Ezekiel 44:1–31 The Gate for the Prince

[Study Aired January 20, 2025]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study is about the east gate of the temple designated for the princes. It also shows the Lord’s criticism of the house of Israel for their unfaithfulness and the need for the priests to be more circumspective in the future. The third point raised has to do with the degrading of the Levites because of their idolatry. Finally, the study centers on the establishment of the priesthood in the family of Zadok and the rules governing their election as priests.

The Gate for the Prince

Eze 44:1  Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 
Eze 44:2  Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 
Eze 44:3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

The outer gate to the sanctuary was shut because we were not worthy to enter the temple because of our sins which had reached the heavens. In other words, our hearts and minds were not ready yet to become the habitation of the Lord because of our sins as the man of sin (our flesh) sits in our temple claiming to be God.

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

As indicated in previous study, the east refers to the beginning of the rising of the sun. The Lord taking us back to the east gate is to remind us of the beginning of His work in us as He comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to cause the sun, signifying our Lord Jesus Christ, to rise within us.

In verse 2, we are given the reason the gate was shut such that no man can enter in. It was because our Lord Jesus Christ had entered by the gate. This implies the Lord coming to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to begin the judgement of our old man or flesh, and until the seven plagues, signifying our complete judgement, are completed, we cannot offer our bodies as the temple for the Lord.

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.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

In verse 3, we are told that only the prince can sit within the temple to eat bread before the presence of the Lord. The prince here refers to the Lord’s elect. We are the ones that the Lord is opening our hearts and minds to see and hear 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 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  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.

As stated in verse 3, it is through the east gate that we enter the temple and it is through the same gate that we leave the temple. The east gate represents the beginning of the Lord coming with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to make our hearts and minds His habitation. When we refuse to grow in Him, we end up leaving through the same east gate. The east gate therefore represents our falling away also.

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.

Eze 44:4  Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. 

In the previous study, we went into details to explain what the glory of the Lord signifies. This is what we said:

The cloud represents the Lord’s elect and therefore we can say that the glory of the Lord always appears in His elect.

Exo 40:34  Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 

Exo 24:16  And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

The fact that the cloud covered mount Sinai for six days is to show us that the cloud represent the Lord’s elect since the number six is the number of man. What we also need to understand is that anytime there is the glory of the Lord in the cloud, there is the speaking of the Lord. This glory of the Lord is therefore being able to hear the voice of the true shepherd or our Lord Jesus Christ from the midst of the fire. 

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

From the midst of the fire signifies that seeing the glory of the Lord also means being judged. At the end of the day, this is what the glory of the Lord does to us, His elect:

1Sa 2:8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

The glory of the Lord is therefore His works in us His elect, first, and later, in another age, the rest of all humanity.  

Psa 104:31  The glory of the LORD shall endure forever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. 

Isa 4:5  And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 

Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

The works of the Lord is preparing His temple, which is our bodies for Him to dwell in.

The glory of the Lord filling the house of the Lord in verse 4 therefore means the Lord doing His work of cleansing of our hearts and minds to dwell in. Bringing Ezekiel to the north gate means that this work of cleansing involves the Lord’s judgement of our flesh or old man as the north signifies judgement.

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.

Ezekiel falling upon his face when he saw the glory of the Lord means that it is when we see the works of the Lord in our lives that we come to worship Him in truth and in spirit.

Eze 44:5  And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. 

Here in verse 5, the Lord told Ezekiel to pay attention to the rules and regulations of the house of the Lord and everyone that goes in and comes out of the sanctuary. The rules and regulations pertain to the pattern that was shown Moses on Mount Sinai.

Exo 25:9  According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exo 25:40  And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

The pattern relates to how the Lord builds His temple within us through His judgement and the opening of our eyes and ears to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom. Paying attention to those who enter in and those who go out is another way of saying that we should try every spirit to see if it is of the Lord.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Eze 44:6  And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, 
Eze 44:7  In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. 
Eze 44:8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. 

These verses affirm to us the fact that we should try every spirit to see if it is of the Lord. This is because some have entered in to spy on our liberty in Christ. These are the rebellious who try to come in with their abominations to defile our temple. These abominations are the false doctrines which become the idols of our hearts and pollutes our hearts and minds. As a result, we are not able to take care of the holy things which refer to the truth of the word of the Lord. These men try to find their way into leadership to destroy the Lord’s people. In Paul’s days, these men were called the concision.

Php 3:2  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

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

The Degrading of the Levites

Eze 44:9  Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. 
Eze 44:10  And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. 

In verse 9, we are informed that if we are not circumcised in heart and flesh, we shall not enter into the sanctuary of the Lord. Being uncircumcised in heart and flesh means that we have not gone through the judgement of the Lord and therefore we have not submitted to the Lord or learnt righteousness. In this age, it is only the Lord’s elect who are being judged and therefore those who are not circumcised are not part of the Lord’s elect or the general assembly of the Lord’s firstborn.

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

The Levites here in verse 10 are not priests and therefore are not sons of Zadok. They signify our brothers and sisters in Babylon or the physical churches of this world who have gone astray as a result of the idols of their hearts which represent false doctrines. In this particular case, these Levites represent the leadership in the churches of this world who shall be punished for their sins in an age to come.

Eze 44:11  Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 
Eze 44:12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.   

These Levites are the ministers who have charge of the gates of the house. That is to say that they are the ones who help us when we come out of the world to start our walk with Christ but as Jesus said, they end up making us children of hell.

Mat 23:15  “How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are. (GW)

In verse 12, we are informed that because these Levites minister based on the idols of their hearts, they have caused the house of the Lord to fall into iniquity and therefore shall be punished for their sins. In time past, we were like these Levites, however, the Lord showed us mercy and delivered us from Babylonian captivity.

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;
2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving while they feast with you;
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:
2Pe 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Eze 44:13  And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 
Eze 44:14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. 

Both the leaders of the churches of this world and they who worship with them shall not come near the Lord to do the office of a priest unto the Lord. When we were in Babylon, we thought we were the royal priesthood. However, it was when we came to the assembly of the Lord’s elect that we realized that we did not have a clue as to what qualifies a person to be a priest. As stated earlier, not coming near to the holy things of the Lord means not being given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord. The most holy place is our hearts and minds which have been cleansed of falsehood by the judgement of the Lord. Not being given to come near the holy place therefore implies not being judged in this age. When we are not being judged, then it means we are bearing our shame and abominations since judgement leads to righteousness.

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.

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.

In verse 14, we are told that these Levites or our brothers and sisters in Babylon are keepers of the charge of the house. We were all under the guidance of these Levites until the appointed time, when Christ comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth 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:

The Establishment of the Priesthood

Eze 44:15  But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 
Eze 44:16  They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 
Eze 44:17 And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

The Levites priests of the sons of Zadok represent the Lord’s elect. We are those that keep charge of the Lord’s sanctuary when the children of Israel, who signify Babylon, went astray from the Lord. Keeping charge of the sanctuary means ministering to the Lord by offering Him the fat and the blood. The fat we offer is our peace offering to the Lord by fire. In other words, as we go through the Lord’s judgement, we have peace with God. The blood we offer is our lives dedicated to the Lord as we go through His judgement since the life of the flesh is in the blood.

2Ch 7:7  Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.  

Lev 17:6  And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

The requirement for ministering in the inner court to the Lord as priests is putting on linen garments. This linen garment represents our righteousness. As we know, we learn righteousness through the Lord’s judgement. Therefore, if we are to minister before the Lord, then we need to go through the Lord’s judgement.

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

Rev 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.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

We are not to wear wool or anything that causes us to sweat as we minister before the Lord. The presence of sweat reveals to us that we are exerting our strength or effort. We are therefore not to use our strength or willpower as we come to worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. We need to experience rest in the Lord, fully assured that it is the Lord who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure – not by our own selves.

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.

Eze 44:18  They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. 
Eze 44:19 And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.  

The linen turbans that we are to cover our heads with is to let us know our role as the bride of Christ to submit to Him. The linen undergarment is part of the linen garment which speaks of our righteousness.

1Co 11:13  Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
1Co 11:14  Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
1Co 11:15  But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

In verse 19, we are told that if we are to come into the outer court to the people, we must put off our linen garment and put on other garments. This is to let us know that, to the people in the outer courts who represent our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, we do not signify the royal priesthood as they see us wearing ordinary clothes like them. However, to the  Lord’s elect, we are the priests of the Lord recognized by the linen garment we wear to minister to the Lord. Because they do not see us as the Lord’s priests, but as ordinary people, we cannot sanctify them through the word.

The Rules Governing the Priesthood

Eze 44:20  Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 
Eze 44:21  Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 
Eze 44:22  Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

The shaving of our heads means that we do not have a covering before the Lord who is our husband. In other words, shaving our heads means that we are not submitting to our husband, Christ. Thus, being commanded not to shave our heads means that we must submit to Christ. On the other hand, we must not let our hair grow long. This is to let us know that we must do all things in moderation.

Php 4:5  Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

As stated in verse 21, we must not drink wine as priests when we are ministering before the Lord. To understand this verse, we need to look at the negative application of wine. On a positive note, wine refers to the word of the Lord as shown in the following verses:

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

Deu 33:28  Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

On a negative note, wine symbolizes false doctrines as follows:

Pro 20:1  Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

Not drinking wine as priests therefore means that we must avoid false doctrines so that we are not deceived.

In verse 22, we are warned as priests not to marry a widow or a woman that is divorced. The widow or a woman that is divorced here represents our brothers and sisters in Babylon. Our union with them may take us back to Babylonian captivity. On the other hand, we are advised to marry from the Lord’s elect represented here by the maidens of the house of Israel or a widow that had a priest before.

Eze 44:23  And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 
Eze 44:24  And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 

As priests of the Lord, we are required to teach the Lord’s elect the difference between the holy and the profane, or the clean and the unclean. The holy or the clean here signifies the truth of the word of the Lord. The profane or unclean is false doctrines. When we came into the assembly of the Lord’s firstborn, or Jerusalem which is above, through what every joint supplies, we have come to see clearly the difference between the holy and the profane.

In verse 24, priests must perform the role of judges and make decisions based on the word of the Lord when there are disputes.

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?

We are also required as priests to be obedient to the words of the Lord and also to keep the sabbath. Keeping the sabbath means that we have come to cease from our own strivings and have come to rest in the Lord.

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.

Eze 44:25  And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.

A priest must not come near a dead body to be defiled by it. The dead body here refers to the false messengers of the gospel in the churches of this world. We must therefore not pay attention to these false messengers in our homes through TV and other social media. Here in verse 25, we are told that we can be defiled through the dead body of a father, mother, son, daughter or an unmarried sister. Our father and mother here are those that we esteem to have helped us with our walk with Christ. Sons and daughters are those we have helped to be established in the faith. Brother and sister are those we fellowship with. This warning is to highlight the fact that we must always search the scriptures, just like the Berean church, to see that what we hear is the truth.

Act 17:11  The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true.

Eze 44:26  And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. 
Eze 44:27  And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD. 

When we are defiled through false doctrine and we repent, we are to wait for a complete period of time, symbolized by seven days, as determined by the elders, to continue ministering to the Lord which is the same as ministering to our brothers and sisters.

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

Offering of a sin offering means confessing our sins to the Lord who will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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.

Eze 44:28  And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 
Eze 44:29  They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 

The fact that we are given no inheritance here on earth and that our possession is Christ means that what the Lord possesses as He overcame is ours as we see physical inheritance passes away.

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.

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Because the Lord overcame, He is sitting on a throne at the right hand of God. We too shall sit with Christ on thrones, which implies that we shall reign over the physical kingdoms of this world and also judge the whole world.

