The Treasury of God’s House

[Aired February 18, 2025]

Throughout Scripture, God’s house contained a treasury where offerings and dedicated things were stored. While the physical treasury held material wealth, it pointed to deeper spiritual realities about giving, stewardship, and our relationship with God. Understanding both the physical pattern and its spiritual significance helps us grasp important truths about God’s kingdom.

The physical treasury in the temple served multiple purposes. In King Jehoash’s time, “Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 12:9). This chest received offerings for temple upkeep. Similarly, in Nehemiah’s day, the people brought their tithes “unto the treasuries” (Nehemiah 13:12) to support the priests and Levites who served in God’s house.

However, the treasury held more than just money. Sacred vessels, dedicated offerings, and spoils of war set apart for God were stored there. When the Israelites conquered Jericho, “they brought into the treasury of the house of the LORD” the silver, gold, and vessels of brass and iron (Joshua 6:24). King David likewise dedicated war spoils to the treasury, as Scripture records: “which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued” (2 Samuel 8:11).

Just as the physical treasury held material wealth for the temple’s service, it also pointed toward timeless spiritual principles that apply to our lives today. This shift from the tangible to the intangible helps us see that everything ultimately belongs to God, as David acknowledged: “for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee” (1 Chronicles 29:14). The treasury served as a constant reminder that we are stewards, not owners, of what God provides.

The treasury also represented the people’s relationship with God. Regular giving showed trust in His provision and commitment to His purposes. When the people were obedient, the treasury overflowed. Under Hezekiah’s reforms, “the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly” (2 Chronicles 31:5). Conversely, neglecting the treasury indicated disobedience, as Malachi rebuked: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:8).

Having seen how the temple treasury reflected spiritual principles, we find a profound example in the New Testament through Jesus’ teaching on the widow’s mite. His observation of her offering shifts our focus from external acts to the heart behind the gift: “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living” (Mark 12:41-44).

This incident shows that God measures giving differently than man does. While others saw low valued coins, Jesus saw complete surrender and trust. The widow’s offering revealed that true giving flows from the heart, not merely the hands. Jesus declared, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24, showing that sincere worship matters more than material offerings.

Christ’s teachings transformed understanding of God’s treasury. He warned against storing earthly treasures, instructing instead: “lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

This reveals that God’s true treasury is spiritual, not physical. The material offerings in the temple treasury pictured the surrender of our hearts and lives to God. Paul grasped this reality, counting all material gain as loss “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). He understood that knowing Christ constitutes true riches.

The spiritual treasury manifests through transformed lives. When Peter and John encountered the lame man, they declared: “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). While lacking money, they possessed spiritual riches that brought healing and restoration. This demonstrates how God’s power working through yielded vessels produces true wealth.

God’s treasury also represents His wisdom and knowledge. Paul describes “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8) and speaks of “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” being hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3). These spiritual riches far exceed material wealth, bringing age abiding benefit rather than temporal benefit.

Understanding the treasury spiritually changes how we view giving. Rather than focusing on amounts, we recognize that God desires the gift of ourselves. As Paul commended the Macedonian churches: “first gave their own selves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). This self-giving produces generous sharing of material resources as a natural overflow.

The principle that physical patterns reveal spiritual truth helps us grasp God’s purpose for His treasury. Just as the temple treasury received and stored valuable offerings, God desires to fill us with His spiritual riches. As Paul prayed, “that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

This indwelling wealth transforms us into living treasuries of God’s presence and power. Paul declares that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Like the widow’s mites, our humble lives become vessels for displaying God’s glory when fully yielded to Him.

As we’ve seen how physical offerings reflected spiritual realities, we now turn to a different kind of wealth—spiritual gifts. Just as the temple treasury enabled the work of the priests, these gifts equip believers for God’s work today. The treasury principle applies here as well to be multiplied for His kingdom. Those who faithfully manage what He provides hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21).

As living treasuries, we’re called to freely share what God provides. Jesus instructed, “freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). This applies to both material and spiritual resources. We steward God’s provisions to bless others, knowing that “he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Ultimately, God’s treasury reveals His abundant provision for His people. While the physical treasury supplied the temple’s needs, God promises to “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). These riches include not just material supply but “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

The treasury continues teaching us today. When we recognize that everything belongs to God and yield ourselves fully to Him, we become living treasuries that display His glory. Through complete surrender, like the widow’s mites, our lives store up eternal riches that neither moth nor rust can destroy. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

God’s treasury also relates intimately to spiritual gifts and ministry. As Paul explains, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Just as the physical treasury supported temple service, spiritual gifts enable ministry in God’s house today.

These gifts flow from God’s abundant treasury of grace. Peter instructs, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10). Like faithful treasurers, we steward these spiritual gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ.

