Song of Solomon: God’s Purpose for Taking the Woman out of the Man Part 1

[Study Aired January 31, 2026]

A primary purpose of God creating the woman from the man was to intensify the trials and tribulations designed for her, the protagonist Woman, the Bride of Christ, as her Husband’s first fruit of him, to prepare herself for him, by his doctrine, rather than her own criteria of what she expects of him. Paradoxically, she is the first to become the New Adam—an illusory notion that would momentarily widen the eyes of all suffragettes for the power it implies.

In creating humanity as numerous as the stars of heaven being God’s children, it was a means to vastly increase and magnify God’s eminence in them, being created in His image, He needed to establish an indisputable statute of governmental authority in His eternal headship (Mar 10:6, Rev 3:14). To establish that foundation immutably, he had to keep emphasizing it through many ‘experiences of evil’ for all mankind, and the resulting severe humiliation of His creation rejecting His authority. In establishing that order of authority in mankind, with males, and particularly husbands in marriage, no greater humiliation, relative to the wisdom and intelligence required for a particular position of leadership authority, is there than to be outshone by a female, or wife, particularly impudently. One classic example of honor and respect for male governmental authority is Queen Esther’s elegant example in the Book of Esther, where her husband’s esteem for her rises meteorically, and as always, directly points to Christ’s love for his Bride. Of course, Esther’s arch-nemesis example is Queen Vashti’s humiliating self-elevation, which also led to her husband, King Ahasuerus (A-ha-sure-rus), facing devastating humiliation before his noblemen and women guests and the entire Kingdom. This is an outstanding example of a wife dishonoring her headship.

The Bible is a book with sex as a preeminent and multifaceted theme, evident in every sub-study before its introduction in The Song of Solomon. It is at the heart of all scriptural interactions, from beginning to end.

Sex was created by taking Eve from Adam’s body during her creation. The result was that a tremendous force of attraction now existed between men and women, enabling them to fulfill their intrinsic gender-specific needs. Adam needs Eve’s sexual intimacy to feel connected, and Eve needs Adam’s connectedness to have sexual intimacy. It was essentially a perfectly designed relationship until the Devil caused Eve to question her husband’s and God’s authority. However, now and because of their curses, both parties prioritize their intimacy needs over the other’s, establishing marital disunity in humanity forever. The Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, representing the Bride, is increasingly correcting that disparity by giving her whole mind, body, and spirit to her husband, as Christ does to her, typifying Christ and his Father’s inseparable spiritual connectivity.   

God’s aim for mankind is for them to respect the Godhead authority, the like position of headship centered on males, and eminently husbands in marriage, is not designed to put at variance males’ and females’ intelligence. Although without the holy spirit, women innately and irrationally believe it to be so. 

There are apparent differences in how God created men and women to think and make decisions. In juxtaposing women and children, perhaps no greater incitement to nettling women is this verse:

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.

Typically, children are inexperienced in life, displaying emotional immaturity, and need to learn the importance of honouring and respecting not just their parents, but all people, particularly elders and those in authority. As such, and in respect to Isaiah 2:12, inarguably, children are ineligible to lead others, as are immature adults pretending above their pay grade, and if made a king or queen, are likely to become contemptible oppressors. But what about women, seemingly inequitably aligned with children’s instability; doesn’t that indictment debase women’s intelligence?

A most beguiling quality of a beautiful young woman is her youthfulness, and like the eternal song, “The Girl from Ipanema”, her subtle message in her every enchanting move, innocently radiating fecundity to every man’s righteous and unrighteous lust—and to every woman of the day, a little envy. Purely to set that melancholic mood, here are the lyrics and video, and its soapy 1964 version of elegance, pictorially juxtaposed briefly outlandishly with the more ‘common’ girls of the period: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uEy-n4IsU&list=RD_1uEy-n4IsU&start_radio=1

I won’t embarrass myself with the Spanish or sing, even though the Spanish adds a certain ethnic romantic intrigue. Instead, I’ll focus on reading the first four verses, and try to resist the impulse the rhythm involuntarily makes me want to sing—maybe I’ll play it through my speakers.)

Lyrics

Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes “aah”

When she walks, she’s like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gently that
When she passes, each one she passes goes “ooh”

Ooh, but I watch her so sadly
How can I tell her I love her?
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day, when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at me

Tall, and tan, and young, and lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking and
When she passes, I smile, but she doesn’t see, doesn’t see

Olha, que coisa mais linda, mais cheia de graça
É ela a menina que vem e que passa
Num doce balanço a caminho do mar

Moça do corpo dourado do sol de Ipanema
O seu balançado parece um poema
É a coisa mais linda que eu já vi passar

Ooh, but I watch her so sadly
Ah, por que tudo é tão triste?

Yes, I would give my heart gladly
But each day, when she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at me 

Tall, and tan, and young, lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, I smile, but she doesn’t see

Por causa do amor
She just doesn’t see

Nem olha pra mim
She never sees me

Por causa do amor

The question again—But what about mature women, seemingly inequitably aligned with children’s instability and apparent devaluation?

As the enchanting imagery of The Girl from Ipanema evokes, humanity inevitably prioritises beauty and riches over the ability to perform a given task. The immortal example of a nation choosing a leader based on good looks is Israel’s choice of Saul, in which outstanding looks often lead to self-importance, elevation, and corrupt governance.

1Sa 9:2  And he [Kish] had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. 

1Sa 12:13  Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

Likewise, yet far more prevalent, humanity fawns over beautiful women—even to the point of police overlooking driving infringements. And yet absurdly today, not just beauty, but merely being a woman, attracts lower scores in universities, as institutions, often led by females, and worse, slavish, gelded males, bootlicking women into portfolios and engineering operations that generally require a male’s God-given dedication and interest. And, yes, sometimes women are more capable than men at the same task. However, she is still a woman, and with that come feminine qualities, of emotional responses, Queen Esther-like, superbly expressed in marriage and other ideally female interests, which are beautiful seductions to behold. Yet, on the battlefield and in various business operations, those same emotions cause soldiers to die needlessly, and men under her in business to feel neutered, lowering the moral tone; even if she excels in positions of authority, which are usually considered a masculine role, from God’s perspective, it is a shame, and emblematically demonstrating that her head is shorn.

1Co 11:4  Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
1Co 11:5  But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.

Male headship represents authority; God’s authority, as did Job’s sitting in the gates as a judge of the city. As we read the following account of Job’s headship, place any female’s name, even Queen Vashti’s, Jezebel’s, The Great Whore’s in his place including where it says “I” or “me”, and see how uncomfortably cringy an Elect of God feels in its physical application today, yet, paradoxically, spiritually at a latter date, absolutely not!

Job 29:7  When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! 
Job 29:8  The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
Job 29:9  The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. 
Job 29:10  The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. 
Job 29:11  When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: 
Job 29:12  Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 
Job 29:13  The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. 
Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. 
Job 29:15  I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. 
Job 29:16  I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Job 29:17  And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.
Job 29:18  Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.
Job 29:19  My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.
Job 29:20  My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. 
Job 29:21  Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. 
Job 29:22  After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. 
Job 29:23  And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. 
Job 29:24  If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. 
Job 29:25  I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. 

The upshot is that God, by design, knew that, and upon Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit and their resultant curses, his order of headship would constantly be challenged—wives and women ruling men, and them both in a battle of the sexes, contending their attempted coup over Christ’s headship, led by their characteristically female emotions eminating from intriguingly overlooked, gender-specific sources—the male privy, and the female breasts, introduced in a few studies later, entitled “Lusts – Ruling Adam Coitally and Eve, Romantically”.

In terms of the innate passion for a thing, our emotions drive the outcome of every thought and subsequent action. When individuals are led to begin experiencing emotions, their capacity for critical thinking diminishes. For the most part, it explains why women, the weaker vessel, subject to sentimentalities, crave romantic fantasy. This phenomenon has been understood by advertisers for many decades. Consequently, and proven by Adam’s pursuit of Eve, even though not deceived, it is exceedingly challenging to persuade others solely through appeals to logic and reason. Emotions trump logic. Historically, advertisers employed such tactics extensively during the 1920s and 1930s. An examination of newspaper advertisements from that era reveals they are markedly inferior by contemporary standards, typically presenting elaborate essays that present reasoned arguments for the superiority of their products and detail specifications and features. Nonetheless, these rational appeals are considerably less effective than emotional narratives, exemplified by the visual and auditory elements of the Girl from Ipanema, which are organically linked to the product being promoted. Women intrinsically ‘know’ this through their emotions, representative of mankind against God. Women are wired to naturally engage that strategy to get what they want, while men, less deceived, thus more treacherously work both sides of a plot for their benefit (1Jn 3:20-21, Rom 2:15).

Shrouded in the mists of Eden, we have seen that the foundational theme of the male pudenda, symbolically giving way to the rulership of breasts, was covertly established in Adam’s heart some time before he yielded to Eve’s wisdom. It no doubt furtively happened immediately upon his eyes lighting upon his gorgeous wife.

Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

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

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants [The Elect of God, becoming the Bride] things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

For God to establish His Kingdom in mankind, he must first demonstrate to the man who is God, He, or man. It is learnt through the lengthy experience of walking in every positive and negative application of the sum of God’s word. Its underlying potency is founded prophetically, and signified by Hosea with Gomer, and our Lord to Aholah and Aholiabah characterizing Israel, and Him pleading for her to “return, return to me!” And, to highly variable intensities, the lament of every husband’s bewilderment at why his wife’s interests are everywhere else, and not for him.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. 
Mal 3:7  Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

In our endless search for satisfying espoused unity, being utterly dissatisfied with the answers from the madness that rules in our hearts, as we run to and fro seeking wisdom from gurus and wisdom (Dan 12:4) from many harlots’ beds, typified by the physical works of the remnant Sons of Jacob, the budding Elect of God, are utterly consumed and destroyed by His fiery sword. We subsequently painstakingly collect gold dust of Christ’s word, creating talents of gold tried in the fire, which is not consumed, as we are given to rebuild the New Heavenly Jerusalem within.

As every carnal husband confusedly attempts to understand his marital disparities without understanding Adam and Eve’s curses, blind to his surrender of commanded headship, he exasperatingly asks, ‘how shall we return?’ — unconscious that he and his wife, having robbed God’s headship, are now representative whores, typified by Adam’s subservience to overpaying Eve her emotional dues for his relentless need for sexual dues… “an evil experience, indeed!

Mal 3:7  Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Mal 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 
Mal 3:9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

The following three captions broadly present that order of our journey to becoming the Bride, focusing all eyes hypocritically burning on the newly appointed (by Satan’s hand) head of carnal marriages, the woman, now symbolically astride, and representing the unruly Beast of mankind. She couldn’t make war with the Beast (Rev 13:4), so, she, empowered by Satan, pruriently and masterfully rode the powerful Beast, God allowing her as much freedom as was expedient for every male’s eroticised (spiritual) pleasure (Ecc 9:3, Pro 21:1, Eph 2:2, 2Co 4:4). The power of her sceptre (Rev 18:7) is every ensnaring doctrinal artifice (Ecc 7:26-29) represented sexually to which every male, willing to pay the price, fatuously bows. If she resists, the Scythian (G4658 – {an ethnicity…} wilder than the Barbarians = rude or rough) in him forcibly subdues her (Gen 3:16), characteristic of church leaders ruling the laity, and is effectively spiritual rape. 

Rom 8:20 For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation”
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
Rom 8:22 For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now.

It all reflects the woman’s morally justified, elegant, sensual essence of femininity; the quintessential daughters of music, their every nuance of the term, intended for marriage, which is exaggeratedly eroticised by men, encouraged and weaponised by women, first physically, and subsequently spiritually, symbolising how the laity is led astray by corrupt doctrines.

The turbulent order to becoming the Bride:

– Through lust, centralised sexually, brings an occasion of death against mankind for his rejection of God’s headship.

– Establish man’s profound acknowledgment in crushing humility and repentance for his coup over God’s throne.

– Christ reestablishes headship through His bride, leading all to life eternal.

Apart from a person’s God-given, visually perceived ugliness, the worst thing you can insult people about is their intelligence. Upon Adam and Eve receiving their curses, it was the comely Eve who felt that her intelligence had been humiliated. It thus shamed her for her gross ignorance when she realised that the Serpent had tricked her; she was desperately confused by this new experience of the ugliness of sin and the shame of disobeying God. As the saying goes, ‘you have to play a sucker to catch a sucker,’ and Eve got played. Now pride kicked in. Instead of admitting the shame of their sin, they pridefully attempted to uphold their deluded decision, preferring to conceal it, and they absurdly tried to run away from the thing infesting them within. In contrast, Adam, in not being deceived and acquiescing to Eve’s logic, felt foolish, ashamed for listening to his wife (Gen 3:1-24).

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew [to know, perceive] that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 
Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Thereafter, mankind, in knowing good and evil, his pride keeps him seeking to know Satan’s mind, preferring the tangible sensualities of the flesh over the esoteric nature of God’s spirit, sin remains corrupting from the inside.

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

The overwhelming consensus among psychologists and intelligence researchers is that there are no significant differences in actual IQ between men and women. However, it is often observed that men tend to approach problem-solving more logically, while women are more influenced by emotional factors. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong; both should be respected and can complement one another effectively.

Nonetheless, Eve’s intelligence was at stake for being, and like a child, easily deceived, starkly contrasted with Adam’s elegant deliberate siding with his wife, thus somewhat comforting her with his decorum—a parallel to Queen Victoria’s (Reigned from the mid 1800’s to 1901) account when welcoming a noble black leader of an African nation his unfamiliarity with British etiquette with his finger bowl he mistook as some drink he raised to his lips. The anecdote described the Queen’s quick thinking by discreetly indicating to the British guests to follow her lead by likewise drinking from the finger bowl, thus most elegantly negating the native’s potential embarrassment. Similarly, Adam somewhat mitigated Eve’s humiliation by eating the fruit. Still, the awful reality of never ridding herself of her and women’s perception that their minds are somehow inferior to men’s, endures the proverbial ‘monkey on their backs’, incenses their pride (indicative of mankind’s pride) forever.

It was the unique experience of perceiving that they were naked that was the trauma resulting in the name (overwhelmingly a noun) of the condition called “shame”. Even though the term “shame” accounts for 66.7% of the verbs parsed, it never stops us from ‘excusing or excusing’ ourselves of a sin. In contrast, the more dynamic show of being naked is the greater humiliation represented by naming it shame.

Even though in Gen 3:7, the term “… they knew that they were naked”, and “knew” H8799 is referenced as a verb in the imperfect tense, the act of knowing, being aware, wasn’t the predominant trauma experienced; instead, it was being naked. As we all recount, shame is something easily hidden in one’s psyche, possibly forever, but not from God. Being nude is an outward and normally humiliating trauma, and is why Adam and Eve hid, rather than from the shame of disobedience.   

While shame itself is a painful emotion that typically hinders complex trauma healing by promoting isolation and self-blame, a healthy, transformed understanding of shame (sometimes called “healthy shame” or processed through “shame resilience”), God has designed to motivate positive change and growth. 

Regarding the meaning of “shame”, it is a noun – A word (other than a pronoun) used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things (common noun), or to name a particular one of these (proper noun). https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/shame.html

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.

We thus put on Christ’s clothing to cover our nakedness for its shame. It is a fine line to understand; some would consider it moot. However, the point is to highlight that it was Eve’s perceived lack of intelligence compared to Adam’s; the foundation for the emerging feminist mindset that insulted her, rather than her inward spiritual nature, that caused her shame about her nakedness, which she couldn’t conceal.

Christ’s shame wasn’t because he was naked on the cross; it was because all who are hung on a tree or cross are “cursed.” Christ’s innocence in being unjustly cursed was the shame. Being naked on the cross was designed to add humiliation to the shame of the curse. His nudity symbolically wasn’t a shame since His spiritual clothing was hidden in His sinless, pure heart, whereas our nudity intrinsically depicts our endemic sinful nature, rendering us naked. The audience seeing the spectacle of Christ’s physical nudity never at that time saw the naked truth of his word clothing him—naked, yet clothed, and a concept similar to being crucified dead to sin while yet living (Gal 2:20). His ‘shame’ (being a noun) is the name of the condition of being unrighteously accursed of God at men’s hands for breaking their laws, and imposed nakedness. In fact, the Roman centurion guarding Christ had six hours, seeing the mockings and discourse between the murderer and thief and Christ, to reflect deeply on all that Christ stood for. He symbolises the Elect of God, likewise spiritually seeing Christ’s nudity in truth and spirit, its meaning, to the point of a personal, earth-shaking realisation that indeed He was and is the Son of God (Mat 27:54).

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

Deu 21:23  His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. 

Shame G152 – Transliteration: Aischune
– Phone,tic: ahee-skhoo’-nay
– Definition: 

1. the confusion of one who is ashamed of anything, [evoking a…] sense of shame [which is “confusion”] 
2. ignominy, disgrace, dishonour
3. a thing to be ashamed of.

From G153 – Transliteration: Aischuno
– Phonetic: ahee-skhoo’-no
– Definition: 

1. to disfigure
2. to dishonour
3. to suffuse with shame, make ashamed, be ashamed

Psa 97:7 Confounded [H954 – “ashamed”] be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

Confounded H954 – Origin: a primitive root. Ashamed, shame, shamefully 92 times. Confounded 22 times. Strong’s: A primitive root; properly to pale that is by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed: – (be make bring to cause put to with a-) shame (-d) be (put to) confounded (-fusion) become dry delay be long. 

