Ezekiel 35:1-15 – Prophecy Against Mount Seir

[Study Aired October 28, 2024]

INTRODUCTION

Today’s study is about what the Lord has spoken regarding the destruction of Mount Seir. To understand this prophecy against Mount Seir, we need to know what Mount Seir represents. In the Bible, Mount Seir is the same as “Seir”. It refers to the mountainous region that the Lord gave to Esau. This is recorded in Deuteronomy 2:22 as follows:

Deu 2:22  As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

In view of Seir belonging to the descendants of Esau who was the elder brother of Jacob, the Lord forbad the Israelites from invading the Seir region.

Deu 2:2  And the LORD spake unto me, saying,
Deu 2:3  Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward.
Deu 2:4  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore:
Deu 2:5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

During the time of King Hezekiah, some men from the tribe of Simeon attacked the Amalekites who were living in Seir. After defeating the Amalekites, they dwelt there permanently.

1Ch 4:41  And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and smote their tents, and the habitations that were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.
1Ch 4:42  And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.
1Ch 4:43 And they smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

Over time, Edom became a threat to Judah and therefore the Lord allowed Judah to attack the Edomites or Seir.

2Ch 25:11  And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
2Ch 25:12 And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.

In Today’s study about the prophecy against Mount Seir, the Lord is speaking to us about the destruction of Seir or the Edomites. We need to understand that the Edomites represent our flesh as we see that Esau is the elder brother of Jacob, a symbol of the elect. In other words, we are fleshly related to the Edomites and therefore Mount Seir signifies our flesh or old man.

In our walk in the churches of this world, which is symbolized by the Israelites’ forty-year journey through the wilderness, we did not see our flesh as a serious threat to our walk with the Lord and therefore we did not engage our flesh in any fight in accordance with the Lord’s command to the people of Israel, not to meddle with the Edomites. In spite of that, we did win some victories over the flesh as we were able to stop some of the overt sins that we were committing, just as some of the Israelites in King Hezekiah’s time defeated the Amalekites living in Mount Seir and stayed there.

We can see that the Israelites did not confront the Edomites during their journey in the wilderness. It was when they were in the land of Canaan that they started to engage Mount Seir or the Edomites. Being in Canaan therefore represents becoming part of the assembly of the Lord’s elect.

In the fulness of time therefore, when we have left Babylon and are in the assembly of the Lord’s elect or the church of the firstborn, as our eyes are being enlightened and our ears are hearing, we come to see clearly that our enemy or the present danger is our old man or flesh. That is when the Lord comes to judge our old man or flesh with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to destroy it so that we can walk in victory.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Today’s study focuses on the destruction of Mount Seir as part of the Lord’s promise to His elect to deal with our old man or flesh to grant us the grace to be overcomers. As we can see in Today’s study, the destruction of Mount Seir or the Edomites is through the Lord’s judgement. The study therefore emphasizes the need for our old man or flesh to be judged so that we can learn righteousness. It is through the Lord’s judgement that we come to know Him intimately.

Eze 35:4  I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

As the Lord’s elect, we shall have complete victory over the flesh or the Edomites as we see David, a symbol of the elect, destroy every male in Edom.

1Ki 11:15  For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in Edom;
1Ki 11:16 (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom: )

In 1 Kings 11:16, we can see that David and the people of Israel stayed for six months in Edom as they put to death every male. The number six is the number of man. The six months therefore show us that it takes a lifetime here on earth (six months) to have complete victory over the flesh.

Mount Seir or Edom Shall Be Judged

Eze 35:1  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 35:2  Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, 
Eze 35:3 And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. 

As indicated in the previous studies, the word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel signifies the Lord coming to His elect with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. What this means is that the Lord coming to His elect is to judge them for the destruction of their flesh. The coming of the Lord is also to illuminate His words (His brightness) so that we can understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

As we have indicated in the introductory section of this study, Mount Seir refers to the Edomites who were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. Mount Seir therefore represents our old man or flesh. Here in verse 3, the Lord is showing us that He is against our old man or flesh. The coming of the Lord to us with His words is therefore to show us that our flesh is destined to be destroyed through His judgement. The Lord stretching His hand against Seir to make it most desolate in verse 3 is therefore the Lord coming with His judgement to destroy the beast within us or our old man or flesh.

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

It is through the destruction of our flesh that we learn righteousness.

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

Eze 35:4  I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 

The judgement of the Lord not only destroys our flesh, but also ruins the cities within us. In the Bible, cities represent churches. For example, the city of New Jerusalem represent the assembly of the Lord’s elect. However, Jerusalem which is and is in bondage with her children symbolizes the physical churches of this world or Babylon.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The cities laying waste in verse 4 therefore means that Babylon within us shall be destroyed and “thou shall be desolate” signifies the judgement of our old man or flesh which shall result in his destruction.

Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Eze 35:5  Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: 
Eze 35:6 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. 

The Edomites or Mount Seir hated the people of Israel. This enmity started even when Esau and Jacob were in the womb of Rebekah. The people of Israel were therefore perpetual enemies to Mount Seir or the Edomites.

Gen 25:21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Our flesh, signified by Mount Seir, is always against the formation of Christ within us. This formation of Christ within us is the new man after the image of Christ. The two nations in Genesis 25:23 therefore represent our flesh and the new man within the Lord’s elect. As indicated, our new man shall be stronger and dominates our flesh.

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Shedding the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in verse 5 means putting the Lord’s elect to death through false doctrines, signified here by the force of the sword. We are therefore guilty of the death of the Lord and of His saints during our time in Babylon. This is because the water (the false doctrines) we were drinking in Babylon makes us hate the Lord’s elect and as Apostle John said, everyone who hates his or her brother or sister is a murderer.

Mat 23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

The force of the sword in verse 5 refers to the negative aspect of sword, which are words that are spoken which destroy us. The sword refers to the lying words and false doctrines of the adversary which makes us hate our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

2Ti 2:17  And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
2Ti 2:18  Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.   

Psa 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
Psa 64:3  Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

The period that we are put to death through false doctrines is referred to in verse 4 as the time of the calamity of the Edomites or the time that their iniquity had an end.  This time is the period of our walk in the physical churches of this world or Babylon.

As a result of the enmity of the flesh against our new man, the Lord is saying in verse 6 that He is preparing Mount Seir unto blood or to be pursued by blood. That is to say that the Lord is preparing our flesh to be put to death.

In verse 6, we are also told that since the Edomites or Mount Seir had not hated blood, blood shall surely pursue them. That is another way of saying that if we take the sword, we shall surely perish or die by the sword.

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

Eze 35:7  Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. 
Eze 35:8 And I will fill his mountains with his slain men: in thy hills, and in thy valleys, and in all thy rivers, shall they fall that are slain with the sword. 

The Lord turning mount Seir into a barren wasteland implies that our old man or flesh shall be destroyed through the Lord’s judgement such that he will not resurrect to harm us again. Everyone who comes and goes from mount Seir in verse 7 refers to us who are dominated by the flesh during our time in Babylon. The Lord cutting off those who come and go from mount Seir signifies the destruction of our flesh or old man when He comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness.

The mountains, hills and in the valleys all represent places of worship. Here in verse 8, the Lord is telling us that our places of worship are filled with people who are spiritually dead as a result of being slain with the sword which signifies being put to death through false doctrines. As we can see, the rivers in verse 8 represent false doctrines. Therefore, the rivers which are filled with the slain means that the false doctrines we imbibe cause us to become spiritually dead.

Eze 35:9  I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 

Making the Edomites a perpetual desolation means making the destruction of our flesh permanent. The other part of the sentence in verse 9 which states that their cities shall not return, emphasis the permanency of the destruction of our flesh and all his accessories including the assemblies or churches of this world (cities) which end up strengthening our flesh.

Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Eze 35:10 Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there: 

The two nations or countries referred to verse 10 are Judah and Samaria which represent the people of Israel, that is, the Lord’s elect in Babylon. Verse 10 therefore shows us the enmity that the Edomites had against the people of Israel. This verse is portraying to us the flesh’s desire to dominate or possess us as the Lord’s elect and therefore we are always in a struggle against our flesh. However, as the Lord’s elect, we are assured of victory over our flesh.

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
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.

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Gen 25:21  And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Gen 25:22  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
Gen 25:23  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Gen 25:24  And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Gen 25:25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
Gen 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

In Genesis 25:26, Jacob taking hold of Esau’s heel means that as the Lord’s elect, symbolized by Jacob, we shall overcome or possess our flesh. It is insightful to note that in verse 10, the Lord is telling us that He is there with the people of Israel in spite of the hatred which was driving the Edomites to possess Judah and Samaria. In a similar vein, the Lord has been with us throughout our walk with Him even when we were dominated by our flesh.

Isa 43:1  But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Eze 35:11  Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger, and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make myself known among them, when I have judged thee. 

The Lord doing according to the anger and the hatred of the Edomites against the Lord’s people is similar to the Lord telling us that He will answer us according to the idols in our hearts. In other words, we reap what we have sown.

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5  That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6  Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

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

In verse 11, we are also told that the Lord will make Himself known among us as our flesh or old man is being judged. This implies that it is through the Lord’s judgement that we come to know Him as He unveils to us the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Eze 35:12 And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
Eze 35:13  Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.  

Verse 12 continues to make us aware that it is through the Lord’s judgement that we come to know Him. The blasphemies of the Edomites refers to our old man or flesh thinking Himself as God and occupying the temple of the Lord in our hearts and mind. Our inability to walk in the spirit but succumb to the flesh makes our old man or flesh think that the Lord has given us over to him to dominate us permanently. In other words, our old man thinks that the Lord has laid us waste and therefore we are given to follow His dictates all through our lives. In this sense, our flesh is always boasting against the Lord (verse 13).

Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

The Lord hearing the boast of our flesh in verse 13 means that He is doing something about it. At the acceptable year of the Lord, He comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to deliver us from our flesh.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Eze 35:14  Thus saith the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. 

Verse 14 is saying that the whole earth would rejoice when the Lord turns mount Seir or the Edomites into a wasteland. This is speaking about the salvation of all men during the lake of fire age when all humanity shall rejoice as they are judged, resulting in the death of their old man.

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Eze 35:15 As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee: thou shalt be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Idumea, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD. 

The inheritance of the house of Israel is the reward we shall receive when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. In Revelation chapter 2 and 3, we are given details of this reward. Our reward is also referred to as the crown of righteousness, the crown of life or the crown of glory.

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

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

1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

This inheritance is dependent on overcoming the flesh or our old man. This means that when we are dominated by the flesh, then our inheritance is desolate. In other words, we have lost our inheritance. In verse 15, we can see that our flesh rejoices when we are under his control or domination. Here the Lord is telling us that He will make our flesh or old man desolate just as at a time in our lives, our inheritance was desolate. Mount Seir and Idumea all refer to our flesh. It is the destruction of our flesh through the Lord’s judgement that we come to know the Lord. In other words, we come to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

We thank the Lord for His wonderful work of salvation in our lives. May His name be praised. Amen!!

Exiles in the Bible: Born into Exile

[Study Aired October 17, 2024]

6: Characters in the bible who typify the spiritual zeal and Godly strength needed from Him to endure through the exile and come out of it, typifying how God’s elect will go onto perfection through Christ.

Chapter eleven of Hebrews gives us a very bright snapshot of what typifies the faith of Christ that is given to His people in order to break free from the sin of self righteousness, taking us out of exile. We must be given power to miraculously put off our flesh, and so boasting is excluded by the law of faith (Rom 3:27), as the Lord works in us both to will and to do of God’s good pleasure, which is to give us the kingdom (Luk 12:32), becoming persuaded (Heb 11:13) that we have been apprehended by Christ (Php 3:12-14) and are bound to the altar (Psa 118:27) by God’s grace and the faith of Christ (Eph 2:8), and that nothing can separate us from the love of God toward us (Rom 8:35-39).

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The first verse in Hebrews eleven sets the stage for all the typical events of overcoming (1Pe 1:12, 1Co 10:11) that are going to be discussed, and what we are told is this:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

It is not seen but it is hoped for, and this statement typifies for us the hope of glory within us, the spirit of God that bears witness that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Col 1:27, Rom 8:16 , Col 3:3 , Gal 4:9).

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:

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

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.[“the hope of glory within us”]

Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

These stories in Hebrews chapter eleven are typical of the life of Christ within the few called and chosen (Mat 22:14) in this age, whose lives are greater than John the Baptist’s life simply because it is Christ’s life in us now that makes our lives of great value to our Father (Mat 11:11 , Mat 10:29-31):

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

Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father [“two” being a witness that Christ’s sparrows cannot be destroyed spiritually, our life and death are in His hands, our soul and our body (Rom 14:8)].
Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Mat 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows (Mat 22:14).

