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

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

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

Psa 116:5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 
Psa 116:6  The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 

These gracious works of the LORD of working with His children and receiving them through the trials of this life demonstrate the mercy and the righteous mind of our Lord who causes us to be “brought low” but also comforts and helps us “and he helped me” through those things which we suffer today. This life is bringing us to examine and judge ourselves today so that we don’t have to be judged in the lake of fire in the future, and so that we can enter into life today learning obedience by those things which we suffer. Entering into life through Christ is being able to walk in holiness and “cast out devils” and “do cures to day and to morrow” so that on “the third day I shall be perfected”.

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

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 
2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 
2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

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

Next week, Lord willing,Declare, we will look at the next few verses of Psalm 116 where we will examine how it is possible to “walk before the LORD in the land of the living” that God says those who are given to keep his commandments will do. 

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Psa 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 
Psa 113:5  Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, 
Psa 113:6  Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! 
Psa 113:7  He raiseth; up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 
Psa 113:8  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 
Psa 113:9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD. 

The opening verse of our study “The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens” reminds us why it is possible for the redeemed of the Lord to declare that they are redeemed “from the hand of the enemy” as stated in Psalm 107:2. The enemy, or the powers and principalities against which we are wrestling (Eph_6:12), can be and are likened unto nations that we understand are both within and without ourselves.

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

Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 
Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 
Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; (Mat_24:9 , Rev_5:9-10)

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 

Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

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

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Those nations are being witnessed against, or are being made known by God, “what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; [nations within and without] which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”.  While all things are for our sakes without ourselves, all things are for our sakes as the body Christ within each member, and all things both within and without “work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

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. 

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

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. 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Those gentile nations being shown “the riches of the glory” within us are learning that we can go from “glory to glory” through Christ by way of “the riches of his goodness”, and in the day of the world’s visitation to which we all initially are blinded, the world will remember their perspective of God’s elect as being one of looking down on us, as though we were the ones who were spiritually impoverished as opposed to having the true riches that are produced through having His judgements in our lives, judgments that produce His righteousness [those judgments represent the day of our visitation when we are granted to see that we would remain “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” unless God sent his word to heal us]. 

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

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

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

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; 

Luk 16:19  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 

Luk 16:27  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 
Luk 16:28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 
Luk 16:29  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 
Luk 16:30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. [Eph_2:6, Mat_7:22 – God’s judgment which will torment the world will finally bring about the conversion that God had always planned to come about at this exact moment in the lake of fire where humanity will finally be persuaded (1Co_6:3)].

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.

That rich man is also within us but, Lord willing, is being identified through repentance — a repentance that is represented as the eyesalve and clothing that is acquired through gold that is purchased and tried in the fire. That gold is the rich man within us whose faith needs to be tried in the fire in order to become precious and truly spiritually rich with eyes that see. This most precious moment of the trying of our faith brings about the understanding that all these words apply to us inwardly and that it is the Lord alone who “He raiseth; up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill“.

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

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. [Heb_12:6]

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [Psa_107:2]
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 
1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: [Rev_2:10] 
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Our ability to overcome the enemy [death – represented by the gentile nations within and without] can only be conquered by the power of God’s holy spirit. We are more than conquerors through Christ, who is progressively little by little bringing us to that place of being completely persuaded that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. 

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

Luk 1:68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 
Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 
Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 
Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

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

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. 

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

We worship God in “spirit and in truth“, and that is only possible because of the liberty that we have in Christ that makes it possible for us to worship Him in “spirit and in truth” and live our lives out as overcomers who are progressively overcoming in Him.

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

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

Psa 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 

In our introduction, we discussed how those “nations” are both within and without, and this first verse is a parable that explains these following verses for those who God is giving dominion over sin in this age.

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, [The LORD is high above all nations] and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory [his glory above the heavens], who first trusted in Christ. 

Psa 113:5  Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, 

There is none “like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high” as these verses declare. 

Isa 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 
Isa 45:6  That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west [Psa_113:3], that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 

Psa 113:3  From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised. 

Isa 33:5  The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness [Oba_1:21]. 
Isa 33:6  And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. 

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.

We are seated with Christ in earnest today, being humbled in our flesh as God works all things out according to the counsel of his will, both in our spiritual heavens, as well as in all the earthly events that we are experiencing personally. All these predetermined events are unfolding for our sakes as we are being saved “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”.

Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [Php_2:13]

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. [Luk_12:32]
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [Php_2:13]

Psa 113:6  Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

The Lord is the author and finisher of our faith and understands the difficult journey we are on where we are told to arm ourselves with Christ’s mind, and so we are admonished to not be surprised by the process of having our heavens and earth humbled by our Great Creator who is humbling us under His mighty hand so that we may be exalted in due time.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

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

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: 
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; [Mat_5:10-12] that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 

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

Psa 113:7  He raiseth; up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 

Verse seven of our psalm reminds us that in God’s eyes we are weak clay that is marred in His hand, for the purpose of creating something new in Christ Jesus as these following verses declare: 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 

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. [1Co_15:50]
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, [Joh_14:20-21] who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 
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, 

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 
1Jn 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 
1Jn 3:5  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 
1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

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 any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 

Psa 113:8  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 

We are raised from a very humbling position that God fashions and works in our life so “That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people”. All this being typified so powerfully through the life of Joseph who is a type of God’s elect.