Being ashamed ‘disfigures’ one’s countenance to “pale” in embarrassment for the underlying trauma. Eve’s intelligence questioned, severely embarrassed her, yet, like Adam, the shame didn’t stop them and Israel from being spiritually poor, blind and deaf, thus, naked—nakedness being the active trauma recognised as “shame”.

Shame, like trauma, is not what happens to you; trauma is what happens inside of you as a result of what physically happens to you, just as shame cerebrally occurs spiritually inside. Shame, as a blow to one’s head isn’t the trauma; rather, it is the underlying damage the blow caused. Likewise, Eve sustained a profound wound, a ‘confusion’ to her ego, and it wasn’t the Lord’s command that caused it. Her trauma was the humiliation before her husband, who, and by her appreciation, was supposed to love her; consequently, following her eating of the forbidden fruit, the trauma was the humiliation of Adam’s God-given authority over her—while in Babylon, an unhealed wound. There are traumatic events that can wound people, but the trauma is the wound itself that hasn’t healed. If it heals, it is not a trauma; it is merely a painful experience. Not everything painful is traumatic. Everything that is traumatic is painful. Not every stress or pain is traumatic. If it doesn’t heal, then it is, and that is a significant aspect of Adam and Eve’s curses, particularly Eve’s, since she doesn’t believe that Adam loves her the way she deeply feels he should—and that she feels traumatically and is, like nakedness, referred to as ‘shame’. She is representative of churches from whom ascends the Bride of Christ, who does heal. 

Exo 32:25  And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame [H8103] among their enemies:) 

Shame H8103 – Transliteration: Shimtsah

– Phonetic: shim-tsaw’
– Definition: 

1. whisper, derision, whispering.

From H8102 –  1. whisper, little 
Origin: from H8102
– TWOT entry: 2413b
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine 

(In this discussion, the children of the world are sometimes wiser than the children of light. To hopefully make the understanding of “shame” more straightforward, this rendition is adapted from Dr Gabor Maté’s short video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0-LO7b-ffg

[Suggested Host’s Break]

Concealed and Nagging Shame Can Point to the Bondage of a Lying Spirit

[Study Aired February 22, 2023]

Shame is frequently a result of one’s moral virtues being broken. Many Christian Babylonians, with much prayer, have degrees of moral integrity and overcome drug, alcohol and other addictions and sins through various programs with acclaimed success. Why do we in the Body of Christ sometimes experience a painful thorn of a particular sin in our side seemingly forever?

This study highlights one possible oversight dedicated to “shame” to inspire any number of Saints battling entrenched sins to overcome spirits in their high places. For the Elect and Babylonians alike, there are enormously powerful emotions intrinsic to sin where the feeling of intense shame frequently supersedes and disguises the underlying forbidden action. Overwhelmingly in scripture, shame is an essential and elementary agent to motivate change, yet, seemingly in our DNA, the first response is to hide to mitigate the mental torment.

Optimistically, the study will stimulate personal breakthroughs, from grinding struggles to freedom from a dogged sin.

Mankind that is sinful flesh is by nature sin, and we thus frequently live a bit too comfortable in sin, especially their perceived lesser sensed sins and, subsequently, the probability of perpetual shame.

1Ti 4:1 But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons, 
1Ti 4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience. (MKJV)

When our consciences are repeatedly seared, it lays down resistance to a soft heart for change, just as a soft blister on one’s hand will lay down a slightly tougher layer of skin. When the same abrasive action is repeated in the same location, the body responds by laying down more tough skin that eventually will entirely resist the harshest assault. Similar action on our minds produces the same psychological layering of a “seared conscience”. We see massive oppression against the Lord’s word on all fronts in this age, where particularly vile actions are now progressively flaunted as dignity and searing consciences.

The feeling of shame has no greater impact than its first experience of the perceived sin. Sins that are transgression evoke shame in the sinner and with the audience, with the latter’s eyes burning the shame deeper into the trespasser’s heart. Shame and guilt go hand-in-hand with breaching a law. We are unlikely to admit guilt since we know the next step is a debilitating shame since speaking about it perpetuates the often crippling emotion of humiliation. The longer the humiliation resides in our hearts, its devouring nature stigmatises recovery. Knock guilt off of its perch, and humiliating shame disappears.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Shame and humiliation are almost indistinguishable and are uncomfortable or painful due to recognition or consciousness of impropriety, dishonour or other wrongs in the opinion of the person experiencing the feeling. Both are often felt as a recall of a particularly painful event by oneself or by others reminding us.

A quote from William Shakespeare says, “Have you no modesty, no maiden name?” and is reminiscent of the Great Whore within. Revelation says, (Rev 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says,) ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ ~ and hence her nakedness of not being covered by a husband. Subsequently, through her own works, she has covered her shame with personal orthodoxy reasoning and a seared heart of self-righteousness. 

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

Of course, all unmarried women in Christ, the Body of Christ, are covered by him; thus, the shame of their nakedness upon repentance is covered. Unmarried women, the rejected church in Babylon, are unwittingly covered by their father, Satan, and cannot see the shame of their nakedness.

Joh 8:43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
Joh 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.

Young children almost always burst into tears with sorrow for their guilt. Conversely, adults become more ingenious than children at hiding and covering humiliation rather than calmly and unreservedly identifying the contentious issue by simply learning to acknowledge a sin before God with the authentic joy of a converted spirit.

If the guilt isn’t quickly expressed and forgiveness asked, shame can become a crippling emotion. Shame induces hiding, and when concealment becomes a habit, it consolidates the sin with layers of scarring for a possibly seared conscience. Where particularly offensive acts are evident, keeping the transgression between oneself and the Lord is far more honourable and scripturally sound than blurting the offence to the Body. Plainly, we confess our sins to the only one who can forgive the sin, Christ.

Mat 6:5 And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 
Mat 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your room. And shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

Jas 5:13 Is any one of you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 
Jas 5:14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 
Jas 5:15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
Jas 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

All Christians are well acquainted with mankind’s first recorded shame response, specifically for their self-consciousness of nakedness. Of course, our minds instantly go to Adam and Eve’s attempt at fig leaf couture (dressmaking) for disobeying the Lord. Incidentally, the Lord’s humour with his covert inspirations for them to choose fig leaves, notably for their shape and for Adam’s more visual pudenda, was considerate.

Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Of course, scripture doesn’t immediately say Adam and Eve felt shame upon eating the forbidden fruit; only it is imputed by their hiding. Yet our unclothed bodies ascribe shame everywhere in scripture, most importantly its spiritual shadows. Interestingly, when we read “and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” we automatically attribute shame to that phrase merely by the action “[they] hid themselves from the presence of the Lord.”

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.

Acknowledgement of guilt is good and is a confession of wrongdoing. It’s hopefully a learned lesson not to be repeated. The unacknowledged sin that should evoke guilt perpetuates the sometimes debilitating emotion of humiliation. The longer the humiliation resides in our hearts, its devouring nature hinders recovery.

Humiliation is the emotion one feels when our status is lowered in front of others. Adam and Eve knowing that they were naked was a God-induced response. If God had not created that response from disobedience to His word, they would have been like the other animals in the Garden, oblivious to intellectual reasoning. 

The eyes of the animal beasts in the Garden stare contemplatively without seeing as their kin copulate and do all sorts of antisocial (by our standards) attentiveness to their own and each other’s genitals. The Lord created a huge disparity between them and us for His purposeful lesson. It is through nakedness and the fear of humiliation, largely by seeing the difference between His bodily presentation and ours, by spiritual clothing is the message. (“the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked”).

The Lord’s sheep are schooled by the “good shepherd” to come out of the world’s massive sheep pen for the slaughter and follow Him. With no inherent defence, sheep are created to be protected and farmed. The entire world of sheep will follow different shepherds who offer the seemingly best food and protection. Only the Lord’s personal “little flock” knows His voice and will not comply with the voices of falsehood. It is common knowledge among sheep graziers that to get sheep to go anywhere, especially where they don’t want to go, is to use a goat’s inherent wily intuition. The sheep will always follow him; hence the goat is colloquially called a “Judas goat” ~ leading the sheep up a ramp into a truck for market and unwitting slaughter. Of course, even Babylon knows that the goat represents Satan (but they are blinded to see that the “scapegoat” is Christ in my flesh. Col 1:24 – The Scapegoat).

A highly notable character of the infamous WEF recently used the Lord’s fair jewels of knowledge for his own nefarious purposes when he allegedly said, “people are hackable animals.” He is dead right! The entire world will follow their goatish slave masters in government, particularly the Babylonian Christian church, with eyes that don’t see their collective nakedness.

Upon Jesus feeding the four thousand with seven loaves of bread and some small fishes and sailing to Dalmanutha, he explained His miracle to His disciples. Little by little, their eyes opened through many subsequent miracles. Jesus said,

Mar 8:18 Having eyes, do you not see? and having ears, have you no hearing? and have you no memory?