The connection between God’s treasury and our hearts runs deep. Jesus taught that “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45). What we store in our hearts determines what flows from our lives.

The treasury also represents spiritual authority and power. When Solomon dedicated the temple, “the glory of the LORD filled the house” (2 Chronicles 7:1). Similarly, as we yield ourselves as living temples, God’s power works through us. Paul experienced this, declaring “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God’s spiritual economy operates differently than natural economics. Jesus taught, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38). Giving from God’s treasury multiplies rather than depletes resources.

This principle appears throughout Scripture. The widow of Zarephath gave her last meal to Elijah, yet “the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail” (1 Kings 17:16). When the disciples distributed five loaves and two fish, twelve baskets remained after feeding thousands. God’s treasury operates by multiplication, not subtraction.

True worship and service flow from recognizing God’s abundant provision. David declared, “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chronicles 29:12). This acknowledgment produces willing service and generous giving.

The treasury’s practical application touches every area of life. Paul instructed believers to set aside offerings “as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). This regular giving acknowledges God’s provision while supporting ministry needs. Yet beyond material giving, we’re called to offer our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

This complete surrender transforms how we view possessions. Rather than seeing them as personal property, we recognize our role as stewards of God’s resources. The early church demonstrated this perspective when believers “had all things common” and “distribution was made unto every man according as he had need” (Acts 4:32,35).

The treasury principle extends to spiritual inheritance. Paul reminded Timothy to “stir up the gift of God” within him (2 Timothy 1:6). Like invested talents, spiritual gifts multiply through use. As we faithfully steward what God provides, both natural and spiritual resources increase for kingdom purposes.

Understanding God’s treasury changes our approach to ministry. Rather than relying on human wisdom or strength, we draw from His unlimited resources. Paul ministered “according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7). This dependence on God’s supply produces lasting fruit.

The same spiritual riches that empower ministry also equip believers for spiritual warfare. In the same way kings stored resources for battle, God provides His people with the weapons needed to stand firm against the enemy. In the same way kings stored supplies for battle, God empowers believers to stand firm against spiritual opposition. Jesus gave His disciples “power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). This authority flows from God’s treasury of power, not human ability. As vessels of His presence, we steward this authority for others’ benefit.

Our access to God’s treasury comes through a relationship with Christ. Paul declares that in Him “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him” (Colossians 2:9-10). Through union with Christ, we receive “exceeding great and precious promises” that make us “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

As prayer grants us access to God’s spiritual treasury, it also moves us toward practical application. When we understand these spiritual principles, we can apply them to everyday life through generous giving, faithful service, and surrendered hearts. The treasury principle particularly illuminates our understanding of prayer and intercession. Just as the physical treasury stored valuable resources for temple service, our prayers become spiritual deposits that God uses for kingdom purposes. The prophet Isaiah reveals this truth: “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7). This shows how prayer extends the treasury’s blessings beyond individual believers to benefit many.

The early church understood this connection between prayer and spiritual treasury. When facing persecution, they “lifted up their voice to God with one accord” (Acts 4:24), and God responded by filling them with His Spirit and power. Their unified prayers accessed resources that transformed their circumstances. Like faithful treasurers, they knew how to draw from God’s storehouse through prayer.

Paul reveals how the Spirit helps us access God’s treasury through prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Through the Spirit’s help, our prayers tap into God’s unlimited resources, releasing His provision and power.

These spiritual deposits through prayer produce ongoing dividends. James teaches that “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Like compounding interest in God’s treasury, our prayers continue working long after we offer them, as demonstrated when the church prayed for Peter’s release from prison (Acts 12:5-17).

This relationship transforms giving into an act of worship rather than obligation. Paul commended the Philippians’ gift as “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). When giving flows from love for God, it becomes a spiritual sacrifice that brings Him pleasure.

The treasury principle reveals important truths about ministry provision. While supporting those who minister, Paul emphasized “not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account” (Philippians 4:17). True ministry focuses on spiritual multiplication rather than personal gain.

Understanding God’s treasury brings profound peace regarding provision. Jesus taught, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). As we prioritize God’s kingdom, He faithfully supplies every need from His abundant treasury.

This principle remains vital for the true church today. When believers grasp that all things come from and belong to God, giving becomes natural. We simply return to Him what He has provided, recognizing that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). This perspective produces generous, cheerful giving that God loves.

The treasury’s lessons extend beyond mere giving and receiving. When properly understood, they reveal God’s heart for relationship with His people. As David expressed, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). This intimate communion represents the highest purpose of God’s treasury.

Just as the physical temple treasury supported worship and service, our lives should facilitate deeper relationship with God. Paul understood this, counting all else as loss “for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). When we value knowing Christ above all else, we discover true riches that can never be taken away.

The treasury principle culminates in Christ, who “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). His sacrifice opened access to God’s unlimited spiritual treasury. Through Him, we receive “abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness” to “reign in life” (Romans 5:17).