Gen 37:24  And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 

Gen 39:19  And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. 
Gen 39:20  And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
Gen 39:21  But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy [Rom_11:30-32], and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. [Rev_2:10]

Gen 41:14  Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out [1Co_15:52-58] of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment [Isa_61:9-11], and came in unto Pharaoh.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 
1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 
1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 
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. 

Isa 61:9  And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. 
Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 
Isa 61:11  For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.[Luk_19:40]

Psa 113:9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

Our “seed shall be known among the Gentiles” is a statement in Isaiah (Isa_61:9) that correlates with the thought that God “maketh the barren woman to keep house“. 

That barren woman is God’s elect who, like Joseph, will be raised into positions of rulership to “keep house”.

Gal 3:16  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 

Isa 54:3  For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 
Isa 54:4  Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 
Isa 54:5  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 

God’s elect will be showing the house to the house of Israel (all the world) who will be judged and brought into a right relationship with God through the church, through the pillars that God has established for that purpose.

Eze 43:10  Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

Psa 75:2  When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. 
Psa 75:3  The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. 

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

What greater joy could we possibly experience than to know that we can be instrumental with Christ as our head in bringing in all of His creation into a loving relationship that will last for all eternity. That is why it is written that God’s elect are “a joyful mother of children” who understand that all these events of bringing us out of darkness and into a position to rule and reign under our Lord were predestined from the foundation of the world and teach us that “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” These things were all created by our Lord who has granted that we can be part of a stedfast relationship today where we “Worship the Father in spirit and in truth” to the end that we can teach the rest of His creation to do the same.

Rev 4:8  And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 
Rev 4:9  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 
Rev 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 
Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Psa 103:1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

We “bless the Lord” because of the wonderful works He does unto the children of men, and in our last Psalm we talked about those wonderful works and the way in which God brings his people to trust Him through the fiery trials of this life which are His judgment on our old man (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17).

As a reminder of that last Psalm 102 which we covered, I would like to read and discuss the post that was written that leads nicely into Psalm 103.

The post for Psalm 102:

Zion is the symbolic city that represents where God’s elect will ultimately “come up on” to judge the mount of Esau. Esau represents the old man, our carnal nature which has to be changed through judgment and is the reason why it is written “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion” (Psalm 102:13 and the title of this study).

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.

This study of Psalm 102 examines the verses that explain why it is a merciful act of a loving Father to arise and have mercy upon Zion through judgment. God’s mercy is demonstrated to us as He leads us unto repentance, through the judgment that comes upon mount Esau. This judgment is what leads to the “riches of his goodness” that are found in spiritual Zion. [Don’t grow weary in welldoing i.e. forbearance and longsuffering Gal 6:9]

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

Isa 33:5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.
Isa 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

The “set time” (of verse 13 of our study) or ‘appointed time’ is the time when the Lord starts to work with His children and to cleanse their heavens from all that is defiled in the first man Adam, also typified as Esau, and that work is a work of judgment in our earth so we can learn righteousness. [Christ healed many demonic people, and healed many people physically to remind God’s elect today of “the riches of his goodness” expressed through the many miracles of both physical and spiritual healing that Christ did during his ministry. Those physical healings represent the greater works that we will do in the Lord and are doing today (Joh 14:12)]. God’s elect are blessed to desire Christ in the night [light coming out of darkness] where we find true spiritual healing in the Lord and not the type and shadow healing that does not bring about the new creation formed in him.

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.

Without that judgment upon us in this life, without the chastening and scourging that every son who is being received of God goes through from which we must not grow weary (Heb 12:6-8), there will be no liberty found and only a fleshly carnal “trust in the mountain of Samaria” which causes us to be “at ease in Zion” and take our high calling in Christ for granted.

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

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
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,

That trust in our flesh or reasoning in our flesh or high-mindedness is what we all naturally hold onto until we learn obedience through the things which we suffer, and that is very much what this Psalm 102 is instructing us to see from start to finish, that if we are the Lord’s in this age “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion” through judgment that brings us to stop trusting in our flesh, mount Esau or Samaria in type, and only in the living God whose purpose is to deliver us unto salvation.

1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. [Whether speaking of those men who are within us or the world without that entices and tempts the world within…these lusts of men are manifest in the words found in 2Ti 3:4-5.]

2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

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?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Amo 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

Psa 102:13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

As we can see, salvation is a gift of God that comes at the expense of our physical life, and it is only Christ who can finally bring us to say “nevertheless not my will by thine be done” and in doing so we are demonstrating the child like attitude that Christ says we must have if we are going to inherit eternal life in this age, and be able to receive others who are being grafted into the body of Christ.

Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

We “Bless The Lord” for His goodness toward us to give us the ability to overcome and walk uprightly, with a spirit of integrity. We are left knowing that the Lord is doing a great work in our heavens when “you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate”, and because He is working this work of salvation in our lives, we are promised that “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour”.

