Matthew 15:1–20 Defilement Comes from Within

[Study Aired July 14, 2025]

The study focuses on Jesus’s interactions with religious leaders, highlighting the contrast between outward rituals and inward purity, and demonstrating Christ’s compassion and power. The study involves Jesus’s rebuke of the Pharisees’ traditions and His teaching on what truly defiles a person. 

Traditions and Commandments

Mat 15:1  Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus. They asked, 
Mat 15:2 “Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” 

The Pharisees and the Scribes represent the leaders of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, of which we were part at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. Coming from Jerusalem means that these Pharisees and Scribes or our brethren in Babylon worship another Jesus, and are therefore in bondage with their children.

2Ch 21:13  Instead, you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel. You, like Ahab’s family, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. You have killed your brothers, your father’s family. Your brothers were better than you.

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

Instead of worshiping the Lord, these Pharisees and Scribes focus on the traditions of their ancestors. 

Mar 7:3  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 
Mar 7:4  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 
Mar 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 

When our worship is based on the traditions of our fathers, we make of no effect the word of the Lord. In other words, when we cherish the false doctrines of our fathers more than the truth of the word of the Lord, the word of God becomes ineffective in our lives.

Mar 7:13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 

In the word of the Lord, there are many instances where the traditions of the fathers blocked the people from seeing the truth of the word of the Lord. For examples, when Jesus had a chat with the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman was initially focused on the traditions of their fathers as follows:

Joh 4:7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 
Joh 4:9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 
Joh 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  

When Jesus asked for water, the woman’s response was to remind Jesus of the traditions of her Samaritan fathers who had no dealing with Jews. In addition, she being a woman means that Jesus shouldn’t have asked her for a drink. Later, the woman also told Jesus that their fathers worshiped on a mountain when she raised the issue that the place to worship was Jerusalem.  As we know, a woman represents a church, and therefore this woman initially signifies the elect when we were in captivity in Babylon or the churches of this world. At that time, we were focused on the traditions of our fathers, and therefore we did not want to have anything to do with the Lord’s elect, just as the Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews.

The question is, “What are these traditions of our fathers?” In the Bible, “the traditions of our fathers” refers to the oral and written laws, customs, and interpretations passed down through generations. These traditions include Christmas and birthday celebrations, physical baptism, Nicolaitan practices of having pastors lording over God’s people, adherence to the law of Moses, etc. 

In the book of Galatians, Paul reflects on his past life as a devout Jew, highlighting his zealous adherence to the “traditions of my fathers” before becoming the Lord’s elect.

Gal 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 
Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 

Now, let’s turn our attention to the issue of washing of hands before eating which the Pharisees and the Scribes accused Jesus’ disciples of not doing. Our hands represent our works, and to eat signifies knowing the Lord through His word. Therefore, spiritually, washing our hands before eating means that we must purify our works before we can know Christ. In other words, it is our works which pave the way for us to know Christ. That is what those who live according to the law of Moses do. They think it is our works that save us. 

The disciples eating without washing their hands implies that it is not about works. It is rather through the Lord’s mercy that we are given faith to know Him. In other words, salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by good works, though works are seen as a natural outcome of faith. 

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. 

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

When our worship is based on what we can do and not what the Lord will do through us, we end up obeying sets of rules which are in accordance with the law of Moses or the traditions of our fathers. That was what happened to us while we were in the churches of this world. The Pharisees and the Scribes accusing the Lord’s disciples of not washing their hands points to our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world accusing us of not having any physical works to show that we are serving the Lord. The multitude of Christians in the churches of this world attest to their good works while we, His elect, do not have anything to show. However, they forget that in the fullness of time, we shall have more children than them.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 
Mat 15:4  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 
Mat 15:5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Mat 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 

The traditions of our fathers go contrary to the word of the Lord. This is because while the Lord is seeking His people to worship Him in spirit and truth, because He is spirit, our traditions focus on physical worship which portrays itself in physical praise and worship, physical baptism, reciting of Bible verses, physical speaking of tongues, adherence to set rules and regulation, etc. 

Joh 4:23  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. 
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  

In verses 4-6, the Lord gave us an example of how we had perverted the word of the Lord regarding honoring our father or mother. This is because we had come to believe that if we give to the Lord what is due our fathers and mothers, then we do not have to honor them, although the word of the Lord says clearly that we should honor our fathers and mothers, so that we shall live long.

Exo 20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  

Outwardly, it may sound like we want to please the Lord by giving to Him and not our fathers and mothers. However, the Bible teaches that love is a defining characteristic of a true follower of Christ. If we claim to love God but fail to show love and compassion to those around us, our claim is questionable. In other words, serving the Lord and caring for others are intertwined. 

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

The churches of this world are endowed with physical wealth while the individual worshipers are struggling financially. This attest that the tradition of our fathers in giving to God and not having any obligation to our brothers and sisters undermine the word of the Lord. It is not surprising therefore that the whore shall be judged in the fullness of time.

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her (the whore), shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Mat 15:7  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 
Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, when we were in the churches of this world, we lived as hypocrites, which is defined in verse 8 as having the form of godliness in our worship of the Lord, but denying His power to transform us to become like Him. 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 
2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 
2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 
2Ti 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

The question is, “Why do we draw near to the Lord with our mouth and honor Him with our lips, but our hearts are far away from Him?” The answer is given in verse 9 which shows us that it is because of the teachings of doctrines of men which are perversive in the corridors of the churches of this world or Babylon, which had kept us in bondage to serving the Lord without transforming us into His image. In other words, at that stage of our walk with Christ, we could not serve the Lord in truth and in spirit.

The question is, “What are the doctrines of men?” The following is the Lord’s definition of what the doctrines of men are:

Col 2:18  Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 
Col 2:19  and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
Col 2:20  If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, 
Col 2:21  Handle not, nor taste, nor touch 
Col 2:22  (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? 
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. (ASV)

From these verses, we can see that doctrines of men show up in will-worship, the humility and severity of the body. In other words, these doctrines of men subtly promote what we think we can do. However, they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Any teaching that promotes what we can do by ourselves, and not what the Lord will do through us, is a doctrine of men. Our walk with Christ is a walk of faith, and faith is not what we produce by ourselves, but the faith of Christ given to us as a gift. We therefore bring nothing to the table. Everything is of the Lord. 

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.  

Let’s take a look at the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament. To become a priest, one has to be part of Aaron’s linage. It has nothing to do with what one can do. It is determined by the Lord before one is born. In a similar vein, our status as the Lord’s elect is given and not attained by will-worship, humility and severity to our bodies. 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 
Eph 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: 
Eph 1:5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

What Defiles a Person

Mat 15:10  And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 
Mat 15:11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. 

Remember that on most occasions, it is the multitudes who seek the Lord. However, in verse 10, it is the Lord that called the multitude. The multitude in this case therefore represents the elect, which is a positive application of multitude. It represents the period when Christ comes to us when we are still under the sway of Babylon, when our eyes of understanding are being enlightened to know that we are defiled by what is within us and not anything external which comes through our mouth. 

The source of our defilement is the man of sin or our flesh, when he is sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

As we shall see later in this study, it is out of our hearts that all kinds of sins of the flesh come from.

Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

The sins mentioned here in Matthew 15:19 are the manifestation of the works of the flesh which are described as follows:

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

What strengthens the man of sin in our heavens or hearts and minds is false doctrines which serves as the blockage to the truth of the Lord’s words which sanctify us within.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. 

As indicated in the case of the elders of Israel coming to enquire of the Lord from Ezekiel, the idol of their hearts, which is the same as the stumbling block of their iniquity, is what strengthens the flesh or the man of sin to defile the elders within and not what enters them through the mouth.

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.  

On the contrary, it is the truth of the Lord’s words which dethrones the man of sin or our flesh.

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

Mat 15:12  Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 

The Lord’s reformative teaching caused the Pharisees to be offended. According to Strong’s Dictionary, to be offended means to stumble. This shows us the double-edged sword nature of the word of the Lord. While to the elect, the Lord’s words lead to salvation, to our brothers and sisters in Babylon, represented by the Pharisees, the truth of the word of the Lord causes them to stumble and fall. 

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 
1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

Mat 15:13  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 
Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 

Here in verse 13, the Lord is showing us that to the elect, every false doctrine which is planted in our hearts and minds by the evil one shall be uprooted. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.   

In verse 14, the Lord saying that the Pharisees should be left alone is another way of saying the following:

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 

The blind leaders refer to the Pharisees who in this case represent the leaders of the church system of this world. The blind leaders of the blind means that the leaders of the church system of this world are blind spiritually and are therefore leading the blind who signifies our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. The end result of the blind leading the blind is that both will eventually fall in a pit. To fall into a pit means to become spiritually dead as shown in the following verses:

Eze 32:22  Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword: 
Eze 32:23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

Eze 32:29  There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

Mat 15:15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 
Mat 15:16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:17  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 
Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 
Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

Peter asking the Lord to explain the parable of what defiles us in verse 15 and Jesus asking Peter whether he also did not understand, means that at that time, the disciples were not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven even though they were walking with Christ. This indicates that at a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we did not know Him through His words. 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

Jesus explaining what defiles us to Peter in verses 17 to 20 show us that if we are called and chosen, just like Peter, we shall surely come to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. 

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

It is when the man of sin or our flesh sits in the throne of our hearts that out of it proceeds evil thoughts and all kinds of evil. On the other hands, eating with unwashed hands, which signifies knowing Christ through faith, even as we come to Him as we are. However, over time, His judgment of our old man shall result in our works (washed hands) being a sweet smelling offering to the Lord. 

May His Name be Praised for Choosing us in Him Before the Foundation of the World. Amen!!!

2Ki 5:11-27  “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean”

[Study Aired September 22, 2022]

2Ki 5:11  But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
2Ki 5:12  Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
2Ki 5:13  And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
2Ki 5:14  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
2Ki 5:15  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
2Ki 5:16  But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. 
2Ki 5:17  And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. 
2Ki 5:18  In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing. 
2Ki 5:19  And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. 
2Ki 5:20  But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
2Ki 5:21  So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? 
2Ki 5:22  And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
2Ki 5:23  And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 
2Ki 5:24  And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 
2Ki 5:25  But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
2Ki 5:26  And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
2Ki 5:27  The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

God’s expectation for the body of Christ, and all of humanity in time, is clearly stated in these two verses: (Jer 29:11, 1Co 15:22), and yet our flesh has many preconceived notions as to the way we think (1Pe 4:12, Heb 12:6) we should go that is pleasing to God in order to find this expected end (Pro 14:12, Luk 18:21-22). 

Jer 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, [Isa 55:8] saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death [That way in our flesh excludes the process of judgment that stems from the affliction, the persecution, the tribulation, the suffering, of which God says is necessary if we are going to overcome and enter into the kingdom of God within us day by day (Luk 17:21) as we die daily – these things (affliction –  persecution – tribulation – suffering) represent what will bring death to our old man, and going in the way that seems right to us is what will keep our old man alive and bring death to Christ in us (Heb 6:6)].