As we reflect on some of the verses in this eleventh chapter, let’s consider how the faith given in each different situation typifies for God’s elect today how we can become more than conquerors through him who loved us, as we come out of spiritual exile through the faith of Christ (Rom 8:37, Eph 2:8).

Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

The elders, by God’s grace in this age, will obtain a good report that can only be accomplished through Christ, and that report is described for us in these verses (1Ti 3:2-9):

1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
1Ti 3:8  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1Ti 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.(1Jn 2:1, 1Jn 4:4)

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.(Col 1:27, Rom 8:29, Rom 8:16, 1Jn 4:5-7).

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

What does the typical language of this third verse mean for God’s elect today? The ‘worlds that are framed by the word of God’ is not only the physical world and universe being discussed, but infinitely more importantly, they represent the “things which are seen [that] were not made of things which do appear“, and were created so that we can compare spiritual with spiritual using the physical worlds that God framed for our sakes (1Co 2:13).

All the exiles typify for us physical events that tell us something spiritual (Rom 1:20). If Christ is in our ‘world’ within (Col 1:27), then that spirit is there for the express purpose of building the temple or house of God that we are “things which are seen [that] were not made of things which do appear” (Psa 127:1 , Heb 11:27). This phrase is a physical representation of what God is doing spiritually within the bride via Christ: “the worlds were framed by the word of God”.

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

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:

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Had Abel not been given this gift of faith, he would not have been able, in type and shadow, to present his life a living sacrifice to God. Having the gift of faith to offer a more excellent sacrifice reminds us that our lives are only acceptable unto God through the faith of Christ that gives us the ability to reflect his righteousness that testifies of his workmanship in us. With the faith of Christ within us we learn that our lives are predestined to bring forth fruit (Joh 15:16, Eph 1:4), and the words “he [Abel] being dead yet speaketh” typifies for us today, as God’s children, that we are dead to sin yet alive in Christ (Rom 6:11), who speaks through each joint that supplies in love (Eph 4:16). This power that God gives his children is what gives us victory to come out of the exile that we all must first go into.

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

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

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

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

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

When our ways please God we will not see death, which is what the wages of sin brings to us. We are “not found” because we are ‘translated’ by God, telling us that we are hidden in Christ (Col 3:3) and the world cannot perceive the work that God is doing in His people who He is giving power to come out of her my people, come out of spiritual exile. We overcome by being baptized into Christ’s death (Rom 6:3) which is the only way that we can please God as we are accepted through Christ only. We cannot be “translated”, or moved by the power of God’s spirit from a place of exile without the “testimony” where we are glorifying God in all our thoughts and actions. We ‘please God’ therefore, because of the pleasing work that He is doing in us through Christ (Php 2:12-13).

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

With the faith of Christ, we can believe that God is ever present and a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Conversely, without that faith, we cannot see or hear spiritually the words of God or have the desire to continue in the truth that will set us free (Joh 8:31-32) from the bondage and exile that sin wants to constantly keep us captive to (Gen 4:7).

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

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.

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

This verse tells us so much regarding the attitude that God’s elect are to have today in order to escape the exile, the bondage to sin that the whole world lies in today, being deceived of the devil (1Jn 5:19, 2Co 4:4).

1Jn 5:19  And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

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.

It is with the faith of Christ that we can heed the admonitions of God today and, “being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear” as God works in us (Heb 11:1). What this tells us is that we are being saved by hope, the hope of glory within, “things not seen as yet” (Col 1:27), enduring in seeing him who is invisible (Heb 11:27) as we’re given the power to move with fear and trembling (Php 2:12-13) ‘to the preparing of the ark’, which ‘ark’ is a symbol of the church, which is the body of Christ, the bride of Christ who are promised will be made ready (Rev 19:7).

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:

Heb 11:27  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Here are more great verses that demonstrate how we are to come out of exile in order to receive our inheritance (Heb 11:8), and it is the typical faith of Abraham that represents the key to our overcoming in this life which happens by the faith of Christ whose faith (Eph 2:8, Rom 3:27) alone can give us the power to quench all the fiery darts of the adversary (Eph 6:16) making it possible for us to be led of the spirit of God (Rom 8:14) and “go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance“. That place is “Jerusalem above” that we go to (Eph 2:6, Gal 4:26), a ‘country’ we continue to seek and strive to enter into, through obedience (Heb 11:14), and if we are granted to continue to die daily, we ultimately will be led to the fullness of that inheritance, which will be found in the first resurrection (Act 5:32, Rev 20:6).

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

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

Act 5:32  And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We are going out into this new country with the attitude that it is entirely up to God whether we will prosper, and so the comment regarding Abraham’s “not knowing whither he went“, reminds us that we don’t know what is on the morrow (Jas 4:13-15, Php 2:12-13) yet we are told that through the faith of Christ we can have absolute confidence in what God has promised us as the generation who has no confidence in the flesh (Php 3:3 , Heb 10:35).

Jas 4:13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Php 3:3  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

The promise land that ‘Abraham sojourned in by faith’ represents how we sojourn in this life in bodies that are likened unto tabernacles (temporal dwelling places), and ‘being heirs of the same promise as Isaac and Jacob’ remind us that in order to inherit the fullness of this inheritance, it will be accomplished through judgement, represented by the number ‘three’ or the three men Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are typical heirs of the same promise.

The city we are seeking as the body of Christ is one that we know is being built by God (Heb 10:11, Psa 127:1), and so we know our labours are not in vain and that God will reward those who lose their life in pursuit of this new life (Mat 16:25), this new city, that will have a sure foundation that is built upon the rock, Jesus Christ (Mat 16:18).

Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Psa 127:1  A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Heb 11:11  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

Being a child in a womb is a form of exile until we are delivered (Rev 12:5, Luk 2:6-7), and Sara, who represents the church, was given supernatural strength “to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age“, typifying for God’s elect how God does this miraculous work of deliverance within those who are the weak of the world who make up the church, whose hope is in Christ. Because of the faith of Christ we are able to judge “him faithful who had promised“, being convinced by God’s grace and faith (Eph 2:8) that He who has begun a good work in us will finish it through Christ (Php 1:6, 1Jn 3:3). It takes the faith of Christ and the strength of Christ within us to be Sara to one another, joints that edify and supply in love what we each need in order to grow unto maturation. Christ is performing this work of faith through each of us and for one another, is what this powerful section of scripture is reminding us.

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

Luk 2:6  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luk 2:7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Php 1:6 having this same confidence, that He Who undertakes a good work among you, will be performing it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (CLV)

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

Heb 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

This verse talks about the inheritance of the saints, and we are Christ’s inheritance and Christ is our inheritance, but the world also is our inheritance “as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable” (Gal 4:26-28).

Gal 4:26 Yet the Jerusalem above is free, who is mother of us all.”
Gal 4:27 For it is written, “Be glad, barren one, who art not bringing forth! Burst forth and implore, thou who art not travailing! For many are the children of the desolate, Rather than of her who has the husband.”
Gal 4:28 Now you, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise.” (CLV)

An ‘exile’ can be likened unto the birthing process (being delivered) and ‘God has called his son out of Egypt’ applies to both Christ and his Christ as these verses demonstrate, showing us that salvation is a process that comes about through a growth process that is accompanied with much tribulation, just like the maturation process of a child in a mothers womb (Hos 11:1, Mat 2:13-15, Act 14:22). There are other examples of typical exiles in the book of Hebrews, but I’ll stop at verse twelve.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Mat 2:13  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

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.

Next week, Lord willing, we will continue with what will be our last section of this mini study on “Exiles in the Bible”.  The focus will be on Christ’s own examples of preaching to the captives, and what that means for God’s elect today as we continue in the truth, the exceedingly great and precious promises (2Pet 1:4) that we learn from our Lord through the church (Eph 3:10) that we pray that we will be granted to continue in, setting us free from these bodies of death (Joh 8:31-32 , Rom 7:24-25).

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

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

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.

Make a Way to Escape

[Study Aired Sept 17, 2024]

In our walk with Christ, we often encounter a formidable adversary: temptation. It manifests in various forms, challenging our faith, testing our resolve, and sometimes even causing us to stumble. Yet, as we shall see, temptation is not only a universal human experience but also an opportunity for spiritual growth and deepening our reliance on God.

The Apostle Peter, writing to the early church, acknowledged this reality: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12). Indeed, the presence of temptation and trials in our lives should not surprise us, for they are part of our spiritual journey.

Here is our key verse, which will be the foundation of our study:

1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.“

This powerful verse, penned by the Apostle Paul, offers both comfort and instruction to believers facing temptation. It reminds us of the universality of our struggles, the faithfulness of our God, and the promise of His provision in our times of need.

The purpose of this study is to examine the truths contained in 1 Corinthians 10:13, seeking to understand not just its literal meaning, but also its spiritual implications for our lives. As we are reminded in John 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.”

Throughout this study, we will:

– Examine the nature of temptation and its role in our spiritual lives.
– Explore the profound truth of God’s faithfulness in the midst of our trials.
– Unpack the promise of God’s provision – the “way of escape” He provides.
– Discuss what it means to “bear” temptation and grow through the process.
– Look to Christ as our ultimate example in overcoming temptation.
– Apply these truths practically in our daily walk with God.

As we proceed, let us keep in mind the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Let’s proceed to explore the depths of God’s truth regarding temptation, His faithfulness, and His provision for our spiritual victory.

The Greek word used for “temptation” in 1 Corinthians 10:13 is “peirasmos”, which can be translated as “an experiment, a trial, temptation.” This word encompasses both the idea of testing and the enticement to sin. It’s important to note that temptation itself is not sin, but rather an invitation or inclination towards sin.

James 1:12-15 provides further insight into the nature of temptation:

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

This passage reveals that temptation originates from our own desires (lust) and will lead to sin if not resisted.

Our key verse assures us that no temptation has overtaken us “but such as is common to man.” This truth is echoed in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

This universality of temptation serves two purposes:

– It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles.
– It assures us that others have overcome similar temptations, giving us hope.

While James 1:14 points to our own desires as a source of temptation, Scripture also identifies other sources:

– The World: 1 John 2:16 states, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

– The Devil: Matthew 4:1 tells us, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” We are warned in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

–  Our Sinful Nature: Galatians 5:17 reminds us, “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

It’s crucial to understand that temptation itself is not sin. Even Jesus was tempted, yet remained sinless. Hebrews 4:15 affirms,

“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”.

Sin occurs when we yield to temptation. James 1:15 describes this process:

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Understanding the nature of temptation is the first step in learning how to overcome it. As we continue our study, we will explore God’s faithfulness in the midst of temptation and the way of escape He provides. Let us take comfort in the words of Hebrews 2:18,

“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

1 Corinthians 10:13, assures us that “God is faithful.” This statement is not just a comforting thought, but a fundamental truth about God’s character. Throughout Scripture, we see this faithfulness demonstrated:

– Deuteronomy 7:9 declares, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”

– Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

– 2 Timothy 2:13 affirms, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

God’s faithfulness is an unchanging aspect of His nature. It’s not dependent on our actions or worthiness, but on His own character.

Our key verse states that God “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. God, in His sovereignty, will send the tempter within limits that He sets. While God Himself does not tempt us (James 1:13), He does send the devil and evil spirits to test us, as seen in the examples of Abimelech and the men of Shechem (Judges 9:23) and Saul (1Samuel 16:14).

Judges 9:23 “Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:”

1Samuel 16:14 “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”

We also see this illustrated in the book of Job. In Job 1:12, God sends Satan to tempt Job, but sets clear boundaries:

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.“

This sovereignty should bring us comfort. As Psalm 103:19 declares,

“The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth overall.”

God’s faithfulness is demonstrated in His promise to limit our trials. This doesn’t mean life will be easy, but it does mean that with God’s help, we can endure any temptation we face.

– Psalm 34:19 reminds us, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.“

– Isaiah 43:2 promises, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

These verses assure us that while we will face trials, God is always with us and will not allow them to overwhelm us.

Scripture provides numerous examples of God’s faithfulness during times of temptation and trial:

– Joseph (Genesis 39:7-12): When tempted by Potiphar’s wife, Joseph relied on God’s strength to resist.

– Daniel (Daniel 6): When faced with the choice between obeying God or the king’s decree, Daniel remained faithful, and God delivered him from the lions’ den.

– Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3): When ordered to worship an idol or face death, these three young men trusted God, who delivered them from the fiery furnace.

– Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11): In His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus relied on Scripture to resist Satan’s enticements.

These examples encourage us that just as God was faithful to His servants in the past, He will be faithful to us in our struggles with temptation.

As we face temptations in our own lives, we must hold fast to the truth of Numbers 23:19,

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?“

God’s faithfulness is our anchor in times of temptation. As we continue our study, we will explore the way of escape that God faithfully provides, enabling us not just to endure temptation, but to overcome it.

Our key verse, 1 Corinthians 10:13, promises that God “will with the temptation also make a way to escape.” This assurance is central to our study, as it reveals God’s provision for us in times of temptation.

The phrase “make G4160 [G5692] a way to escape G1545” in Greek is “poieo ekbasis,” which can be understood as “make an exit” or “make a way out.” This implies that God doesn’t just remove temptation, but provides a means for us to successfully navigate through it.

Psalm 68:20 affirms this truth:

“He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.”

The word “issues” here can also be translated as “escapes,” reinforcing the idea that our deliverance comes from God.

Psalm 68:20 (EMP) “The GOD we have, is a GOD of saving deeds, And, due to Yahweh, My Lord, are escapes from death.”

It’s crucial to understand that the “way of escape” is not always about avoiding temptation altogether. Rather, it’s about God providing the means to endure and overcome the temptation without falling into sin.

2 Peter 2:9 elaborates on this:

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”

God’s “way of escape” can manifest in various forms:

– The Holy Spirit’s guidance: John 16:13 says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.“

– The counsel of godly counsellors: Proverbs 11:14 tells us, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

– Circumstances that God arranges: Remember Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.”

One of the most powerful “ways of escape” God provides is His Word. Psalm 119:11 declares,

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

We see this demonstrated in Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptations in Matthew 4:1-11. Each time, Jesus countered temptation with “It is written,” using Scripture as His defense.

While God provides the way of escape, it is also He who works in us to take it. As Philippians 2:13 reminds us,

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.“

This involves:

– God equipping us with His armor: Ephesians 6:13 states, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” It is God who provides this armor and enables us to stand.

– God enabling us to flee from temptation: 1 Corinthians 10:13 itself reminds us that it is God who provides the way of escape, implying that He also gives us the ability to take it.

As we face temptations in our lives, let’s remember that we are indeed “in the hand of the potter” as described in Jeremiah 18:6:

“O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.“

Let’s trust in God’s sovereign work, knowing that He not only provides the way of escape but also works in us to recognize and take these divine exits. As Isaiah 26:12 beautifully expresses,

“LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.”

God’s provision of a ‘way of escape’ in temptation reflects His larger redemptive plan for mankind. Just as He provides an escape from individual temptations, He has provided the ultimate escape from sin and death through Christ. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:56-57,

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.“

1 Corinthians 10:13, concludes with the promise that God will provide a way of escape “that ye may be able to bear it.” This phrase is crucial to our understanding of how God works in us during times of temptation.

The Greek word for “bear” is “hupophero,” which means “to bear up under, to endure.” This implies that God’s purpose in providing a way of escape is not always to remove us from the temptation, but to enable us to endure it without falling into sin.

James 1:2-4 sheds light on this purpose:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

This passage reveals that enduring temptation serves to develop our faith and spiritual maturity.

The process of bearing temptation leads to spiritual growth. Romans 5:3-5 elaborates on this:

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.“

This progression from tribulation to hope demonstrates how God uses our trials to shape and strengthen us.

It’s crucial to understand that we do not bear temptation in our own strength. The spirit of God empowers us. Galatians 5:16 instructs:

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

The spirit of God provides the strength and guidance we need to resist temptation and remain faithful to God.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reveals a profound truth about bearing temptation:

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.“

This passage reminds us that our ability to bear temptation doesn’t come from our own strength, but from God’s grace working in us.

Lastly, let’s remember that bearing temptation faithfully comes with a promise of reward. James 1:12 assures us:

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

As we face temptations, let’s take comfort in knowing that God not only provides the way of escape, but also the strength to bear it. He uses these trials to shape us into the image of Christ, and promises to reward our faithfulness. As Hebrews 12:11 reminds us:

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

As we consider how to navigate temptation, we have no better example than Jesus Christ Himself. The writer of Hebrews reminds us in Hebrews 4:15:

“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.”

This verse assures us that Christ fully understands our struggles with temptation, having experienced them Himself, yet remained sinless.

The most detailed account of Jesus facing temptation is found in Matthew 4:1-11. This passage provides valuable insights into how Christ dealt with direct temptation from Satan:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”

In each of the three temptations, Jesus responded with “It is written,” followed by a quote from Scripture. This demonstrates the power and importance of God’s Word in resisting temptation. Jesus’ use of Scripture to counter temptation demonstrates the power of God’s Word in our own lives. Just as Christ relied on the written Word to resist Satan, we too can arm ourselves with Scripture, internalizing it and using it as a defense against temptation. This practice aligns with Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 6:17 to take up ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ and also, Proverbs 2:10-17 states:

“When wisdom (Jesus Christ, the Word) entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: To deliver thee from the strange woman (MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH), even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.”

1 John 4:4 further emphasizes Christ’s ability to help us in our temptations:

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

Jesus also emphasized the importance of prayer in facing temptation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He instructed His disciples in Matthew 26:41:

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

Finally, we must remember that Christ’s victory over temptation and sin is the foundation of our own ability to resist. As Paul writes in Romans 8:37:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Our victory over temptation is not based on our own strength or willpower, but on the work of Christ and our identity in Him.

As we face temptations in our own lives, let’s look to Christ as our perfect example and source of strength. Let’s rely on the Word of God, engage in prayer, and trust in the victory that is already ours in Christ Jesus.

As we conclude our study on God’s provision for escaping temptation, it’s important to consider how we can apply these truths in our daily lives. Remember, as James 1:22 instructs us,

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

The first step in overcoming temptation is recognizing it. 1 Peter 5:8 warns us:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

We must be alert to the various forms that temptation may take in our lives. This involves:

– Knowing our personal areas of weakness
– Understanding the tactics of the enemy
– Being aware of our surroundings and influences

Zechariah 4:6 reminds us:

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

We must constantly remind ourselves that our strength to resist temptation comes from the Lord, not from our own willpower.

As we saw in Christ’s example, Scripture is a powerful weapon against temptation. Ephesians 6:17 tells us:

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Practical ways to use God’s Word include:

– Keeping in mind key verses
– Meditating on Scripture daily
– Speaking God’s Word aloud when faced with temptation

Jesus instructed us in Matthew 26:41:

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

We should make it a habit to pray:

– For strength to resist temptation
– For wisdom to recognize God’s way of escape
– For Christ to grow in us

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us:

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

Depend on the church of God to lift you up when you fall. Depending on the church of God involves actively engaging in fellowship, sharing with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and participating in the body’s mutual edification. As Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages,

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” 

While we can’t avoid temptation; we can be wise about the situations we put ourselves in. Romans 13:14 advises:

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

As we apply these principles, let’s remember that our ultimate victory is in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 assures us:

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let’s walk in this victory, relying on God’s strength and provision, as we face the temptations of daily life.

As we come to the end of our study on “Make a Way to Escape,” let’s review the truths we’ve explored in 1 Corinthians 10:13:

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

As we’ve seen, the Greek word ‘peirasmos’ encompasses both the idea of testing and the enticement to sin. This dual nature reminds us that while temptations can be alluring, they also serve as tests that can strengthen our faith when overcome through God’s power.

Throughout this study, we’ve discovered several key principles:

– We are not alone in our struggles. As Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us,

“There is no new thing under the sun.”

– In the midst of our temptations, God remains steadfast and true. As 2 Timothy 2:13 assures us,

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.“

– He limits our trials and provides a way of escape. As Job 1:12 illustrates, God sets boundaries even for Satan’s actions.

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”

– God uses our trials to shape and strengthen us. Romans 5:3-5 shows us the progression from tribulation to hope.

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

– Jesus faced temptation and overcame, showing us the power of God’s Word in resisting the enemy.

– Our victory comes not from our own strength, but from God’s grace working in us. As 2 Corinthians 12:9 states,

“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.“

– Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness as stated in Titus 2:11-13,

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

As we face temptations in our daily lives hold fast to these truths. Remember that God is faithful, that He provides a way of escape, and that through His strength, we can endure and overcome.

“1 Corinthians 15:57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.“

Go forward with confidence, not in ourselves, but in our faithful God who has promised to make a way of escape. May we be vigilant, prayerful, and deeply rooted in God’s Word, always ready to take the escape route He provides.

As we conclude, let the words of Jude 1:24-25 be our prayer and our praise:

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Numbers 25:1-18  Israel Worshiped Baal at Peor

[Study Aired October 23, 2023]

Num 25:1  And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 
Num 25:2  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. 
Num 25:3  And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 
Num 25:4  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.
Num 25:5  And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye everyone his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 
Num 25:6  And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Num 25:7  And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 
Num 25:8  And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 
Num 25:9  And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 
Num 25:10  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 25:11  Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 
Num 25:12  Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 
Num 25:13  And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. 
Num 25:14  Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 
Num 25:15  And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. 
Num 25:16  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 25:17  Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 
Num 25:18  For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake. 

Intruduction

Chapter 25 starts with how Israel committed sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab, and as a result, they ended up serving Baal at Peor.  This whoredom and idolatry was punished by the Lord with a plague. The chapter also describes the pious zeal of Phinehas and the Lord’s commendation of his zeal. This chapter ends with the enmity between the Israelites and the Midianites.

The preceding three chapters of Numbers 25 dealt with Balaam, who was invited by Balak, king of Moab, to come and curse the people of Israel with the intent that this would cause the people of Israel to be defeated by the Moabites. Balaam could not curse the people of Israel because the Lord told him that the people of Israel were a blessed people who could not be cursed. In Revelation 2:14 we are given further information that the whoredom of the people of Israel was the result of Balaam’s doctrine which taught Balak to entice the people of Israel to commit fornication, which would cause the Lord to go against them, thus making it easier for them to be defeated.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

The question is: what is this doctrine of Balaam which cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, causing them to be involved in eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication? The fornication in this sense spiritually means to worship another Jesus. That is, leaving our husband Christ to play the harlot. Through the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles, we are able to know the doctrine of Balaam. Let’s take a look at what John has to say about the doctrine of Balaam:

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

The doctrine of Balaam causes us to eat food offered to idols and to commit fornication. Eating food offered to idols means accepting what the idols of our hearts say and rejecting the truth of the word of the Lord. The doctrine of Balaam also causes us to forsake our husband Christ and go after another Jesus. In 1 John 4:3, anybody who does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh has the spirit of the antichrist. As we are aware, everybody knows that Jesus came in the flesh. However, it is only the elect who believe that Jesus Christ comes to us, His elect, in this life to destroy the works of the flesh within us with the breath of His mouth and His brightness. What this implies is that any teaching that does not acknowledge Christ as coming within us to overcome the flesh is tantamount to the doctrine of Balaam. In other words, any teaching causing us to rely on our strength through our perceived self-will (false doctrine) instead of Christ is the doctrine of Balaam. This is because, without Christ coming to us, we are like grasshoppers before the flesh and at the fullness of time, we shall succumb to its control as we end up playing the harlot.

With regard to the doctrine of Balaam, this is what Peter has to say: 

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

What this means is that any great swelling words of vanity constitute the doctrine of Balaam since it has the potential to arouse the lust of the flesh. An example of these great swelling words of vanity is as follows:

2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

The feigned words mean fictitious words. In other words, false doctrines is the doctrine of Balaam since it has the potential to allure the lust of the flesh which leads us to clinging to another Jesus.

Paul also said the following to say:

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Perverse things used here by Paul means misinterpreted or corrupt words. It can also mean to ‘turn away.’ In other words, these perverse things spoken are false doctrines which cause us to turn away from Christ to follow another Jesus and therefore constitute the doctrine of Balaam.

As we know, the people of Israel here were the new generation of believers with most of them less than 40 years old. They had left Egypt, but they ended up in Babylon as they committed whoredom and ate food offered to idols.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

There are many lessons we can glean from this chapter to guide our path to Christ and be delivered from Babylon within and without.

Israel Joined Himself unto Baalpeor

Num 25:1  And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
Num 25:2  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Num 25:3  And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

The daughters of Moab in verse 1 signify the many different divisions of Babylon. The Israelites committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab therefore spiritually signify leaving our husband Christ to be joined to or worship another Jesus when we were in Babylon.