Pro 28:18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.

Pro 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Eze 36:36 Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.

Pro 21:21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

It is a narrow way, a life-long call to overcoming and knowing that it is possible to die daily and to be more than a conqueror through Christ Who is building up this holy temple that we are, for three symbolic days so that others can come to know the Lord through the church, through mount Zion upon which the saviours will come. This work of the Lord which He is doing with His children today is the reason that we “Bless The Lord” and have the sacrifice of praise on our lips for all that he does for each of us.

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

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

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

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.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Heb 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

We “Bless The Lord” just like we praise the Lord, not because He needs our blessing or our praise, but simply because it puts us in remembrance of how blessed we are to know Him and to serve Him in this age as these verses remind us.

Joh 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Psa 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psa 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Act 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Deu 7:15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
Deu 7:16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
Deu 7:17 If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?
Deu 7:18 Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
Deu 7:19 The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

These verses in Jeremiah remind us that we are blessed because the Lord is working with us, searching our hearts, trying our reins, even giving to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings, good or evil doings which we know the Lord has created both and knows how to use the former evil fruit to a good end (Eph 2:3). We are told to not forget these many blessings that are ours, and to not take for granted all that God has done for us in healing us of our diseases and taking away our iniquities giving us victory over the devil (1Jn 4:4).

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jer 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Pro 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Pro 1:32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Pro 1:33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Psa 106:21 They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

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:

Look how far we can come along and then take for granted our Lord if we start trusting in our flesh (Gal 3:3), and that is what these verses in Hosea remind us, and the reason we want to continue to have praise on our lips and giving of thanks to God, “Bless The Lord” for the wonderful works which He does unto the children of men, works that keep us trusting in Him and understanding how we need Him to clothe us and lead us where we do not want to go.

Eze 16:10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
Eze 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Eze 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

Hos 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.
Hos 2:9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

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

Psa 103:1 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

David reminds us with this opening verse that we are to love the Lord “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”, “all that is within me“, and we are known by our name “his holy name” when we truly are obedient children blessed to read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecy being hated of all men for his name sake “his holy name” which is his word.

Luk 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Pro 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

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

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.

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits^H1576:

We may not think about the destruction of our enemies within or without, and it is a good thing that we look narrowly on what God has done to the enemy (thinking within primarily – Isa 14:16-19, Pro 24:17-21), so that we don’t take pride and think that either we had something to do with our overcoming (Joh 8:36, Php 3:13-14), or that somehow that person being judged without [outside of] ourselves (Rev 13:7) is not a type of what must be, or has already been destroyed in our own heavens (Rev 5:10, Rev 11:15, 1Co 15:27). So all in all we need to remember that God’s benefits^H1576 first come upon His people, and that means His “desert^H1576” found in Psalm 28:4. His “desert^H1576” comes upon us first which is the same word “benefits^H1576” used in this second verse we’re reading. It is because of these benefits or deserts that we “bless the LORD”.

Isa 14:16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
Isa 14:17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?
Isa 14:18 All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.
Isa 14:19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

Pro 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Pro 24:18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
Pro 24:19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;
Pro 24:20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

Psa 28:4 Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert^H1576.

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.

Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

The physical reveals the spiritual and “all thy diseases” represents all the sin of the world which are within us, of which the chief of sinners that we all are would never be able to overcome except the Lord build the house and “forgiveth all thine iniquities”.

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

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.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

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.

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

Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

It is appointed unto man once to die, and all human flesh needs to be redeemed “from destruction”. God has bestowed upon us his “lovingkindness and tender mercies”, and the terminology is “who crowneth” because it is by being crowned with the mind of Christ that we are being shown “lovingkindness and tender mercies” and being given the power to overcome through Christ who is our head.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

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

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

We can die daily as a result of the judgment which is occurring in our heavens today. God’s elect are experiencing the blessing of being judged in this age, and that judgment is occurring “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” together. We know and believe that the rest of the world who has died already or who are alive will eventually come up and be raised into heavenly places to a hope-filled accounting in the second resurrection, Paul says “I speak to your shame” in 1 Corinthians 6:5 because the church was neglecting to stir up the spirit that God had given them, not a “spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” that is able to pronounce judgement where needed and knows that we will “judge angels” and “how much more things that pertain to this life?”.

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace

[Eph 2:6-7 being the reason why we don’t want to despise the riches of His goodness Rom 2:4] in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

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.

1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1Co 6:5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1Co 6:6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.

2Ti 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

It is that spirit working within the body of Christ, the church, which “redeemeth thy life from destruction“, and is how God shows His “tender mercies” toward us, through the judgment we receive, and by being able to mercifully show and maintain that same righteous judgment toward one another in the body of Christ.

Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

God satisfies us with the strength that we need to overcome the enemy within and without, and He brings us to see that we would be sifted like wheat if the Lord were not on our side nourishing us and giving us the power to love our enemies and turn the other cheek.

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;

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.

That is what this shadow of the eagle being renewed in its youth is reminding us. We are dependent on the body of Christ to nourish us so we can surrender our lives as a living sacrifice, laying down our lives for others who will be nourished and grafted into the body by the strength which God gives us to do that through others.