This understanding should transform our daily lives. Like the widow who gave her all, we’re called to complete surrender. Yet this surrender leads not to poverty but to abundance, for God promises to “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). As we yield ourselves fully to His purposes, we experience the truth that “in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Living as God’s treasury brings practical responsibilities and privileges. When we truly grasp that we’re vessels of His presence and power, it changes how we approach every aspect of life. As Paul declared, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). This indwelling presence makes us living treasuries of life.

The early church demonstrated this reality. After Pentecost, believers “were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The power flowing from God’s treasury through yielded vessels transformed lives and communities. Signs and wonders followed as God’s presence manifested through His people.

This same power remains available today. Jesus promised, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). As living treasuries, we access resources for ministry that exceed human ability or understanding.

True prosperity flows from this spiritual reality. While the world seeks material wealth, believers find riches in Christ that transcend circumstances. Paul learned to be content in any situation because he drew from God’s unlimited treasury. He testified, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). This inner sufficiency produced outer effectiveness in ministry.

The treasury’s role in spiritual warfare becomes clear when we understand how God’s resources empower our spiritual battles. Just as ancient kings stored weapons and supplies in their treasuries for warfare, God’s spiritual treasury equips us for battle. Paul reveals this connection when describing our spiritual armor: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). Each piece of this armor represents resources drawn from God’s treasury of grace and truth.

David’s experience particularly illuminates this principle. Before facing Goliath, he refused Saul’s physical armor, instead drawing from his experience of God’s faithfulness – his spiritual treasury. He declared, “The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). David accessed divine resources that transcended natural weapons.

The early church understood this warfare dimension of God’s treasury. When persecution arose, they didn’t rely on physical defenses but accessed spiritual resources through prayer: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word” (Acts 4:29). God’s response – filling them with His Spirit and shaking their meeting place – demonstrated the power available in His treasury. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

Paul reveals how this spiritual treasury operates in warfare: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). These spiritual weapons, drawn from God’s treasury, prove more effective than any earthly resource.

Even Jesus demonstrated this principle during His temptation. Against Satan’s offers of worldly treasure, He drew from the treasury of God’s Word, declaring “It is written” (Matthew 4:4,7,10). His example shows that the treasures of God’s truth overcome all enemy deception.

The treasury principle reveals important truths about spiritual authority. Jesus gave His disciples “power over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). This authority comes not from human ability but from Christ’s work. As we abide in Him, His power flows through us to accomplish His purposes.

Living as God’s treasury means becoming pure vessels for His use. Paul instructed, ”If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). This purification prepares us for God’s ultimate purpose – revealing His glory. As yielded vessels beholding the Lord, we are ”changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Each experience of His presence makes us more effective vessels of His treasury, manifesting His character to others.

The final purpose of God’s treasury extends beyond individual blessing to corporate expression. Together we form “an holy temple in the Lord… builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22). This corporate temple displays God’s glory more fully than any individual can alone.

As living stones in God’s temple, we each contribute to this greater expression. Together we manifest the fullness of Christ’s treasury to creation. Through complete surrender to His purposes, our lives become channels of blessing to others. As we faithfully steward both material and spiritual resources, God’s kingdom advances and His glory increases. Let us draw deeply from His unlimited treasury, knowing that in Christ we have access to “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

For from His treasury flow all things needed for life and ministry. As we abide in Him, having His life to fill and flow through us, we fulfill our destiny as living treasuries of divine presence and power. In this way, the physical pattern finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s body manifesting His glory to all creation.

Isa 39:1-8 There Was Nothing in His House, Nor in His Dominion, That Hezekiah Showed Them Not - Part 1 - Discussion

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Isa 39:1-8 There Was Nothing In His House, Nor In His Dominion, That Hezekiah Showed Them Not – Part 1

Isa 39:1  At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
Isa 39:2  And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.
Isa 39:3  Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Isa 39:4  Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
Isa 39:5  Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
Isa 39:6  Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
Isa 39:7  And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
Isa 39:8  Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

This chapter records events that occurred shortly after Hezekiah was healed of his "sickness unto death". Hezekiah, instead of being humbled by all the blessings the Lord bestowed upon him, rather became “lifted up” and proud as if the Lord did all these things for and through him because he, Hezekiah, was of himself just that good, just that special and just that deserving of the Lord’s special attention.

The admonition for  us in this story is three-fold:

The first lesson we will learn in the admonitions of this chapter is to give the Lord the credit for “all things”, and to take credit to ourselves for nothing at all. Not even our own sins are ours, as we will see.

The second lesson we will learn is how to apply the principle revealed in the Lord's instructions to His priests, which priests we are, if Christ is truly dwelling within us. We must strive to avoid making the mistake Hezekiah made of showing the house of God to those who are not part of His house.

