“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” Part 3

 “So make us know how to assign our days, That we may come to a heart of wisdom.”

(Pro 22:17-29)

[Study Aired December 18, 2025]

Pro 22:17  Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
Pro 22:18  For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
Pro 22:19  That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
Pro 22:20  Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
Pro 22:21  That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
Pro 22:22  Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
Pro 22:23  For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
Pro 22:24  Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Pro 22:25  Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
Pro 22:26  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
Pro 22:27  If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Pro 22:28  Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Pro 22:29  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

If we’re not humbled in this age, we will not “bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise”. However if God is working with us He will “make us know how to assign our days, That we may come to a heart of wisdom” (Psa 90:12 CLV). The symbolism of ‘bowing down our ears’ reminds us that it is through the church, or ‘the earth’ that we will hear the manifest knowledge of God, “the words of the wise” that are heard when we are granted to be humbled under His mighty hand (Jer 22:29, Eph 3:10, 1Co 1:30-31, 1Pe 5:6).

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

In this last section of Proverbs chapter 22, we will look at how the Lord is humbling His people so that we learn to listen carefully (Rev 1:3, Rev 22:19) to the wisdom that comes from the power of God and not by man’s wisdom (1Co 2:3-12).

1Co 2:3 And I came to be with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling,
1Co 2:4 and my word and my heralding were not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, but with demonstration of spirit and of power,
1Co 2:5 that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

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

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Notice how Paul came to the Corinthians, “in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling”. Those conditions are what God is working in the lives of His people through the much tribulation of this life (Act 14:22) that makes it possible for us to inherit the Kingdom of God day by day within us (Luk 17:21), as we die daily and see His strength being perfected in that weakness (2Co 12:9).

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

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.

God’s wisdom is given to His people, “graciously given to us by God”, that we may know what is right as we speak the truth with confidence (Act 4:31-32) and live justly in  our relationships with all men, following peace and holiness with all men “without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:13-14).

Heb 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

With the mind of Christ we are able to see how His word is written for us in this age, and discern the spiritual lessons that apply to the body of Christ as opposed to just seeing the practical knowledge at hand that has benefited many, including the unconverted who can be blessed by the natural lessons of God’s word, which precede the always-hidden and deeper spiritual meaning that has been given to those few who have eyes that see and ears that hear the truth, by God’s grace (Mat 13:11-13).

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.

Pro 22:17  Bow down^H5186 thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

The word “bow down”^H5186 is the same as the word “incline”^H5186 found in (Pro 2:1-5), revealing that there is an active ongoing hunger and thirst that God gives to those who are called to “hear the words of the wise”, and then once we hear those words we are to keep them or “apply thine heart unto my knowledge” (Rev 1:3).

Pro 2:1  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
Pro 2:2  So that thou incline^H5186 thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Pro 2:3  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
Pro 2:4  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Pro 2:5  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

H5186 nâṭâh naw-taw’
A primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of applications: –    + afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.
Total KJV occurrences: 214

Pro 22:18  For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
Pro 22:19  That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

Pro 22:18 For it will be pleasant when you keep them in your inner being, When they are established together on your lips.”
Pro 22:19 That your trust may come to be in Yahweh, I make them known to you today, indeed you.”[CLV]

God’s words need to be established on our lips, and this can only happen by continuing in the truth (Joh 8:32-36). If we are blessed to keep the words of God within us in this age, it will result in a very “pleasant” experience of knowing God and His Son Jesus Christ, whom God has sent, which is the definition of eternal life (Joh 17:3).

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.

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

Those words of God become “fitted in thy lips” or “established together on your lips” via the fiery trials that purify His words in our heavens (Isa 6:7). It takes not just knowing the word, or believing in God and Christ, but also experiencing the fiery trials of this life via God’s judgements upon our Adamic nature so that (Php 1:29, 1Pe 4:12, 1Pe 4:17) “thy trust may be in the LORD”. That is the miracle of the elect’s calling in this age and it is all made possible by the grace of God and the faith of Christ by which He has “made known to thee this day, even to thee”(Eph 2:8-10).

Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Pro 22:20  Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
Pro 22:21  That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

God has written excellent things in counsels and knowledge that we may become persuaded of the certainty of the words of truth (Rom 8:37-39).

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. (1Co 3:21-22)

Once we are persuaded of what God is doing in our lives, He sends us as He did Christ (Joh 20:21, Joh 3:17), to be the light of this world, to be saviours unto our God, and to bring salvation unto those that He sends to us (1Ti 4:16).

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

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

1Ti 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

In this age it will be very few who are chosen and remain faithful to the end (Mat 22:14), and yet we are instructed to pray for labourers and be hopeful in this day of small beginnings (Mat 9:37-38, Zec 4:10) that God has ordained so that in time all the world will be saved when saviours come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (Oba 1:21).

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

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.(Joh 20:21, Joh 3:17)

Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

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.

Pro 22:22  Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
Pro 22:23  For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

Pro 22:22  Do not take away the property of the poor man because he is poor, or be cruel to the crushed ones when they come before the judge:
Pro 22:23 For the Lord will give support to their cause, and take the life of those who take their goods. [BBE]

Spiritually, we rob the poor when we try to take away what they think they have, spiritually, in this age, “Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate”. This proverb is a physical representation of that unlawful judgement of the oppressed at the gate which is where judgement was conducted in ancient times.

There will be a time when that will happen (Mat 13:11-12), and God’s mercy will be extended to the world through that judgement in the lake of fire (Rom 11:30-32).

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.

The same point is being made regarding oppressing the “afflicted in the gate”. All of this is to remind us that Christ has another fold that He takes care of (Joh 10:16), so we must walk very circumspectly in this evil world, and be wise as serpents and gentle as doves, being mindful of the spirit realm we are up against (Mat 10:16), and trusting that “the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them”.

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Joh 20:21, Joh 3:17)

Pro 22:24  Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Pro 22:25  Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

These two verses are a continuation of thought from the previous verses, telling us that friendship with this world (Jas 4:4,  Mar 7:6-8), the church world of Babylon that we are called out of, is something we are to avoid, “Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul” (Jer 10:2-4, Gal 4:8-11).

Jas 4:4  Ye adulterers and adulteresses [spiritual adultery], know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Mar 7:6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Jer 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3  For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4  They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

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.

Pro 22:26  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
Pro 22:27  If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

If we start with the physical explanation, the natural, we can then more easily see what the spiritual lesson is for God’s elect. Physically, these proverbs are talking about financial responsibility and risk. “Striking hands”  refers to the ancient practice of clasping hands to seal an agreement, much like the signing of a contract today.

“Sureties for debts” means guaranteeing or co-signing someone else’s loan  promising to pay if they cannot. The point being we should not carelessly put ourselves on the hook for someone else’s debt, and avoid financial commitments that depend on another person’s ability or willingness to repay. Verse 27 highlights the severity of putting yourself in a situation like this where the creditors can come and take away your physical possessions as a result of your forfeiting on the signed agreement to pay.

This proverb is not saying that we don’t bear each other’s burdens, but rather that everyman must bear his own burden, and we need to be circumspect in knowing how and when we do use the resources that God has given us, seeing they all belong to Him and he has called us to be good stewards of those resources (Gal 6:2,  Gal 6:5).

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Gal 6:5  For every man shall bear his own burden.

Another example of this point is how we can’t spiritually give our oil away to another, meaning we can’t give faith to another person. We preach the word in season and out, and we can ask the Lord to inspire us, but ultimately He is the one who gives the increase (1Co 3:6-7 ), so those words that we speak take effect in the lives of those who are indebted to God because of sin (1Pe 5:7-9). Only Christ can set us free from sin, and God’s word will not return void, so the labour and preaching is not in vain (Isa 55:11).

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

With that in mind, we know that increase comes through fiery trials and so we read this sound advice that is continually needed for the body of Christ (1Co 3:6-7, Rev 3:18-19).

1Co 3:6  I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
1Co 3:7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

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

This proverb is just another way of telling our brothers and sisters in Christ to pick up their own bed and work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing it is Christ in us who is doing that work (Joh 5:8-9, Php 2:12-13).

Joh 5:8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
Joh 5:9  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

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.[“Rise, take up thy bed, and walk”]
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Taking on the physical debt of another is synonymous with our taking away their cross and burden, negatively. Conversely there is a right way and time to bear the cross of another, even at great sacrifice and in doing so fulfilling the law of Christ, as we fill up what is behind of the afflictions of Christ for His body’s sake, the church (Jas 1:27, Joh 15:13, Col 1:24).

Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

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

Pro 22:28  Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Pro 22:29  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

The physical point in this proverb is that we are not to tamper with established boundaries handed down from previous generations. In ancient Israel, landmarks were physical boundary stones that marked family property. Moving them was a form of theft and injustice.