Christ said, have you no spiritually reflective memory of what you have seen through numerous miracles!? The disciples hadn’t yet been given the more significant measure of their Lord’s spirit, and the uptake of their understanding was naturally slow.

As always, miracles mesmerise people, and the disciples were no different. Our senses are always attuned to the most dynamic occurrence, frequently distracting us from its underlying meaning.

Mat 13:10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” 
Mat 13:11 He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 
Mat 13:12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 
Mat 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ 
Mat 13:14 In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Mat 13:15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 
Mat 13:17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (BSB)

The Lord made us His ‘sheep’ with eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear until He opens them in His own good timing.

The first and most powerful emotion to our sins being revealed and the inevitable humiliation is fight or flight, to uphold our integrity or flee (hide) before our personally idealised integrity is shredded. With everyone’s eyes burning upon you, being told or perceiving that you are wrong insults our prideful intelligence. As did Adam and Eve with their new and dreadfully disconcerting new emotion of shame, hiding seems easier since it is not our nature to admit wrongdoing. 

To the ‘natural man’, being found out for our misdeeds doesn’t mitigate the choice of fighting or hiding; our pride causes both actions. Hence, the title, “Concealed and Nagging Shame Can Point to the Bondage of a Lying Spirit.” It does not always, but it can.

Of course, Ananias and Sapphira are classic cases of a lying spirit. Scripture doesn’t say if they concealed other occasions of ‘hiding’ from their consciences through the enslavement of other vices. However, judgment for their account of holding back a portion of profits from the pledge to the temple following the sale of land was blindingly swift; they had no time to attempt hiding. Scripture doesn’t say if they felt guilt for withholding a portion of the money from selling their land for themselves.

Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Act 5:6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
Act 5:7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 
Act 5:8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 
Act 5:9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Act 5:10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 
Act 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Our Lord is just and merciful to His little flock, and judgment isn’t always as swift as it was for Ananias and Sapphira. Righteousness by slowly putting on our Lord’s clothing to hide our nakedness is often a drawn-out and fiery affair. Change comes after much deliberation, dodging and weaving of a lying spirit until we acknowledge our transgressions from the heart.

Isa 26:9 My soul longs for You in the night; indeed, my spirit seeks You at dawn. For when Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.
Isa 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.
Isa 26:11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them! 

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. 

2Pe 3:15 Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.

The Body of Christ is well-versed in experiencing forgiveness from our exceptionally patient Lord for our most obstinate sins.

Mat 18:21  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 
Mat 18:22  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! [Mat 18:21-35]

Following multiple fiery trials, the Body’s individuals become more comfortable in the fire by quickly seeing their nakedness and acknowledging their sins (Jer 3:6-13).

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Acknowledging sins quashes humiliation; it is a liberating experience.

Cain classically tried to hide from the Lord. Upon killing his brother, Abel, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Adam and humanity’s endemic nature to hide from our sins. 

Gen 4:1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
Gen 4:2 Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. 
Gen 4:3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD, 
Gen 4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
Gen 4:5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. 
Gen 4:6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 
Gen 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
Gen 4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 
Gen 4:9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 
Gen 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 
Gen 4:11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Gen 4:12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
Gen 4:13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 
Gen 4:14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
Gen 4:15 “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

We all begin life as Cain; only the Lord chooses not to hide His face from a few who are given to see the Lord’s face in His word. The world’s overwhelming multitude of ‘Cains’ sees the Lord’s face with eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear (Mar 8:18).

Everyone in the Lake of Fire, including Cain, will be astonished by the Lord having steered them in this life into horrendously serious sins and evil experiences, mostly in this age for the Elect’s sake. Naturally, for them, as with us, the first emotion is an outrage at the Lord’s manipulation ~ Him, the master potter, having directed Satan’s hand in everyone’s sin and resulting humiliation for a righteous outcome.

Joseph’s brothers were inspired by Satan at the Lord’s hands to sell him into Egypt. Joseph says,

Gen 45:7 God sent me before you to preserve you as a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8 Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh—Lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Likewise, and for our most humiliating sins, it wasn’t us that sent us into our Babylon of disgrace, but God. 

Rom 9:19 You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will? 
Rom 9:20 Yes, rather, O man, who are you answering against God? Shall the thing formed say to the One forming it, Why did You make me like this? [lITV – Isa 29:16]

Adam, Cain and Joseph’s brothers all hid from their shame. Hiding from wrongdoing leaves a debilitating and nagging legacy of humiliation to being found out. The only remedy to shame and humiliation is to “acknowledge your sins” and, from your heart, seek forgiveness. It really is that simple!

Once a sin is acknowledged from our heart before the Lord, not a soul in the world, including oneself, has a right to recall the sin and thus perpetuate humiliation!

King David was a man after the Lord’s own heart purely for his God-given willingness to acknowledge his sin. Yet, he, too, dragged his feet to come to that acknowledgment, but once his nakedness was revealed, he sought forgiveness, often with tears.

Jer 3:23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. 
Jer 3:24 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Jer 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God. 

Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

The lying spirit of hiding from the Lord really is easily blown away in the summer breeze by the Lord’s word, “only acknowledge your sins”, and they will be forgiven.

[Study Posted July 31, 2022]

Shame is frequently a result of one’s moral virtues being broken. Many Christian Babylonians, with much prayer, have moral integrity and overcome drug, alcohol and other addictions and sins through various programs with acclaimed success. Why do we in the Body of Christ sometimes experience a painful thorn of a particular sin in our side seemingly forever?

Acknowledgement of guilt is good. Guilt is an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. It’s hopefully a learned lesson not to be repeated. Shame, on the other hand, is less about a specific behaviour or a specific action and more about a deep-seated feeling. Shame etches deeper than an immediate embarrassment, and as Adam and Eve graphically experienced, it deeply rasps our conscience that some unidentified matter is wrong.

This study highlights one possible oversight dedicated to “shame” to hopefully inspire any number of Saints battling entrenched sins to overcome spirits in their high places. It is not meant to be the elixir Job’s miserable friends hoped to deliver ~ but at the Lord’s hand, it could.

Joh 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven, [and sometimes only revealed to him alone, as similarly,] 

Dan 10:7 And I Daniel [the individual’s name] alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 

Shame, as does fear, causes us to run and hide, but the one whose eyes are opened sees with clarity of vision for change.

Optimistically, this study will stimulate the audience’s spiritual minds for personal breakthroughs, from grinding struggles to freedom from a particularly dogged sin.

For the Elect and Babylonians alike, there are enormously powerful emotions intrinsic to sin where the feeling of intense shame frequently supersedes and disguises the underlying forbidden action. Overwhelmingly in scripture, shame is an essential and elementary agent to motivate change, yet, it can be an obstacle to repentance that carnality is drawn for possibly unwitting blindness.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Mat 18:2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 
Mat 18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Young children almost always burst into tears with sorrow for their guilt. Adults, on the other hand, become more ingenious than children at hiding and covering shame rather than calmly and unreservedly identifying the contentious issue by simply learning to acknowledge a sin with the authentic joy of a more “converted” spirit.

If the shame isn’t quickly expressed and forgiveness asked, it can become a crippling emotion. Shame induces hiding, and when covering becomes a habit, it consolidates the sin with layers of scarring for a seared conscience.

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

Pro 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Jer 3:13 Only [simply and from the heart] acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways [both good and bad seed] to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

One would think that those three simple verses are the key to repentance, which is found in authentically acknowledging your iniquity ~ and it is!  However, many artful nuances of sinful flesh find ways to mitigate or even avoid the simplicity in that foundation. One such possible nuance is the deeply etched emotion of “shame”.

Covering one’s sin is the first impulse. With a truthfully contrite heart, confessing our sins to Christ is the most liberating experience.

Joy for recovering from sin comes in the morning when we appreciate the spiritual reality of change more than the grinding shame. It is only through the practice of recovering from disobeying our Lord that inward grovelling shame is more joyfully cast aside. The approach of quickly and authentically acknowledging our sins brings immense joy and privilege to leave behind those servile elements which keep us submerged in the “deep”.

Psa 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 
Psa 30:3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 
Psa 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 
Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Those verses succinctly order the flow of guilt. In our spiritual immaturity, as do children, we feel more humiliation from being caught in our sin than the broken law. After a night of restless reflection, in the morning we acknowledge our transgression meekly.

The Bride should not be shocked by her nudity before herself, in the Body of Christ or before her Husband! It is a ridiculous notion that she is appalled by her nudity while she searches for spiritual spots and wrinkles. We cry out in alarming shame for being “caught with our pants down”, a classic adage for unintentional nudity and its consternation, first experienced by Adam and Eve, rather than composedly recognising our nakedness and serenely covering up. It takes many years of humiliation to attain, by the Lord’s strength, to cover up with Christ’s righteous clothing and move on decorously.