The third lesson we will learn is that because of all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us, we as the anti-type, the reality which Hezekiah represents and symbolizes, will appropriate to ourselves the glory that is due only to Christ and His Father. It comes as naturally as breathing to appropriate the glory for all the blessings of God to ourselves and not to the very person who is working all things after the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11), and is “working in [us] both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Php 2:12-13). We learn in this chapter that we just naturally appropriate His glory to ourselves, and we learn in this chapter how the Lord deals with this proud spirit within all of us.

Our first admonition is to give our Maker all the credit for everything He works. Notice how Hezekiah fails to credit his God with any of the things He did for Hezekiah when he met with the men who came from Babylon to congratulate Hezekiah for all that had recently happened to him:

Isa 39:1  At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick, and was recovered.
Isa 39:2  And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Here is the second lesson which Hezekiah, a type of us, had to learn to apply in his own life: In type and shadow, the Levites and the camp of Israel were forbidden from even looking upon the holy things of the tabernacle; the reason being that the Levites who were not the sons of Aaron, and any Levite who was not a son of Aaron, as well as the camp of Israel, signifies Babylon and the world. Here is a link to an in-depth study of the spiritual meaning of these Biblical types and shadows:

The Camp, The Court, and the Tabernacle

The priesthood only, the sons of Aaron only, were permitted to look upon and handle the holy things of the house of God. Those who were not of the sons of Aaron, were condemned to death if they even looked upon the holy things of the tabernacle:

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

The severity of these words is demonstrated in the story of the Philistines taking possession of the ark of the Lord upon the death of Eli and the curses that fell upon their whole nation (1Samuel 5). We are not given the number of Philistines who died while the ark of God was in their possession. However, we are told that the Lord destroyed 50,070 men of Israel in and about Bethshemensh when the Philistines returned the ark to Israel (1Samuel 6).  A couple of decades later the Lord also slew Uzzah, who simply reached out to steady the ark while it was illegally being drawn by oxen on a cart instead of it being on the shoulders of the Levites as was legally mandated by the Lord (Num 4:15):

Num 4:15  And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

1Sa 5:10  Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.
1Sa 5:11  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
1Sa 5:12  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1Sa 6:19  And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
1Sa 6:20  And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
1Sa 6:21  And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

2Sa 6:6  And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it.
2Sa 6:7  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

Uzzah died because he touched the holy ark of God when he was not qualified to do so. The men of Bethshemesh died "because they had looked into the ark of the Lord", when they were not qualified to do so, and the Philistines died for possessing the ark when they were not qualified to do so. None of these deaths were the type of death that "[brought forth much fruit"] as symbols of the death of our old man:

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

These men all died in their sins. "God smote [them] there for [their] error" (2Sa 6:7), and "these things all happened to them and they are written for our admonition…" (1Co 10:11).

So what is it we are being admonished to do or not to do? What is so important for us to know that the Lord slew so many Philistines in all five of their cities? What is so important for us to know that He slew 50,070 Israelites, for looking into  the ark? Why did He slay Uzzah for simply attempting to steady the ark, while being transported in a manner contrary to His Words?

Again, ‘all of these things happened, and they are written for our admonition’ to tell us that the Lord insists upon having a people who want to pay very close attention to what He tells us to do and how we're to conduct ourselves as His wife and His representatives and His ambassadors to this world.

He tells us clearly that He will take up His residence in no one else but those who pay very close attention to His Word to the extent that they “tremble at [His] words”.

Isa 66:1  Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
Isa 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look [as My temple, My house, and the place of My rest], even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

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.

The Lord wants us to know that He expects us to fear and tremble at His every word, not just some of it which we might happen to like or agree with, as King Saul did when He was sent to destroy the Amalekites and all of their possessions. The Lord prizes obedience over sacrifice, as Samuel informed King Saul and all of us. Instead of destroying all of the Amalekites along with all of their possessions as he had been instructed to do by the Lord, Saul decided to keep alive King Agag and "the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them" (1Sa 15:8). When we do not listen closely and do not tremble at the very thought of not getting it right, we are in practice being rebellious and idolatrous in the eyes of our Lord.

This story is also "for our admonition" so we will know what is within us, and so we will learn to pay close attention to what the Lord tells us:

1Sa 15:2  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
1Sa 15:3  Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
1Sa 15:4  And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
1Sa 15:5  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
1Sa 15:6  And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
1Sa 15:7  And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
1Sa 15:8  And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
1Sa 15:9  But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
1Sa 15:10  Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
1Sa 15:11  It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1Sa 15:12  And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
1Sa 15:16  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
1Sa 15:17  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Not one person who allows "the people" to lead him to disobey the Lord's commandments will be given a crown of life to rule over the kingdoms of this world and to judge those who are cast into the symbolic lake of fire.