The spiritual boundaries of God’s work have been handed down from the prophets and the apostles, Christ being the chief corner stone (1Pe 2:4-8, Eph 2:20-22), who marks the landmarks in our hearts and minds. The land is our bodies in spiritual terms, and to change the position of God’s word, thinking above what is written (1Co 4:6), adding or taking away from God’s work is what “removing the ancient landmark” is symbolic of.(Rev 22:19)

1Pe 2:4  To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
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 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city , and from the things which are written in this book

In order to preserve God’s word we must be “diligent in his business” (Joh 4:32), and then we will stand before kings, meaning we will stand before Christ in each other as stones of the field, and “the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee” and “he shall not stand before mean^{H2823 = obscure, insignificant, low} men”(Job 5:23). By God’s grace we have come to learn that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold”. We are not worthy of ourselves to stand in the company of the King, but Christ in us is, God willing.

Joh 4:32  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

Job 5:23  For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

Pro 22:29  Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings. (GNB)

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Rev 3:4  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

The Spiritual Significance of the Holy Days, Part 4

The Third Holy Day:  The Day of Pentecost

 [Study Aired September 5, 2025]

Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19  Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20  And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Lev 23:21  And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Lev 23:22  And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Before we get into our study on the spiritual significance of the Day of Pentecost, let’s remind ourselves what all these holy days are intended to accomplish.

Here are some of Paul’s thoughts concerning the holy days and the law of which they are a part:

Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Heb 8:1  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
Heb 8:2  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Heb 8:3  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Heb 8:4  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
Heb 8:5  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

This third feast, Pentecost, and all that is revealed about this feast, signifies “the true tabernacle, the church which is the Lord’s body” with all that is revealed about who we are and all the functions we perform in service to the Lord and the fulfilling of His plan for mankind.

This feast of Pentecost is the day on which the New Testament church was born:

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This is the only feast in all the year when an offering is made with leaven.

Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

A “meat offering… baken with leaven” was indeed “a new offering” with ‘new’ significance. This is the only day a meal offering was to be “baken with leaven.” That ‘leaven’ in this offering on this holy day signifies the fact that while Christ, our spotless sacrifice, “was made sin which knew no sin”, His body, His firstfruits are not spotless, and they do ‘know sin’ and are all guilty of trespassing against our Lord’s words. That is the spiritual significance of the “two loaves baken with leaven” which were offered only on the day of Pentecost.

This is the only harvest which includes the instructions to leave the gleanings and the corners of your fields for “the poor and the stranger.”

Lev 23:22  And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

These instructions which make provision for the less fortunate in Israel are mentioned many times in relation to “the fatherless and the widow and the poor”, but this is the only feast where “the poor and the stranger” are singled out for making provision for them.

It was on the day of the first Pentecost after the death and resurrection of our Lord that “strangers” are mentioned as those who heard the gospel of our Lord for the first time:

Act 2:1  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Act 2:10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Pentecost is the only holy day which specifically makes provision for “the poor and the stranger”, for ‘poor’ Lazarus who ate of the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table and for ‘the strangers’, the Samaritan woman at the well, and Cornelius the Roman centurion.

Deu 10:19  Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

This is the only holy day which foreshadows the fiftieth year of jubilee, the year of release when all debts are forgiven and every man returns to his inheritance. This is a ‘blessed and holy’ holy day, because it signifies and celebrates the birth and the work of the ‘Saviors on Mount Zion’ (Oba 1:21).

To begin to understand and appreciate the great spiritual significance of the day of Pentecost, we must first realize that the root number of this holy day is the number five which signifies grace through faith.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of [our] works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Here is the link to that study:

The Number Five

The gift of grace through faith is first given to the Lord’s firstfruits. That is why Pentecost is also called “the feast of the firstfruits of thy labors.” Pentecost is the holy day which celebrates those who, with our Lord, are “a kind of firstfruits”.

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Exo 23:14  Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exo 23:15  Thou shalt keep [1] the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16  And [2] the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17  Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Exo 34:22  And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

The wave-sheaf offering on the first day after the sabbath during the days of unleavened bread foreshadows and signifies the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our offering being accepted by His Father as first of ‘the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in Christ’:

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  

Christ was intended by His Father to be given preeminence in all things including being the first of the firstfruits. He was never intended to be the only ‘firstfruit.’

While there was no leaven in the offering of the wave sheaf, there is leaven in the offering of the firstfruits of the “two loaves” of the Pentecost offering. Both are of “finely ground flour”, but the Pentecost offering is “baken with leaven.”

Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; [signifying Christ as the first of the firstfruits] seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

“The church which is His body” (Col 1:14) is referred as “firstfruits” by Paul and James and John:

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

Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Paul alludes to himself and other members of the church as those “which have the firstfruits of the spirit”:

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

He refers to Epaenetus and Stephanas as “the firstfruits of Achaia”:

Rom 16:5  Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

1Co 16:15  I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

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

Finally John also calls the church of this present time, signified by the number 144,000, “the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb.”

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

 ‘The church, which is the body of Christ (Col 1:24) was birthed “when the day of Pentecost was fully come” (Act 2:1). This holy day signifies those who are the first to believe on Christ and who are referred to as “firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” here in Revelation 14:4 and throughout the New Testament where those who are first are always mentioned as being  special to the Lord.

Both Paul and John emphasize the exceptional blessing and favor placed by the Lord upon those “who first trusted in Christ.”

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

It is those “who first trusted in Christ” who will come up in “the resurrection of life” and be given to have a part in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection.”

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [at the beginning of the thousand year reign, (Rev 20:6)]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [at the great white throne judgment, (Rev 20:11-15)]

Pentecost is the only feast to specifically make provision for the fatherless and the poor, both of which signify the New Testament Gentile church which has now become part of the commonwealth  of Israel because Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition between the Jewish and Gentile Christians and has made of both one new man, so making peace (Eph 2:15).

Pentecost signifies the salvation of the church in “this present time” (Rom 8:18), but the counting of seven sabbaths until the morrow after the seventh sabbath signifies the completion of the time needed as carnal babes in Christ, to bring us to true conversion on the day of Pentecost. This is what Christ said to Peter at the Passover meal the night he was apprehended of the Jews at the very beginning of time which is signified by these seven sabbaths which followed the Passover and culminated in the fiftieth day, the day of Pentecost:

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.
Luk 22:33  And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
Luk 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Of course, Peter, who at this stage in maturing signifies us as “carnal babes in Christ”, did deny His Lord during this time of seven sabbaths until the day of Pentecost. Pentecost is Greek for ‘count fifty.’ ‘Pente’ is ‘fifty’, and ‘cost’ is ‘count.’ Seven sevens are required to bring us to acknowledge our part in the crucifixion of our Lord, to deny Him, to weep bitterly in repentance, to live in fear of our lives and to be tried of the Lord who raises up the stormy winds of life, and brings us to our wits’ end, as He did with the apostles during that period of time immediately following the Passover. Before the day of Pentecost and the gift of the holy spirit dwelling within us, we are all “carnal babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4), afraid for our lives, worried about what our families and friends will think of us, locking our doors and going fishing to avoid having to witness for the Lord. After the day of Pentecost and having the holy spirit now living within us, we are all as brave as a lion and do not let fear keep us from standing up and confessing that we do indeed know Christ and His Father, and we are not ashamed to say that we are His elect.

It was after Pentecost that Peter and all the apostles were dragged before the Sanhedrin, and this time none of them denied their Lord:

Act 5:17  Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
Act 5:18  And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
Act 5:19  But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Act 5:20  Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
Act 5:21  And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
Act 5:22  But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
Act 5:23  Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
Act 5:24  Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
Act 5:25  Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
Act 5:26  Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
Act 5:27  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

We have no idea how the Lord performed this miracle, but we know He did, and we know these apostles are not the same men who were hiding in fear behind locked doors before the day of Pentecost. Pentecost signifies the giving of the holy spirit, and the holy spirit gives us the mind of Christ who wants nothing but to please His Father and do the things He has given Him to do. Christ was sent to save the world and that the world through Him might be saved:

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

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Christ, with His Father’s approval has sent us to do what His Father sent Him to do:

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. [“That the world through [you] might be saved… [you in Christ are] the propitiation… for the sins of the whole world”]

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

It is at Pentecost that we are given our backbone and are given to fear God rather than men (Act 5:29).

This concludes our study on the day of Pentecost. The next step in the Lord’s plan for our salvation is signified by the Day of Trumpets which will be the subject of our next study.

[The next study in this series can be found here.]

[Study Aired May 22, 2022]

Jer 39:1  In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
Jer 39:2  And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.
Jer 39:3  And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.
Jer 39:4  And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
Jer 39:5  But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
Jer 39:6  Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.
Jer 39:7  Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Jer 39:8  And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.
Jer 39:9  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
Jer 39:10  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
Jer 39:11  Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
Jer 39:12  Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
Jer 39:13  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;
Jer 39:14  Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.
Jer 39:15  Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
Jer 39:16  Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
Jer 39:17  But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
Jer 39:18  For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

The first two verses of this chapter tell us how long the siege of Jerusalem lasted:

Jer 39:1  In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.
Jer 39:2  And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

Jerusalem is the great whore in type in this story, and Isaiah makes that very clear in the very first chapter of his prophecy:

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

Isaiah even calls Jerusalem ‘Sodom’.

Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Isa 3:8  For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
Isa 3:9  The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

The reason Jerusalem is signified by a harlot is to let us know that the great whore of Revelation 17-18 is a “Mystery” to this world:

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.
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.

The Greek word translated as ‘mystery’ is:

G3466
μυστήριον
mustērion
moos-tay’-ree-on

From a derivative of μύω muō (to shut the mouth); a secret or “mystery” (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites): – mystery.

“Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots” is a ‘musterion’ because she is the Lord’s own apostate covenant people. What we all at first fail to realize is that God had a covenant with Noah and his seed long before He was in covenant with Abraham and his seed:

Gen 9:8  And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 9:9  And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

While the only stipulations of this covenant are:

1) Gen 9:3  Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

2) Gen 9:4(a)  But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

3) Gen 9:4(b) “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed”.

4) Gen 9:5  And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

This is still a covenant with Noah and his seed (Gen 9:9), therefore all men are in covenant with God, and all religions of mankind are part of the whore and her daughters.

Jer 39:2  And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

From the tenth month of the ninth year to the fourth month of the eleventh year means that the siege lasted 18 months, or a year and a half, and the famine in the city was severe:

Jer 52:5  So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
Jer 52:6  And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

The number ‘nine’ as we all know, signifies judgment:

Jer 39:3  And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

In our King James version of the bible, there appears to be six princes here, two of whom have the same name. We will not go into the meaning of all these names. If we had the time to do so, it would be easy to make the case that there are just three princes with the first name being their name and the second name being their title. Here is a cut and paste from the Jamison-Fausset-Brown Commentary on the titles attached to each first name:

“Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo — proper names formed from those of the idols, Nergal and Nebo (2Ki 17:30, Isa 46:1).
Rab-saris — meaning “chief of the eunuchs.”
Rab-mag — chief of the magi; brought with the expedition in order that its issue might be foreknown through his astrological skill. Mag is a Persian word, meaning “great…powerful.” The magi were a sacerdotal [priest] caste among the Medes, and supported the Zoroastrian religion.”

Jer 39:4  And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.
Jer 39:5  But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.
Jer 39:6  Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

As Jeremiah had prophesied, Zedekiah did indeed see the face of Nebuchadnezzar:

Jer 32:4  And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

These are the words the Lord gave to Jeremiah, and Jeremiah remained faithful to these very unpopular and unpatriotic words. With His life at stake, Jeremiah repeated the words of the Lord to wicked King Zedekiah, just before the breach of the city by the armies of Babylon. This is from last week’s study:

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

As severe as the circumstances were, Jeremiah remained faithful to what the Lord had told him would be the fate of the king of the kingdom of apostate Judah, the Old Testament type of the great whore (Isa 1:21):

Jer 38:14  Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.
Jer 38:15  Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

This all happened, and it is all written down to let us know that the kingdom of our own old wicked ‘king… the man of sin’ within us, is doomed to destruction and was “made to be taken and destroyed”:

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [Greek: ‘tupos’, types of us]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

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

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;

Evil men like wicked King Nebuchadnezzar are the Lord’s sword which He uses to punish His own wayward elect:

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

The Lord even uses our own wicked old king as His sword to correct us.

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

The ten horns on the beast of Revelation 17 symbolize our flesh when it becomes aware of how the whore has deceived and abused the beast. It is our own carnal mind which will hate the great whore and will be used by the Lord to destroy that harlot system by “eating her flesh and burn[ing] her with fire” just as Nebuchadnezzar did in a literal sense, to Jerusalem:

Jer 39:7  Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.
Jer 39:8  And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

While all of this has a primary inward application, Jeremiah would have been disobedient to the Lord to have only applied these words to Himself and failed to warn the great whore in whose kingdom He lived his physical life. Jeremiah had already been through the inward fire of the Lord’s Word and was now required by the Lord to proclaim an outward judgment upon the great whore of Isaiah 1:21 quoted above. The Lord first deceives us and burns out our own old man before He uses us to warn others. Jeremiah is a type of each of us:

Jer 20:7  O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
Jer 20:8  For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
Jer 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Jer 20:10  For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
Jer 20:11  But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
Jer 20:12  But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

This story of how the Lord delivered Jeremiah is written to encourage each of us to be faithful to the Words of the Lord even as ‘all our familiars watch for our halting’, hoping to see us cave into the pressures of the persecutions and tribulations which we must endure to the end:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

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

Our physical brothers and our physical “familiars”, our friends and the society in which we live, will hate us and persecute us if we follow in the footsteps of Christ and do the things He commands us to do and abide in His words:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him [types of today’s Christians], If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth [Christ], and the truth [Christ] shall make you free.

Jeremiah typifies those who know Christ and who depend on Him for their salvation even if they are threatened with physical death. It is only if we are willing to forfeit this life that the Lord will give us life:

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Jeremiah had sunk down in the mire of the pit and was taken from the pit to witness the Lord’s judgment upon his enemies and all those who had persecuted him. So, it is with all of us who are given to remain faithful to the end:

Jer 39:9  Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.
Jer 39:10  But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

Leaving the poor of the land and giving them vineyards and fields is an entirely physical event in the history of this unfaithful nation with whom the Lord was in a covenant. Nevertheless, this event typifies these spiritual words from the mouth of our Lord:

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The “poor in spirit” know they have what they have only as a gift from God and not of themselves. Those who take credit for their works are the opposite of being “poor in spirit”. Jeremiah knew that his life was spared by the Lord Himself and not because of anything he had done of himself. Jeremiah knew that Nebuchadnezzar’s heart was in the hands of the Lord:

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

The Lord had made Nebuchadnezzar aware of the prophecies of Jeremiah, and the Lord gave Jeremiah favor in the eyes of Nebuchadnezzar:

Jer 39:11  Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,
Jer 39:12  Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.
Jer 39:13  So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;
Jer 39:14  Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

This is an incredible honor being bestowed upon the Lord’s faithful elect. This event typifies the fulfillment of these inspired words:

Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Pro 16:8  Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

There had been many days through the years of Jeremiah’s prophecies in which he had very “little with righteousness”. He has ‘very little’ while in the pit and in the prison, but he remained faithful to the Words of the Lord, and now the Lord was making “even his enemies to be at peace with him”.

The holy spirit concludes this chapter of Jeremiah by taking us back to Jeremiah’s time in the pit and in prison to remind us that when we receive the Lord’s elect, we are receiving the Lord Himself:

Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

The Lord does not forget us when we remain faithful to Him and to His body of elect believers. He is “a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”:

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.

This is what the Lord had Jeremiah to prophesy concerning Ebedmelech the Ethiopian who had been used by the Lord to save Jeremiah’s life from death in the pit:

Jer 39:15  Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
Jer 39:16  Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.
Jer 39:17  But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.
Jer 39:18  For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

As we just read in Hebrews 11:6, He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

There are many examples throughout the Bible of how the Lord preserves His faithful through the trials He places upon them. Beginning with Abel, who was slain by his older brother, Enoch, who was taken away so he would not die, and then continuing on generation after generation, the Lord reveals how He delivered His faithful from those who would hurt them. But He first must give us the gift of “faith that He is” and that He will reward us for our fidelity to Him and to His promise of life. This promise of life is not necessarily in this present time, but life eonian in the ages to come.

I will conclude this study with a few verses on just how important it is that we have faith in the promises of God:

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
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.

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:2  For by it the elders obtained a good report.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heb 11:7  By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Heb 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.
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.
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.
Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Heb 11:20. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
Heb 11:22  By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Heb 11:23  By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
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 11:28  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Heb 11:29  By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Heb 11:30  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Heb 11:31  By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Heb 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

It is only if we are given the ability to believe the Lord’s Words that we will be the overcomers and the recipients of all the promises made exclusively to the overcomers of Revelation 2 and 3:

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

Let us all pray that the Lord, through His gift of faith, will give each of us “respect unto the recompense of the reward” and not treat our birthright with the lack of respect that Esau treated his birthright.

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 148

“The Lord’s release”

January 26, 2019

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

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

Forgive to be forgiven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mat 18:27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio Links

Discussion Links

The Virtuous Body of Christ - Part 9 Discussion

1 file(s) 43.90 MB

Download

“The virtuous body of Christ” - Part 9

May 1, 2016

with Steven Crook

We’ve arrived in our study today to find that our virtuous woman is one who is caring for those around her.

This is an admirable trait for anyone, but when we dive into our verses today, we will notice that those who are helped by this virtuous woman are not always who we think they are which need her help.