The Body of Christ reverently notices his brother or sister’s nakedness of sin without voyeuristic intentions, as we all, from time to time, inadvertently do in our physical families. For our learning, Ham capitalised on the fortuitous occasion of his Father Noah’s nakedness, for heightened ridicule by engaging his brothers. His brothers saw their Father’s nudity and respectfully covered it. Ham’s chance to amplify the humiliation by including his brothers backfired as they didn’t buy into the violation.

Righteous shame is excellent for motivating repentance, yet, frequently, the exaggerated sensitivities of the unfortunate one caught physically naked exacerbate his disgrace to be identified as the sin rather than the underlying transgression. As is our bias, Adam and Eve, born of the flesh, primarily recognised the emotional consternation of shame that their uncovered privy parts evoked as the sin more than disobedience to the Lord.

Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

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

Our scarred memory of seemingly endless humiliations causes us to run and hide the object that causes immense emotional pain that, by God’s design for all but a few, soundly hides its purpose.

As always, the spirit quickens understanding, not the underlying shadow that points to the spiritual and is more frequently identified as the object to be avoided. As such, we default to making our clothing cover the seat of disgrace when it should be Christ’s spiritual clothing that glorifies Him. Over and over, we beat ourselves up to try harder to overcome and thus quench the strength of Christ.

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.

The classic example of shame is Christ hanging naked on the cross, yet he despised the physical shame for his Elect to see their spiritual shame of their nudity progressively. It is oh so stressful to get to that joyful, comfortable place of being spiritually naked in the fire before Christ and His Christs where one doesn’t feel ridiculed as did Noah by his son, Ham, who sought to dramatise the humiliation by believing his brothers would automatically find pleasure in the opportunity to disgrace their dad.

Upon realising our sin, like Cain, we can become sullen and bitter and identify the colossal shame as the greater evil than receiving chastisement with joy.

Gen 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

King David is a timeless example of hiding from his shame following his affair with Bathsheba that cascaded to greater depths of humiliation. The prophet Nathan exposed David’s sin and amplified his immense embarrassment before all of Israel. We much prefer hiding our shame (as did David) for months or even years rather than quickly exposing our spiritual nudity.

To their enduring frustration, some openly state their sins and are bewildered by the sometimes years it takes to be free, not remembering that we are the Lord’s workmanship for Him to indulge His good pleasure ~ the creation of the Bride is not a rushed work. We are His workmanship of a long firing in the furnace for perfection. Through much pain and suffering, we possess Christ, the promised inheritance through patience.

Luk 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls, [and during the often years of the same old grinding sin if our utter dependence is on Christ,]

Luk 21:18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Num 32:22 And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
Num 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Mankind to this day is physically and spiritually nude like Adam and Eve, our God-given natural state and the nudity are symbolic of sin. Flaunting that nudity is sometimes us being the Corinthian fornicator in shameless pride of self-righteousness and “be sure your sin will find you out.”

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness [and joy] in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

Shame is the most destructive of all the feelings that holds us back, keeps us down, and quenches our spiritual growth. We fail to see that fear is often a cover, a protective layer to keep us from feeling shame; the more significant worry should be for disobedience, not the torment of disgrace.

Upon Goliath’s slaying, the soon-to-be King David portrayed a positive side of unintentionally displaying our privy parts and despising the shame. With his toga twirling and writhing, David energetically danced moves that would inspire modern-day rap dancers while being semi-conscious yet mostly uncaring for possibly exposing his pudenda. His and his men’s joy at re-establishing the power of God in Israel superseded the puerility of Ham-like voyeuristic opportunists ~ except for Michal, his wife. She self-righteously identified more with the shadow of shame than the reality and joy of the coming powerful and righteous leadership. The greater shame was her unconsciously attempting to rule her husband by her prissy evaluations of David’s indiscreet gyrations and repressing virtuous leadership in Israel.

If we fear the physical humiliations and identify them mainly as the objects of shame to be eradicated, our love is not perfect; their spiritual applications quickeneth and not the emotions of the flesh that causes us to hide in shame from our Lord and brethren.

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:

We are without excuse if we have known the heavenly gift of spiritual discernment and go back to the weak and beggarly elements of serving the flesh more than God.

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 [the spirit] of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In all of its genuinely natural glory, the creation points to the spiritual, the Beast that we are, and without God’s spirit, we default to its worship. To which entity does our devotion belong? Are we attempting to serve two masters – the creature and the Creator?

Consider that the shame of any seemingly hopelessly entrenched sin can serve the creature more than the Creator. Shame induces hiding and throws away the key to the shackles of slavery.

In confusion, Adam unconsciously blamed his sin on his genitalia. His overall nakedness caused him to focus on his exposed privates and how vulnerable he felt when the other living being in the Garden, Christ, was clothed.

Adam and Eve were made in the likeness or outward form of the Lord, and it is natural for humans to want to belong to their kin and not the beasts of the field. The latter unconsciously and blithely procreated before all and sundry whilst chewing their cud without a hint of shame at being unclothed.

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, [Christ] and eat, and live for ever:

Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Now the object of immense shame, his exposed genitalia skewed his focus from the colossal sin of overall nakedness ~ for seven thousand years! He was intensely focused on covering the physical seat of his shame rather than the unwitting hidden reality of the entirety of his spiritual nakedness, his unrighteous endemic nature. Unconsciously, his kin, the Lord, having the same outward image and likeness, was his spiritual mentor to eventually gain equality with God. Adam and Eve’s shame wasn’t so much their disobedience to God for taking from the forbidden tree; more willingly, it was their feelings of awkwardness for not being clothed like their spiritual father; they eagerly desired identity, dressed indistinguishably in both righteous and unrighteous clothing. The more significant and hidden shame was their God-given blindness that takes a seven thousand-year experience of evil to identify the Christ and be clothed in his purity.

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

Nobody told Adam and Eve they were naked! Nakedness was a God-induced spirit of shame that directly caused Adam and Eve to identify the difference between the only similar kin in the Garden and them.

Had the Lord not been clothed and without shame, strolled in the nude with hypothetical genitalia, Adam and Eve would have felt normal and accepted. Although the Lord was dressed in incorruptible spiritual clothing, Satan to Adam and Eve appeared indistinguishable; in fact, a lot more intriguingly dressed with knowledge, the Lord refused them!

2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Satan was clothed with apparel of light; to Adam and Eve’s eyes, identical; in fact, experimentally better than the Lord’s.

Adam and Eve desperately wanted to feel a kinship with someone, even with the temporary pleasures of the mind which the fascinating Tree of the knowledge of good and evil incited. A new, unidentified, devastating emotion of shame emerged, and they both knew they wanted to evade the torture associated with nudity. Their child-like nature was to hide from the tormenting inescapable spirit of the mind by physically running away ~ but they couldn’t elude their mental distress; it followed them everywhere! The reason for their anguish was that they (the old Adam within) were not given to recognising their spiritual nakedness. Their spiritually immature reasoning caused their minds to go into overdrive to fathom, for now, the spiritually unfathomable, eclipsed by shame; confusion began to reign as the cornerstone for the tower of Babylon was laid in their hearts.

Adam and Eve’s physical nudity was the difference between them and their nearest kin; they now were compelled to do anything to change the contrasting shame ~ fig leaves were the immediate option.

Except for the Elect of God and seven thousand years, Adam’s warped focus and reaction is on the shame of his physical nudity rather than the aionian-unfathomable spiritual reality for disobedience.

Since that first devastatingly etched and new emotion of shame, man has been intent on justifying his nudity to rid himself of its disfiguring psychological scars. “How dare God eternally condemn the beautiful pudenda that give us the epitome of joy!” And so, mankind celebrates sex at every opportunity. Well, it is the very first of many strong delusions. God didn’t condemn our privy parts; He merely used them to highlight our intrinsic nakedness of sinful flesh that is highly prone to celebrating, even worshiping our most sensual members.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Adam and Eve effectively worshiped themselves, “the creature more than the Creator” by unconsciously honouring their shame rather than a composed acknowledgement of their direct violation of the Lord’s command not to touch the tree being the knowledge of good and evil. Their shame results in an arduous seven thousand-year worship of the creature, the Beast, more than their Creator.

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

To hide the devastating new emotion of shame now directly identified with their genitals rather than the more crucial disobedience to God. The endearing natural humility of a little child, unashamedly being naked for the short term before our Husband and the Christs, is precious as we learn to acknowledge our transgression with joy and receive white linen.

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 should be joyful for our spiritual nudity being exposed and not give power to the emotion of shame once it has done its hopefully short work that points us to the healing power of Christ and Him fighting for us.

Wits’ End

“I have done all the above by acknowledging my sin yet remain enslaved.”

