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

[Study Aired September 4, 2023]

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

Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is how our brother Paul saw the incentive package:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 
Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the fifth part in our discussion on the foundational theme of faith. We learn so much of what the faith of Christ is about through what has been written and typified in the life and journeys of Abram (only later called Abraham). The faith of Abram typified this faith of Jesus as Abram obeyed God without question or murmur and left his city of Ur in the land of the Chaldees to be a sojourner and stranger in the land of the Canaanite (Act 7:1-5). Abram was looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, but that spiritual city is only reserved for those who can receive the promises of the faith of Christ, which Abram and all others in the Old Testament died “not having received the promises” (Heb 11:8-10; Heb 11:4-13):

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.

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

The faith of Christ is not deserved, but is a gift which God gives as a standard that is raised or grows in conjunction with the Word to endure much tribulation, which is also called spiritual warfare (Eph 2:8-9; Isa 59:19; 2Co 10:15; Act 14:22; 1Pe 1:7). The faith of Christ in us holds the key in this important aspect of fighting, which God has provided for us to be a victorious overcomer:

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

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

If we think the battles are out there in the physical world, we are already deceived. Physical struggles are real and painful, but they are all outward “symptoms” which flows forth from “things” which do not appear to our physical senses (Heb 11:3). We can only be overcomers of this world if we can see where this war is taking place and who the enemy and his allies are. This good fight of faith is this war in the spirit of our own mind or heaven, and it is against very scrupulous and subtle opponents:

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Eph 6:12 (BBE) For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.

Faith is also “above all” the most important piece of defensive armour in waging spiritual war:

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

The best armies with the best weapons are nothing if their defenses are weak. The Word of God is not only an offensive weapon, but indeed our best shield as God supplies the faith of Christ in us:

Eph 6:17 And [Greek: “kai” = a copulative and a cumulative force in conjuction with faith] take the helmet of salvation, and [Greek: “kai”] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

The war and battles in the spirit realm come in different ways to us each and every day. This is also what we see in the life of Abram and his offspring while they were living in Canaan. They had to learn about warfare for our admonition (1Co 10:11). The physical nation of Israel who came through the generation of Abram was also ordered by God to occupy the land of Canaan which included being armed to go into battles (Num 31:3-5; Deu 3:18). They were also instructed by God to always first “proclaim peace” to any city or nation they approach that was “very far off” who do not want to influence Israel with their false teachings – we should not judge them who are “without” before the appropriate time (Deu 31:1-5; Jos 1:14; 1Co 4:5; 1Co 5:12):

Deu 20:10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.
Deu 20:11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.
Deu 20:12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

Deu 20:15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

To the “cities of these nations” which were close and who taught wrong doctrine and not God’s commandments, Israel was to be severe on them – we can judge them who are within, even as we “first cast out the beam out of own eye” (Mat 7:1-5; 1Co 5:1-13):

Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth.

Deu 20:18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

In Chapter 14 of Genesis we read about the first recorded physical war in the scriptures, and Abram played a central role in the outcome of that war. From here on the scriptures are filled with warfare for a very good reason, even as some also find this physical bloodshed in the scriptures very offensive. Many ask how can God command these wars, even ordered genocides of nations and at times the killing of women and children (Deu 20:16-18; Jos 10:28-30; 1Sa 15:1-3). However, when we do not understand the purpose of God’s judgment on all evil nations of flesh in us first, even all the false doctrines of our own carnal mind, we are not part of the house of God who is being judged now (1Jn 4:17; 1Pe 4:17). We also will find it impossible to accept God’s spiritual modus operandi to save all in the first man Adam to be resurrected in the last Adam, Jesus Christ (1Co 15:22-28). All evil was created by God for a purpose and we also learn from the scriptures that God uses all this evil and horror of this world for His good purpose, even the cruellest evil of all – the killing of Jesus on a cross (Gen 1:31; Gen 50:20; Pro 16:4; Act 4:25-28):

Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Amo 3:6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Faith requires long and bloody spiritual battles to be won and all the wars in the scriptures are pointing to the real internal wars – the spirit versus flesh/carnality (Gal 5:17; Joh 3:6; Rom 8:6-7; 2Co 6:14). We all fight this war of faith at our appointed times until the day we finally are redeemed from the flesh and its carnal mind (1Co 10:11; Eph 6:12-18; 2Co 10:3-6). One battle prepares us for the next. God is not actually concerned with trees and the physical environment that is in danger of being destroyed during battles, but God is concerned with the life of man, even as He employs all things in His creation to save all in Adam:

Deu 20:19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:
Deu 20:20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat [food/fruit], thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

All physical things are just temporal evil creations through which we must learn and be humbled (Rom 1:20):

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

In Genesis 14 we read how the four Canaanite kings – Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer and Tidal – allied together to attack five other cities whom they oppressed for twelve years. In the thirteenth year these five cities and their kings rebelled against their oppressor, which was the motivation for this war. These five cities included the city of Sodom where Abram’s nephew Lot and his family lived until the whole city was destroyed by God’s fire and brimstone (Gen 13:10-12; Gen 19:1-26; Gen 14:1-10). The attack took place in the broad flat valley of Siddim which was “full of slime-pits” which played a pivotal role in the eventual capture and overthrow of these five cities. Lot and his family were also captured in this war and taken away as prisoners:

Gen 14:11 And they [The four kings and their armies] took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
Gen 14:12 And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Abram heard about the capture of Lot and his family and was drawn into this war by his love for his nephew and his family. His heart was focused on the rescue of Lot and his family. Abram and his three hundred and eighteen men eventually caught up with these four armies, and in a battle that followed defeated them. With only a handful of men whom Abram divided in two, he conquered the armies of the four kings:

Gen 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah [Hebrew: “chôbâh” = hiding place], which is on the left hand of Damascus.

Lot and his family and also all the belongings of the cities were recaptured and brought back. On their return from that successful battle, the scriptures recorded two meetings which involved Abram and which raised the “good fight of faith” to another level:

Gen 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him [Abram] after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.

The scriptures first of all noted a few details of the meeting Abram had with another Canaanite king by the name of Melchizedek (also spelled as Melchisedec) who was the king of Salem:

Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek [Hebrew: “melek” = king; “tsedeq” – right/righteous] king of Salem [Hebrew: “shâlêm” = peace/peaceful] brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high [Hebrew: “elyôn” uppermost] God [Hebrew: “êl”].
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he [Abram] gave him tithes of all.

The king of Sodom also wanted to reward Abram with all the goods of Sodom which Abram brought back as the spoils of war:

Gen 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Melchizedek’s words and reward were quite different from that of the king of Sodom. Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abram, and the king of Sodom presented Abram with all the goods of Sodom. Abram saw deeper values in what Melchizedek wanted to share with him. This bread and wine can only be appreciated in the light of the following descriptive functions of this king. Melchizedek is described not only as a king, but also a priest of “the most high God” (“elyôn êl”). Wine and bread are symbols of the true Word of God, Jesus Christ, which only the true priests of God can bring:

Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The true reward of all spiritual battles is Jesus Christ, who has the reward of spirit life as we look only to Jesus who is the author and finisher of faith:

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I [Jesus] come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

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

In type Melchizedek provided the spiritual nourishing bread of the Word of God and refreshing wine of God’s spirit to the battle-weary Abram which the king of Sodom with his enticing physical gifts could not provide:

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

Another role of a priest of “the most high God” is to bless people on behalf of God. Melchizedek also blessed Abram, and in that also revealed his spiritual authority in the army of God to which Abram humbly submitted:

Heb 7:7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

Many spiritual truths are hidden in this principle “the less is blessed of the better”, which include the reference to the old covenant with its lesser glory and its “ministration of death” against the more excellent new covenant – “the ministration of the spirit” (Rom 8:1-2; 2Co 3:6-11; Heb 8:6-7). Melchizedek appeared long before the law of Moses and its ordinances were introduced, including its priestly “order”. Melchizedek represents the “order” of how every spiritual battle is to be won, not by “meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances”, but through the faith and life of Christ in us (Heb 9:10; Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16; Col 1:27). That is why Melchizedek’s appearance is only in relation to Abram as the father of the faithful typifying the faith of Christ (Gal 3:1-14). This is what king David wrote about why Melchizedek is connected to those who fight the good fight of faith and get the victory over every enemy though the faith of Jesus:

Psa 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Psa 110:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Psa 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psa 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Psa 110:6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
Psa 110:7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Melchizedek is also called “King of righteousness” and “King of peace” typifying and emphasizing that only through the faith of Christ are we being made righteous and have peace with God (Rom 3:25; Rom 5:1):

Heb 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
Heb 7:2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace.

Although Melchizedek was a physical king in Canaan who lived in the time of Abram’s sojourning in Canaan, there is no record in the scriptures of his physical lineage, his birth or his death. He was just like any other human who was born and died, but the scriptures withhold this information from us to help us to see what Melchizedek represented in spiritual terms. He served as a king and priest in Salem – later known as Jerusalem, typifying the new Jerusalem “from above” (Joh 3:31; Joh 8:23; Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2). Melchizedek brings to Abram this reassurance of his Godly connection, calling and purpose:

Gen 14:19 And he [Melchizedek] blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Christ Jesus is the only connection or mediator between us and the Father as He is also the Head of the body, even of all in the first Adam who will all be saved by this man, Jesus Christ:

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Like Abram, we always need constant affirmations and consolations in the Word to strengthen our faith to endure in these spiritual battles (2Co 1:4-7; 2Co 2:8-17; 2Th 2:15-17). These encouragements also come from those whom God has placed as His priests in our lives. Naturally, we are easily deceived to accept physical rewards which our flesh presents to us, and we always want to worship the fellowservant with a fleshly attitude, even our own thoughts of self-achievement and haughtiness (Rev 19:10). Yet battles are fought by armies, not individuals, and we need to be in touch with fellow servants:

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

In response to these words from Melchizedek, Abram gave him a tenth of the spoils of the war – not of his own possessions. There is no record in Scripture that Abram continued to tithe to anyone after that. Tithing is an old covenant ordinance and it was never given in the form of money, but from the “firstlings” of the crops of the field and animals (Lev 27:30; Lev 27:32; Num 18:26-32; Deu 12:17; Deu 14:23; 2Ch 31:6). In this instance Abram represented also the Levitical priesthood (who was “yet in [his] loins” at that time) and all its physical requirements, against the priesthood of Christ “after the order of Melchizedek”. The laws of Moses with its Levitical priesthood represent “the less”. But “the better”, which is referring to the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and He surely “change[d] the customs which Moses delivered (Act 6:14). These “better” priests in Christ are cheerful givers “as he purposeth in his heart…not grudgingly, or of necessity” – which is also to lose your whole life in order to find it (2Co 9:7; Mat 10:38-39; Heb 7:12; Rom 12:1; 1Pe 2:5-9):

Heb 7:9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
Heb 7:10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

The king of Sodom tried his subtlety with Abram who now was equipped by God through his previous trials and the blessing and reassurance of Melchizedek “to fight the good fight of faith” against this line of attack:

Gen 14:21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

Gen 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
Gen 14:23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.