The Lord insists that we put His commandments and every word He speaks above our own way of thinking. It made no sense at all to King Saul and his people to destroy all those perfectly good 'sheep and oxen and fatlings and lambs'. The Lord's commandment to destroy all those perfectly good livestock along with all the people of the Amalekites was illogical to the natural mind, and therefore was rejected by King Saul, an Old Testament type of our 'rejected… anointed… old man’. Yet King Saul, a type of us, insisted that he had been obedient to the Lord:

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

The Truth, of course, is that he had done nothing of the kind, and had instead rebelled against what the Lord had commanded him to do just because the Lord’s commandment made no sense to the natural man within Saul as it would within all of us.

It is to this spirit within all of us that Christ poses this question:

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.

Is Hezekiah showing the princes of Babylon all of his treasures any different than King Saul saving the best of the sheep and oxen after being told to destroy them? No, it is not. The reason it is the same as King Saul is because King Hezekiah ignored the spirit of the commandment telling us that we are not to even show the holy things to the princes of the Babylonian system who may appear to express some semblance of concern for our welfare. The Truth is that they cannot really be concerned for that which is the exact opposite to everything they stand for.

Judah's treasures being shown to outsiders are gifts which the Lord has given Judah, and the uncircumcised Babylonians were not qualified to so much as look upon those gifts.

Babylon stands in defiance of all the commandments of our Lord. "The whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water" has been taken away from "that great city wherein our Lord was crucified" (Isa 3:1-2 and Rev 11:8).

This whole story is typical of us, and it is written down for our admonition (1Co 10:6 and 11). The main lesson for us from this story of Hezekiah showing all his armaments and his treasures to the princes of Babylon, is that we are not to make that mistake with the Lord's treasures. To do so is to ignore and to rebel against these words of our Lord:

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

"Turn again and rend you" is exactly what the kingdom of Babylon did to the nation of Judah just a few short years later, as Isaiah prophesied:

Isa 39:3  Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
Isa 39:4  Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.
Isa 39:5  Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
Isa 39:6  Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
Isa 39:7  And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

This is what 2Chronicles 32 informs us of how the Lord viewed Hezekiah's actions in response to these visitors from Babylon:

2Ch 32:24  In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
2Ch 32:25  But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

Once again, we must remember, ‘These words are written for our admonition because they are types of us’ (1Co 10:6 and 11).

1Co 10:6 Now these things became types of us, for us not to be lusters after evil things, (CVL)

1Co 10:11 Now all this befalls them typically. Yet it was written for our admonition, to whom the consummations of the eons have attained."

Ask yourself, "What is it that we fail to 'render… again' to the Lord for the benefits rendered to us?" Obviously, what we all at first fail to render again to the Lord is to be sure to give the Lord all the credit for all He does and for all of His works. And what are His 'works'? The scriptures are overwhelmingly clear, and yet our flesh refuses to acknowledge this Truth:

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.

It is we who "render not again according to the benefit done unto [us]". It is we who take pride in our own accomplishments and who refuse to give all the glory to Him without whom we "can do nothing", and in whom we "live and move and have our being", as we are clearly informed both of our Lord Himself and of the apostle Paul:

Speaking to the pagan Athenians, the apostle Paul made this revealing statement:

Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Let's be specific. What exactly are the works of the Lord for which He wants us to "render… again [honor unto the Lord] according to the benefit done unto [us by the Lord]?"

2Ch 32:25  But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

To be specific about that for which the Lord wants us to credit Him, here it is:

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

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:

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

There we have it as clear as the Lord can tell us. "Yes, even the wicked" are made by the Lord "for the day of evil" in all of us. We can take credit for nothing. Not even our sins.

The third lesson for us contained in this 39^th chapter of Isaiah is that Hezekiah and all of his people, as "types of us" (1Co 10:6), have been favored of God before all men, and we simply are not of ourselves equipped to deal humbly with so much blessing and honor, and we learn how the Lord works with us to overcome that inherent flaw in our composition.

Hezekiah had been miraculously delivered from the armies of the Assyrians, and immediately following that deliverance, Hezekiah was stricken with a "sickness unto death". The natural fruit of such an affliction immediately following such a great victory would be to keep Hezekiah humble. When Hezekiah humbled himself and cried to the Lord for mercy, he was again miraculously delivered along with being given the miraculous sign of returning the shadow on the sundial by ten degrees. These are unfathomable miracles of mercy and favor shown by the Lord unto Hezekiah. Yet when those men came to him from Babylon "[because Merodachbaladan] had heard [Hezekiah] had been sick and was recovered", Hezekiah took all the credit to himself, and instead of using this opportunity to witness for the power of His God, Hezekiah, as a type of us, gloried in all of his possessions and took unto himself all the glory for all the victories the Lord had given him.