Psa 124:2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
Psa 124:3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Rom 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the next few verses in our study entitled “Bless The Lord” and consider once again all the benefits that we are partakers of together in this precious body of Christ that is being given as a living sacrifice for the world’s sake to save it.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Psa 103:7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psa 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psa 103:9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Psa 103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Psa 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

The Prophecy of Isaiah - Part 52 Discussion

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Isa 11:1-8 He Shall Smite The Earth With The Rod of His Mouth

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

No one who claims to believe in the Bible as the Word of God doubts that these verses are a prophecy of the kingdom of God and Christ's authority over that kingdom. It is universally accepted that when Christ takes His kingdom He will "smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and [that] He shall slay the wicked... with the breath of His lips".

The question which will occupy this study is, "When exactly will Christ begin to "judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth"? When exactly does Christ begin to "smite the earth with the rod of His mouth"?"

Before we give you the Biblical answer to these questions, let'​s go back and notice whom the Lord has chosen to oppose and resist the coming of this day when Christ will smite the earth with the rod of His mouth. Here are the ending verses of the previous chapter, which remind us with whom we are at war, and therefore who it is who rules the earth at this time, and who it is who will be smitten with the breath of His mouth:

Isa 10:24  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
Isa 10:25  For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
Isa 10:26  And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
Isa 10:27  And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
Isa 10:28  He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
Isa 10:29  They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
Isa 10:30  Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Isa 10:31  Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
Isa 10:32  As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Isa 10:33  Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
Isa 10:34  And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

The Assyrian will smite us with a rod after the manner of Egypt, who also enslaved God's people. There is no way of avoiding enslavement to either Egypt or Assyria. All mankind will come up out of Egyptian slavery, go through a wilderness experience, tempt their own Savior "ten times", die in the wilderness, and through that "deadly wound", enter into the land of promise, conquer many giants in that land, but then turn their backs on their first love, and be carried away as captives into Assyria. It will be there, from Babylon, the land of Shinar, the land of Assyria, the land of great pride in our ownselves, that we will be finally be granted the deliverance and salvation and the peace of mind we all seek:

Num 14:22  Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Hos 11:3  I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5  He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
Hos 11:6  And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
Hos 11:7  And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

This is not something which takes place in the millennium. This is all taking place in our lives, the lives of those who are "the Israel of God, [which] is not of Abraham". All of this takes place because God "makes us [all] to err from [His] ways", through our marred condition and composition "in [His] hands...[under] the law of sin which [He has placed] in [our] members... after the counsel of His own will":

Isa 63:16  Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father [the Father of "the Israel of God" - Gal 6:15-16] , our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.
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.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer 18:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 18:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
Jer 18:7  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

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

Of ourselves, we are as natural brute beasts doomed to destruction:

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

That is the reason we all are brought to our wits' end (Psa 107:27), and we are brought to cry out with the apostle:

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

The first five verses of our study today answers the apostle's question, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death" into which we all have been placed:

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

"A rod out of the stem of Jesse" will "judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."

It is few indeed who profess to believe the scriptures that doubt these words are a prophecy of the coming of Christ to rule this earth "with the rod of His mouth". But what is not known by most is that this is not as much a prophecy of life during the coming millennium as it concerns the "kingdom of God... within you" here and now. What is understood by very few is that the words of this prophecy primarily concern the 'earth' as that word is meant by the scriptures themselves as in this verse of scripture:

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

This entire twenty-second chapter of Jeremiah is addressed to the king of Judah and Jerusalem and to all of his subjects:

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

The opposite of 'heaven' is not 'hell'. Scripturally, the opposite of 'heaven' is the 'earth'. There is coming a time when the outward kingdoms of this earth will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, but that certainly is not yet the case in its outward sense:

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

"The king of Judah" was the king of one of "the kingdoms of this world". The kings of Israel and Judah were all physical descendants of Abraham, and the kings of Judah were all descendants of King David of whom it was prophesied:

Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

In the next chapter of Romans, Paul makes this revolutionary 'replacement theology' statement:

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

The apostle Paul acknowledges the affection he had toward his 'kinsmen according to the flesh'.

Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

However, Paul knew that the things of the flesh were being superseded by "the things of the spirit", and Paul knew that included being physically descended from Abraham or King David. Paul is speaking under the inspiration of the holy spirit when he tells us:

Rom 9:1  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 9:6  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Here we have the most prolific New Testament writer plainly establishing that most hated doctrine, which is disparagingly referred to as "replacement theology". Later Paul makes clear that physical fleshly pedigree and physical descent from Abraham is no longer a factor in our relationship with our Creator when he tells us this:

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more [after the flesh].
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This is not a doctrine of men. It is the holy spirit which is teaching us "the children of the promise are counted for the seed", and to  make this perfectly clear, we are told that "Jerusalem that now is, is in bondage with her children" whereas the Gentile Galatians are now called by the holy spirit "as Isaac was, the children of promise". This is not a doctrine of men. Jerusalem is now "in bondage with her children", and the holy spirit goes on to tell us:

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

Here is the holy spirit's replacement theology in a nutshell:

Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren [Gentile Galatians], as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

This accords with the doctrine of Christ Himself who was first to go to the Gentile Samaritans with these words:

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The kingdom of God is no longer connected to Jerusalem or Samaria. It is now a spiritual 'mountain', a spiritual kingdom of those who worship God in spirit and in truth.