Abram knew a very important principle which is that God alone gives all things, and no one can take the honour for anything (1Ch 29:14). Abram told the king of Sodom that the young men, those immature in faith, will be in a position to receive his gifts, as we all must have respect for each one’s spiritual maturity – we do not rule over other’s level of faith (1Co 1:29):

Gen 14:24 Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Abram endured much and knew that “all things are lawful for [him], but [he] will not be brought under the power of any” (1Co 6:12). Everyone is given a measure of faith, and Abram also knew how each one is persuaded in his own mind by God as God alone is master of each one’s level of faith and understanding:

Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Abram’s meeting with Melchizedek is how God’s elect is equipped by the faith of Christ to see that their roles in His kingdom does not depend on human preference and preeminence, but solely on the choice of God who makes them His kings and priests according to “the order” of Christ in them. To fight the good fight of faith gives us the only hope of spiritual glorification in our own lives as we overcome by doing His commandments in the earth (1Jn 5:2-3):

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

————–

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

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/continue-to-fight-the-good-fight/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-christ-and-times-aionios
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/melchisedec/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/christ-and-melchisedec/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/tithing/
http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/does-hebrews-7_8-teach-tithing/

Audio Links

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Throughout the “awesome hands” studies, we have seen many types and shadows. In part 8, we are going to continue to build upon the types and shadows as they have been given to us in the OT.

In part 6, we saw one type and shadow of Abram only giving 10 percent but requiring that those confederate with Abram get “their portion”. We try to get things going and we try to get the show on the road with Ishmael, but God will have us reap what we sow.

It is through the things we are used to do in our lives, the things we are used to sow what we will later reap, that the Lord brings us to utter desolation and devastation that all we can do is call out to Him so that He can deliver us.

Gen 19:18 –  And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
Gen 19:19 –  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
Gen 19:20 –  Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
Gen 19:21 –  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
Gen 19:22 –  Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Even with all that the Lord has done for us up until the point, even after sending deliverers to save us from the coming destruction, we want to plead with the Lord that we are gonna die.  He is going to deliver us, but each time we contend with the Lord about saving us it is interesting to note that He then allows us to reap what we sow. Our doubt, our lack of Faith, leads towards more death….. in this case, the death of our wife.

Gen 19:23 –  The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
Gen 19:24 –  Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Gen 19:25 –  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
Gen 19:26 –  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

At different parts of our walk with the Lord, we can see Him working His will so that when we don’t have judgment He sends His messengers to dwell with us in “our house” so that we can be saved from the inhabitants of the land that are going to be destroyed.

During the heat of the day, and while we dwell in the door of the tent, we see the Lord working His judgment in us so that we can later have the fruits of the promised covenant be born in us.

All of these types and shadows happen in us and to us so that we can go through the process of bearing the fruit that leads to aionion life and not towards reaping what only decays.

In this study, we will continue to look at the work of the awesome hands of the Lord in Gen 20:5 as He continues to work with us in our lives and as we continue to do everything in our power to preserve ourselves even given all that the Lord has done for us thus far.

Lord willing, we will also see that it is by the Lord’s mercy that our brothers our saved through us because the mercy that He has showed us is because of their unbelief.

It is the fiery trial that tries our Faith, given to us by the Lord, which truly is precious to the Lord. It is what is used to teach us that WORDS are so important. Indeed, words are what we are given to come to know the Lord for He is the final Word on the Word of God. He is One Word, and we are summed up with Him.

As we learned last study, the Lord treats us differently than our brothers and He will call us out from them. We will be parted down the middle with and by fire and oil like is given to us in Abraham’s admonition only given to His elect to understand.

To day, the Lord will come to us in the heat of the day and let us know what He intends for us to do, be and achieve. It is in the night, in sleep that the Lord finds our brother’s son Lot, our nephew called our brother, to let him know that the Lord intends to destroy His dwelling and “everything on the earth”.

“Our father is old”

We ended last study with Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt. Now, we are going to see again that it is early in the morning the Abraham sees what the Lord has done with Sodom and Gomorrah.

Gen 19:26 –  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Gen 19:27 –  And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
Gen 19:28 –  And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Directly after we see Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt, we see that we have Abraham wake early in the morning and come to the place where he stood before the Lord.  Abraham looks towards the destruction of the old man, in type and shadow, when he looks towards where the old man goes…. away from judgment and maturity.