2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

In verse 2, the people of Israel eating the sacrifices of their gods and bowing down to them means imbibing the false doctrines of Babylon, which causes us to leave the simplicity which is in Christ in favor of another Jesus. Over time, we end up joining ourselves completely to another Jesus such that we become twofold the child of hell, just as the people of Israel joined themselves to Baalpeor and became worse off as they incurred the anger of the Lord.

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

We must remember that the people of Israel in this case were a new generation with a maximum age being less than 40 years, as almost all the old generation had died in the wilderness. They therefore represent us as believers when we started our walk with Christ. Our attraction to Babylon to serve another Jesus is so strong, especially when we start our journey with Christ. This is clearly shown in the following verses:

Pro 7:1  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. 
Pro 7:2  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. 
Pro 7:3  Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. 
Pro 7:4  Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Pro 7:5  That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. 
Pro 7:6  For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
Pro 7:7  And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 
Pro 7:8  Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 
Pro 7:9  In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: 
Pro 7:10  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. 
Pro 7:11  (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
Pro 7:12  Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) 
Pro 7:13  So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, 
Pro 7:14  I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. 
Pro 7:15  Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. 
Pro 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 
Pro 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 
Pro 7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. 
Pro 7:19  For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: 
Pro 7:20  He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. 
Pro 7:21  With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. 
Pro 7:22  He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; 
Pro 7:23  Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. 
Pro 7:24  Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. 
Pro 7:25  Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 
Pro 7:26  For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. 
Pro 7:27  Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Our Judgment and That of the World

Num 25:4  And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

In verse 4, although most of the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord by their whoredoms, it is the chiefs of the people who were held responsible by the Lord. The Lord told Moses to take the chiefs of the people of Israel and hang them in the sun before the Lord.  The chiefs of the people of Israel symbolize the elect who are being judged for their whoredom in this life. The fact that the chiefs must be hanged in the sun and before the Lord is to remind us that it is those who are in Christ, represented by the sun, who are being judged. Being hanged before the Lord means our judgment is all part of the plan of the Lord with the objective to cause us to learn righteousness. 

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

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

Num 25:5  And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye everyone his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. 

The judges of Israel in verse 5 refers to the elect. This verse is to show us that in the fullness of time, as judges we will administer judgment to the whole world. This will happen during the lake of fire age.

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

Num 25:6  And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

The Midianitish woman represents Babylon and the children of Israel who were weeping before the tabernacle in the presence of the Lord, symbolizing the assembly of the Lord’s elect. Therefore, verse 6 shows us that when we become part of the church of the firstborn, we clearly see the sins of the physical churches of this world, which is Babylon, as the weeping children of Israel saw the Israelite in the company of the Midianitish woman in plain sight. The psalm of David clearly shows us that it is when we enter the assembly of the church of the elect that we see Babylon clearly and her end.

Psa 73:1  A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 
Psa 73:2  But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well-nigh slipped. 
Psa 73:3  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 
Psa 73:4  For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 
Psa 73:5  They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
Psa 73:6  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 
Psa 73:7  Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 
Psa 73:8  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

Psa 73:12  Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Psa 73:13  Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
Psa 73:14  For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 
Psa 73:15  If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 
Psa 73:16  When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
Psa 73:17  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 
Psa 73:18  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 
Psa 73:19  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Num 25:7  And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 
Num 25:8  And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 
Num 25:9  And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 

Phinehas here symbolizes the elect who was among the congregation who were mourning or weeping for the sins of Israel.

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses [the elect], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth [in mourning].

A javelin is an instrument to kill or destroy. It comes from an unused word which means ‘to hurt.’ Spiritually, it represents the fire of the word of the Lord which destroy or hurts our old man.

1Sa 18:11  And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

Phinehas thrusting the man and the Midianitish woman with the javelin means that the Lord’s elect shall judge the world and Babylon in the Lake of Fire Age. This judgment shall destroy the old man in all mankind since creation. That is when the plague of sin shall cease. In verse 9, those who died from the plague were 24,000 (24x10x10x10). The number 2 means ‘a witness’, the number four signifies the whole of whatever is under consideration, and the number 10 represents the completeness of the flesh.  In this case, we are looking at those who have died as a result of the plague. In other words, we are looking at the whole of humanity who were spiritually dead as a result of the plague of sin. What the number 24,000 therefore means is that all humanity who were spiritually dead will be saved through judgment and therefore become like the Lord’s elect (the two witnesses).

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

1Ti 4:9  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 
1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

It is instructive to note that the javelin entered the woman through the belly. Paul makes it clear that those whose God is their belly are mindful of things of the earth. So it is the fiery word of God (javelin) which put to death our “belly” which stands for our earthly mindset and desires that have become our God. This implies that the judgment of Babylon is to destroy the old man. 

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 
Rom 16:18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

The Blessing of the Elect

Num 25:10  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 25:11  Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
Num 25:12  Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
Num 25:13  And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

The zeal for the Lord by Phinehas resulted in the children of Israel not being consumed by the Lord. This means that our zeal for the Lord in this life is for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ and the people of the world, including those in Babylon. In other words, the mercy we have received from the Lord which has caused us to be zealous for the Lord is for the benefit of all humanity as they also shall receive mercy from us. May the Lord help us to be zealous for Him in this life!!

Psa 69:9  For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

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

In verses 12 and 13 we are given to know some of the blessings the Lord has given to us, His elect. One of the promises given to Phinehas for his zeal for the Lord is the covenant of peace. As the Lord’s called and chosen, we are like Phinehas whom the Lord has given the peace of mind which passes all understanding. To the rest of humanity, the way of peace has eluded them.

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

Isa 57:21  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Isa 59:8  The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. 
Isa 59:9  Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. 
Isa 59:10  We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

In addition to our covenant of peace, the Lord has also blessed us to be given the priesthood.

Isa 61:6  But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Num 25:14  Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites. 
Num 25:15  And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head over a people, and of a chief house in Midian. 

It is insightful to note the names of the victims of Phinehas’ zeal. The name of the Israelite that was killed by Phinehas’ javelin was Zimri, which means that ‘God is my protection.’ That of the Midianitish woman was Cozbi which means ‘false.’ What we are being told here by these names is that the false doctrines that we imbibe take away the Lord’s protection, and therefore we become easy prey for the devil.

It is also important to note that the man (Zimri) was a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites, and the woman was the daughter of a chief house in Midian. As we indicated earlier, Cozbi, the Midianitish woman, represents Babylon. This implies that it is the leaders of Babylon who commit fornication with her and lead the people astray.

Isa 9:16  For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 
Isa 9:17  Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for everyone is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 

Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 

Rev 18:9  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 
Rev 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

The Enmity Between Israel and Midian

Num 25:16  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 25:17  Vex the Midianites, and smite them: 
Num 25:18  For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor’s sake.

The Midianites represent our flesh. If we do not see that the present danger regarding our walk with Christ is our flesh, then we shall surely be defeated by it, just as Zimri was overcome by a daughter of Midian. The Lord telling Moses to vex the Midianites is another way of saying that our flesh lusts against the spirit and are therefore contrary to each other. However, if we walk in the Spirit, that is, if we walk according to the word of the Lord, we shall smite the Midianites (the flesh).

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 
Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 
Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

May the Lord continue to help us to overcome the flesh in this life. Amen!!

Dan 7:9-28  And the Kingdom and Dominion Shall be Given to the Saints of the Most High

[Study Aired January 3, 2022]

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 
Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 
Dan 7:11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 
Dan 7:12  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 
Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 
Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 
Dan 7:15  I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 
Dan 7:16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 
Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 
Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 
Dan 7:19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 
Dan 7:20  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 
Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 
Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 
Dan 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 
Dan 7:24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 
Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 
Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 
Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 
Dan 7:28  Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. 

This part of the chapter shows us that, through Christ, we have been given the dominion to overcome everything that opposes and exalts itself against the knowledge and growth of Christ in our lives.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

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.

Today’s study also explains the meaning of Daniel’s vision regarding the four beasts which he saw. However, the explanation of the vision given to Daniel pertains to the vision’s outward manifestation. Daniel, like all the prophets of the Old Testament, was not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Dan 12:9  And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Dan 7:9  I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Before we can understand this verse, we need to know what had taken place earlier. Daniel had a vision, and he saw four beasts. The fourth beast was diverse from the other three and had ten horns which we understood to represent ten kings. The ten kings are the ruling false doctrines in our heavens which resist the word of God when it comes to us. It is when the seat or thrones of these ten kings or horns, or the ruling false doctrines in our heavens are cast down, that we see Christ as the Ancient of Days coming to sit in the throne of our hearts. The term “the Ancient of Days” is a way of describing our Lord Jesus Christ as the beginning and the end. It is another way of saying:

Rev 1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The garment of the Ancient of Days being white as snow represents Christ being clothed in the righteousness of His Father. As our Lord comes to take His seat within our hearts, we are also given the righteousness of Christ.

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

The hair of our Lord being like pure wool is to let us know that our Lord coming into our lives is for the purpose of delivering us from our sins to clothe us with His righteousness.

Isa 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

His throne being like the fiery flame and His wheels as burning fire shows us that our Lord’s coming into our lives to take His seat in the throne of our hearts is through judgment.

Rev 19:11  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (ESV)

This vision of the Ancient of Days is the same as the revelation of Jesus Christ to John on the Island of Patmos.

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

The fiery stream issuing from before the Ancient of Days is the fire of the word of Christ which judges us and, as a result, is able to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified. This fiery stream is the same as the pure river of water of life emanating from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Thousands and thousands ministering to Christ are the elect who speak this fiery word of God to one another. As we minister the word of God to one another, we are actually ministering to our Lord.

Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The other group of ten thousand times ten thousand represents those who are not given in this life to become part of the elect. This includes all humanity except the elect. This group standing before the Lord to be judged indicates that all humanity will be saved through judgment, as the purpose of judgment is to bring righteousness.

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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

Dan 7:11  I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

As we indicated in the previous review, the horn that was speaking great words, on a positive note, is the eighth horn which represents a new beginning or the new man.

In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things (Dan 7:8). What this means is that with the coming of the new man in our lives comes the opening of our eyes to see the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and to make known or speak about the great and mighty things the Lord is doing.

1Ch 17:19  O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

It is these great words of the Lord that destroy or slay the beast within us. This is affirmed by the statement that the beast’s body is destroyed and given to the burning flames. The burning flames are the fire of the word of God which destroys the raging beast within.

Jer 5:14  Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.

Dan 7:12  As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

This verse is written to let us know that when this evil beast within is revealed, the Lord comes with His brightness to take away the dominion of the beast.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The lives of the beasts being prolonged for a season and a time means that the taking away of the dominion of the beasts is a process which lasts for a period of time that the Lord had appointed. This period of time is signified by a season and a time.

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

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 
Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

One like the Son of Man is Jesus Christ, and the clouds of heaven represent His elect. As we have indicated earlier, the Ancient of Days is also our Lord Jesus Christ. So, what is being said here in verses 13 and 14 is that if we are blessed to be part of the first resurrection, then our Lord Jesus will lead us to Himself, and we shall be given the kingdoms of this world to rule for a symbolic thousand years.

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

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

Verses 13 and 14 of Daniel chapter 7 are therefore to show us the reward for overcoming the composite beast powered by the devil.

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

Dan 7:15  I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 
Dan 7:16  I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

These verses are to remind us that at certain periods of our lives, we were ignorant and lacked understanding of the words of the Lord, just like the Ethiopian eunuch. That is the period during which we grieve in our spirit like Daniel because we were not given to understand His words.

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

In the fullness of time, however, the Lord leads us to His angels (our brothers and sisters who are called and chosen) to open our eyes to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. For example, Paul was also blind spiritually for a period of time in which he thought he understood the Lord’s words. It was not until the Lord sent Ananias that Paul, who used to be called Saul, started to see or understand the mysteries of the kingdom.

Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Act 9:10  And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Act 9:11  And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Act 9:12  And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
Act 9:13  Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
Act 9:14  And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

Dan 7:17  These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. 

The number four deals with the whole issue under consideration. In this case, therefore, the four beasts represent the whole of everything that resists the Lord’s words that rises from within us. The fourth beast making up part of the four beasts has ten horns as shown in Daniel 7:7.