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

Verse 29 is telling us that our portion in this life is to eat what the Lord has freely given to us – the meat offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering and every dedicated thing in Israel. All of these offerings, including the dedicated thing in Israel, all refer to the truth of His words. It is indeed a privilege to be given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

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 44:30  And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. 
Eze 44:31 The priests shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast. 

We, His elect, are privileged to taste of the first fruits of all things. In other words, we are the first to be resurrected, the first to be given the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the first to overcome, the first to reign with Christ, the first to be saviors of the world, etc. The priest being given the first of the dough signifies the Lord’s elect being given to be the first to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. This is what will cause us to become a blessing to all humanity as shown in verse 30.

In verse 31, we are admonished not to eat anything that is dead of itself or torn, whether a fowl or beast. This is referring to false doctrines propagated by the evil one (fowls of the air) and by human wisdom and tradition (beast). We, His elect, are not to compromise with any false doctrine as it has the tendency to leaven the whole dough.

Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

May the Lord in His mercy, uphold us with His power, to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Amen!!

Numbers 18:1-32  Bearing the Iniquity of the Sanctuary and the Priesthood

[Study Aired September 4, 2023]

Num 18:1  And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 
Num 18:3  And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Num 18:5  And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 
Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 
Num 18:8  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. 
Num 18:9  This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 
Num 18:10  In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. 
Num 18:11  And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. 
Num 18:13  And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. 
Num 18:14  Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. 
Num 18:15  Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
Num 18:16  And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 
Num 18:17  But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. 
Num 18:18  And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. 
Num 18:19  All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute forever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee. 
Num 18:20  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 
Num 18:21  And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 18:22  Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 
Num 18:23  But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 
Num 18:24  But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 
Num 18:25  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 18:26  Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. 
Num 18:27  And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. 
Num 18:28  Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest. 
Num 18:29  Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 
Num 18:30  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. 
Num 18:31  And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 18:32  And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. 

Introduction

This chapter comes right after the Lord has caused Aaron’s rod to bud and produce almonds as a demonstration of who the Lord has called and chosen to rule with Him. Therefore, this chapter is to deepen our understanding of who the Lord has called and chosen by clearly delineating the role of Priests and Levites and going further to describe the benefit package for the elect or the priests. As we are aware, it is from the things that are seen that we are able to understand spiritual truth. 

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:

If one is employed by an organization, the person is given a job description and also the benefits package to which he or she is entitled.  In this chapter, we are clearly shown the role of a priest and of a Levite. That is the job description. We need to understand that the Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon and Aaron, and his sons represent the priest are the same as the elect. The chapter also focuses on our benefit package as an incentive for us, His elect, to stay on course to the very end. Unfortunately, many have seen the incentive package of the elect but are not excited about it. It is all because they have not been given eyes to see and ears to hear. However, to those who are driven by these incentives, they press on to the mark of the Lord’s high calling.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

The Lord Jesus gave us a parable of a man who found treasure in a field and decided to go back and sell all he had to possess the field. This parable is to show us that what He has in store for us is so exciting that we let go of everything in pursuit of this treasure in the field. The fact that the man hid the treasure and went back to sell all he had means that not many are given to understand our incentive package, as the treasures are hidden, and it is only those who find this treasure in this life who are excited about it, and their reaction is to let go of everything to possess this treasure. 

Mat 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 
Mat 13:45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 
Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

This is how our brother Paul saw the incentive package:

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.

Are you excited about the Lord’s incentive package for being a priest of God? Then you must be prepared to lose all that you treasure in this life to gain Christ! Let’s hope that today’s study will kindle that desire to press on to the mark of His higher calling.

Num 18:1  And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 

One of the incentives the Lord has given to His elect is the promise that we shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. As we know, the sanctuary is the temple of the Lord and is our body. Unlike sin, which is defined as missing the mark, iniquity has to do with being crooked, bent or inclined in the wrong way. In other words, sin is a particular act which is against the commandment of the Lord, but “avon” (the Hebrew word for iniquity) is a state of being, a description of the human character, which has an inclination toward evil. As we are aware, it is because of the old man, or the beast within, that we have this inclination toward evil.  According to Strong, the words “to bear” means to lift or carry away. So, what we are being told in verse 1 of a priest, represented by Aaron and his sons bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary, is that as one of the benefits pertaining to being a priest, that is being called and chosen, our inclination towards evil as a result of the beast or the old man within us which defiles our bodies (temple) will be carried away by the Lord. It is in this sense of our old man being carried away by the Lord through the judgment of our old man that Isaiah made the following statement:

Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

The elect are not only to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary but also to bear the iniquity of the priesthood. A key qualification of being a priest is obeying the voice of the Lord as shown in the following verse:

Exo 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 
Exo 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Although we are called and chosen as priests before the Lord, we do not obey the voice of the true shepherd when we start our walk with the Lord because of the old man within us. We were rather obeying the voice of the stranger before finally we were dragged by the Lord to hear and obey the voice of the Lord. Remember that the voice of the stranger is the false doctrines of the devil (the stranger). The iniquity of the priesthood is our inclination toward hearing and obeying the voice of the stranger (the devil). Here again, the Lord is promising His elect that He will carry away these false doctrines of the devil so we can hear the voice of the true shepherd and obey Him.

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

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. 

Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 
Num 18:3  And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 
Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

A key role, highlighted by the Lord for the elect or the priest in these verses, is to minister before the tabernacle of witness. This is contrasted with the role of the Levites, who are to minister to us by being joined to us. The Levites signify our brothers and sisters in Babylon. In verse 3, as His priests, we are to ensure that the Levite do their work of guarding the exterior of the whole tabernacle. However, we, His elect, are to protect the interior of the tabernacle which consists of the vessels and the altar, such that a stranger does not come within the tabernacle, lest we all perish. The strangers here represent both the Levites, who are our brothers and sisters in Babylon, and the people of the world. This role of a priest here in these verses is consistent with the role the Lord assigned the Cherubim when He drove away Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. The Cherubim were to guard the way to the tree of life, which in our study is represented by the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar. We are the Cherubim who are to guard the way of life in this age from access by our brothers and sisters in Babylon and people of the world until they have gone through the flaming sword (judgment).

Gen 3:24  He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Our brothers and sisters in Babylon, representing the Levites, are not allowed to partake with us the word of truth which is Christ. The reason they cannot partake with us the truth of the word of the Lord is that they have been swept away by divers and strange doctrines.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

Num 18:5  And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 
Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 

Here in these verses, the Lord showed to Aaron and his sons, representing the elect, that the Levites are given to us as a gift from the Lord to help us do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. The tabernacle of the congregation refers to our bodies. 

1Co 3:16  Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 
1Co 3:17  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

The work of the tabernacle refers to everything of the altar within the veil in verse 7. This work entails entering through the veil to offer incense from the altar of incense, the lighting of the candlestick to give light, weekly replacement of the showbread and the eating of the previous showbread.  Spiritually, the work of the tabernacle therefore is the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifice to the Lord. This is attained through understanding the word of the Lord as our eyes of understanding are enlightened (eating of showbread). That is when we give light in the darkness (lighting of the candlestick). The weekly replacement of the bread signifies the fact that the revelation of Christ and His words is progressive. What we know today is the result of the enlightenment we have received of His words yesterday. All this work is possible as our old man dies daily through the Lord’s judgment. 

Heb 10:19  Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 
Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 
Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

As His elect, we must not disregard the role that our brothers and sisters in Babylon (Levites) play in the grand scheme of the Lord in bringing people to Christ through the law of Moses. However, inasmuch as we are to appreciate the work our brothers and sisters do in Babylon, we are not to cast our pearls before them or give them the opportunity to desecrate our temple with false doctrines. 

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. 

Luk 9:49  And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 
Luk 9:50  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. 

Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 
Num 18:8  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance forever. 
Num 18:9  This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 
Num 18:10  In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.
Num 18:11  And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute forever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

In verse 7, it is worth noting that the Lord has given us the priest’s office as a gift. This means that the priesthood office is not something to be attained but given. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The Lord has also given the elect the contributions made to Him and all the consecrated things of the people of Israel. The hallowed or consecrated things of the people of Israel refer to gold in the treasures of the house of God as shown in the following verses:

2Ki 12:18  And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. 

1Ki 15:14  But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days. 
1Ki 15:15  And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

As we are aware, gold and silver represent the truth of the Lord’s words. This means that the contribution and the hallowed things of the people of Israel given to the elect means that the little knowledge of the truth of the word of the Lord, which our brothers and sisters have, will be taken away and given to the elect.

Mat 13:11  And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Mat 13:12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Verse 9 also reiterates the point that the most holy things which are reserved from fire and are given by the people of Israel as meat, sin and trespass offerings are all ours. As indicated, the most holy things are the truth of the word of the Lord which cannot be destroyed by fire. On the other hand, it is our false doctrines which cannot stand the test of fire. Eating these offerings in the most holy place is the same as our hearts and minds (most holy place) being enlightened to receive the truth of the word of the Lord.

Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. 
Num 18:13  And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. 
Num 18:14  Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine. 

In these verses, the following items have been highlighted as what the Lord has reserved for His elect: the best of the oil, the best of the wine and of the wheat and the firstfruits. The best in this case refers to the choicest part or the richest. In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the spirit. Being given the best of the oil means that the elect will come to understand the spiritual meaning of what the Lord is saying to us through His words.

Joh 6:63  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  (ESV)

The best of the wine and wheat being given to the elect means being given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord through His words.  The firstfruit of the people of Israel being given to Aaron and his sons is another way of saying that the Lord’s elect is the firstfruit of the Lord. In other words, we are the first to ripen or become spiritually mature in this age. In verse 14, we are told that the devoted things are all ours. That is to say that everything the churches of this world are offering to Christ is for our sake. 

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

Num 18:15  Everything that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
Num 18:16  And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 
Num 18:17  But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. 
Num 18:18  And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. 
Num 18:19  All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute forever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee. 

Verse 15 says that all the firstborn of all flesh or beasts that are offered by the people of Israel are given to the elect. In order to understand what is being said here, we need to know the spiritual significance of being firstborn. As indicated in Genesis 49:3, the firstborn signifies strength or might. This means that the strength of all humanity (all flesh or beasts), which is helping our brothers and sisters in Babylon to offer their sacrifice to the Lord, are all for our sake.

Gen 49:3  Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 

We must remember that at a certain stage of our walk in Christ, we were helped by the strength of our flesh just as Abraham responded to the Lord’s first call when his father, representing our flesh, brought him to Haran.  

Gen 11:31  And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 

It is instructive to note that verse 15 and 16 state that the firstborn of man or unclean beasts shall be redeemed at the appropriate time, as the Lord has already paid for the sins of the world. Spiritually, unclean beasts or man are the same. In verse 16, the ransom price was five shekels or twenty gerah. The five shekels means that it is grace through faith (significance of five) that all humanity shall be redeemed. Twenty (20=4×5) also means that the whole of humanity (significance of four) will be redeemed by grace through faith. The animals that are offered for sacrifice – cow, sheep and goat – represent the elect who in this life are offering their bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord. That is why we are not to be redeemed as we are already holy. Verses 18 and 19 stress the point that we, His elect, are the ones given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

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

In verse 20, the Lord’s elect, represented by Aaron, were not required to have any inheritance among the people of Israel. This implies that we are not to be driven in this life by earthly riches or gain since our portion in this life is to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness as a priceless possession. 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 
Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

This does not mean that the Lord will not bless us physically. As Apostle John said, it is the Lord’s desire that we prosper even as we do well spiritually.