That is what we are told:

Isa 39:2  And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Isaiah tells  us "Hezekiah was glad of them", but notice how this is worded in 2nd Kings 20:

2Ki 20:13  And Hezekiah hearkened unto them [H8085: shama, 'listened to'], and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.

Hezekiah was persuaded by these men to show them all he possessed, and instead of using this opportunity to explain how the Lord, his God, had destroyed the Assyrian army, and how his God had turned back the sun and how his God had healed him of his deadly disease, he instead used all these blessings from the Lord to fuel his own glory in all of his possessions which the Lord had given him. Hezekiah had been given the destruction of the armies of Assyria, he had been sick unto death, and he was given a miraculous sign of the turning back of the sundial to assure him that he would receive a miraculous healing, and on the third day his healing was completed. Besides all of these miraculous blessings, he is now being recognized and honored by other nations for his victory over the Assyrian armies, and for all the blessings which the Lord Himself had actually accomplished and with which Hezekiah himself had absolutely nothing to do. However, our old man and the world will always glorify men instead of glorying in the Lord.

We will stop here for now, and next week we will continue to examine how Hezekiah as a type of who we are, just naturally appropriates the Lord’s glory to Himself, and then we will also learn how the Lord deals with that fault within us all.

(Key verse: Genesis 49:13)

God’s Word has a primary spiritual meaning which is the inward application for those who can see that they live by every word that proceeded out of God’s mouth, even the words of scripture (Mat 4:4; Joh 6:63; Rev 1:3). Jacob’s final words to his sons are therefore important to take note of as they help us to understand our own lives:

Gen 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.
Gen 49:2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and listen to Israel your father.

All these words to the sons of Jacob apply to “the last days” and were written for our learning and not for those sons primarily, “but unto us” (1Pe 1:12):

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

The concept of “the last days” points to what the scriptures also call “the end of the world” which indicate the end of this physical creation, as it has indeed come spiritually upon the elect of God in this age:

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

The theme of “the last days” is a fitting conclusion for the book of Genesis as we come to see how God will bring everything together in Christ, even through His church, the true “Israel of God”, which is the antitype of these twelve tribes of physical Israel (Eph 1:10; Rev 7:4-8):

Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

We already touched on the lives of Jacob’s first four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah in previous discussions. In this discussion we will take a look at what we can learn about ourselves from the words of Jacob to Zebulun.

Zebulun: meaning and position

Zebulun was Jacob’s sixth and last son from Leah. The Hebrew word “Zebulun” (Greek: Zabulon) means “habitation”, as Leah, the less beloved wife of Jacob, believed with this son, Jacob would “dwell with” her (Gen 35:23):

Gen 30:20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

We know that numbers have spiritual meaning, and several numbers are associated with Zebulun and his tribe in the scriptures. Although Zebulun was the sixth son of Jacob from Leah, he was actually the tenth son of Jacob. Here in Jacob’s final words to his sons, Zebulun is mentioned fifth. The number three also played a very significant role within God’s purposes for this tribe. Zebulun had three sons, namely Sered and Elon and Jahleel (Gen 46:14). The tribe of Zebulun was the third tribe to give offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle (Num 7:24). They were also placed third behind Judah and Issachar by Moses when Israel was called into battle with the enemy. These three tribes were positioned together on the east side of the tabernacle (Num 2:3-8). The tribe of Zebulun was also the third tribe to receive their lot or territory in Canaan:

Jos 19:10 And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families…

In this discussion we will see how all these numbers are of significance in the life of Zebulun and his tribe. Here are the final words of Jacob to this son:

Gen 49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

Jacob connected Zebulun with the sea, and in the words of Moses we find how this theme of the sea is repeated concerning the blessing of this tribe in conjunction with the tribe of Issachar:

Deu 33:18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
Deu 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

We shall first touch on the symbols of the “haven of the sea” and the “haven of ships” and how they connect with Moses’ words to help us understand our own spiritual journey.

The “haven of the sea” and a “haven of ships”

We know God created physical things to make His invisible spiritual things understandable for those who can receive it:

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.