Luk 18:21  And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 
Luk 18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all [Mat 16:25] that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 
Luk 18:23  And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

[It was a “certain ruler” in this parable (Luk 18:18) who represents the fleshly pulls of our life that want to rule over us, who was rich in a self-confidence or a self-righteous spirit that did not acknowledge his need to be continually dragged to Christ who is the only one who can do the work within us of overcoming (Php 2:12-13, Joh 15:5) – Both physical riches and doing many wonderful works can blind us from our need to continually acknowledge our blind and naked condition in this life, causing us to go back into the world (Joh 9:41, 1Ti 6:8-10, 2Ti 4:10). Without following Christ and His body, the church (Eph 5:30, Heb 10:24-25), we will surely experience that blindness of (Joh 9:41), which will keep us from seeing truth that, if continued in, will set us free (Joh 8:31-32)]

God is dragging the elect out of Babylon in order for us to learn what it means to have the true patience and faith of the saints which is realized through a lifetime of much tribulation leading to our ultimate deliverance from these bodies of death (Rom 7:24-25) in the first resurrection, Lord willing (Rev 14:9-12, 2Th 1:4-5, Act 14:22, Rev 20:6).

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

Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: [Rev 14:9-11] here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

[Keeping God’s commandments and having the faith of Jesus is why we will be hated of all men for His name’s sake, His word (Mat 10:22)] 

2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 
2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: [2Ti 2:12]

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

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

In type and shadow, Naaman, who is a type of the elect, is showing us in this section of scripture how if we are God’s kind of first fruits, despite ourselves we will be dragged to Christ (Psa 118:27, Joh 6:44) and go through a process of judgment that will wash away our leprous condition and make us ready or mature us to be in the first resurrection (Luk 13:32, Rev 19:7). Being made completely ready is symbolized by Naaman being dipped seven times in the Jordan river, and all such spiritual increase comes from God alone, the giver of every good and perfect gift (1Co 3:6, Jas 1:17). Those gifts are given to us from our Father through Christ who is typified by Elisha who, when Naaman finally listened, was able to be washed: “Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God.“

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

Rev 19:7  Let us [those who are being judged in this age and going through a process that is leading to maturity] be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

2Ki 5:11  But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

This reaction of Naaman towards Elisha is a shadow of how we at first despise God’s goodness that leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4) not knowing that the work that God is doing in the body of Christ has nothing to do with a fleshly outward show: “Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place“. Rather, we come to see that it is not by might nor by power but by the spirit of God (Zec 4:6, 2Ti 1:7) that we are given the ability to mortify the deeds of the flesh, destroying the inward man of perdition who wants to rule and reign on throne of our hearts (Rom 8:13, Rom 3:20, 2Th 2:8). 

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

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

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

Naaman “was wroth“, and this anger is directed toward Elisha, who is a type of Christ that Naaman wants to know after the flesh, as was indicated with these words: “Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.” No, none of those things happened. Instead, Elisha “sent a messenger unto him” which is symbolic of the comforter coming to us to do a work that requires that we hear the still small voice of God through our prayerful and repentant relationship that is our strength (1Ki 19:12, Isa 30:15). 

1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Isa 30:15  For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

2Ki 5:12  Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

We all just naturally look at the outward appearance and don’t look at the heart of a matter the way Christ did and can through us (1Sa 16:7, Joh 7:24). 

1Sa 16:7  But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

2Ki 5:10 and Elisha [my god is salvation] sent a messenger unto him, saying, go and wash in Jordan [descent] seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. (PNBkjv)

2Ki 5:12  are not Abana (unchanging/^{H71 ‘stony’}) and Pharpar(rapids^{H6554 ‘swift probably from H6565 [break up/violate/frustrate] in the sense of rushing’}), rivers of Damascus(sack of blood/^{H1834 ‘silent is the sackcloth weaver’}), better than all the waters of Israel(he will rule with god) may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he [Naaman(pleasantness)] turned and went away in a rage. (PNBkjv)

When we judge a matter in the flesh, as we can see even with the definitions used of all these names in the ‘Proper Names Bible’ version above, we are looking to be washed by what the strength of our flesh can offer, symbolized by “Abana (“unchanging”) and Pharpar (“rapids”), rivers of Damascus (sack of blood”)“. Then Naaman asked the question, “May I not wash in them, and be clean?” to which Christ tells us emphatically, “No, there is only one place where we can be washed and find living waters (Heb 13:10) and that is through Christ where we are baptized into his death to be given living waters to never thirst again.” (Rom 6:3, Mar 1:9, Joh 4:9-14)

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

Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Joh 4:9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 
Joh 4:10  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 
Joh 4:11  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh 4:12  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 
Joh 4:13  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

When flesh doesn’t get its way, it foams up in a rage (Jud 1:13, Jas 4:5); but if Christ is working within us He can and will still those raging seas and bring a calm to us (Psa 107:29-31), a peace that passes all natural understanding that is carnal and in battle against the spirit (Rom 7:24-25). Naaman is us turning away in a rage, “So he turned and went away in a rage” until God mercifully sends someone his way to restore him from this condition (2Ti 2:25-26).

Jud 1:13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Jas 4:5  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

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.
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

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

2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

2Ki 5:13  And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 
2Ki 5:14  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

The servants in this part of the story also represent the spirit of God that is helping Naaman or leading him into all truth (Joh 14:26) to gain a right perspective in regard to what is being asked of him, and what is being asked of him is to “Wash, and be clean” and it really is not, as he says a “great thing” what is being asked of him, reminding us of (Rom 8:18, Lev 26:40-42, Mic 6:8). When we humble ourselves and obey God’s commands [Jordan ^{H3383 ‘descent’ from root H3381 ‘go down/come down/sink/be prostrated}] we will receive of his holy spirit (Act 5:32, Heb 5:8) and be washed and cleansed, but God is the one who must do the dragging and converting which is what this story of Naaman is a shadow of and written for our sakes upon whom the end of the ages are come (1Co 10:11).

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

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. 

Lev 26:40  If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; 
Lev 26:41  And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: 
Lev 26:42  Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. 

Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  

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

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

It is after Naaman is convicted of what the servant says to him that he went down and “dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” The spirit that Christ is forming in us is that of a little child (Mar 10:15, Heb 12:25) in the sense that a little child is teachable and humble as Naaman demonstrated by humbling himself in going down and dipping himself in the Jordan seven times. The seven times dipping is the same principle as the seven sneezes that are needed to drive the evil spirits out of the child that was dead but raised to life by the prophet Elisha (2Ki 4:35).

Mar 10:15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: [“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God.“] 

2Ki 4:35  Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 

2Ki 5:15  And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. 
2Ki 5:16  But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
2Ki 5:17  And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

Naaman sounds like Nebuchadnezzar when he says what he said after the fiery furnace experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.” 

Naaman is convicted, but in type and shadow he is not a mature son, and the proof of that is expressed by his not freely receiving this gift of healing but wants rather to pay something back to Elisha: “I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.” Elisha, a man of God, simply tells him, “As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.” (Mat 10:8)

Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Mat 10:8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,[Naaman] raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Then Naaman’s request to take back with him “two mules’ burden of earth” to “henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD” is also written for our sakes to remind us of what God’s word does for us today: Our citizenship is in heaven (Php 3:20 – CEV, CLV) and taking this earth from Israel to Syria on a beast of burden is symbolic of how we are in the world [earth] and not of it (Joh 17:16) and able as such to worship God in spirit and truth (Jer 22:29, Psa 107:20, 1Pe 5:7, Joh 4:24). The earth symbolizes the spiritual plot of land that we sojourn in while on this earth called Jerusalem above the mother of us all (Eph 2:6, Gal 4:26).

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 

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

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The gift of being healed and liberated from idolatry and false worship is the true reward that cannot compare to any gift in the earth (Psa 50:10), “For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD” (Act 3:6).

Psa 50:10  For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

Act 3:6  Then Peter said, 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.

2Ki 5:18  In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.
2Ki 5:19  And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

Naaman confesses his fault of bowing himself in the house of Rimmon, a Syrian deity, after his master who is worshiping there leans on his hand “In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon.” This confession of Naaman comes after he is cleansed of his leprosy and is now convicted of his wrong behavior that he is giving an account of to Elisha (Rom 2:4). His master ‘leaning on his hand’ is symbolic of how Babylon wants to rule over us and does so until we are healed and confess our idolatrous ways which we embraced in Babylon. The end result of his confession to Elisha are these words from the prophet “And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.” God’s peace comes to us when we are abased and confess our faults (Pro 16:6-7, Pro 3:3-4).

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

Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. 
Pro 16:7  When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 

Pro 3:3  Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 
Pro 3:4  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

2Ki 5:20  But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

Gehazi’s doublemindedness comes out with this opening statement, “Behold, my master hath spared^H2820 Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.” Out of his own mouth he is being judged here, saying he knows that this was an act of mercy on the part of the prophet “in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. Yet in the next breath he says, because of avarice and greed in his heart, “I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.“

spared^{H2820 [H8804 = Qal]} to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain 

Gehazi carries out these lust-filled actions thinking no one can see him, when in truth nothing is hidden from the Lord with whom we have to do (Heb 4:13, Act 5:1-5, Act 5:9-10).

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

Act 5:1  But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2  And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Act 5:3  But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 
Act 5:4  Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

Act 5:9  Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 
Act 5:10  Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

2Ki 5:21  So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? 
2Ki 5:22  And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
2Ki 5:23  And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 

In the book of James we’re told, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust [“I will run after him, and take somewhat of him” (2Ki 5:20)], and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived [“My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.“], it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. [“And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him“] (Jas 1:13-15).

Naaman is none the wiser regarding the lies of Gehazi who has orchestrated all these deceitful actions to his fleshly benefit. His master did not send him as he declared. It was his own lust that drew him after Naaman’s gift intended for Elisha. Gehazi receives “two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments” from Naaman that two servants bear before him. Gehazi does not bear the burden of repentance that these two talents of silver and changes of raiment signify. He just wants the reward now in this life without seeing the need to bear his burden, which is typical of believing in a substitutionary death of Christ (Jud 1:11, Col 1:24).

Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

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

2Ki 5:24  And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 
2Ki 5:25  But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 
2Ki 5:26  And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 
2Ki 5:27  The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

Gehazi ‘used the system’ to his advantage like Babylon does to make riches off of others, making merchandise in this instance of Naaman, and using his servants to do all the heavy lifting to this end: “And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed“. The tower[H6076  = stronghold] represents the pride of Gehazi which we know always comes before a fall (Pro 16:18-19).

Pro 16:18  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 
Pro 16:19  Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Gehazi, still being plagued with a lying spirit, tells Elisha when asked where he had been, “Thy servant went no whither.” Then Elisha, a prophet of God who is able to be given to know his servants whereabouts (Amo 3:7), says this: “And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?” ‘Is this the time to receive gifts’ is the question Elisha asks him, and the answer is ‘no, not at this time’, telling us there is a time to receive gifts under the right circumstances (1Co 9:11) and there is a time to not receive them (Ecc 3:1-11) as was the case with Gehazi (2Ki 5:26) who not only had “gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward” (Jud 1:11), but had done so with a lying spirit on top of everything else that he had done wrong (Gen 14:23, 2Th 3:7-9).