This is the kingdom with which the verses of Isaiah 11:1-5 primarily concern themselves:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The kingdom and the promises all pertain to Christ, and that kingdom is now being given to Christ, the king of His kingdom. Let's look at those verses again.

Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

"He is a Jew which is one inwardly", and "behold the kingdom of God is within you". "He is not a Jew which is one outwardly", and "the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father".

Psa 89:2  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Psa 89:3  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

Where a 'throne' is, there must be a king and a kingdom. Christ's kingdom is said to be "establish[ed] in the very heavens... within you".  The scriptures reveal the what and the where of "the very heavens", and we have an indepth discussion of the location of the kingdom of heaven being within us at this link here.

It is this spiritual inward kingdom of "mount Sion... unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem" with which our study today is concerned.

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.

That being the case, we are of necessity being delivered from a spiritually inward kingdom of Assyria of which we are told:

Isa 10:24  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
Isa 10:25  For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
Isa 10:26  And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

It is when 'the Lord of hosts stirs up a scourge for the king of Assyria according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb' that:

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

The wolf, the leopard, the lion, the bear, the asp and the cockatrice are one and all "the power of the enemy" within us, and they are all subdued and dominated by Christ who has been given all power in heaven and in earth, who now lives His life within us and who has given us that same power "over all the power of the enemy".

Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luke 10:19 is the fulfilling in our lives of every word of Isaiah 11. Like the apostle Paul in whom Christ dwelt, if a venomous beast with his venomous false doctrines does attach himself to us, we simply shake him off into the fiery burning flames of the Truths of the Word of God.

Act 28:3  And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
Act 28:4  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.
Act 28:5  And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.

These verses here in Isaiah 11 have nothing to do with the disposition of the physical animals in the kingdom of God during the millennium as we have most generally been taught. If beasts were subdued to this degree, then there would be no need for a rod of iron with which to subdue 'strong nations afar off'.

Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

It is also evident that after the millennium the nations do indeed "learn war" again in very short order:

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.

The increasing of beasts within the kingdom of God is one of the means used by the Lord to keep His work on His schedule, and they are also used by the Lord throughout prophecy to discipline the Lord's people for their sins:

Deu 7:22  And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

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

It will be those who know the mind and the words of the Lord who will be used by Him as His "battle axe and weapons of war" against all those whom He has first used to discipline us.

We will be "the rod of His mouth"? The Lord will use us to execute his rule and His judgments upon the "kingdoms of this world"? This what we are told throughout the scriptures:

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, and it shall devour them.

Jer 51:19  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 51:20  Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;
Jer 51:21  And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;
Jer 51:22  With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;
Jer 51:23  I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.
Jer 51:24  And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

Eze 3:10  Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
Eze 3:11  And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Eze 3:17  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

You and I are called to be the Lord's anointed to do the very things He did for His Father:

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

The words of this chapter of Isaiah will be accomplished within our lives in this age only after the Lord has destroyed the king of Assyria within us, brought us to our wits' end and subdued all the beasts within us in this age. These words have nothing to do with the disposition of beasts during the millennium where we will be judging the nations of this world and ruling them with a rod of iron:

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

So once again the 'is' character of the Word of God is given priority, and the beasts of the earth are now being subdued within the Lord's elect, preparing them to be the instruments through which all men will be granted to subdue the beasts within themselves and in time come to be at peace with their Creator.

Next week we will see another demonstration of how the words of this chapter apply to this present age. The cockatrice cannot hurt us even now, even as we live in these earthen vessels  where the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth within us in this age.

Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isa 11:11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Isa 11:12  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isa 11:13  The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
Isa 11:14  But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
Isa 11:15  And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
Isa 11:16  And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

The Prophecy of Isaiah - Part 50 Discussion

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Isa 10:20-26 Mine... Indignation Shall Cease... In Their Destruction

Isa 10:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Isa 10:21  The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
Isa 10:22  For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
Isa 10:23  For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
Isa 10:24  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
Isa 10:25  For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
Isa 10:26  And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

We must remember that our study today concerns the revelation of the judgment of the king of Assyria, which is also the judgment of Babylon in its outward, future, 'will be' application. "As his rod was upon the sea" of the flesh of all men, so he will lift up his hand against the Lord's elect, just as the Egyptians lifted up their hands against God's people who had gone into Egypt to find refuge. This outward judgment of the king of Assyria, the king of Babylon, begins only after the Lord has "performed His whole work upon" us. When He has judged "great Babylon" within His own people, then the Lord will use us, "His Christ", to judge Babylon within others. That is the qualifier for this study:

Isa 10:12  Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
Isa 10:13  For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

We have demonstrated that the kings of Assyria, Babylon, and Tyre, are one and all types of the religious, self-righteous second beast who rises up within all men.