3Jn 1:2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

The Levites, or our brothers and sisters in Babylon, on the other hand, have been given a tenth in Israel for an inheritance as a reward for their service to the Lord. Here Israel represents the world, and therefore it is no wonder that many physical churches of this world are endowed with riches. The work these Levites offer as their service only touches on the periphery of the temple and is principally to make us aware that we are sinful, based on the law of Moses. This is what leads us to Christ, and after Christ has come to us, we no longer need the services of the Levites. 

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Num 18:25  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 18:26  Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. 
Num 18:27  And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. 
Num 18:28  Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’S heave offering to Aaron the priest. 
Num 18:29  Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
Num 18:30  Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. 
Num 18:31  And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 18:32  And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. 

The Levites are commanded by the Lord to tithe on the tithes they receive from the people of Israel and give them to Aaron the priest. The Levites’ contribution would be counted as though they had worked, just like a farmer who produces grains for the threshing floor and wine from the winepress. This is to let us know that the work our brothers and sisters do in Babylon is for our sake. As we can see, the more tithe the Levites get, the more contribution Aaron received. This means that the more physical riches our brothers and sisters in Babylon get, the more spiritual blessings we get. This is what the Lord has told us about the work of all the Old Testament people whom the Lord has used for His service, together with the work our brothers and sisters in Babylon are doing – it is all for our benefit:

Joh 4:37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 
Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 

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

May the Lord continue to be merciful to us as we grow in Him. Amen!! 

Numbers 8:1-26  The Lighting of the Seven Lamps

[Study Aired June 19, 2023]

Num 8:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:2  Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. 
Num 8:3  And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Num 8:4  And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. 
Num 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:6  Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 
Num 8:7  And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 
Num 8:8  Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Num 8:9  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: 
Num 8:10  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: 
Num 8:11  And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. 
Num 8:12  And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. 
Num 8:13  And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. 
Num 8:14  Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. 
Num 8:15  And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 
Num 8:16  For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 
Num 8:17  For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 
Num 8:18  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
Num 8:19  And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. 
Num 8:20  And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. 
Num 8:21  And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. 
Num 8:22  And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. 
Num 8:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. 

Chapter 8 concerns the lighting of the seven lamps to give light in front of the candlestick, the cleansing of the Levites, the age requirement for service in the tabernacle of the congregation and retirement age of the Levites. 

Num 8:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:2  Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. 
Num 8:3  And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The seven lamps represent the complete words of the Lord which give light in front of the lampstand or candlestick. According to the word of the Lord, the candlestick or lampstand represents the church.  This means that it is the complete words of the Lord which guide the path of the elect in this world.

Psa 119:105  Nun Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 

Rev 1:20  As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

As indicated, the candlestick is to give light to the space in front of it in the Holy place in the tabernacle. What is insightful to note is the fact that the light given by the candlestick is not seen outside the Holy place. It is to give light for the priest to perform his duty. In this dispensation, although we are the light of the world, we are not seen that way by many (the world). It is only the elect who see our light and use it to perform their duty – that is, live a life worthy of the Lord. 

In verse 2, it was Aaron the High Priest who lit the seven lamps. Here Aaron signifies the Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest. Before a lamp is lit, it must be filled with oil. As we know, the oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, sent to us by the Lord Jesus Christ to guide us into the truth of His word.  

Exo 27:20  And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. 

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

Num 8:4  And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick. 

It is very insightful to note that the candlestick was made of beaten gold. This is to let us know that the church is formed by those who are being tried or going through the judgment of their old man. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Paul sums up our being beaten like the work of gold in order to give light as follows:

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
2Co 4:8  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 
2Co 4:9  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 
2Co 4:10  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies [providing light for the priest to function]. 
2Co 4:11  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

As indicated in verse 4, the candlestick is to be built according to the pattern which the Lord showed Moses.  The pattern shown to Moses is Christ. This implies that the church must reflect Christ in everything. 

Num 8:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:6  Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 
Num 8:7  And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 

If we are to serve in the house of the Lord, then we must be cleansed from all kinds of contamination such as false doctrines, worldly ways and traditions and deeds of the flesh. Verse 7 prescribes three ways of cleansing – sprinkling of the water of purification, the shaving of all their flesh, and the washing of clothes with water.  The water of purification is a symbol of the word of the Lord. It is the truth of the word of the Lord that washes our mind of all the false doctrines that have become idols of our hearts, worldly wisdom and the traditions of men.

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 
Eph 5:26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 
Eph 5:27  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

In the Bible, the hair on the body is a symbol of our natural strength. Thus, the shaving of all the flesh signifies the cutting off of all our natural strength. This implies that in our service to the Lord, we must not depend on our natural strengths and abilities. 

Jdg 16:17  And he told her all his heart, and said to her, “A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 

Clothes are a symbol of righteousness. Dirty or torn clothes therefore refer to unrighteousness, which could be the result of contamination or self-righteousness, which is iniquity.

Lev 15:6  And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

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

Clean clothes (white linen) are the righteousness of the saints which is imputed by the Lord. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

The washing of our dirty clothes therefore signifies the truth of the word of the Lord which cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

Num 8:8  Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
Num 8:9  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: 
Num 8:10  And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: 
Num 8:11  And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. 
Num 8:12  And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. 

The foundation for our cleansing is the sacrificial offering of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a meat offering and a sin offering for us. Christ therefore represents the young bullocks and the fine flour mingled with oil. Remember that the fine flour mingled with oil represents His word, and His word is the same as Christ.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

The putting of the hands of the children of Israel upon the Levites in verse 10 is to show that they are the same as the Levites and therefore are represented by the Levites in the presence of the Lord. In this regard, we, His elect, are representing the whole world in the presence of the Lord. Our victory will ultimately result in the victory of humanity in the fullness of time.

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.

Num 8:13  And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. 
Num 8:14  Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. 
Num 8:15  And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 

In verse 13, the Levites were to be offered as an offering to the Lord. As the elect, we are to be offered wholly to Christ for humanity’s sake. Being offered to Christ is offering our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord.

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 

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. 

The Levites being separated from among the children of Israel is another way of saying that we should not be conformed to the standards of this world but be renewed in our minds.

Rom 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

In another perspective, the Levites represent the elect, and the children of Israel stand for our brothers and sisters in Babylon. In that sense, the Levites being separated from the children of Israel is a type of the command by the Lord to leave Babylon. 

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.

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 
2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

As we are offered to Christ and are separated wholly from the world, we can do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation as shown in verse 15 concerning the Levites.

Num 8:16  For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 
Num 8:17  For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 
Num 8:18  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

As we saw earlier in the Book of Numbers, the Levites were to replace the firstborn of Israel. The reason why they were to replace the firstborn of Israel was that at the time of Passover in Egypt, all the firstborn were condemned. However, it was only the firstborn of Egypt who were slain. As a result of the Passover, all the firstborn of Israel were redeemed or saved or replaced by the Passover lamb, who is Christ our Lord who came to serve. The firstborn therefore lost their position and were to be replaced by the Levites who were called to serve. This means that we, who have been redeemed by the Lord, are called to serve.

Mar 10:42  And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 
Mar 10:43  But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 
Mar 10:44  and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 
Mar 10:45  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

The Levites replacing the firstborn of the children of Israel is a foretaste of the fact that the Lord’s election is no longer dependent on a person’s pedigree or his or her birth. Paul made this clear when, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he made the statement that it is not one who is born a Jew that counts, but a Jew is a person who worships the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

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.

Num 8:19  And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. 
Num 8:20  And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. 

On a negative note, the Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are also of Abraham’s seed. However, they are not counted as the seed of promise and therefore are not to be given any inheritance. This is not because we, the elect, deserve any inheritance. It is through the hardening of their hearts to believe that we are privileged to receive mercy to believe. In the final analysis, this mercy we have received will be extended to the whole of the human race. 

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.

The Levites are given to the elect as a gift to help them minister to the Lord. They do the initial leg work of using the law of Moses as our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. After we get to know Christ through faith, we are no longer under their influence or the law of Moses. Today’s Levites represent the Christian religion. They are focused on building and taking care of physical churches (tabernacle of testimony). In other words, they are protecting the legacy of the Christian religion.

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

In verse 19, the Levites being given as a gift to Aaron and his sons positively signifies the elect being given wholly to Jesus, our High Priest, to assist Him to subdue all things so that God may be all in all. 

1Co 15:25  For he [Jesus] must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 
1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 
1Co 15:27  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 
1Co 15:28  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

On a positive note, the Levites symbolized the elect who are given the charge of serving in the tabernacle of the congregation as well as making atonement for the children of Israel so there will be no plagues among the children of Israel, as indicated in verse 19. Atonement is the process by which a person removes obstacles to his reconciliation with God. In the lake of fire age, the elect will help the whole of humanity, represented here as the children of Israel, by making atonement for them. This means that the elect will help the whole of humanity to see what the Lord has done for them and in so doing, remove every obstacle to their reconciliation with God. This is what will make every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord!!

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is insightful to note that in verse 20, Moses, Aaron and the whole of the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. Moses, Aaron and the whole of the congregation of Israel represent all humanity. It is at the end of the lake of fire age that all humanity will obey our Lord Jesus Christ, who is represented here by Moses. 

Num 8:21  And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. 
Num 8:22  And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them. 

It is when we are purified that we can offer a service pleasing to the Lord in the temple of the Lord. We know that the process of purification involves being judged. Verses 21 and 22 therefore means that we cannot offer pleasing service to the Lord with our bodies as a temple of the Lord unless we have been purified through the seven plagues. The verse below is therefore a rendition of verses 21 and 22.

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. 

Num 8:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: 

To be enrolled in the army of the Lord, it is required that one is twenty years old or above. Being part of the army of the Lord does not mean that one has obtained maturity. In the physical, those who have gone through the ranks of the military are well-versed in the strategies of enemies. In a similar vein, it takes some time after being part of the Lord’s army to know the strategies of the enemy. It took a lot of experience for Paul to say the following:

2Co 2:10  To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
2Co 2:11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

In verse 24, the required age to wait upon the tabernacle of the congregation is twenty-five. Although we are enrolled into the Lord’s army at the symbolic age of twenty years, it takes a while for us to be effective in performing the services pertaining to the house of God. The symbolic age of twenty-five, which is required for us to work in the house of the Lord, signifies the period when we have come out from tutors and governors at the appointed time of the Lord.

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

In the Bible, the number twenty-five signifies the time that we start to reign as kings over our flesh.

2Ch 25:1  Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

2Ch 27:6  So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. 
2Ch 27:7  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars, and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
2Ch 27:8  He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

2Ch 29:1  Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 
2Ch 29:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 

Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: 
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge. 

According to verse 25, at the age of fifty years, the Levites are required to retire from active service in the tabernacle of the Lord. The number fifty symbolizes the liberty we have in Christ when we are set free from sin. Retiring at the age of fifty spiritually implies the period of our lives where we do not depend on our own strength to do the work of the Lord, but rather depend on Christ to do the work for us. In other words, we come to rest completely in Him. 

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

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. 

May the Lord continue to help us retire from our own works so we can come to rest wholly in Him. Amen!! 

Numbers 4:21-49  The Duties of the Levites – Part 3

[Study Aired May 22, 2023]

Num 4:21  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 4:22  Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:24  This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:
Num 4:25  And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:26  And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
Num 4:27  At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. 
Num 4:28  This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 
Num 4:29  As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;
Num 4:30  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:31  And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, 
Num 4:32  And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. 
Num 4:33  This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 
Num 4:34  And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:35  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 4:36  And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 
Num 4:37  These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 
Num 4:38  And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:39  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:40  Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty. 
Num 4:41  These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD. 
Num 4:42  And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,
Num 4:43  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:44  Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred. 
Num 4:45  These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 
Num 4:46  All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,
Num 4:47  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:48  Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore. 
Num 4:49  According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

Overview

The study defines the services to be rendered by the Levites – Gershonites, Kohathites and the families of Merari, when the camp is setting out, that is, when the Israelites were moving from one place to another. We must remember that Israel’s movement in the wilderness was dictated by the pillar of a cloud which leads them from place to place by day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light to travel by night. 