Today’s study will also help emphasis our need to “work with our hands”, laying them to the spindle, so that we can look into what we are really being told in any given verse. This of course is needed when we study scriptures which have been translated from their original languages into the languages we have today.

The poor and needy

The verse of focus for us today is Proverbs 31:20.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

When we look at the first part of verse 20, we read it and it seems self-explanatory. However, there is a deeper meaning than what our English translation has captured in the KJV.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth outH6566 her handH3709 to the poor;H6041 yea, she reacheth forthH7971 her handsH3027 to the needy.H34

H6041
‛ânı̂y
Total KJV Occurrences: 82
poor, 59
Exo_22:25, Lev_19:10, Lev_23:22, Deu_24:11-12 (2), Deu_24:14-15 (2), Job_24:9, Job_24:14, Job_29:12, Job_36:6, Job_36:15, Psa_9:18, Psa_10:2, Psa_10:9 (2), Psa_34:5-6 (3), Psa_35:10 (2), Psa_37:14, Psa_40:17, Psa_68:10, Psa_69:29, Psa_70:5, Psa_72:2, Psa_72:4, Psa_72:12, Psa_74:19, Psa_74:21, Psa_86:1, Psa_109:16, Psa_109:22, Pro_14:21, Pro_30:14, Pro_31:9, Pro_31:20, Ecc_6:8, Isa_3:14-15 (2), Isa_10:2, Isa_10:30, Isa_14:32, Isa_32:6-7 (2), Isa_41:17, Isa_58:7, Isa_66:2, Jer_22:16, Eze_16:49, Eze_18:12, Eze_18:17, Eze_22:29, Amo_8:4, Hab_3:14, Zec_7:10, Zec_11:7, Zec_11:11
afflicted, 15
2Sa_22:28, Job_34:28, Psa_18:27, Psa_22:24, Psa_25:16, Psa_82:3, Psa_88:15, Psa_102:1, Psa_140:12, Pro_15:15, Pro_22:22, Isa_49:13, Isa_51:21, Zep_3:11-12 (2)
humble, 5
Psa_10:12 (3), Psa_10:17, Psa_34:2, Psa_69:32
lowly, 3
Pro_3:34, Pro_16:19, Zec_9:9

The majority of the time this word is translated as poor, but there is a deep rooted meaning behind this Hebrew word that is not captured fully in verse 20.

H6041

‛ânı̂y
aw-nee'
From H6031; depressed, in mind or circumstances (practically the same as H6035 subjectively and H6041 objectively): - afflicted, humble`, lowly`, needy, poor.
Total KJV occurrences: 75

H6031

‛ânâh
aw-naw'
A primitive root (possibly rather identical with H6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitively or intransitively (in various applications). (sing is by mistake for H6030.): - abase self, afflict (-ion, self), answer [by mistake for H6030], chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing [by mistake for H6030], speak [by mistake for H6030], submit self, weaken, X in any wise.
Total KJV occurrences: 83

I will list the majority of the time this word is translated so save some note space. Fifty of the eighty-three times that the root of the word “poor” in verse 20 is translated as afflict to afflicted.

H6031
‛ânâh
Total KJV Occurrences: 83
afflict, 29
Gen_15:13, Gen_31:50, Exo_1:11, Exo_22:22-23 (2), Lev_16:29, Lev_16:31, Lev_23:27, Lev_23:32, Num_24:24 (2), Num_29:7, Num_30:13, Jdg_16:5-6 (2), Jdg_16:19, 2Sa_7:10, 1Ki_11:39, 2Ch_6:26, Ezr_8:21, Job_37:23, Psa_55:19, Psa_89:22, Isa_58:5 (2), Isa_64:12, Lam_3:33, Nah_1:12, Zep_3:19
afflicted, 21
Exo_1:12, Lev_23:29, Deu_26:6, 1Ki_2:26 (2), 2Ki_17:20, Job_30:11, Psa_88:7, Psa_90:15, Psa_107:17, Psa_116:10, Psa_119:67, Psa_119:71, Psa_119:75, Psa_119:107, Isa_53:4, Isa_53:7, Isa_58:3, Isa_58:10, Isa_60:14, Nah_1:12
humbled, 7
Deu_8:3, Deu_21:14, Deu_22:24, Deu_22:29, Psa_35:13, Eze_22:10-11 (2)

Clearly, those which are poor are those which are depressed and afflicted. Who do we, as the virtuous body of Christ, know who is depressed and afflicted? Let’s see if scripture can help us figure it out

Exo 1:12  But the more they afflicted H6031 them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict H6031 your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted H6031 in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

2Sa 22:25  Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
2Sa 22:26  With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
2Sa 22:27  With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
2Sa 22:28  And the afflicted H6031 people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

Psa 119:75  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted H6031 me.

Pro 22:22  Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted H6031 in the gate:

These are a few of the old testament examples of those who the virtuous woman stretches out her hand to. Since we want to take out of our old and new “treasure”, what does the new testament say about those who are afflicted?

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

2Co 1:5  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

1Ti 5:9  Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
1Ti 5:10  Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Jas 4:9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Jas 5:13  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

I read a lot of these verses and their surrounding verses to help form a word picture of what it means to be afflicted.

Those who are afflicted are those who are depressed in the spirit. However, as we just read, this can be affliction caused by the Lord for us to be humbled by it and there are also times when we need to afflict ourselves.

This simply means that there are times when we must HUMBLE ourselves before the Lord and RECOGNIZE who we are in the Lord.

Anything we have been given has been given to us by the Lord and that certainly is not limited to physical things. We are more focused on spiritual gifts and fruits of the spirit.

When we look at the second part of Proverbs 31:20, we will see those who are “needy” are actually those who we would consider the “poor” among us.

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy H34.

H34
'ebyôn
Total KJV Occurrences: 61
needy, 35
Deu_15:11 (2), Deu_24:14, Job_24:4, Job_24:14, Psa_9:18, Psa_12:5, Psa_35:10, Psa_37:14, Psa_40:17, Psa_70:5, Psa_72:4, Psa_72:12-13 (3), Psa_74:21, Psa_82:4, Psa_86:1, Psa_109:16, Psa_109:22, Psa_113:7, Pro_30:14, Pro_31:9, Pro_31:20, Isa_14:30, Isa_25:4, Isa_32:7, Isa_41:17, Jer_5:28, Jer_22:16, Eze_16:49, Eze_18:12, Eze_22:29, Amo_4:1, Amo_8:4, Amo_8:6
poor, 25
Exo_23:6 (2), Exo_23:11, Deu_15:4, Deu_15:7 (2), Deu_15:9, Deu_15:11, Est_9:22, Job_29:15-16 (2), Job_30:25, Job_31:19, Psa_49:2, Psa_69:33, Psa_107:41, Psa_109:31, Psa_112:9, Psa_132:15, Psa_140:12, Pro_14:31, Isa_29:19, Jer_2:34, Jer_20:13, Amo_2:6, Amo_5:12
beggar, 1
1Sa_2:8

H34

'ebyôn
eb-yone'
From H14, in the sense of want (especially in feeling); destitute: - beggar, needy, poor (man).
Total KJV occurrences: 61

H14

'âbâh
aw-baw'
A primitive root; to breathe after, that is (figuratively) to be acquiescent: - consent, rest content, will, be willing.
Total KJV occurrences: 54

According to Strong’s the root of being a person who is labeled “needy” is someone who is ready to accept something without protest or to do what someone else wants, and the word itself means someone is destitute and in need or poor

The idea being conveyed is that someone needy is willing to take whatever they can get without any sort of denial or upheaval at what they are receiving. They will accept whatever help they can get. They are willing to be content.

So, as the virtuous body of Christ, and as a wife that a “king” would be seeking, as instructed by Lemuel’s mother, we are willing to stretch forth our arm for those that are afflicted and are willing to be content with whatever it is we are able to help with.

Prayer and counsel come to mind, but there is also times where physical needs are needing to be helped as well of course.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

We see in James 2 that works accompany Faith because without works faith is dead. If someone has a physical need, we should tend to it as we are able.

If someone has a spiritual need, then we must ALSO have something that accompanies the Faith that is needed to help the need of this needy/poor person. They need works.

If we look back at the last study, a big part of that study was the focus on putting our hand to the spindle and using the distaff. In other words, we must be willing to do the WORK that is needed for the household of God so that our Faith is made manifest with that work.

What was the work that was the focus of the basic thread being weaved by this virtuous woman rising early to get the work done?

Prayer.

With prayer we also must REST. Wait, didn’t I just say there was WORK to be done?

Ahh, there it is, and apparent contradiction. How can prayer and rest be likened to WORK?

We all want to be able to help someone when the hour of their need comes to our ear. We want to help them fill their belly with food if they are hungry, we want to give them a place to stay when they need a roof for the night, we want to offer them funds to help them with their water bill when they need water, but do we at all consider that their needs are always spiritual first?