Here is the king of Assyria as he is revealed in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

The first beast comes "up out of the sea" (Rev 13:1), which we have demonstrated is the symbol of the flesh of all men (Psa 104:24-26 and Isa 27:1 and Isa 57:20). But the second beast does not rise up out of the sea. Instead he "com[es] up out of the earth" with two horns like a lamb, but speaking as a dragon, doing great wonders... in the sight of men, decieving them that dwell on the earth by the means of the miracles he has been given the power to do in the sight of the beast.

Later in the book of revelation this same second beast, who is empowered to 'work miracles before the beast' is also called "the false prophet":

Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Because we have been granted to know that we, as part of mankind, must "live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Mat 4:4), we now know that "the revelation of Jesus Christ" includes the revelation of Him within us, and that the book of Revelation is a "signified" story of that revelation within those who are His.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Knowing we are to live by the "signified... things written [herein]" gives us the ability to appreciate the knowledge that "the revelation of Jesus Christ" necessitates the judgment and utter destruction of the flesh of Christ Himself as well as "the stout heart of the king of Assyria" within every man, ourselves included as those whom Christ has sent to save this world.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

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

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

We have demonstrated that this book of Revelation is rooted and grounded in the Old Testament prophecies, especially this prophecy of Isaiah. We now rejoice to know that "judgment must begin at [us] the house of God" (1Pe 4:17).

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:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

It is only the spiritually blind who deny that our sufferings make us "partakers of Christ's sufferings... 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:

Paul's and our sufferings make us "partakers of Christ's sufferings... [which, like Christ's own sufferings was] for His body's sake, which is the church".

We have seen that the great harlot of Revelation 17-18 is none other than we ourselves, as the Lord's own unfaithful wife, while we are yet steeped in the deceptions of the doctrines of that great harlot and her "false prophet" who symbolize all the doctrines and the ministers of this great harlot system. We have been blessed to know that being in Babylon and being deceived by the false prophets of Babylon and worshipping the beast, receiving the mark of his name and enduring the day and night torment this experience produces is, in truth, simply exercising the patience of the saints and is keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, who endured the very same fiery trials which are an integral part of the gospel of Jesus Christ, all of which are also but a part of "the things written therein" (Rev 1:3). Let's read it with our own eyes which can, Lord willing, perceive:

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [And what is the holy spirit telling us?]
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Once again we discover that all we have been told to avoid and to deny and resist is in fact nothing less that "the patience of the saints... that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus", through which "fiery trials" "all men... all the world" must walk, each in his own appointed time:

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

"All the world" is qualified so we cannot miss just how all inclusive the holy spirit is in making that statement:

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; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Verse 18 is much better translated:

Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has a mind calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is the number of mankind, and its number is six hundred sixty-six. (CVL)

The Greek for the word 'a man' in the King James is 'anthropos', and there is no article in the Greek language. 666 is the number of mankind who was created on the 6th day along with all other beasts, and the scriptures make clear that mankind in indeed a beast, thereby forever associated with the number 6:

Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us 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 man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Gen 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Which means:

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

The kingdom of this beast is portrayed in this chapter of Isaiah as the king of Assyria, and the Lord tells us He will use a "remnant of Israel" to judge the kingdom of the beast within all of mankind

Isa 10:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Isa 10:21  The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
Isa 10:22  For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

"The remnant of Israel" is mentioned in all three of these verses. We will completely miss the meaning and significance of this "remnant of Israel" if we are intimidated by all the teachers of Babylon who have been blinded to the truth of these verses of scripture, make up the very essence of the gospel of Christ, who Himself began His ministry with these words:

Luk 4:24  And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
Luk 4:25  But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
Luk 4:26  But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a [Gentile] woman that was a widow.
Luk 4:27  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the [Gentile] Syrian.

Christ was the very first of the hated so-called "replacement theologians". Here we have Him telling us what He intends to do with His ministry. And what was the reaction of those in Israel who are not part of "the remnant of Israel" who heard these words of Christ? Here is the reaction of those very people who grew up with Christ and His parents and His brothers and sisters:

Luk 4:28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

It was Christ Himself who first took His gospel to the Gentiles when He was received of the Samaritans via the testimony of the Samaritan woman who Christ met at the well in Samaria.

Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Joh 4:27  And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
Joh 4:28  The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
Joh 4:29  Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
Joh 4:30  Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

Joh 4:39  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
Joh 4:40  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
Joh 4:41  And many more believed because of his own word;
Joh 4:42  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Christ and His gospel were preached and received by the Gentile Samaritans before He was received by His own family, His own city or His own country men. Again we see that Christ Himself was the original 'replacement theologian'!

Physical Israel was called the Lord's fig tree. It was Christ who symbolically cursed His own fig tree and pronounced upon it that His own physical nation would not bring forth fruit in this age:

Let's establish the Biblical significance of a fig tree:

Hos 9:10  I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Joe 1:7  He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Mat 21:19  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever [Greek: the aion]. And presently the fig tree withered away.

There were "many things [which Christ's disciples] could not bear" while He was yet in His physical body, the rejection of physical Israel being just one of those "many things".