Dan 7:7  After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

As we indicated in the previous review, the ten horns are ten kings. The mention of the number four of the kings refers therefore to the whole or all of the kings, which in this case are equal to 10.  These four kings signify the whole of the ruling doctrines within us which resist the word of God when it comes to us. In verse 13 of Revelation 17, we are told that the ten kings, or the whole of the kings, have one mind of giving their power and strength to the beast which in this case is the dragon or Satan. This means that the aim of these ruling false doctrines in our lives is to make us servants of the devil or our father. As we are aware, at a certain stage of our walk, the devil was indeed our father until Christ came to us with the brightness of His coming.

Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

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

Dan 7:18  But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

In this dispensation, the kingdom of God is within. In a time to come, the kingdom of God will be outward as the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The saints taking the kingdom, therefore, means that the elect will overcome the beast within to possess the kingdom of God within.

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.

Dan 7:19  Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

The fourth beast is significantly different from all the other beasts and is characterized by ten horns. This description is the same as the dragon with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 12:3. So, the fourth beast here represents the dragon, also known as Satan.

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

The dragon’s most effective instrument as shown in verse 7 is his iron teeth which devours its prey and breaks them into pieces. The teeth of the dragon symbolize the sword, which is the lying words and false doctrines.

Pro 30:14  There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Its teeth are described as that of iron because iron is an instrument of death. In other words, the dragon’s iron teeth signify the lying words and false doctrines which result in our spiritual destruction or death.

Num 35:16  And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

By his iron teeth, the Devil has deceived the whole world including us at a certain stage of our walk with Christ.

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The Devil stamping his feet on the residue symbolizes the bruising of the heels of the elect. The bruising of his heels means that the devil will influence our walk with Christ. The bruising of the head has to do with the elect overcoming the evil one.

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Dan 7:20  And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

As we have said earlier, the ten horns symbolize the ten kings, which in turn stands for the ruling doctrines within us which resist the word of God when it comes to us. In the previous study, we mentioned that the other horn that came up is not the eleventh horn, as the sum of God’s words shows us there are only ten horns of the beast. However, this horn is actually the eighth as its appearance resulted in the plucking up of three of the horns, leaving only seven horns together with this new little horn as the eighth. The number eight stands for new beginning or the new man, and so this little horn represents the new man.

Rev 17:11  And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The three horns plucked up by the roots is to let us know that it is through the process of judgment that the horn representing all that resists the Lord in our lives is pulled down. This judgment is effectuated through the fire of the word of God in the mouth of His elect.

Jer 1:9  Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man and a mouth speaking great things. What this means is that with the coming of the new man in our lives comes the opening of our eyes to see the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and to make known or speak about the great and mighty things the Lord is doing for us, the elect first and later the rest of mankind.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

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

1Ch 17:19  O LORD, for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

2Ki 8:4  And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done.

Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Here we are looking at a negative application of this horn, that is, the horn making war with the saints and prevailing against them. Another place where the scriptures say the same thing is in Revelation chapter 11:7.

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

So, we can say that the horn here is the same as the beast within us. All of God’s elect or saints had been overcome by this beast within them at a certain time of their walk with Christ, including us until Christ came to us with the brightness of His coming.

Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Inwardly, this verse is showing us that the words in the mouth of the elect are what judges the beast within and causes us to possess the kingdom within. Outwardly, when Christ comes, that will be the time when the elect will be given rulership over the kingdoms of this world. This shall be followed by judgment of all humanity except the elect who had been judged first. The judgment shall be executed by Christ and His elect.

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

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

Dan 7:23  Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

As indicated in the introductory part of this study, Daniel, being part of the prophets of the Old Testament, is not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The interpretation of his vision by an angel therefore pertains to the outward manifestation of the vision. As we are aware, the fourth beast represents the fourth kingdom. The number four as we have explained earlier has to do with the whole issue under consideration. So, what is being said here is that the whole, or all, of the kingdoms of this world are furthering the course of the evil one, or the fourth beast, which results in all humanity becoming worse off.

Going back to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter 2, we realized that the fourth kingdom is the Roman empire which was diverse from all kingdoms and is described as follows:

Dan 2:40  And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
Dan 2:41  And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
Dan 2:42  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
Dan 2:43  And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
Dan 2:44  And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

We should take note that this Roman empire comes just before Christ comes to set up His kingdom. Although the Roman empire is no more, its effect is still being felt all over the world, and so technically, we are still in the Roman empire age. This means that we are basically at the end of the ages when Christ’s coming is at the door!!

Dan 7:24  And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 
Dan 7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

As we indicated earlier, the horn and the beast are interchangeable as they play the same role as shown below:

Dan 7:21  I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Rev 11:7  And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Verse 25 says the same as what is said in Revelation 13:5.

Rev 13:5  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

The statement that they shall be given into his hands until a time and times and the dividing of time is the same as being given power to continue for forty and two months. The great words against the most High are the great swelling words of man’s wisdom spoken by these false men of God, which make us worse off than when we started our journey with Christ.

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

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Dan 7:26  But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

This verse is making us aware that it is through the judgment of God’s elect that the dominion of the beast within us is destroyed. This judgment is the fire of the word of God which destroys the beast.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Dan 7:27  And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Again, we are being assured by the fact that, if we overcome the beast within, we are ensured of reigning with Christ.

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

Dan 7:28  Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. 

A simpler rendition of the verse above is as follows:

Dan 7:28  Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts much troubled me, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. (ASV)

This verse is another way of saying the following:

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Therefore, we must not take for granted our eyes seeing and our ears hearing!!

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

May the Lord grant us the grace to continue to pay heed to this sure word of prophecy until the day dawns and the day star rises in our hearts!! Amen!!

Matt 26:31-35, Mark 14:27-31, Luke 22:31-38, John 13:36-38

[Study Aired November 16, 2021]

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luk 22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Joh 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Mat 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
Joh 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
Luk 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Our last study reviewed the Lord’s supper after Judas having Satan enter into him and Christ sending Judas away to betray him. In this study, Christ tells the other disciples they will be offended and deny him. This is all a type and shadow of the process of our becoming the elect of God. We all denied Christ even after symbolically following Christ for three and a half years, seeing miracles, and even given the ability to perform miracles.

Mat 26:31 Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Mat 26:32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.

Here are the verses Christ referred to “For it is written”.

Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd” is telling us that until this day which Christ is preparing for his death, the “sword” has been asleep. In other words, the Word has had no place in the hearts of men. The sword is commanded to smite the shepherd so that the sheep can be scattered. The following verse explains why this must happen.

Zec 13:8-9 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

We are “the land”, and within everyone “two parts therein shall be cut off and die”. This is the negative of “two” representing the false witness that must be “cut off and die”. It goes on to say “but the third shall be left therein, and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried.” This represents the process of spiritual completion through judgment. This is our time of purification which brings atonement and redemption, represented by silver. Gold represents our knowledge and understanding of everything and how we use that understanding.

Here is why the sheep are scattered.

Eze 34:5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

When we are in the churches of the world, the leaders of the churches call themselves shepherds but are not according to Christ, and we are meat to them.

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

Simon represents the elect of God, and the only reason the elect are saved from Satan sifting us as wheat is because Christ has prayed for the elect. This is what is written in the books of the elect. Satan is given the power to touch us but does not have the power to take us as he was given the power to take Judas. The book of Job tells of this process.

Job 1:6-12 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:1-10 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

In the elect’s process of salvation Satan has power to affect our process, but this power is limited and serves the purpose of destroying our old man.

1Co 5:4-5 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Joh 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
Joh 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.
Luk 22:33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Mat 26:33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.

We all believed while we were in Babylon that we could and would follow Christ both into prison and to death. Unknowingly we were not able to bear these actions until Christ is dead in us and risen again within and He sends the holy spirit.

Joh 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

Like Peter and all the disciples, we proclaim we will not deny Christ. Our hearts at this time have not been converted and are still foolish and full of pride.

Pro 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

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

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Our pride consumes our ways before the spirit is within us.

Luk 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Here is what Christ was referencing:

Mar 6:7-13 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

We first have nothing except protection for our feet and two coats, representing Christ’s protection and the witness of His righteousness but no understanding of Christ. Now we are told to take a purse, our scrip and a sword with us.

Luk 22:36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
Luk 22:37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

Once again what is written must be accomplished.

Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Here is the last verse of our study.

Luk 22:38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

“It is enough” are Christ’s words speaking of us being given the armor of God, but we cannot use this armor properly for now as we will see in our upcoming studies. I will end the study with Psalms 55.

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

Psa 55:1-23 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.  My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Jdg 15:1-20 With the Jawbone of an Ass, Have I Slain a Thousand Men

[Study Aired July 19, 2021]

Jdg 15:1  But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.
Jdg 15:2  And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.
Jdg 15:3  And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 
Jdg 15:4  And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 
Jdg 15:5  And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives. 
Jdg 15:6  Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire. 
Jdg 15:7  And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 
Jdg 15:8  And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam. 
Jdg 15:9  Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 
Jdg 15:10  And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us. 
Jdg 15:11  Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them. 
Jdg 15:12  And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves. 
Jdg 15:13  And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock. 
Jdg 15:14  And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.
Jdg 15:15  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. 
Jdg 15:16  And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.
Jdg 15:17  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.
Jdg 15:18  And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?
Jdg 15:19  But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.
Jdg 15:20  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

This chapter deals with our realization of what Babylon really is and also the struggle we go through with our flesh as we see Samson engage the Philistines in a fight of his life.

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Jdg 15:1  But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in.

Samson’s return visit to claim his Philistine wife occurred during the time of the wheat harvest. Spiritually, the wheat harvest is when we come to know the difference between the tares and the wheat, or good from evil. It is also the time period that we come to see ourselves as the greatest sinner and therefore cannot help ourselves unless God intervenes.

Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

1Sa 12:17  Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.

Here in 1 Samuel 12:17, we are made aware that it is through the word of God (rain) and judgment (thunder) that we come to see who we really are. It is during this period of wheat harvest that we come to see who the Philistine woman really is – that is, she is married to another Jesus. The statement that her father “would not suffer him to go in” means that all that is happening is according to the counsel of God. God, in His mercy and wisdom, delivers us from continuing our fellowship with Babylon if we are marked as His elect.

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

Jdg 15:2  And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her.

It is the Lord who takes the initiative to disengage us from Babylon. Our flesh would want to continue having dominion over us by suggesting that even though the churches we attended were not up to the standard of God, there may be other churches (younger sister) who may be doing well with which we can have fellowship. The truth about the younger sister, who is called Aholibah in the scriptures, is that she is worse than her elder sister.

Eze 23:2  Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:
Eze 23:3  And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.
Eze 23:4  And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Eze 23:5  And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,

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

Jdg 15:3  And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.

This verse is confirming to us that our Lord (represented here by Samson) looks for an occasion or a reason to come into our lives to judge us just like a father punishes a son or daughter when they do something wrong. This is the way our Lord treats us so that at the end of the day, we will know that He is more blameless than us – as spoken by Samson!! Like Job, we want to bask in our own self-righteousness, and in doing so condemn our Lord as being unjust for all the suffering we are going through.

Job 40:6  Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
Job 40:7  “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.
Job 40:8  Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? (ESV)

Jdg 15:4  And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 
Jdg 15:5  And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

The foxes here stand for our leaders or prophets in Babylon during our time there. The tails of these foxes also signify prophets that teach lies. What these “men of God” teach is like fire that burns down or destroys the standing corn with the vineyards and olives, which represent the truth of the word of God we had while we were in Babylon. Thus, we become worse off in Babylon than when we started.

Eze 13:4  O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

Isa 9:15  The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

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

Jud 1:8  Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Jud 1:10  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

What this means is that in Babylon, even the little truth that we had received from the word of God is taken away from us. We therefore become impoverished in Babylon. Our time in Babylon was just like the time when Samuel was ministering in the presence of Eli.

1Sa 3:1  Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

Jdg 15:6  Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.
Jdg 15:7  And Samson said unto them, Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease. 

As stated earlier, the time of the wheat harvest is when we come to realize that instead of Christ, we have been given another Jesus during our time in Babylon. Therefore, like the Philistines, we come to loathe all we have acquired in Babylon. It is when we have come to this realization that Christ comes in with the word of His mouth, which is like fire, to start the burning down of Babylon (Samson’s wife) and the flesh (Her father and the Philistines) within us.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Jdg 15:8  And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

Samson went and dwelt at the top of the rock called Etam.  According to Strong, Etam means a Hawk. We know from the scriptures that the rock is Christ, and here Christ is described as a Hawk. Hawks have hunting techniques which makes them capture their prey easily. In a similar vein, Christ is like a hawk who flies to and fro over the earth to capture His prey, which is His elect for the kingdom.