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:

2Th 3:7  For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 
2Th 3:8  Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
2Th 3:9  Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

Elisha pronounces upon Gehazi the punishment that he deserved for sowing to his flesh as he did: “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.” This leprosy represents death, just as was pronounced on Ananias and Sapphira for their deceitfulness (Act 5:1-10).

The lesson for God’s elect is that our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and must die and be put off daily (Jer 17:9) in order to be cleansed of our leprous condition known as ‘being in flesh’, which is wretched in the sight of God but able to be subdued and worked with through Jesus Christ our savior (Rom 8:7-9, Rom 7:24-25).

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

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

[Study Aired July 27, 2020]

Luk 17:11-19 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Tonight’s study will focus on the “ten men that were lepers” and “Go shew yourselves unto the priests”. The number ten deals with the “completeness of the flesh”. Here is a link to the spiritual significance of the number ten.

The Spiritual Meaning of the Number Ten

Leprosy is a symbol of sin or lack of understanding of the doctrines of Christ. The flesh of Christ, His body, must be healthy to understand the doctrines of Christ in order to overcome the world and its carnality.

Pro 4:1-2 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Joh 7:16-18 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

2Jn 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

We need to review Leviticus 13, 14 and part of 22 to understand how leprosy is diagnosed and how it is cleansed.

The leper is sent to the priest or one of the sons of the priest and they will determine if there is a leprosy present.

Lev 13:1-3 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.

Aaron and his sons represent the elders of the church. The priests examine the spot in the skin. In spiritual-speak the elders review the suspected lack of understanding that is within the member(s) of the body of Christ.

Lev 13:4-6 If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

After determining there is no leprosy, seeing this is just a sore, the priest pronounces him clean, but he must still must wash his clothes. In other words, only part of the body has succumbed to this sin (lack of understanding), and they have their understanding corrected by the “washing of the water”. Notice there are two seven-day periods during which the priest shut up the leper.

Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Now the scab is spread throughout the body and is pronounced unclean. This leprosy (sin of the body) is now spreading throughout the whole congregation.

Lev 13:7-8 But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen of the priest again: And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprosy.

Lev 13:9-11 When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest; And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the rising be white in the skin, and it have turned the hair white, and there be quick raw flesh in the rising; It is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not shut him up: for he is unclean.

What is an “old leprosy”? It is mixing the old law with the new not understanding there has been a change in the law.

Heb 7:11-12 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

Mat 9:16-17 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.

Next, the “leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and it is all turned white” tells us that the sin or lack of understanding that was in part of the body has been exposed and corrected.

Lev 13:12-13 And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

Psa 51:6-7 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The following section of Leviticus 13 shows us there are many things that can cause us to be unclean and the changes of the skin can show us the leprosy has been cleansed. The unclean person is considered contagious and therefore must be separated from the congregation.

Lev 13:14-15 But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.

As we all know, flesh is corrupted and cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.

Gen 6:11-12 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

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

If the raw flesh is changed to white, it becomes clean.

Lev 13:16-17 Or if the raw flesh turn again, and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest; And the priest shall see him: and, behold, if the plague be turned into white; then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: he is clean.

Psa 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous (proud) sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

1Jn 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world [in our leperous flesh], 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Just because there is some healing, does not mean the leper is completely clean.

Lev 13:18-20-22 The flesh also, in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil, and is healed, And in the place of the boil there be a white rising, or a bright spot, white, and somewhat reddish, and it be shewed to the priest; And if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it be in sight lower than the skin, and the hair thereof be turned white; the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.

Several times, as part of the process of determining if the leper is clean or unclean, they are shut up for seven days up to fourteen days. This represents a time of maturity or lack thereof.

Lev 13:21-22 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hairs therein, and if it be not lower than the skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a plague.

Now a new symptom is added to the diagnosis – Burning.

Lev 13:23  But if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean. 

Lev 13:24-25 Or if there be any flesh, in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the quick flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish, or white; Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the hair in the bright spot be turned white, and it be in sight deeper than the skin; it is a leprosy broken out of the burning: wherefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy. 

Lev 13:26-27 But if the priest look on it, and, behold, there be no white hair in the bright spot, and it be no lower than the other skin, but be somewhat dark; then the priest shall shut him up seven days: And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day: and if it be spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.

Lev 13:28  And if the bright spot stay in his place, and spread not in the skin, but it be somewhat dark; it is a rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean: for it is an inflammation of the burning. 

This burning has a negative and a positive meaning – One causing death (lack of understanding) and the other saving life (understanding).

Num 26:60-61 And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

Psa 118:18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. 

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. 

There is another part of the body that can be affected – The head.

Lev 13:29-30 If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard; Then the priest shall see the plague: and, behold, if it be in sight deeper than the skin; and there be in it a yellow thin hair; then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard. 

Lev 13:31-34 And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and, behold, it be not in sight deeper than the skin, and that there is no black hair in it; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days: And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague: and, behold, if the scall spread not, and there be in it no yellow hair, and the scall be not in sight deeper than the skin; He shall be shaven, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more: And in the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall: and, behold, if the scall be not spread in the skin, nor be in sight deeper than the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

Lev 13:35-36 But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing; Then the priest shall look on him: and, behold, if the scall be spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.

Lev 13:37-41 But if the scall be in his sight at a stay, and that there is black hair grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean: and the priest shall pronounce him clean. If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean. And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean.

Lev 13:42-45 And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.

The leprosy in the head is a symbol of having “another Jesus…another  spirit” or “another gospel”.

2Co 11:1-4 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

1Co 5:1-6 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

There is another thing that must be checked for leprosy. It is the garments which are worn.

Lev 13:47-57 The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; Whether it be in the warp, or woof [woven or knitted material]; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest: And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.

Lev 13:58-59 And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

Garments represent “righteousness”.

Psa 132:9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

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

In our next study we will review chapter Leviticus 14 to see how we can cure the disease of leprosy.

[Study Aired May 28, 2020]

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 
Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 
Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

The word spoken by angels was stedfast, and Christ was stedfastly about our Father’s business in the old covenant just as He is today within the body of Christ which is where our Father’s business is being conducted (Luk 2:49, Heb 13:8, Zep 3:17, Php 2:13). The body of Christ is to be of the same mind (Php 2:2, Col 1:24), speaking the same thing stedfastly as we are guided and led by God’s holy spirit that bears witness that we are His sons who are about our Father’s business through Christ and as Christ’s body (Rom 8:14, Rom 8:16, 1Jn 4:17). It is Christ who is that angel working within the seven angels of  Revelation 8:6 (Mat 22:29, Rev 8:6) fulfilling God’s purpose in this age within the life of the bride of Christ, actions that were typified for us with Israel in the wilderness (1Co 10:2-6).

Heb 13:8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Zep 3:17  The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

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

Mat 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. [It takes power to blow the trumpet; “the seven trumpets“.]

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. [Rev 19:7]

This section of Hebrews we will examine is filled with admonition for Christ’s body to be stedfast and confidently believing (Joh 6:28-29) that He is doing this work today within us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Eph 2:10, Php 1:6, Luk 12:32), which involves our overcoming the powers and principalities that would have us neglect so great a salvation by not stedfastly keeping our eyes on the mark of the prize of the high calling that is in Christ. As we look to the Lord we grow in our ability to discern good and evil which is the exercise we are enduring through together so that we can blow the trumpets of God having had our senses exercised to be able to do so  (1Pe 5:8-9, Php 3:14-15, 1Co 14:8, Heb 5:12).

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [“resist stedfast in the faith” (Heb 4:11, Joh 6:27)]
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” is the first verse we’ll look at in our study and the “therefore” being spoken of, is all that was discussed in the previous chapter that reassured us of the “kingship and priesthood” that we have become a part of by the rich mercy  that is expressed to us through the grace and faith of Jesus Christ. That kingship and priesthood in the making (God’s workmanship) requires that we take heed of the things being established, and “to be holding fast unto the things that have been heard, lest, at any time, we drift away” [Rotherham].

(Eph 2:5-8, 1Th 5:21) The Corinthian church was slipping in regard to not discerning the need to ordain those who should be judging the matters that required mature leadership and they were obviously not getting any Godly results as they ended up turning to the courts of this world to resolve issues between brothers in Christ (1Co 6:2-11). This story is written for the admonition of God’s kings and priests who have been called to go on to perfection and reach that level of maturity which will be required for us to judge the world and angels one day (Eph 4:13).

1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Co 6:4  If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
1Co 6:5  I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1Co 6:6  But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. [“drift away” – caught in a spiritual worldly undertow or riptide]
1Co 6:7  Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1Co 6:8  Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
1Co 6:9  Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

[“The exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” of  Ephesians 2:5-8 is to be “washed” and “sanctified” and “justified” through Christ in this age, which will take a steadfast life of overcoming so that we can one day judge angels, and how much more the things that pertain to this life as stated in 1Corinthians 6:3.]

Now we know we have a high priest in heaven, a Savior who is stedfast and who we cry out to as he did himself when he was in his flesh and was delivered in that He feared God (Heb 5:7, Psa 34:4, 1Jn 4:17). Christ tells us to not cast away that confidence that we can have in him, telling us to cast all your cares upon him and to look stedfastly to the Lord for deliverance that He has promised will be given to those who seek him with all their hearts (1Pe 5:7, Jer 29:13).

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Psa 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

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

Our flesh does not naturally want to seek the Lord out, and like Christ himself, we must learn obedience by the things we suffer in order to cease from sinning, or as it was in Christ’s case, to never let sin ever manifest in His life, which is something we must strive for all our lives (Rom 6:11). Our high priest, who was tempted in all diverse manner, never sinned so that we could have a spotless savior who, “being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.” We would just not naturally “obey him” without the power of God’s holy spirit being shed abroad in our hearts (Rom 5:5). It is the grace and faith that work together through our hope of glory within which accomplishes that end of obeying God or fearing God and working righteousness (Heb 4:15, Eph 2:6, Joh 14:20, Eph 2:8, Col 1:27).

[(Heb 5:8-9) works of the flesh in which we naturally walk until we don’t; (Gal 5:16-26) how those who are bidden to the wedding supper will obtain a wedding garment (Mat 22:8-10, Joh 21:18).

We are admonished to press forward and fight a good fight of faith and know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord (1Co 15:58, Psa 127:1). Our diligence, our striving (Christ’s work in us – Col 1:27-29), will be rewarded and that reward in earnest today is to have the mind of Christ and the strength to die daily and put off this flesh to the glory of God so we can endure until the end and receive the fulness of that reward (Heb 11:6).