The heaven around the physical earth and within this physical universe is a reflection of the true heaven which is an internal spiritual dimension in each person where spiritual activities take place (Gen 1:1; Psa 102:25; Jer 23:24; Act 17:24). The scriptures also refer to heaven as the heart in us where God is working to fulfill His spiritual purposes in each person’s life – this is what the function of the mind entails (1Sa 12:24; Jer 29:13; Mat 6:9-10; Mat 22:37; Mar 1:10-11; Act 7:56). It is from our heaven that we can act to either do good or evil, as determined by God (Job 38:33; Psa 47:8; Psa 115:16; Isa 45:7; Mat 18:18):

Deu 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

Psa 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

The number three played an important part in the life of Zebulun and its tribe, as mentioned earlier. This number three spiritually points to the process of judgment, as it is through judgment that we are taken to higher levels of spiritual understanding and growth (Isa 26:9; 1Pe 4:17). This process relates to our heavens through which we progressively understand more of God’s spiritual things. Within our last days we are given to enter the third heaven (“heaven of heavens”), which is the final stage of God’s work in us as also explained by the apostle Paul:

2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

Like Zebulun we all start off being connected to the sea, which is a spiritual symbol of our first heaven or our primary or natural understanding of things (Rom 8:5; 1Co 2:14). Within this “sea” we do our “trading” with our ships, being in vessels of clay with its carnal mind and all its evil philosophies and false doctrines, under the rule of our father, the Devil – as per God’s design (Gen 1:2; Isa 27:1; Jer 18:4; Rom 8:20; Rom 8:5-6; 1Jn 2:16):

Psa 104:25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Psa 104:26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan [connects with the crooked serpent/the dragon (Isa 27:1; Gen 1:21; Gen 3:1-2)] that is in the sea, whom thou hast made to play therein.

Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep [linking to the “bottomless pit” – the abyss].

God’s wonderful works are indeed in the deep as He controls the seas and commands all the winds and the foaming waves:

Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

He makes us to err from His ways, even causing us to follow the false philosophies and teachings to which we naturally attach ourselves (Eph 4:14; Jud 1:13):

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

This is the marred condition of flesh in the hands of the Potter, and it is only when we can see our true condition that we are given to cry to God for mercy (Jer 18:4):

Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

The “desired haven” is the third heaven having the mind of Christ or the understanding of God wonderful works in us (1Co 2:15-16; 2Co 12:1-4; Eph 2:6-10). Before that peaceful mind is given to us, our natural beast is first brought out of the sea to be more established on the sand thinking it is mature in spiritual things. It is within this mind-set (the second heaven or “the midst of the heavens”) that we are still engulfed in clouds and thick darkness, thinking we have the light (Deu 4:11; Mat 6:23; Rev 8:12-13). We received a deadly wound through God’s sword (His Word) which only applies to one of the seven heads of this beast. This is the time of our outward conversion with all its wonderful works of flesh (Mat 7:21-23). However, this wound is healed making us even a bigger self-righteous and pride-filled maturing beast – even like unto our father, the devil, who was appointed by God to rule over our time in darkness. This is typified by the number six in Zebulun’s life and its three-fold progression in our lives – “six hundred threescore and six”. This is the negative application of the three heavens in our lives (Gen 1:16; Gen 1:24-31; Dan 7:3-7; Joh 8:44; Rev 12:3; Rev 12:9; Rev 13:18):

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

“The way of the sea”

Jesus came the same route as all of us, as He “emptied Himself” from His heavenly glory: born in flesh in Bethlehem, lived in Nazareth and came to dwell in Capernaum, “which is upon the sea coast, in the borders [or region] of [the tribes of] Zabulon and Nephthalim…by the way of the sea” before He was crucified and glorified “through death” (Joh 1:14; 2Co 5:21; Php 2:7; Mat 16:21; Joh 17:1-5; Heb 2:14):

Mat 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;
Mat 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders [region] of Zabulon [Zebulun] and Nephthalim [Naphtali]:
Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

“The way of the sea” is showing our road to spiritual maturity. This is also typified by the physical nation which was established in Egypt in the time of Joseph and Jacob. After the death of Joseph, Israel was subjected to four hundred years of slavery before they had to leave Egypt and were baptised in the Red Sea to enter the forty-year period in the wilderness. After this only the new generation could enter the promised land through the baptism in the Jordan. We all start off as slaves under the rule of sin, darkness and death, even taken through the wilderness of spiritual Babylon, to finally enter into heavenly Jerusalem. The “way of the sea” ends in its positive application in the “last days” when we are baptised with fire to enter the kingdom of God (Mar 9:49; 1Pe 4:12; Rev 15:8):

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

This is the “way of the sea” when we can finally accept the ways God works with all flesh as we will be given victory over the flesh:

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The copper laver with water was placed between the copper altar (where sacrifices were burned with fire) and the tabernacle in the courtyard when Israel was sojourning in the wilderness. We must go through the water and the fire, even the “molten sea” in front of Solomon’s temple which all combines to bring us to our “desired haven” – the elect or temple of God (Exo 30:17-21; 1Ki 7:23; 2Ch 4:2; Act 14:22; Rev 15:8). The “last days” is our time that we can stand on the sea which has the appearance of a “glass mingled with fire”. With this peace of God in our hearts which passes our understanding we are “being turned” to understand why things happened in our lives the way they did (Rev 1:10-12; Rev 4:6). This is our time of liberty through the spirit of God, even when our affliction increases the glory of the Sun of God shines brighter and brighter through His Word (Joh 6:63):

2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

“The abundance of the seas”

In the words of Moses concerning Zebulun’s “haven of the sea” we find how the sea also should be seen in its ultimate positive application:

Deu 33:18 And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents.
Deu 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

As we have seen, Zebulun’s connection to the sea relates firstly to our association with flesh and the spirit of this world when we cannot please God and obey His commandments (Gen 3:1-6; Rom 8:5-8; 1Co 1:29):

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.