Exo 13:21  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Neh 9:19  Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

Both the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire represent Christ and the fire of His words. This age is regarded as one long night, and it is those who are guided by the pillar of fire (that is those who are being judged) who are being given the light of His words to navigate their way through this wilderness of life. 

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

In a sense, the movement of the Israelites in the wilderness under the guidance of the pillar of cloud and fire symbolizes how the kingdom of heaven is being built over the ages as the word of the Lord (the pillar of cloud and fire) goes forth. As we know, the Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon, and as we shall see later in the study, they play an integral part in the building of the kingdom of heaven. This is an example of what the Lord says regarding the work of our brothers and sisters in Babylon in the building of the kingdom of heaven:

Mat 13:31  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 
Mat 13:32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Mat 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 
Mat 13:34  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 
Mat 13:35  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

The mustard seed growing to become a tree, where all kinds of birds lodged in its branches, tells us about the negative aspect of the growth of the kingdom of heaven. The birds represent the devil or the evil one and his messengers, who make the assembly of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, a synagogue of Satan.

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

The woman who hid three measures of meal to cause the whole meal to be leavened represents the harlot woman who represents Babylon. The whole meal becoming leaven implies that the word of the Lord has been corrupted with false doctrines. As Jesus said in the parable, this is all part of the building of the kingdom of heaven for the sake of the elect. That is why Jesus forbade His disciples by saying that he that is not against us is for us. 

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

Luk 9:49  And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
Luk 9:50  And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Paul reiterated the point Jesus made by saying that some preach the good news out of envy and strife. However, whether the word is preached in pretense, or in truth, the kingdom of heaven is advancing!

Php 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
Php 1:16  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: 
Php 1:17  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
Php 1:18  What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Wow!! How unsearchable is the wisdom of God who uses both good and evil to accomplish His purpose!!

Rom 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Num 4:21  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 4:22  Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;
Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

As indicated in the previous study, there is an age requirement for one to do the work of the Lord regarding the tabernacle of the congregation. To serve as a Levite – a Gershonite, Kohathites or from the families of Merari, one has to be between the ages of thirty and fifty. In a positive sense, one has to be spiritually mature to do the work of the Lord as the ages specified refer to the “golden years” of our lives where we are mature and have the necessary strength to do all kinds of work. The number 30 signifies the time we are spiritually mature as we have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Our spiritual maturity involves going through fiery trials as we see Joseph go through trials to become Prime Minister of Egypt at the age 30. David also became king at the age of 30 years. The number fifty refers to the liberty we have in Christ as we become spiritually mature. This liberty is about our freedom from bondage to sin.

Gen 41:46  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

2Sa 5:4  David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

As we recall from the Bible, our Lord Jesus Christ waited until He was thirty years old before He began His ministry or work of service to God. Although He was a son, He learned obedience by the things He suffered and became the author of salvation to the elect first and then to the rest of the world.

Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

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;
Heb 5:10  Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Num 4:24  This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:
Num 4:25  And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
Num 4:26  And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

In serving the Lord, the clan of the Gershonites were required to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the covering of the tent of meeting and the covering of the badgers’ skin as they journeyed through the wilderness. They were also to carry the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate. We can see that these Gershonites’ service to the Lord are basically superficial. There was nothing of the spirit involved in their service to the Lord. The items they were supposed to carry were basically the coverings of the tabernacle which is what the people of Israel see when the tabernacle is erected. In the Bible, coverings or clothing signify righteousness. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

There are two kinds of righteousness – the righteousness which is self-made and that which is imputed by the Lord.  These Gershonites, or our brothers and sisters in Babylon, propagate self-righteousness which is that of the law. As the scripture says, this self-righteousness is iniquity before the Lord.

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

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Because these Gershonites, or our brothers and sisters in Babylon, do a lot of work in transporting their own righteousness according to the law across the world, they think they have the right standing with the Lord but do not know that they are workers of iniquity.  When we were in Babylon, we also thought that we have the right standing with the Lord, but by the mercies of the Lord, we have renounced our self-righteousness in favor of righteousness which is by faith in Christ Jesus as we exited Babylon.

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

Num 4:27  At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. 
Num 4:28  This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

These verses are to remind us that the work of the Gershonites, or our brothers and sisters in Babylon, are all ordained by the Lord. Aaron and his sons here represent our Lord Jesus Christ, who is working all things after the counsel of His 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:

In verse 28, the son of Aaron, Ithamar, was chosen to be responsible for the work of the sons of Gershon. Itharmar signifies ‘palm coast’. It is very instrumental to note that where there are palm trees, there is water.

Exo 15:27  And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

Num 33:9  And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.

As the Lord becomes our helper, we become like palm trees which are planted by the rivers of water and bring forth fruit at the right time ordained by the Lord.

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

The sons of Gershon working under Ithamar signifies that all the works of the Gershonites are for the sake of the elect. 

Joh 4:37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
Joh 4:38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Num 4:29  As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;
Num 4:30  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

As we have indicated earlier in this study, being thirty years old and above means being spiritually mature to serve the Lord. This is the requirement to serve the Lord. However, in Babylon, this is not the case as children are the ones leading the Lord’s children.  The Bible has a lot to warn us about children who try to serve as they assume leadership of the Lord’s people. This is what happens:

Isa 3:4  And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.
Isa 3:5  And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

Isa 3:12  As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Num 4:31  And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,
Num 4:32  And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.
Num 4:33  This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

The service to be offered by the sons of Merari involves carrying the frames of the tabernacle with its bars. pillars and bases. In other words, the sons of Merari or the Levites’ work in the kingdom of heaven is related to the beginning aspect of building the kingdom of heaven with the Lord having laid the foundation. However, after the foundation has been laid, how we build on it is the issue. The work of the Levites is related to the wood, hay and stubble which cannot stand the test of fire, which is judgment. As we have all experienced, it is after we leave Babylon that our judgment begins resulting in the burning of the chaff which we have used in building on the foundation of Christ. This implies that the initial work of the sons of Merari or Babylon as we begin our relationship with Christ is what gives the Lord the occasion to come and judge us as we leave Babylon.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 
Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The fact that Ithamar, who represents the elect, was to supervise the work of the sons of Merari is to let us know that all the work being done by our Babylonian brothers and sisters are for our sake.

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

Num 4:34  And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:35  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation: 
Num 4:36  And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 
Num 4:37  These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

The number of Kohathites who were from thirty years old and up to fifty years, who were counted by Moses and Aaron, was 2,750. This number implies that the complete number of the elect (significance of the number 7) must be spiritually mature to be counted for the service of the Lord which entails being witnesses of Christ (the significance of the number 2). This is achieved by grace through faith through the chastening rod of our Lord Jesus Christ (the significance of the number 5).

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Num 4:38  And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:39  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:40  Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.
Num 4:41  These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD.

The number of the sons of Gershon who were qualified to serve was 2,630. What we are being made aware of is that from every tribe and kindred (the significance of the number 6) the Lord is selecting His witnesses (the significance of the number 2) to become spiritually mature through the process of the Lord’s judgment (the significance of the number 3). We all through tribulation (judgment) must enter into the service of God’s kingdom.

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

Num 4:42  And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 
Num 4:43  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 
Num 4:44  Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred. 
Num 4:45  These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

The sons of Merari numbered 3,200. Again, it stresses the point that to become part of His witnesses in this world, we must become spiritually mature through the Lord’s judgment of our old man. In other words, to become a witness of the Lord requires us to go through the seven plagues (complete judgment  of our old man).

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.

Num 4:46  All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,
Num 4:47  From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,
Num 4:48  Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.
Num 4:49  According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

In total, the number of Levites who were counted was 8,580. We are called and chosen from the tribe of Levites (Babylon) to come and serve the Lord. It is by grace through faith that we are called and chosen to birth the new man within us who is after the image of Christ (significance of the number 8). As indicated, this grace is the chastening work of the Lord which results in the birth of the new man.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching (The Greek word used is Paideuo which means chasten) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

May the Lord continue to help us to become witnesses of Christ as we see the day approaching!! Amen!!

Numbers 3:27-51  The Duties of the Levites – Part 2

[Study Aired May 8, 2023]

Num 3:27  And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
Num 3:28  In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
Num 3:29  The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward. 
Num 3:30  And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 
Num 3:31  And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
Num 3:32  And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. 
Num 3:33  Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
Num 3:34  And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred. 
Num 3:35  And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. 
Num 3:36  And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 
Num 3:37  And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. 
Num 3:38  But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 
Num 3:39  All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. 
Num 3:40  And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 
Num 3:41  And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 
Num 3:42  And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
Num 3:43  And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen. 
Num 3:44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 3:45  Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 
Num 3:46  And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 
Num 3:47  Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 
Num 3:48  And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 
Num 3:49  And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 
Num 3:50  Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 
Num 3:51  And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Introduction

This session looks at the roles of the Kohathites and the families of the sons of Merari, who were all part of the tribe of the Levites. It also takes a look at the payment of the redeemed amount resulting from the excess of the firstborns of Israel who were being replaced by the Levites as commanded by the Lord. We, His elect, are the laborers or the Levites who are replacing the firstborns. As our Lord Jesus stated, the laborers are always fewer than those who parade themselves as apostles of the gospel but are actually the firstborns who have been replaced. Such apostles think they have the legitimate right to lead the Lord’s people but are actually false apostles, deceitful workers who have transformed themselves into apostles of Christ.

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

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

Num 3:27  And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 

Kohath is the second son of Levi, and the name Kohath signifies an assembly. As we know, there are two types of assembly in the sight of God – the Babylonian assembly and that of the elect. Since the Kohathites belong to the Levite order and not the priesthood, they represent Babylonian assembly or Jerusalem, which is in bondage with her children.

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.

The names of the sons of Kohath are Amram, Izehar, Hebron and Uzziel. Amram means ‘exalted people’, Izehar means ‘anointed’, Hebron signifies ‘seat of association’ and Uzziel means ‘the strength of God’. What these names imply is that the Kohathites are associated with the exalted people of God (the elect) who are anointed through the strength of the Lord. This is affirmed through the following scripture:

Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

Num 3:28  In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

The number of males of the Kohathites counted was 8,600. This means that being a Kohathite (the significance of the number 6) is all part of the process of giving birth to the new man who is after the image of Christ. As we are aware, it is as we come out of the Babylonian system (Kohathites) that Christ begins to transform us into new creatures, that is, the new man begins to be formed in us.

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Num 3:29  The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.

The families of the sons of Kohath were to dwell on the southward side of the tabernacle. Pitching their camp on the south side of the tabernacle of congregation means that their dwelling portion in this life is towards the sea. In other words, this group are those who start their journey with the Lord. However, the pull of the sea of flesh denied them from attaining the higher calling of the Lord.

Eze 48:28  And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

Num 3:30  And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 

The leader of the Kohathites is called Elizaphan which means ‘my God has protected’. The implication here is that in the grand scheme of the Lord, He is the one who is protecting the Kohathites to play the role of capturing the Lord’s children in Babylonian captivity until the set times that they are released to know Christ. 