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

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

Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

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

Satan’s goal is to circumvent that steadfast diligent desire to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first (Mat 6:33) and to make us feel that we are unworthy (Act 13:45-47, 1Co 6:2), as he accuses us and tries to hold us back from laying hold on eternal life (fighting for everlasting life – 1Ti 6:12, Rev 12:10, Rev 3:11). As God’s elect we die daily and have our conscience sprinkled by the blood of the lamb (1Co 15:31, Heb 10:22-24, Act 13:45-47) as we go forward with that confidence in Christ that He will make it possible for us to receive the recompence of the reward for which we have respect today as “the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” by “the power of his Christ” (Heb 11:26, Rev 12:10, Luk 10:18).

Act 13:45  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming [1Co 11:19].
Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you [1Co 1:19], and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. [Luk 14:23]
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [judging yourselves unworthy], and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised
Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward [Moses example is a type and shadow of Colossians 1:24 that is required to make us worthy to rule under Christ (2Ti 2:12)].

Before we look at the first three verses of this second chapter of Hebrews we’ll be studying, let’s consider this word “stedfast”. Strong uses three different numbers for this word, each one helping us understand more clearly God’s mighty hand in our lives.

G949 From the base of G939 (through the idea of basality); stable (literally or figuratively): – firm, of force, stedfast, sure.

Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast^G949, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast^G949 unto the end;

Heb 6:19  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfastG949, and which entereth into that within the veil;

2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfastG949, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

firm, 1:  Heb_3:6
force, 1  Heb_9:17
steadfast, 4 2Co_1:7; Heb_2:2; Heb_3:14; Heb_6:19
sure, 3  Rom_4:16; 2Pe_1:10; 2Pe_1:19

G1476  From a derivative of hezomai (to sit); sedentary, that is, (by implication) immovable: – settled, stedfast:

1Co 7:37  Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast^G1476 in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast^G1476, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

[Fleshly works are vain and won’t inherit the kingdom of God, but God’s work through the church is “not in vain” and is treasure laid up in heaven (Mat 6:20), negative laying up (Rom 2:5), positive laying up (1Ti 6:19, Tit 3:8)]

Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settledG1476, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

G4731  From G2476; stiff that is solid stable (literally or figuratively): – stedfast strong sure.

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast^G4731 in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Strong uses this number “G4731” three other times besides 1Peter 5:9, giving us that sense of the immovability of God’s hand in our life (verse 6).

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ¹
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast^G4731  in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
1Pe 5:10  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

stedfast^G4731 defined by Thayer as

1) strong, firm, immovable, solid, hard, rigid

1a) in a bad sense, cruel, stiff, stubborn, hard

1b) in a good sense, firm, steadfast

Total KJV Occurrences: 4
•strong, 2
Heb 5:12; Heb 5:14 [strong meat]

•steadfast, 1
1Pe 5:9  [solid/stedfast in the faith]

•sure, 1
2Ti 2:19 [the foundation of God]

This stedfastness is what we pray for each other every day that we may be resisting stedfast in the faith keeping our eyes on Christ the author and finisher of our faith who makes that possible (Heb 12:2), knowing we are accepted and called to overcome through many afflictions (Act 14:22) and all for the sake of others who will see Christ’s example within us that forms the discipleship of love [obedience to God’s commands] that we are so blessed to share today and that will lead to our being saviors who come up on mount Zion to do for others what Christ has done for us (1Pe 2:12, Joh 13:35, Oba 1:21).

Our attitude must be “to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip“, and God willing He will use each of us to hold fast to this high calling and help each other to be stedfastly looking unto our Lord, following each other as we follow Christ (1Co 11:1) so that we can endure unto the end of our lives and be saved through each joint that supplies in love (Mat 24:13, Eph 4:16).

God is telling us, His kings and priest, to understand that we have been called to witness to the world how God has made us worthy or accepted through Christ (Eph 1:6). To despise that high calling is to despise Christ and His sacrifice and all he has suffered for us. That rejection, although it is caused by God, will still lead to a sorer punishment those who are not granted to be made ready must endure, and God is doing this to show the world His severity and goodness and how He will do what He wants with that which is His (Heb 10:29).

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast^G4731 in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Heb 10:29  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

God willing, we won’t lose sight that the stedfast and zealous relationship we have with Christ today is the gift and blessing to which we have been called (Tit 2:14, 1Pe 3:9), and the holy spirit will show us if there is anything that needs to be corrected, as there will be, or purified and sanctified, as there’s going to be. In the end His faithfulness will prevail through the fiery trials and judgment (God’s wrath [1Pe 4:12] is God’s judgment upon us today [1Pe 4:17]) that we all must endure through together stedfastly unto the end, in order to be raised in that blessed and holy first resurrection (Php 3:14, Rev 20:6).

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1Pe 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

The thought “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard” is another way saying “Despise not prophesyings” (1Th 5:19-28) by showing contempt to God’s word. Christ is faithful who will preserve us blameless until his coming (Php 2:13), and that will happen while we “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php 2:12). Does that mean that we are never going to slip and is that what it means to be “preserved blameless” of 1Thessalonians 5:23? No we are preserved through the fire in this life, through the wrath and judgement that God brings upon our old man as He causes us to stumble and fall a complete seven times (Pro 24:16) in order to learn of His mercy that we will in turn administer to the rest of the world, seeking the occasion against their flesh during the period called the thousand year reign and then administering the great white throne judgment in the lake of fire.

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit.
1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 5:24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [Joh 21:22]

To be “preserved blameless” is to know that we need a physician (Luk 5:31) and that we are going to need our advocate throughout this life (1Jn 2:1), and because God is dragging His elect toward Christ (Joh 6:44) we can “give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard” and know how to make war with sin in our heavens through Christ who sets us free (Joh 8:36).

Sin will manifest and we will “slip” in that regard, and if we say otherwise we deceive ourselves (1Jn 1:8). The good news is that we will gain dominion over sin in this life if He is working with us (1Co 15:56-58) and learn that God is the one who allows sin to manifest the light and the darkness, the good and the evil (Isa 45:7). If we are His in this age, He will cleanse us, wash us, sanctify us, justify us and give us victory over the giants of our land [sin and temptation] that will be bread for us. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31-35, 1Co 6:10-11, Num 14:9).

Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

This verse ties in perfectly with what we’ve just discussed about the grace of God, and reveals to us that God’s mercy toward the elect in this age does not mean that He is going to be mocked (Gal 6:7) and so He tells us “the word spoken by angels was stedfast“, another way of saying “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jas 1:17).

That is the deception God is burning out of us, to bring us to see His holiness and how he requires that same holiness within us that can only be obtained through the fire, through the Red Sea, through the lion’s den (1Pe 1:16). That is why it is only those who are bound to the altar in this age who will drink the cup (Psa 118:27, Mat 20:23), the altar being the cross of Christ which we are able to endure by the strength of Christ as we mortify the deeds of our flesh and live by the faith of the son of God to the glory of our Father (Gal 2:20).

In order for us to become holy, we need to have God’s wrath and judgments poured out upon us as we learn that “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward“. We learn through this life that God is not mocked, and whatever we sow we’re going to reap. We also learn that God’s mercy rules over the judgments and wrath the elect are experiencing in order to be received of our Father (1Pe 4:17, Heb 12:6). There are equal measures and weights all along the way (Deu 25:15, Rom 8:18), and as His mercy prevails, we give thanks and praise to God for these wonderful works to the children of men as His kind of first fruits who are blessed to be the first to be judged and brought unto perfection on the third day (1Jn 4:17, Psa 107:25-32, Luk 13:32). It is a “just recompence of reward” we receive for our sins that God causes, and we naturally cannot understand this until we come to see His sovereignty over the entire process, and we become convinced of His loving purpose for doing things the way He does that will not let any one of us be separated from His hand.

Jas 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Isa 45:8  Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.
Isa 45:9  Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? [Rom 9:20].

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

The “great salvation” to which we have been called is accompanied with a great process that we know was explained to us in type and shadow through the nation of Israel who represent the “Israel of God” who we are.

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

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

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. [Exo 19:6, 1Pe 2:9, Zec 2:8]

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

If we are blessed to go through that judgment in this age, it will bring about a peace that passes all understanding (Rev 20:6, Php 4:7) as we experience the fruit of that judgment in our lives bringing about the righteousness of Christ in our heavens (1Jn 4:17, Isa 26:9). It is that process of fiery judgment to which God’s elect have been called that is going to make us “blessed and holy” and no longer conformed to this world but “transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom 12:2, Heb 5:14).

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

What was “confirmed unto us by them that heard him” was that it is through much tribulation we will inherit the kingdom of God, and God is faithful who has started this process within us of dragging us to Christ through a lifetime of overcoming, so that we can obtain to that blessed and holy first resurrection, and do so with a mind of peace that passes all understanding. We are being formed and fashioned through a lifetime process of overcoming confirmed in type and shadow with the life of Moses and all the prophets who were types of that longsuffering process to which we have been called (Jas 5:10).

(40 typifies the number for tribulation in God’s word, and 3X40=120 shows us that this process of judgment (3) were going through will occur through a lifetime of much tribulation (Act 14:22) and that thought was already being confirmed in type and shadow in the life of Moses who died at 120 years of age [Deu 34:7].)

What is also confirmed is that hearing (“confirmed unto us by them that heard him“) is the miracle that is the litmus test for God’s elect today to know if someone is of us or not (1Jn 4:6-8). Israel heard the sound of Yahweh on Mount Sinai, but that hearing was only type-and-shadow hearing, and no one was converted at that event where “there fell of the people that day about three thousand men” (Exo 32:28). When we hear Christ’s voice today we hear the voice of the true Shepherd which is made possible by receiving the holy spirit as the church did on pentecost when 3000 were baptized and began to die daily spiritually (about 3000 [Act 2:41], about 5000 [Act 4:4]). The numbers are signified and tell the story of the process of judgment (3) through grace and faith (5) that add up to the new man 8000 (8x10x10x10).

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.

Deu 34:7  And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the next six verses of this chapter that reveal more of the same true witness of Jesus Christ spoken of in the old and new covenant typifying for us the reality of Christ in the lives of those few who are called to be His witnesses with Christ in us as our hope of glory (Col 1:27) in this age (Luk 24:48-49, Rev 11:3)

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

Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

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

Heb 2:4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 
Heb 2:5  For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 
Heb 2:6  But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 
Heb 2:7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 
Heb 2:8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 
Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

[Study Aired March 26, 2020]

Psa 147:12  Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 
Psa 147:13  For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 
Psa 147:14  He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
Psa 147:15  He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 
Psa 147:16  He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
Psa 147:17  He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 
Psa 147:18  He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
Psa 147:19  He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 
Psa 147:20  He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

As mentioned at the start of all three studies with Psalm 147, there are three logical breaks that divide the Psalm into three sections, with the start of the first section simply declaring “praise ye the Lord” (vs 1), the second section declaring we should “sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving” (vs 7),  and then the third section showing us who it is that should “praise the Lord” (vs 12).