Purely for its quote and not necessarily a recommended work, C. S. Lewis, with his essay, “Startled into Hiding,” speaks on the subject of shame and says, “Over time, we learn to retreat behind walls and clenched fists of control. We resort to hiding without seeking, surviving without exploring; the body constricts and goes numb in a desperate attempt to deflect attention and disappear”.

Shame should always be a positive vehicle that leads to swiftly acknowledging the guilt of sin. However, it is common for folk to confess their sins before Christ, his family and the Body of Christ and distressingly remain entrenched in a vice. The condition can go on for years, even the best of a lifetime, taking a heavy toll on the person’s worth before the Lord.

Whether the sin is an annoying “child”, a “giant”, or a giant with deep roots and one is riddled with guilt and shame, be of some cheer; that shame is beautiful!

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

What further steps can be taken to be free from a particularly stubborn or addictive sin when we have genuinely and fearlessly acknowledged our sin before the Lord and even the Saints and remain shackled in despair? We mostly every day ask the Lord for help; our Elders, family and friends give sound counsel and endless supplications; we have cut loose from the physical devices that promote access to the particular sin, and the fiendish condition remains entrenched! Some people end their wretchedness in suicide, only to face the same circumstances in the Great White Throne Judgment now with two problems: taking your life and the original matter. It is best to have the sense of easier torture before the Lord and his Angels today than the more profound torture in the GWTJ, where the more immeasurable shame is felt before our brothers and sisters with whom we once shared holy communion.

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

To you, that suppurating carcass chained around your neck is an abomination, yet learn to love your enemy since you are guaranteed to win over “him”. It is a beautiful thing to learn to be of good cheer in your patience for the work the Lord is doing with that oppressive sin with His timing for release.

Ecc 3:1 To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecc 3:10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
Ecc 3:11 He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world [1Jn 2:16] in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

1Co 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.

“Everything” and “all things” means the totality of everything, including the negative of our evil “beautiful” trials.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is [becoming and is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The Lord gives his perfectly evil servant, Satan, the nod to test us but not beyond our endurance ~ how good is that! So whatever entrenched sin is being fought, it will be easily or tortuously conquered; not necessarily twenty years ago or today, but with the Lord’s measures, you will rule over it.

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, [replace with your name] Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? [Why do we feel so utterly dejected, even unto death, for the giant in our land?]
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

So, what additional measures can a person review to hopefully escape a deep-rooted sin when he has done all that is required for repentance?

Well, it could be the simple measure of patiently waiting on the Lord. In the meantime, search the heart for the nagging shame of a lying spirit.

Ahab, a King of Israel, elegantly portrays a lying spirit (2Ch 18:1-34, well documented in IWWB studies) who wanted Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, to join him in picking a war with Syria at Ramothgilead.

The Lord always requires us, as budding Kings and Priests, to ask Him to go before us into battle; if we attempt to fight a foe on our terms, we will, in all likelihood, be defeated. If we are not beaten in battle, the idol of our heart for our works begins to establish a hardened heart that can entrench the underlying sin.

Ahab itched to fight at Ramothgilead, and he knew that if he asked Micaiah, the Lord’s prophet of the time, for His blessing in victory, he would be denied the action. Ahab hated Micaiah’s righteousness as it always opposed what Ahab wanted to achieve. Ahab secretly sought kinship with a prophet outside the Lord’s prophets to get the answer he coveted. Ham, too, attempted to garner support by including his brothers to deride their Father. For us, that support is almost always hidden within our scheming hearts that make us appear righteous, yet the reality is a lying spirit driving that intention. It is spiritually known as an idol of the heart.

By all intents and purposes, we can lie to ourselves, our family and the Body of Christ when we have boldly confessed our sin, acknowledged it before Christ, and appear righteously at our wits’ end ~ how can it be a lie?

Ham, Ahab, and we worship the Beast and his image when we hear the trumpet blast for impending war within and refuse the nagging shame to authentically ask the Lord for Him to go before us to battle. Our heart is to rely on the false prophet within to concur with our heart. We consistently lose the fight by not genuinely desiring the Lord’s truth over our desire; to all family and peers, we are in right standing with God, and they put our struggles and wits’ end down to having to wait on the Lord for release from the chains ~ when in fact, the root problem is not worshiping the Lord with all your authentic heart in action and not a forked tongue.

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Eze 33:2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When [not if] I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 
Eze 33:3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
Eze 33:4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, [within for the slavery] and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
Eze 33:5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
Eze 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. 
Eze 33:7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 

Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

If not checked by the trumpet warning of the still small voice from within, corruption continually cascades in steps, beginning with a lustful thought.

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.

Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

At the Lord’s hand, we, the Ahab within, curse ourselves in many ways. None is more damnable than the unclean spirit of worshiping ourselves, the Beast; and when initially tempted, not quickly, and from the heart, asking the chief prophet in Israel above, Christ, for him to go before us into battle. Unrighteous lust always comes from the ruling thought of going near the harlot’s door or any sin, by testing one’s imagined robust resistance to indulge just a little of the titillation rather than immediately exhilarating the Lord to lavish His power of resistance. The foundational problem is unbelief by refusing to heed the trumpet.

Unbelief is not believing with all of your heart. It stems from our indifferent eye for our fiancé’s (Christ’s) ardent desire for us, just as a harlot naturally has dull eyes for her renter. By prayer and fasting, we must consistently crave strong meat by being where the eagles are daily gathered at the carcass.

In Mark 9:14-29, the apostles were perplexed by their inability to cast out the dumb spirit inflicting the boy. Christ says:

Mar 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Mar 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

Mar 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? 
Mar 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

At the Lord’s hand, Adam and Eve’s terrifying new emotion of shame shackled them to their unwitting father, Satan, for hiding a series of unfamiliar evil experiences of equal alarm for which they soon grew accustomed ~ for seven thousand years, life became wonderfully rich in Babylon.

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

From the outset, the hidden King from Eden steadily revealed himself and his Father to a few in this age, showing them how to identify the bondage of a spirit that relies on one’s own strength by the stealth and nagging shame of a lying spirit.

Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Amen.

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Everything is already manifest and “opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” and our high priest Jesus Christ who has passed into our heavens (Col 1:27) is there for the express purpose of helping us identify the nakedness or sinfulness of our nature that can be overcome by obtaining mercy, and finding “grace to help in time of need“.

The who, what, where, when and why of what God has provided for the elect is what we will be looking at in this verse tonight.

Let’s just briefly answer these five questions as we consider how great a high priest we really have in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Who was He, or who is He?

These verses in Hebrews 1:1-8 describe part of who Christ is for us today and how He will use the “sceptre of righteousness…the sceptre of thy kingdom” to purify a people to himself (Tit 2:11-15).

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Heb 1:4  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
Heb 1:7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

[with “a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom”]

Tit 2:15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

What is Christ’s function for God’s elect today?

We just read that the primary function given to Christ of our Father is to have a “a sceptre of righteousness…the sceptre of thy kingdom”, and we know He is using that sceptre today upon the body of Christ which is being judged (1Pe 4:17) as He “redeem[s] us from all iniquity, and purify[s] unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” through a process of sanctification (Joh 17:17).

It is the man Jesus Christ (1Ti 2:5) who started this process of sowing the seed of God’s word, and it is Satan who is the enemy that comes and sows tares while men sleep. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man (1Ti 2:5) which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way'” (Mat 13:24-25).

What Christ did was sow those seeds prior to the conversion of His disciples, speaking the word to them in parables knowing that those words would not return void (Isa 55:11), and that in time the expediency about which Christ spoke to them regarding his departure (Joh 16:7) would be explained by the comforter (Joh 16:13) which would lead them into all truth (Joh 16:4, 2Th 2:5) into the words of eternal life God’s elect are blessed to continue in today in order to become disciples indeed (Joh 8:31).

Joh 16:4  But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Where is Christ now?

There is no mystery to those who have had their eyes open as to where Christ is today, and “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens…let us hold fast our profession“. Our profession is not to strive for the temporal earthly achievements that Paul likened to dung after his eyes were open (Php 3:8), but rather our profession is to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Php 3:14) having “respect unto the recompence of the reward”, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” as Moses did in type and shadow (Heb 11:26). Christ is where He is in our lives for that express purpose of helping us to continue to have that respect for the recompence of the reward as we are granted the faith required (1Jn 5:4), along with the fiery trials (1Pe 4:12) which are essential in order to stablish, strengthen and settle us (1Pe 5:10) in tried faith (1Pe 1:7) that we have as a gift from God (Eph 2:8).

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

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

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

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:

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

When will we see Christ?

When we “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” we will “see Christ” (Jer 29:13, Jas 4:7). We are blessed when we are led by the spirit of God and dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) so that by abiding in that light we can have our spiritual eyes open and see Him (Rom 8:14-16, Joh 20:29, 1Jn 3:3). Seeing is connected with the “throne of grace“, and therefore it is our blessing to be chastened and scourged by the Lord in this age so we cease from sinning as we are guided and taught by His hand to come out of darkness (Tit 2:12) and into the glorious light of the gospel of the kingdom of God, which is now within us (2Co 4:7, Luk 17:20-21).