Abraham is north and west of Lot and, so Abraham is looking south and east towards Lot. We can conclude this because when Abraham separates from Lot, Lot chooses to go east and pitch his tent towards Sodom. We know Zoar is south near the Dead Sea and most scholars believe Sodom and Gomorrah are south of the Dead Sea.

We know Lot went up into Zoar to be saved because he cried out to the Lord to not send him into the mountain.  Abraham is north of Hebron in Mamre or there abouts.

Abraham is looking at “destroyed cities of the plain”. This is when Lot goes into Zoar as well. So, what can we see, hear and learn from all of this as it pertains to the awesome hands of the Lord?

The Lord saves Lot from the destruction of the city by using the “hands” of the messengers of God to pull Lot into the house, blind those outside the house, and then tell Lot to flee the city.

Not only that, God gives Lot enough time to go around to his family and tell them that imminent danger is coming. Of course, Lot is mocked just like we are, but destruction does come.

Now, after Lot is in Zoar and Abraham is able to “see what the Lord has wrought”, we will see what the Lord has in store next for the “old man” which the Lord has used His new man, Abraham (in type and shadow), to save.

Lot will go to the place where he didn’t want to go before and this is when the Lord “remembers” Abraham and Lot.

Gen 19:29 –  And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
Gen 19:30 –  And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
Gen 19:31 –  And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

Remember, these are the same two daughters that Lot offered to the men of the city who wanted to “know” the messengers of the rod who were staying with Lot and had come to destroy the city.

The messengers came to destroy the city, but the city wanted to fulfill the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life with the angels of the Lord.

“Say unto this mountain …”

There is an important build up to where we see hands mentioned in scripture as it pertains the study on the “awesome hands” of God in scripture.

There is a lot that happens between the man of the Lord placing his hands on Lot and his family to rescue them from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to Gen 20:5.  So, I am going to cover that as the Lord wills it and as I start with Lot.

Lot goes to dwell in the mountain based on fear again and his daughters conspire to “get to know” their father so that they can propagate. They do this by getting Lot drunk so that they can preserve his seed, but how is this done?

It is done with wine, strong drink….. drink that is meant to overcome a person…. it is done with words, with doctrine, with anything that is not as the Word of God which we worship in Spirit and Truth but it is done with another Jesus, a false gospel, the anti- Christ.

It is done to preserve the status- quo because “there is not a man IN THE EARTH to achieve being fruitful after the manner of the earth”, in other words we need to keep the traditions of man.

Lot was right to originally fear to “go to the mountain” because it is in the mountain that we run to when the Lord of glory has come to devour and destroy us.

It is in the mountain where we flee when we know that there is no other hope, but it is THIS MOUNTAIN that we are told that we can move with the faith of a mustard seed if only we believed.

If we had love and not fear we could do just that, but we fear at every turn and it is this fear which ultimately drive us to our ultimate work in the mountain and of the flesh which is DEATH!

It is here that we are drunk, just like Noah became drunk. It is here after all the salvation we have been given that we again turn to the weak and beggarly elements of the earth to yet again reproduce what we have always found comfort in.

If only we would SAY to this mountain, be MOVED to the SEA!

Just how important is the mountain we are talking about? Have you ever noticed how many times in the NT that a mountain is mentioned?

I encourage everyone here to do a mini- study on your own to look this up in e- sword or the like and I think you will find it quite interesting with what we are covering with this study. There are simply too many verses to cover in this time frame to do justice to the point, but here is one example:

Mat 17:14 –  And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
Mat 17:15 –  Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
Mat 17:16 –  And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
Mat 17:17 –  Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
Mat 17:18 –  And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
Mat 17:19 –  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Mat 17:20 –  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mat 17:21 –  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

It is in the same gospel that we see Christ again making reference to the mountain, but this time we see a co- parable to go along with it.