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

But later He revealed "many things" to them; things like:

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

The modern Pharisees utterly despise those verses of scripture. They read them, but they do not perceive what they are seeing. Of course that also causes them to be blinded from seeing these verses also:

Gal 4:21  Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, [Gentile Galatians] as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

The holy spirit informs those with eyes to see that Hagar "answers to Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children". Speaking to Gentile Galatians, Paul informs us "we are not the children of the bondwoman but of the free". This accords with this 'replacement theology' doctrine of the entire New Testament. This teaching is at the close of the previous chapter:

Gal 3:27  For as many of you [Gentile Galatians] as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There it is! Paul, like Christ was one of the original "replacement theologians", and he went to great lengths to make this teaching clear when at last, in prison, he was shown that not even the letter from the apostles in Acts 15 was any longer in effect and that from this time forward, Christ is "making of twain one new man, so making peace":

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; [The letter to the Gentiles of Acts 15]
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Now we know that "the remnant of Israel" is speaking of "the Israel of God [which is] neither Jew nor Greek... for [we] are all one in Christ Jesus". Paul makes this statement in Galatians 6:

Gal 6:15  Certainly, it doesn't matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation.
Gal 6:16  Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God. (GW)

This is the 'Israel of God" of whom a remnant will fulfill this prophecy:

Isa 10:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
Isa 10:21  The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
Isa 10:22  For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

As we saw earlier, the king of Assyria within us "stayed upon" his own strength, and his own wisdom, and it is this self-righteousness which necessitates his destruction at the hand of "the remnant of... the Israel of God".

Isa 10:13  For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
Isa 10:14  And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

"Yet a remnant of them [The elect, "the Israel of God"] shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness", because when God destroys anything, it is done "with righteousness", simply because He is love, and what He does is all done "for good to them that love [Him]".

This 'consumption' of our rebellious "first man Adam" was predestined from "before the world began". Therefore the destruction and "consumption" of the beast within all men is a work of His righteousness:

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,

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

This brings us to our next verse, which accords with this revelation that all things are taking place just as they were predetermined to occur, all in accordance with the plan of God:

Isa 10:23  For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
Isa 10:24  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

We are told that the consumption is determined, and we are told that it is determined that the king of Assyria will smite us with his rod "after the manner of Egypt". It is commonly understood that the Egyptians soon forgot the blessing Joseph had been to Egypt, and they had enslaved Joseph's people:

Exo 1:8  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Exo 1:9  And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10  Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Our old man knows that Christ is mightier than our flesh, but our flesh has been given to enslave us to our own destructive ways. Our old man and his Babylonian harlot are merciless task masters who have no mercy, yet we "love to have it so":

Jer 5:31  The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

It is for this reason "few are chosen" out of the "many called". Christ is very honest and straight forward with us when He speaks to us about the calling He has placed upon us. He tells us "you shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of..." Right up front He tells us "[we] shall be hated of all men" including our very families:

Mar 10:39  And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

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.

It is the king of Assyria and the Babylonian system who are within our own old man. But that same spirit is also in our families and in this world, and it is the religious Babylonian system which the Lord will use to "chasten and scourge" His elect whom He is preparing as His instrument for the destruction of that very same Babylonian spirit and system. Only then will the Lord's anger cease.

Here is the answer to Isaiah's question, "...what will ye do in the end thereof?" (Isa 5:31):

Isa 10:25  For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
Isa 10:26  And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

The destruction of the Babylonian system which so hates the doctrines of Christ will be accomplished "according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb". 'The rock of Oreb' is so called because it was there that "the Lord set every man's hand against his fellow", and it was there that Gideon slew the Midianite king, Oreb:

Jdg 7:22  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
Jdg 7:23  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
Jdg 7:24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
Jdg 7:25  And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

King David implores the Lord to destroy the enemies of His elect in the same manner:

Psa 83:9  Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:
Psa 83:10  Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.
Psa 83:11  Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:
Psa 83:12  Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

The formula we are learning is that the Lord uses the doctrines of the kings of Assyria and Babylon to give Himself an occasion to destroy the kingdom of Babylon within His elect. Then He uses His elect to both judge this world and then to judge angels in the lake of fire:

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

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

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

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will learn that while the destruction of Babylon at the hands of God's elect, causes the anger of the Lord to cease, it also removes the yoke of the enslavement to our Egyptian and Babylonian taskmasters "because of the anointing" upon the Lord's anointed, His Christ.

In other words, the salvation of all men, even those in Babylon, will be accomplished by Christ via His Christ, His anointed:

Isa 10:27  And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
Isa 10:28  He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages:
Isa 10:29  They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.
Isa 10:30  Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.
Isa 10:31  Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.
Isa 10:32  As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Isa 10:33  Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.
Isa 10:34  And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

Psa 76:8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
Psa 76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Psa 76:10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
Psa 76:11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
Psa 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

In this last section of our study with Psalm 76, we will look at how God saves the “meek of the earth” who are given to learn to be “still” and let Him fight their every battle within and without.

Exo 14:14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Deu 3:22 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.

We mentioned the word “controversy” in last week’s study and how it is connected to judgment in many verses in God’s word.