We are praising God for the judgment that is in our lives today, not just a baptism of water judgment, typified by John the baptist who pointed us to Christ typifying that time when we stumbled unto Christ, but rather a fiery baptism that comes after we receive the word of God so true spiritual healing can come to us as a result of the unquenchable fire Christ brings into the lives of those who are being crushed in this age (Luk 12:49-50), so that we can bring forth fruit meet for repentance by being blessed to zealously continue in the truth.

Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
Luk 12:50  But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. [through the fiery trials, the unquenchable fire of 1 Peter 4:12 that forms fine flour from the “finest of the wheat” of vs 14, explained later in study].

Mat 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Tit 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. [“fruits meet for repentance”]

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

Once again this section of the Psalm also reminds us of God’s great faithfulness toward the Israel of God through typical language that speaks of the ancient nation of Israel which we know represents both our stage in Babylon in the churches of this world as well as our ‘coming out of her my people’ as we die daily (2Co 6:17, 1Co 15:31).

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

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

We praise God continually and rejoice in the Lord always because we know that he who has begun a good work in us will finish it, as He has promised.

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

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

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

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

It is his good pleasure to give us the kingdom and to show the world through that process how great his faithfulness is toward those things that He declares He will do from the foundation of the world (Jas 1:12, Php 4:13, Rom 8:29, Eph 1:5).

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

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. [“according to the good pleasure of his will“]

This last section of Psalm  147 should really encourage us to see how great God’s faithfulness is to His first fruit remnant that he is going to save through the fiery trials and the much tribulation of this life (1Pe 4:12, Act 14:22). Clearly God has not spoken something He can’t and won’t accomplish (Luk 12:32), and He has declared we are a holy nation, a peculiar people, the bride of Christ, whom He is going to use to save the rest of humanity through a process of judgment that causes the seed to die (Joh 12:24), the one seed (Gal 3:16), as Christ sets us free from sin (1Pe 2:9, Oba 1:21, 1Co 6:3, 1Pe 4:17, Joh 8:36).

Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

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

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

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Psa 147:12  Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. 

The following verses that will conclude our three part study of Psalm 147 demonstrate why we ought to “Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion“.

The first thing to notice is that it is speaking of God’s people, Jerusalem and Zion who typify the elect, who are praising God because he has chosen us from the foundation of the world to give witness to His great faithfulness toward those things which he has declared would be accomplished “according to the good pleasure of his will” (Rom 8:29, Mat 20:22-23, Php 1:6).

Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

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

The verses that follow verse 12 of this psalm will go into detail as to what things God is doing specifically in the lives of those with whom he is working in this age, and why those things should give us continual reason to praise the Lord for His faithfulness toward His people within whom he has given this hope of glory “which is Christ in you”.

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

Psa 147:13  For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. 

The gates of hell spoken of in Matthew 16:18 represent the powers and principalities against which we wrestle (Eph 6:12), and “the bars of thy gates“, on the other hand, represent the positive mind of Christ within us that declares nothing shall separate us from the love of God even as sin lies at the door or the gates of our hearts (Gen 4:7). We are promised that through Christ we will continue to be able to die daily and keep under ourselves if He has called us to endure until the end (1Co 9:27, Mat 24:12-13, Php 4:13).

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

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.

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We are not able to be separated from God’s love (Rom 8:35-37) because “he hath strengthened^H2388 the bars of thy gates” and “blessed thy children within thee”, which represent correct doctrine or the words of eternal life abiding in us (Deu 12:28, Isa 54:13, 2Jn 1:2-4). That strengthening is what God’s faithful gift of continuing in His word (Joh 8:31) is speaking of in this verse, as we continue to overcome through God’s gift of grace and faith that make that process of overcoming possible (Eph 2:8-9).

Deu 11:8  Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strongH2388, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;

Deu 12:28  Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

Isa 54:13  And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

2Jn 1:2  For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.
2Jn 1:3  Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
2Jn 1:4  I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

Psa 147:14  He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

Our borders also represent our mind that now have a peace that surpasses all understanding (Php 4:7). It is only our Father in heaven who can give us this highly cherished gift of peace as we are dragged to Christ (Joh 6:44) and raised in heavenly places where we are filled “with the finest of wheat” (Eph 2:6).

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

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

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

The “finest of wheat” represents Christ and the word of God that sanctify us, and this process of sanctification is made known to us in the wave sheaf offerings discussed in Leviticus, knowing now that this was written for God’s elect, the kind of first fruits (Jas 1:18, Eph 1:5) who we are (Lev 23:10-18).

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

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

Leviticus describes Christ and His Christ as fine flour:

Christ

Lev 23:10  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you [Joh 14:20], and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you [Eph 1:6]: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:12  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:13  And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil [Joh 3:34], an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour [Rom 12:1, Isa 52:14]: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin (Isa 53:12). Both the “fat”^H2459 of Lev 17:6 and “finest”^H2459 of wheat of Psa 147:14 are speaking of this “sweet savour” we are unto the LORD through Christ.]

Lev 17:6  And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat^H2459 for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Lev 23:14  And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:15  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: [Heb 4:15, Rev 15:8, Heb 5:8-9]
Lev 23:16  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD [2Co 5:17].

His Christ

Lev 23:17  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves [Rev 11:3, Psa 104:15, Pro 24:10] of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven [Lev 5:6]; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

[God’s first fruits – His Christ filling up what is behind of Christ’s afflictions as the trespass offering]

Lev 23:18  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year [Rev 15:8], and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire [Mar 9:49], of sweet savour unto the LORD [Col 1:24, Col 1:27].

Psa 147:15  He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly. 

This section of the Psalm tells us again what God is doing in the hearts and minds of the elect whom he is sending “forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly“(Joh 6:63, Heb 4:12, Joh 16:13).

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.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Christ is the bridegroom who is running this race in our heavens, and like a “bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race“ so we are encouraged with these following verses of the certainty of his finishing this work of faith within his little flock, a short work (Rom 9:28) that will convert the soul (Psa 19:5-11).

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Psa 19:5  Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
Psa 19:6  His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. [Heb 4:12]
Psa 19:7  The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8  The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11  Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. [Joh 8:31-32]

Psa 147:16  He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
Psa 147:17  He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? 
Psa 147:18  He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. 
Psa 147:19  He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. 

These four verses are speaking in typical language of the judgement that is first upon the house of God today (1Pe 4:17). It is He who delivers all these things into our heavens that represent the judgment that must come upon our old man, and it is that judgment that will quicken us in His service. It is the cleansing of the temple that we are to rejoice and give thanks to God for as He faithfully carries out all of these very precise custom made trials in each of our lives that are the wonderful works unto the children of men (Psa 107:24-30), that are all working together for the good of the body of Christ who love God and have been called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

Notice the language surrounding those things that God gives, how it is connected to mourning and death because that is indeed what his judgements are going to produce for our old man of sin within.

In vs 16 he gives “the snow like wool” (Rev 7:1-15, Heb 9:14, Isa 1:18)

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; …Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

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

In verses 16-17 “He is dispersing hoarfrost like ashes, He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?“, which is another way of expressing judgment that will go forth and no one will be able to withstand His strong arm of judgment. Every knee shall bow in that day of judgment (Rom 14:11), our old man shall not stand, but our new man in Christ having done all will stand (Rev 6:17, Rom 8:35-37, Eph 6:13).

Job 37:9  Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.
Job 37:10  By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

In verse 18 the imagery now changes to describe God’s word as “wind that blows” and “water that flows” and is able to “melteth them” (Eze 21:7, Psa 68:2). We are both washed with the word (Eph 5:26) and the spirit of God is also likened unto wind making the connection for us in this verse of Psalm what His fiery judgements do for us within (Joh 3:8, Joh 7:38).

Psa 68:2  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
Psa 68:3  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

In vs 19 we are simply being told once again that it has been given to God’s elect to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven (Mat 13:11). In order for us to have eyes that see and ears that hear, those things that we just read in  verses 16, 17 and 18 must unfold in our heavens (1Pe 4:17).

Psa 147:20  He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD. 

No, God “hath not dealt so with any nation“, meaning He has dealt so with this nation of Israel which typifies the holy nation, the peculiar people we are who are zealous of good works (1Pe 2:9) because of His judgments or pruning in our lives which promise we will bring forth much fruit (Joh 15:2-4).

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

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

The rest of the world has not “known them“, His judgments that are upon the elect specifically. It is given unto us “that fear my name” that can grow and mature as “calves of the stall” (Mal 4:2). We fear His name (Luk 12:5) because we experience His judgments in this age and are not given, Lord willing, to be hardened as Israel of old in the wilderness, that, because of a spirit of unbelief were held back from inheriting the promises (Heb 3:8, Pro 3:11).

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

Luk 12:5  But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Heb 3:8  Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

The main message of this Psalm is that God’s faithfulness is great toward those with whom He is working first, and what he has started and determined from the foundation of the world He will finish because “great is thy faithfulness“. They are truly “new every morning”.

Lam 3:22  It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Lam 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Lam 3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Psa 108:7  God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 
Psa 108:8  Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 
Psa 108:9  Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 

Last week we looked at how the valiance stated in Psa 108:13 (through God we shall do valiantly) is described very clearly for us in the first few verses as a valiant work that He is doing in each of our heavens which brings us to believe and see through those works that we are more than conquerors through Christ who is accomplishing this through His body.

Psa 108:13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Joh 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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.

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

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

This promise of victory through our Lord is described with such statements as “thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds”(vs 4), and when we know that those heavens being spoken about refer to our hearts and minds and that the clouds represent the elect, these promises of God become very reassuring to us as we are brought into “the strong city”, “into Edom”, where God tells us we will be delivered with His right hand which represents His power, “that thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me” (vs 6).

Deliverance is assured, but as we will see in this second part of our study with Psalm 108 and as we have been learning all along, deliverance comes through a very carefully orchestrated judgment through which we all must go in order to have our heavens purified in this age.

Psa 108:7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

We now rejoice in God because He hath spoken “in his holiness”, and those words which God speaks to us are sent forth to do a work in our heavens which He promises will not return void.

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 
Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 
Isa 55:13  Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

A process of judgment will unfold as God sends forth his word that “…will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth“. This is a witness of what God’s word will do in our heavens: Shechem must be divided and the valley of Succoth must be mete out.

God’s word cannot be divided correctly unless we are given the ability to go from glory to glory. When God gives us the ability to compare spirit with spirit, using the physical creation around us, we can then be quickened by what it is that the spirit of God reveals: that quickening comes as a result of learning obedience by the things which we suffer. It takes bruising, or a “meting out”, in order to break our own heavens which can very easily hold onto our own carnal perceptions of what God’s word is saying. God is showing us through this first verse in our study that dividing the word correctly is something that only He can accomplish within us through a process of judgment described as that time when He “mete[s] out the valley of Succoth”. Just to confirm those points I’ve cut and pasted the definitions of the words in question to give us further clarity on the matter:

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 [obedience to obedience], even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

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

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Just as “it pleased the LORD to bruise him”, it pleases Christ to chasten and scourge us so that we can become obedient children who are being received of God through that confirming promise of much tribulation (Act 14:22) that will be measured and meted out perfectly upon the bride of Christ who is being made ready in this age (Isa 53:10, 1Jn 4:17, Lev 19:36, 1Co 10:13).