With the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun we also see the positive application of “the abundance of the seas.” We know that these three tribes were placed at the east of the tabernacle and were used by God to lead in the battles against the enemy. We see in Moses’ blessings on Zebulun that this tribe is also “going out” to “call the people unto the mountain” where “they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness.” Zebulun typifies this evangelical spirit in us which is sent out by God to lead in spiritual battles and to proclaim the gospel of Christ without fear. This spirit causes us to believe that God has no problem to bring all “things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth” together in the Christ as He “will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1Co 15:22-28):

Eph 1:9 (YLT) having made known to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure, that He purposed in Himself,
Eph 1:10 (YLT) in regard to the dispensation of the fulness of the times, to bring into one the whole in the Christ, both the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth–in him.

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.

The abundance of the sea is the Lord’s, and to Him shall they come when His mountain of fire is cast into the sea, starting a process to bring an end to all flesh and its trading with false philosophies and doctrines of demons (Rev 21:1):

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 8:9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

“The third” again points to this process of judgment in us, but also in everyone in this sea of flesh as they will eventually see their part in this sea, even giving an account of their part in the killing of God’s elected Christ which makes this sea become blood. This very blood and life of Christ brings an end to flesh as there will be no more sea in the end (Mat 10:38-39; Gal 2:20; Php 4:13):

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

“Treasures hid in the sand”

We are naturally made from the dust of the ground which is but our primitive or initial stage, which starts our development to eventually become spiritually mature to be in the spiritual image of God (Gen 2:7). In this initial stage we are like Adam and Eve when we can hear God’s commandments but cannot do them (Mat 7:26-27). This is how the apostle Paul explains this inability of the flesh to obey the spiritual law of God:

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

This can be seen in the tribe of Zebulun which was part of the six tribes on the northern mountain speaking the curses out against those who do not obey God’s commandments:

Deu 27:13 And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

Even this tribe of Zebulun had to live by those words as they, like all the tribes of Israel, did not drive out all their enemies as commanded by God when they were given their plot or territory in Canaan (Jdg 1:1-36; Jdg 2:1-5):

Jdg 1:30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

By our own mouths are we judged, as we live by every word from God’s mouth as our self-righteous old man thinks he is above those words and they actually apply to those evil people ‘out there’ (Mat 4:4):

Luk 19:20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
Luk 19:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
Luk 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow.

When we can see we are the wicked and deluded servant who says these words, then we will also learn, like Job who eventually found out, that God is the One who sows every seed and created the evil and the good for His “very good” purposes (Gen 1:11-13; Gen 1:31; Pro 16:4; Isa 45:7):

Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Zebulun was Jacob’s tenth son, and his tribe was also one of the ten tribes who sided with the northern tribes under the rule of Jeroboam (1Ki 11:29-33). Not one of these kings or their followers in the northern kingdom ever obeyed God’s commandments emphasizing how the number ten spiritually points out that the flesh can never please God (1Co 15:50):

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

The tribe of Zebulun also showed a spirit of commitment and bravery. We read, for example, of Deborah’s praise for the tribe of Zebulun in Israel’s war against the Canaan king, Jabin, and his general Sisera (Jdg 5:18). Through their faithfulness in battle God appointed a judge from this tribe of Zebulun to rule Israel for ten years:

Jdg 12:11 And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

This tribe also joined David in battle and “could keep rank: they were not of double heart”. These “mighty men, helpers of the war” made themselves available even in supplying in the needs of those who fought with David against Saul to bring David to his kingly throne in Jerusalem (1Ch 12:1-40):

1Ch 12:33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.

Likemindedness in the spiritual things of God is such an important attribute for each son of God to bring fulfillment to the plan of God within our own lives (Rom 15:5; Php 2:2):

Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Zebulun, the fifth son mentioned by Jacob at his death bed, represents those who are given grace through faith, which is what the number five spiritually represents (Gen 49:1-13; Eph 2:8-9). Faith and grace release these “treasures hid in the sand” when we “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” by “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts” (Tit 2:11-12). This is how spiritual Zebulun in us indeed becomes part of the foundation of the new habitation of God, His heavenly Jerusalem:

Rev 7:8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand.

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

Numbers in Scripture
What and Where Is Heaven?
Revelation 13:1-2
Revelation 21:4-8
Revelation 15:1-4