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

Psa 137:1  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 
Psa 137:2  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 
Psa 137:3  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

Num 3:31  And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

These Kohathites are to take care of the ark, the table, the candlesticks, the altars and all the vessels used in the Holy place. As we indicated in the previous study, the Kohathites, who were part of the Levites, are given to the elect to help them minister to the Lord. They do the initial leg work of using the law of Moses as our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. After we get to know Christ through faith, we are no longer under their influence or the law of Moses. Today’s Kohathites also represent the Christian religion. They are focused on building and taking care of physical churches (tabernacle of testimony). In other words, they are protecting the legacy of the Christian religion.

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Num 3:32  And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary. 

Eleazer, the Priest, was the appointed leader of the Levites as he oversaw the work of the Levites. Eleaser means ‘God is help’. We can therefore say that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who helps our brothers and sisters in Babylon carry out their work, which is related to the letter of the word which brings death. As we all know, all the good and the evil things that are happening in this world are all part of the plan of the Lord. As the Bible indicates, all things, whether good or evil, are being done for our sakes, the elect, including the work of the false apostles in Babylon.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 

Num 3:33  Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
Num 3:34  And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

Merari was the last son of Merari. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli means ‘weak’, and Mushi signifies ‘yielding’. This spiritually means that since our flesh is weak, we naturally yield to the deeds of the flesh. That is what characterized our lives in Babylon as we were yielding to the deeds of the flesh because of what we hear from our leaders in Babylon.

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

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The total number of the males that were counted for the families of Merari was 6,200. This signifies that the weakness of our flesh as man (the meaning of the number 6) serves as a witness (the meaning of the number 2) to our failure to inherit the promise unless the Lord intervenes by driving us out of Babylon (families of Merari).

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.

The name Merari means ‘bitter’, which is part of the deeds of the flesh which we are warned by the Lord can disqualify us for the prize.

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Num 3:35  And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward. 

The head of the families of Merari is Zuriel which means ‘God is a rock’. This is therefore to let us know that our Lord Jesus is the one who is actively involved in the affairs of the families of Merari who represent Babylon. 

Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

The fact that the families of the Merari were required to dwell on the northern side of the tabernacle suggests that this group is far away from the sea of flesh. Thus, the sons of the Merari represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who have escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust of the flesh but are being entrapped into it due to false doctrines perpetrated by their leaders. This affirms our earlier assertion of the spiritual state of this group of the Levites.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Num 3:36  And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto, 
Num 3:37  And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

The responsibility of the sons of Merari was toward the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories. In addition to this, they were to take care of the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords and the services connected with these. All these responsibilities relate to superficial aspects of serving the Lord. It has nothing to do with worshiping the Lord in truth and in spirit, which is the portion of the elect. What Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that they worship what they do not know is very relevant today. Many worship another Jesus thinking it is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 4:21  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 
Joh 4:22  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 
Joh 4:23  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Num 3:38  But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 

It was Moses, Aaron and his sons who were required to dwell on the East side of the tabernacle. It is from the East that the sun of righteousness rises with healing in its wings. This affirms that Moses, Aaron and his sons, who represent the priesthood, symbolize the elect who are first to experience the rise of the sun of righteousness in this life.

Mal 4:2  But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 
Mal 4:3  And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

The wicked in Malachi 4:3 refers to our old man who we are destined to tread down.

We are told in Numbers 3:38 that the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. The stranger represents all those who are not called and chosen but are forcing themselves into the kingdom of God. Our Lord Jesus mentioned that the kingdom of God has suffered violence since John the Baptist as strangers try to usurp the rightful owners (the elect) through their perceived will. 

Mat 11:12  From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (ESV)

As we know, the kingdom of God, which rightfully belongs to the elect, is given but is not there to be taken. Many people of various religions of this world including Christianity are typical examples of strangers coming nigh to take what belongs to the elect and are therefore put to death as shown in verse 38. Being put to death means they are blinded with thick darkness by the Lord and kept until judgment as shown in these verses: 

2Pe 2:1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 
2Pe 2:3  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 
2Pe 2:4  For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 

2Pe 2:9  then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 
2Pe 2:10  and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,

Num 3:39  All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand. 

As indicated in the previous study, the Levites needed to be counted. The reason the Levites were counted was that since they were required to replace the firstborns, it was necessary that the number of Levites had to be equal to the number of firstborns of Israel and that any shortage would then be redeemed. The number of the Levites counted was 22,000. On a positive note, this number suggests that we, the elect, who are replacing those who have been shown mercy are called and chosen to become witnesses of Christ. 

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. 

Num 3:40  And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 
Num 3:41  And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel. 
Num 3:42  And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.
Num 3:43  And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

Spiritually, the Levites replacing the firstborn of the children of Israel is a foretaste of the fact that the Lord’s election is no longer dependent on a person’s pedigree or his or her birth. Paul made this clear when through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he made the statement that it is not one who is born a Jew that counts, but a Jew is a person who worships the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

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 number of the firstborn counted was 22,273. This means that at the completion of the ages (the significance of the number 7), all those who were initially shown mercy will become witnesses of Christ (the significance of the number 2) as they go through the process of spiritual maturity through judgment (the significance of the number 3).

Num 3:44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 3:45  Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 
Num 3:46  And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 
Num 3:47  Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 
Num 3:48  And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons. 
Num 3:49  And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: 
Num 3:50  Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: 
Num 3:51  And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses. 

The amount of money paid to Aaron and his sons as a result of the difference in number between the firstborn and the Levites was 1,365 shekels. This amount shows us the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ made on our behalf for us to be considered part of the commonwealth of God’s people.

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 
Eph 2:17  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 
Eph 2:18  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

The redeemed amount of 1,365 shekels shows us that we need to have the same mind with Christ or to be united with Christ (the significance of the number 1) in our lives here as men (the significance of the number 6). This is achieved by the process of spiritual maturity through judgment (the significance of the number 3). All this is possible by grace through faith (the significance of the number 5). This grace through faith is made possible through the Lord’s sacrifice with His life. We, the elect, are those who have been redeemed through the precious blood of Christ. 

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

May the Lord be merciful to us as He continues to redeem us!! Amen!!

Jdg 19:22-30 Since This Man has Come into My House, do not do This Folly

Jdg 19:22  Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
Jdg 19:23  And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
Jdg 19:24  Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
Jdg 19:25  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. 
Jdg 19:26  Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light. 
Jdg 19:27  And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. 
Jdg 19:28  And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place. 
Jdg 19:29  And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel. 
Jdg 19:30  And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds. 

The first part of Judges chapter 19 ended with the following:

Jdg 19:21 So he [the old man] brought him into his house and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet and did eat and drink.

Bringing the Levite home is the same as coming to abide in Christ. When we abide in Christ, we end up washing our feet, eating and drinking. Washing our feet means removing all the dirt or anything unclean that we have gathered in our walk. Eating and drinking here signify the opening of our eyes to see and our ears to hear the word 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 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:16  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.

Today’s study focuses on the fiery trials we face in our walk with Christ who is represented here by the old man.

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

These fiery trials we go through are about the raising of the storm in our lives which bring us to our wits’ end.

Psa 107:25  For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
Psa 107:26  They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight;
Psa 107:27  they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
Psa 107:29  He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Psa 107:30  Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Psa 107:31  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Jdg 19:22  Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

As we are learning to know our Lord through the opening of our eyes to see and our ears to hear (Making their hearts merry), we must be aware that there will be persecutions and tribulation which will come to us because of the word we are receiving.

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

In this instance, God made use of certain sons of Belial to judge us. According to Strong, Belial means wicked or evil and so the sons of Belial here represent wicked men whom our Lord uses as His sword to judge us.

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

These men requested the old man, in whose house the Levite and his concubine have taken residence, to bring out of his house the Levite so that they may sexually assault him. Verse 22 here gives us insight into the fact that all the chaos and evil that are increasing in measure as this age draws closer and closer is all part of the counsel of God.

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:

In the word of God, whenever homosexuality rises to the fore as we see all around us, then it gives us an indication that judgment is at the corner, as we will see later in this story the destructive judgment of God.

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:
Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

These verses show us the chronological order of the deterioration of our relationship with Christ and how we are to know that His judgment is at the door. We start by not being grateful to God and so we take the next step of being vain in our thinking and our minds become darkened.

Being darkened in our minds leads us to change the glory of God into an image made of corruptible man. In other words, we worship men rather than God. This brings us to a situation where we change the truth of God for a lie. The final stage is that we are given over to vile affection – homosexuality. So, the spiritual significance of homosexuality is that it shows us the final stage of our rebellion against God. It also indicates that judgment is at the door. The fact that we see this all over the world is to let us know that the end of this age is just around the corner.

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

An example to underscore the point being made that the spiritual significance of homosexuality is that our rebellion against God is complete and therefore our judgment is at the door is when an angel went to Sodom to rescue Lot and his people.

Gen 19:4  But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
Gen 19:5  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Whereare the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Gen 19:6  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
Gen 19:7  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Gen 19:12  And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

Gen 19:13  For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

Jdg 19:23  And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.

The master of the house is our Lord Jesus Christ. When we abide in Him, nothing can touch us. Yes, we will go through the fire, but it will not burn us.

Isa 43:1  But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isa 43:2  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Isa 43:4  Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.

Jdg 19:24  Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.

What the Master of the house was telling the wicked men, which are His sword, is that they cannot touch the Levite which refers to us but can touch the Levite’s concubine and his daughter. What we are being told here is that our fiery trials are to destroy Babylon within us (represented by the concubine and the daughter).

Rev 16:17  The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
Rev 16:18  And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
Rev 16:19  The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

The encounter here of the master of the house with the wicked men is similar to when our Lord instructed Satan to deal with Job but not touch him. Here the Levite is being spared, but all that he holds dear (His concubine) is being taken away.

Job 1:12  And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Jdg 19:25  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

As indicated earlier, our fiery trials are to destroy all of Babylon within us, represented by the concubine. We are all going through different phases of the destruction of Babylon within each one of us.  This will precede the outward destruction of Babylon (the religions of this world) which will take place before the millennial rule by the Lord and His Christs.

Rev 18:7  As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’
Rev 18:8  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.
Rev 18:10  They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.

The woman was abused all night until the morning. The morning here outwardly is when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christs.

Rev 11:15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

Internally, the morning here refers to the rising of the day star in our hearts.

2Pe 1:19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

In verse 25, it is stated that the men would not hearken to the old man but grabbed the concubine and messed her up. When we look critically at what the old man said in verse 24, we can see that the wicked men did not flout his suggestion. This is to let us know that our Lord is in perfect control of our situations and will always provide a way of escape so that we may be able to bear it.

1Co 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Jdg 19:26  Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her lord was, till it was light.
Jdg 19:27  And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

It is in the morning when the daystar rises in our hearts that we come to realize the work that the Lord has accomplished through the destruction of Babylon within us.

Rev 18:16  “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
Rev 18:18  and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”
Rev 18:19  And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
Rev 18:20  Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”
Rev 18:21  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;

Jdg 19:28  And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.

During this period of the night that we are being judged, we do not see what God is accomplishing within us. After our fiery trials, we think Babylon within us is still alive, but the truth is that it has commenced its death process. We only see the death of Babylon within us in the morning when the daystar rises in our hearts.

Rev 18:21  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;
Rev 18:22  and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more,
Rev 18:23  and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.

Jdg 19:29  And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.

This Levite did not take kindly to the death of his concubine. Instead of giving her concubine a befitting burial, he rather chose to cut her body up and distribute it to all the tribes of Israel. In other words, this Levite who represents us, was disannulling God’s judgment just as Job did when he was judged. We all resist the judgment of God in our time, and in doing so try to suggest that we are more righteous than our Lord.

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Jdg 19:30  And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

When the children of Israel saw what has been done, they unanimously agreed that the sin that has been committed against the Levite was unprecedented and demanded an action from the tribes. We usually see the sins of others, but do not take to heart that, given the opportunity, we would also commit such heinous crimes since we are all operating under the same beast.