Mic 6:2 Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD’S controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

Hos 12:2 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.

Hos 4:1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

It is this judgment that will lead us to being still.

Mar 14:60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mar 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

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.

The controversy in the land is what God begins in the heart of those being judged today, and this judgement leads us to an inescapable place where we learn that we can, only by God’s grace and faith, come to “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD”.

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 to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Where will we go to find the nourishment and example to be able to lie dead in this street and no longer trust in our own fleshly reasoning minds? The answer, as always, lies in our communion with the body of Christ, in Christ’s vineyard which we are.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

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.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

It is within God’s vineyard that we can glean from one another, and be still, and listen to Christ in each other, which is part of decreasing and abasing ourselves so Christ can increase. Our chief desire is coming to want all men to be saved and to be those kind of first fruits who understand how this is accomplished by bearing each other’s burdens and esteeming each other better which is how we decrease and Christ increases in each of our vineyard experiences.

Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

If we are blessed to be still in this age to hear the voice of God in His vineyard, we will understand that God is avenging “our blood on them that dwell on the earth” by first judging us and stilling our hearts so that we can become obedient children who will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Deu 12:1 These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.
Deu 12:2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Here are our first verses for this study.

Psa 76:8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
Psa 76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.

Death and judgment, Death and fear, Death and stillness; there are a couple of treasures to unearth here:

* Until judgment comes upon the world within and without, the earth will not fear and be still (1Ki 19:12).

* Death is likened unto this “stillness” in scripture (Rev 11:8), and only those who are dead to sin and alive in Christ can be still in order to witness to this dying world.

Christ’s work/parable/word to raise the maid in Luke 8 points to those two thoughts above.

First, consider the need to feed this maid after he raised her physically as a type of our being raised in heavenly places (Eph 2:6, Eph 1:20, Rom 4:25 search the word ‘raised‘ in the new covenant to yield a great mini-study) and fed only after we have died to self.

This maid is a type of the elect who gives witness that the Lord is able to resurrect/heal/rebuke/exorcise/make whole our faith (see the entire 8th chapter of Luke for all of these examples that climax with this maid’s resurrection at the end of this chapter), through the judgment that takes place in our heavens and feeds us after the world witnesses our death and our being raised up, which will cause the world around us to fear and be still when it happens.

Here are some verses that accompany these thoughts.

Luk 8:53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
Luk 8:54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
Luk 8:55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

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.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
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.

This judgment that we’re looking at is what saves the meek of the earth who are blessed to not only stumble unto Christ and “fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” by His word, but also to have that word then purify us within — by Christ, the rock — crushing all the idols of our hearts that we so readily hold unto unless the Lord tears them down and builds us up anew.

Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Isa 28:14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

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.

Jer 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jer 18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Act 7:49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?

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.

Psa 76:10 Surely the wrath^H2534 of man shall praise^H3034 thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain^H2296.

This verse complements the idea that man’s wrath is for a season and serves its overall purpose to the glory of God.

H2534Total KJV Occurrences: 124 fury/ious/iously/, 73 wrath/ful/wroth, 35
H3034 Total KJV Occurrences: 114 praise/ed, 53 thank/s/ful/ing/giving, 40, confess/ed/eth/ing/ion/, 18

Joh 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

God has power in heaven and in earth (Isa 45:7) and demonstrates His love to the world by giving Christ and his body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1) who fill up in this age what is behind of the afflictions of Christ (Rom 4:25, Col 1:24, 1Jn 4:17).

Just as Christ was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification, so is the elect raised with Christ in heavenly places today to become saviours for the rest of the world who will come to know God and His Son Jesus Christ through the church (Joh_17:3 , Eph_3:10).

The ‘restraining‘ spoken of in this verse is tied to the idea that there is a right time for judgment for all the earth, each man in his order.

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lettethG2722 G737 will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

Psa 76:11 Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.

We are told to vow^H5087, and pay unto the Lord your God: which we know is our reasonable service (Rom 12:1). And what is the purpose of a vow^H5087?

Num 6:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vowH5087 a vowH5088 of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:

Accompanied with the promise that God will make our feet like hinds’ feet, God’s elect are given the mind of Christ and the faith and strength to be able to bring presents unto him as we endure through this life fearing him who “ought to be feared”.

Psa 18:32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

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.

1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psa 76:12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

This last verse discusses in type and shadow the wickedness within all mankind that will be cut off in its time (1Th 5:23). These princes and kings of the earth are judged and the blood of Christ is avenged upon them that dwell upon the earth. The earth is a metaphor for where all this wickedness abides.

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.

The stillness we have been looking at tonight can only come about as a result of God dealing with our first Adamic voice that must decrease as Christ’s voice and word and mind and way become the only one that matters.

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

Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

That stillness only comes as we decrease. John knew it in part but we know it much more clearly. Let’s line up these verses to understand what that stillness means:

Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease^G1642.

Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower^{G1642 G1024 G5100,} than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

To decrease is to taste death and be baptized into Christ’s death as we die daily (Rom 6:3-4, 1Co 15:31).

Most assuredly “He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth” to fill us with that spirit that quickeneth and gives everlasting life.

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