Jer 29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

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

Rom 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.

Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. [“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.”]

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.

Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

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

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

Why we have a high priest.

What we have and why we have Christ as our high priest is explained for us this way: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” By explaining it this way, we can rest assured that our head understands what His body is going through the church (Col 1:24, Eph 5:30, Col 1:27).

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

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

Christ is training us up and maturing us so that we can in turn be sent to do what He has done for us for others (Joh 20:21). He is a “a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” and knowing that and believing that is what we look stedfastly to so that we can “hold fast our profession” of faith through our high priest who is the author and finisher of that faith (Heb 12:2-4, 1Pe 5:8-10).

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature^G2937 that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked^G1131 and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Specifically, when God says “neither is there any creature^G2937 that is not manifest in his sight”, he is speaking of all mankind, and yet it is not limited to mankind as God knows the course of all of His creation. His knowing and controlling of all the circuit of life (Psa 19:1-8, Pro 8:17-35) demonstrates He is sovereign over all of His spiritual creation that will one day be part of the all in all (Eph 1:11, Eph 4:6, 1Co 15:28). He is sovereign over all spirits which were created to minister to us as angels do (Heb 1:14), and all of mankind, whose experience God is directing, is for our sakes (2Co 4:15, Rom 8:28), and we know that each man in his own order will become a new creation in Christ (2Co 5:17) and learn of His sovereign hand which is in every detail of His creation (1Co 15:39-45). The new creation we are becoming through Christ, who created all things, is all being done to the glory of God and is also typified for us in the creation week found in Genesis 1:20-26.

G2937 Creature: ktisis ktis’-is  From G2936; original formation (properly the act; by implication the thing, literally or figuratively): – building, creation, creature, ordinance.

Original: κu964 ιu769 σu953 ςpar – Transliteration: Ktisis
– Phonetic: ktis’-is
– Definition:
1. the act of founding, establishing, building, etc.

a. the act of creating, creation
b. creation i.e. thing created

1. of individual things, beings, a creature, a creation 1b

c. anything created 1b
d. after a rabbinical usage (by which a man converted from idolatry to Judaism was called) 1b
e. the sum or aggregate of things created
f. institution, ordinance

– Origin: from G2936
– TDNT entry: 19:40,5
– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine
– Strong’s: From G2936; original formation (properly the act; by implication the thing literally or figuratively): – building creation creature ordinance.

Total KJV Occurrences: 15
•  building, 1
Heb_9:11
•  creation, 3
Rom_1:20; Rom_8:22; 2Pe_3:4
•  creature, 10
Rom_1:25; Rom_8:19; Rom_8:20; Rom_8:21; Rom_8:39; 2Co_5:17; Gal_6:15; Col_1:15; Col_1:23; Heb_4:13

•  ordinance, 1
1Pe_2:13

Gen 1:20  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Gen 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:23  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
Gen 1:24  And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Gen 1:25  And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

The Strong’s number for the word “naked”G1131 in this section of scripture (“but all things are naked^G1131 and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do”) is also found in 1 Corinthians 15:37), and the context surrounding the word “bare”^G1131 in this verse reveals what part of God’s creation is now the apple of His eye (Zec 2:8, Psa 17:8).

G1131 Naked: gumnos goom-nos’  Of uncertain affinity; nude (absolutely or relatively, literally or figuratively): – naked.

– Original: γu965 μu957 οu769 ςpar – Transliteration: Gumnos
– Phonetic: goom-nos’
– Definition:
1. properly

a. unclad, without clothing, the naked body
b. ill clad
c. clad in undergarments only (the outer garments or cloak being laid aside)
d. of the soul, whose garment is the body, stripped of the body, without a body

2. metaph.

a. naked, i.e. open, lay bare
b. only, mere, bare, i.e. mere grain not the plant itself

– Origin: of uncertain affinity
– TDNT entry: 13:53, 1
– Part(s) of speech: Adjective

Strong’s: Of uncertain affinity; nude (absolutely or relatively literally or figuratively): – naked.

Total KJV Occurrences: 9
•   bare, 1
1Co_15:37
•   naked, 8
Mar_14:51; Mar_14:52; Joh_21:7; Act_19:16; 2Co_5:3; Heb_4:13; Jam_2:15; Rev_17:16

Not knowing the order of God’s creation and listening to the lie of Satan that there is no order to the resurrections is the evil communication that deceives those who believe the lie (1Co 15:31-33), and these verses precede the truth of what God is doing with all of His creation that is manifest to Him, and declare that in time all will be saved. God’s elect are dying daily today, and Paul expresses why we should be overcoming those beasts within and without ourselves if there is no first resurrection, let’s just “eat and drink; for to morrow we die” that death being in the second resurrection, or lake of fire, also called the great white throne judgment (1Co 15:31, Luk 12:19). Right after that point Paul says “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners“. God’s elect see through this evil communication which says there is one resurrection saying “for to morrow we die” and instead we by grace and faith of Christ say we must “die daily” which is how we “awake to righteousness” as we die daily and are raised together in heavenly places to overcome in this life through Christ (Eph 2:6).

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
1Co 15:32  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

When we “awake to righteousness” we see the order in God’s creation that is then explained in great detail in the rest of the verses (1Co 15:34-58).

1Co 15:34  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
1Co 15:35  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: [“I die daily” of 1 Corinthians 15:31]
1Co 15:37  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare^G1131 grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
1Co 15:38  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body [Mat 22:14, 1Pe 2:9, Jas 1:18]
1Co 15:39  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
1Co 15:40  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
1Co 15:41  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; [1Co 15:39] the last Adam was made a quickening spirit [1Co 15:41].
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

[Those who are not resurrected in the first resurrection are still under the law: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law”. We must put on incorruption in earnest today as we die daily, and then we can be raised in a moment and in a twinkling of an eye. It is those who are dead to sin and alive in Christ who will be raised first “and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed”. The rest are raised in the lake of fire or great white throne judgment or second resurrection.]

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Clearly ‘nakedness’ to God is when we try to do our own works independent of Him, not acknowledging His sovereignty in all things as typified by Adam and Eve in the garden wearing their designer fig leaf “and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen 3:7).

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Where are you Adam? is the question we must ask ourselves every day as we examine ourselves in the Lord and die daily so we can be clothed with the sacrifice of Christ, being baptized into His death (2Co 13:5, Gen 3:7-10, Gen 3:21, Rom 6:3). We know where Christ is so “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” as Adam and Eve did by putting the blame for their sinful actions on everyone else but the person on whom the blame should have squarely fallen (Gen 3:12-13, 2Sa 12:7).

2Co 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Gen 3:9  And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

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

Gen 3:12  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
Gen 3:13  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

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

2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

Study Aired May 29, 2014

We have seen in our last discussion that the three main family lines of all physical nations on earth today came forth from the three sons of Noah as they all form part of one family or generation in the first man Adam (Gen 9:1; Act 17:26). The three sons of Noah and their offspring were given diverse attributes which sadly lead to much raging about vain things which actually all unite them to “take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed” (Psa 2:1-2; 1Co 15:45-50; Gal 5:17; Joh 3:6; 1Co 6:17; Eph 2:18; Eph 4:4). The flesh is of one mind which is a type of the one mind of the spirit of God, but the two minds are in total opposition to each other (Rom 1:20; Joh 3:6; Gal 5:17; Amo 3:3; 2Co 6:14). The flesh and all its nations supply the all-important resistance and persecution to the spiritual elect of God. Like the physical nation of Israel in type, all God’s spiritual elect must first be delivered from their immature journeys in the wilderness (of murmurings and contentions against God) to finally face spiritual warfare in the promised land (Exo 13:17-18; Deu 8:2-3):

Jdg 3:1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
Jdg 3:2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof.

As physical Israel could not enter the promised land through the “eleven days” route, so it is with God’s elect who soon find out that the Babylonian doctrine of spiritual completion in the flesh or “fullness now” through a ten-second sinner’s prayer is indeed a false teaching (Deu 1:2-3; Rom 15:4; 1Co 10:11). The theme of opposition or resistance is foundational to our understanding of why God exposes us to enemies and those who oppose the truth (Act 13:45; Tit 1:9; 1Jn 2:18). Only through opposition and strong resistance can we be approved and be overcomers in Him (Luk 11:21-22; Rom 12:21; 1Co 11:19; Rev 21:7). We need to know why things are dragging along when there seems to be such an easy and quick solution from our immature natural perspective. As we have seen in our previous theme of productivity and fruitfulness, Noah was an example in all of this to his three sons, even in the building of the ark over a period of one hundred twenty years and even after the flood:

Gen 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.