Mat 7:3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:4  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Mat 7:5  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

In the final analysis, the Lord will use the occasion to come and judge us, and it is through this judgment that we learn to walk in a way that pleases the Lord.

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.

May the Lord grant us the grace not to disannual His judgements but to submit to Him in every way so that He can make us into another vessel fit for His purpose. Amen!!

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Awesome Hands – part 148

“The Lord’s release”

January 26, 2019

In old testament, specifically in Deuteronomy, we have been given instructions on how to release our brothers from debt to us. Though we are not operating our lives in the physical ways that the Israelites were in the Old Testament, we still follow the spirit behind the words found in Deuteronomy 15.

In our study this evening, we will be looking further into the concept of forgiving our brothers debt to us.

Forgive to be forgiven

A lot of the Christian world is familiar with the so called “Lord’s prayer”. In fact, it is a popular set of verses which is usually memorized due to its popular concepts.

Specifically for this study, we will find a very instructive phrase contained within the verses referred to as the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6.

Mat 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Our study today finds us looking into the next mentioning of the word yad, which is found in several different verses in this chapter. It is with these verses that we will connect the Lord’s prayer with parts of Deuteronomy 15.

Deu 15:1  At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
Deu 15:2  And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release.
Deu 15:3  Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
Deu 15:4  Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
Deu 15:5  Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

There are a few interesting things that are happening at the beginning of Deut 15 as it pertains to the Lord’s prayer.

It is at the end of seven years that we are to make a release of our brother’s debt according to Deut 15.

The judgment of our brother’s debt has met its completion at this point. It is notable that a foreigner’s debt is not forgiven during this time.

We also learn that the Lord tells us that we will not have poor among us, and there are a few reasons for this.

In the OT, the Lord’s blessing upon you and your household was often seen in your wealth and well-being. If we carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord, to observe all His commandments, then we will not be poor.

For us today, we are looking at these words through spiritual eyes. So, we want to observe the commandments of the Lord for the Lord’s release, but we want to do so in a spiritual way that glorifies the Lord.

Matt 6 and the Lord’s prayer are how we do that in a general sense, but how do we do it practically?

The simplest way is usually the easiest, so we don’t need to over complicate this.

Let us look to scripture for the answer. Please bear with me as we go through these verses to find the answers we seek.

Mat 18:21  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

The first thing to note is that forgiveness comes with repentance. Without repentance, we do not have the first ingredient needed for forgiveness that frees the other person. What do I mean by that?

Well, a big part of Deuteronomy 15 is slavery versus freedom. Debt is a form of slavery because you have to serve your debt in order to resolve it.

When I forgive someone, that is always good for my own heart and mind. However, it is also very freeing to a person who has received that forgiveness and knows about it, especially when they are seeking said forgiveness.

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
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.

Our spiritual application of forgiving our brothers their debts comes in the form of forgiveness of sins against us.

Anyone of the household of faith should be willing to forgive so that we receive forgiveness from the Lord. Likewise, the children of the Lord should also be seeking to repent when needed due to the trespasses we commit against others.

Additionally, and not the least among consideration, is forgiveness that we grant to ourselves. Guilt is a very powerful deterrent or motivator depending on how guilt affects a person.

Forgiving ourselves for past actions or inactions is very important for our walk with the Lord. He is not able to forgive us if we do not forgive ourselves because we are an extension of Him.

Think about it this way. We are the body of Christ. Therefore, if we do not forgive ourselves, then we are not forgiving a part of who He is. Therefore, we are not forgiving Christ in us. That simply will not do.

That of course doesn’t mean we continually do what we know to not do, but that is also where Godly repentance comes in. That is why forgiveness and repentance are important compliments to one another.

Deu 15:6  For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
Deu 15:7  If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
Deu 15:8  But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
Deu 15:9  Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
Deu 15:10  Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.
Deu 15:11  For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

The first point taken from these verses is that we do not owe any nation anything, but we are owed by many nations. We of course are spiritual Jews, and we have many nations within us.

We will not borrow anything from those nations. This is a spiritual statement. We are able to sell our goods to other nations, but we never borrow of their goods. These goods are speaking of doctrine.

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

Rev 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.

When we are “of the beast”, which we all start off from and as, then we buy and sell in the wares and goods of the world.

Once we are adopted as sons of God, we can deal in and trade the goods of God, His gold tried in fire so to speak.

The next point of these verses is to recognize that there will be “poor among us”. You might be thinking that we were just told, “Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it”.

However, this happens because being poor happens from not obeying, “Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day”.

The poor among us are those who need the gold tried in fire. This is how we sell to the nations in others. This is what being a light to the world is all about.

We all still have lands, giants and cities in our heavens that need to be conquered by Christ. It just so happens that Jesus Christ is in all of His body, so we fill the role of Christ for everyone around us especially those of the household of Faith.

A very important point for us to understand when speaking about forgiving sin or trespasses, is that we cannot hold anything back. We cannot hold grudges or things against those of whom we have given forgiveness to.

We see this in the form of, “Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.”

Seeing that the sabbatical year is all about releasing debt to our brothers at the end of the seventh year, it would be easy to see why we naturally wouldn’t want to let someone take on debt from us if it were near the end of that seven year cycle. After all, they would gain from us near the time that they would be freed from that debt to us.

We are warned of the Lord not to think this way. We need to offer “complete forgiveness”, signified by the number 7.

The last point to take away from Deut 15, as it pertains the word “yad” or hand is found in verses 12 to 18.

Deu 15:12  And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
Deu 15:13  And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
Deu 15:14  Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.
Deu 15:15  And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
Deu 15:16  And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;
Deu 15:17  Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.
Deu 15:18  It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

When someone has been given our forgiveness, we cannot simply forgive with a “cold” heart. Cold heart is my phrase, but it is a concept that portrays a heart which is not really sincere.

Given the verse we just read, this concept can be seen in telling someone we forgive them and they should be happy that we did or be thankful to us that we are being so kind to them, or any other reason that that proves we do not fully forgive.

Instead, we should be letting them know that we forgive them and then following that up with kind words of our Lord which let them know that they have a place to turn to when they need help in the form of spiritual guidance, etc.

Something along the lines of the thought process of, “I forgive you, but it is all of the Lord that He has given me the heart of forgiveness”, is an example of this mindset. If that thought or comment leads into further conversation, etc., then the Lord will be glorified in the process.

It may be that certain situations calling for forgiveness leads into someone wanting to find out more about the Lord and what He has done for you in order for this forgiveness to happen in your life.

This can be seen in the form of the slave who doesn’t want to leave your side after being given their freedom. Again, debt is a form of slavery. When someone has trespassed against us, and against the Lord in the process, the Lord is going to require an accounting for the trespass.

Therefore, when we offer forgiveness / freedom from that debt, to the person on the receiving end, they may want more of that “good stuff”. In that case, we will have another blessing of the Lord seeing that the Lord has used the situation as a way to welcome another one of His flock into the fold.

Isa 35:1-10 Your God Will Come With Vengeance...He Will Come and Save You - Discussion

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Isa 35:1-10  Your God Will Come With Vengeance... He Will Come and Save You

Isa 35:1  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isa 35:2  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Isa 35:3  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Isa 35:5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:7  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Let's remember that there were no chapter breaks in the original Hebrew or Greek. The subject here, as we saw in the last couple of studies, is God's judgment and vengeance upon Idumea/Mount Seir within us, "for the controversy of Zion":

Isa 34:5  For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
Isa 34:6  The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
Isa 34:7  And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
Isa 34:8  For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

This is the wonderful day of judgment upon the kingdom of Babylon, 'the chief of sinners' within you and me. Earlier Isaiah rejoiced with these words of exhortation for us:

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

Do we want to "learn righteousness"? I hope we all want to learn righteousness and learn how to think as Christ and His Father think. If we are given to do so, then we will "desire [with our] soul... the way of [His] judgments".

I often tell others, "The worse day of my life was the very best day of my life." I certainly didn't realize it was so at the time. I came to realize that to be the case only by "look[ing] behind me" (Rev: 1:10-12). Like Job I, too, felt the loss of all things, the disdain of the whole world, and the desire just to get it over with. Peter had this same experience when the cock crowed the second time as he was denying his Lord for the third time (Mar 14:72). Paul had this experience when all he had ever worked for was taken away from him in a flash of bright light, when he was struck down to the ground on his way to Damascus to persecute Christ's Christ (Act 9:3-6).

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

These verses here is Isaiah concerning the Lord's wrath being poured out upon Idumea within us are just one of many accounts of the destruction of Babylon within us. Inwardly these verses are describing the destruction of the man of sin. That destruction does not take place at the snap of a finger. Even the trial and crucifixion of Christ, "who knew no sin" (2Co5:21), lasted many long hours during which He endured being ridiculed, slapped in the face, being beaten within an inch of His life, culminating in being publicly crucified "without the city" where societies criminals were crucified.

Isa 50:6  I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Isa 52:14  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isa 52:15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

"As [Christ] is so are we in this world" (1Jn 4:17). We are specifically promised:

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

There are no exceptions to this promise:

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Few appear to realize that our Lord promises to take revenge upon the enemies of His children. If we simply consider the torment of our own judgment, then the Lord's vengeance should become crystal clear.

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

The Lord gives no quarter to our own old man of sin. It is our new man himself who cries out for the Lord's vengeance against the rebellious carnal mind within and without:

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
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?
Rev 6:11  And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

All of this takes what seems to uslike an eternity while it is working within us. One does not find himself "under the altar" without first "falling into the earth and dying" to his own carnal-minded old man who "dwells on the earth". When that day does arrive it comes through the excruciatingly painful judgment of our old man. But when we are finally given to appreciate the judgment and the destruction of the kingdom of our old man, and we are given to see what the Lord is doing, then the things of this life will have all lost their attraction, and only then will:

Isa 35:1  The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isa 35:2  It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

Another way of expressing this message is with these words:

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 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

It is through our being judged in this age that "The wilderness and the solitary place" within us will begin to "rejoice even with joy and singing" and will begin to be changed into a fruitful garden and "bloom as the rose". It is in this changed "wilderness and solitary place" that the dying of our old man within begins to take place, and then it is the new man within us possessing the mind of Christ which will again "be glad... and rejoice even with joy and singing" for the wonderful fruit produced through this destruction because we now understand this Truth about the just character of our Lord:

Isa 35:3  Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isa 35:4  Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Here is the message of these verses in the New Testament:

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,
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:
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:
1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

It is only through "the power of God" that any of us "strengthen [our] weak hands, and confirm [our] feeble knees". These words are so very true, but when we are staring death in the eyes, when the Egyptian army is on one side and the Red Sea on the other side, it is difficult for any of us to rest in these truthful words. When "[we] are in heaviness through manifold temptations", Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace and Darius's lion's den are an imminent danger to our flesh, and when the cross itself is staring any of us in the face, then even our Lord Himself cried out:

Mat 26:38  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

The Truth remains that the cross is the only way because it will always be true:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

When our old man begins dying and our new man comes to life:

Isa 35:5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Only when our spiritual eyes are opened and our spiritual ears are unstopped:

Isa 35:6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:7  And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

The glorious message of these verses is repeated in:

Isa 44:3  For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Isa 44:4  And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
Isa 44:5  One shall say, I am the LORD'S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.