What do I mean by that?

If the Lord has placed them in a position to need Him, and He has sent them to us for that need, then being the virtuous body of Christ we need to be willing both to help physically and also spiritually.

Praying is the works that is needed, and RESTING in the Lord and waiting for His will to be made manifest is HUGELY important. Praying is the SHOWING of our gift of Faith.

Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

We are given grace and faith so that we are saved THROUGH Faith and are faith is always TRIED in the FIRE. That is why even Paul’s thorn in the flesh was not removed. This is trialed Faith!

Here is an example of this concept at play. How is the Lord's will manifest in this story?

Mar 14:3  And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
Mar 14:4  And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
Mar 14:5  For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
Mar 14:6  And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
Mar 14:7  For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
Mar 14:8  SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
Mar 14:9  Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

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:

How can the anointing Jesus Christ with precious oil in Mark 14 and working out our OWN salvation with FEAR and trembling in Philippians 2 be linked to stretching our HAND towards the afflicted and depressed and reaching forth our HANDS to the destitute?

Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

Stretching out the hand is the spreading of the hand wide open and “reaching forth” is SENDING OUT those hands to the needy.

In plain English, we are to fully provide the work we can provide to those who are afflicted and to make sure that WORK REACHS those who are destitute.

How or why are they destitute? It may seem obvious, but it is ALL OF THE LORD.

As hard as it is to accept at times, the Lord has worked in our lives both the good and evil to be caused to happen to us. Since that is the case, He and His will are also the SOLUTION to the afflictions and destitution we are in!

We have to REST in the answer He provides and as a virtuous body of Christ we must REST on whatever His manifest will is for us at the time of our destitution. We will either be relieved or need to continue to work through our trials and it is the TRIAL of your Faith that is precious to the Lord.

The pouring of oil on the head of Christ was giving God the CREDIT for having the POWER to prepare Jesus for His death. Those that had indignation within themselves were those who thought it was more beneficial to take this oil (power of God) and do what they thought was MOST VALAUBLE and expedient to do.

What did Jesus Christ call this work done to Him? A good work that would be remembered wherever the Gospel would be preached.

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

I ask you which of these situations of being hungry, thirsty, a stranger in a land, naked, sick or a prisoner is only speaking about these things PHYSICALLY?

Are these things I am about to read ONLY physical? These are things we must KEEP!

Rev 3:13  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and REPENT.
Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

What are the things we must overcome? What are the things which we must repent of?

As the virtuous body and wife of Christ, we must be willing to do the work of praying, resting and BELIEVING the Lord will give us deliverance of the things we just read. Wretchedness, being miserable, destitute and distressed, blindness and nakedness.

The Lord is WITH US so WHO or WHAT can be AGAINST US?

Have we not read Romans 8?

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.

The Lord has been faithful in telling us we, I Steven Crook, will be SLAUGHTERED so when the time comes upon me I need to remember  that the Lord DOES LOVE ME!

When someone in need or who is poor comes to us, we must tell them that the Love of the Lord us REBUKING and CHASTENING but it is for good and the Lord calls us His BELOVED. This is how He shows us that we are His. The GOOD that comes from rebuking our carnal mind and flesh is what is needed to make us WHOLE and to be healed of all the things we mentioned in Matthew 25.

Let us always be willing to share the power of God with those who the Lord sends to us to pour His love out on, but we also need to always be mindful that those who are truly poor in the spirit will be more than content to have this POWER poured out on them. With this power comes great rebuking and chastening of the flesh and carnal mind that separates us from our Lord.

by Tony Cullen

Psalms 68 (Part 1): Verses 1-11

Psa 68:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
Psa 68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
Psa 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psa 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
Psa 68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

Right near the end of the Psalm we are looking at in this study we find the title of our study in verse 34 which says “Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.” Those words truly define the exercise that we are all called unto as the Lord makes his strength perfect through the Israel of God (Gal 6:16) who is was and will be perfected by the means that God has devised to reconcile all His creation (2Sa 14:14). That means is described in verse 34 of this Psalm as “his excellency” and “his strength“, which we know He is making perfect through the weak and marred vessels of clay that God created (Jer 18:4). So if He is making his strength perfect through us today, then we must conclude in this verse that we are those clouds that He is perfecting and preparing to bring his strength and excellency over the rest of Israel in their appointed time.

Last week we talked about how there is a process to going unto perfection and how the body of Christ is that means to an end that God uses to reconcile the elect today who are being judged and who will ultimately have the ability and power to go into all the earth and judge the world without as we are being judged within so they (the world without) can learn righteousness which God is forming in us through this life in Christ that we share today (Luk 13:32, Isa 26:9, Heb 4:11-16, Heb 2:18, 1Jn 4:17).

What a joy to know that we serve a God whose eyes never slumber or sleep (Psa 121:4) and whose sole purpose is to develop a family whose care and love for one another is unparalleled and made perfect through our weakness (2Co 12:9).

This Psalm speaks very much about the power of God and the effect that His hand has working in our lives. He is burning up the vanity within us that wants to hold onto this life, this temporary existence that we have which is like a mist, or smoke that is driven away, or as wax that melts before a fire. This burning and suffering that we go through in our life is how “the wicked perish at the presence of God” within us, and it describes how we lose our life so that we may gain the life of Christ where we can find power and love and soundness of mind to become more than conquerors through Him (Mat 16:25, 2Ti 1:7, Rom 8:37).

We are called to think it not strange but to know that it is part of the process in our walk as Christians to have to endure fiery trials (1Pe 4:12). We come to know that we are being purified by those fiery experiences, and we are brought to see it all as a blessing and a witness that God is working with us as He gives us “light affliction, which is but for a moment” (2Co 4:17).

As always, we need to ask God to help us see how these verses apply to the destruction of the man of sin within each of our own lives being destroyed by the brightness of Christ and his word that is sanctifying us in this age (Joh 17:17).

Psa 68:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
Psa 68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Our enemies are being scattered both within and without, and God has purposed for all men to hate us both within and without (Mat 10:22, Rev 12:11, Mar 10:18) seeing all the sin of the world is within us and without (1Jn 2:15-16).

The actions of all mankind witness how we are beasts (sheep) scattered by the Shepherd (Joh 2:15), and we need to live this experience of being scattered so that, God willing, we can be gathered in this age by a loving Shepherd as He creates a ministry of reconciliation through the church who has been given the power to reconcile Christ’s body so that we can enter into God’s temple as changed and converted beasts (2Co 5:18-19, Rev 15:8, Rev 4:10).

We are no longer looking behind at past our transgression and sinful life (Luk 17:32, Php 3:13) but see and understand that we are in a marred vessel that is being made anew as we reach forth together “unto the things which are before”. We need to forgive ourselves within and forgive the world without, and this can only happen by our dying daily and being given to be on the cross with Christ day by day (Gal 2:20, Luk 23:34, 1Co 15:31).

Our sins separate or scatter us from God, but being led unto repentance reconciles us to one another and to our Father and Christ (Psa 51:2-3, Psa 51:10, Mar 10:8, Eph 2:14, Luk 23:34). We are purposely scattered by God and made to be at enmity against our Creator and one another and then twain becomes one, Christ and his body, or husband and wife, fathers and children, children to fathers, as it says in (Mal 4:6) all types and shadows of the one bread and one spirit that the body of Christ is and how all the world or the whole lump is serving a holy purpose as (Rom 11:16) puts it (1Co 10:17, Eph 4:4, 1Co 15:22).

The positive type of scattering as opposed to seeing the hypocrisy of our flesh being exposed when we learn that Christ has been smitten of God and we have scattered as a result (Mat 26:31) is to make the beast scatter from the temple or to witness Christ as the true Shepherd within his body make the beast of the field to scatter (Deu 7:22, Num 14:9) like king David who in type and shadow scattered and destroyed both man and beast which are the same unto God (Joh 10:12-14, 1Sa 17:36, 1Sa 17:51, Ecc 3:18).

In summary for these two verses, it is God who is gathering the nations within to bruise Christ and his Christ both within and without as discussed (Act 4:27-28), and it is Christ in us the hope of glory (Col 1:24) who is going to enable us to be redeemed and be the kings and priests who redeem all nations, languages, tongues and peoples both within and without (Rev 7:9, Rev 5:9). Death is an enemy that is destroyed by the death of Christ and his Christ who are as sheep for the slaughter (Rom 8:36), and the word scattered has both a positive and negative use but are both needed to accomplish God’s predetermined purpose for humanity (2Co 1:20, Eph 1:11, Act 4:27-28).

Psa 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

The pattern is revealed again how there is joy in the morning after weeping endures for a night (Psa 30:5, Mat 26:75). This is when we sing praises to his name: and extol him that works in our heavens by His powerful spirit or excellency and strength which we ascribe unto him.

Psa 68:5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Psa 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers and showing us that without him we are spiritually fatherless and widows without our true groom (Mal 3:1, Mal 4:6).