2Ch 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

As we abide in Christ, who is the rock, we are given victory over the flesh, which is the great slaughter. The smiting of the hip and thigh is another way of saying that anything that affects our walk with Christ initially is dealt with by the Lord.

Psa 31:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
Psa 31:2  Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.
Psa 31:3  For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Jdg 15:9  Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. 
Jdg 15:10  And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? And they answered, To bind Samson are we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us.

The Philistines pitching in Judah is to let us know that the enemies are within us – that is our flesh. Lehi, according to Strong’s dictionary, means soft as in the softness of the flesh covering our cheek bone. Spreading themselves in Lehi implies that the enemies focus on the vulnerable areas of our lives to defeat us. These areas of least resistance in our lives are the sins that easily beset us, which are the focus of the devil’s attacks. In other words, a little leaven (propensity towards error), leavens the whole lump.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

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

Verse 10 indicates that the purpose of the flesh within is to bind us and ultimately destroy us; that means destroying our relationship with Christ. That is the same as being unable to do the things that we would in Galatians 5:17.

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Jdg 15:11  Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.

The three thousand men of Judah is symbolic to let us know that all which is happening to us in terms of our struggle with the flesh is part of the process of becoming spiritually complete (3000 = 3x10x10x10). Within us sometimes, we hear voices of the flesh telling us, like the men of Judah, that this war with the flesh can never be won since we are flesh and therefore dominated by the flesh. This is the same as saying, “Who can make war with the beast?”

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Jdg 15:12  And they said unto him, We are come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson said unto them, Swear unto me, that ye will not fall upon me yourselves.
Jdg 15:13  And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

Verse 12 shows us the intent of the flesh within us – that is to bind us to deliver us to the devil to sift us like wheat and destroy us. However, the good news is that our High priest Jesus is praying for us that our faith will not fail!!

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

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
Heb 4:15  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.
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Like Samson, we become apprehensive about being overcome by the flesh and therefore being put to death spiritually. That is what Samson meant when he told the men of Judah, his own flesh, that they should swear that he would not be killed by them. We all struggle like Esther and wonder whether the King will extend his sceptre to us in our time of need or if we will be put to death. This is contrary to the teaching we had in Babylon that claims we are already saved, and we quote some scriptural verses to support our assurance of salvation.

Est 4:16  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

In Philippians 2:12, we are admonished to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The fear and trembling means that we may wonder at times whether we are going to make it to the first resurrection. As we indicated in the previous review, one of the things that assures us that we are on the right track to our destination is that our eyes are seeing and our ears are hearing!

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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

Outwardly, the men of Judah represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon. As indicated in verse 12, the whole period of our engagement with Babylon is that we end up being bound in chains or groping in the dark and needing deliverance from the Lord just like Samson as he was brought to the Philistines in bondage. It is significant to note that the men of Judah removed Samson from the rock in verse 13. As indicated earlier, the rock is Christ and so at the end of our journey in Babylon, we are removed from abiding in Christ.

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

Samson was bound by the men of Judah with the purpose of delivering him to the enemy, the Philistines. Like Samson, we become entangled in sin again and again even after the victories we have won over the flesh. In our battle with sin, we may lose some fights but not the war. If we have been penciled to be part of the elect, then whatever the devil throws at us, we shall overcome. Jesus admonished us that in our struggle against sin, we do not have to resist to the point of shedding blood. In other words, we would not be cut short through death (shedding of blood) in our journey of overcoming the flesh if we are called and chosen.

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.

Psa 124:6  Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
Psa 124:7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Psa 124:8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Jdg 15:14  And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

As indicated earlier, Lehi means soft as it relates to the softness of our flesh covering our jaw bones in our face. So what we are being told here is that, as we get to know our Lord Jesus more through the word of God (the Spirit of the Lord), the chains binding us from our Babylonian captivity are broken. This comes at a time that we realize our weakness (Meaning of Lehi) that we can of ourselves do nothing. That is when our Lord raises a standard against the enemy within (the Philistines) when he comes at us like a flood!!

Isa 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Isa 59:20  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Paul puts it this way: “when I am weak, then I am strong!!”

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

My brothers and sisters, the only way we can win this fight to overcome the flesh or the old man is that we look to Jesus. If we look within, we will see all our weaknesses, and the devil will use these weaknesses to discourage us from running the race. The devil comes to us to tell us that we are not up to the standard God requires with all these weaknesses in us. We might as well give up the fight because there is no way we can overcome. however, in our weakness, like Samson at Lehi, we are made strong!! All the disciples before us had weaknesses but through Christ they were made strong.

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

The weaknesses we are talking about here is explained by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:10. It relates to infirmities, persecutions, the distress we go through, our anxieties, worries, challenges, etc.; in other words, our inadequacies to do anything. It is when we realize our inadequacies that we rely on Christ alone to deliver us. That is what makes us strong – depending on Him alone!! That was what happened to Samson.

Jdg 15:15  And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.
Jdg 15:16  And Samson said, With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.

As suggested earlier, the jawbone is taken from the softness of the flesh from the cheek. In Exodus 34:20, the firstling of an ass is compared to the firstborn sons of Israel. This indicates that an ass can also represent the elect. Again, Jesus, in answering the Pharisees about the healing of a man on a Sabbath day, made the statement that when an ass falls into a pit on a Sabbath day, will the Pharisees not care about it? So this is to confirm that an ass represents the elect. Let’s also remember that it was with an ass that Jesus made His triumphant entry to Jerusalem. This means it is through the elect that Christ would be made known to Babylon and the world.

Exo 34:20  But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

Luk 14:1  And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
Luk 14:2  And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.
Luk 14:3  And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
Luk 14:4  And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;
Luk 14:5  And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

What we are being told here in verse 15 is that out of our weaknesses (the jawbone of an ass), comes strength from the Lord to defeat the enemies on our behalf. The thousand men being slain signify the dying of our flesh or our old man as we look up to the Lord in our weaknesses.

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

Jdg 15:17  And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi.

At the end of Samson’s speaking, he put away the jawbone out of his hands. Our end of speaking is when the tent of our body is destroyed – when we physically die. That is when we shall cast away our weaknesses or the jawbone out of our hands. This means that in this life, we shall have weaknesses, but God will carry us through to the end if we are destined to reign with Him.

2Co 5:1  For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2  For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,
2Co 5:3  if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked.
2Co 5:4  For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
2Co 5:5  He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
2Co 5:6  So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
2Co 5:7  for we walk by faith, not by sight.
2Co 5:8  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2Co 5:9  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. (ESV)

Jdg 15:18  And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?

In the midst of victory, Samson became apprehensive and wondered whether he may end up falling into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines. In the same way, we sometimes become vulnerable as a result of all that we are going through even in the face of victories. Except the Lord comes to our aid through our brothers and sisters, we would not be able to finish this race which is marked out for us. What will sustain us in our vulnerability is the word of God which every joint supplies as we gather together. That is why we are cautioned to get together as we see the day of the Lord approaching. The day of the Lord is our judgment day.

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

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

When we read the letters of Paul, we can see that sometimes he needed encouragement from other brethren. This is exemplified in the following:

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
2Ti 1:16  The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 
2Ti 1:17  But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
2Ti 1:18  The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
2Ti 4:9  Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
2Ti 4:11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

This race we are running is not for the strong but for the weak who put their trust in the Lord.

Ecc 9:11  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Jdg 15:19  But God clave an hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again, and he revived: wherefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore, which is in Lehi unto this day.

In our weakness, God comes to us to revive us through the word of God given to us by our brothers and sisters who also have weaknesses. This water that comes from the hollow place in our jaw to nourish us is the word of God which comes to us in season at our weakest points in life. If we pay attention to these words from our brethren (that is, if we drink this water), we become strengthened to face the challenges of the day.

There are times, too, that God open our eyes to see a well of water which we haven’t seen before to strengthen us in our desert situation as we walk with Him. This was what happened to Hagar when she was with her son Ishmael, and she ran out of water in the desert and didn’t know what to do. God intervened by helping her see what she had not seen before – water in the desert, which is the word of God. May the Lord help us to see what we have not seen before as we go through His words.

Gen 21:15  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
Gen 21:16  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
Gen 21:17  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Gen 21:18  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
Gen 21:19  And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Jdg 15:20  And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. 

As we have learned earlier, the name Samson means sunlight. Now, let’s look at the significance of the twenty years in the days of the Philistines under Samson. In the scriptures the number twenty signifies the beginning of maturity as we are now ready to become enlisted in the Lord’s army to war against the enemies of our land.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Based on this, we can say that the twenty-year rule of the Israelites under Samson is a period in our lives that we are dominated by the flesh (Philistines), but we are gradually becoming mature in the things of God as a result of the sunlight (Samson) or the light of the glorious gospel we are receiving from the Lord. This beginning of maturity pertains to recognizing our appalling situation and beginning to rely on the Lord through His words to begin the cleansing process in our heavens, which results in the gradual death of our flesh or the old man.

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.

That period is when we recognize we have been deceived in Babylon, and we begin to see that the time has come for our temple to be cleansed. This was what our Lord Jesus was alluding to when He told His disciples about the destruction of their temple.

Mat 24:1  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
Mat 24:2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

We all, like the disciples, are enchanted by the outward appearance of our temple, which is our bodies.  This is because we were taught to focus on the outside rather than on the inside by our leaders (the scribes and Pharisees) in Babylon.

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

It is when we recognize that we have been deceived in Babylon (Mat 24:4-5) that we know the time has come for our temple to be cleansed. That is the beginning of our maturity, which is symbolized by the twenty years. That is the message of this whole chapter of Judges 15 – that is, the beginning of the cleansing process of our temple!!!

[Study Posted February 24, 2021]

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; 
Jdg 3:3  Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 
Jdg 3:4  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 
Jdg 3:5  And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 
Jdg 3:6  And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 
Jdg 3:7  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. 
Jdg 3:8  Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. 
Jdg 3:9  And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 
Jdg 3:10  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 
Jdg 3:11  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 

Chapter 2 of Judges shows us that when we started our journey with Christ, we were carnal. This means that we were under the control of the flesh. Under this circumstance, we all experience cycles of defeat. However, we should not give up at this stage of our walk with Christ, because everything that is going on in our lives is according to the counsel of God’s will. It is the Lord himself who decided to leave some of the nations in our land. At the right time, God will devise a means so that His banished is not expelled from Him.

It is in Chapter 3 of Judges that we understand why God leaves some of the nations (enemies within) in our land. The reason for God’s action is as follows:

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; 
Jdg 3:3  Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 
Jdg 3:4  And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 

In God’s wisdom, He leaves some of the nations in our land to train us how to war against the flesh. This war against the flesh is about how to overcome our carnal nature.  In the early stages of our walk with Christ when we are carnal, we are easily overcome by the flesh, and God uses this to teach us that this war against the flesh is not our fight but His. He teaches us to war by causing us to fail so that we can learn to depend on Him to overcome on our behalf. This happens only after we have gone through several cycles of defeat so that we come to acknowledge we are actually the worst of sinners. When we come to the realization of being the worst sinner, then we have learned how to war by depending on Him wholly.

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

I remember when we started this journey of knowing Christ in Babylon that we used to sing this song by Hosanna Music very often, and we did not understand how He trains our hands to war. This song is even more relevant for us now than when we started:

Who is God beside our Lord?
Who is the rock beside our God?
A fortress and a shield
A tower of deliverance is He all who trust in our king
Who is God beside our Lord
Who is the rock beside our God
He trains my hands to war
And lead me into triumph more and more
Praise to His name forever more!!!

This song is taken from Psalm 31 as follows:

Psa 18:31  For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32  It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. 
Psa 18:33  He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places. 
Psa 18:34  He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Verse 34 says that He teaches my hands to war so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. We all know that a bow of steel cannot be broken by our arms. That is to show us that this war against the flesh is like breaking a bow of steel.  Only God can accomplish it for us so that no flesh can glory in His presence!! That is why the righteous must fall seven times to know that the battle is the Lord’s and that is what this cycle of defeat by Israel is all about. Falling seven times means a complete domination by the flesh.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Immediately after leaving Egypt, the Amalekites waged war with the Israelites, and this war was to teach the Israelites how to war – that is to depend entirely on God.  This war was such that the Israelites were fighting, but victory depended on Moses’ hands being raised.  So technically, the Israelites fighting the Amalekites was not what won the war. It was the hands of Moses.