Mat 21:18 –  Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Mat 21:19 –  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
Mat 21:20 –  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Mat 21:21 –  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 –  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

It is on a mountain we receive the ten commandments, it is on a mountain that Christ is tempted and shown all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, it is on a mountain that there are a herd of swine for which the legion of devils besought Christ to enter into the swine instead of the deep but they go to the deep anyways.

It is on a mountain that we and our fathers before us worship, but there is coming a time when we no longer need the mountain because we cast it BACK into the sea. There comes an hour when we will worship God in Spirit and Truth!

A mountain is the highest form of the earth as it reaches towards the heavens. A mountain is the closest example we have of us coming closest to the Lord. It is on a mountain that we both die and are born, and it is a mountain from which both fire and thundering’s lead to our salvation!

Rev 8:8 –  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Rev 21:10 –  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Would you like to know how to have faith to remove a mountain in your life? Ask in prayer, believing in the Word of God to send you all things!

There is only ONE WORD that matters and that is the Word of God so let it fill you night and day. Dwell on it, sing it in your hearts and believe on and in it!

Pray, or in other words, LIVE the life of belief not only hearing but DOING it so that “the inhabitants of the cities” go back and give others their report of what they have seen in and through you!

Let the hope that is in you be your answer as someone asks you of your Faith. Do you live it out? Do you become the stench of death to those around you because of the fear that the Lord uses you to cast into their heavens?

Luk 8:33 –  Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
Luk 8:34 –  When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
Luk 8:35 –  Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Luk 8:36 –  They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
Luk 8:37 –  Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

How do we live our belief since it is given to us of the Lord? After all, Faith is a gift. How do we handle the everyday fiery trials that are sent our way our “chastened sons of God”?

2Co 10:1 –  Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2Co 10:2 –  But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

Just as Paul, I share this understanding with you all as it has been given to me of the Lord. I share it with you in meekness and gentleness know that it is the Lord who gives all Faith to any and everyone.

Like Paul, I too ask you if you think we walk according to the flesh or do we now only walk IN IT?

2Co 10:3 –  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 –  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 –  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 –  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

What please tell me, can we do for or against the flesh to better ourselves? What can we do to prop ourselves up a little bit closer to “best position” beside Christ in the kingdom of God?

Being a little task to God, if we cannot equally will our height to be decreased or increased by an inch, then how can we ever expect to deal with a false doctrine, an evil spirit or a mind of confusion by doing something for our flesh?

Are you over weight? If you simply just stop eating and exercise more than you can fix that problem in your life.

Are you depressed? If you simply just snap out of it, then you will gain more control over yourself and thoughts and you can move on with your life along with everyone else.

Poor? Work harder. Getting Old? Just apply a little cream to that.

Isn’t there a solution out there in the world, a book I haven’t read, a person I haven’t consulted that can help me with the problems in my flesh to make my flesh more bearable so that I can get on with the next day?

I S. P. E. A. K. as a fool, utterly.

There is nothing in or of the world that can help me with the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world and against the spiritual wickedness in my high heavenly places like the armor of God can!

I stand, as Abraham did…going to the altar of the Lord, the succinct One Word of God which is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End and know that IT is my FAST and my LIFE is summed up in it by living it out in prayer.

Eph 6:10 –  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 –  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 –  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 –  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 –  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 –  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 –  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 –  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 –  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Eph 6:19 –  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Eph 6:20 –  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

What faith do I have in anything of this flesh or the flesh of others? None!

Stand therefore

The power of His might NOW allows me to deal with the mountain in my life in a different mindset. I now know that it is God and God alone who wills anything to happen in my life. So, I am told to stand.

Interestingly, we are given armor now, armor which is entirely made up of the Word of God or Christ. In the Tai Chi I have been trained in, rooting or becoming rooted is a big focus as a practitioner learns to use the ground and become as a “mountain or tree”.

In scripture, we are told to stand and as you can imagine you take on a lot more weight which weighs you down as you take on more armor and weapons of offense and defense. With the Word of God, we live out our Faith by relying solely on the Word of God and it working through the members of the body of Christ.