God takes care of His children who have the honour of coming out of this world and understanding the shadows and types that are hidden from our own flesh and blood family who are deceived and cut off from God today for our sakes (Luk 10:24).

It takes his dwelling in “holy habitations” to convince us of this new family relationship where we now honour our heavenly Father and are no longer of our father the devil. We recognize that we are spiritual widows for having been dragged out of Babylon (Rev 18:4, Joh 6:44) which is a “dry land” that keeps people bound to lies where there is no stay of bread or water to be had (Isa 3:1).

Psa 68:7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
Psa 68:8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The parallel thought for us in this verse is found in Hebrews 10:32 where we’re encouraged to remember the former days and what great struggles we were given to bring us closer and closer to that place where we don’t trust in our own flesh but in God alone (2Co 1:9, Pro 3:6-9).

Unless our earth shakes and our heavens (our minds) drop at the presence of God (Rom 14:11) we will not come to know God and Jesus Christ in this age (1Jn 4:17, 1Pe 5:6-9). The bride of Christ that comes up on mount Sinai is of a meek and quiet spirit today and ultimately is becoming that example of a city set on a hill or nation that God provides for the world to learn of His glory and power (Oba 1:21, 1Pe 3:4, Isa 66:7-8).

Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
Psa 68:10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
Psa 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

So on one hand we have the whole stay of water and bread taken away contrasted with what God is doing with those who are his in this age. Our inheritance is in Christ and we are Christ’s inheritance (Eph 1:18, Col 1:12, Joh 8:12, Mat 5:14) and God is making his strength perfect through this weary flesh by sending “plentiful rain”.

God has called the “poor” of the world to be rich in faith (Jas 2:5), which demonstrates his goodness and desire to not overlook any crumb (Joh 6:12, Mar 7:28), any part of his creation, for He so loved the world that He gave Christ and His body (Joh 3:16) for the feeding of the masses of humanity. As we read in Psalms 68:11 “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.”

God’s elect are called in this age to witness of his great power as we demonstrate not just how God can take a small scattered group and do a great work through us, but also how that work ascribes to the world his strength and excellency in making us one body of believers, one bread and a ministry of disciples who love one another and are being used to ultimately reconcile all the world by turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers (Mal 4:6).

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 82

“The judgments”

July 22nd, 2015

Exo 23:2  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
Exo 23:3  Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
Exo 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Exo 23:5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
Exo 23:6  Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Following the multitude is not something that is a good idea generally speaking. When speaking about following the multitude and evil in the same sentence, then we should obviously know that we need to obey the commandments of the Lord.

Following the commandments of the Lord versus the commandments of men is really the contrast we should be focused on, and Exodus 23:1-2 gives us an insight on the mind of God concerning judgment and the multitudes.

To them it is not given…

Exo 23:2 (BBE) Do not be moved to do wrong by the general opinion, or give the support of your words to a wrong decision:

(Darby) Thou shalt not follow the multitude for evil; neither shalt thou answer in a cause, to go after the multitude to pervert judgment .

Exo 23:2  Thou shalt notH3808 followH1961 H310 a multitudeH7227 to do evil;H7451 neitherH3808 shalt thou speakH6030 inH5921 a causeH7379 to declineH5186 afterH310 manyH7227 to wrestH5186 judgment:

After reading this verse, I was intrigued at how the King James used the word “wrest”. If you add the ending “ing” you get the English word “wresting”.

“Wrest” in English means to forcibly pull (something) from a person’s grasp. So, combining the English word “wrest” with the context it is used here in the Hebrew, we can start to formulate the intent the Holy Spirit inspired to be written about the judgments God has given Moses to give to the Israelites.

The strange thing about how it is mentioned in the English in the KJV is that “decline” and “wrest” as used for the same word here.

H5186

nâṭâh

BDB Definition:

1) to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stretch out, extend, stretch, offer
1a2) to spread out, pitch (tent)
1a3) to bend, turn, incline
1a3a) to turn aside, incline, decline, bend down
1a3b) to bend, bow
1a3c) to hold out, extend (figuratively)
1b) (Niphal) to be stretched out
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to stretch out
1c2) to spread out
1c3) to turn, incline, influence, bend down, hold out, extend, thrust aside, thrust away

Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1352

(YLT) `Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause others to turn aside;

What we are being told in Exo 23:2, when we compare other scriptures to it, is that we are not to follow the multitudes and we are not to give our word or okay towards a topic which can cause OTHERS to see it and think the same.

The multitudes will never be able to obey God’s commandments because they have not been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, among other reasons.

Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
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 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Being “disciples indeed”, we are given the seeing and hearing to understand what the parables are all about, and this is the same for the judgment of God which is on His house now. This judgment must be used wisely and righteously when we apply it to our day to day lives and to others we are in contact with. In this way, these other folks will see “Christ and His Christ”.

This has a very practical application to us in everyday life no matter the topic we are discussing.

“If your friends jump off a bridge will you do it too,” is one of the quotes I remember my parents saying to me that sort of captures the idea behind not following a multitude.

However, to bring the point closer to the idea behind not following a multitude to do evil, we’ll look at another placed “wrest” is used.

Deu 16:18  Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
Deu 16:19  Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
Deu 16:20  That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

The English word used as “just” here means righteous the majority of the time it is used in the OT. We are to judge all things with righteous judgment.

H6664

tsedeq

Total KJV Occurrences: 117

righteousness, 78
Lev_19:15, Deu_33:19, Job_6:29, Job_8:6, Job_29:14, Job_36:2-3 (2), Psa_4:1, Psa_4:5, Psa_7:8, Psa_7:17, Psa_9:8, Psa_15:2, Psa_17:15, Psa_18:20, Psa_18:24, Psa_23:3, Psa_35:24, Psa_35:28, Psa_37:6, Psa_40:9, Psa_45:4, Psa_45:7, Psa_48:10, Psa_50:6, Psa_51:19, Psa_52:3, Psa_58:1, Psa_65:5, Psa_72:2, Psa_85:10-11 (2), Psa_85:13, Psa_94:15, Psa_96:13, Psa_97:2, Psa_97:6, Psa_98:9, Psa_118:19, Psa_119:123, Psa_119:142, Psa_119:144, Psa_119:172, Pro_2:9 (2), Pro_8:8, Pro_12:17, Pro_25:5, Ecc_3:16, Ecc_7:15, Isa_1:21, Isa_1:26, Isa_16:4-5 (3), Isa_26:9-10 (2), Isa_32:1, Isa_41:10, Isa_42:6, Isa_45:8, Isa_45:13, Isa_45:19, Isa_51:1, Isa_51:5, Isa_58:7-8 (2), Isa_61:3, Isa_62:1-2 (2), Jer_23:5-6 (2), Jer_33:16, Eze_3:20, Dan_9:24, Hos_2:19, Hos_10:12, Zep_2:3

just, 11
Lev_19:36 (4), Deu_16:18, Deu_16:20, Deu_25:15 (2), Eze_45:10 (3)

justice, 10
Job_8:3, Psa_89:14, Psa_119:121, Pro_1:3, Pro_8:15, Ecc_5:8, Isa_58:2, Isa_59:4, Jer_31:23, Jer_50:7

righteous, 9
Psa_35:27, Psa_119:7, Psa_119:62, Psa_119:106, Psa_119:138, Psa_119:160, Psa_119:164, Pro_16:13, Isa_41:2

right, 3
Psa_9:4, Psa_17:1, Psa_119:75

righteously, 3
Deu_1:16, Pro_31:9, Jer_11:20

even, 1
Job_31:6

righteousness’, 1
Isa_42:21

unrighteousness, 1
Jer_22:13

Following in the same train of thought, we are to not look towards a “poor” person and show them favor in an evil simply because they are poor.

Exo 23:3  Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause (H7379).

(BBE) But, on the other hand, do not be turned from what is right in order to give support to a poor man’s cause.

(GNB) Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial.

The same word used as “cause” in Exodus 23:3 is also used a few times as controversy, but mainly as “cause” or “strife”. This verse captures the idea of what these “causes” are all about.

Eze 44:24  And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

The entire focus of these first two first covered today is to have PROPER righteous judgment in ALL MATTERS big or small.

We know this to be true for the most part, but we as followers of Christ, should always be looking to glorify God in all of our judgments of living out our lives day to day.

Most of the time, we like to or tend to think about how we would react to “big decisions” if we were to suddenly need to decide how to act or what to say concerning big topics of the day.

Gay marriage, abortion, racism, war, economy, etc. are examples of a few of these “big discussions” in America’s culture today, but I hope to invoke in you a mindset that these issues ARE NOT the main topics for which you are going to be judged by God the Father.

What do I mean with that statement? We are mostly going to be judged on the “small matters”, the small things that we act and react on each and every day. If we do not have proper judgment in the small matters, then the big matters will have zero proper judgment.

Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

The subject of judging “small matters” is very important because if we are not able to be exercised and trained up to be able to handle the smallest of these matters, how are we ever going to be prepared to be used to help run the kingdom of God and judge the world?

1Co 6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

These small matters do indeed matter because they are what “sit at the lowest levels” of the “house of God”, right on top of the foundation.

Zec 4:9  The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zec 4:10  For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

In the book of Zechariah, Zechariah is being given the “word of the Lord” form the “LORD of hosts” starting off in essence by saying, “do not follow the multitudes to do evil”. Those “multitudes” are “the fathers” in type.

Zec 1:2  The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.
Zec 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 1:4  Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

The book of Zechariah is not directly connected to the book of Exodus except to use it as an example of the “sum of thy word is Truth” concerning judgment and small matters/things.

Zechariah chapter 1 focuses on the commandments of God and doing or not doing them and the results of these actions.

Chapter 2 focuses on the “measurements of Jerusalem” and whether or not they are accurate according to the resting place God will make for Himself. This chapter also tells us that many nations will be “joined to the Lord in that day” because they will see what the judgment of the Lord is.

Chapter 3 focuses on the covering and garment received in place of the “filthy garment” that “Joshua” had before the Lord comes to judge the situation.

In other words, keeping the commandments and word of the Lord is very important and the Lord calls this collectively “a day of small things”.

Treating your enemy…. within and without

Exodus 23:4 and 5 go on to give us an example of righteous judgment versus unrighteous judgment and connects the concept of how to righteously handle a “small matter.”

Exo 23:4  If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
Exo 23:5  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

Exo 23:4 (CEV) If you find an ox or a donkey that has wandered off, take it back where it belongs, even if the owner is your enemy.
Exo 23:5  If a donkey is overloaded and falls down, you must do what you can to help, even if it belongs to someone who doesn’t like you.

Most of us in this age won’t have the opportunity to see our enemy’s ox or donkey wondering lost so that we can bring it to our enemy’s home. So, how do we apply this concept to our day to day lives?

Anytime we have an opportunity to do the “right thing” in a given situation is the time to do that right thing.

There shouldn’t be a consideration of whether or not we are BFF’s with this person or not. We shouldn’t be concerned with what this person has done to us in the past.

The proper judgment according to the commandments of the Lord is to do what is right no matter the circumstances especially to your enemy BECAUSE this is the time that you will WRESTLE with what to do.

It’s easy to decide to help a loved one when they need help. It’s not so easy to do it to someone who is your enemy or hates you.

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, (complete) even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (complete).

Pro 25:21 (CEV) If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink.

Pro 25:22  This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads. And the LORD will reward you.

Luk 6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Of course, there is a law of sin working in our flesh that will be kicking and screaming against us doing the right thing when we know to do the right thing.

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

However, that doesn’t excuse us from serving God and following the law He has placed in our minds to follow. That is why we are told to do good to all men, specially the household of Faith.

We always want the right things to come to us and others to treat us fair and respectfully, so this is what we should strive to do as well.

Col 3:17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

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.
Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

When we see our enemy’s “beast” in need of help, and because they are our enemy, it is the most natural thing to not want to help them …. that HOOOOORRRIBBBBBLLLLLEEEE BEAST they are!

However, that is called forgetting the manner of man I am after leaving the mirror! It is also what the flesh and carnal mind call utter foolishness. After all, we aren’t supposed to be helping anyone’s beast, right?

Well, there is a difference in helping someone DO and COMMIT EVIL, which we should never actively be doing and HELPING a person who is considered our enemy or hates us.

That is why these examples given directly after Exodus 23:2-3 are wonderfully placed.

Lastly, we should always strive to be just / righteous with everyone, especially the household of Faith.

Exo 23:6  Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

Exo 23:6 (CEV) Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court.

Looking on the outward appearance is something we should be avoiding at all costs and applies in the physical sense in Exodus 23:6, and just as importantly, we should be looking on the inward appearance and recognizing (or not) the voice of the True Shepherd.

The “poor” of the Lord should always be given the benefit of hearing their “case” or side of things before making any decisions about a topic we are considering and most importantly weighing all situations, doctrines and topics against the Word of God.

We must always be striving to find the mind of Christ and the multitude of counsel on any given topic, and this is especially true of the “household of Faith”.

It may seem like this is beyond the scope of the beginning of Exodus 23, but when speaking about judgments, verdicts and trials we have a plethora of scripture to support resting with the Word of God so that we judge righteously.

“Do unto others as you want others to do unto you” is a fine example of living the Word of God out in our daily lives and NOT following the multitudes on what the flesh would have us all do naturally given the chance.

This is what “forgiveness of debt” is all about, and what bigger message do we bring to the multitudes and masses than that of salvation?

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.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

1Co 4:1  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1Co 4:2  Moreover it is REQUIRED in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1Co 4:3  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4  For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1 Co 4:4(WNT)  Though I am not conscious of having been in any way unfaithful, yet I do not for that reason stand acquitted; but He whose scrutiny I must undergo is the Lord.

(GNB)  My conscience is clear, but that does not prove that I am really innocent. The Lord is the one who passes judgment on me.

 

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 75

“The judgments” Part F

February 25th, 2015

Today, we are continuing our series with the judgments the Lord has given us as admonitions on how to live our lives. While some of the examples given to us in the judgments in Exodus 22 do not apply to us in the physical today, all of those same judgments apply to us spiritually.
In the study today, we are going to cover the next few verses concerning how to treat strangers and how to deal with the poor, widows and fatherless.

“Strangers in the land”

The first verse we are covering today is found in  Exodus 22:21.

Exo 22:21  Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

One of the more easily forgotten aspects of the Israelites being strangers in the land of Egypt is that it was due to them needing help so they didn’t perish and being welcomed in due to one of their own family members. Here is a short recap on why they were strangers in the first place.

Gen 41:56  And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
Gen 41:57  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Gen 45:17  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan;
Gen 45:18  And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
Gen 45:19  Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.
Gen 45:20  Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.
Gen 45:21  And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.
Gen 45:22  To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

Pharaoh typifies our Lord and King, and as such, we should recognize that all strangers are in their particular situations due to the Lord working all things out after the counsel of His own will.
A stranger naturally has a huge disadvantage in a strange country as it pertains to communication, knowledge of surroundings, customs of the people, etc.
We, as strangers seeking our “home country,” should take this to heart and remember that we too know the heart of a stranger.

Exo 23:9  Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

However, what is not easily gleaned from reading the words in the letter, about why it is that we shall no oppress a stranger, can be found in what a stranger lacks.
When we meet strangers, they do not know they are speaking with the Christ, but they should SEE the Christ in our ACTIONS and DEEDS. We should be disciples IN DEED, in doing what the Lord commands us and in living our lives as unto Christ Himself.
Before we are given the “land” to possess, we are strangers to that land.
Before the war with Egypt can be won, before the red sea can be parted, before the Hivites, Canaanites, Hitites, Amorites, Jebusites, Perizzites and Philistines are driven out, before the giants in the land can be conquered and killed, we are strangers.

Exo 23:20  Behold, I send an Angel before thee, TO KEEP thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Exo 23:21  Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
Exo 23:22  But if thou shalt indeed OBEY HIS VOICE, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

Notice, it is the voice of the Lord which SPEAKS through the MOUTH of His angel.

Exo 23:23  For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exo 23:24  Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Exo 23:25  And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
Exo 23:26  There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
Exo 23:27  I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
Exo 23:28  And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Exo 23:29  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
Exo 23:31  And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Why do I mention these things in the context of speaking about not oppressing a stranger?

Heb 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.
Heb 13:2  Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Heb 13:3  Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

A stranger could very well be an angel of the Lord, and a stranger could also just as easily be someone who the Lord is working with but has not yet been given the Lord’s heart and mind.
Notice that we strangers to the land, when our enemies possess the land. Yet, the Lord will send ANGELS before us to guide us. Why do strangers in this state of mind need guidance and direction?

Exo 22:21  Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Exo 22:22  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
Exo 22:24  And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and YOUR wives shall be widows, and YOUR children fatherless.
Exo 22:25  If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

Zec 7:9  Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
Zec 7:10  And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

In a negative application of these verses, each of these groups is lacking something. Widows lack their spouse, the fatherless lack a Father, the poor lack riches and strangers lack their country.
If you apply these things in the Spirit, we should be the MESSENGERS of the Lord to represent our Father and our Lord to these strangers who NEED HIM. He is the spouse they want, the Father they need, the riches they desire and the country they seek.
Do we know and remember the heart of a stranger? Do we not also seek the same country as some of them? We are of the household of Faith.

Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

For those who are of the household of Faith, it is important to recognize that the Lord is telling us ahead of time that “he who is given much is expected much”.

Luk 12:46  The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

To be as blunt as possible, you are NOT of the household of Faith unless you are a THANKFUL stranger. Being thankful is in your ACTIONS as well as your words, but only words is NOT what the Lord seeks. We must worship in Spirit and Truth and NOT in lip service alone.