"The grass [and] willows by the water courses", are once again the "much fruit" of these words of our Lord:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

"One shall... surname himself by the name of Israel" because Israel means '[we] have power with God', and while it seems impossible in this age for anyone to even aspire to wanting the Lord's name, yet we will all see the time when Christ will be glorified even of men:

Gen 32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
Gen 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

Joh 12:23  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Christ here is referring to His impending death on the cross, but He refers to that event as "being glorified". That is the mindset we must have toward the death of our own flesh. "Dying daily" (1Co 15:31) with Christ is how we say, "I am the Lord's" and we "surname [ourselves] by the name of... the Israel of God":

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

As "the Israel of God" we cannot, and we do not, travel on the same roads upon which this world travels. Just as we have an altar at which they that serve the tabernacle have no right to eat, so we have our own "highway":

Isa 35:8  And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

We have one and all be the "fools" of this verse because we have all "in time past" been "chief... of ... sinners":

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

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.

We learn in the book of Hebrews that the Lord, through His death and resurrection, is "purifying [our] heavens":

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [you and I] with better sacrifices than these.

These 'purified... heavens' begin to be revealed to us in the laws governing the keeping of the Passover:

Exo 12:43  And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
Exo 12:44  But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
Exo 12:45  A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

This "highway... of holiness" is not some future thousand-year reign event. If we are not walking on this "highway of holiness" in this age, then we will certainly not be in the "blessed and holy... first resurrection" and will not "inherit the blessing" of being in that kingdom. "The unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

These words accord with all the rest of the Lord's words:

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17  For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Esau's birthright meant nothing to him. In type and shadow, being in the first resurrection meant nothing at all to Esau. It was not his fault that he so little valued his own birthright. That is what was written in his book 'while in his mothers womb, having done neither good nor evil'.

Rom 9:11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
Rom 9:12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
Rom 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Those who today are doing the same thing also had it written in their book "being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of their works, but of Him that calls us to do what He has already written in our books "being not yet born":

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

But it was also written in Esau's book to later realize just how much he had forfeited as will all who will be cast into the lake of fire. Only then will they realize how foolish it is to have believed that their inheritance had any real value, or that it is not common to all.

Those who place great value on their birthright and their blessings in Christ in this age are required to keep pure that heavenly inheritance and not permit it to become polluted by the "profane" 'Esaus' who would pollute our highway of holiness and our heavenly altar/table:

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.

1Co 10:21  Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 10:22  Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

Let none of us be so foolish, as Esau was, to think we can just toy with the things of the spirit and with the doctrines of Christ. Christ has no intention of playing second fiddle to anyone. He will have wholehearted service from us in this age or there will be no marriage relationship.

Luk 16:13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

An early revelation of just how special this sacred relationship is to Christ is the fact that only the priests, the sons of Aaron, were permitted to handle the holy things of the tabernacle. If any other Levite saw or touched the holy things of the tabernacle that Levite would die. That is just how special it is to be in that "blessed and holy... first resurrection" which is diminished and made so common and is despised by so many:

Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
Num 4:5  And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:
Num 4:6  And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:7  And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:
Num 4:8  And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.
Num 4:9  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:
Num 4:10  And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar.
Num 4:11  And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
Num 4:12  And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar:

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Notice closely that only Aaron and his sons were permitted to handle the holy things. This is just how important it is to the Lord to keep any profane person from coming into His house and discussing His Truths and His doctrines as if that profane person were a chosen priest:

Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they ["the sons of Kohath"] shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:16  And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

The urgency of keeping the Lord's temple clean and undefiled from the lies of Babylon is so vital to our relationship with Christ, that He destroys any and all who attempt to defile His dwelling place within His elect:

Num 4:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:18  Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
Num 4:19  But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:
Num 4:20  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

The sons of Kohath are told they "shall not touch any holy thing [vs 15, nor] go in to see when the holy things are covered [vs 20], lest they die". God's elect are His "nation of kings and priests" who are very special to their husband, and He will not let them share Him with anyone who is not He Himself, in His elect.

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Look at another example of how exclusive this calling of ours is. The patriarch Levi had three sons whose names were:

Gen 46:11  And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The tribe of Levi was taken from among Israel as servants to Aaron and his sons who were exclusively the priests of the Lord. Each of these three families was assigned certain services to Aaron and his sons as they ministered to the nation of Israel as the Lord's priests. So all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests. Aaron and his sons were Kohathites, but they alone of the entire house of Kohath, were priests to the Lord.

The family of Kohath was commissioned to help the priests transport all the holy things of the tabernacle. They could not touch or even look upon those holy things, but they were commissioned to do all the  heavy lifting and transporting of the holy things.

Korah was also of the house of Kohath, but Korah was not a son of Aaron and therefore could not be a priest. Moses informs us that Korah was seeking the priesthood when he led the rebellion against Moses and Aaron:

Num 16:1  Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
Num 16:2  And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
Num 16:3  And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
Num 16:4  And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:
Num 16:5  And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.
Num 16:6  This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;
Num 16:7  And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.
Num 16:8  And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:
Num 16:9  Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?
Num 16:10  And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?

I will say the same thing, "Tomorrow [on the Lord's schedule] the Lord will show who are His", and once again it will not be those who are saying "the congregation [in the lake of fire] are holy every one of them", when Christ Himself pronounces them as "cursed":

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

Because Korah was not a priest he was jealous of those the Lord had called to be priests. It is natural to envy others and to want the gifts the Lord has given others. It happened to Joseph whose brothers hated him and could not speak peaceably to him because Joseph's father had chosen Joseph above his brothers (Gen 37:1-4). It happened to King David whose own son attempted to destroy his father (2Sa 15:12). And it also happened to Christ because He told the religious leaders of His day that He was Lord of the Sabbath (Mat 12:1-8) and that He was also the son of God:

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

It is only natural for us to resent the Lord's form of government and those He chooses to lead His church. That is especially true concerning the fact the Lord has always chosen the least esteemed of this world to serve his body in this age and to rule and reign with Him a thousand years. This is what was said about the apostle Paul by those who forsook and rejected him:

2Co 10:10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

Hey, I know that guy! I see him every morning in the mirror.

But Korah, and all who rebel against the Lord and His Word and His ways, are sons of their father the devil and therefore are themselves ravenous beasts who will not be permitted to look on or touch the holy doctrines of Christ. Neither will they be permitted to  walk upon the 'highway of holiness' which is nothing other than Christ Himself and His Words and doctrines.

Isa 35:9  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

This "highway of holiness" is the same as the indwelling of the holy spirit within the lives of the Lord's elect. This 'highway' is but another symbol of those who do the things Christ tells us to do:

Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Neither the "roaring lion", who is the adversary, nor the wild beast, who is the son of his father the devil, will be able to walk in this highway because everyone on this highway will know when they are hearing the voice of a stranger. "The voice of a stranger" is the exact same thing as a lion and a ravenous beast. Only "the redeemed shall walk there", because the adversary and his lying doctrines are not welcome and will not be tolerated on this 'highway'.

'Digging deep, and laying a foundation on a Rock' is another way  of telling us to dig into the Lord's Word and know it well enough to know the Lord's voice and to be able to distinguish it from the voice of a stranger:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

The "everlasting joy" of this last verse of Isaiah 10 brings us to these words of our Lord:

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the [everlasting] joy of thy lord.

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

"Rejoicing, being glad [and] partaking of Christ's sufferings" is the essence of being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, as we read in these verses:

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.

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.

That concludes our study for today. The next few chapters of Isaiah are the story of the invasion of Judah by Sennecharib, the king of Assyria, and how the Lord delivered Judah from that invasion. Here is the first half of this 36th chapter of Isaiah. We will learn about how to wage spiritual warfare as we read about this historic event concerning one of the few 'good kings' of Judah.

Isa 36:1  Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them.
Isa 36:2  And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field.
Isa 36:3  Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, which was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.
Isa 36:4  And Rabshakeh said unto them, Say ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
Isa 36:5  I say, sayest thou, (but they are but vain words) I have counsel and strength for war: now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
Isa 36:6  Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him.
Isa 36:7  But if thou say to me, We trust in the LORD our God: is it not he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?
Isa 36:8  Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
Isa 36:9  How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
Isa 36:10  And am I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? the LORD said unto me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
Isa 36:11  Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and speak not to us in the Jews' language, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

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Awesome Hands – part 124

The congregation shall go forward

November 3, 2017

As was seen with our last study, chapter 26 of Leviticus is pretty heavy material for our old man. There are many blessings and “punishments” given by the Lord especially for those that serve Him.

In our study today, we are going to see that along with blessings and punishments from the Lord, we are all, each and every one of us, given a job in His holy temple, for His kingdom and for His service.

The congregation shall go forward

We are going to cover several verses in this study which cover the next mentioning of the Hebrew word H3027 “yad”, and the three verses today go well together for the theme of this study.
The verses we will be covering are Numbers 2:17, 3:3 and 4:28.

Num 2:16  All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank.
Num 2:17  Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place ^H3027 by their standards.

In verse 2:17 the word in English used as 'place' is yad. Most translations have this word translated as 'place'. There are only a handful of times this Hebrew word is translated as 'place', so we will look at those seven times.

Deu 2:37  Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.

1Sa 15:12  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

2Sa 18:18  Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance: and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place.

Isa 56:5  Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

Jer 6:3  The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.

Eze 21:19  Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.

When we look at our original verse in Numbers 2:17, the CEV translation gives us a hint as to why this same Hebrew word translated mostly 'hand' or 'hands' is used now as “place”.

Num 2:17  Marching behind Reuben will be the Levites, arranged in groups, just as they are camped. They will carry the sacred tent and their own banners.

So the Levites “carry” the sacred tent and their own banners. We use our hands a lot when we carry things. However, that is only a hint as to the meaning, so what else are we being told?

Isa 56:5  Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place/hand and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.

I have listed Isaiah 56:5 here again, but this time I have inserted 'hand' as another way to read it. With the verse now saying 'hand', it starts to become a slightly different meaning than when you read it as “place”.

“Will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name”

“Will I give in mine house and within my walls a hand and a name”

What am I getting at? As we will see with the other two times that 'hand' is mentioned within Numbers and within this study’s context, having a place or a hand in the holy temple is VERY important indeed, but it may not mean what it seems to mean initially.

Our next mentioning of the H3027 is Numbers 3:3.

Num 3:3  These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated^H3027 to minister in the priest's office.

We have covered H3027 in the past as it pertains to “consecration,” so I will not go into depth with this study. However, this is a similar example of “yad” being used slightly differently than most of the time in scripture.

Review the Awesome Hands part 109 for a deeper dive into this translation as “consecrated”, but for this present study the connotation is that it means “to fill the hand”. Once your hand is filled, or consecrated, you are able to minister to the Lord in His temple.

So, the Lord will “give us a hand” or a place in His temple. He will fill our hands with what is needed to do the work of the tabernacle, so what is the next and last connection to Numbers 4:28 that is contained in our study today?

Num 4:28  This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Num 4:28  This^H2063 is the service^H5656 of the families^H4940 of the sons^H1121 of Gershon^H1649 in the tabernacle^H168 of the congregation:^H4150 and their charge^H4931 shall be under the hand^H3027 of Ithamar^H385 the son^H1121 of Aaron^H175 the priest.^H3548

To understand the connection of these three verses found in Numbers, we are going to need to look at little deeper into the context and background of Numbers 4.

The situation about which we are reading in Numbers 4 is dealing with the assignments that the Lord gave Moses and Aaron to give to the Levites. Each of the sons of Levi was given job roles that were to be distributed to the males in their families.

You might be thinking that we do not want to compare ourselves to the Levites since we are being trained as kings and priests, but we all can take away very valuable lessons on being a Levite and the services they perform for the tabernacle. Indeed, we must first be a Levite in spirit before the Lord creates in us the ability and calling to be a king and a priest. We all start off as Levites when we are called to be saints.