Our words or our thoughts are so powerful. Our thoughts reside in our mind, and it is our mind that gives us our direction, so I ask you what mind you have?

Given what we know Ephesians just said, what does 2Co 10:3 -6 mean to you now?

2Co 10:3 –  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
2Co 10:4 –  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2Co 10:5 –  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2Co 10:6 –  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

How is our obedience fulfilled? We live every day as He did.

How did Christ live? He lived to do the will of His Father.

What is the Will of the Father for us? He doesn’t want sacrifice but that we are obedient.

How do we become obedient? We stand.

How do we stand just? After we fall.

Where do we fall? With our face to the ground looking at the Foundation which has been laid since the world began.

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

Now, I must ask you as I ask myself, what are you piling up on the Foundation you are looking at as you face the ground and pray to God? What do you sow to … the earth or the heavens, the flesh or the spirit?

1Co 3:14 –  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 –  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 –  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 –  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We are given to know that we are able to see New Jerusalem from a “great and high mountain in the spirit” and we know that we are the temple of God, so I ask you now if you understand how to bring into captivity every thought?

What we think about the Lord doing in our lives, how we react or don’t react, how we talk to others about those things and how we deal with the fiery trial as it happens directly affects what the outcome is as is it planned of the Lord.

Meaning, we are set in motion to learn obedience through suffering, just as Christ did because we will not desire to be obedient until we understand it and have knowledge of just how peaceful it is to have the Faith which surpasses all understanding.

Peace comes through Faith that the Lord is going to do for us what it is He has planned for us and promised to us.

If I am over- weight and now armored with the mind of Christ, the Word of God, I know that I can work on losing weight knowing that as I go through the process and want only to glorify the Lord in all that I do, then I BELIEVE that the Lord will deliver me and it will be done as it is in Heaven.

If I don’t lose weight, then I know the Lord has willed it and I can again pray and fast which simply means I live out my Faith. When this happens, as with all fiery trials we go through, we are able to come out of it showing others what wonderful works the Lord has done in us because of His mind in us.

We “sow our enemies” around us

We see this type and shadow playing out with Lot and his daughters. Continuing on in this story and concluding this study, knowing that it happened for our admonition, let’s see what happens as we try to hold onto our old ways, traditions and customs.

What do our doctrines, at this time in our walk, do for us in the kingdom of God?

Gen 19:32 –  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
Gen 19:33 –  And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Gen 19:34 –  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
Gen 19:35 –  And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Gen 19:36 –  Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
Gen 19:37 –  And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
Gen 19:38 –  And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Our daughters, our flesh has tricked us into making more of itself. We now have been given wine and made drunken. This will lead to Moab and Benammi having children who will be our enemies “unto this day”.

In this type and shadow as Abraham the new man, we have Ishmael which will go on to have children who will battle “the children of promise” for the land and they have all been blessed of the Lord to do so as we saw in the last study.

Hagar and her seed are blessed by the Lord to do exactly what they have been created to do …. be the enemy of Christ, anti- Christ as defined scripturally, and we all have been that seed by being born of a woman.

Alas, we have the Lord on our side and He is showing mercy on us by having created some who will now not have faith so that He can be glorified in those who are given it now, in this life and who are judged thereby.

It is this trial which will continue to mold us as Abraham, in type and shadow, to finally have a trail of Faith which sets the tone for the battle which takes place between Isaac and Ishmael later.

In the next study, we will look at verse 20:5 and how Abraham yet again has little faith that he will be okay because the Lord is God almighty.

So, we’ll see yet again how we, like Abraham, try to make things work out best for our flesh by constructing a ploy to trick those who the Lord has placed us in front of.

It will only lead us to being made an open book to those around us, but we will ultimately still be okay as the Lord promises us He will always take care of us for good.

Luk 8:38 –  Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
Luk 8:39 –  Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.