God is sovereign over the process of teaching us His ways and bringing us to a point where we can drink the progressively stronger cup of His wrath upon our old man which is matured through those fiery trials that come in their perfect season for each of us (1Pe 4:12, Act 1:7).

There is great comfort in knowing that God has called us to bear a burden that He will give us the ability to bear through Christ, and so when we look at these definitions and talk about all this judgment which must occur to each of us, we also have the continual hope and promise that Christ in us is working this process of judgment and that He enables us to endure and drink the cup we must drink in this age. He makes our burden (our portion – place of burden) light. Through Christ my burden is light (when God brings conversion to each of us we can then strengthen each other and bear that burden of growing together).

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 
Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 

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

Luk 22:32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

I will divideH2505 [H8762]  ShechemH7927 

ShechemH7927: The same as H7926; ridge; Shekem, a place in Palestine: – Shechem.

H7926:  From H7925; the neck (between the shoulders) as the place of burdens; figuratively the spur of a hill: – back, X consent, portion, shoulder.

H7925: A primitive root; properly to incline (the shoulder to a burden); but used only as denominative from H7926; literally to load up (on the back of man or beast), that is, to start early in the morning: – (arise, be up, get [oneself] up, rise up) early (betimes), morning.

divide^{H2505 [H8762]} 

1Ch_16:3  And he dealt^{H2505 [H8762]} to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.  

Job_21:17  How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth^{H2505 [H8762]} sorrows in his anger.

Psa_22:18  They part^{H2505 [H8762]} my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 

mete out^{H4058 [H8762]} the valley^H6010 of Succoth^H5523. 

2Sa_8:2  And he smote^{H5221 [H8686]} Moab^H4124, and measured^{H4058 [H8762]} them with a line^H2256, casting them down^{H7901 [H8687]} to the ground^H776; even with two^H8147 lines^H2256 measured^{H4058 [H8762]} he to put to death^{H4191 [H8687]}, and with one full^H4393 line^H2256 to keep alive^{H2421 [H8687]}. And so the Moabites^H4124 became David’s^H1732 servants^H5650, and brought^{H5375 [H8802]} gifts^H4503. 

To mete something is to measure it, and we are being measured or meted in this age as God’s elect.

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 
Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Ultimately it will be through the church that God will be sending forth those living waters that will be used to “…divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth” in the rest of humanity, each man in his order as these scriptures show us.

Gen 33:17  And Jacob journeyed to Succoth (H5523 = Plural of H5521: booths), and built him an house, and made booths^H5521 for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth^H5523. 

Lev 23:39  Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 
Lev 23:40  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 
Lev 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 
Lev 23:42  Ye shall dwell in boothsH5521  seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 
Lev 23:43  That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 
Lev 23:44  And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

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

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

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 

Psa 108:8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
Psa 108:9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

All the nations within us belong to God to do what he has purposed according to the counsel of his will. Upon closer examination of each of these names we will hopefully learn what God has concealed behind them, and He will be glorified in us as we are granted that honour and blessing of searching out those things which He has hidden from the natural mind of man to understand.

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: 

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Pro 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. 
Pro 25:3  The heaven for height [within], and the earth for depth [nations within], and the heart of kings is unsearchable. 

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. 

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

Gilead is mine:

This process of judgment about which we are talking belongs to God. “Gilead is mine” and Gilead is a rocky region, just as our hearts are like stone and hardened until the Lord begins to soften them through judgment (Eze 36:26 , why we need a new heart Jer 17:9).

H1568   gil‛âd    ghil-awd’

Probably from H1567; Gilad, a region East of the Jordan; also the name of three Israelites: – Gilead, Gileadite.

– Definition: n pr loc Gilead = rocky region 

Therefore was the name of it called Galeed:

H1567 Galeed: i.e., the heap of witness. Heb: Heb 12:1

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house [2 witness of X the completeness of the flesh 10]; I served thee fourteen years [Mat 1:17] for thy two daughters [Leah and Rachel – court and temple Rev 11:1-2], and six years for thy cattle [Rev 13:18]: and thou hast changed my wages ten times [10 the completeness of the flesh – http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/numbers_ten/]. 
Gen 31:42  Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. 
Gen 31:43  And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? 
Gen 31:44  Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 
Gen 31:45  And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 
Gen 31:46  And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. 
Gen_31:47  And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it GaleedH1567. 
Gen_31:48  And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called GaleedH1567; 

Manasseh is mine:

What is born out of the experience of evil, which Jacob experienced with Laban in a place called Galeed, is Manasseh, which means “causing to forget” in Hebrew. 

Joh 16:20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 
Joh 16:21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 

That sorrow turned to joy is witnessed to us in the birth of the two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Gen 41:51  And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 

Ephraim also is the strength of mine head:

Gen 41:52  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 

God’s elect are blessed to bring forth much fruit in the land of our affliction (these verses describe what goes on in the land of our affliction Mat 13:3-11), and God is the one who causes this increase within us with Christ as our head.

Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 
Mat 13:4  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 
Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 
Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 
Mat 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 
Mat 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 
Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

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. 

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

Judah is my lawgiver:

“The land of my affliction” is represented by the process of labour in the parable of the vineyard that is needed, then we are told that “Judah is my lawgiver”, or “my sceptre”, to remind us that all these works, and the entire process of withholding the rain or giving of the rain (Jas 5:17-18) that potentially leads to growth, is of the Lord as we just read above in (Joh 15:5 , 1Co 3:6-7).

In other words, unless you are a Jew inwardly with the hope of glory within you, you are none of His (Rom 8:9, Col 1:27); and the ability to lay up spiritual treasure in heaven is not made possible because “without me ye can do nothing” (Rom 2:28 the outward Jew is represented by Jacob’s 20 years of serving Laban as we do in the churches of this world, or the Gentile spirit of unbelief which makes us a law unto ourselves Rom 2:14, Mat 19:21).

Moab is my washpot:

H4124   mô’âb   mo-awb:  From a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix “m-” and H1; from (her (the mother’s)) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants: – Moab.

H7366 rachats   rakh’-ats:   From H7364; a bath: – wash [-pot]. 

This next word “Moab” is further confirmation of the process of washing which is occurring within the lives of God’s children who have been called out of Babylon. We are cleansed of all our “incestuous” relationships that we have had within Babylon by being washed with the word of God. This spirit of incest symbolically represents our inability to break free from Babylon where we salute our own and, like the scribes and pharisees, keep to our own kind not understanding yet that God is no respecter of persons.

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

Isa 4:3  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 
Isa 4:4  When the Lord shall have washed awayH7364 the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 
Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 
Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. [God associates our going on to perfection with being able to salute not just our brethren only].

Gal 2:11  But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 
Gal 2:12  For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

“Over Edom will I cast out my shoe”:

We are still looking at a process that is taking place in our flesh represented by “Edom”, and we know that perfection comes on the third day, and the Lord must do these valiant works of overcoming until the end if we are to be saved in this age.

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

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

Here are some points we can look at which can help us understand what it means to “cast out my shoe”. God does work valiantly within us when we decrease and He increases, and God’s people are given to give Him all the glory for all those wonderful works unto the children of men, including the casting out of a shoe at us which is part of God’s word that we must live as well (Mat 4:4).

cast out^H7993 my shoe^H5275

Deu 25:6  And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. 
Deu 25:7  And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife [the church], then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. 
Deu 25:8  Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; [1Jn 2:19]
Deu 25:9  Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. [We spit in Christ’s face in our appointed time by refusing to come out of Babylon, as we reject Christ, the brother who died, and don’t join ourselves unto his wife, the church. The wife spits in the brother’s face and takes off his shoe as a symbol of rejection, a rejection of which we are all guilty until we’re not].

Joh 8:39  They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.  

Mat 26:67  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, 

Mar 14:50  And they all forsook him, and fled.

Deu_25:10   And his name shall be called in Israel, The house^H1004 of him that hath his shoe^H5275 loosed^{H2502 [H8803]}. 

Isa 20:2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 
Isa 20:3  And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; 
Isa 20:4  So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 
Isa 20:5  And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. 
Isa 20:6  And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

Excerpts from Mike’s study with Isa 20:

http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/prophecy-of-isaiah-isa-201-6-how-shall-we-escape-from-the-king-of-assyria/

– In this chapter of Isaiah Christ is telling Israel, a type of us, that the time has come for them to be punished for their infidelity. As we have seen, Assyria is the symbol for “the rod of [His] indignation”. 

– The fact Isaiah was instructed to expose his own nakedness for three years tells us the process of judgment has begun at the house of God. 

– At the appointed time, we are brought to see our own nakedness, and we are made to acknowledge that there is no way to avoid the destruction which is staring us in the face: [end of excerpt]

John tells us this “whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose” (Joh 1:27), and this parable reminds us that John was not going to have that shoe of Christ symbolically thrown at him (“over Edom will I cast out my shoe“) because he was still bound under the law and not meant to go unto perfection in his age, which is what judgment will produce (Luk 7:22, Luk 13:32). It is only when Christ casts out his loosened shoe at us, described this way “over Edom will I cast out my shoe” (vs 9), that we begin to realize that we are the man who is guilty of all, including our refusal to fulfill our duty to bring forth spiritual fruit with our dead brother’s wife. The dead brother represents Christ the seed which must die if we are going to bring forth fruit (Joh 12:24), and by the goodness of God we are led to repentance (Rom 2:4) as we go through a process during which we find ourselves no longer denying our Lord, Who cannot deny Himself within us (Deu 25:7, 2Ti 2:11-16, Col 1:27).

“Over Philistia will I triumph”:

Philistia represents the status of flesh from beginning to end, it is weak, it is corruptible, it is perishing, it is dusty, we (wallow) in it, and yet God tells us that it is in this weakened state He will make His strength perfect, He will triumph (Luk 17:10, 2Co 12:9, 2Co 4:16, Php 1:6).

H6429 pelesheth pel-eh’-sheth: From H6428; rolling, that is, migratory; Pelesheth, a region of Syria: – Palestina, Palestine, Philistia, Philistines.

H6428  pâlash  paw-lash’:  A primitive root; to roll (in dust): – roll (wallow) self.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the last four verses of our study entitled “Through God we shall do valiantly” where we will see how God has always purposed to put off our flesh so that His strength could be formed within us, creating the new man through Christ.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

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

Psa 108:10  Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 
Psa 108:11  Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? 
Psa 108:12  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 
Psa 108:13  Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. 

Psa 108:1 A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
Psa 108:2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
Psa 108:3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
Psa 108:4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
Psa 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
Psa 108:6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.

We’ve been looking at how the Lord raises the storms and takes us through the fiery trials of this life in Psalm 107 and now we will see in this following Psalm 108 the resulting blessed effect of having those trials strengthen, settle and establish us in the Lord (1Pe 5:10).