Even in our productivity we become overzealous and intoxicated with self-importance, and in our own immature prideful estimations of our times and seasons we unknowingly also uncover our own nakedness (1Co 4:5-6; Ecc 3:1; Rom 14:1):

Gen 9:21 And he [Noah] drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Although Noah was private “within his own tent”, the enemy, in the form of his own son Ham, invaded that privacy and did not even keep what he saw to himself:

Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

As the phrase “uncover nakedness” is always referring to something of a sexual nature in the Scriptures, some are of the opinion that a wrongful sexual act occurred which involved Ham. Others add that the reason why Canaan’s name, Ham’s youngest son, is mentioned in this same sentence here is also connected to this sexual incident. There is also an explanation out there that the birth of Canaan was a result of Ham sleeping with his own mother which is also what “uncovering” the nakedness of one’s father implies in Scripture (Lev 20:11).

But Noah’s cursing of Ham’s youngest son seems to suggest that Canaan was already born at the time of this incident. It is also important to note that Ham did not “uncover” his father’s nakedness, but just “saw the nakedness of his father”. Ham deliberately looked (gazed) at the “uncovered” nakedness of his father. In his immaturity Ham then did not keep quiet about what he saw, but told it to his two brothers. He did not regard the vulnerable situation his father’s drunkenness brought about in the proper light and with a loving spirit and attitude. Fleshly drunkenness and nakedness are both symbols of sin and shame (Isa 20:2-4; Rev 16:15; Eph 5:18):

Exo 32:25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)

Isa 47:3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

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

But “fools [like Ham] make a mock at sin” and think when one points to other’s evil and sin, their own nakedness and shame is somehow covered and not visible (Eze 16:29; Rev 4:8; 2Sa 12:7):

Pro 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

Ham indeed had a different spirit than that of his other two brothers who rather showed love in their actions in covering their father’s nakedness:

Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

Their actions proved their love for their father who erred from the narrow way (the truth) in getting drunk and naked:

Jas 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

It seems as though Noah was quite unaware of the consequences of drinking too much wine as his nakedness was exposed in the process which is quite a digression from how the scriptures initially describe Noah as a man who was very much aware and careful of his walk:

Gen 6:9b ….Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Love indeed covers a multitude of sins, and it will inspire a person to go in private to the one who caused an offence. That is to lay the garment on our shoulders and walk backwards as to take spiritual leadership to forgive a past offence and not bind heavy burdens on other’s shoulders (Mat 18:15; Mat 23:4).

1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

1Pe 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
1Pe 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Ham’s behavior deeply offended Noah as it indicated that a sinful, proud and unloving spirit was present in Ham. Noah did not curse Ham as Ham was already blessed by God – the curse came on Ham’s youngest son, Canaan, for a specific reason (Gen 9:1):

Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Many unscriptural speculations have been made as to why Canaan was cursed, but we cannot even think “above that which is written” as that only puffs us up in our own opinions (1Co 4:6). The Scripture reveals that Canaan was indeed the youngest of Ham’s four children which points to his immature position in the family (Gen 10:6). Immaturity was the correlation and reflection of Ham’s behavior toward his drunken father. Canaan represents our uncircumcised (religious) flesh within our time of spiritual immaturity when we think we are already matured and saved, having gifts that inflates our selfish ambitions (1Co 1:6-7; 1Co 3:1-3; Gal 4:1-4; Heb 5:13). Spiritual immaturity is the cause of much opposition to the word of truth because of the strong delusion God has sent on it (2Th 2:11). One of the oppositions it causes is spiritual deafness and blindness and the unskilled handling of the truth:

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Spiritual immaturity causes envying, strife and divisions in fellowships because it focuses on “foolish questions… [fleshly or carnal] genealogies and contentions” (Tit 3:9-11). It always concentrates on so-called contradictions (divisions and subtractions) in Scripture as it cannot make spiritual additions and multiplications (1Co 13:2; 2Pe 1:20):

1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The immature babe in Christ (inside and outside) will always be a nagging menace until the day we physically die and will always want to bring “doubtful disputations” and be “measuring themselves by themselves” (Rom 14:1; 2Co 10:12). Noah was indeed uttering a prophecy that Canaan and his descendants will be that needful opposition to the physical nation of Israel. Knowing the end from the beginning, God inspired Noah to speak those words as God’s counsel shall also stand in the opposition which the generations of Canaan will provide (Isa 46:10). Canaan’s curse was in relation to the blessings on the witness of his two brothers which is very important to note:

Gen 9:26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Gen 9:28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
Gen 9:29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

Canaan had eleven sons, and he became the patriarch of the very people who were the thorns in the flesh of the Israelites and he was of the seed of Abraham, who was of the generational line of Shem, Ham’s brother whom he was to serve in every sense (Gen 10:15-18; Gen 11:10-27). This only occurs at the time determined by God when the iniquity of the Amorites (also a general name for all the Canaanites typifying our own high-minded carnal mind) will be “full” or in the “fourth generation”. This specific time of judgment first comes on the spiritual elect of God when the deep and deceptive heart of carnality is revealed to us (1Pe 4:17; Isa 26:8; Rom 2:4; Jer 17:9; 2Th 2:2-3; Rev 13:18; Ecc 3:18):

Gen 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Gen 15:19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,
Gen 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
Gen 15:21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

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

When the physical Israel as a nation first entered the promised land, there were seven Canaanite nations mentioned who were in the land already and were “greater and mightier” than they:

Deu 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
Deu 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them.

Although the flesh is always spiritually immature, yet it is a complete or mature beast which develops much earlier before the spiritual seed of Christ in us. Without the armor of Christ, we stand no chance against the wiles of this mature beastly opposition (Eph 6:11; Rev 13:1-2). These physically mature nations (“greater and mightier than thou”) were well known for their evil “works” in idolatry, incest, adultery, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality – all these are in our own flesh (Psa 106:34-39; Gal 5:19-21; Mat 4:4). Canaan’s curse was to be servants also in the sense that they were ordained by God to show Israel their own evil hearts to humble them (Deu 8:2). Those evils we see outside us reflect our own evil and show us that the inward spiritual battles are indeed for our good as only through these battles and tribulations shall anyone enter the kingdom of God (Exo 34:11-16; Lev 18:24-25; 1Pe 4:12):

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.

God commanded physical Israel to “utterly destroy” the inhabitants in that land and not to get involved in their habits and customs:

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
Deu 20:17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:
Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

There were also instances where God wanted these Canaanite nations and cities to make peace treaties with Israel to become their servants (1Sa 7:14):

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

Conquered nations were the strangers that were also allowed to become one with the nation of Israel under one law for all and loved as a brother (Deu 10:17-19):

Lev 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Lev 24:22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

These instructions from God do not contradict each other, but they all add up to give us a picture of the whole process we all will be involved in to understand the role of these “Canaanites” in our own lives. The Hebrew word for Canaan (kena‛an) is also translated as merchants or traders (Isa 23:11, Zep 1:11; Eze 17:4).

Hos 12:7 He is a merchant [Hebrew: “kena‛an”], the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.

It also points out how to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves as we engage each day with these nations within us “unto this day” (Mat 10:16; Jos 15:63; Jos 16:10; Jos 23:9; Jdg 1:21). The continued existence of the Canaanites even after several years of battles and wars are written to show us that our spiritual opposition will always be there to stimulate spiritual growth. We spiritually never “arrive” in the flesh (Gal 3:3). All the nations of evil in us will be driven out little by little as they will be destroyed progressively (Pro 24:16; Luk 21:19; Rev 14:9-12):

Deu 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
Deu 7:23 But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

2Pe 3:15a And account [esteem] the longsuffering of [from] our Lord is salvation.

The curse and servitude to the Canaanites were never motivated by their ethnicity or skin pigmentation as some want to believe, but rather by their spiritual importance as they would shape the strength and growth of the nation of physical Israel. Some see these curses and actions against the Canaanites as an excuse or motivation for ethnic cleansing or genocide, which is quite disturbing for those in the flesh who read these violent passages in the Scriptures with carnal perspectives in mind. Many wars and evil massacres in the history of mankind were fought under this banner. Xenophobic actions all form part in some way of these fears which some promote for personal or patriotic agendas, and even in our days these things are prevalent. The reason for this destruction of these Canaanite nations is given as a type of God’s judgment against evil not against the particular nation as such, but the very evil in our own hearts:

Deu 9:5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The military model used in the Scriptures was never supposed to justify wars and the murdering of other humans, but more as an example of our internal spiritual battles:

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

Jesus indeed will save all nations as this passage also alludes to the truth that God is no respecter of persons or particular nations, but uses them only as types of us (Act 10:34-35; Rom 14:11; Php 2:10-11):

Mat 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Mat 15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Mat 15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
Mat 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Mat 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

——–

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

Uncovering The Nakedness Of Your Near Of Kin

Spiritual Drunkenness

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/who-is-our-brother.php

Waging Spiritual Warfare

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