Luk 17:11  And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed THROUGH THE MIDST of Samaria and Galilee.
Luk 17:12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
Luk 17:13  And they lifted up their VOICES, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
Luk 17:14  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Luk 17:15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a LOUD VOICE glorified God,
Luk 17:16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
Luk 17:18  There are not found that RETURNED to give glory to God, save this STRANGER.
Luk 17:19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: THY FAITH hath made thee whole.

Notice, the other 9 lepers were cleansed, and the other 9 lepers were healed, but only ONE was made WHOLE.
James tells us this about our Faith:

Jas 2:12  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James tells us that to claim the Faith of Christ alone is DEAD and VAIN. Do you believe him? If we claim the Faith of Christ and do not operate that same Faith by DOING, acting, living and breathing it, then we are only fooling ourselves.

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Jas 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Jas 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Look at why the Lord tells His people in Exodus they should be concerned with listening to Him diligently when handling strangers, widows, fatherless and the poor.

Exo 22:23  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
Exo 22:24  And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and YOUR wives shall be widows, and YOUR children fatherless.
Exo 22:25  If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

Also notice, that our voice or their voice will be heard.
If we operate in Faith in all things covered by Exodus 22:21-25, then we will not have the hot wax of God’s wrath poured out on us.
However, we also know that we must live by every word, so we all at some point do the EXACT OPPSOSITE of what we are told not to do here in Exodus.
If what is being presented to you today makes any spiritual sense to you, then you will recognize that it is at times that you are the stranger, the widow, the poor and the fatherless who CRY OUT to the Lord and are heard of Him.
While later down the path with Christ, you become the angel sent ahead of others and to them to be the voice of the Lord. Unbeknownst to those strangers, widows, poor and fatherless is that their old man is being burned up by the presence of His coming!

2Sa 22:7  In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
2Sa 22:8  Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
2Sa 22:9  There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Do these verses in Jeremiah not say it all about who a stranger is?

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Jer 5:15  Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

It should be becoming clearer that we are a positive and negative type of “stranger, widow, poor, and fatherless”.
We first start off seeking the Lord and we are in great need. We are sent angels of the Lord, that we know not at first, and they help us by BURNING us up, burning away the old man that needs to go for that time.
Later, we become the stranger seeking a country, living by Faith, being poor, meek and humble in spirit, having written of the first man Adam and His Father the devil knowing the first man Adam must die.
Lastly, in this physical world we should be looking to help those who need it the most in this world, notwithstanding we are to help the household of Faith first and foremost.
We should physically help the widows, strangers, poor and fatherless that we know need help and as the Lord permits. Likewise, we need to be careful to always remember those which are spiritually widows, fatherless, poor and strangers.
We have to do both and find the balance the Lord would have us to seek.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

And:

Gal 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gal 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 

Hi Tony and Gale,

I hope you’re doing well. I am thinking on the poor in these verses

Mat 19:21 Jesus G2424 said G5346[ G5713] unto him G846, If G1487 thou wilt G2309[ G5719] be G1511[ G5750] perfect G5046, go G5217[ G5720] and sell G4453[ G5657] that thou G4675 hast G5224[ G5723], and G2532 give G1325[ G5628] to the poor G4434, and G2532 thou shalt have G2192[ G5692] treasure G2344 in G1722 heaven G3772: and G2532come G1204[ G5773] and follow G190[ G5720] me G3427.
Mat 26:9 For G1063 this G5124 ointment G3464 might G1410[ G5711] have been sold G4097[ G5683] for much G4183, and G2532 given G1325[ G5683] to the poor G4434.

Who did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell and give his possessions to? Who did Judas say to give the money for the ointment to?
I would appreciate your comments.

ybiC,
G____

Hi G____,

Thank you for these great questions about the word poor G4434.
The poor is all mankind. All flesh including Christ’s is poor, sinful, Adamic flesh which has a law of sin working in it (Rom 8:3, Rom 7:23). What resides in all flesh is all the sin that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1Jn 2:16).

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

So Christ goes on to say the poor you always have with you (Mat 26:11), and yes that is true as long as we are in corruptible flesh. We’re poor simply because we are all at the complete mercy of God continually for everything we have both physically and spiritually, and when we don’t see this, then Christ describes our condition as being in a deluded spiritual state (Rev 3:17-19). The end result of God’s chastening grace is that we go from not seeing our wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked condition to being clothed with His righteousness.

Mat 26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor (G4434), and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

The spirit world must be purified as well in the same fire as we see in these verses (Rev 19:20, 20:10), telling us that they are poor in spirit as well as in need of being brought to that same place where they give an account of their condition to God. Satan is an unwillingly spirit being thrown into the fire (sounds familiar as we all must be thrown into the fire oft times as this scripture shows (Mar 9:22; Mat 4:4). This is the same fire that we must go through in order to be purged, cleansed and purified, and this happens to every son and daughter that He receives (Heb 12:6).

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Mar 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
Mat 4:4 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.
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

We know that God gave not Christ the spirit by measure (Joh 3:34), and yet He was not perfected in His flesh but went on to perfection on the third day (Luk 13:32). The spirit of any man (including Christ) always wars against the spirit of God (Gal 5:17), the outcome of that dying daily (1Co 15:31) war is dependent upon what God has written in each of our books which are in His hands. In Christ’s case, it was determined from the foundation of the world that He would be a spotless savior who knew no sin yet was in sinful flesh, again in (Rom 8:3). God determined that Christ would fulfill all His perfect will, to be a perfect sacrifice and savior for the sins of all of the world. Christ of course was just that valuable.

Joh 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
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.
1Co 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Luk 13:32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psa 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

We learned tonight from Steve Crook’s study that the word ‘beggar’ in Luk 16:20 and 22 as referring to Lazarus is the same word translated ‘poor’ G4434. It is the same word used in Gal 4:9 for the ‘beggarly’ elements as well.

Luk 16:20 And there was a certain beggar (G4434) named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
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 (4434) elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

The (poor G4434) are those who have need (all of us). Some see that need and others don’t, depending on whether our Father has given us the ability to see our true condition at any given point. When we are in the flesh, we are constantly in need for every breath that we take in, and this flesh is a death realm which is never going to be satisfied, and not able to enter to the Kingdom of God, as we know. Sometimes my asthma creeps up on me, and I’m reminded very intimately that the very breath I breath is a gift of God just as all things are.
I think in both questions you’ve asked we can establish who the poor (G4434) in scripture represent by looking at the sum of His word.
In the book of James we read; Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor (G4434) of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
So to answer your first question, Christ is telling this rich young ruler to give His possessions to the poor (G4434). Christ tells us that a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his riches (Luk 12:15), so the riches that Christ is speaking about that this man possesses are the many years of gathering gold and silver in Babylon which, if God will grant Him, can be purified by trials and given and shared with the body of Christ. God’s gold and silver that we gather in the churches of this world are always initially interpreted incorrectly as we wrap them around the idols of our unknowingly poor/ beggarly/ elements (G4434) hearts.

Luk 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

When God counsels the church to go and buy gold tried in fire (Rev 3:18), He is saying the exact same thing to this rich young ruler. Whether we are granted to be dragged to the only fire that can purify the idols of our hearts is entirely up to God (Joh 6:44), and when we don’t see ourselves as the poor (G4434) of the world, then we will not be crying out to God because we will think that we have sufficiency, which again is the condition which gets the Laodicean within us in trouble (Rev 3:17, Joh 9:41).

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor (G4434), and blind, and naked:
Joh 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Judas was not faithful, and yet he proclaims what sounds like a very noble suggestion that this ointment should have been given to the poor. That was a great idea, seeing we know that the poor represents all mankind. Judas however does not see the need to do good unto all men, and especially unto them of the household of faith (Gal 6:10), and Christ is of course the Head of this household. Judas is being a corrupt politician with the things of the earth, and scripture goes on to expose him by saying that he really didn’t care about the poor and was just saying this to sound like he cared.

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We are not Judas by the grace of God, or Lot’s wife for that matter, but Christ still tells us to remember her, so that we never forget that our willingness to anoint the feet of Christ and do anything that is considered treasure laid up in heaven is Christ doing this within us. We have to be convinced that we are Judas before we are sacrificial as this woman became, and we are Lot’s wife before we become Lot, and we are both Lazarus and the rich man.
I believe the Lord’s timing is perfect in all that He does, in your question, and in the study that I happened to listen in on tonight which gave me some additional insight on how
The study is posted in writing at
http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ StudyNotes/ Awesome_ Hands/ Awesome_ Hands_ P3. php
We love you. I hope this answers your questions. Please let me know if any of this does not make sense.
Your brother in the Christ,
Tony
[ Comments or questions can be directed to Tony at anthocul (at) gmail. com]