Moses’ hands here are the hands of the Lord Who fights our battles for us. This war against the flesh within is not to be fought in our strengths. The reason we are losing this fight is that we are depending on ourselves!!  It is the Lord’s battle. Let us lift up our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help.  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth!! This help is what wins the war, not our strength.

Exo 17:8  Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
Exo 17:9  And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
Exo 17:10  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Exo 17:11  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
Exo 17:12  But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 
Exo 17:13  And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 
Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 
Psa 121:3  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psa 121:4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psa 121:5  The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The five names of the enemies in the land mentioned in verse 3 imply that it is by grace through faith that we can defeat these enemies. We must have faith that He who has started this overcoming process will see to its completion. At the same time, it is His grace that chastens us to stop sinning and to live righteously in this present world.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

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

Jdg 3:5  And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 
Jdg 3:6  And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 
Jdg 3:7  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves. 

The children of Israel living among the nations which God asked them to drive away are the same as our old man being alive and well and dominating us in our thinking and actions. As a result, we end up “marrying” the world (being in bondage to the weak and beggarly elements of the world) and serving another Jesus.  In verse 5, the Israelites were living among six nations – the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. The number six is the number of mankind. This means that living under the influence of the flesh (the six nations) would cause us to do evil in the sight of God, as every imagination of our heart is evil as shown in Genesis 6:5.

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

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

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

These actions by the Israelites gave God the occasion to come and judge them as follows:

Jdg 3:8  Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years. 

Here in verse 8, the Israelites served the Mesopotamian king for eight years. Eight is the number of new beginnings or the new man. What this means is that our being under bondage to the flesh is all part of the requirement for the new beginning or the birth of the new man in us. Indeed, God’s ways are mysterious!! They are past finding out!!

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

The meaning of the name of the king of Mesopotamia (Chushanrishathaim) is significant here. It means double wickedness. In other words, when we start our walk with Christ and we start getting some victories over the flesh, the areas of our flesh where we do not have victory become a snare to us. As we succumb to the dictates of the flesh, we end up being double wicked.  In other words, we become worse off than when we started. This was what Jesus was talking about when He said the following:

Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Israel’s state became worse, and so they began crying for a deliverer. This is the same as Paul saying, “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?” When we cry to him in our distress, he hears us and comes to our aid. This is what happened to the Israelites. God gave them a judge, by name Othniel, to deliver his people from bondage.

Jdg 3:9  And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 
Jdg 3:10  And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim. 

Othniel here represents the elect whom God is raising up in every generation to take His people out of bondage to the flesh. The Spirit of the Lord coming on Othniel in verse 10 here is God’s fiery words in the mouth of His elect which judges us, and as a result, we start the process of being delivered from bondage to the flesh.

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.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Jdg 3:11  And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died. 

Here in verse 11, the land has rest for forty years. To understand the significance of the number forty as it applies to us, let us look at what happened to the Israelites when they were in the wilderness for forty years.  During that period, it became clear that they were not cut out to please God because their hearts were always erring.  In that situation they were not able to discern God’s ways. That is what happens to us when we come under bondage to the flesh. We will always be erring, and we cannot please God during that period because we do not know His ways. However, forty years on a positive note also signifies the period of God’s provision and protection. The Israelites lacked nothing during the wilderness experience.  It is also the period in our lives that we begin the dying to the flesh process and getting ourselves ready to drive out the giants of our land.

This period is also characterized by our raiment not waxing old as it happened to the Israelites in the wilderness. As we know, raiment stands for our righteousness. So what it means is that we do not change our righteousness to put on the righteousness of Christ. We bask in our own righteousness just like Job as we wear our own clothes and eat our own food and only desire to have the name of Christ as our husband. This is what happens to us when we come under bondage to the flesh for forty years during our walk with Christ.

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

Num 32:13  And the LORD’S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

Deu 2:7  For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.

Deu 8:4  Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

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

Now let’s focus on what this rest is about. This rest of forty years by the Israelites under Othniel is a period where the devil’s activities are constrained by the Lord just as at the beginning of the millennial rule, Satan would be bound for a period of a “thousand years”. As a result, the Israelites had a period of rest from war with the other nations in their land. It is therefore a physical rest, and as we journey with Christ, we also experience these periods of rest. However, this is not the spiritual rest for the elect which we must endeavor to enter. As indicated in Hebrews 4:9-11, this spiritual rest is to cease from our own works. We can enter into this rest when we believe in the Lord that what He has started in our lives, He is able to finish it on our behalf.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Heb 4:5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6  Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7  Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8  For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

[Next study in this series is here.]

[Study Aired July 9, 2020]

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

The first verse of our study in Hebrews chapter 4 is akin to what Paul says in Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.

It is the fear of God that is a gift from God which will keep us presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable^G3050 service^G2999, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” This “reasonable^G3050 service^G2999” spoken of in Romans 12:1 is better translated ‘a divine service’ unfolding in a predestined priesthood of which Christ is the head, and is fulfilling God’s purpose through each member who has been called and chosen to endure to the end as His workmanship created in Christ (1Pe 2:9, Mat 24:13, Rom 8:28).

“reasonable”: G3050 logikos log-ik-os’  From G3056; rational (“logical”): – reasonable, of the word.

G3056 logos log’-os  From G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): – account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.

“service”: G2999 latreia  lat-ri’-ah  From G3000; ministration of God, that is, worship: – (divine) service.

G3000  latreuō  lat-ryoo’-o   From latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), that is, render religious homage: – serve, do the service, worship (-per).

Heb 9:1  Then^G3767 verily^G3303 the^G3588 first^G4413 covenant had^G2192 also^G2532 ordinances^G1345 of divine service ^G2999, and^G5037 a worldly^G2886 sanctuary.^G39 

We are accepted in the beloved, and it is the beloved Jesus Christ who is working that fear within us both to will and to do of our Father’s good pleasure (Php 2:13) as we are dragged to the altar as God’s children (Joh 6:44) who were predestined to this adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace (Eph 2:8), wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved (Eph 1:5-7).

The reason God is making us accepted in the beloved is brought out for us in the book of Hebrews where we have discussed the “Kingship and Priesthood” (the title of our 3-part study with chapter 1) of which we are part (1Pe 2:9), and how “we ought to give the more earnest heed” (the title of our 4-part study with chapter 2) today if we are hearing the voice of the true shepherd, meaning many are hearing a voice of another Jesus. The message Christ is bringing to us is a hard message, an impossible message for the flesh to accept, and therefore we must “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (the title of part I of chapter 3) in order to live these words which happen to be the title of our studies from both this week (Chapter 4 part 1) and last week (Chapter 3 part 2): “Today If You Will Hear His Voice, Harden Not Your Hearts“.

We are labouring to enter into Christ and are called to continue to fight a good fight of faith together as a many-membered body that is going through a spiritual battle which requires us to put on the whole suit of armour God is making available for us through our Lord (Eph 6:10-18).

The fiery darts of the adversary can make us grow weary in well doing, but if God will grant us the ability to wear this complete suit of armour, then we will learn and grow in our confidence that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, and that those giants against whom we do battle will in fact nourish us as they were intended (Num 14:9).

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 

We are not to harden our hearts but to be strong in the Lord (2Sa 3:1) and Lord willing we will continue to do that as His mercy abounds toward us for the sake of others (Rom 11:30-36). 

2Sa 3:1  Now there was long war between the house of Saul [our flesh] and the house of David [Christ]: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. 

2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak [“house of Saul”], then am I strong [house of David].

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

Before we start this section of Hebrews, let’s read this section of God’s word in Ephesians 6 remembering that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities and the rulers of the darkness of this age (Eph 6:12), and how it is only through Christ through whom we are accepted that we will be able to be equipped to overcome those powers and principalities which our Lord is far above in our heavens where this dying daily process is occuring in each member of the body of Christ (Eph 1:21).

What we are told in this section of Ephesians 6 is first what we must do to enter into God’s rest (verses 1-9), and then after those verses we are told to be strong in “the power of his might”(verse 10-18), a might that makes it possible for us to overcome in this age as we look to the author and finisher of our faith (Zec 4:6, Heb 12:2). 

This is what is required of us:

Eph 6:1  Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Eph 6:2  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 
Eph 6:3  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 
Eph 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 
Eph 6:5  Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 
Eph 6:6  Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 
Eph 6:7  With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 
Eph 6:8  Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Eph 6:9  And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. 

This is how it is going to be accomplished:

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 

These weapons of spiritual warfare described in Ephesians 6 are a gift given to the elect. Christ is going to bless us to be able to be armed with his mind so we can fulfill our Father’s will (1Pe 4:1-2) which is another way of saying we wear the whole suit of armour so that we can continue to look to the joy that has been set before us in Him (Heb 12:1-3).

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

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

We are labouring to enter into that rest, and are told that our efforts are not in vain in Christ (1Co 15:58), and that our coming together often (Heb 10:25) and the message of hope that we preach is not in vain, but is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Rom 1:16-17 , Joh 6:29) even while it is despised and hated by all men as we will be (2Th 2:10-11 , Mat 10:22-28). 

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

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 
Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

In order to endure that hatred and rejection until the end, that the flesh cannot go toward unless we are dragged (Joh 6:44 , Joh 21:18), the Lord in his mercy must fully equipped us through every joint that does, has and will supply as He give us fiery trials of our faith (1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 1:7) that will mature us in our discerning of good and evil so we can overcome the spiritual warfare in our heavens (Heb 5:14) with that whole suit of armour that represents the mind of Christ.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work^G2041 of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work^G2041 of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

“the work” G2041 ergon  er’-gon  From ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: – deed, doing, labour, work.

Thayer Definition:

1) business, employment, that which any one is occupied
1a) that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking
2) any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind
3) an act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasised in opp. to that which is less than work

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

If we don’t fear God it will lead to an adulterous heart in matters of the spirit and so we read these verses in Proverbs how that lack of fear and reverence to the true bread of life that Christ’s words are, leads us to the stolen waters that are sweet, or pleasant bread eaten in secret that leads to the depths of hell (Pro 9:10-18).

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. 
Pro 9:11  For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. 
Pro 9:12  If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. 
Pro 9:13  A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. 
Pro 9:14  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 
Pro 9:15  To call passengers who go right on their ways: 
Pro 9:16  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 
Pro 9:17  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 
Pro 9:18  But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell. 

The bride of Christ is not “clamorous, simple and knows nothing”. She is bright-eyed as Rachel was unto Jacob and by the grace of God she does not “seem to come short of it“, “it” being entering into his rest, because she is industrious in her spiritual relationship toward her husband and is laying up a good foundation of works against the evil days that are before us (Pro 31:9-29 , 1Ti 6:19).

Pro 31:9  Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. 
Pro 31:10  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 
Pro 31:11  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 
Pro 31:12  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 
Pro 31:13  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 
Pro 31:14  She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 
Pro 31:15  She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 
Pro 31:16  She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 
Pro 31:17  She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 
Pro 31:18  She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 
Pro 31:19  She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 
Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 
Pro 31:21  She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 
Pro 31:22  She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 

Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 
Pro 31:30  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 
Pro 31:31  Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. [Eph 1:4 , Rom 8:29, 2Ti 1:9]

These two sections of Proverbs demonstrate for us how we must move with fear to the saving of our own spiritual house as Noah did to the saving of his own family that represent the church (Heb 11:7). 

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

The bride of Christ represented by this Proverbs 31 woman continues to fight a good fight of faith and labours just as the one body of Christ does for the meat that shall not perish. And this meat that shall not perish is symbolized in this proverb by tapestrys, silk and purple, and wool and flax amongst many other endeavours that typify her love of Christ (1Ti 6:12). 

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

We are fighting for a great reward, the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ, and must be about our Father’s business with confidence and with faith and with an industrious obedience to His word that goes with us everywhere we are just as this woman in Proverbs 31: “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” (Php 3:14, Luk 2:49, Luk 22:42)

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at how the Lord has allowed the world to be deceived and not profited by the word spoken to them because it was not mixed with faith. Conversely it is because of the faith of Christ given to the elect that we can believe and labour to enter into His rest through a lifetime of overcoming and enduring to the end through Jesus Christ (Mat 24:13):

Heb 3:12  Be taking heed, brethren, lest at any time, there shall be in any one of you, a wicked heart of unbelief, in revolting from a Living God. 
Heb 3:13  But be exhorting one another, on each successive day,—while the To-day is being named! lest any from among you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 
Heb 3:14  For, partners of the Christ, have we become,—if, at least, the beginning of the confidence, throughout, firm, we hold fast: 
Heb 3:15  So long as it is said—To-day, if, unto his voice, ye would hearken, do not harden your hearts,—as in the embitterment. 
Heb 3:16  For, who, though they heard, caused embitterment? Nay, indeed! did not all who come forth out of Egypt through Moses? 
Heb 3:17  But, with whom, was be sore vexed forty years? Was it not with them who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the desert? 
Heb 3:18  But, unto whom, sware he, that they should not enter into his rest,—save unto them who were obstinate? 
Heb 3:19  And we see, that they were not able to enter, because of unbelief.

Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest at any time, although there is left behind a promise of entering into his rest,—any one from amongst you should be deemed, to have come short; 
Heb 4:2  For we have had delivered to us the joyful message, just as even, they; but the word which was heard did not profit them, they not having been blended, by faith, with the things heard.  [Rotherham]
Heb 4:3  For we, the ones believing, enter into the rest, even as He said, “As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest,” though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. LXX-Psa 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11 
Heb 4:4  For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, “And God rested from all His works in the seventh day.” Gen. 2:2 
Heb 4:5  And in this again, “They shall not enter into My rest.” MT-Psalm 95:11 
Heb 4:6  Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel preached did not enter in on account of disobedience, 
Heb 4:7  He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” MT-Psalm 95:7, 8  [LITV]

[Study Aired October 31, 2019]

PRAISE

Psa 136:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:2  O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:3  O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:4  To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

CREATION 

Psa 136:5  To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:6  To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:7  To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:8  The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:9  The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

JUDGMENT

Psa 136:10  To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:11  And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:12  With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:13  To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:14  And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:15  But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

OVERCOMING

Psa 136:16  To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:17  To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:18  And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:19  Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:20  And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:21  And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:22  Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

SALVATION

Psa 136:23  Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:24  And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:25  Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

PRAISE

Psa 136:26  O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The phrase “for his mercy endureth for ever” is mentioned twenty six times in this Psalm (2+6=8 the new man is [8 Christ] who is formed out of the [6 old man] through [2 Christ the true witness and second Adam 1Co 15:45]), and is symbolically described for us by the story of creation in Psalm 136:1-4, and then how that new creation must be judged, typified by Israel’s exodus from Egypt in Psalm 136:10-15 which demonstrates for us how “his mercy endureth for ever”.

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
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.

The verses then go on to describe the way God’s elect will overcome the giants of our land as God leads “his people through the wilderness”, revealing how His mercy endures for ever in verses 16 to 22 (Psa 136:16-22). That mercy or goodness shown to Israel are the type-and-shadow events which point to salvation for all, and first for those who are blessed to be nourished by those “great kings” (Num 14:9) which we overcome through Christ who is cleansing our land in this age (our bodies, the body of Christ) expressed in these verses (Psa 136:23-25).

Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.

The Psalm 136 then concludes in the last verse as it started in the first verse, with thanks we give to God as we give Him all glory for all He accomplishes in our “heavens” “for his mercy endureth for ever”.

PRAISE

Psa 136:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:2  O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:3  O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:4  To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

These first four verses are a declaration of the last verse of this Psalm (Psa 136:26), declaring the end from the beginning and acknowledging that it is “him who alone [that] doeth great wonders”, revealing that His mercy that “endureth for ever” is from start to finish (Php 1:6), starting with the elect and then the rest of His creation, the other fold of which Christ spoke in Matthew 22:14 and John 10:16.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

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

Joh 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

God’s mercy which will endure forever is something for which we give thanks, because without that mercy or His goodness that leads us to repentance in this age (Rom 2:4) expressed through those wonderful works to the children of men or “great wonders” as they are called in Psalm 136:4, we would simply die in our sins and not be found in the first resurrection (Joh 8:24, Joh 6:29, Joh 8:31-32, Mat 24:13).

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

Joh 8:24  I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

CREATION

Psa 136:5  To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:6  To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:7  To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:8  The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:9  The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

This process of overcoming and enduring until the end is now described for us in these verses that speak about the creation week where those things which were created in that week parallel the spiritual creation which is being formed within the body of Christ.

Christ is our “wisdom” (1Co 1:30-31) who is taking the old marred vessel and destroying it and making something new (Jer 18:4) in “the heavens”, or heart and mind, of his children who are maturing in the mind of Christ (1Co 2:16, 2Pe 3:18).

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

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

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

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

In order for us to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”, our lives will need to be stretched with much tribulation (Act 14:22) and fiery trials (1Pe 4:12) that God’s elect are promised we will be able to endure “for his mercy endureth for ever”.

He “stretched out the earth above the waters” describes in symbolic language the suffering that we are enduring as the body [earth] of Christ, and is “above the waters” or the sea of humanity that we are called out of (2Co 6:17), being raised in heavenly places together as God works in our earth both to will and to do of his good pleasure that stretches us (Eph 2:6, Php 2:13, Joh 15:2-3, Psa 107:20, Joh 20:21, 1Jn 4:17, Oba 1:21).

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

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

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

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

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

The “great lights” that God made the “sun to rule by day” and the “moon and stars to rule by night” are both within us (Isa 45:7) and are used to “bring forth salvation” (Isa 45:8). God’s mercy is expressed through these lights that rule our heavens, and we are preserved unto judgment with the light that the moon and the stars give us through the night, and then the brightness of the sun of righteousness (Mal 4:2) washes out that light that was really not so glorious in comparison to the glory of Christ within us that far exceeds the light of the stars and the moon (2Co 3:7-14). Regardless, it is Christ who made the sun and moon and the stars, and the lesson we are being shown is that he rules them all “The sun to rule by day” and “The moon and stars to rule by night” (Eph 1:11) . God’s mercy is shown in the careful and loving process that He has ordained for all of his creation to experience, each man in his appointed time (1Co 15:23-25).

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Isa 45:8  Drop down, ye heavens, from above [Rev 21:2], and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open [Jer 22:29], and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

2Co 3:7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2Co 3:9  For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
2Co 3:10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
2Co 3:11  For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
2Co 3:12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

JUDGMENT

Psa 136:10  To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:11  And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:12  With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:13  To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:14  And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:15  But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

“He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” is another way of saying God will judge all mankind until there is no one left to be judged, and in that day your own words will judge you (Joh 12:48). The old heavens and the old earth of the first man Adam are judged by Christ so that a new earth and heaven is formed, but that judgement, we must always remember, begins at the house of God so that we can be that bride of Christ who has been made ready (Isa 65:17, Rev 21:1-2, Rev 19:7)

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Isa 65:17  For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready (Rev 20:6).

That “last day” for God’s elect is today because we are being judged first today (1Pe 4:17), and that judgment upon us is typified by Israel who typifies the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) who comes out of Egypt, or the world, first, so that we can be judged and purified by fire in this life and be found in the first resurrection where we will be sent as Christ was to judge the nations (Rev 20:6). All of this judgment is again a representation of this statement: “for his mercy endureth for ever”, meaning that it is throughout the ages. The mercy that we are learning of in these verses and the one event that is common to all men is the judgement that will come upon all men each man in his own order, and God’s mercy will prevail and He will accomplish what He has set out to do “for his mercy endureth for ever” (Ecc 3:1, Jas 5:7, Ecc 9:2, 1Co 15:23-25).

It takes the “strong hand” and “stretched out arm” of God working in our heavens to enable us to be able to rightly divide the word of God in our heavens, and He “divided the red sea into parts” within us so that the Israel of God could “pass through the midst of it” again demonstrating how “his mercy endureth for ever” through that process that is taking place within our heavens that helps us to rightly divide the word of truth within our “red seas” (Isa 43:15-16).

Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
Isa 43:16  Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

It is God who has bound us to the altar (Psa 118:27-29) and “made Israel to pass through the midst of it”, meaning the Red Sea which represents our flesh and all the pulls within our flesh, that God will give us victory over and will “overthrow Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea”, demonstrating again that the new creation is formed through the destruction of the old man of sin typified by “Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea” who are within us but being overcome through Christ (1Jn 4:4).

Psa 118:27  God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
Psa 118:28  Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Psa 118:29  O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

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

OVERCOMING

Psa 136:16  To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:17  To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:18  And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:19  Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:20  And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:21  And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:22  Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

God is leading his people “through the wilderness” (Rom_8:14-16) and smiting “great kings” along the way that represent the powers and principalities that we are overcoming through Christ (Eph 6:12). It is those giants or “great kings” who will nourish us as they are systematically destroyed, or overcome little and by little, by the brightness of Christ’s coming who is the one true King of kings and Lord of lords who can accomplish this (Num 14:9, Deu 7:22, 2Th 2:8, Rev 19:16).

There is a progression to overcoming “great kings”, and “famous kings,” and “Sihon king of the Amorites,” along with “Og the king of Bashan”, and God knows that all these kings must be conquered in order for us to be “his inheritance in the saints“, an “heritage unto his servant Israel, his servant” that has been predestined (Eph 1:5, Eph 1:18), and this patient process of overcoming, also called the “patience and faith of the saints”, demonstrates that “his mercy endureth for ever” for those who are called [to be], chosen and faithful until the end (Php 2:12-15, Php 3:13-18).

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

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

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

An enemy of the cross can be seen described in the context of these verses (Php 3:13-18) where the main subject Paul is talking about is overcoming. A true overcomer takes nothing for granted and does not boast of the morrow, and recognizes that although our salvation is secure in Christ, if it is predestined, this should not be something that demotivates but rather makes us fight a good fight of faith as though our salvation did depend on our own effort in every instance, knowing that Christ is the one working within us both to will and to do of His good pleasure as our hope of glory (Col 1:27).

Seven crowns are worn by kings in Revelation 12:3 which represent our initial complete confidence in our flesh to make choices independently of God as we are under the strong delusion that we are masters of our own destiny not yet seeing the inheritance promised and given by the One who is working all things according to the counsel of “his own will” (Eph 1:11).

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

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

It is the great dragon that has “seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” of (Rev 17:12-18) who is ultimately going to “make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful”; and these “called, and chosen, and faithful” help in that overcoming process as the body of Christ (Col 1:24, Col 1:27).

Rev 17:12  And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13  These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Rev 17:17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18  And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The wars that are taking place are in our heavens which are being cleansed (Heb 9:23), and those who are given to conquer that religious beast which has two horns like a lamb but speaks as a dragon will be very few in this age (Rev 13:11, Mat 22:14). The end result of this witness of overcoming, demonstrating that we are more than conquerors through Christ alone (Rom 8:37-39) and that great mercy shown to us, is expressed in the words “for his mercy endureth for ever”, a mercy in the final analysis that caused us to overcome all the various kings within us so we could be found with His righteousness and not our own (Eze 33:13, Php 3:9, Gal 2:20-21).

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

Eze 33:13  When I say to the righteous that he shall certainly live, and he trusteth to his righteousness and doeth what is wrong, none of his righteous acts shall be remembered; but in his unrighteousness which he hath done, in it shall he die.

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

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate^G114 [Gen 25:34] the grace^G5485 [Mat 20:12-16] of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

G114 ath-et-eh’-o
From a compound of G1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of G5087; to set aside, that is, (by implication) to disesteem, neutralize or violate: – cast off, despise, disannul, frustrate, bring to nought, reject.

G5485 khar’-ece
From G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).

SALVATION

Psa 136:23  Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psa 136:24  And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:25  Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

This next section of our study brightly reminds us that God will be merciful to His kind of first fruits remembering us “in our low estate“. That low estate can only be understood by being given a humble and contrite heart (Isa 66:2) that sees our need to be saved and “redeemed” “from our enemies” within (law prevents us from seeing what must be abolished 2Co 3:13), even as we recognize that daily deliverance with grateful hearts to the one “who giveth food to all flesh” (Psa 107:29-31, Eph 2:15, where this abolishing happens Eph 5:30, 1Co 10:16). That ongoing work He is doing in our lives as His workmanship (Eph 2:10) also demonstrates that “his mercy endureth for ever” (Mat 6:9-15).

Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

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

1Co 10:16  The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread. [“food to all flesh“]
Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Mat 6:14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Mat 6:15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

PRAISE

Psa 136:26  O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Our study finishes off as it started, giving thanks to God for the wonderful works unto the children of men whom he is working with today. Those children are experiencing his love being shed abroad in their hearts (Rom 8:28) that reassures us that we can be more than conquerors through him “that loved us” (Rom 8:37), overcoming all fear as we realize that we are being redeemed as His children whom he loves (Psa 107:2, Rom 5:5, Rom 1:16, 1Jn 3:1).

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

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

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

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

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth [Joh 6:29]; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.