It is not a complicated progression, nevertheless it is one that can be easily missed if we are not given to see God’s sovereignty which leads us through the raging seas of our hearts (Jer 17:9) to form and fashion in us something new in our heavens (Isa 43:16, 2Co 5:17, Rev 21:3-7).

This section in chapter 21 of the book of Revelation explains (as clearly as is possible for those who have been given eyes to see and ears to hear), what the Psalm 107 storm process will produce in us after God wipes away all tears from their eyes and a new creation is revealed, where death and sorrow and crying and pain will become the former things that are passed away.

Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 

We are being reassured and told to look and behold “I make all things new” as he says to us, “Write: for these words are true and faithful” and that this making of all things new could only be accomplished if I were the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” who gives to those who are “athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” throughout this lifetime.

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 

It is for those who are given these fountains of living water that are forged on the high sea of our lifetime of trials who become the ones described as “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

We are no longer surprised at the faithfulness of our Father, but rather rejoice in Him always because we are being dealt with as His sons (1Jn 4:17) who have been overcoming through the power of God’s holy spirit all the things which are naturally within our sea and must be conquered through Christ within us. 

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 
Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 

Those things within our sea are described as “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, [that] shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”  These are the things within us that Christ died for and that we die daily for each other and the rest of the world as we endure through this life by His power “as seeing him who is invisible” (Rom 5:6, 1Co 15:31, Heb 11:27).

1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 
1Ti 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 

Without those precious fiery trials of our faith that cast out our fearful and unbelieving moments in our life, as the abominable nature that defiles the temple is destroyed, we would not learn the true meaning of “Through God we shall do valiantly” mentioned in the last verse Psalm 108 and concluding with the statement “for he it is that shall tread down our enemies”, our enemies being those things described in Revelation 21:8.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 
1Jn 4:19  We love him, because he first loved us. 
1Jn 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (Heb_11:27).

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. 

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

God’s elect are experiencing this “second death” first, in advance of the rest of humanity, having our heavens cleansed today through judgment (1Pe 4:17), and there is no more valiant or great work going on in all of God’s creation than that work which our Father is doing within the apple of His eye (Php 2:13) that He has brought to see that all things are for our sakes (Zec 2:8, 2Co 4:15) so “that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” (2Co 9:8, Col 2:6-7, Eph 5:19-22)

2Co 9:8  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 
Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 

Eph 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 
Eph 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Eph 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 
Eph 5:22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

This Psalm 108 is focused very much on the abundant grace aspect of our calling that is a result of our much tribulation throughout this life (Act 14:22) described as the “second death” for the rest of humanity who will experience their judgment in time appointed of our Father. It is confirming to know that God has purposed this for us in this age, and it is wondrous to contemplate that He who has begun this good and valiant work within us can finish it through Jesus Christ (Php 1:6).

Psa 108:1  A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 
Psa 108:2  Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 
Psa 108:3  I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 

David’s heart “is fixed”, and we are being reminded in type and shadow language that it takes enduring those severe trials revealed in Psalm 107 in order to have this kind of heart formed within us or fixed^H3559 within us by God who does the fixing!

What we learn about this word ‘fixed’ is that God is always actively directing, preparing and establishing our hearts to be stedfast for His purpose in our lives that we know is centered around bringing forth much fruit that abounds to His glory. These following definitions of the word fixed^H3559 below, accompanied by these verses, make it clear that this ‘abounding in spiritual fruit’ is what the workmanship of God has been created to do (Eph 2:10) .

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 
Rom 15:14  And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 

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. 
2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 
2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 
2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. (Heb 11:27)

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 

H3559  kûn   koon

A primitive root; properly to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular);. hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous): – certain (-ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten, firm, be fitted, be fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect, (make) preparation, prepare (self), provide, make provision, (be, make) ready, right, set (aright, fast, forth), be stable, (e-) stablish, stand, tarry, X very deed.

– Original: כu1468 וu1468 ןpar – Transliteration: Kuwn

– Phonetic: koon

– Definition: 

1. to be firm, be stable, be established 

a. (Niphal) 

1. to be set up, be established, be fixed 1a 

b. to be firmly established 1a 

c. to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring 1a 

d. to be fixed, be securely determined 

1. to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast (moral sense) 

2. to prepare, be ready 

3. to be prepared, be arranged, be settled 

e. (Hiphil) 

1. to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm 

2. to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish 

Total KJV Occurrences: 217 

 •aright, 1

 Psa_78:8 “And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. “

 •direct, 1

 Jer_10:23 “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.“

 

 •directed, 1

 Psa_119:5 “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! “

 •establish, 16

 2Sa_7:12; 2Sa_7:13; 1Ch_17:11; 1Ch_17:12; 1Ch_22:10; 1Ch_28:7; Psa_7:9; Psa_48:8; Psa_87:5; Psa_89:2; Psa_89:4; Psa_90:17(2); Psa_99:4; Isa_62:7; Jer_33:2 

 •established, 46

 Gen_41:32; Exo_15:17; Deu_32:6; 1Sa_13:13; 1Sa_20:31; 2Sa_5:12; 2Sa_7:16; 2Sa_7:26; 1Ki_2:12; 1Ki_2:24; 1Ki_2:45; 1Ki_2:46; 1Ch_17:14; 1Ch_17:24; 2Ch_12:1; 2Ch_17:5; Job_21:8; Psa_24:2; Psa_40:2; Psa_89:21; Psa_89:37; Psa_93:1; Psa_93:2; Psa_96:10; Psa_102:28; Psa_119:90; Psa_140:11; Pro_3:19; Pro_4:26; Pro_12:3; Pro_12:19; Pro_16:3; Pro_16:12; Pro_20:18; Pro_24:3; Pro_25:5; Pro_29:14; Isa_2:2; Isa_16:5; Isa_45:18; Isa_54:14; Jer_10:12; Jer_30:20; Jer_51:15; Mic_4:1; Zec_5:11 

 •fashion, 1

 Job_31:15 

 

 •fashioned, 2

 Psa_119:73; Eze_16:7 

 •fixed, 4

 Psa_57:7(2); Psa_108:1; Psa_112:7 

 •prepare, 27

 Exo_16:5; Num_23:1; Num_23:29; Deu_19:3; Jos_1:11; 1Sa_7:3; 1Sa_23:22; 1Ch_9:32; 1Ch_29:18; 2Ch_2:9; 2Ch_31:11; 2Ch_35:4; 2Ch_35:6; Job_8:8; Job_11:13; Job_27:16; Job_27:17; Psa_10:17; Psa_107:36; Pro_24:27; Pro_30:25; Isa_14:21; Isa_40:20; Jer_46:14; Jer_51:12; Eze_38:7; Amo_4:12 

 •prepared, 53

 Exo_23:20; Num_21:27; Jos_4:4; 1Ki_5:18; 1Ki_6:19; 1Ch_12:39; 1Ch_15:1; 1Ch_15:3; 1Ch_15:12; 1Ch_22:3; 1Ch_22:5; 1Ch_22:14(2); 1Ch_29:2; 1Ch_29:3; 1Ch_29:16; 2Ch_1:4; 2Ch_3:1; 2Ch_8:16; 2Ch_12:14; 2Ch_19:3; 2Ch_20:33; 2Ch_26:14; 2Ch_27:6; 2Ch_29:19; 2Ch_29:36; 2Ch_31:11; 2Ch_35:10; 2Ch_35:14; 2Ch_35:15; 2Ch_35:16; 2Ch_35:20; Ezr_7:10; Neh_8:10; Est_6:4; Est_7:10; Job_28:27; Job_29:7; Psa_7:13; Psa_9:7; Psa_57:6; Psa_68:10; Psa_74:16; Psa_103:19; Pro_8:27; Pro_19:29; Pro_21:31; Isa_30:33; Eze_28:13; Eze_38:7; Hos_6:3; Nah_2:5; Zep_1:7 

The rest of the thought expressed in these first verses we are looking at describe the fruit which is borne from a life that is being fixed of the Lord. 

We “sing and give praise, even with my glory” as we go from glory to glory in the Lord learning obedience by the things that we suffer and seeing the fruit being made manifest as a result of the Master Potter’s hand working the clay and creating something new through that process (2Co 3:18, Jer 18:4).

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 
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. 

Then in verse 2 David speaks of the sense of urgency (Heb 11:7) that God has put in his heart with these words “Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early“, which is an event written for our sakes to remind us how blessed we are to be awakened early in this age in advance of the rest of humanity who have been kept in spiritual blindness until this day (2Co 3:15).

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

2Co 3:15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 

What God’s people will do, having been awakened early, is then described in these words in verse 3: “I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations“; and it is that praise which we give to God that resonates throughout the body of Christ in the sacrifices of thanksgiving which is on our lips (Heb 13:15-16) for all these wonderful works that God is doing unto us as His children (Psa 107:31). 

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 
Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

The nations are within us, and the foundation of good works which God establishes within the body of Christ is needful and necessary to help clothe us with His righteousness, and these verses harken back to Revelation 21:3-7 where we are reminded that it is the Lord who takes away our thirst. In other words it is Christ’s clothing, ‘his righteousness’, that will enable us to endure until the end and having done all, stand. It is Christ alone who will quench our thirst and give us the power to bring forth spiritual fruit in due season (1Co 3:13, Eph 6:13).

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 
Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 
Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. 

Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
Rev 21:5  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 
Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 

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

Psa 108:4  For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. 
Psa 108:5  Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; 
Psa 108:6  That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me. 

These verses witness again to us who it is that God is clothing in this age, and how it is through “thy mercy” that leads us unto repentance that we learn of a mercy that is “great above the heavens” of our own minds. We are learning of His truth that is “unto the clouds” and those clouds represent the great cloud of witness which we are in Christ.

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

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 

We are called and chosen in this age to endure until the end knowing that God will be exalted in that calling “above the heavens” of our minds, “above all the earth”. He is far above all things (Eph 1:18-21) and working all things in our struggles against spirits (Eph 6:12, Eph 1:11) as our all powerful Father who alone can form the light and darkness (Isa 45:7) and work that light and darkness to the end “That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me“. 

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

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 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: 

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

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at what it means for God to speak to us in His holiness, and how we must come to learn that the help that man gives us is vain, and that it is only “Through God [that] we shall do valiantly”

Psa 108:7  God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 
Psa 108:8  Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 
Psa 108:9  Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph. 
Psa 108:10  Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 
Psa 108:11  Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? 
Psa 108:12  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 
Psa 108:13  Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. 