Num 4:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:2  Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,
Num 4:3  From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:4  This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

The first thing to note is that the men being used for these services were to be between the ages of 30 and 50. This means to you were in service to the tabernacle for 20 years. Additionally, we read in Numbers 8:24 that the age is stated as starting at 25.

Num 8:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Num 8:24  This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.

From the vast majority of the various commentaries that I have read, this difference in five years was supposed to indicate that an apprenticeship took place for five years leading up to full service of their tabernacle.

Initially, I was thinking that this seems like a long time to learn your job before actually starting your job until I realized just how important it was to do it right. After all, in many cases doing it wrong could end in certain death.

Even if we do not consider this viewpoint, we still must accept that the age to start was 25 or 30 years old. However, the end of your service was at the age of 50. You could continue to go to the sanctuary and perform in different offices from time to time “to keep the charge”, but you were generally retired.

Num 8:25  And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
Num 8:26  But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.

The Lord has enabled those among us to serve Him until our capacities no longer allow this to happen. I am sure we have all seen or witnessed someone who was well beyond the years of being vigorous in serving the Lord. This simply comes with age and has been provided acknowledgement by the Lord.

Of course, this is the old testament law, and the new testament law of Christ is a bit different.

This is a good thing because the law was ministry of death and of condemnation!

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.
2Co 3:7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2Co 3:9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

The law worked wrath.

Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Rom 4:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

It was a law of bondage and fear.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The law “gendered to bondage”, and it was an unbearable yoke.

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.

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Yes, the law was full of fear, condemnation and wrath. Within the context of this study I ask, which of the Levites chose to be born to Kohath, Gershon or Merari?

Indeed, none of them willingly chose this birth; yet, when they were 25 to 30 years old they were indebted to serve the tabernacle.

Still, the Lord allowed and caused the entire situation with the nation of Israel so they could draw near to the Lord as a whole via the tabernacle and the services therein and in which He made His presence known.

Yet, the conditions that the Levites faced were quite burdensome. The priests were commanded to not cut off the tribe of Levi, which was quite small in comparison to the others, so that they didn’t die. They were told to make sure the Levites didn’t approach the holy things by appointing them to their service and burden.

Num 4:17  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
Num 4:18  Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
Num 4:19  But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:
Num 4:20  But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

For lack of time, I will not read all of Numbers 4 here, but there were very strict rules on what the Levites and the priests themselves could do as it pertained to serving the tabernacle. Even the high priest would die if he didn’t go in once and only once a year to the holy of holies.

What are our comparison and lessons to take away from this study of start of the of book of Numbers?

Jesus Christ has torn the veil (Mat 27:51, Mar 15:38). These old testament laws are abolished because we have received the spirit of adoption, and we have been called and chosen to go into the holy of holies.

We still must worship God the Father with reverence and godly fear.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Most importantly, we must realize that if the Lord took the time to have it completed and recorded that there would be a certain number of men from Kohath, Gershon or Merari to serve His physical tabernacle, how much important is it to realize that we have all been called and chosen to be SERVANTS to His SPIRITUAL TEMPLE?

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
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 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

If we read 1 Corinthians 12, there is no other conclusion that can honestly be made than the conclusion that the Lord has one body with many VERY important members, all having very special spiritual gifts.

Each of these families of the tribe of Levi was assigned different services in the tabernacle, but Kohath was given the honor and duty to carry things on their shoulders… mainly the holy things of the temple that they could neither touch nor look upon or they would die. Does that mean that the servants from the families of Gershon and Merari didn’t have very important jobs as well?

Of course, they had important jobs! This tabernacle was torn down and built up again every time Israel moved. If one of these families had gone on strike, the whole of Israel would have been put on hold.

Had one of these families decided their job wasn’t that important, or certainly not as important as the next family over, then the whole of Israel would have paid for their actions.

If these things were considerations for the “law for a lawless and disobedient people,” how much more consideration we must give to our own roles and service to the spiritually temple of the Living God!

Jer 33:22  As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

If there are innumerable Levites doing the service of the tabernacle, how much more consideration we must give to the jobs that the Lord has given us as the kings and priests we are being raised to be in His kingdom!

I hope this study has briefly touched upon the importance that each of us are to the calling and choosing the Lord has called us to.

Without each of us realizing our roles in the body of Christ, and then performing our services faithfully, the entire church is put in a holding pattern. Find your calling, and do whatever it is that the Lord has called you to do to His eternal glory.

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Awesome Hands – part 103

“Hallowed priests”

August 3, 2016

Today we start a study which will start to show us how the Lord has established His church, and the membership within that church, for His glory and the kingdom of God.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

As we know from scripture, the Lord does not change, and if we adhere to this scriptural truth, then we will be able to see that any time the Lord gives us examples of how He establishes His church, we can take that example, and it can be spiritually applied throughout all of the bible. This study will show several examples of that.

Last study we read through the garments that the priests had to wear in order to approach the Lord properly; so who are the priests that will be wearing the various garments.

The tribe of Levi

Anyone serving the temple in any capacity was from the tribe of Levi. The verses we are going to read today are going to show us who the priests were as they were first being established, but we need to realize that “the Levites” who served the tabernacle but couldn’t touch the holy things of the temple, are from the same tribe as the priests.

Gen 46:11  And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Exo 6:18  And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

Exo 6:20  And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Who then are Aaron and his sons, and why were they chosen as priests?

Exo 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

Exo 29:1  And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,

So, the Lord is going to establish Aaron and his sons as priests for the purpose of MINISTERING to God and His people by hallowing them for the job.

We are about to read the mechanics of this hallowing process, but what does it mean to be hallowed?

H6942

qâdash
kaw-dash'
A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.
Total KJV occurrences: 171

H6942
qâdash
BDB Definition:
1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated
1a2) to be hallowed
1a3) consecrated, tabooed
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to show oneself sacred or majestic
1b2) to be honoured, be treated as sacred
1b3) to be holy
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate
1c2) to observe as holy, keep sacred
1c3) to honour as sacred, hallow
1c4) to consecrate
1d) (Pual)
1d1) to be consecrated
1d2) consecrated, dedicated
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to set apart, devote, consecrate
1e2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow
1e3) to consecrate
1f) (Hithpael)
1f1) to keep oneself apart or separate
1f2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God)
1f3) to be observed as holy
1f4) to consecrate oneself
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1990

Now that we know that hallowing the priests is to set them apart and separate them we can ask ourselves if this is REALLY what the Lord does with His priests or is it simply that mankind desires to set up kings over themselves and this is just one man trying to control another?

Exo 29:1  And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
Exo 29:2  And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
Exo 29:3  And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
Exo 29:4  And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.

The priests are washed with water first just like anyone who is being dragged to service of the Lord is.

Then, they are going to perform some tasks that train them on how they will minister to the Lord in His tabernacle moving forward.

Exo 29:5  And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
Exo 29:6  And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
Exo 29:7  Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
Exo 29:8  And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
Exo 29:9  And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
Exo 29:10  And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
Exo 29:11  And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

The priests are washed with water first just like anyone who is being dragged to service of the Lord is.

As you can see, I have emphasized several verses. First, we notice that Aaron and his sons were washed at the door of the tabernacle, and then we see that Aaron is anointed with oil.

After they are consecrated they put their hands on the head of the bullock and kill the bullock. This is a procedural process that the Lord uses to show the congregation that the Lord has chosen and set aside some from the tribe of Levi to minister to Him in His tabernacle.

How is it the priests, who have been taken from out of the tribe of Levi, minister to the Lord? What is their purpose in ministry? We are not left to wonder.

Num 18:1  And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Num 18:3  And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Num 18:5  And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be NO WRATH ANY MORE upon the children of Israel.
Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Num 18:8  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

Now there are a couple very prominent points that I want to point out that will help us understand our service to the Lord collectively as a body and as a member in particular of the body.

This can very well offend some and no doubt will offend those who want to find fault with anyone who “boldly” claims, according to them, to be part of the chosen elect of God.

The priests of God were and are anointed so that they can be set aside and consecrated to SERVE the Lord, and by SERVING the Lord they are used so that NO MORE WRATH comes upon the children of Israel. That is the whole point of the priesthood and those who are given charge over the tabernacle.

If this is indeed the function of the priests, how does that apply to all of us today in a practical sense? After all, we are NOT making physical sacrifices any longer today.

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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.
Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

So, since we are all made kings and priests, how does being “anointed as a priest” work in a multi-membered body of Christ in our functions as a priest in ministry to God?

1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The application of being a priest in the new testament is easy to understand when we look at the sum of the word that says we are given every gift in measure now and in down payment form.

In other words, we are ALL sons of God NOW but we are also sons of MEN now. We are all sons of God now, but we are all still male and female now.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

So, being a son of God NOW does not mean we do not have to deal with being sons of God now WHILE DEALING with being a son of MAN now. What do I mean by saying that? What am I getting at, and how does this apply to priests serving the temple?

You’ll often hear, and the teachers have many times over the years, that we are told we no longer have need that a MAN teach us without, of course, any accounting to the sum of the Word on this topic.

Here is the often quoted verse:

1Jn 2:26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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.

Paul goes on to say that he could not SPEAK SPIRITUALLY to the Corinthians, but what does that even mean?

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not SPEAK unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with MEAT: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

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.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

If Jesus Christ is judged by the same measure that “no man need teach you” then Jesus Christ would not be qualified to TEACH ANY of us! He said more times that He was the son of man than He said that He was Son of God. He came in the FLESH TEACHING what the WORDS of SPIRIT were, and that is EXACTLY what overseers of the flock do today.

If you read 1 Corinthians 12 above, God set some in the church in different functions with different gifts and that includes those that today fill the role of being chosen, anointed and given to “bear the iniquity of the sanctuary” being in service to “bear the iniquity of the priesthood”.

What is the iniquity of the priesthood?

Remember those spiritual WORDS we are to speak?

Act 26:24  And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Act 26:25  But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Teaching, being overseers, speaking the Truth about Life and the Way and pronouncing the commandments of God are all roles which are fulfilled by those given to fill the spiritual function of being a priest in the temple AND ministering to the people of God.

Yes, I said MINISTERING to the people.

Act 5:25  Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are STANDING IN THE TEMPLE, and TEACHING THE PEOPLE.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Co 9:13  Do ye not know that they which MINISTER ABOUT THE HOLY THINGS live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
1Co 9:14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

And here is what the priests of God, who have been ORDAINED by the Lord, speak and preach about the temple among other things:

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having said all that, one of the main arguments about not having a man teach is that men are not the head or the ruler over others in the body of Christ, and I say AMEN to that! However, I also know that God uses the FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING to spread His Word and to confound those who are “wise in their own hearts”.

1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Being saved is a continuous process just like preaching and teaching is.

“Spiritual priests” in this role are given to train up other kings and priests who will all be joined together in the fullness that is to come later after resurrection.

We are NOT rulers over anyone and certainly have no dominion of anyone’s faith. Here is what we do preach:

Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
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.
Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Verse 17 is a horrible translation of the words 'rule' and 'obey', and those words better understood to “esteem or be persuaded by those who you respect and are leaders”.

This same concept can be found in Acts 20:

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Spiritual priests feed the church and declare, with the Words of God, the counsel of God to the FLOCK  of God, because they are overseers.

The iniquity of the priesthood falls on us all, to learn and be raised up as kings and priests. However, it is God, via the Holy Spirit, who anoints those in whom He would have serve the TEMPLE, the body of Christ, by being overseers NOW in this present age.

We no longer know no man after the flesh, and just as Christ was a son of man and the Son of God, we must recognize that the Lord still has us all living in temporary tabernacles that we must endure with the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the Head and anyone following Him will always be pointing to Him in all things.