Isa 22:1-8 Your Slain Men Are Not Slain With The Sword, Part 1 - Discussion

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Isa 22:1-8 Your Slain Men Are Not Slain With The Sword - Part 1

Isa 22:1  The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
Isa 22:2  Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.
Isa 22:3  All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.
Isa 22:4  Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.
Isa 22:5  For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
Isa 22:6  And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.
Isa 22:7  And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
Isa 22:8  And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

The "burden" of this chapter is against Jerusalem, the capital of the Lord's own kingdom. Before we begin our study we need to remind ourselves that if we hope to gain anything from these words proceeding from the mouth of God we must remember these two truths:

Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

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

If "the kingdom of God is within [us]", then it follows that all the things that are written about His kingdom are also within [1Co 10:11). The laws and doctrines of the kingdom of God are "within [us]", and the enemies of that kingdom and its laws and doctrines are all operating within us. It is the lacking of this inward application which blinded ancient Israel from seeing that she was no different from the Babylonians whom the Lord used as His staff and His rod to punish Israel for her sins against Him:

Isa 10:5  O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

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

In spiritual terms this verse is saying:

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

Israel and Judah and Jerusalem were the 'great harlot', who had no respect for her marriage covenant with her Lord. They were "the great city... where also our Lord was crucified", long before the Lord sent Babylon to punish Judah and Jerusalem for their sins. The rejection and deaths of all the prophets, which took place within Jerusalem, each and every one, typified the crucifixion and death of Christ, and it is all made a mystery by calling God's own apostate people, "Babylon the great the mother of harlots", in the book of Revelation.

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

This verse is telling us that God's witnesses have always been lying dead in the streets of 'Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots'. But Isaiah 1:10 and verse 21 demonstrate that it is really the Lord's own people who crucified Him. Jerusalem is called "Babylon the Great" only because she was her own enemy, as Jeremiah 2:19 explains.

Here is how Isaiah introduces this entire prophecy to us:

Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

In our last study we established that Jerusalem had long ago turned her back on her marriage covenant with her Lord and had become the Biblical symbol of the great harlot of Revelation 17-18. By using the physical king of Babylon to punish His apostate adulterous wife, then symbolizing her apostasy with the name 'Babylon the great", the Lord has assured that the 'mystery' in the name "Mystery Babylon The Great" remained a mystery for all these years. But it is no mystery to those who are granted to compare spiritual types with spiritual realities. Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem all symbolize God's apostate people of today. So these words are speaking directly to you and to me:

Isa 1:20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

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

This "great... mysterious... harlot" is none other than those who claim they are the Lord's people but will not obey Him, because they cannot hear His Words:

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

This harlot of Isa 1:21 and Rev 17:5 symbolizes all who claim the name of Christ but will not wear His garments or eat His food, because they have no real or true respect for Him or their covenant with Him.

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

That is why this burden against Jerusalem is merely one of nine burdens listed in this prophecy. She cannot be distinguished from the adulterous nations about her because she is no more faithful to the Lord than any of them. Why, then, would not the Lord pour out the cup of His wrath upon His own people?

Jer 25:15  For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
Jer 25:16  And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
Jer 25:17  Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18  To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

Jer 25:28  And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29  For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

Jeremiah 25 mentions all the nations of the world and tells us the Lord of hosts has called for a sword upon them all. Why does He begin His judgment of this world with Jerusalem and with His own people. Why are they the first to be listed for experiencing the judgments of His wrath? This is why:

Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

Peter tells us the same thing but in these words:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

God's wrath and His judgments are one and the same, and they must "first begin at us". So for any who think that God's elect are in some way immune from the wrath of God, I want us all to again notice what we have been seeing in our the past several studies. What we have been seeing is that Isaiah, as "the angel who [is] showing [us] these things" and as a type of the Lord's elect, feels the pain of both the wrath of God, which is poured out upon His own people, and the pain of the Lord's wrath, which is poured out upon those whom He uses to punish His own people.

It is very important that we see the "mankind... shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Mat 4:4) application of all the Old Testament prophets who were speaking for the Lord. So let's take a very brief review  of our past few studies where this principle has been brought before us beginning just two chapters earlier:

Isa 20:1  In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
Isa 20:2  At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
Isa 20:3  And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
Isa 20:4  So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
Isa 20:5  And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
Isa 20:6  And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?

We are "this isle". We are God's people who are the first to be judged and as such we are the standard that is raised up to the nations. It is our experience of going into and coming out of Babylon with all the humiliation and suffering that entails, which qualifies us as the Lord's "spectacle" and as His "standard":

Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Isaiah suffered this humiliation for "three years" even though He personally had not been as unfaithful to the Lord as those nations whose punishment He was enduring with them.

The same is true for the punishment the Lord inflicted upon Babylon which we are given in the very next chapter:

Isa 21:2  A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
Isa 21:3  Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
Isa 21:4  My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

Have you ever wondered why Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the prophets, had to suffer right along with the wicked people to whom the Lord was sending them? "My loin filled with pain... three years naked and barefoot" is the wrath of God that He is sending upon "Egypt, and upon Ethiopia" and upon Babylon, but all of this is first experienced by those who are the firstfruits of those who "are not appointed to wrath, but to salvation" (1Th 5:9).

The lesson we all need to learn from the fact that Isaiah endured the humiliation of Egypt and Ethiopia, and that he also feels all the pain, pangs, dismay and fear that was felt by those who suffered at the fall of Babylon, is that the outward carnal-minded man and the inward spiritual man are both within each of us, and therefore we are told very clearly:

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The apostle John was one of God's elect, yet He endured the pain and fear of not knowing that there is a Savior for those who feel the most forsaken to such an extent that he "wept much" when He was led to believe that there was "no one in heaven or on the earth who was worthy to open the the [very] book" which reveals all the trumpets and vials which are poured out upon Babylon the great and upon all of her daughters within us:

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
Rev 5:2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev 5:3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Who is "the lion of the tribe of Juda" who opened the seven seals of the book in the hand of "Him that sat on the throne"? It is, of course, Christ, but according to "the angel show[ing us] these things", it is Christ within His anointed, within "His Christ" who "shows us all these things" (Rev 19:10 and Rev 22:6-8).

What was in the book when "the Lion of the tribe of Juda" opened it? It was the revelation of Jesus Christ. That is what was in that book, and that revelation of Jesus Christ included all the events described in the seven seals, which seven seals include the seven trumpets as the seventh seal, and it is all called the revelation of Jesus. The seventh trumpet is the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God and those plagues, and God's wrath upon us is an integral part of the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

This is how Ezekiel describes what is written in this very same book:

Eze 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

There is simply no way to get around the fact that we must live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, including the words of these verses:

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Who drinks of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation and is tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb?

I will answer that question by asking another question:  Who is it who is supposed to "read... hear... and keep the things written [here]in"?  How are we told to regard those who read, hear, and keep these three verses of Rev 14:8-10? This is what we are told of them:

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

So it is we who are to read, hear and keep all these words which tell us that we must drink of the wine of the wrath of God and must be tormented with fire and brimstone day and night in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, and we are told that we are to regard them as "blessed" to be given to be the first to endure the trials of His wrath.

Moses and Aaron, and Caleb and Joshua, all had to endure the Lord's wrath upon Israel for forty long years, and David had to endure the persecutions of King Saul, and Isaiah had to endure the humiliations of Egypt and Ethiopia and the wrath of the Lord, which He poured out upon physical Babylon. In the same way we also must endure the sufferings of the wrath of God upon our weaker brothers and sisters until they also can suffer with us when we suffer the wrath of God for the deep roots of Babylon, which are daily being burned out of us.  They, too, are supposed to feel that they are blessed to be given to suffer with us and to rejoice with us when we rejoice because:

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

This is the burden of "the valley of vision". It is all taking place within us. Jerusalem, the place where the Lord chose to place His name (2Ch 6:6), is on a hill, but there are mountains round around it as King David tells us:

Psa 125:2  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

2Ch 6:6  But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

For that reason Jerusalem is the symbol of where the people are given vision and are given to know the mind of the Lord. However, our adulterous ways within us afflict us, and we now warned that the Lord's wrath is coming upon us "in the valley of vision".

However, these are spiritual words, and in this case "the mountains... round about Jerusalem" forming "the valley of vision" typify God and His ways, as King David reveals in telling us "...so the Lord is round about His people..."

King David also tells us that He looks to the mountains for his help:

Psa 121:1  A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Meaning:

Psa 121:2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

We need to realize that the Hebrew word translated 'hills' here in Psalms 121:1 is the exact same Hebrew word translated as 'mountains... round about Jerusalem' in Psalms 125:2. The Hebrew word is:

H2022
הַר
har
har
A shortened form of H2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively): - hill (country), mount (-ain), X promotion.

What we are being told spiritually is that it is the Lord Himself who surrounds His people forming "the valley of vision":

Isa 22:1  The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

This is a "burden" upon "the sinners in Zion" within us:

Isa 33:14  The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

People go up on the housetops both to see what is coming and as a means of defense. What is our attitude even in this alerted state of fear? The answer is that we all, when we first begin, turn His grace into lasciviousness, and this is what happens in our rebellious minds:

Isa 22:12  And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:
Isa 22:13  And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Look around at what we can all see every day outwardly in this world. The whole world knows we are on the cusp of some great cataclysm. They may have the wrong reason for why it is so, such as global warming from man-made pollution of the atmosphere, or they may think that the economy is about to collapse, or they may think we are about to see World War III, but the world as a whole is expecting something cataclysmic to happen in the not too distant future. The fear of World War III is in the headlines all the time. Indeed, it is coming, and it will not wait. But the reason it is coming is not because of physical pollution, or any of those other reasons. This is the real reason the Lord is about to judge all nations, including those who claim His name but cannot hear His words:

Deu 8:20  As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

Again Moses prophesied of "the latter days", which only began after the sacrifice of Christ (1Co 10:11):

Deu 31:29  For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

Why did all of this happen to ancient Israel?

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples [Greek: tupos, as types of us]: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world [Greek: aions, ages] are come.

Isa 22:2  Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

"Thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle" because "your slain men" are slain by the famine of the word from which the kingdom of our old man suffers and is dying. This spiritual truth is typified by what actually happened to Israel under the siege of Jerusalem during the rule of King Zedekiah:

2Ki 25:1  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about.
2Ki 25:2  And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
2Ki 25:3  And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.
2Ki 25:4  And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain.
2Ki 25:5  And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him.

This physical famine was occasioned by the spiritual famine that had afflicted the Lord's people for many years, as Amos tells us:

Amo 8:11  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

We will stop here for now and make this a two-part study. Next week we will see that even though the Lord has already begun to punish us, our old man is extremely stubborn and just cannot learn obedience. In the end He must be destroyed, and that long drawn-out destruction is typified by the nine dark months of the growth of the new man within us. Birth takes nine very dark months simply because spiritual birth, with the burden of carrying a child and the pains of delivering that child, typifies the process of judgment, and our new man is born only "through much tribulation":

Joh 3:1  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

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.

We must all be born both of "water and of the spirit" - not just one, but both "water and of the spirit". Water is not outward water baptism as so many believe. Rather, water is flesh, "and that which is born of the spirit is spirit". But this birth is a nine-month process, climaxing in "great tribulation" just preceding the actual bringing forth of a new man.

It is those who know all of this who are blessed above all men:

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

Next week we will pick up at part two of our study in these first 8 verses of Isaiah 22 concerning this blessing we are given to be the first to endure His judgments upon the kingdom of our old man.